Chapter 152
Chapter 152
No one could react. The news was too absurd, and it carried a chilling, terrifying implication. Just then, Jin Mucong's shrill voice pierced the silence.
“Hahahaha! I won, I won! Where is Tang Yun? Where did he go? I told you, didn’t I? That I would crush you, knock you out in one blow. And now I’ve done it! Hahaha! Where are you, Tang Yun? Come on out! I’ve crushed your pride, slapped you right across the face!
Brother-in-law, sister, Mother. I won! Hahaha. I’m so happy, and I… I’m so scared!”
Jin Mucong’s voice snapped everyone back to reality, and a wave of clamor erupted.
‘It wasn’t a hallucination. I didn’t mishear. The winner really is Jin Mucong. H-how is that possible?’
Tang Lun, the Count of Jinhai, immediately rushed forward and asked in a startled voice.
“Royal Uncle Ying Kai, did you perhaps misread that?”
In his haste, Tang Lun had addressed the Royal Uncle with an informal ‘you.’ His meaning was clear: Royal Uncle Ying Kai was old, his eyes were failing, he must have misread the name and should read it again properly. The Royal Uncle had anticipated such a scene. He didn't even get angry, his expression unchanging as he flipped through the booklet.
“Then I shall announce it once more! The victor of the third trial is Jin Mucong, and the loser is Tang Yun! Did everyone hear that clearly?”
Hearing this, everyone was on the verge of frenzy.
‘H-how is this possible? Is this some kind of devilry? It’s more impossible than the sun rising in the west. The gap in literary talent between Tang Yun and Jin Mucong is as wide as heaven and earth, so how can they say Jin Mucong won?’
Was Royal Uncle Ying Kai too old to grasp the situation? But beside him, Marquis Suoxian and Duke Wei'an offered no rebuttal. Duke Wei'an, Bian Wu, exuded such an intense aura that no one dared question him. Finally, someone turned to Marquis Suoxian to ask for confirmation.
“Lord Suoxian, is… is it true?”
Marquis Suoxian replied, “Of course, it’s true. Do you think our eyes are so old we can’t even read?”
The Count of Jinhai felt his head spin, as if he were about to collapse. But in the next moment, this absurd situation ignited a fury within him, and he momentarily lost his reason. How could he remain rational at a time like this? It was a matter of life and death, the fate of the Count of Jinhai's Estate hung in the balance. The Tang Clan’s prosperity was entirely due to the iron mine on Jinshan Island. If they lost it, they would have to feed three thousand private soldiers on the income from their current fief alone. That was utterly impossible. To lose Jinshan Island was to lose everything.
The Count of Jinhai rushed forward again, shouting.
“This trial was unfair! There must have been a trick, some kind of cheating! Royal Uncle Ying Kai, everyone knows my son Tang Yun’s literary talent. He was the Third-Rank Scholar in the State of Yue's imperial examinations! And Jin Mucong? Who is he? Doesn’t everyone know full well? To say that Jin Mucong defeated my son Tang Yun—everyone would consider that a ridiculous joke.”
The aristocrats all voiced their support for the Count of Jinhai. The Jinshan Island dispute was not just a matter between the Jin and Tang clans. Everyone was waiting for the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate to fall so they could carve up that giant piece of meat that was the Jin Clan. They had even divided the spoils in advance, just waiting for the estate to collapse. The current result was tantamount to declaring all their efforts worthless.
“It’s a conspiracy! A conspiracy!”
“Cheating! There must have been cheating!”
“It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t fair!”
Many of the nobles, hidden in the crowd, shouted loudly. With the profits they were about to pocket now slipping away, they too had lost all restraint. They had all been waiting for the Count of Xuanwu's demise, and now they weren't going to die?
“Do you wish to die?”
Duke Wei'an, Bian Wu, reprimanded them, his voice furious. He hadn't shouted, yet his voice was like a clap of thunder, making everyone tremble. The solemn, murderous aura sent a chill down their spines, making them feel as if they would wet themselves. With that single phrase from Duke Wei'an, the previously boisterous crowd fell silent. No one dared to make a sound.
Royal Uncle Ying Kai said.
“Men, post the compositions of Jin Mucong and Tang Yun on the wall for all to see. That way, everyone will know that there was not a shred of unfairness in this trial.”
Everyone went forward to look at the compositions of Jin Mucong and Tang Yun. The Count of Jinhai continued to shout.
“There is definitely a conspiracy here. There was cheating. I cannot accept this.”
Royal Uncle Ying Kai spoke in a cold voice.
“You don’t accept it? Fine!”
He forcefully rolled up his sleeves, his eyes widening as he stroked his beard.
“Now that the compositions are on the wall, it will be clear. The essay by Jin Mucong of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate far surpasses that of Tang Yun of the Count of Jinhai's Estate in theme, form, and character. Everyone will be able to see it at a glance! Anyone who disputes my judgment can go to the capital and explain the situation to the King. But if anyone dares to cause a disturbance here, don’t blame me if my blade finds you. I, Ying Kai, may be an old man past his prime, but I still know how to kill! Men, if anyone makes a commotion, behead them on the spot!”
The arrogant Tang Yun, after participating in the trial, had returned to his room, taken out a book, and began to read with great interest. But after fifteen minutes, he was still on the first page. After half an hour, he was still on the same page. After an hour and a half, the page remained unchanged. What on earth was he doing? In truth, Tang Yun was lost in a world of imagination, savoring the events that had transpired.
He spent half an hour savoring the policy essay and poem he had written, another half an hour imagining Royal Uncle Ying Kai and Marquis Suoxian reading his works and marveling at their brilliance, and a final half an hour imagining the results being announced, with everyone praising him, reading his poem and essay with admiration. He was lost in his daydreams, waiting for the results. Of course, he had no interest in defeating the fatty Jin Mucong, but who dislikes victory itself? The most important thing was that he had turned the tide and saved his family’s fate.
Tang Yan had lost his match and jeopardized the family’s future, and only he, Tang Yun, had single-handedly salvaged the perilous situation. As he waited and waited for the news of victory to arrive, he grew a little anxious.
‘Why hasn’t the news come yet? I was so sure of victory that I didn’t go to the venue, but I still want to hear the results. Why hasn’t anyone come to tell me?’
Just then, a servant burst into his room.
“Young Master, Young Master…”
Tang Yun, holding the book in his hand, finally turned a page and said calmly.
“What are you shouting about? It was just a literary trial. What’s so exciting about beating that idiot Jin Mucong?”
But the news the servant brought was the complete opposite of what Tang Yun had expected.
“Young Master… you lost.”
Tang Yun was startled, his eyes narrowing.
‘Are you mad? Telling me such a joke?’
“Young Master, it’s true. You lost the literary trial.”
“I lost to Jin Mucong? Hahaha, what a tasteless joke. That’s absurd enough to shock the whole world.”
“Young Master, it’s true. Everyone is in an uproar. You should go see for yourself.”
Tang Yun shot up and went outside. A heavy rain was still pouring down.
* * *
By the time Tang Yun arrived outside the academy at the Raging River hunting ground, no one was left. Moments earlier, Royal Uncle Ying Kai’s fury and a single frown from Duke Wei'an had sent everyone scattering in terror.
They had all dispersed to find Lord Zhang Chong, the man they trusted. Since Royal Uncle Ying Kai had declared the Count of Xuanwu's victory in front of the crowd, it was impossible to change the result. The key now was whether Lord Zhang Chong could find a way to salvage the situation.
Tang Yun stood alone and quiet beneath the wall. Though it was late at night, the wall displaying the exam results was still brightly lit. Thanks to the large eaves above the academy's outer wall, the paper posted there was only slightly damp despite the heavy rain, and the characters were still clearly legible.
Tang Yun first stood before his own exam paper. Lost in conspiracy theories, he suspected someone might have swapped his paper or intentionally ruined it. But his essay and poem were intact, posted on the wall without a single character missing. Then, he hurried over to see Jin Mucong’s policy essay and poem.
Even with a cursory glance, he felt his heart leap out of his chest. He had become the Third-Rank Scholar because of his outstanding literary talent. But putting aside his prejudice against the fatty Jin Mucong, he realized that the policy essay Jin Mucong had written was exceptionally profound and brilliant. The theme of the essay was incredibly deep. It wasn't like his own essay, which seemed sharp on the surface but lacked real substance, with some parts feeling forced. Tang Yun liked to use ornate language and used his writing to curry favor with the King. So, when comparing the essays alone, the difference in quality was stark. Tang Yun’s essay seemed excellent on its own, but when compared with Jin Mucong’s, his writing seemed vulgar and its meaning ambiguous.
He then read the poem on Jin Mucong's paper. It was only a few dozen characters long, read in an instant, but it was a poem that echoed in his ears. *Return to the Harvest* was the kind of verse that would surface in one’s mind during moments of quiet contemplation. It was a truly magnificent poem. It was incomparable to his own, which was filled with flowery embellishments and superfluous words. He had been defeated in a single blow. Truly, utterly defeated. He had lost the literary trial, and the Tang Clan had lost the Jinshan Island dispute.
The loss of Jinshan Island didn't even register with Tang Yun. The only thing he cared about right now was that he had lost to that idiot, Jin Mucong. Soon, the news would spread throughout the State of Yue, and he would become a laughingstock. The brilliant Third-Rank Scholar, a laughingstock. And his opponent was none other than Jin Mucong! The fatty! The idiot! The esteemed Third-Rank Scholar had lost to such a person? What an utter disgrace! An icy chill spread through Tang Yun's body, and the umbrella in his hand had long since fallen to the ground. The cold, icy rain lashed his face.
‘No, Jin Mucong couldn't have written this. He definitely didn't write this! It must have been Shen Lang! Yes, he must have written it!’
“Ah… Ah… Aaargh! Shen Lang, you and I cannot live under the same sky! I will tear you to shreds!”
Tang Yun screamed like a madman, consumed by endless frustration and agony.
* * *
Shen Lang, too, was waiting for the results, pretending to read a book. He was looking at a book called *The Thirteen Classics of Yin and Yang*, which even had illustrations. They weren't well-drawn, but they were better than nothing. But he, too, was only pretending to read. After fifteen minutes, he was still staring intently at the same page, not turning it. An hour and a half passed, and he seemed poised to stay that way all night. Just then, the sound of frantic, pounding footsteps, like a charging pig, echoed from outside. It didn't take a genius to know it was Jin Mucong.
“Brother-in-law, I won! I won! I crushed Tang Yun! Hahahahaha!”
Jin Mucong burst in like a madman. Shen Lang said calmly.
“What's the rush? You won, so you won. What's there to be so excited about?”
For some reason, the scene felt familiar.
“Brother-in-law, you were teasing me again, weren’t you? The two questions on today's trial weren't the ones you told me about last night. The policy essay was on ‘A Discourse on Rewarding the Loyal and Virtuous,’ and the poem's theme was ‘Xuanwu.’ When I saw those two questions, I nearly wet myself.”
“What?”
A shiver ran down Shen Lang's spine, and he almost dropped the book in his hand.
“Brother-in-law, what’s wrong?”
“What did you say today’s questions were?”
“The policy essay was ‘A Discourse on Rewarding the Loyal and Virtuous,’ and the poem's theme was ‘Xuanwu.’”
In that instant, Shen Lang truly almost wet himself.
‘What happened? The two questions I saw yesterday with my X-ray vision weren't those. How did the questions suddenly change?’