Chapter Nineteen: The County Academy

“Hurry along now, your aunt is waiting for you. We’ll go to your aunt’s house first; your second cousin will accompany you to the county academy, and tomorrow you’ll both report together.” Grasping Li Zisheng’s hand, his father headed straight for the home of Li Zisheng’s aunt in the northern part of the city.

The Wang residence.

Two stone lions stood guard at the entrance, and a refined lady with a tall child beside her waited at the doorway. When they spotted Li Zisheng and his father approaching from afar, they hurried toward them.

Li Zisheng set down his bundle and greeted them respectfully.

“Aunt, second cousin.”

“Haha, I’ve heard much about little Sheng, the child prodigy. I didn’t expect that after all these years, you’d be so learned and courteous.” The elegant lady was Li Zisheng’s aunt, Li Qinglian, the second in the Li family and the only woman of her father’s generation. She had two sons; the second cousin Wang Qianlang before him was three years older, while the eldest cousin, Wang Qianxiu, whom he had not met, was now serving in the military and had reportedly become a minor officer, bringing great honor to the family.

“Haha, cousin, I heard you apprenticed yourself to Master Cheng as your mentor. I truly envy you! Master Cheng rarely accepts students, and for you to have such an opportunity makes me quite jealous.” The ten-year-old second cousin was evidently well-nourished; he already stood taller than his mother, nearly as tall as a youth of fifteen or sixteen.

Li Zisheng, keenly observant, noticed that his cousin’s eyes brimmed with envy, but not an ounce of jealousy. This proved that his cousin’s character was genuinely upright and sincere, not at all false. Upon realizing this, Li Zisheng smiled, feeling he had been overly cautious; everyone here was his closest kin. Perhaps the isolation and lack of family in modern times had built too many walls in his heart, making him overly wary of strangers.

“Come, cousin, I heard from my mother that you know the art of medicine. You’re only eight, but your future is surely boundless.” With these words, he led Li Zisheng into the courtyard.

His uncle was a merchant who traveled widely and was currently away on business, not expected to return for several months. Thus, Li Zisheng had no need to pay his respects to his uncle and simply followed his cousin. His aunt didn’t object, but instead pulled aside Li Zisheng’s father, instructed the servants to prepare some food, and said that as the day was late, he should return tomorrow. As for Li Zisheng, she would take care of him, reassuring their elderly mother and the Wang family that there was nothing to worry about.

Li Zisheng was assigned to stay temporarily in the elder cousin’s room. Since Wang Qianxiu was away in the army and wouldn’t return home for years, the room was vacant and perfectly suitable.

The next day, the sky was overcast. The snow that had begun the previous night had stopped, leaving the world draped in white.

Early in the morning, Li Zisheng’s father set off back to Tianshui. If he waited for more snow, the roads would become impassable. Li Zisheng and Wang Qianlang had finished breakfast; today was the day of their enrollment. Their aunt dressed them neatly, making them look every bit the scholarly young men.

The two brothers slung their book bags over their shoulders, their hair tied with ribbons, as was customary. Normally, students entered the county academy at nine or ten years old, but Li Zisheng was admitted at eight, thanks in no small part to Cheng Zhongliang.

The county academy was a sizeable institution, though its main gate was not as grand as Li Zisheng had imagined—just an ordinary entrance. Of course, the Huiyue Academy was larger than most county academies, owing to the unique geography of Huiyue County. At the gate hung a pair of couplets: “Study diligently and strive for excellence; talent is the harmony of heaven, earth, and man.” Seeing these words, Li Zisheng’s heart surged with passion—the couplet truly captured the essence of scholarly pursuit.

Outside Huiyue County Academy gathered a great throng, some in groups, others alone, including many adult scholars and quite a few Turkic foreigners, all assembled together. Witnessing this, Li Zisheng felt a deep sense of awe; this was merely a county academy—how much more magnificent must the prefectural or national academies be?

“Come, line up!” The academy steward called out, and the noisy crowd quieted as the incoming students formed lines, their families waiting to the side.

“Hurry, cousin, let’s get near the front, or we might not get a good dormitory.” Wang Qianlang tugged Li Zisheng, hauling their bundles and lining up quickly. Though only eight, Li Zisheng’s good nutrition made him indistinguishable from the ten-year-olds around him. Of course, Wang Qianlang was an exception—his height made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

“Name, age, place of origin, any recommender?” The registrar rattled off four questions, well-practiced.

“Wang Qianlang, ten, native of Huiyue County in Lingzhou, recommended by Cavalry Officer Zheng Jun. Here is the letter of recommendation.” The registrar took the letter from Wang Qianlang.

“Here, take your token and stand to the left.” The registrar handed Wang Qianlang a token. Li Zisheng noticed that the left side was filled with sturdy children, while the right was more scholarly.

“Li Zisheng, eight, native of Tianshui Village, Huiyue County, recommended by Master Cheng Zhongliang. Here is the letter of recommendation.” The registrar immediately looked up.

“Oh, you’re the little prodigy Master Cheng mentioned, Li Zisheng! Haha, take this token and go straight in. Leave your things behind me; someone will deliver them to your dormitory.” The registrar beamed at Li Zisheng.

Those nearby understood at once that Li Zisheng must have powerful backing. The registrar had met countless sons of officials, but never had he shown such deference; Li Zisheng was someone worth befriending.

“Thank you very much.” Li Zisheng bowed, making the registrar smile even more.

“Cousin, I’ll go in first and wait for you inside.”

“All right.”

“Is that your cousin? He’s impressive,” someone behind remarked to Wang Qianlang, who felt proud as if the praise were directed at himself.

Once inside Huiyue Academy, Li Zisheng understood why tokens were handed out at the entrance. The inner courtyard, surrounded by walls, gave way to three doors further in. Each was marked differently: the rightmost was labeled the Hall of Literary Talent, the leftmost the Hall of Martial Talent, and the center, boldly, the Hall of Genius.

Li Zisheng shivered internally; the labels were almost too direct. Glancing at his token, he saw the character for Genius; his cousin’s had the character for Martial. It was clear he was to enter the Hall of Genius.

With a sense of awkwardness, Li Zisheng stepped into the Hall of Genius.