Not only were there no oxen or donkeys, there wasn’t even a single mule.

Was that Scholar really planning to walk all the way to the Prefecture on his own two feet?

The question had been a mystery, but now it seemed there was an answer.

"Apparently, a steward from a powerful family was out on business and offered the Scholar a ride. Seeing his tattered clothes, the steward offered him some gold and silver. But the Scholar didn’t appreciate the kind gesture. He cursed the man, drove him away, and declared that while he may be poor, he had his integrity and wouldn’t accept charity. Then he started acting deranged, banging his head against a wall and crying, ’My poor daughter!’ over and over..."

De’an shook his head and sighed. "Who knows what he’s been through. Something must have snapped in his mind."

Both De’an and Zhao Jing treated it as idle gossip. They listened, but neither of them took it to heart.

As evening fell, the two of them put away their books and went to their separate rooms to rest.

The next morning, after breakfast, the convoy set off once more.

Just then, the Scholar also stepped out of the post-house gate. Wang Jun glanced at him, tempted to call out and invite him along. But he worried that his good deed might not be well-received and could even backfire, getting his name dragged through the mud. In the end, he decided not to get involved.

By Noon, they were only a little over ten miles from the Prefecture.

The group didn’t stop to rest, eating their rations in the carriages instead.

Through the lifted curtain of the carriage window, they could faintly make out the Ten-mile Pavilion in the outskirts.

There was a Ten-mile Pavilion, as well as a Five Miles Pavilion and a Three Mile Pavilion.

These were places where people of old bid farewell to friends and family. The farther they escorted them, the more reluctant they were to part. And now, not far from them, stood a Ten-mile Pavilion.

They were very, very close to the Prefecture.

The Prefecture that Qingshui County belonged to was originally called Changhuai Prefecture.

But the current reign was titled Changlong, and the people were accustomed to calling the Emperor "Emperor Changlong." To avoid the taboo of using the Emperor’s name, Changhuai Prefecture was renamed Xinghuai Prefecture.

Naturally, the country bumpkins from the countryside knew nothing specific about Xinghuai Prefecture. Even Chu Xun knew very little.

They only knew that the current Magistrate’s surname was Sheng. Though he had only been in office for three years, he was already nearly sixty, a true elder.

Wanting to learn more about Xinghuai Prefecture, several of them went to the front carriage to find Wang Jun and Wang Xiao.

The two brothers, Wang Jun and Wang Xiao, warmly had someone serve tea and fruit, then began to explain the matters their guests were curious about.

They spoke of the past officials of Xinghuai Prefecture, then the current Magistrate. From the Magistrate, they moved on to the prefectural governors, and then to the various subordinate government offices.

But because the two brothers had spent their early years engrossed in their studies behind closed doors, they actually knew very little about the various government offices and court politics.

However, because their father was an academic official at the prefectural academy, they were very knowledgeable about its affairs. They could even name several exceptionally talented students from the academy.

Those students all held the rank of Scholar, and most were expected to become Provincial Graduates in the upcoming Provincial Examination.

Wang Xiao said, "I don’t know how learned that mad Scholar we met on the road is. But my father says the prefectural academy is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, teeming with talent. There are several students there whose knowledge already surpasses that of a Provincial Graduate, yet they’ve been holding off on taking the Provincial Examination. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Huang Chen asked.

Chu Xun, however, had a guess. "Could it be they want to achieve it all in one fell swoop and win the title of Grand Scholar?"

"Exactly. Mr. Chu, you are truly well-informed. This humble brother is full of admiration."

He then went on to explain why those students were so eager to win the Grand Scholar title.

It was because the current dynasty was only just over thirty years old. With wars still being fought on the borders, the court clearly valued martial prowess over scholarly pursuits.

This was evident from a series of rules regarding the imperial examinations.

The contrast was especially stark when compared to the previous dynasty, making the current dynasty’s treatment of literary men seem rather harsh.

Not only might academic ranks like the entry-level licentiate be abolished in three years, but the court didn’t even provide travel expenses for examinees, merely offering the pittance of free lodging at post-houses to placate them.

The civil officials were indignant, and the students were unconvinced. Therefore, they were determined to produce a Grand Scholar to make that old Emperor’s jaw drop.

Of course, such an achievement would also be seen as an auspicious sign, a good omen. When that time came, they wouldn’t have to worry about gaining the Emperor’s favor or being unable to hold their heads high.

In truth, those last two points were the most important.

But alas, after so many years and so many examinations, let alone a candidate from their Xinghuai Prefecture winning the "triple first," not even a region as culturally rich as Jiangnan had produced a Grand Scholar.

"I don’t know if someone is deliberately suppressing it, or if it’s as others say—that all the literary fortune was sucked away by the scholars of the previous dynasty, and this dynasty was left with nothing but rot..."

"Hush!"

"Quiet!"

"Mr. Wang, stop talking!"

"Mr. Wang, be careful what you say!"

Everyone spoke at once, warning the excited Wang Jun to hold his tongue.

How could he so casually say things that could get him beheaded?

If he got them all implicated, where could they possibly go to plead their case!