Chapter 25

"Who says women are not as good as men..."

Wen Xinyue muttered to herself. She had just woken up from the illusion, still pondering the legendary story of Hua Mulan.

For some reason, she thought of the line "Sister hears her younger sister is coming, and by the door, she arranges her red makeup," from the poem "Female Warrior" that Yue Heng had given her. The line "preferring plainness to makeup" was probably a reference to this line from "The Ballad of Mulan."

Looking up, she found Yue Heng watching her with interest, and Wen Xinyue's face turned red again. She cursed inwardly, feeling flustered and avoiding his gaze.

At this moment, County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen exchanged a glance and nodded secretly.

This time, only the illusion of the mansion's spirit array had been triggered, without causing much impact. Since no one else understood the principle of the spirit array, they could still try to deceive them.

The two of them looked at the unsuspecting Yue Heng and smiled.

County Magistrate Qi laughed heartily and said, "Yue Heng, what a wonderful 'The Ballad of Mulan'! This text is sincere, the details vivid, and the storytelling method interesting. It has a similar effect to 'The Mulan Song' of the Great Jing Kingdom. However, after your personal literary refinement and adaptation into poetry, it also shows some novelty. Well done, well done!"

"The Mulan Song?"

Yue Heng's mouth opened wide, and he inwardly fumed: "Damn it, when I asked if you had heard of Hua Mulan, you all shook your heads. Now that I've finished reciting 'The Ballad of Mulan,' you say it's similar to 'The Mulan Song.' Isn't this deliberately setting me up? Are you trying to make me look foolish?"

"The Mulan Song? The Great Jing Kingdom? This is actually a poem from another country? How despicable! This boy actually used a poem from another country, claiming it as his own!" When County Magistrate Qi explained this, the hearts of Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun, which had been shattered, somehow managed to reassemble.

"Ah? Such a good poem is actually written by someone from another country... I thought it was written by a scholar from our Chu Kingdom! How disappointing!" The expressions of the other scholars and students changed, no longer filled with admiration.

However, there were still many devoted female candidates, especially the female warriors, who sighed and were deeply moved, unable to come out of the illusion.

They were his most loyal fans, harboring good feelings for Yue Heng and deciding to support him all the way: "Whoever wrote it, we like it! This poem captures the spirit of women, their pride, and their strength. I also want to be a legendary female warrior like Hua Mulan. Thank you, Master Yue, for your adapted poem!"

Lying once requires ten lies to cover it up. Dean Wen was embarrassed and had to follow County Magistrate Qi's lead: "Yue Heng, I heard you wrote a poem called 'Female Warrior' before the exam and gave it to Xiaoyue. The line 'preferring plainness to makeup' should be from 'The Ballad of Mulan,' right? 'The Mulan Song' is well-written, and your adaptation is even better. But don't be arrogant; many scholars are ruined by their pride. Follow me, I have something to discuss with you."

Yue Heng had no choice but to follow the two examiners. There was only about two incense sticks' worth of time left before the re-exam, and he had no idea where they were taking him. He turned back, looking at Wen Xinyue as if seeking help, signaling her to follow.

But it seemed Wen Xinyue wasn't paying attention to Yue Heng's whereabouts. She was currently lowering her head, recalling and reciting "The Ballad of Mulan."

Entering a rest room, County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen exchanged a secret smile and then turned to look at Yue Heng, their expressions turning serious.

"Yue Heng, do you know why you were added to the list?" County Magistrate Qi asked mysteriously.

Yue Heng didn't expect this question, but he was prepared. He smiled and said, "Is it because of 'Early Spring'?"

Cough, cough...

County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen never expected him to answer like that. For a moment, they didn't know how to continue.

After a long pause, County Magistrate Qi cleared his throat and said with a slight blush, "To be honest, the 'Mulan Song' of the Great Jing Kingdom was also a fabrication on my part. The 'Ballad of Mulan' you recited was very impressive, and it was the first time Dean Wen and I had heard it. I deliberately said that, and you should have guessed the reason, right?"

Yue Heng was shocked. He really didn't expect that "The Ballad of Mulan" was his original creation. In his memory, he was uncertain if this poem was indeed written during the Northern Wei Dynasty, as the history of the Northern Wei and the Zhongyuan world were too close, only a few hundred years apart from the fall of the Jin Dynasty, almost the same as the current timeline of the Zhongyuan world.

County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen both said they had never heard of "The Ballad of Mulan," and the so-called "Mulan Song" of the Great Jing Kingdom was a fabrication. This really meant it was his original creation.

If that was the case, all the strange phenomena could be reasonably explained.

Yue Heng cautiously asked, "Your Excellencies, did my 'Early Spring' and 'The Ballad of Mulan' both cause some anomalies, which should not be known by others?"

County Magistrate Qi slowly nodded, "Yes, 'Early Spring' is a resonant text, and you should know its importance, right?"

Yue Heng suddenly understood. "Early Spring" resonated with the divine palace in his body, which was true, but he was still uncertain about which literary symbol it had produced. When he wrote the poem, his divine palace expanded, his talent increased, and his literary heart became more stable, but no new literary symbol appeared.

If County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen didn't ask, he wouldn't have mentioned the fact that he had produced the "Life" literary symbol.

County Magistrate Qi picked up his tea and took a small sip, then sighed, "A scholar who can write a 'resonant text' in a lifetime is already quite remarkable. But you not only wrote 'Early Spring' but also 'The Ballad of Mulan,' a primary battle poem, which activated the mansion's spirit array. This is very impressive. Once you become a scholar and your literary name is registered, the Ministry of Literature will certainly reward you heavily."

Yue Heng smiled, "So, adding me to the list and pairing me with Miss Wen is to help me hide my literary name and protect my safety, right?"

Cough, cough...

Dean Wen held his head, and County Magistrate Qi almost choked. They both realized that this eighteen-year-old scholar probably had everything under control and knew more than they thought.

Seeing their expressions, Yue Heng understood and smiled, "Your Excellencies, there's no need to be so nervous. I had already activated my divine palace and produced a literary symbol before the exam, making me a genuine scholar."

"What! You were already a scholar before the exam?"

"You haven't undergone the star induction, so did you activate your divine palace on your own?"

At this, County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen could no longer sit still, standing up in surprise.

Dean Wen was full of doubt, and County Magistrate Qi took out a spirit pearl from the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, quickly approaching Yue Heng.

The pearl emitted a faint light, and County Magistrate Qi's face lit up with joy. He exclaimed, "Hey! This boy has indeed produced a literary symbol!"

"Rare, rare! A poor scholar creating a resonant text and a primary battle poem, without the help of a noble family or a sect, activating his divine palace and producing a resonant literary symbol on his own, what else could this be but a prodigy?" Dean Wen laughed heartily, increasingly appreciating Yue Heng.

Yue Heng's literary level was very high, his talent outstanding, and his conduct and intelligence were mature. Although his appearance and physique were not exceptional, his great talent in his heart made him far superior to many scholars. Dean Wen and County Magistrate Qi particularly appreciated scholars who were ugly but talented.

Yue Heng humbly said, "Your Excellency, you flatter me. I know that a tree that stands out in the forest will be blown down by the wind, so I am very grateful for your protection. Although I have suffered some unfair treatment, I am willing to cooperate with a clear conscience."

Dean Wen stroked his beard and praised, "This is a saying by the scholar Li Kang of the Three Kingdoms: 'A tree that stands out in the forest will be blown down by the wind; a pile that stands out on the shore will be eroded by the current; a person who stands out among others will be criticized by the masses. The lessons of the past are not far away, and the same mistakes will be repeated.' You, at such a young age, can understand this, which is very rare. County Magistrate Qi and I are protecting you with no ill intentions. Please don't take it to heart."

County Magistrate Qi nodded repeatedly but noticed the other half of the statement and frowned, asking, "What unfair treatment have you suffered? Is your broken right arm due to someone's attack?"

At this moment, as long as Yue Heng spoke, whoever had wronged him would be in trouble. However, he didn't want to give the two examiners the impression of being petty and vengeful. Besides, he believed he could use his literary talent to defeat his enemies. If he couldn't resolve the issue after the re-exam, he could then hand over the injury report written by Min Xuhuai to County Magistrate Qi.

So, Yue Heng shook his head and smiled, "That is a conflict caused by literature, and it should be resolved through literature. I am willing to participate in the re-exam and defeat those who slander and bully me with dignity."

County Magistrate Qi was very pleased. He even walked over, patted Yue Heng's shoulder, and praised, "A scholar should have such pride. Otherwise, how can they go to battle? Losing a battle is acceptable, but losing one's dignity is not. If you always retreat and avoid confrontation, it will greatly affect your growth in the future. At best, your literary heart will be tainted, and at worst, it will be shattered. Even if your divine palace is powerful, it cannot last!"

"Thank you, County Magistrate Qi, for your guidance!"

Yue Heng was truly grateful for this teaching. The literary heart is a person's willpower. If the upward literary heart becomes fragmented, it means a lack of ambition, making it impossible to compete with determined opponents in battle or to endure the loneliness, pain, and long wait in the cultivation of the divine palace. In the future, it would be impossible to grow.

Dean Wen was even more delighted. The more he looked at Yue Heng, the more he liked him. He stroked his beard and asked with a smile, "Yue Heng, are you willing to become my disciple and join my closed-door disciples?"

"Ah?"

Yue Heng never expected that Dean Wen would want to take him as a disciple. If he had been taken in a few years earlier, he would have been overjoyed. Being a disciple of a famous teacher would have made his path smooth, like Kuang Qing and Kuang Yun, or the many scholars of Hong County. As long as he became a disciple of Dean Wen, becoming a scholar would be a certainty, and none of his disciples would fail the exam.

But now...

Should he become a disciple or not? Yue Heng thought about it.

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