Chapter One: The Examination Begins

Long before the Tang dynasty, entry into officialdom depended on recommendations from local gentry and the promotion of current officials. This method of appointment was especially rigid and outdated, riddled with avenues for favoritism and corruption, to the point that the means of gaining office were almost entirely monopolized by the great aristocratic clans. It was not until the Sui dynasty introduced the imperial examination system that scholars from humble backgrounds were granted a path to advance, allowing greater numbers of talented men to display their ambitions.

However, the Sui dynasty was short-lived, and the examination system itself was fraught with flaws and far from perfect. Especially at a time when powerful clans still dominated, the system had little real effect. Only with its further development in the Tang dynasty, as the imperial court eagerly opened doors to talent from less privileged backgrounds, did the examination system grow in significance.

During the Tang, the imperial examination was held almost every year and consisted of three stages: the preliminary, the metropolitan, and the Ministry of Personnel’s re-examination. The preliminary exam was the first step; only those who passed it could travel to Chang’an for the subsequent stages.

Each prefecture set its own date for the preliminary exam; in Youzhou, it was set for the first of October.

On the first of October, in the first year of the Xiantian era, the preliminary exam was held.

Pei Min, for once, did not stay up late or rise before dawn; he went to bed early and woke naturally, ready to face the examination in his best condition.

Steward Yuan had risen early to prepare a meal of lotus root noodles for them, wishing them all success in the exams to come.

As Pei Min savored the fragrant noodles, he said, “With Steward Yuan’s noodles for promotion, I will surely return with first place.”

Steward Yuan smiled. “With such confidence, young master Pei, I gather you are all but certain to earn the title of Tribute Scholar.”

Yan Gaoqing joined in the praise, “Who would have thought Steward Yuan’s skill with noodles would be so remarkable… Only, Pei, your words seem to overlook Yuan and me.”

“How could that be?” Pei Min replied. “We’re all friends—how could I not know your abilities? In any case, the top three will be us three. Whoever claims the top spot, it’s all down to our own efforts. The rest can step aside.”

Yan Gaoqing said approvingly, “Well said!”

Suddenly, Yuan Luqian recalled something and sighed. “It’s just a pity that my brother Xin and I don’t count toward the quota. Otherwise, today we could have helped Brother Pei teach Pei Yu a lesson.”

Pei Yu?

For a moment, Pei Min failed to recall the name. As he thought back, he remembered: before leaving Yan Yun Academy, Pei Yu had not yet learned of Pei Min’s break with the family, resented him for winning the chance to study at Jishan Academy, spoke out of turn, and was subsequently thrashed for it. Pei Min asked curiously, “What happened to him? Did he not make it to Jishan Academy?”

Yuan Luqian shook his head. “Not only did he not go, he was expelled from the Pei family.” Seeing Pei Min’s confusion, he explained with a smile, “It’s actually because of you. The spot at Jishan Academy was a contest between you two. After you left the family, he became the unchallenged candidate. But he chose to act the villain, assuming you’d robbed him and tried to force you out. You saw through his intentions and shamed him publicly, earning the contempt of the academy’s members. Though you two are from different branches, the world says there is but one Pei family. In terms of seniority, he is your cousin. The Pei family is strict in its discipline—using underhanded means against kin before outsiders is intolerable. Pei Yu lost his qualification and was severely punished. The family has now abandoned him and chosen another. He is also taking the examination this time, likely trying to enter office through the imperial exams, just as you are.”

Hearing this, Pei Min felt a moment of solemnity. The Pei family had persisted for a thousand years, producing dozens of chancellors, nearly a hundred high-ranking officials, and countless local magistrates; their family rules were indeed exacting.

Recalling Yuan Luqian’s earlier words, Pei Min couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret: the imperial examination did not select officials without restriction; each prefecture was allotted a fixed number of Tribute Scholar positions: three for an upper prefecture, two for a middle, one for a lower. Youzhou, being one of the ancient Nine Provinces, was an upper prefecture with three spots. There was, of course, an additional clause in the law: “If someone is truly talented and virtuous, the quota may be exceeded,” but if an unworthy candidate was recommended, the official who vouched for him would be implicated. As a result, each prefecture generally stuck to the quota, seldom adding extra names.

Yan Gaoqing and Yuan Luqian already had places to go; even if they earned the title of Tribute Scholar, they would not proceed to Chang’an for the next round. The spots they would have taken would be passed down to others.

Otherwise, with Youzhou’s three spots, the three of them would have claimed one each, leaving the rest with nothing.

Their confidence was not arrogance, but the natural result of preparation.

Pei Min smiled, “No matter. If you hadn’t brought him up, I’d have forgotten about that petty clown altogether.” He glanced at the time. “We still have a distance to the examination hall. Let’s be on our way.”

The three gathered their brushes and ink, and set out toward the Youzhou government office.

By the time they arrived, more than eighty candidates had already gathered at the gate. The examinees were clustered in small groups: some cramming from books at the last moment, some with faces tense and hands clasped in silent prayers for divine favor, some chatting and laughing with confidence, and some lurking furtively, apparently plotting their own schemes…

The scene at the government gate was a tapestry of all human nature.

Pei Min, Yan Gaoqing, and Yuan Luqian all belonged to the confident sort. Not only had they prepared diligently for this exam, but their greatest advantage lay in the foundation laid since childhood—learning to read and write from the earliest years, growing up with books as constant companions. The exam focused on understanding the classics and histories, and in this, they had accumulated far more than true sons of humble families. Such an advantage was not easily overcome.

Among the crowd, Pei Min unexpectedly spotted someone—Pei Yu.

The current Pei Yu bore no resemblance to the once spirited youth. He stood with his head bowed, quietly occupying an inconspicuous corner, looking every bit the impoverished scholar.

Pei Min’s gaze lingered a moment, and he found his opinion of the man shifting slightly; perhaps he wasn’t merely a petty villain. The hardships of life seemed to have changed him.

As the saying goes, “A barking dog seldom bites, but it is the silent ones you must watch.”

Habits are stubborn things; Pei Yu’s disposition was cold and envious, narrow-minded, and, having caused his downfall, he could hardly be expected not to hold a grudge.

Yuan Luqian, upright and principled, scoffed, “Serves him right!”

“Be wary of him,” Yan Gaoqing added, having heard the story from Yuan Luqian and seen enough for himself.

Pei Min nodded with a faint smile. “I know.”

After many days together, Yan Gaoqing understood that while Pei Min was upright, he was also tactful and adept at advancing and retreating—a man with the wisdom and subtlety to navigate officialdom. There was no need to say more.