Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 85 The Chief of the Household

He wrote: "Mount Tai is not only high because it is tall, but also because it can bear the weight of all other mountains; an official is not only high because of his position, but also because he can bear the sorrows of the common people."

He used parallelism and antithesis in his poem, linking Mount Tai together in layers:

The poem describes Mount Tai's inclusiveness: "It does not reject even the smallest clod of earth, thus it can reach its height; it does not discriminate against even the smallest stream, thus it can reach its depth. Just as an official should not despise the poor and lowly, nor reject dissenting opinions, only then can he embrace the world and establish order in the universe."

The text describes Mount Tai's steadfastness: "It withstands the ravages of fierce winds, yet its roots remain unmoved; it endures the roar of thunder and lightning, yet its expression remains calm. Compared to an incorruptible official, it remains steadfast in the face of temptation, and unwavering in its heart when framed. Its towering stature is just like its unyielding bones."

Especially when writing about the summit of Mount Tai, overlooking all living beings.

"Climbing high is not to look down on the insignificance of the people, but to understand their suffering. The height of a mountain lies in its ability to shelter the people from the cold; the nobility of a person lies in their ability to relieve the people's worries."

When Lu Chuan put down the final, heavy period, he laid down his brush.

The sound of the clapperboard rang out, and the examiner quickly entered.

On the day the final results were announced, before dawn, the long street outside the examination hall was already packed with people.

The air was thick with the smell of sweat.

Scholars taking the imperial examinations, elders accompanying them, merchants watching the spectacle, and even gambling vendors from the mansion all gathered around.

Among the crowd, some people clasped their hands together in prayer, some were pale-faced, and some stared intently, as if trying to see through them.

Lu Chuan did not try to squeeze in.

He accompanied Lu Shouye, sitting in a teahouse next door.

"Chuan'er, have some water." Lu Shouye handed over the teacup, but his hand trembled so badly that most of the tea spilled out.

Lu Chuan reached out and caught it steadily: "Father, the rankings are already on the paper, there's no point in rushing it."

Lu Shouye rubbed his hands together and chuckled dryly, "That makes sense, but my heart is like a cat's claw. If I really become the top scholar, the Lu family of Qingyang County will truly have to erect a memorial archway."

"Bang--!"

With a muffled cannon blast, the gates of the prefectural school finally opened.

Four yamen runners in black robes carried a huge red notice, escorted by soldiers, toward the screen wall.

"The results are out."

The crowd surged forward like a tide, a cacophony of cries, shoving, and gasps of amazement.

The constables quickly applied paste and pasted the red notice board, which determined the honor and disgrace of countless people, inch by inch upwards, starting from the end.

"I won! I won! I'm seventy-second!" Someone laughed wildly in the crowd, then covered their face and burst into tears.

"It's fallen...it's fallen again..." Someone knelt down and wept bitterly, their face ashen.

Zhang Ru squeezed into the crowd, desperately looking up.

He first found his name in the middle section, and in his elation, his gaze quickly locked onto the position at the very front.

When he saw the top of the last red list, at the highest point in everyone's sight.

First place (top of the prefecture): Qingyang County, Luchuan.

"Brother Lu, it really is Brother Lu who has won two awards in a row!" Zhang Ru shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice hoarse from excessive excitement.

Lu Shouye, who was in the tea stall, suddenly stood up.

The movement was so violent that the bench was overturned and fell to the ground.

"First place? Really first place?" Lu Shouye was in tears. He grabbed Lu Chuan's shoulder, trembling, and tried to say something, but found that he could only sob.

At this moment, Zhou Ziqian was also standing below the list.

He looked at the name that was firmly hanging over his head and sighed.

He personally witnessed Lu Chuan perform normally, achieving first place in both the first and second rounds of the retest.

He was now completely convinced.

He walked to the tea stall next door, stood before Lu Chuan, and bowed deeply in front of everyone: "Brother Qin, you are truly deserving of the top spot in the prefectural examination. I, Ziqian, will certainly study diligently behind closed doors and seek your guidance again on the day of the provincial examination."

Lu Chuan returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Zhou is learned, and I dare not slack off either. The road to the provincial examination is long, let us encourage each other."

In addition, the crowd's attention also turned towards this direction.

If winning the main round could be attributed to luck, then when everyone learned that this same person had won both of the two semi-final rounds, which were drastically different in style and even somewhat beyond the scope of the exam, all that remained was shock.

"The champion in the main examination, and the champion in the re-examination... Is Lu Chuan trying to monopolize all the literary talent in Yingnan Prefecture?"

"That's not all! Didn't you see the 'Ode to the Rocky Mountains of Mount Tai' that was posted online? The prefect's comment was 'Calm and dignified, with the demeanor of a national hero.'"

Those students who were originally jealous couldn't even muster the thought of comparison anymore.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, jealousy only makes one appear inferior.

"Eleven years old? Are you kidding me?"

An old scholar, who had been praising the "Ode to the Rocky Peaks of Mount Tai" while squeezed in the crowd, was so shocked that he almost ripped his beard off.

"Sir, it's absolutely true. This top scholar, Lu, was already famous in Qingyang during the county examination. His age is clearly recorded in his bone age register. He was born in the seventh year of Zhaoming. At most, he's only eleven years old this year."

These words exploded like a bombshell in the crowd.

"An eleven-year-old top scholar in the imperial examinations? Our Yingnan Prefecture hasn't had one like that in twenty years!"

Countless gazes instantly turned to disbelief.

Among the crowd, some scholars who had previously felt regretful about their rankings all fell silent.

Several people who brought their children to see the list blushed with embarrassment. While fanning themselves, they slapped the back of the head of their ten-year-old sons who were eating candied hawthorns with snot running down their noses.

"Look at him, we're both eleven years old, but he's the top scholar in the government, while all you know is eating. Go home and copy the Analects of Confucius ten times."

At first, only the crowd in front of the screen wall exclaimed in surprise, but in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the six words "eleven-year-old top scholar in the prefecture" became the talk of the town in teahouses and restaurants.

At Wangjiang Tower, a famous gathering place for literati, several disheartened students were about to raise a glass to comfort each other when they heard the sound of a fast horse bringing good news downstairs. They were so startled that their wine cups were suspended in mid-air, and the wine spilled all over their clothes.

"Eleven years old? Passing the imperial examination twice?" A middle-aged candidate muttered to himself, giving a bitter laugh. "I've studied hard for twenty years and I'm still barely passing. This kid is already so impressive. All that studying has gone to waste."

Down on the street, the peddler who was rushing about put down his load, the woman buying vegetables stopped in her tracks, and even the beggar on the roadside perked up his ears.

What truly propelled this news to its peak were those few bougainvillea horses carrying red flowers on their backs.

"Make way! Urgent report—!"

The messenger struck the gong with a deafening roar.

Just as the whole city was in an uproar, with countless people eager to catch a glimpse of the prodigy, Lu Chuan had already returned to his innhouse.

Outside the window, there were people sending congratulatory invitations with gongs and drums, wealthy gentlemen from all walks of life inviting people to banquets, and even matchmakers coming to inquire about engagements.