Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 10 Beishan Academy
Go to the academy to study and take the imperial examination? Lu Zheng was slightly stunned. He had no such idea at all.

The path of imperial examinations was completely different from the Confucian and Taoist path he took.

It was easier for him to become a Juren of Heaven and Earth than to become a Juren of Literature.

Hearing Li Yuan's words, Lu Zheng said, "I haven't thought about this..."

Li Yuan said with a smile, "This kind of thing should be considered. Our county's two major academies are both excellent. You can choose whichever one you want! Just go and study. Uncle Yuan will take care of everything else for you!"

There are two academies in Kaiyang County, one of which is a county school run by the government, named Kaiyang Academy.

The original owner had studied at Kaiyang Academy, but because of poor grades and insufficient money for tuition, he dropped out.

Another academy was a privately run academy called Beishan Academy.

The president of the academy, Xiao Shan, was a Jinshi from Kaiyang County.

After passing the imperial examination in Xiaoshan, he served as an official in the Tai'an capital of Anguo for several years. Later, he resigned and retired, living in seclusion in Beishan outside Tai'an City, and called himself Beishan Sanren.

Three years ago, Xiaoshan returned to Kaiyang County and established Beishan Academy, where he began teaching and educating, and produced many outstanding students.

Among the two major academies today, Beishan Academy has surpassed Kaiyang Academy.

Since Kaiyang Academy was government-run, the fees in all aspects were lower, so students with poor backgrounds or from poor families would still choose to go to Kaiyang Academy, and there was no situation where one academy dominated the market.

"This..." Lu Zheng was thinking about how to refuse Li Yuan.

Firstly, he really didn't want to go to the academy to study, and secondly, he didn't want to owe Li Yuan too many favors.

Seeing Lu Zheng's hesitation, Li Yuan smiled and said, "Zhao'er is currently studying at Beishan Academy. How about you two become classmates so you can look after each other in the future? I've also mentioned you to the dean of Beishan Academy, and he wants to meet you. If you're undecided, why not go to the academy and take a look? It's a matter of personal choice, so don't force it."

Lu Zheng was slightly surprised. Even the dean of Beishan Academy wanted to see him. Could he really be a popular person?
But thinking about myself as a talented scholar, it is reasonable for those academies to compete for me.

Li Yuan looked at Li Zhao who was sitting next to him and said, "Zhao'er, you've taken so many days off. It's time to report to the academy. Take nephew Lu to visit Dean Xiao now..."

Li Yuan asked his servants to prepare two gifts and take them to the academy later. How could he be so impolite when meeting his elders?

Lu Zheng had no choice but to follow Li Yuan's arrangements.

After a while, Lu Zheng and Li Zhao got on the same carriage and headed to Beishan Academy.

Li Zhao sat across from Lu Zheng. Seeing that Lu Zheng didn't look happy, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lu seems a little depressed. Don't you want to join our Beishan Academy?"

Lu Zheng heard this and said, "Uh, well... I'm used to being alone, so the thought of going to a college to study or something like that makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

"Ah..." Li Zhao showed a strange look on his face. This was almost the same as him not wanting to go to the academy to study.

Lu Zheng asked, "How is Dean Xiao?"

Li Zhao lowered his voice and said, "The dean is a very kind person, but also very strict. He is upright and honest. It is said that he was dismissed from office and retired because he offended the powerful in the court... He values a person's moral character the most. Even if your talent and learning are mediocre, he will not criticize you harshly. Oh, Brother Lu, don't worry about your studies."

"Is that so?" Lu Zheng nodded slightly, and had a general understanding of Xiaoshan.

Li Zhao said with a smile: "Brother Lu, don't worry. With your talent, you might even be accepted as a disciple by the dean!"

Disciple? Lu Zheng thought to himself that he didn’t even want to be a student of the academy, let alone the dean’s disciple.

With his limited talent, he was not good at poetry, prose, calligraphy or painting, and his true colors were revealed as soon as he entered school.

He was wondering how he could refuse to go to the academy.

Li Zhao sighed again, "I am no match for him. I studied for three years after becoming a scholar, but now I only have a little more than three feet of literary talent. My father is forcing me to take the imperial examination. How long will it take for me to pass?"

Only when a scholar's aura reaches over seven feet can they have a good chance of passing the imperial examination, receiving imperial canonization, receiving initiation at the Confucian Temple, and achieving the status of a Juren. Li Zhao stared at Lu Zheng, curiously asking, "I heard that Brother Lu's aura is already one and a half feet long. Can I see it?"

Lu Zheng's thought moved, and a trace of literary energy was released.

Li Zhao stared at it and couldn't help but exclaimed: "This literary style is really two feet!"

"After a few days of seclusion, there has been a slight increase." Lu Zheng explained with a smile.

"Hiss..." Li Zhao took a breath of cold air. This is called a slight increase?

He hasn't grown so much in literary talent in the past six months. It's true that people are not comparable.

The gap is bigger than that between humans and dogs.

Li Zhao admired Lu Zheng more and more. No wonder his father was so good to Lu Zheng.

The two of them quickly arrived at Beishan Academy in a carriage.

After being informed and having the servants present gifts, the two were taken into the academy to meet Xiao Shan.

At this time, the academy's classroom was in the break period.

Some students happened to see Lu Zheng and Li Zhao passing by, and their expressions changed.

"Lu Zheng? Why is he here? Is he going to study in our academy?"

"Could it be possible that we're going to be classmates again? Tsk, after not seeing him for a few years, that nerd has become a genius."

"So what if he's only a scholar of heaven and earth? He became a scholar many years later than us! If we didn't take the exam to become a scholar, wouldn't it be easy for him to become one at his age?"

"Brother, you are absolutely right!"

"Speaking of which, I have a very elegant and refined temperament..."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the school became quiet.

This slap in the face came so quickly that many jealous students were caught off guard.

One student couldn't help but ask, "Will the dean accept him as a disciple?"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this. This was not impossible.

The talent displayed by Lu Zheng makes him the most outstanding scholar in Kaiyang County in recent years, and also a scholar of heaven and earth.

If Dean Xiao wants to accept Lu Zheng as his disciple, it is very likely.

Many students felt complicated when they thought about their classmates who they looked down upon in Kaiyang Academy, and now they had come here to study with them, and that they might even be better than them in the future.

Of course, there were also students who had never met Lu Zheng before, so they did not have these emotions, but were more curious.

Lu Zheng and Li Zhao soon arrived outside an elegant courtyard.

A servant was guarding the door. Upon seeing the two men arrive, he said respectfully, "The dean wishes to speak with Master Lu alone. Master Li, please follow me to the living room next door."

Li Zhao was very happy to hear this, and gave Lu Zheng an encouraging look before leaving.

Lu Zheng was a little nervous. After all, it was the first time he met someone who had reached the fourth level of Confucianism and Taoism and had the title of Jinshi.

(End of this chapter)