Chapter 60

Fang Yun thought to himself that Liu Zicheng was indeed still the treacherous and deceitful Liu Zicheng. He had no evidence to begin with, and throughout the entire process at the Prefecture Academy, he did not force him like Lord Wei. Instead, he feigned sympathy and pleaded for mercy.

Fang Yun wanted to kill Liu Zicheng but could only rely on Li Wenying. Now that Liu Zicheng was pleading for mercy, as a distinguished scholar, Li Wenying could not possibly kill a scholar without any evidence.

Fang Yun immediately walked forward quickly and smiled, saying, "Brother Liu, you are too serious. The Zuo Zhuan says: 'To know one's faults and be able to correct them is the greatest virtue.' Since you have admitted that you wanted to harm me and have chosen to repent, we will still be good friends. On the day I marry Yu Huan, I hope you will come and drink a cup of wedding wine."

"Fang Yun, you are truly too good," Liu Zicheng wept bitterly.

While a few people were moved, most watched with cold eyes. It was not a day's work to freeze three feet of ice, and everyone knew what kind of person Liu Zicheng was.

Some people saw clearly that both were obviously putting on a show. Although Fang Yun could not kill Liu Zicheng, he had confirmed Liu Zicheng's evil, and now Liu Zicheng could not clear his name no matter what.

Li Wenying nodded at Fang Yun and said nothing, then turned and left.

The Prefecture Academy's officers immediately cleaned up Lord Wei's body.

A State Academy officer who had been standing at the door for a long time loudly said, "Congratulations, Fang Yun, the top candidate. Lord Li Wenying has ordered your special admission to the State Academy's scholar class for one year." He then handed Fang Yun Li Wenying's order.

No one was surprised. If the only child in the ten countries who passed the Holy Selection could not go to the State Academy, it would mean that Li Wenying was not even as good as Lord Wei.

"Good fortune comes to those who are virtuous, congratulations, Fang Yun," Gao Minghong was the first to congratulate him.

"Bitterness ends and sweetness comes, congratulations!" Wan Xuezheng sincerely praised.

Everyone congratulated Fang Yun together.

Fang Yun thanked each of them.

Finally, Wan Xuezheng said, "Fang Yun, today's events were truly thrilling, and you were almost on the brink of death. Why don't you write a poem?"

Everyone immediately became excited. If Fang Yun were to write another poem that calmed the nation, it would certainly become another fine story.

Fang Yun thought for a moment, sighed softly, and said, "I won't hide it from you all; today I am both mentally and physically exhausted and cannot write a good poem. Instead, let me write a maxim to encourage the young."

No one found it strange that the word "young" came from Fang Yun's mouth.

Everyone was still interested. Although a maxim has low value, if written well, it can easily spread and is often hung in study rooms and classrooms, more valued than couplets.

Wan Xuezheng immediately had a table and the Four Treasures of the Study set up.

Fang Yun pondered for a moment and wrote two lines:

"From hardship comes the fragrance of plum blossoms."

Everyone was silent. These two lines almost summarized the entire process of the Holy Selection, and seemed to describe the experience of someone from a humble background like Fang Yun.

Since this was inside the Prefecture Academy, the talent immediately manifested.

Everyone saw that a foot-high orange talent appeared on the paper.

Wan Xuezheng smiled and said, "Fang Yun, you are indeed not an ordinary person. Although maxims are wonderful, they do not emphasize literary style and rarely contain profound meanings, making it difficult to manifest talent. Yet, your two lines have manifested talent, which is rare."

"More rare is the meaning of this text, which can be said to sum up our hardships."

"I think the most rare is not the maxim itself, but the fact that despite such provocation and the crisis of a shattered literary palace, Fang Yun did not use poetry to vent his dissatisfaction and hatred, but instead wrote this positive and uplifting maxim. This level of composure is the most rare."

"Well said!"

"Thank you all for your praise," Fang Yun thought you are overthinking it.

Wan Xuezheng placed his hand on the paper, facing Fang Yun with a strange smile, a mix of pleading, expectation, shyness, and a bit of mischief.

"Fang Yun, I am also one of your county examiners. This calligraphy is not a state treasure, so why don't you give it to me? Can you?" Wan Xuezheng's face grew redder as he spoke, feeling like a mangy dog begging for a bone from its master in front of everyone.

Fang Yun, seeing Wan Xuezheng's expression, suppressed a smile and said, "Since Lord Wan likes it, I will gift it to you."

"Thank you!" Wan Xuezheng smiled happily. "Fang Yun, your calligraphy has improved by leaps and bounds. Your brush strength is still weaker than mine, but the beauty of your font structure is already superior to mine. If you can master calligraphy, it will greatly help in battle poetry and transforming the virtual into the real, increasing the power by up to fifty percent! If you practice for another half a year, you can publish a calligraphy book."

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Wan. I will practice calligraphy diligently when I return."

Wan Xuezheng said, "I cannot let you give me this calligraphy for nothing. I have a pen washer at home. Although it is not a literary treasure, it was used by a distinguished scholar for ten years, and it has absorbed some talent. Its cleaning effect is far better than ordinary pen washers. I will give it to you."

Fang Yun did not refuse and said, "Then I cannot refuse, Lord."

Others envied the relationship between Wan Xuezheng and Fang Yun. They also wanted Fang Yun's calligraphy, but their relationship was not close enough to ask for it without being impolite, so they could only watch.

Wan Xuezheng seemed to think of something and said regretfully, "Unfortunately, Lord Wei was blinded. Otherwise, you would have stayed in our Prefecture Academy, and who knows how many famous poems and essays you would have left behind. In the future, when you become a great scholar or a sage, this Prefecture Academy will have your former residence and holy traces, and we will also benefit. Unfortunately."

The officials and students of the academy felt a tightness in their chests, especially the students. In their view, even if Fang Yun did not become a great scholar, his chances of becoming a distinguished scholar were high. At that time, they would be his classmates, and even if they could not get direct benefits from Fang Yun, their political enemies would not dare to act rashly against them.

But now, all opportunities were gone.

Many people even hated Liu Zicheng.

It was almost nine o'clock, and Fang Yun bid farewell to everyone.

After Fang Yun left, Liu Zicheng slunk away. When he came, he was followed by twenty people, but when he left, only three remained, including Guan Yaoyuan, who did not know when his literary palace would recover.

A scholar looked at Liu Zicheng's back with disdain and said, "People used to say Liu Zicheng was ruthless, but I thought that as a scholar, one should have a bottom line, so I never cared about his bad reputation. But today, I realized that he has no bottom line."

"Everyone knows that this incident was a collaboration between him and Lord Wei, but he was smart. He did not make things difficult for Fang Yun in front of a half-sage, nor did he expose any evidence, so there was no way to catch him. Although Sword Brow is quick to kill, he also values evidence. If Lord Wei had not forced the half-sage to recite everything, Sword Brow would have only scolded him, not killed him."

"But now, even if Liu Zicheng is foolish, he won't touch Fang Yun. Not only has he gained the favor of a half-sage, but the value of passing the Holy Selection is no less than that of a scholar before a sage. This incident will certainly be reported in the literary newspapers. Fang Yun was already somewhat famous in the ten countries, and once the Holy Selection is reported, his reputation in the ten countries will likely surpass many ordinary distinguished scholars."

"No, I think in at most a month, he will be on par with Sword Brow. Think about it. Since the beginning of the fourth month, he has written 'Butterfly Lovers - Spring Scenery' and 'The Inscription of a Humble Abode,' both of which will certainly be published in 'The Way of the Sage.' 'The Way of the Sage' has not published a maxim in years, and this line, 'From hardship comes the fragrance of plum blossoms,' is profound and inspiring, enough to make the shops that sell maxims in the ten countries produce and sell it immediately. Since it is related to the Holy Selection, it will certainly appear separately in 'The Way of the Sage,' which means three texts will be published together. If Fang Yun publishes three texts in 'The Way of the Sage' for two consecutive months, can it not spread throughout the world?"

"True."

"Have you thought about it? If he writes another good poem or essay this month, that would be four texts, and the scholars in the ten countries will certainly be in an uproar."

"As a scholar, I hope he publishes four or even five texts, but as his 'almost classmate,' I really hope he holds back for a year, waits until next year to take the prefecture exam, and wins first place, becoming the top scholar."

"There is a rumor that he will take the prefecture exam this year."

"How many months has he studied the classics? Even if he passes the scholar exam, he cannot get first place, which is a pity."

"Yes, I really hope he takes the prefecture exam next year. If he can get three first places, he will be Fang Wujia, the only five-first scholar in the ten countries."

"A five-first scholar is a hundred times harder to achieve than a double-first child scholar. Don't overpraise Fang Yun."

"Just a joke, just a joke. As a person from Dàyuan Prefecture, I just hope Fang Yun can go further."

Fang Yun sat in the carriage, filled with joy and a bit of fear.

"The Holy Selection was too impulsive, but it was not wrong. Scholars should be fearless. If I had been suppressed by Liu Zicheng and Lord Wei this time, my literary courage would have stagnated or even shattered. Now, with the Holy Sound of Thunder pouring over me, my chances of becoming a scholar before a sage have not only increased, but my foundation will also be solid."

Tanyu, who had been on the left side of the carriage, jumped onto the carriage, lifted the curtain, and entered the compartment, saying, "Young Master, are you really going to enter the State Academy?"

"What's wrong with entering the State Academy?"

"It's not that it's wrong. The State Academy only admits the top five scholars from the prefecture exam each year, and the rest are candidates. Since they all talk about theories, the students of the State Academy often go to exterminate demons and barbarians. Jiangzhou does not border the barbarians, but it is surrounded by demons on three sides. Each class of the State Academy goes out to kill demons every quarter."

"Am I, a child scholar, also supposed to kill demons?"

"You have already broken the ordinary rules by entering the State Academy. If you were to be different in killing demons, others would certainly talk."

"Then I will go and kill demons," Fang Yun said.

"You don't even know how to talk about theories, and you would be a burden. Others would naturally talk. There are many people from the Left Chancellor's faction in the State Academy."

Fang Yun said, "Since others will certainly talk, I will do what I want. I will go when I want to and not go when I don't want to. Why should I care about their talk? But I appreciate your reminder."

Soon, the carriage stopped at the gate of the State Academy.

There were guards at the gate of the State Academy. Fang Yun took out his documents, and the officer immediately led him to the scholar class, introducing the situation and rules of the class as they walked.

The State Academy was very large, divided into many parts, including offices for officials to handle government affairs, school dormitories, examination rooms, dining areas, rest and activity areas, and a large training ground for practicing battle poetry. Therefore, the officer suggested that Fang Yun walk around more in the next few days.