Chapter 147: A Thunderclap Startles the Clear Wind Pavilion

The Clear Wind Pavilion was a famous pleasure house in the capital. The girls there were all big-breasted and skilled in bed—ah, pah!

I mean, multi-talented and refined. The place with the big-breasted, skilled-in-bed girls was the Drunken Red Pavilion, not far next door.

The girls at Clear Wind Pavilion sold their art, not their bodies—how could those slutty cheap goods at Drunken Red Pavilion ever compare?

You could say that if you were looking for a good time, your first choice would absolutely never be Clear Wind Pavilion, but the Drunken Red Pavilion next door.

But if you wanted to trade risqué poems and discuss scholarly matters, then the top choice was still Clear Wind Pavilion.

No one knew just how solid the backing of Clear Wind Pavilion's madam was, but she had managed to get hold of many kinswomen of disgraced officials, then carefully trained them until every girl was thoroughly versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and each carried herself with a delicate, alluring manner that utterly bewitched the scholars.

For the scholars of the Great Ming, playing with girls was no difficult matter. Any random xiucai could go carousing in a flower house; there were always people currying favor with them, so they never lacked money.

But scholars, after all, have always liked to do things with a bit of class since ancient times. In an ordinary flower house, you'd find a jumble of every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and the girls' patrons were a mixed bag of strangers and familiars.

If a gentleman were to inadvertently become "sworn brothers" with some peddler or lackey, wouldn't that be a tremendous loss of a scholar's dignity?

And so, these scholars all squeezed their way into Clear Wind Pavilion, knowing full well the girls inside could be looked at but not touched, and that no matter how much silver they threw down, they could not taste their charms.

Yet these cheap bastards delighted in it all the same—isn't it true that money can't buy what the heart desires?

Moreover, with the date of the spring imperial examinations drawing ever nearer, the scholars were all tired from studying. Each candidate began slowly relaxing, no longer clinging single-mindedly to his books and cramming.

After all, news of the Great Ming court—except for what the Emperor specifically ordered sealed—would basically spread throughout the entire capital by the next day, and within two months, the whole Great Ming would pretty much know about it, except for those backwater villages deep in the mountains.

Today, this Clear Wind Pavilion was packed with a great crowd of scholars from the Imperial Academy. Drinking flower wine was out of the question—the girls inside wouldn't play that with you.

And as for composing poetry and matching couplets, these gentlemen of the Imperial Academy were not in very high spirits for that either.

The Emperor had let word out that he would add a supplementary examination in Mathematics and Law, which greatly vexed these scholar-gentlemen.

Although they had all entered the Imperial Academy—like getting into Tsinghua or Peking University in later ages—this spring examination still loomed over these scholars' heads like a great mountain: only three hundred would be admitted, and not one more!

Generally speaking, among those who could study their way into the Imperial Academy, there were few fools. Didn't each of them have some idea in his heart of his own level?

No matter how well you usually performed, no matter how many books you read, if by chance you slipped up, you'd fail, and then you'd have to wait another three years.

And if three years later you finally passed and were sent out to serve as an official, your former classmate would already have become your superior—just thinking about it was maddening.

But with the addition of the Law, Mathematics, and Natural Philosophy examinations, the number of candidates admitted would be much larger—a full twelve hundred admitted at once. Didn't that mean their own chances had also increased?

Yet the matter was not so easily settled. It was just like later ages, where MIT looked down on Tsinghua and Peking University, and Tsinghua and Peking University looked down on Dalian University of Technology and the like.

In short, scholars scorn one another—this has been a foul habit since ancient times, unchanged for a thousand years.

Everyone wanted to go sit for the jinshi examination. If they failed the jinshi exam, they would then go try their luck at the Law and Mathematics examinations.

But what would those classmates who passed the jinshi exam think? What would their families back home think?

What would their future superiors think? Would they say their learning was inferior, that they couldn't pass the jinshi exam and had to rely on the Emperor granting them a "deemed jinshi" status?

Yet to simply let such an opportunity slip by—that truly left them unwilling and frustrated. Pent-up and depressed, these gentlemen of the Imperial Academy whose usual grades were not too good chose to form groups and go drink at Clear Wind Pavilion.

Once two taels of wine had warmed their bellies, their chatterboxes slowly began to open. Since everyone secretly harbored the intention of trying the Mathematics exam again, no one put on airs of lofty purity or held anything back; they all spoke their minds directly.

Only one man, after taking a drink of wine, declared with great enthusiasm: "This Yi will not go for the jinshi examination this time, but will directly sit for the Natural Philosophy examination."

The moment these words were spoken, the effect was as startling as a thunderclap splitting the heavens.

The scholars who had just been buzzing with chatter all stopped talking, their wine cups frozen in midair, and every one of them stared at the speaker as if they had discovered some strange new creature.

Seeing this, the scholar surnamed Yi spoke up: "Gentlemen, why are you all staring at this little brother like that?"

A scholar stood up from the crowd and addressed Scholar Yi: "Brother Yi, are you truly abandoning the jinshi examination just like that? Not taking it anymore?

If we are to speak frankly, Brother Yi not taking the civil examination is a stroke of luck for the rest of us. With Brother Yi's ability, even if you could not place among the top three, you would surely still see your name on the golden roster.

Now that Brother Yi is not taking it, we have one less rival."

Seeing that Scholar Yi was still looking at him, the scholar continued: "But a gentleman's heart is open and forthright. This Wang must still speak his true thoughts to Brother Yi.

We all know Brother Yi is deeply devoted to natural philosophy and wishes to establish his own school of thought like Lord Wencheng. But if you do not enter via the Classics and jinshi path, it will still be regarded as a lesser route.

In this little brother's humble opinion, Brother Yi would do better to first take the jinshi examination, and then pursue your natural philosophy studies."

Scholar Yi, however, laughed heartily and said: "What can you do once you've entered the jinshi ranks? Can your pen bring peace to the realm?

Can your martial prowess settle the state? Most likely, you'll just grow white-haired poring over the classics and waste your whole life away.

If this Yi passes the Natural Philosophy examination, I will find a way to beg His Majesty's grace and go to the Royal Academy. Even if I could only serve as an assistant under Lord Xu, this Yi would do so willingly."

Upon hearing this, the scholar surnamed Wang retorted: "Brother Yi, your words are mistaken. When we literati study, it should naturally be to carry on the lost teachings of past sages and to open an era of peace for all ages.

If one day we can serve as officials, we should shepherd the people on behalf of the Son of Heaven and assist in the governance of the court, just like Lord Wencheng—going forth as a general and entering as a chancellor—that is what we scholars should strive for."

Scholar Yi simply replied: "Brother Wang, your kind intentions are appreciated by this little brother. But this little brother's mind is made up; Brother Wang, do not try to persuade me further."

Seeing that the expressions of the many scholars present were all turning rather sour, Scholar Yi gave a cold laugh and said: "When this little brother previously entered the Imperial Academy to study, I was actually concealing my identity.

This Yi's parents and entire clan all died at the hands of the Donglin gentlemen! Now to ask this Yi, like those Donglin gentlemen, to prattle on about studying, serving as an official, and aiding the world—forgive this little brother, but I cannot do it!"

At these words, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. Even the teapot-boy who had been standing to the side waiting for the scholar-gentlemen's summons turned pale with shock and hurriedly had the doors shut, admitting no more guests.

As for some of the girls who had been accompanying them in drinking, they covered their alluring, dewy red lips with their handkerchiefs, afraid of making the slightest sound. Apart from the gossipy gleam in their eyes, their entire bodies seemed frozen in place.

The great hall of Clear Wind Pavilion had fallen so silent you could hear a pin drop.

That bastard wants to marry Our A'Jiu! In his dreams! — "The Good Son-in-Law of the Late Ming"

(End of chapter)