At the age of fourteen, Jin Cheng witnessed another triennial imperial examination.
On the eve of the examination,
He Zheng, now fifteen, was summoned by the Emperor and was changing from his casual attire into official robes.
Since entering officialdom three years prior, he had moved out of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Xu Wan had pooled together the tuition fees—over a thousand taels—saved by his brothers from the elite class and added more to purchase this modest residence, giving him a home in the capital.
"Sir, Minister He of the Ministry of War has arrived," a servant announced.
The grown He Zheng no longer felt his heart stir at the mere mention of that name. He raised an eyebrow and replied, "I have been summoned by His Majesty and cannot delay. Please ask the Minister to return another day."
"Understood."
He Zheng pulled on his black boots and adjusted his official hat, thrilled at the prospect of a private audience with his elder brother, the Emperor. Yet, he reminded himself to maintain decorum and not appear disrespectful before the throne.
The young man couldn’t suppress his smile, thinking: His Majesty must be summoning me to discuss tomorrow’s imperial examination. The memories of their brotherhood’s diligent studies three years ago flashed before his eyes, as if it were just yesterday.
With long strides, He Zheng headed out, his face still lit with joy.
At the gate,
Minister He stood waiting beside the carriage.
The Minister had once believed that severing ties with his son was the wisest decision—avoiding Luo Jingfeng’s wrath back then and the young Emperor’s displeasure afterward.
And this son of his had proven most outstanding, thriving in the Censorate and frequently summoned by the Emperor, clearly a favored courtier with boundless prospects.
Except for one thing: he refused to acknowledge his father.
He Zheng’s smile faltered, replaced by an emotionless official tone as he bowed. "This humble official greets Minister He."
A vein pulsed at Minister He’s temple as he eyed the modest residence. Coldly, he said, "Even His Majesty has reconciled with Luo Jingfeng. How much longer will you hold this grudge against me?"
The He family’s discord had become a court-wide joke, though the laughter was mostly at the Minister’s expense. Here was a son, the Emperor’s most trusted aide, yet the father couldn’t bask in any reflected glory—instead, he faced the Emperor’s disdain.
He Zheng straightened, smiling faintly. "His Majesty has summoned me, likely for urgent matters. If Minister He has no business, this official shall proceed to the palace."
Knowing the man’s nature, He Zheng had long abandoned attempts at communication. Without expectations, there was no disappointment—his heart remained unshaken.
As He Zheng turned to leave, Minister He grabbed his arm. "I heard the Censorate’s impeachment against me was drafted by you?"
A son impeaching his own father.
He had become the court’s laughingstock.
He Zheng tilted his head, his voice icy. "This official has been promoted from Censorate investigator to a reviewing officer, tasked only with verifying the accuracy of impeachment memorials—not drafting them. I cannot accept this baseless accusation, Minister He."
Minister He narrowed his eyes. "If it wasn’t you, all the better! Remember this: you bear the He name. Whether or not we’ve severed ties, my blood runs in your veins. Bones may break, but the sinews remain. We are father and son, bound by blood—our fates rise and fall together!"
He Zheng wrenched free, unwilling to engage further.
Those who walk different paths cannot conspire. Wasting words is pointless.
"He Zheng! If I’m demoted to Vice Minister, do you think your career will flourish?" Minister He shouted after him. "While the Emperor still trusts you, help your father! As long as I remain Minister, you are the Minister’s son—even the Censorate must show some respect. You’ve grown up; surely you understand the rule of mutual protection among officials!"
He Zheng halted, fists clenched.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. Turning, he retorted, "Minister He, show some dignity! This official has long severed ties with you. I want no favors from you, nor will I plead your case. Right and wrong lie clear before His Majesty’s judgment. Instead of harassing me, you’d do better to improve yourself!"
In Luo Jingfeng’s era, military officers had overshadowed civil officials—even the Ministry of War had been led by a general.
But with peace restored, the flaws of military oversight became glaring. The Censorate’s impeachment of Minister He was inevitable, and the Emperor’s decision to replace him was justified.
Yet Minister He, clinging to power, couldn’t bear the thought of being ousted by a subordinate. Swallowing his pride, he sought his son’s aid—He Zheng, the Emperor’s childhood companion, whose word might sway the throne.
But He Zheng, stubborn as ever, remained unmoved.
Furious, Minister He pointed at his retreating figure. "He Zheng, your defiance against your father violates all propriety! I’ll impeach you for gross filial impiety!"
Seated in the carriage, He Zheng lifted the curtain and met the Minister’s rage with calm. "Then this official will have no choice but to counter-impeach you for abandoning your child. By then, Minister He may not even retain the title of Vice Minister."
The bond between father and son was now irreparably broken.
Once, Minister He’s abandonment of He Zheng to protect the family could be understood, if grudgingly. But now, by pressuring his son to lobby the Emperor, he had crossed a line—destroying any chance of reconciliation.
---
The Palace, Imperial Study
Upon entering, He Zheng noticed an incense burner filling the room with fragrant smoke. A high table was laden with trays of pastries and fruits, arranged meticulously—almost like an offering.
Is His Majesty honoring someone’s memory?
Fourteen-year-old Emperor Jin Cheng, still clad in his bright yellow robes, beckoned excitedly the moment He Zheng stepped in. "Come, come! Look who this is!"
He Zheng’s gaze shifted from the "offering" to the memorial in the Emperor’s hand—it was the list of candidates who had passed the metropolitan examination.
Scanning the names, he paused at one. "Qin Shi?"
Qin Ye’s elder brother, now sixteen.
Having failed the previous exam, he’d finally succeeded this time.
Jin Cheng nodded eagerly. "Yes! And? Keep looking!"
"Ge Hong…" He Zheng recalled the name. "The scholar who credited Brother Bai’s policy essays for his provincial success! He’s now a metropolitan graduate too!"
"Right! And?!" Jin Cheng’s voice rose higher.
He Zheng frowned. "Hmm… some names from the Hanlin Academy’s northern branch sound familiar, and a few from Clarity Academy—but I can’t quite match them to faces…"
After a prolonged wait, Jin Cheng burst into laughter. "Hah! Even you forgot him! Only I remembered!!"
"Who?" He Zheng was baffled.
Jin Cheng tapped the memorial’s top name. "Xin Nanbei! Don’t you recall him?!"
He Zheng searched his memory—the name rang a bell, but no face came to mind.
"Fool!" Jin Cheng playfully smacked his shoulder. "Four years ago, before the provincial exams, Mr. Su sent us to sell eggs in the suburbs. At Brightness Academy, he told us to remember that name—Xin Nanbei!!"
He Zheng suddenly remembered: "Ah! It's him! That scholar from Brightness Academy!! He actually passed the imperial examination this year? Didn’t they say poverty made it hard for him to even become a provincial graduate?"
Jin Cheng stroked his chin and mused, "Seems like fate. I’m quite looking forward to seeing him tomorrow."
He Zheng burst into laughter. "Oh, absolutely! Xin Nanbei has no idea who we are. When he sees us at the palace examination tomorrow, he’ll be shocked out of his wits!"
Jin Cheng teased, "Who knows? Maybe he’s like the rest of you and doesn’t remember me at all?"
The brothers had all seen the list of candidates, but only Jin Cheng, with his photographic memory, recalled the name.
To the young men, Xin Nanbei was just a name from a fleeting encounter—they couldn’t even match it to a face.
Yet against all odds, this unlikely figure had crossed mountains and rivers, journeying from the outskirts of the capital into the imperial examination hall, from Brightness Academy to the golden steps of the palace throne room.
He Zheng rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. "But Your Majesty, something you used to say back then has truly come to pass."
The little tyrant raised an eyebrow. "Which saying?"
The young He Zheng, recalling their days in the elite class, cleared his throat and proudly recited his elder brother’s golden words: "Genius is merely the threshold to meeting me."
...
"Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years!"
On the day of the palace examination, 323 brilliant scholars gathered in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, kneeling on cushions as they prepared for the final test of their imperial examination journey.
The hall was vast, and even with the Emperor seated high above, none dared to steal a glance at his sacred countenance.
Only when the examination concluded, and the Ministry of Rites finalized the rankings with the young Emperor, did Chu Jincheng’s clear voice ring out: "This year’s top scholar is—Xin Nanbei."
The little tyrant had worried he wouldn’t recognize the man, but Xin Nanbei exceeded expectations by claiming the title of Zhuangyuan (top scholar), immediately stepping forward from the crowd to receive the Emperor’s personal decree.
Xin Nanbei, now a young man of twenty, was about to bow in gratitude when he lifted his head—and there, unmistakable despite four years apart, was the face of Chu Jincheng. The child prodigy had grown into a youth, but those familiar features belonged to none other than the person he had longed to see day and night!
His heart stopped.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Four years ago, five young scholars from the capital had appeared like a fleeting bloom at their academy, yet their brilliance had illuminated the path forward.
None knew their origins, but Xin Nanbei remembered the leader—the proud little prodigy who declared, "We’ll meet again in the imperial court!"
That summer had been scorching, the air thick with the fire of youthful ambition.
And now, here he was, face to face with that very person!
But never could he have imagined that the prodigy was… the genius who had passed the child scholar exams at nine, ranked second in the metropolitan exams at eleven, and now stood before him as the reigning young Emperor!
