Early morning at the West Market intersection was bustling with a dense crowd of people.
The thin mist hadn't completely cleared yet, but the three-foot-tall platform in the center of the bluestone plaza was already surrounded so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.
Behind the platform stood a wide wooden board. A red poster was pasted on it, tightly covered by a black cloth.
On the platform, a messy pile of over a dozen large abacuses, several baskets of mixed herbs, and a heap of rusted, discarded military weapons were scattered about.
Two armored soldiers of the Northern Garrison Army stood on either side of the steps, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
Scholar Zhou, wearing a neat green cloth gown and waving a folding fan with two broken ribs, led over a dozen failed examinees to squeeze into the very front row.
With his head held high, he tapped the folding fan against his palm and shouted to the onlookers around him.
Fellow townsfolk! Do you see this? This platform was built overnight by the Imperial Envoy!
Yesterday at the teahouse, I spoke out for justice and bitterly exposed the absurdity of letting a widow manage the military farms! The Imperial Envoy must have listened and realized she was deceived. Today, she is going to issue a public edict of self-blame to give the people of the whole city a proper explanation!
A scholar in a gray cloth long gown next to him nodded repeatedly, echoing, Brother Zhou has great insight! Although the Imperial Envoy is a noble from the capital, she ultimately doesn't understand the farming affairs of the border. We scholars ought to step forward and uphold the righteous path!
Exactly, exactly! Scholar Zhou snapped his folding fan open. When the Imperial Envoy arrives in a moment, I will definitely offer direct counsel to her face, so she understands what propriety, justice, integrity, and honor are, and what makes a true pillar of the state!
The surrounding commoners whispered to each other, bursting into discussion.
Some believed Scholar Zhou's words, thinking the Imperial Envoy was really going to admit her mistakes; others looked at the abacuses and scrap iron on the platform with faces full of confusion, unable to figure out what kind of play this was.
Just then, a commotion arose from the outer edge of the crowd.
The Imperial Envoy has arrived!
The commoners quickly stepped back to both sides, clearing a path.
Xu Qinghuan, draped in a moon-white crane cloak, walked out from the crowd with a leisurely pace.
The entire plaza instantly fell silent; not even a cough could be heard.
Xu Qinghuan walked to the front of the platform, stopped her steps, and looked around.
Seeing this, Scholar Zhou quickly adjusted his clothes and hat, cleared his throat, took a step forward, cupped his hands together, and made a deep bow.
Commoner Zhou Wencai pays his respects to the Imperial Envoy!
Xu Qinghuan looked at him with a smile on her face and said in a gentle tone, Dispense with the formalities.
Are you the Scholar Zhou who, in the teahouse yesterday, had quite a few complaints about my appointment of Lin Siniang?
Scholar Zhou straightened his back, his chin raised slightly, looking awe-inspiring and righteous.
Replying to Your Excellency, that is indeed this commoner! This commoner reads the books of the sages, understands reason, and knows the great principles of righteousness.
That Lin Siniang is nothing more than an illiterate village woman, and a widow at that. Letting her take charge of the Hetao military farms is truly a disgrace to culture and disrupts the natural order!
Scholar Zhou became more energetic as he spoke, pointing his folding fan toward the south of the city.
Your Excellency has lived in the capital for a long time and does not know the cunning of these lowly, unruly commoners. She merely took a few broken weeds to trick the imperial court out of settlement silver. Your Excellency must not let her blind your eyes!
Li Sheng stood behind Xu Qinghuan, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword, his teeth grinding audibly.
Xu Qinghuan, however, raised her hand and stopped Li Sheng.
Instead of getting angry, she took a step forward, looked Scholar Zhou up and down, and nodded repeatedly in praise.
Good! What a Scholar Zhou who reads the books of the sages and understands reason!
Xu Qinghuan's voice echoed across the plaza.
I have just arrived in the Northern Territory and was worrying about not having any knowledgeable people by my side to help. Yesterday, after hearing Scholar Zhou's brilliant speech in the teahouse, I was suddenly enlightened.
So it turns out that in this Northern Garrison City, there is hidden a pillar of talent like Scholar Zhou, who worries about the country and the people, and is wealthy in knowledge!
Scholar Zhou froze.
He had originally prepared a bellyful of quotes from the classics, intending to have a good debate with the Imperial Envoy, and was even prepared to be reprimanded.
But he never expected that the Imperial Envoy would actually praise him in public!
The surrounding scholars were also dumbfounded, looking at each other in dismay.
Scholar Zhou's heart bloomed with joy, and his pride instantly soared to the heavens.
He quickly made another deep bow, his voice trembling with excitement.
Your Excellency praises me too highly! This commoner is merely doing a scholar's duty to share the court's burdens and solve Your Excellency's difficulties!
Xu Qinghuan sighed, looking like someone thirsting for talent.
Scholar Zhou is too modest. I have been overwhelmed and exhausted these past few days by the various miscellaneous affairs of the Northern Territory.
Since Scholar Zhou has such great insight, why not stay and share some of the burden for me?
Hearing this, Scholar Zhou's mind buzzed, and wild joy surged into his heart.
She is going to recommend me for an official position!
He puffed out his chest, patted it, and said loudly, At Your Excellency's command, this commoner will not hesitate even if it means death! Wherever Your Excellency can use this commoner, I will certainly do my utmost and never decline!
Good! Xu Qinghuan clapped her hands. With Scholar Zhou's words, I am relieved.
Xu Qinghuan turned around and pointed at the three-foot-tall platform.
Since you are all learned and cultured men of this Northern Garrison City, I will take this opportunity today to set up an examination venue!
We will have an on-the-spot competition. Whoever wins will be heavily rewarded by me, directly recruited into the Imperial Envoy's headquarters, and receive an imperial salary!
As soon as these words came out, the scholars below the platform instantly erupted into an uproar.
A competition? Competing in what? Writing poetry or matching couplets?
Is there even a need to ask? When we scholars compete, it is naturally in essays and poetry!
Wonderful! I have studied bitterly for ten years, and today I finally have a chance to stand out!
The scholars all rubbed their hands together, their faces flushed with excitement.
Scholar Zhou was even more smug. He believed that among this group of failed scholars in the Northern Garrison City, if his poetic talent ranked second, no one would dare claim first.
He closed his folding fan, cupped his hands toward Xu Qinghuan, and said, Your Excellency, I wonder what the topic of this competition is? Will it be on the romance of the border passes, or on the nation and the world? This commoner will go prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone right away!
Xu Qinghuan looked at this group of overly excited scholars, the smile on her face growing deeper.
You can skip the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Xu Qinghuan turned to look at Li Sheng and issued an order.
Li Sheng, pull off the cloth.
Li Sheng had long been holding back a belly full of anger. Hearing the command, he strode up onto the platform, grabbed the black cloth, and gave it a yank.
With a whoosh.
The black cloth fell to the ground, and the large characters on the red poster were completely exposed to the sight of all the city's commoners.
The entire plaza instantly fell silent.
There was no poetry or songs, no nation or world.
On the red poster, there were only three massive black words, written with bold and vigorous strokes that penetrated the paper.
Accounting.
Herb Identification.
Weapon Repair.
The smile on Scholar Zhou's face froze.
He widened his eyes.
The scholars below the platform were also dumbfounded, each one standing as still as a wooden block.
Xu Qinghuan pointed at the messy pile of items on the platform, her voice clear and loud.
This first round is a competition in accounting.
I have here the grain and forage account books of the Northern Garrison Army for the past three years. Whoever can use the abacuses on the platform to calculate the accounts clearly within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, will pass this first test.
The second round is a competition in herb identification.
The wounded soldiers' camp is in desperate need of people who understand pharmacology. In those baskets of herbs on the platform, over a dozen poisonous wild weeds have been mixed in.
"Whoever can wear a blindfold and pick out all the poisonous herbs relying solely on smell and touch will pass this second test."
"The third round is a competition of repairing weapons."
"The armory of the Northern Garrison is piled high with jammed firearms and chipped steel swords. Whoever can use the tools on the stage to polish and reassemble those pieces of scrap iron into lethal weapons..."
"...will pass this third test."
After Xu Qinghuan finished speaking, she turned to look at Scholar Zhou and made an inviting gesture.
"Scholar Zhou, you just promised to share my burdens."
"For this first round, why don't you set an example for us? Please step up to the stage!"
Scholar Zhou was completely dumbfounded.
He looked down at his hands, which only knew how to hold a writing brush, and then looked at the greasy abacuses and rusty lumps of iron on the stage.
Accounting? The lowly profession of merchants!
Identifying herbs? Isn't that the lowly work of wandering quacks!
Repairing weapons? That is the rough labor of a blacksmith!
How could a dignified scholar like him do such disgraceful things!
Scholar Zhou swallowed hard, his legs beginning to tremble.
"M-My Lord... this... this is an insult to a gentleman!"
Scholar Zhou stammered, the folding fan in his hand almost dropping to the ground.
