Chapter Thirty-Four: We Parted on Bad Terms

Li Yanqing lowered his head in frustration. He had not expected his efforts to fall short at the final hurdle, only to be overheard by his master, Yao Ding. Master, oh Master! Why must you be so stubborn? Why insist on working against your own student? Could you not have simply pretended you didn't hear?

At that moment, County Assistant Ma Fu seized the opportunity and roared, "You have a lot of nerve!"

Li Yanqing looked up and saw Ma Fu’s hideous, twisted face, his triangular eyes burning with hatred. Li suddenly remembered his father; not only had his promising future been ruined, but he had spent years in abject poverty, which eventually led to his mother’s illness and death. The root of his family’s misfortune was none other than this County Assistant.

A fire of rage ignited in Li Yanqing’s heart. Deciding to cast caution to the wind, he stood up, cupped his hands, and declared, "A master cannot be present during the debate. I request that the presiding officials prevent him from entering."

Magistrate Liu nodded and instructed the School Superintendent, Yao Wannian, "Yao Ding is roaring without cause and disrupting the debate. Remove him from the county school!"

Wang Gui and Tang Huai turned pale with fright. Brother Qing was actually having their master kicked out! They would surely be skinned alive once they returned.

Despite his extreme fury, Yao Ding was escorted out of the county school by Yao Wannian and several attendants.

However, County Assistant Ma Fu refused to let Li Yanqing off the hook. He sneered viciously, "How dare you swap the questions to cheat and sabotage the Children’s Examination? You have a lot of gall! Speak! Who is responsible for this?"

Li Yanqing replied with composed dignity, "I authored the question, but it cannot be classified as cheating. We did not violate any rules."

"You dare to talk back!" Ma Fu slammed the table and roared, "Someone, throw them out!"

Several attendants stepped forward to drive them away. The three old scholars were at a loss and could only look on with sympathy, while the students from Tangbei Township were secretly overjoyed; they were about to turn the tables and win.

Just then, Magistrate Liu Zhen raised a hand. "Wait!"

The attendants stopped in their tracks. Ma Fu was stunned, then said with great dissatisfaction, "Magistrate Liu, surely you aren't going to shield them?"

Liu Zhen replied coolly, "You asked him a question, and he answered truthfully. Yet you berate him for talking back. If he hadn't answered, would you have accused him of showing contempt for your status?"

Ma Fu was silenced. After a long moment, he said bitterly, "But they are cheating—that much is certain!"

"Right and wrong have their own justice. Listen to their explanation first." Liu Zhen turned to Li Yanqing. "I will give you a chance to explain. Speak."

Li Yanqing bowed deeply. "I thank the Magistrate for the opportunity to speak. It is true that I drafted the question. According to Article Five of the trial rules, each school drafts their own questions, but there is no rule stating the questions must be drafted by the master. As a member of the school, my drafting the question is fully in accordance with the rules. As for my master’s outburst, it was because I did not consult him beforehand, but that is a private matter between master and student and has nothing to do with the competition. I ask the Magistrate and the County Assistant to judge fairly!"

Liu Zhen nodded. "I drafted the rules for the Children’s Examination myself. When I wrote them, I never intended for the masters to be the only ones to draft questions; it simply became a custom because the students’ knowledge was limited. But a custom is not a rule. This county finds that Student Li has not violated any rules."

He then asked the three old scholars, "What do you think?"

After consulting with each other, the chief examiner said, "To be frank, the question is exceptionally clever. Perhaps my own experience is limited, but this is the most brilliant opening line I have ever seen—even I might not have thought of it. Since the purpose of the Children’s Examination is to select talent, we believe that punishing Student Li would go against that original intent."

The three scholars did not want to offend the County Assistant, so they focused their opinion on the couplet itself, subtly supporting the Magistrate.

"You believe they should not be punished, is that correct?" Liu Zhen pressed them to state their position clearly.

The three had no choice but to declare, "Indeed, they should not be punished!"

Liu Zhen then asked Yao Wannian, "What is the School Superintendent's position?"

Yao Wannian did not evade the question and answered candidly, "Strictly speaking, based on the rules, they have indeed not violated them."

Ma Fu’s face alternated between red and white. It was clear that Liu Zhen was using this incident to target him. Controlling his rage, he said coldly, "Since the Magistrate believes they haven't broken the rules, I can no longer oversee this. I withdraw from this year’s Children’s Examination!"

He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave, leaving everyone stunned. A standoff between a Magistrate and an Assistant, followed by the Assistant withdrawing from the competition—this was unprecedented.

Yao Wannian said nervously, "Sir, the County Assistant cannot withdraw from the Children’s Examination. Let me go and persuade him to return!"

Liu Zhen gave a disdainful huff. "No need to persuade him. Let him go. Magistrate Li will be arriving tomorrow, and he will be more eager than anyone to be involved." Liu Zhen waved his hand. "Continue! Let this not affect you."

Everyone sat down again. The chief examiner checked the timekeeping incense, which was nearly burned out, and asked, "Has Tangbei Township come up with an answer?"

The four students from Tangbei Township were dazed. With such a commotion, no one had the heart to solve the puzzle. After a brief discussion, they realized that even if they requested more time, they couldn't solve it. It was better to refuse to answer and force the other side to provide the solution, perhaps leaving a glimmer of hope.

Li You stood up and bowed. "Reporting to the examiners, we decline to answer this question."

The chief examiner nodded and said to Li Yanqing, "According to the rules, since the other side has refused to answer, you must provide the solution. If you cannot answer, or if your answer is not up to standard, they will receive the points. Please proceed!"

Li Yanqing, full of confidence, wrote down the second line and presented it.

Everyone crowded around to see the line. It read: *Books line the Han ink, the Hanlin’s book.*

Liu Zhen took the opening line and read the pair together twice:
*Paintings on the lotus, the monk paints,*
*Books line the Han ink, the Hanlin’s book.*

"What a magnificent couplet!"

Everyone cheered in praise. Liu Zhen was so delighted he couldn't put it down and smiled at Li Yanqing, "Give this couplet to me!"

Li Yanqing bowed quickly. "It is my honor that the Magistrate enjoys it."

The chief examiner struck while the iron was hot, immediately announcing, "The first round of the second trial is won by the Lushan Town School."

The four students cheered and embraced, while the Tangbei Township students looked devastated. For the first time in five years, they had been defeated.

...

Outside the inn room, Li Yanqing and Yue Fei knelt with the other two, pleading for their master to calm his anger. Yao Ding did not fly into a rage or beat them; instead, he had shut the door and ignored them. They had been kneeling for two hours, having skipped dinner, but Yao Ding remained unmoved. They dared not rise and could only grit their teeth and continue to kneel.

Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Tang Zongzong walked in, full of energy, and was surprised to see the four kneeling students. "What... what is this?"

The four used their eyes to beg for help. Tang Zongzong understood immediately. He winked at them and feigned anger. "You lot! You have too much nerve. No wonder Master Yao is angry. If it were me, I’d have given you a sound thrashing!"

At this, Yao Ding’s voice came from the room. "Master Tang, come in and speak."

Tang Zongzong entered and saw Yao Ding sitting at the table, sulking. He stepped forward with a smile. "Master Yao, why be angry at a group of children? They are clever, but they are still children who don't understand the ways of the world. Besides, they defeated the Tangbei Township school today—it’s already spread throughout the county. The fellow townsmen will be coming to the inn to congratulate you soon!"

Hearing that the townsmen were coming to offer congratulations, Yao Ding sighed. "They make me both happy and angry. Defeating the Tangbei school was truly unexpected, but they swapped the question without telling me—they clearly didn't hold me, their master, in high regard."

"How could they ever disrespect you? They were just afraid you wouldn't agree. They have always respected you. For the sake of the honor they've brought you, give them a lesson and let it be."

Since Tang Zongzong was interceding, Yao Ding found it difficult to refuse. In truth, his anger had already faded; he just needed a way to step down, and Tang Zongzong had provided it.

"You four, come in!"

The four scrambled to their feet and hurried into the room, bowing their heads obediently before their master. Yao Ding barked, "Hold out your hands."

As they held out their palms, Yao Ding struck them three times with a bamboo cane, giving Li Yanqing five lashes and a stern glare.

Yao Ding scolded them, "Do you think your master is some rigid fool? If a student produces a brilliant question, would a master not be pleased? You have underestimated me!"

Li Yanqing said with shame, "I was wrong, Master."

Yue Fei quickly added, "I should not have kept it from you."

Wang Gui and Tang Huai also hung their heads in admission. Yao Ding continued, "I am punishing you because you showed disrespect to your master. Even if it wasn't your intent, that is how it appeared. Perhaps I failed to teach you well before, but today, I want you to understand. Do you remember this?"

"We remember!"

"I will spare you this time for the sake of your Uncle Tang. If you dare to do this again, I will expel you from the school and sever our ties. Thank your Uncle Tang and go eat!"

They thanked Tang Zongzong and scrambled off to the front courtyard for dinner.

Tang Zongzong watched them go before saying to Yao Ding, "I just received word from the county office that the Prefect, Magistrate Li, will arrive tomorrow. The Magistrate has to go and welcome him, so there will be a day of rest tomorrow. The final will be held the day after."