11. A Test of Scholarship

“Nonsense!”

The young prince was furious inside his chamber. Sitting before him was Tuoba Qian, pouting stubbornly. The incident she caused last night had only just been revealed to the young prince this morning. Upon hearing the news, a cold sweat broke out all over him.

This was a legitimate younger sister. The late empress had given birth to three sons and two daughters; the three sons were His Majesty, Prince Qin, and Prince Teng. Whether the young prince was His Majesty’s own son or Prince Qin’s, they all lived under the same roof as this young princess, sharing close blood ties.

If anything happened to the young princess here, regardless of explanations, she was undeniably their own sister.

“Brother~~”

Tuoba Qian had long known how to handle her brother. Whenever she acted coquettishly, no matter how fierce he seemed, he would always forgive her. But evidently, that tactic was ineffective this time.

“You calling out to the heavens won’t help. Today you must return to Hongdu without delay. If Prince Teng finds out you’ve vanished, I don’t know what kind of trouble that will cause.”

“Bro~ bro~~~”

“No!”

“Bro~~~ bro~~~”

“Ah… fine, fine. In a few days, you’ll come back with me. But we have three rules: during your stay here, you must behave obediently, not step out of line even once. If you dare to run off, I’ll bring Qiuhé back.”

The young prince cast a glance at Tuoba Qian’s maid, lightly snorting. “Qiuhé, I entrusted you to follow the princess. Is this how you did your duty?”

Though he was powerless against his sister’s charms, the young prince’s authority remained formidable before others. His sudden change in demeanor startled Qiuhé, who hastily knelt down. “Young Prince, forgive me… I…”

“Enough, brother~ don’t trouble Qiuhé. You know me well enough—if I want to do something, three or five Qiuhés wouldn’t stop me.”

Hearing Tuoba Qian’s defense of Qiuhé, the young prince’s anger flared anew. “And you’re proud of that?”

Tuoba Qian stuck out her tongue, shrinking back and swinging her legs on the tall chair without another word.

The young prince continued, “Tell me, who was it that rescued you?”

“Two young scholars, holding Prince Qin’s koi fish lucky pouches. They said they knew you.”

Tuoba Qian gestured, “One looked about sixteen or seventeen, the other about your age.”

“Sixteen or seventeen… koi fish lucky pouches, oh—” The young prince nodded. “Chuntao, you used the mansion’s pouch to carry the golden beans yesterday, right?”

“Yes, Young Prince.”

Clapping his hands lightly, the young prince smiled. “I see. What a coincidence. The karmic cause and effect in this world is truly fascinating, with fate woven in every sip and peck.”

“Brother, brother, what are you talking about?”

“Talking about how lucky you are. If this had happened to someone else, they’d be in big trouble.”

His expression darkened as he turned to Chuntao. “Send Zhong Si to round up those ruffians and break a leg for each before throwing them into the river.”

“Yes, sir.”

The young prince was actually quite reasonable, but this was a matter of royal dignity. Not wiping out their entire clans was already a generous act. So this was the just reward those ruffians deserved—no thanks necessary.

---

“By the way, go fetch that boy soon.”

Chuntao went out to handle matters. By the time she finished and set off to find Xia Lin, the two young men who had been gambling until late last night were still asleep. They had only gone to bed in the early hours, and young people tended to sleep soundly. They were now lying in their room like bloated pigs.

When Chuntao knocked, Xia Lin, dressed only in his undergarments, stumbled to open the door. His disheveled appearance made Chuntao grit her teeth.

“You’re meeting the young prince soon. This is quite inappropriate attire. Hurry and wash up and tidy yourself.”

Chuntao sighed. Seeing another still asleep inside, she was helpless. The young prince had not risen after the early morning hour since he was thirteen. But these two were still groggy well past dawn—what kind of discipline was this?

Xia Lin fetched water, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and combed his hair, still half-dazed. Behind him, Chuntao said, “I heard you rescued someone yesterday?”

Upon hearing this, Xia Lin’s heart skipped a beat. He thought, “They must have been watching me closely. Thankfully I didn’t go drinking with Zhang Zhongchun.”

But he kept up a clueless facade, wiping his face with a towel and turning with a smile. “Just a little kid disguised as a boy who went to the gambling house. That place is a den of vipers. Who knew what might have happened if she’d been taken? Since we saw her, we just helped her out. It’s no big deal.”

Chuntao pressed her lips, leaving the latter half unsaid, then smiled. “The young prince is pleased and wants to see you immediately.”

Xia Lin hummed, soaked the towel in water, and swung it at the still snoring old Zhang’s backside.

Old Zhang yelped as if scalded, leapt up from bed, and Chuntao watched in stunned silence, instinctively touching her own backside and whispering, “Ouch~”

“Hurry up, Master Zhang, it’s time to get going.”

Old Zhang covered his rear and opened his mouth to curse, but seeing Chuntao in the hall, he grimaced, pointed at Xia Lin, and limped off to wash up.

When they descended to the young prince’s villa, Chuntao reminded them, “The young prince is aloof and dislikes noise and roughhousing. Don’t quarrel or make a scene.”

“No problem. Don’t worry. By the way, Sister Chuntao, are there many beauties like you in the mansion? Or are they all as lovely as you?”

Chuntao covered her lips and smiled faintly. “I’m the least pretty in the entire mansion.”

“Impossible. This is a mansion, not the Jade Pool. Where do fairy maidens grow like weeds?” Xia Lin smirked. “I didn’t think Sister Chuntao could lie so well.”

Chuntao’s smile blossomed. Behind them, Zhang Zhongchun looked on in amazement. He never expected that Daosheng, this shameless scoundrel, could so effortlessly brighten a young woman’s face with just a few words. It was more enviable than poetic talent.

They chatted all the way to the villa’s garden. Chuntao’s cheeks were flushed like spring peach blossoms, carried away by the flattery. Yet her professionalism prevailed; upon entering the garden’s moon gate, she composed herself, cooling her burning cheeks with well water and resumed her usual stern demeanor while leading them inside.

Inside, the young prince was reading a volume of the Strategies of the Warring States. Beside him sat a young girl of about thirteen or fourteen. Although she lacked the form of a grown woman, her delicate features were already well-defined, and her attire bespoke noble status.

The Crown Princess?

Xia Lin entertained the thought and inwardly despised the young prince. They were all drivers, but real drivers disdain chauffeuring children’s carriages.

When they entered, the girl seemed excited and stood up.

“Ah—”

But before she could finish, the young prince shot her a sharp look. Xia Lin and old Zhang then greeted the young prince in turn.

“Please sit,” the young prince smiled and gestured to them. Then he looked at the girl beside him. “This is Princess Caiyun, daughter of Prince Teng, and also my cousin.”

“Greetings, Princess Caiyun.”

Xia Lin immediately rose to salute but kept his eyes lowered. Royal etiquette was strict; staring at an unmarried princess could bring unwarranted trouble.

“Chuntao, take Caiyun to the backyard.”

Tuoba Qian was led away by Chuntao. Outside, curiosity got the better of her. “Chuntao, why do you think brother won’t let me acknowledge my saviors?”

“Princess, that youth is favored by the young prince. His visit today is a test. If he knew he was your savior, it would complicate matters. If he passes, people would suspect your involvement; if he fails, the young prince would seem unkind. Rest assured, the young prince is not ungrateful—he has his reasons.”

“I see. Brother is quite clever.”

“Of course.”

Meanwhile, inside the room, the young prince had set the book aside.

“Are you Xia Lin, Xia Daosheng?”

“Yes,” Xia Lin nodded, then pointed at old Zhang. “This is Zhang Shuo, Zhang Zhongchun. He’s skilled in calligraphy, music, and chess—unparalleled.”

Old Zhang glanced at Xia Lin, touched in his heart. Having weathered many storms, his once steadfast friends had long abandoned him. The only one who remained loyal was this irreverent Xia Daosheng.

“Oh, very good. Your handwriting is indeed excellent.” The young prince’s interest, however, was not in old Zhang. He looked back at Xia Lin. “What does ‘Daosheng’ mean?”

Ah, an interview, Xia Lin realized. He smiled softly. “It means ‘born by the forest road’—that is Daosheng.”

A pun, quick-witted. Old Zhang was silently impressed. Xia Lin had cleverly linked his name with his background—brilliant.

The young prince was pleased with his quick response and asked again, “Who taught you poetry and prose?”

Xia Lin flicked a glance at old Zhang. “Him.”

“Him?” The young prince was surprised. “Isn’t he your servant?”

“He is my servant now, but I used to be his. He was a student in the first year of Hongbao, a scholar in the sixth, and a recommended candidate in the twelfth. Later, he was implicated in a cheating scandal and stripped of his honors forever, so he became my servant. We came to Yangzhou together to prepare for the spring imperial examination next month.”

Xia Lin laid out the facts plainly. Whether the young prince listened gladly or not was irrelevant. If he harbored prejudice against old Zhang’s background, he hardly would be a reliable patron.

“I see. Alas… this cheating scandal has implicated many innocents, letting one family dominate the court. Enough of that. Daosheng, tell me: if I gave you a county of no more than three thousand people, how would you turn it into fifty thousand in five years?”

What? Xia Lin’s head buzzed. Why hit him with such a high bar right away? Increasing a population tenfold in five years was no simple task.