Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The main hall was completely silent.

All eyes were fixed on the scholar in plain clothes, and a subtle, indescribable atmosphere quietly rose in the air.

The reason was simple: the appearance of the person in front of them was far different from the image of the genius that everyone had in mind.

Ba Qing seemed oblivious to the undercurrents in the room, remaining calm as she slowly entered the hall, bowed slightly, and gracefully greeted everyone.

Seeing this, Fusu quickly gestured for her not to be so reserved and to take her seat. But even as he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted past Baqing's shoulder and for a moment toward the figure behind her.

—Isn't he an old scholar with white hair and beard like Master Meng?

Ba Qing glanced at him, understanding immediately. Without further ado, she stepped aside, slightly raised her hand, and calmly led the young man behind her to the front. A faint smile played on her lips as she slowly spoke:

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. This is the man I mentioned yesterday. If it's 'only' to resolve the situation three days from now, I think he is enough."

So certain?

The assertion, instead of bringing joy to the crowd, only deepened the silence in the hall.

It should be understood that in this day and age, the study of classics, reasoning, and governance is mostly the private knowledge passed down from generation to generation among noble families. It is reasonable that the sons of noble families, with their family classics as a foundation, would show their talents at a young age.

In contrast, most scholars from humble backgrounds have to endure half a lifetime of hardship and spend decades studying and honing their skills before they have the confidence to stand on the stage and debate in middle age.

Just look at Li Si. With such extraordinary talent, he was born a minor official and had to first study under Xunzi for many years, receiving personal instruction from a famous teacher. Even so, he went through many ups and downs before finally gaining a foothold in Xianyang and gradually becoming a member of the King of Qin's inner circle.

Even someone like him didn't truly stand out until he was over thirty.

If we take another step back, in ordinary families, with no books to read and no teachers to guide them, it is already difficult enough to recognize a few lines of text, let alone delve into the principles of meaning and seek knowledge.

The person before me, however, was clearly not from a distinguished family, not recorded in any official documents, and presumably had no renowned teachers. Yet, at such a young age, he was so highly praised by Ba Qing, who summed him up with the word "enough." The weight behind this was immense...

Yao Jia's heart skipped a beat. He quietly turned his head and winked at Zhou Wenqing, wanting to ask him what he thought so they could exchange feelings.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Wenqing didn't respond to his comment at all.

Because Zhou Wenqing was equally unprepared for the person Ba Qing brought.

His eyes were fixed on the other person, and his mind raced through the names of famous figures who might be in the State of Qi at that moment:

He thoroughly investigated everyone, from those in official positions to those still out of office, those studying abroad, and even those he was still figuring out how to "invite" out for further investigation.

But no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't find anyone who matched the person in front of him.

That shouldn't be the case...

The literary scene in Qi was already in decline and lacked anything noteworthy. If there really was such a promising young talent who could surpass the other scholars of Jixia Academy, how could history not record a single word about him?

Similarly, along the way, he had already sifted through countless candidates in his mind who were known for their talent. If there were truly such a rare talent—young and strong—from a poor background, he probably would have sent people to find him long ago, before his group even set foot in Linzi.

Whether through persistent pleading or "perfect manners," the kidnapping should have been done by now. There was no need to wait until Ba Qing delivered the person to their door before realizing what was happening.

Could it be that he forgot to remember?

Or was this person originally unknown, but Ba Qing, with his keen eye, found a hidden gem from somewhere and happened to stumble upon it?

Zhou Wenqing frowned, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on the table. The invisible "List of Talents Available in the Six Kingdoms" rustled through his mind, names flashing by and being rejected one by one, leaving him with no clue.

Lost in thought, he completely ignored all the signals Yao Jia threw at him, not even sparing a glance.

Yao Jia: ...Alright then.

Signal reception failed, and seeing that the other party had no intention of responding, Yao Jia had no choice but to turn his gaze back to the young man in plain clothes.

Perhaps this person just looks young, but is actually quite old?

With this speculation in mind, Yao Jia broke the silence and spoke frankly:

"Since Madam Qing praises you so highly, it is evident that you possess great talent. May I be so bold as to ask your age and who your teacher is?"

Upon hearing the voice, the young man in plain clothes stepped forward half a step, his coarse linen sleeves drooping slightly with the movement. His back was upright, and he bowed respectfully, his voice clear and steady:

"This young man, Jiang An, is twenty-five years old and has never formally become a disciple."

"Twenty-five..."

Yao Jia murmured something under his breath, his brows furrowing slightly, and subconsciously turned to look at Zhou Wenqing.

He really wasn't much older than Zicheng.

It seems that this time, either Madam Qing misjudged and exaggerated, or they just happened to encounter another genius like Zicheng.

Yao Jia was slightly lost in thought.

The silence of the two officials in charge instantly chilled the atmosphere, leaving Jiang An standing there in the cold. Fu Su saw this and was secretly anxious. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer, raised his hand to cover his lips, and coughed heavily twice.

"Ahem!"

Don't leave them hanging, okay? They're still waiting here!

"Oh." Zhou Wenqing blinked, snapped out of her daze, and smiled slightly at Jiang An.

"Jiang An, is it? I suppose Madam Qing has already explained the whole story to you, so I won't go into details. I wonder if you would be willing to debate with me and them here, so that we can all witness your talent?"

After saying that, he raised his hand and pointed to the table occupied by Fusu, Wang Ben, Meng Yi, and Zhang Han, who were among the younger generation.

Fusu, Wang Ben, Meng Yi, Zhang Han: !!!

No, we're just here to watch and make up the numbers, why are we involved?

The three young players, in particular, stiffened their backs and turned their heads in unison, their eyes filled with confusion.

No one told them they had to do this job yesterday!

Zhou Wenqing glanced at them indifferently, his eyes threatening.

Stop talking nonsense, just go for it, or else...

The four of them shuddered and, not daring to linger, stood up quickly and walked to Jiang An's side. They stood still, their expressions solemn, looking ready for battle.

Zhou Wenqing nodded in satisfaction, "That's right."

It wasn't that the two adults in charge were unwilling to conduct the examinations themselves and instead pushed a few children into it.

However, when it comes to debating the meaning of the classics, compared to him, a half-baked visitor from later generations, and Yao Jia, a strategist who also rose from humble beginnings, Fusu and his fellow scions from high-ranking families, who had been immersed in family learning since childhood, were far more adept.

Despite their young age, these four individuals hold significant positions.

Fusu was the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, needless to say; Wang Ben came from a military family and was exposed to the ways of military strategy from a young age; Meng Yi came from a family of military generals, but the Meng family had always been good at both literature and martial arts, and had a deep family learning foundation; as for Zhang Han, he had been immersed in law and criminal law since childhood, and careful word choice and step-by-step planning were his forte.

The four of them huddled together, like four doors pushed open from different directions, just in time to probe Jiang An's true intentions.

If Jiang An can withstand the interrogation of these four people, it will prove that he is truly qualified to confront the senior scholars at Jixia Academy. However, if he cannot even pass these few tests, then there is no need to say anything more about the debate three days later.

After the four juniors stood still, they quickly exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a tacit understanding of helplessness.

Sigh! I really shouldn't get too close to Uncle Zhou, or I'll be "conscripted" again.