Xie Yan had bought several anthologies of essays, some collections of adult writers, poetry collections, and even some recent chess manuals that had caught his interest. The bookstores in the provincial capital had wide connections; he noticed some volumes marked as selected essays from various academies, so he picked up a few of those as well. There were also some books on commerce that he had never heard of before; flipping through them, he saw accounts of merchants’ experiences and decided to buy them too.
Back home, he found that there were few books directly related to the imperial examinations—most were miscellaneous works.
Xie Yan was determined to catch up. He hadn’t read miscellaneous books for a long time and missed them dearly.
That evening, during dinner at home, Wu Pingzhi had already returned. Seeing Xie Yan gleefully presenting his “treasures” and hearing the titles, Wu Pingzhi was momentarily speechless. If only he had a sharp mind too, he could have explored other books.
After dinner, they all went to the study. Xie Yan read his miscellaneous books, holding them as he chatted casually. The three of them sat together, talking about everything and nothing.
At the Golden Buddha Temple, Wu Pingzhi had seen many familiar faces—some scholars he recognized had also come for the exams. Judging by their anxious expressions, their results probably would not be good.
In the city, many scholars gathered to drink and tell their tales. Rumor had it that several conflicts had arisen, and a group of scholars had even gotten into a brawl. The quarrels traced back to their school days in the prefectural or county academies, and the lingering disputes erupted into physical fights after the exam.
On the way back, Wu Pingzhi also wandered through the tailors’ shops. Similar to those in the prefectural city, the latest fashions were almost identical.
Xie Yan quietly discussed the books with them, poking fun at certain adult writers who clearly had been flattered by others. Many of their works were barely publishable, yet they had still been printed.
“Isn’t this laughable?” he said.
Lu Yang casually rolled his eyes.
He thought to himself: Good heavens, who would dare mock court officials like that, aside from their own top scholar?
Lu Yang was also flipping through books—the commerce volumes Xie Yan had bought. The content was somewhat similar to Tao Zhugong’s Commercial Teachings but written from the perspective of a merchant. Each chapter recounted an event and concluded with a summarizing lesson—practical notes from reading and experience.
Lu Yang remarked, “These books are written simply; I can skim them ten lines at a time. But the writing style is interesting—I want to try summarizing like this too. Right now, when I talk business, I just jump around, saying things here and there with no structure. I need some method.”
After chatting for a while, night fell, and they prepared to rest. The three also planned to visit Ji Mingzhu soon.
A few days had passed, and Ji Mingzhu’s health should have improved enough to visit. With the examination results pending, nothing urgent occurred, so they scheduled the visit for the next morning.
Xie Yan returned to his room without books. After washing up with Lu Yang, the two husbands went to sleep.
Having caught up on reading, Xie Yan felt energetic and even wanted to “test” Lu Yang on the scholar’s questions.
Lu Yang pretended to be very sleepy, closing his eyes and saying in a booming voice that he didn’t want to.
Xie Yan hugged him and kissed him, teasing, “Then drink some chicken soup to restore your energy.”
Lu Yang could no longer maintain the act and giggled, “Who’s drinking? Who’s restoring energy?”
Xie Yan kissed him again. “You drink. You restore.”
Lu Yang pinched his ear. “You come here—I want to see what soup you can make.”
Late that night, Xie Yan went out to fetch hot water, returning more cautiously than when he first arrived.
Lu Yang asked why he was sneaking around.
Xie Yan replied, “I’m pretending. If we run into Wu Pingzhi and he laughs at me, I’ll suddenly straighten my back…”
Lu Yang laughed uproariously.
Their top scholar was mischievous indeed!
After drying off, they finally settled in to sleep. The next day, they woke naturally, ate breakfast at home, and the three of them set off to visit Ji Mingzhu.
The Ji family had a shop in the provincial capital and a residence, a bit smaller but easy to find.
The group’s timing worked out well. Sheng Daxian had also planned to visit today. They arrived together, ready to scold the scoundrel who had spiked Ji Mingzhu’s drink.
Ji Mingzhu’s body had recovered, though his spirit remained weak. These past few days, he had little appetite, and even after a brief chat, he said he was too ashamed to return home.
The provincial examination was unlike others; one had to wait three years for the next. Three years hence, what would he have become? His confidence would falter, and his results might decline with each attempt. By old age, he might remain merely a xiucai.
Xie Yan, having been Ji Mingzhu’s roommate and classmate, was familiar with him. They had dined together and occasionally gathered at night to discuss essays, debate, and test strategies.
Ji Mingzhu had always been extroverted and cheerful, but Xie Yan had never seen him like this. Hearing his self-deprecation, he frowned, ready to speak up.
“You’re already imagining failure before the results are out. You haven’t even tried, yet you say your future exams will worsen. You haven’t even earned a single score, and you say that when you grow old you’ll be only a xiucai. Your ambition in writing—if you put that energy into your essays, even your bones would soften three points!”
Ji Mingzhu, true to his nature, argued back, “I’m just venting to you. In that last exam, I was filled with so much frustration that every character I wrote was stabbed onto the paper with force! If we speak of ambition in essays, I wrote with my very bones!”
Sheng Daxian quickly interjected, “That’s even better! You shouldn’t entertain such discouraging thoughts. Pretend you’ve already passed. Take care of your body, eat well, sleep well, and prepare for the Deer Chiming Banquet. When you encounter that scoundrel on the day the results are posted, your spirit will still be strong!”
Ji Mingzhu finally felt hungry and sent a servant to fetch a meal from the kitchen.
They stayed for a meal at his home. No matter how much they coaxed, he refused to reveal who the scoundrel was, saying he would only speak after the results came out.
As the announcement day approached, the streets grew increasingly lively. Even the hidden Wu residence was discovered. A group claimed they had come to verify the address and would report the news once the results were posted.
With thousands of examinees, they had to verify each door, earning a small fee for reporting the top scholars.
The number of successful candidates was limited, so only a few addresses would matter. It was hard work for just a modest reward.
They had heard that firecrackers and red paper had to be purchased as well.
And that some shameless people would skip the front houses, going directly to the ones already setting off firecrackers, arriving a second time to demand extra reward.
Lu Yang had prepared early, taking a basket of copper coins with Uncle Lei. The heavy coins made the reward feel substantial and festive.
In the remaining days, Xie Yan spent his time reading, playing chess, and making soups in the kitchen. Soup made on the kang was insufficient; the kitchen’s chicken soup was truly restorative.
Wu Pingzhi, tired of reading, passed his leisure time either playing chess with Xie Yan or discussing business with Lu Yang. Occasionally, he would peek into the kitchen to watch the couple cook and brew soup.
What a harmonious household! Wu Pingzhi watched with great interest, thoroughly enjoying the scene.
On the second day of the ninth lunar month, the provincial examination results were posted.
The posting began at noon and continued into the night.
By the time the results were displayed outside the Provincial Administration Office, night had already fallen.
Lanterns lit the dark streets as crowds gathered to read the announcements.
As soon as the first board was posted, a crowd pressed forward to see. When the next board went up, more people crowded around.
Shouts rang out among the crowd: “Xie Yan of Sanshui County tops the list! He is this year’s Jieyuan!”
Following that shout, many more voices rang out in succession.
Before Lu Yang and the others arrived at a nearby tavern to watch the scene, the news had already spread through town.
At dawn, before sunlight had reached the courtyard, Lu Yang, Xie Yan, and Wu Pingzhi were biting biscuits and sipping noodle soup, planning to enter the tavern through the back door, knowing the front would be too crowded.
They were both relaxed and anxious as the results came in.
Xie Yan worried about the silver Lu Yang had bet; if he didn’t secure the top scholar position, it would be a loss.
Wu Pingzhi thought about the ranking—he would be content even with the last place, though he hoped for a clean sweep.
Lu Yang spoke sweetly, calming their nerves. Outside, someone pounded on the door, louder and louder, accompanied by men shouting.
“Is Xie Juren here? Xie Yan, the Juren from Sanshui County! We are here to congratulate! Anyone home? Open the door!”
Even someone as sharp as Lu Yang was stunned.
Xie Juren—Xie Yan, Juren! They hadn’t even left the house, and it was still before sunrise, yet the congratulatory party had arrived!?
He turned blankly to look at Xie Yan.
The two husbands were momentarily dumbfounded, their composure lost. All four eyes turned in unison to Wu Pingzhi.
