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

As night falls, the lights are on.

The hustle and bustle of Bianjing did not subside with the night; instead, it intensified. The lights of Fanlou illuminated half the sky, and countless scholars were engaged in lively discussions in the taverns, all focusing on one topic: Su Shi.

However, Su Shi, who was at the center of the conversation, was not happy at all at this moment.

The usually quiet Gaosheng Inn was now completely surrounded by stewards of various powerful figures and servants bringing gifts; not even a fly could get in. The entrance was lined with all sorts of magnificent carriages, blocking the entire street.

"Scholar Su! This is a thousand-year-old Changbai Mountain ginseng that my master gave you to help you recover!"

"You were once a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations! This jade ruyi scepter from my master is a gift from Hetian. May it bring you all the best and may you rise to higher ranks!"

"Second Master Su! My young lady has long admired you and would like to invite you to go boating on Jinming Pond tomorrow. This is a personally written invitation card, and also this Duan inkstone..."

Inside Room Number One, the once spacious room now felt incredibly cramped. Large and small brocade boxes, bright red gift lists, and gold-embossed invitations were piled everywhere – on the table, the floor, even the bed. The entire room was filled with an opulent, almost suffocating, atmosphere.

Looking at the room full of jewels and precious stones, Su Shi and his two companions did not experience the expected elation. Instead, they looked at each other in bewilderment and felt a chill run down their spines.

"Brother, have we... struck it rich?"

Su Zhe casually picked up a brocade box, opened it, and found a huge luminous pearl inside, which emitted a faint glow under the candlelight, so bright it was dazzling.

"Make a fortune my ass."

Su Shi slammed the brocade box shut and tossed it back onto the table like a hot potato. He slumped into his chair, loosened his collar, and his face showed little joy, but rather exhaustion and deep vigilance.

"My teacher once said in class: 'When the whole world is smiling at you, that's when you're about to have bad luck.'"

Zeng Gong nodded, his expression grave as he flipped through the gift list in his hand, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "Zizhan is right. Look, among these gift-givers are Lord Han Qi, Lord Fu Bi, and even that Censor-in-Chief who considers himself a member of the 'pure stream' faction."

"These people aren't giving gifts; they're paying for standing in line, they're buying their lives."

Zeng Gong sighed, pointed to the pile of gifts, and said in a low voice, "If we accept gifts from Lord Han Qi, we will offend Lord Fu Bi; if we accept gifts from powerful figures, we will offend the upright officials. The waters of the capital are deeper and more murky than we think. If we take one wrong step, we might lose our heads before we even have a chance to enjoy the title of top scholar."

Su Shi stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

Outside the window, the city of Bianjing was ablaze with lights, but beneath those brilliant lights, countless greedy eyes seemed to lurk. Those eyes were fixed on these three freshly baked, juicy "pieces of fat," each wanting a bite, each wanting to turn them into knives in their own hands to stab their political enemies.

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

"I miss my husband."

Su Shi sighed, abruptly closed the window, shutting out the noise outside. He walked to the table, spread out a sheet of paper, ground ink, and picked up his brush.

On this night of glory, a night that could make countless people lose themselves, he did not attend the banquet or revel. Instead, he chose to write a letter for help to Jiang Lin, who was far away in Runzhou.

"To my esteemed teacher:"

Student Shi bows.

As expected, the students achieved their goal, with Zigu ranking third and Ziyou also among the top performers. Their names were on the honor roll, bringing immense glory and causing a sensation throughout the land.

However, the students were truly terrified, feeling as if they were walking on thin ice.

After the results were announced today, dignitaries from Bianjing flocked to my door like locusts crossing a river. Prime Minister Han Qi wanted to take me as his son-in-law, someone from the Censorate was watching my essays to find fault, and even those who failed the exams were gossiping behind my back that we had won through some strange trick.

As the master once said, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets." Now that I stand at the forefront of this storm, I realize how true that statement is. I cannot see through the murky waters of the capital, nor dare I wade into them recklessly. I fear that one wrong step could not only ruin myself but also tarnish the reputation of the academy.

I humbly request that you bestow upon me the "third secret plan," a brilliant strategy to teach me how to preserve my integrity amidst the pursuit of fame and fortune, and how not to bring trouble to the academy.

P.S.: Your "Top Scholar Paper" is now available for sale. The whole capital is asking me what kind of paper you use to write on. I've already spread the word that it's "Specially supplied by Jingshi Academy, blessed by the God of Literature."

Student Su Shi respectfully presents this.

After writing the letter, Su Shi carefully blew the ink dry and sealed it with sealing wax.

"Someone come here!"

Su Shi summoned his personal page, his expression as solemn as if he were delivering a military intelligence: "Go to the post station immediately and send an urgent messenger! Spare no expense; deliver it to Mr. Runzhou within three days!"

Watching the pageboy's departing figure, Su Shi breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Although he was in the eye of the storm, just thinking of that lazy figure in Jiangnan, who always seemed to say "I'll take care of everything if the sky falls," brought him a sense of peace.

"Sir..."

Su Shi touched the unused black brocade pouch in his pocket, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

"If you don't come to the capital soon, those old foxes might just tear the three of us apart alive."

Meanwhile, deep within the palace.

Inside Chongzheng Hall, the candlelight was so bright that it was as if it were daytime.

Emperor Renzong, Zhao Zhen, did not retire for the night. He sat at his desk, holding Su Shi's examination paper, examining it again and again with great interest. The paper was covered with dense annotations in vermilion ink, demonstrating the emperor's deep affection for the essay.

"Your Majesty."

The old eunuch beside him whispered cautiously, "Scholar Su has already returned to the inn. I heard he's refusing to see any guests, and he didn't even accept Master Han's gift. When do you think we should summon him?"

Emperor Renzong put down the examination paper, and the smile in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep and calculating look unique to emperors.

"No rush."

Emperor Renzong uttered two words calmly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

"Let him be besieged by those powerful and influential people for a few days first."

Emperor Renzong stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the brightly lit area outside the palace, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"These three young men, though exceptionally talented, have had it too easy. From Runzhou to Bianjing, they've swept through the land without a trace, never experiencing real setbacks. How can they know who the real powerhouse is without enduring the harsh realities of officialdom?"

"Right now, all those powerful and influential people are flattering him. The higher they're lifted, the harder he'll fall. When he's driven crazy by them and realizes he's just a helpless little rabbit in front of those old foxes..."

Emperor Renzong's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile radiating an air of absolute confidence.

"I will take action again."

"At that time, he will understand that in this Great Song Dynasty, only I am his only support; only I can make him truly draw his 'Dragon-Slaying Saber' instead of turning it into a tool for power struggles."

This is called "training the eagle".

Not only do we have to outmaneuver Su Shi, this fledgling eagle, but we also have to outmaneuver Jiang Lin, that old fox.