Chapter 582 - 216: Factional Strife (Part 2)
Chapter 582: Chapter 216: Factional Strife (Part 2)
Before him, the scholars had to refer to themselves as his "students."
Given the authority of the imperial examination system, this bond between teacher and student was incredibly strong. When carried into the political arena, it formed a web of connections between patrons and protégés, influencing their careers and determining their political allegiances.
Had Gong Yuanxiu remained the presiding examiner for those present, some of the new scholars would inevitably have been drawn into the Empress Dowager’s faction. But with his reputation now in ruins, all it would take was a little guidance from Xu Yanlin to turn these scholars into a reserve of talent for the Royalist Party.
That was right. The Xu family were loyal members of the Royalist Party.
The patriarch of the Xu family, Mr. Xu, was the current Vice Minister of the Cabinet. In the eyes of the Empress Dowager’s faction, he was their most formidable obstacle.
With Gong Yuanxiu and Mr. Zhou now gone, the situation was left for Sheng Mingchuan and Xu Yanlin to handle.
While the elders in Yuan Shixin’s family were mostly officials, their ranks were low, and they went unnoticed by the major players. As a result, they remained neutral.
Yuan Shixin, understanding the situation, tactfully stepped back and gestured for Xu Yanlin to take the lead. Thus, Xu Yanlin came to stand before the crowd.
With Xu Yanlin managing the affair and the other officials showing him due respect, the Lu Ming Banquet still managed to conclude on a festive note.
As the scholars departed, they each received a congratulatory gift, nominally from Mr. Zhou and the other examiners.
Among the gifts were an official historical text, a collection of literary classics, and one of each of the high-end Four Treasures of the Study (a Hu Brush, a Hui inkstick, a Duan inkstone, and Xuan paper).
There was also a brush pot and a Jade Pendant, each engraved with a deer motif from the *Classic of Poetry, Xiao Ya, Deer Cry*, and a statue of Emperor Wenchang—a prayer for the students to receive divine protection in the upcoming Imperial and Palace Examinations and successfully become Advanced Scholars.
Furthermore, there was a copy of the *Luming Banquet Title List*, an heirloom that could be passed down through the family. It detailed the names and ranks of the chief examiner, associate examiners, and new scholars of this Provincial Examination, serving as a crucial credential for future networking and their careers in officialdom.
At the banquet, each person had "donned a flower and red sash," which involved wearing a silk floral ornament made of gold or silver. These golden and silver flowers were also theirs to take home.
Finally, the government provided a special fund for the scholars to return to their hometowns, erect flagpoles, and hang plaques to bring honor to their families and announce the joyous news of their success to their local communities.
In past years, this "flagpole and plaque" stipend was only twenty taels of silver. This year, perhaps to soothe their rattled nerves, each person received a full fifty taels—a truly wonderful surprise!
All in all, every scholar who attended the banquet was richly rewarded. It had not been a wasted trip.
After the banquet dispersed, Zhao Jing left the government office along with the others.
Outside, the gatekeepers and coachmen from the various households were already waiting.
Everyone bid their farewells, exchanging warm goodbyes whether they were acquainted or not.
One said, "Mr. Wo, let’s travel to the capital together when the time comes."
Another said, "Mr. Tian, you said you’d arrange a good match for me. Don’t you go and forget about it."
Someone else added, "Who knows when we’ll meet again? Brothers, before we leave Xinghuai Prefecture, should we have another gathering?"
Many voices rose in agreement.
And so it was settled: the scholars of this year’s class would have their own private gathering the next day at the Golden Jade Restaurant.
Zhao Jing had been plied with a lot of wine at the banquet and was now slightly tipsy. Fortunately, Cao Xu was a steady man and had come directly with the carriage to pick him up.
When Zhao Jing returned home, Chen Wanqing and De’an had already been waiting for a long time.
De’an was there purely for the gossip.
Before the Lu Ming Banquet had even ended, news of the major disturbance inside had already spread throughout the Prefecture.
The common folk didn’t dare pry, and while the unsuccessful students were curious, they feared that getting too close would only bring back feelings of disappointment, so they all stayed away.
De’an hadn’t gone either, but he had come to the Zhao family’s home to wait, eager to get the scoop from Zhao Jing about all the excitement.
In the end, he didn’t get any gossip. Instead, the sight of all the things Zhao Jing brought back was enough to leave him flabbergasted.
"So much!"
Zhao Jing sipped his sobering tea and said unhurriedly, "None of it is particularly valuable."
"Jing, how can you say that? If this isn’t valuable, then what is? Look at this huge golden flower! Never mind the craftsmanship, just the gold used to make it must be at least two taels, which is sixteen taels of silver. Plus your one hundred-tael plaque stipend... wait a minute, didn’t my cousin say the plaque stipend was fifty taels per person this year? How did you get one hundred?"
"Because I’m the top scorer."
De’an: "..." ’Just listen to that. Could he be any more infuriating?!’
Zhao Jing shot him a sideways glance. "What? Am I wrong?"
"..." ’He was all too right.’