Chapter 305: The court examinations begin
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Everything in the empire belonged to the Emperor.
There was nothing more audacious in this world than to bargain with the Emperor! He could be charged for a lack of respect for the Emperor!
Just as Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was preparing to speak, he saw Emperor Lin Mubai wave him off. He shut up instantly.
"Hahaha... if Ping Yang had not told me the reason, I would have wronged Fang Zhengzhi. Since I had come here without an invitation and had so much to eat, I should pay up. I will pay according to what was previously agreed on, 100 silvers a mouthful!" Emperor Lin Mubai was not angry at all.
Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
100 silvers a mouthful for a hotpot...
The Emperor agreed to it?!
"Left Prime Minister, the Emperor has agreed. Do you have any objections?" Fang Zhengzhi beamed when he heard this.
"You... I didn’t bring much silvers today, you can collect it from my residence!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping flung his hands in the air.
"Sure, but can you write me proof that you owe me that amount?" Fang Zhengzhi retrieved a piece of paper and ink.
Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the furious Yu Yiping, then back at Fang Zhengzhi. He smiled as he patted Ping Yang’s head.
In all honesty, he was a little stunned when he found this out from Ping Yang. 100 silvers a mouthful was quite the sum.
However...
It was average for food in the palace.
There were records in history that Emperors sent riders out for 800 miles just to collect fresh ingredients.
The sheer amount of manpower and resources needed made such expeditions expensive. Each mouthful would be worth at least 1000 silvers.
Even though the Great Xia Dynasty had been through many wars, they were still quite rich.
Furthermore, they had not been embroiled in any major wars recently. The treasury was stocked to capacity. 100 silvers a mouthful was insignificant.
As a result, the Emperor would not be so petty about it.
At the end of the day, everything in the empire still belonged to the Emperor.
Just because the Emperor gave you silvers doesn’t mean that the silver is yours.
It still belongs to the Emperor.
This was the power the Emperor had.
However, Emperor Lin Mubai could not figure out if Fang Zhengzhi knew his thoughts when he asked for the silvers, or if Fang Zhengzhi was just audacious.
"Fang Zhengzhi, I did not bring any silvers out with me today... What should we do?" Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his domineering aura showing.
"Your highness, you didn’t bring silvers as well? That’s easy. Why don’t you write me proof of the debt as well?" Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.
"Outrageous! You want the Emperor to write down proof of a debt to an official? Aren’t you afraid... that I will fire you and send you back to be a farmer?" Emperor Lin Mubai wanted to threaten him with execution.
However, he realized that Fang Zhengzhi was a rank four Sword Envoy. Furthermore, he had given him this post personally. To execute him would be rather ridiculous. As such, he decided to change his threat.
"Not at all." Fang Zhengzhi asserted.
"Oh, why not?" Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi doubtfully.
"If the Emperor wants me to die, I have to die. If the Emperor wants me to be a farmer, the Emperor would have his own plans. What’s there to fear?" Fang Zhengzhi replied solemnly.
Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. Then, he chuckled, "Hahaha... good, well said! Today, I will break my rule and write you a proof of debt. You can collect it from the treasury later."
"Thank you your highness. However, may I ask something? Can I not collect the silvers?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded, then asked.
"Not collect the silvers? Why?" Emperor Lin Mubai was doubtful. Did this guy realize his mistake?
"Based on my calculations, your highness ate a total of 47 mouthfuls. Subtracting the first complimentary mouthful and the 1000 silvers you bestowed upon me, you only owe me 3600 silvers. However, the value of these silvers is nothing when compared to the proof you will write me. I was thinking of auctioning it off..."
"Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you think of auctioning away this proof of debt! Do you know what a cardinal sin that is?" Emperor Lin Mubai’s anger was building.
"Your highness, you have wronged me. You have eaten 47 mouthfuls of the hotpot and it is only logical that you pay for the meal. By writing down this proof of debt, you are showing the public how righteous and moral you are. It also represents your ability to govern the country in an orderly manner. By writing this proof of debt, you have shown yourself to be a man of honor and integrity. I hope that your highness will see that I am trying to help you!" Fang Zhengzhi yelled.
"Shameless! When did this guy learn to bootlick?" Ping Yang murmured to herself scornfully.
Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. He turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes glowing brightly. He had not realized that this young man had the gift of the gap.
"Does that mean that I have to thank you for auctioning off my proof of debt?"
"Your highness, you don’t have to thank me. You just have to give me some silvers." Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.
"Hahaha... I can’t give you silvers. However, here is a token from me. I hope that you will go to the Ministry of Rites to help out when you have the time!" Emperor Lin Mubai smiled. Then, his expression changed to one of solemn when he threw a gold token into Fang Zhengzhi’s hands.
"Ministry of Rites?" Fang Zhengzhi caught the token in mid air. It was made of pure gold. The front was engraved with the words ‘golden dragon’ whilst the back was a picture of a golden dragon.
What is this used for?
In his previous world, the Ministry of Rites hosted the imperial examinations as well as engaged in diplomacy. However, due to the importance of the Dao examinations, this world had set up the Imperial Academy.
The Ministry of Rites only did diplomacy related matters. They would also plan the royal events, including the hunting and racing competitions, rituals, etcetera.
"Ministry of Rites?!" Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was stunned when he saw that.
He had heard the exchange between the Emperor and Fang Zhengzhi. He could also guess that the anger the Emperor showed was unlikely genuine.
But this was not important...
Most importantly, the Emperor wanted Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites!
All this while, Fang Zhengzhi had only been an official in name only. Even though he was a rank four official appointed by the Emperor, he was powerless.
But now, it was different. The Emperor had ordered Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites. Even though he was currently positionless, the Emperor had already made his stand clear.
The Emperor wanted to use Fang Zhengzhi.
For a rank four official to enter the Ministry of Rites...
Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping knew that rank four was not much. However, Fang Zhengzhi in the Ministry of Law would shock the courts.
"Could it be... that his guess during the racing competition was going to come true so quickly? The new dynamic... he could not let this happen!"
Just as he was about to speak, Fang Zhengzhi beat him to it.
"Your highness, I will go to the Ministry of Rites as ordered. However... I antagonized the Minister during the racing and hunting competition, as such..." Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask if he could choose not to go?
He wanted his freedom!
"When you’re at the Ministry of Rites, you represent me! You do not have to worry!" Emperor Lin Mubai waved him off, signalling that there was no discussion on this matter.
How domineering!
Can’t he respect my opinions?
Fang Zhengzhi’s lips twitched. However, he did not speak anymore. After all, the Emperor’s orders could not be defied.
One could ask the Emperor for silvers or other peripherals.
However...
One could not defy an order.
It was no different from the military. As a soldier, you had to obey your commander without exception.
The orders and wishes of the king were even more domineering.
"Yes your highness!" Fang Zhengzhi kept the token. After all, the Emperor told him to go over in his free time. If he wasn’t free, he could choose not to go.
...
Two days later, before the break of dawn...
Good news reached the Northern Mountain Village. This time, the provincial governor came personally to deliver the news.
All of the villagers saw the words ‘top of the imperial examinations’. Then, they saw the name in gold. All of them were ecstatic.
"Eh, old Fang, your son did it again! He is the top scorer for the imperial examinations!"
"This is awesome. The Northern Mountain Village has produced a rank four official who is also the top scorer of the imperial examinations. There are few in history who have done so!"
Voices rang out in the Northern Mountain Village.
The teachers who had come from the Northern Territory constabularies all looked at each other in disbelief when they heard the news.
To have a rank four official be the top scorer in the imperial examinations was quite the feat.
"He really did it?!"
All of the villagers from the surrounding villages swarmed to the Northern Mountain Village. After all, they had students from all the surrounding villages.
News of this spread like wildfire.
All of the village elders prepared carts of gifts for the Northern Mountain Village. They all wanted to be the first to send their congratulations.
The Southern Mountain Village was the first one to react.
"What are we waiting for? We didn’t send anyone to aid in the construction of the school either! Are we just going to hideout here for life? We can’t keep this up forever!"
"We have to go!"
"We have to be the first one to arrive. Don’t you agree?"
All of the Southern Mountain Village villagers looked at the village elder as well as Li Zhuangshi and his son.
"Prepare the gifts! I will send them over personally!" Village elder Meng Bai grit his teeth.
"Elder, let me and Hu Zi go with you. And you... you should come as well!" Li Zhuangshi sighed as he looked at Mrs Li beside him.
"Why should I? Why should I go with you?" Mrs Li was not taking any of that.
"You can choose not to go, but I will make sure I break your legs first. Do you believe me?" Li Zhuangshi stepped forward.
"Okay... okay! I’ll go, I’ll go!"
...
Just as things were heating up in the Northern Mountain Village...
The court examinations were starting in the capital.
The court examinations were held in the white jade square outside the courts. The Emperor himself would choose the questions, meaning there was no way to cheat.
Dawn...
It was well into autumn and the falling leaves danced in the wind. Two rows of golden armored guards guarded the door to the palace.
There were armored soldiers wielding spears on each side. They kept the spectators out, leaving a path down the middle.
This path led to the palace.
The palace gates had been opened. Rows of talents streamed in towards the palace. However, they all stopped after entering the gates, awaiting further instructions.
"Look, isn’t that Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu?"
"It looks like it. Fang Zhengzhi was the top scorer of the imperial examinations. Yan Xiu topped the combat examinations as well. I’m quite sure the court examinations will be intense."
"Fang Zhengzhi has topped every examination he was in. I am sure the court examinations will be no different.
The crowd exploded into chatter upon seeing Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu approach together.
"Fang Zhengzhi can top the court examinations? What a joke!"
"Exactly! They must be ignorant villagers. Wu Feng is participating in the court examinations, how can Fang Zhengzhi ever top the exam?"
Some well dressed youths began to voice dissenting opinions.
"Oh please, I watched the imperial examinations. No one thought that Fang Zhengzhi could top it but what happened? He did so anyways!"
"Exactly, so what if Wu Feng is here? He may just be like all the other overrated talents. We still think Fang Zhengzhi can top it!"
Those commoners dressed shabbily replied with determination. They all supported Fang Zhengzhi.
"Villagers will always be villagers. Their outlook on the world is always so parochial. How can Fang Zhengzhi defeat one of the core disciples of the four sages? Even if Wu Feng loses, there’s one person who will not lose."
"Who?"
"Nangong Hao!"