Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination Ch. 115

Chapter 115

Returning from Xie Ying’s residence, Cui Xie was filled with excitement for many days. Though the coming month would bring about numerous obligations at the Imperial Palace and prevent any further rendezvous of the same kind, they had, after all, shared kisses and embraces that were due and even established a six-year pact to embark on a formal courtship upon completion of his studies.

But six years…

It was sufficient to complete both junior and senior high school. By the end, he would be 22 years old, an age mature enough for marriage under the Ming Empire’s matrimonial laws…but in consideration of  their physical and mental well-being, it would be prudent to dedicate himself to his studies so he could achieve the distinguished rank of jinshi within three years!

Without the leisure to indulge in the sweetness of romance, Cui Xie plunged headfirst into his studies and continued to study the philosophical teachings in the《Classic of Poetry》.

During the Han Dynasty, classical studies emphasized philosophical interpretation, holding Mao’s《Classic of Poetry》as the standard, with the understandings of the《Poems》inseparable from what is written in the《Preface to the Poems》. By the Song Dynasty, there emerged a trend of questioning ancient interpretations, which culminated in the work of Zhu Xi. Zhu Xi authored 《Discourse on the Preface to the Poems》that challenged the preface and suggested that the minor prefaces had been composed by Han scholars and the major preface was also falsely attributed to later individuals and was not the original work of Confucius, and thus, was not credible.

Since the rubric for scoring in the Imperial Examinations adhered to Zhu Xi’s commentaries, Ming scholars also placed greater emphasis on philosophical meanings and less so on exegesis when studying the《Classic of Poetry》. The notes on the 《Poems》by earlier Confucian scholars no longer focused on scrutinizing the text and comparing it to the 《Spring and Autumn Annals》for textual details or historical facts. Instead, they compared the 《Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry》to the《Collected Works of Zhu Xi》, approaching from the poems themselves to discuss human nature and sentiments, and expounding their own theories on human nature and emotions.

Especially towards the concept of emotions.

The 《Preface to the Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry 》states: ‘One has heard that what is referred to as ‘wind’ in poetry often originates from the songs and ballads from the alleys and streets, where men and women sing together, each expressing their emotions’.

The purpose of the《Classic of Poetry 》is to ‘convey emotions’ and these ‘emotions’ are often not the moderate and harmonious ‘virtuous emotions’ or the broadly positive ‘generous emotions’, but rather the unrestrained, not in accordance with the way of heaven, ‘licentious emotions’.

It is uncertain how much Zhu Xi was fixated on this concept of ‘emotions. For every portrayal of ‘the virtues of beautiful consorts’ in Mao’s《Classic of Poetry》, the 《Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry》seems eager to counter with numerous ‘critiques of licentiousness’— in total, more than twenty poems in the classic were labeled as licentious.

Take 《Gathering Kudzu》for example: ‘There he is gathering the kudzu! A day without seeing him is like three months!’. At first glance, the sentiment appears earnest and the tone gentle, a subtle and refreshing charm, right? However when scholars interpret it, they must not be deceived by its elegant and beautiful wording. It is important to recognize that Zhu Xi has stamped it as a poem of licentious nature, one that ‘ostensibly uses gathering as a pretext for a licentious escapade’.

‘Ostensibly uses gathering as a pretext for a licentious escapade’…such an ambiguous interpretation. Those who did not consult the 《Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry》might interpret the poem solely based on its surface content would surely not conceive it!

Later, when he meets up with Xie Ying in the following months, Cui Xie planned on reciting this 《Gathering Kudzu》poem to him. If the other did not grasp the deeper meaning and interpreted it merely as a poem of yearning, then Cui Xie would silently enjoy the thrill of teasing an innocent youth; If Xie Ying understood its implications, tsk tsk tsk….

Cui Xie, holding his notebook, tumbled into the sofa, burying his face in the pages, feeling an increased motivation to study. He wished to continue immersing himself in his studies, but the reality of many mouths to feed in the Cui Residence meant that there were still many practical problems awaiting solutions. Even before August arrived, Cui Liangdong was knocking on his door, inquiring about the arrangements for gifts on the fifteenth of August, whether the autumn and winter clothes should be tailored in advanced, and whether someone should be sent to the Tongzhou Canal Wharf to inquire about any news of the Second Young Master’s return…

 For the seasonal gifts, Cui Xie instructed the servants to follow the arrangements of previous years. If the gifts given in the past were too generous and now unaffordable given their current circumstances, they should be accordingly reduced. However, now with Teacher Song in the household, a similar gift to what was prepared for Teacher Lu was also necessary. A few more medium-quality seasonal gifts also needed to be prepared, for Cui Xie to give to the instructors at the Imperial College and Hall Chief Zhang, who had introduced a teacher to his sister.

Cui Liangdong silently nodded in agreement and asked, “Our Laoye used to work in the ministry and every time, he would give generous gifts to the Senior Grand Secretary and Secondary Grand Secretary. What if they get upset now that the gifts are suddenly reduced?”

What would their displeasure amount to? At worst, Advisor Cui would serve a few more terms in Yunnan. After all, external officials usually served a full nine year term before returning to the capital. With only three years left until the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne, the  Senior Grand Secretary and Secondary Grand Secretary of this new dynasty would have long since retired. Why worry about their feelings?

With a light smile, Cui Xie responded, “We cannot compare the past to now. Besides, do you think our Laoye has not planned ahead? Will he not prepare generous gifts for the New Year to make up for it? When our Laoye left, he took hundreds of taels of silver with him. It should be easy to procure fine Taihua tea, tobacco, pseudoginseng, baiyao¹ and camellias over there. It does not matter if we send less; whatever needs to be sent, he will have someone send it.”

Recalling the pain caused by the Laoye emptying the family’s coffers to take his concubines to assume his post in Yunnan, Cui Liangdong could not help but clutch his chest and say, “Young Master is right. You have only been in charge for a few months and any slight oversights will not be taken to heart by the da-ren.

Thus, the gifts prepared this year did not need to be as extravagant as those given during official visits in previous years.

As for the two Teachers living within the residence, there was no need to spend excessively on them either. Simply ordering clothes, preparing a feast and adding an extra month’s stipend should suffice. The new clothes for celebrating the holidays would follow similar designs to as previous years. Although Cui Heng had not yet returned, a set of clothes would be prepared for him in case he came back early and found himself without anything suitable to wear.

As for the return date, there was no need for the residence to start inquiring so soon. Since Cui Heng was to be escorted by the Jinyiwei, they would surely have internal information. Cui Xie could just ask Xie Ying to keep an eye on it later.

Cui Liangdong nodded continuously, taking notes with his brush. 

Having prepared several summary reports over the past few months, Cui Liangdong had learned to discuss matters with a work plan in hand, which allowed him to easily circle or tick off items in his documents based on Cui Xie’s instructions. After discussing all matters related to the residence, Cui Liangdong asked, “Should we also ensure that the heads of the farmsteads deliver their produce to the household before the festival? The farmstead at Jiaxiang Village has seen a change after the newly appointed manager was replaced by someone who was originally Liu furen’s people. Would the Young Master like to meet him?”

Cui Xie pondered for a moment and then said, “Let’s have them stay for now, I have matters to entrust to them. How did we send festival gifts to the Liu family in previous years?”

Cui Liangdong replied, “When the Liu family still lived in the prefectural city, our households used to interact frequently. However, since they moved to the Yulin Garrison, we have not really heard from them. Only the womenfolk of the Liu family visited during the late furen’s funeral, while the men claimed they could not come, which the Laoye blamed them for lacking etiquette. After Laoye remarried, our contact with them gradually diminished and we became estranged…”

Cui Xie sighed lightly, “Let it be then. Have the Liu family bring a few more people to the capital. I need to send someone to Yulin to check on how my maternal family is doing and inquire if there is any way we can help.”

Having taken over the young Cui Xie’s body and after using Liu furen’s dowry to earn a good reputation, it was these two individuals he owed the most. Even if the Liu family had risen to high positions and no longer needed the Cui family’s support, he at least ought to maintain relations with them, send gifts when appropriate and uphold their dignity.

It would not be right to only look after the children of Advisor Cui’s concubines while neglecting his true blood relatives on Liu furen’s side, right?

After dismissing Cui Liangong, Cui Ting and Cui Jinzhi also found an opportunity to report their current work affairs to Cui Xie.

Both were brimming with energy, their faces aglow with health, each holding a thick stack of reports and work plans, densely filled with content. While they complained about being ‘busy’ and panted heavily, the pride on their faces was unmistakable, a stark contrast to the timid demeanor they had when Cui Xie first returned home. It looked as if they had been rejuvenated and aged backward several years.

The fabric shop, needless to say, had seen a surge in sales of premium fabrics, thanks to the two outfits Cui Xie had designed for Xie YIng, which had become incredibly popular. Subsequently, the fitted, straight-bodied robe with a cinched waist was also made into a sample by the tailor and displayed in the shop. Its resemblance to the attire scholars usually wore, without violating regulation and yet was more flattering than the strictly regulated straight-bodied robes and Toaist robes, made it popular not only among dandy scholars, but also among merchants, commoners, and even craftsmen and entertainers who were willing to purchase the fabric to make their own robes.

However these achievements were not the most commendable. The best-selling items turned out to be the bright and colorful fabrics favored by women.

Ever since the Double Seventh Festival beauty contest, the costumes of the ‘Five Beauties of the Three Kingdoms’ became popular among performers and theatrical troupes. During the contest, cosmetics and apparel had been provided for free by the two Cui family shops, and with the contest highlighting the allure of the ‘Five Beauties of the Three Kingdoms’ and having received praise, the performers wanted to continue leveraging such fame by maintaining their appearances.

With the performers leading the trend and boosted the reputation of the Cui family’s shops, sales naturally increased. In an era where jacket and skirt ensembles were in vogue during the Chenghua period, the entertainment industry revived the We and Jin dynasties’ style of ‘flowing robes with fluttering sashes’, a trend that only grew more intense with time. As these actors, singers and courtesans performed in the residences of wealthy families, this style began to slowly infiltrate the inner courtyards of official and affluent households…

The fabric shop was able to clear out most of its backstock and found several suppliers in Tongzhou for their restock. Bright red silk and oil-lustrous stain, priced at three to five taels and two taels and eight coins per bolt respectively, were sold in whole bolts…Unlike the past, when a shipload of fabrics from the south, paired with ordinary cloth bought from the capital, would last an entire year without running out.

Cui Jinzhi was so delighted that he wished he could stand on the rooftop. Yet, in front of his master, he had to put on a facade of having faced hardship, sighing and saying, “Our family’s envoy has yet to return and I am afraid we may not be able to keep up with demand and let others take advantage of the situation. This is why this servant sourced some slightly more expensive materials from Tongzhou, hoping the Young Master will not blame this servant.”

Cui Xie looked at the prices from the newly added suppliers and the accounts, which showed a daily cash flow of several dozen taels of silver and nodded at him, “You have worked hard. Have Cui Liangdong increase your monthly wages based on the sales volume. It is fine to source materials from different places, but the quality must be good. We cannot tarnish the reputation we have just built. Keep an eye on it yourself and I will have someone check randomly later. After the Mid-Autumn festival, we will calculate your bonus.”

Cui Jinzhi promptly sat down, filled with joy and then Cui Ting stood up to report on the cosmetic shop’s sales.

The cosmetics shop, like the fabrics shop, had gained fame from the beauty contest and attracted more customers since then. However, sourcing for the cosmetics shop was not as straightforward as for the fabric shop, with many imported items and goods brought by sea travel, which were not easily obtainable from other suppliers.

Cui Ting was both pleased but also genuinely felt like sighing, “Ever since the method of using black dye made from conch shells to darken the area around the eyes to make them appear larger was introduced at the big festival held by the Peace of Mind Study, our top-quality spiral conch dye and indigo naturalis dye have sold out. I have inquired everywhere, and other store’s eyebrow dyes are also selling faster than usual and they are unwilling to allocate any available stock to us. We have plenty of eyebrow drawing stones but it does not produce as good an effect. This subordinate has come to ask if the Young Master could have someone from the Peace of Mind Study design a colorful packaging design for the eyebrow drawing stores, to sell it at a higher price?”

…What were eyebrow drawing stones?

Although he occasionally used eyebrow pencils for drawing, the ‘indigo naturalis’ and ‘spiral conch indigo’ colors his family provided always had a slightly greenish tint, and were not as good as charcoal, so he stopped using them and did not pay too much attention afterwards.

Cui Ting rummaged through this bag and pulled out a blackish-grey stone block resembling an ink stick, wrapped it in a handkerchief and handed it to Cui Xie.

As Cui Xie reached out to take out, Cui Ting hesitated for a moment before wrapping it in cloth and  handed it over, explaining with a bowed head, “This drawing stone is oily and black and can easily dirty one’s hands. Wealthier families usually avoid it and only the less particular, poorer families use it. But, it is readily available in the capital, in any quantity needed and it is cheap.”

Upon unwrapping the handkerchief. Cui Xie saw a patch of blackish grey on the cloth and the drawing stone had a greasy, glossy sheen, a luster that was oddly familiar. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly rubbed the stone with his thumb, smudging it with powder and then grabbed Cui Ting’s report to draw a few strokes with the corner of the stone.

Soft, easy to smudge, black with a hint of gray and shining with an oily brilliance under the light…this was graphite!

Cui Xie had assumed that graphite, which had not been mentioned in his chemistry books, did not exist in ancient times. Yet, here it was, right in front of him, and ironically, the cheapest of all cosmetics!

It was all because he was too wealthy and because the artisans in his family were too skilled at drafting without the need for using graphite  as a base for sketching. Otherwise, Cui Xie would have encountered that affordable eyebrow pencil much earlier…

Cui Xie was so excited he almost jumped out of his seat, but he managed to suppress his excitement and said, “Leave the stone…the drawing stone here for now. I will have someone think of a solution later. But, do not stock up on it for now. I do not think it should be applied to the eyes. Just focus on selling other things for the time being.”

After sending the two shopkeepers away, Cui Xie immediately retreated to his chambers, took out a stack of cotton paper, wrapped the ink stick in the handkerchief and gently drew a series of shadowed hatching lines.

The depth and thickness of the lines varied with his pressure, easy to color and malleable, with the familiar sheen of a pencil, and was more comfortable than the color produced by charcoal. Once such a material was turned into real pencils, such a product would undoubtedly be even better to use.

Cui Xie tucked the draft paper away and went out to ask Little Songyan to find some clay for him. Cui Xie then crushed the ink stick with a mortar and pestle, grinding it finely at the bottom of the bronze mortar and mixing it with clay by hand. He then carefully added water, drop by drop, and like kneading dough, rolled out several graphite rods of varying proportions.

He only remembered that pencil leads were made from graphite and clay, but did not remember the specific ratios, so he divided the clay into several portions and gradually added graphite powder, spoon by spoon, adding water to roll them into rods of the same thickness, but of different lengths. He knew the cores needed to be baked, but was unsure of the exact temperature required. Since he could not visit a kiln at this later hour, he decided to wait until the next day to have Cui Linagdong find someone else to handle it.

Even if Cui Xie could not produce modern pencils, he now had graphite to use! He planned to have the cosmetic shop’s clerks find suppliers to shape this ink-stick-like drawing stone into thin rods. Using graphite for drafting and note-taking, wouldn’t this surely be better than using charcoal?

Cui Xie stared at the graphite rods he had rolled out, touching them now and then, reluctant to let them go. It was not until he accidentally broke one that he sheepishly stopped, pieced the two parts back together, re-rolled it into a thin, straight rod and then ran to the kitchen to ask someone to bake it on a griddle.

Baking it dry first would make it less likely to snap in half when handled.

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Footnotes:

1. Baiyao: white medicine from the Province of Yunnan known to be good for wound healing as a pain reliever and can stop bleeding ↩︎

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TN: Hope you all are doing well! I’m finally back! i’ve been traveling with family all summer and preparing for starting my PhD program. I’ve been translating in my free time so prepare for even more fun and adventures with Cui Xie! Thank you all for waiting for me despite all this time, enjoy! I’ll be posting today as a special treat and then posting on Sunday again as normal.

Huge Announcement: We have set up a kofi and patreon account! If you would like to support us or get early access to advance chapters for Blood-Sucking Empress OR TMD, those options are available for you (in support us page)! I have just added a patreon tier for Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examinations in which patreons can have access to a google document with ALL of my advanced translated chapters for the novel. Since I am a college student, there should usually be at least 10 advance chapters in the document at a time, but depending on my schedules, there may be fewer or more. I’m currently extremely busy, but I have translated out some new chapters for you all! But, I will still post each week with the same schedule. Thanks!

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