“Madam, the Wu family has sent a reply!”
A maid, suppressing her joy, ran to report to Wu Junru. Wu Junru’s spirits immediately lifted. “Really? Where is the letter?”
The maid handed over the letter with both hands. Wu Junru, unable to maintain her usual composure, snatched it from the maid and tore it open, quickly scanning its contents.
Wu Junru had been waiting for this letter for a long time. When she opened it, she let out a barely audible “hmm?”
“Is this the only letter?”
The maid didn’t know what was written in it; she only knew how eagerly Wu Junru had awaited a response from the Wu family. That’s why, as soon as she got the news, she had rushed over to share it and claim credit. But hearing Wu Junru’s question, the maid hesitated. “This is the only one I saw. None of the other messengers mentioned any others. Madam, is there something wrong?”
The maid cautiously observed Wu Junru, who glanced down at the handwriting on the letter and waved dismissively. “Never mind. It’s nothing. You may go now.”
Once the maid had left, Wu Junru carefully laid the precious letter on the table and read it thoroughly.
“Everything has been arranged. Do not act rashly.”
There were only two lines on the letter, yet Wu Junru read them over and over, as if she suddenly couldn’t recognize the words.
At the end of February, when the exam results were announced, Xiao Jingduo had passed the imperial exam in one attempt and earned the rank of jinshi. At that moment, Wu Junru had known trouble was brewing. She had quickly written to her family, the Wu clan, asking for help. But before her father’s reply arrived, the Jiangzhou case had erupted.
The Jiangzhou incident implicated a wide swath of officials, shocking the court and society alike. Wu Junru was no naive housewife ignorant of court politics. She immediately understood what this meant: with so many officials demoted or dismissed, their vacated positions would inevitably be filled by newcomers.
She silently cursed Xiao Jingduo’s incredible luck. If his chances of selection had been fifty-fifty before, then after the Jiangzhou case, he was now almost guaranteed to pass the official appointment process.
As the situation spiraled out of control, Wu Junru couldn’t sit still any longer and wrote another letter to urge her family to act.
Now, it seemed nearly impossible to prevent Xiao Jingduo from being appointed. In that case, her only option was to have her father arrange for him to be assigned to a powerless and inconsequential position, effectively stalling his career.
But this wasn’t the modern age. In an era of slow communication, no matter how anxious Wu Junru felt, she had to exercise patience. Although the Wu family had a residence in Chang’an, the main family resided in Qinghe, where her parents and brothers also lived. As someone married away from her hometown, Wu Junru lived alone in Chang’an with only a handful of servants. She rarely saw her family except during major holidays.
Although there were other Wu family members in Chang’an, they were distant uncles serving as officials and not closely related to her branch of the family. She couldn’t recklessly approach these uncles for help, especially not for a matter like this. Wu Junru didn’t trust anyone outside her immediate family with such a delicate issue. After much consideration, her only choice was to send a letter to Qinghe, asking her father to work through a Wu family member employed in the Ministry of Personnel to resolve the hidden threat posed by Xiao Jingduo.
Wu Junru wasn’t sure how long it took to deliver letters in ancient times, but to her, it felt unbearably slow. When the first letter yielded no response after a long wait, she grew increasingly anxious. Could this silence mean her father was unwilling to help her?
Carrying a multitude of doubts, she wrote another letter to test the waters. Fortunately, this time, her father finally replied.
Looking at the letter in her hands, even though it contained only a single sentence, Wu Junru felt greatly reassured. Carefully folding the letter, she tucked it into the hidden compartment of her jewelry box and began to wait patiently for her father to act.
As the date for the Ministry of Personnel’s selection exam approached, the tension in Qingze Courtyard grew palpable. Qiu Ju and the other maids, having been instructed by Xiao Jingduo, now walked quietly, afraid of disturbing him.
One of the servants ran in from outside, carrying a bundle of scrolls. He pushed open the study door and bowed to Xiao Jingduo. “My lord, I’ve purchased all the books you requested.”
Xiao Jingduo didn’t lift his head, merely nodding lightly. The servant took a few steps closer under the guise of arranging the books and lowered his voice. “My lord, news just came from over there—the letter has been delivered.”
“Mm, I see,” Xiao Jingduo replied, his expression calm as ever. But his words carried a chilling weight: “Well done this time. Tell them to be careful and leave no traces.”
The servant acknowledged the order and retreated.
After the servant left, Xiao Jingduo reached into the scrolls and pulled out two neatly folded letters. They were densely covered with ink, written with such effort that it was obvious how much the writer had struggled. The handwriting was not only unattractive but also far from neat. The characters varied in size, and ink smudges were scattered all over the page.
These were the two letters Wu Junru had sent.
Delivering letters in ancient times was a complicated affair. Slowness was just one issue—the real danger lay in the risk of interception.
Wu Junru, unfortunately, had fallen victim to just such a mishap.
Xiao Jingduo unfolded the two letters, reading them with a bemused expression. In the first letter, Wu Junru had been cautious, speaking vaguely and skirting around the main issue. By the second, however, the urgency brought on by the Jiangzhou case had clearly overwhelmed her, and she wrote almost bluntly, begging her father to intervene and ensure Xiao Jingduo’s failure. At the very least, she implored her father to have him assigned to a powerless position.
Having dealt with Wu Junru for years, Xiao Jingduo had long anticipated such a move. Though he rarely stayed in the marquis’ residence over the years, it didn’t mean he had lost control of it. During his time at Qingyuan Temple and the Imperial Academy, he had built many connections and had ample funds. Cultivating a few informants and infiltrating the marquis’ household was an easy task for him.
The errand boy who delivered Wu Junru’s letter had been immediately shadowed by Xiao Jingduo’s men. Acting under Xiao Jingduo’s instructions, his subordinates discreetly drugged the courier at the relay station, swapped Wu Junru’s letters with blank paper, and extinguished her hopes with ease.
The Wu family received a blank sheet of paper and, naturally confused, ignored Wu Junru. Unexpectedly, as her desperation grew, Wu Junru sent another letter to urge them, forcing Xiao Jingduo to intercept it once again. However, anomalies often raised suspicions, and Xiao Jingduo knew better than to underestimate the shrewd minds within the aristocratic Wu family. The first blank letter could be excused as an accident, but a second blank sheet would surely provoke curiosity.
The couriers regularly traveled between Qinghe and Chang’an and were unaware of Wu Junru’s circumstances. Yet, if the Wu family grew suspicious and sent someone to Chang’an to investigate, Xiao Jingduo’s interference would be exposed.
Thus, Xiao Jingduo had no choice but to forge a reply in Wu Junru’s father’s handwriting to quell her intentions of sending further letters. Unlike Wu Junru, her father was a product of the aristocracy, well-versed in the arts, including calligraphy, making his handwriting particularly difficult to imitate. This challenge accounted for the delay in the reply.
If Wu Junru were more knowledgeable or more skilled in calligraphy, she might have noticed that, although the letter resembled her father’s handwriting, it lacked the subtle personal characteristics unique to his style.
Unfortunately, Wu Junru was unaware. She clung happily to the reply, holding on to a promise that would never be fulfilled.
Xiao Jingduo folded the two sheets of intercepted letters and walked over to the window.
Eight years had passed. Xiao Jingduo had grown stronger, while Wu Junru’s influence had steadily waned. Soon, he would present his stepmother with a grand gift.
The day of the official appointment examinations finally arrived.
The selection and appointment of officials was a solemn matter. On the day of the exam, the Ministry of Personnel strictly secured the examination grounds, prohibiting any unauthorized individuals from entering.
This day marked a critical step in Xiao Jingduo’s political career. If he succeeded, he would shed his status as a commoner and officially become an official. Whether he would rise swiftly or remain stagnant depended entirely on his abilities. If he failed, the prestige of being a jinshi would be nothing more than an empty title, forcing him to continue studying for another attempt at the imperial examinations next year.
The selection process evaluated candidates based on four criteria:
“Shen” (Body): Assessing physical appearance and fitness. Those with severe deformities or exceptionally unattractive appearances were deemed unfit for official roles.
“Yan” (Speech): Testing eloquence through verbal responses.
“Shu” (Writing): Evaluating handwriting, as officials needed to draft documents and, at times, memorials to the emperor. Poor handwriting was unacceptable.
“Pan” (Judgment): Assessing written composition for clarity and coherence, ensuring candidates could draft proper official documents in the future.
Upon entering the examination hall, Xiao Jingduo was first escorted to a room where he was tasked with writing an essay. The “Shu” and “Pan” components were written tests. Having already passed the jinshi examination, Xiao Jingduo had no reason to fear this part.
The real challenge lay in the “Shen” and “Yan” components.
These were oral tests conducted by the Minister of Personnel and two vice ministers, collectively known as the “Three Locks.” Xiao Jingduo met with each in turn, answering their questions.
During the third round, Xiao Jingduo faced the Minister of Personnel. This position was the highest in the Ministry, holding the prestigious third rank, and colloquially referred to as the prime minister. While the Xuan Dynasty had not officially established the title of prime minister, in practice, the heads of the Six Ministries and Three Departments wielded the same authority.
Faced with such a powerful figure, Xiao Jingduo couldn’t help but feel nervous, especially knowing that this prime minister essentially held his future in his hands. The Minister of Personnel had a refined and scholarly appearance but exuded an air of authority that came from years of occupying a high position. Stroking his long beard, the minister randomly selected three cases for Xiao Jingduo to handle.
The three cases dealt with agriculture and sericulture, managing subordinates, and interacting with superiors. These weren’t particularly difficult topics for Xiao Jingduo. After pondering for a moment, he carefully and thoughtfully began his answers.
While these questions were commonly tested in the civil service examinations, answering them in person before a prime minister while maintaining proper conduct and speech was no simple task.
After Xiao Jingduo finished speaking, the Minister of Personnel’s expression remained inscrutable. He made a mark next to Xiao Jingduo’s name with his brush and gestured for him to leave.
Upon stepping outside, Xiao Jingduo saw a group of people waiting. When they noticed him, the other jinshi candidates immediately surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.
“How did you do? What did the prime minister ask? Do you think you’ll pass this time?”
“How would I know?” Xiao Jingduo replied calmly. “The minister and vice ministers will make their own judgments.”
“Ah, true.” One of the candidates clasped his hands together in mock prayer. “May the ancestors bless me and let me pass this time!”
Before long, Bai Jiayi also emerged. Spotting Xiao Jingduo and the others, he came over and greeted them, saying, “The selection exam is over now. Worrying about it further is just tormenting yourself. In my opinion, since we’ve made it through this ordeal, why not head somewhere and have a proper gathering? Once the results are out, we’ll all scatter to different places, and meeting again will be difficult.”
“You’ve got a point. Let’s forget about this and go have a drink!”
The group of candidates invited each other as they headed out. Bai Jiayi turned to Xiao Jingduo to ask for his opinion.
Xiao Jingduo smiled and, for once, agreed to Bai Jiayi’s suggestion. “Why not? While everyone is still here, it’s a rare opportunity to gather together. In a few days, it might not be possible.”
Bai Jiayi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Did I hear that right? You actually agreed?”
Xiao Jingduo merely smiled and said nothing.
Once they reached their destination, it didn’t take long for the group of idealistic jinshi to get carried away. Some, caught up in the moment, began writing poetry on the walls of the tavern without regard for the setting. Xiao Jingduo, used to such antics, turned to a few of the still-sober individuals and said, “A few days ago, I wrote a poem and would like your critiques. Unfortunately, I left the scroll at the marquis’ residence in my haste today.”
Turning to Xiao Lin, he called him over and instructed, “Hurry back to the marquis’ residence and bring my newly written scroll. If you can’t find it, ask Qiu Ju—I asked her to have it mounted a few days ago, so it should be ready by now.”
Before long, Xiao Lin returned. Xiao Jingduo smiled as he accepted the scroll and unfurled it in front of everyone.
“Wait!” one of the candidates at the table exclaimed. “Something just fell out!”
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