The Ning Dynasty Imperial Examination Compound was located at the easternmost edge of the inner city, right next to the Mingzhi Fang grazing grounds.

The spring imperial examination lasted for several days, and today was the day the compound gates would open.

As the eight hundred evening drumbeats from the Drum Tower faded, bell chimes echoed within the compound, and someone loudly proclaimed, “Rise from your seats! Any examinee found writing after the bells stop will be disqualified and barred from future examinations. Do not squander your years of hard study!”

A clamor arose from within the compound as the scholars stood up, obediently staying within their individual cubicles. Some were still writing furiously, counting the bell chimes in their hearts.

After the twelfth chime ceased, a proctor within the compound called out, “Collect the papers!”

Twelve proctors walked past the cubicles, collecting the examination papers one by one. Some papers were snatched away even before the examinee had finished writing, without a moment’s delay.

Immediately afterward, the scholars in those cubicles began to wail, “It’s over, all over! Please let me write two more lines!”

The proctor in the compound angrily declared, “Silence! What kind of conduct is this, to cry and make a fuss? If I let you write two more lines, you and I would both lose our heads! Now, exit your cubicles and line up in two rows outside. Anyone who strays from the line will be disqualified.”

The examination compound quieted once more. Everyone stood in lines outside their cubicles, hands by their sides, fearing they might do something wrong.

The proctors took the examination papers to the Mifeng Suo for anonymous sealing.

After the sealing, a specialized person would meticulously transcribe them with a vermilion brush. During grading, the examiners would only review the vermilion copies, not the original ink ones, to prevent any recognition of handwriting that could lead to favoritism or fraud.

Each step of this solemn ritual seemed like the last veil of decency for the imperial examination system.

Once the proctors had taken all the papers to the Mifeng Suo, the six remaining proctors suddenly changed their demeanor, smiling kindly. “Gentlemen, the spring examination has concluded. You will know your results when the Xingbang is posted on the fifteenth day of the third month. Please prepare thoroughly for the policy questions, as there is still the Palace Examination ahead.”

Another proctor chuckled, “We will be serving together in court in the future, and we will rely heavily on all of you. Attendants, sound the whip!”

Attendants set up red firecrackers at the exit of the cubicles. Once lit, the compound was filled with the crackling noise of firecrackers, and white smoke billowed into the sky.

The six proctors bowed to each scholar in farewell. They had one demeanor during the spring examination and another afterward. From now on, they would no longer be examiners and students, but colleagues.

Who could guarantee who would be above whom?

The proctors waved to the attendants, “Lead the tribute scholars away. When opening the gates, be wary of anyone rushing into the compound. If someone breaks in, you and I will risk losing our heads!”

The attendants bowed in unison, “Yes, sir!”

The examinees formed two lines and slowly walked out. Only then did the atmosphere finally lighten.

Someone in the queue quietly asked Lin Zhaojing in front of him, “Brother Lin, ‘There is a great way to accumulate wealth: those who produce are many, those who consume are few, those who work quickly, and those who use leisurely, then wealth will always be sufficient.’ What does this line mean?”

Lin Zhaojing smiled faintly, answering without turning his head, “The great way to accumulate wealth is rooted in benevolent governance, and the mutual assistance between the upper and lower echelons…”

He spoke with enthusiasm, and the examinee behind him listened, his face paling, muttering, “Benevolent governance… Why didn’t I think of starting and developing the essay from benevolent governance!”

At this moment, Lin Zhaojing saw Shen Ye at the front of the queue and immediately became interested. “Brother Shen, how did you answer the Five Classics questions?”

Shen Ye turned around, looking at Lin Zhaojing with a half-smile. “My dear brother, the examination is over, what’s the point of answering anything now? I finally made it through these days. Are you going to test me again? Come on, let’s go drink! The essence of the classics is in the wine, and the policy questions are in the Eight Great Hutongs!”

Lin Zhaojing shook his head, “Brother Shen, I still need to go home and review my books to prepare for the Palace Examination fifteen days from now…”

But before he could finish declining, Shen Ye had already disregarded him and had made plans with Huang Que to go drinking at Meihua Du tonight.

Lin Zhaojing could only swallow his latter half of the sentence.

At the entrance of the examination compound, the main gate was still closed.

A group of attendants stood guard at the gate, instructing, “When the gate opens, do not linger outside; leave quickly!”

The triennial grand talent selection ceremony was one of the biggest events in the capital. Countless people waited outside the examination compound.

Servants carried lanterns and food boxes, waiting for their masters to emerge from the compound; prominent figures from various regional associations waited to host fellow literati and scholars; hawkers with shoulder poles threaded through the crowd, their poles laden with warm Zhuangyuan cakes; innkeepers eagerly eyed the crowd, ready to loudly solicit customers; and gambling house employees stood outside, discreetly observing who looked most auspicious to adjust their odds for the “Huiyuan” title.

The scene was extraordinarily lively.

However, most eye-catching were the tables set up outside the compound gate, where various restaurants had laid out brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Scholars would be invited to compose poems upon exiting. If a scholar later became the Zhuangyuan in the Palace Examination, the restaurant would proudly display the obtained calligraphy within its establishment and host an eighty-eight-table celebratory banquet for the Zhuangyuan.

These eighty-eight tables were not just eighty-eight tables; rather, as one table was finished, another would be served, continuing until the moon was high in the sky.

For the next three years, no other restaurant would be allowed to serve the top eight dishes listed on the menu of this particular restaurant. If one wished to savor these eight dishes, they had to visit this “Zhuangyuan Lou.”

Lin Zhaojing looked at Shen Ye, “Brother Shen, will you compose a poem or a phrase later?”

Shen Ye smiled, “Why compose a poem? A single poem of mine in Jinling can earn me an invitation from the top courtesan of Qinhuai River. Writing one here in the capital would only benefit those restaurants for free.”

Lin Zhaojing paused slightly, “If you become the Zhuangyuan, those restaurants will host an eighty-eight-table celebratory banquet for you.”

Shen Ye nonchalantly replied, “Those eighty-eight tables won’t be eaten by me, Shen, and besides, I don’t have that many relatives and friends in the capital. A jar of good wine and four small dishes are enough.”

The next moment, the proctor loudly announced, “Open the gates, let them pass!”

The vermilion-painted gates swung wide open, but everyone inside froze. Outside, only a handful of people were scattered around, creating a scene so desolate it was astonishing.

Even stranger, these few people outside were all facing away from the examination compound, looking towards Andingmen Street beyond Biaobei Hutong, as if something more exciting than the spring examination was happening.

Lin Zhaojing stepped out of the examination compound, puzzled as he surveyed the surroundings. Even his own servant was nowhere to be seen. He asked in confusion, “Where has everyone gone?”

The gambling house employee, without turning his head, said, “I don’t know. Just now, someone ran down the street shouting, ‘Li Changge has returned to the capital, and Prince Fu is leading his horse!’ and everyone rushed off to watch the spectacle.”

Shen Ye and Huang Que exchanged glances. Wasn’t Li Changge Chen Ji’s “nickname”?

Lin Zhaojing grew even more puzzled. “What’s this about Prince Fu leading his horse?”

The gambling house employee shook his head. “We wouldn’t know that.”

Shen Ye laughed heartily, “Why don’t we go see for ourselves? Let’s see if this Li Changge has grown three heads and six arms, to actually overshadow the prestige of us spring examination scholars!”

He pulled Huang Que along and ran. Upon reaching Andingmen Street, they saw that the street was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, blocking out the sky.

Shen Ye, utterly devoid of the modesty expected of a soon-to-be newly promoted scholar, pushed his way into the crowd with Huang Que.

Along Andingmen Street, pavilions stood tall, brightly lit, with elaborately carved and painted buildings displaying wine flags and hanging lanterns.

In the bustling crowd, Shen Ye eagerly squeezed forward, feeling as if he had returned to his fifteen-year-old self, exploring Jinling during the Shangyuan Festival, witnessing the prosperity of a golden age.

Shen Ye excitedly exclaimed, “Brother Huang, we arrived in the capital late and missed this year’s Shangyuan Festival, but I never expected to see such a lively and beautiful sight!”

They pushed forward a few dozen steps before they could go no further. He pulled a middle-aged man and asked, “Big brother, what exactly is happening up ahead?”

The man was surprised. “You haven’t heard? Chen Ji, the notorious criminal who assassinated the Crown Prince, has returned to the capital!”

Shen Ye’s eyes widened. “Chen Ji? Assassinated the Crown Prince?”

He and Huang Que exchanged bewildered glances. What had they missed during their days in the examination compound? How had Chen Ji suddenly become a major criminal wanted by the court within a few days?

Shen Ye eagerly asked, “It’s not like he’s being executed on the spot, so why are so many people gathered? Was he captured and brought back, or…?”

The man, still on tiptoes looking ahead, answered without turning his head, “He wasn’t captured; he came back himself. He claims he was framed and has now apprehended the true culprit, Liao Zhong. But the Five City Battalions don’t believe him, so they’re in a standoff with him at Andingmen. What’s strange is that the Five City Battalions can’t do anything to him; they’re helpless.”

Shen Ye asked again, “And then what?”

The man replied, “Then? This young man has guts. So many people wanted to arrest him, but he stopped at the city gate and wouldn’t move. He just stood there and drank dozens of bowls of wine in front of everyone.”

Shen Ye asked again, “And now…”

Before he could finish, the crowd ahead, watching the spectacle, parted before Shen Ye’s eyes, as if a tide had been cleaved by a sword.

Shen Ye saw Prince Fu approaching in a black imperial robe, wearing a golden silk crown adorned with two dragons playing with a pearl. Prince Fu held the reins, and behind him, a drunken young man swayed precariously on horseback, yet never fell.

The young man held a wine jar in his hand, pouring wine for himself and drinking it all in one gulp.

Everyone else was on foot, but this one person rode past, naturally towering over everyone else.

“Chen Ji!” Shen Ye exclaimed in shock.

In the lamplight of Andingmen Street, white steam rose from Chen Ji’s body, as if the wine poured into his stomach had been ignited by a great fire, turning into swirling steam that rose into the sky.

The bloodstains on his clothes resembled the crimson embroidery on a Zhuangyuan’s chest. With Prince Fu leading his horse, he looked exactly like a top scholar on a celebratory parade, heading for the imperial Qionglin Banquet.

Shen Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The Palace Examination hadn’t even taken place yet, and this unofficial top scholar had already stolen the limelight from the legitimate tribute scholars.

As Prince Fu led the horse closer, Shen Ye also stepped aside. He loudly asked Chen Ji, “How many bowls have you drunk?”

Chen Ji looked down at him with drunken eyes, “Sixty-seven bowls.”

The onlookers burst into murmurs of surprise. Shen Ye, amidst the crowd, asked with a smile, “How many more bowls to go?”

Chen Ji also smiled and replied, “Fifteen more bowls.”

Someone on Andingmen Street shouted, “What are you boasting about? Sixty-seven bowls would surely burst your stomach!”

But at that moment, Prince Fu grumbled, “If he says sixty-seven bowls, then it’s sixty-seven bowls. Do you think he’d lie to you? I’m counting!”

Shen Ye watched silently from the crowd. The wine shops along Andingmen Street were brightly lit. The prince and the young man seemed like characters from a storyteller’s tale, unrestrained, wild, and lawless.

He watched Prince Fu and Chen Ji gradually disappear into the distance, then suddenly shouted, “Shen Ye, the newly crowned Zhuangyuan of the 32nd year of Jianing, is here! Which restaurant has brushes and ink ready?”

A young servant in the crowd quickly called out, “I have them!”

Shen Ye laughed heartily, “Bring them! I bestow my calligraphy upon you!”

Two servants clumsily pushed through the crowd. One unfurled a scroll and held it before Shen Ye, while the other squatted down, setting out an inkstone and dipping a brush in ink before handing it to Shen Ye.

Others chuckled, “The spring examination results haven’t even been released, how can you, a scholar, boast that you are the new Zhuangyuan? Those two boys from Pianyi Fang, don’t let him fool you!”

Shen Ye rolled up his sleeves, took the brush, and laughed heartily, “It’s already in the bag.”

With a grand flourish, he wrote on the scroll: “Po Zhen Zi: On the day of the spring examination, meeting Changge drunk upon his return to the capital.”

At this moment, Shen Ye closed his eyes in thought. Huang Que leaned close and asked curiously, “Brother Shen, didn’t you say you didn’t want to benefit the capital’s restaurants?”

Shen Ye opened his eyes again, pointing at Chen Ji’s receding figure, and sighed, “Who could resist this?”

The next moment, he lifted his brush and wrote: “Twenty years studying classics, thirty years idling away. Eight hundred evening drums still somber, three thousand li fruitlessly toiling, too many useless scholars.”

“The youth on horseback splits the waves, let alone princes leading the saddle. Daring to borrow the Big Dipper for fierce wine, drunkenly watching the old mountains and rivers, reclaiming two dynasties’ nation!”

“Not bad, not shameful,” Shen Ye scrutinized the *Po Zhen Zi*, then tossed the brush to the servant from Pianyi Fang.

The servant caught the brush, “May I ask where your honorable residence is, young master? If you are called out at Donghuamen, our humble shop would like to visit and discuss who to invite for the banquet.”

Shen Ye squinted at the servant, “No need to discuss with me. Everyone gets a share. On that day, anyone can come to your Pianyi Fang—beggars can, women and children can. Allow everyone in the world to be drunk with golden cups, is that acceptable?”

The servant grinned, “If you can be called out at Donghuamen, why not?”

Outside the crowd, a young Daoist priest rode backwards on a green ox, his brush seemingly having an inexhaustible supply of ink as he wrote furiously on a blank heavenly book.