Chapter Five The Sky is High and the Water is Long

  The imperial examination is a matter of three points of talent and seven points of luck. From the conversation, it can be seen that Cai He is obviously a person who is strong in classics but weak in poetry. A candidate like Cai He can only do well in the imperial examination in the year of Qingli New Deal, which was the first to test the classics and then the poetry. In other years, it was the opposite, and if the poetry did not pass, the rest would not be tested. Even if the poetry passed, the subsequent articles would depend on the examiner's style and preferences...

  Looking at Cai Huo, who was already middle-aged, Wang Jingfan couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him - Cai Huo was born out of time, and if he were the same age as himself, perhaps there would still be hope to overcome this hurdle. In the brief introduction to Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong in "Complete Song Dynasty Ci", next year's spring examination is mentioned, and even the topic of the policy essay is given, especially since the chief examiner Ouyang Xiu took it upon himself to use this civil service examination to strike down the currently popular Western Kun style articles. As for how to do this, Wang Jingfan had already come up with a plan.

  According to the sparse records in "Complete Song Ci", next year's imperial examination will be the most spectacular one in three hundred years, with many celebrities gathering. Ouyang Xiu started using administrative means to promote the "Ancient Prose Movement", which eventually recreated the empty and difficult style of the Western Kunlun School. This imperial examination also produced several interesting stories: such as Ouyang Xiu mistakenly thinking Su Shi's article was written by his disciple Zeng Gong and ranking it second; Ouyang Xiu recognizing Liu Ji's article through textual analysis and demoting him, only to have Liu Ji return with a new style and even a new name in the next imperial examination, which Ouyang Xiu again blocked, but ultimately ranked first was none other than the former Liu Ji...

  Because this exam involves many celebrities, the description of this exam is also a lot. Wang Jingfan and his son think that if they can enter the official career through the imperial examination, it would be better to take this exam. Wang Jingfan did not disappoint his father. From an early age, he showed remarkable talent in reading, and with his father's guidance based on thousands of years of experience, his article's vision was much broader than that of his peers. Under his father's influence, his writing style is modeled after Han Dynasty literature, which is also unique in the circle of Xikun-style writers in Zhenzhou.

  The Bai Sha Cai family is no longer as prosperous as it was in the past, but to be honest, the ancestor of the Cai family who obtained the first-place imperial scholar title did not have a high official position either. There was never much glory to speak of, at most, they might have received more assistance from their clan at that time. In this capital city, let alone being a Langzhong of the Ministry of Works and a scholar of the Dragon Diagram Hall, even if one were in power, they couldn't act arbitrarily. Nevertheless, the Cai family was still able to put on a show befitting a landlord's status, with all sorts of exquisite dishes served continuously. The most peculiar thing was that after the wine party, when everyone had dispersed and only Cai Hu and Wang Jingfan were left, Cai Hu brought out a jar of deep red, blood-like grape wine.

  Cai Huo poured a full cup for Wang Jingfan and smiled, saying: "This is the grape wine brewed by me in my spare time according to Tian Mei's 'Qu Ben Cao', let's taste it and see how it compares with the grape wine in the tavern?"

  Tian Xi was the top scorer in the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and he served as an official for 25 years through the reigns of both Emperors Taizong and Zhenzong. He was known throughout his life for being straightforward and honest in his remonstrances to the emperor, writing directly and without hesitation, even when he was demoted. After his death, Emperor Zhenzong read his will and deeply regretted his passing, referring to him as a "straightforward official". Fan Zhongyan also personally wrote a tomb inscription for Tian Xi, which showed a style that was reminiscent of the Han Dynasty, sweeping away the overly ornate style of the Western Kunlun school that had been prevalent during the reigns of Emperors Taizu and Taizong.

  Wang Jingfan raised his cup and took a sip, the soft grape wine lingering in his mouth for a long time, only speaking after a moment: "Brother Ruxin is indeed a master of wine! However, the grape wine in Tian Mei's 'Qu Ben Cao' and the wine shop's grape wine are not different, both using glutinous rice to ferment with Qu, light in color and taste; but Brother Ruxin's grape wine seems to be brewed differently, dark in color and rich in flavor, with a longer aftertaste... ordinary people who drink a few more cups might get drunk..."

  Cai He smiled and said, "This wine is indeed different from the method described in Tian Mei Zhou. I used grains and grapes together to brew it, then added the Bi Guang wine purchased from Shi Lou Tower to mix and ferment it. The color and taste are better than ordinary grape wine..."

  Wang Jingfan held the white porcelain wine cup in his hand, pondered for a moment and said: "Brother Ruxin brews a good wine, but it's not yet comparable to the ancient method of winemaking. The ancients said that grape wine should be sweet but not cloying, cool but not cold..."

  "Besides reading, Cai He had only one other pleasure in life - a good cup of wine. Normally, he would just brew some ordinary wine and be content with that. However, the traditional method of brewing grape wine was almost lost after years of war, and although he yearned for it, he couldn't make it... " Cai He sighed.

  Wang Jingfan smiled and put down the wine cup in his hand, asking: "Does Brother Ruxin still remember asking this afternoon how this academy is maintained?"

  "Cai Hu looked at him with some confusion..."

  "In this world, everything is valued for its rarity. This grape wine was introduced from the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty and disappeared after the Tang Dynasty's Five Dynasties period of turmoil. However, the method of brewing grape wine only vanished in the Central Plains, but it was still passed down in other places. At least, I still understand a few secrets about it. If I were to restore the ancient method of brewing grape wine, I think it would be very welcome in the capital city where wealth gathers. Our academy's funding for running the school would also have a solution..." Wang Jingfan said with a smile.

  For Wang Jingfan, this wine was not something unusual. His father would brew grape wine, and its taste and color were consistent with the records in historical books. Before, he did not realize that his father's brewed wine was different from those outside until after reading "Qu Ben Cao" and knowing that there was a big difference between them, and his father's brewing method was the real ancient method, which was most consistent with the description of grape wine in ancient books. However, his father had passed away, and apart from the brewing method of grape wine, he also heard from his father that drinking grape wine regularly had great benefits for the body, especially blood vessels.

  According to Wang Jingfan, his father knew how to brew grape wine, but the method of brewing was concealed along with several other important things. When entertaining guests at home, they never used grape wine. Unlike other important items, his father did not specifically mention the grape wine. Considering the imperial court's strict regulations on the production and sale of liquor, it can be inferred that his father did not place much value on grape wine. The imperial court also had strict rules regarding this wine, at least officials were strictly forbidden from engaging in this industry.

  Cai Hu is a relatively orthodox scholar, naturally guarding the "gentleman's words are righteous and not profitable" with other scholars. In the afternoon, when asked about how to support the academy for a long time, he also cared about the purpose of selling land to Wang Jingfan in his family. Unexpectedly, drinking wine can also be associated with the academy, but Wang Jingfan's few words were indeed very moving - the Great Song Dynasty is different from the previous dynasty's ban on wine, and brewing and selling wine are very common, even one of the pillars of the imperial court's financial revenue. The competition in the wine industry was extremely fierce, and the "72 regular shops" in the capital were the best in the Song Dynasty's wine industry. Some hotels also had their own unique brewing methods to attract customers with their signature wines.

  Cai Huo, although not a heavy drinker, had a special fondness for this cup of wine and knew that the current common method of brewing grape wine was definitely inferior to the one described in Li Bai's poem. If Wang Jingfan could restore the ancient method of brewing wine, this grape wine would surely be very popular - in the capital, everything is scarce except for wealth, let alone tens of millions of family assets, even billions of family assets are available, they usually drink fine wines worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan per dou, which is unimaginable to Cai Huo. Naturally, supporting the normal operation of the academy would be no problem, this is much more secure than Wang Jingfan's initial response.

  "Really a good move!" Cai Xiao said excitedly: "However, Jian Fu don't forget to brew a pot first, I've been looking forward to it for a long time!"

  Wang Jingfan smiled and said, "If this matter can be done, it will have to wait until winter. Moreover, even if there is wine, it may not necessarily become the school's expenses. The court has many restrictions on brewing. If Brother Xin has spare time, he can pay attention to this matter. It's best to choose a reputable merchant to discuss this matter, whether it's a share or a one-time buyout..."

  "See you again, this is a big problem for the future of the academy, I'm not good at this..." Cai He didn't expect Wang Jingfan to trust him so much, entrusting him with the wine business. Cai He was no longer the spirited young man he was over a decade ago, although he still pursued his studies, he also participated in managing family affairs. Just as Wang Jingfan said, wine seemed simple, but if handled properly, it wouldn't be difficult to support an academy, and for a wealthy merchant in the capital, supporting ten academies would be effortless.

  Wang Jingfan waved his hand and said, "Brother Ru Xin, although the establishment of the academy was my father's will, I also want to participate in next year's spring examination. To be honest, I have been thinking about it for a long time. I plan to invite some renowned scholars from the Cai family of Baisha to participate in the management of the academy. After all, you are the local landlords and it is more convenient to handle ordinary affairs..."

  "The academy is also a good thing for me, Cai's family, it's a win-win situation."

  "Ru Xin brother is too modest, the academy is just established and everything needs to be rebuilt, Jing Fan can't stay here all day long. In the future, it's inevitable that Ru Xin brother will have to put in more effort. Besides, Jing Fan has not been in Kaifeng for a long time and is not familiar with various aspects..."

  Cai He's self-brewed wine was already quite good, but after all, it wasn't much different from the ones outside. It can be imagined that during the Western Han Dynasty, a few dozen jars of wine could buy a position as a historian in the Western Regions. Even if you count several folds today, its value is still very impressive - at least on par with those top-notch wines now. This was a huge fortune. Although Wang Jingfan needed money to do things, this academy was his future foundation. Even if he gave Cai's family a share of the profits, as long as he could manage the academy well, it wouldn't be a problem.

  Although Cai Hu declined, under Wang Jingfan's insistence he agreed to help find a suitable buyer, but this was only after the wine had been successfully brewed in early winter and tasted - for wine, every era has different requirements, what was considered good during the Han and Tang dynasties may not be good now, after the late Tang and Five Dynasties wars until the current peaceful reign of the Song Dynasty, no one can guarantee that the grape wine that was popular hundreds of years ago will be recognized by people in the Song Dynasty.

  When Cai Hu and Wang Jingfan were discussing the next step of construction for the academy, Song Duan rode in on horseback at night and told Wang Jingfan that there was an important matter in the capital that required his return. The owner of the Qigu Warehouse had sent someone to look for Wang Jingfan in the afternoon but to no avail. Song Duan then went to the Qigu Warehouse to see the owner, who asked if Wang Jingfan still had any large North Pearls. The owner of the Qigu Warehouse was closely acquainted with a court nobleman, who wanted to prepare a string of pearls for his mother's 60th birthday and was still short two large North Pearls.

  The capital of Kaifeng is the gathering place for wealth and goods from all over the world. A large North Pearl worth 2,000 to 3,000 yuan should not be considered a big deal, but this kind of large North Pearl that is one inch in diameter cannot be bought even if you want to buy it, unless there is a seller willing to sell it. This nobleman from the imperial court has been busy for half a day and still hasn't found any, so the owner of the pawnshop thought of the two large North Pearls that Wang Jingfan had pawned in the past few days and wanted to try his luck here. He offered 10,000 yuan to buy two large North Pearls, but unexpectedly, Wang Jingfan went to Baisha today and Song Duan couldn't make a decision on his own, so he could only quickly notify him to come back and see how to decide.

  Wang Jingfan, who was involved in a business worth tens of thousands of taels, naturally had to rush back. Cai He felt that the matter was urgent and also thought that the young man in front of him was somewhat unfathomable - if someone who could make deals worth tens of thousands of taels really gave their full support to a school, then the survival of the school would not be a problem at all. Although it's relatively close to the capital, traveling at night is still somewhat inconvenient. The Cai family wasn't a high-ranking official or aristocratic family, but Cai He still lent Wang Jingfan a horse to hurry on his way and also pointed out a shortcut that could get him to the capital faster.

  In April, the daytime has gradually lengthened, unlike when they arrived. People who went out to play at this time had already returned to the capital before dark, and the bustling roads during the day became empty. The small road that Wang Jingfan walked on was even more deserted, with not a single person in sight. As far as the eye could see, there were only cargo ships lighting up their lights on the distant river, like stars twinkling in the darkness of night.

  Cai He pointed out a small path that was quite good, greatly shortening the route back to the city. Normally, only the villagers of Baisha would take this road, and as long as they returned to the official road within three miles, they could save four or five miles of journey. Just as they were about to get on the main road, Wang Jingfan suddenly tightened his reins and dismounted, and although it was quite dark, Song Duan still saw Wang Jingfan dismounting under the moonlight and stopped as well.

  "Sir, why have you stopped moving forward?" Song Duan led the horse to Wang Jingfan's front, fortunately it was at night on a small path, and the two horses' speed was just slightly faster than the ox cart's. Song Duan quickly controlled the horse, otherwise Wang Jingfan's sudden dismounting might have caused Song Duan to crash into him.

  Wang Jingfan sneered and whispered: "There are robbers ahead, but they rob both money and women!"

  "Sir, since they don't count as people of the same path, then..."

  "Having been a hypocrite for so long, even if you can't say it out loud, you'll still come to secretly take advantage of others. People like this are indeed a great scourge!" Wang Jingfan said coldly.

  Song Duan naturally followed Wang Jingfan to the capital, Kaifeng. After arriving in the capital, his vision also increased a lot. Every day, he helped Wang Jingfan run errands and do things outside. He heard and saw many things on the streets of the capital. Such cases of nighttime robbery were mostly occasional events caused by a few ruffians from inside the city who had nothing better to do than sneak out at night. They relied on their numbers and intimidating presence, but dealing with these mobs was simply a matter of showing them blood to scare them off.

  Song Duan tied the two horses to a tree by the side of the road and followed behind Wang Jingfan, walking quickly under the moonlight. After less than a hundred steps, they could clearly hear the sound of a woman crying out and the bandits' loud laughter. This place was not far from the official road, it seemed that they had taken advantage of the fact that there were few people on the official road to rob someone and then turned into this small path. If it weren't for Wang Jingfan's keen sense of hearing, it would be hard to detect them. Unfortunately, these temporary bandits didn't think that two young men would quietly approach them, one edge of their clothing covering their faces, while exuding a fierce killing aura...

  The two thugs who were just about to take off their clothes suddenly felt a cold hand grasping their necks, and after hearing a faint "click" sound, they knew nothing. The other thug's hand was still clutching the woman's face when he sensed something unusual behind him and turned around. Before he could speak, his throat went cold, followed by a sharp pain. He immediately realized what had happened - the hand that had been touching the woman's face now couldn't care less about its addiction, wanting to cover the blood spouting from his throat but unable to do so. Wanting to scream out in terror, he could only hear himself making "gurgling" sounds. In just a moment, he too knew nothing, just like his two companions.

  "The charioteer is dead." Song Duan said in a low voice to Wang Jingfan.

  "Bring the horse over!" Wang Jingfan shook his head, these rascals really had it coming to them. He also spoke in a hoarse voice to the three women: "Your coachman is already dead. This place is not far from the official road. After sending you onto the official road, the rest of the journey will be up to you..."

  One of the women stood up, and despite being in the dark night, she slightly tidied up her disheveled hair and said: "I am Liu Piaoxiang, thank you two gentlemen for lending a helping hand."

  The so-called "waiting in the boudoir" refers to women who do not have a surname. In fact, most women from childhood to adulthood only had a small name. Generally speaking, there are only two types of women who can have a full name: one is a woman with status; the other is a courtesan. Judging from Liu Piaoxiang's demeanor and entourage, it is clear that she was at least a minor celebrity as a songstress, possibly returning from performing for young nobles outside the city when she encountered misfortune...

  In an instant, Wang Jingfan had guessed the identity of the woman opposite him, whose appearance was unclear. This was his habit, one that his father viewed with both admiration and distaste - being able to read people's hearts made it easier to survive in official circles, but for life itself, this habit was a heavy burden. Regardless of how Wang Jingfan's father felt about this habit, as he grew older, his sharp insight only intensified, to the point where his father began considering cultivating him in the direction of judging cases.

  "Miss, there's no need to test our intentions. These rascals are indeed deserving of death, but if we kill them, we'll also be punished by the authorities. Once we've taken you and your two servants onto the official road, everyone will go their separate ways. For now, please get in the carriage, miss..." Wang Jingfan sighed inwardly, thinking that people's lives are shaped by their own destinies.

  Liu Piaoxiang said with a deep bow: "I understand your meaning, sir, but this coachman..."

  "The official will still have to report, and if he doesn't, it won't be right. At that time, the young lady can just ask three questions and not know anything about the two of us, and we can cover up for each other... Although I couldn't see Liu Piaoxiang's appearance clearly, her voice was very pleasant to listen to. The noise I heard earlier was obviously made by her two maidservants, which shows that Liu Piaoxiang is not an ordinary singing girl."

  Wang Jingfan had Liu Piaoxiang and the other two get on the horse carriage. When Song Duan came up with the two horses, he became the coachman and drove the horse carriage onto the official road. Wang Jingfan made a fist at the horse carriage and said in a low voice: "Miss Liu, take care all the way, may we never meet again under the high sky and vast water!" After that, he and Song Duan rode their horses quickly towards the city gate.

  "The sky is high and the water is long. Will we never meet again?!" Liu Piaoxiang lifted the curtain of the carriage and watched as two black shadows on horseback galloped away, in the distance the lights of Kaifeng, the capital city, were already within sight, even if they didn't drive the carriage themselves to walk back it wouldn't be a problem, let alone this ox cart which was easier to control. Thinking about what that person had said earlier, Liu Piaoxiang's face also revealed a hint of a strange smile.