Chapter 304.2: Swift Like Thunder

Kaiming Fu, because didn’t get involved in the matter of the courtyard exam, the scholars there didn’t get affected, so naturally won’t do anything to Li Hong Yuan, but this Chongzhou Fu wasn’t the same, and was actually the direct ‘disaster area’. Although didn’t have matters of the students hanging themselves arising, their anger wasn’t any less. Li Hong Yuan’s conduct at this very moment was practically just ‘running into the tip of the spear’, like igniting a barrel of gunpowder. Fury burned all reason, and afterwards, they just directly started attacking.

This kind of situation, not only didn’t anyone stand out to stop, on the contrary, there were even people fanning the flames within, else things wouldn’t have escalated that quickly either.

Speaking of which, although the various officials had gotten ‘detained’ by Li Hong Yuan, not all the officials of Chongzhou Fu were included. In reality, there were still quite a few officials that simply didn’t have enough qualifications to stand before Li Hong Yuan. These people may not be able to see their superior, but it didn’t mean that they didn’t have a tacit understanding. When learning that Li Hong Yuan had chosen the place in front of the Confucius House to cast a large-sized gold and silver yuanbao, quite a few people became secretly delighted in the dark. The opportunity has come.

There were one or two people that had received instructions in advance, not only attacking the ‘enemy’, but also attacking one’s own people, from fist to flesh, to knife to flesh, merely a matter of seconds.

The sounds of angry shouting mixed with the blood-curdling screams, and also coming from don’t know where the cries of ‘someone’s killing’ and ‘someone died’………….

However, if one carefully look, one will discover, amidst the chaotic crowd, there were a small number of people that would always act out at the most appropriate time. Their movements were agile, cleanly and firmly blocking the fatal blows. As such, regardless of how chaotic, from beginning to end, no casualties emerged. And the ones that noticed these people first naturally were those fanning the flames, inwardly crying out, ‘not good’, and prepared to secretly withdraw. However, more often than not, they were unable to retreat more than three steps before getting seized from behind by someone.

And just when not knowing how to bring things to an end, a group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared, as if descending from the heavens, and like the cutting edge of a sharp blade, they ruthlessly entered by force, rapidly having the people separated. For anyone that resists, it was just unhesitantly beating, won’t lose consciousness, and further won’t be fatal, just letting them lose the ability to move for a short period of time. In a blink of an eye, the chaotic situation just got thoroughly contained. Soon after, the gongs and drums sounded, followed by the sound of ‘quickly withdraw’. Two squadrons of government officers rapidly arrived, having the irrelevant people separated outside.

Heavy sounds of horse hooves drew increasingly closer. Four horses arrived in a row, and seeing the people on horseback, everyone practically quieted down at the same time, to the extent that the ‘parent official[1]‘ that ran over while gasping for breath from behind all got ignored by the great majority.

Li Hong Yuan was in the lead, followed by Yu Zhong Qing, Li Su Yan, and An Yi. At this very moment, the four of them all contained something similar on them, an ice-cold chilliness that was like cutting edge of a blade.

“A bit of trivial matter, yet can still turn into such a ruckus?”

That small official that was in charge of this matter immediately came out, kneeling onto the ground, just about to explain…………

Li Hong Yuan meaningfully swept a glance, “Take him down, have him removed from post and investigated.” He didn’t allow the other party to say a single word. “Li Su Yan……….”

Li Su Yan flipped down from the back of the horse, cupping his hands towards Li Hong Yuan, and afterwards, just casually waved his hand. Shortly after, the people previously mixed in among the chaos immediately came out, each person all lifting one or several individuals on hand. Looking at the clothes, there were ones that had participated in the assignment that Li Hong Yuan had ordered this time, taking up the majority, and there were also three wearing the attire of students. One of them, among the numerous students, seemingly was even very renowned. Because of seeing him getting treated as such, even the students that couldn’t move all got worked up.

“Fellow students, please don’t get angry. Wangye has personally arrived, so naturally will give us justice.” He hurriedly urged, and when looking towards Li Hong Yuan, was neither servile nor overbearing, previously modest, now lofty.

Such attitude of his, no one felt it was wrong. In fact, many people got convinced by his lofty and unyielding character, feeling this was the role model for scholars.

Li Hong Yuan sneered, “A wangye personally arriving? Who told you?”

That person slightly froze, “Heard Jin Qinwang was peerlessly handsome, and for anyone who sees, not one would not recognize.”

“Heard? Heard from where? This is this prince’s first time away from the capital. Regarding this face, it can even spread to the point where it’s known by all? Before speaking, one should still make a mental outline first.”

As soon as everyone heard, ‘Indeed, this seemingly really was the case.’ First setting aside the fact that the other party was part of the imperial family, ordinarily all not daring to recklessly comment on, he was even a man. Qi Yuan didn’t have the so called ‘male wind[2]‘. Without rhyme or reason, who would go discuss a man’s appearance? Even a certain region’s well-known famous courtesan, for that colorful reputation to be able to reach beyond a province was already not bad.

“Unable to say? Regarding your matters, this prince actually knows quite a bit, so rather hoped that you can continuously maintain this ‘lofty character’.”

As soon as Li Hong Yuan’s voice dropped, Li Su Yan correspondingly brought out a booklet, flipping it open, having the other party’s full name, age, place of ancestry, as well as family background read aloud one by one, just a strongly determined to succeed, diligent and ambitious, filial and righteous, resounding image, and although the family was poor, nevertheless a lofty character unyielded by being poor and lowly, “………Four months ago, in the family, underserved wealth fell from the sky, as enormous as fifty thousand taels of silver. Building a grand residence, buying servants, buying beautiful slave girls, and further taking in four beautiful concubines one after another, favoring the concubine and neglecting one’s wife, injuring one’s father-in-law, and brother-in-laws, several people, running amuck in the village, joining hands with the academy’s court academician to secretly oppress three other students, participated in…………”

Li Hong Yuan lifted his hand. Li Su Yan stopped reading. “Come, explain to this prince, where this fifty thousand taels came from?”

That person although want to maintain calm at all cost, but in the end, the things he has experienced were limited, his temperament still much lacking. Even someone like the Pei clan leader, when facing Li Hong Yuan, would all change face, let along someone like him. His deathly pale face already had him cleanly betrayed. Finally finding his lost voice after a long while, “This student, this student doesn’t know what wangye is saying.”

“Don’t know? No problem. Li Su Yan, have the person taken back, don’t need for him to say anything, just first have your Bureau of Suppression’s[3] major corporal punishments all used on him one by one. If he can still live, regardless of what he’s done, all can be forgotten about and pardoned. This prince will even personally give him a million taels, and this money, can be used however one pleases, definitely won’t have anyone questioning.”

“Yes. Wangye can rest assured, regardless of what kind of hard bones, someone who’s capable of shouldering all of the Bureau of Suppression’s torture, to this day, still has yet to appear. This subject also very much awaits.” Li Su Yan was someone of few words, yet this while said a few more superfluous words, looking towards that student like sharp blades, carrying extreme cruelty.

What kind of place the Bureau of Suppression was, many people probably don’t know, especially in places outside of the capital. And the ones that knew of its existence and how terrifying of a place it was, were even fewer. However, just that unfortunately, this scholar, he just knew. Hearing Li Hong Yuan and Li Su Yan’s words, he shivered all over, directly wetting himself in fear.

“Wangye, wangye, have mercy, this student, this student will say, this student will say everything………..” Afterwards, crackling like popping peas, he had everything he knew all said out loud.

He originally was a ‘distinguished talent[4]‘ already, so needless to participate in the courtyard exam again, and was actually going to participate in the provincial exam[5]. Such a person, originally shouldn’t have taken part in the courtyard exam fraud case, but he just had to have participated, and even played an extremely important role within. He originally didn’t have any background, and for him to have such an enormous capability, it was nothing more than having coincidentally become acquainted with Chongzhou Fu’s education minister family’s young master, sharing vile hobbies. In the original plan, it wasn’t just the courtyard exam, but also the provincial exam following the courtyard exam. Just, with the matter getting exposed, the provincial exam didn’t carry out. And he also played the role of an upright person, crying out against injustice for the students of the courtyard exam. As such, his popularity among the students increasingly rose.

[1] 父母官 – Literally parent official, refers to the local official that’s in charge of this particular areas

[2] Referring to male homosexuality, I believe it’s related to the phrase ‘liking the southern wind’ which is a literary way of saying gay. I think in this context it’s just saying that this isn’t something widespread or common in Qi Yuan.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

[3] 镇抚司 – Zhenfusi, this is my loose translation of this bureau, breaking down the name it’s 镇(to subdue/suppression) 抚(to comfort/console) 司(bureau/department). Historically this is the department exclusively owned by the Brocade Clad Guards, aka the actual historical counterpart of this novel’s Black Clad Guards. It was actually further divided into the north and south division. The south division was in charge of law and order internally, as well as military investigations. The north division specifically handled cases compiled by the Emperor, possessing their own prison, and had full autonomy in arresting, interrogating under torture, and executing criminals, without needing to go through the judicial process. Those that have died under torture were innumerable.

[4] 秀才- ‘Distinguished Talent’, this is a title given to those who have either passed the county-level imperial exam or passed the courtyard exam, depending on dynasty, county exam, the first of the three entry-level exams, if prior to the Ming dynasty, and Ming dynasty onwards, it’s obtained after passing the courtyard exam, the last of the three entry-level exams. Given the context, the author is following the system from Ming dynasty onwards, hence why he doesn’t need to participate in the courtyard exam again, since he has already passed it.

This is the lowest ranking title of successful exam candidates, and the first step towards becoming a scholar official. There’s actually officially sanctioned social privileges to obtaining such a title, for instances, access to local government facilities and limited immunity against corporal punishments, as well as exemption from statute labour.

[5] 乡试 – Provincial exam, held every three years in various provincial capitals, also know as the autumn exam (秋闱) because it takes place in the autumn, just like how the metropolitan is also known as the spring exam (春闱). By passing the provincial exam, successful candidates get the title of 举人 ‘recommended man’, or as I translated it as ‘scholar graduate’, currently the title Jing Wan’s older brothers hold.

[6] 提学 – This title is actually short for 提督学政 (local supervisor of the education administration), a position in charge of the education administration in the provincial and county level, controlled all levels of schools within the region, and also administered the imperial exam at the local level. In this novel this position is in charge of each fu’s education administration.

T/N: A lot of things are going to be happening simultaneously during this arc, but mainly three big focus, the courtyard exam case, the salt administration, and then the Pei family.