Chapter 19: Triple First
As Gao Yunqu had said, she did indeed have much more free time and began to drill Fang Jian in preparation for the next year's Metropolitan Examination. Fang Jian had made great strides in the past two years, and the policy essays she wrote could now be considered substantive. Gao Yunqu then began guiding her in the study of law.
Thus, spring turned to autumn, the four seasons changed, and the grand talent selection ceremony of the thirteenth year of Yongxing was just around the corner.
"The chief examiner should be the Right Chancellor, Lord Meng Tingsheng. Don't be fooled by his unassuming presence at court; as one of the regents entrusted by the late Emperor, he has his own brilliance." As a third-rank court official, it was no difficult matter for Gao Yunqu to learn about the examiner's life, and she was currently explaining it to Fang Jian.
"I don't seem to have heard Lord Meng's name very often," Fang Jian said, a little puzzled.
"This lord has long been renowned for his literary talent. Have you not read Miscellaneous Talks of the Four Seasons? That is his work."
"Ah, so the Wanderer of the Southern Expedition1 is her?" Fang Jian realized with a start.
"Precisely. This lord has quite a few pen names, so it's normal that you wouldn't know," Gao Yunqu said, pushing a book towards her. "I've compiled everything here for you to read. As for her style of conduct, it can be summed up in two words: the golden mean."
Fang Jian took the book and began to flip through it slowly, lost in thought.
"Take your time to understand. There's no rush."
Gao Yunqu wasn't worried about Fang Jian's skill. She herself had taken the exams and even served as a grader, so she had explained all the details to Fang Jian one by one. She estimated that passing would not be difficult; the challenge, perhaps, would be her ranking. Dai Yao had once joked with her, asking if she intended to teach a student who would achieve the Triple First. At the time, she hadn't given it much thought, but seeing Fang Jian's essays grow more composed over the past two years, she began to feel it wasn't entirely out of reach.
In the second month, the Metropolitan Examination began. Gao Yunqu personally escorted Fang Jian to the examination hall. Before Fang Jian alighted from the carriage, Gao Yunqu straightened her collar, offering her blessings just like any other family member sending off a candidate.
Fang Jian reached out and tugged on her sleeve. "My lord, could you give me a hug?"
"Hm?"
"I hear you are our dynasty's youngest of the top three graduates. Let some of your good fortune rub off on me?" Fang Jian winked at her.
Hearing this, Gao Yunqu leaned over and embraced her. It was a light hug, and they separated quickly. Yet Fang Jian seemed somewhat excited, happily disembarking from the carriage to take her exam.
Half a month later, the results were posted. As expected, Fang Jian had become the Metropolitan Top Scholar. Before she had time to respond to the congratulations, she was whisked away by Gao Yunqu for some last-minute cramming for the Palace Examination.
"The Palace Examination topic is set by Her Majesty, who personally proctors it. Her Majesty is still young, so her views will certainly be more progressive. Therefore, you can say some of the things you truly want to say; Her Majesty will appreciate the spiritedness of youth."
"But you must not be overly radical. Although Her Majesty proctors it herself, the papers are still graded by the examiners. Being too aggressive could get you marked down for sensationalism, resulting in a low rank."
"During the examination, Her Majesty will walk around the hall and may even stop beside you. There's no need to be nervous; just focus on your writing."
Fang Jian recalled a time long ago when she couldn't even recite her lessons properly by Gao Yunqu's side. Gao Yunqu had laughed and asked if she would be the same with an examiner, or even Her Majesty, standing next to her. Back then, Fang Jian was just a young student; how could she have ever imagined that this day would truly come?
Oh, right, her lord had also said she was too thin and small to fill out an official's robe. At the time, Fang Jian had thought it was just a joke, but thinking back now, it seemed Gao Yunqu had envisioned this day from the very beginning.
She stared at Gao Yunqu in a daze.
"A'jian, are you listening to me?" Gao Yunqu frowned, seeing her distracted look.
"I am," Fang Jian quickly replied, snapping back to attention. She paused, the words turning over in her mouth, before finally asking, "Did you believe from the very beginning that I could make it to this day?"
"Hm? How early?" Gao Yunqu understood her question and said with a smile, "Have you forgotten? I promised to help you ascend the ladder to the clouds."
A distant memory suddenly surfaced. Fang Jian naturally remembered, and she also remembered what had happened afterward.
"You've just done even better than I imagined."
The topic Wei Qi set for this Palace Examination was "On the New and the Old." She had hesitated for a while, wondering whether to reveal her preference so plainly, but ultimately decided to do so, because this was precisely the problem she was facing.
Upon hearing Wei Qi announce the examination topic, Cai Quan calmly raised his eyes, glancing at the increasingly majestic Emperor. The young lion had finally grown into a true lion king.
Wei Qi looked at the scholars in the hall, all diligently answering the question, and a genuine sense of anticipation grew within her. These, too, were the new faces of this court.
She seemed to remember something and beckoned to the Head Eunuch, who leaned in close. "Which one is the little student from Lord Gao's household?"
"The one at the very front. She is this year's Metropolitan Top Scholar," the Head Eunuch answered in a low voice.
"Metropolitan Top Scholar? What's her name?"
"Fang Jian."
"And which one is Cui Yicheng's eldest daughter?"
"The fourth one in the second row."
Wei Qi stood up and began to walk around the hall. Seeing this, several chancellors also rose to observe the students' answers.
Wei Qi made an inconspicuous circuit, stopping first at Cui Miao's desk for a moment. She remembered Cui Miao; the young woman was very good friends with Wei Zhi. She even remembered the time Wei Zhi had shut her out of a room.
She glanced at Cui Miao's paper. Mm, it was alright, passable.
After walking a few steps away, she turned back to look at her face. Though it was only a profile view as she looked down, it was clear she was quite good-looking. A'zhi has good taste, after all.
A few more steps brought her to stand behind Fang Jian. A single glance was enough to captivate her. Fang Jian's writing style was mature, her arguments solid and forceful. She discussed the respective advantages and disadvantages of the new and the old, then their relationship, before turning to the old ways of the current court and methods for reform. She touched upon four areas: official governance, rule of law, the relationship between the central government and the localities, and education. It was truly substantive. As expected of Lord Gao's student, Wei Qi thought, pleased.
When Fang Jian came out after the examination, she recited her essay from memory for Gao Yunqu. Among the four policy points, official governance was based on Gao Yunqu's Censorate reforms, emphasizing pragmatism. The rule of law argued that although the current laws were revised in the Yongchu era, only three generations had passed, and many statutes were unclear with numerous loopholes, requiring further amendment and adjustment so that all, from top to bottom, would act according to the law. The issue of localities spoke of their independence and lack of transportation, proposing the construction of roads to connect the capital and the regions, and implicitly mentioned the trend of great families carving out their own domains. The policy on education focused on promoting basic education, allowing the poor to know literature and law, and giving commoners from humble backgrounds more opportunities to study, thereby ushering in a new ethos.
"You are very bold," Gao Yunqu said. Fang Jian's essay had subtly touched upon several of the current major pain points: the laziness of officials, the conflict between men and women, the monopoly of the great families, and class stratification. Each one was a conflict between the new and the old, each an undercurrent beneath the surface. "But Her Majesty should like it."
Wei Qi did indeed like it. When the top ten papers were placed before her, she unhesitatingly chose Fang Jian's as the first. And so, the dynasty's youngest Grand Triple First was born.
During the procession of the new Palace Graduates through the streets, Gao Yunqu specially booked a private room in a restaurant and invited her old friend Dai Yao for a small gathering.
"Why choose today to invite me?" Dai Yao asked as she entered the room.
"I invited you to see my little student," Gao Yunqu said, sitting by the window, drinking by herself.
"Oh? She took the exam this year? You've hidden her so well that even I have never met her. Are you finally willing to show her off?" Dai Yao teased. "Which one is she? What's her name?"
"Her name is Fang Jian."
"Fang Jian? Fang Jian? Isn't that the new Zhuangyuan? The one who won the Triple First?" The wine Dai Yao had just sipped nearly sprayed out of her mouth.
Gao Yunqu suppressed a smile. "I'm taking you up on your auspicious words from that day and have specially invited you to witness the ceremony."
Dai Yao was stunned for a moment, trying hard to recall what she had said back then. After a long while, she finally remembered that day in Xilin when she saw Fang Jian's essay and had jokingly asked Gao Yunqu if she was going to teach a Triple First scholar. It was just a joke at the time—achieving the Triple First was far more difficult than being one of the top three graduates, and there had only been a handful in the Great Zhou's history. She never thought it would actually come true today.
"The youngest of the top three graduates teaching the youngest Grand Triple First. What a fine story," Dai Yao clapped her hands and laughed, raising her cup to congratulate her.
"I don't want it to be widely known."
"Why?"
"I'm too conspicuous right now. It wouldn't be good for her." Gao Yunqu rarely spoke of Fang Jian to others. To this day, she had only mentioned her to Dai Yao and Wei Qi, and even then, she only referred to her as her "little student," not the more formal "disciple." "Besides, I haven't even had her formally acknowledge me as her teacher."
Dai Yao was taken aback for a second, but she understood her difficulties and quickly moved past the topic, joining her by the window for a drink.
In the distance, the procession of new Palace Graduates approached. At its head was Fang Jian, dressed in a grand red robe, looking both young and handsome. Young women and men along the road were throwing fruit at her, making her blush to the roots of her hair.
"Yo, the little lady is quite handsome~" Dai Yao, being naturally flirtatious, spoke casually to her friend, only to receive a glare from Gao Yunqu. Dai Yao looked abashed.
Gao Yunqu withdrew her glare from Dai Yao and turned her gaze back to her little lady. It wasn't the first day she knew Fang Jian was beautiful; from the very, very beginning, she had been drawn to that face. But today, Fang Jian seemed to glow with an inner light. Her fine, beautiful jade had finally shed its rough stone shell, allowing the whole world to see the brilliance of this precious gem. Gao Yunqu's heart stirred, her fingers rubbing against her cup as her thoughts began to run wild.
It was nearly curfew when Fang Jian returned. Gao Yuan was waiting at the gate to congratulate her. Fang Jian gave her a shallow bow as thanks for her care over the years. Gao Yuan stepped aside to avoid it, smiling. "Young lady, you mustn't humble me so. The master is already waiting for you in her room."
Fang Jian nodded, straightened her robes, and went to Gao Yunqu's room. She was still wearing the grand red robe of the Zhuangyuan. Today was one of the rare occasions she could wear a scarlet robe ahead of time, and she wanted Gao Yunqu to see it.
She gently pushed open the door. Gao Yunqu was sitting on the couch in her casual clothes, her hair down, drinking wine. Seeing her arrive, she broke into a pleased smile. "You're here?"
Fang Jian walked step by step towards her, carefully smoothed the wrinkles on her clothes, and with a flick of her sleeves, she clasped her hands, bowed deeply, and performed the grand rite of respect for an elder. "Jian thanks you, my lord, for your teachings."
"Good." Gao Yunqu accepted the bow, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide. She carefully examined Fang Jian in her scarlet robe, then patted her own lap. "Come."
Fang Jian obediently settled into her embrace. Gao Yunqu removed her official hat and held her in a full embrace, lightly sniffing the fragrance of her neck. The tip of her nose brushed against the sensitive skin behind her ear, and in an instant, a tingling numbness shot from her spine straight to her head. Fang Jian shivered and whispered in Gao Yunqu's ear, "My lord, I've just returned from outside. Let me change my clothes first?"
"No need to take it off. It looks very good." Gao Yunqu's breathy voice, full of twists and turns, fell upon Fang Jian's ears, easily making her limbs go weak and her heart tingle with a sweet numbness. She took the initiative to wrap her arms around Gao Yunqu's neck, even brazenly tracing the loose collar of her robe downwards to touch the delicate skin of her shoulders and back.
But Gao Yunqu paid it no mind. All her thoughts were on Fang Jian now. She truly adored Fang Jian in her scarlet robe. The vibrant color of the robe set off the young woman's peach-blossom face, her soft breasts rising and falling with each light breath. Further down, a black leather belt cinched her waist, perfectly outlining her curves. Gao Yunqu teased her neck with fleeting touches, causing her to lose herself in desire as well. With one hand, she reached under the robe and slid off her trousers, then with both hands, she gripped her waist, lifted her up, and had her sit astride her own thighs with her legs apart. She leaned back against the head of the bed, watching Fang Jian, fully clothed but with dazed eyes, sitting on top of her. The scarlet hem of the robe spread out, revealing her two bare legs underneath, her moist flower pressing and rubbing gently against Gao Yunqu's thigh.
Gao Yunqu mischievously lifted her leg. Fang Jian wobbled unsteadily, letting out a startled cry. Gao Yunqu smiled in satisfaction, holding her waist and guiding her movements, grinding her petals with each motion. A slick fluid seeped out, wetting Gao Yunqu's under-trousers.
"You've gotten my trousers wet," Gao Yunqu said teasingly, and was rewarded by the sight of Fang Jian's breathing quickening, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
She sat up and embraced Fang Jian, unfastening the leather belt at her waist with one hand and tossing it aside. She held her as she turned them over, laying her down on the bed. Fang Jian rubbed her legs together restlessly, her gaze towards Gao Yunqu full of invitation.
Gao Yunqu kissed the corner of her eye, soothing her with a gentle voice, "Don't be hasty."
Her hand traced down from her cheek, deftly unfastening the buttons of the round-collared robe. Fang Jian's chest heaved even more violently. No matter how many times, she would always feel nervous at Gao Yunqu's approach. Gao Yunqu's hands were like a trigger, easily setting off those secret things hidden in her heart. Only at times like this could she openly be close to Gao Yunqu, offering herself completely, letting her invade her, satisfy her, and bring her joy.
The crimson robe fell open. Gao Yunqu's hands were as gentle as water, precisely playing upon every sensitive spot on Fang Jian's body, making her tremble uncontrollably under her touch. They were pressed extremely close, a scorching heat rising between them, making them restless and full of desire.
"Hold me." Gao Yunqu guided Fang Jian's arms to wrap around her shoulders. She leaned down, letting Fang Jian bury her burning cheeks in the crook of her neck, and at the same time, entered her without question.
Fang Jian felt herself being possessed, being filled, bit by bit. She held Gao Yunqu tightly, letting out a muffled sound like a small animal, as if in encouragement, as if in invitation. Gao Yunqu hugged her back and began to move. Fang Jian closed her eyes. In the darkness, everything became nothingness. She felt the pleasure Gao Yunqu gave her, and her heart seemed to be filled as well.
"My lord… my lord…" Fang Jian murmured.
Gao Yunqu licked her earlobe and whispered next to her ear, "Call me Teacher."
Fang Jian's eyes flew open, her heart shaking violently. She had once suffered because of her ambiguous status with Gao Yunqu, but she had never dared to have such an extravagant hope. Her relationship with Gao Yunqu was a transaction: Gao Yunqu protected her, and she offered herself to Gao Yunqu. But…
Gao Yunqu did not get a response and suddenly quickened her movements. "Be good. Call me Teacher."
"Ah… Teacher… Teacher…" Her thoughts thrown into disarray, Fang Jian was forced to match her rhythm, her mouth pried open. The moment the title left her lips, an overwhelming pleasure shot from her lower abdomen through her entire body. Fang Jian's body tensed, and she clung tightly to Gao Yunqu as tears fell.
Gao Yunqu held her gently, nuzzling her cheek with the tip of her nose as she waited for her to come back to her senses. Her fingers, however, remained buried inside her. She waited until Fang Jian had calmed down, then moved her fingers slightly, stirring the fluids within until they gurgled. Fang Jian was powerless to resist, and desire was easily rekindled within her once more.
"Mmm…" Unable to bear the teasing, Fang Jian took the initiative to press her cheek against Gao Yunqu's. Gao Yunqu understood her hint and pressed down on her again.
The night was long, the candlelight unceasing. The wick burned with a soft crackle, the bed swayed, and the person upon it was more delicate than any flower.
It had been a long time since Gao Yunqu had let herself go like this. By the time they finished, Fang Jian had already fallen into a deep sleep. She withdrew her hand, quickly cleaned herself and Fang Jian, tucked Fang Jian under the covers, and placed a gentle kiss on her eyelid.
She watched Fang Jian's sleeping face for a while, then rose from the couch, draped an outer robe over herself, picked up the wine jug from the table, and went to the window, opening it.
It was already spring, but the night wind still carried a chill. It slipped in through the window, lifting her loose hair. She seemed not to notice. An unknown thought brought a smile to her lips, which soon faded. Outside, the bright moon shone down. She gazed at the moon, drank her wine, and stood there for a long, long time, lost in thought.
Author's Notes
- Wanderer of the Southern Expedition: This lord's name is Tingsheng. Sheng is a hexagram from the I Ching. "Sheng indicates that there will be great progress and success. Its subject will find it advantageous to see the great man. He need not be anxious. A journey to the south will be fortunate." Hence the moniker "Southern Expedition." This lord probably won't have many appearances, but I thought the name was well-chosen, so I'm writing a note about it.
- Little Fang's thank-you banquet for her teacher [not].
- Teacher Gao really wanted to show off to someone [Look, that's my disciple!] but since no one knew, she could only show off a little to Dai Yao.
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