Upon hearing this, the students in the school all frowned.
As expected of the most difficult passage to understand in the Book of Songs, they didn't understand a single word!
Even Zhao Rui frowned and remained silent; he had never heard of this before.
At this moment, Sheng Wenjin stood up, bowed to Master Li, and then slowly said:
"The hawks fly swiftly back to their nests. All the people are well-fed, yet I alone suffer. What have I done to deserve this? What crime have I committed? My heart is filled with sorrow; what can I do?"
...
Mo Gao is not a high mountain, Mo Dun is not a deep spring. A gentleman does not easily speak, his ears are always attuned to the wall. Do not cross my bridge, do not pull out my fish trap. I myself am not well, how can I care for my descendants?
Sheng Wenjin recited the entire poem in one breath.
The students, unsure of right or wrong, all looked towards Master Li.
Master Li nodded in satisfaction and continued his questioning:
"Good! Good! You recited it perfectly! Wen Jin, do you know what this poem is about?"
"The poem expresses the joy of crows flapping their wings and the leisurely flight of flocks returning to their nests. All people enjoy happiness and joy, while I alone am trapped in sorrow. I do not know where I have angered the heavens, nor do I understand the depth of my sins. My heart is filled with worries that are hard to dispel, and I am filled with a sense of loss. Where can I turn to ask Heaven?"
...
...
My king listens to slander and indulges in it. He ignores me and does not investigate the slander. When felling trees, one must be careful not to be injured by falling branches; when splitting firewood, one must follow the grain. Yet my king releases the guilty and puts the clothes of a convict on me.
No mountain is higher than this, no spring deeper than this. My king, do not easily believe slanderous words, for walls have ears. Do not come to the dam where I fish, do not peek into the secrets of my fish baskets. I am now too busy to care for myself, how can I worry about the myriad difficulties that will follow me!
Sheng Wenjin then provided a complete explanation of the meaning.
Master Li looked at Sheng Wenjin, stroked his beard, and smiled, "Wenjin, you are indeed the best in our Imperial Academy. You have explained such obscure and difficult sentences so clearly. Now I can rest assured!"
You are truly deserving of the title of top scholar!
Master Li looked at Sheng Wenjin with satisfaction in his eyes. He had always valued Sheng Wenjin's talent, and seeing his outstanding performance now filled him with immense joy.
He knew that as long as Sheng Wenjin could maintain this form, he would definitely win the top spot in the imperial examination.
Master Li's words shocked everyone present.
Are they all correct?
They had never even heard of such obscure poetry before, yet Sheng Wenjin could not only recite it from memory but also explain its meaning.
As expected, geniuses are geniuses; what they have learned has long surpassed their previous knowledge.
Zhao Rui's face instantly turned extremely ugly.
He thought he was good enough, but Sheng Wenjin's talent far exceeded his expectations.
Sheng Wenjin not only accurately recited this profound and unfathomable line from the Book of Songs, but also provided detailed annotations.
This is enough to prove that he was well-read and that his understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics had reached an extremely high level.
In contrast, Zhao Rui's confidence began to waver, and he realized that the gap between himself and Sheng Wenjin might be much larger than he had imagined.
He clenched his fists and stared at Sheng Wenjin's back with a look of jealousy.
In the following time, Master Li continued to test the students' understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics. Sheng Wenjin was able to answer accurately every time, earning the utmost admiration from everyone present. Zhao Rui, on the other hand, hated Sheng Wenjin even more.
After school, Zhao Rui's resentment and jealousy burned like wildfire. He couldn't stand Sheng Wenjin stealing his thunder. He summoned several servants from the manor and cornered Sheng Wenjin in an empty alley.
When Sheng Wenjin saw that Zhao Rui and several others were blocking his way aggressively, he couldn't help but sigh.
He was only a fifteen-year-old boy, intelligent but overly competitive.
"what you up to?"
Sheng Wenjin raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhao Rui.
Zhao Rui was furious when he saw Sheng Wenjin's nonchalant expression.
"Sheng Wenjin, don't get too cocky!" Zhao Rui walked up to Sheng Wenjin and said provocatively, "You think you're so great just because you can recite that passage from the Book of Songs? Let me tell you, two years ago I could beat you unconscious and leave you unable to take care of yourself! I can do it again this time!"
"It's you?" Sheng Wenjin's gaze turned cold as he looked at Zhao Rui.
"Huh? What? You forgot?" Zhao Rui circled around Sheng Wenjin with a suspicious look on his face.
No wonder Sheng Wenjin didn't report him to the authorities even after being sober for over a year; it turns out he had lost this part of his memory!
I wish he hadn't said it.
But it doesn't matter, this time he doesn't want to leave Sheng Wenjin any way out.
If Sheng Wenjin exists, he will never have a chance to rise in the world, so he must die!
Upon thinking of this, a hint of murderous intent flashed in Zhao Rui's eyes.
"Ha! I did forget, but since you've admitted it yourself, then I know!"
Sheng Wenjin snorted coldly and suddenly kicked Zhao Rui with his right foot. Zhao Rui was caught off guard and fell to the ground, immediately feeling excruciating pain and letting out a miserable scream.
The other servants who were with Zhao Rui immediately ran over to help him up.
"What are you all standing there for? Get him! Kill him!"
Zhao Rui stood up, glaring at Sheng Wenjin through gritted teeth.
How strange, Sheng Wenjin seems to know martial arts?
That kick almost made him vomit blood.
Upon receiving the order, the servants grabbed swords and clubs and charged towards Sheng Wenjin.
"court death!"
Sheng Wenjin let out a low shout, slightly shifting his body to the side, easily dodging the attack from the servant charging at the front. He reached out and grabbed the servant's arm, twisting it forcefully. With a 'crack', the servant's arm was dislocated.
"ah……"
The servant clutched his right arm and wailed.
Immediately afterwards, another servant raised a large knife and chopped it directly at Sheng Wenjin's head.
But when the broadsword struck Sheng Wenjin's face, it suddenly stopped moving.
The servant felt as if there was a cloud of energy blocking his sword from striking down.
Sheng Wenjin stood right in front of him, motionless, his expression chillingly cold.
The servant was terrified by that look. He dropped his broadsword and ran away.
The broadsword clattered to the ground, and then Sheng Wenjin glanced at it; the broadsword had actually floated up.
Immediately afterwards, the broadsword flew out and pierced the servant's buttocks.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered, and the servant's screams echoed through the sky.
The servant fell to the ground, clutching his buttocks and groaning in pain.
Upon seeing this, the remaining servants all retreated, not daring to step forward again.
With a casual wave of his hand, Sheng Wenjin sent those people crashing to the ground, including the two who had been seriously injured earlier.
One of the servants collapsed right at Zhao Rui's feet. His eyes were wide open and his face was deathly pale, as if he had suddenly died.
Zhao Rui was so frightened that he turned and ran, but before he could take two steps, he was frozen in place.
Sheng Wenjin slowly walked towards Zhao Rui and spoke softly:
"Zhao Rui, this alley is deserted. Guess what would happen if I killed you here?"
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