Confucianism under Heaven

Chapter 88 Confused and obsessed

Chapter Eighty-Eight: Confusion and Passion

"What! A poem that has astonished scholars has appeared in the preliminary examination for the imperial examination for children?"

The chief examiner at the Confucian Temple watched as the three-foot-long beam of light entered the statue of Confucius. His pupils suddenly contracted, and his face gradually became extremely shocked.

The light entered the statue of Confucius and connected to the National Temple of Confucius, causing some of the scholars and Confucian masters in the temple to stop talking for a moment. They then stood up abruptly, looked at each other, and saw deep shock and joy in each other's eyes.

"The imperial examination produced a poem that astounded the emperor; this is unprecedented!"

A scholar was shocked for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"It's already difficult to produce good poems in examinations, but now a poem that has astonished the emperor has appeared in the preliminary examinations. We must find this student quickly; he has made a great contribution in the first place, something we can only dream of."

A gaunt scholar exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Mansion.

“Master Chen, another strange phenomenon has occurred in Qingyun County.”

A scholar came to Chen Changfeng's house and said respectfully.

"I know who did it."

Chen Changfeng stroked his beard and smiled, gazing at the sky as he murmured:

"In January, he went from a child to a scholar, and his insights have the power to educate the masses. I wonder how many more surprises we will receive in the future."

"Your Excellency, so many major events have occurred in Qingyun County this month. Perhaps this year's evaluation will result in Qingyun County being ranked among the best."

Looking at the holy light emanating from the Confucian Temple, Registrar Wen cupped his hands in congratulations to Magistrate Zhang.

"This may add another chapter to Magistrate Zhang's career path."

"I am a county magistrate," said Song with a smile.

"It's all because a child prodigy has emerged in my Qingyun County..."

Magistrate Zhang smiled slightly; Qingyun County was likely to become famous soon.

Meanwhile, in the examination room, the other students also looked at Ye Ru, whose desk exuded an aura of talent.

"Ye Ru's poem has been fed back to my Sacred Seals. Take a look."

The chief examiner opened the official seal, and finally projected a beam of light, on which was clearly the poem that Ye Ru had written earlier.

"Let me take a look."

Chen Tianjian and the others came over in droves, and after reading the entire poem written by Ye Ru, they all exclaimed in admiration.

"The title of this poem is quite profound. It is taken from the poem 'Far-off Journey' in the Chu Ci: 'Let Xiangling play the zither, and let Hai Ruo dance with Feng Yi.' It is remarkable that a child could remember so much. His talent is extraordinary."

The examiner's eyes lit up when he saw the question.

"Yes, especially the first sentence. The first two sentences summarize the theme, pointing out the legend that the goddess of the Xiang River was good at playing the zither. It also alludes to the meaning of the line 'The Emperor's daughter descends to the northern shore' in the Nine Songs: Lady Xiang, describing the goddess gracefully descending to the banks of the Xiang River. She is full of sorrow, gently stroking the clouds and the zither, and playing a sad and mournful melody."

Pang Jun and others were also present and expressed their admiration.

"Especially the last two lines, which appear out of nowhere, are like a stroke of genius and can be called a 'masterpiece,' but at the same time they are a key link in the whole poem. So even though the word 'not' is repeated, it is not a big deal. Ye Tongsheng's courage to break the rule of not repeating words in examination poems is truly commendable."

Chen Tianjian concluded with a look of deep admiration.

This is a phrase that has never been uttered before or since.

Ye Ru had finished writing the entire exam paper. He then put away all the writing materials, nodded to the examiner, and left.

As soon as Ye Ru left, the examiner waved his sleeve, and the exam paper flew directly onto the podium.

"You wrote that fast."

"I just don't know if I can get the top score in this imperial examination."

Some people couldn't help but think to themselves, their gazes towards Ye Ru now filled with more admiration.

"Arrogant and conceited due to his talent."

Some of the yamen runners and examiners who came from outside and did not recognize Ye Ru sighed and shook their heads.

"With such arrogance, the foundation of the path to sainthood will likely be unstable in the future."

"Yes, he's probably the only person in the entire imperial examination who dared to hand in his paper early."

Upon exiting the examination room, Ye Ru discovered that Chen Tianjian and others had been waiting at the door for some time, including the chief examiner.

"Finished writing? How does it feel?"

Chen Tianjian said.

'good.'

Ye Ru bowed and then said.

"good?"

Everyone was speechless, wishing they could strangle Ye Ru. This caused two extraordinary celestial phenomena, and he wrote it so quickly, and you actually say it's alright?

"Alright, after you finish the exam, take a good rest. After the imperial examination is over, I will take you to the Wang family compound. From now on, this prestigious family in Qingyun County will be yours."

Chen Tianjian's expression was strange. He suppressed his urge to pat Ye Ru on the shoulder.

"Then the student will take his leave."

Ye Ru cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and left.

"What a handsome and dashing young man! With a son like him, we have no worries about the lack of talent in our Yanhuang Kingdom."

The chief examiner suddenly exclaimed in admiration.

As Ye Ru walked out of the Literature Institute, he saw many parents of the candidates discussing the matter, some happy and some worried.

This scene suddenly made Ye Ru feel lonely. He did not see any trace of his parents in his memories.

"Young Master Ye Ru, what brings you out?"

Su Tongyao saw Ye Ru in the crowd and quickly said something.

"Once you've finished writing, you'll be out. Come on, I'll teach you to read."

Ye Ru smiled and took Su Tongyao's hand.

"Yes, I cooked a lot of food for you in the dormitory."

Su Tongyao blushed slightly. The fact that the two of them were acting like this in front of everyone when they weren't officially husband and wife made her a little shy.

"Let's go to the schoolhouse and pack up. After the imperial examination, we can go to Wang Bieqiu's courtyard. You've worked hard all these years."

Ye Ru, holding Su Tongyao's hand, walked towards Wenxing Private School under the astonished gazes of the crowd, as if no one else was there. They prepared to pack their things and wait for Chen Tianjian to complete the formalities so they could move in.

"Am I dreaming?"

Su Tongyao's eyes widened. Ever since receiving the imperial decree and Ye Ru being made difficult by the Grand Secretary, she had been worried that Ye Ru might be secretly framed.

But now that Ye Ru is alright, she feels relieved.

Back at Wenxing Private School, it was deserted. All the examinees and teachers had gone to the Four Mirrors and Three Bright Halls. The presence of a lone man and woman in the school made Su Tongyao feel slightly reserved.

"what!"

While Su Tongyao was patiently helping Ye Ru make the bed, she suddenly felt herself being picked up, which startled her.

When she saw that it was Ye Ru, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, her pretty face turning red, like a ripe apple.

"Young Master Ye Ru...please put me down..."

Su Tongyao thought of a possibility and whimpered.

If I actually did it, I would definitely be labeled as a shameless person in this world.

"I won't let go, I want to hold you for the rest of my life."

With his eyes fixed on Su Tongyao, Ye Ru said affectionately.

Feeling Ye Ru's deep affection, Su Tongyao's cheeks burned, and her heart trembled.

However, just as the two were deeply infatuated, a voice, though soft, struck them like a thunderclap, abruptly waking them from their reverie.

"Ahem... um... should I excuse myself for a moment...?"