Chapter Nine: The Saint’s Coffin Lid Is About to Burst Open

"The butcher's greatest skill isn't killing livestock?"

Ye Xiu was momentarily confused.

Ye Wuji, however, looked Zhao Yide up and down. "My good nephew, you don't look like a butcher at all; you look more like a man trained in blade and spear."

"Sir, you have a keen eye indeed." A sudden flash of pride appeared in Zhao Yide's eyes. "I used to serve in the military; I was a squad leader in the coastal defense of Zhenjiang."

"The Zhenjiang fortress? You were a subordinate of General Yu Zhifu, the pacifier of the Wokou?" Ye Wuji's eyes lit up, but he asked curiously, "General Yu led his troops north to Weihaiwei to resist the Japanese pirates six months ago. Why didn't you go with them?"

"I was supposed to go north with the General, but my father fell ill, so I stayed in Nanjing to take over the family butcher shop."

"So, you are a filial son." Ye Wuji looked at Ye Xiu with a meaningful gaze. "You should learn from Nephew Zhao in the future."

"..." Ye Xiu was dumbfounded. *Fine, I'll be filial too. I'll pile all the burdens of my own studies onto you. Just wait and see how "filial" I can be!*

Concerned for their father, the siblings exchanged a few words with Ye Xiu and his father before hurrying home. The old butcher was already able to stand and walk, and his complexion had gained a healthy flush.

"Father, I suspect our benefactors were no ordinary people in the past. It sounded as if they were quite close to General Yu," Zhao Yide said as he broke down a piece of mutton. "They must have fallen on hard times to end up here in Oolong Alley."

"I see!" the old father nodded. "Regardless of their past, he saved my life. You two must help them out whenever you can."

"Understood, Father." Zhao Yide did not hesitate.

Zhao Youyou, however, sat by the doorway, looking in the direction of the Ye household, lost in thought.

...

Ye Wuji continued to drill his essays, and Ye Xiu glanced over them casually. His father didn't lack talent; he just hadn't grasped the essence of the eight-legged essay. With this in mind, he headed to the Yuquan Bookstore. Shopkeeper Xiao had been waiting for a long time and immediately led him to the third floor upon his arrival.

Relying on his memories from his past life, Ye Xiu finished five illustrations in short order.

"I expected the eighteen illustrations to take at least a month," Shopkeeper Xiao said, greatly astonished. "It seems we can move up the publication date."

"I am under pressure by circumstances, needing to support my father's studies," Ye Xiu said, as he added fine details to the drawings. If he weren't trying to make Shopkeeper Xiao feel justified in paying him well, he could have finished all the illustrations in a single day.

"A filial son! The young master is truly a filial son!" Shopkeeper Xiao looked at him with admiration; it was the first time he had heard of a young man selling everything he had to support his father's studies.

"I am merely fulfilling my duty as a son," Ye Xiu said, putting down his brush. "Shopkeeper Xiao, actually, we can make money even before publication."

"Oh?" Shopkeeper Xiao was puzzled. "Business is always a matter of exchanging money for goods; who would pay before the item exists?"

"This type of book is different from ordinary ones. You can spread word to your regular, loyal customers and take pre-orders. If these customers spread the word, it will bring in a new batch of patrons."

"Young master, your insight is truly remarkable." Shopkeeper Xiao pondered for a moment, then slapped his thigh and pulled an ingot of silver from his sleeve. "This is the full payment for the eighteen illustrations. If the pre-sale is successful, the bookstore will offer a bonus."

Ye Xiu did not decline and accepted the money with a clear conscience. "By the way, I have two essays. May I borrow your shop to write them?"

"Of course," Shopkeeper Xiao replied generously. "The four treasures of the study are at your disposal."

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Xiao. Please attend to your business; I will leave on my own when I am finished."

Shopkeeper Xiao went downstairs, and Ye Xiu spread out the xuan paper, positioned the paperweight, and began to recall the answers written by a top imperial scholar. With a touch of ink, his brush danced like a dragon, and two eight-legged essays appeared on the paper. After blowing the ink dry, Ye Xiu folded the paper and took his leave.

Soon after, a young man in fine silk robes emerged from one of the private rooms. Shopkeeper Xiao hurried up to the third floor. "Master, what did you think?"

"I recognize him; he is no ordinary man," the young man in silk smiled. "Damn, I've been fooled by him for all these years."

"Master, you... know him?" Shopkeeper Xiao was full of confusion.

"Know him? We've eaten imperial meals together, and we've—never mind, that's all in the past." The young man paused. "In all honesty, what do you think his paintings are worth?"

"Truthfully, Master, each of his paintings is worth at least five taels. If he were a well-known scholar, the value would be immeasurable." Not understanding the young man's intentions, Shopkeeper Xiao asked, "Should I raise his pay next time?"

"Their family's situation has nothing to do with money," the young man said, flicking his folding fan. "Having suffered such a great disaster, he would rather sell erotic illustrations than go to the capital to find me. He clearly doesn't consider me a brother... Next time, increase the difficulty for him."

"Understood, Master." Shopkeeper Xiao bowed his head. "I will handle that matter next time."

"Take a moment to go to the Jinling Academy and see if there is a man named Ye Wuji on the list for the re-examination," the young man paused. "If he is there, act as if nothing happened. If he is not, investigate the reason secretly and add his name to the list, but do not reveal my identity."

"Yes, Master."

...

Ye Xiu left the Yuquan Bookstore and stood at a distance, looking back repeatedly. He was certain there had been someone in the adjacent room—not a scribe, but a young nobleman. He had caught the scent of Lion Peak Longjing tea, something an ordinary person could never afford. That was precisely why he had deliberately mentioned that he needed to support his father's studies.

Ye Xiu looked at the bookstore, lost in thought. *Do I know the proprietor? That's impossible.* His former self in Jinling had only had drinking buddies; he had never heard of anyone running a bookstore. *Could it be a friend from the capital?*

He dismissed the thought immediately. His grandfather was imprisoned in the Censorate, and the officials in the capital were all eager to distance themselves from his family.

When he returned home, he found that Ye Wuji had finished both essays. After carefully reviewing them, Ye Xiu immediately spotted the flaws. There was a reason his father couldn't pass the provincial examinations: he always tried to use his own personality to fight against the rigid structure of the eight-legged essay.

"Father, this is decent," Ye Xiu said, putting down the papers. "But you are too spontaneous. You cannot fight the system by yourself."

"You can understand this?" Ye Wuji looked suspicious. He knew his foolish son better than anyone; since when did he understand eight-legged essays?

"I don't understand it, but I have the best answers," Ye Xiu placed the answers of a Ming Dynasty top scholar on the desk. "Father, look for yourself. Follow this pattern from now on. This 'eight-legged' business is actually easy to crack. Even if your talent is lacking, as long as you follow the pattern, you can place well."

As he spoke, Ye Xiu gathered some of the books and decisively sealed them in a box. "Father, don't read these leisure books anymore."

"But these are essential for the examinations!"

Ye Wuji fumed. *Are you taking the exam, or am I? You call the Four Books and Five Classics 'leisure books'—aren't you afraid the sages will roll in their graves?*