I'm coming clean: I'm the reincarnation of the God of Literature.

Chapter 16 A Brushstroke to Subdue the Students

The examination hall was filled with cries of despair.

Some people were sweating profusely, some were staring blankly with their pen in their mouths, and some were even lying face down on the table, their faces turning green.

Only Gu Ci, sitting in the corner, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write.

The examiner who was inspecting the examination hall was a middle-aged scholar in his forties, surnamed Sun, who had been teaching at the county school for nearly twenty years.

He walked through the examination hall with his hands behind his back, looking at the faces of the students, and sighed inwardly.

Instructor Zhao's question was really too harsh.

Do not seek wealth unjustly, nor seek to escape danger unjustly.

This saying comes from the Book of Rites, specifically the chapter "Quli Shang," and it means that a gentleman should not take wealth unjustly, nor should he flee from danger unjustly. The principle is simple, but understanding it is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Because this statement is too formal, too rigid, and too dogmatic.

If you're not careful, you can end up with a dry, didactic piece that's empty, devoid of any spirit.

Sun Xiucai walked up to a candidate and glanced at his answer sheet.

"A gentleman does not act dishonestly; this is a fundamental principle of Heaven..."

Sun Xiucai shook his head.

He then walked up to another candidate.

"To be ungreedy in the face of wealth, and to not retreat in the face of danger—this is the teaching of the sages..."

Or not.

The more he looked, the more disappointed he became.

These children are all stumped by this problem.

Just as Sun Xiucai was about to walk forward, he caught a glimpse of a small, thin figure in the corner. He paused.

Isn't that Gu Ci?

He walked over.

Gu Ci was looking down, his pen moving across the paper without the slightest hesitation.

Sun Xiucai leaned closer to take a look.

That word!

Lean and sharp, with iron-like strokes and silver hooks, each stroke exudes a fierce spirit.

These are not words that an ordinary person could write!

Sun Xiucai held his breath, his gaze fixed on the problem statement that Gu Ci had just finished writing.

"When a sage judges a person, he does not judge them by their actions but by their heart, and he does not judge them by their superficial appearances but by their fundamental nature."

Just a dozen or so words.

Sun Xiucai stood there, stunned.

This is a terrible problem!

The lofty intention directly points out Confucius's standard for evaluating people—not whether they conform to the superficial forms of rites and music, but their inner simplicity and sincerity!

Judge by the heart, not by the traces; judge by the essence, not by the superficial!

Shocking!

Sun Xiucai stood behind Gu Ci, his hands beginning to tremble.

He had thought that Zhao Jiaoyu's question would stump everyone, but he never expected that this eight-year-old prodigy would reveal the secret in one sentence. His profound insight instantly set him apart from those mediocre talents who only dabble in superficial matters.

Gu Ci didn't look up and continued writing the main text.

His thinking was extremely clear.

It begins by examining the opposition between "traces" and "heart," explaining the common human failing to value appearances over essence.

The text then quotes the Analects, "If a man is not benevolent, what use are rites?", to emphasize that the essence of rites and music lies in benevolence, not in formalities. Finally, it elevates the theme to "The superior man attends to the fundamentals; when the fundamentals are established, the Way arises," thus completely raising the significance of the topic.

The entire article flows smoothly and is magnificent in its style.

Sun Xiucai stood there, completely absorbed in the spectacle.

He even forgot that he was still patrolling the field.

He only snapped out of his daze when a fellow examinee secretly looked up and glanced at him. He coughed lightly and turned to leave.

But he didn't go anywhere else. Instead, he walked straight towards the examiners' seats in the main hall.

front hall.

The three examiners sat upright behind their desks.

In the very center is Magistrate Wang Chengen, to his left is Zhao De, the instructor of the county school, and to his right is an elderly scholar from the prefectural city, surnamed Liu, who is over fifty years old, with a flowing white beard and a somewhat otherworldly air.

Zhao De's expression was not good at the moment.

He added extra questions at the last minute, thinking it would teach those restless candidates a lesson and also expose Gu Ci's weakness.

However, Wang Chengen and Liu Juren had some reservations about his actions.

Wang Chengen took a sip of tea: "Instructor Zhao, isn't this question a bit too much?"

Zhao De forced a smile and replied, "Sir, I am only testing the candidates' true abilities. If they don't even have this basic foundation, how can they possibly pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom?"

Scholar Liu stroked his beard: "I understand Instructor Zhao's good intentions. It's just that this question is too obscure; I'm afraid it will cause many promising students to fail."

Just as Zhao Degang was about to explain, Sun Xiucai strode in.

"Your Honor! Scholar Liu! Instructor Zhao!"

Sun Xiucai's face was filled with suppressed excitement.

Wang Chengen looked up: "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Sun Xiucai took a deep breath: "Sir, I...I was patrolling the area just now and saw an article."

"What article?"

"Gu Ci's article!"

Zhao De's expression changed.

Sun Xiucai was so excited that he danced with joy: "That opening statement was simply... a stroke of genius! Sages judge people not by their actions but by their hearts, not by their superficialities but by their essence! In my twenty years of teaching, I have never seen such a brilliant opening statement!"

Wang Chengen put down his teacup: "Really?"

"Absolutely true!"

Liu, the scholar, could no longer sit still and stood up: "I must go and see for myself."

Zhao De's face turned ashen, but he couldn't stop them.

The three of them walked into the examination room together.

When the examiners arrived in person, the candidates lowered their heads, becoming even more nervous.

Wang Chengen went straight to Gu Ci's seat.

Gu Ci had finished writing the main text and was now copying it over.

Wang Chengen stood behind him and glanced at the answer sheet.

Beautiful handwriting!

Great article!

Liu, the scholar, leaned over, read a few lines, and gasped.

"Wonderful! This child is truly a prodigy!"

He grew increasingly excited as he looked, and couldn't help but pat Wang Chengen on the shoulder: "Lord Wang, Qinghe County has produced a treasure!"

Wang Chengen's face lit up with a smile.

Gu Ci certainly lived up to his expectations.

Zhao De stood to the side, his face extremely grim.

He had intended to use this question to stump Gu Ci, but unexpectedly it became a stepping stone for the other party.

Sun, the scholar, leaned closer and whispered, "Instructor Zhao, you've set a great question. If it weren't so difficult, how could we show off Young Master Gu's talent?"

Zhao De: "..."

Scholar Liu stroked his beard: "Instructor Zhao, although your question was tricky, it was a lucky accident. With an essay like Gu Ci's, today's preliminary examination will surely be recorded in the annals of Qinghe County!"

Wang Chengen also chimed in with a smile: "Yes, Instructor Zhao has done a great service this time."

Zhao De's lips twitched, and he forced a smile.

Sun Xiucai suppressed a laugh, secretly pleased with himself.

Serves you right for always putting on airs, huh? You've finally met your match.

The three examiners stood behind Gu Ci for a long while before reluctantly returning to the front hall.

The atmosphere in the examination room became even more oppressive.

Everyone saw the chief examiner go to Gu Ci and stand there for a long time.

What this means is obvious even to a fool.

One of the test takers sighed, slumped onto the table, and gave up completely.

Just then, Gu Ci put down his pen.

He raised his head and stretched his stiff neck.

The moment he looked up, an invisible wave emanated from his body.

The words he wrote came to life.

The ink stains on the paper faintly glowed with a light halo.

The halo flashed and disappeared in an instant.

Gu Ci was stunned.

He looked down at the answer sheet, his brows slightly furrowed.

What was that just now?

Or is it just my imagination?

He stared intently at the paper, but the halo had vanished, and he could no longer see anything unusual about it.

Gu Ci pondered for a moment and then put the matter to rest for the time being.

Just then, a loud wail suddenly came from across the street.

"I'm not taking the exam! I'm not taking the exam!"

A sixteen-year-old boy suddenly stood up, threw down his pen, and buried his face in his hands on the table, bursting into tears.

"I have absolutely no idea how to do this problem! I've been studying for five years, and I still can't even figure out how to solve it! I'm just not cut out for studying! Waaah..."

The patrolling constable strode over and dragged him up.

"Stop crying! If you can't do well on the exam, go home!"

The boy was dragged out of the examination room, and his cries gradually faded into the distance.

Everyone in the examination room kept their heads down and dared not utter a sound.

Zhao De stood in the front hall and snorted coldly.

"How can one achieve great things if one's will is not steadfast?"

Wang Chengen did not respond.

Liu, the scholar, shook his head and sighed.

Time passed little by little.

The noon bell rang.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

"Time's up! Hand in your papers!"