Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 910 It’s almost time
Zhang Jianzhi held two answer sheets in his hands. He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Li Zhi, who was reviewing documents, then falling on Xiao Wu, who was quietly tidying up books, and finally settling on Li Chengqian, who was leisurely sipping tea by the window.

"Your Highness, Senior Brother," he said, his voice filled with barely suppressed dissatisfaction, "Pei Wan and Cui Lin's answers are so clear and well-thought-out, they are quite different from their usual performance. Especially Cui Lin, just a few days ago she was tricked by the shopkeeper because she couldn't calculate the price of silk in the West Market, how can she write such a sophisticated economic strategy today? Forgive my bluntness, but there must be something fishy going on."

Li Zhi, without pausing, wrote the word "read" at the end of the memorial and said calmly, "What insightful opinion does Jianzhi have?"

"They hired a ghostwriter to write it!" Zhang Jianzhi slammed the answer sheet down on the table. "Powerful families are accustomed to such despicable acts. Your Highness, if such a cheater were to be selected for the Eastern Palace, wouldn't it be a laughing stock?"

Li Chengqian, who had been silent all along, suddenly chuckled and put down his teacup.

"Jianzhi, you say they are ghostwriters. Let me ask you, even if they are ghostwriters, so what?"

Zhang Jianzhi was taken aback: "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother? Cheating is cheating, how can we tolerate it?"

“Even if it was written by someone else, it was the result of their families using their top advisors and pooling their wisdom.” Li Chengqian’s voice was calm, but every word struck Zhang Jianzhi’s heart: “This precisely shows that the forces behind them have understood the deeper meaning of Master’s questions and have begun to shift towards practical matters. This change is more important than the answers themselves.”

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sycamore trees in the courtyard that were beginning to sprout new buds: "The companions you need are never just companions. They are the bond, the bridge, connecting the court with the noble families of the world. Whether they are wise or foolish is important, but the attitude of their families is what Master and His Majesty truly value. So this time I am certain that even if Master recruits from the general public, he will ultimately retain a few sons of noble families."

Li Zhi finally put down his pen and said with a sudden realization, "What my elder brother said is absolutely right. What Father wants is never a few bookworms."

Xiao Wu silently stepped forward, placed a freshly brewed cup of warm tea beside Li Zhi, and said softly, "Your Highness, Prince Su just sent a message saying that Marshal Xia invites you to his residence for a chat."

Li Zhi and Li Chengqian exchanged a knowing glance.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Cui family mansion, Cui Lin was frowning at the mountain of files piled on her desk. Her father, Cui Situ, sat opposite her, his face grave.

“I have already invited three retired senior officials from the Ministry of Revenue to explain the details of the Grand Canal transport to you. You must thoroughly understand these by tomorrow.” Cui Situ tapped the table: “The questions Xia Lin set are clearly testing practical skills. Our Cui family must not fall behind.”

Cui Lin bit her lip, her eyes filled with resentment: "Father, are we really going to bow down to those poor kids?"

"Foolish!" Cui Situ shouted sternly, "Is this bowing down? This is going with the flow! His intentions are crystal clear: he wants people who can get things done. If you can't even get past this hurdle, how will you establish yourself in the Eastern Palace in the future?"

The same scene unfolded at the Pei residence. Pei Wan listened quietly to the explanations of the elders in the clan, her brush flying across her fingers as she took notes. Unlike Cui Lin's anxiety, her eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge. Xia Lin's reprimand from that day still echoed in her ears; for the first time, she realized how insignificant her past pursuits of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were in the face of real political affairs.

When Li Zhi hurriedly arrived at Xia Lin's courtyard, he could hear Dugu Jiaye's silvery laughter coming from inside. Stepping into the courtyard, he saw Xia Lin squatting by the small field he had cleared, instructing Jiaye on how to graft melon seedlings, while Tuoba Shang clumsily assisted him, getting his hands covered in mud.

"Father," Li Zhi called out.

Xia Lin didn't even turn her head: "You're here? Perfect timing, hand me that bundle of hemp rope."

Li Zhi picked up the hemp rope from the ground as instructed and handed it over, watching Xia Lin skillfully graft two different melon seedlings together with precise and swift movements.

"The official examination is the day after tomorrow," Xia Lin said while busy with his work. "Have you reviewed all the answer sheets? What are your thoughts?"

After a moment of contemplation, Li Zhi recounted Zhang Jianzhi's doubts and Li Chengqian's analysis in detail.

After listening, Xia Lin chuckled and patted his son's shoulder with his muddy hands: "Chengqian is getting better and better. He's right, whether it's written by a ghostwriter or not is not important. What's important is that they're willing to put in the effort. These bastards are really amazing. They can analyze the meaning behind every detail."

He stood up and wiped his hands with a cloth, a cunning glint in his eyes: "However, since we're going to take the exam, we have to test our true abilities. I've already had your mother issue an edict that notices be posted throughout the city early tomorrow morning. The selection of the Crown Prince's study companions is open to all respectable young men aged sixteen to twenty in Chang'an, regardless of their background. Anyone can register to take the exam."

Li Zhi was shocked upon hearing this: "The whole of Chang'an? Father, this..."

"What? Scared?" Xia Lin raised an eyebrow: "We want to completely dispel the illusions of those who think they can get by with connections. True talent is never something you can learn by reading in a study."

Tuoba Shang excitedly rubbed his hands together, "Uncle, I want to try it too!"

Kasyapa jumped up excitedly and said, "This is going to be exciting! Father, can I go?"

"Go, all of you go," Xia Lin said with a smile. "Anyway, it won't make a difference if you two come."

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone on Zhuque Street, the area in front of the East Palace's outer wall was already packed with people. The newly posted notice was crowded with all sorts of people, including young masters from wealthy families in fine clothes, scholars from humble backgrounds in plain clothes, and even a few young people dressed as artisans.

"Anyone aged sixteen to twenty, regardless of rank or social status, may apply to be selected as a companion to the Crown Prince..." someone read the notice aloud, their voice trembling with excitement. A thin scholar in a patched long gown rubbed his eyes in disbelief, muttering, "Regardless of background... Is this really true?"

A young man in fine clothes next to him sneered, "It's just a publicity stunt. In the end, aren't we the ones who get selected?"

However, he was interrupted by a loud voice behind him as soon as he finished speaking: "Brother, you are mistaken! Since Commander Xia dared to post this notice, he must have conducted a fair selection. Although I, Di Ying, come from a humble background, I would also like to give it a try!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall, thin young man with a determined look standing there. Although he was dressed simply, he had a certain air about him.

The young man in brocade robes, having been publicly refuted, lost face and was about to lash out when his companion pulled him back: "Brother, be careful what you say..."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly sobering the young master surnamed Wang up, who reluctantly shut his mouth. This scene, however, made the common people around him burst into laughter. Before Marshal Xia arrived, these people would never have been so low-key. In the past, if Di Ying had just opened his mouth, he would probably have been kicked around in a 442 formation, with broken legs and blind eyes being considered minor injuries.

At Changsun Wuji's residence, several key figures from the Guanzhong Plain gathered together, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

"Xia Lin's move is a complete departure from the old rules of talent selection," an elderly minister with gray hair and beard said worriedly.

Changsun Wuji closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before slowly opening them: "Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. Tell the children in the family to put away their petty thoughts and study hard for the exam. If they are not as skilled as others, it is fate."

"But my lord, if we really allow those from poor families to be selected, what face will we have left?"

"Face?" Changsun Wuji sneered. "Face ceased to matter the moment Gao Wenhuan's head rolled. The most important thing now is to ensure the continuation of the family line. Pass on my message: all eligible young men, from this very day forward, must diligently study practical skills!"

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Li Zhi looked at the registration statistics sent by Sun Jiuzhen and was secretly astonished. In just one day, the number of applicants had exceeded a thousand, and it was still increasing.

"Your Highness, this is the current list." Xiao Wu placed a compiled roster on the table: "About 40% are from aristocratic families, 30% are scholars from humble backgrounds, and the rest are merchants, artisans, and other people from other backgrounds."

Li Chengqian picked up the roster and flipped through it, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Master, that was a truly brilliant move."

Zhang Jianzhi was still indignant: "But what if there really were cheaters infiltrated among them..."

“Jianzhi,” Li Chengqian interrupted him gently, “you underestimate your master. Since he dared to set up this venue, he must have a way to distinguish the genuine from the fake. I’m looking forward to what surprises will come in the examination hall the day after tomorrow.”

Three nights before the exam, Chang'an was brightly lit.

For the first time ever, "Hanmozhai," the largest bookstore in the West Market, stayed open all night, and it was packed with young people borrowing books and copying documents. The shopkeeper was all smiles, directing his staff to constantly bring books from the warehouse.

Several impoverished scholars pooled their money to buy a copy of "The Essentials of the Grand Canal," and sat around under an oil lamp, studying it with great eagerness. Not far away, a group of craftsmen's children were drawing various diagrams on the ground with wooden sticks, discussing the principles of waterwheels.

For the first time ever, Cui Lin did not attend any poetry gatherings, but instead hid in her study to study the "Chang'an County Annals." Pei Wan, on the other hand, secretly visited a retired county magistrate to seek advice on practical matters of criminal law.

On this night fraught with undercurrents, Xia Lin leisurely lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, listening to Dugu Jiaye chattering about what she had seen and heard on the street that day.

"Father, I saw several scholars measuring waterwheels by Kunming Pool today!" Kasyapa said excitedly. "Some of them were particularly interesting, behaving strangely, but I didn't dare to ask them what they were doing. I just found it very interesting."

Xia Lin closed her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Father, could you give me a hint about the exam questions the day after tomorrow?" Li Zhi asked softly as he appeared in the courtyard.

Xia Lin opened her eyes, looked at her son who was now almost as tall as her, and smiled: "The test questions have been prepared for a long time. But I can't tell you now."

He stood up and patted Li Zhi on the shoulder: "Get some rest, you'll be busy the day after tomorrow."

Li Zhi nodded and turned to leave. As he reached the courtyard gate, he glanced back.

Under the moonlight, Xia Lin stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the starry sky, lost in thought.

At that moment, Li Zhi suddenly realized that his father was not just selecting a few companions; he was selecting the future of an era.

(End of this chapter)