Lanke Chess Edge
Chapter 153: One Name Echoes Throughout the Dynasty

Although it seemed that no one in the Chu family served as an official in the court, the family’s resources and capabilities in the capital could not be underestimated. However, it did not inspire much of Ji Yuan’s interest as he sat in the study reading a book and eating steamed buns.

Ji Yuan ate very slowly when he was reading. Even a strong, ordinary man could finish five steamed buns in only seven or eight bites. The more absorbed he was in his reading, however, the slower he would eat.

By the time the sun set, Ji Yuan had almost finished reading the entire series of “Reflections on the Governance of the Hundred Prefectures,” but there were still some crumbs left of the bun in his hand, as if he had been waiting to finish the entire set of books before he finished eating it.

After reading the last sentence, turning the last page of “Reflections on the Governance of the Hundred Prefectures” and seeing the back cover, Ji Yuan tossed the last piece of the bun in his left hand into his mouth. He wasn’t sure whether he was savoring the bun or the contents of the book.

Ji Yuan’s mentality couldn’t be said to be all that different from his previous life, though he was certainly calmer and more patient. However, he still sometimes reminisced abotu things like mobile phones and the Internet. Local customs and other such information could all be found online with just a few clicks.

After going downstairs to return “Reflections on the Governance of the Hundred Prefectures” to its original place, Ji Yuan was ready to go to bed. He returned to the third floor. However, he was not truly sleeping but rather using the moments borrowed from sleep to comprehend the strange techniques he had borrowed from the Old Dragon.

Although the things he had borrowed from the Old Dragon were not authentic from Immortal sects, it was still borrowed from a true dragon in the end. As long as it held the Old Dragon’s attention and he dedicated time to study it, there would at the very least be products that appeared authentic, such as the precursor to the White Deer’s Immortal Beast cultivation method. After Ji Yuan spent some time improving it, he thought that it was actually excellent.

What Ji Yuan was most interested in among all the jade slips that he had borrowed was naturally the techniques of “conveying spiritual knowledge through objects” and “riding on clouds and mist.” The former was relatively easy to practice, while the latter was one of the most famous flight techniques, requiring careful consideration and repeated practice, both in his inner world and even through dreams.

Normal cultivators would be accompanied and protected by elders when learning flight techniques, for fear of falling to their deaths.

However, Ji Yuan was not afraid of falling to his death. If he truly felt unsafe, he wouldn’t feel shame in asking the Old Dragon to take care of him. At worst, the Old Dragon might be greatly surprised and even tease him, but the other party would definitely help. Ji Yuan was a very accurate judge of a person’s (or dragon’s) character. The Old Dragon did not become Ji Yuan’s friend because of his abilities.

The old dragon’s custom techniques were quite unique. Some of the descriptions were very detailed. Rather than simply riding on the clouds, it might be more accurate to describe it as water and wind control, as well as some special manifestation techniques. It was quite different from the cloud-riding technique recorded in “Bright Strategies.”

As the saying went, the wind followed the tiger and the cloud followed the dragon.¹ THe ability to ride the clouds came naturally to the dragons, and true dragons were the most skilled among them. They didn’t need to do much to learn. Since the old dragon tinkered with the Ying family’s mystical technique, regardless of whether he did it on a whim, it was bound to be extraordinary.

Ji Yuan’s sleeping arrangement was simple. He took the gray cloth bundle hidden on top of the curtain in the study, put it on the ground as a pillow, then lay on his side, with a jade slip under his head. He fell asleep in the span of a few breaths, and practiced his spiritual skills as he dreamed.

Unlike ordinary immortal cultivators practiced in a state of meditation and tranquility, it was likely only Ji Yuan who could use such a delicate method, as he could transform his mountains and rivers in his inner world and overlap them with the real world at any time.

…

Ji Yuan had only just fallen asleep, but elsewhere in Yanhui District, someone on Yongan Street woke up from a long dream.

Wang Li was a little dazed from his long sleep. He rubbed his eyes and opened them, only to see the ceiling of his rented room. He sat up drowsily, stretching and yawning.

“Hooo…”

Tears squeezed out from the corners of his eyes as he yawned, making him feel much more awake.

Seeing that the lighting was dim in the room, it was probably getting late.

The dishes and other items on the table by the bed were gone. Perhaps someone from the landlord’s family had come by to clean them up.

Wang Li was still currently a little dazed.

“Why did I suddenly fall asleep? It feels like I had a very long dream…”

He glanced across the table, only to see the words “The White Deer’s Fate” written on a yellowed piece of paper at the top of the desk.

In an instant, it was as if there was a flash of electricity in his mind, and he recalled everything from the long dream he had experienced during the day.

Wang Li’s whole body grew from stunned to trembling, then gradually excited. He threw back his quilt and crawled to the desk.

“The White Deer’s Fate! The White Deer’s Fate! A deity has passed this story down to me, I have to write it down immediately!”

In his agitated mood, Wang Li hurriedly added some clear water onto his inkstone and began to grind ink again. The story he needed to write was certainly not short, but as a storyteller, he had already begun to arrange the plot in an exciting progression in his mind.

“This book must have five chapters– no, six chapters, it must have more than six chapters before it can be finished…”

His hands moved ever faster as he muttered to himself. His movements as he ground ink looked feverish.

Not long after getting up, Wang Li felt a chill and shivered again. He quickly pulled the quilt over himself.

Seeing that the sky was getting get dark, he picked up the flame stick on the table and tried to light the oil lamp. However, when he had opened the cap, he found that the spark in the flame stick had burned out.

“Xiao Dong~! Xiao Dong, are you there?”

Wang Li let go of the quilt. He stood up from the bed and walked to the door to shout a few words into the hall. However, he didn’t dare open the door, knowing that it had to be colder outside.

“Hey Dad, Mom– Mr. Wang is awake and calling me.”

“He’s been sleeping all day, he must be hungry!”

Laughter and conversation could be heard from the next room. The boy trotted over to Wang Li’s rooms and opened the door.

Whoooo… Whoooo…

A gust of cold wind blew in the evening air, and Wang Li couldn’t help but shiver.

“Mr. Wang, you are awake? I’ve prepared something for you. Today, is the first day of the New Year, we have braised pork and white-cut duck. Hehe, they’re delicious!”

“Oh, oh! Great, great, I’m starving. Oh, by the way, bring me a new flame stick. I wanted to light the lamp, but the one here went out.”

The boy looked inside the room and saw that it was pitch black, with not even a single piece of illumination. He quickly gave his agreement and trotted away.

Less than a quarter of an hour later,² Wang Li lit the oil lamp in his room and closed the lampshade. On one side of the Four Immortals Table, he placed his four treasures of the study; on the other side, he placed his New Year’s meals; in the middle was a stack of white paper.

There were only three big characters on the top piece of white paper: “The White Deer’s Fate,” written by Ji Yuan. This was also the paper Wang Li intended to use as the book cover.

Due to the immortal’s exquisite calligraphy, Storyteller Wang Li was extra careful in writing this time. Although his handwriting was still not great, he tried his best to make it neat, otherwise he would feel as if he were desecrating the immortal’s penmanship.

At this moment, Ji Yuan, currently asleep, seemed to have sensed something. He was still riding the clouds of his inner world in his dream, but his body in the library outside showed a smile on his face.

“At a table in the center of the capital, a paper fan waves in command; behind the screen, a wooden clapper strikes as a legend is told.”³

…

The imperial examination system had undergone several changes during the current dynasty of Dazhen. Currently, the general and palace imperial examinations were held every three years.

Before the provincial examinations, the examinations in each prefecture were relatively freeform. The examination time varied depending on the topic, some lasting several hours and some lasting a whole day, but the content of each examination was different.

Everyone knew what content needed to be memorized from the basic test of skill. Most candidates would have poetry and songs they had prepared in advance. However, there would be more of an emphasis on policy discussions and interpretations of various ideas, as this was the time to truly screen talents for officialdom, and the process would take a lot longer.

This stage of the imperial examination was usually led by the Ministry of Rites, with all divisions of the court setting the questions. They would begin on the ninth day of the second lunar month, and the three rounds of exams would be held on the ninth, twelfth, and fifteenth day, each lasting three days.

Around the time when the apricot blossoms were in full bloom, a notice would be posted, announcing the results of the imperial examination, hence its moniker as the “Apricot List.”⁴ Those on the list at this stage were considered quite talented.

And after the Apricot List was announced, the final palace exam would begin after a period of five days of rest, after which scholars would compete to determine their ranking in the entire generation of scholars in Dazhen. Although the top scorer might not necessarily become a high-ranking official, it at the very least brought honor and glory to the individual’s family.

Time passed quickly. Even though it was still cold, the hearts of the candidates everywhere burned with enthusiasm.

Today was the 30th day of the second lunar month, the day when the Apricot List rankings would be announced. All the talented scholars from the various prefectures of Dazhen gathered outside the wall of the Imperial Examination Hall in the capital, anxiously waiting for the officials to post the list with a variety of complicated emotions.

Ji Yuan didn’t know where the Examination Hall was at first, but he could immediately determine its exact location as soon as he looked from where he stood in the Chu Mansion’s library. The literary aura in that direction was so dense that it was difficult to ignore.

‘Master Yin is already extremely talented, but now he has been blessed with the pure energy of heaven and earth during the New Year. Now, his righteous aura is flourishing, his mind is clear, and his achievements will surely reach even greater heights!’

With such confidence in his friend, Ji Yuan didn’t even go out to the Imperial Examination Hall to join in the fun.

……

Yin Zhaoxian and Shi Yusheng couldn’t squeeze through the crowd, and with no servants to clear the way for them, they were squeezed in to a corner by the mob of scholars.

“Hey, Brother Yin, how are you not anxious at all? My heart feels like a cat’s paw!”⁵

The closer the time came to the announcing of the results, the more nervous Shi Yusheng became. He was sweating profusely. However, when he looked at Yin Zhaoxian next to him, he saw that the man was still calm and composed.

Yin Zhaoxian couldn’t help but retort at Shi Yusheng’s words.

“Who said I’m not anxious? I’m very nervous! But there’s no point in being anxious. Will my grade improve if I push through the crowd?”

“Your words are reasonable, but we can’t even see the list where we are right now!”

Yin Zhaoxian gave a wry smile. Wasn’t this a kind of force majeure?⁶ Just as he was about to say something, the strong voice of the court official rang out.

“Silence!!!”

The originally noisy environment outside the Imperial Examination Hall suddenly became quiet.

“Reveal the list!”

As soon as the official’s roar fell, four officials with silver-brimmed hats came out of the Imperial Examination Hall. One held a roll of yellow cloth that was even taller than the official himself.

Outside, officers stood holding batons to block the group of scholars from advancing. Faced with the skilled martial artist officers, the scholars could not pass no matter how much they squeezed. Some officers had even planted themselves in a wall in advance.

The four officials worked together to unfold the scroll. Then, they bent their knees and leaped together, using their dexterity to lift the fabric in the air, grabbing each corner of the cloth and slapping it against the wall.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” came the sound of four palms hitting the wall.

By the time the officials had landed on the floor, the enormous list of names had already been posted.

After a brief moment, Yin Zhaoxian felt a familiar atmosphere, just like how he felt in Chunhui Prefecture in Ji Province’s examinations.

Many scholars in the crowd were speaking a single name.

“Who is Yin Zhaoxian?”

“Where is this person?”

“I made the list, hahaha! I’m on the list!”

“I made the list, too!”

“Congratulations, congratulations…”

“Hey…”

“Do you know Yin Zhaoxian?”

“I don’t…”

“I know him! I know him! I heard his name on Wenqu Street. He’s the Jieyuan of Ji Province!”

“Oh, he’s so talented! He’s so talented!”

……

The voices came from the back of the crowd. The three characters, “Yin Zhaoxian,” were mentioned repeatedly among the roiling noise. Shi Yusheng’s expression was of disbelief., and Yin Zhaoxian’s heart beat faster.

1. This concept comes from a pair of paintings by Muqi with a dragon ascending to the clouds and a tiger surrounded by trees swaying in the breeze. They are said to represent the yin and yang forces of the universe.
2. Translation actually says “half of a quarter of an hour” but that just sounds weird
3. More couplets, 7/7 characters. There’s a ton of interpretation you can do here if you so desire, but I’ll leave that to you guys this time because not even I have a clear idea of what he’s trying to say. Maybe a commentary on behind-the-scenes influence? Governmental vs cultural power?
4. If you remember from chapter 111, the list of winners of the autumn (provincial) exams was called the Laurel List
5. Presumably in reference to the waving Lucky Cat statues, as if the waving paw were frantically beating in their chest… Not sure (Maneki-neko are technically Japanese, though I think China has their own as well)
6. An exceptional event or circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling their obligations