Chapter 38: Dream of Enjoying the Cool Beneath the Rice Stalks

The morning bell tolled slowly, breaking the dawn's silence in Chang'an City.

Today is the day the new emperor ascends the throne and the court opens the grace examination; the whole capital is immersed in a fervent and solemn atmosphere.

The former emperor passed away, the feudal lords rebelled, and one sudden event after another plunged the whole Great Han into turmoil; opening the grace examination is a purest spectacle, no less grand than the new emperor's ascension.

Early in the morning, Liu Ju was pulled out of Weiyang Palace by Liu Xijun; at this moment he wore a plain cloth shirt, casually tied, his posture tall and vigorous, bearing the dignity of a superior, yet not careless.

Beside him, Princess Xijun also dressed in ordinary women's attire, her features delicate, her eyes lively, yet she could not hide the noble aura innate to her.

Taking advantage of the bustle, the two slipped out of the palace and blended into the thronging crowd.

On the streets, crowds surged; students from all directions, dressed in neat Confucian robes, full of anticipation and longing, headed toward the Imperial Examination Hall.

They gathered in twos and threes, passionately discussing the essentials of the classics, histories, philosophers, and writings; or they stood alone in silent contemplation, murmuring their carefully prepared essays, their faces full of yearning for official careers and love for the nation.

"Brother, look at this spectacle—it shows how the scholars of the world have placed great hopes on this grace examination." Princess Xijun said softly, her voice like an oriole emerging from the valley, clear and pleasant, her eyes showing delight and relief.

Liu Ju nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth turning up as he gave a gentle smile to the girl beside him; after the marriage alliance was cancelled and his heart's knot untied, Liu Xijun seemed like a newborn.

He spoke warmly: "Yes, this is the fortune of our Great Han. If we can select true talent through this grace examination for the court's use, it will surely make our politics more clear and the people's lives more stable."

The two moved with the crowd, only to see the gates of the Imperial Academy adorned with lanterns and banners, red lanterns swaying gently in the breeze.

The Feathered Forest Guards stood tall and stern, maintaining order in an orderly manner.

The surrounding common folk also gathered around, their eyes full of curiosity and joy for this grand event.

An old man with white hair bowed toward Weiyang Palace and sighed: "The Son of Heaven is sage; this grace examination is a blessing for us commoners! If the court can select officials of learning and virtue, our days will have more hope."

The young man beside him also exclaimed excitedly: "Yes, if I ever get the chance to study at the academy, I will surely take this grace examination to serve His Majesty and the Great Han!"

Liu Xijun listened to the people's discussion, smiling with admiration as she looked at Liu Ju and said: "Brother, these new policies are all your proposals—don't you feel proud?"

Liu Xijun teased Liu Ju with a laugh; when they got along, she seemed quite casual, unlike others who were full of awe and distance.

Liu Ju also felt that in the Great Han, Liu Xijun was one of the few people with whom he could communicate without a generation gap.

Liu Ju chuckled: "Of course, these are all my subjects. In these turbulent and unstable times, only by widely recruiting talent can the foundations of the Great Han be strengthened, resisting the erosion of internal and external troubles."

Liu Xijun brought her pretty face close to Liu Ju, examining him up and down, and said: "Hehe, older brother, I know you surely have more good ideas not yet realized—I don't know how your head grew."

Liu Xijun ran circles around Liu Ju, hopping and skipping, then said solemnly: "Brother, sometimes I even feel you are not of this world."

Liu Ju's heart startled.

"One should say he does not belong to this world, for such shocking, unconventional ideas could only be conceived by immortals."

Liu Xijun's following words let Liu Ju relax; at last this girl wasn't too outrageous!

Liu Ju tapped Liu Xijun's white forehead and laughed: "You, though the Wusun marriage didn't work out, you should still find a good husband someday—tell older brother, which young man have you taken a liking to?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xijun's face suddenly changed; she hurriedly said: "I won't marry! I want to do something for the Great Han like my brother, so the people can live well."

"Didn't you once say you dreamed that rice would grow as tall as sorghum, with panicles as long as brooms and grains as big as peanuts, and then everyone would sit under the rice stalks to enjoy the cool?"

Liu Xijun looked at Liu Ju with hope, then declared firmly: "This dream will surely come true; although I am a woman, I am not to be confined to men's roles!"

Liu Ju raised his hand, wanting to ruffle Liu Xijun's head, but then drew it back—she's grown up! But these words were not his; they were the simplest dream of an old man in his previous life.

Liu Xijun saw Liu Ju's hand retreat, felt a little disappointed, sighed softly, then pulled him forward, saying: "Brother, it's lively over there—let's go take a look."

The Eight Trigrams attribute is etched into the bones of the people; even the Great Han is no exception, especially women!

At this moment, the sun rose higher, golden sunlight spilling onto the glazed tiles of the Imperial Academy, refracting five-colored light. The bell of the grace examination rang formally, and the students, carrying dreams and hopes, entered the examination hall one by one.

Yet one person was barred at the gate by the Wei clan; at this moment the two sides were arguing about something.

The two approached and saw a tall young man, his face flushed red, shouting at the guard: "The Son of Heaven has opened the grace examination, facing all the scholars of the Great Han, yet you now demand a recommendation letter to let us through?"

The young man grew angrier, pointing at the guard and shouting: "Aren't you afraid the Son of Heaven will find out and rebuke you for dereliction of duty?"

The young man was Wei Xiang, who had traveled a thousand li to take the exam, full of hope for the new policies.

He recalled his sister-in-law's earnest, expectant gaze, and his fury only grew.

The guard, feeling a bit guilty under Wei Xiang's reproach, still held firm: "There is an order from above—those without a recommendation letter are not allowed in; this is the rule, we are merely following orders."

Wei Xiang, fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead, shouted: "What rule? Must all the talented under heaven be blocked by this baseless recommendation letter?"

"I, Wei Xiang, have studied the classics, histories, philosophers, and writings since childhood, possessing strategies to govern and pacify the state; yet because I lack this damn recommendation letter, I am to be turned away—what reason is this?"

His voice, growing louder with anger, drew the attention and assent of nearby students who had not yet entered the exam hall, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.

"Exactly, is it all right to bully us poor‑born heirs?"

"I have traveled a thousand li, enduring wind and rain, and you now tell me I cannot take the exam?"

"Let's go straight to the front of Weiyang Palace to file a petition and ask the Son of Heaven for an explanation!"

Immediately, the other students barred from the gate joined in the shouting.

Standing outside the crowd, Liu Ju frowned slightly and quietly asked his attendant what had happened.

After the attendant briefly reported the situation, Liu Ju's gaze fell on Wei Xiang; although the young man's face was full of anger, his eyes revealed a stubborn persistence, a thirst for knowledge, and a loyal heart toward the court.

Liu Xijun, too, was drawn by Wei Xiang's aura, and she whispered to Liu Ju: "Brother, this young man doesn't seem like a mere troublemaker; perhaps there is some hidden circumstance."

Liu Ju nodded slightly, then his face grew dark; it seemed someone had tampered from within, hindering the smooth progress of the grace examination, or perhaps seeking profit from it!

Is this feeling that my blade has dulled?