Early in the morning, a magpie could be heard chirping outside the window, as though reminding him, "Wake up early, wake up early."
Pei Zi Yun woke up and felt a headache coming on. High Scholar Fu was very happy when he saw that he had passed the Elementary Examinations yesterday. He even insisted on drinking with Pei Zi Yun. All the other Elementary Scholars had also toasted him. Pei Zi Yun had no choice but to drink.
Someone knocked on the door, and Pei Zi Yun stood up to open it.
A servant was smiling and holding a gift box in his hands. He was very eloquent. When he saw Pei Zi Yun, he said, "Master Pei, my master knows that you have just passed the High Scholar examination, and has not made any preparations. He has prepared a gift for you to pay your respects to your master."
The servant then reported the gift list to Pei Zi Yun and handed it over.
Pei Zi Yun took a look and saw that there was a famous inkstone and a painting from the previous dynasty. These were all suitable gifts, and he wanted to decline.
The servant then said, "Master Pei, my master has already prepared an ox-cart for you. Master Pei is a newly promoted High Scholar, and is not from the city. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Master Fu has also allowed you to pass."
Pei Zi Yun wanted to reject the gift, but after hearing High Scholar Fu's words, he knew that this was an unspoken rule. He did not argue and accepted the gift. As he walked out, he saw Chen Jin Chun and Yu Guang Mao following behind them. The three of them smiled and greeted each other.
"This is?" Pei Zi Yun asked.
"These are the gifts from the seniors. Some of the new High Scholars are from poor families, and may not be able to afford these gifts. Hence, the seniors can help them out."
"These are not much, just a little help."
Pei Zi Yun understood that they were trying to pull some strings. He then boarded the oxcart, and the oxcart driver shouted at the oxcart, before they started their journey.
Hu Ying Zhen was the presiding officer for this year's examination, and according to tradition, was the High Scholar's master.
High Scholar Fu had already found out where Official Hu lived. When Pei Zi Yun arrived, he saw that there were soldiers standing guard in front of the courtyard.
Pei Zi Yun, Chen Jin Chun and Yu Guang Mao came forward to hand over their invitations. A servant then led them into the courtyard. The courtyard was very quiet, and was surrounded by corridors. In the middle of the courtyard was a well, with a huge vat of water in the middle.
As they entered, they saw Hu Yingzhen drinking tea in the main hall. The three of them hurriedly went up to greet her and presented their gifts.
Hu Ying Zhen looked at Pei Zi Yun and said, "This official took a look at your examination paper, and it really made my eyes light up. Your current standards are extraordinary, and you're still young. As long as you put in more effort, you'll definitely be able to excel. That's why I made an exception and gave you first place. Do you understand?"
Pei Zi Yun was extremely flattered and said, "Many thanks to my benefactor. This favor, this student will never forget it!"
This kind of private meeting was actually very short. There was another meeting in the afternoon, and Hu Yingzhen had a few more words with Chen Jin Chun and Yu Guang Mao. Soon, there were sounds of people outside the door, and Pei Zi Yun led the two of them out.
At noon, there was a wedding banquet. It was held in the Tribute Courtyard to show the Imperial Court's great kindness. This was the Great Xu's most important banquet.
When the new High Scholars arrived at the Academy, they saw the soldiers standing there with swords hanging from their waists. An official then led them in. The moment they arrived, they could feel the solemnity of the Academy.
An official announced, "The new High Scholars have arrived. Enter the hall!"
The new High Scholars bowed their heads and walked in. The doors to the main hall of the Academy were opened. The main hall was dedicated to the Confucian Sage, and the Wise Men. On the table was a plaque that read, "Long live the Great Xu Dynasty." This plaque was made of gold, and had a dragon carved on it. It was about one foot and five inches tall.
Throughout history, the Wise Men were either sitting or standing, and had different expressions on their faces. The new High Scholars were all filled with respect, and their breathing quickened. To be able to enter this hall was the dream of every scholar.
"Pay your respects!" The official shouted, and all the High Scholars knelt down.
"Pay your respects again!"
"Rise!"
Once the mission was accomplished, they retreated to the main hall.
"Greetings to the High Scholars!" This time, there was more than one High Scholar present. The Chief Examiner, the Vice Chief Examiner, and the Room Official were all present. All thirty-three High Scholars bowed in unison.
Soon after, it was time for a speech. As soon as the speech was finished, the entire hall was filled with music. The new High Scholars entered the banquet. Everyone was seated at their own table, and the dishes were delicately prepared. The High Scholars were all filled with vigor. They had studied hard for many years, and now they finally had the qualifications to become an official.
After some time, the Chief Examiner laughed, "When I first entered this hall, I was young and arrogant. Life has to be lived to its fullest. Everyone need not worry."
As he said this, he left the hall. As soon as he left, the atmosphere became livelier. The High Scholars clasped their hands and toasted each other. The entire hall was filled with joy, and laughter could be heard from time to time. Some people even shed tears.
Pei Zi Yun was the Top Scorer, and thus was the center of attention. Many people chatted with each other, and it took some time for the atmosphere to calm down. Looking at everyone laughing and chatting, he couldn't help but think about his past.
Time flew, and even the world had changed.
At this point, someone served a cup of wine. As he walked past Pei Zi Yun, he glanced at Pei Zi Yun. Pei Zi Yun paused, and looked back to see that the person was already far away. He was somewhat surprised.
Shaking his head, Pei Zi Yun raised his cup to another High Scholar.
This person kept the empty wine jug and walked back to the kitchen. When he entered the kitchen, someone came out to welcome him, "How was it?"
The person who delivered the wine shook his head, "You can't check inside the Academic Courtyard. If you want to check, I think you should do it outside the entrance."
When the person heard this, he hurriedly walked away.
The banquet lasted until the afternoon before everyone dispersed. Pei Zi Yun walked out of the Academic Courtyard and looked for an oxcart. It was said that the Xu Dynasty did not use sedans, and did not regard humans as beasts. Only the Emperor and the Empress were carried by humans.
Pei Zi Yun was drunk, and only sobered up when the autumn wind blew past him. He called for an oxcart, and the driver helped him up. He smiled, "Master, the wind is cold, and it looks like it's going to rain soon. Where are you going?"
Pei Zi Yun paused for sometime before sitting down. He then opened the window and said, "To Fu Mansion, it's near. But don't leave. I've already bid farewell to someone, and will ride your cart to the pier."
The oxcart driver nodded in agreement, and the oxcart started moving. Pei Zi Yun was about to rest when he suddenly sat up straight, "Who's there?"
The oxcart stopped as the driver asked, "Master, what's the matter?"
Pei Zi Yun looked around and saw a middle-aged Daoist holding a mirror looking at him. He frowned, "Could it be that Zhang Jie Yu knows that I've killed Li Wen Jing, and sent someone to kill me?"
As soon as he thought of this, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. In the blink of an eye, the Daoist turned around and left.
Prefecture City, Gao Chui Monastery
From time to time, there would be people coming in and out, delivering news to Zhang Jie Yu. Zhang Jie Yu was in a bad mood as he received a report from a Daoist within the county. He said that he was checking on the latest news, and that there weren't many conflicts.
Zhang Jie Yu frowned deeply and remained silent.
A Daoist in his forties with a long beard walked up to him. This was the person Zhang Jie Yu had sent to investigate Pei Zi Yun. Seeing this Daoist return, Zhang Jie Yu frowned and asked, "Senior brother, is this Pei Zi Yun suspicious?"
The Daoist had already checked and said, "Young master, I've checked. Pei Zi Yun doesn't have any Dao Arts. I've used a mirror to check on him, and he doesn't have any Dao Arts. I don't think he's the one who killed the Advisor."
"I've checked on the day the Advisor was killed, Pei Zi Yun was drinking with a group of Elementary Scholars at the Drunken Immortal Inn. He got drunk and didn't return to Fu Mansion that night. Instead, he stayed at an inn for the night, and was woken up at noon the next day."
Hearing the Daoist's report, Zhang Jie Yu paced around, feeling that something wasn't right, "This person is suspicious. The last time he was rescued by Free Cloud Sect at Silver Dragon Temple, he might have been shielded. I'll have to trouble senior brother to check on him again!"
"That's right, where did he go now?"
"After hearing about the banquet, he left the city and boarded a boat. Based on his speed, he should reach Dong An Prefecture by tonight." The Daoist said.
"Eh?" When Zhang Jie Yu heard this, an idea flashed across his mind. However, when he thought about it carefully, he couldn't think of anything. He then waved his hands and said, "That's right, is it possible to look up some information from the Dao authorities?"
"Young master, that's difficult. Think about it, the Dao authorities and the local Dao authorities are the ones who supervise the Dao sects. Although there are people from the Dao sects who join them, the ones in charge are all rogue cultivators."
"The Imperial Court monitors the Dao sects under the heavens, and they definitely have some sources of information. However, it's obvious that we won't be able to get it."
"That's right, but we can't be soft on this matter." Zhang Jie Yu stood up, his eyes gleamed as he looked out of the window, "Our sect hasn't been around for long, and our foundations aren't strong. If we were to be soft, wouldn't others think that we're a pushover?"
"That's why I said that Li Wen Jing's personal matter isn't a big deal, but the symbolism behind it is."
The Daoist pondered for sometime before saying, "That makes sense."
"Eh, I've got it. Men, bring me the map!" Zhang Jie Yu shouted, and a man came in moments later, handing him the map.
In actual fact, this map was a taboo in ancient times. However, even Dao sects could produce it.
"Look!" When the man returned, Zhang Jie Yu's eyes were filled with excitement as he pointed at the road, "What you said just now made me think of something. From the city to Dong An Prefecture, it would only take a day to travel down the river."
"Besides, Li Wen Jing's house is closer. It's at least thirty kilometers away."
"If someone were to travel down the river at night, wouldn't he be able to kill him and return at the same time?"
The Daoist was taken aback as well. He then said, "Young master's words make sense. That's possible. However, the person who killed Li Wen Jing was shrouded in a layer of light. Li Wen Jing's soul couldn't see the person. This isn't something that can be achieved with martial arts."
Zhang Jie Yu laughed, "That solves the problem of time. That's not difficult. Even if this Pei Zi Yun doesn't have any powers, he can just wear a magical weapon. There should be a way to circumvent it."
"That means that this Pei Zi Yun has a very deep relationship with Song Men Yun. Although magical weapons aren't rare, they aren't easy to obtain." The Daoist frowned.
"We'll talk about this later. No matter what, we have to follow this train of thought. Are you able to mobilize the patrols along the way to investigate?"
"Young master, the Luo Sect has some influence along the river. We can investigate if this person was on the boat."
"As for the officials along the river, young master, you should know that it's not just us. All the Daoist sects don't have deep connections with the officials."
"The Imperial Qi is a taboo, and there's no hope of ascending to the next level. Only those who have no hope of ascending to the next level would be familiar with us."
"But we do have some connections. We can give it a try."
"Then go and check it out," Zhang Jie Yu said decisively.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
