Why Didn't You Analyze It?

Lu Xian's smile seemed to say: You skip class, ignore advice, and read the political texts during poetry lessons. You couldn't analyze the poem, could you? So what if you came up with three more lines? Everyone can continue a poem.

At the same time, he felt increasingly reassured. After this lesson, he was almost certain that Chu Ming, who had outperformed him in the Willow Town Academy Exam, would likely be eliminated to the Lower Academy in the next Academy Promotion Exam. Chu Ming might even score worse than him on the monthly exam.

In Lu Xian's view, those who passed the Academy Exam had roughly the same level of talent. Everyone was studying, so it came down to how much time they put in.

Chu Ming had arrived late. That meant he was one step behind, and then another.

The Students below had their own thoughts. Shen Yu pointed to a Student in the front row and told him to collect the answer sheets.

The Student had fair skin and looked refined and scholarly. At Shen Yu's instruction, he rose unhurriedly and collected everyone's papers.

A moment later, the answer sheets were handed to Shen Yu, and the old gentleman began grading them on the spot.

Shen Yu read quickly, usually glancing over one paper before moving on to the next. Now and then, he paused, either furrowing his brows or keeping his expression calm.

The Students' hearts raced as they watched. They had no idea whether the paper he paused over had been answered well or whether someone else had answered poorly.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had finished looking over more than twenty papers. He set three aside beneath his hand and placed the rest to one side.

Seeing this, the Students' hearts beat even faster. Every one of them stared at the front with burning eyes.

Lu Xian was no exception. Neither were Ning Hao and Liang Yuan, seated in the middle of the front rows.

Chu Ming only looked up once before lowering his gaze and flipping through Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy.

Time was tight. He just wanted to finish the book as quickly as possible so he could get on with other things.

Lu Xian and several Students beside him heard the pages turning and felt a strange sensation stir within them.

It was an odd feeling: disdain and contempt.

When the results are being announced, you pretend to be calm and read a book? Who are you trying to fool?

Master Shen only cares how well you analyzed the poem, not how diligently you pretend to study!

Chu Ming naturally noticed the several subtle glances that swept his way, but he felt nothing.

It was only a little quiz after class. He had been through countless ones.

Having lived two lives, his outlook had long since changed. How could he care what a bunch of teenagers thought?

At the front, Shen Yu cleared his throat and calmly surveyed the twenty-odd Students below. They were nervous, stiff...

Huh? Why was someone in the back still reading with his head down?

Was he trying to distract himself from the nerves by reading?

After taking in everyone's expressions, Shen Yu picked up a paper and looked toward the middle of the front rows. "Ning Hao, your poem analysis is pretty good. The three lines you added have some merit, too."

At this, a smile appeared on Ning Hao's face—a confident smile, as if he had known all along that Master Shen would praise his answers.

The Students in the hall all looked at him with envy.

Lu Xian stared at Ning Hao's back and clenched his fists beneath the desk.

One day, he would sit in that seat and be the envy of everyone!

But in Liang Yuan's eyes, sitting beside Ning Hao, it was nothing but showing off!

Yet just as everyone assumed Ning Hao would be exempt from the poetry portion of the next monthly exam, Shen Yu frowned and said, "However, you've overanalyzed it, and you've used the formal script. I don't like it. You're not passing."

What?

Formal-script analysis, and he didn't like it?

What kind of grading standard was that?

The books of the Great Qin Dynasty all used the formal script. It was the most widely used form of writing.

If they weren't to use the formal script, were they supposed to use that so-called Simplified Script Master Shen had cobbled together?

Shen Yu had taught them Simplified Script, but the characters were too crude and lacked the solemnity of the formal script. Nor had the Great Qin Dynasty endorsed it.

Even in Baiyuan County, never mind the Great Qin Dynasty, there weren't even five people who accepted Shen Yu's Simplified Script.

And those few would have to be screened further: did they just flatter him, or did they truly believe in Simplified Script?

It was hard to say whether they could find even one more person.

They had all passed the Academy Exam and were Students with no shortage of pride. How could they spend time on a Simplified Script that was just one man's opinion?

A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Ning Hao's face, but he didn't dare say anything.

Beside him, Liang Yuan could barely keep the corners of his mouth from lifting. Now that was what it meant to come from Cloud-Perch Academy.

Shen Yu took in the Students' expressions and only sighed inwardly before picking up the second paper. "Who is Lu Xian?"

Lu Xian?

Who?

Me?

Lu Xian rose to his feet without thinking, his face visibly lighting up with excitement.

The older Students in front turned around, while the new Students on either side glanced over at him.

Lu Xian's heart pounded like a drum.

Master Shen had called on me?

My paper was set with Senior Brother Ning's, right beneath his. Did that mean...

Ha! I knew hard work would pay off in the end.

All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind. Lu Xian puffed out his chest a little and put on a composed air before answering, "Sir, I am Lu—"

"So you're Lu Xian." Before he could finish introducing himself, Shen Yu raised an eyebrow and asked in an oddly inflected tone, "Your father is Lu Hong?"

"Yes." Lu Xian heard the question and thrust his chest out even farther, answering loudly.

He had gotten into the Middle Academy at Baiyuan Academy on the strength of his second-place finish in the Willow Town Academy Exam, thanks to his father's connections.

It looked like this Subordinate Eighth Rank Instructor had connections with his father, too.

"Your analysis is a complete mess. You'd have been better off not analyzing it at all. If you want to keep studying at the academy, you'd better stop relying on all that stuff your father taught you."

Shen Yu tossed Lu Xian's paper aside and shook his head as he spoke.

What?

A complete mess?

Lu Xian was stunned.

Had he heard that wrong?

Hadn't my paper been singled out and placed beneath Senior Brother Ning's?

Senior Brother Ning got praised. How could mine be a complete mess?

Did I hear wrong, or was Master Shen talking about someone else?

But when a wave of murmurs reached his ears, he felt the heat creeping from his neck to his face.

"Sit down." Shen Yu's voice from the front was devoid of emotion.

Lu Xian stood there blankly, as if he hadn't heard. His face was as red as a bride's after her veil had just been lifted.

Seeing this, Chu Ming tugged at Lu Xian. Only then did Lu Xian come to his senses and sit down stiffly.

At that moment, Shen Yu picked up the last paper, his expression shifting slightly as he looked toward the Students below. "Who is Chu Ming?"

Chu Ming?

Lu Xian whipped his head around to look beside him, and the shame in his heart vanished at once.

Brother Chu's paper was beneath mine, and he'd been called on, too.

Then he remembered the broad empty spaces on Chu Ming's paper, with not a single word of analysis.

Strangely, not only was he no longer embarrassed, he was even faintly hoping Master Shen would call someone's work a complete mess again.

If it wasn't a complete mess, what did you call handing in a blank paper?

Worthless?

"Brother Chu, Master Shen's calling you." Lu Xian reminded him quietly, kindly, and politely.

Chu Ming stood up with some reluctance.

Just like before, he immediately drew every Student's gaze.

Ning Hao and Liang Yuan, seated near the front, looked at Chu Ming sympathetically. They exchanged glances, as if saying: We'll have to help Junior Brother Chu catch up on his lessons when we get back. Otherwise, he'll bring shame on Cloud-Perch Academy.

Shen Yu looked at Chu Ming calmly, picked up his paper, and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you analyze it? Did you think the verses this old man wrote were beneath you?"

At his words, only one thought crossed everyone's minds.

That Student named Chu Ming was finished.