Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Xie Chengze had not expected the scholars of the Jian’an Dynasty to possess such drive that they would cross mountains and brave a dangerous famine zone for a chance at office.

Bian Yangchun smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Success is never easy for poor scholars. We can only seize every possible opportunity and seek another path.”

Xie Chengze understood. In the original novel, the spring imperial examination was merely another tool for powerful officials to practice favoritism and fraud. Excellent papers from poor scholars were often exchanged for those of officials’ protégés, leaving the true authors to fail. The especially unlucky might spend several examinations acting as unwitting “surrogate examinees.”

Right – who had been chief examiner in the original novel?

He remembered Shen Yuan punishing the man severely, confining him and docking his salary…

Xie Chengze thought cheerfully, then belatedly realized that man had been him.

Xie Chengze: 🙁

During their brief conversation, a light rain began to fall and the air grew damper. As it strengthened, everyone hurried onward and found a shallow roadside cave for shelter.

The attendants and guards skillfully lit a fire. Xie Chengze let the soaked concubines warm themselves first. Jing Ze perceptively came to help and spread a cushion on the ground.

“No need. Give it to them. Rain makes the weather cold, and women fall ill easily. A fever would delay the journey.” Xie Chengze waved him off, found a rock, lifted his robe, and sat on the ground.

Shen Yuan stood at the cave entrance and glanced over indifferently.

“Brother Cheng truly cherishes beauties.” Bian Yangchun laughed. “You bring wives and concubines sightseeing and care for them so attentively. A hard mouth, but a soft heart.”

Xie Chengze coughed. The concubines covered their mouths and laughed, gently shaking their heads at Bian Yangchun.

Bian Yangchun missed the implication. Faced with so many beauties smiling and shaking their heads, the young man – who rarely interacted with women – grew awkward. He nodded politely and hurriedly looked away.

Ji Songhua sighed. “Brother Cheng lives more comfortably than an official. If my father had commercial holdings, I too would travel with a crowd of wives and concubines instead of studying desperately for office.”

Ouyang Jiu disagreed. “Officials should benefit the people, not earn silver. If you want wealth, find your own road to it.”

“Business is hardly simple. Your ancestors need enough capital to support you.” Ji Songhua found Ouyang Jiu’s naivety exasperating and turned to Xie Chengze. “Isn’t that so, Brother Cheng?”

Xie Chengze only smiled. Ouyang Jiu rolled his eyes. “As if the first merchants didn’t begin with nothing.”

Seeing tension rise, Bian Yangchun joked, “Brother Cheng said he abandoned office because he lacked scholarly talent. If you had his wealth, perhaps you would study leisurely for office instead of struggling desperately.”

Merchants stood below officials, after all. Once people possessed one thing, they desired another. What merchant did not hope a descendant might become an official?

Ji Songhua shrugged. “Brother Bian is right.”

The guards had finished building the fire. Xie Chengze invited the scholars to warm themselves and drink hot ginger soup to dispel the cold damp.

Perhaps it was an attitude left from his old world, but Xie Chengze always thought students rather fragile and deserving of extra care, lest illness delay their studies.

Examinations were difficult enough. These men crossed mountains on frail scholarly bodies for the slightest opportunity. Their dedication impressed him and deserved consideration.

The scholars sat without ceremony. Bian Yangchun lifted his rain-soaked robe and asked shyly, “Forgive us, Brother Cheng. May we change clothes?”
“Please do.” Xie Chengze gestured.

Bian Yangchun and the others removed their wet clothes and changed into dry garments from their book cases. One casual glance left Xie Chengze frozen. *Good grief…*

The scholars looked thin, but beneath their clothes were solid muscles with smooth lines. They expertly snapped scattered branches, pale arms flexing with fine blue veins – not burly, yet far from frail, completely unlike Xie Chengze’s image of delicate scholars.

He felt his own arm. Finding only soft flesh, he abruptly felt rather sad.

Noticing, Bian Yangchun laughed. “Brother Cheng grew up in luxury and likely never needed hard labor. A slender figure is natural. People come in countless forms. So long as your character is upright, you needn’t envy others.”

“I thought you spent all year studying indoors. After sitting so long, surely…” Xie Chengze trailed off.

“Hahaha, hardly. We still help when the family fields are harvested. And without money for a carriage to the capital, we carry book cases thousands of li on foot. A frail man couldn’t endure that!”

“Those across the mountains may even fight wild beasts if unlucky…” Bian Yangchun slapped his firm arm. “Imagine finishing the classics only to die on the road before the examination. What a loss!”

Xie Chengze understood. “So that’s how it is. My horizons were narrow.”

“Everyone has different horizons. Through travel, Brother Cheng surely understands local customs better. Don’t belittle yourself!” Bian Yangchun encouraged him.

Listening nearby, Shen Yuan gave a quiet scoff.

Xie Chengze was probably the most confident man under Heaven and the least likely to belittle himself.

Xie Chengze pretended not to hear. When the ginger soup was ready, he deliberately shouted, “Daqiang! Come drink ginger soup!”

The certain Daqiang did not react at first. Then his utterly speechless gaze met Xie Chengze’s cunning eyes. With Xie Chengze urging and the scholars watching, he gripped his azure sword and approached stiffly.

“Our Daqiang has worked hardest. He drinks first~” Smiling, Xie Chengze personally offered him the soup.

A pampered young master serving a household guard invited speculation, especially when Jing Ze and the concubines were equally beautiful. Why was Shen Daqiang alone granted this honor?

Under their suggestive gazes, Shen Yuan forced down the hot soup. Whether from drinking too quickly or something else, he coughed behind his sleeve, a flush touching his pale cheeks and making the fallen tiger resemble a little cat.

Maliciously, Xie Chengze offered another bowl.

A vein twitched at Shen Yuan’s temple. After enduring it, he said through clenched teeth, “This lowly one is strong and healthy. One bowl suffices! Young Master is frail and should drink more!”

“Daqiang cares about me after all~” Xie Chengze smugly reclaimed the bowl and drank it himself.

Unable to bear his triumphant expression, Shen Yuan sat beside him, drew his azure sword with a hiss, and slowly polished it.

“Cough, cough!” Xie Chengze choked.

Shen Yuan sneered inwardly, stabbed a dry branch with the sword, chopped it into sections like a radish, and tossed them into the crackling fire.

Xie Chengze: “…”

This was a threat! A naked threat!

How was Shen Yuan even pettier than him?