Chapter 56

In the early morning of early summer, the sky was unusually clear, with the blue gradually deepening from near to far.

The weather was not as scorching as at noon, and the carriage moved slowly in the cool breeze.

Fang Daniu drove the carriage carefully to avoid any trouble in the city.

Tan Yu and Nie Shi looked calm, but they were extremely vigilant, as Mrs. Fang and the butler had repeatedly warned them that if Fang Yun were to be harmed today, their relationship with the Fang family would be over.

Fang Yun had no heart for reading and slowly pondered this world, his future, and how to establish himself in the Literary Academy.

Entering the Prefecture Literary Academy and becoming a "student" was a new step in life.

"Will the Prefecture Literary Academy welcome me with a splendid and colorful life, or a path full of wind and mud?"

Before long, Fang Daniu said from outside, "Young Master, we have arrived at the Prefecture Literary Academy."

Fang Daniu's voice was somewhat nervous.

Fang Yun smiled slightly, put on his book box, lifted the curtain, and got off the carriage, looking ahead.

The Prefecture Literary Academy was very similar to the County and State Literary Academies, with a large square in front of the gate.

This Prefecture Literary Academy was even larger than the State Literary Academy because it had to accommodate tens of thousands of young students during the prefecture examination. The State Literary Academy only accepted students for the provincial examination, and the number of students was much smaller than that of young students, so its area was smaller than the Prefecture Literary Academy.

The gate of the Prefecture Literary Academy had one main gate and six side gates. The main gate was closed, and only two side gates were open.

It was still early, and there were few people on the street. A few students or young students were carrying their book boxes and entering the Prefecture Literary Academy.

Tan Yu whispered, "There is nothing unusual around. No one will do anything here. Daniu, stay outside to watch the carriage, and I and Nie Shi can enter as attendants."

Fang Yun did not answer Tan Yu because he saw three familiar faces at the side gate. They were all members of the Lishan Society who had invited him to the poetry meeting a few days ago, including his fellow townsman from Jixian, Gao Minghong.

As soon as Gao Minghong saw Fang Yun, he waved and then walked over quickly.

Gao Minghong's face was grim, and he said, "Fang Yun, something is about to happen!"

"What happened?"

"I only learned the news a quarter of an hour ago. Liu Zicheng and the members of the Ying Society suddenly gathered at the registration place for new young students, and they also summoned many students. The strangest thing is that even Wei Yuanjun suddenly appeared. He would never personally receive new young students. Our Lishan Society members also gathered in a hurry. Many people came when they heard the news. Now, more than half of the students are behind the gate, and more people are on their way. I suspect it is aimed at you, so I waited outside to give you a heads-up."

Fang Yun's expression changed slightly as he listened and said, "Liu Zicheng indeed has not given up. This time, he has finally come in person. Can you guess what they are going to do?"

Gao Minghong shook his head and said, "We discussed for a long time but couldn't come to a conclusion. After all, this is the Prefecture Literary Academy. They can't hurt you, so your safety is not a problem. The most they can do is attack your literary reputation. You are famous for your poetry, so you don't need to fear their provocations. Liu Zicheng is not stupid enough to use old methods to attack you. As for writing on classics and policies, it is also impossible. You just became a young student, and if they use classics and policies to test you, even if you remain silent, it won't affect your literary reputation."

"I have also thought about it recently, but I have no clue. After all, Liu Zicheng is from a prestigious family, with Wei Yuanjun below and the Left Chancellor above. There are too many things he can do, and I can't guard against everything," Fang Yun said.

Gao Minghong looked worried and said, "If it were just Liu Zicheng and the Ying Society targeting you, I wouldn't be so worried. After all, the Ying Society is not Liu Zicheng's. Since the incident with Yan Yue and others, many people have distanced themselves from Liu Zicheng, reducing his influence in the Ying Society. Those who support you have the upper hand. But now that Wei Yuanjun has come in person, this matter will not end well. After all, Wei Yuanjun can decide everything."

Fang Yun asked, "No matter how powerful Wei Yuanjun is, he cannot surpass the law! Can he directly expel me from the Prefecture Literary Academy?"

"He can't directly expel you, but if he finds an excuse, he can expel you. If he is even more ruthless, he might seal your student status, preventing you from attending any literary or academic academy, and even make it difficult for you to take the imperial examinations. I used to hope you would go to the State Literary Academy, but if you go there, the Left Chancellor's faction might use it to attack Jian Gong for favoritism. After all, there has never been a precedent in Jingguo for a young student to attend the State Literary Academy. Other countries have such precedents, but they are all due to the recommendation of the Holy Families."

Fang Yun said, "Since we are at the gate, I cannot not enter, or he will certainly use reasons like truancy or being late to punish me. Let's go. I want to see what Liu Zicheng and Wei Yuanjun can do! This Dahuang Prefecture is not surnamed Liu! No matter what tricks he uses, I will meet them head-on! Liu Zicheng cannot stop me from pursuing the path of the sage!"

Fang Yun's gaze was firm, and he slightly straightened his chest, raised his head, and walked forward steadily, without any fear.

The literary spirit vortex in the literary palace accelerated its rotation.

Gao Minghong and others looked at each other and nodded. Regardless of Fang Yun's literary reputation and talent, his calm and fearless attitude in the face of danger was not something ordinary people could match.

"He becoming a young student before the sage is not a coincidence," a student whispered.

The others nodded and followed Fang Yun forward.

Tan Yu and Nie Shi looked at Fang Yun with strange eyes. They couldn't imagine that Fang Yun was now like a veteran heading to the battlefield, with a strong backbone, standing firm like a reef in a tsunami.

There was no one checking at the gate, and Fang Yun and the others entered smoothly.

Fang Yun looked around and saw a row of tables about ten steps away.

Fang Yun originally thought that this would be the place to receive the fourteen new young students, with a few lecturers and some clerks, just to take the young students and their families to their respective dormitories and introduce the rules of the Prefecture Literary Academy.

However, the actual situation was completely different from what Fang Yun had imagined.

Several officials in official attire were sitting behind the tables, and on both sides and around the tables stood more than a hundred people, mostly students of the Prefecture Literary Academy, along with twenty or so young students, and some low-ranking officials and clerks.

More than two hundred people were looking at Fang Yun.

There was no wind at the gate of the literary academy, and under the summer sun, it should have been warm, but everyone felt as if it were early spring, with the cold not yet gone.

Fang Yun felt a bit cold.

Wan Xuezheng, the examiner of the Jixian county examination, was among them. He had a serious expression and nodded at Fang Yun, his eyes seemingly warning Fang Yun to be careful.

Fang Yun saw Liu Zicheng, who was standing among the students.

He was a very handsome young man, with fair skin and elegant manners.

Their eyes met, and one had a slightly cold expression, while the other was expressionless. They quickly looked away as if they were strangers.

Both saw a fierce beast in the other's eyes.

Fang Yun bowed to the officials, "Student Fang Yun, I greet all the officials."

It was proper and impeccable, with no trace of rudeness.

Wan Xuezheng smiled and said, "No wonder you are the top student of Jixian, the double first in the county examination, and the sage's favorite in Jingguo. In just a few days, your charm has grown even more. If you cannot enter our Prefecture Literary Academy, it will be a loss for Dahuang Prefecture. If another prefecture takes you away, it would be a dereliction of duty. What do you think, Lord Yuanjun?"

Wei Yuanjun had a broad face, but his voice was somewhat sharp, "In our literary academy, we first look at virtue, then talent. In my view, Fang Yun entering the Prefecture Literary Academy is like a stinky fish entering a pot, tainting the purity of our academy."

Everyone knew that Li Wenying had scolded Wei Yuanjun for Fang Yun, making him lose face in front of many officials. They guessed that Wei Yuanjun would seek revenge, but they didn't expect him to be so direct. This was definitely not normal.

Fang Yun looked at Wei Yuanjun and asked coldly, "Why do you say that, Lord Yuanjun?"

"You attacked a high-ranking official of the court when you were not even a young student, which is overstepping your bounds! You spread rumors without evidence that Liu Zicheng wanted to kill you, which is slander! You shattered Yan Yue's literary palace when you were about to be classmates, which is brutality! You wrote a national spirit-strengthening essay but did not submit it to the court, which is greed! A person who oversteps, slanders, is brutal, and greedy has no right to enter our Jingguo Prefecture Literary Academy. I, as the Lord of the Dahuang Prefecture Literary Academy, hereby announce that the top student of Jixian, Fang Yun, is morally corrupt, greedy, and disrespectful to the court. I revoke his student status and prohibit any literary or academic academy from accepting him!"

Gao Minghong and others turned pale, thinking that Liu Zicheng and Wei Yuanjun had gone too far. Since Wei Yuanjun found an excuse based on "virtue," even Li Wenying could not completely overturn his evaluation.

From now on, Fang Yun would bear the name of "expelled student" for life, and people would suspect that he had committed great evil. He would be looked down upon wherever he went, and if his will was not strong, he would lose confidence and give up, let alone study with peace of mind.

In their view, if a noble's child were expelled from the literary academy, they could still live a carefree life, but Fang Yun, from a humble background, relied on studying to rise. Being rejected by the literary academy and not being able to attend other literary or academic academies would mean the end of his life.

Without a teacher's long-term guidance, even if he had great literary talent, he could not write qualified essays or pass the student examination, let alone the provincial examination.

Everyone felt fear, especially the young students and students from humble backgrounds, fearing that they would be implicated by Wei Yuanjun. The chance of passing the provincial examination was already small, and if they were expelled from the literary academy, it would be almost