Chapter 84

In terms of knowledge, no one could surpass Gou Hanshi, and there were few people he admired. Tonight, Chen Changsheng managed to do so.

He looked at Gou Hanshi and said, "I am not worthy."

"You are worthy," Gou Hanshi said, looking at the young man who had not caught his attention earlier, feeling somewhat moved.

He thought of his brilliant eldest brother and the marriage, and realized that without realizing it, his confidence in his brother had been somewhat shaken.

"About what the prince said at the end..." He had a question to ask Chen Changsheng but was unsure if it was appropriate, hesitating to speak.

"Why ask? Why not leave quickly? Do you want to stay here and continue to embarrass yourself?" Xiaosonggong Elder said with a sullen face, glaring resentfully at Jin Yulv, then angrily turned and left.

Gou Hanshi's expression was slightly bitter, and he bowed to Chen Changsheng, saying, "Farewell."

Chen Changsheng returned the bow, saying, "Goodbye."

"Indeed, we will meet again."

Gou Hanshi calmed down and looked at him, saying, "I look forward to your and the National Teaching Academy's performance in the Grand Imperial Examination. I hope you will continue to surprise us."

Chen Changsheng understood his meaning and said nothing.

Gou Hanshi turned and left with his junior brothers from Lishan Sword Sect, disappearing into the night of the imperial palace.

Silence fell over the Weiyang Palace.

Too many things had happened at tonight's Qingteng Banquet, leaving people in awe.

The marriage between Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong, which the entire continent had been eagerly awaiting, was stopped by a young man named Chen Changsheng with a marriage contract.

He was a student of the National Teaching Academy.

Princess Luoluo revealed her identity.

She was also a student of the National Teaching Academy.

The young master of the Wen Shui Tang family withdrew from the Heavenly Dao Academy.

He became a new student of the National Teaching Academy.

All these events were related to the National Teaching Academy.

Thus, the powerful Lishan Sword Sect challenged the long-declined National Teaching Academy according to the rules of the Qingteng Banquet.

In the end, the National Teaching Academy won.

And it was an undisputed victory.

The dramatic process and unexpected outcome left many people unable to believe it for a moment.

People looked in the direction of the National Teaching Academy, and when they noticed that the three were still young, they found it even harder to accept what had happened tonight.

Most of the gazes fell on Chen Changsheng. Although in terms of status, he was far inferior to Luoluo, as Xu Yourong's fiancé, Luoluo's teacher, and the current spokesperson for the National Teaching Academy, he had many reasons to attract people's attention.

People were very clear that after tonight, the long-declined National Teaching Academy might be reborn, and this new student of the National Teaching Academy would no longer be an unknown ordinary young man. He would become the center of discussion in the entire capital and even the entire continent.

People looked at Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng only looked at Xu Shiji.

Xu Shiji clearly understood why the young man was looking at him, and his face turned sullen.

The Bishop smiled beside him and said, "Even if this son-in-law is not as good as Qiushan, he is still not bad."

Xu Shiji's face turned extremely sullen.

The Bishop chuckled and said no more, then left.

The crowd in front of the hall gradually dispersed.

Dean Mao Qiuyu walked down the stone steps and called Tang Sanshi to the side, saying a few words.

Mo Yu walked to Chen Changsheng, her eyebrows slightly raised, wanting to ask him how he had come out of Tonggong, but seeing Luoluo staring at her like a little tiger, she could not help but smile bitterly and said, "Your Highness, please don't hold a grudge over what happened tonight. I had no choice, you know."

Suddenly, a crane's cry echoed in the night sky.

People looked up and saw the white crane flying away gracefully.

It had come to the imperial palace of the Great Zhou tonight to deliver a letter and see someone.

Having completed its mission, it naturally had to leave.

Watching the white crane gradually disappear into the night sky, Chen Changsheng felt as if he had forgotten something.

He looked towards the ruined garden deep in the Night Palace and nodded in acknowledgment.

A convoy was heading towards the Imperial College.

It was the convoy of the Southern Delegation.

Compared to the joyous atmosphere when they arrived, the convoy was now silent and the atmosphere was extremely depressed.

Occasional coughs could be heard from the convoy.

Gou Hanshi held a handkerchief to his mouth, frowning, his face slightly pale.

He did not want his coughing to disturb too many people, especially the Elder Xiaosonggong in the carriage in front.

Tonight's battle, although he did not personally enter the arena, his conversation with Chen Changsheng from a distance had consumed a great deal of his energy. Even after taking the pill given by the Bishop, he still felt uncomfortable.

"I didn't expect that young man named Chen Changsheng to be so remarkable."

Gou Hanshi reached out to lift the curtain and looked back at the Night Palace, sighing, "Fortunately, he cannot practice, or it would have been troublesome."

Guan Feibai and the other three junior brothers were in the carriage, and hearing this, their emotions were somewhat unusual.

They knew what kind of trouble the second elder brother was referring to, which definitely included concern for the eldest brother.

Because that young man named Chen Changsheng was the fiancé of their junior sister Xu Yourong.

"Is the junior sister really going to marry him?"

Guan Feibai's expression darkened as he said, "How the eldest brother has treated Xu Sister over the years, everyone in the South has seen. What is she thinking? To even send that letter with the white crane, has she considered how the eldest brother would feel?"

"How can we blame Xu Sister for this?" Gou Hanshi sighed, but did not say who should be blamed, as it was not appropriate for disciples to criticize the decisions of their senior masters.

The carriage was spacious, with Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, and Wulv sitting in a row, and Qijian sitting opposite, the thin young man lowering his head, looking very pitiful.

Guan Feibai looked at him, frowning slightly, but his tone softened, saying, "I lost to Princess Luoluo, that was a real loss. You losing to Tang Sanshi was an accident, don't be too sad."

Qijian looked up, his small face full of shame and sorrow.

Gou Hanshi looked at him and smiled, saying, "The Grand Imperial Examination is not far off, just a few months away. When the time comes, you can win back everything you lost tonight."

The junior brothers calmly agreed, as it was a matter of course.

Tonight at the Qingteng Banquet, although the Lishan Sword Sect ultimately lost to the National Teaching Academy, few people really believed that the National Teaching Academy was stronger than the Lishan Sword Sect.

The rules aside, the unexpected strength of Princess Luoluo could be ignored.

By the time of the Grand Imperial Examination, the National Teaching Academy would have no chance.

Because the rules were different, because they were the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, and because Gou Hanshi would personally enter the arena.

Gou Hanshi looked out the window at the streets of the capital, coughing again, his brows furrowed.

This year's Qingteng Banquet would be etched in the memory of many people, hard to forget. If there was resentment, like some people in the Southern Delegation, the head of the Qiushan family who came with high hopes and left in disappointment, and Xu Shiji who was slapped in the face by Chen Changsheng with the marriage contract, it would be resentment.

Chen Changsheng would not hold a grudge over tonight's events. Although he was really angry when he was trapped in the ruined garden, and even more so when he thought he was about to die at the bottom of the Black Dragon Pond, after so much had happened, sitting in the carriage on the way to the National Teaching Academy, he could no longer feel any resentment, and naturally did not hold a grudge.

This was the carriage of the Hundred Herbs Garden. Jin Yulv refused to get in, so the carriage only had three young people. They sat on the soft embroidered cushions, looking out the window at the twinkling lights, and did not speak for a long time. The silence lasted for a while, with only the sound of the wheels rolling over the cobblestones occasionally reaching their ears, indicating that they had reached the road by the Luo River.

Chen Changsheng looked out the window and suddenly chuckled.

Tang Sanshi was eating a bunch of grapes and almost choked, mocking him, "You're really silly."

Luoluo thought he was being disrespectful to her teacher and was somewhat displeased.

Chen Changsheng ignored him and continued to look at the scenery outside, a smile on his face.

For some reason, he did not cough like Gou Hanshi.

Tonight was the Qixi Festival, the time for lovers to be together. It was already late, and the banks of the Luo River were no longer as bustling as before. The willow branches by the river finally got a moment's rest, while the lantern boats floating on the river seemed even brighter, like countless stars. The light entered the carriage window, illuminating the young man's face.

Luoluo propped her chin up, looking at Chen Changsheng's side face, which was bright under the light of the lantern boats, thinking that her teacher looked really good tonight.

Tang Sanshi finished eating the grapes, wiped his lips with a handkerchief, moved to his side, and looked out the window, finding it uninteresting, far less captivating than the Qixi Festival in Wen Shui.

He looked at Chen Changsheng, who seemed to be in a trance, and asked, "What are you feeling?"

Chen Changsheng looked at the river, silent for a long time, thinking for a long time.

The old temple outside Xining Town, the walls and rooms full of old books, the old bamboo dragonfly, the old marriage contract, the humiliation in the capital's divine general's mansion, the suppression in the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Qingteng Colleges, the exile to the desolate and forgotten ruined garden, the forgotten National Teaching Academy... many scenes flashed through his mind and then disappeared.

Like the light trails left by the lantern boats on the Luo River.

In the end, only one scene remained.

It was the ancient and simple gate of the National Teaching Academy after the Qingteng vines were removed, the black and shiny floor of the library, the pond, and under the banyan tree by the pond, there was a little girl and friends.

"I am very happy."

Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze, looked at Tang Sanshi and Luoluo, and said, "I am very happy."

He was not particularly eloquent, but he did not like to talk much, nor did he know how to say flattering words.

When he said he was happy, he was truly happy.

He was very happy to be a student of the National Teaching Academy, very happy that the National Teaching Academy had won against the Lishan Sword Sect, and very happy that Xu Yourong could not marry Qiushan Jun.

Yes, the marriage contract was not important, but respect was.

Finally, he was very happy to meet you all.

(Really nervous... the afterword is at the end, hoping for no mistakes... and thank you all.)