Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 223 Sanqi Explosion Site
Day two.

Hejing Academy.

The largest academy in Suzhou, and also the most ambitious.

Many outstanding talents emerged from this place during the Jiangnan Literary Gathering, but unfortunately none of them made it to the final stage before their efforts were in vain.

Today, a hundred scholars have gathered here, and many important figures have arrived in advance.

It can also be considered a contribution to Suzhou's education; if it has some famous scenes, it can even serve as a backdrop.

In the future, I can tell future generations that I witnessed Wenhe's study tour thirty-six years ago.
Of course, many people also came to witness the talent and demeanor of the students at the academy.

Some people regretted not being able to witness the literary gathering at West Lake, but now they can see the top-ranked level in Jiangnan and assess their own strength.

Although the imperial examination did not follow this rule, those with high talent and learning were not necessarily guaranteed to pass.

It's always good to have some idea of ​​what's going on beforehand.

Xu Xuan, wearing a polite but fake smile, hid behind them, watching the two sides spout nonsense about friendship.

Then the other side started praising the two academies' heritage and achievements, as if they were pouring oil into a raging fire.

Everyone knows that if the scholars from Suzhou win, it won't be a cultural exchange; it will be seen as a proper competition of talent.

These are all common, unspoken methods, and the academy can't really say anything about them.

After all, with top-notch teaching staff and the best students in Jiangnan, if it can't even handle this, then it is a failure in itself.

This process should be repeated in every place along the way.

The professors were very open-minded, and the students were also calm. They were all high achievers, and they often encountered this kind of thing in their daily lives.

We went through the usual rituals and listened to a piece of ceremonial music.

Then scholars from all sides took the stage, making progress together within the same sphere.

The person who made his first appearance served as a catalyst, and the students who came to pay homage to the emperor perfectly fulfilled this responsibility.

We won, but not a big win.

This made the atmosphere much more lively; the most frightening thing in the world is giving people hope.

Sometimes the difference between scholars is not a step-like gap, but a precipitous one.

Xu Xuan had something to do in the afternoon, so after the warm-up at Jintian Academy, he arranged for the three wonders to make an appearance.

The last literary gathering, which was supposed to be all-encompassing, was more of a slap in the face to Dean Su. This time, it was truly up to the three of them to rely on themselves.

Of course, they each have their own unique skills, which are definitely enough to make them famous in Jiangnan, and they deserve to be famous in Jiangnan.

Ji was the first to step forward.

Mental arithmetic is not expressive enough and is somewhat embarrassing to present in such a traditional setting.

Fortunately, he still has a powerful weapon – calligraphy.

It is not calligraphy of a single character, but calligraphy of a whole sentence.

He finished it in one go and nodded in satisfaction.

From now on, when we go out, we can call ourselves scholars skilled in calligraphy.

These twenty-nine characters, etched into their very souls, left Suzhou students feeling ashamed of their own lack of skill; their calligraphy was truly profound.

The opposing team promptly brought in non-students to fight them.

He also has some connection with Chongqi, as he is Professor Liu's junior apprentice.

The Liu family's calligraphy is undoubtedly superb, and having immersed themselves in the art of calligraphy and painting for many years, their handwriting alone is slightly superior.

"Young friend, your calligraphy does indeed possess a certain elegance and the charm of metal and stone."

"But the foundation is still lacking, and although the strength is being carefully restrained, it is still a bit too much."

"The characters should be appropriate."

These words were insightful and well-reasoned, and the teacher was very serious in his instruction.

Ji readily accepted the lesson; he doesn't always act crazy.

This is true communication, and everyone was happy.

Unfortunately, a narrow-minded scholar muttered a few words below.

"Who doesn't know who Ji Hanqing is? How can he receive praise?" Ji's reputation in Wu County is excellent, and many scholars have seen his demeanor in entertainment venues. It's normal for him to be questioned.

Qian Zhongyu laughed when he heard this.

How could that inferior horse tolerate such an insult? Even the Qian family of Yuhang was enraged by it, and Master Xu was repeatedly provoked by it. Yu Gong even left behind the famous story of "Where is the bright moon?"

The nameless scholar from Suzhou is quite bold; let's wait and see what happens.

Sure enough, Ji Rui's eyebrows stood up.

The greatest injustice he suffered in his life was at the hands of Guo Bei, because those karmic demons didn't listen to human words and didn't care whether he had money or not.

Once outside, only Hanwen could discipline him; no one else had ever submitted to him.

If I swallow this insult, how will I ever get along with Chongqi again? Qian Zhongyu would laugh his head off.

He then pulled out a carving knife from his sleeve, startling everyone into backing away.

what are you up to?!

The scholar turned ashen-faced; the book's description of striking with a sword at the slightest disagreement was actually true!
Hey classmate! You need to be more magnanimous. Murder is a crime.

Ji Rui sneered and walked to a nearby rock to start waving his sword.

The force originates from the ground, flows through the entire body, and transmits immense power to the wrist.

Sparks flew and metal clashed.

This sense of expertise somehow evokes a pang of heartache.

The same sentence carries too much weight on paper, but it's just right on rocks.

The entire sentence was written in one breath.

The Liu family shouted, "Good!"

Carving words on stone is not as easy as carving on paper. His wrist strength had weakened. He could carve, but it was impossible for him to carve so quickly and so well.

He truly lives up to his reputation as a student of Chongqi. Uncle Liu must be very happy there.

Moreover, the words are indeed quite remarkable, and there is even some truth to them.

"It possesses inner brilliance and outward sturdiness, showing some of the abilities of Sun Shou in his prime."

Who was Sun Shou? He was a jade craftsman during the Qin Dynasty.

He wasn't a famous calligrapher; the most glorious moment of his life was when he engraved eight seal characters for the Left Chancellor of the Qin Dynasty, which spanned the entire history of the Qin Dynasty.

Li Si's fate was not well-regarded at this time, so they took a roundabout way to praise Ji Rui.

Upon hearing this, those in the know were naturally astonished. Those who weren't even knowledgeable simply smiled and pretended to understand.

Yu Gong's expression was subtle. He really wanted to give Ji Rui a good whack, but the characters were indeed carved with great flair.

I really don't know how Xu Hanwen teaches his students; it's unfathomable.

After Ji Ruixiu finished his work, he put away his carving knife and looked around triumphantly, especially staring at the scholar who had made sarcastic remarks.

"How should one view a scholar who has been away for three days?"

The scholar left in shame, and Qian Zhongyu nodded in agreement, as if it were a common occurrence. That's definitely the kind of scoundrel he is.

The atmosphere at the Suzhou Academy was somewhat awkward. They were in the wrong, and the other party's domineering attitude left them speechless.

To ease the tension, Ning Caichen then prepared to go on stage and play a piece.

The important figures were all talking about it; this was playing the piano, after all.

Professor Shi's reputation was well known to everyone present. He had served as Grand Chancellor and Grand Master of Music in the palace during the reign of the late emperor.

The more renowned a person is, the more they cherish their reputation. If a student can bring their zither, the student must be quite accomplished.

Someone immediately arranged for a student skilled in the art of playing the zither to prepare for the challenge.

"He plays very well, prepare a few more pieces of silk."

Professor Shi's advice surprised the Suzhou side.

Well played! The student doesn't need to continue; we should immediately invite a renowned qin master from Suzhou to play together.

Just like inviting the Liu family, it was something we had no choice but to do.

(End of this chapter)