Sage Worthies Hall

Quanyou Academy is located in Xingyuan Prefecture.

This academy has a long history. Legend has it that it was established during the reign of Ancestral Dragon, and its founder studied under three Sages and made great aspirations.

More than a hundred years ago, Quanyou also had a period of leading the orthodox Confucianism, but now it has declined.

However, even in its decline, no one dared to underestimate it, because the academy had Sage Worthies Hall.

Having Sage Worthies Hall signifies the Confucianism, its own way, and its own doctrines.

The Sage Worthies Hall of the Quanyou Academy is built on the mountain behind the academy. Going up the stone steps, passing through the Lingxing Gate, around the Pan Pond, through the Great Accomplishment Gate, and into the Great Accomplishment Hall, you will find Hall of Illuminating Ethics and Scripture-Venerating Pavilion built around it. It is similar to the Prefectural Academy, but it is far superior in scale and has a strong Literary Thought atmosphere. As soon as you arrive, you will feel your mind calm and your thoughts pure.

Zhao Bingcheng and the old man, both wearing tall hats and wide belts, walked up with several articles in their hands, followed by a group of students, all with solemn faces and respectful demeanors.

Upon entering the Great Accomplishment Hall, the students lined up in several rows, and the two elders stepped forward to Sage Statue on the altar.

Then, the two took a deep breath, their faces serious, their nerves on edge, trying to calm themselves down.

After a few moments, Zhao Bingcheng stepped forward and placed several articles in the box on the table. The other old man did the same.

After doing all this, the two stood before the altar, silent, staring intently at the articles in the box.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire hall became solemn.

The students held their breath, not daring to make a sound, not even daring to breathe Great Qi, and waited quietly.

As time went by, the expressions of the two elderly people gradually changed, from initial tension and anxiety to later worry, and then slowly calmed down, but disappointment was revealed in their eyes, and their faces were ashen.

"Could it be that we really must seek help from outside? If so, wouldn't our Quanyou Academy, and the entire lineage of Shu Learning, be in jeopardy...?"

The two old men felt a pang of sadness and sighed.

Zhao Bingcheng shook his head and was about to step forward to take out the article from the box when, unexpectedly, the entire hall shook violently the moment he moved!

"Um?"

The shock came suddenly, but no one present was surprised. Instead, they all showed joy. Zhao Bingcheng also stopped and turned his gaze to the box.

At the same time, everyone present focused their attention on this spot!

Then, an article in the box floated up, its surface shimmering with light and shadow, and individual characters drifted out, hovering in mid-air!

"It's Gao Jing's 'On the On the People'!"

Upon seeing those characters suspended in mid-air, Zhao Bingcheng recognized them at a glance, and a smile appeared on his face.

The old man beside him smiled, "Truly a talented scholar from Xingyuan Prefecture! A single essay on literature has resonated with the Sage Will!" But he quickly composed himself, shaking his head and sighing, "What a pity. This man has already entered the Virtue Learning..."

Zhao Bingcheng also showed regret, but still comforted him, saying, "Brother Zhang, there's no need to worry about this. Let's get through this difficult time first. Let's guide ourselves with the teachings of the Sage."

The old man nodded. "That's right. However, this also shows that among the rising stars you met on this trip, Gao Jing is the most outstanding. It's a pity he didn't get the top score in the Jiannan Provincial Examination."

During their conversation, the three clay statues of Sage Statue moved in unison, and then profound meanings and esoteric principles flowed out, neither words nor sounds, but a pure understanding that reached the hearts of people and radiated in all directions, with a tendency to scatter and fly out.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Bingcheng and the old man each focused their minds, reciting the writings of Sage. Their pure understanding was drawn in, lingering and dispersing within the Great Accomplishment Hall, unable to leave!

The many students behind the two elders were clearly prepared. Sensing the subtle insights they gained, they all knelt down, some covering their ears, some closing their eyes, each concentrating to dispel distracting thoughts.

The difference lies in the fact that some people quickly settled down, their minds clear, absorbing the insights that lingered in the hall, and Spiritual Light related to the people arose in their hearts; but some students, anxious and eager to enter a meditative state, found it difficult to succeed, scratching their heads in frustration...

This realization came suddenly and went quickly, lasting for less than ten breaths before completely dissipating.

Then, the suspended article fell again, and the words that had flown out of it returned to the paper, but a rich Literary Thought Aura lingered on the paper, not dissipating for a long time.

Many students, who had been holding their breath, opened their eyes again, but remained silent and did not get up. Instead, they pondered and recalled their insights from just now.

Those who couldn't calm down looked frustrated.

"Time is limited and too rushed..." Zhao Bingcheng felt a little regretful, but he also knew that the limit had been reached.

Another old man sighed, "Gao Jing is still young, but he's already capable of Literature Stirring the Worthies. If he were to write on Sage Paper in the future, perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, the entire hall trembled once again!

"Huh?" Zhao Bingcheng and the other old man were both taken aback.

Then, another piece of paper flew out of the box.

The writing on this paper is simple, just four lines of poetry, but each character contains a unique charm. As it flies up, it immediately exudes a sense of uprightness and order, subtly echoing the clay Sage!

"<Pity the Farmers>! It's Qiu Shen Zhi's poem <Pity the Farmers>!" Zhao Bingcheng's face showed even greater surprise than before!

At his exclamation, the three clay Sage Statue trembled once more, radiating pure enlightenment, which was also related to the people, but even more specific, concerning granaries.

However, the event happened too suddenly. Many students had just regained their composure and were cultivating their understanding. How could they possibly enter a meditative state again in such a hasty manner?

On the contrary, the students who were initially frustrated were surprised and delighted. They calmed down and focused on absorbing the insights emanating from the clay Sage, experiencing a sense of enlightenment.

This time, the pure sense of enlightenment lingered for twelve breaths before disappearing completely.

"This..."

After the initial shock subsided, Zhao Bingcheng and the old man surnamed Zhang exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"I brought Qiu Yan's poem here on a whim. After all, since ancient times, most poems and songs have failed to elicit a response. Even Gui'er's lyrics rarely caused the sacred image to tremble. Yet Qiu Yan's poem, 'Pity the Farmers,' actually..."

Before Zhao Bingcheng could finish speaking, the old man surnamed Zhang, still savoring the words, interrupted, "This poem contains considerable wisdom. It directly addresses the ills of the court, no wonder it elicited a response from the imperial statue. However, in terms of its intent alone, it is on par with Gao Jing's. The reason it lasted three more breaths is because of his calligraphy—upright Great Qi, subtly in line with the sacred way!"

Zhao Bingcheng nodded upon hearing this, but his expression suddenly changed. "This is bad! Zhou'er wrote me a letter earlier, asking me to send someone to persuade Qiu Yan. I didn't agree because of Liu Jing's letter, but now it seems that things are very bad!"

The old man surnamed Zhang also changed color in anger. "Foolish! Gao Jing has already entered the Virtue Learning, but Qiu Yan has no school of thought to follow. How can we let him go! You, you've lost your mind! You only care about doing favors and don't care about the academy's legacy! But it's not too late now. Send someone out immediately!"

Having made up their minds, the two old men left the main hall without disturbing the students who were reflecting on and contemplating the matter.

At the same time.

Eastern Capital, Principle Sect Academy.

Principle Sect Academy is located in the southern suburbs of the Eastern Capital. Covering an area of 100 acres, it features pavilions, towers, rockeries, and green waters. Rather than an academy, it is more like a garden or manor.

Da da~ da da~

At that moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out on the road in front of the academy. Zhen Zhizuo, dressed in Confucian robes, rode up. When he was almost at the academy gate, he reined in his horse, dismounted, and moved with agility, showing no sign of being a weak scholar.

As soon as he landed, a figure flashed in front of him, and a servant in green came out to greet him. He took three zhang in one step and arrived in front of Zhen Zhizuo in the blink of an eye, reaching out to take the reins of his horse.

The horse seemed quite familiar with this person and did not resist him.

Zhen Zhizuo's horse was pure white with a gleaming coat, looking like it was made of jade from a distance. However, its four legs were now covered in dust, which was an eyesore.

The servant in blue pulled on the reins, touched the horse's nose, and frowned. "Young Master Zhen, why are you in such a hurry? Bai Yu hasn't had much rest on this journey and almost exhausted himself."

This horse, named White Jade Horse, was a tribute from the Northern Wuwan to Great Rui, and was extremely precious. The servant was quite familiar with the horse's habits, and after touching it a few times, he roughly grasped its condition.

Zhen Zhizuo smiled apologetically, "Uncle Mu, please don't be offended. It's really urgent. I wonder where Huazhang is now?"

Uncle Namu knew the gravity of the situation, so he stopped asking questions, pointed in the direction, and led the horse away.

Zhen Zhizuo went straight through the main gate, turned several times, passed through a garden, and arrived at a pavilion. After announcing his arrival, he was led inside.

The interior is decorated in a simple and elegant style, giving it a refined and otherworldly feel.

A man knelt there, holding a book in his hands, reading aloud, completely ignoring Zhen Zhizuo who had just entered.

Zhen Zhizuo was not in a hurry and waited quietly. After a while, the man put down his book, stood up and straightened his clothes before turning around and walking over.

"Zhizuo, you went to Shu Region to visit your family, but then you went to investigate Qiu Yan and returned in a hurry. Is this related to this matter?" The man's voice was slightly high-pitched, but not harsh.

Zhen Zhizuo laughed and said, "As expected, Huazhang could not be fooled. I came back this time precisely for Qiu Yan. This man is talented, and we should welcome him with Middle Ceremony."

The term "Middle Ceremony" is a term used by the Principle Sect.

Anyone wishing to become a disciple of Entering Principle had to undergo an examination and be qualified before they could come to the Eastern Capital. However, they were not directly admitted; they still had to pass an examination and submit a formal document before they could be considered to have entered the sect.

However, if the person seeking to become a disciple is exceptionally talented and renowned, such a complicated process is unnecessary. After an examination, their entry into the sect can be determined. If the person is exceptionally talented, Principle Sect may even send someone to welcome them, with different Middle Ceremony of gifts depending on the occasion.

Zhen Zhizuo said he would treat Qiu Yan with the Middle Ceremony, clearly indicating that he thought highly of him.

Unexpectedly, Huazhang frowned upon hearing this. "Middle Ceremony? Qiu Yan has no reputation. If it weren't for the war, he wouldn't have gotten the top score in the provincial examination. Such people are often short-lived. Besides, He Shuchang Jiangnan just been admitted to the academy, and I've already arranged for him to be admitted to Middle Ceremony. Where would I find the manpower? Why don't you just have Qiu Yan come over directly and exempt him from the examination?"

"How can this be?" Zhen Zhizuo shook his head. "Qiu Yan is no ordinary person. Quanyou Academy and Void Academy have their eyes on him. How can we underestimate him?" (To be continued)

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