Chapter Sixty-Six: Renowned Fame

News of Jiang Li taking first place in the Mingyi Hall’s entrance examination for the upper three subjects quickly spread throughout the capital, reaching Meng Hongjin’s ears as well.

At this moment, the Chancellor’s residence was enveloped in silence. Inside, Meng Hongjin lay over the edge of her couch, quietly sobbing. Her mother, full of distress, held her close. “My child, don’t cry. It’s only the upper three subjects. There are still three more to go. How can you say you’ve reached the end of the road?”

“Disgraceful!” barked Meng Youde, her father, his expression dark and stormy. “You wagered with utter confidence, yet now you’ve lost utterly, and dragged my name down with you. Useless, truly useless!”

Meng Hongjin was devastated by his words, her grief overwhelming her further.

Seeing her daughter’s sorrow, Meng’s mother felt a surge of indignation and spoke out, “How can you blame Hongjin for this? That Jiang Li just returned to the capital, spent eight years in a nunnery, and everyone assumed she was utterly ignorant. Who could have foreseen she’d suddenly seize the top spot? Could you have predicted it?”

Meng Youde was momentarily speechless—indeed, he had not foreseen such an outcome. That was why, when he first heard of his daughter’s wager with Jiang Li, he’d merely scolded her impulsiveness with a few offhand remarks. He’d been certain Jiang Li would lose.

But reality had dealt him a stinging blow. He recalled the mocking glances his colleagues had cast him at court today, and his chest tightened with frustration.

Meng’s mother continued, “The more I think about it, the more something feels amiss. What if Jiang Li used some underhanded means? Jiang Yuanbai’s status at court is no small matter—could he have bribed the examiners? Otherwise, how could our daughter possibly lose to her?”

“Exactly,” sniffled Meng Hongjin through her tears. “I’ve studied at Mingyi Hall with my sisters for five or six years, while Jiang Li has been here less than ten days. Unless the nunnery had a school to rival Mingyi Hall, how could she possibly keep up?”

Hearing his wife and daughter speak thus, Meng Youde began to consider. He had already secretly aligned himself with the Right Chancellor, making him, in effect, an enemy of Jiang Yuanbai’s faction. Jiang Li’s exceptional performance in the examination seemed suspicious. If he could uncover evidence of collusion between Jiang Yuanbai and the examiners, it would be a perfect opportunity. The Emperor abhorred any manipulation of the civil service, and such proof would be a powerful weapon against Jiang Yuanbai—perhaps even a great merit for Meng Youde himself.

Blessing in disguise, he thought, a flicker of excitement rising within him. He donned his outer robe. “I’m going out for a while,” he said, and left in haste.

Watching her father’s departure, Meng Hongjin felt her grievance deepen. Her mother comforted her, “Don’t be afraid. There are still the lower three subjects. Starting tomorrow, it will be music, horsemanship, and archery. In the latter two, you shine above all others. Even if there was a teacher in the nunnery, there couldn’t have been one skilled in archery or riding. Jiang Li will certainly lose to you.”

Meng Hongjin was one of the few young women at Mingyi Hall with a genuine passion for archery and horsemanship. Her fiery temperament suited these martial arts perfectly. Her skill in riding had once stunned all present, and her marksmanship rivaled the finest men. In all of Mingyi Hall, perhaps all of the capital, none dared challenge her in these arts.

If she was merely excellent in the first three subjects—literature, mathematics, and rites—then in the coming three, particularly horsemanship and archery, she was unmatched. Music aside, these two were her true strengths.

Thinking of this, Meng Hongjin’s heart settled somewhat, yet the shame Jiang Li had brought her refused to dissipate. Because of Jiang Li, her previous boasts now seemed like a joke. To be outdone by a newcomer—how many people would gossip behind her back?

The more she thought of others’ mocking eyes, the deeper her resentment for Jiang Li grew. She longed to trample Jiang Li under her horse’s hooves in the examination field…

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.

To trample Jiang Li under her horse’s hooves… In the examination field, blades and arrows know no mercy…

Her heart seemed to be plunged into cold water, then scalded by boiling broth, a feverish chill slowly rising within her.

Meanwhile, Meng Youde, who had gone out to seek evidence of collusion between Jiang Yuanbai and the examiners, was destined to return empty-handed.

To ensure fairness, Mingyi Hall had posted transcriptions of the top three examination papers at the entrance. Crowds flocked to see them.

Meng Youde was nearly pushed out by the throng, overhearing the crowd’s discussions: “If anyone dares say Second Miss Jiang is illiterate again, I’ll crack his head with a cudgel! The script is so much better than what the village scholars write, even if I can’t read a word, I know it’s beautiful!”

This, evidently, was a commoner.

A scholarly-looking man’s voice drifted to Meng Youde: “But the essay is the true marvel—rich in quotations, with unique insight. Second Miss Jiang must be widely read. I’ve studied for fifteen years, yet I’m not her equal. Shameful, truly shameful!” He sighed and covered his face.

“Handwriting reveals character—Second Miss Jiang’s script is bold, like a man’s, spacious and free, as if she were a gallant youth,” rumbled a burly, bearded man.

“And the math! Such clever methods—I’m going to copy them down for my business accounts, they’re far easier than the old ways,” said a merchant sporting a golden abacus, eyes gleaming.

In short, as soon as Second Miss Jiang’s paper was made public, all rumors were dispelled. It was impossible for Mingyi Hall to have leaked the questions; she must have written her answers on the spot. Compared with the other top scorers, her work was clearly superior.

She had earned first place, fair and square.

Meng Youde drifted away from the crowd in a daze. There was no point in seeking evidence of collusion now. Jiang Li’s paper not only made her stand out—it brought honor to the entire Jiang family. The more Jiang Li was praised, the more Meng Hongjin paled by comparison.

One person’s rise often meant another’s decline. On the stage of officialdom, this was a common sight. Meng Hongjin represented the Meng family, and in this wager, at least for the first half, the Mengs had lost.

Meng Youde’s footsteps were unsteady as he returned home, the excited chatter around him fading into a blur. One thought filled his mind: this wager was no longer a childish game—its consequences had grown too large. The palace itself might soon hear of it. If Meng Hongjin could not regain her footing in the next three subjects, the Meng family would have no hope of victory.

That would be truly troublesome.