As Su Cen spoke, his hostility seemed to dissipate entirely. His career was probably over, and there was no need to follow those dead rules anymore. He straightened up and looked directly at Li Shi, slowly saying, “What I referred to as ‘examination’ was the factional disputes. Currently, the court is turbulent with factionalism. Everyone is driven by personal gain, attacking each other and disregarding the nation’s interests. Officials must first choose a side and act with their party’s interests in mind. If officials are ineffective and disrupt the imperial authority, the national fortunes will inevitably decline!”
“Impertinent!”
A eunuch beside the emperor shouted angrily. Just as he was about to order the guards to take Su Cen away, he saw that the person who should have been the most enraged, Prince Ning, waved his hand, showing no sign of anger, and instead watched with interest. He then asked, “So, what is this faction you speak of, and what are they contending for?”
Su Cen opened his mouth, all his words stuck in his throat, and found himself unable to speak a single word.
He could give up fame and fortune, but he still wanted to keep his head.
Li Shi curled his lips at the man kneeling before him. The man, with a stubborn expression, stared intently at him, his answer clear in his eyes. Li Shi had read his writings and knew exactly what he was referring to. He had ignored the other people, but this man’s fierce demeanor was intriguing.
Fortunately, before Li Shi could ask more, a voice came from behind the screen on the right: “You may leave.”
Su Cen didn’t know how he stood up or how he escaped the hall. He didn’t even remember how he left the palace gate. The warm March sunlight hit him, but he felt no warmth at all.
He wandered through the bustling streets for a long time before he regained his senses. Looking up, he found, quite coincidentally, that it was the same teahouse he had visited that day.
He walked in and ordered a pot of Longjing tea. As he poured himself a cup, he looked up at the floor above.
The gauzy curtain had been taken down, and there was no one at the table, but he found himself staring blankly at the floor above, as if he was staring into someone’s eyes.
How long had Li Shi looked at him that day?
Those eyes were too deep. His immaturity, clumsiness, and youthful arrogance were laid bare, as if his clothes had been peeled off layer by layer and he was left naked in the street, completely exposed with no reserve.
In just one glance, that person had seen through him.
And he, except for being caught off guard repeatedly, had never even had the chance to properly observe Li Shi.
People said that Prince Ning, who wielded great power, could kill without blinking, devour people without leaving bones, and never smiled, always appearing like Yanluo1King of Hell. Su Cen couldn’t help but sneer. Those people must have never seen the real Prince Ning. With a mere glance and a smile, this person could crush you to pieces and scatter your soul, leaving you with no chance of recovery.
That day, when he let the assassin go, Li Shi, with his status, had a hundred ways to ensure the assassin’s death. Yet, he did not act then; it turned out he had been waiting here all along.
There is really nothing more despairing than going through all the hardships to the end only to find that the end is a cliff. The old man in the family was waiting for him to pass the imperial examination and bring honor to the family. It turned out that his road to officialdom was cut off on the first day he arrived in Chang’an.
On that day, he had let the assassin go. With Li Shi’s status and power, he could have had a hundred ways to ensure his death without a trace. Yet, Li Shi hadn’t acted then; it turned out he was waiting for this moment.
There’s indeed nothing more despairing than struggling through countless hardships only to find out at the end that the destination is actually a cliff. His family back home was waiting for him to achieve top honors and bring glory to their name, but it turned out he had cut off his path to an official career the very first day he arrived in Chang’an.
A wasted effort, a humiliating mess.
It wasn’t until the pot of tea had completely cooled that Su Cen slowly stood up. As he left the teahouse, the sun was setting in the west. It was as if he had drunk an entire pot of wine instead of tea—he staggered his way back, hesitating along the way about finding a small establishment without a curfew to stay in for a while.
He didn’t know how to explain to Ah Fu how his supposedly brilliant Second Young Master had failed so miserably.
Even if Ah Fu, knowing the situation, didn’t ask, or if he locked himself in his room and refused to answer, he wouldn’t know how to face those eyes filled with such hopeful expectation.
He needed to find a place where no one knew him for a bit.
For example… Hongxiao Fang2red light district… or perhaps…
Su Cen lifted his head. Dusk was settling in, and the lanterns were beginning to light up. Several young male courtesans with oiled hair and powdered faces leaned against the windows and doors, watching him with a suggestive smile on their lips.
In Chang’an, the atmosphere was quite open; keeping young men or playing with catamites was nothing new. On the edge of the Eastern market, there was an alley full of smoke and willow trees, where brothels and male courtesan houses stood across from each other, with men and women competing for business. The courtesans in red skirts with flirtatious glances were no less captivating than their female counterparts.
And he, in his current state, looked exactly like one of those hesitant outsiders standing at the door, wanting to try something new.
However, Su Cen’s reason for standing there was different.
That assassin had whispered something ambiguous in his ear—that man liked men. Today, Zheng Yang also said that his uncle seemed interested in him.
What kind of interest?
This… kind of interest?
His stomach suddenly churned for no reason. He hadn’t eaten anything all day and had drunk a pot of cold tea on an empty stomach. Knowing there was nothing to vomit, he still bent over and dry-heaved for quite a while.
Several of the young courtesans inside gave him a cold glance, then turned back into the establishment, ignoring him completely.
After he finished retching, Su Cen slumped to the ground and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He wasn’t disgusted by others but by himself—by that fleeting, vile thought in his mind.
In the end, he still returned to Changle Ward. As soon as he turned into his alley, he saw Ah Fu waiting at the door with a lantern. Upon seeing him return, Ah Fu hurriedly rushed up to him, grabbing his sleeve tightly, too excited to know how to speak.
“You found out?” Su Cen frowned.
“I know everything! Second Young Master, you…” Ah Fu’s hands trembled with excitement. “You’re amazing! Achieving the top rank in all three rounds, becoming the new top scorer! The Su family has hope for revival!”
Su Cen: “…”
Su Cen was stunned for a while before he snapped out of it and stared at Ah Fu, “Who told you I became the top scholar?”
“As if that could be false,” Ah Fu pointed behind him, “The officials from the palace are still waiting there. They waited and waited, but you didn’t return, so I thought of going out to look for you. Just happened to run into you on your way back.”
Su Cen looked ahead and indeed saw two eunuchs standing at the door, holding a roll of yellow silk in their hands, smiling obsequiously at him, “Congratulations to you, Scholar Su, a young talent of such promise, achieving the highest honors in the country!”
Su Cen stood still for a while, staring at them until their expressions grew stiff. Suddenly, he stepped forward, snatched the roll of yellow silk from them, and threw it on the ground, “How long does he plan to toy with me?!”
The two eunuchs looked at each other in dismay, momentarily stunned. They had seen people who were ecstatic, overwhelmed with tears, or even fainted from excitement upon hearing they had passed the exam, but Su Cen, who threw the imperial edict on the ground, was the first one.
They had gone through quite some effort to get this task. Having already inquired about the prosperous situation of this Su family, they thought they could earn some extra money running errands. But what was going on now?
“Second Young Master…” Ah Fu, coming to his senses, hurriedly stepped forward to pick up the imperial edict. Fearing it might be thrown again, he tucked it behind him and cautiously asked, “Second Young Master, are you alright?”
Indeed, any normal person wouldn’t act this way. Many have studied hard their entire lives just for this scroll of the imperial edict, but here he was, treating it like a plague.
Su Cen gradually calmed down and stretched out his hand, “Give it to me.”
Ah Fu hesitated for a while before reluctantly taking it out from behind him and handing it back to Su Cen.
Su Cen stared at the item in his hand for a long moment, then slowly broke into a smile.
If it’s a game he wants to play…
Then I’ll play along with him.
One place may trip him up once or twice, but one day, he will flatten this ditch.
The clappers sounded the third watch in Chang’an City when Li Shi finally put down his vermillion brush, rubbing his temples with his knuckles. A cloak was promptly draped over his shoulders.
Standing behind him, Qi Lin said, “Master, you should rest.”
The young emperor did not understand governance, so all the memorials from the civil and military officials had to be drafted and reviewed by the Zhongshumengxia3中书门下 (Zhōngshū Ménxià) refers to the joint offices of the Zhongshu Sheng (中书省, Central Secretariat) and Menxia Sheng (门下省, Chancellery) during the Tang Dynasty (618–907) in China. This term represents a combined bureaucratic body responsible for drafting, reviewing, and implementing imperial decrees and policies. before being sent to Xingqing Palace for the Regent Prince’s final review. Only then could they be issued.
It seemed like a good position, wielding immense power, but not entirely so. Qi Lin watched as his master’s newly relaxed brows furrowed again, “Longxi wants to station troops, Huainan is troubled by water bandits, and Qianzhou has had conflicts with the local tribes. They are just finding different ways to ask the court for silver, treating the court like a money bag they can dip into whenever they please.”
Qi Lin said indignantly, “Last year, the Empress Dowager wanted to build some Fanglin Garden, and now there’s no money left to resolve these tribal conflicts. Zhao Zhijing, the Minister of Revenue, would go to any lengths to curry favor with the Empress Dowager Chu, even emptying half of the national treasury.”
“He had the silver to build the Fanglin Garden for the Empress Dowager Chu, so he should also have silver to suppress bandits and pay the troops,” Li Shi said, picking up his vermillion brush and drawing a circle on the memorials from Longxi and Huainan. When he reached the one from Qianzhou, he thought for a moment before finally writing a note: “Prioritize education and defer military action.”
Putting down the brush, he got up and took a few steps away but then turned back to ask, “What happened to the new top scholar?”
Qi Lin replied, “What else? He accepted the decree and gave thanks.” After a few more steps, he added, “Master, I just can’t understand it. His remarks were directly aimed at you. Even the Empress Dowager Chu didn’t want him. Why are you still protecting him?”
Li Shi turned the ink jade thumb ring on his finger and smiled, “Fearless youth. The kid is quite amusing.”
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
