Chapter Eighty-Three: Scholar or Provincial Graduate

Upon receiving Wei Renshi’s words, Old Wang was naturally overjoyed.

But then Wei Renshi turned to Wang Xiaosui and asked, “Miss Xiaosui, what about you? Do you enjoy learning to cook?”

Wang Xiaosui nodded and replied, “I have no other hobbies. Since childhood, I’ve followed my father in making food. Later, following my young master, I learned many more kinds of dishes, which made me even happier. If I could learn even more, that would be wonderful. I feel truly joyful when I prepare food, and seeing others enjoy what I’ve made fills me with happiness as well.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Wei Renshi smiled. “The master chef at Dream Pavilion cooks quite well. I will speak to him for you. If he agrees, you can apprentice under him. I also have quite a few dishes suitable for large restaurants and inns that I can teach you. I didn’t mention them before because the flatbread shop was too small for such things. Now that you wish to learn the culinary arts, these dishes are just right to teach you.”

“There’s more?!” Wang Xiaosui was astonished, her delight written all over her face, her cheeks flushing even redder, like the clouds at dusk—truly a lovely sight.

“There are two things I must say first, though.” Wei Renshi addressed both Old Wang and Wang Xiaosui. “Once you begin learning the culinary arts, your goal will be to work in major restaurants and inns. In such places, it’s inevitable that you’ll be in the public eye. That’s the first point. The second—” he chuckled, “after you’ve mastered your craft, Miss Xiaosui, my inn must be the first to benefit from your skills. Naturally, I won’t treat you unfairly. Whatever salary and treatment the head chef deserves, you shall have if you become one. Only under these conditions am I willing to teach you personally. Otherwise, I’ll just recommend you to the current head chef at Dream Pavilion.”

Wei Renshi had already taught Old Wang and his daughter so much that they were deeply grateful to him. Now, hearing that he could teach them dishes suited for large establishments, they had no other thoughts.

Without hesitation, the two of them rose and bowed in acceptance of Wei Renshi’s terms.

Wei Renshi told them to return home and wait; if he went to Luoyang again, he would call for Wang Xiaosui to accompany him.

Old Wang and Wang Xiaosui thanked him profusely before taking their leave.

Once they had gone, Wei Renshi finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Changji, I’ve neglected you.”

“It’s nothing. I had no pressing matters anyway,” Li He replied with a smile. “Today, my twenty-eighth uncle sent word that the day after tomorrow, the county school will hold a poetry gathering in the gardens behind the Lianchang Palace. All the teachers and students from the county school will attend, and anyone interested is welcome. My uncle said it would be good to make an appearance. If a teacher from the county school takes a liking to you, perhaps you could enter the school directly next year. Even if you don’t, it will make taking the county exam easier. I came to invite you—let’s prepare tomorrow and attend together the day after.”

During the Tang Dynasty, there were two main paths for candidates taking the imperial examinations.

One was through various central and local academies, where students were selected by academic examinations to be sent to the Ministry of Rites. These students were called “shengtu”—scholars of the official academies.

The other path was known as “xiang gong”—local recommendations for those who did not come from official schools or academies but registered themselves at the county or prefecture level. To become a “xiang gong,” one had to register at the county, pass the local exam, and after several rounds of elimination be selected to move on to the prefecture. After another round of examinations and selection at the prefecture, only then could one be recommended to the capital as a “gongsheng”—a recommended scholar.

These “xiang gong” would take the official examinations alongside the “shengtu” at the Ministry of Rites.

In short, shengtu entered the official academies from the beginning, studied according to the prescribed curriculum, advanced step by step into the Imperial University, and earned the qualification to take the imperial examination for the jinshi degree. From start to finish, it was the government’s official path.

The xiang gong, on the other hand, were self-taught or studied at private academies, then registered for the exams when the time came, underwent county and prefecture-level selection, sought recommendations, and finally earned a chance to take the jinshi exam.

In the early Tang, most candidates were shengtu; by the middle and late Tang, most were xiang gong.

But regardless of the path, both required passing the county and prefecture-level assessments to be recommended for the final jinshi exam.

Therefore, whether one entered official academies or not, winning the favor of the county school teachers was essential.

Even though Li He had already earned the appreciation of Scholar Zhang and the endorsement of Liu Yuxi and Meng Jiao, these would only matter after he passed the county and prefecture exams and became a xiang gong.

“Changji, with your talent, tomorrow’s poetry gathering will be no challenge for you,” Wei Renshi said with a smile. “I’ll be there to cheer you on.”

Li He shook his head. “Tomorrow’s gathering will be full of Fuchang’s literary elites and students already admitted to the county school. How dare I presume to stand out?”

“No need for such modesty,” Wei Renshi replied. “If the county school names you tomorrow and invites you to join, how will you answer?”

Li He thought for a moment before replying, “That would be quite a dilemma.”

Wei Renshi laughed. “Shall I offer you some advice?”

“Please do!” Li He straightened up and looked intently at Wei Renshi.

Wei Renshi continued, “In the county school, everything proceeds step by step. Even if your talent is exceptional, you’d have to start at the beginning and follow the official curriculum. You’ve already mastered those basics—why waste years there? When it comes time to learn new things, you pick them up much faster than most, yet the official school won’t tailor anything special for you. Even if they place you in a class with older students, you know the atmosphere among them isn’t always good—sooner or later, you’d face jealousy and trouble. So in my view, it’s better to follow the path of the xiang gong. Study on your own, seek out renowned teachers, and only show up for the exams when the time comes.”

Li He thought this over for a while, then nodded. “You’re right, Renshi. If I entered the county school, I’d only waste several years. And you, Renshi? You’re planning to walk the xiang gong path as well?”

“For now, yes,” Wei Renshi nodded. “But I’m only taking things one step at a time. As for whether I’ll actually take the jinshi exam, it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Even if one passed the jinshi exam, there would still be the Ministry of Personnel’s review, and passing that would only mean being assigned as a registrar in some county—then one would have to climb the ranks step by step. There were many restrictions and everything was rigidly set: regardless of connections at court, everyone had to follow the same process. The only differences were how long one waited in each place and how fast one advanced.

What Wei Renshi truly desired was a noble title, ideally earned through merit—attaining the status of a decorated noble without having to hold any specific office.

With such a title, he could protect himself and the wealth he had accumulated.

And, unburdened by official duties, he would be free from many constraints, troubles, and the anxieties that came with them.