Chapter Twenty-One: The Path to the Top Scholar (II): Trapped in One’s Own Scheme

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Zhou Yushan tossed and turned on his bed for a long time: at one moment, he recalled the courtesan’s tender skin and soft lips; at another, he felt as though a bloodstained executioner’s blade was scraping against his neck...

Tormented through most of the night, Zhou Yushan suddenly sat up, unable to bear it any longer. In the end, he decided he must seek out the man in the blue robe and ask him face-to-face what he ought to do now.

Zhou Yushan did not want to die. He yearned to hold that courtesan in his arms for many more years to come.

It was nearly the fourth watch of the night. All the world lay in deep slumber—even the soldiers on patrol in the streets huddled in corners, dozing on their feet.

Dressed in black, Zhou Yushan glanced around at the silent surroundings, then slipped into the kitchen and crawled out through an inconspicuous dog hole.

This dog hole had been revealed to him by an old friend and classmate. That friend had often used this very hole to sneak into the kitchen for clandestine meetings with the still-alluring widow who worked there, and had even engaged in countless unspeakable acts with her.

Zhou Yushan had once taken the opportunity to catch a glimpse of that kitchen widow himself. How to put it—she was the sort of woman whose weight alone could crush a man like him.

Zhou Yushan crept along under the cover of night. Though he had a few near-misses, each time he managed to escape danger unscathed.

“What are you doing here?” The man in blue rose from his bed, draped his robe around himself, and frowned at Zhou Yushan standing outside the door, his voice tinged with annoyance. “Aren’t you afraid of being discovered, running about the streets at this hour?”

It was a sensitive time. The capital’s garrison had sealed the city gates and patrolled the streets; any careless move could mean instant death.

“I need your counsel. His Majesty has announced that the palace examination will be held in ten days’ time. Even those of us who protested are now required to attend alongside the official candidates. They claim they’re giving us an opportunity!” Zhou Yushan could see the man’s displeasure, but he was out of ideas. All he could do was hope the man before him would give him an answer.

“Isn’t this good news? What are you hesitating for?” The man in blue seemed to have known about this already and cared little for it; in fact, he suspected it was simply a gesture from the Emperor to curry favor for the prince to whom he had pledged loyalty.

Everyone knew that no one failed the palace examination. Even the last-place finisher became a full-fledged scholar-official.

And becoming a scholar-official was the essential condition for any civil official to rise to power at court.

“But…” Zhou Yushan still wavered. He could not shake the feeling that this was a trap. If things were as the blue-robed man said, did that mean that in the future, any failed candidates merely needed to stir up trouble and the court would compromise, making special exceptions for them?

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Wasn’t this, in effect, encouraging honest citizens to become rabble-rousers? Was the court really that foolish?

“There are no ‘buts’ about it. This is a stroke of luck for you, and for my lord as well… Go back and do your best in the exam. My master has promised to pull every string he has to ensure your future in officialdom is smooth—so that you may one day become his trusted arm!” said the man in blue.

“May I ask which prince your master serves?” Zhou Yushan inquired tentatively. In the past, he would never have dared ask—he knew well that the more one knew, the sooner one died. But now, for his peace of mind, he could not help himself.

He had already decided: if this prince was sixth in line or lower, he would turn himself in to the Embroidered Guard at once.

The late Empress Ma had borne five sons and two daughters for the Emperor; these, of course, were his top five sons. Should anything happen to the heir apparent, the next candidate would be among these few, and as for the others—they were nothing but dreamers.

The Emperor, who always insisted on strict distinction between legitimate and secondary sons, would never violate the standards he himself had established.

Indeed, after Zhu Biao’s death, history recorded that Zhu Yuanzhang, to secure Zhu Yunwen’s succession, first elevated his mother to Crown Princess, then named Zhu Yunwen Crown Prince.

The man in blue held up two fingers.

This was his pride: he often compared himself to the current Duke of Sincerity, Liu Ji, and even believed that had he been born a few years earlier, Liu Ji would have been nothing; that noble title should have been his. He only blamed his parents for marrying—and having him—too late, leaving him now to take the imperial examinations before he could serve as an official.

Yet those examiners were insufferable, unable to appreciate his writing, and repeatedly failed him.

A man with such literary talent, and not a single minister at court could understand his essays! Deeply wounded, he left for Xi’an, where he deliberately befriended Prince Qin, Zhu Quan. If the path of the examinations was blocked, then he would use his abilities to help an emperor rise to power himself. That way, he could prove the blindness of the current ministers and rise to the top without the bother of the exams.

Zhou Yushan, seeing the two fingers, understood at once and felt somewhat reassured.

“Go, the future belongs to us!” The man in blue clapped Zhou Yushan on the shoulder in encouragement. “Even in this, you can see His Majesty’s dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince. Our great cause is at hand!”

“Yes!” Zhou Yushan nodded vigorously. At that moment, he felt power surging through him. He could already see Zhu Quan ascending the throne, himself serving as a minister in charge, wielding great power, with a beautiful wife and countless concubines at home—each day troubled only by whom to favor.

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In a small courtyard, Zhu Yang held the list of those to take part in the palace examination and asked, “These few have truly agreed to participate? Not even a little resistance?”

Jiang Huan replied with a laugh, “They may want to resist, but those behind them won’t let them. Even though these men are cautious, after their late-night outings, they’ve all returned remarkably eager!”

“Were you able to find out where they went?” Zhu Yang asked.

“Of course. But are you really only targeting one of them? The others you’re just letting go?” Jiang Huan was puzzled. With such a grand scheme set up, wasn’t it strange not to wipe them all out at once?

“Mm, just making an example. The others are lying low in their fiefs—if they acted rashly, it would create an uncontrollable situation. If it came to armed conflict, knowing His Majesty’s temper, that old man Huang and his son would surely be killed in a fit of rage!” Zhu Yang replied.

Partly, it was about protecting old Huang. But on the other hand, it was also to protect Prince Yan, Zhu Di. He, too, had played a part behind the scenes, and according to Liu Yuan’s secret investigation, Yao Guangxiao had been in the capital before the garrison entered and disappeared afterwards.

If Zhu Yuanzhang, in a moment of ruthlessness, decided to strike indiscriminately at his rebellious sons, once Zhu Biao was gone and Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, there would be no one left to launch the Jingnan campaign. And then, how would he use the chaos to take the refugees overseas? He couldn’t very well go live among the natives—or black and white people—of the Americas, could he?

“All right, proceed as planned,” Zhu Yang said, handing the list to Jiang Huan, then added with concern, “Tell old Huang to do everything he can to persuade His Majesty to be patient and keep calm.”

Zhu Yuanzhang cherished his kin, even to the point of using the resources of the whole nation to support the imperial clan. But when it came to Zhu Biao, Zhu Yang was less certain.

“Understood!” Jiang Huan nodded, never once breaking character despite knowing the truth.