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The circle of scholars was not large, and the experiences of the students at the Imperial Academy soon spread far and wide, with far-reaching consequences.

Everywhere the news reached, the local scholars began to doubt the students who had caused commotion in Taiyuan Prefecture. The preconceived notions of the students from the Imperial Academy started to shake, and curiosity about Lian Mu grew stronger. Everyone wanted to witness his grace.

Before the news reached Taiyuan Prefecture, the scholars who had jointly petitioned for a re-examination, along with a few others who were haughty and proud, received the government’s notice and soon learned that Lian Mu was to be retested under the watchful eyes of everyone at the Imperial Academy—they praised His Majesty for his wisdom.

They had waited a long time for this news.

Before the message arrived, they met daily, drinking, composing essays, and bitterly cursing political corruption and examination fraud.

Day after day, they caused disturbances everywhere, to the suffering of local tavern keepers who couldn’t bear it but dare not drive away the literati for fear of ruining their establishment’s reputation—the scholars had vicious tongues.

Every time this group gathered, they would list numerous suspicions based on their initial encounter, speaking as if they had truly interacted with Lian Mu, claiming he was a worthless good-for-nothing, with intricate ties to the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.

They made unfounded accusations so convincingly that they themselves came to firmly believe them, and fueled by drink, they would proceed to the Tribute Academy and to the Chief Examiner’s residence at the Imperial Hua Hall to hurl insults.

The Grand Tutor also stayed in Taiyuan Prefecture because of this issue, refusing to return to the Capital until he had cleared his name.

When these scholars saw the government’s notice, they felt they had won.

The Emperor’s order to re-examine Lian Mu suggested that there was indeed a problem, fairly certain.

This reinforced their speculations, and now that crippled Jieyuan was surely doomed.

They waited for him to be barred from taking the imperial examination for life and three subsequent generations, along with the Chief Examiner, who was to be thrown in prison.

As ambitious individuals, they were ready for the chance to retake the local examinations.

They became more and more extreme, touting themselves as fearless defenders of justice, using their own flesh and blood to protect the integrity of the examinations. They believed their actions would surely be praised in the future.

However, they chose to ignore that if it was proven that Lian Mu rightfully earned the title of Jieyuan, they would have to face the consequences themselves. Those who had jointly petitioned would be stripped of their achievements and barred from sitting the imperial examination for twenty years.

Such serious repercussions were lightly mentioned by only one or two slightly more sober individuals, but no one paid attention, as they were completely self-intoxicated.

They could not fathom that a cripple could pass the exam, and they knew that if Lian Mu’s answers were good again in the re-examination, they would be publicly posted for evaluation by scholars all over the country.

Hence, the Examination Markers, fearful of nationwide criticism, would be especially cautious.

The grading standards would be ten to a hundred times stricter than the local examinations and success would not come easily—this, they were quite clear about.

Furthermore, even if his re-examination papers passed scrutiny and were posted, among them were talented individuals who would scrutinize every single character, intent on finding faults. They could always unite and protest later; there was still this path of retreat. What was there to fear?

The situation was a sure win; there was no need for further thought.

In contrast, another group of examinees, those who had passed and become Juren, did not want the local examinations of Taiyuan Prefecture to be retaken, especially those whose rankings were lower.

Receiving this news completely disheartened them, believing their future was bleak and life hopeless.

If they had to do it over, they might fail—their good fortune might not hold.

Ten years of hard study they thought had culminated in success could turn to naught, a prospect no one could accept.

These individuals were also targeted. Though they were Juren, they were oppressed by failed Scholars who behaved as if they were vermin in the street, accused of being supporters of fraud.

They were in a position where they could not refute hundreds of accusations, and their anger was inevitably directed at Lian Mu and the Chief Examiner.

Taiyuan Prefecture was like a boiling pot of porridge, where the failed Scholars far outnumbered those who had passed and become Juren. This victorious faction was triumphant; some Scholars even regretted not having joined the petition, wishing they could have shared in the glory.

A small faction, on the other hand, locked themselves away, devoted to their studies and preparing for the worst. Yet, despite their efforts, they could not help but feel a touch of bitterness, cursing Lian Mu and the Chief Examiner before they felt satisfied.

This year’s Luming Banquet at Taiyuan Prefecture also saw an unusual spectacle. Instead of hosting the newly successful Juren, there were very few of them in sight, with the banquet mostly attended by Scholars who had failed the exam but co-signed a petition.

Only inside the Tribute Academy and Imperial Hua Hall was there calm and tranquility, completely unaffected by the turmoil outside, standing firm and immovable like Mount Tai.

This reversal of circumstances came to an abrupt halt after Lian Mu’s reputation spread throughout the Capital.

At first, no one believed it, and anyone who spoke well of Lian Mu was met with spit and curses.

However, the voices grew louder and harder to suppress.

The failed Scholars started to panic, especially those proud Juren who had stirred up trouble.

They had been full of confidence at first, but as more news came in, they slowly began to feel anxious.

Before the failed Scholars could react, these usually outspoken individuals fell into an unusual silence.

It was these Juren who had instigated this matter, having been held in high esteem by the failed Scholars, their heads had been turned somewhat, claiming that during the re-examination of the provincial test, the Jieyuan would surely be one of them.

When they heard that Lian Mu could hold his own in conversation with Mr. Qin of the Imperial Academy, and even received praise, they were thrown into disarray and became visibly agitated.

Who is Mr. Qin? He is the great Confucian scholar universally recognized in our time, whose scholarship is exceptional, called out of retirement by His Majesty to serve as the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, and commands universal respect.

If Lian Mu had caught the special attention of Mr. Qin, the dynamics changed significantly. The backup plans they initially had, with the spreading of Lian Mu’s fame, seemed to slowly become unfeasible. They had relied on their number and influence, but what if Lian Mu gained supporters of his own?

The higher you leap, the harder you fall, and that saying applied to this group of people.

From this point onward, the situation in Taiyuan Prefecture changed again.

The once recluse Juren suddenly carried themselves with pride and gusto.

They threw open their windows, bright and cheerful, their previous anger towards Lian Mu having vanished into thin air, turning instead into vigorous advocates, eagerly discussing every piece of news about Lian Mu.

At this time, the Tribute Academy and Imperial Hua Hall remained unchanged as ever.

Not just Taiyuan Prefecture, but the entire nation was waiting for the results of the Imperial Academy’s examination to be announced.

Never before had a re-examination garnered such immense public attention.

Some people could not wait any longer and even went to the Capital in person; after all, the successful Juren would have to attend the Spring Imperial Examination the following year, so setting off early was preferable.

Back in the Capital, there wasn’t the same kind of contentious atmosphere as in Taiyuan Prefecture. Almost all scholars wanted to see Lian Mu for themselves, to verify if his elegance was indeed as the rumors claimed. Unfortunately, miscellaneous people were not allowed inside the Imperial Academy.

In other academies, curious and bold students attempted to scale the walls, only to be caught upon their entry, promptly escorted back to their academies, losing face and severely reprimanded by their teachers.

Other people occasionally wandered around the walls of the Imperial Academy, hoping to get lucky and catch a glimpse of Lian Mu.

Minister Jia, witnessing this, arranged for more intensive patrols inside and outside the academy, fearing someone might breach the security of the Imperial Academy.