Half a month later.
At dawn, the doors of Sheng's Free School were all open. The neighbors were busy cleaning the streets, while the handymen of the Free School were carrying water to wipe the facade.
In the free school, not a single one of the fifty-six students was left behind. They were all sitting in the lecture hall. Even people like Sheng Changgui, who had a habit of playing truant, were as docile as little rabbits today, sitting obediently in their seats and waiting.
Two gentlemen, Sun Zhigao and Shi Kai, accompanied a wealthy middle-aged man and commanded the cleaning boys.
This middle-aged man is the financial backer behind Sheng's Yi Xue, and is now the head of Youyang's Sheng family, Sheng Wei.
After a long wait, the perspiring director ran into the lecture hall and said to Sun Zhigao: "Quick, quick, Master Xuezheng is about to enter the city, so hurry up and prepare!"
Sun Zhigao, who was always lazy, did not dare to neglect at this time. He quickly adjusted the square scarf on his head and smoothed the scholar's shirt on his body.
Shi Kai and Sheng Wei were not much better than Sun Zhigao. One of them was a stern teacher who was in awe of the students, and the other was a wealthy businessman in Youyang. At this time, they were both nervous and kept looking down to see if there was anything on their clothes. folds.
Everyone walked to the gate of the free school and greeted them according to the predetermined order. Sun Zhigao, who has the reputation of being a scholar, stood at the front. Shi Kai was a boy, and Sheng Wei was just a businessman. The two of them could only play behind Sun Zhigao.
Sun Zhigao turned around and caught a glimpse of his father-in-law's submissive look, and couldn't help but secretly feel proud: After all, he is a businessman and his like, so he can't stand on the stage. When the academic master comes to such a big event, he still has to rely on me, Sun Zhigao, to support him!
Just then, bang! boom! boom! Nine crisp gongs sounded in a row, and the south of Youyang City suddenly jumped up and down.
In feudal society, there was a clear hierarchy of superiority and inferiority, and gongs were sounded to clear the way, and there were also distinctions between high and low. The seventh-grade county official knocked seven times, the fifth-grade magistrate knocked nine times, and the provincial and governor-level officials knocked eleven times.
The admiral's academic administration is at the same level as the prefect. When the gong is sounded to clear the way, there are nine gongs.
It was preceded by a title board with the words "Admiral Jiangnan Academic Affairs", "Avoidance", and "Silence", followed by dozens of soap-clothed government servants with waist knives in their hands. In addition, there were countless masters, senior attendants, and servants accompanying them on both sides. There are soft sedan chairs with green hoods on the left and right sides.
Wei Chen knew in his heart that the people sitting in these two soft sedan chairs must be Jiangnan Academician Wang Wenqing and accompanying him Feng Jing, the magistrate of Youyang County.
The soft sedan stopped at the gate of the Yi Xue. Feng Jing, the magistrate of Youyang County, got off the sedan first, walked to another soft sedan, opened the sedan curtain, and said respectfully: "Master Xuezheng, the Sheng Family Yi Xue has arrived."
Everyone at the gate of Yi Xue lowered their heads and kept silent, not daring to breathe.
Not long after, an official in his forties stepped out of the sedan chair.
Wei Chen lowered his head and took a sneak peek. When he saw the white pheasant patch embroidered on the chest of this man's official robe, he knew that this man must be Wang Wenqing, the political scholar from Jiangnan.
This academic official looks approachable, and his official authority is not even as high as that of Magistrate Feng next to him, but his temperament is more like that of a teacher in a school.
Wang Xuezheng and Feng Zhixian were walking and chatting. Sun Zhigao, Shi Kai, Sheng Wei, and the Jin gentry of the county followed the two imperial officials cautiously and joined the Yixue.
After a while of greetings, Wang Xuezheng and Feng Zhixian took their seats in the lecture hall. Sheng Wei on the side quickly arranged for someone to bring tea and water.
Wang Xuezheng had the demeanor of a kindly elder. He twirled his beard and asked, "Which one is the teacher of the free school?"
Sun Zhigao stood up quickly and said: "Back to Master Xuezheng, it is Sun Zhigao who was born late."
Although Shi Kai also wanted to talk to Master Xuezheng, he was more of a teaching assistant in Sheng's free school, so he was not qualified to stand up and reply at this time.
When Wang Xuezheng heard the name Sun Zhigao, his expression became a little lighter: "Sun Zhigao..., I have heard of your name and heard that you have extraordinary talent. You passed the college examination at the age of twelve and became a scholar. You are known as You. Yang Prodigy.”
Wang Xuezheng's words sounded like praise, but in fact they didn't mean the slightest bit of praise.
To say that Sun Zhigao was selected as a scholar when he was twelve years old is actually to ask him: Why are you, a child prodigy, still a scholar even after more than ten years have passed and the academic administration of this province has changed several times?
Hearing the unfinished meaning of Wang Xuezheng's words, even though Sun Zhigao was as thick-skinned as a city wall, he couldn't help but show embarrassment at this moment. He was annoyed that the other party exposed his shortcomings, but he didn't dare to refute.
The other party is an academic and political official in Jiangnan. He is in charge of the culture and education of a province. He can take away his reputation as a scholar with just one sentence. If you talk back to him, isn't it like lighting a lantern in a manhole - looking for shit?
Seeing Sun Zhigao's face turning blue and purple, it was so wonderful. Wei Chen in the audience couldn't help but laugh secretly, thinking that someone could finally cure this unlearned Sun Xiucai.
Seeing that Sun Zhigao was so embarrassed that he just wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl in, Feng Zhixian, who was sitting next to Wang Xuezheng, smiled and came out to smooth things over and said: "I heard that Sun Maocai is very strict in teaching students. There are many outstanding students in this free school." generation."
After saying that, Feng Zhixian glanced at Sun Zhigao indifferently. The reason why he helped Sun Zhigao to rescue him was not because he had any good impression of Sun Zhigao. In fact, he also had great disdain for this person.
But at this time, in front of the Master of Academic Affairs, Sheng's Yixue represented the face of Youyang County, and Feng Zhixian, as the magistrate of Youyang County, could not let the county lose its face.
"Oh?" Wang Xuezheng chuckled upon hearing this, and did not continue to pester Sun Zhigao with questions. Instead, he asked about the students' studies: "Which one of you has read the Four Books?"
Hearing Wang Xuezheng's words, Sun Zhigao felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. Wei Chen, who was waiting in the hall, immediately became energetic. He and another nominal student representative stepped forward and replied: "Return to Xuezheng Sir." If so, I’ll read some later.”
"Read some?" Wang Xuezheng smiled when he heard this: "Before I became a Jinshi, I only read some Four Books."
He then pointed at the student next to Wei Chen and asked, "Where did you read the Four Books?"
The student who was called was named Chen Jun, and he was one of the best in the Sheng Family Free School in his daily studies. However, when he heard Wang Xuezheng’s question, he felt a little frightened for some reason. He mumbled and replied: "Wansheng..., Wansheng has finished reading "The Analects of Confucius". ", working diligently on Mencius and The Great Learning."
Seeing Chen Jun's shrinking look, Wang Xuezheng couldn't help but frown slightly and asked: "Since you have read the Analects, let me ask you, if a gentleman is not serious, he will not be powerful, and if he is not learned, he will not be solid. What is the explanation?"
"Late birth..., late birth..."
Chen Jun's clenched palms were full of sweat, his eyes were speechless, and Wei Chen beside him was secretly anxious for him.
Wei Chen had been attending the free school for half a month and had gotten to know some of his classmates. He knew that Chen Jun was a rare scholar in the free school and that the question asked by Wang Xuezheng was not difficult for him at all.
But Chen Jun may have never seen such a big shot as Wang Xuezheng. At this moment, he was so nervous that he couldn't even use 10% of his ten successes.
Wang Xuezheng waited for a long time, but lost his patience. Seeing that Chen Jun still couldn't give an answer, he turned around and asked Magistrate Feng with a smile: "Is this the outstanding talent you said?"
Feng Zhixian felt shameless, laughed awkwardly, and turned to glare at Chen Jun.
Chen Jun was already extremely nervous, but when Feng Zhixian glared at him, he was so frightened that his legs became weak, his face turned pale, and he looked like he was about to faint.
Wei Chen secretly thought that something was wrong. If Chen Jun really fainted in front of Master Xuezheng, then the Sheng Family Yixue would be in great disgrace!
When Feng Zhixian saw Chen Jun's shaky appearance, he secretly regretted it and quickly winked at Sun Zhigao who was standing aside.
Before Sun Zhigao understood the situation, he stared at Feng Zhixian for a while, which made Feng Zhixian almost curse him on the spot.
It was Shi Kai and Sheng Wei who were standing next to him who understood what Feng Zhixian meant and called on a few students to help Chen Jun down to rest. Feng Zhixian breathed a sigh of relief.
After this unpleasant episode, Wang Xuezheng, who was originally enthusiastic about taking the exam, was in a bad mood. When he looked at the remaining Wei Chen, his eyes became cold.
Feng Zhixian himself also lost confidence in Sheng's Yixue. In order to avoid further embarrassment, he suggested to Wang Xuezheng: "Master Xuezheng, it's getting late. Why don't we have tea and rice first?"
Wang Xuezheng said with a smile: "I've heard that Youyang is a land of fish and rice, and the rivers are good for people, so I'd like to give it a try."
The two hit it off immediately, and both stood up and left the table. The subordinates beside them also moved to clear the way for Shangguan and lift the curtain.
When Wei Chen saw this, he was secretly worried. He had worked hard to prepare for this academic visit for half a month, could it just go to waste?
"My lords, please stay!"
