Volume One: From Farmer to Official Chapter 41: A Broken Drum Beaten by Thousands

"Absurd!"

"Indeed, it's simply unbelievable!"

The crowd wore faces full of doubt, shaking their heads in disbelief. No one accepted that, in such a short time, Chuliu had memorized two full pages of the medical text. Every scholar there had experience memorizing books; memory was built upon understanding—the deeper the comprehension, the easier it was to recall. Medical texts were obscure and dry, filled with terms and phrases that were incomprehensible—there was no way anyone could memorize them so quickly.

"Please believe me," Su Biao interjected loudly when he saw them doubting Chuliu, "If Xie Shuxian says he's memorized it, then he truly has. I studied alongside him for years and witnessed his extraordinary memory with my own eyes. When it came to the Four Books and Five Classics, he could recite them perfectly after only two readings..."

Chen Liangbin, skeptical, asked, "Shuxian, are you certain you've memorized it?"

Chuliu chuckled softly. "Sir Magistrate, I have mastered it completely. Please feel free to test me."

"Sir Magistrate, he's doing this on purpose—plainly trying to distract me from memorizing," Jin Ruizhe protested angrily. "How could anyone memorize it so quickly..."

"The main body houses the five organs and all ailments, nourishes the spirit, calms the soul and will, benefits the vital energy, clears the eyes, vanquishes evil spirits and malicious ghosts..."

Chuliu tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and recited in a clear voice.

Jin Ruizhe fixed his gaze on the page, his face a picture of incredulity, repeatedly glancing up at Chuliu and then back down, desperate to catch even a single mistake.

Chen Liangbin, sensing something was amiss, hurried over to keep an eye on the text, only to find that Chuliu's recitation was flawless, not a word out of place. He was left speechless with astonishment. The academy's Dean, Zhou Mo, also came to observe, and soon three shocked faces hovered over the book.

Even after Chuliu finished, their amazement had not faded.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! No one in the world has such a memory! Sir Magistrate, he must have memorized it in advance..."

Jin Ruizhe, unwilling to concede, shouted obstinately.

Chen Liangbin's face darkened and he rebuked sharply, "Are you questioning my judgment?"

Realizing his blunder, Jin Ruizhe hastily bowed and apologized, "I spoke out of turn, Sir Magistrate, please be lenient..."

Chuliu approached unhurriedly. "Young Master Jin, it's your turn. Can you recite it?"

"Ahem, ahem!"

Jin Ruizhe feigned a cough, gathered his spirits, and began reciting. He stuttered through a few lines before coming to a complete halt. He had been too focused on scrutinizing Chuliu to memorize anything himself.

"I know you're not convinced. How about this—you pick any page you like, and we'll start over."

"This is your suggestion," Jin Ruizhe responded, thinking his chance had come. He flipped to a page in the middle. "This one—let's compete again."

"You go first, so no one can say the sober bully the inebriated."

Chuliu waved his hand, indicating Jin Ruizhe should begin, and sat down to enjoy his meal.

Several others gathered around, quietly asking, "Brother Xie, how is your memory so remarkable?"

"Nothing extraordinary," Chuliu replied humbly. "Do you recall a few years back, those black notices posted in the county? I heard there was a blacksmith surnamed Jin who used the guise of apprenticeship to exploit free labor from his apprentices..."

"I've heard a bit. They say that cursed Jin blacksmith never taught any skills, and often mistreated his apprentices."

"His son was even worse, treating the apprentices as less than human."

"I heard this villain once committed crimes near Jinshan Temple and was dealt with by Lady White Snake. I think his name was also Jin Ruizhe..."

Many of the scholars had only heard rumors and continued spinning tales along these lines.

Qin Shiqi, however, knew the truth. Unhappy with Jin Buhuan's public insults toward him, he added, "Gentlemen, the 'villain at Jinshan Temple' is a character from storybooks, but he does have a real-life prototype—"

He gestured subtly at Jin Ruizhe, and only then did the others realize that this Jin Ruizhe was the very scoundrel of legend.

"Those were slanders against my family! Don't believe them..." Jin Ruizhe, though reciting, heard everything clearly. Seeing the conversation turning against him, he hurried to defend himself.

"My brother apprenticed in your household for two years and didn't learn a thing. To this day, he can't even swing a hammer. The only money he got was compensation for an injury..."

With a single sentence, Chuliu exposed the truth.

Jin Ruizhe glared at Chuliu, as if he wished to devour him whole.

Chuliu asked, "Have you memorized it yet?"

Jin Ruizhe forced himself to focus and tried again.

Chuliu continued, "You may not know this, but Master Jin is quite a character. He said that if I passed the county exam, he'd twist his own head off to use as a ball..."

"That's nonsense! You're all bullying me..."

Jin Ruizhe suddenly broke down.

Chuliu, grinning, walked over. "There, there, don't cry. We've all gone easy on you with the recitation, so how can you say I'm bullying you? After all this time, you still haven't memorized it—youngsters who drink really do harm their memory."

With that, Chuliu stood before the page and read it aloud. Once through, he closed his eyes and recited it from memory.

He then turned away, pacing as he flawlessly recited, not missing a single word.

All the while, Chuliu kept an eye on Zhao Shao. The boy was quiet, neither talkative nor greedy, yet seemed wary of everyone around him. At that moment, Zhao Shao seemed to want to approach Chuliu, but after taking one step forward, he retreated two.

Suddenly, Chen Liangbin's face grew stern as he asked, "Jin Ruizhe, how old are you this year?"

"Fifteen, Sir Magistrate," Jin Ruizhe replied.

"Fifteen is not young. It's time to regulate your conduct," Chen Liangbin said coldly. "You've always thought I favor Xie Shuxian. Now you should understand—the difference between you is not small. If you can't measure up, can't accept it, and can't learn from others, and instead go out of your way to slander them—this is a dangerous sign..."

...

"Sir Magistrate, who will you designate as the top scorer?"

It was time to determine the final rankings of the county exam, and the officials of the yamen and county academy had gathered to deliberate.

"Whoever has the highest overall score. That has always been our county's tradition. Why do you ask, Headmaster?" Being named top scorer in the county meant, barring major incidents, a smooth path to the title of Xiucai.

Naturally, everyone was sensitive about this honor.

"The highest score is Xie Shuxian. The boy is indeed clever, but he's only nine, and from a farming family. If we make him the top scorer, I'm afraid the scholars of Xuanyi County won't accept it..."

Chen Liangbin glanced at the speaker—Headmaster Wang Ting of the county academy.

Without changing his expression, Chen Liangbin asked, "In the Headmaster's view, who would win popular support as the top scorer?"

"Li Shuo ranked second. He's already an adult and comes from a prestigious family. Naming him top scorer would satisfy the masses and highlight your fairness..."

"Academic honors have always been awarded for true talent and learning, never for age or status," Chen Liangbin replied with a look that brooked no argument. "Li Shuo is over thirty and only now passed the county exam—making him the top scorer would be a laughingstock among scholars everywhere. This is not up for discussion. We will follow the rules; only the candidate whose literary skill earned the highest score can convince the public..."

Chen Liangbin was well aware that if he set such a precedent, more officials would curry favor with the powerful and act on personal interest. If that happened, the integrity of the imperial examination would be compromised.

The imperial examination was a matter of great importance; a single misstep could cost far more than his position.

To lose one's head over such a thing—how could he ever take that risk?