Chapter 47: The Hairpin Flower Banquet

The next day.

Following his usual routine, Li Jie arrived at the yamen early. After the publication of the administrative examination results, the newly admitted scholars were first required to pay their respects to the Education Commissioner at the Commissioner's Yamen. Next, the enrollment quotas for the prefectural school and the various district and county schools were to be finalized. In principle, scholars made their own choices, but in reality, exceptionally talented scholars were virtually monopolized by the prefectural school. For instance, after Li Jie swept the top spots of the prefectural examinations as the "Little Three Top Scholars," Instructor Zhang of the prefectural school had approached him early on, hoping he would enroll there.

When Instructor Zhang approached him, Li Jie mentioned that he would be setting out on a study tour for a period and might spend relatively little time at the prefectural school. Instructor Zhang then asked where he would be traveling, and Li Jie shared Scholar Zhou’s previous suggestion of visiting the great Confucian scholar Chen Xianzhang. Instructor Zhang readily approved Li Jie's request for the study tour; the formidable reputation of Master Baisha was like thunder in the ears of Confucian scholars throughout Lingnan and Minzhong.

By the time Li Jie hurried to the yamen gates, quite a few scholars had already arrived. They waited until the appointed time, gathering together before entering collectively.

As the appointed hour drew near, all the newly minted scholars arrived. As the top scholar, Li Jie naturally stood at the very front without yielding. The auspicious moment having arrived, he took a step forward and entered the yamen, with the other scholars following closely behind.

Education Commissioner Lin sat in the main hall as the newly admitted scholars collectively performed the ceremony of paying respects to their mentor. Once the rites were completed, Commissioner Lin formally established the relationship of official mentor to these scholars admitted through the current examination. During the Ming dynasty, examinees regarded the chief examiner as their official mentor, and this mentorship served as the primary network through which most scholars stepped into officialdom.

Once the student registries for all the scholars were finalized, today's main event—the Flower-Drying Banquet—was about to commence.

The Flower-Drying Banquet was a feast hosted annually by the Education Commissioner's Yamen after the conclusion of the provincial administrative examinations. Headed by the Commissioner himself and accompanied by the Prefect, the Commissioner would personally adorn the scholars with flowers to honor their achievement. In ancient times, wearing flowers was not the exclusive domain of women; many men did so as well, a practice that began in the Tang dynasty and became increasingly common by the Song.

In officialdom, personal connections were extremely precious resources and wealth. Scholars were enthusiastic about attending banquets such as the Flower-Drying Banquet and the Deer-Calling Banquet not only because these gatherings were symbols of honor, but more importantly for expanding their network of connections. Both their official mentor and their peers (scholars admitted in the same batch) constituted vital relationships in ancient times; after entering official life, one of them might just lend a helping hand at a critical moment.

Few of the scholars capable of attending the Flower-Drying Banquet were fools. Most came with the exact same purpose in mind. Of course, there were occasional exceptions who wished to make a stunning debut and capture the chief examiner's attention; those who succeeded were regarded as geniuses, while those who failed merely became laughingstocks. Because the risks were relatively high, such individuals had historically been quite rare.

As the top scholar of this examination—having consecutively claimed the first place in the county, prefectural, and院 examinations at such a young age—Li Jie was regarded by everyone as having a boundless future. Consequently, the moment he appeared, he became the focal point of the entire hall, and scholars continually approached him to converse and forge connections.

A short while later, a dozen bailiffs dressed in bright red outer garments lined up on either side and shouted in unison:

"By order of the Education Commissioner, all newly admitted scholars are requested to attend the banquet!"

The moment the words fell, ceremonial music rang out in unison, and everyone cast their gazes toward Li Jie, signaling for him to lead the way.

Li Jie nodded slightly, adjusted his robes, swept back his long outer garment, and walked head-held-high into the venue, guided by the bailiffs.

Stepping into the inner hall, he saw that the surroundings were decorated with extreme festivity, and the sounds of flutes and strings echoed ceaselessly. The Education Commissioner and the Prefect were already waiting in the hall.

Even with Li Jie's experience of many grand occasions, he still felt a slight surge of excitement. No wonder the ancients often spoke of the four great joys of life: the long-awaited sweet rain after a drought, encountering an old friend in a distant land, the wedding night in the bridal chamber, and achieving success on the imperial examinations.

It was hardly surprising that scholars held the imperial examinations in such high regard. After a decade of studying by the window, a single success brought a level of glory and profit that left countless scholars across the realm yearning with fascination.

Li Jie led the scholars forward and respectfully paid his respects to Commissioner Lin, saying in unison with the group:

"Your students, Lin Pingzhi, Gao Sheng..., pay homage to the Education Commissioner!"

Looking at the newly minted scholars below the hall, Commissioner Lin’s expression softened into a slight smile as he nodded inwardly. The overall quality of the scholars admitted in Fuzhou Prefecture this time was quite good, with Li Jie standing out most prominently. If even a few of these individuals could pass the metropolitan examination and enter the court as officials, these students would in turn become his own connections in the future.

"Although you have all stood out from the current examination, remember never to become arrogant or impetuous. You must bear in mind that being a scholar merely qualifies you for the provincial examinations, and the provincial examinations, metropolitan examinations, and palace examinations still lie ahead. Therefore, you must all remain diligent in your studies and never let success cause you to lose your composure."

Hearing this, the assembled group responded in unison: "We thank your lordship for your instruction!"

Seeing this, Commissioner Lin smiled with satisfaction and proceeded to adorn everyone with flowers. Once the floral pinning ceremony was completed,

Commissioner Lin offered a few more words of instruction before concluding, "I wish you all continued success in the provincial examinations! Take your seats, gentlemen!"

The scholars, newly adorned with fresh flowers, proceeded to take their seats. The Flower-Drying Banquet followed a seating arrangement of two scholars per table, each with an individual writing desk, save for the top scholar who sat alone at his own table. Li Jie’s seat was the most prominent among the scholars, located on the left in the first row directly below the Education Commissioner—a privilege reserved solely for the top scholar.

As everyone took their seats, maids carrying exquisitely prepared delicacies placed them before the desks. Compared to the meager fare of the prefectural banquets, the food at the Flower-Drying Banquet was clearly elevated by a notch. Sugar cakes, preserved fruits, jujube paste, pork, mutton, smoked fish, and chicken soup were laid out dish by dish upon the desks, alongside even a small saucer of beef. The wine was the finest Shaoxing aged rice wine, golden in color and rich with an intoxicating aroma.

Although the dishes at the Flower-Drying Banquet were not as elaborate as those at the Deer-Calling Banquet or the Qionglin Banquet, nor did they match them in quantity, they still constituted a rare treat for many scholars in their daily lives. Several scholars from impoverished backgrounds found their mouths watering at the sight of the delicacies before them, yet they had to wait for the Education Commissioner to pick up his chopsticks first before the rest could begin eating.

Commissioner Lin had himself climbed his way up from the rank of a common student and deeply understood the thoughts of the scholars at this moment. He raised his cup in a toast to the assembly, and the scholars all raised their cups and drank them down in one gulp, officially commencing the banquet.

For a time, goblets were exchanged and the atmosphere grew wonderfully lively. Li Jie raised his cup to invite the Education Commissioner, and subsequently toasted the Prefect and other officials present in turn. Once the formal toasts were completed, quite a few of the scholars present also came to toast him. Li Jie’s internal energy had already reached a considerable level of mastery, and he welcomed all these toasts without refusing any. Seeing this, someone remarked:

"I never expected the top scholar Lin's capacity for alcohol to be as unfathomable as his essays!"

As the drinking grew deep and the festive mood peaked, the moon had quietly risen, a full moon whose brilliant, pristine light spilled across the courtyard.

At that moment, a scholar proposed to Commissioner Lin, saying, "To have wine without poetry—would that not be a pity?"

The scholar who spoke was named Xu Jing. Because Gao Sheng’s father enjoyed a smooth official career, Xu Jing had long hovered around Gao Sheng as a constant companion; many people knew he was essentially just Gao Sheng's lackey. Gao Sheng was none other than the runner-up of the current examination, who usually enjoyed a reputation for literary talent and was particularly adept at composing poetry.

In everyone's impression, Li Jie’s skill in poetry was conventional and mediocre; judging by the verses revealed in his examination papers, there was truly nothing outstanding about them. As soon as Xu Jing’s suggestion was voiced, many of the scholars whose wine-induced courage was running high chimed in with enthusiastic agreement.

Those among them with astute minds were acutely aware that Xu Jing's proposal was driven by Gao Sheng, who intended to seize the opportunity to step on Li Jie and salvage some lost face.