Eunuch Zhao sat quietly in the carriage and waited. As he waited, he could hear passersby going by, murmuring their envy of Prince Qi's literary gathering. Without exception, they envied those who could enter Prince's Residence, forge a good connection with Prince Qi, and perhaps enjoy a boundless future.
"A boundless future?" Eunuch Zhao gave a faint sneer at those words.
Just then, the young eunuch returned and stood by with his hands lowered. Eunuch Zhao glanced at him. "Have you found everything out?"
The young eunuch spoke with quick, clear diction. "This servant has already had our people make contact. The information is almost entirely consistent. Here is a list for you to inspect."
As he spoke, he handed over a list and continued, "There are a total of two hundred and thirteen candidates attending Prince Qi's literary gathering. Thirty-three of them have some reputation in the Capital City, most famous for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Of the remaining one hundred and eighty, sixty are poor scholars, but their learning is quite good, and they have a strong chance of making the lists in the next examination. The other one hundred and twenty are either children of officials and nobles from elsewhere or children of local officials and nobles. Even if they have little reputation, they still have foundations."
"When our people entered, some others arrived one after another. Since they had merely sent people to deliver gifts rather than attend the literary gathering, this servant did not investigate them closely."
"Two hundred and thirteen?" Eunuch Zhao lightly tapped the list densely covered in names, native places, and family backgrounds with a finger, then smiled. "Return to the palace!"
The ox cart departed just as it had arrived. With so many ox carts parked outside Prince Qi's Residence,