Chapter 13: Bristling with Anger!
The bearded man and Director Qingshan were secretly competing below the stage, while the students on stage were rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, looking eager and as if they were keenly looking forward to the subsequent competition.
The Academy Competition, held once every three years, was the best opportunity to become famous! Not only did it gather people from all academies in the prefecture, but there were also many spectators. Not to mention, officials from the prefecture would also take time out of their busy schedules to watch the entire competition. If someone performed outstandingly during the competition, they would be appreciated by the prefecture officials and considered a promising talent with potential for future development, and would receive support in their official careers. Simply put, it was an excellent opportunity to latch onto someone powerful.
This made the numerous students participating in the competition full of confidence, prepared to use this Academy Competition to become famous in the prefecture, and then have continuous resources without worrying about anything else, with their future path automatically paved. Gu Qingheng, however, was not quite aware of what others were thinking. Although he was quite excited about the Academy Competition at the beginning, after a period of time, he felt it was no big deal. Compared to his brother-in-law meeting the Emperor in the Imperial Palace in the capital, and his eldest sister going to the battlefield as a Vice General to kill enemies, his participating in an academy competition in the prefecture was simply not worth mentioning! When would he be as capable as his eldest sister and brother-in-law? Thinking of this, Gu Qingheng sighed helplessly, then looked down at his small hands, suddenly feeling that the road ahead was long and he needed to work harder! First, he had to win this Academy Competition. Although winning the Academy Competition was not too important, it was still something he could talk about. At least, it was much better than having nothing. If others knew that the Academy Competition they were so eagerly anticipating was not important in Gu Qingheng’s eyes, and was just a substitute, they would definitely be so angry that they would bristle with anger! And they would be sour in their hearts, thinking, it’s really infuriating to compare people! Gu Qingheng disdained the things that others fought hard to win, simply because he had better options. With his powerful network of connections, let alone Gu Qingheng walking forward, as soon as he had the thought, others would actively carry him towards the finish line… “Alright, the lucky draw is now over, and each academy has selected its opponents. So, the Academy Competition is about to begin. First up, Qingshan Academy, who drew the first lot, will compete against Aofeng Academy!” After that, when the host finally announced the start of the competition, the first match was surprisingly Qingshan Academy. This immediately got Gu Yu excited. He immediately sat up straight in his chair, then looked up at the stage, wanting to see how Gu Qingheng would perform. “Alright, please stand in position. The first round of the competition will now begin. Listen to the question! [A fly attaches itself to a chariot; it’s fast, but it cannot escape the shame of being at the back.] What is its second half!” As soon as the students from Qingshan Academy and Aofeng Academy stood in position, the host took out a small notebook, looked at the text on it, and read it out. When the students from the two academies heard the host’s words, their faces immediately turned grim. They clearly did not expect… that they would encounter such a difficult problem right at the beginning. This passage was not within the scope of the imperial examinations, and no one could answer it. This time, not only were the students from the two academies on stage racking their brains to think of the answer, but the students who had not yet competed were also silently thinking about what the answer was! This competition was clearly more than just a little bit harder than usual! Because even some academy teachers could not think of the answer immediately, but out of pride, they could only put on a smiling face, pretending to have the expression of ‘I know the answer, but I can’t tell you, you have to figure it out yourselves.’ This made the students only resent their own lack of skill, not even knowing the second half of this passage. The bearded man, the dean of Aofeng Academy, after hearing this question, his eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and when they unfolded, his expression did not improve. This question was too difficult, and the students of Aofeng Academy could not answer it. However, Qingshan Academy should not expect to answer it correctly either! “Heh heh, Director Qingshan, this question is really difficult! I guess our two academies will end in a draw. But fortunately, it’s just the first round of the competition, and there are still two more rounds.” “It is indeed very difficult, but I think my student can answer this question.” “???” After the bearded man spoke, Director Qingshan nodded and admitted it was difficult, but he did not agree with what the bearded man said. Even if no one from Aofeng Academy could answer it, it did not mean Qingshan Academy couldn’t. Director Qingshan had high expectations for Gu Qingheng. He also believed that Gu Qingheng would definitely not disappoint him! “Director Qingshan, aren’t you afraid of your tongue being cut by the strong wind when you say that? Such confidence… Don’t feel ashamed when no one can answer the question!” “Don’t worry, I’m just a little worried that you’ll be slapped in the face and be utterly dejected, which would not be good.” “……” In terms of arguing, Director Qingshan was not weak either. After uttering words that infuriated the bearded man, Director Qingshan’s mouth curved slightly, and his smile looked extremely smug. This made Gu Yu, who was watching, exclaim in surprise. He did not expect Director Qingshan to have such a side! Gu Yu originally thought that Director Qingshan was the kind of person who bore deep hatred, always having a bitter and resentful expression on his face, and was constantly immersed in hatred, unable to extricate himself. As a result, he was quite positive and upbeat now… currently, only when teaching and belittling others. However, it could be imagined that when Director Qingshan was young, he was also a very interesting person, but his life trajectory had changed significantly because of the Wang Clan. “[Sophora on a pine tree; it’s tall, but it’s inevitable to have the shame of climbing upwards. Therefore, a gentleman would rather be chastened by wind and frost than be close to people like fish and birds.]” Just as Director Qingshan’s words angered the bearded man, Gu Qingheng, standing on the stage, spoke at this moment. At such a young age, he calmly and steadily spoke out the latter half of the sentence he knew, causing the scene to fall into silence, with everyone listening intently to Gu Qingheng’s answer. And those who knew the answer, upon hearing the first word Gu Qingheng uttered, knew that this little fellow had answered correctly! Gu Qingheng had actually guessed such an obscure saying! Not only were the teachers’ expressions shocked, but even the host on stage did not expect that someone could actually answer this question. This child is too amazing! “Congratulations to Qingshan Academy, you answered correctly!” Then, after the host was stunned for a few seconds, as soon as he recovered, he quickly announced that Qingshan Academy had won the victory. As soon as these words came out, the originally quiet scene instantly became noisy. Everyone was asking their acquaintances if they knew who the child who answered the question was and why he was so amazing! At such a young age, to know such obscure sayings, it was either a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, or truly having read extensively! “Wait, even if he answered correctly, what’s the use if he only knows the form but not the meaning!” Then, before the host could say anything else, a teacher from an academy directly stood up, stating that Qingshan Academy could not be allowed to win so easily. After all, if they did not understand the meaning when answering this question, it would not count! Especially since the person who answered this question looked less than ten years old, many academy teachers were filled with envy and jealousy, thinking why such a genius was not in their academy. Why did all the geniuses go to Qingshan Academy!!! However, when this teacher raised such a question, it was destined that he had lost the upper hand. Because regardless of whether it was a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, being able to answer the question correctly had already won the victory, and this was an unchangeable fact. “Hmm… according to the rules of the competition, Gu Qingheng, the student from Qingshan Academy, won the victory after answering the question correctly. After all, good luck is also a part of strength! As for your claim of only knowing the form but not the meaning, we can only see if this student is willing to answer.” When the host heard someone raising a question, he did not follow his intentions. Instead, what he said later clearly indicated that the victory in this competition was already certain. No matter who it was, it could not be changed. However, if they really wanted to know if Gu Qingheng was a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, they could only ask him themselves… “It’s actually very simple. [A fly attaches itself to a chariot; it’s fast, but it cannot escape the shame of being at the back.] This sentence is saying… a fly perching on a horse’s tail, although it is extremely fast, it cannot wash away the shame of sticking to the horse’s buttocks.” “And my answer, [Sophora on a pine tree; it’s tall, but it’s inevitable to have the shame of climbing upwards. Therefore, a gentleman would rather be chastened by wind and frost than be close to people like fish and birds.] means that the sophora relies on the pine tree. Although it climbs very high, it is inevitable to have the shame of relying on others. Therefore, a gentleman would rather be inspired by wind and frost than become close to others like flowers, birds, fish, and insects.” “My interpretation of this sentence is that ‘a person is not as tall as another person; when one needs to ask for help, they are three feet shorter.’ If a person wants to be respected by others, they must first respect themselves. Only by self-reliance and self-improvement can dignity and power be won! No matter when, one must hold their destiny in their own hands.” After that, before others could ask, Gu Qingheng voluntarily explained the meaning of this passage to everyone. His pronunciation was clear, and his meaning was precise. This made the teacher who stood up earlier to raise an objection blush, and a sense of shame surged towards him like a tide, making him feel very embarrassed at this moment. If there were a mouse hole, he would directly drill into it to avoid the mocking gazes of others. Previously, they suspected that Gu Qingheng was a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, but now, after hearing his thorough analysis, it was clear that he was very familiar with it and was not relying on luck. After all, even if one had seen this obscure passage, they would not be able to analyze it so clearly! Unless Gu Qingheng possessed the ability to memorize by rote and could easily remember it.
