Yuanying wasn’t aware that his brother visited him because there’s so much to focus on during the exam. To write a good piece on current affairs is not easy; to score well it needs to be relevant and outstanding and include your own ideas and thoughts.

So this exam allows you to bring your own dry food and you can even light a candle when its dark. It can go on for the whole day until late night.  

Although Yuanying’s party didn’t predict the exam question fully, they have had discussion on a similar topic before. Yuanying quickly drafted the main idea and started writing on the answer sheet. Halfway through, he felt hungry and ate his dry ration. It was a pity that he can’t have hot tea with it but he can make do for now and continued focusing on the task at hand.

By noon, Yuanying is done and he quickly read through it to make sure that there were no typos or prohibited content, and that his writing is fluent. As for the literary style, he just left it as it is, it’s too late to make any changes now, so let’s just hand it in.

He was satisfied with his work and he left the exam hall early. He looked around but his friends were not done yet. He ran to the tavern outside the exam hall to borrow a toilet, then sat down at a table and asked for tea.

This is a first time that someone is ordering tea in such a small shop and the owner was speechless but explained that his humble shop is too small and he had no way of securing tea that the aristocrats like to drink. Yuanying knew that tea was popular but he wasn’t aware that it was off limits to the ordinary folks. He told the owner to send someone to Thousand Gold hall to get them as he wanted his tea.

Yuanying was generous and the owner was happy to do business with him. After receiving the money, they quickly complied. Yuanying then asked the shopkeeper how hard it is to buy tea. The harder it is, it better it’s being sold and the more money he will make!

Soon, the errand boy came back with tea and  also Huang Ying and Huang Li. Since he’s out for an exam, he didn’t want special attention so Yuanying sent his servants away to read books or learn medical knowledge.

Hearing that the Prince is done, his servants quickly came forward and occupied an area of the shop to brew tea for him. Although the tavern wasn’t a big one, other guest saw the commotion and some even boldly ask to try the tea.

“Sure. Why not?!” (Yuanying)

Hearing his generosity, the people in the shop quickly introduce themselves.

Yuanying also happily shared his name, but unfortunately the public knows him as Prince Teng and no one knew Li Yuanying was. It’s a familiar name, but they can’t recall they heard it.

Knowing that he had just finished his exam, several immediately sat at his table to ask about the questions and it’s difficulty. Yuanying patiently answered them, saying that he would definitely pass and the questions were not difficult.

Seeing that the boy was only 13 or 14, the crowd thinks he is too confident. But seeing that he generously treated everyone, they tacitly didn’t say anything and gave him their sincere blessings.

After finishing the session, the three girls came out one after another. As for Di Renjie’s group, their exam was much more complicated and they’re not done yet. Yuanying was sitting by the window and greeted them.

The crowd had not dispersed. When they saw 3 young ladies walking out, each younger than the other, they immediately remembered the rumors. It’s rumored that this year’s Jinshi exam was chaotic. The Emperor  threw his younger brother and daughter into it. There were 2 more female candidates, one of whom was his brother’s fiancée!

Seeing the girls walking into the tavern without caring about the sidelong glances, the guests felt that it was a bit rude to stare at them for too long.

Then people found out about Li Yuanying’s identity: the youngest brother of the current Emperor! No wonder even the two little maids of his were beautiful and cute!

Yuanying certainly didn’t know their thoughts. He waited for the girls and asked them how they performed.

They all think that they had performed as they normally would and Wu Mei’s brows looked bright and glorious. Although she knew that she would be eliminated even if she got good ranking, she will still seize the opportunity that she was given firmly!

Yuanying is aware about the controversies about the girls that the public can create so he came up with a good idea: “Can you rewrite the article? If you can, let’s publish it in the library newspaper and let people comment on it. We will take the lead and let other candidates know that they can submit their articles. They will be published in batches, and the library will give them a fee to cover part of their food and accommodation in Chang’an.”

Wei Shu nodded: “I can write it again.”

Wu Mei and Cheng Yang agreed too.

Yuanying also proposed that 4 articles be published in each issue, without name for the public to read and judge. There is no limit to a truly good article. As long as it is given a platform, it can be widely spread!

Then the rest of his friends also came out from the hall. Yuanying bid the crowd in the tavern goodbye and mentioned that the articles written by the 4 of them will be printed tomorrow, so they should remember to read them.

The drinkers were all gossipers, so they would definitely look forward to it. In fact, they’ll likely invite  their  friends and relatives along!

When Di Renjie heard about Yuanying ‘s plan he was regretful that he didn’t join the Jinshi exam. Otherwise they could have fun too.

Tang Guan was a little worried: “Will the examiner be angry if you do this?” Before the rankings were announced, Yuanying will already be publishing them and asking for public opinion. This sounds like he’s forcing the examiner to give them good ranking.

“I’m not asking him to be unfair, why is he going to be angry?” I’m just asking people to read, nothing more than that!  The examination hall will be closed so even if there is commotion outside, it will not affect the results.

Yuanying was adamant about his plan and they left for the library to start working before dark.

The next morning, there was a special edition of the library newspaper. It came with 4 anonymous examination essays with different styles. One was delicate and meticulous, another natural and grand, and another sharply written. In summary, all good and exciting reading materials.

It’s impossible for them not to write well. For the past few months, they have been writing at least 1 article each and they have written so much that they were were so sick of writing that they could vomit. No matter what the question was, they could write thousands of words with their eyes closed!

Everyone who received the newsletter couldn’t help but read them repeatedly, silently judging it. Some candidates became  disheartened after reading them, thinking that if this was the level, they would definitely fail!

Some were unsure and wanted to know how their work will be evaluated and boldly submitted their articles for publication. If they could gauge their skills and get some money, why not?

And so the next day, t4 more examination articles were published.

The candidates felt relieved: Not everyone were masters in the exam.

It would take many days for the exams to be graded, and many couldn’t wait.. Some suggested that the library should publish more than 4 articles so that new work will be published faster and they could read and could compare. The library followed suit and changed to instant copying and posting. The library, which had been operating quietly for a long time, reappeared with the lively scene similar to when it first opened!

With such a big commotion outside,the Imperial court is sure to get news.

Kong Yingda knew it was Li Yuanying’s idea as soon as he heard it. His beard stood up in anger. This kid just finished the exam and is already making a scene. He even paid the candidates to publish their exam essays! Now everyone is discussing which essay is the best this year, and most think that one of the four essays published on the first day should be selected!

It is obvious that the group thinks that the official ranking may be unfair, and they decided to spread the essays first. They are really confident!

Kong Yingda isn’t going to help Li Yuanying to cover up, and reported it to His Majesty.

His Majesty had a dark face and asked for Li Yuanying to be summoned.

After publishing the essays, Yuanying has already moved on to his next agenda which is to prepare for the next trip to Taiyuan.

There is nothing more to do, you just have to wait for the results, have an audience with the Emperor, and return home in glory. These are meaningless to Li Yuanying. If Wu Mei gets the first place, he can arrange a buffet at Feng Thai restaurant and make a big deal!

After doing what he can, Yuanying doesn’t care anymore. He is now actively planning for a post-exam trip, intending to take Sizi and the others to Taiyuan to play with Li Zhi and his new born baby.

When he was summoned, Yuanying was puzzled and wonders why the Emperor is looking for him.

Li Er threw the “special edition” newspaper at him and asked what was going on.

“Exchange. Sharing! Brother, when you were studying, didn’t you discuss the exam with others? These articles are not shameful, why can’t they be released?”

His Majesty glared at him.

Even though no names were mentioned, the Emperor could guess that the 4 articles were written by the group. He just couldn’t figure out who wrote the most brilliant one.

Any discerning person can see that one of the articles written is profound and sharp, far ahead of others. Even the scholars of Hongwen Academy said that it was a pity to use this article for an exam. This is a good article that hits the nail on the head and is enough to make the author famous for thousands of years!

To be able to write about current affairs to this extent, anyone who lacks knowledge, vision, and mind cannot do it.

His Majesty secretly wanted believe that this article was written by Li Yuanying, but after pondering, he knows it’s impossible.

Li Yuanying is not as sharp. His work would exudes a sense of “I can be more unrestrained”, that’s Li Yuanying’s style. He’s trying very hard to restrain his little tail!

Wei Shu and Chengyang wouldn’t write like this too.

Then there is only one person: Wu Mei.

It was he, the Emperor who gave her the name “Mei”, thinking that she was outstanding in appearance and naturally charming.

As a result, Wu Mei left the palace and gradually became as sharp as a sword and aggressive!

Seeing that His Majesty looked unhappy, Li Yuanying actively explained to himself: “Brother, although it is not forbidden for us to take the exams, I am your brother, Chengyang is your daughter, and Sister Shu your future sister-in-law. We are all related, so people will gossip! I know it would be difficult for you, so I am posting the article out first. If anyone disputes the results and accuse you of favoring your own family, I will let them open their eyes and take a good look!”

“If the Imperial Examination gave you a low ranking, you will also ask the others to judge, right?”

“It’s impossible. My Royal Brother, if you don’t have a broad mind to treat everyone equally, why did you let us take the exam? When the Turks surrendered, you gave them a place to settle down and let them serve as officials and generals. No matter where someone came from, as long as they were willing, you treated them the same, allowing them to become citizens, to join the army, to take the imperial examinations. No matter where the envoys came from, as long as they wanted to learn the Tang language and knowledge, you allowed them to attend the Imperial Academy. My Royal Brother can tolerate people from the world,  what more just a few Tang women?”

After hearing what Li Yuanying said, Li Er’s expression eased a little. He leaned on the armrest and rubbed his forehead, looking a little tired.  

“Have you been on good terms with the children of the Fanyang Lu family recently?”

Yuanying saw that His Majesty looked tired, so he cleverly came over to give him a massage.

“Yes, it’s someone Old man Fang brought along to Cuiwei Palace. You also praised him for his good poetry! He’s smart and learns quickly. I think he is being held back by his family for learning about the study of words. It’s elegant but very difficult to learn. If he came to Chang’an earlier, he will definitely be able to take the exam with us!”

Li Er was just enjoying the massage but heard something that made him annoyed. The annoying aristocratic families.

If all the children of aristocratic families start the imperial examination, there would be no place for Li Yuanying! Although the Court established this official channel to give poor children the opportunity to study, they lack guidance compared to those from privilege backgrounds and few get selected.  The talents who could be used immediately are still within the aristocratic families.

In fact, Li Er didn’t mind using them but they looked down on the Royal family and many would not even want to take the exam. For example, when Li Yuanying and three female candidates took the Jinshi exam this time, some candidates silently boycotted the exam, thinking that such an exam insulted them!

His Majesty was also temperamental. Since these aristocratic families did not like the Li Royal family, he didn’t like them too. When he asked Gao Shilian to compile the <<Clan Records>> a few years ago, he specially asked Gao Shilian to move these families back one level.

Li Er was quite surprised to hear Yuanying sincerely praise Lu Zhaolin. If there is anything that the noble families despise the most, it is the royal relatives like Li Yuanying who has a bad reputation. How did this kid make people look at him differently?

When Yuanying heard that Li Er doubts his friendship with Lu Zhaolin, he said unhappily: “I am sincere in making friends, and he is also sincere in being my friend. What’s so strange! I also have correspondence with many of his friends. When we encounter problems that we don’t know, we write to them and ask!”

“It seems that he really regards you as a friend.”

If it weren’t real friendship, Lu Zhaolin would never mention Li Yuanying to his friends, let alone write together to his other friends.

 “Of course, I am the best at making friends!”

Seeing him so cocky, His Majesty didn’t want to listen to him bragging anymore. He told him to just have his own fun and stop messing around.

Li Yuanying denied flatly: “I don’t mess around!” He didn’t leave even when Li Er shoo him away but asked, “Did my brother encounter any troubles?”

Li Er didn’t want to mention anything to Li Yuanying, but the boy had learned a few tricks from Sun Simiao and is doing a good job at the massage.

The trouble os about whether to start a war with Goryeo. Goryeo had been restless these past two years, mainly because a powerful official named  Yeon Gaisuwen.

Gaisuwen holds military power and does whatever he wants in Goryeo. The last ruler who wanted to kill him was torn into pieces by him. The current ruler is supported by him and is very obedient. After Gaisuwen finished his internal struggle, he has been disturbing the surrounding countries. The first to bear the brunt was naturally Silla. After all, Silla itself was not peaceful. Goryeo and Baekje joined forces and Silla had no power to fight back!

These are all vassal states of Tang. The states have repeatedly challenged their authority and the Emperor thinks he cannot tolerate anymore and must fight!

In response, the military generals agreed. They have not been in action for a long time and wanted to get some military merits. As for the empty treasury and the suffering of the people, they think nothing of it. If they do, what are you civil officials for?

Most civil officials naturally disagree. Among them, Wei Zheng opposed it  fiercely. Whenever he had the chance, he would chase after Li Er saying that there has been continuous wars and the people are suffering!

Goryeo is far away in Liaodong, the land are barren and material scarce. Even if it was conquered, there is no benefit. The most crucial being the war routes too long and it’ll be too difficult to transfer troops or food. If we really want to conquer Goryeo, the army needs to be increased, and all adult men will go to war. Life will be unbearable!

Li Yuanying realized that during his time in seclusion to prepare for his exams, there had been a quarrel in Court. There was no news from Dai Ting, and he didn’t know what was going on in Silla.

Hearing His Majesty say that Gaisuwen was so hateful, Yuanying became nervous: “Will Dai Ting and Man man be in trouble?”

“Xiang Li Xuanjiang mentioned that they have already arrived in Silla safely. How come the people you sent didn’t send you a message?”

“Dai Ting never likes to write letters. He said that it is useless to write letters when they are so far away, and it is better to report when he comes back.”

In the past, Yuanying wanted to send someone along who will be responsible for writing letters, but later he thought it sounded abit like he was monitoring Dai Ting, so he gave up and let him go about freely.

His Majesty raised his eyebrows: “Aren’t you afraid that he will take your money and never come back?”

“If Dai Ting only had money in his eyes, he wouldn’t have worked so hard.”

“Oh? What does he have in his eyes?”

Li Yuanying was speechless. He snorted, “How should I know! Anyway, he doesn’t care about that little money.”

Li Er felt that if this kid has been extremely lucky otherwise all his money would have been squandered away.

Someone informed that Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling wanted an audience with the Emperor. Li Er told Yuanying to look for Li Jing, who had a military report and might have news about Silla.

Yuanying didn’t like discussion of government affairs, so he ran away.

Zhangsun Wuji entered and saw that His Majesty was in a good mood. He sat down and asked why Li Yuanying came by. Li Er had a helpless expression on his face, saying, “What should I do if my brother likes to get close to me?” “That kid learned a few trick from Old  man Sun and insisted on giving me a massage, so I chatted with him.”

What could Zhangsun Wuji do?

He could only praise Li Yuanying as a filial brother.

Li Yuanying didn’t know that he accidentally disgusted Zhangsun Wuji again. He left to look for Li Jing.

Li Jing had applied for retirement, but His Majesty refused and told him to continue working as the Minister of War.

Hearing that Li Yuanying was sent by His Majesty, Li Jing naturally showed him all the military reports.

The Emperor only shared a few words to Li Yuanying.  After reading the military reports, he formed a deeper impression of Yeon Gaisuwen.

“This man is quite powerful.” (Yuanying)

“The Liaodong countries are isolated but they are bold because they rely on their remoteness. Once the royal army goes North, they will definitely surrender quickly. They military strength is not that powerful.” (Li Jing)

“If they surrender, do we still fight to the end?” (Yuanying)

“Since they have surrendered, we will stop.” (Li Jing)

“It sounds like fighting is meaningless. They are originally vassal states of Tang. Whether they surrender or not, they have to be vassals. If you meet a shameless one, they can surrenders now and then mess around again as soon as you leave. They do we turn back to fight again?” (Yuanying)

 “This is also unavoidable. You can’t kill people if they are willing to surrender.” (Li Jing)

Li Yuanying sighed. “The most difficult people in the world are shameless people!”

The little prince did not see any military report related to Silla, but he got news  that Jin Shengman has safely return home so he was not too worried. He thanked Li Jing and left.

The next morning, the Imperial Academy was about to announce the results. At dawn, the gates were opened, and scholars swarmed out and rushed see the results.

Notes from the Author:

The little prince posted on his social media: The most difficult people in the world are shameless people!

Soon, prompt reaction were received: Your good friends, the Emperor, Wei Zheng, Zhangsun Wuji, and Fang Xuanling have liked your post.

The little prince: ?