Chapter 9: The Academy

  It was a time of great prosperity and peace, when academic pursuits were flourishing, especially in the land of Jiangnan where talented scholars gathered. There were countless academies, which were divided into official schools and private schools.

  Private schools were built by local celebrities and scholars with their own funds, while public schools were built by the imperial court. Wang Xue said that letting Xu Xian read books in his mansion was just a saying, but in fact he wanted to arrange for him to enter a good school to study diligently.

  Xu Xian understood that although he had passed the imperial examination and entered the academy, the path of imperial examinations was just beginning. The long road ahead would be fraught with difficulties and obstacles at every step. Even with a teacher to guide him, it was uncertain how far he could go. But his temperament was easy-going and content, so he didn't worry much about the future.

  He is now most worried about when the White Lady will come, and the original plot does not show a specific time, only a specific location. At that time, Xu Xian seemed to be in a very sorry state, just an apprentice-like role, but his age was completely unrecognizable.

  "Could it be that I will have to rely on West Lake myself?" Xuxian shook his head and smiled bitterly. Although with his current situation, marrying a beautiful wife was not a problem. If he passed the imperial examination again, taking a concubine would also be no big deal.

  There are still many matchmakers coming to the door, but they were all pushed away by Xu Xian in the name of being at ease with their studies. Wang Xuezheng even sent a letter specifically to express his approval and said many words such as "a great man has no worries about not having a wife" and "don't indulge in feminine charm".

  Xu Xian could only smile bitterly in his heart, for his obsession with Bai Suzhen was extremely deep. If Bai Suzhen were to appear on the Broken Bridge tomorrow, Xu Xian might even consider a flash marriage, and who knows what expression Wang Xueping would have then.

  But perhaps it was a good thing, the woman in his dreams had never arrived. Xu Xian packed up and headed to Hangzhou City, the gate of the Tianxu Academy in Hangzhou had already opened for him.

  The Kai Tian Academy can be considered one of the most renowned academies in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, only admitting young scholars to study here. It can be said that it is a place where talents gather, and many scholars who have graduated from here have become jinshi (advanced scholars), including two zhuangyuan (top scholars).

  In the city, spreading the way, entering the Imperial Academy is equivalent to having one foot in the official door, and as long as the other foot is brought in, it's done. Although in reality it's not as easy as the rumors say, the extraordinary aspect of the academy can be seen from this. The most important thing is that the head of the academy is also the educational officer of the prefecture, so it's possible to establish a good relationship first and then things will naturally become easier later on.

  In the courtyard of the Imperial Academy, on a vacant lot paved with bluestone, dozens of young people gathered together, all of whom were young scholars from various counties. It was inevitable that they would discuss ancient and modern times, talking about heaven and earth. Either from the same hometown or sharing similar interests, they formed groups of three to five, engaging in lively discussions that never ceased.

  But there are also those who stand alone, and Xu Xian is one of them. He has been living in a small county town since he crossed over to the present day, and is used to seeing small bridges and flowing water. Today, seeing these grand mansions, he feels like it's another scenic view. He walks around and looks around like a tourist. Some people can't help but laugh at him for being a country bumpkin.

  "Xu Xian, Xu Xian." A voice came from behind Xu Xian.

  Xu Xian was watching a couplet on the door when he turned his head and said: "Oh, Wang An, what's up?"

  Wang An hastily made a gesture with his eyes, and Xu Xian was taken aback before realizing that those faint glances were not to be taken seriously. He couldn't help but laugh and say, "What's it got to do with them? Look at this couplet, it really has some depth."

  That Wang An was a thin young man, and Xuxian was a fellow countryman, but he came from the village below, and his family was even poorer than Xuxian's. In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and localism was particularly strong. The two naturally gathered together. Wang An saw that Xuxian's behavior was ridiculed by others, and he himself also lost face, so he hurriedly reminded him, but unexpectedly Xuxian didn't care about these things at all.

  They laughed at Xu Xian for being inexperienced, but they had no idea that the world Xu Xian had seen was beyond their imagination, and Xu Xian's personality wouldn't care about other people's opinions.

  Wang An was dragged by Xu Xian and could only silently sigh and follow him to watch the couplet.

  In the crowd, a finger pointed at Xu Xian and laughed: "Mr. Pan, look at those two people's poor appearance, probably haven't seen such a big door before!" The originally elegant appearance added a hint of flattery.

  Someone next to him chimed in, "Brother Tian, don't tease, people from the countryside just haven't seen the world yet. Unlike Brother Pan who has just returned from visiting relatives in Jiangbei Province, compared to him, we are just frogs in a well." This remark was made with great tact, flattering while not showing off or belittling oneself.

  But to the disappointment of both, Pan Gongzi just smiled and remained silent, with a hint of contemplation on his handsome face. He looked at Xu Xian, but in his heart, he was thinking about when to make friends with Xu Xian.

  He was the nephew of the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, well-informed, and had long known that Xu Xian had been taken in as a disciple by the academic administration, with boundless prospects, but not comparable to these two people in front of him. However, he never refused anyone's face, just lightly changed the subject, smiling and talking about some interesting things when visiting relatives. Before long, a large crowd gathered around him

  Before long, a gong sounded and the scholars returned to their original positions. The leader, dressed in official robes, stood on the steps and said some encouraging and cautionary words.

  Right next was a small test, a quiet room, dozens of low tables, with stationery and writing tools laid out.

  Xu Xian faintly recalled the feeling of being in school, taking exam after exam. Back then, exams were important but couldn't completely determine one's fate. Now on this path of imperial examination, success or failure is like heaven and earth apart. Even the most arrogant person sitting here must be extremely cautious, not daring to be even slightly negligent.

  Following the imperial examination system that has been passed down for thousands of years, there are only a few madmen like Jin Shengtan. Unlike the real-life college entrance exams, where every year there are some self-proclaimed extraordinary talents. But if these people were to come to this examination hall, I'm afraid no one would be able to show off their elegance.

  In the examination hall, there was only the sound of pen strokes on paper. The examinees all lowered their heads and wrote hastily. Xuxian was just one of many people who didn't stand out at all.

  The examination came to an end, and Xu Xian put down his pen. The exam papers were collected and first briefly reviewed by the proctors, then passed on layer by layer until they finally reached the hands of the head of the institute.

  In the elegant courtyard, a middle-aged man with long hair held a scroll and examined it carefully. On it was written Xian's name. After finishing reading, he gently placed it on the table and smiled at the person next to him: "Wenrui, this article of your student is not bad, but there's nothing extraordinary about it."

  That was Wang Xuezheng, Xu Xian's teacher, who also smiled and put down the scroll in his hand: "This nephew of yours has written a magnificent article." The two characters on the scroll were Pan Yu.

  Two men, one a governor and the other an academician, differed greatly in status. If they hadn't been close friends since their school days and if the Wang family wasn't so influential, it's unlikely they would have treated each other as equals. It was truly a rare coincidence that they could meet again after drifting apart in their careers. Normally, this small test wouldn't be something for them to concern themselves with, but since both of their juniors were taking part in the exam, they decided to take out the papers and review them together, each with the intention of winning.

  "But have you forgotten the method of reading that our teacher taught us back then? First observe the characters, then observe the text."

  Governor Pan smiled and said: "Although Xu Xian's handwriting is good, it's not because I'm biased, but my nephew's handwriting is even more beautiful."

  Wang Xuezheng shook his head repeatedly: "Wrong, wrong, the teacher said that the word 'guan' is not about calligraphy, but about character. Although your nephew's words are good-looking, the pen intent is tortuous and the yin-yang gas is too heavy, the city is afraid of being too deep. It's still better to have Xu Xian's words be more open-minded and straightforward."

  Governor Pan scolded with a smile: "You're still not convinced, Wang Wenrui. Have you forgotten how your teacher evaluated your writing back then? 'Rigidity makes it easy to break, sharpness makes it easy to blunt.' And for people like us, having deeper minds isn't necessarily a bad thing." As he spoke, he also felt a bit moved. Many who read the classics of sages had initially been motivated by a desire to bring peace and prosperity to the world, but as they encountered the difficulties of life, their minds only grew more profound.

  Wang Xuezheng also smiled and said: "So you still remember, let the younger generation handle their own affairs! Today I'll have to ask you to drink a few cups of wine."

  "Can't find it, can't find it. You'd better rest well here for now, and there will be a day when you'll soar to great heights."

  But didn't mention the two friends' joyful conversation over wine.

  In the academy, Wang An mistakenly used a wrong classical allusion during the exam and was now filled with regret.

  Xu Xian tried to persuade him on one side, while Wang An was gloomy and unhappy.

  "Men are not sages, who can be without fault? I think the examiner will also understand, so Brother Wang doesn't need to worry too much."

  Xu Xian and Wang An were both stunned, turned their heads to look back, a extremely handsome young man was smiling and bowing to them, it was Pan Yu.