Before we knew it, it was May 15th. The pomegranate flowers in the courtyard grew redder day by day, so vibrant they seemed to burn the eyes, while the water in the clear pond grew greener day by day, as serene as a deep jade-green.
A breeze blows, and the pomegranate blossoms tremble and fall onto the water's surface, startling several koi carp and creating endless ripples, much like the long, sunny days of this season.
A clear, youthful voice rang out from nearby: "Zhu Qing! What are you still doing here? The judges are about to begin their evaluation, and everyone is looking for you!"
Qiu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed suddenly. He was always good-natured and rarely changed his expression, so even though he was worried, he still had a faint smile on his face. He turned his head and looked away from the pomegranate flowers on the water and onto the newcomer's face. He said in a gentle tone, "It's my fault. I'm sorry to have troubled you all."
Having been classmates for several years, the young man had a good understanding of Qiu Zhuqing's personality. Seeing that Qiu's eyes and brows were not as bright as usual, he guessed what was troubling him. He sighed and said, "How about I ask your teacher for leave for you? Everyone went home for the Dragon Boat Festival, and you're the only one left at the academy. It's been so many days. You should go back and reunite with your family today, shouldn't you?"
It's true that Qiu Zhuqing was unlucky. Even his teacher said that no matter where he was, he would be one of the most outstanding people. But he just happened to meet Song Yushan and was always overshadowed by him.
If Qiu Zhuqing ranks second again in this month's article evaluation, who knows what unpleasant things those people in the academy who dislike her will say.
Qiu Zhu sighed softly, "It's alright, what's meant to come will come. Let's go, otherwise we'll miss our chance and might upset the master."
The monthly essay evaluation at Bailu Academy requires the teacher to critique each student's essay in front of all the students at Fuyun Tower, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses. This is a good opportunity for students to exchange experiences and clarify their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, the academy has a clear rule that students must attend each evaluation meeting to listen to the teacher's teachings.
When the two rushed over, the evaluation had just begun. The lecturer at the head of the table, seeing Qiu Zhuqing's late arrival, darkened slightly but said nothing, directly opening the student's essay and beginning his guidance:
"Xiao Derun's idea is not good, and his writing style is below average, but he has a strong argument. Grade C, above."
"Wu Kangtai, lacking in logic, but with a decent idea, is rated C."
"Chu Pi, the idea is good and the writing is fluent, but it is a bit thin. Grade B."
...
As the man read out each name, those whose names were called felt either joy or disappointment.
The teacher had been teaching students for many years and had some insights into the level that everyone should be at. He read through the articles without any surprises until he turned to the next one.
The handwriting was the official script he was familiar with, elegant and rounded, beautiful and square. The number of students in the entire academy who could write such good handwriting could be counted on one hand.
Let's look at the theme. This time, the topic set by the teacher is: "Mencius said: Yu disliked strong wine but loved good words. Tang held to the middle way and appointed virtuous men without any fixed method. King Wen regarded the people as if they were wounded, and longed for the Way but did not see it. King Wu did not neglect what was near, nor did he forget what was far away. The Duke of Zhou thought of combining the ideas of the three kings to implement the four policies; if there were any disagreements, he would look up and think about them day and night; if he was fortunate enough to find the answer, he would sit and wait for dawn."
The man replied, “Great sages cite the principles of the ancient sages to clarify the continuity of the Way. Since sages personally undertake the responsibility of this Way, their hearts are naturally not at ease. From Yu to the Duke of Zhou, what heart is not this?”
The question is: Yu, Tang, and King Wen were all sages of both talent and virtue. The Duke of Zhou wanted to learn from them and put their achievements into practice. When something didn't fit the situation, he would look up and ponder it day and night. Once he understood, he would sit and wait until dawn before immediately putting it into action. What do you think?
The respondent's intention was to attribute their words and actions to the inheritance of the sage's teachings and traditions by the ancients, and then elaborate on this.
The gentleman frowned and handed the article to his colleague beside him: "Take a look?"
After about half a cup of tea's time, the colleague took a deep breath: "The writing is concise and elegant, not a single word is wasted, and the meaning of the topic is fully contained. Even the top scholar in the provincial examination could not have written such a piece. I wonder who wrote it?"
The gentleman nodded: "Let's uncover it together and take a look."
The two then tore off the yellow paper covering the name, revealing three words clearly written underneath: "Qiu Zhuqing".
The gentleman paused, looking at the gentle and refined young man who had sat down, and called his name almost with a sigh: "Qiu Zhuqing..."
"The two gentlemen have been discussing for so long, I'm afraid Qiu Zhuqing's article this time isn't very good, is it? I wonder what kind of rating you will give it."
"I really don't know what the point of his hard work all day is. In the end, he's still not as good as Song Yushan. Instead, it makes us look like we're just idle."
"If I were him, after studying late into the night for so many years, always coming in second, I would have jumped into the river out of shame long ago, without anyone even saying a word! To avoid being laughed at while I'm still alive!"
No one had any faith in him. Schadenfreude and gloating voices rang out. His friends glared angrily at the sarcastic classmates, but to no avail. Instead, it made them even more arrogant, and they even seemed poised to start a big argument.
Qiu Zhuqing ignored their disdain and sneers. He stepped forward, bowed his head, and said, "Your student is here."
The gentleman looked at him for a long time, then said, "Jia, come forward."
There were no comments. The phrase "Top Grade" itself was the best compliment. Bailu Academy had been established for decades, and anyone who achieved the top grade was destined to be a top scholar.
However, there is no one like Qiu Zhuqing who has always been subordinate to others and only managed to get a top-ranked paper after several years of study. No one can say for sure whether he suddenly had an epiphany and will become invincible from then on, or whether this was just a fleeting moment of inspiration, like fireworks that will return to the eternal silence of the night after their brilliant display.
At this moment, however, he was undoubtedly the most envied figure in the academy. It's worth noting that even Song Yushan had never achieved the highest rank.
The person who had previously mocked Qiu Zhuqing was now blushing like a boiled shrimp: "...How is that possible?"
"How is it impossible!" The girl, who had been standing outside the door for an unknown amount of time, entered the hall and looked coldly at the crowd who had just mocked her. "No matter what one's talent is, it is never wrong to work hard on the right path. You yourselves are not ambitious, so you can't stand seeing others be ambitious. You even slandered my brother because he studied hard but couldn't beat Song Yushan in the essay evaluation. It's really laughable."
"Do you think that after you work hard, you can surpass Song Yushan? You're like rats in the gutter, yet you laugh at the swans soaring in the sky. In my opinion, you should stop studying. The actors and performers on stage are not as funny as you."
The girl's face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and her tone was indifferent, yet no one dared to refute her.
Qiu Zhuqing, who was standing to the side, was pleasantly surprised: "Why is Ayu here?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiayu smiled at him and said, "I've come to see my cousin." After she finished speaking, she added meaningfully, "If I hadn't come today, I probably wouldn't have known that my cousin's classmates are so interesting."
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