Chapter 18: New Student of the National Academy (Part 2)
The National Religion was in the capital. Setting aside the southern sects, here alone there were six sacred halls, among which the Hall of Brilliance was responsible for educating and nurturing young people. Under its jurisdiction were dozens of academies, including the Heavenly Dao Academy, the Cardinal General Academy, the Deacon School, and the National Academy, which handled the specific management of these institutions. This was essentially the same system as the Great Zhou Dynasty’s educational apparatus. The Sacred Education Cardinal Office, known in court and among the people as the Teaching Cardinal Office, or simply the Cardinal Office, exuded a sense of oppression where sanctity and power merged. Because of the dignity of the teaching profession, this building was always exceptionally quiet.
Chen Changsheng stood in the empty corridor, precisely covered by the shadow of a massive stone pillar. He looked back at the room not far behind him, recalling the earlier scolding from the Cardinal Office clerk, and thought to himself: Truly worthy of being the National Religion’s sacred hall—the building was excellently constructed, with such perfect soundproofing that those outside couldn’t hear a thing.
In the capital, there were tens of thousands of students, all managed by the officials and clergy within this building. With so many affairs to handle, countless feet in various boots walked back and forth on the gleaming marble floor. The crowd surged and ebbed like a tide, yet aside from the sound of footsteps, everything remained utterly silent.
No one paid any attention to the youth standing in the shadow of the stone pillar. No one came forward to ask him anything. A long time passed. The sun shifted, and the shadow of the stone pillar moved from him to a position further east. It was already afternoon when someone finally noticed his presence.
Or perhaps it was because the sacred hall was about to close, and people’s moods had relaxed a bit. The noise in the building increased, no longer as solemn and silent as before. A murmur of whispers came from behind Chen Changsheng. The voices were so low they sounded like rats gnawing on something, making his ears itch, and he instinctively lowered his head a little more.
“What’s that kid standing there for? Looks like he’s been there almost all day.”
“Oh, that guy? I asked around at lunch—he got kicked out by Priest Xin… Heard he came to apply for this year’s education subsidy and wanted to get something else?”
“Subsidy? Wasn’t that already distributed back in February? Is there some academy that didn’t get it? Impossible! With how arrogant those academy deans are, if they were really owed money, would they have put up with it until today? Besides, even if they were owed, would they send a student to collect it?”
“Exactly. So Priest Xin wouldn’t bother with him and just threw him out. But for some reason, this kid refuses to leave.”
“Which academy is this guy from, anyway?”
“I heard it’s the National Academy.”
“What?”
“The National Academy.”
A ripple of murmurs, followed by laughter.
“This joke isn’t funny at all. No wonder Priest Xin lost his temper.”
“Everyone knows the National Academy has been empty for years. There aren’t even any teachers, so how could there be students? I’m guessing this is one of those annual freshman hazing stunts from a few academies. That poor guy got picked by his seniors to come here and do something or get something, or else he won’t pass.”
“Tsk, these academies’ hazing is getting more and more outrageous.”
“Tell me about it. They actually dare to come to the Cardinal Office and pull a scam.”
“Hey, which academy do you think this kid is from? This stunt is kind of interesting.”
“Probably Star-Gathering Academy. That kid stood there all day without changing his posture. Who else but Star-Gathering could produce a student like that?”
“I’m not so sure. Star-Gathering has strict military discipline. In past years, their hazing at most involved stealing flying chariots from the City Guard Office. They’d never come to the Cardinal Office. I think it’s most likely the Heavenly Dao Academy. Those kids are familiar with this place and aren’t afraid of anything. If they cause trouble, they can just call their older brothers or relatives. Would the Cardinal Office dare to refuse them?”
…
…
In the eyes of the Cardinal Office officials and clergy, the youth standing with his head down in the corridor was probably a poor new student from some academy, being bullied and tricked by his seniors. When they gossiped, they naturally didn’t bother to avoid him. Though their voices were low, the words still reached the youth’s ears accurately.
Chen Changsheng kept his head down, staring at the ground. His shadow kept shifting across the floor, about to touch the parallel edge of the stone steps. Thinking about how he’d wasted half a day, he felt a bit down. Only after hearing these discussions did he understand why that man had been so angry earlier and refused to let him back into the room.
How could he make them believe he was the first new student of the National Academy in years? Even if they believed him, how could he get the library key, the list of academy staff, the academy seal, and the money from them in the shortest possible time? He didn’t want to waste another day like this just for these trivial matters.
A distant bell rang from the direction of the imperial palace, followed by music from the direction of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. Chen Changsheng seemed to think of something. He raised his head and, without hesitation, walked back toward the room he’d been kicked out of. This sudden movement immediately drew many eyes.
He pushed the door open, walked up to the desk, and said to the man behind it, “Hello, I need to get the National Academy’s roster, key, and money.”
That man was Priest Xin, whom the others had mentioned. Seeing Chen Changsheng return, he flew into a rage, slamming the desk and shouting, “I told you not to bother me again! And you still dare to say such things! Do you want me to call someone to give you twenty disciplinary strikes and expel you from the academy?”
Chen Changsheng said seriously, “Then first, you’d have to make me an official student of the academy.”
Priest Xin took a deep breath, forcing down the anger in his heart, and said coldly, “Which academy are you really from?”
Chen Changsheng said, “The National Academy.”
When he said this, his expression was very calm. No matter which way the wind blew, he clung to the cliff rock without letting go. No matter what they asked, he could always repeat that answer without changing his expression or losing his composure: I am a new student of the National Academy—whether you believe it or not, I stand here, and that’s what I am.
“Don’t say the National Academy, not even the Heavenly Dao Academy,” Priest Xin said, feeling like he was going mad. His voice turned icy. “Even if you were the younger brother of the Prince of Chenliu, I’d make you understand today what it means to disrespect a teacher.”
“This is my letter of recommendation.”
Chen Changsheng took a thin piece of paper from his chest and placed it on the desk.
Priest Xin intended to grab the paper, crumple it into a ball, and stuff it into this detestable youth’s mouth. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a name on the paper that looked familiar. He paused, instinctively picked up the paper, and confirmed he wasn’t mistaken—both the name and the handwriting were indeed somewhat familiar.
Where had he seen this name and this handwriting before?
Priest Xin frowned, racking his brains, but couldn’t find the answer. Deep down, he felt a vague unease.
Then, in the next moment, he finally remembered.
He hadn’t actually seen the handwriting on the paper before, nor that name. The reason it looked familiar was because the handwriting matched that of the Cardinal Office’s name, and that name—every follower of the National Religion knew it, yet they couldn’t speak of it or write it, because that name… had become sacred.
Next, Priest Xin clearly saw the crimson seal imprint on the paper.
He felt his legs go weak, and there was a faint twitching between his thighs. He had acrophobia—a symptom that only appeared when visiting the Moon Hall at the Academy Palace.
Priest Xin wanted to take a sip of tea, but his hands were trembling so badly that he knocked the teacup straight off the desk.
He looked at Chen Changsheng, his lips quivering uncontrollably, and his voice was the same.
Only then did he finally believe that Chen Changsheng was a new student of the National Academy.
Because no one would dare to impersonate that name on the paper, or that handwriting.
“Actually… you never took out this letter of recommendation… what a witty child you are.”
He said to Chen Changsheng, forcing a smile with great difficulty, wanting to reach out and pat the youth’s shoulder, but not daring to.
The word “you” didn’t match “child” at all, and “child” could hardly be called “witty.”
Chen Changsheng understood why the man had lost his composure and said helplessly, “I tried to take it out earlier, but you never gave me the chance.”
“Please, have a seat. Tea will come shortly. I’ll handle your affairs.”
Priest Xin picked up the paper, greeted him warmly, then turned without hesitation and began sprinting through the empty, solemn hall.
Those eyes that had been following Chen Changsheng never expected to see such a scene. They were stunned.
…
…
In the deepest and largest room of the Cardinal Office, there were many plants, most of them plum blossoms—winter plum, water-reflecting plum, dragon-plum, gold-dusted plum… Some were in bloom, some were budding, and more were silently waiting, as if all the plum blossoms in the world were gathered here.
Deep among the plum trees was a large mural depicting the descent of the Heavenly Book. In front of the mural was an enormous desk.
Priest Xin stood before the desk, his expression anxious, his forehead covered in sweat. But clearly, he wasn’t as pathetic as he had appeared before Chen Changsheng. He said, “Her Holiness the Empress above… I swear to Heaven, I truly didn’t know… that he could produce such a letter of recommendation. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have made that fellow wait in the corridor for half a day?”
A clergyman stood up from behind the desk. It was hard to tell his age, but his eyes were wise and gentle. From the style of his robe, he appeared to be a cardinal bishop, which meant he was the highest authority in the entire Cardinal Office. However, his expression and his lighthearted, laughing tone made that hard to grasp.
“The seal and signature on this letter are genuine. The color intensity, the counter-signature technique, and most importantly, the paper… Hah, His Holiness the Pope’s calligraphy truly lets one directly feel the beauty of the world. I’ve seen it many times, yet I still rejoice. I remember it was ten years ago, when His Holiness was summoned by Her Holiness the Empress to teach the Prince of Xiang and Miss Moyan…”
The Cardinal Office Bishop, Merisa, looked at his trusted subordinate, Priest Xin, then suddenly dropped his smile and said coldly, “Alright, no need to bring up old matters. It doesn’t matter what background this friend named Chen Changsheng has, nor that he’s become the first student of the National Academy in ten years. What matters is—what does this event represent?”
“Is His Holiness the Pope planning to restart the National Academy?”
“If that’s true, how should we subordinates cooperate?”
“You need to understand all of this thoroughly.”
“Understand its spirit.”