Chapter Twenty-Two: To Act or Not to Act

"Excellent, excellent! Young man, you remain calm in the face of honor or disgrace, your manners are proper, and your words are refined—truly a promising talent. Cheng Zhongliang has found himself a treasure this time." As the figure rounded the corner, Li Zisheng saw him clearly: the bearing of a great scholar, righteous resolve shining in his eyes—an upright and principled man, without a doubt.

Yet, Li Zisheng's mind instantly recalled the elder he had met in the back mountains earlier. Compared to the one before him, that old man's aura was even more extraordinary—far beyond this scholar. Who exactly was that mysterious elder?

"Master." Zhang Ziyang looked rather embarrassedly at the approaching elder.

Li Zisheng’s heart settled—so this was Zhang Ziyang’s teacher. No wonder Zhang Ziyang had sought him out; it must have been at this elder’s behest. Otherwise, who would willingly involve themselves with trouble? With this realization, everything that had puzzled Li Zisheng now became clear.

There was, however, one thing Li Zisheng simply could not fathom: Why was he, of all people, being so highly regarded? To be honest, he had revealed little of his abilities. Even his own mentor, Cheng Zhongliang, knew only that he was innately clever and had some knowledge of medicine. To be valued so greatly was, frankly, astonishing even to Su Xinghe himself.

"I wonder what guidance you have for me, sir?" Li Zisheng understood perfectly well that Zhang Ziyang’s teacher would not act without purpose; he would hardly send his pupil to seek him out for no reason, let alone show up in person.

The old man laughed heartily. "Ah, straightforward and perceptive—unlike the pedantic Cheng Zhongliang. Very good!"

"Before leaving, Cheng Zhongliang entrusted you to me, asking that I help you gain entry to the Genius Pavilion at the Provincial Academy. Naturally, I must test you first—I cannot help you for nothing, can I?" The elder twirled his black and white beard.

Li Zisheng certainly knew as much, but he did not believe that was the whole story. Since the elder did not wish to explain further, there was no need to press. Best to let matters unfold naturally.

"Please, sir, instruct me. How will you test this junior?" Li Zisheng’s tone was neither servile nor arrogant, displaying the proper bearing of a scholar seeking knowledge.

"Good, good! A teachable child indeed. This test is precisely for you to assume the role of Chief of the Human Grade. If you succeed, I can personally guarantee your direct promotion to the Celestial Genius Pavilion. What do you say?" The old man smiled, saying no more, his gaze calm as he looked at Li Zisheng.

A direct promotion to the Celestial Genius Pavilion—passing this test would save him much time and effort. With the Emperor of the Profound Dynasty performing the mountain-sealing rites at Taishan, countless opportunities and capable people would surely arise. Only by standing out could he gain imperial favor and be entrusted with responsibility. In the end, power in the grand Tang Empire was concentrated in the hands of the Emperor himself.

But there is no such thing as a free lunch—unless it is poisoned. This was a principle Li Zisheng lived by. If someone was willing to help him so much, there must be a price. Yet he possessed little of value, nor had he displayed any special talents—why was he singled out? This was a puzzle he could not solve.

No matter. He would meet challenges as they came.

"Sir, do you mean that if I become Chief of the Human Grade, I have passed the test? But if I assume that position and am then promoted directly to Celestial Grade, is that not toying with the current Chief? As the ancients said, a gentleman knows what should and should not be done. Forgive my boldness, but I ask that you test me in some other way—there is no need to use an official post as a reward or punishment. Would that be acceptable?" Li Zisheng looked the elder straight in the eye, his resolve unshakable.

This surprised the old man. Such words were a challenge—he had offered great power, yet this youth remained unfazed, considering not only others but, more accurately, his own principles.

"To do what should be done, and not to do what should not be done—that is the way of the gentleman. Well said! A true scholar and a modest gentleman. That makes me the villain, does it not? No matter, no matter. You need not worry, little gentleman. Simply await the test patiently. Will that suffice?" The elder paused for a moment, then immediately understood Li Zisheng’s intentions.

"Very well. In that case, I await your test, sir." Li Zisheng’s face lit up with a smile.

"Ziyang, you can inform Zisheng about the test details. I’ll take my leave." The old man straightened his back and departed.

"Li Zisheng, you’re quite something! Not even in my own family does anyone dare speak to my master like that, yet you did!" Zhang Ziyang patted his chest, letting out a long breath.

"Oh? Which eminent scholar is your master, that you’re so startled?" Li Zisheng flicked his sleeve and looked up at the sky, his manner impossibly graceful.

"What, you don’t know? My master is a teacher at the Academy of Scholars, and was a classmate of former Chancellor Yao Chong—Master Kong Zhichong." Mentioning his master, Zhang Ziyang’s head lifted proudly, even more so than when he declared himself a native of Chang’an.

Li Zisheng had not come across the name Kong Zhichong in the histories, but he knew that in these times, surnames bore great weight. If this elder’s surname was Kong, he must surely be a descendant of Confucius. Especially as a teacher at the Academy of Scholars, that was a position of considerable prestige.

The Academy of Scholars was renowned, yet Li Zisheng was puzzled: Was it not established by the Emperor to edit and repair books, not to teach? Why then were there teachers? Was Zhang Ziyang deceiving him?

"So, what exactly does the test consist of, Brother Zhang?" That was the crucial question. Li Zisheng cared little who the elder was; what mattered was that he bore no ill will toward him, and that was enough.

"My master told me there is only one requirement—there is no test. Just compose poetry that satisfies him."

Li Zisheng was left speechless. These ancients did love to complicate matters, always making things sound cryptic. But if it was just poetry, he had nothing to fear—for the poems stored in his mind far surpassed those of his peers.

"Very well, prepare yourself. I have to go—my master assigned me homework I haven’t finished. You’ll find out the exact time of the test tomorrow. For now, get a good night’s sleep." With that, Zhang Ziyang reverted to his childish self and hopped away.