The Prince of Badong pointed a finger at him and laughed. "Well, Wang Yang! You're quite something! This On Learning... I declare you the winner! From now on, the Commandery Academy will be Jingzhou's only Official Academy!"
Liu Tan abruptly raised his head at those words. His pale lips moved, as though he wanted to say something, but in the end he could not muster the strength to speak.
A smile melted like snow between Xie Xinghan's lovely, delicate brows.
Meanwhile, Liu Cheng's gaze grew ever darker as he watched Wang Yang.
Cheers immediately erupted among the Commandery Academy's students!
All the scholars who studied the New-Text Book of Documents beamed with delight!
Those who studied the Old-Text Book of Documents, however, hung their heads like frost-wilted eggplants.
Xu Bozhen and Shen Linshi wore expressions of bitter resentment, but neither had any grounds to argue with the prince. They knew that, barring unforeseen developments, from this day onward the study of the New-Text Book of Documents would likely flourish throughout the realm, while the Old-Text school would decline day by day until it could no longer compete.
Ten soldiers carried over five large baskets heaped with coins, which glittered in the sunlight.
The Prince of Badong casually told Wang Yang, "These hundred thousand coins are yours."
Wang Yang, whose pockets were currently cleaner than his face, felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken!
He had already known the winner would receive a reward of a hundred thousand coins, but knowing was one thing; seeing it with his own eyes was another.
The moment those five great baskets of ancient coins were set down, Wang Yang felt dazzled by their brilliance!
But...
He could not accept them.
Promises had to be kept. That was Wang Yang's guiding principle.
When Wang Yang entered Jingzhou