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

The next morning, at the examination hall in Runzhou County.

The autumn wind swept up a few fallen leaves from the ground, swirling them over the Minglun Hall and making a rustling sound. Compared to the suffocating dullness of yesterday's classical studies session, today's poetry session had a bit more "refined"—at least on the surface.

Chief Examiner Lord Zhao stood in front of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of candidates below the stage, and slowly unrolled the scroll of questions.

There is only one word:

【autumn】

As soon as the question was announced, a wave of suppressed sighs swept through the examination room.

The topic of "Autumn" is too cliché. So cliché that even a three-year-old who has just started learning can recite "Autumn wind sweeps away fallen leaves," it's so cliché that it's been overused.

But precisely because it is so common, it is extremely difficult to write something original.

Most of the test takers began to look gloomy. Some bit their pens, their minds filled with clichés like "sadness and desolation," "withered leaves," and "tears of a wanderer"; others tried to pile up flowery words, describing autumn as a nouveau riche dressed in gold and silver but with a face full of wrinkles.

Wang Shichang, from the next cell, was also frowning.

Last night he memorized more than a dozen famous poems about autumn and was trying to put them together like building blocks.

"Fallen leaves over a thousand mountains... no, that's too cliché."

"Autumn waters merge with the vast sky... No, that's Wang Bo's poem. Copying it too obviously will get me removed from the list."

Wang Shichang ground the ink with a grating sound, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

……

In a corner of the examination hall, Su Shi sat quietly.

He looked at the bare old locust tree outside the window, but didn't rush to start writing.

In my mind, the sound of Jiang Lin reciting under the moon that night echoed:

"When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the heavens..."

Those were lyrics written by his future self. They conveyed a sense of magnanimity, a spirit that could comfort the world even in the face of separation and loss.

"As the master said, writing poetry is not for the purpose of feigning illness."

"If someone cries and wails at the sight of autumn, what kind of scholar is that? That's a wretched woman."

Su Shi's eyes gradually brightened. He didn't need to plagiarize "the future" because that unrestrained spirit was already flowing in his blood, awakened in advance by Jiang Lin.

He picked up his brush and dipped it in thick ink.

With wrist suspended in the air, I took a deep breath and wrote with the speed of the wind.

The ink blurred on the paper. He didn't write those mournful and desolate words of autumn; instead, with a turn of his pen, it was as if he had flown to the heavens.

At the same time, Zeng Gong and Su Zhe also began writing.

Zeng Gong's poems are calm and dignified. Although they lack the sword-like vigor of Su Shi, they are as profound as autumn mountains, meticulously crafted to an astonishing degree, and convey a sense of order in governing the country between the lines.

Su Zhe's poems are simple and peaceful, as tranquil as autumn water, bringing peace to the mind when read.

……

When the sun was high in the sky, the chief examiner, Lord Zhao, walked around the narrow passageway with his hands behind his back.

As an official of the imperial court, he was tired of those sentimental poems that made no sense. After walking around, all he saw were "tears soaking his blue robe" and "alone in an empty room," which made him frown and even want to yawn.

"This year's candidates have no talent whatsoever. They're all just lethargic."

He shook his head and strolled to the corner of the Class A section.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Su Shi's scroll.

His steps suddenly stopped.

On the scroll, the handwriting was elegant and unrestrained, as if it were about to burst forth from the paper. Lord Zhao couldn't help but lower his head and silently recite the entire poem:

Autumn Thoughts - Presented to the Chief Clerk

Do not say that the autumn wind stirs up sorrow in travelers; the high sky and light clouds are perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Frosty forests dye a thousand mountains red, jade dew washes away the autumn chill across ten thousand acres.

The roc soars into the nine heavens to survey the mortal world below; the cicadas' chirping on the cold leaves should cease.

Look deep within the roots of the old tree; spring thunder is brewing behind it.

When he read the couplet, "Frosty forests dye a thousand mountains red, jade dew washes open ten thousand acres of autumn," Lord Zhao's hand suddenly trembled.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

He roared inwardly.

Everyone else writes of the bleak autumn wind, their pages filled with weeping and lamentation. Only this one writes of the vastness of "ten thousand acres of autumn," and the magnificence of "a thousand mountains dyed in a drunken stupor"!

The couplet in particular, comparing himself to a roc looking down at a cicada in the cold, is such a display of arrogance and boundless spirit!

The final line, "The spring thunder is just around the corner," is the finishing touch! He saw the vitality of spring in autumn, and this idea completely overshadowed the hundreds of other candidates in the examination hall who were "mournful"!

Lord Zhao suppressed the urge to slam his fist on the table in admiration (after all, they were in the examination hall), and gave the boy who was engrossed in checking his exam paper a deep look.

"This child...if properly nurtured, will surely become a national treasure!"

He memorized that seat number: No. 13, Class A.

……

At noon, the gong was struck.

carry out an assignment.

When Su Shi and his two companions walked out of the examination hall, they looked even more relaxed than the day before.

"How is it?" Jiang Lin was still standing in the same spot, holding the tattered folding fan with a few lines drawn on it, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Cool!"

Su Shi replied with only one word.

The feeling of inspiration bursting forth is even more exhilarating than drinking ten pounds of fine wine.

"Sir, I couldn't help myself and... I was a little presumptuous." Su Shi scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow: "How outrageous are you?"

"It's roughly the point where... you see the examiner as a drinking buddy and want to have a drink with him."

Jiang Lin smiled: "That's settled then. Examiner Zhao is a connoisseur of wine, and you've got his taste."

……

That afternoon, in the county school's exam paper marking room.

Dozens of examiners sat together, the air thick with the smell of strong tea and ink. Most of the papers were tossed aside, and the examiners yawned incessantly as they looked at them.

"Another melancholic autumn scene. Is this student's family starving? The writing is so tragic."

"This one is even more outrageous. It tries to force a connection between autumn and imperial grace, which is a case of flattery backfiring."

Just then, the chief examiner, Lord Zhao, pulled out three papers from a pile of recommended papers.

He placed the three papers side by side on the table, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, his expression serious.

"Everyone, stop for a moment."

"Take a look at these three poems. They'll help you clear your head."

The examiners gathered around.

The first one, naturally, is Su Shi's poem "Autumn Thoughts".

The examination room fell silent instantly.

"This...this artistic conception is absolutely brilliant!" An old scholar gasped. "It's as powerful as a tiger swallowing ten thousand miles! That last line, 'The spring thunder is brewing behind,' is simply a stroke of genius!"

Lord Zhao smiled slightly and pointed to the second paper: "Take a look at this one."

That was Zeng Gong's exam paper.

Autumn Thoughts

The autumn wind blows crisply, the laws are strict, and all things are stored away as if being cooked fresh.

The ravines and valleys are clear and untouched by dust; the universe is serene and tranquil, just as a sage would.

……

After reading it aloud, one of the assistant examiners couldn't help but clap his hands: "So neat! So composed!"

"Look at this line, 'The ravines are clear and untouched by dust, the universe is serene and just like the sage.' He compares the desolation of autumn to the strict laws of the court; he attributes the autumn harvest to the merits of 'farming.' He doesn't talk about romance, only about the nation. Although this poem isn't as unrestrained as the first one, it's extremely mature and impeccable!"

Lord Zhao nodded: "This young man has the talent of a prime minister."

Next was the third one, Su Zhe's exam paper.

Autumn Waters

The autumn waters and the vast sky are of one color; the clear mirror reflects all things in emptiness.

Do not grieve over the falling leaves in the west wind; let them retain their integrity until the frost reddens them in their later years.

"While this one is not as stunning as the previous two, it is unique and refreshing," another examiner commented. "Reading it makes one forget worldly concerns and bring peace of mind; it is a rare and excellent piece."

Lord Zhao stroked his beard and laughed heartily:

"In all my years of supervising examinations, I have never seen such a talented young man in a county-level examination. Especially this first-place candidate, he is simply—"

He paused, then uttered two words:

"genius."

The assistant examiner beside him nodded repeatedly: "These three will undoubtedly take the top three spots. I just wonder which academy they graduated from?"

Some speculated, "It must be Wenchang Academy, right? I heard the Wang family spent a lot of money to hire a famous teacher from Hangzhou this time."

"They could also be the prized students of the official academy."

Lord Zhao, his curiosity piqued, disregarded the usual rules about anonymizing names (since the rankings were already set, all that remained was to fill in the list), and waved to the clerk, saying:

"Go, remove the masked names. I want to see just who these three talented scholars really are."

The clerk obeyed the order and carefully tore off the strip of paper covering the name.

All the examiners craned their necks.

first slide:

Su Shi – Runzhou Jingshi Academy

the second one:

Zeng Gong – Runzhou Jingshi Academy.

Third one:

Su Zhe – Runzhou Jingshi Academy.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Inside the examination room, the only sound could be the clerk swallowing hard.

"Jing...Jingshi Academy?"

Lord Zhao was stunned, his face displaying a variety of expressions, as if he had swallowed an egg whole.

"Is that... the Jiang Family Academy, which is said to be heavily in debt and almost got demolished to be used as a stable three days ago?"

The clerk checked the roster, wiped his sweat, and whispered:

"Yes, sir...that's right."

"Moreover... Jing Shi Academy only registered three candidates this time."

"All...all of them hit?"

The assistant examiner's mouth dropped open, and the teacup in his hand crashed to the ground and shattered.

Three candidates, all three ranked in the top three.

crack shot?

This isn't an exam, it's clearly a shopping trip!

Lord Zhao remained silent for a long time before his gaze returned to the three exceptionally brilliant examination papers.

Rumors about the young mountain god Jiang Lin surfaced in his mind—he was said to be a good-for-nothing who only knew how to squander money and was about to end up homeless.

"It seems..."

Lord Zhao took a deep breath, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"This Jiang Lin is a master of deception."

"To be able to teach such a student, to be able to transform a melancholic autumn topic into an expression of 'spring thunder'—this is hardly a case of being down on one's luck; this is clearly a hidden dragon in the abyss!"

He suddenly stood up and waved his hand:

"Quickly! Seal these three papers. Tomorrow, when the results are announced, I will personally go and meet this...Jiang Shanchang!"