Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 46 The Scholar Has a Childhood Sweetheart

In the second round of examinations.

"Compassion is a quality inherent in all people; shame is a quality inherent in all people; respect is a quality inherent in all people; and the ability to distinguish right from wrong is a quality inherent in all people. Compassion is benevolence; shame is a quality inherent in all people; respect is a quality inherent in all people; and the ability to distinguish right from wrong is a quality inherent in all people. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are not acquired from external sources; they are inherent in us."

Qiao Feng spoke with high spirits, his voice booming and echoing throughout the room.

His tone was very confident, because that's exactly what he did.

He had a good friend surnamed Gu who died young. Although he was also very poor, he still often helped Gu's wife and children.

Sending the deceased county magistrate's wife and children back to their hometown, two thousand miles away, was also based on this belief.

Magnificent as the sun, with a heart as pure as a child.

Practicing the philosophy of inherent goodness in life resonates with many aspects of the teachings of the Second Sage, and has now begun to take shape as a prototype of the invincible benevolent.

This point was highly praised by Professor Gu, who was also in the audience.

This young man possesses solid knowledge, a heroic spirit reminiscent of the people of Yan and Zhao, and a commitment to keeping his word. His chivalrous and scholarly demeanor is quite rare.

When mind and action are in harmony, it is an even rarer state of mind.

That's good, unlike Instructor Xu who is so unpredictable.

If he could study at the academy for a few years and make up for his shortcomings, he would probably not be much inferior to Zhu Erdan.

It seems that Qiao Feng will be the first to join the academy this time.

On the other side, Qian Zhongyu was extremely pale and swayed precariously.

Unfortunately, he was unlucky. In just a few months, he was educated by Instructor Xu, killed by Zhu Erdan, and then encountered a chivalrous scholar, which added to his sorrow.

He could only stammer as he spoke.

"The seeds of beans and wheat are different from those of rice and millet, yet they can satisfy hunger. Are the natures of petty people and virtuous people different? Just as the five grains are all used, they are not actually different, but their effects are different because their inherent natures vary in strength and purity, thus their natures can be good or evil."

His view was that sex could be good or evil, but unfortunately, he was very wavering in his convictions and didn't even believe in this statement himself.

But the true thoughts remain hidden in the heart, unable to be expressed.

Therefore, although their words were fluent during the communication, they repeatedly lost their composure in their mindset.

Xu Xuan frowned as he looked at it.

Although Qian Zhongyu usually liked to provoke himself and always wore heavy makeup to look scary, people were used to it. However, he was not a problem with his studies. In the academy, he was the only one who could hold his own against Xie Yu for several rounds.

Debates about good and evil were frequent topics of discussion in the academy; while not necessarily seasoned veterans, they were at least adept at them.

Why did I feel so terrible after choosing this topic today? Could it be that Zhu Erdan ruined my state of mind?
That won't do. Qian Zhongyu played a significant role in the overall plan to combat the Jintian Academy.

After the two finished talking, the outcome was already very clear.

At this moment, Qiao Feng clasped his hands and smiled.

"I benefited greatly from today's discussion with Qian. I think we should call it a draw."

Wow, he really does have a bit of a chivalrous spirit.

Qian Zhongyu reluctantly cupped his hands in greeting, then covered his face again and left. Huh, why did he use "again"?

Xu Xuan thought to himself that once he finished these few days, he would find a way to boost the student's morale; he had plenty of methods.

As for Qiao Feng, he naturally passed the academy's assessment.

Extraordinary people naturally encounter extraordinary things.

He can only return to class after he has finished dealing with some trivial matters in Jinning County.

It is said that he has a childhood sweetheart in his hometown, but since he is coming to study at such a far-away academy, he doesn't want to delay her, so he wants to get married first.

Oh, so it's about getting married!

She's getting married at such a young age.

许宣
He married a girl from a local scholar's family. It is said that this girl was particularly good to Qiao Feng, and would take the initiative to help him make a name for himself, and would even often find opportunities to help this man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

This is amazing! It's so sweet!

"Instructor Xu, Professor Gu, I will report to the academy after I go home to get married."

Professor Gu laughed heartily, as if recalling his youth, and in high spirits, he began to recite poetry.

May your virtues endure for a thousand years, and your talents be as enduring as the zither and lute. The melody of the zither weaves dreams, and the lamplight smiles at those who are shy. "With the reputation of Chongqi Academy and your talent, you will surely rise to great heights in the future and will not let that girl suffer."

The old man spoke somewhat unsteadily, which was enough to show how much he loved this kind of thing.

Just like older people enjoy playing matchmaker, seeing young people they admire get married is also a great joy.

Meanwhile, the single young man standing to the side—no, the single monk Xu Xuan—was somewhat at a loss.

Finally, she managed to force a smile.

"May our love be bound by the red thread, a perfect match. May we grow old together, our love as fragrant as osmanthus and orchid."

Then Xu Xuan went to the academician's wife and applied for a subsidy, which was then given to her.

It wasn't much, only ten taels.

Of course, the amount kept at Chongqi Academy is not much, but for an ordinary family outside, it would be a huge sum of money.

"No, no, I haven't entered the academy yet."

Qiao Feng adhered to his principles and resolutely refused.

"Alas~~~ How can the disciples of Chongqi Academy worry about money?"

"We have no spare money, so we can't let your fiancée pay for everything."

"Besides, Qiao is known for keeping her word. So what if she gave it to you in advance? You can't just not come, can you?"

Xu Xuan was well aware of Madam Yin's ways of doing things; she could gain favor by giving away a little public money. If this scholar had any conscience, he wouldn't stand her up.

Because taking the money and not showing up is illegal.

Xu is a criminal suspect!
Xu Xuan, whose heart is black, definitely has the potential to become a demon.

Professor Gu also chimed in, saying that marriage is a major life event and problems should be handled flexibly.

In the end, Qiao Feng gratefully accepted the ten taels of silver and vowed to report to the academy.

"If you have any questions, feel free to write to us. Chongqi Academy treats its students very well."

Xu Xuan waved goodbye, almost reciting a poem, "Sending off Classmate Qiao at Chongqi Academy in the Thirty-Fifth Year of Wenhe".

The process was executed very well.

"It seems Hanwen also thinks highly of Qiao Feng."

"That's natural. Knowledge is easy to acquire, but the mind is hard to cultivate."

As a practitioner, Xu Xuan naturally understood the importance of enlightenment and state of mind.

He's just that clueless person; it's all tears when you talk about him.

The next match will be between Xie Yu, the top scholar of the academy, and Zhang Hua, the fox catcher.

While Zhang Hua and the others were outside, they watched as Qiao Feng was escorted out by the two chief examiners, who praised him and expressed their reluctance to part with him. Naturally, Zhang Hua was extremely envious.

It seems that my chance to make a name for myself among the top three has arrived.

He even fantasized about the beautiful scenery when he returned to his hometown six months later as the top scholar in Jiangnan.

Then the beautiful scenery was shattered, and the examination process was rather unremarkable.

Zhang Hua couldn't even handle a fox, and was speechless when asked, how could he possibly be a match for Xie Yu?

It was a one-sided thrashing.

He posed ten questions in a row, but only answered six correctly. His arguments only scratched the surface and failed to penetrate to the core.

To be fair, they are at the level of ordinary students at Chongqi Academy.

However, not everyone can bear this psychological gap.

Zhang Hua once again sensed something amiss about the person in front of him.

He was handsome and wealthy, dashing and debonair, with an outstanding temperament.

Many of the viewpoints were unheard of. During the debate, they casually commented on the three official histories, namely the Records of the Grand Historian, the Book of Han, and the Eastern Han Records, exploring the details of the thoughts of the various schools of thought during the Hundred Schools of Thought period.

(End of this chapter)