Chapter 39: Jinling City (16)
Xiao Zhaoling asked a question, but Lin Zikui did not answer. Instead, he turned away in silence so that the back of his head faced Xiao Zhaoling.
It was not that Lin Zikui did not want to answer—how could he not wait for him until midnight when it was already, perhaps, the early hours of dawn? Lin Zikui, his eyes still covered, could not tell what time it was. He clearly felt he had not slept long; although his mind was hazy, his doubts about Miss Zhao Ling remained as vivid and unrealistic as ever.
Was that patch of stubble on his face real, or was it merely fake hair pasted on as part of his male disguise?
Was that false beard not simply a superficial adornment at all?
Or perhaps it was nothing more than stray strands of hair accidentally sticking to his face? It was possible.
Suppressing the impulse to reach out and feel his cheek for confirmation, Lin Zikui sank into a state of confused disarray.
Xiao Fu watched him turn over in his sleep and knew very well what he was trying to avoid. With his eyes half-open, Xiao Fu stared at the back of Lin Zikui’s head. This Lin Zikui—if he discovered something and then kept silent about it, it would weigh so heavily on his heart…
Sighing, Xiao Fu buried his face into the back of Lin Zikui’s neck and closed his eyes, his eyelashes gently grazing against Lin Zikui’s skin.
Strangely, even though Xiao Fu was not usually sensitive to smells, he found that Lin Zikui’s neck and skin smelled wonderfully fragrant—distinct from everything else.
Soon Xiao Fu drifted into a light slumber. The matter of “killing” Yuwen Duo, though seemingly executed in one swift stroke, had in truth been secretly planned for three years.
They had needed someone to approach Prince Zhao, earn his trust, supply him with insect powder, lure the young prince into the capital, and then administer the gu to the emperor…
Every single link in that chain, if even one were incorrect, would have ruined the seamless plan. Yet it had turned out almost too perfect.
In the warmth of his body and the cadence of his breathing, Xiao Fu relaxed completely. Meanwhile, Lin Zikui’s body remained stiff—whether he moved or stayed utterly motionless, he was caught in suspense…
It was the ticklish sensation at the nape of his neck: the warm, rhythmic breath of Zhao Ling and the rise and fall of his chest pressed against Lin Zikui’s back.
Lin Zikui lay there, unmoving, silently contemplating in his own way.
What if his suspicions were true?
If Xiao Zhaoling were capable of deceiving him once, couldn’t he do it twice?
How much he wished that wasn’t so—he desperately hoped it was merely overthinking on his part.
Perhaps he had indeed been worrying too much; Lin Zikui slowly turned his head slightly. Xiao Fu, sensing this, drew his arms in tighter around him in his sleep and never let go of the warmth of Lin Zikui’s hand.
In that moment, Lin Zikui caught a whiff of the sandalwood scent from Xiao Fu’s post-bath skin—a scent reminiscent of the incense burning in the Xingzhi Temple. It was reassuring.
A little while later on the boat, Mo Liu had just risen and gone off to find something to eat when he noticed in one of the cabins four small children sitting in a row.
The oldest of them looked about the same age as he was; the youngest was a tiny tot—a little bean. The elder ones sat upright with proper decorum while the smallest buried his face in his food.
How had so many little brats suddenly appeared on the boat?
Proud of his seniority, Mo Liu walked over and asked, “Are you guests of Miss Zhao?”
“Miss Zhao?” thought the Eldest Prince—could it be that this boat belonged to one of the Zhao sisters? He nodded, “Yes, our elder brother brought us along. Are you the boatman?”
Mo Liu noticed that a great deal of food sat untouched on their table, and his stomach rumbled. “May I sit with you? I’m not the boatman—I came here with my young master. Miss Zhao is my young master’s fiancée, though she has not yet formally joined our family.”
The Eldest Prince didn’t quite understand the relationship, but he responded politely, “Please, sit. If you’re hungry, help yourself.”
Every gesture exuded the refined bearing expected of the royal family. Mo Liu quickly perceived that these few young masters carried themselves with an elegance far beyond ordinary, yet who would have expected that these four little rascals were actually princes?
While eating, Mo Liu introduced himself and then asked, “Are you all brothers? You do look somewhat alike. What are your names?”
The Eldest Prince fell silent suspiciously—recalling the Prince Regent’s warning: “I am the eldest.”
The Second Prince said nothing.
The Third Prince replied, “I am called the third.”
The Fourth Prince managed, “I’m Yuwen… um, um!”
Quick as a flash, the Third Prince covered the Fourth’s mouth and said, “Our surname is Yun – that’s the Fourth. May I ask, does your young master stay on this boat? How long have you been here? There is an old gentleman staying here, isn’t there?”
The Third Prince guessed that the Regent’s bringing them here must have had a purpose.
To see their teacher?
What sort of person compelled the Regent to insist on being treated with utmost respect, to be called a teacher?
Could it be Prime Minister Xue, who had retired to his hometown?
Mo Liu ate his mung bean cake and mumbled through his mouthful, “We only arrived two days ago. An old gentleman? I don’t think there’s one… Oh right, there is an old guy, but he’s the cook. There aren’t many people on this boat. Oldest Yun, aren’t you going to eat too? Come on, don’t be shy.” Since he was helping himself to their food, he felt a bit awkward, so he quickly pulled them in to eat with him. The Eldest Prince, however, had no appetite. He forced down a bite and gave Mo Liu a polite but distant smile.
Outside, Jinzun leaned against the boat’s railing, one hand resting on his knee, the back of his head propped against the door, listening quietly to their conversation.
The Qinhuai River was calm and peaceful, the only sound being the gentle flow of water.
Although the emperor’s death had been kept under wraps, there were still soldiers dispatched to shut down the painted boats where music and dancing had been a daily affair, ordering the performers to cease singing.
The four princes ate a bit and waited a long time. By noon, the Regent still hadn’t come out.
The youngest prince grew sleepy and called out for his nanny.
But the nanny wasn’t there. He had no choice but to lay his head down on the table and fall asleep. His father’s death didn’t seem to stir much feeling in him—no one had explained to him what it meant, what death was.
His mother had only told him that he must honor the Prince Regent just as he honored her.
Xiao Fu hadn’t slept long. When he woke, he still lingered in that soft, comfortable state, reluctant to get up. Lin Lang was just too well-behaved, lying there and letting him hold him, even if he was facing away and Xiao Fu couldn’t see his face.
He nuzzled his face into the back of Lin Zikui’s neck like a lazy cat washing its face, his expression drowsy and content. Meanwhile, Lin Zikui was still in disarray, pretending to be asleep. The scrape of his stubble finally made Lin Zikui lose composure: “…Zhao Ling.”
“Mm? You’re awake?”
Lin Zikui nodded, struggled slightly, then sat up on his own. “Is Divine Doctor Xie here? I’d like to remove the bandage over my eyes. I have to report to the examination hall later—if I show up blindfolded, they might disqualify me from taking the exam.”
Xiao Fu hadn’t yet told him that the academy had already posted a notice of closure, and the spring exams had been postponed. He simply replied, “Alright. When the time comes, I’ll have Third Brother take it off for you. We’ll avoid bright light as much as possible.”
“Mm.” Lin Zikui was still in his inner garments. Xiao Fu got out of bed first, fetched the clothes hanging nearby, and helped him dress.
But Lin Zikui shook his head. “I can do it myself. No need to help.”
Though he couldn’t see, he managed to dress himself very neatly—tying his belt, adjusting his layers—all in an orderly manner. But he couldn’t find his cotton socks. Xiao Fu found them tucked inside his shoes, and after a pause, he sat down at the edge of the bed and grabbed Lin Zikui’s ankle. “I’ll help you put them on.”
“You mustn’t!” Lin Zikui tried to pull his foot back, but Xiao Fu held his leg in place. “Zikui, don’t move.”
Lin Zikui’s legs and feet were delicate and beautiful—slender, smooth, like white porcelain. Xiao Fu’s movements unconsciously grew gentle.
And just like that, he helped him into one sock, then the other. Lin Zikui felt the care in it and couldn’t find the words. A strange tightness rose in his nose. “Zhao Ling, you… don’t have to go to such lengths.”
“What’s the big deal about putting on socks and clothes for you? I’ve never done this for anyone else in my life, sure—but it’s not a hard thing.” He didn’t find it degrading at all. He liked Lin Zikui that much. Helping him with his socks was no more than a simple, ordinary task.
Xiao Fu smoothed the socks and tucked them into his pant legs. “There. All done. Put your legs down, and I’ll help you with your shoes.”
“Thank you, but I’ll do it myself. I can’t let you bend down to do something like that.” He firmly took over, so Xiao Fu handed him the shoes. “Let’s eat first. Before we go to the examination hall, there’s something else. I brought four kids here for you to take a look at. Just observe them casually and see which one you like. If you’re willing, pick one to take in as a student. Only one.”
“A student?” Lin Zikui had taken on students before in Fengtai County. After earning the title of jieyuan, people would send their children to him for lessons, even though he had an eye condition. Lin Zikui would accept small tokens like vegetables, fruits, and meat, never a single coin. He just taught them.
So when Xiao Zhaoling made this request, he had no reason to refuse. He stood and replied, “Sure. What kind of children are they? Your relatives?”
Xiao Fu, “Mm. From a relative’s family. You can test their knowledge, schoolwork, temperament, courage, even their understanding of ruler and minister relationships—whatever you like.”
“Why test them on the relationship between ruler and minister?” Lin Zikui asked.
Xiao Fu: “They’ll inherit their father’s roles and enter officialdom one day. When you take in a student, what qualities do you value most?”
Lin Zikui, “I don’t place much emphasis on anything particular. As long as they love learning, are willing to work hard, and have a steady nature, that’s enough.”
Xiao Fu, “Reading still requires talent. Take me, for example—I’m just not cut out for it. I’ve never liked studying, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do it well.”
There really was such a thing as talent. Lin Zikui understood that he himself only needed two or three hours of sleep to equal four or five hours of rest for someone else. He remained sharp and focused during the day, and when he read, he entered an almost transcendent state—one that couldn’t be disturbed by anything or anyone.
Lin Zikui used to think everyone was like him—until he entered school and realized that some classmates took half a day to memorize a single seven-character poem. Even then, they’d stumble through it and forget it right after. Lin Zikui found this completely baffling.
He only needed to read something twice to memorize it.
While Lin Zikui was eating, Xiao Fu sent Mo Liu away, then helped him pick food from the dishes. Worried he couldn’t reach it, he even fed him. At one point, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a handful of cashews, feeding them to Lin Zikui.
Lin Zikui opened his mouth and caught them, then reached out, saying, “Give them to me—I’ll eat them myself.”
Xiao Fu, “Aren’t cashews delicious? I saw people eating them like squirrels and figured they must be tasty.”
“Mhm, they are. You have some too.” Lin Zikui held out a handful to him.
Xiao Fu leaned in and bit one from his hand. Though left overnight, they were still crispy. “I already had some during the family banquet. These were brought especially for you.”
Lin Zikui was preoccupied with thoughts of students and going to the examination hall, so he ate quickly.
Xiao Fu kept telling him to slow down, saying there was still plenty of time.
A light breeze drifted across the boat, carrying the scent of the approaching spring.
Xiao Fu took him to see the four children and had them kneel. “This is Master Lin. Call him Teacher.”
Lin Zikui quickly said, “No need—no need to kneel…”
But Xiao Fu shook his head. “They must kneel. You’re a senior—how could they not?”
The Second Prince silently knelt down.
The Eldest Prince glanced at the Prince Regent, who suddenly seemed like a completely different person, gritted his teeth, and knelt as well. “Student greets Teacher.”
Who exactly was this teacher? Why was he blindfolded? Did he suffer from blindness? And why was the Prince Regent treating him with such reverence?
Once the eldest knelt, the Third Prince followed suit, and the Fourth knelt down on the floor as well, mimicking the others as he called out “Teacher”—then let out a burp.
Xiao Fu shot him a look. “Xuan’er, did you eat that much?”
The Fourth Prince covered his mouth. “Just a little. I left some for Father—uh, I mean… for you.” He momentarily forgot what he was supposed to call him now that “Royal Father” was no longer appropriate.
Xiao Fu cleared his throat. “Alright, whatever the teacher asks, just answer truthfully. Whoever he agrees to take on as a student will be rewarded by your elder brother.”
The Eldest Prince lifted his head and gave Lin Zikui a probing look, while the Second Prince remained poised and composed. Lin Zikui sat down, unaware that this was a test filled with hidden currents, and asked the four children gently, “How old are each of you? Have you started school already? What have you studied so far?”
One by one, the princes answered. Lin Zikui was a bit surprised—why even bring two- or three-year-old children to study? The young masters of Jinling truly were in a league of their own. They had already studied the Four Books and Five Classics, military tactics and stratagems, even riding and archery.
He began by testing them on basic Confucian texts. The children answered fluently—it was so simple, even the Fourth Prince could answer.
Next, he moved to arithmetic. The three older princes were neck-and-neck, but the Fourth didn’t understand. He shook his head and looked at his father.
Xiao Fu glanced at him. “If you don’t know how to answer, just tell your teacher.”
“I don’t know how to calculate it…”
Xiao Fu frowned at him chewing his fingers and scolded, “Still biting your fingers?”
The Fourth Prince quietly lowered his hand. “Don’t be angry, Elder Brother. I’ll study hard.”
“Does the Fourth Young Master like biting his fingers? Don’t scold him, I used to have that bad habit too.” Back then, he had no playmates and didn’t enjoy children’s games. He always felt a bit out of place. “Later, my father caught a rabbit for me and said I could play with it after I finished my studies. That’s how I stopped biting my fingers. Children need to be taught slowly, Zhao Ling—you can’t be so harsh with him.”
Xiao Fu held back and muttered, “…Fine.”
The three older princes couldn’t hide the shock on their faces.
From that moment on, they treated Master Lin’s questions more seriously and respectfully.
Lin Zikui gradually increased the difficulty of his questions—from simple to complex, from classic poetry to Buddhist verse—then gave them an application problem: “Mount Lu is eighty li high. At its peak rests a single grain of millet. Each turn it makes slides it three fen downward. How many turns to reach the base?”
The Second Prince was particularly sharp with numbers and actually solved it: “Teacher, the answer is four million eight hundred thousand turns.”
Xiao Fu groaned inwardly. He couldn’t even understand the questions, let alone the answers.
The test lasted nearly half an hour. Lin Zikui remained patient. Since the Fourth Prince couldn’t answer most of it—he only knew a few dozen Tang poems—Lin Zikui gently encouraged him. In the end, he pulled the child over. “Did your brother glare at you?”
“No… Elder Brother didn’t…” The royal father definitely did.
Lin Zikui took the Fourth Prince’s little hand and was surprised by how small it was. He lifted him and sat him on his lap. “It’s alright. The Fourth Young Master is still young. Just listen closely to how your brothers answer.”
Xiao Fu looked over. So Zikui really did like children.
But in Lin Zikui’s heart, a question lingered—why were these children calling Xiao Fu “Elder Brother”?
That question seemed to have an answer, and yet not quite.
He didn’t dwell on it further and ended the round of questioning.
At the end, the Eldest Prince was drenched in sweat, unsure if he had done well or not. Before leaving, he offered some flattery, praising Master Lin as a learned scholar and a man of worldly talent.
Xiao Fu sent the four princes off to continue eating mung bean pastries, then pulled Lin Zikui back into the room. After shutting the door, he asked, “Which one do you want to take as your student?”
“In terms of knowledge, the Eldest, Second, and Third Princes are all quite good.”
“…You’re being very fair, but I’m only asking you to choose one.”
Lin Zikui had no choice but to elaborate. “…The Eldest Young Master is well-versed in classical texts. The Second Young Master is bright and eager to learn, gifted in both talent and study. The Third hasn’t read as much, but he’s quick-witted and knows how to infer from one thing to another. Among them… academically, the Second Young Master should be the strongest.”
Xiao Fu didn’t comment on that and asked instead, “Virtue matters more than talent. Among them, who do you think has the best character?”
“They’re all children. How can there be any real good or bad yet…”
They were all good children. But…
Lin Zikui said, “Earlier, I asked them a question. I don’t know if you were listening closely.”
Xiao Fu, “I was listening. I was very focused, actually.”
Lin Zikui’s lips curled slightly, and a faint dimple appeared on his cheek. “All I heard was you yawning. I was going to tell you to go back to sleep.”
Xiao Fu had to admit, “When you were asking that arithmetic question, I’ll confess—I got sleepy.”
Who cared how a grain of millet rolled down Mount Lu or how many times it had to roll?
Seriously, who wouldn’t get drowsy hearing such a brain-numbing question?
Lin Zikui shook his head gently. “Just now, I asked this: The enemy has five thousand soldiers stationed at the foot of the mountain, with a grain depot they plan to seize. Our army of a thousand is stationed on the mountain—an easily defensible but isolated position, and we’ve run out of supplies. We also have five hundred troops unaccounted for, either dead or captured, held by the enemy below. At the base of the mountain is a reservoir. Behind the mountain is a village with eight hundred elderly, weak, and sick people, with no food left and on the brink of starvation. The question is—how should our army secure victory?”
Xiao Fu remembered the answers from the four princes.
“The Eldest Young Master said, ‘First, send a team to transport supplies. Another group should launch a nighttime raid, disguise themselves in enemy uniforms, infiltrate their ranks, burn the enemy’s command tent, and steal their grain.’”
“The Second Young Master said, ‘Kill the soldiers guarding the dam, release the reservoir, let the flood wash through the enemy camp, then launch a flanking attack from both sides.’”
“The Third Young Master said, ‘Why not call for reinforcements? Those five hundred captured soldiers—human lives matter. Second Brother’s plan of flooding the enemy is far too ruthless. The reservoir at the foot of the mountain, that’s the Hun River, right? I read a travel log that says there’s a military camp with several thousand troops and weapons about eighty li from the Hun River. If we send a messenger on a fast horse, they could arrive in less than a day.’”
But the Second Prince rebutted him, saying, “Victory and defeat are part of war. Third Brother, do you not understand how treacherous the Hun River region is? The person you send might be captured or killed before even arriving. Time is of the essence—every quarter-hour lost means more civilians dying of hunger.”
The Third Prince nearly jumped up. “So you’d trade the lives of five hundred of our soldiers for that?”
The Second Prince remained calm. “Third Brother, do you realize that by the time reinforcements arrive, the enemy might have either executed the prisoners or the prisoners might have surrendered? Their chances of survival are slim.”
The Third Prince insisted, “Even if it’s slim… we still shouldn’t… we still shouldn’t…”
The Second Prince responded, “And what about the civilians? Are their lives worth nothing? How can the world ever offer a perfect solution to every problem?”
Xiao Fu had listened to their entire debate and had already made up his mind. Clearly, there was no need to consult the old Taoist anymore—Lin Zikui had already asked the right question and drawn out the answer for him.
Lin Zikui added, “The Fourth Young Master said, ‘Let the thousand soldiers go search for food. If they can’t find any, then they should start farming. There’s a reservoir, so they can irrigate. Everyone needs to eat well—only then will they have the strength to fight.’… A childish response, perhaps, but it got to the heart of the matter. The Fourth Young Master may be young, but he’s very clever.”
Xiao Fu asked, “So, who will you take as your student?”
“They all wanted to be my student—why?” Lin Zikui had noticed how the four children had treated him with extreme respect earlier, to the point that it was almost excessive.
He asked in return, “From what I saw, the four young masters already have a good teacher—possibly more than one. So why come to me? I don’t even hold an official title. I’m just a provincial top-scorer, a mere graduate.”
Upon hearing that, Xiao Fu burst out laughing. “My dear Lin Lang is the Number One Scholar of Huainan Prefecture! Soon, you’ll be the top scorer in the nation. Becoming your student now—this is called getting in early. Once you ascend to the top, do you think they’ll still be able to reach you?”
Xiao Fu didn’t directly answer his question, and Lin Zikui, who was always meticulous in everything, had an almost uncanny perceptiveness despite his lack of sight. And yet, when it came to Xiao Fu, he remained hesitant—taking each step as though the road were steep and treacherous, unable to move forward or turn back…
In the end, Lin Zikui still didn’t say which child he wanted to take as his student. The three older boys were rather mature—The Third was still manageable, but the Second’s thoughts no longer seemed like those of a child. As for the Fourth, Lin Zikui only had two words to describe him: “Simply adorable.”
Such an adorable child, and he called Xiao Zhaoling “Elder Brother.”
Xiao Fu had no intention of returning to the palace. He ordered Yuanwu and the guards to escort the four princes back to the royal court. Then, he took Lin Zikui off the boat and headed toward the examination compound.
Just as they were approaching, Lin Zikui suddenly remembered, “Wait! My eyes—the bandages haven’t been removed yet. I need to go back and find Divine Doctor Xie, I completely forgot about it…”
“Don’t go. The examination hall is already closed.”
Lin Zikui: “What? I thought they only closed at You hour. What time is it now?”
“It’s almost You hour. But there’s a notice posted… let me check what’s going on.” Xiao Fu pretended to go take a look at the announcement and had Minister Pang handle the matter. Minister Pang was indeed quite the expert—he fabricated a story saying the chief examiner had misplaced some exam papers, and to ensure fairness in the imperial examination, a new examiner would be appointed to write a new set of questions. As for when the Spring Examination would be held, that would be announced later.
Note: You hour is 5-7pm.
Around them, examinees were murmuring in disbelief: “The examination hall actually closed early, and they haven’t even said when the Spring Exam will resume. Has anything like this ever happened before?”
“Good thing the notice says the court will provide subsidies for examinees, allowing us to stay at the provincial hall in the capital for free. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to afford to wait in Jinling!”
“Ah, let’s go! Forget it. With the government paying and a few more months to study, maybe it’s actually a good thing…”
Lin Zikui listened for a while and muttered to himself, “So the exam’s canceled… To write a new set of questions should take about a month, maybe two.”
Xiao Fu, “How many months would you prefer?”
“Of course I’d want to wait until my eyes are healed before taking the test. That way, there’d be no risk… But that’s unlikely. Even if it takes a while to write new questions, it shouldn’t be more than three months.” Lin Zikui hadn’t expected the Spring Exam to be postponed—such a thing was unheard of. It made him feel a bit uneasy, though he also breathed a sigh of relief.
If his eyes healed in time, Lin Zikui was confident he could pass the exam for jinshi without a hitch. As for the ranking, whether he’d place among the top three or become the zhuangyuan, that would depend on the emperor’s mood that day—whether he liked the look of him or not. Historically, the top three scholars had always been graceful and refined young men; emperors had always judged by appearance.
Lin Zikui thought, he probably wouldn’t fare too badly.
To be a top-rank jinshi… seemed within reach.
Xiao Fu smiled and said, “That’s great. The Spring Exam has been delayed, so Lin Lang can wait until his eyes recover to take it—then it’ll be foolproof. There’s still a few months to go, anyway. Otherwise…”
Lin Zikui turned to him. “Hmm?”
Xiao Fu stood before him, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze. “Why don’t you take me back to Fengtai County and marry me, Lin Lang?”
“Zhao Ling, you…” The ever-genuine Lin Zikui actually hesitated in that moment. “You really want to marry me?”
Xiao Fu narrowed his eyes slightly. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out of the engagement?”
Lin Zikui fell silent. No one knew the inner struggle going on within him at that moment. Thinking of everything that had happened before, he didn’t hesitate for long. He shook his head. “No, I’m not going back on it. I’ll marry you.”
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