Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Finals Begin

"Clang!" A cloud board struck, and two teams of students entered the arena.

The panel of judges today was grand and imposing. Beyond the three elderly scholars, seven officials occupied the remaining seats, including the Tangyin County Magistrate, the County Vice-Magistrate, the County Commandant, the Registrar, and the Director of Education. They were all present solely because Li Kui, the Prefect of Xiangzhou, had come to Tangyin to observe the final round of the children's debate competition.

Li Kui sat in the center of the judging panel, surrounded like the moon among stars. Had Li Yanqing seen him, he would have been struck with shock; this Li Kui was none other than Master Li, who had treated his wounds and changed his dressings just yesterday.

Beside Li Kui sat Yang Xin, the Prefectural Director of Education, whispering to Yao Wannian.

Of course, one person could not be left behind: Li Kui’s youngest daughter, Li Jiuzhen. Li Kui had eight sons—his eldest, Li Gang, was already twenty-seven—but he had sired this daughter in his middle years, cherishing her like a precious pearl. Wherever he went, he brought his beloved daughter along. He was attending this competition in a private capacity, having arrived yesterday with minimal retinue.

As the adults chatted, Li Jiuzhen, sitting beside her father, kept her dark, bright eyes scanning the room, searching for the injured boy from the day before.

As the students took their places, Li Jiuzhen spotted Li Yanqing. Coincidentally, Li Yanqing looked toward the judging table, caught her eye, and his own eyes widened in sheer astonishment. Li Jiuzhen offered a triumphant smile; she loved seeing Li Yanqing look like a little fool.

Wang Gui also noticed Li Jiuzhen and hurriedly tugged at Tang Huai. "Old Tang, look at that young lady..."

Before he could finish, Yue Fei gave him a sharp rap on the back of his head. "Be serious! This is the final!"

Wang Gui winced in pain, turning to glare at Yue Fei.

Li Yanqing saw Li Kui and finally realized that the "Master Li" he had met yesterday was the Prefect. He felt a secret sense of relief; luckily, he hadn't said anything inappropriate the day before.

Li Kui caught sight of Li Yanqing and nodded with a smile. Li Yanqing quickly bowed in return.

The crowd was stunned. Does the Prefect actually know Li Yanqing? A few quick-witted officials began to wonder if, given they shared the surname Li, the boy might be a younger relative of the Prefect. Magistrate Ma broke into a cold sweat, praying that Li Daqi was not a relative of the Prefect.

"Does the Prefect know this student?" Magistrate Liu asked with a smile.

Li Kui laughed, "Just a passing acquaintance."

Though he said this, not everyone believed him; after all, words in official circles were seven parts false and three parts true.

"Clang—"

The bell signaling the start of the final round rang. Li Kui sat up straighter. He was quite interested in this Li Yanqing; the couplet "The Buddha added to the Heavenly Kingdom" had earned his high regard.

Yue Fei drew the question slip, placing the burden of inquiry on their team. Yue Fei stood up and read the prompt: "Our first question is on poetry. Please listen carefully: In which year did the Sage of Poetry, Du Fu, write the 'Three Officials and Three Partings,' what was the specific historical context, and please recite them in their entirety."

The question was not difficult, perhaps even simple. In the Song Dynasty, the imperial examinations favored Du Fu’s poetry, and it was considered a basic skill for students to memorize all of his works.

Yet, this simple question left the four students from Youli Town Academy horrified. Their intelligence had suggested the opponents would ask how many poems Wang Wei wrote before the age of thirty and to recite twenty of them. They had stayed up all night preparing for that, only to find the actual question completely different.

The four exchanged glances, their eyes filled with resentment. They had been played.

After a brief deliberation, one student stood up: "The 'Three Officials and Three Partings' were written in the second year of Qianyuan. The background was the Tang army's crushing defeat at Xiangzhou, and the Sage of Poetry’s observations while returning from the Eastern Capital to Huazhou."

The student then began to recite: "The Officer of Xin'an," "The Officer of Shihao," "The Officer of Tongguan," "The Parting of the Newlywed," "The Parting of the Aged," and "The Parting of the Homeless," reciting every word perfectly.

"Clang!" A crisp chime sounded. Youli Town Academy scored the first point.

Next, it was Youli Town Academy's turn to ask.

"Our question is on text memorization. Please recite the 'Dang Bing' and 'Zhen Luan' chapters from the 'Autumn Season' of the 'Lüshi Chunqiu'."

Li Yanqing and his team finally witnessed the shamelessness of Youli Town Academy. The 'Lüshi Chunqiu' was an obscure text. If they had asked standard questions, it would have fit the difficulty of the first round, but they specifically demanded the two most dense and difficult chapters—a challenge far beyond the standard for even the third round.

Before Li Yanqing’s team could object, the chief judge shouted, "Change the question!"

Magistrate Liu whispered the rules to Li Kui. Li Kui nodded, agreeing that the question was too devious and lacked integrity.

Helpless, the Youli Town Academy had to pull out a backup question: "Still from the 'Lüshi Chunqiu,' please state how many volumes and chapters it contains, and recite any one chapter."

This question was slightly easier. After a brief discussion, Li Yanqing answered: "This book is divided into twelve chronicles, eight views, and six treatises, totaling twelve volumes and one hundred and sixty chapters."

Immediately after, Li Yanqing recited the 'Observing the Present' chapter: "...A man from Chu was crossing a river. His sword fell from his boat into the water. He immediately notched the side of the boat, saying, 'This is where my sword fell.' When the boat stopped, he went into the water to search from the spot he had notched. But the boat had already moved, while the sword had not. To search for a sword in this way—is it not foolish?..."

"Clang!" The chime sounded. Lushan Town Academy also scored a point.

...

Because the Prefect was observing, to ensure Li Kui understood the rules clearly, a fifteen-minute break was called after two rounds. At this point, the score was tied.

In the resting room, the four were discussing the third round when Li Jiuzhen slipped in. Wang Gui’s face lit up the moment he saw her. "Young lady, was the book good?"

"It was! I finished it last night. Is there a next volume?"

Li Jiuzhen had been captivated and wanted the next installment. Wang Gui scratched his head. "It’s not for sale yet!"

Li Yanqing smiled slightly. "The next volume is called 'The Great Sage Catches Demons: Flame Mountain.' It will be printed next spring."

Wang Gui and Tang Huai asked in unison, "How do you know?"

"Didn't I go upstairs that day at the bookstore? The author, Xiaoxiaoji of Lushan, happened to be there, and Manager Luo introduced him to me."

Hearing that Xiaoxiaoji of Lushan had been upstairs that day, Wang Gui stomped his feet in regret. He grabbed Li Yanqing and asked, "Brother Yanqing, when is he coming back?"

"He lives in Daming Prefecture. I don't know when he'll return. But why do you want to find him?"

"I... I want to appear in the book so everyone knows my name."

Li Yanqing laughed. "Perhaps I can pass on a message for you. What kind of character do you want to be?"

Wang Gui puffed out his chest. "Cavalry General Wang Gui."

"No way!" Li Yanqing retorted. "At best, you'll be a minor demon, like a 'Benbo'erba'."

"Fine!" Wang Gui immediately compromised. "Then call me... Benbo'ergui!"

Tang Huai jumped in, "And me! I’ll be Benbo'ertang!"

"Me too! Me too!" Li Jiuzhen hopped with excitement. "I’ll be their sister, Benbo'erzhen!"

Li Yanqing laughed heartily. "Alright! I'll write to him when I go back."

At this, Yue Fei asked softly, "Miss Li, did you come to find us for anything else?"

The question reminded Li Jiuzhen, and she hurriedly said, "My father told me to ask how your wound is doing, Brother Yanqing."

"The swelling has gone down, and it's scabbing over. Please thank your father for me; I owe it all to him."

Just then, the bell for the third round rang. Li Jiuzhen whispered to Li Yanqing, "My father wants to give everyone a seven-character poem to write, describing the customs and scenery of their hometown. Whoever writes the best one wins."

With that, she scurried away.

...

Yang Xin, the Prefectural Director of Education, signaled to Magistrate Liu that the Prefect was keen to set the tie-breaking question.

Magistrate Liu understood immediately and informed the chief judge to let the Prefect set the third question.

As the third round began, the chief judge announced the new rule.

"Both sides' third questions were originally impromptu, but as this is the final tie-breaker, to ensure fairness and convince everyone, we have decided that the third question will be set by the judge. Only one question will be asked; the best performance wins."

Li Yanqing recalled what Li Jiuzhen had said. This must be the question from her father, Li Kui. A thought suddenly struck him: perhaps this was an opportunity to tell the Prefect about the injustice done to his father. If he could win the Prefect’s favor, he might be able to plead his father’s case.

The chief judge announced the topic: "Each person may write a poem or song describing the scenery, landscape, or the lives and customs of their hometown. You have half an hour. Begin!"

The topic was broad, allowing for either poetry or song, giving the students full scope to display their talent. However, it also hid an opportunity for cheating.

The four students from Youli Town Academy were ecstatic. Their teacher had specifically written over a dozen poems describing the scenery of Youli for them to use as reference; each of them could pick one.

The four from Lushan Town Academy were equally stirred. Everyone wanted to show their best talent in front of the Prefect and earn his favor.

Li Yanqing picked up his brush and pondered for a long time. His heart was already brimming with poetic inspiration. This final battle—he was determined to win!