The Huawu Gate is the west gate of the Imperial Palace. The plaza in front of it is heavily guarded by the Imperial Guards, and ordinary citizens are usually forbidden from approaching it.

Today, however, being the day of the internal military examination, the guards in the plaza were withdrawn, making it exceptionally lively. Apart from the military examinees, there were also commoners here to join in the excitement. Several squads of guards, wearing silver-scaled palace armor and carrying ceremonial swords, patrolled with an imposing and majestic air. In front of the palace gate, it was chaotic yet orderly.

A group of wealthy merchants from out of town, having just finished a shipment, happened to run into this event that only occurs once every three years. They changed into decent clothes to see the spectacle. As they marveled at the grandeur and majesty of the inner Imperial City, they turned their heads and saw several teenagers squatting boldly against the southern palace wall, eating fragrant flatbreads, laughing and chatting as if no one else were around.

One merchant snorted with disdain and pointed at them for his companions to see: “At the feet of the Emperor, surrounded by the powerful, yet there are such boorish and undignified people!”

The merchants accompanying him leaned forward to look and discovered that the teenagers’ clothing was quite luxurious. One said, “They must be the sons of some rustic wealthy families from the border provinces, sneaking into the capital to play.”

“They must have just become rich, haven’t seen the world, and don’t know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth!”

“If their families don’t teach them, there will be those outside who are harsh enough to teach them. Brother Wang, Brother Li, look over there…”

Not far away, two squads of patrolling guards also spotted the “street loafers” squatting under the southern palace wall. They were so angry that the veins on their foreheads jumped. With brows arched, they reached for their swords and marched over. However, as they drew closer, they noticed a carriage parked beside the group.

It had red-wheeled, crimson-curtained, silver-tasseled trappings—the regulation of a First-Rank Prime Minister’s mansion.

The leaders of the two guard squads exchanged a tacit glance. Then, they shifted their feet and silently led their teams in a different direction.

The merchants were crowding forward to watch the show, wanting to see how those young brats would be taught a lesson so they could have some funny anecdotes to gossip about over drinks after returning home. Unexpectedly, the guards suddenly turned their steps and charged toward them with murderous looks.

“Hurry up! Why are you blocking the road with your carriages and horses?”

“Yes! Yes! We’re leaving right away…” The merchants were so terrified they tripped over their feet, abandoning their desire to watch the spectacle and hurrying away with their carriages.

Ye Mian hadn’t seen Wei Angyuan for two months and missed him dearly. As soon as the brothers met, they clung to each other, huddled together, whispering endless private words. The foul look that Wei Angyuan had worn all morning finally turned into a smile upon seeing Ye Mian.

Li Zhao was so jealous he felt sour. Holding his bread, he said sarcastically, “What kind of lousy bread is this? Just the smell of it is enough to make my teeth ache!”

Wei Angyuan ignored him, turning to speak gently to Ye Mian: “Didn’t you say you love the mutton-fat chive pancakes from Zhuangyuan Street? I had a servant pick out the ones with the crispiest crust and kept them warm on the carriage stove.”

Mutton-fat chive pancakes were essentially an ancient version of chive boxes; the most tender chives of early spring mixed with melted mutton fat made for a taste so fresh it would melt your tongue. You could only eat authentic ones for a few days a year.

“Whoa! I was wondering why Young Master Wei was so polite today? You come to see me and bring a box of pancakes? So it turns out I’m just basking in the light of Ye No. 4!” Li Zhao shouted loudly: “These days, brotherly love is also divided into different ranks.”

Wei Angyuan didn’t coddle him, turning to scold: “If you don’t want to eat, then starve! Why are you shouting?”

Li Zhao was so angry he almost tipped over. If it weren’t for the fact that he had to go into the palace for the internal exam soon, he would have rolled up his sleeves and had a real fight with them.

Ye Mian’s head was buzzing from Li Zhao’s yelling. He reached out and punched his shoulder: “Why are you so jealous? If it weren’t for you, would we brothers need to be squatting against a wall in this godforsaken place in broad daylight?”

The area in front of the Huawu Gate was the palace’s thousand-pace ceremonial zone. For two miles around, let alone shops or teahouses, there wasn’t even a corridor where one could rest.

“Hiss!”

After punching Li Zhao, Ye Mian shook his hand. In the past two years, to prepare for the military exams, this rascal had been trained by his father, the Great General of De-Gui, until he was all muscle. A punch against him made Ye Mian’s hand ache.

Li Zhao went back to his grinning, mischievous self, dragging Ye Mian’s hand to press it against his bulging bicep: “How about it? Is it sturdy?”

“Greasy! You big idiot!” Ye Mian had just pinched the oil-paper bag holding the pancake, and the grease on his hands had smeared all over Li Zhao’s clothes.

Fortunately, Wei Angyuan had brought a servant. The servant was clever; he stood by the carriage, his eyes fixed on this side. Seeing the young masters fooling around, he quickly handed over a wet towel.

Ye Mian took the towel to wipe Li Zhao clean, then decided to pull him up, telling him to stand straight so he could check if there was anything else wrong with him.

Li Zhao was wearing a tight-waisted, narrow-sleeved martial arts uniform, standing proudly and upright. Following regulations, he had removed his jade pendants, pouches, and other ornaments. With broad shoulders and a resilient waist, his full, tense muscles were even more obvious under the single-layered uniform.

Ye Mian had him turn a circle, then took a step back to look him over carefully. They didn’t look like much back when they were studying at the Imperial Academy together, but now Zhao-ge’er really had the grand air of a martial general’s son!

Seeing the appreciation on Ye Mian’s face, Li Zhao raised his chin: “My dad has been secretly burning incense these days, hoping I’ll rank in the top three. If you ask me, the Emperor should appoint me as the Military Tanhua. In this entire Great Wen Dynasty, you wouldn’t find anyone as handsome, magnificent, and mighty as me even with a lantern!”

Wei Angyuan and Wen Xun were chewing their pancakes, their eyes rolling back as they were choked by his wild talk.

Ye Mian also made a face of disgust. What a waste of such a tall guy! Once he opened his mouth, it was like his soul had been possessed; he just wouldn’t stop barking. He only looked intimidating when he wasn’t talking.

Li Zhao kept getting more excited, “Once I win the title of Military Tanhua, I’ll head to the Northern Frontier pass to find my uncle, kill enemies, expand the territory, and earn military merit. No one will be able to make me keep the gate ever again!”

Wei Angyuan chuckled, “You didn’t even get to keep the main Imperial gate, yet you’re already dreaming of earning military merit in the North?”

Li Zhao was so provoked by Wei Angyuan that his face turned red. He retorted angrily: “I don’t need to fight for the Imperial gate. Tomorrow, I’ll go to your Prime Minister’s mansion to be a gatekeeper. That would be impressive, wouldn’t it? Your superior treats you like a grandson one moment, and the next, you’re being scolded by your own gatekeeper until you’re gray-faced.”

“Hahaha!” Ruan Yunsheng and Wen Xun burst out laughing.

Wei Angyuan immediately dropped his face. Ye Mian was confused.

Seeing the situation, Wen Xun explained to Ye Mian: “There are reasons for this. You’ve been busy with the civil service exams for the past half-year, and then there were the library selections; we didn’t dare bother you with these trivial matters.”

Li Zhao also squatted down, depressed, complaining: “When we were in school, we brothers hoped every day to graduate from the Imperial Academy and enter the government to work. Now we know, those days in school were truly heavenly!”

Ye Mian disagreed. Could working be worse than being in school?

Whether it was the public high school of his previous life or the Imperial Academy of the Great Wen Dynasty, being controlled by teachers all day, having a small test every three days and a big one every five—he had had enough of that broken school. What was there to miss?

Last year, Wei Angyuan, Li Zhao, and Wen Xun completed their time as imperial students and, after passing the annual and Ministry of Personnel exams, directly entered the civil service through the privilege of their fathers’ ranks.

According to the Great Wen’s hereditary laws, those entering through privilege only received official positions below the seventh rank, but it had made Ye Mian and Ruan Yunsheng, who were still preparing for the civil exams, extremely envious.

Wen Xun was appointed as an Assistant in the Court of Imperial Entertainments, responsible for palace banquets, sacrifices, and entertaining foreign envoys—a seventh-rank sub-position.

Li Zhao was appointed as a Guard of the Left Gate, responsible for the security of the East Imperial City and the guards at the gates—an eighth-rank official.

Because his father was the head of all officials, Wei Angyuan was specially granted the position of Registrar of the Transmission Office by the Emperor, responsible for the reception and distribution of internal and external memorials—a sixth-rank sub-position.

The Transmission Office was the Emperor’s mouthpiece, managing the flow of imperial orders; it was an extremely rare and excellent place. Ye Mian put his arm around Wei Angyuan’s shoulder and shook him, asking curiously: “The position Prime Minister Wei carefully selected for you—what’s wrong with it?”

Wen Xun showed a mischievous smile, and before Wei Angyuan could speak, he answered for him.

“His superior at the Registrar’s office is a complete idiot, utterly self-serving and pedantic. He wants to suck up to Prime Minister Wei, but refuses to show any favor to Angyuan. Instead, to build a reputation for being ‘upright and incorruptible,’ he specifically dumps the miscellaneous, tiring tasks that his colleagues avoid onto Angyuan, bossing him around all day long.”

“And that old thing wants to learn how to climb the social ladder, digging into every crack to send calling cards to the Prime Minister’s mansion to pay respects to Prime Minister Wei. You know how the gatekeepers at their mansion are; they are used to flattering the high and stepping on the low. Where would they look kindly on a low-ranking official like him? They often give him a cold face.”

Wei Angyuan looked completely stifled: “This person wouldn’t even lift an eyelid when the gatekeepers at my own mansion see him, yet I have to be bossed around by him…”

Ye Mian was dumbstruck.

Li Zhao also grabbed Ye Mian to complain bitterly: “Even if Angyuan is miserable, at least it’s a real job. In that Guard of the Left Gate, if I’m not guarding the city gate, I’m guarding the palace gate, like I’ve been nailed to the door! Was I a dog in my past life? Why do I have to spend every day in this life keeping the gate for others?”

The group couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing Li Zhao truly frustrated, Ye Mian stopped laughing, rubbed the back of his neck, and comforted him: “Just stay calm. It’s not like they’re asking you to guard the gate for generations to come. Most of you sons of military families enter the government through privilege; who doesn’t have to go through this?”

The Left Guard of the Gate was an office that reported directly to the Emperor. The young masters inside were either descendants of the imperial clan or sons of military generals of the third rank or higher. They could walk sideways anywhere they went, with their eyes fixed on the top of their heads. The high officials in the court had always been respectful when dealing with their inspections.

Who would be so blind as to dare give these ancestors trouble? They were all their families’ precious sons; the families were protective and couldn’t bear to send them out to fight for military merit. It had taken a lot of effort to settle them into the Guard of the Gate as a stepping stone, and in the future, they would all be aiming for positions in front of the Emperor.

With clan backgrounds, bright prospects, and youth, only a fool with a head full of water would confront them. Thus, Zhao-ge’er’s job was a bit exhausting—roasting in the summer and freezing in the winter—but it wouldn’t be any more miserable than Wei Angyuan’s.

It was just him being spoiled and barking like a dog.

Ye Mian helped him straighten his collar: “You need to show your worth in this military examination. If you get a good ranking, even if your father doesn’t let you go to the Northern Frontier, you can be promoted and transferred two years earlier.”

Li Zhao looked dejected again: “The military exam should just test horse archery and strength; why must they test policy essays?”

Ye Mian was afraid his morale would be destroyed at the last minute, so he coaxed him, “What are you afraid of? At least you finished your studies at the Imperial Academy. Writing a few random words will still be better than those hoodlums from the Military Academy.”

As Ye Mian spoke, he tilted his chin slightly to the side. Under the palace wall over there, about a dozen students from the Military Academy were standing. Usually, they were bullies who fought in the streets and acted like thugs, but now that they had to take the written exam, they were all limp-minded and pale.

Qin Ao, who was surrounded by a group of military students, bared his teeth at Ye Mian in a “malicious” way. Qin Ao had noticed him the moment Ye Mian stepped off the carriage, but this kid was too eye-catching; many people in the plaza were staring at him openly or secretly, so Qin Ao didn’t go over to talk to him.

Seeing Qin Ao, Li Zhao immediately started whispering gossip with them, his eyes twinkling.

“That brat Qin Ao went to work at the City Defense Office and was assigned by my uncle-in-law to guard the city moat. Every day, he’s so angry he looks like he’s swallowed a toad! The morning before last, I was patrolling and happened to meet him. Citizens were secretly dumping sewage into the moat, and he was chasing people with a sword, only to be surrounded by several old women and pointed at and scolded.”

The group held back their laughter, their shoulders shaking. That fellow Qin Ao had an excellent family background; when he was studying at the Military Academy, he was surrounded by crowds of people like stars circling the moon. Who would have thought that after graduating and entering the job, he would be in such a sorry state?

Ye Mian suddenly got a taste of the situation and asked them curiously: “Is working really harder than going to school? Why do you all look like you’ve been beaten down, as if you’ve been reduced to beasts of burden for others?”

Li Zhao looked up and sighed: “Isn’t it just like being a beast of burden for that bunch of old geezers? When we were studying at the Imperial Academy, we were living in happiness without knowing it! Those days were so good! Usually, we studied articles, and when we were free, we called friends to ride horses with gold saddles through the capital. If we weren’t happy, we could skip school; in spring and autumn, we went out to enjoy the flowers, and in winter, we gathered around a furnace to hunt. What day wasn’t happy?”

A few “fresh oxen and horses” who had been working for half a year gathered together and complained for a long time until the gong struck at the Huawu Gate.

Ye Mian helped Li Zhao carefully check his pens, inks, and exam tools, and said a whole lot of nice words to coax him into going to the exam in high spirits.

After Li Zhao went inside, Ye Mian turned to Ruan Yunsheng uneasily: “How is the Hanlin Academy? Everyone says it’s the most pure and noble place in the whole court, but is it also this frustrating?”

Ruan Yunsheng was the top scholar of the first rank and had long since been appointed as a seventh-rank Hanlin Academy editor. He had started working half a month ago. Ye Mian had just passed the examination for the Shujishi (official in the Hanlin Academy) and wouldn’t be able to report for duty until two days later.

Ruan Yunsheng’s mouth pulled into an intriguing arc, and he snorted coldly: “Most pure and noble? Just ‘plain silk hiding schemes’ (a facade of elegance masking intrigue).”

After thinking for a moment, he said to Ye Mian: “I’ll ask for leave early tomorrow morning and go with you to the Ministry of Rites to receive your credentials. I’ll explain the matters inside to you in detail then.”

Ye Mian nodded in agreement.