Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 49: Let’s get stronger, brothers

Scholar Qiu did arrive, but Xia Lin said that the scholar was old and the journey was bumpy, so it would be better for him to rest for a day and fight again the next day. Then Xia Lin hosted a banquet for the scholar and gave him gifts. In name, it was "the scholar's name is known throughout the world, and it is a great honor to meet him." But in fact, everyone knew what this hospitality was for.

But this couldn't stop him from being polite, so it was obvious that he was trying to build a good relationship with Qiu Xueshi, but no one had much to say. After all, Qiu Xueshi was only 41 years old, and it had nothing to do with age. Moreover, more than one person saw Xia Daosheng secretly trying to give Qiu Xueshi something, but Qiu Xueshi refused with integrity.

"What did you get him?"

"They gave us some beautiful pebbles from the riverbank."

While eating, Xia Lin leaned on the riverbank to enjoy the sunshine. Lao Zhang came quietly like two spies meeting. However, this was his and Xia Lin's secret base, located in a river bend area surrounded by dry egret grass. You couldn't see anyone pooping here, and you had to wait until the wind blew the grass low to see cattle and sheep.

"The one for the little princess? You don't know how much your little princess treasures your stone. She specially asked someone to order a frame for it and asked me to paint for a broken stone. You know, I am the most famous painter in the surrounding area. I never thought that one day I would paint for a broken stone." Lao Zhang couldn't help complaining: "Also, why did you give Qiu Xueguan a pebble?"

"What else can I give him? Gold? He doesn't deserve it." Xia Lin crossed his legs and said nonchalantly, "If I give him stones, he can accept them if he wants, and he can refuse if he doesn't. If he accepts, he has his own way of accepting, and if he doesn't accept, he has his own way of not accepting."

"Well, if you accept it, then when you win, I will spread the word that this old dog Qiu is greedy for bribes. If you don't accept it, then there will be no way to tell who wins or loses."

"That's right. There is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Those four silver carp heads want to beat me? That's really funny."

Xia Lin sat up and turned to look at Lao Zhang, then took a deep breath and said, "The people this time were carefully selected, right? There are no idiots, right?"

"They are all idiots." Old Zhang narrowed his eyes and smiled, "You also know that there is no good Juren Academy in Hongzhou Prefecture. Those who are of the right age have already gone to the surrounding academies. You should also know what kind of rubbish the rest are. They are the same as your country academy."

"Hahaha, it's easy to go from the bottom to the top. The little princess wrote to say that the young prince seems to intend to hold the imperial examination every year starting from this year, but the number of candidates will be slightly lower." Xia Lin straightened up: "You will be the first for one year, and I will be the first for another year. We will take turns to dominate the list."

"You think it's easy. You're taking turns to dominate the list. Do you think other academies are dead?"

Xia Lin didn't answer but just smiled contemptuously, crossed his legs and hummed a song. Lao Zhang was very familiar with him. Seeing his dead look, he knew that he had already made up his mind, so he asked curiously: "If you have to fart, just fart. Don't force me to beat you in this beautiful place."

Xia Lin squinted at Lao Zhang and said, "My dear young master, you have to study people before studying exams. The royal family is now making an all-out counterattack against the noble families. The royal family holds more than half of the military power, and the young prince has clearly gained the upper hand in recent years, winning over many people to the royal faction. Last year, the six ministries' joint examination in Yangzhou meant that the noble families took three steps back and announced to the world that I will not interfere in the imperial examinations from now on, and the royal family will select scholars on their own. Now the young prince Tuoba Jing has become regent, and considering the health of the current emperor, Tuoba Jing may become emperor this year or next year at the latest. Once he becomes emperor, we will be his direct descendants. Do you know what direct descendants are?"

"No, what does this have to do with our college's test scores?"

Lao Zhang is extremely smart when he is smart, and extremely stupid when he is innocent. Especially when it comes to dealing with social matters, he is like a top-notch idiot. Talking to him will make you angry to death.

But what can I do? The young master is still my young master, so I have to admit that he is stupid.

"Do you know why the wealthy families in various places withdrew from the imperial examination competition so easily? To put it bluntly, they have a monopoly on educational resources. They have their people anyway, so why would they quarrel with the emperor over a path to becoming an official? Therefore, our two academies will definitely be number one every year."

"Your Majesty, did you cheat by leaking the test paper?"

"How can the royal family's affairs be called fraud? That's called weighing the pros and cons. Personnel is politics. If you don't have people in the officialdom, no matter how good the reform is, it won't be implemented. So what the young prince urgently needs is people, people who are loyal to him."

"What if someone reports it?"

"What are you reporting? This year you got it right and next year I got it right. We are like fire and water. It's just a competition between two geniuses." Xia Lin groaned and turned his ankle: "Among all the talents in the world, you, Zhang Zhongchun, have two buckets, and I, Xia Daosheng, have eight buckets."

"No, you give me more. Let's split it 40-60, you 40 and I 60." "Okay, okay, the most talented young master in the world can take six bowls."

At night, a fireworks display was held at the village dock as usual. Although the people from Yuzhang College came here to cause trouble, this did not affect their consumption and watching of fireworks in the village. The fireworks in Xinping Township were also very famous in the surrounding areas. Every festival would attract a group of young men and women who would travel dozens of miles to come here, just to eat a bowl of rice noodles here, watch the fireworks in the sky, and then verbally promise to spend their lives together with their loved ones.

Naturally, Xia Lin also took Chuntao out for a stroll to watch the fireworks. As a little girl, Chuntao naturally liked this, and their position was the best in the whole show, which was on a small pleasure boat. The oars gently rowed the boat on the river. In the sky, thousands of flower stamens condensed in the Milky Way, and on the surface of the river, the broken stars were painted on the water. It was truly a beautiful spring scene with lakes and mountains.

"Master, won't you write a poem about this beautiful scene? I'll record it for you."

Xia Lin held up the wine glass and glanced at Chun Tao, narrowed his eyes and smiled, and pulled Chun Tao to his side with one hand: "Only those who are talented but not appreciated can write poetry. As for me... I am full of ambitions and don't want to write poetry. I might as well stop the car and sit and enjoy the maple forest in the evening."

Chun Tao looked at the boatman in front of her nervously, her face almost flushed. She knew that Xia Lin was drunk again, but why did he become bolder after drinking too much?

Of course, Chuntao now feels that it is not just her courage that has grown, the touch of her hands is not deceiving.

But it definitely won't work today, because Xia Lin still has to deal with a challenge early tomorrow morning. If he doesn't get a good rest today, all the reputation he has worked so hard to build will be lost.

So Chuntao simply fed him a few more glasses of wine, and soon Xia Lin was sleeping like a pig. Except for his hard mouth, his whole body was limp.

Only after dragging Xia Lin, who kept shouting "I'm not drunk" all the way, back to the room did Chuntao feel relieved.

The next morning, Xia Lin sat up early. It was still dawn and he felt like his head was about to explode. Chuntao came in from outside, bringing a herbal soup for quitting drinking.

"Master, please unblock the bar first."

Xia Lin pinched his nose and swallowed it, then reached out and poked Chuntao on the forehead: "You forced me to drink yesterday, right?"

"I..." Chun Tao smiled, "I'm worried that the master will delay his important work."

"I'll take care of you when I get back."

After Xia Lin dressed neatly and washed up, he took Chuntao to the academy. At that moment, Old Zhang was already waiting there with the students of Yuzhang Academy and the four great talents of Jiangnan. They waited for a long time before the ruddy-faced Mr. Qiu arrived. It was obvious that the old man had worked at least three extra hours last night, otherwise he would never have been so energetic.

After waiting for Scholar Qiu to arrive, the competition officially began. Xia Lin arranged for both parties to enter the academy and opened the gate to allow people from the countryside to enter. The place was packed with students and their parents, and everyone was waiting for the result of today's competition.

Tables were brought out one after another and arranged in two rows in the empty space in the middle of the academy. It seemed as solemn as two armies facing each other. In the middle was the judges' seat. Scholar Qiu sat there as steady as a rock. He took a sip of strong black tea from the porcelain cup. He hummed and looked at the cup for a while, then put it on the table: "Now that everyone is here, let's start. The first competition is policy essays. The topics are agriculture, casting, city construction, fishing and hunting, water conservancy, and textiles. Choose three of them and write a good prescription. Since it's a challenge, the guards will choose first."

Xia Lin stepped forward and took off the plaques for casting, fishing and hunting, and weaving. Naturally, the remaining ones were left to Lao Zhang. Students from both sides picked three people to start the competition, and the others waited quietly on the side.

Not only were they waiting, but the parents and fellow villagers below were also eagerly awaiting their arrival. Everyone standing there felt like the day was passing year after year. The students on Lao Zhang's side seemed to be more confident. After all, they had the support of the four great talents of Jiangnan.

However, it is not the turn of the four talented men to play in the first game yet. They have to wait until the younger ones finish playing.

(End of this chapter)