Chapter 68 What is Zhao Yunjing trying to hide from her?
In the southeast of Taohua County, there is a mountain called Taohualing (Peach Blossom Ridge). Taohualing is a scenic mountain with thousand-year-old pine trees. A clear spring flows down from the mountain and eventually forms a small waterfall at the foot of the mountain. The spring water tinkles and the mist splashes. Even though the weather in October is still unbearably hot, just looking at that cloud of water vapor from afar makes you feel like you've sweated a lot.
Such a tranquil environment is naturally an ideal place to establish an academy for academic research.
Peach Blossom Ridge covers a large area, and two academies are located on the left and right sides of the mountain, with a clear spring as the boundary.
One was Shanglin Academy, an official school run by Taohua County, and the other was Huilan Academy, founded by Lord Liang, the first scholar from Taohua County to become the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, after he retired and returned to his hometown.
Originally, the two academies were evenly matched in terms of student quality and teaching staff. Shanglin Academy had talents from the Hanlin Academy sent down by the provincial education commissioner to serve as teachers, and the proportion of candidates who passed the imperial examinations was quite good.
The teachers at Huilan Academy were all renowned teachers who came because of Lord Liang's virtuous reputation, or his students, and many of them passed the imperial examinations in previous years.
However, after Lord Liang passed away, those who came seeking his reputation left one after another. What was recruited later were the students rejected by the official schools in various places. It cannot be said that they were not good enough, but compared with the official schools, they were still a bit inferior. As a result, year after year, the number of students at Huilan Academy decreased. Not to mention that wealthy families in the city would choose Shanglin Academy first, even poorer families would try to send their children to Shanglin Academy.
The county school that Young Master Chen mentioned is Shanglin Academy.
Zhao Yunjing quickly arrived at Peach Blossom Ridge. He glanced at the small waterfall beside him, took a deep breath, and began to climb the steps.
There was a pavilion halfway up the mountain where a group of students were playing a game of "Flying Flowers" (a traditional Chinese poetry game). Zhao Yunjing walked around a few bends and revealed himself.
Someone in the pavilion spotted him and immediately exclaimed, "Hey, isn't that Zhao Yunjing, the villager from Peach Blossom Village? What's he doing here? Brother Chen, is he here for you? Wants to duel someone? Speaking of which, haven't you stopped visiting Miss Zhou lately? What brings him here? Could it be that he also wants to come to the county school?"
"Hey, he's just a peasant who can't read much, and he actually wants to get into the county school? Does he think our county school is some kind of execution ground where anyone can come?"
When Young Master Chen turned around, he indeed saw Zhao Yunjing. He frowned and stopped playing the flying flower game.
The pavilion was filled with his new friends from this period of time. Although they were called friends, they were actually there because of his status as the "son of the county magistrate." He knew this perfectly well, but he did need friends to play with at the academy, so he pretended not to know and accepted their flattery and fawning.
However, hearing them so disrespectfully insult Zhao Yunjing made him quite unhappy.
Young Master Chen said coldly, "What is he here for? We'll find out when he gets here. Why are you all guessing? Do you think I don't have a mouth?"
It's unclear whether Young Master Liu can still stay by Young Master Chen's side after stealing his girlfriend. At this moment, he spoke up and said, "Brother Chen, your classmates mean well. Don't be angry. This Zhao Yunjing seems to have ill intentions. Everyone is afraid that you will suffer."
"With you guys around, if I could still suffer losses, then why would I be classmates with you?" Young Master Chen retorted again, making the faces of his classmates look ugly.
Young Master Liu thought to himself, "If it weren't for the fact that you're the son of a county magistrate, who would even bother with you, given your limited knowledge and a few nonsensical articles?"
The others thought the same thing, but they didn't show it on their faces. After all, they weren't associating with Young Master Chen for his scholarship and writings.
Young Master Chen scrutinized him, and Zhao Yunjing naturally noticed him as well. Their eyes met, and he nodded. When they reached the pavilion, he didn't stop but continued climbing.
Young Master Liu exclaimed, "Brother Chen, it seems Brother Li was right, Young Master Zhao really wants to go to the county school!"
"Zhao Yunjing!" Young Master Chen hurried after him. "You want to study at the county school?"
Fearing that Zhou Mujiao would have to wait too long, Zhao Yunjing did not stop, but answered as he climbed: "I am indeed here to study, but not to the county school."
Young Master Chen frowned, recalling the calligraphy he had written at the tea stall, which exuded great spirit. "You're going back to Lan Academy? Because I'm at the county school, you don't dare to confront me head-on, afraid you'll lose to me?"
"Do you even believe what you're saying, Young Master Chen?"
"Then come to the county school! The only thing I lost to you in last time was calligraphy! I want to have a fair competition with you! Let's compare our academic achievements! Let's see who has more and better knowledge!"
Zhao Yunjing smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I'm here to learn and improve myself, not to compete with you. If there's nothing else, Young Master Chen, I'll take my leave."
"If you want to learn and make progress, you should go to Shanglin Academy! Huilan Academy only has a few old teachers, their teaching methods are outdated and stale, and their own knowledge is limited. They can't teach anything new no matter how they teach. Moreover, only two people from their academy participated in the provincial examination last year, but neither of them passed. In contrast, our Shanglin Academy has at least two successful candidates every year."
Young Master Chen said, “I know why you came to study. You want to make a name for yourself and change your family’s fortune so you can marry Miss Zhou. Although we are competitors, for Miss Zhou’s sake, I still suggest you come to Shanglin Academy. Even if your academic knowledge is average, you have gained the appreciation of the people in charge of politics. In the future, you will only be a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations), and you will not have to worry about finding a way out in Taohua County.”
"I understand what Young Master Chen means, but I have no need for it. Farewell."
"Hey, Zhao, how can you be so old-fashioned? If I weren't doing this for Miss Zhou's own good, why would I be telling you all this? You keep saying you won't be just a country bumpkin your whole life, but you even went down the wrong path from the very beginning. At best, you'll just be a rich man!"
In our Great Liang, merchants are the lowest of the low. You'd be better off continuing to farm in the village; at least then you'd earn the reputation of a family of scholars and farmers!
You can say whatever you want, but why did you have to grab someone and pull them around!
Zhao Yunjing easily shook off Young Master Chen with a few movements: "Young Master Chen, please have some self-respect. If you obstruct me again, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Having said that, he quickened his pace and ignored Young Master Chen.
"Hey, you blockhead! I really don't know what Miss Zhou sees in you!"
Young Master Chen's persistent pursuit wasn't limited to Zhou Mujiao; he used it on Zhao Yunjing as well. Zhao Yunjing ignored him, but he didn't care and just followed behind Zhao Yunjing.
Everyone else was completely baffled. Zhao Yunjing's indifference towards Young Master Chen wasn't a new thing. Before, Young Master Chen's attention was all on Zhou Mujiao. If Zhao Yunjing ignored him, so be it. Given Young Master Chen's stubborn temper, he probably wouldn't try to get close to him again. Wasn't he like that back in the academy?
But now that Zhao Yunjing has publicly humiliated him, it would be strange if he weren't angry. And he's been following him all this way. Is Young Master Chen bewitched? Could it be that Zhao Yunjing's words just now provoked Young Master Chen, forcing him to follow?
So what exactly did Zhao Yunjing say?
Young Master Liu's eyes darted around, and he shouted:
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