Volume One: River City Tune Chapter 30: The Orthodox Path of the Imperial Examination

September 15th, dusk. Li Ling brought Yue’er to the ancient Gu family’s gate. He had been here a few times before, but never as formally as today. This time, he had specially bought some pastries as gifts, and Yue’er seemed both excited and nervous—this was her first time being officially invited to a banquet.

The little girl had made a point to dress up before leaving, wearing the pale white dress she usually reserved for special occasions. Combined with her delicate features, she looked even more charming and lovely. This caught Gu Yuezi, who was already waiting by the door, by surprise. He quickly brought down the young man beside him to greet them. “Brother, you’ve finally arrived. If you were any later, I’d have sent someone to fetch you from your home.”

Li Ling laughed in response, “Brother, how could I miss such an important day as your birthday?”

“Yue’er wishes Big Brother Gu a happy birthday,” Yue’er stepped forward and curtsied prettily, her voice gentle. Hearing this, Gu Yuezi laughed again, “Yue’er is looking more beautiful by the day.” Then he glanced at the young man beside him. “Tianle, haven’t you greeted Uncle Li yet?”

The youth hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Yue’er, before respectfully bowing to Li Ling. “Nephew greets Uncle Li.”

Li Ling had never met him before or known his name. Now, surprised, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“Nephew Gu Tianle,” the young man blinked curiously. Gu Yuezi chuckled, “My son’s not very talented; I only hope he lives a happy life, so I gave him this name. Is there anything wrong with it?”

“Ah, nothing, it just reminded me of Bai Letian’s name,” Li Ling hastily replied, trying to cover up. “But I believe, nephew Gu will surely achieve great things in the future. Perhaps he will even establish many schools for the poor.”

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Gu Yuezi said happily, stroking his beard. Then he stepped aside and gestured, “Enough idle chatter. Come inside and have a seat. I’ve already prepared a feast and invited some friends to make the occasion lively.”

Li Ling followed him through the main gate of the Gu family mansion. The estate covered two or three acres, its layout cleverly designed. Walking along the flower-lined paths, it felt like wandering through a garden, which fascinated Yue’er so much she couldn’t help but marvel along the way.

When they reached the main hall after passing through three courtyards and took their seats, they paid respects to Madam Gu. At that moment, a steward came forward to report that a young Master Xu had arrived for the appointment. Gu Yuezi immediately rose to greet the guest, leaving his wife to entertain the others. This was a sign of close kinship—the so-called intimate alliance, where guests are welcomed into the inner chambers.

Madam Gu was well-mannered and treated Li Ling and the others with great propriety. While she engaged them in conversation, Gu Yuezi returned accompanied by another person. Li Ling stood up quickly. “Brother Xu, you’ve come too?”

It was Xu Cang, though he looked much more haggard than before. Dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot veins gave him a frightening appearance. Seeing Li Ling, he forced a smile. “I originally wanted to decline, but Boss Gu said you’d be here, so I came.”

After they all sat down again, Li Ling asked with concern, “Are you still studying hard, preparing for the imperial examinations?”

“Yes, the provincial exam is next month. This time, I’m determined to pass the xiucai level!” Xu Cang said decisively.

Li Ling had some acquaintance with him but had not spoken deeply. He only knew Xu Cang was dedicating himself wholly to passing the provincial exam, which had blocked his path to the imperial exams many times before. For months, Xu had shut himself away, pushing his limits to the extreme. However, judging by his current worn-out state, Li Ling felt uneasy.

But some things were hard to say outright, so he advised, “Success requires both effort and rest. Brother Xu, don’t harm your health over this obsession.”

“Don’t worry. I’m just tired, but my health is fine. Today, Boss Gu invited me, so I came to enjoy the feast,” Xu Cang smiled, rallying his spirits. “Though I’ve been homebound, I know you recently won a great victory. It’s truly worth celebrating.”

“That’s all thanks to Brother Li’s counsel and hard work. I’d like to toast him properly to show my gratitude,” Gu Yuezi said, raising his cup.

The three men then clinked glasses and drank, chatting about past events while eating. As for Yue’er, Madam Gu, and the other women and children, they had little to add to the conversation at the wine table, smiling politely and eating quietly. Yet, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

After some cheerful talk and birthday wishes for Gu Yuezi, he toned down his laughter and asked, “Brother Li, have you thought about your future?”

Li Ling was momentarily taken aback. He had considered it before but remained undecided. Unexpectedly, Gu Yuezi’s question seemed deliberate and not casual. He set down his cup slightly and pondered, “I have thought about it but have no clear plan yet. I intend to finish writing the ‘Fengshen’ book first, then decide.”

“You’re too talented to waste on just writing books,” Gu Yuezi said.

“Indeed, Brother Li, you wrote before to repay a huge debt, but now that’s settled, there’s no need to let your talent lie idle.”

“Writing novels is acceptable, but it’s not the path you should truly take.”

Seeing their seriousness, Li Ling’s expression grew solemn. “What do you mean?”

“Writing novels is a minor craft. Even if it earns some money, how much will it help your future?” Xu Cang added.

Li Ling wanted to say earning money was the greatest help, but then understood. In this era, writing for money was not regarded as a respectable pursuit. Noticing his hesitation, Xu Cang continued, “After what happened months ago, haven’t you noticed the truth, Brother Li? Writers aren’t considered scholars. Even if you amassed a fortune, what good would it do? If bandits ever targeted you, you’d be defenseless. Even if you appealed to the officials, they wouldn’t help wholeheartedly.”

Gu Yuezi, with deep feeling, said, “Take me, a traveling merchant. I always have to bow and be humble to others, and before officials, I can only kowtow. What use is wealth then?”

As they spoke in agreement, Li Ling slowly realized their point. “So, you both mean I should try the imperial exams again?”

Yes, again. The original owner of his body had taken the exams before but hadn’t even passed the county level, so he wasn’t even officially a student, ranking below Xu Cang.

“That’s right. It’s said that all things are inferior except for studying. Only by following the imperial exam path can you have a better future and ensure your talents are not wasted,” Gu Yuezi sincerely said.

Yue’er, who had been half-listening, now understood and softly said, “But brother took the exams before, and father tried for many years, yet…”

“Yue’er, you’re mistaken. Not passing this time doesn’t mean you won’t pass next time. It’s just bad luck now. When fortune comes, you can become a xiucai, a juren, or even a jinshi, and become a true, high-ranking official! That’s what we scholars strive for. Brother Li is well-read; how could he lack ambition?” Xu Cang said, his eyes fixed on Li Ling.

Li Ling felt nervous but hesitant. He knew from the original owner’s memories about the imperial exams. Like many dynasties, Da Yue’s exams required passing multiple levels:

First, the county and prefectural exams, where hundreds or thousands compete to qualify as a student eligible for the provincial exam. Only a few score high enough to become xiucai, then earn the chance to attend the provincial capital for the metropolitan exam. There, thousands of xiucai compete fiercely, with only about a hundred passing to become juren and proceed to the capital for the final exams. Finally, the palace exams produce the honored jinshi, who can enter court and become high officials.

Each stage was like crossing a narrow bridge under heavy enemy fire, far more grueling than modern college entrance exams. The competition grew fiercer at every step, and after ten years of study, only about three hundred out of tens of thousands could become jinshi every three years—a lower success rate than modern national exams or graduate school admissions.

Li Ling knew how his father and the original owner had repeatedly failed and returned empty-handed. So he had never hoped to achieve his ambitions through the exams.

Seeing his silence and hesitation, Gu Yuezi and Xu Cang assumed he had worries. Gu Yuezi smiled and said, “If you’re worried studying will burden your family, I can guarantee all your household expenses from now on will be covered by the Gu family.”

“How can I accept that?” Li Ling tried to refuse, but before he finished, Gu Yuezi gave him a stern look. “Why not? You helped protect our family business and are a great benefactor to the Gu family. It’s only right we support you for life. Even my son Tianle wouldn’t object—right?”

Gu Tianle, who was busy eating pork knuckle, looked up blankly at his father’s question and then nodded absentmindedly.

“Well... I’ll think it over,” Li Ling said. With the matter put so plainly, he couldn’t easily refuse. Perhaps influenced by the original owner’s memories, he even harbored a quiet hope for the exams.