Great Nation, Small Freshness (Imperial Examination) - Chapter 15

15: Young Master

It wasn’t just Qin Fanghe and his two companions who had gone to the county seat that day to join the excitement. Before they even returned to the village, the news had already spread throughout Baiyun Village, leaving every villager dumbfounded.

My goodness—that was the county magistrate himself!

So when the three of them finally came back to Baiyun Village the next day, they were welcomed like triumphant heroes returning from battle.

For days afterward, villagers kept streaming to Qin Fanghe’s house, begging him to recount the events of that day. Even after hearing the story flipped inside-out dozens of times, they never tired of it.

Worried that it would interfere with Qin Fanghe’s studies, Qin Shan voluntarily stepped forward and, with generous embellishments, retold the tale—making the whole affair at least ten times more thrilling and perilous than it had actually been. Gasps of astonishment rose in waves.

He hadn’t even been there himself, yet he described everything with such vivid color and drama.

As the versions grew increasingly outrageous, even the actual participant began to feel a little embarrassed listening to them. Yet the villagers remained utterly entranced, their faces screaming I believe every word.

One person dares to speak, and everyone dares to believe.

…Fine. Whatever makes you happy.

Winter days were long, and the villagers had little to do. Seeing how seriously Qin Fanghe was studying—and that he could now even exchange words with the county magistrate—quite a few villagers began to entertain the idea of learning to read and write like Qin Shan.

“Brother, herding one sheep or a whole flock is the same effort. Since you’re already teaching Little Shan, why not take my family’s kid too?”

“Exactly. We don’t expect much—just enough to recognize a few characters. If they could get a job like Big Hai’s one day, we’d be satisfied.”

Qin Shan snorted inwardly. Can you lot even compare to me?

Even among sheep, there has to be a bellwether!

Brother He has serious studying to do. Normally I don’t even like to disturb him—how could I let him take on this kind of work?

So before Qin Fanghe could open his mouth, Qin Shan jumped in again: “I know how too. I’ll teach everyone to recite first. Once you’ve memorized the Three, Hundred, and Thousand Character Classic perfectly, we’ll talk about the rest.”

Reading and writing sounded glamorous, but in reality it was a dull, bitter grind. Only those who’d gone through it knew the pain. Qin Shan was now eager to pass that pain on to others.

From Qin Fanghe he had inherited not only knowledge, but also—without any teacher—the glorious title of “Umbrella Ripper.”

So right after the New Year’s Eve festivities, Qin Shan really did gather a bunch of children and start teaching them to read.

Children have no patience whatsoever. Sure enough, within three days several lost interest and tried to quit. Qin Shan refused to let them go—he marched straight to their houses, blocked the doors, and forcibly continued the lessons until the kids wailed in misery. All the while he grinned from ear to ear.

Heh heh, now it’s your turn!

When Qin Fanghe heard about it he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he was also grateful that Qin Shan was helping shoulder the burden. Otherwise, with all the neighbors and relatives, it really would have been impossible to refuse.

Teaching one Qin Shan was possible because the other boy’s mental and physical age leaned toward maturity, and the short-term rewards were high enough. But if he suddenly had to handle a whole room of toddlers to sixteen-year-olds, he would absolutely collapse.

At his current stage, he simply didn’t have the capacity to look after so many at once.

So every morning Qin Shan went off to teach the village children their recitations, and every afternoon he came to Qin Fanghe’s house to learn characters. Life was very full.

Right now Qin Shan could recite the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic from memory, but he still only knew how to recite—he couldn’t recognize individual characters, much less write them. So Qin Fanghe started with the most story-rich, interesting, and practical text of all—the Thousand Character Classic—teaching two characters per day and reviewing them the next. Repetition for consolidation.

Once he mastered all one thousand characters, everyday needs would basically be covered.

After going out and seeing a bit of the world with Qin Fanghe, Qin Shan had gradually come to understand the benefits of literacy. He had become much steadier than before and could now sit quietly for a full hour, carefully copying strokes.

He knew his own talent was limited and didn’t dare dream of the imperial examinations, so he was reluctant to waste paper and ink. Instead he dipped his brush in water and wrote on a slate—yet he was perfectly happy doing so.

Day after day passed like this. By the end of January, when the new year had turned, Qin Shan had firmly learned sixty or seventy characters and could even string together simple sentences. He was immensely proud of himself.

The county examination was scheduled for the eighth day of the second month. Candidates had to register at the county yamen’s etiquette office half a month in advance and find mutual guarantors. Qin Fanghe wanted to go watch in person—it would be good preparation for when his own turn came.

Last time Qin Hai had taken them, and Qin Shan had memorized the route, so he could accompany Qin Fanghe alone this time.

As usual, the two brothers first spent a night at Qin Hai’s place in town, then asked Mr. Sun at the Bai family bookshop about clean, inexpensive lodging.

“We might be able to make it back the same day,” Qin Fanghe said, “but just in case something delays us, I’d rather have a backup plan and not panic.” The snow had been melting heavily lately, the roads were nothing but mud and slush. If the weather turned bad, they might have to stay overnight in the county seat.

Mr. Sun waved his hand decisively. “Impossible. Right now candidates from all over are pouring into the city—some bringing family, some here for business. Even the ordinary inns have been full for days.”

Then he changed tack and smiled. “But once you’re in the county town, it’s like coming home—no need to spend good money staying outside. Besides, people see two young boys like you and will try to take advantage or overcharge. Just stay at my house. I’ll write a letter, take it to my wife, and I guarantee you’ll be comfortable.”

Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan exchanged a glance, overjoyed. “That would be wonderful—only, won’t we be imposing too much?”

“Not at all!” Mr. Sun laughed cheerfully as he wrote the letter. “I’ve been away for over a month myself, you can bring news back to the family while you’re at it.”

Qin Fanghe understood this was his kindness and thanked him sincerely.

The next day the brothers packed plenty of dry rations and water and set off straight for Zhang County’s county seat.

When they arrived, they first bought two catties of peach crisps as a greeting gift, then followed the address to Mr. Sun’s home. Sure enough, a woman answered the door, after hearing their purpose and reading the letter, she became very welcoming and immediately showed them into the courtyard to park the ox cart.

The two thanked her profusely and headed for the yamen.

The area around the yamen was already bustling. Scholars were coming and going—some submitting guarantee documents, some paying the guarantee silver, some from other prefectures deliberately taking the exam here to avoid tougher competition. It was a chaotic swarm.

Just as the brothers arrived, they saw a fierce-looking bailiff grab a middle-aged man in a long scholar’s robe and hurl him out, still cursing: “You think the magistrate is blind? Your hair’s almost completely white and you dare claim you’re not yet twenty?”

Qin Fanghe looked up and met the man’s deeply wrinkled face.

“…”

Brother, how did you even have the nerve?

The Great Lu law clearly stated that anyone over sixty was barred from the examinations. Thus many perennial failures falsified their age. Sometimes compassionate magistrates turned a blind eye, but cases as blatant as this one were rare.

Qin Shan watched for a while, found it boring, then remembered several village aunties had asked him to buy bright embroidery thread. He turned to Qin Fanghe: “You stay right here and don’t wander off. I’ll be back soon.”

The entrance to the yamen was probably the safest place on earth, no one would dare cause trouble with Brother He standing there.

Qin Fanghe reflexively asked, “Going to buy oranges?”

Qin Shan blinked blankly. “What?”

Qin Fanghe: “…Cough, never mind. Off you go.”

Not long after Qin Shan left, a creaking carriage rolled up and stopped. The curtain lifted, and a tall young man jumped down, sighing and muttering, “If you’re hungry, just say you’ll come back next year, come back next year. Don’t rush me, I’m just starving… Hey, whose kid are you? Don’t stand here and get run over!”

He reached out and practically lifted Qin Fanghe out of the crowd, setting him to the side. “Where’re your adults?”

His skin was dark, when he opened his mouth his teeth looked especially white. The first half of his sentence was thick Guanzhong dialect, the second half already closer to the local speech, though still carrying a Guanzhong accent.

Qin Fanghe almost laughed at the accent. “Thanks for the warning. You’d better hurry inside.”

The youth heard this and immediately pulled a bitter face, then seemed to have a sudden inspiration. He patted Qin Fanghe’s shoulder and grinned: “You’re just a little thing, I’d worry about leaving you here. How about I take you home first?”

Qin Fanghe: “…If I may boldly ask, where are you from exactly?

You, with your foreign accent, want to escort a local boy home? Are you joking?

The youth was about to answer when he turned and spotted his family’s old servant staring at him from not far away. Instantly he wilted like an eggplant hit by frost, stopped chatting with Qin Fanghe, and trudged dejectedly into the yamen to register.

Qin Fanghe chuckled for a moment, then glanced at the carriage. It wasn’t local style, but the materials were solid and fine, the craftsmanship exquisite—clearly from a well-to-do family.

Sure enough, most candidates arrived in groups, forming mutual-guarantee teams of five on the spot: some from the same academy, some old “exam buddies” who had tested together for years.

There were also lone candidates who, as Mr. Sun had described, had to pay extra to the etiquette office and wait anxiously for the yamen to assign them strangers—always afraid of being paired with unreliable people.

A clearly superior, elegant carriage slowly approached. Including Qin Fanghe, many people instinctively turned to look. They discovered it was someone familiar: Kong Ziqing.

Today Kong Ziqing wore a cotton robe embroidered with pine-branch patterns, the collar and cuffs edged with fine fur—full of vitality. His overall style stood out sharply among the hunched, shabby poor scholars around him.

Qin Fanghe saw him, Kong Ziqing saw Qin Fanghe. After a moment of mutual surprise, they nodded slightly at each other.

Qin Fanghe was a little astonished—last time he had greeted the other boy and been completely ignored.

Evidently the Kong family held extraordinary status locally. Kong Ziqing finished his “procedures” much faster than others. The Guanzhong youth who had gone in so much earlier was still inside, yet Kong Ziqing was already preparing to leave.

Seeing that Qin Fanghe hadn’t left yet, Kong Ziqing actually turned and walked toward him.

Qin Fanghe assumed he had something to say and waited quietly. Who would have thought that after Kong Ziqing stopped in front of him, he too turned mute?

The two stared at each other in awkward silence that spread like spilled ink.

Qin Fanghe: “…”

Young master, your thoughts are truly hard to read. Why did you come over if you weren’t going to speak?

Yet Kong Ziqing kept his lips tightly pressed, looking every bit the autistic child. Qin Fanghe had no choice but to break the silence himself: “Are you taking the exam this year?”

Only after the other spoke did Kong Ziqing seem to break whatever spell bound him, he nodded, then glanced at Qin Fanghe’s empty hands. “You’re not?”

Qin Fanghe shook his head. “It’s still too early for me.”

Kong Ziqing frowned, clearly disapproving. “Your learning is already far beyond ordinary mediocrity. You might as well give it a try.”

Who are you calling mediocre?!

Several candidates walking past heard this and turned red with anger. They were about to see which arrogant fool dared speak such nonsense, but when they recognized the speaker they swallowed their words, faces swelling purple with suppressed rage—furious yet not daring to retort.

Damn it… this one really couldn’t be compared to.

Qin Fanghe: “…”

Young master, you sure know how to talk.