Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 141 Guanlan Society

The summer heat was exceptionally intense after the heavy rain. The sun hung brightly in the sky, and looking out from the schoolhouse, it seemed as if the air was filled with waves of heat.

In this era without air conditioning or fans, summers were incredibly difficult for students in ordinary states.

Lu Beigu sat at his desk, engrossed in his studies, with several hemp towels beside him.

Because the weather was so hot and humid, sweat was flowing uncontrollably down my forehead and back. Everything else was fine, but the sweat on my forehead would get into my eyes if I didn't wipe it away in time, which was really uncomfortable.

Left with no other choice, Lu Beigu could only wipe his sweat with a burlap sack every now and then when the beads of sweat were about to fall, but even so, the sweat continued to pour down.

"I got a can of mung bean soup and a can of plum juice from the cafeteria. Which one do you want?"

Zhou Mingyuan pushed the door open with his elbow and addressed Lu Bei, the consultant.

Lu Beigu was pleasantly surprised: "Mung bean soup will do, thank you very much, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Mingyuan placed the long bamboo cup on his desk and said, "Why don't you take a break? At least change your clothes. You're all sweaty. I'm afraid you'll faint if you keep studying like this."

"I forget everything once I get absorbed in it."

Lu Beigu stood up, stretched his neck and legs a little, and then changed into a clean short-sleeved shirt.

Lu Beigu's favorite thing about the dormitory students was that he didn't have to do his own laundry, which was incredibly convenient in the summer and saved him a lot of time to study.

Today, there are only a few days left until the four-state joint examination, which hangs like a sword over his head. The state examination is also imminent. Lu Beigu knows that his foundation is still shallow, so he must seize every second.

Zhou Mingyuan gulped down most of the plum juice and then asked.

"The club is having a meeting tonight, which will probably be to analyze the question patterns of the four-state joint exam over the past few years and then make a rough prediction of the questions. Are you interested? If so, you can come along."

Lu Bei thought about it. The Four-State Joint Examination was a fixed exam held every summer. In terms of the known question bank, it was much richer than the state examination held once every three years. Moreover, since the state schools of the four states took turns setting the questions, based on his summary on the fourth floor of the library, there were indeed patterns to be found in the questions.

Many students in the upper dormitory have taken this kind of exam seven or eight times, or even more than ten times. I heard that the club Zhou Mingyuan is in is the largest club in the state school, so its members must have a lot of experience with this kind of exam. It wouldn't hurt to go and listen in; he should be able to learn a lot.

Lu Bei replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for the introduction, Brother Zhou."

"Okay, then come with me tonight. They've all heard of you, so it'll be a good opportunity for them to get to know you."

"By the way," Advisor Lu Bei said, "will the club meeting tonight be discussing exam-oriented poetry? I've been quite perplexed by this lately."

His poetry and prose skills had only improved after a short period of instruction from Zhao Bian, and his progress was remarkable. This is also related to the nature of poetry and prose; getting started is not difficult, but further improvement is.

Because of his extensive reading in modern times and the influence of the bold and unrestrained style of poetry, Lu Beigu's poems, when inspired, are actually quite remarkable from a literary perspective.

But literature and exams are two different things.

Under the constraints of the exam regulations, what he wrote did not have a clear advantage compared to those of the senior students who had been studying at the state school for many years.

That's why he didn't get into the upper dormitory in the last dormitory assignment exam.

If his poetry skills were stronger, he would most likely have been admitted to the top school.

Because the students in the top dormitories of the state school are very close in ability, they must have as few weaknesses as possible in order to stay in the top dormitory.

Even Zhou Mingyuan, whose weakness is poetry, may not be good for literary gatherings and is severely lacking in inspiration, but he's fine for exams. "Of course, there are many exam experts at club gatherings who will share their experiences. If this is your first time here, you'll definitely gain a lot from exchanging ideas. It's much better than trying to figure things out on your own."

That night, inside West Dormitory No. 3, the lights were on and shadowy figures were everywhere.

This place is much more spacious than a regular school building, clearly a designated area allocated by the state for club activities, and lights are allowed on during certain times on designated dates.

Several desks were pieced together, with various books, notes, and old scrolls covered in annotations scattered on them.

A dozen or so students were already sitting around, talking in hushed tones, their attention focused.

Most of them were upper dormitory students, and a few were middle dormitory students.

As for how to distinguish their identities, it is of course by looking at the school uniforms they are wearing. The middle dormitory students wear light blue, while the upper dormitory students wear dark blue.

The room fell silent for a moment as Zhou Mingyuan arrived with Lu Beigu.

All eyes were on this newly admitted student whose name was known throughout the state school.

The top spot in the welcoming gathering, the direct entry into the middle dormitory during the dormitory assignment exam and almost squeezing into the upper dormitory, and the inscription of his meritorious service in saving the city on the monument—any one of these achievements would be enough to attract attention, let alone all of them combined.

Zhou Mingyuan introduced with a smile: "Everyone, this is Lu Beigu, whom you must all be familiar with. Brother Lu is interested in joining our 'Guanlan Society' to prepare for the joint examination and the state examination together."

"Your name is renowned far and wide; it is a pleasure to meet you today!"

A refined-looking student with three long tufts of beard spoke first, his tone sincere.

"Please sit down." A student from the middle dormitory next to me quickly offered him a seat.

"I have read Brother Lu's essay 'On the Six States' several times and have benefited greatly from it!"

Everyone greeted him respectfully, their words filled with obvious admiration and curiosity.

Lu Beigu returned the greetings one by one, his attitude humble and without the slightest arrogance.

The president of the club was the refined upper dormitory student named Cui Wenjing, who was also a top student who consistently ranked in the top three in the upper dormitory.

This man was nearly forty years old and had a very long service record. He entered the state school in the fifth year of the Qingli era, and had been granted a quota three times and went to the capital to participate in the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites. Unfortunately, he never passed the imperial examination.

After Lu Beigu sat down, Cui Wenjing got straight to the point: "Now that Brother Lu has joined us, let's begin according to the old rules."

The club meeting was not quite what Lu Beigu had imagined. It wasn't a group of people sitting together chattering and arguing, ending in a bitter breakup where no one would give in.

On the contrary, it was very orderly.

Hosted by the club president, Choi Moon-kyung, the event proceeded according to a set schedule. Each person could only express their opinions during designated segments, making it somewhat similar to a book club or a brainstorming session. The main purpose was to gather ideas and exchange experiences.

There's not much to say about the opening section on the classics and the meaning of the ink; it's just a brief overview followed by a discussion of some important test points. In terms of depth, it can't compare to the direct instruction from Mr. Baisha.

However, Lu Beigu felt he had gained something from starting with poetry and prose.

(End of this chapter)