"Princess Sheng An's latest call for contributions is open to everyone. I heard even the esteemed officials from the Hanlin Academy submitted questions!"
The scholarly man, who had been leading the discussion with poise, now looked slightly embarrassed.
"This one is limited in talent and learning, naturally no match for those Daren. Of the eight questions I submitted, only one barely made it through. I received five hundred wen for it."
"Five hundred wen?!"
The examinees nearby, hearing this for the first time, erupted in astonishment.
"Truly worthy of being Princess Sheng An. Such generosity with a single stroke!"
"One question fetches five hundred wen. This is alarming. Now I'm even more worried about how expensive Three Years of Imperial Examinations, Five Years of Simulations will be. What if it's priced so high that we can't even afford it?"
"Brother Ma, could you help me come up with a couple questions too? I'm worried my purse won't hold out."
"Yes, Brother Ma, help us…"
"Shoo, shoo. I don't have a stockpile of questions to hand out!"
Ma Laxiong's tall and broad figure already stood out among the group of lanky scholars. Now that a crowd had formed around him, he looked even more conspicuous.
From her seat on the second floor of the teahouse, Yun Shu raised an eyebrow slightly. In response, one of the three Dragon Shadow Guards hidden nearby quietly slipped away.
The feverish rush to sell questions only intensified. Almost everyone had now assumed that Three Years of Imperial Examinations, Five Years of Simulations would be priced far higher than ordinary books.
Even Zheng Qiaozhang, who had originally just been quietly waiting to buy a copy without any intention of selling questions, ended up submitting two. He earned a whole tael of silver.
Yun Shu watched it all unfold in silence from the upper floor of the teahouse.
Only when the flurry of question-selling began to wane did she signal toward the Tang Family's Qingsong Bookstore with a discreet hand gesture.
A moment later, the submission booth in front of the bookstore abruptly shut down.
Then, a cheerful-looking pageboy picked up a gong and struck it with force.
Clang!
The sudden sound rang out, silencing the noisy crowd at once.
"Three Years of Imperial Examinations, Five Years of Simulations is about to go on sale! Everyone take note!"
The pageboy climbed atop a chair, banging the gong again with gusto. He shouted at the top of his lungs to ensure no one in the vicinity missed his announcement.
"There are five hundred printed copies of Three Years of Imperial Examinations, Five Years of Simulations! Each person may purchase one copy only. Everyone present will get a chance, so there's no need to rush. Please form a proper queue. Anyone caught cutting in line or causing trouble will lose their right to buy!"
"We have to queue now…"
The crowd murmured with mild discontent, but the threat of disqualification quickly calmed them. Though some grumbled, the scholars began lining up in an orderly fashion.
"I don't even know how much it costs. What if I can't afford it? This queue might be a waste."
Clang, clang, clang!
As the muttering grew louder, the pageboy struck the gong again.
"The price of Three Years of Imperial Examinations, Five Years of Simulations is one hundred wen per copy. If you haven't brought enough money, there's still time to retrieve it now!"
He repeated the price again with deliberate clarity.
"One hundred wen per copy! If you don't have enough, go back now and fetch more!"
"What? One hundred wen per copy?!"
The crowd erupted.
"Did he say one hundred taels of silver, and I just misheard him?"
"No, you heard right. It's one hundred wen. Who would sell a book for one hundred taels?"
"But who doesn't have one hundred wen on them when going to buy a book? Why bother with that warning?"
"Exactly! What book sells for just one hundred wen? Before printing was common, even the cheapest book cost five taels of silver. Now that we have printing presses, the cheapest still costs at least three taels. For one hundred wen… it can't be more than a handful of pages."
"But didn't Princess Sheng An say this book contains all the provincial exam questions from the past three years, along with model answers and annotations? That won't fit on just a few sheets."
"Still, something feels off…"
"Someone got a copy!"
As those further back in line continued to speculate, unsure whether this cheap book was too good to be true, an excited cry came from the front of the queue.
"It's so thick! This huge book costs only one hundred wen? That's practically giving it away!"
"Where? Let me see!"
Those in the back tiptoed and craned their necks to catch a glimpse.
"I don't see anything!"
"There, are you blind?"
One sharp-eyed youth pointed quickly.
"There! See the one holding it in his arms?"
"That's the book?"
The scholar who had just claimed he saw nothing was dumbstruck.
"I saw him, but I thought he was holding a brick! That stack is so thick that even if it were blank paper, it would cost a few taels. And they're selling it for just one hundred wen?"
"This must be Princess Sheng An using her own money to help us!"
A student in the crowd became an instant devotee.
"Princess Sheng An truly cares about us poor scholars! She knows we cannot match the resources of those from noble families, so she's doing all she can to close the gap! I swear I'll pass the Spring Examination this time. I will not let Her Highness and His Majesty down!"
"Indeed! We cannot fail their hopes!"
...
Outside the crowd, someone quietly slipped away.
Before long, a detailed report of the scene in front of Qingsong Bookstore was delivered to the Crown Prince.
Crash!
Another delicate teacup met its end in the Eastern Palace.
The Preceptor sighed and offered a gentle word of counsel.
"Your Highness, why trouble yourself with such anger? The higher Princess Sheng An is lifted, the harder she will fall. These ignorant commoners who adore her now will turn on her with equal passion."
"We are well aware of that!"
The Crown Prince's fury boiled over.
"But We cannot endure their voices! They chant 'Princess Sheng An' with such blind devotion, yet have they ever spared a single thought for Us—their Crown Prince?"
"They are but foolish rabble, lacking vision. In time, they will come to understand who truly stands as the future master of the Tian Sheng Dynasty."
The Preceptor had watched the Crown Prince grow up. Over the past half-year, he had grown noticeably more irritable. Knowing there was little use in offering more advice now, the Preceptor turned instead to the returning servant.
"Has the matter regarding Ma Laxiong been resolved?"
"Yes, Daren. I witnessed it with my own eyes."
"Good."
A smile of satisfaction touched the Preceptor's lips.
"All is ready. Only the east wind remains."