Chapter 39: The Reviewed Essay
“Third Senior Brother.”
The two disciples called out softly.
Ling Yu hummed in acknowledgment, but his gaze remained on the book scroll.
“We’ve finished reviewing. According to knowledge and some instructions from imperial concubines, the personnel have been selected.” The disciples could only continue.
After speaking, they saw Ling Yu lift his head, his gaze leaving the book, but he did not look at them and instead looked to the side.
On the desk nearby, the youth was trembling while holding a sheet of paper.
Ling Yu asked: “Finished reviewing?”
Mo Zheng nodded, walked over, handed over a sheet of paper with one hand, while the other hand hung at her side clutching a scroll.
Ling Yu took it and glanced at it, then looked toward the two disciples.
The two disciples were stunned for a moment, their expressions somewhat hesitant. Although they had been judging earlier, they had not been as focused on reading as Ling Yu, nor did they need to be so focused, so they had seen the youth take away a scroll and write on another desk, and the one now being handed over was the one he had just written.
Their gazes fell on the scroll handed over by the youth and the one clutched in his hand at his side, and they could clearly see that both scrolls had the same name written on them.
This was to replace?
The purpose of the replacement was to ensure this person was selected?
“Third Senior Brother.” The fifth disciple hesitated for a moment and pushed over a stack of scrolls that had obviously been selected, “It’s like this. Some among them are specified by the imperial palace. We dare not decide to add or remove any.”
Ling Yu reached out to take the paper handed over by Mo Zheng, while also picking up the stack of selected scrolls on the desk.
“I see.” He said, “I’ll ask the teacher to come evaluate them.”
The two disciples looked surprised. He was actually going to disturb the libationer?
Their gazes instantly fell on the youth.
What exactly was this youth?
Ling Yu was actually going to disturb the libationer for him?
Family background and power? Useless. Ling Yu came from a scholarly family and feared no one’s family background. He was also Wang Zaitian’s third direct disciple, and even His Majesty’s firstborn son, the Prince of Donghai, did not dare to treat him lightly.
Ling Yu did not explain further to them, and the youth showed no fear.
“Do you want to come with me to see the teacher?” Ling Yu asked.
Mo Zheng shook her head: “My person won’t disturb the libationer.” Saying this with a smile, “The essay disturbing him is already quite rude.”
Ling Yu shook his head and did not persuade further. He took a stack of scrolls and walked outward.
Mo Zheng also followed him out and paid respects to Ling Yu at the doorway.
“Thank you, Senior Brother Ling. I will take my leave first.”
Ling Yu smiled and nodded, watching the youth turn and walk outward. He then hugged the scrolls and walked anew along the Wind and Rain Tower toward the library at the highest level.
The palace built along the mountain in the academy had been converted into the library.
Besides moving the books from the original Great Zhou Dynasty imperial palace, the emperor had spent five years collecting ancient books and rare volumes scattered by the wars, all stored here.
Wang Zaitian was almost there every day. Many people privately said that Wang Zaitian agreed to serve as libationer for the emperor for the sake of these books.
The library was also a key place in the academy, guarded day and night by instructors. Students could not enter or exit freely; there were limited times and limited floors.
Seeing Ling Yu approach, the instructors smiled and greeted “Third Senior Brother,” and without waiting for questions, directly pointed upward: “The libationer is on the highest floor.”
Ling Yu thanked them and went straight upstairs.
Knock knock knock. The knocking echoed at the highest level.
“Teacher, teacher, I’ve brought a good essay for you to see quickly.” Ling Yu said.
The doors and windows of the loft at the highest level were tightly closed, as if no one was there. No matter how Ling Yu knocked or spoke, there was no response.
“Teacher, I know you’re here.” Ling Yu said again, lifting his robe, “If you don’t open the door, I’ll crash it.”
Finally, an impatient voice sounded from inside: “I can’t finish reading the good essays of the ancients. You read the modern ones yourself.”
Ling Yu said: “Do you still remember the young child from the Zhang family who lived on the back street of the Danyang County literary temple that year?”
As soon as the words fell, footsteps sounded inside, and the footsteps stopped at the door.
“That child squatting under the window eavesdropping?” The aged voice asked.
Ling Yu said: “He came just now, answered a scroll, and wrote an essay…”
Before the words were finished, the door opened, and a tall old man with graying hair appeared before Ling Yu.
“That child…” He said, “He’s actually still alive.”
Ling Yu frowned: “His family was just poor. Although he had no parents, he had a grandfather and a cousin. How could he not survive? Moreover, it’s not like the previous wars; under heaven is at peace.”
Wang Zaitian’s expression was somewhat complex. He glanced at Ling Yu and asked: “He’s come to the academy? To study?”
Ling Yu shook his head: “No, he said his family is still poor with no money to study, but he hasn’t abandoned reading.” Saying this, he did not bother explaining the details and handed over the scroll in his hand with a bit of pride, “Look at how he answered this classics question.”
Wang Zaitian reached out to take it, first glancing over it once, then his gaze returned to read from the first line.
Ling Yu did not urge him and did not think it a waste of time. He did not take out a book from his bosom to read but watched with smiling eyes and brows, waiting.
It seemed a long time had passed, yet also just an instant.
Wang Zaitian nodded lightly: “He indeed hasn’t abandoned reading these years.”
Ling Yu smiled and said: “Right? You said it yourself, teacher—this child is one who knows how to read.”
Wang Zaitian held the scroll silently for a moment: “The calligraphy is average.”
“There’s a reason for that. He was imitating someone else’s handwriting.” Ling Yu smiled and said, then explained the details of the matter, “Teacher, he’s now serving as a guard for someone. His young lady came to select for princess companion reader.”
……
…….
An instructor and a palace maid entered the hall and saw the two disciples sitting at the desk seemingly lost in thought.
“Doctor Qi, Doctor Zhang.” The instructor paid respects, “Have you finished evaluating?”
The palace maid added from the side: “His Majesty instructed to announce on the spot, no need to send to the imperial palace first.”
The fifth disciple said: “Please wait a moment.”
Wait a moment—was it that difficult? Just over forty scrolls, and two Five Classics Doctors taking so long?
Moreover…
The desk was empty; there were no answer sheets.
The instructor and palace maid looked somewhat puzzled.
The sixth disciple coughed lightly: “The libationer took them to review personally.”
The libationer personally reviewing? The instructor and palace maid looked surprised. This was not originally arranged—a surprising delight.
His Majesty would surely be very pleased to know.
The palace maid hurriedly paid respects: “Thank you for the libationer’s hard work.”
……
…….
Seeing Ling Yu stride in holding the answer sheets, the two disciples breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stood to welcome him.
“How did it go?”
“What did the teacher say?”
Ling Yu handed them the previous answer sheet: “The teacher said to add this one in.”
With that, he slapped another answer sheet on top.
The two disciples saw the name on it was the one the youth had just written.
Unexpectedly, it made the libationer speak personally.
Then they must comply.
“However.” The fifth disciple suddenly thought of something, “His Majesty instructed to select eleven people…”
He looked at the originally selected answer sheets.
Adding one more would make twelve.
Ling Yu said oh: “Then just select the worst one from these eleven and eliminate it.”
……
…….
The sunlight slanted, and in the lobby, the young ladies stood among them, nervously watching the instructor holding the scrolls.
Yang Luo appeared calm, but the hand hanging at her side was clenched. Listening as one name after another was called, she silently counted in her heart “one, two, three…..ten.”
When the tenth was called, Yang Luo felt her breathing stop until she heard beside her ear “Miss Liu Chan of Fuzhou.”
Unsure if it was because the name was still unfamiliar or she was lost in thought, she did not react at first, until Qin Ying pushed her from the side.
“Miss Liu, you’ve been selected!”
At the same time, a young lady’s sharp voice rang out: “What’s going on? She’s selected— what about me?”
Yang Hui looked incredulous and glared at the instructor: “Did you read it wrong! The last one is my name, not hers!”
The instructor frowned: “Miss Yang, this is a major matter instructed by His Majesty and the empress. How could we read it wrong?”
Yang Hui’s face paled: “This shouldn’t be… It was agreed…”
A palace maid’s expression changed, and she scolded: “Miss Yang, this is personally selected by the National Academy libationer. Who told you it was agreed?”
Yang Hui also perceived her slip of the tongue, with countless gazes in the hall looking over. She stamped her foot, covered her face crying, and ran out.
The palace maid’s face was unsightly: “How does Duke Ding’an’s Family’s young lady lack manners like this.” With that, she looked at the hall, “Unselected young ladies, please forgive us. Although you cannot read with the princesses next, one day as classmates means friends for life. The empress invites everyone to the imperial palace for a banquet at the princesses’ birthday.”
This was also imperial grace. The young ladies in the hall all paid respects: “Thank the empress for the imperial grace.”
The palace maid soothed the others and smiled toward Yang Luo still standing in place.
“Miss Liu.” She called, taking the last specially made companion reader waist token from the National Academy.
Yang Luo responded and slowly stepped forward, joy surging in her heart.
Sure enough, as long as she outperformed Yang Hui, she could be selected.
Out and about these two days, updates cannot be timely. Probably cannot write tomorrow, everyone don’t wait.
