Sima Che’s performance was so lifelike!
She lifted her sleeves, and oh my god, her arms were so white and tender. She quickly lowered her sleeves and waved her fingers, "That's roughly it. It's just that Ding Anbo's aura is something I... I am far inferior to. If you were there, you would be in awe!"
This moving statement immediately piqued the interest of many students, "And then?"
"Then... then Ding Anbo took a step forward, holding the wine glass..."
"Please make way. Brother Sima, please show your demeanor as Earl Ding'an again!"
Yun Xiyan pulled the student in front of Sima Che back, and Sima Che stepped forward. "Ding'an Bo took a sip of wine and recited the first line of the poem: 'The great roc rises with the wind one day... soaring straight up to ninety thousand miles!'"
Xiao Xing'er was so anxious. How come the lady really thinks she is a man?
She hurriedly tugged at Sima Che's sleeve, but Sima Che brushed it off. "Ding'an Bo's aura... at that moment, I felt as if he had transformed into a great roc, spreading his wings and soaring into the clouds ninety thousand miles away!"
"Hiss...!" All the students took a deep breath, their blood boiling with excitement.
That untitled poem had already spread throughout Jinling City, and they were all familiar with it. But listening to Sima Che's rendition of it now, it was as if they were personally there, and a sense of heroism arose spontaneously.
"Brothers, Lord Ding'an is a man of great ambition. He has lofty ideals, but he is also very approachable. To be honest, Lord Ding'an got drunk that night because I offered him many drinks, and he... accepted them all!"
"Wow……!"
The crowd was excited and the noise was like a tsunami, with Sima Che as the center, attracting more students.
"Why...why am I taking part in this imperial examination? It's precisely because I'm drawn to the great personality of Earl Ding'an! He holds a high position, yet possesses no official airs. If you are fortunate enough to be chosen, you'll know that what I say is absolutely true."
"He's just a seemingly ordinary person. If he were standing in this crowd right now, you wouldn't even associate him with the name Ding'anbo."
"He said that he was essentially a small landlord, and I completely agree with him!"
Yun Xiyan was filled with emotion and spoke passionately, "This is what magnanimity is! Earl Ding'an is only eighteen years old, yet he seems pure and innocent. This is a return to nature!" He clasped his fists and bowed to Sima Che, "Brother Sima is truly lucky to be able to sit at the same table with Earl Ding'an and admire his unparalleled grace!"
"I will definitely pass the exam this time. From now on, I will no longer travel around. I will live in Wofeng Road and serve Ding'an Earl at his beck and call, at his command!"
Only then did Sima Che realize that he was surrounded by a group of men!
She was suddenly startled and quickly bowed: "Brothers, please spare me..."
"Brother Sima, please wait! Don't worry, I still want to ask you..." His voice suddenly lowered, and he asked quietly, "Do you know that Earl Ding'an is considering taking a concubine?"
Sima Che was shocked, "Brother Yun, what do you mean by that?"
"I have a little sister at home, she's sixteen years old, she has very high standards, but she doesn't mind being Earl Ding'an's concubine."
Sima Che felt unwell. Her face turned cold and she glared at Yun Xiyan, "Mr. Ding'an said..."
"What did he say?"
What should he say?
Sima Che was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Just then, the gate of the academy opened.
A teacher stood on the stage in front of the door and shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived. Students, please enter in order!"
The crowd then reluctantly streamed towards the door. Sima Che was about to leave when Yun Xiyan quickly asked, "Brother Sima, what did Earl Ding'an say?"
Sima Che turned around, "He said... don't overthink it!"
"Ugh... poor little sister, there's no hope for you."
…
…
Jixia Academy, the core of education.
Fu Xiaoguan, Shangguan Wenxiu and Li Chunfeng sat in front of the tea table.
"Don't worry, Earl Ding'an. The examination room and examiners have been arranged. However... I'm a little confused by the test questions. Aren't they a little too easy?"
Li Chunfeng frowned slightly and added, "It's just a policy paper. It doesn't reveal the students' basic skills. Alas, it's too late now."
Fu Xiaoguan laughed heartily. "It's not that I'm lazy, but the purpose of this special examination is very clear, which is to select talents for Wofeng Road. I want people who can stand on their own and govern in a down-to-earth manner, not those who are just good at writing fancy articles."
Shangguan Wenxiu stroked his long beard and looked at the question. "How to sweep the world? This question is well-chosen!" He thought for a moment, looked up at Fu Xiaoguan, and asked, "How do I mark the papers?"
This... Fu Xiaoguan scratched his head. "There's no standard answer, but it won't go wrong if you keep a few things in mind."
"First, the argument. I hope the argument is down-to-earth, not too lofty or too fancy."
“The second is argumentation, being able to develop an argument around the thesis, clearly stating the thesis’s point of view and showing that it is feasible.”
"Third, this tests the students' ability to govern. In other words, it tests their ability to translate their knowledge into ideas that benefit the people. These ideas don't necessarily have to align with current national policy; a wide variety of them can flourish. As long as they benefit the country and the people and can be implemented, they are considered good ideas."
"That's about all I can think of, so I'll have to ask you two to review it."
Shangguan Wenxiu nodded thoughtfully, "I roughly understand what you mean. After so many years of scientific expeditions... this is quite novel."
Li Chunfeng was a little confused and asked, "Tell me what you mean."
"Learning for practical use—that's the essence of it. I suspect those students who rote memorize the classics will be eliminated. Only those who care about current affairs and the people's livelihood can write a solid policy paper."
Fu Xiaoguan slapped his thigh and said, "Yes, it turns out that old ginger is still wise! This is exactly what Lord Shangguan meant!"
Shangguan Wenxiu laughed heartily. "Lord Ding'an, I love your flattery. When will you have time to come to my house for a drink? Old Qin has gone to help you teach. I've copied a copy of the 'Code of Neo-Confucianism'. I still have many questions, so I'd like to ask Lord Ding'an to clarify them!"
Fu Xiaoguan smiled slightly and remained silent for a few breaths. "That code cannot be implemented in the Yu Dynasty now."
Shangguan Wenxiu nodded, "Old Qin said the same thing at the time, but he also said something else."
"What did he say?"
"He said... A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!"
Fu Xiaoguan immediately showed great respect for Qin Bingzhong!
Not only did this guy accept the "Code of Neo-Confucianism", he also foresaw the future!
Shangguan Wenxiu sighed, "So, Elder Qin gave up on studying for the Saintly School... He was halfway there, but he completely gave up and went to Xishan College with peace of mind. I really admire him!"
"What are you talking about?" Li Chunfeng looked confused.
Shangguan Wenxiu laughed heartily: "Wen Xingzhou, the great scholar of the Wu Dynasty, this old scoundrel... has walked ahead of us!"
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