At the mention of the name Huang Yan, no one in the Eastern Capital could possibly be unfamiliar with it.
Back then, when Qiu Yan had left Jiannan and journeyed north, he had been stopped and searched on the road to the Eastern Capital. The reason was that rebels were causing trouble near the Eastern Capital—and that rebel was none other than Huang Yan.
There had been many rumors at the time, each with its own version. But Qiu Yan now held high office and had access to countless case files and classics. He had once overseen the Military Pavilion of the Hanlin Academy, and now controlled the Ministry of War; he could even attend the Council of State Affairs to deliberate on policy. Many secrets were available for him to investigate, so he naturally gained a detailed and accurate understanding of what had happened in the Eastern Capital back then.
The truth was broadly similar to what the common people had spread, though there were some differences. Simply put, Huang Yan believed himself to be a man whose learning could fill five carts, possessed of talent to span heaven and earth. After failing the Imperial Examinations several times, other thoughts arose in his heart. He sought out Prince Yan, hoping to attach himself to him as an adviser.
But with Prince Yan's discernment, how could he possibly think highly of a poor scholar like Huang Yan? He had him dragged out. Huang Yan, however, did not lose heart. What he had learned came from no small source, inherited from a sage of the Warring States Era. He believed himself unsuited to winning office through the Imperial Examinations, yet possessed practical abilities. After leaving Prince Yan's residence, he repeatedly visited several venerable elders and Grand Confucians in the city, only