A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 152 The Strongest Transfer Student (Part )
Song Xuan was obsessed with the female Bodhisattva and even felt a little stiff.

It was not until he took a shower and calmed down for a while that he continued reading.

The Fajie test is just around the corner. How can you have so much time to familiarize yourself with the Xikun style?

In class, the head teacher Wang Zhu asked Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping about the progress of their singing collection.

Then I assigned a few assignments and asked them to hand them in.

In Wang Zhu's view, the poems and essays written by Song Xuan according to that format were simply imitating others and piling up words.

He didn't grasp the essence at all, and was completely taking a crooked approach, trying to take shortcuts.

Then Song Xuan was called outside by Wang Zhu and severely criticized.

"Don't think that just because you have some poetic talent, you look down on the Xikun style, thinking that its content is empty, divorced from the social reality of the Song Dynasty, and lacks true emotion."

Wang Zhu pointed at Song Xuan and asked, "With your current reputation as a poet, can you compare to Liu Sanbian?"

"The lyrics he wrote were sung by people all over Tokyo, so what?"

"The imperial examination doesn't test what you're good at, it tests what you're not good at, the Xikun style!"

"Don't be unconvinced. You're young and have plenty of time. Didn't Liu Sanbian start taking the imperial examinations when he was young?"

"He failed the exam so many times. What's his mentality like?"

"Has the worry on your face diminished?"

"You can't even compare to him, what do you have to be proud of?"

Song Xuan held up his own Xikun style calligraphy, glanced at Liu Sanbian who wanted to speak, and said helplessly with his hands spread out:

"Master, this isn't my first time doing this kind of Xikun style. I'm not familiar with the routine, so I'll definitely imitate it faithfully."

"As the saying goes, if you know three hundred Tang poems by heart, you can recite them even if you can't write them. I must have memorized the more than four hundred poems in this collection of poems."

Wang Zhu didn't expect Song Xuan to make such an analogy, but when he thought about his own purpose, it was the same.

But he still said sternly:
"Song Twelve, don't think that just because you're smart, you can make me relax my discipline on you. That's impossible!"

"I'll just be stricter with you. If you can't stand it, go and talk to Dean Fan."

Song Xuan did not contradict Wang Zhu. He was just fulfilling his responsibilities.

After all, he is a capable person who has emerged from a wealthy family, and he passed the imperial examination at a young age.

This alone makes him several times better than most students in the Song Dynasty.

"You should reflect on this carefully."

Wang Zhu ignored the embarrassed Liu Sanbian. He had to go back and continue to give advice to other students.

"Brother Liu, my teacher is only ten years older than me, but he is very strict in teaching. Please don't blame me."

After hearing the way out Song Xuan gave him, Liu Sanbian did not refute but smiled helplessly.

What Wang Zhu said makes sense.

No matter how good the lyrics you write are, no matter how they are praised by people.

However, most people who want to become officials cannot take the path of hereditary appointments.

They could only make their way through the more competitive imperial examinations.

What the examiner wants is poetry and prose in the Xikun style. No matter how well you write the rest of your lyrics, even if they are passed down through the ages, he will not give you a high score. Instead, he will give you a low score, which will affect your overall ranking.

"Master Wang is right. After all, a strict teacher produces excellent students."

Liu Yong's ambition was that the more he took the exam, the less likely he would be to take it. With so many students taking the exam, the competition would be even more intense.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be so disheartened and want to leave Tokyo and wander around just because he failed the exam this year!

When he first came to the capital, he was recommended by high-ranking officials and became famous for a while.

But I really didn’t perform well in the exam.

Gradually, Liu Sanbian's reputation as a lyricist was no longer very popular among officials.

No matter how well he writes, he can never become an official.

If you can't become an official, then there is no so-called grace of promotion.

How can he repay others in officialdom in the future?

"Brother Liu, can you write this Xikun style?"

In fact, Song Xuan felt that it was a waste of time after asking the question.

Because he knew that Liu Sanbian's poems were popular and fluent, and could be sung by the common people with music, and he was a common literati.

How could it be of the same style as the aristocratic literature of the Xikun style?

If he were good at this, he might have passed the exam long ago. How could he have gotten into the circle of "old failers"?

Liu Sanbian took Song Xuan's poem and looked at what he wrote carefully.

"I have to admit that Master Wang's evaluation of you is correct."

"Although I'm not an expert at this, I do know that the Xikun style is ornately crafted, with complex allusions and neat parallelism. Your current performance is nothing more than a poor imitation. If you were to take the imperial examination, you would definitely rank low, practically tantamount to not knowing how to write this style of poetry."

Song Xuan accepted this comment and took back his own poem:
"It's over! If you, an experienced failed student, say so, then there's definitely no hope for me."

Liu Sanbian felt a little uncomfortable when he heard Song Xuan ridiculing him like that.

But he heard Song Xuan laugh again and said, "Brother Liu, don't think I'm rubbing salt into your wounds. Master Wang just said that you've failed the exam so many times, and your mentality has collapsed."

"If you want to get over it completely, you still have to suffer more setbacks."

Song Xuan fanned himself with the masterpiece he had written:
"Until you can still remain calm despite the constant criticism of others about you failing the exams, then perhaps you can achieve a breakthrough by learning the general's consciousness."

Liu Sanbian stood there in a daze for a moment. He didn't know that Song Xuan would enlighten him in this way.

Moreover, Wang Zhu's words just now, using him as a negative example to educate students, did make Liu Sanbian feel a little uncomfortable.

Although Wang Zhu was telling the truth, he was an adult.

Especially for frustrated adults, there are always a few things that they care about.

Once someone tells him the truth, he will be easily defeated!
It made me extremely depressed.

Over time, the mentality becomes even more wrong.

Liu Sanbian is in this state now. He wants to change and avenge his previous shame so that he can feel proud of himself.

But reality will always slap you in the face unexpectedly from any angle, forcing you to accept it.

If you don't want to accept it, it will slap you continuously and let you know the pain.

What Song Xuan and Liu Sanbian said seemed to be a desperate move.

Anyway, you will be slapped in the face by reality and there is no way to avoid it. It is better to make your emotions duller so that what others say will not easily affect you.

Then it's time for you to fight back against reality.

After listening to Song Xuan's theory, Liu Sanbian sighed again:

"Shi Er Lang, does this method really work?"

"You don't have any other options, so just treat this as a last resort."

When Song Xuan and Liu Sanbian were saying this, they saw Wang Zhu dragging Zhang Fangping out again and scolding him.

That means you can't even compare to Song Xuan, who can live off a brothel with just a poem, not to mention he also has a profitable shop.

How could you, Zhang Fangping, with such great talent, deal with him in the same way as him and write it like this?

Is that poetry? Zhang Fangping felt a little aggrieved. His talent was a photographic memory, not a natural ability to compose poetry.

Even though Twelfth Brother was born with the talent to compose poetry and could churn out one or two beautiful lines from time to time, the poem he wrote for the imperial examination was so terrible.

Zhang Fangping felt that it was understandable that he wrote in this way.

But Wang Zhu, the class teacher, doesn't think so. You can stand out among so many people, so you must have something outstanding.

The two of you haven't written poems or fu that are up to the level of the imperial examinations, which means you haven't put your heart into studying!

Zhang Fangping didn't dare to refute. He had long ago learned from Song Xuan that the better the dish, the more practice it has.

Now, their level of poetry and prose is indeed on the low side.

Zhang Fangping was not disappointed. Wang Zhu focused on those who were not good at writing poetry and prose, and handed in all of them and gave them a severe scolding.

Are you worthy of the academy's cultivation, your parents' expectations, and your own hard work over the years by being so lazy?
In short, as long as you come to Yingtian Academy, you will be in his Class A.

Everyone must roll up!

If any of you can’t stand it, then go and ask the dean to change classes. There are many people who want to queue up to enter Class A!

The more Wang Zhu said this, the fewer people quit.

It's not just a matter of face, it's more about whether one can pass the imperial examination.

Enduring hardship?

Since ancient times, the Chinese people have been good at enduring hardships. As long as there are gains, the hardships are worth it.

Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping were both standing under the shade of a tree, watching Master Wang scolding people with spit flying everywhere.

"It's important to mention that Master Wang has just embarked on this path of success. His insights are very important to us. He's incredibly successful from the inside out!"

Song Xuan sighed: "There are so many people with great talent in the imperial examination, but they just can't make it."

"Twelfth brother, how come your poetry is so bad?"

Zhang Fangping did not listen to Song Xuan's sigh. He knew that only a few people could succeed in the imperial examination.

He never doubted that he would not succeed, because God gave him this talent, which was the greatest help in his studies.

It's just a matter of time.

"This Xikun style is all about people who have no worries about food and clothing, who hold high positions, and who are feigning sorrow and groaning. It's pretty much like the young man I mentioned who didn't know the taste of sorrow."

Song Xuan pointed at himself and said, "You and I have both been through hardship and hardship. If I were to express my feelings to these lousy nobles, I would have a conflicting atmosphere. How could I possibly write something brilliant?"

"really."

Zhang Fangping also felt that many of the poems and essays in this book were just whining without any real reason, and that they also used many allusions from previous generations.

A poem is full of allusions, there is no originality at all.

Is this also called poetry?
"What Twelfth Brother said is indeed correct. We should really starve them for a few days and see if they can still moan for no reason and write such empty poems."

Zhang Fangping clenched his fists and said, "When I become an official, I will definitely reform the imperial examination system and abolish this annoying and disgusting poetry and prose."

"Yeah, you have ambition." Song Xuan naturally agreed with Zhang Fangping's idea:
"But before you abandon this poem, you must come up with a way to fill the gap and try it out once or twice, otherwise it will just be empty talk."

"Ouch."

Zhang Fangping was discouraged again. He was just trying to cheer himself up. He was not like his twelfth brother, who would come up with evil ideas without even thinking.

"I'd better think about how to pass the test."

Not long after, Wang Tai was also criticized in other ways and came out to stand under the shade of a tree in frustration.

Wang Zhu did not have the habit of corporal punishment on students, so he made them stand under the scorching sun.

If they get heatstroke, it will only delay their progress in reviewing their lessons, which will not be worth the effort.

Wang Tai lowered his head, as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and came to look for Song Xuan.

"Shi Er Lang, have you forgotten that you said you would prescribe medicine for me? I haven't been in a good mood these past few days."

Song Xuan hit Wang Tai hard and said, "Actually, I was exaggerating on purpose to trick you."

"What?" Wang Tai screamed.

"But I'm not exaggerating. You really should be more restrained. Don't think that being young doesn't matter. Maybe when you're thirty, you won't be able to do it anymore."

"What should I do?"

Wang Tai believed that Song Xuan had some skills. After all, if he wanted to deceive him, he had to find out something from his pulse.

Otherwise, how could those two women agree with my random lies?

"You should eat and sleep, go to bed before midnight, and get enough sleep and food."

"If you want to get in better shape, you can do that activity for a longer period of time. You can run, do squats, and rotate them."

"Haste makes waste in this matter. Self-discipline and persistence are key."

"No medicine?"

Wang Tai already believed what Song Xuan said, but he would not feel at ease unless he prescribed some medicine.

"You are still young, and besides, medicine is three-quarters toxic."

Song Xuan patted his shoulder and said with a smile:

"It's not too late to take the medicine when you're older. Otherwise, if you take the medicine when you're young, you might have to hold a girl's hand, chat and wait for half an hour before you can get an erection."

Wang Tai's face turned pale. Thinking of the consequences Song Xuan mentioned, he carefully confirmed again:
"Shi Er Lang, don't lie to me!"

"Why would I lie to you about something like this?"

Song Xuan pointed at Zhang Fangping:

"I get up early every morning and do squats, practice my shooting and archery skills, and then I eat and go to school after the activities start. If you stick to this for three months, maybe you'll see a big improvement."

"it is good."

Wang Zhu, the head teacher of Class A, returned to the office, grabbed the porcelain pot and started drinking.

He criticized every student harshly in order to stimulate their desire to study.

"Uncle Yuan, why are you going through so much trouble?"

Hearing Fan Zhongyan's question, Wang Zhu relaxed and said with a smile:

"Didn't the dean say he would send a new student to my class? I've also seen his papers. He's a strong candidate for the top spot. He performed relatively well in all four subjects."

"Yes, that's true."

"So I plan to let him be the whetstone for the whole class."

As soon as Wang Zhu opened his mouth, he attracted Fan Zhongyan.

This person was recommended by Prefect Yan, mainly because his father died suddenly of illness, which delayed his entrance examination.

"Whetstone."

Fan Zhongyan felt that Wang Zhu's idea was correct, but it was a bit unfair to the newcomer.

Especially when a relative had just passed away, Fan Zhongyan returned to Ningling County to observe the mourning period.

“Are your ideas too radical?”

"Dean, don't worry. I will pay attention. There is no student more suitable than him."

(End of this chapter)