Chapter 26: An Unintended Success

"An Shouliang? Huh, why isn't it Chai Chengwu?"

Like his wicked uncle Zhao Guangyi and nephew Zhao Dezhao, Zhao Kuangyin was equally surprised to see that the exam paper which had secured the top rank was not by the famous scholar Chai Chengwu, as everyone had anticipated. He asked in astonishment, "Who is this An Shouliang? Why have I never heard his name before? Given the talent displayed in this examination, he shouldn't be an unknown."

The other two examiners, Wang Hu and Wang Yisun, exchanged blank looks, having never heard the name either. Only the Minister of Rites, Yang Zhaojian, replied, "Your Majesty, the candidates' records are all with the Ministry of Rites. Shall I send someone back immediately to retrieve An Shouliang's file and background for your perusal?"

"No need for that; we shall meet soon enough." Zhao Kuangyin, unwilling to spend the time, waved off the suggestion. He turned to Zhao Guangyi and smiled, "Guangyi, it seems there is always someone better. I have also read your protégé Chai Chengwu's essay; it is indeed worthy of a top scholar, but he is simply unlucky to have run into an even more outstanding candidate this time."

"It's all the fault of this anonymous grading system! Had I known this paper wasn't written by Chai Chengwu, I would never have recommended him for the top spot!"

Utterly frustrated that his efforts had gone to waste, Zhao Guangyi was seething. He secretly cursed his unfilial nephew for undermining him once again and ruining his plan to cultivate influence among the scholarly circles. However, he forced a smile and said, "No matter. Since this An Shouliang managed to outperform Chai Chengwu to take the top spot, I must congratulate Your Majesty on gaining another talented official."

"I hope that besides writing good essays and poems, he will also give me a pleasant surprise when he takes up his official post."

Zhao Kuangyin chuckled and flipped through the exam papers that had been selected for the ranks of *jinshi*. He glanced at his examiners, all of whom—except for Zhao Dezhao—had dark circles under their eyes. After a brief calculation, he said, "I have stated that I am personally overseeing this examination. Aside from confirming An Shouliang as the top scholar, I shall determine the rankings of the other candidates myself."

With that, Zhao Kuangyin ordered, "Take the successful exam papers back to the palace. I will compare them myself and announce the results on an auspicious day. Guangyi, you and the others are exhausted; go home and get some rest."

Zhao Guangyi and his entourage, truly worn out, quickly agreed. Zhao Dezhao, who had slept soundly the night before, bowed in agreement as well. Leaving the cleanup to Zhao Kuangyin, they took their leave.

Leading the yawning Liang Zhouhan back to Jingming Ward, Zhao Dezhao had only just sat down in his living room when his steward, the uncle of Wang Zhifa, approached and reported, "Your Highness, your subordinates at the Censorate reported this morning that Song Qi, whom you personally recommended, returned to the capital yesterday afternoon and went straight to the Censorate to report for duty."

"He's back already?" Zhao Dezhao was delighted. Although Song Qi was merely returning to be his colleague, from a strategic perspective, there were many things Zhao Dezhao could not handle personally. Song Qi, who was at odds with both the factions of Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Pu, was essentially a blade that Zhao Dezhao could use to strike at will.

The steward nodded and added, "Also, your subordinates said that after Song Censor took office, he immediately submitted a document to Censor-in-Chief Liu, impeaching Zhang Tingtong, the Military Inspector of Xichuan, for embezzling military pay."

Zhao Dezhao immediately turned to Liang Zhouhan. Liang, who had deep connections in the military, let out a long yawn before replying nonchalantly, "Zhang Tingtong is one of the few die-hard supporters of the Second Prince in the military. Song Qi attacking him the moment he took office is likely a welcome gift for you, Your Highness."

"Excellent. I like this gift very much." Zhao Dezhao laughed and quickly asked, "Where is Song Qi now? Did my men at the Censorate say?"

The steward shook his head. Zhao Dezhao didn't mind and said, "Have Ma Laifu go to the Censorate immediately to find out where Song Qi is staying. Brother Yuanbao, get some rest. Once we have the news, we will go visit him together and host a welcome banquet."

Knowing that Zhao Dezhao was trying to win people over, Liang Zhouhan agreed readily and went to rest. Ma Laifu set out as ordered, quickly heading to the Censorate to inquire about Song Qi’s residence.

Ma Laifu, a former scout, had a natural talent for being a henchman. Before long, he returned to report that Song Qi was staying at the Daji Inn in Wengshizi, in the west of the city. Zhao Dezhao had his servants prepare for the outing and waited patiently for Liang Zhouhan to wake up before they set off by carriage toward the west.

Upon arriving at their destination, Zhao Dezhao was somewhat surprised to find that the Daji Inn where Song Qi was staying was not far from the Ban Pavilion, a place he had visited before. Ignoring such trivial details, Zhao Dezhao entered the inn, asked the proprietor for Song Qi's room, and finally met the former Kaifeng Prefectural Judge who had been deliberately suppressed by Zhao Guangyi and abandoned by Zhao Pu's faction.

Having submitted his pledge of allegiance to Zhao Dezhao immediately upon returning to the capital, Song Qi knew that his comeback was entirely due to Zhao Dezhao's support. Consequently, he was full of gratitude. Though he did not explicitly state he would serve as a beast of burden for Zhao Dezhao, his determination to serve was evident.

Seeing Song Qi so compliant, the currently resource-strapped Zhao Dezhao was overjoyed. After some pleasantries, he invited Song Qi to the nearby Ban Pavilion for a banquet to welcome him back. Song Qi, unable to decline, gladly accepted.

Perhaps it was a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road, but as they were walking out of the inn, chatting and laughing, several guests suddenly walked in. Zhao Dezhao and Song Qi glanced at them, and their expressions changed instantly; Song Qi's eyes even flared with rage. The leader of these guests was none other than Zhao Dezhao's "carriage-god" uncle—Zhao Guangyi.

Meanwhile, Zhao Guangyi had also spotted his nephew. His expression flickered as he briefly misunderstood the purpose of his nephew's presence there. However, seeing the familiar face of Song Qi, he realized what was happening, and a look of sarcasm immediately appeared on his face.

Though Zhao Dezhao wished deep down for his uncle to drop dead in the street, he had to swallow his pride and bow, saying, "Greetings, Uncle."

"No need for formalities, nephew," Zhao Guangyi waved his hand. He glanced at Song Qi and said with feigned surprise, "Oh, isn't this Song Shubao? When did you return to the capital? It's been years; how have you been?"

"Thanks to your concern, everything is fine," Song Qi managed to squeeze out a smile. "I arrived yesterday afternoon."

"As long as everything is fine, that's good." Zhao Guangyi, clearly harboring deep resentment toward Song Qi, added a barb, "Since you've returned to the capital, Shubao, you should learn from your previous lessons. Don't end up like last time—working hard for others only to be cast aside like worn-out shoes."

Song Qi's face turned pale. Taking a deep breath to suppress his rage, he replied, "That won't happen again. This time, heaven has shown mercy, and I have chosen to follow a wise master."

Zhao Guangyi’s smile was contemptuous. Just as he was about to continue mocking Song Qi, someone else spoke up: "Younger brother? Brother Zhao De, why are you here?"

Zhao Guangyi turned around, puzzled, to see a scholar of about thirty, followed by a handsome youth of sixteen or seventeen. Meanwhile, Zhao Dezhao recognized the man as An Deyu, a scholar from Luoyang he had met once, and the youth as An Deyu's son, An Dalang.

Out of politeness, Zhao Dezhao bowed, "Brother Deyu, why are you here?"

"My son and I are staying at this inn," An Deyu explained while returning the salute. He then instructed his son, "Dalang, pay your respects to your uncle."

An Dalang was very polite. Even though he was roughly the same age as Zhao Dezhao, he stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying respectfully, "Greetings, Uncle, I hope you are well."

"No need for such formality," Zhao Dezhao said, helping An Dalang up. He then smiled at An Deyu, "Brother Deyu, I came here to visit a friend who just returned from out of town and was about to host a welcome banquet for him. Since we happened to run into each other, why don't we go to the Ban Pavilion for a few drinks?"

An Deyu was a straightforward man and immediately agreed, "Since it is such a coincidence, I shall accept your invitation."

Zhao Dezhao was delighted. He then turned to Zhao Guangyi and said with hypocritical politeness, "Uncle, if you don't mind, would you care to join us for a few drinks at the nearby Ban Pavilion?"

Still harboring resentment toward Song Qi, Zhao Guangyi did not hesitate, "No need. These friends of yours are not qualified to drink with me!"

Having said this with great arrogance, Zhao Guangyi flicked his sleeves and walked toward the inn's counter with his hands behind his back, his head held so high one could almost see his nostrils. His attendants, including Chen Congxin, followed quickly. Zhao Dezhao said somewhat awkwardly, "Master Shubao, please don't take offense. Brother Deyu, please don't mind him; my uncle has a rather difficult temper at times."

Song Qi, who knew Zhao Guangyi's character well, sneered. An Deyu waved it off, indicating it was nothing. Zhao Dezhao did not want to cause further trouble, so he invited the two of them to leave and led everyone to the nearby Ban Pavilion.

It was only then that Liang Zhouhan stepped forward and whispered to Zhao Dezhao, "Your Highness, why would the Prince personally visit an inn?"

"He must be trying to recruit someone important," Song Qi replied immediately. "That is the Second Prince's usual habit. When he finds someone worth recruiting, he usually visits them personally to show how much he values talent."

"Ignore him," Zhao Dezhao said quietly. "The most important thing today is to drink well and have a good time."

Upon arriving at the Ban Pavilion, Zhao Dezhao finally found a vacant private room. To his surprise, just as he ordered the waiter to bring the best wine and food, An Deyu and his son bowed to him again, saying respectfully, "This commoner greets the Prince of our dynasty."

"Huh? How did you know my status?" Zhao Dezhao asked in surprise.

An Dalang answered, "Reporting to Your Highness, a few days ago, when this commoner went to the Qisheng Academy to take the provincial exam, I saw you supervising the exam as an official, so I recognized your identity."

"You actually went to take the provincial exam?" Zhao Dezhao was even more astonished.

An Dalang nodded and said respectfully, "Originally, I intended to stay and observe mourning with my father. However, after hearing your insights, my father felt that the greatest filial piety we could show my grandfather was to make him famous throughout the land and serve the court and the people as soon as possible. So, I followed my father's command and participated in this exam."

"So that's how it is," Zhao Dezhao realized. He then complained, "Since you saw me in the exam hall, why didn't you greet me? I could have given you some special consideration."

"Reporting to Your Highness, the provincial exam is a great event for the court to select talent. Even though I recognized you, I dared not speak, so as not to undermine the fairness and justice of the exam," An Dalang answered with increasing respect.

Zhao Dezhao smiled with satisfaction. He helped the two up and asked An Dalang, "How did you do on the exam? How do you feel about it?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, it went quite well," An Dalang answered truthfully. "I dare say, I feel there is some hope for this examination."

"That's good, that's good," Zhao Dezhao nodded repeatedly and encouraged him, "If you don't pass this time, don't be discouraged. Keep working hard for the next one. You are still young; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness. I will keep it in mind."

An Dalang's response remained very respectful. Zhao Dezhao nodded again with satisfaction and asked the two to sit. They declined, but Zhao Dezhao insisted they sit at the same table. He then introduced them, "Brother Deyu, let me introduce you. This is Liang Zhouhan, Liang Yuanbao, and this is Song Qi, Song Shubao. They are my right-hand men."

"Greetings, gentlemen," An Deyu said politely. "My name is Yizhi, from Luoyang."

After introducing himself, An Deyu gestured to his son, "This is my son, An Shouliang. Dalang, pay your respects to the two seniors."

"Greetings, seniors."

"So young and yet so talented, truly rare..."

"Wait? Brother Deyu, say that again. What is your son's name?"

Zhao Dezhao suddenly shouted, interrupting the pleasantries between Liang Zhouhan and An Deyu. Liang Zhouhan, stunned, quickly turned his gaze to An Dalang, asking in shock, "Brother Deyu, what is your son's name?"

"My son, An Shouliang. Why?" An Deyu asked, puzzled.

An expression of extreme shock froze on the faces of Zhao Dezhao and Liang Zhouhan. First, they looked at the seventeen-year-old An Shouliang, then at each other, both seeing an look of utter disbelief in the other's eyes.

"Bang!"

Another surprise occurred. As the door to the private room was rudely kicked open, the dark and stout Zhao Guangyi rushed in, grabbed An Deyu, and said urgently, "Master Deyu, it was my lack of foresight earlier! I didn't know you were the great talent An Shouliang! I had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai!"

After saying this quickly, Zhao Guangyi turned his fire on Zhao Dezhao, roaring, "Dezhao, what are you doing? Since you knew Master Deyu was the scholar An Shouliang, why did you deliberately only call him by his courtesy name? You made me mistake him for someone else!"

"Uncle, you truly mistook him for someone else," Zhao Dezhao said with a bitter smile, pointing to the real An Shouliang. "This son of Master Deyu is the real An Shouliang."

Looking at An Shouliang, who was about the same age as Zhao Dezhao, Zhao Guangyi's jaw nearly dropped. The highly intelligent An Deyu immediately guessed the situation and said calmly, "Dalang, when you drink water, don't forget those who dug the well. Remember, it was the Prince of our dynasty who pointed out the way for us, which is why I ordered you to take this exam."

"Father, do not worry. I will always remember the Prince's great kindness," An Shouliang replied solemnly.

*(Note: An Deyu and An Shouliang are among the extremely rare father-son top scholars in Chinese history! More miraculously, in history, only three years after An Deyu won the top scholar, his son An Shouliang also won the top scholar!)*