"Questions about how to plant wheat? Go straight in from the entrance."
"Before spring plowing, the fields must be turned, harrowed, and fertilized."
"To rent farm tools, head west. There are iron harrows available for hire."
"If you are plowing, neighboring fields can jointly rent oxen or horses. For uneven or scattered plots, use a curved plow."
"What? Asking whether the Imperial Uncle sells manure… fertilizer? Leave the city gates. Both the north and south gates have collection points. Go ask there."
"Registering children for school? Why so late? Go inside and look for the official in red."
After sending off yet another group of questioners, Jiang Wei grabbed the water flask beside him and, without caring whether the water was warm or cold, gulped it down in one go. The dryness in his throat eased at once.
Before he could set the clay flask down, a steady, honest voice asked, "Are you Jiang Wei?"
Jiang Wei wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked up. Standing before him was a plainly dressed, ordinary-looking youth, more than a head taller than himself. Almost by reflex, Jiang Wei replied, "If you are registering for school, go straight in and look for the official in red."
"I am not registering. Not right now."
"School registration requires early arrival. If not that, then are you here to rent farm tools? But you cannot do that alone. Where are your parents? They must sign."
"My family has its own tools."
"Then what brings you to the Imperial Academy?" Jiang Wei asked, puzzled.
"I…"
"Ha!"
Before the young man could finish, Jiang Wei heard a familiar voice burst into laughter behind him.
Turning his head slightly, he was unsurprised to see Ma Jun standing behind the stranger.
Ma Jun laughed and said, "Looks like Bo Yue is… really enjoying his post as gatekeeper."
Perhaps because he was too excited, his old stutter crept back. Jiang Wei sighed helplessly. "Enjoying it a bit too much?"
Ma Jun nodded vigorously.
Jiang Wei immediately put on a miserable expression and sighed. "If only you had spoken up for me before the Master, would I have ended up like this?"
"And besides, my method was only a bit risky. That new gunpowder mixture had remarkable power. How can merit and fault not balance out?"
Seeing Ma Jun about to say something but unable to get it out, Jiang Wei nodded. "I know the Master worries about my life. But look, I am perfectly fine."
"Right, and you are…?"
The tall youth, who had been smiling faintly all this time, finally clasped his hands. "At my father's request, I have come to invite Jiang Bo Yue to a dinner."
Jiang Wei glanced suspiciously at Ma Jun and the youth standing together, then returned the salute. "May I ask who your honored father is?"
"My father is Military Adviser Zhuge."
The lively, talkative Jiang Wei who had been joking moments earlier instantly became restrained. He patted down his clothes, straightened himself, then bowed with full seriousness.
"Then, Brother Bo Song, has the Madam also arrived in Chang'an?"
This time, Zhuge Qiao was the one taken aback. "Bo Yue knows my name?"
"The Master once spoke of you in passing," Jiang Wei replied calmly. "He said you are quick-witted, broad-minded, and carry yourself with fine bearing."
The answer genuinely surprised Zhuge Qiao. He had not expected his father to hold him in such regard.
Suppressing his thoughts, Zhuge Qiao smiled more warmly. "My mother has arrived in Chang'an, and my father has prepared a dinner. He sent me to invite you."
"How could I dare refuse?" Jiang Wei said solemnly.
Since a banquet meant the evening meal, by the time Jiang Wei arrived at his teacher's residence, the sun was already sinking westward.
Lamps had been lit in the courtyard. Jiang Wei even spotted a magnificent seven-branched lamp blazing like a tree of fire, lighting the courtyard and main hall as brightly as midday.
It was clear that his teacher was overjoyed by his wife's return, and that happiness lifted Jiang Wei's spirits as well.
Zhuge Liang treated him like a son, teaching him learning, ambition, and the way of conduct. To Jiang Wei, his teacher was little different from a father, so his teacher's joy felt personal.
Entering properly and offering his respects, Jiang Wei's eyes immediately fell on a young girl seated at the table, studying an open book with quiet focus and composed grace.
"My younger sister, Zhuge Guo," Zhuge Qiao introduced simply.
Jiang Wei nodded absentmindedly. After standing guard at the academy gate all day, his stomach was empty, and after being punished he had not seen his teacher for some time. He had little mind for anything else.
Fortunately, the Zhuge household was not strict about formality. Seeing Ma Jun and Jiang Wei arrive together, Zhuge Guo rose and went to the back courtyard to inform her parents to begin the meal.
Only the three youths remained in the front hall. Zhuge Qiao, now curious, asked, "Bo Yue, has my father ever spoken to you about Guo Guo?"
"He has," Jiang Wei replied without affectation, lowering his voice. "Early in wisdom and broad in learning. Were it not for these troubled times, she would have been appointed a Child Gentleman."
Zhuge Qiao knew the term well. Since the Former Han, exceptionally talented youths were appointed as Child Gentlemen, often called prodigies among the people.
Aside from finding the assessment perfectly fitting, Zhuge Qiao felt a quiet pride rise within him. As expected of my sister.
Before they could talk further, Zhuge Liang's cheerful voice rang out.
From afar to near, then turning the corner, Jiang Wei saw his teacher step out from behind the hall. Beside him was a woman whose words carried gentle refinement, whose demeanor radiated warmth, and whose talent showed effortlessly in every movement.
"This fine young gentleman must be Bo Yue," she said with a smile.
Jiang Wei hurriedly stood and bowed deeply. "Madam."
Huang Yueying showed no reserve. She took Jiang Wei's hand, looked him over, and smiled. "No need to be so formal. Your teacher treats you as his own son. When you are here, think of it as coming home."
"Such a good child. Not yet grown, yet you traveled hundreds of li from home to study in Chang'an. That is no easy thing. If you ever face hardship, come to your teacher and teacher's wife."
Jiang Wei's heart warmed instantly, tears nearly rising.
Ma Jun, though not yet of age, was close, so Huang Yueying simply turned and spoke kindly to him as well. Even if his stutter returned when he grew excited, her attitude alone was enough to move him deeply.
After a few words, it was time to eat.
The banquet was small but complete. In the center, an earthen pot boiled with broth. Fat lamb, tender meat, preserved vegetables, and yellow chives were arranged on plates around it. Before each person sat small dishes of dipping sauces.
There were also prepared dishes set aside: calamus-braised ribs, roasted loin, oil-splashed fish slices, and chicken tossed with peony sauce. The aroma alone whetted the appetite.
Jiang Wei and Ma Jun had eaten hotpot before, but for both of them, this was the most satisfying they could remember.
By contrast, Huang Yueying, Zhuge Qiao, and Zhuge Guo, having come from Jiangling, were less familiar with it, but people of Han blood seemed born with an instinct for eating.
Watching Jiang Wei and Ma Jun demonstrate, Zhuge Qiao followed suit. He mixed fermented bean paste with soy sauce, added a small spoon of plum vinegar, then stirred in minced ginger and garlic to make his sauce.
He swished a thin slice of fatty lamb through the boiling broth three times, dipped it well, and ate it. His eyes widened as he nodded again and again.
Zhuge Guo used ginger and garlic as a base, added roasted sesame and fermented beans, drizzled soy sauce and a spoon of honey. It was delicious in its own way.
As a waning moon climbed slowly into the sky, the simple banquet at the Zhuge residence came to an end.
Servants who had traveled from Jiangling cleared away pots, bowls, and chopsticks, leaving the hall tidy once more.
Zhuge Liang rubbed his stomach and rose with a laugh, brewing tea by the nearby brazier. With Jiang Wei's help, he poured a cup for each person.
Sitting in the hall, watching the seven-branched lamp in the courtyard freshly refueled, each held their tea and gazed at the curved moon, all feeling deeply content.
"Bo Yue, do you know your fault?" Zhuge Liang asked with a smiling glance.
"I do," Jiang Wei replied meekly, only to be betrayed mercilessly by Ma Jun.
"Master, Bo Yue just said that since he had devised a new gunpowder mixture, his merits should offset his faults."
"Ma Deheng!" Jiang Wei exclaimed, eyes wide.
The smile vanished from Zhuge Liang's face as he said sternly, "You are well aware of the strict prohibitions regarding fire in the gunpowder workshop."
"Such reckless acts, even if they yield results, risk igniting the powder. If the entire workshop were to explode and craftsmen were killed, how unjust would that be?"
Jiang Wei shuddered, but still muttered, "I was careful. The powder was taken back to the work shed to be dried…"
Zhuge Liang finally could not help but tap Jiang Wei on the head. "I value your talent because I hope you will safeguard the state, not die here."
"And I have said again and again: follow principles, investigate their roots, reason step by step, and verify through practice. That is the proper way of study."
"Since this new mixture produced greater force, tell me then, Bo Yue. What is the principle behind its increased power?"
Jiang Wei fell silent. He truly did not know.
Zhuge Liang spoke earnestly, "There are countless clever minds in the world. Do not think that without you, Jiang Bo Yue, no one could discover this mixture."
"The path of learning demands methodical inquiry, not courting danger and taking pride in it."
At last, Jiang Wei lowered his head fully. "Your disciple knows his fault."
Zhuge Liang nodded. "Since that is so, then…"
At that moment, Ma Jun stood up holding his teacup, clasped his hands awkwardly, and said, "Master, I saw Bo Yue take risks and did not stop him. I knew and did not report it. I should be punished as well."
Zhuge Liang's expression softened, but he still said, "Bo Yue shall serve as gatekeeper at the Imperial Academy for the remainder of this month. Afterward, you will submit a written examination explaining why the gunpowder's power increased."
Jiang Wei accepted the punishment respectfully, his mind already turning to the question of what made the powder different.
If Physician Zhang could test medicine on animals, could gunpowder also be tested using other means? Judging by his teacher's demeanor, he likely would not be allowed near the workshop again anytime soon.
"As for Deheng," Zhuge Liang said, thinking briefly. His gaze fell on his daughter, and an idea formed. "Guo Guo plans to open ten mu of heated greenhouses outside Chang'an. Deheng, since you excel in craftsmanship, you shall draft the designs to assist her."
"These greenhouses will be used to study fruits and vegetables. They will belong to the Imperial Academy. In the future, when students of the Governance Track choose agriculture, they will use them for study."
Ma Jun raised no objection and accepted with a bow, then returned Zhuge Guo's salute, prompting the girl to bow back hurriedly.
Jiang Wei's eyes turned as he caught a new term in his teacher's words. He asked at once, "Master, will the Academy be divided into new disciplines?"
Zhuge Liang sat beside his wife, holding his teacup, and smiled. "Pang Shiyuan, Lu Zijing, and I have decided to reform the Imperial Academy. We will trial the Three Hall system and the Two Track system."
"A new system?" Huang Yueying asked, surprised.
Zhuge Liang nodded and, seeing the puzzled looks of the youths, slowly explained.
Given how vaguely later generations had described the Three Hall system, Zhuge Liang, Lu Su, and Pang Tong had spent the past month refining it in detail.
All entrants would begin in the Outer Hall. Each season, examinations modeled on the civil service tests would assess ability. After passing twice, a student could advance to the Inner Hall.
The Inner Hall followed the same pattern, but four successful assessments were required to reach the Upper Hall. Upper Hall students who wished to take the civil examinations could sit the Inner Examination personally overseen by Xuande. Their provisions would be more generous. Those who did not sit for office could apply directly for appointment as clerks.
The Two Track system was also adapted from later models, with modifications.
Classics, essays, strategy, military doctrine, rhetoric, and foreign knowledge fell under the Literary Track.
Waterworks, mathematics, engineering, agriculture, and geography belonged to the Governance Track.
Students would first choose a track, then select at least one primary and one secondary field to study.
Within the Academy, students of all three halls would also be required to maintain daily diligence and earn study credits. Credits could accelerate advancement, while insufficient credits might even result in expulsion.
Zhuge Liang spoke steadily as the others listened intently. Huang Yueying occasionally asked detailed questions, but mostly nodded in approval.
After hearing it all, the youths felt slightly dazed. Zhuge Liang smiled gently. "After the reform, all four of you must enroll and choose your fields."
No one was surprised. Otherwise, Zhuge Liang would not have explained so much. Still, their reactions differed.
"So as long as I choose one primary and one secondary, I could also take two or even three secondary fields?" Ma Jun asked.
"That is possible," Zhuge Liang replied, "but know that each additional field will make seasonal examinations more difficult and hall advancement harder."
Ma Jun understood, yet had already resolved to study more.
Jiang Wei tried a different approach. "Master, I admire Junior Brother Ma's skill in engineering. Why not let me assist him as well? I could learn something."
"And that gatekeeper post at the Academy is truly dull."
After some thought, Zhuge Liang agreed. Jiang Wei immediately bowed toward Zhuge Guo with a smile. "Junior Sister Guo Guo, I ask for your guidance in the days ahead."
Zhuge Guo shook her head lightly, her voice crisp and clear. "I asked Father. Bo Yue was born in the seventh year of Jian'an. He is one year younger than I am."
"Therefore, you should call me Senior Sister."
Jiang Wei froze. Laughter erupted, especially from Ma Jun, who laughed the hardest.
Zhuge Qiao, however, noticed something else. "Father, where would the arts of command and military strategy be studied?"
Zhuge Liang tapped his forehead. "Ah, I forgot to mention that. After this year's campaigns conclude, several generals under Xuande will jointly establish a military academy, separate from the Imperial Academy."
"Within the three halls of the Academy, regardless of discipline, students who reach the Inner Hall may transfer to the military academy for advanced study. The military academy will also recruit capable youths to learn the art of war."
Zhuge Qiao nodded in approval. Commanders who led armies could hardly be illiterate.
Yet Zhuge Liang's casual phrase "after this year's campaigns conclude" reminded everyone that the wars were not yet over.
Jiang Wei could not help asking, "With war about to rise, we worry for the survival of the Han. How can we sit calmly in the Academy and study?"
Zhuge Liang's gaze sharpened. His reply was measured, but left no room for argument.
"Xuande leads us to quell chaos so that you may govern great harmony."
"Remember this. You study not only for yourselves, but to restore the Han."