"Master, should we go to the Princess's residence now, or..." Liu Huo asked cautiously.
Shen Jintang turned her gaze away from the window, paused slightly, and then spoke softly: "Baichuan Academy."
She never breaks her promises to Gu Zhixing.
She had only agreed to see him this morning, so naturally she wouldn't keep him waiting.
"yes!"
The carriage slowly started moving amidst Liu Huo's shouts, heading towards Baichuan Academy. The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a soft creaking sound.
Outside the car window, the street scene unfolds slowly like a scroll painting, with pedestrians coming and going, and the hustle and bustle gradually fading away.
Inside the car, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft golden glow on Shen Jintang's figure.
Baichuan Academy.
Gu Zhixing arrived at Baichuan Academy early in the morning, but when he thought of what Shen Jintang had said to him that morning, he felt as if something was blocking his heart, and he felt listless and unable to muster any energy.
However, this did not attract much attention from others—after all, he was always late or skipped class when he came to the academy, and when he did come, he would just sleep on the table, which everyone had long been used to.
"Boss!" Ye Qingzhou called out to him in a low voice when he saw that he looked absent-minded.
Upon hearing Ye Qingzhou's words, Gu Zhixing turned slightly to the side, leaning against the edge of the table to listen to him.
Ye Qingzhou couldn't help but move closer, his eyes filled with anticipation, and said in a low voice, "Boss, you left early yesterday, how about we go cricket fighting today?"
Cricket fighting?
Gu Zhixing remembered the cricket Ye Qingzhou bought for five hundred taels of gold and instantly had the idea of skipping class.
He was about to speak in response when a cold, sharp voice suddenly rang out: "Teacher, Gu Zhixing and Ye Qingzhou are whispering to each other again in class!"
Song Heming sat not far away, his gaze icy as he coldly stared at them.
Having been humiliated by Gu Zhixing in public last time, he was always looking for an opportunity to make Gu Zhixing look foolish so he could get revenge.
Upon hearing Song Hemian's words, the Master looked towards the positions of Gu Zhixing and Ye Qingzhou.
Before Ye Qingzhou could even sit up straight, she saw the teacher's gloomy face.
So he immediately returned to his seat.
But the teacher's gaze remained sharp as knives on the two of them, and his tone was stern: "You two, go to my study after class to receive your punishment!"
Ye Qingzhou immediately shrank back and muttered softly, "Boss, this is really bad..."
Gu Zhixing merely raised an eyebrow slightly and lazily curled the corners of his mouth, seemingly unconcerned about the teacher's reprimand.
To be punished?
It's a good thing that he doesn't punish others; who would dare to let him take the punishment?
It's just a matter of letting things go in one ear and out the other.
The teacher turned a blind eye, sighed, picked up the thick stack of exam papers in his hand, and said, "I have already graded your exam papers from yesterday."
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom fell silent instantly, as if the air itself had frozen.
Reading out grades in public is so embarrassing!
But the Master ignored all that, and simply opened the report book and slowly said, "This month's lesson will test your understanding and application of the teachings of the sages, based on passages from the Analects and essays on policy. The results will be divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. Grade A is excellent, Grade B is good, Grade C is acceptable, and Grade D requires diligence."
After saying this, the teacher picked up a scroll of reviewed articles from the table, glanced at everyone, and began to read: "Zhang Sheng, your policy essay has unique insights, profound interpretation of the classics, rigorous logic, and excellent diction. First class. I hope you will continue your efforts and not be arrogant."
Zhang Sheng bowed slightly, his face beaming with undisguised joy, and said, "Thank you for your praise, Master. I will certainly work hard."
The Master picked up another scroll and said, “Gu Yanqing, you can understand the classics and your policy essays are passable, but your insights are not profound enough and your arguments are somewhat disorganized. Grade C. I hope you will put in more effort in the future, study the classics in depth, and organize your thoughts in your essays. You will surely make some progress.”
Gu Yanqing said softly, cupping his hands in thanks, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand and will study diligently so that I will not disappoint you next time."
Song Hemian sat to the side, his eyes full of disdain.
So what if you're just an A or B? What's there to be proud of?
"Song Hemian, in this monthly lesson, you were unfamiliar with the classics, and your policy essays were even more disorganized and incoherent. You are given a grade of D. I hope that you will go back and study diligently, and not waste any more time."
Suddenly, the Master's voice landed on Song Hemian.
Song Hemian's face instantly turned bright red, like the morning glow dyed by the dawn. He stammered a reply, walked forward with somewhat unsteady steps, took the test paper from the teacher's hand, lowered his head, and dared not meet the teacher's gaze.
Seeing this, Ye Qingzhou, who was standing to the side, raised the corners of his mouth slightly and muttered under his breath, "Serves him right!"
Although the voice was soft, it was full of schadenfreude.
"Ye Qingzhou, are you still laughing?" The teacher slammed the ruler on the table, making a loud noise. "At least the others wrote something, but what about you? You didn't write a single word. Your attitude is absolutely appalling! You're not even worthy of being called a 'Ding'!"
Ye Qingzhou nonchalantly stepped forward and took down her exam paper.
His father can't even control him, so why should a teacher talk to him about his attitude?
"Gu Zhixing." The teacher called out Gu Zhixing's name again.
Everyone held their breath instantly.
Ye Qingzhou was especially nervous, even more so than when he received his own results.
Previously, the eldest brother, like him, always submitted blank papers, but yesterday, for some reason, he suddenly started writing on the test paper.
What if all this effort only results in me being a nobody?
"Heh!" Song Hemian sneered and glanced at Gu Zhixing sideways.
In his eyes, Gu Zhixing, a playboy who was always idle and irresponsible, must have terrible grades.
Ye Qingzhou and Song Hemian shared the same view on this point; neither of them believed that Gu Zhixing would achieve any good results.
After all, they knew all too well how Gu Zhixing had played his way up from childhood.
"Gu Zhixing's article is fluent and shows his own understanding of the classics, but his argumentation is slightly lacking. Grade B, still needs improvement."
The Master looked at Gu Zhixing and said, "You have made great progress recently, keep up the good work."
However, when the teacher read out Gu Zhixing's grades, the entire classroom erupted in chaos.
Some were surprised, some were disdainful, and some were jealous.
Amidst the commotion, Ye Qingzhou slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "I knew the boss was amazing!"
Several students who were close to Gu Zhixing also chimed in and applauded.
Song Hemian's face instantly turned ashen. He stared intently at Gu Zhixing, gritting his teeth as he said, "This is impossible! He's always so carefree and irresponsible, how could he possibly get such a score?"
After announcing the results, the Master's gaze swept over the various expressions on everyone's faces, and he said earnestly, "The results are only a temporary measure. I hope you will take this opportunity to identify your shortcomings and make up for them, and make steady progress on the path of seeking the Way."
Song Heming couldn't believe that Gu Zhixing could improve so quickly in such a short time. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, and he said, "Master, he must have cheated!"
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