Great Nation, Small Freshness (Imperial Examination) - Chapter 11

11: First Display of Talent (Part 1)

“The two little brothers are arriving today, right?” Shuyun came out carrying two quilts and asked Qin Hai, who was tinkering with the cart in the corner of the wall.

They rented a small three-sided courtyard: one main room and one side room. Since their own two children were still small and slept together in the main room, the side room was perfect for Qin Shan and Qin Fanghe.

Qin Hai nodded, looking apologetic. “It’ll put you through some more trouble again.”

When family came to visit, his wife naturally had to play hostess. Half-grown boys could eat a father out of house and home—two teenage lads might devour who-knew-how-much.

Shuyun spread the quilts over the clothesline in the yard, smoothed them out under the sun, and gently patted off the dust. Hearing his words, she let out a little laugh. “Aren’t your younger brothers my younger brothers too?”

After a pause she added, “Besides, those two boys really are lovable. Even when they got oranges, they thought of us…”

She was talking about the two oranges that Mr. Sun had given to Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan, which the brothers had immediately passed on to Qin Hai and his wife.

It wasn’t that they were so shallow as to be bought by a couple of mere oranges, it was just that, at such a young age, the two boys were already so thoughtful and generous.

They had conscience.

Hearing his wife praise his own brothers made Qin Hai happier than if she had praised him, and he felt even greater respect for her. “It’s a pity you’re not coming.”

Shuyun smiled. “Amitabha, it’s precisely because I’m not going that it’s good. With the men away from home, I can finally steal a bit of leisure and tidy up the things we need to take to Father and Mother.”

Shuyun was afraid of the cold, and their two children were still little. Taking them along would be troublesome, and if she took her eyes off them for a moment and something happened—if they got lost or were snatched by traffickers—it would hurt worse than having her heart dug out. So she simply decided not to go.

That made Qin Hai laugh too.

While they were talking, someone called from outside the gate: “Big Brother! Sister-in-law! We’re here!”

Speak of the devil. Qin Hai went to open the gate and found himself face-to-face with his own younger brother’s face—one that looked both radiant and obviously exhausted.

“What happened to you?”

Qin Shan: “…”

A long story!

Qin Fanghe climbed out of the cart, grinning. “Big Brother doesn’t know yet, does he? Seventh Brother has been studying these days too. He can already recite all of the Three Hundred and Thousand Character Classic from memory.”

Qin Hai was genuinely delighted. “That good? Recite a few lines for me.”

Qin Shan looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His lips trembled, he seemed on the verge of tears.

Here we go again!

For the past few days, everyone in Baiyun Village had been possessed—whenever they caught him, they made him recite. After he finished, they praised him lavishly, so lavishly that he didn’t even have the face to throw a tantrum.

Thanks to them, in just one short month he had been forced to memorize the Trimetric Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic. It was simply unbelievable.

Qin Fanghe’s smile was pure evil.

Having once been soaked by the rain himself, he was determined to tear up everyone else’s umbrella!

The adult world was terrifying indeed.

Shuyun then came out with the two children to greet them. The girl was five, the boy two—both quite good-looking, though a little shy. After softly calling “Uncle,” they hid half their bodies behind their mother, peeking curiously at the strangers.

Qin Fanghe smiled at them.

These days he had eaten and slept well, his once-pale face had filled out, he had grown taller, and he wore new clothes. He looked rather impressive.

The little boy was too young to understand anything—he just blinked and grinned foolishly. But the little girl already knew beauty from ugliness, she followed with a giggle, her two tiny braids swaying.

She tugged at Shuyun’s hem and whispered, quite loudly in her own mind, “That uncle is handsome.”

Shuyun and Qin Hai both burst out laughing. “Little kids these days…”

What’s wrong with little kids? Little kids understand plenty! The girl pouted in dissatisfaction.

Qin Shan, temporarily freed from the shadow of recitation, bounced over to tease her. “Then am I handsome or not?”

The girl glanced at this uncle she had met before, then glanced at Qin Fanghe, and said nothing.

Her silence was deafening.

Qin Shan: “…”

What did I do?!

Even Brother He says I have thick eyebrows and big eyes and look impressive. You little brat simply have no taste!

The couple behind them laughed until they shook.

To everyone’s surprise, the little girl walked around Qin Shan, gathered her courage, stepped forward, looked up at Qin Fanghe and asked, “Uncle, what’s your name?”

Qin Fanghe found it amusing. He crouched down to eye level with her and told her his name. “You can call me Eleventh Uncle.”

He was eleventh in the generation among his siblings and cousins.

Then, returning the courtesy, he asked, “And what’s your name?”

The little girl tilted her head, her braids tilted crookedly too. “I’m called Pingjie’er.”

Qin Fanghe smiled, gently pinched her little hand. “All right, Pingjie’er.”

After a brief sulk, Qin Shan turned to take the two packages of pastries they had bought on the road, handed them to Shuyun, then deliberately said loudly to Pingjie’er, “I’m not giving you any.”

Pingjie’er stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m eating them anyway!”

Qin Shan stuck his tongue out back, grabbed her under the arms, hoisted her high, and ran around the yard laughing, saying with wicked intent, “Pingjie’er, your little uncle will teach you to recite classics…”

Everyone joked and laughed for a while before sitting down to lunch.

Shuyun truly was, as Qin Hai had said, a master of soups and stews. For lunch she did her very best: a steamed fish, a fat chicken, a plate of roast pork bought from a shop, plus radish soup and pancakes stuck to the sides of the pot—everything fragrant beyond words.

It was already the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month. Many shops on the street had closed, some impatient children had already wheedled firecrackers out of their families and were setting them off here and there. Sudden bangs echoed through the alleys, making hearts jump.

Everyone turned in early. The next morning Shuyun prepared dry rations and water for the three brothers and saw them off.

Pingjie’er, who had listened to countless stories of knights-errant catching ghosts, was very reluctant to let them go. She clung to her two little uncles’ sleeves and cried, “Don’t go!”

Qin Shan pinched her cheek. “We’ll be back soon. The day after tomorrow you’re coming with us to celebrate New Year anyway!”

After much coaxing they finally set off.

The normally bustling commercial street was unexpectedly quiet. The bun shops and mutton-soup stalls that usually greeted customers from dawn were tightly shut, owners and staff had long since gone home for the holiday. Only two rows of big red lanterns swayed high in the wind, and now and then gusts swept up scraps of red firecracker paper and snow, bright red against pure white.

After passing the commercial street, however, they began to see many people emerging from inns and side alleys, joining the main road and heading toward the county seat.

Qin Shan had never been to the county seat. Today Qin Hai was driving, so he and Qin Fanghe, unwilling to sit quietly, kept poking their heads out of the curtain to look around.

“Wow, so many people—are they all going to the county seat to have fun?”

Qin Hai was only in his early twenties himself and still loved excitement. He laughed, “Of course! Tonight the city gates stay open all night—everyone’s letting loose.”

The Great Lu Dynasty had no curfew, but the city gates were closed at night and could not be opened casually. Only on a few major festivals each year was an exception.

The county seat was farther than the trip from Baiyun Village to town. Along the way they passed numerous villages and hamlets where people on foot or in carts were also heading to the county seat. Countless vehicles and horses gradually formed an endless dragon, kicking up clouds of dust and the endless rumble of wheels—a truly lively scene.

Qin Hai turned back to the two younger ones. “Look at all these people. They won’t be afraid coming home late at night either.”

Things cost more in the city, so most people planned to return the night. The outskirts were desolate, but with so many traveling together even bandits wouldn’t dare make a move.

Chatting and laughing the whole way, they never felt bored.

By the time the walls of Zhang County came into view, the afternoon shen hour (3–5 p.m.) had passed. They slowly in line to enter the city.

The three of them took turns eating the lard-residue and radish buns Shuyun had prepared. The buns were so fragrant that they weren’t hungry at all—far more comfortable than those who had come on empty stomachs.

Tonight’s banquet was being held at the Welcoming Guests Pavilion in the city. Both the main building and the adjacent restaurant and teahouse had been reserved by the authorities. County Magistrate Zhou and other officials and gentry, together with the top-performing scholars from the beginning of the year and the professors of the county school, would be in the main building. The rest—merchant representatives and the like—would be in the side building.

After all, there was a clear distinction between officials and merchants, the gap in status was greater than heaven and earth.

In addition, local and out-of-town wealthy families who had booked spots two months in advance were also waiting to catch a glimpse of their “parent-official.”

People like Qin Hai—out-of-towners with no money—could only squeeze in wherever there was space.

There was still about an hour and a half until the banquet began. Soldiers holding long spears already guarded the streets, strictly checking anyone suspicious.

Tonight every important person in the county would be present. If anything went wrong, losing face would be the least of it—losing one’s life would be the real disaster.

Everywhere was packed to bursting. Qin Hai first found a place to park the cart, then used both arms to shield his two younger brothers. “Stay right behind me—don’t get separated whatever you do.”

Still uneasy, he bought a length of rope from a roadside vendor, tied one end to his own belt and the other two ends to the wrists of the two boys.

There wasn’t an inch of space left on the ground. If the authorities weren’t worried about archers shooting from above, people would have climbed onto the rooftops.

To be honest, Qin Fanghe was starting to regret coming.

He really hadn’t expected there would be so many people!

He had seriously underestimated how starved the common people of ancient times were for cultural entertainment.

Qin Hai looked around, spotted a withered tree, immediately pushed through the crowd, and with great effort lifted Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan into its branches. He himself stayed below to guard.

Only after doing all this did Qin Hai dare breathe a sigh of relief.

Good—now that the kids were up in the tree, they wouldn’t get snatched away.

As the sky gradually darkened. Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan squatted in the tree until their legs went numb, not daring to come down for fear the surrounding crowd—eyes gleaming like tigers—would immediately seize their prime spot.

After another quarter-hour or so, there suddenly came the sound of a gong, followed by an official shouting something like “The County Magistrate has arrived—commoners make way!” Everyone craned their necks. Sure enough, two columns of red plaques with black characters and gilded tiger heads led the way, inscribed with “Make Way” and “Silence.” Between them came a line of sedans.

The first to alight was a tall, thin middle-aged scholar wearing the cyan patch of a seventh-rank official—presumably County Magistrate Zhou.

He seemed an amiable man. After stepping down from the sedan, instead of hurrying upstairs he turned and cupped his hands in greeting toward the common people.

The crowd immediately erupted in enormous cheers. The excitement rippled outward like a wave, infecting even Qin Fanghe and the others far away.

Some people were so moved they wept.

Qin Fanghe thought to himself: It seems this Magistrate Zhou truly has a good reputation.

Of course one couldn’t rule out the presence of plants, but the reaction of so many ordinary folk couldn’t be faked. If he were really a harsh or corrupt official, there wouldn’t be this many people running over to see him.

The arrival of the officials marked the official start of the banquet. First they set off several strings of enormous red firecrackers and offered wine to heaven and earth. Magistrate Zhou and two other officials said a few words—too far away, Qin Fanghe couldn’t hear a thing—but the nearby crowd grew frenzied once more.

The dragon and lion dance troupes, long in position, began performing to the clash of gongs and drums. All around, other acrobats and performers showed their skills. Qin Fanghe watched with rapt attention.

Modern society has plenty of entertainment, but it lacks the warmth of human fireworks. People gather briefly, take out their phones, snap a few pictures, and disperse.

But here it was different.

Every face wore a smile, even those who couldn’t see were listening entranced.

For Qin Fanghe, however, watching the performances was only secondary. His real target was what came later.

The court valued scholars, so local officials naturally followed suit. Almost every year, near the end of this banquet, Magistrate Zhou would take the lead in composing a poem, then invite all the assembled scholars to match it. The submissions would be collected and critiqued on the spot.

On an ordinary day, how could commoners ever see so many black-gauze hats in one place? If someone could truly astonish the crowd, his future would be limitless.

It was said that years ago there had been a scholar who repeatedly failed the exams yet wrote excellent poetry. The magistrate of the time cherished talent, personally arranged for him to enter the county school, and after a few years of that, the man actually passed the provincial examination!

Therefore, at this moment every year, countless ambitious commoners without official status would watch eagerly for their chance, hearts burning with ambition.