Chapter 79

Xu Jia's face showed panic.

Yu Ziyou was stunned for a moment, then with a mix of disdain and forced calm, he said, "You're really lucky. I wonder how many more questions you can guess right?"

Xu Jia, having recovered, said, "Brother Yu is right. He just happened to get one question right. He needs to get five right to pass. He must answer four out of the next seven questions correctly, or it's cheating."

Lin Yanchao turned his head and said, "You're so talkative. Are you going to let me study in peace?"

Yu Ziyou and Xu Jia were secretly pleased. They knew that one must not be distracted while studying, and they intended to deliberately provoke Lin Yanchao to make him lose focus.

"Who are you to care? People talk with their mouths, and you can't stop them from speaking?"

"You thief of words, what face do you have to criticize others? You have no shame."

The other disciples of the academy all kept their distance from Yu Ziyou and Xu Jia. They found their deliberate disruption and attempts to distract Lin Yanchao despicable. Any upright person would not associate with them.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Liao did not stop them but listened to their chatter and said to Lin Yanchao, "Fourth question, Confucius said: 'Fools like to act on their own, and thieves like to act on their own... I have learned the rites of Zhou, and I follow Zhou.'"

This passage is from the Doctrine of the Mean and consists of two sentences, a major question, which is often overlooked due to its length.

"Can't answer, can't answer..." Xu Jia thought to himself.

Yu Ziyou said from the side, "Sir, don't let this person think for too long. Who knows what tricks he'll use. Set a time limit."

"Despicable!" one disciple said, "We have seen Brother Yu's character today!"

Yu Ziyou's face turned pale, but he forced a smile, "What do you understand? Get lost!"

Lin Liao's sleeves trembled slightly, and he was visibly angry. He took a deep breath and said to Lin Yanchao, "As Brother Yu said, I'll give you fifty breaths. If you can't answer after fifty breaths, you lose."

A smile appeared on Lin Yanchao's lips, and he said, "Sir, I'll answer now. The capital of the world is seen in the rites and writings... This is the way of heaven, the order of the world, how can there be any difference?"

"Good! Not a single word wrong!" Lin Liao nodded.

The disciples were in an uproar. Not a single word wrong meant a lot. It was already difficult to recite the Four Books and Five Classics without a mistake, let alone the model essays of the imperial examinations.

"This... This is impossible," Xu Jia exclaimed.

"Xu Jia, what do you have to say now?"

Xu Jia deeply regretted his actions, thinking to himself, "Why did I have to stand up for Yu Ziyou? Let them fight it out. I won't make it to the inner dormitory anyway."

At this moment, Yu Ziyou stepped forward and said, "Sir, let me choose the questions."

Everyone watching this scene could not bear to see it. Yu Ziyou's words clearly showed that he did not trust Lin Liao, thinking there was some collusion between him and Lin Yanchao, and wanted to do it himself.

At this moment, Lin Liao had completely given up on Yu Ziyou. He placed the book on the table and said sternly, "Fine, you choose."

Yu Ziyou heard the anger in Lin Liao's voice and felt a wave of regret, but there was no turning back now. His classmates who supported him also shook their heads, knowing that supporting him further would mean going against the lecturer and the academy.

Someone said, "Brother Yu, you should know your limits and leave yourself a way out."

Yu Ziyou ignored these words and forced himself to walk to the table.

Yu Ziyou's expression was cold. He flipped through a stack of books for a long time, then glared at Lin Yanchao and said, "Fifth question, Alas! Heaven is hard to trust, and fate is unpredictable. Maintain virtue, and keep your position."

Lin Yanchao smiled faintly and said, "Brother Yu, you still don't give up. Listen carefully..."

As Lin Yanchao spoke, Yu Ziyou compared each word, and Lin Yanchao did not make a single mistake.

"Heaven's punishment can be forgiven, but self-inflicted punishment cannot be lived with." Lin Liao sighed and left the study.

"Sixth question, the temple of seven generations can be used to observe virtue. The leader of ten thousand can be used to observe governance." Yu Ziyou continued, gritting his teeth.

This time, Lin Yanchao recited without hesitation.

"Seventh question..."

"Eighth question..."

"Ninth question..."

Lin Yanchao recited four more questions without a single mistake. The disciples, who had initially been envious and jealous, now only felt admiration. Lin Yanchao had not just guessed the answers; he had memorized most of the question bank. In other words, with Lin Yanchao's current level, there was no need for him to cheat.

Yu Ziyou's forehead was drenched in sweat, his eyes were red, and although he was flipping through the pages, it seemed he was doing it half-heartedly. He then said with a bitter smile, "Last question, alright, the last question..."

"That's enough. Yu Ziyou, save some face for yourself!"

"Yanchao answered seven out of nine questions. Don't be shameless."

Several people spoke up, and Yu Ziyou's body trembled. He threw the book in his hand at the crowd and shouted in a vulgar dialect, "Damn your mother, what the hell!"

At this moment, Lin Liao said, "Yu Ziyou, you have slandered and framed your classmate in front of your teacher, violating the rules of the academy. From today on, you are expelled from the Lianjiang Academy. Don't say you are my student anymore."

With Lin Liao's final words, Yu Ziyou suddenly knelt down, grabbed Lin Liao's leg, and wept, "Sir, please don't. I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong."

Lin Liao sighed and said, "I have already given you a chance. Although you ranked third this time, I had already pleaded with the headmaster. There was a vacancy in the inner dormitory because a student's parent had passed away and had to take a leave. You could have filled that spot, but you insisted on harming Lin Yanchao and lost your own opportunity. Now, you can only fill the fourth spot in the outer dormitory to enter the inner dormitory."

Yu Ziyou felt a surge of phlegm in his throat, his face was already wet with tears and snot, and he now coughed violently on the ground, cursing in his heart, "Why is this happening? Why is this happening?" The outer dormitory students, seeing Yu Ziyou's state, all showed looks of disdain.

Lin Liao said earnestly, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether you enter the inner dormitory or not. Wherever you are, you can study hard. If you go outside the academy and study diligently, you might still become a scholar."

"That's right, Brother Yu!" The disciples, feeling soft-hearted, seeing Yu Ziyou expelled from the academy, also felt a bit of sympathy.

"Do I need your sympathy?" Yu Ziyou suddenly raised his head and pointed at a few people, shouting, "So what if it's just the inner dormitory? I don't care."

"This Brother Yu is really ungrateful."

"Forget it, can't you see what kind of person he is?"

Yu Ziyou picked up his book bag and rushed out of the study, but he tripped on the threshold and fell to the ground with a thud, scattering books everywhere.

Everyone shook their heads.

It was the cold winter, the time of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

A small boat sailed on the Min River, carrying Lin Yanchao back home.

With a backpack on his back, he walked on the rural path, and far below the embankment was his hometown.

At the village entrance, a few village dogs ran out, seemingly unfamiliar, but after Lin Yanchao pretended to kick them a few times, they whined and walked away.

"I'm back," Lin Yanchao said, pushing open the door, but he was startled to see his house full of people.

Looking at their attire, Lin Yanchao realized they were fishermen and net leaders. Since Lin Gaozhu became the envoy of the River God, his house had been flooded with visitors.

Lin Yanchao bowed and said, "Greetings, uncles and aunts."

The people present, who were about the same age as his uncle, did not act superior and stood up to return a half-bow.

"Is this the scholar's son?"

"From the first look, he's a star of literature, a future top scholar."

"Mr. Lin is truly blessed to have a grandson who studies."

These words made Lin Gaozhu chuckle, "Have some tea, have some tea."

Uncle's face was radiant as he picked up the coarse pottery teapot and poured tea for everyone, and he said to Lin Yanchao, "You're back, Yanchao. I was just wondering when you would return."

The aunt in the kitchen was cooking eggs to welcome the guests and smiled at Lin Yanchao.

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "Uncle, thank you for your concern."

Lin Yanchao then went forward to greet his grandfather, "Grandfather, I'm back from studying."

Lin Gaozhu smiled and said, "Good, good."

His subordinates, the net leaders, praised Lin Yanchao again. Lin Gaozhu smiled slightly, and Lin Yanchao noticed the New Year's gifts they had brought, piled high.

After a few words, Lin Yanchao went to his room. As he entered, his eyes were covered by a hand.

"Guess who it is?" a girl's voice said in a sweet, cloying tone.

...

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