Chapter 292: Silk Cloth

"In what way is it difficult?"

Du Gou thought for a moment and said, "It's actually hard to explain clearly; there are many reasons involved."

"First, one's own learning and talent must reach a certain level, otherwise one will be eliminated in the successive examinations; second, a bit of luck may also be needed."

"After all, even the selection 'prefectural exam' only allows a few to come to Chang'an for the provincial exam."

Du Gou continued, "To give an analogy, if I were like my father, Lord Fang, or Lord Wei and went to a prefecture to take the prefectural exam, the candidates of that prefecture would probably not even qualify to go to Chang'an for the provincial exam."

"Moreover, this also depends on appearance; if one's looks don't pass, it's the same—no go."

"After that, it's about one's family background."

"Our Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system claims to recruit talent from across the world, but in reality—let alone children of lowly trades—very few from humble families can pass the exams and enter officialdom."

"In the imperial test of the first year of Zhen Guan, only one humble‑born candidate passed the 'Mingjing Section'; the rest were almost all from established families."

"Only one passed the 'Mingjing Section'?" Chen Yan was stunned.

The Tang imperial examinations had many subjects, among which the 'Jinshi Section' and the 'Mingjing Section' were the most valued; the 'Jinshi Section' was universally regarded as the hardest and most prestigious, with the 'Mingjing Section' second.

There is a saying: "Thirty, old at Mingjing; fifty, still young at Jinshi."

It means that passing the 'Mingjing Section' at thirty is considered old, while passing the 'Jinshi Section' at fifty is still regarded as young.

Therefore, those who emerged from the 'Jinshi Section' enjoy a status and career prospects far higher than those from the 'Mingjing Section'.

And in the Zhen Guan first‑year test, a humble‑born candidate was only one who passed the 'Mingjing Section'?

"What else could it be?" Du Gou said, "How fierce the competition of the imperial examinations is! If I were to take the imperial test now, I would most likely stop at the 'Jinshi Jidi' stage, and even daring to think about vying for rankings is beyond imagination."

"'Jinshi Jidi' is the collective term for passing the Jinshi Section exam; it is a very high honor."

Du Gou suddenly laughed, "Of course, if Brother Chen were to take the imperial test, the top spot would undoubtedly be yours, that is, the folk‑called 'Zhuangyuan Lang'."

Chen Yan blushed.

Gao Yang looks down on me, but you seem to think too highly of me, aw.

I know my own weight and size, don't I?

Don't even talk about being a Zhuangyuan; passing that prefectural exam is impossible.

Surviving until now is only thanks to experience and insight from later generations.

But Chen Yan can't possibly take the imperial test; finding a way to help humble‑born candidates is still doable…

Then, Chen Yan and Du Gou took a proper stroll around the library; many scholars sat at the public tables reading silently, and because of regulations, no one shouted loudly.

Even when conversing with others, their voices were very low.

Seeing the library getting back on track, Chen Yan stopped meddling and left it to Du Gou and the others to manage.

As for himself, he prepared to go all out, making a lot of money to ready his own plan.

"......"

"Gentlemen, we meet again."

Chen Yan once again invited four wealthy merchants to his home and greeted them with a smile.

"Lord, you summoned us today; may I ask what urgent matter you have?" Wang Lao Wu replied earnestly, "If there is anything we can help with, please give the order, Lord."

Through several interactions, Wang Lao Wu roughly got a sense of Chen Yan's temperament.

Chen Yan is a person who dislikes idle talk, so it's best to speak directly.

Moreover, more importantly, this fellow is truly formidable; he says he'll take them to see the Crown Prince and actually does, no jokes.

Half a month ago, Chen Yan brought them before the Crown Prince, nearly scaring them to death.

"Alright, let's get straight to the main point."

Chen Yan nodded, having Qing'er bring over the items he had prepared in advance, and presented them to the four.

"Is this… silk?"

Zhang Ji examined the object handed to him, carefully feeling it, and found that this silk was far superior to market silk; the threads were uniformly sized, as if carved from a single mold.

"What I have is a brocade," Jin Wan Cheng said.

Wang Lao Wu and Guo Ding held silk gauze and silk yarn respectively, both silk fabrics, covering materials used for ordinary clothing from commoners to wealthy families.

Jin Wan Cheng could no longer contain his confusion, raised the brocade in his hand and asked, "Lord, what is this?"

Chen Yan retorted, "What do you think of these silks? How much should they be sold for?"

Wang Lao Wu, who specialized in silk trade, heard this and, without hesitation, clasped his hands and replied, "Lord, the piece of sha I have is, in both workmanship and material, a superior product."

"Look at these threads: uniform and translucent, the twist is orderly, breathable yet sturdy—truly a rare fine product."

"I think this sha can be sold for at least four hundred wen; four hundred and fifty wen wouldn't be expensive."

The other three, upon hearing this, didn't think Wang Lao Wu was exaggerating.

Because sha is already an excellent silk, market prices range from two hundred wen to five hundred wen, depending on quality.

A top‑grade sha selling for over four hundred wen is quite normal.

"At least four hundred wen?" Chen Yan pondered after hearing it, "If I treat these silks like white wax and give them to you to sell, how much could you pay?"

Wang Lao Wu was delighted to hear that; silk is his specialty, after all.

"Lord, I am willing to purchase each piece from you at four hundred wen per piece,"

That single sentence immediately shut down the other three who wanted to speak.

Because Chen Yan was present, they couldn't act out, but they glared at Wang Lao Wu.

Offering four hundred outright, what else could they argue about?

Aside from Wang Lao Wu, they were never adept at silk trade; if they quoted too high, they'd likely incur losses.

Wang Lao Wu looked at the three with a smug glance; at four hundred wen, he believed Chen Yan wouldn't refuse.

This trade, only he could do it well.

However, Chen Yan did not agree as he had imagined; instead, he lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, a faint smile on his lips, and watched them remain silent.

This inexplicable attitude made Jin Wan Cheng and the three others, including Wang Lao Wu, feel uneasy in their hearts, not understanding what Chen Yan meant.

To agree or not to agree?

After a few breaths, Chen Yan finally spoke, "Last time, how have you considered the matter I mentioned?"

Are you willing to work for me?

The four exchanged a glance, without the slightest hesitation, and solemnly nodded in agreement.

Sir, this is our honor!

Last time Chen Yan brought them to see the Crown Prince, he only said one thing: to have them join his retinue and work for him in the future.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian personally promised that if they agreed, he would first grant them an honorary position before the spring of next year, and discuss further depending on the situation.

Upon hearing this, the four immediately prepared to agree, but they never expected Chen Yan to ask them to go back and think it over carefully; this made them a bit hesitant, realizing that the matter might not be as simple as just doing work.

However, after careful consideration, they still decided to agree.

After all, no amount of wealth can buy status; merchants and their descendants don't even have the qualification to take the Imperial Test, so what good is being rich?

Power! It always outweighs money!

Excellent!

Chen Yan stood up, went to Wang Lao Wu, grabbed the silk in his hand, and said, "This silk cannot be sold for four hundred cash."

I want to sell it for three strings, even five strings!