Chapter 17
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Gu Yuanbai played with the barely intact homemade crossbow, admiring the delicate craftsmanship. He couldn’t help but marvel at his luck.
As soon as he went out, he encountered a talent in research who was already drawing conclusions from practical experimentation.
Xu Ning sat nervously nearby, flanked by an imperial physician and a young eunuch applying medicine to his injuries. This luxurious treatment made Xu Ning extremely uneasy.
From the outside, the carriage looked large, but inside, it was even more spacious. Even with two people sitting beside him, it wasn’t crowded. The soft, beautiful carpet on the floor felt incredibly luxurious to Xu Ning, who had never encountered such fine things, now simply trodden underfoot.
Xu Ning kept his head down, too afraid to look at Gu Yuanbai, feeling uneasy yet secretly hopeful as he watched the official handle his homemade crossbow, worried he might also disdain it.
After some time, Gu Yuanbai put down the damaged crossbow, wiped his hands with the cloth handed by Tian Fusheng, and asked the physician, “How is he?”
The physician replied, “The young man is healthy overall. His injuries are merely superficial, not affecting his organs. However, his irregular eating habits may cause some gastric pain.”
Xu Ning stared in amazement at his hands clutching his clothes. This physician was incredible, deducing so much from a mere pulse check.
Gu Yuanbai nodded slightly, then smiled warmly at Xu Ning, asking, “How did you make this crossbow?”
“Of the thirty-six military devices, the bow ranks first; among the eighteen martial skills, the bow is foremost.” These words were from the Southern Song scholar Hua Yue’s “Cui Wei Northern Expedition Record.” The Great Heng Dynasty lacked horse resources, whereas the border nomads excelled in horsemanship. Thus, bows and arrows became the infantry’s primary choice.
The founding emperor of Great Heng highly valued military affairs, strictly controlling the designs of crossbows, especially improved ones, at the military and political levels. Such military weapons were forbidden in the civilian sphere, making this lightweight yet powerful crossbow unseen and unproduced by ordinary people.
Yet, Xu Ning’s crossbow, despite being damaged, revealed it wasn’t just a single-shot device. This self-made crossbow by a scholar matched the level of military weapons.
This was remarkable, incredibly so.
Gu Yuanbai’s eyes showed admiration. Xu Ning, stammering, explained where his inspiration came from and how he made it. Eventually, he clenched his fists excitedly, looking up at Gu Yuanbai, exclaiming, “Sir! This is useful. Craftsmanship is highly valuable in both agriculture and military. Artisans are indispensable! This is not shameful, nor is it idle work!”
As Xu Ning looked up, he saw the admiration in Gu Yuanbai’s eyes. He finished his speech, then froze in astonishment.
The carriage, the guards, the physician, the attendants.
This gentleman had an extraordinary demeanor, with an ethereal appearance and graceful actions, clearly a high-ranking figure. Yet, this person was admiring him? Admiring a poor scholar who dabbled in carpentry?
“You are right,” Gu Yuanbai nodded approvingly. “Guan Zhong, who proposed the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, was himself from a merchant family. He used commercial methods to prosper the state of Qi. In his discourse, there was no hierarchical distinction among these four roles. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants were all essential to the nation’s prosperity. The flourishing of the Yin Shang Dynasty was inseparable from its artisans and merchants. However, after its fall, the Zhou Dynasty believed that focusing on commerce and craftsmanship would neglect agriculture, leading to downfall. Thus, the Zhou system disparaged artisans and merchants, which is why they were considered the lowest class.”
Xu Ning opened his mouth and looked straight at Gu Yuanbai, his lips moving but not knowing what to say.
Gu Yuanbai handed the broken crossbow back to Xu Ning. Xu Ning, holding the crossbow in confusion, glanced out the window and cautiously asked, “Sir, where are you taking me?”
Tian Fusheng rolled up the carriage curtain, and Xu Ning instinctively looked outside, his eyes widening in an instant.
The towering, majestic, and magnificent palace gates stood before him, glistening in the sunlight, a sight to behold.
Ignoring Xu Ning’s expression, Gu Yuanbai asked with a smile, “Besides the crossbow, what else can you make?”
“I… this humble one…” Xu Ning stammered, unsure how to address himself, “Besides my interest in these things, I’ve also tried improving some agricultural tools.”
He looked extremely flustered. After all, who could casually enter the palace?
With each step of the horses, Xu Ning felt his soul almost leave his body. By the time the carriage stopped, this pale, injured scholar’s unease was palpable and seen by everyone.
The imperial physician and palace attendants helped Xu Ning out of the carriage, the outer guards standing straight and tall. The head guard lifted the curtain, extended his hand, and said, “Your Majesty, please take care.”
Xu Ning: “!”
Xu Ning gasped, his mind buzzing and his vision blurring as if he might faint at any moment.
Gu Yuanbai extended his hand from the carriage, lightly placing it on the head guard’s hand. The head guard carefully assisted Gu Yuanbai down. Due to the emperor’s poor health, those serving him were always excessively cautious, fearing any mishap.
Even just holding the emperor’s hand, the head guard had to be extremely careful. The emperor’s skin was delicate, while the head guard’s palms were rough and calloused, making him feel like a stone every time he held the emperor’s hand.
When his feet touched the ground, Xu Ning instinctively glanced down, noticing the intricately carved bricks beneath. He finally regained some sense and knelt heavily on the ground.
Dragon boots appeared before him, and the emperor said, “Follow me.”
The side hall of Xuanzheng Hall was usually where the emperor summoned ministers for discussions. Gu Yuanbai granted Xu Ning a seat, and Xu Ning nervously perched on the edge of the chair, feeling like he was stepping on clouds.
Gu Yuanbai gently conversed with Xu Ning, who gradually recovered from his panic. Talking about his favorite woodworking, his eyes sparkled with excitement.
Xu Ning had many bold ideas for his time, and remarkably, they were practical and aligned with the development of Great Heng’s national conditions.
Gu Yuanbai decisively instructed Tian Fusheng to retrieve books on craftsmanship from the inner library and gave them to Xu Ning, eventually assigning him to the engineering department in the outskirts of the capital.
This department, established and managed by the Supervision Bureau, consisted of craftsmen with exceptional skills and passion for their trade. Gu Yuanbai had declared that anyone who could develop something beneficial to the country would be heavily rewarded.
Despite previous efforts yielding mediocre results, the engineering department’s research expenses were enormous. The Supervision Bureau had complained to Gu Yuanbai multiple times, deeming the department useless.
But Gu Yuanbai persisted, giving it full support. Now, with Xu Ning, a serendipitous talent, Gu Yuanbai believed the department only lacked inspired thinking, which Xu Ning provided.
Xu Ning accepted the books and the appointment in a daze. Touching the books and hearing the emperor’s encouraging words, he couldn’t help but tear up.
These books were banned in Great Heng, considered more precious than ancient Confucian texts. With a trembling voice, Xu Ning said, “Your Majesty, I won’t let you down!”
His gaze became resolute.
Having spoken so much with the emperor, Xu Ning realized that not only did the emperor not disdain craftsmen, but he also had considerable understanding and insight. The emperor’s discussions on topics like “improving the Zhuge crossbow,” “shortening the plow body for better yoking,” “combining sowing and fertilizing in one device,” and other areas like “weaving” and “water wheels” left Xu Ning both astonished and deeply impressed.
Now, Xu Ning felt an overwhelming urge to head to the engineering department immediately and work alongside fellow craftsmen to realize the emperor’s vision.
Being able to pursue his passion and contribute to the country, easing the emperor’s burdens—what could be better?
Xu Ning felt his injuries no longer pained him.
***
Having recruited a highly talented researcher, Gu Yuanbai was elated, his joy lasting until the day of the palace examination.
Candidates entered the Jinluan Hall at dawn, with the Ministry of Rites overseeing the entire process. By the time the preliminary procedures were completed, the sky outside was fully bright.
The emperor could personally oversee the palace examination or appoint ministers to do so on his behalf. Gu Yuanbai chose to supervise it himself. The candidates, sitting in their assigned seats, kept their heads down, silent and solemn.
The atmosphere in the hall was grave and silent, with a growing tension. All candidates noticed the tall, stern guards standing by, while the emperor sat high above, making everyone cautious not to break any taboos.
Seats in the palace examination were allocated based on the metropolitan examination results. Hence, the nearest person to Gu Yuanbai was Chu Wei, the top scorer.
Gu Yuanbai scanned the first and second rows, recognizing several familiar faces besides Chu Wei and Chang Yuyan. There was also Tang Mian, the son of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue, who had achieved the seventh place in the metropolitan examination despite not having yet taken his coming-of-age ceremony, much to his father’s pride.
Gu Yuanbai also took special notice of Kong Yilin, who ranked third. Hailing from Qingzhou, Shandong, Kong Yilin came from Confucius’ hometown, a region known for its rich cultural heritage and competitive scholars. In this examination, Kong Yilin was the highest-ranking student from Shandong.
Kong Yilin was exceptionally tall, and seeing such a large person huddled behind a small desk made others feel uncomfortable on his behalf. He was incredibly silent, sitting quietly with his head down, making it hard to discern his features. He exuded a calm, steady aura akin to that of an old farmer planting rice seedlings, with a low-key and ordinary presence, yet very stable.
This made Gu Yuanbai’s impression of Kong Yilin even better.
As the palace examination began, the test papers were distributed. There was only one policy essay question, and the candidates were required to write at least 2,000 characters. The examination would last a whole day, ending at sunset.
For a while, the only sound in the hall was that of pens scratching across paper. Gu Yuanbai sat for a while, then started handling official business.
Those seated at the front could hear the rustling of the emperor opening memorials. Many candidates were simultaneously drafting their essays and listening to the sounds above.
Chu Wei, being the top scorer, attracted the most attention. He was unfazed, choosing to pretend the emperor was not present, focusing intently on his essay.
He aimed to secure the top position from the emperor’s hand.
Once the candidates were fully immersed in their work, Gu Yuanbai put down his documents and began to walk among them.
Those who caught a glimpse of his dragon robe trembled, their hands shaking and splattering ink on their drafts. Some were so nervous their legs wouldn’t stop shaking, their teeth chattering audibly to Gu Yuanbai.
Wherever he walked, people became exceedingly tense. Some faltered on the spot, while the better ones straightened their backs, stiffly unable to write.
The emperor’s bright yellow dragon robe gradually moved towards the front row. Chang Yuyan, catching a glimpse of the shadow behind, shook but managed to steady himself.
His heart pounded wildly, and in his daze, Chang Yuyan felt the emperor linger beside him for a long time. However, when he regained his composure, the emperor had already moved to Kong Yilin and finally stopped there.
Gu Yuanbai glanced at Kong Yilin’s draft. It was neatly written, as clean as a finished paper. At first, he only intended to skim it, but gradually, his expression turned serious.
When Kong Yilin finished his last stroke, Gu Yuanbai snapped out of it. He took a deep look at the bowed Kong Yilin before stepping back onto the dais.
Everyone around noticed the emperor’s actions, and many cast furtive glances at Kong Yilin. Despite the many gazes, Kong Yilin remained unmoved, continuing to transcribe his answers.
Chu Wei also glanced briefly in Kong Yilin’s direction, then resumed writing after dipping his pen in ink.
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