If the first few rounds were just probing attacks, then this moment was the beginning of all-out war.
Steward Fang knew of Xu Mo's willingness to fight to the death.
Xu Mo also understood that the Fang family was not without tricks up their sleeve.
They seized each other's weaknesses in a confrontation that allowed no compromise, but neither had hard evidence to defeat the other side nor convince the public.
Yet they were not the same.
The Fang family could overwhelm others with their power and status, but Xu Mo only had this one chance - it was either succeed or die trying.
He turned to look at the Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture and bowed to the elders from the Imperial Academy, "I humbly ask that the gentlemen produce the original examination scrolls so that right and wrong may be distinguished once and for all."
The handwriting contained strong individual style - the years spent practicing calligraphy, the habits when lifting the brush, the horizontal and vertical strokes - every single brush stroke could not be forged.
Xu Mo was not afraid that the Fang family would have Fang Yuan hastily copy a new examination scroll to replace his original - because he had not written the scroll that Fang Yuan had failed with.
With two original scrolls total, at least one of them should contain his handwriting.
As Xu Mo's mind raced, when he raised his head, his expression was still as calm as water, back ramrod straight.
In contrast, Steward Fang's expression changed, gradually becoming heavy.
Retrieving the original scrolls was not a particularly difficult decision. After conferring with the elders from the Imperial Academy, the Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture had two elders take six yamen runners back to retrieve the scrolls from the academy.
While waiting, Feng Tian Prefecture Hall was deathly silent, while the mood outside was joyful.
Qi Huai stamped his feet happily, "Brother Xu sure kept us in suspense. Earlier I was so anxious I nearly died. Why didn't he directly ask to review the original scrolls from the beginning?"
Chang Yan glanced at him, "Do you directly challenge the general when you go to war?"
No matter who was fighting whom, there would always be exploratory attacks by infantry first to test the enemy baseline and habits.
Wasting some time to eventually achieve a lethal strike was still better than going in arrogantly only to end up looking like a fool.
Even Qi Huai, already eighteen, still got contempt from a twelve year old kid.
What's more, the kid's words made a lot of sense. Qi Huai could only take deep breaths, flaring his elegant nose repeatedly.
Seeing this, Zhao Yuan who had wanted to chime in hurried to hide behind An Jun, pretending to be a quail.
Soon the original scrolls were brought back.
Everyone's gazes inside and outside the hall fell upon the two original scrolls, waiting for the truth to unfold, and waiting for justice to finally arrive for Xu Mo.
"Prefect, sir," Steward Fang seemed about to say something. "Do we really need to open up the original scrolls?"
Here it came again, trying to overwhelm others with might and authority.
The Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture scowled, gripping the armrests of his chair tightly. "If we don't inspect the original scrolls, how can we settle this case?"
Steward Fang said no more.
The elders from the Imperial Academy opened up both scrolls separately, then compared them against the scroll that Xu Mo had hastily rewritten overnight.
Then, they froze in shock.
The Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture walked over curiously and likewise frowned deeply.
This feeling was not like they had found evidence favoring one side or the other, nor like they had figured out the truth.
Rather, it seemed that they were even more puzzled and confused than before.
Could there have been an issue with one of the steps?
Xu Mo's heart sank, and his formerly assured state of mind crumbled into apprehension and unease.
"Gentlemen, why have you stopped comparing? Is there an issue?" Steward Fang asked loudly, his mood lifted. "Have you settled on a conclusion for this case?"
The Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture and the academy elders said nothing. The great hall was utterly silent.
In contrast, another commotion stirred outside.
"What's happened? Why does the Prefect say nothing?" Qi Huai clenched his fists tightly.
Chang Yan's expression visibly grew serious, no longer answering.
After some time, the Prefect of Feng Tian Prefecture finally spoke heavily, "The handwriting on these two scrolls is identical to yours. There is no way to distinguish them other than by the names written."
The scroll that had failed the exam had Xu Mo's name on it.
The top examination scroll clearly bore Fang Yuan's name.
Identical...
How could they be identical?
Another uproar rose outside the hall as everyone discussed in confusion, not understanding how this could have happened.
Only Xu Mo remained standing in the great hall, his mind ringing like a bell that had been struck, the entire world fading away except for the drumming in his ears.
It seemed as if he saw Steward Fang's gloating expression, and his younger siblings' worried faces, his father's straight back, and his mother's gentle smile.
Raised in a perfectly upright and moral family, the education he received held propriety above all.
His father said that one should embrace all, cherish all, love one's country and people, remain upright and steadfast.
But his father never said what to do when, despite one's utmost efforts, one was unable to stand against a tremendous entity.
His father also never said whether it was cowardly to retreat or brave to fight back when everything one had was unjustly seized.
When the innocent are punished while the guilty go free.
If excellence itself was a mistake, should he not have studied so diligently night and day, practicing and memorizing, exerting himself fully?
Just like Qi Huai, barely passing each exam by hanging onto the tail end of the rankings, never shining dazzlingly bright, but steady and reliable, never provoking others' jealousy.
Yet was not excellence what countless people strove to attain?
Xu Mo lowered his head, looking at his own fair and slender fingers. His heart swelled with sorrow, helplessness and bleakness, misery and chill.
That orderly yet bold, proper yet vigorous handwriting had been his pride from diligent practice, the key for him to stand against the Fang family, found after over ten days of mental struggle - the only chance he had managed to find.
But now, all of it was gone.
The Fang family steward told Xu Mo with just one retainer - the capabilities of powerful aristocratic clans was that anything you can think of, they can make happen.
The influence of powerful families was not something commoners like them could shake.
Anything Xu Mo had considered or predicted was already within the plans of the aristocratic Fang clan.
With no power, skills, or cunning comparable to theirs, what chance did he have to oppose them?
Then shouldn't he just admit defeat?
Xu Mo dazedly remained standing as the steward's voice echoed, "Back in An Shui county I could already tell you were a good seed, just a bit crooked in your heart. Did you really think that mimicking our young master's handwriting would allow you to smear the Fang family's name and steal the top scholar status that belongs to him? What's fake cannot be made real, what's real cannot be made fake."
Someone was still shouting hoarsely, "Big brother, big brother... the ash heap, the ash heap!"
Things were coming together.
The trouble Xu Mo faced outside the An Shui county exam grounds, and Steward Fang's unexpected graciousness.
The often disturbed ash heap outside the small courtyard in Yong Jing, surely that ash was from all the discarded practice papers?
Handwriting identical to Fang Yuan's, who knew how long he had painstakingly imitated it.
The chess match played by the Fang clan was too masterful.
The previous confrontation was just the steward toying with Xu Mo. Bringing up reviewing the original scrolls and then changing expression was just to bolster Xu Mo's confidence - that way the truth would be an even greater emotional blow when revealed.
Shifting from certainty to disbelief, from assurance to confusion.
Even top scholars like him would doubt themselves.
Fortunately, he was Xu Mo.
Fortunately, he still had his siblings.
