Chapter 136: News from the Imperial Capital

In the first month of the lunar year, a group of people returned to the Liu estate, weary from their long journey. Leading them was Lei Hu, who had been away from the mansion for half a year.

Every three years, the imperial court conducts performance evaluations for local officials. Master Liu had held the position of Prefect of Wucheng for ten years. While he lacked deep-seated influence at court, his status as a high-ranking regional official naturally involved a web of complex relationships. Maintaining these connections over the long term required constant attention and careful gift-giving.

Every two or three years, someone from Wucheng would travel to the Imperial Capital. If there were a summons, Master Liu would go himself; if not, he would send Liu Cheng or a trusted confidant. They would aim to arrive before the end of the year to visit various ministries, present local specialties and offerings, and pay respects to friends and relatives. A round trip like this consumed several months of travel time.

Last year, it was Lei Hu who led a group of guards to escort Mr. Yang, a close aide to Master Liu, to the capital. This duty would not normally have fallen to Lei Hu, but upon hearing of the mission, he had asked his master to intervene on his behalf. It was not that he sought favor from Master Liu; rather, after spending time with the young mistress, he had realized that everyone around him was busy while he alone was bored to the point of distraction, and he simply wanted something to do. Unexpectedly, heavy snow in the north blocked their path on the return journey, delaying them and preventing their arrival before New Year's Eve.

Mr. Yang was a scholar in his forties, well-read but plagued by misfortune throughout his life. His official career had been rocky, and he had neither wife nor children. After being taken in by Master Liu, he had become a loyal and trusted advisor, devoted entirely to the Liu family. Upon his return, he went straight to the main study without even washing up to report the details of the journey and the situation in the capital, before producing several secret letters from his person.

Master Liu opened the letters and read them carefully in Mr. Yang's presence. Once finished, he tossed them into the brazier before him. The flames surged, quickly consuming the black ink on white paper and turning them into a pile of dark red ash.

"Is the news from the palace accurate?" Master Liu asked after a long silence, his voice low and devoid of emotion.

"It should be accurate. Although the palace kept the matter under wraps, many officials witnessed it that day. Now that the Emperor is in good health, there is no need for such discretion, and the news has spread."

Master Liu reflected on the two matters mentioned in one of the letters. The first was that the Emperor’s health had been failing in recent years, reaching a point last summer when he had suddenly collapsed during a court session. He had nearly...

The second matter was closely related: when the Emperor was critically ill, someone had found a rural physician of unknown origin. This man, possessed of great skill, had cured the strange ailment that had baffled the entire imperial medical team, pulling the Emperor back from the brink of death. Most miraculously, since the treatment, the Emperor had not only regained his health but seemed revitalized, appearing ten years younger and more energetic than before.

This was what Master Liu had been asking about. Receiving confirmation, he fell into a silent, melancholy reverie. The Emperor was several years his junior; when they first met, he had been a spirited, warm, and decorous prince. Had it not been for the events that followed... perhaps, in his heart, he would still consider him a good emperor. As it stood, he felt a lingering discord, and he had found ways to decline every opportunity to return to the capital. The capital was the last place on earth he wished to visit.

Yet, the Emperor’s health had not been in such a state of decay. Who was that rural physician? There were too many secrets in the palace. Master Liu shook his head; these were matters he could neither participate in nor wished to be involved with. He sent Mr. Yang away to rest and sat alone in the study, digesting the rest of the news.

The other letter mentioned that since his recovery, the Emperor had abandoned his previous gentle style of governance, acting with sudden, decisive severity in court. He had even publicly reprimanded his own cousin, Jin Min—the eldest son of the Empress Dowager’s brother and the heir to the Duke of Protecting the State—ordering him to confine himself to his estate. Some said it was because, while the Emperor was dying, Jin Min had incited court officials to petition for the Third Prince to be named Crown Prince. Others claimed the Emperor favored Lady Shu and wished to elevate the Shu family, which the Jin family had blocked, inciting the Emperor's wrath. Opinions in the court were divided, and the truth remained elusive.

One concrete fact was that this year marked the triennial grand examinations. Previously, the autumn examinations were presided over by officials dispatched by the Ministry of Rites, which had long been controlled by the Jin family. This year, the Emperor had suddenly intervened, personally appointing Grand Tutor Zhuang to oversee both the autumn and spring examinations. Grand Tutor Zhuang was a veteran of the court and a renowned scholar of the age, once equal in stature to Grand Tutor Nie. Though perhaps not as blunt as Nie, he was a leader of the loyalist faction and commanded great prestige both in the court and among the people.

For the imperial court, this was certainly a positive development. What puzzled Master Liu was why the Emperor, who had been so indulgent toward the Jin family for so many years—even after the Empress Dowager’s passing—had suddenly struck now. Had a single illness truly awakened him? The mind of an emperor was impossible to fathom.

However, for Master Liu, this was good news—or, more accurately, good news for Zhou Runan, the tutor for the Liu estate’s private school.

The next day, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, Tutor Zhou Runan arrived with his wife and children to pay his respects to Master and Mistress Liu for the New Year. After offering his greetings to the Mistress, Zhou Runan was led to the main study in the front courtyard, where Master Liu awaited him.

Zhou Runan pushed open the study door to find not only Master Liu but also the eldest son, Liu Cheng. After paying his respects to the Master and exchanging polite pleasantries with the eldest son, he sat down as a servant brought tea and then immediately exited, closing the door behind him.

After a few sips of tea and some idle chatter, Master Liu brought up the subject of the upcoming grand examinations and asked Zhou Runan if he had any intentions of participating.

Zhou Runan shook his head with a bitter smile. "I am ashamed to say that after failing the examinations three times in a row, I have temporarily lost the heart to pursue them. I suppose my learning is limited, and I still need to study harder. I find great peace and joy in the estate now; reading poetry and prose in my spare time is all I desire."

Master Liu knew these words were insincere. After twenty years of diligent study, who would not desire to see their name on the golden list and bring glory to their descendants? Master Liu was well aware of Zhou Runan’s talent; he might not be guaranteed the top spot, but passing as a provincial graduate should have been effortless. Yet, failing three times in a row made it no surprise that even a proud man would begin to doubt himself. There had to be a reason.

Master Liu set down his teacup, furrowed his brows, and asked, "During those examinations, did anyone attempt to befriend you, or did you express any words that might have criticized the government?"

Zhou Runan thought for a moment. Initially, he intended to shake his head; as a scholar from a humble background with no backing, who would bother trying to befriend him? But then, a thought occurred to him. He hesitated, wondering if it mattered. "When I was young, I passed the preliminary examinations and was praised by my teacher as a rare talent, which made me somewhat arrogant. When I first came to Wucheng for the autumn examinations, I assumed I would pass with ease and was inevitably a bit reckless. The other scholars from my hometown did not care for me, save for the son of a merchant who was quite kind. He not only looked after me on the road but often invited me out once we reached Wucheng.

"At first, I looked down on him, thinking him tainted by the stench of commerce and lacking in learning—not a man of my path. But he was so persistent, and one cannot strike a smiling face, so I did not refuse him too harshly. Gradually, we became friends. After the exam, I felt I had performed well and was certain of passing. Who would have thought that when the list was posted, I was not on it, while my friend, who was less capable than I, had passed? I could not swallow this. I returned home, studied hard for another three years, and tried again, only to fail once more. After three such attempts, I am truly disheartened and wish to be spared further disappointment."