Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Heart’s Delight Is Unknown to You

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As the saying goes, when things are strangely out of place, there is likely something uncanny at work.

Although he and Cui Jianxuan were as close as brothers, and although he had accompanied the party back from Mount Song and, at the dying Lady Dowager’s bedside, had all but served as a man from her natal family, Cui Ezhi’s attitude was simply too warm, too attentive. What Du Shiyi felt was not flattery, but a baffling favor conferred without merit. After much thought, and finding no answer, he could only set the matter aside for the moment.

He handed his personal letter to Lu Hong over to Lu Wangzhi, and asked him to go to Wangwu Mountain to seek out the two ink craftsmen who had earlier succeeded in making ink and, after leaving the thatched hut at the foot of the Jagged Peak in Mount Song, had gone to Wangwu Mountain, where ancient pines were most abundant, to work there. He wanted them to find a way to turn Lu Hong’s illustrated studio into a mold for making ink, and then send the finished product to Luoyang. Thereafter, though he still lived in the Cui residence, he seldom went out.

The Cui family of Qinghe was an ancient and powerful clan with books in abundance to begin with, and Cui Ezhi had now thrown open all the doors, allowing him to browse freely through every volume in the library tower. Thus, during the long and exhausting period of mourning for Lady Dowager Du De, he spent all his time in the library tower, except when ceremony demanded his presence or when the New Year brought a very simple family banquet. Cui Jianxuan, though a disciple of Lu Hong, had never had much interest in this place; at first he came once in a while, but after seeing that Du Shiyi was still, as in the thatched hut days, devouring books with no time to spare for him, he too merely showed his face once a day.

Cui Wuniang, however, often came up the tower in search of books, and so she and Du Shiyi crossed paths every few days. Aside from exchanging greetings, she often seemed casually to mention to him the prominent families and powerful officials of the court, as well as ministers of weight in the imperial administration. Time after time, Du Shiyi gained much from these talks. And for this young lady of the Cui house, who was not only skilled with needle and thread but also knew these political and social circles like the back of her hand, he could not help but feel deep respect.

One day, as before, he was in the library tower reading the volume in his hands and considering which passages he needed to copy, when suddenly, in the midst of his absorption, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Does Nineteen seem to have a particular fondness for history books? You ought to know that the three stages of the metropolitan examination test miscellaneous prose, recitation of the classics, and policy questions. But as everyone knows, in the first stage of classical recitation you need only get four of ten passages right; the real key is that in the second stage, when miscellaneous prose is tested, your poetry and rhapsody must stand out above the rest, and then the policy essay in the third stage becomes much easier. Rather than spending this season reading such historical tales, why not make use of it to study rhyme dictionaries and the finest works of earlier writers, so you will be prepared for any need that arises later? Are you not afraid of falling behind?”

Recognizing Cui Wuniang, Du Shiyi calmly set down the book in his hands, turned, and said with a smile, “As soon as you open your mouth, Wuniang, you speak of the metropolitan examination. But surely you know that the most pressing matter now is the prefectural qualifying exam in Jingzhao. If I cannot get past that gate, then what meaning would there be in talking of the metropolitan exam? Would that not be laughable?”

“It seems Nineteen does not know that your reputation is no longer what it once was. After all, Du Nineteen of Fanchuan already had a little fame in Jingzhao in days gone by. Those who once spread talk that your talent had run dry, having now seen with their own eyes what comes of striking the southern wall, no longer dare mention it. More than that, the twenty wine tokens you devised at Princess Yuzhen’s villa have already spread far and wide; I hear even the famous madams of the Pingkang quarter have adopted many of them. And among those who feasted with you at Princess Yuzhen’s villa, Miao Jinqing not only passed the jinshi degree, but also went on to take the refined prose examination for the imperial selection and won first place outright. He praised your poetic talent to high heaven. So if you sit for the Jingzhao prefectural qualifying exam and do not pass, people will instead laugh that the examiners had no eyes!”

Du Shiyi had met Miao Jinqing only once, at Princess Yuzhen’s villa. As a law clerk, Miao Jinqing had been quick-witted and eloquent, his brilliance in conversation and his rapid poetic improvisation both first-rate. His passing the jinshi degree and then taking high rank in the selection examination was nothing remarkable. Yet Du Shiyi had no real acquaintance with the man; why would he go about praising him to others?

Seeing uncertainty on Du Shiyi’s face, Cui Wuniang smiled and said, “Miao Jinqing of Luzhou, though his grandfather and father held no conspicuous office, is an exception. In prose and poetry alike, he is among the very best. What is rarer still is his broad and kindly nature; he likes to do good by others. Since he knows Princess Yuzhen once treated you with great favor, and since you truly do have real learning, it is only natural that after securing his own place he would spread your name a little further. Not everyone is like Wang Lingran, that headstrong fellow, which is why even after passing the examination he is still waiting for appointment, with no one to recognize his talent. Take that Liu Ximing with whom you had some old friction. After Jiang Silang was thrown from his horse and sent back to the Eastern Capital, I hear he made things difficult for him several times. Last year he failed the Jingzhao prefectural qualifying exam and plans to try again this year. Failing the metropolitan exam is one thing, but if he keeps failing at the qualifying exam, then the face of the Liu clan of Guanzhong will be utterly shamed.”

“So that is how it is. Many thanks, Wuniang, for telling me.” Du Shiyi understood the implication in her words and immediately cupped his hands in thanks. “In poetry and rhapsody, inspiration is what matters. It is not as though one can produce fine work merely by trying often in ordinary days. But in history and the classics, the more one reads, the more one often gains. His Majesty Taizong once said: taking bronze as a mirror lets one correct one’s robes and cap; taking history as a mirror lets one know the rise and decline of states; taking people as a mirror lets one discern gain and loss. Thus, however well one may write poetry and rhapsody, one may still be full of mistakes when governing a province. Yet if one takes history as a mirror, then should I truly be fortunate enough to pass in the future, I can draw on the lessons of earlier generations and avoid countless detours.”

At first Cui Wuniang had merely meant to tease him, but as she spoke it had become a gentle warning. Yet at this moment, hearing his reply, she only felt that Du Shiyi was revealing an unmistakable and indescribable confidence. If he were truly someone who found even the Jingzhao ranking difficult to attain, how could he be thinking so far ahead as to imagine passing in one stroke?

“Since Nineteen is so sure of himself, then I have worried needlessly!” Cui Wuniang nodded with a smile. Then she said, “In that case, Nineteen should continue reading as he wishes. I’ll take my leave first.”

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After hurrying out of the library tower, Cui Wuniang looked back at the little building. Remembering how she had earlier seen Du Shiyi utterly engrossed in a copy of the Classic of Rites personally annotated by his grandmother, she could not help falling into thought. Distracted, she walked on with her head lowered for a few steps, nearly colliding with someone. Only when a reproachful voice sounded in her ear did she come back to herself.

“Sister!”

Cui JiuNiang stared in disbelief at her slightly dazed elder sister, then waved a hand in front of her eyes. Only then did she ask in amazement, “What were you thinking about so deeply that you nearly ran into me?”

“Nothing. I was merely feeling a little emotional.” Cui Wuniang casually adjusted her cloud-like coiffure and then said, “Are you going to the library tower? Lord Du is inside reading and preparing for the qualifying exam. Unless you have something important, do not go up there to disturb him. Go back early and keep your mother company. Running about during mourning and being seen by others will only make them say you are disrespectful to our departed grandmother.”

After saying this, Cui Wuniang left without once looking back. Cui JiuNiang was suddenly filled with suspicion. She looked up at the low, two-story library tower, then clenched her fist and lightly tapped her own head, yet no matter how she thought about it, she could not understand why her elder sister would treat the fellow inside with such extraordinary favor. In the end, she turned away in indignation and stormed off. She searched the house from end to end but could not find Cui Jianxuan; Cui Chengxun and Cui Qi, too, fled the moment they saw her. At last, unable to suppress the doubt in her heart any longer, she went straight to the outer hall of her mother’s chambers.

A place that had always been open to Cui JiuNiang now suddenly became forbidden ground. The maid Fu at the door only shook her head with gentle deference, saying that the lady and Wuniang were discussing important matters, and firmly kept her outside. Already bursting with questions, how could she endure it? Once she had descended the steps and glanced at Fu, an idea suddenly occurred to her.

She led her maid to the empty chambers that had once belonged to her grandmother. When they reached the little side door in the rear wall, she ordered, with no room for argument, that the maid in male dress, Green Cicada, exchange clothes with her. Then, with the stubbornness of a person who refuses to turn back until she has struck a wall, she returned once more to her mother’s chambers.

This time, instead of meeting Fu head-on at the door, she had another maid, Cloud Tassel, keep watch while she herself climbed over the high railing at the back of the chambers onto the platform. Fortunately, the male attire made movement easier, and having ridden and shot arrows alongside Cui Jianxuan since childhood, she was quite agile. After landing lightly, she relied on her memory of the layout of her mother’s chambers and slowly made her way to where her mother and elder sister ought to be. Yet although there were four windows in the north wall to admit light, the paper on them was now pasted shut so tightly that she dared not show her head and cast a shadow on the window. She could only crouch below and listen with all her might.

“Do not tell Zhenzhen... she is quick-tempered...”

“...it may wrong you...”

“...if he passes the jinshi degree... the Cui marriage alliance... in full righteousness... Father...”

Although the broken phrases were not clear, Cui JiuNiang was no fool. After turning the fragments over in her mind, she quickly pieced them together, and her expression changed at once. Though she wanted to keep listening until she understood exactly what was going on, all that remained inside was her mother’s sighs and concern for her father’s health. She no longer had the heart to hear more. Retracing her steps, she climbed back over the railing and landed steadily on the ground. Facing the maid Cloud Tassel, who was anxious and frightened, she merely waved irritably and then led the others straight out through the rear side door. After meeting up with Green Cicada in a secluded place and changing back into her clothes, she gritted her teeth hard, then turned and walked off without saying a word, leaving the two maids to stare at each other.

Inside the library tower, Du Shiyi looked at the rows upon rows of books on the tall shelves. His gaze swept over those shelves where, over the past few days, he had already read through and copied the key points from each volume, and he let out a soft breath, though he could not help but sigh over how little time there was. Given the sheer wealth of the Cui collection, if he were to copy books as desperately as he had in the thatched hut, even going gray-headed might not be enough to finish such a workload. He could only settle for a more selective approach. Fortunately, during his studies in the thatched hut, he had already mastered by heart the classical essentials needed for the recitation exam; now he needed only copy what he himself required, so naturally he was far more efficient than before.

Lost in thought for a moment, his ears suddenly caught the faint sound of movement near the entrance. Though he did not turn around, the feeling of someone approaching from behind was unmistakable. Dimly sensing that the person had stopped within no more than two or three steps of him, he acted almost on instinct: book still in hand, he shifted sharply to the side. The person who had suddenly lunged at him nearly smashed headfirst into the book-laden shelf and gave a cry of pain. When he turned around, Du Shiyi could not help frowning.

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A woman? The only person who would come running in such a baffling way seemed to be Cui JiuNiang.

“You scheming rogue!” Cui JiuNiang clutched the head she had knocked and straightened up, then glared at Du Shiyi as if her eyes were spitting fire. After a long while, she said with obvious indignation, “I thought you were so hardworking and diligent, hiding in the library tower all day, but it turns out you were only trying to make my elder sister fall for you!”

The sudden accusation left Du Shiyi stunned. Seeing the bright red welt on Cui JiuNiang’s forehead, her bare face flushed with anger and her bun coming loose without her noticing, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Where does this come from, Ninth Lady?”

“Isn’t it because you told my father that if, some day, you pass the jinshi degree, you will come to marry my elder sister?”

Du Shiyi was momentarily speechless. Then he casually set the book aside on a shelf, looked Cui JiuNiang over with a faint smile, and said, “Though I do not know where Ninth Lady heard such a thing, I truly do not understand. Ever since Wuniang became widowed, many sons of noble and eminent families have sought her hand, yet she has never agreed to remarry, so naturally she would not look upon a landless man like me. And in terms of age, Wuniang is several years older than I. If I were truly to propose to the Duke of Zhao that, upon passing the jinshi degree, I would marry a woman of the Cui family, then it should surely be you, not Wuniang, should it not?”

Seeing Cui JiuNiang turn as red as a boiled shrimp from his words, Du Shiyi’s smile faded. “I have said what needed saying. Ninth Lady, please return.”

“You...” Cui JiuNiang nearly ground her teeth to dust before managing to force out that one simple word, her face growing even hotter with shame and anger.

Just then, a voice came from behind her.

“Ninth Sister, what are you doing here?”

The one who barged in so casually was none other than Cui Jianxuan. He did not even notice the expression on Cui JiuNiang’s face. In a few steps, he reached Du Shiyi, grabbed him, and dragged him outside, saying as he went, “Come on, stop playing the bookworm in here all day. Wu Jiu and the others have come back from Lingnan!”