Chapter 49: Wenxin's Substitution (Part 1)
wait……
Her three taels of silver?
Shen Tang's mind raced, and coupled with her habitually imaginative thought process, countless guesses surfaced in her head.
Could it be that I am the legendary chosen one?
This is, after all, a world where science is a death knell, and unscientific is scientific. But then he thought about his own unlucky, hellish start, without even the basic benefits of being a transmigrator and having his home raided. He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at himself for overthinking things.
A woman destined by heaven...
He's just an unlucky guy who's had a terrible run of luck all the time.
"Is there some hidden story behind this?" Shen Tang tried to make her tone sound less narcissistic, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up as she asked Chu Yao, "Does the person who gives three taels of silver have to be me, or can it be anyone, but it has to be three taels of silver?"
Chu Yao's answer surprised her.
He said, "I don't know."
Chu Yao's unconventional approach left Shen Tang scratching her head in bewilderment, her voice rising slightly as she asked, "You don't know???"
"It's a long story... I'm not entirely sure either."
Shen Tang: "...I have time to listen to you slowly."
Just like Qi Shan, she tried to abruptly end the conversation with a simple "It's a long story," leaving Qi Shan wondering what was going on.
"Goro is really curious?"
Shen Tang honestly admitted, "I'm very curious!"
"This story begins in the year I started my formal education..."
Chu Yao adopted a storytelling posture, ready to recount his tale, but Shen Tang wasn't one to listen attentively. He'd barely begun when she asked, "The year you began your studies? What happened?"
Although Chu Yao doesn't like to keep people in suspense like Qi Shan does, the story's timeline is stretched out too early, no wonder it's such a long story.
Nothing much happened that year.
Shen Tang: "..."
The silence behind him made Chu Yao chuckle to himself; he could picture the speechless expression on the boy's face without even having to think.
Chu Yao said casually, "I just sensed the energy of heaven and earth in the year I began to learn to read, and in the same year I condensed my literary heart."
Shen Tang then asked, "What are the different grades of literary talent?"
Chu Yao replied, "Second rank, upper-middle."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang gasped in astonishment: "So tall???"
Qi Shan only achieved a mid-to-lower sixth rank with a salary of 258,000.
The second-rank superior literary talent is second only to the first-rank superior literary talent! The first-rank superior literary talent is also called the saintly talent, which is also a nominal talent. Only the princes who possess the national seal can possess it. Therefore, the second-rank superior literary talent is the highest rank that ordinary people can possess.
Having a literary talent of the upper-middle grade of the second rank is like having a royal flush. How did Chu Yao manage to get to where he is now?
It's truly unbelievable.
Hearing the undisguised surprise in Shen Tang's voice, Chu Yao's tone turned somber: "High? It is quite high... but if I could choose, I would prefer it to be lower, fourth rank, fifth rank, or even the lowest ninth rank would be fine. Possessing this literary heart is more of a curse than a blessing for me."
Shen Tang asked, puzzled, "But isn't this a sign of good talent?"
Why would anyone want to be less talented?
Chu Yao gave a wry smile: "Wulang, didn't your teacher tell you that a scholar's literary talent and character don't represent everything?"
“Yuanliang did say that, but I still think it’s just his personal opinion and doesn’t represent the views of the general public…”
Unexpectedly, Chu Yao shared the same idea as Qi Shan.
Could this be a consensus among experts?
"What is the general public? Is it some kind of obscure spiritual power?"
Chu Yao's focus was somewhat confused, just like Shen Tang's. Based on the context, he knew that "the general public" was similar to "the masses" or "ordinary people," but he had never heard of this term before.
Shen Tang paused, then hesitated, "I don't know... I just blurted it out, but that's not the point."
That's definitely not the point.
Chu Yao didn't pay much attention to this detail; he was more concerned about the "Yuan Liang" mentioned by Shen Tang: "Is that 'Yuan Liang' the young scholar I met briefly on the long street earlier?"
Shen Tang: "Yes, it's him."
Chu Yao said with a hint of appreciation, "He was indeed a good teacher. Did he tell you anything about the talent for literary talent?"
Literary talent?
What is this thing?
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
There's so much of this random stuff!
Although Shen Tang was completely bewildered, she still said, "Wenxin...talent? I really don't know anything about that, and Yuanliang never mentioned it. He only talked to me about the way of the feudal lords...I'm not afraid to admit it, sir, that although I have Wenxin, I don't really know much about it. Occasionally when I have questions for Yuanliang, he always brushes me off, either saying he'll explain later or saying 'you don't need to know'..."
I strongly suspect he's just being lazy and doesn't want to answer.
Chu Yao: "Brother Yuanliang may be doing this for Wulang's own good. The more you know about certain things, the less beneficial it will be for your future growth..."
Shen Tang asked curiously, "There's such a saying?"
Chu Yao said, "Hmm."
Shen Tang was exasperated: "...!!!"
So, should she continue listening to the story or not?
Chu Yao made the decision for her: "The literary talent is specifically divided into two types: the way of the feudal lords and the way of the scholar. Just from the names, you can tell the identities that the two talents represent. I think your gentleman has already told you about the way of the feudal lords, so I won't go into details. What I want to talk about is the way of the scholar, which is a unique ability of a small number of literary strategists, and can be activated without any words."
Shen Tang silently noted: "Does the master also have it?"
Chu Yao was silent for a while: "It happened before, but before I could grow up, my literary heart was 'switched'."
Shen Tang was astonished: "A switcheroo?"
Judging from the literal meaning alone, this is not...
Chu Yao shook his head with a wry smile, then said something surprising: "Yes, didn't your husband tell you that Wenxin can be stolen?"
Shen Tang: "...!!!"
Qi Shan has never mentioned it.
"That's how my second-rank scholar's talent was switched. At the height of my youthful vigor, I fell into the mire overnight, with no chance of recovery." Chu Yao spoke casually about a story that seemed unrelated to himself, then added, "Your gentleman didn't mention 'the Way of the Scholar' to you, perhaps he had his own reasons and considerations. Because 'the Way of the Scholar' is not only a special ability, but also a scholar's self-examination. It's related to what kind of person the scholar is, his personality, and what path he seeks. Even a sage wouldn't want to expose such a private matter to the public eye, would he?"
Not every strategist possesses the principles of a scholar, but those who do will almost always choose to conceal their true nature.
To be honest, it felt like being stripped of all clothing that could cover the body, and being thrown into the crowd completely naked.
Shen Tang's expression momentarily became dazed.
She never expected Wenxin to be able to do this.
His own literary talent was not high, but he happened to have the talent to steal the literary talent of others, so he went to steal others'...
No wonder Mr. Chu said that his second-rank scholar position was more of a curse than a blessing for him. Isn't this just like "a child carrying a thousand pieces of gold in a bustling city"?
1. "普罗大众" is not an idiom, but a transliteration.
2. Literary Talent = The Way of the Feudal Lords + The Way of the Scholar. Simply put, it's a special talent possessed by people of two different identities, which can be used without specific incantations. Because it's related to one's personality, scholars generally don't mention it proactively or tell others, making it essentially a trump card.
PS: For example, if you encounter someone who can "steal the essence" and steal your thoughts, everyone wants to stay far away from them.
Chu Yao came from a humble background and possessed exceptional literary talent, which naturally attracted the covetousness of others.
(End of this chapter)
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