"Hey, Scholar Chen, why did you just get here?"
Mingyue Tower was particularly lively today because the Imperial Scholars who had attained their titles this year were gathering in small groups for a celebration. This was a tradition following the triennial imperial examination. Scholars who passed the exam, regardless of their origins from all corners of the empire, would develop a camaraderie, naturally becoming close to facilitate future avenues in their official careers.
At this moment, a young Imperial Scholar standing at the entrance in a daze was pulled into a private room by a group of his peers.
"What's going on with you, looking so out of it?"
Looking at a few colleagues with whom he had a decent relationship before the exams, Scholar Chen forced a smile, but his extremely pale complexion couldn't be concealed.
"Oh no, what has happened? Did you fall into the third class?"
Several people asked curiously. During the announcement of results, everyone was too nervous about their own ranking to care about others. Unless one was announced thrice as a first-class scholar, few people would remember someone else's ranking.
"No..." Scholar Chen shook his head and gave a bitter smile: "Second class, one hundred thirty-first place. I was just lucky enough to scrape into the last spot."
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Being the last of the second class might sound unpleasant, but future promotions in the civil service didn't consider specific rankings; just being a second-class scholar was deemed sufficient. Not having fallen into the third class, whether you were the last or among the first few spots of the second class didn't make much difference...
"That's something to be happy about, why the long face?"
"I'm just relieved," Scholar Chen replied with a strained smile.
A man in his thirties at the table spoke up: "If Scholar Chen had studied at the Imperial College, our master would have certainly recommended waiting another term to enter the exams with more polished articles. It really was risky this time."
"Brother Lyu is right..." Scholar Chen quickly took his seat and hurriedly offered a toast in response.
Others slightly curled their lips upon hearing this. Only those from the Imperial College, like this Lyu surname fellow, could afford to wait for the right moment to take the exams. For them from farming families, whose parents had nearly sold off all their fields to support their studies, how could they afford to be leisurely? They obviously had to take their chances as soon as possible.
But this also explained why it was difficult for children from modest families to excel in the exams— the more anxious they were, the more likely they were to fail at the last moment!
Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming a bit chilly, a portly middle-aged man at the table chuckled and raised his glass: "As long as the result is good, that's what matters. By the way, did you all hear? Cui Tanhua... he died suddenly yesterday!"
This remark immediately sparked gossip among everyone.
"It's truly a pity; Cui Tanhua was only nineteen this year, right? Such a talented and promising young man, I heard even the Princess took a fancy to him. His future seemed boundless; what a shame, such a shame..."
"Indeed, it's such a pity..." Others chimed in, though behind closed doors, there were those who took a certain pleasure in his misfortune.
In the current dynasty, a Consort Prince was not forbidden from participating in politics as in former times. Marrying a Princess was considered a great boon for one's career. Cui Yan was handsome, a young top scorer, and now favored by the Princess—who wouldn't be envious of him?
Everyone was eagerly discussing the topic, but Scholar Chen turned even paler upon hearing it, clearly not keen on this subject. So he tried to change the topic: "Did you hear that our cohort won't have the opportunity to observe at the various ministries?"
"Yes, that's the case." The middle-aged man from the Imperial College spoke up: "This year's grace given for the exams was because we won a great victory in the north and reclaimed Youzhou. Most of the new scholars from this cohort will likely be assigned as local County Magistrates there. There's a shortage of officials, and the situation is urgent, so there's no time for observing the ministries."
At these words, the interest of the group waned considerably. They were all second-class scholars, and with Great Jin being only twenty years old, there were plenty of desirable positions for them as newcomers. Even those with lesser backgrounds, if not retained in the Capital City, could be dispatched to prosperous areas like Jiangnan. Unexpectedly, the grace that had given them the chance for early titles now meant being sent to the bitter-cold and remote Youyun!
The mood became gloomy, and the conversation turned back to the suddenly deceased top scholar. After all, no matter how unlucky they were, they weren't as unfortunate as the one who had just been named top scholar and then died suddenly, were they?
As everyone discussed with zest, Scholar Chen could only offer a wry smile, sensing that this topic was unavoidable for today.
"Right, Scholar Chen, wasn't Cui Tanhua from the same region as you?"
"Ah, yes..." Seeing that he couldn't dodge the question, Scholar Chen nodded honestly: "Cui Yan was the top scholar of Lyuzhou, with honors three times over. Many local gentry wanted to marry their daughters to him."
"Cui Yan's choice was not bad." The man from the Imperial College nodded: "With his scholarship and youthfulness, it indeed made sense to seek a marriage alliance in the Capital City, where he could find a reliable family through marriage. But man proposes, and God disposes. Looking at the outcome now, it would have been better had he settled down in Lyuzhou. He might have even left a legacy for his family."
Scholar Chen looked up at him. This man's name was Lyu Yiqi, and he had actively made their acquaintance when Scholar Chen and Cui Yan first arrived in the capital. They had maintained quite a good relationship during the exam prep period, and their interactions were frequent. It was clear he knew... Cui Yan had a wife!
But the weird thing was, why was he acting as if he had forgotten that Cui Yan had a wife?
It wasn't just him; it seemed everyone had forgotten!
Scholar Chen frowned to himself. He had felt something off two days earlier when the word came out right after Cui Yan had been chosen top scholar—that the Emperor intended for him to marry the Princess—as if it didn't matter that Cui Yan was already married.
Now it was the same case. With Cui Yan's sudden death, his wife, Madam Huang, had also disappeared. Yet the officials from the Judicial Court who came to inquire asked many details about Cui Yan but completely ignored his wife. When he brought her up himself, those officials appeared surprised...
Scholar Chen was a cautious man. Seeing this situation, he chose not to mention Cui Yan's wife again. Until now, with Lyu openly expressing pity for Cui Yan's unmarried status and the rest acting as if that were only natural, he felt something was very wrong.
It wasn't just a mutual decision to avoid the topic; it seemed like everyone genuinely had forgotten Cui Yan had a wife.
What in the world was going on?
Scholar Chen quietly sipped his wine, his disquiet growing as he listened to their conversations.
Everyone was enthusiastically discussing when their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a series of knocking on the door, prompting all to fall silent. After all, speaking ill of the deceased behind their backs would not reflect well if word got out.
"Who is it?" Lyu Yiqi asked with a frown.
The door to the room opened slowly, and a young man dressed in a green official robe entered. Everyone hurriedly stood up and showed their respect, but upon recognizing the visitor, Lyu Yiqi expressed his surprise before standing and saying, "Lord Wang, what brings you here?"
Scholar Chen carefully sized up the newcomer. The man in the official robe seemed quite young, probably even younger than Lyu Yiqi, yet his attire suggested he already held a fourth-rank position!
It's said promotions come swiftly in the new dynasty, but this seemed excessively fast…
"Congratulations to Brother Lyu for topping the imperial examinations!" the visitor said with a smile while offering a cupped fist salute, clearly quite familiar with Lyu Yiqi.
"Where, where, compared to you, I am truly ashamed..." Lyu Yiqi replied with a smile and a salute, though his eyes betrayed a complex emotion. The visitor, Wang Ye, was an old classmate from his school days. They both had entered Imperial College around the same time, yet Wang Ye had made it onto the list two sessions before and caught the emperor's favor. In just six short years, he had become the Vice Minister of Judicial Court, while Lyu Yiqi, at the age of independence, only made the list on a special dispensation, and was now facing a post in a remote and cold northern land as County Magistrate. He wondered how many years it would take him to return to the Capital City.
Scholar Chen inwardly sighed, suspecting that Wang Ye's visit wasn't just for sincere congratulations. His official attire hinted he was most likely here on official business.
As expected, the next second Wang Ye politely declined the invitation to sit with the group and instead inquired, "Which of you is Scholar Chen?"
All eyes immediately turned to Scholar Chen, who couldn't suppress a twitch on his face, knowing there was no escaping the matter now. He stepped forward and said, "I am Scholar Chen at your service, Lord Wang. What do you require of me?"
The official nodded and took a moment to appraise the young Scholar Chen. "I have some questions regarding the matter of Cui Yan. Can Scholar Chen afford the time?"
"Of course, of course..." Scholar Chen replied with a forced smile. Even if he had said he couldn't, it looked like the other man wouldn't take a mere excuse.
"Lord Wang," Lyu Yiqi said with a furrowed brow, "is Scholar Chen implicated in something?"
"No, no..." the official swiftly gestured with his hands, "it's only because they hail from the same hometown and there are some details I need to verify. I apologize for disturbing everyone's enjoyment. I will come back later to offer a toast to Brother Lyu as an apology."
Seeing that the official was giving due respect, Lyu Yiqi's face reddened with humility, and he quickly replied, "You are too courteous with those words; I'll be waiting here for you. Let's not return till we're drunk."
"Very well, very well..." the official replied with a smile and then beckoned Scholar Chen to follow him upstairs.
Scholar Chen trailed behind, feeling increasingly anxious with every step.
Having been transported to this entirely unfamiliar feudal dynasty, with no foreknowledge and coming from an engineering background, he had no choice but to diligently study the literary texts even literary scholars feared. After ten years of arduous study, he was on the brink of entering the scholar gentry class when this calamity occurred...
It seemed the heavens couldn't stand to see him prosper, could it?
The two ended up in a private room upstairs, and after closing the door, the young official invited Scholar Chen to sit and got straight to the point. "I am Wang Ye, and in light of Cui Tanhua's sudden death, the emperor is greatly concerned. I have been appointed to lead the investigation into this case," he declared.
Scholar Chen promptly bowed, "I have the honor of meeting Lord Wang."
"No need for formalities," the official indicated with a wave of his hand. "I have read your testimony today. According to the scribe's record, you mentioned that Cui Yan was married, is that correct?"
"I was mistaken," Scholar Chen hurriedly replied. "After drinking too much at the Qionglin Banquet the other day, I became somewhat muddled when questioned by officials. I beg your understanding, Lord Wang."
After examining Scholar Chen for several moments, the official spoke with a meaning-laden tone, "The rumor that the emperor favored Cui Tanhua as a son-in-law is true. We had earlier sent someone to Lyuzhou to investigate Cui Yan's family background. Cui Yan's background is clean, and he has not married!"
At this, Scholar Chen's body shook slightly, his eyes filled with sudden realization.
He had studied alongside Cui Yan in the prefectural school, and everyone there knew that Master Huang's daughter had taken an interest in Cui Yan. Lyuzhou's most gifted young woman married the young scholar who had achieved the remarkable success of winning three successive examinations. Their story was celebrated as a perfect match of talent and beauty!
How could the investigation reveal that Cui Yan was unmarried?
"In your testimony, you mentioned that Cui Yan married the daughter of Master Huang from the Lyuzhou Prefecture School. Master Huang is a Great Confucian from the previous dynasty, highly esteemed, and the emperor had tried to recruit him many times. Master Huang had declined due to old age, and his two sons also serve in the state. His eldest, Huang Wenxuan, serves as the Magistrate of Yongchuan, and his second son, Huang Wenjing, is in Hanlin Academy. There has never been mention of his having a daughter..."
Feeling increasingly cold, Scholar Chen thought, "Could it be that everything I witnessed during my years at the Prefecture School in Lyuzhou was but a dream?"
"I regret that my drunken blunder has inconvenienced Lord Wang and hindered the investigation. I am deeply ashamed," he admitted.
At this, the official furrowed his brow. After several more questions, which only led to reaffirmations of drunk talk, it seemed there was little more to ask without evidence to justify detaining Scholar Chen for questioning. The official nodded and let the matter rest.
As they stood up, Wang Ye suddenly asked, "Scholar Chen, have you encountered any strange occurrences lately?"
"Strange occurrences?"
Scholar Chen couldn't suppress a twitch on his face. What could be stranger than your insistence that two individuals ought to be one?
"I haven't, but may I ask why you inquire?" he responded.
Wang Ye looked at Scholar Chen intently, "Scholar Chen, if you do encounter anything strange, be sure not to keep it to yourself. It could cost someone their life!"
Scholar Chen: "....."