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

Three days later, in Runzhou City.

The midday sun lazily shone on the bluestone street, and the locals ate noodles, drank tea, and chatted about everyday matters as usual.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the silence.

A courier with a red flag tucked behind his back rushed through the city gate like a red lightning bolt, running and roaring wildly, his voice cracking with excitement:

"Great victory! Great victory!"

"Su Shi of Runzhou Jingshi Academy achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination!"

"Zeng Gong, the third-highest scorer in the imperial examination!"

"Su Zhe, seventh in the second class!"

"Three outstanding talents from one family! Unparalleled in the world!"

That shout brought Runzhou City to a standstill.

The old lady selling steamed buns slipped, and one of the buns rolled into the sewer; the shopkeeper, who was doing his accounts, misplaced the beads on his abacus; even the stray dogs on the street were frightened into stopping their barking.

After three seconds of deathly silence.

boom--!

The entire city seemed to have been hit by a ton of explosives, exploding instantly.

"A top scholar?! Runzhou has produced a top scholar?!"

"Still from Jingshi Academy? I knew it! That Jiang Shanchang is a god!"

"Hurry! To the academy! If we're late, even the dirt at the entrance will have been dug up!"

……

Inside Jingshi Academy.

Jiang Lin remained as unmoved as ever, lying on the rattan chair in the lecture hall, holding a purple clay teapot he had somehow acquired, slowly sipping tea.

Offstage, five students from the "second tier," including Lu Yun and Chen Tong, were engrossed in working through the "Salt and Iron Monopoly Simulation Problems" assigned by Jiang Lin.

"Bang!"

The door was violently kicked open.

Prefect Shen, who was usually very particular about his appearance, was now panting heavily, his face flushed, his official hat askew, and he shouted before even entering the door:

"Jiang Shanchang! Amazing! You're amazing!"

Lord Shen rushed to Jiang Lin, so excited he was incoherent, "The top scholar! Su Shi has become the top scholar! Zeng Gong is the third-ranked scholar! Our Runzhou... our Runzhou has made a name for itself in the whole world this time!"

Jiang Lin put down the purple clay teapot and picked at his ear.

"Lord Shen, calm down."

Jiang Lin glanced at him. "So what if he's the top scorer? Is it really necessary to run until your shoes almost fell off?"

"He's just... a top scholar?"

Lord Shen nearly choked. This was the first top scholar to emerge from Runzhou since the founding of the Song Dynasty! It was also a historically rare case of "three scholars from one family passing the imperial examinations"! And you call this "nothing special"?

Jiang Lin stood up and glanced at the five students below the stage, who were also clenching their fists with excitement and their eyes full of anticipation.

"Lu Yun, Chen Tong."

Jiang Lin's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, "Your senior brothers became the top scholars; that's their achievement. For you, it only proves one thing—"

"That means there's nothing wrong with my teaching methods."

"So, put away your excited expressions and keep doing your problems. Five years from now, if you can't get the same results, that would be truly shameful."

Lu Yun took a deep breath, sat down first, and picked up his pen again. The other four also calmed down, but their hands holding the pen were more steady and stronger than before.

"Yes, sir!"

Lord Shen watched in stunned silence.

Is this the demeanor of a master? Not even putting the top scholar in his eyes? And these teenagers, how can they have such strong composure?

……

After seeing off the excited prefect, Jiang Lin hadn't even had a chance to sit down when Qian Duoduo swept in like a gust of wind.

This time, Manager Qian wasn't holding an abacus, but a thick stack of orders, his eyes gleaming with a savage, even more frantic than the prefect from before.

"Sir! You've struck it rich! This time you really have!"

Qian Duoduo slammed the order on the table, gesturing excitedly, "The news of Senior Brother Su and the others getting into high school just came back, and the doorstep of our bookstore has been overwhelmed with customers!"

"How so?" Jiang Lin asked knowingly.

"The batch of 'new, improved paper' you asked me to stockpile is now in high demand!"

Qian Duoduo swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I followed your instructions and put up signs saying 'Top Scholar's Choice' and 'With this certificate in hand, fame and fortune are mine,' tripling the price! And then... and then in less than half an hour, the warehouse was emptied!"

"And those booksellers are begging and crying to buy the exclusive rights to our academy's books! 'The Collected Essays of Su Shi,' 'How to Write Essays: A Lesson from Zeng Guofan'... the copyright fees have already been inflated to 50,000 strings of cash!"

"Fifty thousand strings of cash..."

Jiang Lin stroked his chin, and a satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips.

"Only 50,000 strings of cash? It seems those nouveau riche in the capital haven't really put up their act yet."

He patted Qian Duoduo on the shoulder and said, "Tell those booksellers that the copyright is only signed for one year. The price will increase after one year. Also, don't rush to restock the paper; do 'pre-sales,' let them pay first, and deliver the goods next month."

"That's called... cash flow."

Qian Duoduo was stunned for a moment, then gave a thumbs up: "Sir, your heart... is really black. But I like it!"

At dusk.

The crowd at the academy entrance was finally dispersed by Old Li, the gatekeeper, with a broom, but some people still lingered and refused to leave.

A luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance, and the person who stepped out was none other than the "old rival" from back then—the head of the Wang family.

This time, the head of the Wang family no longer had the arrogance of the past; he bent over so low that he almost touched the ground.

"Mr. Jiang, I, Wang, have come to congratulate you."

The head of the Wang family presented a generous gift, his face beaming with smiles. "Back then, I was blind and didn't know you were a true god. Now it seems that the bet I made back then was the most worthwhile loss I've ever suffered in my life."

Jiang Lin sat on the veranda, looking at the businessman who had once tried to destroy the academy, and smiled faintly.

"Master Wang, you're too kind. Business is business. If it weren't for your compensation, the academy wouldn't have been able to be renovated."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The head of the Wang family nodded repeatedly, then rubbed his hands together and cautiously probed, "Mr. Jiang, I have a favor to ask. My good-for-nothing son of mine just turned fourteen this year, I wonder if it would be possible..."

"Want to send it in?" Jiang Lin interrupted him.

"As long as you're willing to accept it, sir, you can name your own fee! Ten thousand strings of cash is fine!" the Wang family head said through gritted teeth.

Jiang Lin shook his head.

"Master Wang, it's not about money."

"I've met your son. He's impulsive and unruly, not suited for my 'devil training' here. I teach governance here; your son is better suited for business."

Seeing the Wang family head's disappointed expression, Jiang Lin changed the subject: "However, I can write you a letter of recommendation so he can become a student at the Imperial Academy in the capital. As for whether he can succeed, that depends on his own fate."

Overjoyed, the Wang family head knelt down with a thud: "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Jiang! From now on, the Wang family will follow your lead!"

……

Late at night.

The commotion finally subsided completely.

Jiang Lin sat alone in the lecture hall, looking at the empty seats. He couldn't help but feel a little empty when he thought of the three teenagers who sat here three years ago.

"I wonder how those three guys are doing in the capital."

Just then, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

"Headmaster! Urgent letter from the capital!"

Old Li ran in carrying letters sealed with wax.

Jiang Lin took the letter and glanced at the familiar handwriting on the envelope—it was Su Shi's.

He opened the letter and read it by candlelight. Jiang Lin's originally languid expression gradually turned into one of amusement.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Jiang Lin flicked the letter paper, making a rustling sound. "Han Qi is looking for a son-in-law? The censor is finding fault? It seems that being the top scholar is not an easy job for Zizhan."

He sensed Su Shi's anxiety in the letter, as well as the treacherous nature of the murky waters of the capital.

"Sir, are my senior brothers in trouble?" Qian Duoduo asked, leaning closer.

"Troublesome? No."

Jiang Lin stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the starry sky in the north.

"These are necessary growing pains. How can they grow up if they don't get bitten a few times by those old foxes?"

"but……"

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Lin's eyes. "Since my disciple has asked for help, I, as his master, can't just stand by and watch."

He returned to his desk, picked up his brush, and dipped it in thick ink.

"Duoduo, go and get ready."

"What are you preparing?" Qian Duoduo asked.

As Jiang Lin wrote his reply, he said casually:

"Making preparations for opening a branch in the capital."

"It seems that I, as their teacher, have to go to Bianjing myself to support them."