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

As news of Su Shi's top ranking in the imperial examination spread like wildfire, the name "Runzhou Jianglin" completely ignited the entire Song Dynasty.

This was not a pebble thrown into a lake; it was a meteorite crashing into the public discourse of the Song Dynasty.

In just a few days, from the bustling Bianjing to the misty Jiangnan region, from the desolate northern frontier to the remote borderlands, whether in the high halls of power or in the far reaches of the world, all the scholars, officials, and even peddlers were all chanting the same name – "Jingshi Academy".

After the court assembly ended that day, the ministers did not rush to disperse, but gathered in twos and threes, and the only topic was: that mysterious Jiangshan Chang.

Han Qi, the leader of the reformists, was beaming with excitement, clutching a copy of Su Shi's policy essay, his beard trembling with elation.

"Gentlemen, look at the spirit of this article! Look at its courage in criticizing current affairs!"

Han Qi addressed his colleagues loudly, "That Mr. Jiang, who can teach a talent like Su Shi, must be a man of extraordinary talent! If we can invite Mr. Jiang to the court, how can we worry about the failure of the new laws? How can we worry about the prosperity of the Song Dynasty?"

Even the usually composed Yan Shu couldn't help but nod in admiration as he looked at the article: "This person has exceptional insight and is not bound by ancient methods; he is exactly the kind of talent we need."

On the other side, within the conservative camp, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

The Grand Counselor Sima Guang frowned, looked at the excited Han Qi and the others, and snorted coldly.

"This person has great insight, but is too radical."

Sima Guang whispered to his colleagues, "Look at Su Shi's policy essays; they're full of reforms and institutional changes. His students all have such a strong inclination towards reform. If we were to let him enter the court, it might not be a blessing for the Song Dynasty. We must be careful."

Standing in the middle, Fu Bi, a senior figure from the neutral faction, stroked his beard with a deep gaze.

"No rush, no rush."

Fu Bi said calmly, "Rumors are just rumors. It's better to observe for a while and see how his three students perform in officialdom. If they are truly talented, then we can consider winning them over."

Compared to the undercurrents in the imperial court, the reaction in the education sector in Jiangnan was—collapse.

The headmaster of the Suzhou Academy, an old scholar with white hair and a deep understanding of classical texts, was so angry when he looked at the official gazette in his hand that he almost smashed his teacup.

"I've been teaching for decades, with countless students, yet I'm not as accomplished as someone who's only taught for three years?"

The old mountain chief beat his chest and stamped his feet, finally letting out a long sigh, "No, I must go to Runzhou to visit him and see what kind of sorcery he possesses... no, what kind of advanced experience he has!"

The headmaster of Hangzhou Academy reacted even faster, having already arranged for boats to be prepared.

"I heard that Mr. Jiang has a unique teaching method; he doesn't teach by rote, but focuses on practical application."

As the headmaster of Hangzhou University packed his luggage, he told his students, "I'm going to Runzhou myself to learn a thing or two. You all need to reflect on yourselves at home and figure out why you couldn't outperform them!"

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, who was far away in Bianjing, submitted a memorial directly to the emperor.

"Your Majesty! The court should invite Mr. Jiang to preside over the reform of the Imperial Academy!" The Grand Chancellor's memorial was written with tears streaming down his face. "Such talent, if buried in the provinces, is a loss to the nation!"

At this time, Runzhou City was already packed with people from other places.

Countless parents, hoping their children will succeed, travel long distances to enroll their kids in Jingshi Academy. The queues at the academy's gate stretch from morning till night, with some even sleeping there with their bedding.

Faced with this frenzied display, Jiang Lin had no choice but to have Old Li post a huge notice at the entrance:

This college is not currently enrolling students. We will meet again someday if fate allows.

But this only made everyone feel that Jiang Lin was even more unfathomable, and some people even kowtowed to the notice, saying that they wanted to move the gods.

The bustling atmosphere in the Song Dynasty was so great that even foreign envoys couldn't sit still.

Inside the Liao embassy, ​​the Liao envoy frowned as he looked at the intelligence report in his hand: "The Song Dynasty has produced a teaching prodigy? He's achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations? Quickly, we must send someone to investigate. If we can recruit him..."

The Japanese envoy to the Song Dynasty was so excited that his eyes lit up, and he wrote in his diary: "This person must be visited! We must bring back the advanced educational methods of the Song Dynasty to Japan!"

The Goryeo envoy was even more direct, urgently shouting to his entourage, "Quickly, return to the post station and deliver a message to the King! Investigate Jiang Lin's ancestral home. Even if he only drank a drop of water on the banks of the Yalu River, he is still a precious gem of Goryeo that has been lost to the world!"

This level of interest naturally did not escape the keen senses of businessmen.

Bookstores across the country, like sharks smelling blood, frantically printed all sorts of books related to "Jiang Lin." Although most of them were forgeries, they had no trouble selling them.

Sales of "Collected Works of Su Shi", "Collected Works of Zeng Gong", and "Collected Works of Su Zhe" skyrocketed, leading to stockouts.

Even more outrageous, many strange books have appeared on the market, such as "Jiang Lin's Sayings," "Jiang Shanchang Teaches You How to Pass the Imperial Examination," and "My Days Sweeping Floors at Jingshi Academy"...

Inside the academy's accounting office, Qian Duoduo, carrying a pile of pirated books, angrily reported to Jiang Lin.

"Sir! Look! There are so many books on the market impersonating your name... This book, 'Jianglin Night Talks,' is full of frivolous and sentimental writings; it's practically ruining your reputation!"

Jiang Lin was lying on a rattan chair drinking tea when he heard this, and he just smiled faintly.

"Let them be. Genuine gold fears no fire, and fake will always be fake. The more they hype it up, the more valuable our genuine product will become."

At this time, all the teahouses in Runzhou were packed. The storyteller struck his gavel, spittle flying as he began to recount the story that had already been mythologized.

"It is said that the land of Runzhou is so beautiful that it is said to be descended from the heavenly star of literature..."

The storyteller waved his folding fan and said mysteriously:

Three years ago, the academy was dilapidated; even the mice moved away with tears in their eyes, and only a handful of students remained. But then, Mr. Jiang appeared out of nowhere!

"Three years later, the student achieved the highest score in the imperial examination, becoming famous throughout the land! Do you all know what earth-shattering events occurred within those high walls and compounds during those three years?"

The audience craned their necks, chanting in unison, "Tell us! Tell us! Stop keeping us in suspense!"

The storyteller chuckled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly began to speak:

To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment!

"Whoa—"

There was a chorus of boos in the teahouse, but tips were thrown onto the stage like raindrops.

While the outside world was in an uproar over the name "Jiang Lin," the Jiang Family Academy, at the center of the storm, was a scene of bustling activity.

The lecture hall was no longer filled with the sound of students reading aloud; instead, it was filled with the clanging of boxes being opened and closed.

Jiang Lin was directing Qian Duoduo to pack her luggage.

"Bring along these manuscripts of 'Three Years of Imperial Examinations and Five Years of Simulation,' as well as these pieces of 'extraterrestrial meteorite iron' to make it look impressive. They can fool quite a few people when we get to the capital."

As Jiang Lin counted the items, he muttered to himself, "Oh right, bring my Yixing teapot too. The water in the capital is hard, and tea won't taste good without this pot."

While frantically stuffing things into the bag, Qian Duoduo looked at the uncounted silver notes with a pained expression: "Sir, are we really leaving? Business in Runzhou is booming right now..."

"A broader perspective, more than enough."

Jiang Lin patted his head, "Runzhou is just a beginner's village, Bianjing is the real level-up dungeon. We're going there to fleece the entire Song Dynasty."

Just as the master and servant were busy "moving," a series of dull but orderly footsteps, mixed with the cold sound of armor clashing, suddenly broke the busyness in the academy.

Immediately afterward, Old Li, the doorman, stumbled in, his face deathly pale, as if he had seen the King of Hell, his voice trembling:

"Headmaster! Headmaster! Something terrible has happened!"

Jiang Lin, holding a change of blue robe in his hand, didn't even turn his head: "What is it now? Are you here to collect a debt or to deliver money?"

"No, Headmaster! This time...it's people from the palace!"

Old Li swallowed hard, his legs still trembling, and pointed towards the gate, shaking as he said:

"Outside... a lot of soldiers on horseback, all dressed in black and carrying swords, have arrived! The leader is a beardless eunuch who says he's the Emperor's personal attendant, personally escorted by the Imperial City Guard!"

"They specifically requested to see you by name, saying they carried a letter written in the emperor's own handwriting!"

Jiang Lin paused slightly as he folded the clothes.

Imperial City Guard? Personal eunuch?

This was a bigger show of force than he had anticipated. It seemed that Zhao Zhen was serious this time and wasn't planning to give him any chance to refuse.

He turned around and looked through the window towards the gate. Although he hadn't seen anyone yet, he could already feel the urgency and domineering aura emanating from the imperial city of Bianjing.

A meaningful smile slowly curved the corners of his lips.

"Oh?"

Jiang Lin casually tossed the blue robe into the trunk, clapped his hands, and spoke in a calm tone that exuded a confident sense of control:

"Looks like our travel expenses have been reimbursed."

"Let's go receive the imperial decree."