Volume One, Chapter 12: Enrollment in the Inner Academy

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“I really don’t want to go...” Su Chen was in a state of utter despair, yet in the end, he could only be dragged to his feet by Su Zhongwen. There was no other way—after all, the saying goes, the eldest brother stands in for the father. In this family, it was truly Su Zhongwen’s word that ruled. If Su Zhongwen agreed with what Su Chen said, then Su Chen’s words counted; if Su Zhongwen did not agree, then Su Chen’s words were worthless.

In the dead of winter, with the cold wind howling, the maids and servants of the Su residence were astonished to find that the second young master, Su Chen, who normally would sleep in until well past sunrise, had unusually risen early today.

Xiao Ming, who was sweeping the floor, stood with his mouth wide open. In his three years of service at the Su family, he had never once seen the second young master wake up so early!

Old Chen, the gatekeeper, rubbed his eyes until they were red but still could not believe that Young Master Su Chen had actually gotten up at this hour!

No matter what, Su Chen was up at last. The carriage was already hitched, a special vehicle reserved for the Minister of Justice.

Su Zhongwen first brought Su Chen to the Inner Academy to pay respects to the Academy Dean, Guo Qingshu.

Guo Qingshu was in his sixties and had served as Academy Dean for twelve years. Upon hearing the unexpected visit from Minister of Justice Su Zhongwen, Guo Qingshu was somewhat surprised. However, as a seasoned veteran of over twenty years in officialdom, Guo Qingshu was undoubtedly an elder to Su Zhongwen.

Though the rank of Academy Dean was one grade below that of Minister of Justice, this did not diminish Guo Qingshu’s seniority.

Moreover, the Academy Dean was a refined position, primarily responsible for scholarship and literary pursuits, generally uninvolved in court politics.

After a short while, Guo Qingshu met with Su Zhongwen and Su Chen in the reception hall.

“Haha, Lord Su honored us with your presence. I apologize for my poor hospitality!” Guo Qingshu laughed heartily. Su Zhongwen, now a representative of humble origins in the court, enjoyed the support of the Empress Wu Zetian herself and had the personal endorsement of Chancellor Yan Liben—his backing was formidable indeed!

“Dean Guo, you flatter me. I have come with an important matter and seek your assistance,” Su Zhongwen said with a wry smile. Although the Academy Dean was a fourth-rank official and the Minister of Justice a third-rank, Su Zhongwen respectfully referred to himself humbly and addressed Guo Qingshu as Dean, reflecting the difference in their seniority.

“Lord Su’s words are too kind. No wonder Chancellor Yan calls you the shining pearl of the seas, the treasured heirloom of Great Qian—your reputation is well deserved!” Guo Qingshu replied.

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Though it was merely a matter of address, Guo Qingshu looked at Su Zhongwen with newfound respect. The young man was only about thirty years old, yet possessed such insight—a rare quality indeed.

“Chancellor Yan’s praise is more than I deserve. Dean Guo, let us get to the matter at hand,” Su Zhongwen said, exchanging a few polite words before turning serious.

“Dean, this is my younger brother Su Chen. Yesterday, His Majesty personally approved Su Chen’s admission to the Inner Academy. I ask you to make the necessary arrangements,” Su Zhongwen said solemnly. He glanced at the drowsy Su Chen and whispered sharply, “Su Chen, quickly pay respects to Dean Guo!”

“Ah! What’s going on?” Su Chen, startled awake by Su Zhongwen’s whisper, hurriedly wiped the drool from his mouth and asked in a dazed voice.

“Su Chen, this is the Academy Dean, Guo Qingshu. From now on, you must respect the Dean while studying here and observe proper etiquette. Understand?” Su Zhongwen said with a helpless sigh, repeating himself once more.

“Oh, yes. Greetings, Dean!” Su Chen turned to glance at Guo Qingshu, then promptly grew drowsy again, as if he would never wake.

“Academy Dean Guo? Sorry, I’ve never heard of him!” Su Chen thought.

“Dean Guo, forgive my brother’s laziness. I will rely on you to guide him well,” Su Zhongwen said awkwardly, wishing he could drag Su Chen over and slap some sense into him to vent his frustration. Yet, on second thought, he felt reluctant. This only strengthened his resolve to ensure Su Chen would succeed.

“Heh heh, no matter. Since this is the Empress’s will, I shall comply,” Guo Qingshu said indifferently. The teachers at the Inner Academy were indeed esteemed scholars of the day, but the students there were a mixed lot.

After all, the students were mainly royal offspring and children of nobles, as well as sons of high officials, both civil and military.

These young nobles, raised in luxury from birth, had naturally developed various airs of arrogance and entitlement.

For example, royal scions were often unruly, and the sons of generals were even more unruly. Only the children of civil officials tended to have somewhat better temperaments.

In this light, Su Chen’s character was actually quite decent.

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“Well then, Dean Guo, I entrust you with his education. I must hurry to the Ministry of Justice,” Su Zhongwen said anxiously. Though the Inner Academy and the Ministry of Justice were not on the way to each other, Su Zhongwen was willing to take the detour to escort Su Chen to school.

“Lord Su, since you have urgent business, I will not see you off,” Guo Qingshu smiled faintly. Although Su Zhongwen’s future was promising, the Inner Academy never took sides politically. Guo Qingshu, at his age, had no desire for further promotion. After a few more years, he planned to retire and enjoy a peaceful life tending to his garden.

Su Zhongwen hurried off to the Ministry of Justice. Though still drowsy, Su Chen felt somewhat uneasy without his brother by his side.

Shaking his sleepy head, Su Chen looked at the Academy Dean Guo Qingshu before him.

“Your name is Su Chen, second young master of the Su family. Not bad, not bad. I’ll give you a brief introduction. The Inner Academy has six schools: the Guozi School, Taixue, the Four Gate Schools, the School of Law, the School of Letters, and the School of Mathematics,” Guo Qingshu said with a faint smile. He didn’t pay much attention to Su Chen—after all, Guo Qingshu was a fourth-rank official, the esteemed Academy Dean, and it took the personal visit of Su Zhongwen to warrant a face-to-face conversation. Su Chen alone was not worth much ceremony.

“You are new to the Academy, so you will start with the Guozi School,” Guo Qingshu said calmly. The Guozi School focused on the Confucian classics—the Four Books and Five Classics, such as the Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, and Mencius.

“Oh, thank you, Dean!” Su Chen answered nonchalantly. At twenty years old, he was being pulled back to study these elementary texts—who was he kidding? Still, he didn’t mind much; he’d just play along to appease Empress Wu Zetian and his elder brother.

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