Chapter 182: The Academy Gate is Repaired
Chen Changsheng's first-place victory in the Grand Examination prompted the Dongyu Divine General's Mansion to begin preparing a family banquet, but it caused many other households to cancel their feasts, or at least reduce their scale, because a great many people had lost money.
According to post-event statistics, the four major gambling houses had opened over three hundred betting pools related to the Grand Examination, with over a hundred of the largest wagers concerning the final rankings. Due to Chen Changsheng's emergence and unexpected incidents like Tianhai Shengxue's withdrawal, upsets came one after another, leaving very few people able to win any bets this year.
Logically, if the gamblers lost, the house should have won. Yet this year, the four major gambling houses also failed to make much money from the Grand Examination. Because in the few nights before the Grand Examination began, several enormous sums of money were placed on the National Academy and Chen Changsheng.
The first sum naturally came from the National Academy's own members. Chen Changsheng, treating the Grand Examination as his last gamble in life, staked his entire fortune on himself. Xuan Yuan Po, though not wealthy, threw in the seventeen taels of silver he had saved. What truly swelled this sum were Tang Thirty-Six and Luoluo. Though they only used the silver they had on hand, their immense wealth meant even that amount was considerable, especially given the extremely high odds at the time.
The second sum wagered on Chen Changsheng came from the Pontifical Council, handled by Deacon Xin but representing the old and awe-inspiring Bishop. This sum was substantial. It was said that besides the Bishop himself, many priests in the Pontifical Council, eager to show their loyalty, also threw in a fair amount.
The third sum was even larger, almost astonishing. This money came from Wenshui.
Because of these three bets on the underdog, the four major gambling houses suffered heavy losses. The third sum in particular put immense pressure on Tianxiang House, the weakest among them in terms of capital.
Able to host such betting pools, the four major gambling houses naturally had deep connections. While the gambling business relied on reputation, if it came to life or death, they might have considered defaulting, or at least stalling for time.
But this time, they dared not pull any tricks, nor even had the courage to ask someone to plead for leniency. Because no matter how well-connected they were, they dared not offend the National Academy, which had Princess Luoluo, nor the Pontifical Council, which dared to stand against His Holiness the Pope. And they certainly dared not offend the owner of the third sum.
That money came from Wenshui, so it was naturally from the Tang clan.
There was only one Tang clan in Wenshui, and only one Tang clan in the continent. Only that Tang clan in the world was wealthy enough to casually throw out such a huge sum to bet on Chen Changsheng's victory, just to make their young master happy…
When anything reaches its extreme, it becomes terrifying. A family as wealthy as the Wenshui Tang clan wasn't just ordinarily terrifying—it was extremely terrifying.
Though Old Master Tang probably never imagined that his attempt to boost his beloved grandson's prestige in the capital and thumb his nose at the Kyoto elite would yield such a considerable profit. It could be said that the biggest winners of this year's Grand Examination, besides Chen Changsheng and the National Academy, were the Tang clan.
In a few days, it would be the Spring Bright Festival. The Pontifical Council's festival gifts would surely be generous, and the feasts at those priests' mansions would certainly have many extra dishes. The wealthy members of the National Academy would become even wealthier. The only poor one, Xuan Yuan Po, probably wouldn't need to worry about money anymore. And the continent's famous gambling house, Tianxiang House, would be liquidated in the following period and sold to a southern merchant dealing in jewelry.
These were the effects of the Grand Examination.
Of course, these effects were only on the surface. The real effects still lurked beneath the water, waiting for the moment to unleash their power. Perhaps when the Grand Examination results were officially posted, some would become apparent.
Chen Changsheng knew nothing of these matters. He didn't know his money had multiplied several times over, enough for him to live comfortably in Kyoto for another ten years. Of course, first he had to survive those ten years.
Tang Thirty-Six also knew nothing, or rather, didn't care. The amount he had wagered seemed enormous to outsiders, but was actually just a few months' allowance for him. A bet of this scale was hardly worth keeping in his mind. As for what the Wenshui side had done, he was completely in the dark.
The carriage returned to the National Academy.
Countless citizens followed them deep into Baihua Lane, creating a lively scene. From time to time, shouts of "Congratulations, First Scholar Chen!" could be heard, along with many astonished murmurs.
Those murmurs weren't directed at Chen Changsheng, but at the current state of the National Academy's gate.
Chen Changsheng and the others stepped down from the carriage and stared at the gate, somewhat stunned, wondering what had happened.
On that autumn morning last year, when the rain fell, a battle horse of Tianhai's finest bloodline had collapsed in a puddle, gasping its last, spitting bloody foam. The National Academy's gate had been smashed to pieces, reduced to ruins.
From that day on, the National Academy's gate had remained in that state, unrepaired, not even given the most basic cleaning. It grew increasingly desolate. If not for Jin Yulu sitting there every day with his teapot, reclining in his bamboo chair, no one would have guessed there was once a gate here.
This was a contest between the National Academy, valued by the Bishop, and the new faction of the National Church led by His Holiness the Pope. It was also a struggle between the old loyalists of the Chen imperial clan and the Tianhai family. The level of this contest was high, but on the ground, it played out as a childish feud.
Probably because the three youths in the National Academy were still young, and they hadn't overthought the matter. They only knew that the gate had been broken by the Tianhai family, so the Tianhai family should repair it.
The Tianhai family naturally wouldn't repair it—that would mean admitting defeat and bowing their heads. The National Academy also didn't repair it, letting the broken gate stand before all of Kyoto until it became a famous new sight of the capital. It was a battle of pride, and neither side would swallow first.
But now, around the once-broken gate were over a dozen master craftsmen in court attire, along with many precious beams and jade materials that looked extraordinary, piled on the vacant land beside the gate. It seemed someone was preparing to repair the gate. No wonder the citizens were murmuring in astonishment.
The old steward overseeing the repair work didn't face Chen Changsheng and the others directly. Instead, following orders, he loudly announced to the onlooking crowd what they were about to do.
The Tianhai family was going to repair the National Academy's gate?
And it would be a white jade gate?
Had the Tianhai family truly admitted defeat? How was that possible?
Under the gaze of countless citizens, Chen Changsheng and the others entered the National Academy. As usual, Jin Yulu lit a fire in the gatehouse to brew tea, then carried a bamboo recliner to the front of the gate, settled in, told the craftsmen busily measuring not to disturb him, and began enjoying the night.
By the banyan tree beside the pond, the lawn was just beginning to show a hint of spring green. Chen Changsheng, Tang Thirty-Six, and Xuan Yuan Po walked toward the library. Xuan Yuan Po asked what was for dinner, wondering if the salt-cured meat was tasty but might be too salty. Tang Thirty-Six said, "What kind of day is this to worry about such things? My mouth has been so bland lately I could spit out a bird." As he spoke, a flock of wild birds fluttered noisily from the grove, heading toward the Herb Garden.
The library's lamp was lit, casting a warm, dim glow. The National Academy was as usual—somewhat monotonous, very peaceful. Even though the Grand Examination had just ended, and they had faced and accomplished so much, neither the academy nor the three youths had changed much.
Chen Changsheng looked at Tang Thirty-Six and spoke his first words since returning to the National Academy: "Where has Zheshou gone? Did you retrieve the Wenshui Sword?"
"If you hadn't asked, I might have forgotten. How did you fight that match with Gou Hanshi? How did my sword fly so far away? And stop staring at my waist, alright? I know it clearly—it's not there… Deacon Xin said it fell into some kind of forbidden area and will be sent back in a couple of days."
Tang Thirty-Six paused, frowned, and said, "Zheshou got up as soon as his injuries improved a bit. Ignoring Luoluo and my advice, he left the academy directly. I don't know where he went. But… knowing his personality, he'll definitely come find you, just not sure when."
He then looked at Chen Changsheng and asked, "How exactly did you and Gou Hanshi fight? Did you really reach Ethereal Opening? Even if you did, you shouldn't have been able to win… Wait, did you really reach Ethereal Opening?"
In one sentence, he asked about Ethereal Opening twice.
Tang Thirty-Six stared at Chen Changsheng, his eyes bright as stars. To him, reaching Ethereal Opening was even more shocking and enviable than Chen Changsheng winning first place in the Grand Examination.
Not just him, but any of the young prodigies at the top of the Azure Cloud Ranking most desired to cross that threshold safely and as soon as possible.
Chen Changsheng wanted to say he didn't quite understand what had happened either, when he suddenly heard a noise from the direction of the gate outside the library. His expression shifted slightly.
Xuan Yuan Po pushed open the door to check. After a while, he returned to the library, scratching his head, somewhat puzzled. "They've started repairing the gate," he said.
"So soon?" Tang Thirty-Six raised an eyebrow. "What exactly does that Tianhai guy want?"
Distracted by this, Chen Changsheng forgot what he was about to say. Recalling how Tianhai Shengxue had voluntarily conceded to Luoluo in the academy, he felt there must be a reason he didn't know.
Suddenly, rain began to fall outside the window.
A drizzling, chilly spring rain pattered against the window, soundless but damp.
Chen Changsheng thought of the several autumn rains that had fallen at the Xichen Pavilion today and grew even more silent.
Those autumn rains were the work of His Holiness the Pope.
But why had His Holiness saved him? Even if he weren't just a nobody, even if he were someone important, His Holiness had personally destroyed the National Academy back then. Why would he now act on its behalf?
His mood grew complicated, because he found things were becoming more and more complex.
The Grand Examination had ended late, and they had returned to the National Academy late. Xuan Yuan Po's dinner was inevitably simple. With three slices of sugar-cured salt meat and three bowls of tea-soaked rice, Chen Changsheng felt full. Then drowsiness and fatigue irresistibly overtook his entire body, making it hard to sit still.
"Let's turn in early," he said, rising.
Tang Thirty-Six was extremely dissatisfied with tonight's meal. As he ate, he kept muttering complaints. Seeing Chen Changsheng about to leave, he grew even more displeased. "That's it?" he asked.
Chen Changsheng looked puzzled. "What else should there be?"
"Come on, you just won first place in the Grand Examination today and slapped everyone who looked down on you in the face. Can't you show a little less calm?"
Tang Thirty-Six shouted, "Didn't we agree beforehand? Tonight we'd eat something not so healthy and then get completely drunk? If you want dancing girls, I can call up a dozen troupes for you in no time!"
Chen Changsheng looked troubled. He understood that at a time like this, he should indeed do something to celebrate—that would be normal. But just eating three slices of sugar-cured salt meat was already a huge concession for him. Getting completely drunk was something he simply couldn't accept.
He glanced out the window. The cold rain was gradually clearing, stars were beginning to appear, and it was getting late. He turned back to Tang Thirty-Six and said, "The day after tomorrow—no, it should be tomorrow—I'll have a couple of drinks with you?"
That was the day the Grand Examination results would be officially posted.
(Staying in the hotel today, didn't go to any sights. Managed to write this out at this hour—feels a bit unfamiliar… Not as tired as the past few days. After eating, I'll see if I want to head into town. See you all tomorrow. Wishing everyone an early happy holiday and happy travels.)