Identity Revealed

Feng Yuan graded the papers on the spot; those who had only managed to transcribe a few sentences were tossed aside without a second glance.

Those who had managed to transcribe one full segment were placed in a separate pile. There were not many—only five or six, including Chi Lin and Guan Chong.

As for those who had transcribed more than one segment, there was currently only one, and the name written upon it was none other than Lu Xian.

"Heh, Master Lu Hong, you have raised your son well." Feng Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

To be able to memorize one of the segments he had selected in such a short time was already quite good; to memorize more than one indicated a memory far exceeding the average, and a talent that could be described as excellent.

"Many thanks, Lord Feng." Upon hearing this, Lu Hong's face creased with a beaming smile.

The two men did not lower their voices, and the youths below heard every word.

Lu Xian had received praise from the Master of Classics.

Envy, jealousy, and a myriad of other emotions rippled through the room.

The grading continued, and soon it was Chu Ming's turn.

Feng Yuan's brows shot up, and he looked at the paper with some surprise; it was densely packed with writing, though the penmanship was hideous.

Lu Hong, standing to the side, glanced over, his expression shifting before he quickly composed himself.

Writing a lot did not necessarily mean it was correct.

There had been two papers earlier that were filled with even more text, but the content was a jumbled mess, not the three segments extracted from the Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy.

From a distance, even if he could not see the content clearly, the crooked, messy characters on Chu Ming's paper looked like nothing more than gibberish.

But then, he realized something was wrong.

Feng Yuan's expression grew increasingly solemn as he read the paper from start to finish, over and over again.

The first segment on military strategy was transcribed in its entirety; the second part on historical records was likewise flawless.

Only the third part, regarding agricultural policy, was only half-finished.

The crucial detail was the character where the writing stopped; it gave him the impression that the boy had simply run out of time, having only managed to write the radical...

In other words, this youth named Chu Ming had, in all likelihood, memorized all three segments. If he had been given enough time, he could have transcribed them all!

Feng Yuan looked at those unsightly characters; though they were too ugly to bear looking at, the more he stared, the more pleasing they became.

Penmanship could be practiced and improved, but talent—that was absolute.

Hard work was the path for ordinary people to enter the imperial court, but some things could not be attained through effort alone.

If one possessed both diligence and high talent, their future achievements would undoubtedly surpass those who relied solely on effort while lacking natural aptitude.

He placed Chu Ming's paper by his side and continued to grade the rest with a calm, unreadable expression.

The grading was simple, as the remaining papers could be scanned in a single glance; they contained no more than a few lines.

Feng Yuan stood up slowly, his expression indifferent as he looked down at the youths.

Lu Xian and the others immediately grew anxious.

"Not bad." Feng Yuan's first sentence caused the hearts of the youths to race.

"There are five who remembered one segment, and two who remembered more than one."

The crowd's hearts beat even faster; to be named by the Master of Classics was an honor they might not encounter again in their entire lives.

"Wan Hui, Gong Rong, Zhou Yiwen, Guan Chong, Chi Lin."

The five whose names were called were overcome with excitement.

Feng Yuan paused for a moment before continuing, "Lu Xian."

Lu Xian?

He was being called now, but he wasn't the first?

Could there be someone with a better memory than Lu Xian?

Who was it?

It couldn't be Chu Ming again, could it?

The crowd speculated in hushed tones.

Huang Lu turned his head to look at Chu Ming, muttering under his breath, "It's not him, please don't let it be him..."

It was like a prayer.

However, the two words he least wanted to hear soon drifted down from the platform: "Chu Ming."

"..."

In an instant, Huang Lu's mouth tasted as bitter as if he had chewed on a bitter root.

Brother Chu had clearly been tricked by him to act as a bottom-feeder, so how, just how...?!

Could it really be the Yellow Bright Root his old man had used to enlighten him?

He touched the slightly bulging area inside his robe.

But he had been eating this stuff since he was a child, and aside from its sweetness, there was nothing special about it at all.

"Mr. Lu Hong, you may announce the final results of the academy examination," Feng Yuan said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Magistrate Feng."

Lu Hong stepped forward and cleared his throat. "For this Willow Town academy examination, in third place, Guan Chong."

"In second place, Lu Xian."

"In first place..." Lu Hong cast a complicated look toward the corner of the outer hall, "...Chu Ming."

There was no great surprise; having taken first in both the written and memorization portions, Chu Ming was destined to be the top candidate.

"Chu Ming, Lu Xian, and Guan Chong, stay behind. The rest of you may return home."

With varying emotions of resentment, envy, shame, and relief, the youths departed.

Only Chi Lin remained, his legs feeling as if they were filled with lead; he took a few steps but could not bring himself to leave the private school.

The banquet at the Green Bamboo Pavilion to celebrate his predicted top-three finish?

Heh...

He took a few deep breaths and looked back, his eyes filled with defiance, jealousy, and fear.

Having failed to place, he would surely be reprimanded by his father upon returning.

"Go on back; you still have opportunities ahead."

It was only after Lu Hong offered this calm word of advice that Chi Lin finally managed to walk out of the school.

At the same time, one of Feng Yuan's attendants stepped forward carrying a thick, heavy book.

"This is your reward: the Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy, compiled jointly by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War of the Great Qin Dynasty."

Feng Yuan picked up the blue-bound volume, which was as thick as an adult's forearm. "The Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy consists of five volumes covering poetry, politics, history, rites, and military strategy. These will be the primary subjects of your study once you enter Baiyuan Academy."

"If you can master any one of these five subjects, your future achievements will not be low."

"Come and take them."

After bowing, the three of them stepped forward to receive their copies of the Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy.

He had finally obtained it; it looked thick, and it certainly felt heavy in his hands.

Chu Ming was eager to dive into it, but now was not the time.

"These are your identification tokens for Baiyuan Academy. Keep them safe; you can go to Baiyuan County to register next month," Feng Yuan said, producing three bronze tokens and handing them to the trio.

Ordinarily, these matters would be handled by Lu Hong, the schoolmaster, but Feng Yuan was in a good mood today and chose to handle them himself.

Lu Xian and Guan Chong accepted the tokens with trembling hands. "Thank you, Magistrate."

Chu Ming also bowed and accepted his token, though he lacked the visible agitation of the other two.

Feng Yuan watched him, a flash of appreciation crossing his eyes.

This was the composure a youth of the Great Qin Dynasty ought to possess.

He turned to Lu Hong. "Mr. Lu Hong, could you prepare a quiet place for me? I have some words for Chu Ming in private."

What?!

The Magistrate wanted a private conversation with this boy named Chu Ming?!

The expressions of Lu Xian and Guan Chong shifted instantly.

Even Lu Hong was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "This way, Magistrate."

And so, under the jealous and indignant gazes of Lu Xian and Guan Chong, Chu Ming followed Feng Yuan to a secluded courtyard.

The courtyard featured a rockery and a water pavilion, with a small gazebo at its center. Lu Hong tactfully withdrew, leaving only Chu Ming and Feng Yuan in the space.

"Your name is Chu Ming?" Feng Yuan began.

"Yes, Magistrate Feng," Chu Ming replied calmly, still cradling the heavy book.

"The Chu Ming who is the illegitimate son of the wealthy Chu Family in Baiyuan County?" Feng Yuan lifted his teacup, took a sip, and fixed his gaze on Chu Ming like a torch.

The secluded courtyard fell into an eerie silence. Chu Ming looked down at the blue book, not answering immediately.

Few people knew that the original owner had been cast out to Willow Town by the Chu Family. This Magistrate did not appear in the original owner's memories, meaning they had no prior connection.

He could not confirm the man's intentions in knowing his identity and questioning him so suddenly.

Coming here to take the academy examination was, in truth, a risk. If the First Madam of the Chu Family discovered he had placed first, she would undoubtedly use all manner of means to deal with him.

This was precisely why, after grinding out the [Reading] skill, he had been so desperate to become a martial artist.

Only with extraordinary power in his hands could he fear no schemes or tricks.

But this Magistrate...

Feng Yuan stared at Chu Ming, his gaze growing sharper.

"Heh, your silence is as good as an admission," he said suddenly, sounding confident.