Master Wu showed the exam paper to everyone and then began to read it aloud.
After a lengthy and ornate article, reminiscent of the style of Fan Zhongyan, was read aloud, everyone was stunned.
This article is so well written!
How could an article like this be rejected?!?!
The title of Academician Wu Fuzi must have been earned through dishonest means.
Master Wu asked the crowd, "What do you think of this article?"
"Great!" the crowd shouted in unison, with some even saying that he was more than qualified to be selected as the top choice!
The burly man looked at Wu Fuzi with pride, his eyes filled with provocation and disdain, as if to say, "You old fool, my son writes so well, and you didn't even choose him."
The little girl listened in a daze, then leaned close to Mu Tingzheng's ear and said:
"Father, why does this article feel like it was written by an adult?"
Mu Tingzheng's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by the little dumpling's words.
The next second, the usually calm Wu Fuzi picked up a stack of test papers and slammed them to the ground.
"You all think it's good, right? Well, let me tell you why this article was rejected!"
Master Wu shouted angrily at the crowd.
Everyone was stunned by his imposing presence and fell silent as chickens.
"Because this article, with its ornate language and profound knowledge, was not written by a child at all!"
Master Wu pointed at the burly man and said, "It was you! You bribed the top scholar in the imperial examination two years ago to write this article, put your son's name on it, and submit it as his own."
Everyone turned to look at the burly man, their earlier admiration turning into disdain.
The burly man, embarrassed, rolled his eyes awkwardly and stubbornly said:
"Even if I paid for the article, so what? I'm not the only one who paid for it; everyone has been doing this for years!"
"Just because it's always been this way, does that make it right?" Master Wu kicked the exam paper on the ground away.
The words flying in the air looked like copper coins, dazzling the eyes.
"Honesty is the foundation of trust; without sincerity, how can one speak of trust? Honesty and trustworthiness are the essence of life."
“Young children are taught by your words and actions. Everything you do will become a model for them to learn from. Do you want to teach them to be dishonest and untrustworthy from a young age?”
As Wu Fuzi spoke, his eyes reddened.
In order to secure a spot, some people spend money to buy exam questions, forcing children to do things they don't like.
He had seen too many children who should have grown up upright and carefree were corrupted by their parents who pursued fame and fortune.
Wu Fuzi beat his chest and stamped his feet in frustration.
"If this continues, will the Dragon Yuan Kingdom still have any promising talents? Will it still be able to stand at the top among the four kingdoms?"
His words, like a series of alarm bells, resonated in everyone's hearts.
Many people had already left silently, while some dressed in fine clothes shook their heads in disapproval and stormed off in anger.
Mu Ting was standing there holding the little dumpling when he finally understood.
The entrance exam with bananas as its theme is never about selecting talented students, but rather about selecting blank sheets of paper—blank sheets of paper that have not been tainted and remain as pure as children.
This is perhaps something that adults who have experienced life once understood and possessed, but ultimately lost.
Mu Ting looked into the little girl's eyes, reached out and touched her head, and said with a guilty expression:
"Your father locked you up for several days in order to get you to write an article. Your father was wrong."
The little dumpling hugged Mu Ting's neck, kissed him on the cheek, and said with a sweet smile:
"Father, don't worry, I will study hard with Academician Squid from now on."
After the crowd dispersed, normal traffic resumed in front of Puxi College.
One by one, little radish heads dressed in blue and white school uniforms and wearing black scholar's hats walked into Puxi Academy with bright smiles.
As Mu Tingzheng and the old Marquis watched the little dumpling and Mu Yanxiu walk into the academy, they both wiped away tears from the corners of their eyes.
The little dumpling and Mu Yanxiu held hands, looking left and right with curiosity.
Thirty-five new students were led to the main campus by a smiling female cadet.
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