Shi Huai spent the entire day sitting in his examination cubicle, writing an essay of more than three thousand characters.
Beginning with the root causes of the flooding along the Yellow River, he analyzed the problems from multiple angles: silt-choked river channels, poorly reinforced embankments, corrupt officials, and negligent laborers. He then offered concrete solutions for each issue.
There were proposals to dredge the river channels, reinforce the embankments, reform the bureaucracy, and pacify the common people.
Every point struck at the heart of the matter, and every proposal was practical and feasible.
After finishing, he read through the essay from beginning to end, changed a few words that were not quite appropriate, and checked once more to make sure he had not used any forbidden terms. Only after confirming that everything was in order did he set down his brush.
In the examination cubicle next door, Chen Zhiyuan lay sprawled over the desk, a densely written answer sheet spread out before him. His expression was impossible to read—whether he was satisfied or dissatisfied.
He glanced at Shi Huai through the gap in the partition and saw that Shi Huai was resting with his eyes closed. His complexion looked much better than it had when he came out after the first paper.
Chen Zhiyuan withdrew his gaze and looked over his own answer sheet again.
He felt that he had done fairly well. Leaving aside everything else, at least he had not gone off topic, and his arguments were reasonably clear.
The third paper was poetry and prose. The topic was “Journey to the Imperial Court on an Autumn Day.”
The candidates were required to write a five-character regulated verse poem and a fu rhapsody. The poem had to follow the Pingshui rhyme scheme, while the fu had to be written in parallel prose with alternating four- and six-character lines.
Shi Huai spent less than half an hour in his cubicle before writing a five-character regulated poem.
“Within Chang’an’s autumn hues,
A lone steed bears me toward the palace gates.
Clouds part, revealing sun and moon;
Winds rise, stirring mountain and river.”
After finishing, he read it over once and decided that it was acceptable. It was not outstanding, but it was steady and conventional enough that it should not cause any problems.
Then he began writing his fu. The topic was “Ascending High and Gazing Afar.”
This time, he spent the entire afternoon composing a fu of more than eight hundred characters.
He began with what one saw and felt upon ascending to a high place and gazing into the distance.
From there, he reflected on the emotions that had stirred in the hearts of countless heroes throughout the ages whenever they had climbed high and looked far.
In the end, he brought the piece around to a magnificent vision of the realm at peace and the people living and working in contentment.
The entire fu was ornate without being gaudy, profound without being obscure.
It was pleasing to read aloud, with a sweeping and majestic grandeur.
After finishing, Shi Huai leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
The nine-day examination was finally over.
He packed up his things, carefully folded his papers, and placed them in his examination basket, waiting for the attendants to come and collect them.
In the neighboring cubicle, Chen Zhiyuan was packing up as well.
He moved much faster than Shi Huai, stuffing everything into his examination basket in just a few quick motions. Then he poked his head through the gap in the partition.
“Brother Shi, shall we go have a drink after the examination?”
Shi Huai smiled. “I’m not old enough to drink yet.”
Chen Zhiyuan froze for a moment, then slapped his forehead.
“Right, right. You’re only twelve. I forgot. Then how about tea? I know a teahouse with excellent Longjing.”
Shi Huai thought it over, then nodded. “All right. We’ll go after the results are posted.”
Chen Zhiyuan was so delighted that he nearly jumped out of his cubicle, but a passing attendant shot him a glare, and he hurriedly ducked back inside.
The day they left the examination compound, the weather was clear.
When Shi Huai stepped through the main gate of the examination compound, the light outside made him squint. He waited until his eyes adjusted before lowering his hand.
“Young Master, how did you do? I’ve asked you several times, but you haven’t answered me once.”
On the way home, Qinghe hesitated again and again, unable to bring herself to speak. In the end, once they returned to the residence, she could not hold it in any longer.
Shi Huai lifted his eyes and glanced at her, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.
“I did all right. The questions weren’t especially difficult. I wrote everything I was supposed to write and answered everything I was supposed to answer. The rest depends on how the examiners judge it.”
His unhurried manner left Qinghe feeling anxious and unsettled. She wanted to ask more, but did not dare, afraid that she might put additional pressure on him.
All she could do was pray silently in her heart: that the examiners would have good judgment, that the young master’s essays would catch their eyes, and that Heaven would bless him with success.
That very afternoon, the Crown Prince arrived.
He wore an ordinary dark-blue robe. There was no crown on his head, only a white jade hairpin securing his hair, and a dark sash around his waist.
He looked more casual than usual, with less of the dignity expected of the heir apparent.
The gatekeeper, Old Liu, nearly failed to recognize him. Once he realized who it was, he hurriedly moved to kneel and offer his greetings.
The Crown Prince stopped him with one hand.
“No need for formalities. I came out incognito. Do not make a fuss.”
Old Liu nodded repeatedly and led the Crown Prince through the main gate.
Whenever they encountered servants along the way, Old Liu signaled for them to step aside with a glance. They only dared straighten up again after the Crown Prince had passed.
Shi Huai was sitting in the study. Hearing footsteps, he raised his head and saw the Crown Prince standing in the doorway.
Shi Huai rose and bowed in greeting, but the Crown Prince waved a hand and told him there was no need for formalities.
He placed the food box on the desk and opened it.
Inside were several delicate pastries and a pot of wine.
The wine pot was made of white porcelain, with a plum branch painted across its body. The workmanship was exquisite; it was clearly no ordinary piece.
“I had someone bring it out from the palace,” the Crown Prince said. “Osmanthus wine. It isn’t strong. Give it a try.”
He sat down in a chair, took the wine pot from the food box, and placed it on the desk. Then he took out two white porcelain cups, setting one before Shi Huai and the other before himself.
Shi Huai glanced at the white porcelain cup, then at the Crown Prince’s face. The corners of his mouth twitched faintly.
“Your Highness, I’m twelve years old. I’m not old enough to drink yet.”
The Crown Prince’s hand paused. Then he smiled.
“Osmanthus wine doesn’t count as wine. It’s really just sweet osmanthus syrup. Try it and you’ll see. It won’t make you drunk.”
As he spoke, he lifted the pot and poured a little into the cup before Shi Huai.
The golden liquid glowed with a warm luster against the white porcelain. The fragrance of osmanthus slowly spread through the room, filling the entire study with a sweet aroma.
Shi Huai lifted the cup and took a sip.
It really was sweet.
The delicate fragrance of osmanthus bloomed across his tongue, carrying the faintest trace of wine.
It was hardly noticeable unless one tasted it carefully.
He took another sip, this time drinking a little more.
The hint of alcohol lingered briefly in his mouth before fading, leaving behind only the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.
The Crown Prince watched him take those two sips. The tension on his face eased, and the smile at the corners of his mouth became more natural.
He lifted his own cup and took a generous swallow, his tone deliberately casual.
“How did the provincial examination go? I had people make inquiries. Everyone says this year’s questions were unusually tricky.”
Shi Huai set down his cup, his fingers lightly tracing the rim twice.
“The questions weren’t simple, but they weren’t especially tricky either. I reviewed everything I needed to review, and when I sat the examination, I didn’t find it particularly difficult.”
The Crown Prince’s eyes brightened for a moment before he once again composed himself into his usual calm expression.
“That’s good. I was worried you might be too nervous and fail to perform at your best. Your grades at the Imperial Academy speak for themselves. As long as you performed normally, you should have no problem.”
Shi Huai looked at the Crown Prince’s face, which practically read, “I believe you can definitely do it,” and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Your Highness, does His Majesty know that you came out of the palace today?”
