APSIL -Chapter 126 Look at the Sword!

The first day when all the students of Half-Mountain Hall at the Imperial Academy had gathered together ended without any major incident.

Afterward, most of the students expressed lingering fear and said that fortunately they had listened to Zhang Chen’s three-man “violent persuasion to study,” and fortunately they had followed Lu Sanlang’s gentle encouragement. Otherwise, with the Emperor suddenly arriving, anyone who had dared to skip class would have stood out like a bright lamp in the night.

Instead, the Third and Fourth Princes, who were still minors and had become their classmates, actually felt no pressure at all.

After all, with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince—the two legitimate sons of the Empress—already ahead of them, younger princes were simply younger princes.

Compared to that, Zhang Shou’s first history lesson, which focused on the Baimian Incident and interpreted it mainly from the perspective of the imperial examination system, naturally attracted some criticism.

However, compared with his earlier statement that the present surpassed ancient times, this story about the Baimian Incident became something insignificant that could easily be ignored.

What truly overshadowed all controversy was the Emperor’s promise to the Imperial Academy officials.

At that moment, the low-ranking officials who had always envied the rare yet prestigious positions of Imperial Academy scholars nearly went insane with jealousy!

A promotion after one year, and the freedom to choose any sixth-rank official position after three years—this was practically like…

Adding an irresistible piece of braised pork knuckle on top of an already fragrant plate of braised meat!

The elective classes on the first afternoon were merely chaotic course selections and statistics, so by evening Zhang Shou once again entered the Shuntian Prefecture Office.

Having already visited this place before, he could not exactly call himself familiar with it, but the clerk he had met previously treated him as if they were old acquaintances. The man chatted warmly with him and personally escorted him into the second hall of the prefecture office.

When Zhang Shou stepped inside, he saw a scene that was both unexpected and yet completely within reason.

It was truly…

A mountain of documents!

He had once heard that university entrance examination papers in his previous life could fill entire rooms.

Now, in one corner of the second hall of the Shuntian Prefecture Office, there were piles upon piles of examination papers and scrolls of all kinds. At first glance, the sight looked extremely chaotic.

Behind the large desk in the center sat Wang Jie, the Shuntian Prefect—nicknamed “Wang Datou”—with his usual stern and expressionless face.

Below him sat a young official whom Zhang Shou vaguely remembered seeing at the entrance of the prefecture office.

However, that day he had quickly been pushed into a sedan chair by Zhu Ying, so he had never asked who the man was.

Based on the information he had heard before, this person should be the judicial commissioner, Song.

Both of their desks were covered with piles of documents as high as small mountains.

Beside Song, there was a young man Zhang Shou knew far too well.

The boy had not noticed Zhang Shou’s arrival at all. He was bent over a small desk, mechanically reading examination papers one by one. After finishing each one, he simply threw it onto the floor.

Only when Zhang Shou stood beside the small desk, blocking the light, did the boy suddenly raise his head.

His face was filled with irritation.

But after recognizing him, he immediately shouted angrily: “Little Teacher, look at these papers! They are complete nonsense, yet they dare to send them into the Shuntian Prefecture Office!”

Zhang Shou crouched down and casually picked up a paper from the floor.

After looking at it, he immediately felt his temples twitch.

If he were an examiner, he would rather receive a blank paper than see three profound essays explaining the teachings of ancient sages written on a paper containing only three mathematical application problems!

What kind of ridiculous thing was this?

Just as he was about to curse, Wang Datou’s cold voice came from above: “I intend to add another condition beneath the public announcement posted throughout the city. Starting tomorrow, anyone submitting papers must have their local guarantor sign and verify them.”

“Those who answer carelessly will not be allowed to participate in the prefectural, provincial, or metropolitan examinations for two examination cycles.”

“If anyone dares to use the words of the sages to avoid answering the questions, they will be banned for one additional examination cycle.”

It seemed that even Wang Datou, who had passed the imperial examinations through studying the classics and risen all the way to become Shuntian Prefect while also being proficient in mathematics, was extremely angry at this kind of opportunistic behavior.

After all, how was this any different from those examinees who tried desperately to make their handwriting beautiful during the imperial exams, hoping to flatter and please their examiners?

Especially since, apart from the provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations, most exams were not copied anonymously. There simply were not enough manpower.

Song the judicial commissioner, who was equally exhausted, finally forgot how difficult his superior usually was to deal with and sighed: “This should have been done from the beginning. If such conditions had been added when the announcement was first posted, many people hoping to take advantage of loopholes would have been discouraged.”

Zhang Shou smiled awkwardly.

“I truly lack experience, so I had to trouble Prefect Wang.”

The experienced Wang Jie’s expression clearly darkened slightly.

However, when he heard what Zhang Shou said next, his expression slowly softened.

“Teacher is considered the greatest scholar of our era, and he carries the prestige of being the Emperor’s teacher. Yet even he once had people incited against him, causing them to block his residence.”

“Now this matter concerns something as important as official careers and future prospects. Even if Prefect Wang issues such regulations, there may still be people who bribe others to submit deliberately bad papers and cause trouble.”

“After all, banning examinations can only deal with those who wish to take the imperial exams. It cannot deal with ordinary troublemakers.”

Zhang Shou smiled slightly.

“So… even if they are worthless pieces of paper, there is no harm in collecting them.”

“This capital city has many scholars, but it also has many people who wish to study yet cannot afford it.”

“Most of these papers are good quality paper. Even if they cannot be used to write beautiful calligraphy with ink, they can still be used by poor students to practice handwriting.”

“I think verifying identities is enough. Punishment is unnecessary.”

Deng Xiaodai, who knew Little Teacher extremely well, clearly saw a gentle smile appear on Zhang Shou’s face.

But he understood what that gentleness meant.

Back in the village, it meant some mischievous children were about to suffer.

Now…

It meant some clever people trying to play tricks were about to suffer.

“Besides, my Jiuzhang Hall will need a great deal of calculation draft paper in the future.”

“The students admitted may not all be wealthy young masters like Lu Sanlang, so these papers will actually be useful.”

“When they see the answers written by these people pretending to be clever, and see the names of scholars they may have heard of before, perhaps they will gain more confidence in their own abilities and future.”

Although Wang Jie was usually a man who rarely smiled, after hearing this final sentence, a fleeting smile finally appeared on his large face.

He nodded lightly.

“Very well. You are right.”

“Wasting things would indeed be a shame.”

“Let these papers serve another purpose.”

“Of course, they are not all worthless. There are still some papers worth looking at.”

Although most submissions completely failed to answer the questions, and the three problems Zhang Shou had given were extremely unconventional and difficult for this era, some people had still solved them.

Their methods were naturally not concise, nor could they be called perfect.

Even the best among them had only solved two of the three problems.

But they still allowed Zhang Shou to see a completely new possibility.

Therefore, when he saw the dozen or so papers specially selected, he sincerely thanked Prefect Wang and Song, who had nearly become dizzy from reviewing papers.

As for Deng Xiaodai…

He was a student.

A disciple helping his teacher was only natural.

Zhang Shou privately comforted the poor child, promised to give him a recent mathematics notebook later, and then said goodbye.

If he, who had already taught until his mouth was dry today, was forced to review papers as well…

He would have overturned the table.

When Zhang Shou returned to the Zhao State Duke Residence once again, night had already fallen.

Thinking about how Qi Jingshan had kindly lent him a small residence, yet now he could not even stay there because countless people had surrounded the entrance every day, Zhang Shou could not help but let out a sigh.

But the moment that sigh left his mouth, he suddenly heard a faint voice coming from ahead.

“Look at the sword.”

Zhang Shou instantly snapped out of his melancholy.

The cold flash of light approaching him made him jump in fright.

However, only for an instant did his muscles tense.

They immediately relaxed again.

A-Liu had only just gone to the gate, and this was the entrance of the Zhao State Duke Residence.

If someone really dared to attempt an assassination here…

Heh.

Then everyone else must already be dead.

Sure enough, the cold gleam stopped abruptly only a few steps away from him.

Immediately afterward, Zhang Shou clearly saw the person holding the shining blade.

Who else could it be but A-Liu?

The young man turned his wrist and extended the sword handle toward him.

His expression was unusually serious.

Could it be…

That the phrase “look at the sword” really meant nothing more than simply letting him look at this sword?

Zhang Shou accepted the sword with a mixture of amusement and helplessness.

He examined it left and right but could not find anything unusual.

In the end, he could only glare at A-Liu.

“Say what you need to say properly.”

A-Liu finally spoke several complete sentences in a serious tone.

“This was specially delivered to the gate just now. The sender specifically said it was for Young Master.”

“It had not yet been delivered to the Old Madam. Since you returned, the gatekeeper gave it to me.”

After saying this, he even added: “It was delivered in a box. There is no scabbard.”

This time, if Zhang Shou still did not understand, he would truly be an idiot.

A sword without a scabbard?

What else could it mean?

A threat.

Compared to the time in his previous life when he received blood-stained clothes in a package and a suspicious object resembling a bomb, this was honestly child’s play.

Zhang Shou chuckled.

Holding the sword, he casually swung it a few times before handing it back to A-Liu.

“They say a precious sword should be given to a hero.”

“Later, get a scabbard made. I’ll carry it around as a means of self-defense.”

Compared to Zhang Shou’s relaxed attitude, when he arrived at Qing’an Hall and announced that he had “received a treasured sword,” the Old Madam’s expression immediately darkened.

Zhu Ying was equally furious.

She had spent the entire morning at the Imperial Academy watching the excitement, and only after being chased away twice by Xu Heizi from the Discipline Office had she finally been forced to leave.

But before the grandmother and granddaughter could say anything, Ninth Madam—who had already removed her Buddhist robes and changed into ordinary clothing—spoke first.

Although her eyebrows were raised in anger, her voice was cold: “A mediocre person does not attract jealousy.”

“Someone has already sent A-Shou a treasured sword, which proves that he truly has accomplished something these past few days.”

“Since that is the case, instead of hiding everything and allowing people to investigate secretly, it would be better to make this matter public.”

Zhang Shou had actually been planning the same thing.

He never expected that Ninth Aunt would say it before him.

He immediately smiled.

“Ninth Aunt truly deserves to be called a heroine among women.”

“I was just discussing this with A-Liu earlier. Once a scabbard is prepared, I’ll carry this sword around as a weapon for self-defense.”

“However, I don’t know how to use a sword. When the next holiday comes…”

He had intended to say:

When the next holiday comes, I’ll ask the Zhao State Duke Residence to find a reliable guard and teach me a few moves.

But before he could finish, two voices suddenly rang out at the exact same time.

“I’ll teach you!”

The two people who spoke simultaneously were…

A-Liu.

And Zhu Ying.

For a moment, the hall fell silent.

Zhang Shou looked left and right.

Then he could not help but laugh.