Returning once more to Ganlu Hall, Liu Rengui found that his state of mind had finally steadied.
From the shock of first seeing the light screen, to the overwhelming realization that later generations would record his name, and then to three straight months of diligent study, looking back now felt strangely dreamlike.
Yet the solid sensation from the chair beneath him told him clearly that none of this was an illusion.
It was now the fifth year of Zhenguan. At the latest, before the year's end, Liu Rengui would depart to take up his post with the Shandong naval forces. And the emperor would certainly place great expectations upon him.
Moreover, the campaign against Tuyuhun was already on the verge of launching. At a glance, the absence of Li Jing, Li Shiji, and Su Dingfang was glaringly obvious.
The two chancellors, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, were as busy as ever. Even now, they sat close together, heads leaned in, whispering softly to one another.
Wei Zheng held a book in his hands, eyes never straying, calmly turning pages with an air of serene focus.
The two Yan-surnamed painters were already in position, though something seemed amiss. Yan Lide was quietly explaining something to his younger brother, while Yan Liben nodded repeatedly with a pained expression.
The round-bodied Zhangsun Wuji was also present, holding a notebook and scribbling constantly. Beside him sat Hou Junji, whose expression carried a hint of dejection as he stared blankly at the empty seat once occupied by Li Jing.
Near the imperial couch, the emperor himself wore a gentle smile, holding one person by the hand and chatting warmly. Beside them, Sun Simiao, the famed physician, stared intently at this person, so much so that the poor fellow was beginning to look embarrassed.
This man was the only newcomer to today's gathering at Ganlu Hall. Liu Rengui recognized him at once, because his name had already shaken Chang'an.
The top-ranked scholar of this year's imperial examination, known among the people of Chang'an as Zhuangyuan Ma Zhou.
For Ma Zhou, this moment truly felt terrifying.
Born to a farming household, he had a reputation for diligence and learning back in his village. But by all reason, his name should never have reached the emperor's ears. Otherwise, he would not have needed to travel thousands of li to Chang'an, wracking his brain just to become a retainer under the illiterate Leize Duke Chang He, who could barely recognize a single character.
Yet with a single imperial edict, his days of scraping by under the Leize Duke ended abruptly. With no backing and no connections, he was sent directly into the Imperial Academy.
Within the Imperial Academy, Ma Zhou was free to choose among the National Studies, the Grand Academy, the Four Gates School, or even Mathematics. More astonishing still, the academy's own scholars personally taught and guided him.
Having received such imperial favor, when the emperor commanded him to sit for the examinations, refusal was no longer an option.
Fortunately, Ma Zhou did not disappoint Li Shimin. Under the system of anonymous papers, he broke through all competition and claimed first place.
Now, as ruler and subject met privately, Li Shimin could hardly wait to grow closer to this future-famous minister.
After all, both the examination system and anonymous grading had been policies Li Shimin had pushed through against fierce opposition. That a poor scholar with no family background whatsoever could emerge as top scholar felt to Li Shimin like executing a perfectly coordinated maneuver with allied forces on the battlefield.
Worthy of a grand toast.
But Ma Zhou knew none of this. All he felt was overwhelming favor.
"Oh right," Li Shimin suddenly recalled something, his mood growing even brighter. Turning to Sun Simiao, he instructed, "After today's affairs conclude, Physician King, please copy down my dietary restrictions and give them to Binwang."
Then, turning earnestly to Ma Zhou, he added, "Binwang, remember this well. You must strictly follow Physician Sun's medical advice."
Seeing the emperor treat the matter so seriously, Ma Zhou hurriedly accepted the instruction with solemn respect.
Yet inwardly, he could not help feeling puzzled. If this was so important, why did His Majesty's expression seem to carry a trace of excitement?
And also… affairs concluding? What exactly was happening today?
It was a rest day. The entire city of Chang'an wore a lazy air. Ma Zhou had thought today's gathering was merely for ruler and ministers to deepen relations.
But with chancellors and nobles all present, what task could possibly require the service of a mere top scholar?
Seeing the confusion in Ma Zhou's eyes, Li Shimin only laughed heartily.
Setting the new top scholar aside for the moment, Li Shimin turned toward Liu Rengui and began carefully questioning him about the results of his studies over the past three months.
From time to time, an attendant outside the hall would loudly announce the time. When Ma Zhou heard the shrill voice cry out "It is Si hour," he immediately sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere within the hall.
The ministers, previously relaxed, all raised their heads and looked toward a blank wall, anticipation flickering in their expressions.
What could be on that wall?
With the emperor no longer beside him, Ma Zhou took the chance to carefully observe the decorations of Ganlu Hall.
Hanging at the center was the poem "The Lament of the Qin Woman", dazzling in its literary brilliance. Yet its content pressed down on Ma Zhou's chest, making it hard to breathe. At the same time, he felt puzzled. Who exactly was this Wei Zhuang? Why had he never heard the name in Chang'an?
Shifting his gaze, he saw maps, diagrams of crossbows, and strange objects annotated as fire artillery. All of it left Ma Zhou stunned. He understood only fragments, which made him even more entranced.
Just then, the attendant's voice rang out again from outside the hall.
"It is one quarter into Si hour."
Why announce even a quarter hour? Before the question could fully form in Ma Zhou's mind, the blank wall began to change.
The shifting light appeared slow yet moved with startling speed. Ma Zhou raised his hand to point, not even managing to cry out before the dancing light had already traced the outline of a softly glowing light screen.
Ma Zhou's eyes went wide.
At the same time, he noticed the ministers all turning back in unison, smiling as they looked straight at him.
That alone made Ma Zhou fall silent, because from the corner of his eye, he saw the emperor already standing before the light screen, brush in hand, clearly unsurprised and full of interest.
Thus, Ma Zhou swallowed the crude exclamation that had rushed to his lips and replaced it with awe.
"Is this an auspicious sign of Great Tang?"
The ministers immediately turned their heads away in boredom.
As expected of the top scholar. Quick reaction.
…
Elsewhere in Chang'an, though far more dilapidated and nowhere near as prosperous as Li Shimin's capital.
As for Han Chang'an's palace city, Liu Bei had simply left it unused, instead repairing a general's residence to serve as a temporary administrative center.
At this moment, as a light screen slowly unfolded in midair, Liu Bei and the others finally let out a breath of relief.
In truth, every time he waited for the light screen, Liu Bei could not help but let his thoughts wander, fearing that just as it had appeared without warning, it might one day vanish just as suddenly.
Before he could finish sighing, his heart jolted with alarm.
What a fast blade.
No, wait.
Liu Bei clutched his forehead, suddenly feeling that bringing this man inside had been a mistake. It would have been better to station him outside Chang'an to drill the Qiang and Hu day and night.
"Mengqi, stop!" were the only four words Liu Bei managed to shout.
Zhang Fei reacted even faster, flying forward and kicking Ma Chao squarely in the back, sending the ring-hilted blade flying from his hand.
Jian Yong rose, picked up the blade, and pressed a hand on Ma Chao's shoulder, forcing the indignant man back into his seat.
To be fair, Ma Chao's lightning-fast strike at the light screen had startled Jian Yong as well.
Thankfully, the blade cut nothing but empty air. The light screen seemed entirely unaffected, showing no sign of summoning lightning or divine punishment.
Letting out a breath of relief, Jian Yong sighed inwardly. The overlord of Yong and Liang truly was not someone who put others at ease.
Fortunately, this was only a brief incident. Ma Chao had mistaken the phenomenon for an attack on Lord Xuande and reacted instinctively. Liu Bei could only scold him a few times with a complicated expression.
Aside from that, Kongming and Pang Tong remained seated calmly, smiles unchanged.
Sparks seemed ready to fly between Zhang Fei and Ma Chao.
Those present also included Fa Zheng and Zhang Zhongjing. There were no others.
Strictly speaking, they were still technically at war with the Sun and Cao alliance. The Guanzhong front had only just quieted, while Jingzhou was locked in confrontation with Cao Cao even as it beat Jiangdong soundly.
After glancing once more at Ma Chao to ensure he was kneeling obediently, Liu Bei suddenly thought that perhaps he should learn from future generations and make more chairs. Kneeling like this really was exhausting.
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from the light screen.
[Lightscreen]
["Hello hello hello, dear audience elders. This is your weekly-updating illiterate Wen Mang. Today, we continue talking history.
This week, while eating Xi'an's water-basin lamb and roujiamo, I also reviewed our past videos. The previous episode basically wrapped up early Tang.
The history of Wu Zhou replacing Tang is also fascinating and complex, but today let's take a short break, change our angle, and take another look at Han and Tang.
Today we'll talk about something lighter. Let's temporarily forget kings and ministers, nobles and chancellors, and instead discuss that invisible giant hand that keeps pushing history forward, yet is so often overlooked.
Climate and environment."]
Hearing the familiar voice of a later descendant again, Liu Bei felt a surge of emotion. He wanted nothing more than to boast immediately that he had reclaimed Chang'an, blocked Cao at Tong Pass, and even avoided betrayal and the triumph of petty men.
These tangled emotions gathered into the small paper slip in his hand. Liu Bei prepared to imitate Kongming's earlier action and toss it in.
But the floating words on the light screen froze him mid-motion.
[Server Chat Log]
Ironvale: "Alright alright, dirty Tang and stinky Han are finally coming, huh. Ecstatic.
That phrase originally referred to the Han and Tang imperial clans messing around with men and women, right?
Whether it's self-mockery is still debatable.
Stormrend: Indeed. From the Song onward, restrictions on women grew increasingly severe, and social customs more conservative.
From another angle, dirty Tang and stinky Han can be seen as praise for the openness of Han and Tang gender relations.
But if we're talking environment, it really is dirty Tang and stinky Han.
After all, why did Tang Chang'an move locations if not because the groundwater in old Chang'an got mixed with… that stuff?
Li Shimin: After years of effort, has Marquis Wu Zhuge already destroyed Sun and Cao internally, and opened the Western Regions externally?"