247. Mid-Autumn Festival Literary Gathering - Water Melody - When Will the Moon Be Bright (Part Two) (Page 1/2)
The headmaster of Yuelu Academy visited Kaifeng Prefectural School to give a lecture, and the event was well received and concluded successfully.
afterwards.
Amidst the fervent and adoring gazes of countless students, Headmaster Cui Xian rode away in a carriage.
He kept his achievements and fame hidden.
...Yeah, right!
It can't be hidden at all!
During this lecture, Cui Xian didn't even step into the prefectural school, but the content of this lesson was full of surprises!
This is enough to shock Kaifeng.
It even shocked the Great Liang!
Even now, the students of Kaifeng Prefectural School are still having a rude awakening.
They looked at each other in small groups, gradually regaining their senses, their eyes filled with excitement.
"With the scientific expedition imminent, I need to go home and study the four principles of the Eight-Legged Essay that Senior Brother Cui taught me!"
"I plan to spread the word throughout the city about the abbot's latest masterpiece, 'From Yao and Shun to Tang'!"
"I...I have to go and tell my fellow villagers to save room for the feast at the Zheng family's house tomorrow!"
As hundreds of students from the prefectural school dispersed one after another.
The news spread like ripples from the prefectural school—
The three stories of "key", "masterpiece", and "floating banquet" are passed down together.
When the scholars read the secrets of copying and the eight-legged essay, they rubbed their eyes repeatedly and asked their classmates for confirmation in trembling voices.
Women and men on the streets and alleys eagerly grabbed every passerby, demanding to know if the banquet was real or not.
When the shopkeepers received the urgent purchase order from the Zheng family, they gripped their ledgers tightly and quickly calculated the magnitude of this "unexpected" deal.
The entire city of Kaifeng was in a state of excited euphoria, as if struck by a tremendous surprise and still not quite believing it.
And naturally—
Chaos!
It was a scorching, boiling chaos!
One night passed.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Pei, Gao, Zhuang, and Li families, Master Wu Qinglan, the village head of Hexi Village, Uncle San, and dozens of Nanyang heroes who spontaneously came to support the little prodigy arrived at the Zhouqiao Wharf in Kaifeng by boat.
Throughout the journey, everyone was filled with anxiety.
Especially Madam Pei, and the other three ladies, had red eyes the whole time.
My poor Xian Ge'er!
They must have been bullied terribly outside!
Supported by her son Pei Kaitai, Old Madam Pei disembarked from the boat, sobbing, and urged, "Quickly, let's go find Xian-ge'er!"
Their information was delayed.
All that was heard was that Cui Xian had become a heretic whom everyone hated, and all the bookstores in the city had closed down because of him.
Countless students and teachers in the academy went on strike and marched in opposition to Cui Xian!
It sounds like it sends chills down your spine.
As Cui Xian's teacher, Wu Qinglan's worries were no less than those of Old Madam Pei.
After the ship docked at the state bridge pier.
Master Wu gritted his teeth and gripped the ruler in his hand, instantly switching to combat mode.
Grandpa Pei Chongqing, the village chief, Uncle San, and a group of others all wore solemn expressions.
So what exactly is going on now?
What happened to Brother Xian?
Magistrate Ye has brought his constables to Kaifeng to enforce the law in a foreign land. Will he be able to protect Brother Xian?
With solemn expressions and deep concern, everyone boarded the Zhouqiao Wharf.
Just got ashore.
Then they saw a group of Kaifeng residents in the distance, looking frantic and shouting something.
Old Master Pei Chongqing's face tightened: "Could it be that they're denouncing Brother Xian? Let's go over and find out."
No way!
If everyone on the street is talking about Brother Xian, how serious would the situation be!
Everyone's heart trembled, and they walked over with trepidation.
As they drew closer, a porter carrying a bag took a big bite of the dry biscuit in his hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Have you heard? The headmaster is going to throw a three-day banquet, feasting all the scholars in the city!"
"Good heavens! How much flour and meat would that take? It could probably cover our entire dock!"
An old man resting nearby tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and interjected, "I've lived for sixty years and I've never heard of anything like this! This isn't a treat, it's throwing money around for show!"
The woman carrying the vegetable basket stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with surprise: "My goodness, how much gold and silver must there be to support such a grand display? In our Kaifeng city, we probably won't see a person with such extravagance for a hundred years!"
ah?
A banquet for all the city's scholars?
Wu Qinglan and the others were stunned.
Fortunately, these people were not denouncing Xian Ge'er!
Everyone was anxious and worried, and didn't care about that stupid, rich headmaster.
Madam Pei had the address of the Cui family that Old Madam Cui had given her.
The priority is to see Brother Xian!
To everyone's surprise, the group had just stepped out of the Zhouqiao Wharf.
Grain shops, cloth shops, and taverns lined the street.
The shopkeepers were all crowding outside their counters, talking loudly as they clicked the beads on their abacuses: "The Zheng family has bought up all of Wang's Winery's stock!"
(This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading) 247. Mid-Autumn Festival Literary Gathering - Water Melody - When Will the Moon Be Bright (Part Two) (Page 2/2)
"This morning, Butcher Li received deposits for fifty pigs. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold the knife!"
"This isn't a treat from the Headmaster; it's like handing out money to half of Kaifeng! It's like the God of Wealth has descended to earth!"
Although he was concerned about the safety of Xian Ge'er.
But the Third Uncle and the Village Head were still so shocked that their mouths were agape.
You city folks are so generous!
But soon, even the three scholars, Master Wu, Pei Chongqing, and Pei Kaitai, were shocked.
Because of the teahouse not far away.
Seven or eight scholars, their robes patched and worn, huddled together, their faces flushed, waving the pages of paper they were copying.
A tall, thin man stood on a stone block: "The key to solving this problem lies in my own hands—I ask you, are these eight words worth a fortune?!"
The round-faced student next to him thumped his chest loudly: "More than that! Yesterday, I used this method to solve old problems as easily as splitting rotten bamboo with a sharp knife! I dare say that this year's top scholar in Henan will definitely come from one of us who attended my lectures!"
Another person was so excited they were almost incoherent: "And there's the headmaster's essay, 'From Yao and Shun to Tang'! Every word is like a tripod, I copied it ten times, and my palms were sweaty every time!"
Someone else tugged at their companion's sleeve and shook it, saying, "What's a banquet? That's the headmaster's benevolence! We've already crammed the real treasure into our heads!"
That's nonsense!
What solution could be worth a fortune, or even win the title of top scholar in Henan province?
Furthermore, what kind of article is "From Yao and Shun to Tang"?
I've never heard of that before!
Who is this headmaster?
Pei Kaitai couldn't help but hesitate and said, "How about I go and inquire about it?"
But Madam Pei wiped away her tears: "What's the point of asking around! Right now, only Xian-ge'er is the most important! My poor child..."
When she cried, the other women also shed tears.
The third uncle and the village head also couldn't help but tear up.
Wu Qinglan's hand, gripping the ruler, trembled slightly.
Then, another scholar suddenly spoke in an even more resounding voice, praising—
"The only one who can surpass Senior Brother Cui Xian is Senior Brother Cui Xian himself! 'From Yao and Shun to Tang' is a more classic masterpiece than 'Now Heaven' and 'King Wu Continues the Legacy of King Tai, King Ji, and King Wen'! Senior Brother Cui is talented and virtuous, and enjoys high prestige. He is well-deserving of the position of headmaster of Yuelu Academy!"
W-what?
Madam Pei's tears welled up in her eyes.
Wu Qinglan almost dropped the ruler in her hand.
Gao Qianhu and Zhuang Shoufu were in a daze.
Pei Kaitai and his son Pei Chongqing stared at each other blankly.
They gleaned more information from that statement... No, no way!
God!
The elderly third uncle, whose hearing was not good, said anxiously, "Brother Xian, are they talking about Brother Xian? Go and find out!"
Wu Qinglan strode forward and grabbed the scholar's sleeve: "May I ask, brother, the Cui Xian you were just discussing, has he actually become the headmaster of Yuelu Academy?"
Oh my god!
How could someone from Kaifeng not recognize Headmaster Cui Xian?
On the long street, passersby all looked over.
The scholar, who had been pulled back, turned around abruptly, his face showing utter astonishment: "More than just the headmaster! Brother, have you just returned from a secluded life? Senior Brother Cui Xian is now more than just the headmaster of one academy! He is—"
Before he finished speaking, several scholars nearby eagerly chimed in, as if they were sharing in the honor.
Scholar A exclaimed loudly, "That is the master who holds the 'key to solving the problem' and opened up a new literary lineage!"
Scholar B exclaimed with admiration, "He was personally selected by His Majesty's decree, a literary star deeply favored by the Emperor!"
Scholar Bing waved his sleeve and pointed into the city: "Today, we will hold a grand banquet to entertain all the scholars and patrons of the city!"
The crowd around nodded in agreement, chattering, "Exactly! The whole city is in an uproar because of Headmaster Cui!"
Madam Pei and the others were so shocked that they were speechless on the spot.
Their eyes were wide open.
...No, what happened to the promise of being universally condemned?
Wu Qinglan was so startled that the ruler in her hand slipped and fell to the ground.
The scholar who was speaking took the opportunity to help pick it up, kindly reminding him, "Brother, you should put the ruler away."
No, you don't understand.
Actually, I've already put on an act.
Wu Qinglan did not take the ruler. He cleared his throat, straightened his clothes, and quietly straightened his back: "I am Wu Qinglan from Nanyang."
A group of scholars looked at him with suspicion.
“Cui Xian’s mentor.”
The long street was quiet.
The next moment.
The entire street of scholars was in an uproar, their eyes red as they surged toward Wu Qinglan.
"Master Wu, please accept my bow!"
"Hiss! Brother Cui's mentor who enlightened him? Mr. Wu, the moment I saw you, I knew you were a peerless Confucian scholar!"
"If I were to become your disciple now, would I be able to learn half, no, one-tenth, of Senior Brother Cui's skills?"
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