Part 2
Yushuun stared at the elaborate examination setting for his quest. He glanced at his best friends. They were staring at it with peaked interest. Their interest weren't that of excitement but wariness. He knew what they were thinking. Where was the catch in this exam? Why use a war general for scripting? What had calligraphy tools to do with the art of war? He had more or less three hours to complete his quest. How on earth was he to start an elusive quest like this?
An officer approached them, "Ko Houjo and Kou Reishiin, please leave the examination area and follow me to the waiting room,"
Houjo neither answered nor looked at the officer. He didn't want to be the cause of more people fainting with a smitten look on their silly, smiling faces, or having nosebleeds. His long, glossy black hair covered part of his face. Yet the other which was blocked by a pillar shielded the exposed part of his face. His attentive gaze was focused on the general and the setting of the quest.
"Alright," Reishiin replied for the two of them, "Before we leave, may we be with Scholar Tei for a while."
The officer nodded, "You may but make it fast. The exam will soon commence."
Reishiin patted Yushuun's shoulder, "Yu, don't think too much about the general. The real opponent should be the items and subject matter presented to you. Use them to their fullest capacity and use them to your fullest capability."
Yushuun nodded.
"Great," Reishiin slapped Yushuun's back as to give him a morale boost, "I think you should go sit at the opposite side of the opponent. The Dragon General has chosen his place and is already seated."
Yushuun looked at Houjo who had his back at him. Reishiin was a bit sad for Houjo. Looking at his back, they could see how he wanted to turn around to face Yushuun and to wish him luck. But because of the officer present he couldn't.
"You have three hours. This exam is not as easy as it looks. All I can deduce is that it's more than a mind's game," Houjo said, without looking at Yushuun, "Be prepared for anything."
Yushuun noted the concern in his voice and understood why Houjo didn't look at him. It would cause problems again if the officer present lost consciousness merely looking at Houjo's beauty, and he appreciated Houjo's fear. The reason for his friends' anxiety was that he wasn't physically strong.
He gave his best friends an assuring smile, "Always,"
He strode towards the opposite side of the seated general. From the corner of his eye, as he walked he could sense the general's fierce eyes piercing through his resolve. General Yang Zhi was a daunting middle aged man. The general sat with his back straight and one could see that he was focused and alert like he was ready for a bloodbath battle. Yushuun inhaled and exhaled to calm his nerves. He made sure he didn't walk like a frigid virgin or looked like a rigid money lender.
"Will he be alright?" Reishiin whispered worriedly as he looked at Yushuun's unassuming gait.
Houjo remained silent, as he looked on.
"Come," said the officer in charge at Reishiin and Houjo, "let's go."
Reishiin wore his high student black headgear. Houjo was behind him. Reishiin's headgear blocked the others from viewing Houjo head on. Houjo slightly hung his head. His hair covered both sides of his face, thus shielding his face from those officers loitering around the hall or court yard. They were ushered into the waiting room which had a window opened. Reishiin went to the window to look out from it. But all he could see was a garden and a pond with goldfishes.
"This sucks!" Reishiin cursed.
Houjo knew how Reishiin felt. It was frustrating not knowing how Yushuun fared in his quest. All they could do was to wait and pray for Yushuun's success. He sat with his arms crossed on his torso. There was a clay teapot and three small clay cups in a tray. Houjo edged forward then stretched a hand to the teapot. He used his palm to feel the heat an inch from the teapot. It was still hot. He took the two small clay cups and poured tea into them. He laid one clay cup a few inches away from his own.
"Drink while it's hot, Shin." Houjo invited.
Reishiin glanced at him. He plopped on the chair opposite of Houjo. He took the teacup and raised it at Houjo who did the same. They sipped the hot tea in silence, and each was thinking how Yushuun fared and how they themselves would fare in their quests.
Meanwhile, at the courtyard of the ministry of education, Yushuun sat down. He didn't look at the judges or at the general. He was looking at the calligraphy set consisting three types of brushes, thin, medium and thick, an ink set with ink bottle and plate, five pieces of quality parchments, one had been laid out in front of him just as the calligraphy tool and ink set. He already knew which writing brush he would use, and how much ink he would use.
"You look confident, lad," said the general.
Yushuun looked up and shook his head, "Not confidence but expectation."
"What is your expectation?" asked the general.
Yushuun smiled, "Fate,"
"A flighty expectation," the general scorned.
Yushuun smiled but said nothing more.
"Good that you two have settled in," commented the emperor, standing in between the two competitors. "I want you to come up with a suitable word that depicts nature and write that word down that best reflects war."
The general pursed his lips then he grunted as he took up a thick brush, dipped the brush into the ink bottle and smoothen the brush of excessive ink on the plate. He closed an eye then with a flurry wrote the word in bold and fierce lettering.
"Done!" hollered the general while putting the thick brush down on the small stone slab for placing writing or paint brushes.
"Ho!" exclaimed the emperor, "that's fast,"
The emperor and the three judges peered at the huge and aggressive word written on the parchment. They looked at each other, each nodded at the massive impact of the word.
"Wild," said the Headmaster of the Tsu Zhu school. "Nature is wild and war can be wild."
"It also can be the other way round," Senior Minister Li Zhou said, "Nature can be wild and war is wild."
"The writing technique is bold, huge and aggressive which expresses the intensity of the harshness of the word," commented the Headmaster of the Confucius school.
"Why choose the word wild, General?" enquired Senior Minister Li Zhou.
"Nature is by natural law, untamed. There are still elements of nature that's volatile and dangerous for humans to handle, as such droughts, landslides, earthquakes, floods, whirlpools, quick sands, hurricanes. Most times, we lose at these kinds of battles, with lives lost and properties damaged. They come without warning. War is the same." General Yang Zhi informed with a grave tone.
"True," the emperor agreed. "A good choice, General."
The emperor turned to Yushuun. The boy was still writing down his chosen word using all three brushes much to the puzzlement of the education officers and the judges. But his efforts had caught the attention of the headmasters. Yushuun placed the thin brush in his small bun of hair. The headmasters found this to be an eccentric trait of a scholastic painter. He was writing with the medium brush using his right hand and was painting with the thick brush using his left hand.
"Ambidextrous," said the headmaster of Tsu Zhu, "uses both sides of the brain, rational and creative."
Yushuun looked at the sky. The sky was clear. The sun was bright. But it wasn't at its peak yet. There was still time, though it was ticking real fast. He rubbed his tired and watery eyes. He blinked and rolled his eyes to relieve the strain. He closed his eyes then slowly opening his eyelids. He felt the strain easing off. He looked at his hands and fingers they were smeared with ink. He hadn't a doubt his face had streaks of ink.
He straightened himself and raised a hand, "Done,"
The emperor and the other judges came to his side and peered at his handiwork. They looked at one another. Surprise and delight etched their faces when they saw the word. It wasn't just the word itself but how the boy had presented the word. He had presented it in a painter's perspective but with a scholar's awareness. The word Yushuun had chosen was 'persevere.' The intricate characters were done with the thin brush. The lettering itself was written with medium brush.
The consistency of the word was framed using the thick brush. It was beautiful on the inside yet ugly on the outside. And if the parchment was turned upside down, as the headmaster of Tsu Zhu did, they could see that the intricacy and consistency changed. When turned upside down, it depicted the ugliness on the inside spreading on the beautiful outside which indicated the level of weightiness that one word represented.
The headmaster of Confucius school glanced thoughtfully at the boy. This was a true masterpiece. This boy really only did his best when put under pressure. This was a work of a high level master of arts. What was more, he had used the three types of brushes to accentuate and to explain the word in three different ways, emphasizing on texture, and lines with minimal to adequate amount of ink to display the effects that would affect the viewers' first impression.
"This is very complex," commented the emperor, "yet I can sense the essence of nature's beauty being trampled by the ugliness of war."
"There are swift lines that enhance the word and the bold texture which surrounds the word illustrates the changes of scenario when the position of the parchment is changed is like saying nature will still go on, as it perseveres through time even though it's being ravaged by war, nature will rebuild and restore itself." Lord Li Zhou stated his viewpoint.
"What I find most disturbing yet it reflects reality to its zenith is that there's ugliness spreading to nature's beauty. The ugliness that I can think of is selfishness, greed and envy. These are things that propel men to go to war. Due to that there are casualties, such as lives lost, properties damaged, famine and diseases." The Tsu Zhu headmaster interjected.
"The level of thought for scholar Tei's chosen word indicates there are multi-layered meanings to the word. At one glance, one can deduce one answer but looking again there's an emergence of another answer. Each line, texture, and consistency displays a different tone to the word, persevere. The strength to atone and move forward even though riddled with difficulties to reach a desired destination or attain a reasonable goal. Am I right to conclude that nature and war, both perseveres?" The Confucius headmaster said, his eyes looking intently at Yushuun.
The emperor and the other judges looked at Yushuun. The boy looked lethargic. Senior Minister Li Zhou noted that the weak condition of his physiology was a big disadvantage to this brilliant scholar. He was not suitable to do an outfield task. He tires very easily. He was more suitable to work indoors as a researcher or an analyst. He was a brilliant boy. Even doing desk job would put a strain on his body if he concentrated too much.
Still, this was a boy who could perform exceptionally well under duress to come up with an excellent masterpiece. "Well, Scholar Tei," Lord Li Zhou asked the boy, "what say you? This is your piece after all. There is a need for you to explain it yourself, the true meaning of your chosen word."
"It's true that there're several answers to my chosen word and the answers from you are right as well. This is because my chosen word is universal. But, honorable Headmaster from the Confucius school is right on target with his presumption. I won't explain in detail, because it'll be troublesome to process everything. I'll tell the important apex of the word." Yushuun took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his mouth.
"Persevere is to continue with determination to overcome difficulties and to find opportunities in those difficulties that's convertible to become favorable results. A very good example is my own exam that I'm currently doing now. This is a war, but not against the General. It's a war against myself, time, the tools and subject matter. The outcome will depend on my determination to overcome the difficulties. In this war, the time limit, the subject matter and my weak physicality are my difficulties.
The tools are my only ally and I realize that they're my opportunities to fulfill my determination. So I utilized all the tools to their fullest capacity. The subject matter at the beginning is a difficulty but it has a close relationship with the tools. It has become another ally and I even used myself as an opportunity. When I say I used myself as an opportunity, I freed my mind to produce a favorable outcome."
The emperor raised an eyebrow in amazement. This boy had the makings of a royal advisor or left minister (a person who handles the proceedings of the royal court and other political matters and one who assists the emperor, somewhat like a Sultan's wazir or King's Prime Minister). He was suited for strategizing political diplomatic paradigms and managing contingencies.
But General Yang Zhi scoffed, "Your example is nothing compared to the real war,"
"Why don't you show the boy what you mean, general?" interjected the Tsu Zhu headmaster.
The emperor and the judges made way for the impending demonstration. The general grunted and closed his eyes. Without warning snatched the small stone slab used as brush holder and threw it at Yushuun's direction. Yushuun tilted his head to the right. He could feel the item as it passed him by.
"You avoided it," said the General, "It means you're avoiding a problem."
"No," Yushuun shook his head, "I'm preventing a conflict."
"It'll grow bigger if you continue with your stance," said the General, "It'll impose on your wellbeing and those around you."
"You've made a grave error in judgment," Yushuun replied. "I never let nuisance fester," Yushuun stared at the General. He was instigating a response from the older man.
Nuisance! The impudent boy just called him nuisance! The general bristled in annoyance. "Why you insolent…!" The little pup was provoking him with that innocent face of his.
Like lightning the General swooped forward towards Yushuun. In a blink of an eye, he was in front of Yushuun with a dagger pointing at the boy's throat. Then he blinked, he felt something sharp pointing at his ear.
"Ease off, General," Yushuun said politely, "I won't desecrate a place of learning and," out of respect and because it was only an exam, "it's madness to hurt a sane, honorable and renowned General," he lowered the weapon.
The general, the emperor and the others stared at the weapon. It was a blunt item. It was the thin writing brush which had been dislodged from his small bun of hair. It was now on the small stone slab with the other two brushes. The general stared at Yushuun wondering was this boy really fragile? He looked it, but damn it he was fast. If it was a real showdown or in a heat of a battle, he would have been dead with the blunt brush embedded deep into his ear puncturing the side of his brain.
This boy was fragile but he was strong inside. He looked for opportunities in dire situations and when he found one, he would turn the tables on the opponent. His weak disposition wasn't a hindrance. He even used it to his benefit. He was only good at closed range combat. But only for a short while because he tires easily, so he compensated by thinking ahead. The General remembered him sliding the thin brush into his small bun of hair. He was prepared for any excessive eventualities.
That made him exceedingly dangerous. The General wondered he would have also made into an excellent royal tribunal officer if he hadn't a weak body. Still, because the boy was quick witted, and a very tricky fellow, he definitely made an exceptional politician. He was also a gentleman in the way he conducted himself with an older, higher ranking royal officer. Looking at him, this boy would turn into a fine, principled man that the future emperor could depend on.
"Bwahahahahahaaaa…" the current emperor guffawed, "well, he didn't go looking for trouble, General. You did, you warmonger…. Hahahahahahahahaaaa…"
While the rest didn't dare make a sound, looking at how angry the General was with Scholar Tei Yushuun.
Then the General broke into a grin. "Well, I guess I overdid it, didn't I?" He turned his attention at Yushuun, "You may look weak but here," he tapped Yushuun's chest, "you're strong. Don't lose it."
"So what do you think?" The emperor asked the judges, "That includes you too General."
Yushuun saw only the emperor, the General, the Tsu Zhu headmaster and two senior education officers were discussing amongst themselves. Yushuun's eyes narrowed in curiosity. Where was Lord Li Zhou? Where was the headmaster of Confucius school? They were supposed to be here discussing with the emperor, the General, Tsu Zhu headmaster and the two senior education officers. He was unaware that the two high standing persons were not at the courtyard.
Then his eyes widened, "Don't tell me," He whispered to himself, "another exam's on…"
He frowned slightly, thinking, who was it? Houjo or Reishiin? He was worried for his best friends. They had been with him before he went in. Darn, he couldn't be with them when he was still stuck here waiting for his result. He glanced at the judges, why so long to decide? He cracked his knuckles but didn't stand up. It was rude to stand when he wasn't instructed to do so. He was sitting cross-legged and he placed his hands on his knees. He was holding his knees tightly.
The emperor looked at the sky. The sun was at its highest and brightest and on top of their heads. "Time's up," He turned around and smiled at Yushuun, "Well, Scholar Tei Yushuun, you passed with distinction." The emperor looked at him, "You don't look happy," He glanced at General Yang Zhi, "Does this mean he wanted to fail?"
Yushuun shook his head frantically, "No, that's not it, Your Majesty. I'm just worried,"
"Worried? Of what? You haven't been initiated yet into the imperial office as a junior officer, my boy. And you're worried," said the emperor, bewildered, "Oh, for goodness sake, you passed with distinction, you should be thrilled and enjoy the night in the arms of a beautiful girl," said the emperor while hugging himself.
"Your Majesty," the General said carefully, "perhaps he's worried that you might have forgotten about the gift for acing the exam."
Yushuun didn't bother about the gift. He didn't even think about the gift. He was thinking of his best friends.
The emperor waved his hand, "Oh, right, right, of course," He shifted his gaze to Senior Education Officer, Sir Jian Fu, "Hand me the gift of endurance."
Sir Jian Fu bowed at the emperor's directive, "Yes, Your Majesty," He already had the gift with him and presented the gift to the emperor.
Yushuun's eyebrows rose at the sight of the exquisite gift.
"It's made from a hundred year old tree from eastern Shi province," said the emperor proudly, "only those with strong characters should possess this gift. You see this scabbard," he showed it to Yushuun, "it's also made from this tree of fortitude. You have shown that you can withstand anything, and still stand strong,"
But, why a walking stick? Yushuun looked at it then at the emperor, "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said as he accepted the stick.
"Well, my boy, enjoy your reward!" the emperor said happily, "Now, let's go to the next locale," and off he went with his entourage.
Yushuun gazed at the emperor, where was the next locale, he wondered. He became nervous. The next exam locale… he gulped his trepidation.
"This is no ordinary stick, Scholar Tei," the General said. "It's special."
Yushuun looked at it. He felt nothing near satisfaction. He would have been excited if the emperor presented him with those excellent calligraphy set and the product of his creative mind. He wanted to frame it up as a remembrance of this intriguing examination. What was special about a walking stick made from a hundred year old tree? Then he frowned slightly, looking at the path that his best friends had taken as they took their leave into the waiting room three hours ago.
The Tsu Zhu headmaster glanced at the boy's worried face. "Perhaps, Scholar Tei is worried about his friends," the Tsu Zhu headmaster said.
"Ahhhh…," said the General finally understanding the boy's concern, "They're alright,"
"Has another exam taken place?" Yushuun asked straightforwardly. "I don't see Lord Li Zhou and the headmaster from the Confucius school amongst you."
"You're very perceptive," said the Tsu Zhu headmaster, "Under the emperor's instruction, they've gone to meet your friends to inform them of a quest for one of them."
Yushuun stared at the headmaster. Houjo… Reishiin…
Meantime, at the waiting room, Houjo noticed that Reishiin was doing something by the window. He had his elbows resting on the sill of the window. Reishiin's hands were invisible from his line of sight. But he could see Reishiin was doing something. He looked at Reishiin's side profile and found nothing extraordinary about his friend's sudden change of expression. Usually his eyes would have that sly twinkle and would be smirking smugly about something.
But he wasn't this time. He had a bland look on him. Was he worried about his quest? Houjo thought to himself. "Hey, Shin," he called out to his friend, "Are you alright?"
"Ah," Reishiin replied.
"It's unlike you to be serious," Houjo said.
Reishiin turned his head slightly, "Kijin, what would you say if I told you that I have a feeling that I'm next to take the exam."
Houjo looked at Reishiin, "It's been a while since you had this sort of feeling," When Reishiin had a feeling of something ominous he would be silent and become serious. "Tread carefully, is all I can say as a friend. You tend to be crazy sometimes."
"Tend to be," Reishiin's eyes widened than he cracked up, "As you know me well, I do things that's within reasoning."
"That's not how others see it," Houjo said.
"Doesn't matter," Reishiin shrugged, "I do things not for the approval of fools but for a better living environment for me and those who want it."
"This coming from a guy who dislikes philosophy," Houjo said with a twitch of a smile.
Reishiin chuckled, with his forefinger crooked on his lips.
"There's something in your hands," Houjo gazed at his friend's invisible hands, "and you're thinking what to do with it."
"I can't keep anything from you," Reishiin smiled slightly, "I really don't know whether it'll be accepted, this thing in my hands."
Houjo was silent. Reishiin turned to face Houjo. He had his hands behind his back as he approached Houjo. In front of Houjo, he held his palm up. In it was a lilac silk sash.
"This is for you," Reishiin said, "Don't just stare at it, take it."
"What for?" Houjo was puzzled.
"It acts as a mask," Reishiin said, "two holes for eyes," he spread the sash open for Houjo to see, "then tie the ends behind your head,"
Houjo looked hard at it then at Reishiin, "You took this sash from one of your lady friends' when you were disrobing her, didn't you?"
"What do you take me for?" Reishiin said, "I bought it a long time ago and modified it a bit but was looking for the right time and place and situation to give it to you. This is such a time, place and situation."
Houjo stared at Reishiin. He didn't know Reishiin was that concerned over him. "Shin…"
"Don't mention it," Reishiin placed the sash in Houjo's hand, "Thought I'd give it to you now.
"You could be wrong about being next you know," Houjo said still looking at the sash in his hand.
"You know I'm never wrong when I have this sort of feeling," Reishiin replied. "This is also another reason why I gave you this. When I'm in the quest or whenever and where ever, use it, this'll help cut some of the glare from that tantalizing face of yours."
"It makes me look like a leper,"
"You're already living a life of a leper, what's there to complain about?"
Houjo sighed. Reishiin was right. He was shunned by his father's family. His mother had no relatives. She was an orphan working for an expensive tavern catering for the aristocracy. His father had taken a fancy to her because she was the prettiest there and in the province and the rest was history. Thus, began his life of misery when his mother passed away due to an illness of the lungs. Even when she was alive, she'd led a life of misery with her small son, Houjo.
They were both silent, then their heads turned at the sound of the door sliding open. Immediately they were on their guard. The first to enter the waiting room was the headmaster from the Confucius school, then Senior Minister Li Zhou and two other officers. Houjo quickly turned his head away from the four visitors. His hair gently swayed as his head moved covering part of his face.
"I apologize for averting my gaze from meeting you face on, gentlemen," Houjo said.
Reishiin covered him with his back, "Do we cast votes on who is next? Or do we need to play rock-paper-scissors for it? Do we have to pick a stick; the one with the shortest is next?"
"What a fun loving fellow you are," the headmaster from the Confucius school commented, "It's been decided by the emperor that the next person is you, Scholar Kou Reishiin."
Reishiin smiled then turned his head slightly, seeing only the side of his face, "Told you," he whispered to Houjo.
Houjo's ears perked as the headmaster continued, "Scholar Kou will complete the second quest in this ministry's forbidden library. The subject matter is the doctrine of Wen Tao in the form of poetry. Your opponent is Senior Finance Minister, Lord Li Zhou. The exam will start an hour from now and ends when the sun retains half of its light. The winner will receive a gift that reflects his vivacity."
TO BE CONTINUED…