The scholars who had just been wearing rather arrogant expressions all bowed one by one when they saw Chen Yi approach.
Cries of "Mr. Qingzhou" spread through the crowd, drawing sidelong glances from the onlooking commoners in the distance.
"That is Mr. Qingzhou from our Guiyun Academy. I heard his Way of Calligraphy has reached some extraordinary realm, and he is greatly revered by those scholars."
"The Perfection Realm of the Way of Calligraphy. Anyone who does not believe it can go take a look at Hundred Herbs Hall outside West Market. That plaque was written by Mr. Qingzhou."
"I was fortunate enough to see it. Its artistic conception stretched on and on, making it impossible to see clearly."
"Look at those scholars. Earlier, they all looked as though they could look down upon the whole world, as if they despised the likes of us. Yet when they see Mr. Qingzhou, do they not still have to bow obediently?"
"What? Is your boy that good at studying?"
"I hope he is..."
Though the Great Wei Dynasty had opened the road of the Imperial Examination and broadly recruited worthy talents, only a small number of people could still afford to study.
That was why the ordinary people among the onlookers envied the Xiucai who had come to take the annual examination.
Yet when they saw those Xiucai bowing to Chen Yi, their feelings became somewhat complicated.
There was envy, but even more than that, there was an invisible chasm.
When someone was only slightly better than you, perhaps diligence and hard work would allow you to catch a glimpse of their heels. But when they surpassed you by far, all that remained was a deep sense of helplessness.
Naturally, Chen Yi had no idea of any of this. He returned each