Chapter 3

Lu Changyuan was a bit puzzled but still patiently explained, "Of course there is. Passing the Spring Examination only grants the qualification to participate in the second round of exams at the county academy. The second round of re-examination is what truly activates the divine palace within the body, conceives a literary symbol, and evaluates the child scholar. If the activation and conception fail, then one does not have the qualifications of a child scholar and must retake the exam next year."

The others nodded, and Huang Shihong, in particular, said with a sense of shame, "I can't even pass the first round of the Spring Examination..."

Lu Changyuan patted Huang Shihong's shoulder to comfort him and then self-mockingly said, "Who among us hasn't?"

He continued, "However, if there is a prodigy who can activate the divine palace within their body and conceive any literary symbol on their own, then they can be registered as a child scholar without taking the Spring Examination. Child scholars can live in the county academy, read books and documents for free, receive living expenses and food on schedule, and rise to prominence like Chen Dafu Hall..."

At the mention of Chen Dafu Hall, the others all showed envious expressions and said in unison, "Chen Dafu Hall is the role model for us, the literati of Chu, and the one we should emulate!"

Yue Heng understood the key points: the divine palace and the literary symbol were crucial, but they were very difficult to obtain. The life of a literatus was hard, wasn't it, all for these titles?

The other poor students in the room couldn't know much more, so it seemed he would have to ask Lu Changyuan later.

"Since everyone knows, I'll explain. The Spring Examination is a test, so, um, poetry, songs, and verses, well, of course, the more talented one is, the better! As the saying goes, 'If you read the Book of Songs three hundred times, even if you can't write poetry, you can still recite it.' The same principle applies here. As long as everyone reads more, they will naturally pass the Spring Examination. I did, didn't I? How many times have I taken it? Four times, or five? Oh, so many that I can't even remember..."

Yue Heng was full of flattery, and seeing the others deep in thought, he secretly smiled.

"Yue brother has taken the exam four times, and each time he has made progress."

Lu Changyuan laughed, but then sighed, "If you read the Book of Songs three hundred times, even if you can't write poetry, you can still recite it... The Book of Songs doesn't have three hundred poems, but I know Yue brother means a large number of documents. Unfortunately, we poor students can't afford to buy many books and documents. How can we achieve this?"

"Difficult, difficult, difficult!"

The other students also shook their heads and sighed, their faces full of sorrow.

"How can the Book of Songs not have three hundred poems? I remember it does," Yue Heng thought, but he didn't dwell on this question. He felt more sorrow, seeing the plight of poor students like himself, who couldn't even afford incense.

But he quickly had another doubt. Printing books wasn't expensive, so why weren't there book merchants selling them in large quantities?

If all the literati in the world could read books and documents, wouldn't the number of literati skyrocket?

There must be some reason he didn't know!

The night was deep, and the other poor students bid farewell and went back to their rooms to rest. Only Lu Changyuan and Yue Heng continued their conversation, chatting animatedly by candlelight.

Yue Heng flattered Lu Changyuan for his extensive knowledge and then probed, "Lu brother, how do those prodigies activate their divine palaces and conceive literary symbols in advance?"

Lu Changyuan smiled, "Yue brother, we poor students shouldn't even dream of it! You must know that although there are many poems and essays in the world, only a few can resonate with the turtle shell symbols created by Emperor Fuxi. Those prodigies, without exception, either read extraordinary texts by chance or received external help from their families. There are three necessary conditions: 'resonant text,' 'being in the scene,' and 'the path of the heart.' Plus some external help and 'fate,' the literary symbol can be conceived, and the divine palace can be activated for the first time, and expanded thereafter..."

Yue Heng didn't fully understand and wanted to ask more, but then a waiter hurried over and respectfully said, "Young Master Yue, a young lady is waiting to see you outside."

"A young lady is looking for me?" Yue Heng's first reaction was a mix of amusement and bewilderment. He was a poor scholar who couldn't even afford a meal, let alone pay for a courtesan. How could he know any young lady?

Lu Changyuan laughed and pointed at Yue Heng, shaking his head, "Yue brother, you really are a hidden gem. You must have written excellent poetry that someone appreciated, and they came to encourage you before the exam. Tell me, which noble lady is it? How beautiful is she, and how talented?"

Oh, so that's what he meant by a young lady...

Yue Heng blushed, still not quite used to this world.

If a young lady came to see him so late at night, he would naturally be suspicious, but after Lu Changyuan's words, he felt a bit curious. Could it be that this Yue Heng, before starving to death, had written something so good that he won the favor of a beautiful lady?

It was possible. Last year, he passed the first round of the Spring Examination but failed in the second round. After a year of preparation, a miracle could happen!

"The spring night is cold, Yue brother, go quickly. Don't keep the lady waiting. A noble lady wouldn't meet in the daytime, so she visits at night. If Yue brother becomes a child scholar this year and wins the lady's heart, it will surely be a beautiful story for the literati! When you return, tell me your new work, and I will emulate it!"

Lu Changyuan pushed Yue Heng and nodded toward the side door, making the waiter standing nearby smile.

Yue Heng was embarrassed but felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. He followed the waiter's direction to the side door and saw a slim, vague figure standing outside the alley, feeling a surge of joy.

He quietly adjusted his old robe and walked over steadily. But before he had taken a few steps, his vision suddenly went dark as a black bag was placed over his head, followed by a storm of punches and kicks. His frail body couldn't withstand the assault, and he soon passed out from the pain.

After a long time, Yue Heng still hadn't returned. The waiter yawned, and Lu Changyuan felt something was wrong. He frowned and slowly walked to the side door, peering out to see a shocking scene.

"… Murder! …"

"… Report it to the authorities! …"

"… He's not dead yet… Quickly carry him in… …"

"… Brother Huang… Help… …"

Yue Heng's muddled consciousness could only sense these words. His body was in excruciating pain, especially his right arm, which hurt unbearably. His soft tissues were likely severely injured, and he passed out again after hearing these voices.

The other guests were awakened by Lu Changyuan's shouts and poked their heads out of the windows to see what was happening.

Huang Shihong and the other poor students, not even fully dressed, rushed out. Lu Changyuan called to Huang Shihong, and the two of them, one lifting the head and the other the feet, tried to carry Yue Heng into the inn.

"Wait!"

The inn's accountant and cook rushed over. The accountant, trembling, shouted, "This person is seriously injured, we can't carry him in!"

The accountant was afraid that the person would die in the inn, causing trouble.

Lu Changyuan immediately understood and angrily shouted, "Wasn't it your collusion with bandits that lured Yue Heng out, leading to his injury? Your inn is also implicated!"

The waiter was terrified and quickly explained, "I really saw a woman, how could I be colluding with bandits? The martial examination just ended, and every night, there are groups of failed martial candidates drinking and causing trouble. It could be them!"

Lu Changyuan, ignoring the explanation, was furious, "The truth needs to be investigated, but if your Drunken Immortal Inn tries to shirk responsibility, you will be suspected of colluding with bandits! Move aside, I need to carry him in!"

"Wait!"

The cook and his staff blocked the way, refusing to let them pass without the accountant's order.

This stalemate couldn't last, and the inn's management quickly discussed and decided. The accountant approached and whispered, "Listen, Master Lu, do you have the money to treat him? Do you have connections to seek help from the authorities? What is your relationship with him, worth offending all of us? Can you save him for a moment, but can you save him for a lifetime? The Spring Examination is important, don't delay it!"

"…"

Each question the accountant asked made Lu Changyuan more hesitant. Yue Heng was severely injured, and it was uncertain how long he would survive. Even if a doctor was called to save his life, who would take care of him tomorrow?

If Yue Heng became a cripple, who would take care of him for the rest of his life?

They were all poor students, with no money to cover the unknown medical expenses.

"As fellow poor students, I can't just let him die…"

Lu Changyuan's words lacked confidence, and he was already backing down, finding a way out.

The accountant's eyes darted, and he quickly said, "There's an unused shed nearby where we can place him. I'll provide a few silver taels to help, and hand him over to the authorities tomorrow. I'll make sure it doesn't affect your Spring Examination. Otherwise, if you have to testify, you'll waste time and miss the exam."

"…"

Lu Changyuan and Huang Shihong were hesitant. They had only met Yue Heng briefly and had only spoken a few words. Even Lu Changyuan barely knew him. If they stood up for him and missed the Spring Examination, it wouldn't be worth it.

"Carry him to the shed!"

Seeing the students give in, the accountant quickly directed them. They hurriedly carried Yue Heng to a remote shed, leaving the waiter and Lu Changyuan to watch over him. The other guests, seeing it wasn't their problem, went back to sleep. The disaster seemed to fade away.

In the middle of the night, no one reported the incident to the authorities, and no one called a doctor to save him. As the accountant said, they were just doing their part, and he was just an unimportant literatus.

When the cook brought the life-saving medicine and fed it to Yue Heng, the three of them didn't say anything and didn't care if he would die in the night. They each found an excuse and quietly slipped away, not wanting to get into trouble.

It was still winter before the Spring Examination, and the shed was drafty. The cold wind blew in, and Yue Heng, left unattended, lay in a pile of old clothes, waiting for death.

The pain woke him again. The life-saving medicine had temporarily restored his consciousness, but the excruciating pain was almost unbearable. He struggled to open his eyes and, after a moment's thought, understood what had happened.

"I've only been here for one day… This damned cold world… Am I going to die again? No! I can't bear this humiliation, I must live… But I…"

The pain in his broken arm returned, and Yue Heng knew his arm was likely useless. In his anger and hatred, he clearly remembered the voices he heard during the beating. It was the guy called Shun Hou'er, who kicked and beat him, telling him he wouldn't see the next day's sun.

The severe pain in his arm was also caused by Shun Hou'er, possibly with an iron rod. Their goal was to break his arm so he couldn't take the Spring Examination!

"First, I must survive… I'll settle the score with you when I recover…"

This was all Yue Heng could think of, but what could he do to survive?

The previous owner had starved to death at home, and he had no money. How could he survive?

"Are literati really useless? No… I am a literatus, and I can become a child scholar. The authorities will surely treat me with all their might, giving me a chance to live and avenge myself… Lu Changyuan said that to activate the divine palace, one needs 'resonant text,' 'being in the scene,' and 'the path of the heart'… I know many poems and am in a dire situation. No matter how small the chance, I must try!"

Yue Heng quickly searched his mind. He was at the brink of death and had to find a resonant text to try to save himself. He had to live!

The pain continued, and his mind was tense. Just as he was on the verge of death, he finally remembered a poem that might save him. He opened his mouth and, with all his strength, slowly and painfully recited twenty characters.

...

The grass on the plain,

Grows and withers each year.

Wildfires cannot consume it,

Spring breeze brings it back to life.

...

...