Placid Chang’an

 Chapter 4: The Imperial Examination

After finishing the final subject, the policy debate, Su Cen handed in his paper early, as he usually did, and walked out of the “cells”. He respectfully nodded to the Hanlin scholars who were invigilating in this area and straightened his back before walking away confidently.

It wasn't the first time he submitted his paper ahead of time, and after a few days, the Hanlin scholars had already taken notice. While others needed three days to complete an essay, Su Cen often finished it in just one day. As aHanlin scholar picked up the paper with the hasty name on it and glanced at it, he couldn't help but be surprised. The handwriting flowed gracefully like clouds, with prominent brush strokes and sharpness at the curved and hanging needle strokes, revealing the unwavering spirit of a young man. Looking at the content, the scholar’s hand trembled. The three-page essay directly pointed out the harm caused by the current party struggles, critically analyzed the current issues, and presented a well-structured argument. It didn't seem like the work of a young person.

Every word and line seemed to reflect the person's charisma.

Hastily lifting his head to catch a glimpse of the figure that had already walked far away, passing through the scattered cells, his head held high as he headed towards the exit. The February sunlight shone on the person's back, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes. That resolute figure gradually disappeared outside the gate, and the scholar lowered his head and pressed his temples. A talent for governance, as long as it was not deliberately concealed, would undoubtedly become a sharp weapon to reveal its brilliance in the court, splitting through the chaotic political situation and bringing clarity.

Su Cen looked around after leaving the Imperial Academy. The stall selling sweet drinks was still there, and the sun was just right. Su Cen went over and ordered a bowl of sweet drink, which he quickly finished. Then he ordered another bowl and sat down to enjoy it slowly.

The old man selling sweet drinks recognized him and, with little business at the moment, struck up a conversation, asking if he had submitted his paper early again.

Su Cen didn't pretend to be modest and smiled faintly, "I answered smoothly today, and once my thoughts were organized, I handed it in."

"Youth these days are impressive," the old man chuckled, "Over ten years ago, there was also a young man who submitted his paper a day early, and now he has become the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. I can see that you, too, will surely have a promising future."

Su Cen smiled, knowing that the old man was referring to Liu Chen, the right-hand man of the Empress Dowager's faction. Liu Chen was the top scorer in the Yonglong Year, the last imperial examination held during the reign of Emperor Taizong. However, Liu Chen's success was unique and couldn't be replicated. During the Yonglong period, in the struggle between the crown prince,  Prince Ning and the late Emperor, Liu Chen took the right position and rose steadily under the patronage of the late Emperor. In the eighth year of Tianxi Hunting, when the late Emperor suddenly passed away and the six-year-old new emperor ascended the throne, Prince Ning, who held military power, entered the court, and Liu Chen aligned himself with the Empress Dowager's faction. He was promoted all the way by the Empress Dowager Chu's patronage and climbed to the peak of power, becoming a noble at the age of forty. In the eyes of others, it was an honor that was difficult to achieve.

Now that the court situation had stabilized, with the two factions evenly matched, it wouldn't be so easy to rise again.

So Su Cen simply smiled it off. Moreover, he didn't desire to be caught in the narrow cracks of party struggles. It was better to be transferred to a local position and do something substantial for the common people.

"This sweet drink stall has been around for quite a few years, hasn't it?" Su Cen asked.

"Yes, it's been more than ten years," the old man squinted at the closed gate. "I've seen many people like you enter through that gate, and I've seen many people come out of it. Some were beaming with joy, while others were in tears. There were teenagers and elderly men in their seventies. Many of them had drunk my sweet drinks before entering."

Su Cen smiled and said, "Your sweet drinks must be extraordinary then. Those who have drunk them must have achieved the rank of Jinshi or above. You should rename your shop to 'Zhuangyuan Sweet Drinks' instead of 'Tianji Sweet Drinks'."

The old man looked at the fluttering banners. The weather had worn away the words over the years, and they had become blurred. Unlike the shiny new signs, these banners had a faintly shaking appearance. He shook his head gently and said, "As a person, you must not forget your roots..."

Five days later, Ah Fu struggled to squeeze through the crowd to get inside. He couldn't recognize the characters, but he remembered the character "Su" from his own master's name. As he looked at the 300 successful candidates, his heart sank more and more. Today, the second young master woke up like any other day. Even on the day of the announcement, he didn’t seem somewhat nervous. The second young master maintained an indifferent attitude, leisurely watering a few potted flowers after getting up. Then he took out a book and immersed himself in reading with great relish. In the end, Ah Fu couldn't contain his impatience and hurried over to take a look.

Sure enough, his master wasn't among the successful candidates.

Ah Fu dejectedly squeezed out of the crowd, thinking about how to comfort his young master at home. But then he saw a group of people on horseback approaching. Several guards separated the crowd, and an official from the Honglu Temple posted the last list on the bulletin board.

"Why is it so late this year?" someone murmured.

"It seems that there was a dispute over the top scorer. It is said that the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites almost came to blows over this candidate."

"Which side ultimately won?"

"I'm not sure who won, but it's definitely the person whose name is on the list."

As the official from the Honglu Temple and the guards left, the crowd rushed forward.

Someone from inside shouted, "The top scorer is from Suzhou!"

People outside also shouted, "What's the name?"

They heard the reply from inside, "Su Cen! His name is Su Cen!"

Ah Fu's legs went weak, almost causing him to kneel down.

He ran all the way back to the Su residence, barged through the door, and saw his master still lying on the bed. One hand held a book, and the other hand held a pastry. Crumbs from the pastry were scattered all over him, but he seemed completely unaware.

Unconcerned about trivial matters, indeed, only a person of great importance could have such an air!

"He did it! The second young master did it!" Ah Fu exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh?" Su Cen raised an eyebrow. "The top scorer?"

Ah Fu was stunned. "Second Young Master, you already know?"

Su Cen stood up and brushed off the crumbs from his clothes. "My article was either going to make a big splash or leave me with no place to bury myself. There's no middle ground."

"To win the two top positions, Second Young Master, you're amazing!" Ah Fu spun around in excitement. Previously, he had always thought of Su Cen as an ordinary spoiled young master from a wealthy family. Although he didn't say it aloud and served him diligently without any negligence, he always felt something different in his heart. However, as they had spent time together on this journey, he increasingly realized that his young master was not as frivolous as he appeared on the surface. He became sharp-minded and thoughtful, with genuine knowledge. He didn't know how to express his admiration and kept repeating, "You're amazing."

"In a few days, it will be the palace examination. When you return as the top scorer, winning all three positions, the Su residence will be filled with joy. Participating in the palace examination means meeting the current emperor. After you become a high-ranking official, perhaps I will have the chance to go with you and see the imperial city. Second Young Master, you are truly amazing, too amazing!"

"Ah Fu, Ah Fu," Su Cen grabbed him. This person was jumping around in front of his eyes like a cricket, giving him a headache. He took a pastry from the table and stuffed it into Ah Fu's hand. "Have a pastry."

"Second Young Master, I don't want to eat," Ah Fu pushed it back, elated. "You are truly..."

"I'm amazing, I know," Su Cen interrupted in time, taking the pastry back and taking a bite, wrinkling his brow. "Actually, I don't really want to eat it. I'd prefer a bowl of rice porridge."

He hadn't even made him breakfast when he went out early to check the results. Helplessly, Su Cen bought a few brown sugar pastries from the nearby alley, but he hadn't eaten the sugar yet. Instead, crumbs from the pastry were scattered all over the room.

Ah Fu was taken aback and scratched his head apologetically. "I'll go make breakfast now."

Watching the person run out happily, Su Cen couldn't help but sit down and smile. Pretending not to be nervous was all fake. He hadn't slept well all night. His article was too extreme, and it was likely to offend certain people, who would use some tricks to keep him from rising. Lin Lao had warned him before that his temperament was too strong, and he didn't know how to hide his sharpness. At that time, Su Cen just smiled and retorted, "Teacher, you could resign and return home in anger. What I'm doing is nothing." He only remembered that his teacher stroked his own sparse goatee and sighed, "When a tree stands taller than the forest, the wind will surely break it; when a heap rises higher than the bank, the water will surely erode it; when one's position is higher than others, the masses will surely reject it. Don't imitate me."

At that time, Su Cen showed a respectful face, but in his heart, he believed that what was written was what he truly meant. He would never go against his own beliefs.

Now, being able to make the list meant that there were still clear-minded individuals in the court. It was not in vain that he had traveled a thousand miles.