Li Zhiyuan was overjoyed to hear Chen Mao's praise!
It was as if they had already passed the imperial examination with flying colors and were being paraded through the streets on horseback.
The next day, the county school indeed notified the students that a great scholar would be giving a lecture early the following morning, and that the students should try not to ask for leave.
Upon hearing the news, the students erupted in excitement, each one bursting with joy.
On the day of his lecture, Li Zhiyuan put on his latest scholar's robe and dressed himself up to look smart and energetic.
Li Ziming, Chen Mao, and I hired an oxcart and drove slowly along the village road.
Chen Mao said, "I heard Liu Gaosheng say that if you perform well, you might be noticed by that great Confucian scholar and taken under his wing. Someone like me has no chance for a long time, but Brother Zhiyuan can still give it a shot."
Li Zhiyuan looked smug; that's exactly right.
He was a scholar, the most talented person in the surrounding area.
Although there were many scholars in the county school, there were actually some who were younger than him.
But they weren't much younger than him. The most outstanding one was Zheng Nian, who passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty, which was considered remarkable in Yue'an County.
He was only thirteen years younger than Zheng, while there were plenty of people in their seventies or eighties who died without ever passing the imperial examinations.
Moreover, the number of successful candidates in the imperial examinations in the entire Yue'an County can be counted on one hand.
If Li Zhiyuan can pass the imperial examination this year, he will be considered a prodigy of his generation!
Thinking about it, Li Zhiyuan's eyes filled with ambition. He must perform well in today's lecture. Maybe he can be praised by the great Confucian scholar in public and then be accepted as a student.
Li Zhiyuan became more and more excited as he thought about it.
Soon, the group arrived at the county school.
All the scholars sat in the largest lecture hall of the academy.
More than four hundred scholars and teachers from the academy gathered together, and even those who were ill crawled back.
Fang Xuezheng walked to the podium with a big smile: "It is a great honor to have Mr. Shen here to teach at our county school today."
"Mr. Shen was the eighth top scholar in the imperial examination during the Jian'an period. After passing the examination, he taught at the Imperial Academy for more than ten years. Even the head of the academy received his instruction when he went to the capital to take the imperial examination. Four years ago, Mr. Shen retired and has been traveling around the world ever since."
"A few days ago, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Shen. It was not easy to get him to give me a lecture, so everyone should cherish this opportunity."
The scholars were even more excited, as even the headmaster had attended his classes.
Moreover, he was a graduate of the Imperial Academy, which is truly remarkable.
Li Zhiyuan, standing in the crowd, was also filled with excitement and anticipation. This was it! The top scholar! The Imperial Academy! Only a great Confucian scholar like him was worthy to teach Li Zhiyuan!
If he receives guidance from such a great Confucian scholar, it will be only a matter of time before he becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination!
Fang Xuezheng, standing on the stage, smiled and said, "Come, please, Mr. Shen."
Shen Zhiyan calmly walked onto the stage, exuding an air of nobility, elegance, and scholarly refinement.
The students below the stage were stunned. This was Mr. Shen? No, it seemed more like Mr. Shen's student.
After all, he was the top scholar more than ten years ago and taught Fang Xuezheng. He must be at least sixty or seventy years old!
Unexpectedly, Fang Xuezheng smiled and said, "This is the great scholar Shen, Mr. Shen Zhiyan. Both of you, pay your respects to this scholar!"
The students' mouths were agape, almost big enough to fit an egg. They stood up in a daze, cupped their hands, and bowed, saying, "This student greets Mr. Shen."
"No need to sit," Shen Zhiyan's cold yet solemn voice rang out.
The students sat down in a daze, and Fang Xuezheng, looking at the stunned students, almost burst out laughing three times.
Hahaha!
He looked just like that back then, a forty-year-old man, respectfully bowing and calling a twenty-year-old boy "sir," which astonished everyone.
Now, he also has to appreciate the same expressions on these students' faces that he had back then.
Li Zhiyuan was nearly driven mad by the stunned students!
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Shen Zhiyan on the stage.
Isn't this Mr. Shen the pretty boy we met on the mountain last time? That pretty boy was still walking with Ye Caiping, and Ye Xuan was even calling him "Mr."
So, the pretty boy is Shen Daru? And Shen Daru is Ye Xuan's teacher?
Impossible! How could such an absurd thing happen in the world?
Leaving aside whether Ye Xuan could even befriend a great scholar like Mr. Shen, even if he did, Mr. Shen couldn't possibly be so young!
Among the students, a man in his late twenties stood up.
His name is Lü Hua. He is currently the top student in the county school. He passed the county-level imperial examination at the age of twenty-two and was ranked second among the students receiving government subsidies. He is highly regarded by the county school, and everyone says that he is likely to pass the provincial-level imperial examination this year.
Lu Hua smiled and said, "May I ask what kind of diet you eat, sir, that allows you to maintain such a youthful appearance?"
Shen Zhiyan replied, "No, I am thirty-three years old. It's just that I became the top scholar in the imperial examination at a relatively early age, so I am considered senior."
The students were even more astonished. So young?
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Li Zhiyuan suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with rage. "The Academician just said that Master Shen was the top scholar in the imperial examination, taught at the Imperial Academy for more than ten years, and even lectured the Academician. He must be at least sixty or seventy years old."
"You must be a fake! Lord Xuezheng, you've been fooled by this pretty boy."
Those present listened and felt that there was some truth to it.
Fang Xuezheng coldly shouted, "Shut up! What kind of trash dares to be so insolent in front of the great scholar Shen! The great scholar Shen became the top scholar at the age of 17, entered the Imperial Academy at the age of 18, and has been teaching for more than ten years. What's wrong with that?"
Li Zhiyuan's mind went blank.
Lu Hua, who was ahead, sighed, "No problem, as Master Xuezheng said, Shen is indeed a chosen one of heaven."
The students present exclaimed in astonishment: "To be the top scholar at the age of 17? How could such a thing happen?"
"Of course he is. He's standing right here. Who is Lord Xuezheng? Would he joke with us?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
