Chapter 25: Oh! Wonderful! I have passed!

[Back at the crossroads of destiny, you, with a complex mix of emotions, forgo reporting to the Embroidered Uniform Guard this time and slink off to the post station instead...]

["Yo! A prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold!"]

[You find your master, Assistant Instructor Ding, at the post station, sitting alone and nursing his grievances. Although he had previously severed ties with you and expressed his intention to return to his hometown, he is, after all, your master. Having spent over two years together, he has developed a deep affection for you and has secretly held onto hope.]

[In his mind, no matter how much of a prodigy you are, you are still just a five-year-old child. Therefore, even if you were briefly driven by hot-blooded indignation to report dark deeds, it was merely a passing impulse. Once your passion cooled, you would naturally come to him, dejected and seeking forgiveness!]

[Thus, he is still waiting for you at the post station; he figures that if you don't come to apologize soon, it won't be too late to make a clean break then...]

[In all honesty, if you were truly just an ordinary child, his speculation would be perfectly accurate. A child who hits a wall will naturally cry and seek an adult's pardon.]

[Unfortunately, you are anything but normal. In the previous branch of the timeline, not only did his waiting come to nothing, but you—having become addicted to spinning tops—ended up treating him to a lashing with a copper-headed belt before having him thrown into jail. It was a truly miserable fate...]

[But the past is the past, and the present is the present. Looking at your master's smug, "I knew it" expression, you sigh inwardly: So be it. Last time I played the grandfather, this time I shall play the grandson...]

[And so, you "turn over a new leaf." With a face full of helplessness and distress, you grab his thigh and sob pitifully: "Master! I was wrong! Please, don't sever ties with me!"]

["Disciple knows he was wrong! I will never dare do it again! Never again..."]

[You smear snot and tears all over his leg, making his mouth twitch... But after all, you are a student he has taught for over two years. Between the emotional bond and the shared interests, he decides to endure it...]

[Faced with a cash cow with a boundless future, what else could he do?]

[What can I say?]

[Of course, he chooses to forgive you!]

[And so, the master and disciple, much like the Monkey King and Tripitaka after the "Three Attacks on the White Bone Spirit," reconcile. The scene is so touching that it moves outsiders to感慨...]

[...]

[Afterward, you take a carriage back to your hometown in Northern Shaanxi to resume your daily studies, awaiting the next provincial examination, as if nothing had ever happened.]

[When your parents learn that you failed the exam, although they feel a slight disappointment, they do not dwell on it. After all, you are already a renowned prodigy; you will surely have both fame and fortune in the future. As parents, how could they reproach you? They love you far too much for that!]

[In the end, most parents in this world are normal; the likes of Fang Zhongyong's ridiculous father are rare exceptions...]

[Beyond your parents and others, there is a group of people who offer you sincere comfort and encouragement... They are the Rebel Bandits!]

[As it turns out, Li Laiheng did not lie last time. He truly had no intention of harming you. His talk of "You must pass the provincial exam this year and then assassinate the Shaanxi Administration Commissioner" was merely a test.]

[When news of your failure spreads, instead of coming to do you harm, they laugh and encourage you: "If you don't pass this time, you'll surely pass the next!"]

["Kid, I can tell at a glance that you're the star of literature descended to earth, a born scholar!"]

[Li Laiheng, carrying a hoe, smiles at you: "Just because you're a fellow villager of the Rebel King, I'm rooting for you! Our barren lands in Northern Shaanxi have always produced rough men. If we can produce a scholar of the literary star in the future, that would be a tremendous blessing!"]

[Is that so?]

[Listening to his encouragement, you feel a flicker of doubt: Aren't the Rebel Bandits anti-Ming? Why would they support you in passing the exam to become an official?]

[Thinking it over, you can't find an answer, so you stop bothering: Who cares! Can't an old man wish for a bright future for the younger generation?]

[You accept all encouragement as it comes!]

[Thus, fueled by their support, you study even harder, determined to pass the provincial exam on your own strength three years later and embark on the official career of your dreams.]

[But this path is destined to be anything but easy...]

[...]

[In the 48th year of Chongzhen, 1675 AD, the year of Yimao, the Shaanxi provincial examination is held. You, at five years old, unfortunately fail.]

[In the 51st year of Chongzhen, 1678 AD, the year of Wuwu, the Shaanxi provincial examination is held again. At eight years old, you take the exam once more!]

[This time, you have studied diligently for three full years and have practiced specifically with past exam papers. During the last exam, you had realized your weaknesses, and this time, you have done your best to patch them.]

[You are confident: Even without that sword, I can still annihilate... bah! I mean, even without relying on that mysterious, unseen guidance, I can still pass the provincial exam!]

[You aren't boasting, as you truly have the strength. So, in the eighth month, accompanied by your master, you head to Xi'an Prefecture, eyes set on the title of Juren!]

[And this time, you run into that gatekeeper again at the entrance to the exam hall...]

["Yo! Isn't this the little prodigy from years ago? Here again this year?"]

[Whether it's because you left such a deep impression, the gatekeeper recognizes you instantly and smiles: "I heard you didn't pass last time. I felt quite sorry for you..."]

[Your face remains impassive, but you sneer internally: Sorry? I bet he was overjoyed!]

[A Juren title sells for 100,000 taels. Your own degree was likely sold by him...]

["By the way, are you buying this time? Still 100,000 taels!"]

[Lowering his voice, he chuckles: "Buy it, and you're guaranteed to pass..."]

["I'm not buying!"]

[You walk past him calmly, and under the gatekeeper's stunned gaze, you enter the exam hall once more...]

[When the paper is handed out, you soon reveal a relaxed smile: It's in the bag!]

[Although the exam questions this time are no easier than the last, you are no longer the little child being pushed into a corner. At eight years old, you are capable of earning a Juren degree on your own merits!]

[With absolute confidence, you slowly set your brush to paper...]

[But, you have miscalculated again.]

[On the day the results are posted after the exam, you wait confidently from dawn until dusk, yet you never hear the call: "Victory! To the residence of Master Zhou Weiliang..."]

[In the candlelight of the inn that night, your master clearly sees the ferocity on your face...]

[The next day, you go to the Xi'an Prefecture office again to check your paper: You do not believe you failed!]

[And the results are just as you expected: The failed paper the clerk pulls out is, once again, not yours...]

["Liang..."]

[Your master, who has witnessed the whole process, cannot help but speak up: "It's just bad luck. We'll come again next time... I refuse to believe it. There's a first and a second, but surely there won't be a third?!"]

[Listening to your master's comfort, your expression is bitter: A third? I fear there truly will be...]

[A shadow is already cast in your heart.]

[But you choose to keep working hard to prepare for the next provincial exam. After all, you have already staked your life against the Shaanxi bureaucracy; you've played that intense game and enjoyed the thrill of being the "grandfather"!]

[So, in this branch of the timeline, you were already prepared to play the "grandson." You were prepared for the hardships and misery...]

["Master, let's go home..."]

["Yes, yes! Liang will surely pass next time! Master believes in you!"]

[...]

[In the 51st year of Chongzhen, 1678 AD, the year of Wuwu, you fail the provincial exam for the second time at age eight!]

[In the 54th year of Chongzhen, 1681 AD, the year of Xinyou, the Shaanxi provincial examination is held again. At eleven years old, you take the exam for the third time!]

[This time, you have prepared for another three years. Compared to before, your knowledge and test-taking techniques are even more refined.]

[Before leaving, you even visited an old Juren in Northern Shaanxi to ask for feedback on your writing... After the old Juren tested you, he clearly stated that your level is already higher than his, that passing the exam is no problem, and if you perform well, you could even take the top spot as Jieyuan!]

[Thus, with restored confidence, you take the familiar road to Xi'an Prefecture again. This time, your master does not accompany you, as at eleven, you can handle all matters on the journey independently.]

[When your carriage arrives at the Xi'an exam hall, as expected, you see the gatekeeper again...]

["Yo! Third time's the charm. Still refusing to buy?"]

[The gatekeeper smiles.]

["I'm not buying!"]

[You say coldly, then stride into the exam hall...]

[In truth, you have long seen through the reality: whether you pass or not has absolutely no connection to how well you write your essay... If you are willing to pay, even if you don't know a single character, these people would carry you to the position of Juren!]

[But if you stubbornly refuse to pay, whether you pass or not is left to fate...]

[However, you have neither 100,000 taels, nor any desire to pay even if you did... You just want to see how many times these people can suppress you!]

[A stubborn mule is a stubborn mule!]

[Very well! And as expected, you fail yet again...]

[The day of the results arrives, and once again, you wait from dawn until dusk. In silence, you still do not hear the call: "Victory! To the residence of Master Zhou Weiliang..."]

[...]

[I am going to lock horns with you people for the rest of my life!]

[With red eyes, you return home to review, waiting for the provincial exam that comes once every three years...]

[In the 54th year of Chongzhen, 1681 AD, the year of Xinyou, you fail the provincial exam for the third time at eleven!]

[In the 57th year of Chongzhen, 1684 AD, the year of Jiazi, the provincial examination is held again. Under the complex gazes of your master, your family, and the Rebel Bandits, you pack your bag once more and leave home...]

[This year you are fourteen, and this is your fourth time taking the provincial exam.]

[Yo, you're back, little brother!]

[The gatekeeper is still there at the entrance. Nine full years have passed since you first met. He was a middle-aged man then, but now his temples are streaked with gray.]

[He smiles and asks again: "Still refusing to pay? Honestly, 100,000 taels isn't as much as you think. Why not borrow it from your magistrate? You're a genius with a boundless future; if you begged him, he'd surely lend it to you..."]

["I won't borrow, and I won't buy!"]

[You head inside, head down.]

["You kid, really..."]

[...]

[In the 57th year of Chongzhen, 1684 AD, the year of Jiazi, you fail for the fourth time as expected...]

[In the 60th year of Chongzhen, 1687 AD, the year of Dingmao, at seventeen, you take the exam and fail for the fifth time.]

[In the 63rd year of Chongzhen, 1690 AD, the year of Gengwu, at twenty, you fail for the sixth time.]

[In the 66th year of Chongzhen...]

[...]

[In the 72nd year of Chongzhen, 1699 AD, the year of Jimao, at twenty-nine, you take the Shaanxi provincial examination for the ninth time!]

[It is another Year of the Rabbit, but twenty-four full years have passed since your first attempt...]

[Over these twenty-four years, those who once held infinite expectations for you have been disappointed time and time again. The Rebel Bandits no longer call you a literary star; your master no longer expects you to rake in silver for him; even your parents sigh: "Child, you've become obsessed!"]

[They don't understand why you are so stubborn. If you can't pass, why not just stop? Your status as a Xiucai already carries great weight, and the family is not short of money... They want you to settle down, have children, and carry on the Zhou family line.]

[But you refuse it all. You neither seek a livelihood nor marriage, pouring all your focus into the confines of the Four Books and Five Classics, spending your days writing dry, tedious eight-legged essays...]

["I will pass!"]

[Passing the provincial exam has long since become your obsession!]

[So much so that when the long-awaited sound of the announcement finally reaches your ears, you can hardly believe your own ears...]

[Clang! A gong sounds!]

["Victory! To the residence of Master Zhou Weiliang, who has placed first, Jieyuan, in the Shaanxi provincial examination! A double announcement to the capital!"]

[Listening to the passionate announcement outside the door, you crack a smile, and cannot help but laugh like a fool...]

["Yes! Good! I've passed!"]