In the afternoon, in the academy's classroom, many tribute students handed their own essays to their classmates, eagerly looking forward to their comments and discussions.
"Brother Zhou, your essay is truly powerful and pragmatic, without any sense of affectation."
"Brother Ziyun's theory on flood control is also extraordinary. He directly points to the root cause of floods and his insights are unique and admirable."
"But if we're talking about brilliant writing, Brother Lantai's article describing the lives of ordinary people in the northern and southern counties is so captivating that it makes one feel as if they were there, and vivid images emerge before one's eyes."
These tribute students gathered together are all the best in the academy.
Among them, Xue Jiyan and Jiang Lun are particularly eye-catching both in terms of literary talent and appearance.
At this time, someone mentioned: "A few days ago, I had the honor of reading Brother Boxi's "Clouds Fill the Missing Parts of Cangshan Mountain". It was truly amazing. If you have the opportunity to read it, you will definitely be fascinated by it."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone became interested.
They all knew that Yan Boxi's family was not wealthy, but this did not affect everyone's respect and closeness to him. Under the influence of poetry, books and etiquette, these students had long known that a hero is judged by his talent and learning, rather than by his wealth.
Jiang Lun nodded in agreement, "Although I've only been at the Imperial College a few days, I'm already impressed by Yan Boxi's exceptional talent. With the company of fine tea today, why not take this opportunity to invite him to join us in our academic discussions?"
"That's a very good idea!" A student named Li stood up immediately after hearing this, "I live close to Yan Boxi, I'll go and ask him to come over." After saying this, he hurried away.
Shortly after the student named Li left, he brought Yan Boxi to the teaching ground.
Yan Boxi was dressed in a simple blue robe and had a calm expression, but his handsome aura could not be concealed.
He nodded slightly as a greeting to everyone. Seeing this, Jiang Lun hurried forward, warmly invited Yan Boxi to take a seat, and personally poured him a cup of fragrant tea.
Yan Boxi held a few scrolls of articles in his hands and gently handed them to the nearest tribute students. He smiled and said, "These are some of the humble articles I wrote recently. I hope you will be kind enough to give me some advice."
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered around and passed Yan Boxi's article around. They either read it carefully with their heads down or discussed it in low voices, with expressions of approval on their faces from time to time.
"Brother Boxi's article is truly breathtaking, with every word a gem and every sentence a brilliant flourish."
There were also tribute students who were unwilling to be outdone. They handed their masterpieces to Yan Boxi, expecting his comments. Yan Boxi took the article and also read it carefully.
For a time, the west wing was filled with the fragrance of books and the sound of discussions. Yan Boxi was not only talented, but also humble and sincere. His suggestions often hit the nail on the head and benefited people a lot.
When the book "Clouds Fill the Gaps of Cangshan Mountain" was circulated to Jiang Lun, he and Xue Jiyan read it side by side, both with expressions of approval and amazement on their faces.
"Brother Boxi, your masterpiece is truly amazing." Jiang Lun said with a smile.
Yan Boxi was slightly taken aback when he heard this, then smiled modestly and said, "Brother Jiang, you are too kind. Everyone in the capital knows the name of Master Lantai. This article is just something I wrote casually based on my occasional inspiration."
Jiang Lun shook his head slightly. "Brother Boxi is too modest. This article begins with the scenery of mountains and rivers, uses the scenery to express emotions, and also uses metaphors to illustrate the changes in all things in the world. The scale of the writing is beyond our reach. It is truly a masterpiece among masterpieces."
After a heated discussion, many students who were in high spirits enthusiastically suggested going to the back mountain to release Kongming lanterns to express their wishes for success in the spring examination.
Yan Boxi has always disapproved of these pretentious acts, so he had no intention of participating.
Xue Yuanchu and Jiang Lun also maintained an indifferent attitude towards this, especially Jiang Lun. He insisted that only those who were not strong enough would rely on these illusory forms. If one could pass the imperial examination by praying to the gods, then the streets would be full of top scorers.
However, the sky is clear today, and it is expected that the starry sky will be dazzling when night falls, which makes people want to appreciate the night scenery.
Under such circumstances, and with everyone's enthusiastic invitation, Yan Boxi saw that his colleagues were very interested, so he smiled and readily agreed.
He couldn't help feeling melancholy. If he could pass the imperial examination this spring, he would bid farewell to the Imperial College and embark on his official career. Otherwise, he would not be able to afford the tuition for the next three years, so he could only return home and study hard, hoping to return to Beijing again in three years to realize his ambitions.
The tribute student named Li Zhiwen, who lived near Yan Boxi, came from a prominent and wealthy merchant family in Jinzhong.
Half a year ago, he temporarily transferred to the Imperial College and was therefore arranged to live in a slightly remote residence.
Academically, Li Zhiwen's performance was mediocre. If he could be lucky enough to obtain the title of Jinshi in this imperial examination, it would probably be thanks to the blessing of his ancestors.
At this moment, he was holding several volumes of Yan Boxi's articles in his hands, as if they were treasures, and he couldn't let them go. A hint of greed flashed across his eyes, but it disappeared in a flash and was not noticed by others.
The tribute students gathered in the training ground for most of the day, and then returned to their respective rooms to take a short rest. They agreed to gather again in the back mountain when night fell to release Kongming lanterns.
Li Zhiwen wanted to memorize Yan Boxi's masterpieces, but unfortunately he did not have the ability to remember everything he saw. In desperation, he had to return the articles to Yan Boxi reluctantly, and the idea of keeping them for himself suddenly arose in his heart.
At the beginning of the night, almost all the tribute students of the Imperial College went to the back mountain. The starry sky was bright and the night was beautiful.
They held various kinds of Kongming lanterns in their hands, and amidst laughter and joy, the Kongming lanterns slowly rose into the sky, dotting the night sky and twinkling like stars.
Li Zhiwen in the crowd had ulterior motives. Seeing that everyone's eyes were staring into the sky, he took advantage of the cover of night and quietly returned to the academy, sneaking into Yan Boxi's room with a clear goal.
The room was simply furnished and everything was visible at a glance, which gave him an opportunity. He quickly found the articles written by Yan Boxi, without concealing the greed on his face at all.
He carefully folded the article and hid it in his arms, then took out the tinder he had prepared in advance and lit the curtains around him.
The flames spread rapidly, illuminating Li Zhiwen's sinister face.
In order to create chaos, Li Zhiwen threw a folded Kongming lantern to the door and lit it.
After watching the Kongming lantern completely burn into ashes, Li Zhiwen curled up a smug smile.
He was convinced that the remains of the lantern would lead people to mistakenly believe that the fire was caused by a lantern that fell into the porch and sparks that splashed onto the curtains.
After doing all this, Li Zhiwen quickly left and disappeared into the night.
Inside the academy, flames shot up into the sky, which was extremely eye-catching in the dark night and soon attracted the attention of the tribute students and the managers in the academy. Everyone ran and shouted in panic, and the entire Imperial College fell into chaos.
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