Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 154 You're even more stubborn than me!
Just as the shockwaves from Lu Beigu's actions had not yet subsided, the door to the study creaked open.

The teaching assistant from Jiaozhou who was in charge of their group walked in, looking somewhat solemn.

He held a list in his hand and began to speak.

"The first day of training has ended, and the daily test results are out."

As soon as those words were spoken, the air in the study seemed to be sucked out, and many people's hearts jumped into their throats.

Even Su Xun, who was still reeling from the shock, subconsciously looked up.

The words spoken during the day, "Daily exams, the last place in the dormitory will be automatically eliminated," are about to become a reality.

The teaching assistant's gaze slowly swept over the twelve faces before finally announcing.

"At the Four Prefectures' Elite Training Conference in the First Year of the Jiayou Era, the last-ranked candidate in the daily examination at Songtao Studio was—"

He paused for a moment, his gaze seemingly filled with a hint of regret, before finally settling on a figure.

"Luzhou, Zhou Mingyuan."

With a "buzz," Zhou Mingyuan felt as if his head had been hit by a heavy hammer, and his mind went completely blank for a moment.

The confusion he felt during the day and the difficulty of the exam papers all turned into a cold reality, crashing heavily into his heart.

The color drained from his face instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He subconsciously looked at Cui Wenjing beside him, then at Lu Beigu opposite him, his eyes filled with confusion, shame, and resentment, like a drowning person trying in vain to grab onto something.

At that moment, the teaching assistant's voice, devoid of any emotion, reached his ears.

"Zhou Sheng, please pack your things. Someone at the gate will take you to a private house outside the state school to stay for the night. The state school will arrange a boat to take you back tomorrow morning."

"I"

Zhou Mingyuan finally managed to squeeze out a broken syllable from his throat.

He looked around; there was sympathy and regret in those eyes, but rules are rules, and no one could do anything to make him stay.

He ultimately said nothing, but took a deep look at the ink-stained "On Xiang Ji" on Lu Beigu's desk, as if trying to imprint the deepest impression of the day into his eyes.

Then, as if all his strength had been drained, he staggered around and silently walked to his desk, where he began to tidy up his few belongings.

The heavy footsteps echoed in the silence, each step striking the hearts of the remaining eleven people.

They watched Zhou Mingyuan's dejected figure disappear through the door, feeling little hope but rather a heavy chill.

Today it's Zhou Mingyuan, but what about tomorrow?

In this place that gathers the top talents from four states, a slight misstep can lead to elimination.

Perhaps this seemingly unreasonable elimination system is also a psychological preparation for candidates to take the state exam.

Just like this training camp, the state exam is like any other training camp. No matter how much time, energy, or money you put in, or how unwilling you are to accept it, once you are eliminated, it means everything is back to zero and you have to start all over again.

The provincial examination was like a single-plank bridge that thousands of soldiers were vying to cross!
If you can't get through and get pushed down, then you have to go back to square one and try again three years later.

Without Zhou Mingyuan, the space seemed even more empty, but the invisible pressure increased exponentially.

The teaching assistant looked at the remaining eleven students, his voice still calm and even: "The first day is over. Tomorrow at 3:45 AM, gather here to continue the lessons."

The study fell silent again, but this silence was different from the one before.

Han Ziyu frowned, his eyes sharp as knives. Zhou Mingyuan's elimination was like a bucket of ice water poured on him, waking him up. The shock he had felt earlier from Lu Beigu and Su Xun's discussion had now turned into an even stronger sense of crisis—he absolutely did not want to become the next Zhou Mingyuan!

"Alright, it's getting late. Students, please follow me to the schoolhouse to rest."

The group silently followed the teaching assistant and left Songtaozhai.

The night was deep, and the mountain wind howled through the corridors and courtyards of the state school, accompanied by the sound of rustling pines. The eaves and brackets, which were shrouded in lush greenery during the day, appeared only as blurry and cold outlines under the moonlight, like a lurking giant beast.

The lights in the other study rooms had long been extinguished, and the entire state school was immersed in a suffocating silence, like the eve of a major battle.

The school dormitory area of ​​Chia-Chou State School is built on the mountainside. Because there were more people visiting this time, the rooms were not very spacious.

The conditions were even more difficult than Lu Beigu had imagined. They were assigned an old school dormitory with only four simple wooden beds, placed in pairs, which filled the space to the brim. The air was filled with the smell of old wood, dust, and a faint scent of soap.

"Four people per room, make your own arrangements."

The teaching assistant spoke succinctly, pointing to the room before turning and leaving to lead the others to continue searching for the dormitories. Their footsteps quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

As the elder, Su Xun naturally chose a bed on the inner side, and Su Zhe followed closely behind.

Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing exchanged a glance and tacitly chose the two beds closest to the door.

Lying on the bed, Su Xun, using the faint moonlight from the window, gazed at Lu Beigu across from him.

The talent this young man has displayed today far exceeds his expectations. The grand historical perspective and sharp criticism contained in his "On Xiang Ji" are beyond the reach of ordinary students.

He even had a vague feeling that this boy's talent might not be inferior to that of his two sons, Shi and Zhe, whom he was very proud of.

Lost in thought, Su Xun, old and frail with declining energy, fell asleep.

After a while, only the four people's breathing, some deep and some shallow, remained in the room, along with the ceaseless mountain wind and pine rustling outside the window.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep when a very slight noise woke him up.

He opened his eyes and saw Su Zhe sitting on the bed opposite him, flipping through the notes he had written yesterday in the dim morning light.

"You're even more stubborn than me."

With Su Zhe working so diligently, Lu Beigu was no longer sleepy.

He slowly got up without disturbing Cui Wenjing and Su Xun, who were still fast asleep, and took out yesterday's notes to start studying.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

At 3:45 AM, the bell suddenly broke the silence of the prefectural school!

When Cui Wenjing was awakened, he opened his eyes and saw that Su Zhe and Lu Beigu were already reading aloud. All his drowsiness was instantly swept away by his astonishment. He almost jumped up to change his clothes and get his books.

Su Xun, on the other hand, had participated in too many training camps and showed little reaction, simply getting up slowly.

At 3:45 AM, at Songtao Studio.

Eleven figures, not one missing, appeared precisely at their respective desks on time.

Everyone's eyes showed some weariness, but even more so, a focused concentration that had been forged through trials.

The shadow of yesterday's elimination has become nourishment for their continued efforts.

The teaching assistant entered on time and began to speak.

"Today's lecture will focus on the essentials of the Book of Rites, and will also discuss the 'extracting the essence' method of Mohist interpretation. The lecturer is Mr. Yan Zhengyan from the Jiaozhou Prefectural School."

Upon hearing the name "Yan Zheng," all the students in the dormitory, including Su Xun, became solemn!
This venerable elder of the Jiaozhou Prefectural School was so renowned in Sichuan's scholarly circles that his name was almost synonymous with the essence of the Book of Rites and the textual research of classical texts.

It is said that his rigorous scholarship and meticulous research were enough to make even the most arrogant students hold their breath and lower their heads.

A hint of solemnity flashed across Su Xun's originally calm face, clearly indicating that he was well aware of the old man's importance.

A moment later, footsteps approached from afar, steady but slightly heavy.

(End of this chapter)