RPAGF Chapter 80: A Model for Scholars!
Chapter 80: A Model for Scholars!
Chapter Eighty: A Model for Scholars!
The temple's movement shocked the entire nation, and countless people witnessed the curtain of light in the sky.
On the screen, a handsome young man dressed in a Zhuge Liang robe spoke eloquently and with great poise.
"Who is this person? He can actually cause the temple to tremble and carry out the work of educating all people."
A scholar from the Yanhuang Kingdom looked up at the sky, his face showing even greater shock.
"Report! Our country has once again initiated an effort to educate the people; this is truly a blessing for our Yanhuang nation!"
In the imperial court, everyone seemed to be having a heated discussion about state affairs when a voice rang out, causing all the civil and military officials to stop their discussion and run outside with excited expressions.
Even the dying emperor was carried there by others.
"Who is this person? Judging from his clothes, he is just a child. How could such a talented person come from such a poor and remote place as Qingyun County?"
"Qingyun County... Zhuge Yi, who is in charge of educating the people, could he be the same 'Sacred Child Scholar' from Qingyun County who produced four amazing poems?"
"If it really is that person, then our Yanhuang Kingdom will probably produce its second half-saint."
……
Countless people stared at the sky, chattering amongst themselves, a look of horror on their faces.
"Minister Wen, what do you think?"
A martial arts master, well past forty and dressed in a general's robe, spoke to a refined old man beside him.
"It is undoubtedly the one who will be sent to the capital to become a scholar. Look at the star of literature, it is already as bright as the moon. If it reaches the blazing sun, the pass rate for the three major literary ranks—scholar, county-level scholar, and provincial-level scholar—can reach 50%!"
The refined old man looked up at the Wenqu Star in the sky, his face filled with shock.
"Chen Tianjian and Li Baiyuan, the second son, were unremarkable before, but overnight they became famous for their literary talents. Could they be spies sent by an enemy country or the demon race?"
As everyone was surprised, a thin and wiry old man walked over from a distance and said with a smile.
As soon as this person arrived, the murmurs around the room immediately subsided and eventually disappeared completely. Faces turned to look at him, some with flattery, some with hatred, and some with fear.
"Hmph, treacherous prime minister."
The general named Chen Tianjian spat and said with disgust.
"Who do we have here? It's the Left Prime Minister! Don't you see that the star of literature shines upon the people of our Yanhuang nation?"
Li Baiyuan, the Minister of Literature, frowned and gave a forced smile.
"Alas, as the Confucian scholar Li Kang of the Three Kingdoms period once said: 'A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind; a mound that rises above the bank will surely be eroded by the current; a person who excels above others will surely be criticized by the masses.' This young man is new to the world and is already showing great promise, which is not good news for him."
The Left Prime Minister sighed slightly, causing everyone present, including the Emperor, to change color.
"you dare!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Tianjian's brows furrowed sharply, and he roared angrily:
"If you dare to lay a finger on him, I will surely kill you in the imperial court, even if it means bloodshed! To comfort the souls of my fallen soldiers on the frontier!"
Seeing the two men at each other's throats, no one dared to breathe.
The entire court was divided into two factions: the civil and military prime ministers' faction and the left prime minister's faction.
Wen Xiang practiced the Confucian way, was in charge of teaching the people, and managed the imperial examinations.
He practiced the military strategy of the sages, and worshipped Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu, and Guan Yu, the Martial Saint.
The Left Chancellor, on the other hand, integrated the schools of strategists, legalists, and eclecticists, and was in charge of law and diplomacy. He was a disciple of Han Fei, Guiguzi, and Lü Buwei.
However, because the Left Chancellor implemented harsh policies and voluntarily ceded nineteen prefectures in Yanbei in order to seek temporary peace, he corrupted the integrity of scholars and caused tens of thousands of people to perish. He was known as a slave to three masters.
"Minister Wu is exaggerating. Under the emperor's nose, committing violence and injuring people would be a great disrespect."
Left Prime Minister Qin Anmin shook his head, showing no fear.
"Yes, Prime Minister Wu, please calm down. What the Left Prime Minister said was well-intentioned, in order to prevent this student from becoming arrogant."
A burly official with a fleshy face said with a fawning smile.
"Hmph, corrupt official."
Wu Xiang showed no mercy and cursed under his breath.
Prime Minister Wen also squinted at Prime Minister Zuo, his eyes filled with coldness.
"Alright, my beloved ministers, there's no need to argue anymore. Just now, the Half-Saint Su and the Half-Saint Wei jointly asked me to bestow honors upon this young scholar. In addition, given his merit in educating the people, I intend to bestow honors upon him."
The Emperor of Yanhuang looked at the Wenqu Star in the sky and addressed the crowd.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider. This man has neither military merit nor experience. To bestow an honor upon him so hastily would likely fail to win over the people."
The Left Prime Minister looked bitter and extremely innocent.
"Traitor!"
Li Baiyuan, the Minister of Literature, cursed under his breath.
Not only the imperial court, but also the National Academy was shaken, and everyone looked up at the sky:
"Ever since Su Bansheng said before he became a Bansheng that there was only one instance of him educating the people, it has never happened again in the Yanhuang Kingdom."
A scholar looked up and sighed.
Every student looked up at the sky, listening intently to Ye Ru's insights, while the people of Qingyun County seemed lost in thought.
"It's actually about educating the masses... Our year's imperial examination and literary gathering is probably unprecedented and will never be repeated."
Fang Zifeng stared blankly at the light screen in the sky, then exclaimed with delight.
The students were all stunned; it was the first time they had ever witnessed such a scene.
"Cough cough."
"Ye Tongsheng, please continue your explanation."
After recovering from his shock, Mr. Liu continued speaking to Ye Ru.
"Alright, then I will respectfully comply. We have already discussed the first and second realms; now let's begin with the third realm."
Ye Ru nodded, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd:
"This third realm is like searching for someone a thousand times in the crowd, only to find them suddenly in the dim light. Without searching a thousand times, there will be no sudden enlightenment and understanding. As a scholar, only through learning and diligent study can one achieve success naturally, have a sudden enlightenment, discover secrets that predecessors have not yet revealed, and open up realms that predecessors have not yet opened up."
If the first line is like a clear spring in a crack, and the second line is like a vast ocean, then this last line is like a resounding bell, striking the heart of everyone.
"Alas, every word of Ye Tongsheng is like a sacred saying, which has given us great enlightenment. Ten thousand scholars cannot compare to Ye Ru alone."
Liu Juecheng looked dejected; at this moment, he was truly convinced of Ye Ru's worth.
Lin Yanze's face turned completely pale, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Ye Tongsheng uses these melancholy words to metaphorically describe things, evoking a profound and distant meaning. Those who pursue scholarship and achieve great things must have a focused spirit, repeatedly pursue and study, and put in enough effort to reach the third level. Naturally, they will suddenly understand, make discoveries and inventions, and will surely surpass the ancients."
Every time Ye Ru described a realm, Fang Zifeng would loudly comment on it.
As soon as he finished speaking, the light of the Wenqu Star suddenly burst forth, transforming into thousands of silver rays that shot towards Ye Ru. The remaining afterglow then fell upon everyone present.
The silver light of the Wenqu Star, like the blazing sun, hung high in the sky, echoing the golden light of the eastern sun. The whole country was silent for a moment, and then suddenly cheered.
Two suns hanging in the sky, a model for scholars!