Chapter 2: Visitors from the Capital

In Jiang Nian’s household, aside from himself, only He Yun and his wife were aware of his true lineage. Everyone else remained ignorant, including He Yun’s own son, He Zhong. This was because the matter was highly classified; the Fourth Prince had strictly forbidden its disclosure.

That evening, when He Yun informed his wife, Madam Meng, of the abdication, she was exceptionally stirred. "The Fourth Prince is to become Emperor. He will surely send for Master Nian soon to bring him to the capital and acknowledge him," she said, her expression filled with expectation—expecting both the recognition of Jiang Nian’s princely status and the prospects of prosperity for herself and her husband. For over a decade, the couple had quietly protected, cared for, and monitored Jiang Xuelian and Jiang Nian, serving the Fourth Prince with unwavering loyalty.

He Yun replied, "The Fourth Prince may send for Master Nian to bring him to the capital and acknowledge him, but it is unlikely to happen immediately. He will likely wait a few months until after his coronation."

Madam Meng countered, "A few months is nothing; we have already waited more than a decade."

***

Time flowed like water, and more than three months passed in the blink of an eye. It was the first day of the new year.

On this day, in the imperial palace of the Great Qing’s capital, a monumental event took place: the abdication ceremony. Emperor Jingning, who had ascended the throne at eight and reigned for sixty-one years, chose the first day of his seventieth year to abdicate. This was the first time in the hundred-year history of the Great Qing that an emperor had stepped down. The ceremony was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with hundreds of nobles and officials gathered inside and out.

The aging Emperor Jingning sat upon his throne. The Fourth Prince stood respectfully before it, leading the officials and nobles in ritual prostration. Once the Grand Secretary had knelt and read the formal edict, the Fourth Prince solemnly received the Imperial Jade Seal from the hands of Emperor Jingning. From this moment on, Jingning became the Retired Emperor, and the Fourth Prince became the reigning sovereign. It also signaled that the Great Qing would cease using the "Jingning" era name, adopting the new era name: "Taishun."

The Fourth Prince was now Emperor Taishun.

***

In the city of Jiangning, located in the Jiangnan region two thousand miles away from the capital, the transformation of status and the glory of the day were felt differently. While the Fourth Prince ascended the throne as Emperor Taishun in the capital, his four sons enjoyed their new titles. Meanwhile, Jiang Nian, the illegitimate son who could not be brought into the light, was left behind in Jiangning, appearing rather desolate.

More than three months had passed since Jiang Nian first saw the announcement of the abdication. During this time, he had been diligent in his studies and martial arts, believing such efforts might count as "striving for self-improvement." If the eight characters he saw in that dream during his transmigration were truly his "cheat code," then diligent study and training would surely draw good fortune to him. Jiang Nian was not certain if he truly possessed such a gift, but he had confirmed that his memory in this life was extraordinary. While claiming a photographic memory might be an exaggeration, his speed in memorizing texts was far beyond that of an ordinary person, and he could clearly recall many things from his previous life. This astonishing memory was undoubtedly a cheat code; the original owner of this body had possessed no such ability.

Jiang Nian rose early every day for reading and review, followed by lessons with his tutor, and martial arts training in the afternoon with his instructor. The tutor, Fang Tingxun, was a man nearing forty who held the degree of *juren*. Having failed the imperial examinations three times, he had been hired at a high price to teach Jiang Nian. The martial arts instructor was none other than He Yun, whose mastery of archery and horsemanship was exceptional.

Twenty days passed, and it was late in the first month of the first year of Taishun. That morning, Jiang Nian was in his study reciting the *I Ching*:

"(Kan below, Li above) Weiji: Success. The little fox, after nearly completing the crossing, gets its tail wet. There is nothing to be gained."
"Initial six: Getting its tail wet; a cause for regret."
"Nine at the second: Dragging its wheels; firm and auspicious."
"Six at the third: Not yet across. To advance is ominous. It is favorable to cross the great river."
"Nine at the fourth: Firm and auspicious, regrets vanish. Use the energy to conquer the Ghost Territory; after three years, receive rewards from the Great Kingdom."
"Six at the fifth: Firm and auspicious, no regrets. The light of the superior man. Possessing sincerity; auspicious."
"Top nine: There is a dispute over drinking wine; no blame. Wetting one's head; if there is a dispute, one loses what is right."

As he finished, Jiang Nian opened his eyes and looked at his tutor, Fang Tingxun, who was sitting nearby. "Master, I have finished reciting the entire *I Ching*."

Fang Tingxun was stunned, gripped by sheer disbelief. The Great Qing’s civil service exams centered on the Four Books and Five Classics. The Four Books were *The Great Learning*, *The Analects*, *Mencius*, and *The Doctrine of the Mean*; the Five Classics were the *I Ching*, the *Book of Documents*, the *Book of Odes*, the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, and the *Book of Rites*. Students were required to memorize the Four Books, while the Five Classics only needed to be read thoroughly.

The original Jiang Nian had studied for ten years and still could not memorize the Four Books. It was not for lack of effort, but a limitation of natural talent; even though the Four Books totaled only tens of thousands of characters, they were difficult to commit to memory. The *I Ching*, the foremost of the Five Classics, contained over twenty thousand characters and was profoundly obscure, making it even harder to master. Yet, Jiang Nian had not only memorized the Four Books but could now recite the *I Ching* from beginning to end without a single stumble.

Fang Tingxun couldn't help but praise him: "Young Master Nian, since last autumn, your progress has been rapid. Your ability to memorize is especially gifted; I am deeply gratified!"

Jiang Nian replied modestly, "You are too kind, Master."

Fang Tingxun sipped his tea and continued, "If you can persevere with such dedication, you will surely become a *juren* one day, or perhaps even pass the imperial examinations and attain great honor."

Jiang Nian smiled slightly, thinking to himself: *Does a prince even need to take the civil service exams? But, if my imperial father in this life does not acknowledge me as his son, perhaps I shall have to.*

Just then, He Yun entered the study in a hurry. He apologized to Fang Tingxun, "Master Fang, please forgive the interruption! May we conclude today’s lesson here? I have urgent business to discuss with my young master."

Fang Tingxun asked curiously, "What urgent business?"

He Yun replied, "It is not convenient to explain, sir. I have prepared a jar of fine tea for you to take home."

Fang Tingxun had been slightly annoyed at the interruption, but upon hearing about the tea, he beamed. "Steward He is most thoughtful." He rose and followed He Yun out of the study.

A while later, He Yun returned, his expression still hurried. He saw Jiang Nian practicing calligraphy at his desk and stepped forward. "Young Master, the Emperor has sent someone. He has issued a decree summoning you to the capital, but... but..." He trailed off.

Jiang Nian stared at him. "But what?"

He Yun looked troubled. "The Emperor only summons you to the capital; he does not intend to acknowledge you as his son. Furthermore, he has strictly ordered us to continue keeping your true identity a secret."

Jiang Nian nodded calmly. "I understand."

Seeing Jiang Nian’s composure, He Yun felt a sense of relief. "The person the Emperor sent is once again Ren Pijiang. He is no longer a guard of the Prince’s mansion; he has been promoted to a second-rank Imperial Guard. Lord Ren is to convey a secret edict to you on behalf of the Emperor."

Jiang Nian nodded again, then lowered his head to continue the poem by the Tang dynasty poet Du Xunhe that he had been writing:

*Small Pine*
*Small and thorny in the deep grass,*
*Now I gradually feel myself rising above the weeds.*
*People of the time do not recognize the timber that reaches the clouds,*
*Only when it reaches the clouds do they call it tall.*