When Fang Jie arrived at Changchun Garden, he was startled by the scene before him. He never expected to receive such treatment, so much so that he was dizzy and even his steps were somewhat unsteady. As someone who didn't belong to this era, it took Fang Jie a long time to adapt to the supreme imperial power of the Sui Dynasty. His respect for the emperor was lower than that of any other Sui person. But at this moment, Fang Jie suddenly felt that being a Sui person in this world wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
At the gate of the Qionglu Palace, the emperor, knowing of Fang Jie's arrival, actually came out personally to wait for him. This alone shocked the entire court. In the entire court, there seemed to be very few who would receive such a personal welcome from His Majesty. When General Yu Manlou, who guarded the eastern border, was transferred back to the capital, His Majesty personally greeted him at his door. When General Luo Yao, who guarded the southern border, came to the capital to report on his duties, His Majesty waited for him at the gate of the Taiji Hall.
Apart from these, it seemed that no one in the past eleven years had received such an honor.
Fang Jie felt somewhat dazed, as if he were living in a TV drama.
This strange feeling was perhaps unique to him.
"Your subject Fang Jie pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Seeing his absent-mindedness, the young eunuch Mu San reminded him from behind. Fang Jie then remembered he couldn't just stand there like an idiot and respectfully bowed. Mu San kept smiling, seemingly happy for Fang Jie. But he was even happier for himself, because he had found that his first attempt to befriend someone outside the palace had been a sure thing. The second outstanding candidate from the Nine Gates Martial Arts Academy since the founding of the Sui Dynasty—his future was limitless!
What could be more gratifying for a eunuch than having a powerful friend outside the palace?
Of course, being appreciated by His Majesty was an exception.
Therefore, Mu San was very happy, happy that he had established a good relationship with Fang Jie beforehand. If he had waited until now to show goodwill to Fang Jie, it would inevitably seem like obsequiousness.
The Emperor quickened his pace and, in front of the civil and military officials, personally bent down and helped Fang Jie up. He scrutinized Fang Jie carefully for a few moments, then smiled and said, "I've said before that you are one of the few young people I've met in recent years who I find remarkable. But even I didn't expect you to do so well!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
The Emperor repeated "good" three times, his face beaming. "Since the founding of the Great Sui Dynasty, only during the reign of our ancestor, Emperor Taizong, did General Li Xiao achieve such outstanding results in all nine subjects. After graduating from the Martial Arts Academy, he fought in hundreds of battles, large and small, without ever being defeated. During Emperor Taizong's reign, the Great Sui Dynasty nearly doubled its territory! The entire Jiangnan region was conquered by Li Xiao, appointed by Emperor Taizong. Now… I have my own Li Xiao! A good omen! A good omen!"
His Majesty seemed overjoyed, first saying "good" three times, then "good omen" twice.
Everyone knew that Fang Jie's five excellent scores in the civil service exam were a reward from His Majesty, far inferior to Li Xiao's true abilities. However, in truth, Fang Jie's presentation of the phonetic notation method and the arithmetic method to His Majesty had a profound impact on the Sui Dynasty. Countless students would have benefited from these two initiatives. In fact, the implementation of the arithmetic method might have propelled the Sui Dynasty to a new level in mathematics!
Therefore, Fang Jie's reward of excelling in five humanities subjects doesn't seem too heavy.
As for his perfect scores in four martial arts subjects, that was something he earned through his own abilities. Those who were waiting to see him fail had to shut up; the results speak for themselves, and saying anything negative would only invite ridicule. And speaking of good omens, coupled with His Majesty's earlier words, many vaguely guessed what was going on.
It's true that General Li Xiao achieved nine excellent scores in the martial arts academy's entrance exam, and it's also true that he was invincible after leaving the academy. It's even more true that the Sui Dynasty's foundation was as solid as a rock and that it continued to expand its territory because of Li Xiao during Emperor Taizong's reign. If that's truly the case, then Fang Jie is indeed a good omen for His Majesty.
"My beloved ministers!"
The Emperor took Fang Jie's hand, walking towards him while laughing, "You must all look closely. This young man is the first candidate in the Great Sui Dynasty in nearly a hundred years to achieve the highest honors in the Nine Gates Examination. Remember this name, remember this face. I possess the entire world, I rule over the four seas, but I am even happier that the Great Sui Dynasty has produced a Fang Jie today!"
Fang Jie, still somewhat dizzy, didn't forget to cooperate with the Emperor's speech, immediately standing up straight and giving the Emperor a standard Great Sui military salute.
"Your subject is honored to be a citizen of the Great Sui!"
"What a fine phrase, 'honored to be a citizen of the Great Sui'!"
The Emperor couldn't help but say with some excitement, "If all the citizens of the Great Sui were like Fang Jie, who in this world would dare to stand against the might of my Great Sui? Who would dare not bow down and submit to me?!"
When these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned for a moment.
But soon, a chorus of praise and admiration began to spread. Fang Jie stood beside the Emperor, feeling the Emperor's emotions. He suddenly realized that being an emperor meant enjoying this kind of praise and acclaim. Of course, first, one had to possess the ability to be praised and acclaimed.
Fang Jie knew the emperor was getting impatient.
...
...
"Your Majesty is a bit out of sorts today..."
During the ceremony welcoming Fang Jie like a hero, Minister of Justice Dugu Yin whispered something to Pei Yan, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, standing beside him.
He had never seen His Majesty so excited. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor. He had never seen His Majesty grin broadly when happy, or curse loudly when angry. Even during the major incident of the Qiu family's rebellion in Jiangdu years ago, His Majesty hadn't shown any reaction.
When the memorial impeaching the Qiu family for treason was submitted, His Majesty simply said after reading it that meritorious officials should not be suspected indiscriminately. When the imperial army swiftly and brutally purged the powerful families of Jiangdu, His Majesty merely uttered a curt remark: "Investigate what needs to be investigated, kill what needs to be killed."
But today, His Majesty has indeed lost his composure.
Fang Jie's outstanding achievement in the Nine Gates is certainly cause for celebration. After all, such a figure appears only once in a century. What pleases His Majesty even more, of course, is the auspicious omen he mentioned earlier. Emperor Taizu established the nation, and Emperor Taizong expanded its territory. Since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, no emperor has surpassed Emperor Taizong's achievements. During his reign, Emperor Taizong undoubtedly transformed the Sui Dynasty into the strongest power in the Central Plains.
The Imperial Attendant smiled, lowering his voice, and said, "His Majesty is simply unusually happy; it's not a loss of composure. It's just a pity that Fang Jie isn't from my family."
"How sour."
Dugu Yin laughed, "Lord Pei has a son, Pei Dingcheng, and you're still not satisfied? If I had a son who achieved excellence in seven categories, I'd be beaming with joy right now. Although it's slightly inferior to Fang Jie, it's still a rare achievement in a century."
"Seven categories...not nine. Is this something to be happy about at this time?"
Pei Yan shook his head, looking helplessly at the somewhat bewildered young man being led away by His Majesty, and said, "Thousands of aristocratic scions can't compare to a commoner."
"Li Xiao was once just a commoner too."
Dugu Yin said with a smile.
This was a double entendre, and Pei Yan understood. He hummed in agreement and said, "The biggest advantage of being from a humble background is that His Majesty will never choose from aristocratic families when he needs a role model. The biggest disadvantage is that before long, he will no longer belong to a humble background."
Dugu Yin smiled and nodded, "However, with His Majesty elevating Fang Jie like this, I wonder if those who secretly plotted to eliminate him will still dare to entertain such thoughts."
"Anyone who dares to do so is an idiot."
Pei Yan said, "When Li Xiao won the Nine Gates Excellence Award, how many people were dissatisfied? Emperor Taizong killed…" "How many people were harmed? When Huai Lao became the top scholar, how many were dissatisfied? How many people did Emperor Zhenzong kill for this example? Now Your Majesty has also set up an example; let's see who's foolish enough to do it. Some people are always self-righteous, thinking they can manipulate things inside and outside the court… They only learn their lesson after suffering losses."
"It seems… the rumors about military action abroad are true."
Dugu Yin sighed, "His Majesty has made such a grand show that he no longer wants to hide it."
He changed the subject, no longer discussing the boy named Fang Jie.
"A good omen…"
Pei Yan's lips curled slightly. His gaze towards the boy held no hostility, but also no goodwill. Dugu Yin turned away, not letting Pei Yan see the faint disappointment and slight anger in his eyes.
And as he turned, Pei Yan also gave him a cold look.
What seemed like an ordinary conversation was actually far from simple. One harbored resentment and discontent, while the one being manipulated silently cursed the one who stirred up trouble. Neither felt comfortable.
...
...
His Majesty, holding Fang Jie's hand, entered the yurt. The officials standing outside dispersed. The brief but enthusiastic welcoming ceremony ended, leaving everyone somewhat unsettled. As they left, they walked in twos and threes, all discussing one thing in hushed tones.
...It was foreign war.
His Majesty's posture today clearly indicated his intention to wage war. None of the officials standing outside the yurt were fools; reading between the lines was their forte. And now, they suddenly understood why His Majesty had recently dismissed the Vice Minister of War, Hou Junci, and the Minister of War, Pei Donglai. Both opposed a hasty war, which displeased His Majesty.
They also suddenly understood why His Majesty had reinstated the two loyal ministers who had been imprisoned for nearly twelve years. When it comes to military strategy, Hou Junci and Pei Donglai are indeed inferior to the strategists Liang Bi and Zong Lianghu.
However, few people expected that the Emperor had already been mobilizing troops long before. Even fewer expected that the Emperor had entrusted a large amount of grain and supplies to Wu Yidao's "Traffic Connecting the World" company to transport to the Northwest. No one noticed that Prince Xu, Yang Kai, was missing from today's welcoming ceremony.
In the crowd, Huai Qiugong and Prince Yi, Yang Yin, exchanged a glance. The latter smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right, this is indeed a good omen."
"For His Majesty..."
Huai Qiugong smiled and said, "For that young man, I don't know."
"For His Majesty, that's enough. Does it mean anything to him?"
Prince Yi asked.
Huai Qiugong shook his head without speaking, slowly walking towards the door.
Behind His Majesty, Zhou Banchuan, the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy, who had entered the yurt, looked at the young man with an inexplicable expectation in his eyes.
The two elders of the court reacted differently.