Chapter 339: Lanting Elegant Gathering 5
The farce did not stop until the academician appeared.
The academician, wearing a dark blue official robe, stood there, exuding an aura of majesty without even being angry.
The servant bent over and whispered a few words in the ear of the academician. The academician, who had originally had a warm smile on his face, suddenly became as gloomy as ice. There was terrifying anger in his eyes when he looked at Wang Fengzhi, as if he wanted to eat the old scholar alive.
Wang Fengzhi suddenly felt cold sweat on the back of his neck, running down his collar and soaking his inner cotton shirt. He lowered his head tightly, his chin almost touching his chest, and he didn't even dare to breathe.
"Shame on you!" The academician's angry shout hit the vermilion lacquer pillar, causing the dust accumulated on the beam to fall down.
He turned around, and when his eyes fell on Master Du, they softened a bit, with a familiarity of old friends meeting. "It's been a long time since we last met, Master Du, you're still as charming as ever."
Master Du quickly bowed and said, "Your Excellency, the Academician, I am too kind to praise you. It is only because of the comparison with my peers that I have achieved such high marks."
"You!" Wang Fengzhi was choked again and was about to jump up and down to argue, but the cold look from the academician nailed him to the spot. The words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, and his Adam's apple rolled as if he had swallowed a stone.
"Well, it's getting late." The academician brushed the wrinkles off his robe and took the lead towards the garden gate. "Let's continue the examination."
Seeing this, everyone dispersed tactfully. Only Zhang Chuyan stepped forward, his small figure blocking the way before the academician. His voice was as clear as a morning bell: "Academician, Master Wang has not yet apologized to Master Du."
Master Du's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to grab the young man's sleeve, his fingertips turning white from the force. "It's the first banquet, so don't be rude!"
He glanced nervously at the academician, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I am a child of such rudeness that I have offended you, sir. Please forgive me."
He knew very well that Zhang Chuyan was extremely talented and that as long as he behaved himself properly, his future would be limitless. How could he leave any grudge in the heart of the academician because of such a small matter?
But Zhang Chuyan stiffened his neck and refused to give in, his clear eyes full of stubbornness.
If a disciple doesn’t even dare to speak out when his teacher is insulted, what’s the point of reading the books of sages?
The academician looked at him with interest, a hint of a smile on his face. "Oh? Why does Master Wang want to apologize?"
"Master Wang humiliated Master Du in public, which is not a gentleman's behavior. He also lost the bet, so he should fulfill his promise." Zhang Chuyan's words were sonorous, as if the person standing in front of him was not the academician of the provincial school.
The academician nodded and called out, "Wang Fengzhi!"
Master Wang, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, shuddered at the words and hurried over to Master Du. Without waiting for anyone to urge him, he bowed deeply, his voice trembling, "Master Du, I'm being reckless. I apologize in front of the academician."
Under such circumstances, Master Du naturally stopped while he was ahead and raised his hand to support him: "Master Wang, you are too kind."
The academician nodded in satisfaction, and turned his gaze towards Zhang Chuyan with a touch of respect. "What's your name? Which academy are you from?"
"I'm student Zhang Chuyan from the Qiushi School in Taohua Village." The young man answered with a bow, his back straight.
"Zhang Chuyan...what a nice name." The academician smiled and nodded, then turned and walked into the garden. "I'll remember you."
Seeing that the academician did not make things difficult for them, Master Du and Song Qiquan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, let's go in too."
The group changed their previous obedient behavior and skipped forward.
When everyone followed the academician into the garden, Wang Fengzhi's gaze was as vicious as a snake, sticking to Zhang Chuyan's back, making the young man frown.
Gu Yuchuan reached out and patted his back, the warmth of his palm carrying a soothing power: "Ignore him, leave this kind of clown to me."
A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. In his previous life, he had seen many such sour scholars who bullied others by taking advantage of their power. Naturally, he knew how to deal with these people.
Only after entering the garden did I discover a different world.
This ten-acre garden is divided into eight areas: poetry, songs, calligraphy, painting, chess and music.
There are questions of different difficulty levels written on the bamboo signs in each area. The rice paper on the red lacquered wooden rack flutters in the wind, like a group of white birds flapping their wings, ready to fly.
These eight areas are all numbered. You need to answer ten questions correctly or collect ten points in area one to enter the next area. I heard that there is a ring area further down, where you can bet points at will to participate in the ring competition.
When they passed the test and entered the yard, the waiting servant handed each of them a brocade-like cloth bag, with dark patterns embroidered on the indigo satin, which was used to hold the points certificate.
Song Qiquan stroked the tassels on the cloth bag, his eyes sparkling with interest: "This year's rules are more novel than previous years."
Su Zhuxing had already been staring at the questions in the "Poetry" section, rubbing his hands in anticipation: "But this is more interesting, isn't it?"
"Answer the questions quickly while there are few people here." Song Qiquan greeted everyone.
The Lanting Gathering was both a collective and an individual battle.
As for what is personal combat? This can only be understood literally.
Once you choose this question, you're the only one who can answer it. You can't ask others for help. If you can't answer it within three breaths, your attempt will be forfeited, and you'll have to wait in line again.
There are also group challenges, such as in the painted area, where several puzzles require three people to complete them together. However, the points earned remain the same, and upon completion, the three players must share the points. So, while the difficulty is reduced, the points earned aren't quite as high.
In the "Stargazing Pavilion" on a small hill in the distance, three people were leaning against the railing and gazing into the distance.
Sitting next to the academician was the prefect of Juzhou, who was wearing a crimson official robe. On the other side, the young man was wearing only moon-white silk, a half-worn black jade belt around his waist, and the bamboo frame of the folding fan in his hand had turned yellow, but he was sitting on an equal footing with the prefect, which made the maids and servants outside the pavilion secretly amazed.
"This year's elegant gathering was quite interesting." The prefect took a sip of tea and glanced at the young people who were playing with ease in the garden. "The children are having a great time."
The academician smiled at the young man. "This is all thanks to Master Qingyun's ingenuity."
The young man known as Master Qingyun smiled reservedly, tapping his palm with the tip of his fan. "Just some little tricks."
Prefect Song Bing put down his teacup. "Is this the only way to find the Chosen One the Imperial Master wants?"
"Or, in other words, how did the Imperial Master know for sure that the chosen one he was looking for was in our Juzhou?"
The young man called Qingyun still had the same expression, but the two people sitting there were both smart people. How could they not see the impatience between Qingyun's eyebrows?
But so what? Others are using them as rafts, don’t they even have the right to know?
He is just the national teacher, not yet to the point where he can cover the sky with one hand!
Qingyun's smile faded, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Master naturally has his own channels, the two masters just need to cooperate. Do you want to disobey the will of the emperor?"
Song Bing clenched his hands tightly within his sleeves, his expression remaining calm. "Of course I wouldn't dare. Master Qingyun will make the final decision. But I have a request."
"Juzhou is remote, and scholars are rare. Master Qingyun, please be merciful and spare their lives."
Qingyun snorted coldly, his calm expression failing him. "Song Bing, this Master is not one of those perverts. I don't have a penchant for harming innocent people! But this chosen one, even if he's a genius, must die!"
Even if you, Song Bing, use the entire Song family as a guarantee!
"Only after his death can this great undertaking last for eternity!"
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