The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Three days after the results of the prefectural examination were announced, the entire Jiangnan East Road seemed to have experienced an earthquake of magnitude 8.

Those once arrogant and prestigious academies in Suzhou and Hangzhou have all fallen silent. In all the teahouses and taverns, the only name that remains to be discussed is Jingshi Academy.

Even the old man selling sesame cakes on the street could boast to his customers, "Have you heard? That Jiang Shanchang is a reincarnation of the God of Literature; the ink he gives his students is blessed!"

……

The back hall of the Runzhou government office.

The atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

Seated in the main seat was Lord Shen Li, the Transport Commissioner who held supreme power over the finances and supervision of the entire Jiangnan East Circuit. He was currently holding the red list in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Lord Han, are you sure there's nothing wrong with this list?"

Shen Li looked at Lord Han, the chief examiner of the prefectural examination, sitting below him, his tone tinged with suspicion. "Jingshi Academy alone has taken the top three spots. This is unheard of in the history of the imperial examinations in Jiangnan. If word gets out that it's cheating..."

"grown ups!"

Lord Han stood up excitedly, clattering the lid of his teacup. "I swear on my life! If cheating can produce such a policy essay, then I'd rather there be more cheating in the world!"

As he spoke, he respectfully presented the scrolls of Su Shi and the other two.

Shen Li took the test paper, glanced at it casually at first, and then sat up straight.

After an incense stick has burned.

Shen Li put down the exam paper, let out a long breath, and his eyes were extremely complicated.

"This is no student's exam paper...this is clearly the work of a prime minister!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his official boots making a dull thud on the wooden floor.

"Just who is this Jiang Lin? To be able to teach such a prodigy, he must be no ordinary person."

Shen Li stopped, his eyes gleaming. "Send someone! I must personally... no, first send someone to investigate. If he truly possesses great talent, I will immediately submit a memorial to the court and recommend him to the Emperor!"

……

The next day, an inconspicuous sedan chair in blue robes stopped at the entrance of Jingshi Academy.

The man who stepped out of the sedan chair was Zhou, the chief advisor to Transport Commissioner Shen.

He had expected to see a bustling, brightly decorated, nouveau riche academy, but instead found the gates tightly shut, with only a simple wooden sign hanging there bearing four characters:

[Closed today].

Master Zhou was stunned. This Jiang Shan Chang, is he really that arrogant?

He stepped forward, knocked on the door, and identified himself. A moment later, he was invited into the inner courtyard.

The courtyard was eerily quiet. There was no sound of students reciting their lessons, only the legendary Dean Jiang, who was having a barbecue with three students who had just placed in the top three…?

"Come on, put in more cumin! Zizhan, that piece of meat of yours is burnt!"

Jiang Lin was fanning the charcoal fire with a large palm-leaf fan, completely lacking any manners. Su Shi, his mouth greasy, was "fighting" with Su Zhe over the last piece of pork belly.

Master Zhou stood under the corridor, his whole body cracking open.

Are these the master and apprentice who wrote "Strategies for Enriching the Country and Strengthening the Army"? Is this the literary holy land that shook the Jiangnan region?

"Oh, we have a guest."

Jiang Lin turned around and saw Master Zhou. He casually handed the palm-leaf fan to Qian Duoduo, wiped his hands, and wore a smile that was both impeccable and somehow off.

"Mr. Zhou, is that right? Better late than never. The lamb leg is freshly roasted, would you like a bite?"

Master Zhou originally intended to refuse with an air of superiority, but the aroma of the meat was simply too overwhelming (it had Jiang Lin's specially made Thirteen Spices added), and he nodded as if possessed: "Then... I shall respectfully accept your offer."

This meal shattered Master Zhou's worldview.

He had intended to test Jiang Lin's knowledge, but Jiang Lin didn't respond at all. Instead, he talked to him about "the combustion efficiency of charcoal" and "cost control in the mutton supply chain".

Although it was a topic of everyday conversation, Jiang Lin casually threw out a couple of viewpoints, such as "large-scale farming" and "the idea of ​​cold chain transportation," which made Master Zhou break out in a cold sweat.

This isn't just roasting meat; it's roasting the very economic lifeline of the Song Dynasty!

Before leaving, Master Zhou bowed deeply to Jiang Lin, even more respectfully than he would to the Transport Commissioner.

"I am truly impressed by Mr. Jiang's talent. I will certainly report this truthfully to you upon my return."

Jiang Lin remained nonchalant, waving his hand dismissively: "Goodbye. Remember to give my regards to Lord Shen, and tell him that I'm just a schoolteacher, I have no interest in becoming an official, so don't bother."

……

Although Jiang Lin wanted to keep a low profile, his strength wouldn't allow it.

The attention from the Transport Commissioner was like a signal, causing the popularity of Jingshi Academy to skyrocket once again.

The alleyway in front of the academy was completely paralyzed.

This time, it wasn't just parents from Runzhou who came; wealthy merchants from Suzhou, Changzhou, and even Hangzhou rushed over overnight. They waved silver notes, begging Jiang Lin to accept their sons.

"Jiang Shan Chang! I'll offer a thousand strings of cash! Just let my son in to sit in on the proceedings!"

"One thousand strings of cash is nothing! I'll offer two thousand strings! Plus a garden in Hangzhou!"

Looking at the frenzied crowd outside, Qian Duoduo's abacus beads nearly wore out from all the calculations. His eyes gleamed with greed: "Sir! We're rich! If we expand our recruitment, even if it's just a hundred people, we'll be set for life!"

Su Shi chimed in, "Yes, sir, our academy is so renowned, recruiting more people wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Jiang Lin sat in the lecture hall, listening to the noise outside, but his face turned cold.

"Qian Duoduo, lock the door tightly."

Jiang Lin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Sir?" Qian Duoduo was taken aback.

"Education is not running a factory, and students are not ducks on an assembly line."

Jiang Lin stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the parents waving banknotes with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"In today's academies, it's considered good if one out of a hundred students succeeds; the rest are just there to make up the numbers. But it's different here."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong, his voice firm and resonant:

"I would rather teach only a few people a year than fail to ensure that every one of them who leaves is a true dragon capable of making a difference in the world."

"Expanding enrollment? That's misleading students. I won't make that kind of dirty money."

Qian Duoduo was shocked, and the look in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Lin instantly changed from greed to awe.

"Student...understands."

……

That evening, Jing Shi Academy put up a new sign: "Enrollment is full this year. Please apply early next year."

This move not only failed to cool down the hype, but instead instantly elevated the prestige of Jingshi Academy to new heights.

"Do you see that? This is the spirit of a true scholar!"

"Refusing money even when offered it, that's true mastery!"

Many scholars from other places even traveled hundreds of miles just to stand at the entrance of the academy for a while, as if breathing in the air here could increase their IQ.

It was late at night, and the moon was bright while the stars were few.

The commotion finally subsided.

Jiang Lin stood alone at the highest point of the academy, still stroking the folding fan in his hand.

Su Shi quietly walked up and stood behind him.

"Sir, are we really not going to expand enrollment?" Su Shi still felt a little regretful.

"Zizhan."

Jiang Lin pointed to the northern night sky, which was the direction of the Purple Star and the location of Bianliang, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty.

"Runzhou is too small; the prefectural examination is just a small test."

Jiang Lin's voice sounded somewhat ethereal in the night wind, yet it carried immense weight: "Your stage is not here, but in Bianliang, the capital of Tokyo, a city of a million people."

Su Shi's heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean, sir?"

"Next year will be the second year of the Jiayou era."

Jiang Lin turned his head and looked at this student who would one day shake the ages, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"The imperial court is about to hold a special imperial examination. That will be the real Dragon Gate."

"I want the three of you to go to the capital, to the Golden Palace, and tell all the scholars in the land—"

Jiang Lin paused, a wildly arrogant smile playing on his lips:

"It's time for a change of dynasty in the literary world of the Song Dynasty."