Chapter 47: Elementary Student of High Tang

"Close the doors and turn away visitors — drive all these people off!"

Fang Chongyong said to A Duan and Fang Laique with a dark expression.

Fang Laique still wanted to say something, but saw that A Duan had already stepped forward to drive away the crowd that had come to call. Many ox carts were stuck in the middle of the ward's road, unable to turn around, looking exactly like the chaotic gridlock Fang Chongyong remembered from the narrow lanes of his previous life.

"Heh, every one of them looking eager to make a move!"

Fang Chongyong gave a cold snort. Seeing this scene of people flocking to curry favor, he felt utterly disgusted. At the same time, he also felt quite puzzled.

Had his deadbeat dad become the Military Commissioner of Youzhou? What about An Lushan?

Fang Chongyong kept feeling that something was not quite right, yet he couldn't quite put it into words.

After becoming a high official, people seeking favors would come wave after wave, filling the doorstep with visitors. Fang Youde's sudden rise to power as Military Commissioner of Youzhou had made his name renowned, so naturally there was no shortage of people looking to curry favor and ingratiate themselves.

This current wave was nothing more than clumsy probing.

This kind of gift could not be accepted. They weren't even close acquaintances — if someone sent gifts over, then shouldn't there be a proper exchange of courtesies in return?

Casually accepting gifts from strangers was a path to certain death in any era!

Returning to the courtyard, Fang Chongyong saw Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun reading beneath the peach tree. The results of the autumn examination's jinshi list had recently come out as well, and just as Li Longji had said, Xu Yuan, Zhang Xun, and Li Kui had all failed — not the slightest surprise had occurred.

"Young Master, the Sage has recently disbanded the Ten Thousand Cavalry and is establishing a new imperial guard called the Dragon Martial Army, and is now openly recruiting brave warriors. The two of us wish to take positions in the Dragon Martial Army, but we wonder... does our benefactor have any connections?

If that is difficult, the two of us heading north to Youzhou to serve under our benefactor would also be a fine way out — far better than wasting our days away here."

Zhang Xun set down his book and looked at Fang Chongyong with an earnest expression as he asked.

Failing the imperial examination this time had dealt him and Xu Yuan a heavy blow.

They had been cast down directly by the most supreme of powers, and that despair-inducing force had nearly extinguished both men's conviction.

Imperial examinations, fairness — it was all fake. Only the ruthlessness and tyranny of power were real!

"The Dragon Martial Army is not very meaningful. Even if you two could get in and become officials, what you encounter in the future would probably be no different from what happened during the imperial examination.

Going north to Youzhou, on the other hand, is a way out. My father should look after you. Serving as an official in the Military Commissioner's staff is not a bad shortcut either."

Fang Chongyong could not help but sigh as he spoke.

Many things were plain to see: Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan had been cast down by the emperor once during the imperial examination, so if they took the exam again next year, they would certainly receive special 'preferential treatment' from the examiners.

These two had been targeted by the emperor once before. If they were to be admitted now, wouldn't that count as slapping Li Longji's face?

No examiner would spell this out too clearly — they would simply pretend the two did not exist and not look at their papers when selecting candidates. The selection of scholars through the imperial examination was in itself a highly subjective process.

If they say you're qualified, then you're qualified — even if you're not, you're qualified.

If they say you're not qualified, then you're not qualified — even if you are, you're not!

Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan were both intelligent men. They had probably figured it out as well — the path through the imperial examination was already cut off.

But since Fang Youde had already become Military Commissioner of Youzhou and had ties with them, if they did not go now to seek his patronage and forge a path for themselves, were they going to wait until Fang Youde was demoted in the future?

The answer was obvious.

"The two of us will leave Chang'an for Youzhou today. Thank you, Young Master, for taking us in and looking after us during this time."

Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan rose to their feet and bowed deeply to Fang Chongyong. Having lived in Fang Youde's home all this time, they felt quite embarrassed about it and did not want to stay even a moment longer.

"All banquets must come to an end. Take care of yourselves, both of you. I will see you out of the city now."

These two honest men should have a decent path ahead under his deadbeat dad's command.

Fang Chongyong thought to himself.

By the time he had seen the two men out of the city and returned, it was nearly curfew. Fang Chongyong dragged his weary body home, only to see Gao Lishi, dressed in a pale yellow palace robe, standing upright with meticulous bearing in the main hall, with Fang Dafu attending carefully by his side.

"My apologies, my apologies — how dare I keep an elder waiting."

The moment he saw Gao Lishi, Fang Chongyong pressed his hands together in a gesture of greeting. Though it took Gao Lishi less than five minutes to get here from Xingqing Palace, the fact that the other party was waiting here now meant that the matter was not simple.

After the two had taken their seats in the study, Gao Lishi handed a scroll of yellow silk into Fang Chongyong's hands.

"Thanks to your father's grace of privilege, the court has granted you the post of Gentleman of Propriety — why haven't you thanked His Majesty for his grace?"

"I thank the Sage for his grace. This Gentleman of Propriety... what exactly does one do?"

Fang Chongyong asked in puzzlement.

His utterly layman question left Gao Lishi dumbfounded.

Gentleman of Propriety was a honorary title of the seventh rank, lower grade. If one really had to ask what this official did, then the answer could only be... absolutely nothing!

What could a half-grown child possibly do anyway?

Honorary titles were empty designations meant to demonstrate the court's favor — what they could do was self-evident, was it not?

"Being granted an official post at the age of nine — apart from imperial princes, there are probably not many such people. How can you still ask what use this official position has?"

Gao Lishi scolded him in exasperation.

"Oh, oh."

Fang Chongyong gave a perfunctory response, wearing an expression of indifference.

An empty honorary title — not even a dog would want it!

In his heart, Fang Chongyong despised Li Longji for being stingy to the extreme.

"There is one more matter today."

Gao Lishi suddenly put away the smile on his face and spoke solemnly.

"Please speak, Elder."

Fang Chongyong likewise set aside the grumbling in his heart, clasped his hands in a gesture of courtesy, and spoke.

"It is like this: the Sage is concerned that your father, being in Youzhou year-round, cannot guide you in your studies. Therefore, he has specially granted you admission to the Hongwen Academy!

The Hongwen Academy has only thirty spots, and they have long been filled. Therefore, the Sage has ordered one of the students to be forcibly expelled to free up a spot for you to enter and study."

Hmm?

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was taken aback, feeling that this move was rather unusual!

"The Hongwen Academy only admits thirty students?"

Fang Chongyong could not help but ask, shaken by this kind of top-tier elite education.

One must know that in the Tang dynasty's imperial examinations, the number of jinshi admitted often did not exceed thirty in a year, averaging twenty-seven per year!

The Hongwen Academy recruiting only thirty students a year truly could not be summed up with the word "impressive."

"It is not that the Hongwen Academy recruits thirty students per year, but that the Hongwen Academy has only thirty students in total!"

Gao Lishi could not help but correct Fang Chongyong's bizarre misconception.

"Only thirty people? Then wouldn't there be only a few teachers? Isn't that about the same as a private school?"

Fang Chongyong asked in disbelief. Some private schools run by great noble families had more than thirty students. The National Academy need not even be mentioned—it was a massive institution with over two thousand students at the same time.

With so few students at the Hongwen Academy, the court's way of doing things was rather baffling.

"This is where you are ignorant. The Hongwen Academy has over a hundred Grand Scholars, Scholars, and Associate Scholars! The Sage shows such favor to your family, yet you stand here questioning it—simply incorrigibly foolish!"

Gao Lishi was so exasperated by Fang Chongyong that he wanted to curse.

Why did the Hongwen Academy have so many teachers? Because teaching students was only its subsidiary function. The Hongwen Academy's primary mission was "to store talent for the state"!

In the fourth year of Tang's Wude era, Li Yuan ordered the establishment of the Xiuwen Academy within the Chancellery. In the ninth year, upon Emperor Taizong's accession, it was renamed the Hongwen Academy, and over two hundred thousand scrolls of books were gathered there.

Scholars were appointed therein to take charge of correcting texts and documents, and instructing students; when the court had matters of institutional evolution or the relative weight of rites, they were permitted to participate in deliberations. Collators were appointed to take charge of examining and organizing canonical texts, and correcting errors.

A Director of the Academy was also established, one person to oversee all academy affairs; thirty students, all selected from the children of the imperial clan, noble relatives, and high-ranking capital officials, who studied under the Scholars as their masters, receiving instruction in the classics, history, and calligraphy.

In short, this was an extraordinary place where the teachers outnumbered the students several times over. Although its function of participating in political deliberation had been continuously weakened, its function as a book repository had been strengthened.

Gao Lishi explained the rules of the Hongwen Academy to Fang Chongyong.

"Can one also enroll at the age of nine?"

Fang Chongyong could not help but ask, worried that it would be like the last time he went to study at the National Academy.

"Because there are many young scions eager to take office, the Hongwen Academy's requirements for enrollment age are not so strict."

Gao Lishi said with a smile.

This was actually very easy to understand. Many children of high officials did not participate in the imperial examinations. After leaving the Hongwen Academy, they could await appointment as officials. Even if they did participate in the examinations, a special category would be opened just for them, the difficulty simplified, and the back door thrown wide open!

Those without ability could also become officials at will after coming out from there.

Therefore, children enrolling early was no longer any secret.

"That should do. Report to the Hongwen Academy tomorrow, and take the enrollment certificate with you."

Gao Lishi pulled an envelope from his sleeve and said, looking somewhat weary, his tall figure appearing slightly hunched.

"Is the Elder somewhat weary?"

Fang Chongyong asked with concern.

"A little. But these are matters you would not understand."

Gao Lishi sighed. He had recently been pondering one matter, but it was very difficult to handle.

"If the Elder does not say, how would you know that I, a mere child, would not understand?"

Fang Chongyong looked around and asked, only to find that Fang Dafu and the others had already withdrawn, and the door was shut.

He had been wanting to ask Gao Lishi to help him with a "small matter," and now the opportunity had come.

If this opportunity was missed, it would not be so easy to handle later.

"It is like this."

Gao Lishi leaned close to Fang Chongyong and said in a lowered voice: "Recently I heard a story. This story was told only halfway through. I do not know what happens afterward either, because the person who was telling the story has already passed away.

How should I put this story? It is about a great household in my hometown, in the wild frontier region of Lingnan. There was a large family with many wives and concubines..."

"And then?" Fang Chongyong asked curiously.

"And then the master of the house treated his personal servant very well. So this servant wanted to repay him. Do you understand this?"

Fang Chongyong feigned sudden realization and said: "No wonder the household-born servants in my family are so loyal and faithful. Repaying kindness is only human nature."

"Yes, yes, that is exactly how it is."

Gao Lishi nodded casually and continued: "And then one day, that personal servant noticed the master had lost his appetite and was in a very gloomy mood. He asked many times, but the master would not say, only shaking his head and sighing. So the servant found it very strange.

Until one day, the master took the servant to the home of a son born to one of his concubines. The master's daughter-in-law played the qin at the banquet to liven things up. That day, after the master returned, he was especially happy, and the servant noticed it."

"And then?"

Fang Chongyong asked back with a look of utter bewilderment, making Gao Lishi flare up inside.

He had already hinted so obviously—how could this child still play dumb!

"And then the servant thought, could it be that the master wanted to hear his daughter-in-law play the qin but was afraid of being criticized?

The servant did not dare to confirm it, nor did he dare to bring it up openly. After all, this matter went against reason.

So the servant invited many beautiful women who could play the qin to come to the house and play the same piece the daughter-in-law had played that day for the master, but the master did not show the slightest hint of delight.

The servant now understood. The master simply wanted to hear his daughter-in-law play the qin. No one else would do.

The servant wanted to do something for the master, yet feared the master's reproach. So how would the servant handle this matter? Just as I was curious, the story broke off before it was finished."

Gao Lishi said without batting an eye.

If he had not truly run out of options, he would never have asked a half-grown child, even if this child was exceedingly clever.

"The master only wanted to hear his daughter-in-law play the qin?"

Fang Chongyong asked in return.

Gao Lishi raised an eyebrow, a strange smile appearing on his face, then nodded slightly: "Naturally."

"After the daughter-in-law becomes a Daoist nun, she would naturally no longer be a daughter-in-law. Playing the qin for the master would not invite criticism, would it?"

Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.

"Besides, it was the daughter-in-law who chose to become a nun of her own accord. It had nothing to do with the master, nor with the servant, right?"

Hearing these words, Gao Lishi understood perfectly and nodded: "Who could say otherwise. After the daughter-in-law became a nun, the master saw the concubine's son left lonely and destitute, and arranged another marriage for him. Would that not make everyone happy? So this is how the story went afterward. Sigh, I no longer need to keep wondering about it. Very good, very good."

Gao Lishi nodded in satisfaction. He believed that Fang Chongyong had understood what he wanted to convey. Moreover, he also believed that this matter would not be known by a third person, including Li Longji.

You are about to enroll at Hongwen Academy tomorrow; you won't know anyone there, so do you need me to go and give them a heads-up?

Gao Lishi couldn't help but make a blatant hint.

Um, things over there should be fine. But I, the youngster, have an urgent matter and would like to ask for your help, elder.

Fang Chongyong nodded sheepishly, took a letter from under the paperweight on the desk, and handed it to Gao Lishi, saying: "General Wang Zhongsi's wife, Lady Li, wishes to write to the Holy One but has no way to do so. I, too, have no alternative, so I must trouble you, elder, to help by letting the Holy One look over this letter."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi became alert and asked: "What does the letter say?"

Just some women's words.

General Wang has long been stationed on the frontier; Lady Li finds it hard to manage the household children, and she only hopes the Holy One can assign General Wang to a post near Chang'an so he can occasionally return home to rest, which is only natural.

Fang Chongyong bowed deeply to Gao Lishi and earnestly said:

Li Longji had actually already planned to transfer Wang Zhongsi away from East Yang Prefecture, but the destination was still undecided. Li Linfu suggested sending him to South of the Jian River, while Du Xiwang memorialized proposing West of the River; in fact, Li Longji himself was also hesitating.

He even considered having Wang Zhongsi join the Dragon Martial Army to serve. Gao Lishi was well aware of this.

Alas, this woman is also in a difficult position.

Gao Lishi put the letter away, gave a slight nod, neither saying he would agree to hand it over to Li Longji nor saying he would disagree.

Having finished what needed to be done, Gao Lishi rose to his feet, looked at Fang Chongyong with a complex, inscrutable gaze, and finally sighed: "The person you are replacing at Hongwen Academy is the eldest son of Prince Zhong, Li Cheng. After you enroll, it would be best to keep a low profile."

Having said that, Gao Lishi turned and left; once outside, the sky was already full of stars.

After entering through the rear gate of Flourishing Celebration Palace, he could not help but feel a surge of emotion.

Fang Youde has sired an extraordinary son!