I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 36 My Teacher
Xue Xiang accepted the gift and thanked him, saying, "So, does this mean my prospects for this city examination are bleak?"

The woman in the yellow dress said, "With your talent and wit, if you focus on storytelling, poetry, and songs, you will surely have a bright future. Why bother squeezing through the narrow bridge of the imperial examination?"

Leaving aside others, let's talk about Mr. Yin Chuan, a scholar who passed the Bronze Scale List and once received a seventh-rank immortal talisman. Ultimately, however, he grew weary of the power struggles of officialdom and chose to live a leisurely life in the countryside.

"Some resign from their official posts and return to their hometowns, while others rush to the examination halls overnight; this has always been the case since ancient times."

Xue Xiang said, “But if you want to resign, you must have served as an official. If you say you’re done and want to return before you’ve even reached the other side of the vast ocean, it would be presumptuous.”

"Ah."

The woman in the yellow dress laughed and said, "You do have your own opinions. Well, you've already paid the tuition, so it would be inappropriate for me to advise you to give up the exam."

Today I have some rare free time, and since we've met by chance, let's consider it a lucky coincidence and talk about our engagement.

The professor for this year's city examination has been appointed: Feng Jing, whose literary style is simple and robust, and who has a deep love for the *Book of Songs*.

Xue Xiang bowed deeply, "Thank you, Lord Yuan."

This news is extremely important.

Xue Xiang has already figured out the entire process of the city examination.

The test consists of two parts: written examination and cultivation. Both parts are graded on a 100-point scale, and the ranking is determined by the total score.

Since the city examination is only the first step in the selection process, the requirements for cultivation level are not high. Once you pass the third level of Qi Refining, you are qualified to take the exam. The content of the exam is not fixed, but the difficulty is generally not high.

Therefore, the key lies in the written test.

As for the historical knowledge and classical texts in the written exam, no matter how difficult they are, they are unlikely to stump candidates who have been studying diligently all day.

The key to widening the performance gap lies in the final assessment.

The authority to set the questions for the cultivation test rests with the local authorities.

For the written examinations, the authority to set the questions rested with the professors appointed by the academy.

Therefore, it is extremely important for candidates to determine the writing style and research preferences of the professors who will be examining them.

"Let's not keep thanking each other. The sky is already dark, and the scenery of the lake and mountains has faded. It's the perfect time to discuss poetry and literature."

Xue Jian had already figured out that Xue Xiang only wanted to come over to say hello politely before leaving.

But my own lord has been in a bad mood these past few days and is looking for someone to cheer her up.

As far as she knew, her own lord at least didn't dislike Xue Xiang.

"Speaking of poetry, why didn't your two poems make it into 'Yun Jian News'? People in Zhao Ye Wu are already calling you 'Mr. Second Fishing'."

The woman in the yellow dress stirred the fire in the stove.

The wind had died down, and although the pavilion in the middle of the lake was open on all sides and had a fire burning in the stove, it was not cold at all.

Xue Xiangdao said, "Everyone knows that I am the person behind Yunjian News. If I were to publish my own poems, it would inevitably be seen as self-praise."

Speaking of literature, could you, Yuanjun, perhaps pose a few questions about the book *Feng Ya* for me to try and solve?

Xue Xiang admired the woman in the yellow dress for her skill in obtaining the betrothal gift.

She said she might not pass the exam, and his previously calm heart suddenly wavered.

At this moment, with such a good teacher right in front of him, he had no reason to let the opportunity pass.

The woman in the yellow dress said, "The fixed rules impose too many restrictions, and the formalities restrict talent."

In this long night, it would be quite a spoilsport for you to discuss the agreement.

However, I can understand that you are about to embark on your scientific expedition.

"I can offer guidance, but there are conditions."

"Please speak, my lord."

"We'll discuss that later. Listen to the question: Six or seven children desire to cross the Yi River; the Emperor is wise in all things."

Xue Xiang quickly determined that the first sentence came from "Zhengyan" and described a leisurely scene of a child bathing.
The following sentence comes from the Book of Elegance, which says that the White Emperor is wise about all things and can discern human relationships.

But when the two were put together, Xue Xiang fell into deep thought. After several breaths, he said, "A child washes his hat ribbon to sing of his innocence, while the emperor observes the nature of things and..."

Although he has made progress in his studies over the past few days, he has not yet reached the point where he can solve a problem instantly; he gets stuck before he can finish solving it.

The woman in the yellow dress added, "The boy washes his hat ribbon to sing of his innocence, and the emperor observes the nature of things to understand the sage's virtue."

The teachings of the sages are nothing more than guiding one's nature to reach the heavens, and the relationship between heaven and humanity is truly seamless, both manifest and subtle.

Xue Xiang stood up and bowed.

The question about the woman in the yellow dress is brilliantly and righteously answered, making it easy to extend the discussion further.

If this question were to actually appear, just this one sentence would be half the battle won for a high-scoring answer.

"No need to be polite, listen to the question..."

The woman in the yellow dress asked another question, and Xue Xiang still struggled.

The woman in the yellow dress, not wanting to be bothered, solved the problem for him and pointed out the thought process behind it.

Xue Xiang humbly accepted the instruction.

The woman in the yellow dress posed dozens of questions in a row, but Xue Xiang was only able to solve a handful in an instant, and only one of them satisfied the woman in the yellow dress.

Moreover, the woman in the yellow dress not only posed and solved the questions, but also explained the question types and pointed out the implied meanings. Unbeknownst to them, time passed, the fire was rekindled seven times, and the tea was replaced four times.

Another pot of tea was finished, and the woman in the yellow dress got up to stretch her body. Xue Xiang then asked for a question again.

The woman in the yellow dress said, "The teachings of the sages cannot be grasped overnight; one cannot eat too much at once."

Xue Xiang said, "I have always had an excellent memory, but I feel uneasy about bothering you, my lord."

"You have an excellent memory; you're quite confident."

As she spoke, she recited the problem she had solved earlier, asking Xue Xiang to solve it again.

Xue Xiang answered fluently, even explaining the implied meaning.

The woman in the yellow dress repeated the question, and Xue Xiang answered it instantly.

"Indeed, an extraordinary person."

The woman in the yellow dress praised, "If you have such a memory, it is indeed possible for you to make rapid progress in a short period of time."

After all, the "Feng Ya" is only 1,300 words long, and there are only about 800 sentences that can be extracted and combined.

While it's impossible to exhaustively identify all possible combinations, selecting all mainstream combinations is not difficult.

"I beg the Lord of the Gods for your help."

Xue Xiang bowed deeply.

“Friend Xue, you are too kind, but you might as well take a look at the sky.”

Xue Xiang gazed out at the sky, where the sky was just beginning to lighten and dawn was about to break. Before he knew it, a night had passed.

"I have been presumptuous, Your Majesty. You have worked hard."

Xue Xiang sincerely apologized.

Regardless, he owes the woman in the yellow dress a considerable favor this time.

The woman in the yellow dress acted without restraint, even swaying her waist in front of Xue Xiang. She was tall and voluptuous, and her yellow dress swayed like a blooming flower.

"Young Master Xue, please don't forget that my Lady Yuan said there were conditions."

"We were just about to ask the Primordial Lord to explain."

Xue bowed.

The woman in the yellow dress said, "When my friend Xue was traveling on the water, I only heard a few lines of his recitation, but I felt that they were full of meaning."

I wonder if my friend Xue could repeat the lawsuit?

Xue Xiang was overjoyed, feeling that his copying of the book had not been in vain. He recited aloud, "On the third day of the third month, I was studying at Zhaoyewu. After finishing my studies, I sailed back home on Suiyang Lake. It snowed heavily for three days, and all sounds of people and birds on the lake ceased."

I rowed a small boat, alone with a single oar, to the pavilion in the middle of the lake to watch the snow.

The frost was thick, the sky, clouds, mountains, and water were all white, and on the lake, only the long dike, the pavilion in the middle of the lake, my boat, and the person in it were visible.

"A few words, desolate and cold, flow from the tip of the pen."

Xue Jian exclaimed, "How long has it been since I've read such a masterpiece? Young Master Xue, is there a sequel?"

"Later, I met Miss Xuejian who called me."

Xue Xiang laughed.

It wasn't that he didn't want to pretend anymore; it's just that the latter part of the original text was realistic, which didn't match the scene.

Xue Jian stamped his foot, "It's me who ruined a beautiful piece of writing."

Xue Xiang had a sudden inspiration, "Miss, you flatter me. Yuanjun is exceptionally talented; completing the sequel will not be difficult."

"I've taken up too much of your time, student, and I must take my leave."

Xue Xiang bowed respectfully, abandoned the shore, boarded the boat, and sailed away in an instant.

“A trace of the long dike, a dot of the pavilion in the middle of the lake, a speck of a small boat, a grain of sand in the middle of the lake—only those who have grasped the essence of leisure can describe these things.”

Xue Jian removed her veil, revealing her pretty face. "Yuan Jun, he said you would complete the story. Why don't you continue the story from his perspective? It will surely become a beautiful tale."

The woman in the yellow dress followed the boat into the distance and whispered, “When we arrived at the pavilion, there were two people sitting on a felt mat. One of them was wearing a yellow dress with a white veil covering her face. She was graceful and looked like a fairy.”

A lone figure, clad in a blue robe, stood forlornly, rambling on and on.

The one in the yellow skirt is my teacher, Yuanjun.

Learning is as vast as an abyss, and knowledge is as deep as the sea.

After the ceremony, the goddess invited me to sit with her.

In his study of learning, he posed over a hundred questions, which he taught to all of them, and none of them failed him.

Before they knew it, the east was gradually turning white, and then they dispersed.

Upon returning, the wind subsided and the snow cleared. Standing in the boat, I looked back, and a sense of melancholy settled in my heart: "Don't call me foolish; there is someone even more foolish than my teacher."

Snow Sword is down.

(End of this chapter)