Part 3
Reishiin had a knotted up look. He looked like he was going to throw up at the very mention of poetry, and doctrines. His hand covered his mouth. Then using the same hand, he rubbed his forehead. He felt the oncoming of a headache. He absolutely despised the subject. His father was a person who had made him to hate the subject. He had been force fed of it since young. If he didn't remember a phrase or a single word, he would be caned and had to go without dinner.
"You look pale, Scholar Kou," the headmaster of Confucius school, "Would you like to sit down for a while?"
Reishiin shook his head, "I'm fine," He smiled slightly at the headmaster while patting his chest a little too hard so that the nauseous feeling would disappear, "Let's go,"
His head hung slightly. He shut his eyes for an instant. It wasn't good to show weakness. He had to stay calm and focused. He breathed in deeply and exhaled through his mouth. He smiled slightly as he raised his head he straightened up, and was preparing to take a step forward when he felt a hand on his right wrist. He looked at the hand and at the owner of the hand on his wrist. He looked at Houjo whose hair covered part of his face.
"Do you realize that each exam tests our weakest spots and subjects?"
Reishiin's eyes narrowed, "Yes, and I've no intention of succumbing to my 'enemies'", then he smiled to ease Houjo's fears, "I'll be by your side because I know you'd be lonely without my warmth,"
"Tch," Houjo immediately released Reishiin's wrist, "You've four hours to complete your exam, so tread carefully," was his last advice and that was just as good as saying good luck.
"You'd make a good wife," Reishiin whispered cheekily at him.
"Tch," Houjo said, in a tone neither angry nor annoyed.
Reishiin was a happy-go-lucky and fun loving guy. He might say controversial things that would make men blush or frazzled but he was as straight as they came and held unwavering upright beliefs of a realist. He chuckled, with a fist covering his lips as he proceeded towards the educationists and Lord Li Zhou. As he approached them, his eyes crinkled no longer, even though he was smiling, there was no cheeky glitter in his eyes. His eyes were firm.
"I like the look in your eyes," Lord Li Zhou said.
Reishiin glanced at Lord Li Zhou, "By the end of my trial, you'll like the whole of me,"
This boy …! Lord Li Zhou curled his upper lip, vexed. "Well, hurry up," then the middle aged senior minister walked briskly ahead of him.
Reishiin's lips twitched slightly. The headmaster from the Confucius school looked at him under half closed eyelids. This boy had the air of an elegant, sarcastic nobleman. In his opinion, the exam had commenced the moment he stepped out of the waiting room with them. He hadn't a doubt that the boys had guessed the exams were based on their dislikes and weakest spots. He noticed that Reishiin and Houjo had exchanged facts within less than five minutes.
They were a delight to observe. Their camaraderie was admirable, all three of them. The headmaster was eager to observe what this boy would contrive for his exam. He was most intrigued about what Reishiin had said to Houjo before he left with them. The other boy didn't turn. Yet one could sense he was in deep thoughts. The headmaster also noticed that his back though relaxed was in a firm posture. He had conditioned himself for anything and was patiently waiting for his turn.
Reishiin was following the educationists and senior minister to the forbidden library. At the other end, Yushuun and one junior officer walked into the same corridor, there they met. Yushuun looked at Reishiin. Their eyes met and Reishiin smiled at him upon seeing the item in his hand. So Yushuun had succeeded. He was glad that Yushuun made it. It was now his turn to do his best. Yushuun nodded and smiled back. Yushuun held a hand up than clenched it into a fist, giving him a boost of morale.
Reishiin nodded, and disappeared around the corner. Yushuun was ushered into the waiting room where Reishiin had just left. He saw Houjo standing next to the window. His back was against the wall, with his head turned sideways and was looking out of the window. His arms were folded on his torso. He heard the steps of someone entering the waiting room. He didn't move his head. He moved his eyes at the person entering the room. The person was Yushuun.
He turned his head at Yushuun. His eyes glanced at the item in Yushuun hand. He smiled in relieve, "Congratulations, Yu."
Yushuun smiled, "Thanks," Looking at the item in his hand, he frowned, "This is hardly an interesting item,"
"An item made from the tree of fortitude is a valuable commodity," Houjo said.
"You knew what this is," Yushuun looked surprised, then nodded, "Of course, you'd know. Your family was entrusted to manage the royal family's resources."
"Look at the hilt," Houjo said, "it has the gold initials of His Majesty on it. This gift is His Majesty's acknowledgment of scholarly excellence."
"But isn't it a too valuable thing to give to a mere scholar," Yushuun said in a perplexed and thoughtful tone.
Houjo didn't reply. He too was thinking the same thing. Why did the emperor give something as exquisite and valuable as this item made from the precious tree of fortitude to a mere scholar? What had he in mind for those who had passed the exam? Where would those scholars who passed the exam be lead into?
"Kijin," Yushuun placed the item on the table, "What's Shin's quest like and where's the location?"
"He's led into the forbidden library for which only the ones bringing him would know of its location. The subject matter is the doctrine of Wen Tao in the form of poetry. He has at least four hours to complete it and his opponent is Lord Li Zhou."
"Wen Tao?" Yushuun frowned, "The legendary master builder of the twin fortresses Qun Lung and Qun Sung of the Qun dynasty. He was a realist not an idealist. All his journals were on designing new constructions for palace extensions, twin pagoda towers, dams, irrigation, ducts, ceilings without supporting beams, etc," looking perturbed, "He never wrote poetry or a single doctrine quote in his life,"
"Who knows what's in the minds of masters," Houjo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Meantime, the second party had arrived at their destination. The forbidden library was dark. They came with lighted lanterns. The emperor and his entourage had not yet arrived, as expected. The emperor would visit other places first before coming to the second examination site. Also, since the site had not been used for decades, it was only natural for this ministry's officers assigned for the second exam to clear the place up a bit before the emperor made his grand presence known.
The headmaster from the Confucius School, Master Nan Huan, boarded the old rickety lift with one guard. The forbidden library was never used after the tumultuous Ti Guang era. The library was in disarray, extremely dusty, and the place was filled with cobwebs. It had a stale and dank smell of withered history in its old walls. Reishiin held his forefinger horizontally placing it under his nose as he looked at the officer slowly turning the wheel of the lift to descend into a lower level.
"It's been unused for more than half a century," Lord Li Zhou said in protest, "It's dangerous to be inside it,"
"This is an examination area," Master Nan Huan replied calmly, "It's not time for the exam yet. That is why this good officer and I are testing the lift. The upper ground's clear of danger. No holes or cracks on the walls and floors. That's the fine quality of the tree of fortitude."
"It's rather sad that no one uses this library," noted Reishiin, "It's very spacious and could be well ventilated, if taken cared for, it would be a fabulous place for resting, reading and researching."
"Yes, this was a place where the royal advisors, royal treasurer, royal administrator, royal secretary, royal scripters and royal archive keepers would read and research matters. Too bad it was closed due to a civil strife between the emperor's grandfather and granduncle. No one knew what their quarrel was about but in their agreement this library was closed."
Lord Li Zhou grunted, "Ti Guang era was a wasteful era. It was full of idiotic politicians spouting nonsensical policies."
"Then wouldn't this exam cause a conflict within the royal family?" asked Reishiin to Master Nan Huan and Lord Li Zhou.
"That's for the emperor to worry," replied Lord Li Zhou.
The lift cricked, and cricked loudly then cricked again as it moved for the first time in ages.
Master Nan Huan looked at Lord Li Zhou, "It's still sturdy and usable,"
The headmaster turned to the guard and nodded to proceed slowly downwards. He would determine how strong the lift was and how fast it could move since it was really old. They could hear the crickety, rickety sounds as the lift slowly descend and a soft thud echoed in the stillness of the unused, old library. There was shuffling echoes beneath them. It was apparent that the two below was scanning the place. There were bumping sounds but no one was yelling for help.
Then they heard the rickety, crickety sounds, as the lift ascended until they saw the two persons stepping out of the lift. The headmaster approached the other six people. The guard with a lantern stayed in the lift. The headmaster pointed at two officers and two guards and waved at them to move towards the lift with the items needed for the exam which were in their possession. The guard in the lift motioned for one officer and one guard to step into the lift.
He handed the lantern at to the officer who was holding another lantern and the other guard steered the wheel of the lift and they disappeared into the darkness. Then minutes later the lift with the guard came up. He motioned for the other two with the lantern and the items needed to enter and the lift descended again. Reishiin looked at his surroundings. The building was old due to the test of time and weather but had remained solid as the day it was built.
He made a decision and informed the two men of standing, "Headmaster, Lord Li Zhou, I'd like to help them out in any way I can. This will speed things up."
"No," said the headmaster, "the examination site mustn't be exposed as yet."
"You seem impatient, boy," Lord Li Zhou said.
"It's not like I know what the exam question is going to be," Reishiin sighed, "and it's not impatience. I just want to help out."
"Restlessness can be the cause of recklessness," said the headmaster, "The answer is still no."
"It's not restlessness either," Reishiin said, "I just like…"
"They don't need your help," Lord Li Zhou said dryly.
Reishiin blew a falling cobweb strand from him. He wasn't like they said. In actuality, he was bored and being immobile was such a bore. But, he had to persevere. This boredom he was experiencing was part of the test. He placed a palm on the old, dusty wooden paneled wall. Although, the old library was in a deplorable state yet the feel of the wood was both calming and welcoming. He didn't know why but suddenly boredom was no longer an issue.
Maybe the headmaster and Lord Li Zhou were right about him being impatient and restless. Still what remained in him were questions. Why did the emperor instructed to conduct an exam at a forbidden place like this old library? It would surely violate the royal agreement between him and his cousin, the Prince Hang Sher. What mysteries did this old library hold? What treachery had it heard or seen? What did the emperor expect to find from Wen Tao who'd never written anything 'soft'?
Wen Tao was a master builder who had no liking for anything 'soft.' He had considered poetry as 'soft' and suitable for 'soft' people. What doctrine did he conjure up in his lifetime? None because he wasn't into tenets, as they were boring and they were a waste of time and energy thinking of words to form into beautiful phrases that would move people who read them into tears of joy, sadness, or anger. What did Wen Tao hide here that was important to the emperor?
"Master Nan Huan," the guard who was manning the lift approached the headmaster from the Confucius school, "It's finished,"
"That's good," a voice echoed from the doorway of the library.
They turned to find not the emperor and his entourage but Royal Administrator Minister Liu Hung and a guard walking towards them.
"The emperor is currently in a meeting with his family and will not be able to witness the second examination. However," Minister Liu Hung looked from one man till the last, "I shall act as judge on his behalf for this exam." His eyes then focused on Reishiin, "You are Scholar Kou Reishiin, I presume."
Of course, the royal administrator would recognize Reishiin. He was wearing Wu Shan school robes. He wasn't alone in wearing his school robes. Houjo and Yushuun wore theirs with some pride. Reishiin nodded and stepped forward without being told.
"Scholar Kou," Minister Liu Hung addressed him civilly, "you are to find Wen Tao's one and only piece of work that leads to a hidden monumental item. This building may contain that particular sole piece. With that piece you are to derive a conclusion to said item that would benefit the country. You may proceed to the examination ground."
Reishiin's eyebrows rose. What the heck? It was like finding the finest, grain of sand in a haystack not a needle, mind you! Even Minister Liu Hung was finding it difficult to comprehend the question the emperor had given him to announce to the scholar. Minister Liu Hung gazed at Reishiin. It was a gaze of sympathy for the poor scholar in search for a lost cause. He entered the lift and next to him was Lord Li Zhou. The older man glanced at him.
"Worried?"
"No,"
"You should be,"
"Then you should too,"
"Why should I?"
"You shouldn't ask me that,"
"Why shouldn't I?"
Reishiin's eyes shifted at Minister Liu Hung's bewildered look, "His face answers your question, doesn't it?"
Lord Li Zhou's eyes widened in surprise, he was caught by this insolent pup. His lips thinned in annoyance.
Reishiin gave him an amused smile, "I'm glad we understand each other."
"Ceh," Lord Li Zhou glared at him.
Lord Li Zhou had every intention of shaking the boy's resolve. Instead, the maddening boy was playing tag with him making him want to strangle the boy with his bare hands.
"You," Lord Li Zhou pointed at Reishiin's nose, "better shut it,"
Reishiin nodded slowly just like a simpleton would then blinked at him with bland innocence ruffling Lord Li Zhou's already ruffled feathers. Lord Li Zhou got out of the lift and headed for the lighted site. Reishiin rubbed his dusty hands on his robes. He looked and walked forward to where Lord Li Zhou had headed. He stopped in his tracks. His eyes surveyed the examination site. There were many bookcases with books on each shelf covered with decades of dust and cobwebs. He wrinkled his nose.
He loathed dirt. He closed his eyes, stay focused on the task which was given to him to solve. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lord Li Zhou had taken his place which was nearer to the bookcases. He shifted his eyes at the other vacant spot. It was nearer the door and the ambiance was dim. The older man had already started with his task. He had twenty of Wen Tao's journals on his desk. He looked up and saw Reishiin looking at him and the books. He curled his upper lip in mockery.
Reishiin smiled slightly amused at the older man. Was he really a senior minister for the treasury department? He had a one tracked mind and was also narrow-minded that Reishiin found it hard to believe he was someone important. What was he to the emperor? Oh, yes, a royal advisor. How could he be a royal advisor? Being one meant he had to stretch his mind to its limit but looking at him, Reishiin was fighting back the bubbling laughter that was threatening to burst out from his mouth.
He had to look away before the old man noticed him. He quickly went to his desk. He looked at the bookshelves with books. There wouldn't be anything of worth from any of Wen Tao's construction journals. Unless you were into inventions and you were an inventor. The master builder wasn't one to write anecdotes that included poetry and doctrines which he found stifling to the maximum. He was into hard facts and anything which reflected tangibly.
If anything, Wen Tao would have preferred leaving something seeable, touchable and lasting that revealed a sense of pride and strength. He looked from the ceiling, the walls, the bookcases, the bookshelves, the ladders, the floorings, the desks, the chairs, lantern holders, everything were made from the tree of fortitude. He touched the desk with his hand. What could this desk tell him? Decades of history etched in this place, absorbed into every crevice of the building and the things in it.
Then he stopped running his finger on the desk, got on the chair and stepped onto the desk. His action made the judges, officers and guards to look at him in surprise and puzzlement. He looked at the wooden pegs on the door. They looked crooked. Why would they look crooked? He turned his head at the bookshelves. He frowned, they looked crooked too. No, they were arranged diagonally. Why were they arranged diagonally? He turned to the door looking at the wooden pegs again.
"You crazy fellow," yelled Lord Li Zhou, "Are you so lost that you had to lose your mind too?"
"No point in denying," Reishiin chucked as he continued his inspection, "Crazy, yes, I guess I am."
Reishiin counted there were eight pegs on the door, eighty eight bookcases and eight shelves. He jumped from the desk with a solid thud. He walked towards the bookshelves, ignoring the curious eyes of those watching him. There were eight enclosures which had eight paths leading to eight different sections of the library. Each section had eleven bookcases. The headmaster was observing Reishiin with interest. This boy was onto something. He had actually found something in his eccentric actions.
Reishiin took the eighth path and walked pass the eighth section. There were eleven bookcases. He stopped at the eighth bookcase. His eyes scanned the eighth and last bookshelf. If his thoughts were correct, he knelt and took out the dusty books from the shelf. He ran a hand on the dusty surface of the empty shelf, once, twice, thrice and on the fourth try he felt something. He lowered himself and with both hands on each side of the shelf he took out the shelf.
He turned it vertically and placed the bottom end on the floor. He brought the lantern closer to the wooden shelf. His hand reached for his handkerchief in the sleeve of his robe. Wen Tao, he thought was a very physical fellow, he would leave a marker which was both visible and invisible. His creations often had a particular yet significant trait. That trait was his obsession known as eternity. Most people whether learned or not were unaware of this trait.
The numerical version of this trait was the number 8. Eight represented eternity, continuity, prosperity, happiness. Somehow, Reishiin couldn't fathom such a physical guy to be an avid follower of Feng Shui. But from what he had observed at the upper level of this building, it seemed that this whole building had that singular trait from top to bottom, and left to right. He frowned, than he blinked. Feng Shui was a guide, could it be…? It was preposterous but not.
Feng Shui was a set of guide to a way of better living. A guide… guidelines… directions… could it be? It spelled just that, a doctrine. Wen Tao had derived and expanded it in his own style. He wiped the surface of the shelf with his handkerchief. His eyes narrowed, he was right, as he stared at the words, 'Eternal, Sublime, Pure.' These were straightforward words, not a beautiful prose yet they were ambiguous. These words held more meaning to Wen Tao.
His eyes glittered in anticipation. Wen Tao expressed himself as straightforward as a realist would of his love for building the best structures in the land but of his love for one to whom he could not express his love. This place was it. Eternal, his love would always be. Sublime, his love transcends time and space. Pure, his love for his beloved one would stay true as true as how he had poured his love for his work. Number eight could also mean two side by side circles and two circles could mean two persons.
Or two rings or perhaps both, he brought the plank with him. This plank was a clue to unveil the mystery of the hidden edifice, the one Wen Tao had concealed with utmost care. Was he perhaps in love with a royalty? A princess? A royal consort? His left eye twitched, perhaps a prince? An imperial officer? A tough realist like Wen Tao could never be stoop to being that, but one would never know. Wen Tao was an orphan. He had no family because he had never married.
He led an elusive and reclusive life. Even his grave, no one knew where it was. He looked at the plank as he walked towards his desk. He placed it on the desk. Lord Li Zhou stared hard at him, thinking what the heck this crazy fellow was up about. The boy seemed set in his task and was working fast while looking at the entire fixture and fittings of the old library. He even climbed a ladder to look at the top of an eighth bookcase on the left side of the library which was near him.
He had inspected the other eighth bookcase on the right side but instead of above it he looked at the bottom shelf of the bookcase. He took out the shelf and brought it with him. Now, he was removing the old dusty yellowed books from the first shelf. He touched the dusty shelf with his palm. He ran a hand under the shelf, an eye twitched. Then he took the shelf off the bookcase. He brought the shelf to his desk and placed it on the desk. He did the same thing to two other corners of the old library.
"What are you doing?" hollered Lord Li Zhou, "Are you trying to disassemble the library?"
"More or less," Reishiin replied, "This is more fun than looking at books." Then he chuckled, "Aren't you bored?" He walked towards Lord Li Zhou.
"This boy…" Lord Li Zhou's face turned a shade of red. He was irritated with Reishiin's jibe.
Reishiin just gave him an elusive smile as he passed him to go to the north corner of the library. His aim was the fourth shelf and he went to the south corner. There his target was the fifth shelf and he brought the shelves to his desk and placed the on the desk. In his mind, there was no doctrine or poetry because Wen Tao didn't leave a doctrine nor did he write poetry. He just expanded a doctrine which he considered an important element for his work.
Wen Tao was a practical man and believed on practical and physical things. One thing he did believe that the master builder did combine a doctrine and concocted a straightforward prose. When combined a doctrine and prose, a riddle was born. That was what Wen Tao did. In order to reveal the edifice, one had to think like Wen Tao, to visualize things the way he saw and to do things the way he would do. Only then one would find the answer to Wen Tao's motive of building then hiding the edifice.
What had the edifice to do with the emperor? If it was uncovered, it would put more strain to the royal family's fragile relationship. It was open to enemies within the royal court to stamp on its fragility. How would the edifice help the royal family and shape the nation's future? The question now, where was it? He looked at the four shelves on his table. The first had the first clue, which he had solved. The second, he stared at it thoughtfully.
The characters etched on the upper right corner, 'There's no beginning and there's no ending.' It would mean love but his mind seemed to be against it. No, love was apparent yet it was something else besides love. What was it? The third shelf indicated love as well, 'It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is,' but like the second shelf its meaning had an entire different meaning. But he found the fourth and last phrase perplexing, 'When the tail meets the head, the body will be found.'
Could it be…? It could be. The last phrase stressed about the item itself. Yet not the location, where was it? It was somewhere in this old building, that he was most certain. Time was ticking, he had two hours left. He had to find the answers to the remaining three phrases. But he hadn't a clue what he had to do next. He frowned as he looked at the four wooden shelves on his desk. He ran through the phrases once more in his mind.
Eternal, Sublime, Pure
There's no beginning and there's no ending
It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is
When the tail meets the head, the body will be found
The answer was right under his nose. He mouthed the words as he repeated the phrases silently. He blinked as he rearranged the phrases.
There's no beginning and there's no ending
It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is
When the tail meets the head, the body will be found
Eternal, Sublime, Pure
Reishiin frowned, as he narrowed his eyes. He rephrased them again in his mind.
It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is
When the tail meets the head, the body will be found
Eternal, Sublime, Pure
There's no beginning and there's no ending
He frowned deeper.
When the tail meets the head, the body will be found
Eternal, Sublime, Pure
There's no beginning and there's no ending
It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is
Reishiin repeated the phrases and rearranged them. But it was clear that however he jumbled them up. The word love and two more things were at the tip of his tongue appeared. He blinked twice as if he'd suddenly hit the jackpot at the gambling den. He gaped, it couldn't be, he thought. Then again, it was Wen Tao and he was not a man who made light of the things he did. The two other things were knowledge, but knowledge of what? And the last was a circle. A circle, what did it mean?
Reishiin analyzed the phrases in his mind.
Love - There's no beginning and there's no ending; It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is; When the tail meets the head, the body will be found; Eternal, Sublime, Pure
Knowledge - There's no beginning and there's no ending; It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is; When the tail meets the head, the body will be found; Eternal, Sublime, Pure
Circle - There's no beginning and there's no ending; It is the knot that binds the mind, heart and all there is; When the tail meets the head, the body will be found; Eternal, Sublime, Pure
No matter how he dissected them, they remained the same and as one. He rubbed his nape to ease the strain. He leant his back against the wooden wall. The wall creaked not of his weight but as to tell him something. He raised his eyes to the ceiling. It looked crooked and diagonally outward. He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling. The design of it was odd. The arrangement of the bookcases were odd as well, they were diagonal. Crooked, diagonal, outwards…
His eyes widened in realization. He immediately took the lantern next to him and snatched all four bookshelves with him. He walked quickly to the center of the library, much to the surprise of those present. He looked up at the ceiling. It was not crooked, vertical and inwards. It looked like a pointer. The pointer was pointing at the center of the diagonally arranged bookcases. He turned around slowly, looking at the bookcases. The more he looked at them, it became clearer.
Lord Li Zhou frowned at the opened journals. There wasn't anything near to a clue in it. He glanced at the annoying boy gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. What was he looking at the ceiling for? Why was he carrying those shelves with him? Then he narrowed his eyes, the boy was up to something looking at how he was behaving. His eyes trained on the boy, looking at the bookcases. Why was he looking at the bookcases? He sighed he hadn't the time to ponder what that boy was up to.
The annoying brat could stare at the ceiling like a lunatic for all he cared. Time was against him. He had to find what Wen Tao's doctrine was. He shifted his attention back to the journals but something told him to follow that annoying brat's actions. The senior minister looked at the boy as he scanned for four vacant slots as wide as the two ends of the shelves. The four slots should be north-west, south-east, north-east, and south-west.
Lord Li Zhou gasped as he stared at the boy harder. "Don't tell me,"
TO BE CONTINUED…