Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 99, First Place! A caterpillar has offspring, but a wasp carries them on its back!

Inside the examination hall of Jiangzhou Prefecture.

The many students who participated in the disaster relief were all overjoyed, and the wolf-hair brushes in their hands were like swords drawn from their sheaths, drawing sharp lines on the rice paper.

"Swish—"

The sound of hundreds of pens moving about is just like a rain of arrows piercing the sky when troops are being mustered on the battlefield.

The first question of this prefectural examination was clearly about "rewarding meritorious service"!
Anyone who has made meritorious contributions in exorcising demons and rescuing people from disasters, such as:

[One demon-slaying soldier, repairing city walls, transporting food supplies, moving demon corpses, cutting off the wolf demon's left ear, etc.]
All of these things, if written down in this poem, will surely pass the first round.

Of the two thousand candidates in the first round, eight hundred were selected, indicating that the selection criteria were quite lenient.

It was midday.

Under the blazing sun, the bluestone slabs of the Jiangzhou government compound were scorching hot, and the rising heat distorted the eaves in the distance.

The cicadas chirped incessantly, but they couldn't drown out the rustling sounds that rose and fell within the examination hall.

No wind.

Inside the examination room, it was as stuffy and hot as a steamer. The ink in the inkstone was slightly sticky, and the brushstrokes were hesitant.

The students carefully considered each word, racking their brains over the phrases, their hearts burning with heat and anxiety. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, some trickling down their brows and splashing onto the scrap paper, leaving ink stains.

Some drops landed on my wrist, which I quickly wiped away with my sleeve.

Zhou Yuanjun stood with his hands behind his back in front of the main hall of the mansion, looking up at the sky. The blazing sun beat down on the bluestone ground.

He frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "In this sweltering heat, I'm afraid it will disturb the students' inspiration."

Before he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, and a beam of green light suddenly shot out from his fingertips, drawing in the air—[The Qing Shu Palace on Earth, the Guang Han Palace in Heaven]!

The ten-word mantra: A dragon soars into the sky!

As the green light swirled, it suddenly transformed into a patch of icy blue energy, like a curtain falling from the sky, enveloping the entire Jiangzhou Prefecture.

moment--

Inside the Jiangzhou government compound, the scorching heat vanished instantly, replaced by a sudden coolness.

The originally stuffy examination room suddenly felt as cool as a late autumn dawn.

All the students felt a refreshing breeze sweep over them, the heat subsided, and even the ink on their brushes, which had been stagnant, became smooth and flowing again.

"It's so cool!"

"It's all thanks to Professor Zhou's literary talent!"

Inside the examination hall, the students, who had been suffocating from the summer heat, suddenly perked up, looking up with amazement in their eyes.

Someone breathed a sigh of relief, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and the handwriting became even more elegant.

Some people closed their eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to etch this coolness into their lungs.

Zhou Yuanjun withdrew the lingering touch of his fingertips and swept his gaze across the examination hall. "Since there are no external disturbances, you can all put your pen to paper in peace."

Inside the examination room.

Jiang Xingzhou was writing furiously at his desk. The summer heat was intense, and beads of sweat slid down his temples, leaving dark water stains on the back of his blue shirt.

suddenly,

A refreshing coolness flowed in from outside the curtain, like a clear spring washing over me, leaving me feeling cool all over.

He put down his pen and looked up, only to see a blue light flowing outside the bamboo curtain. The words "[Human World's Cool Summer Palace, Heaven's Moon Palace]" floated in the air above the examination hall of Jiangzhou Prefecture, transforming the sweltering heat of midsummer into the refreshing sounds of late autumn.

He couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite literary skills of Professor Zhou.

Then he continued to write.

[The Chronicle of Exorcising Demons and Saving from Disasters]

The waves of Taihu Lake surged, and an eerie atmosphere shrouded the sky. Beneath the Demon King's throne, countless armored figures gleamed, and dark clouds ravaged the city.

Zhou Yuanjun led more than a thousand young scholars to Wuxi to provide assistance.

Jiang, a young man from Jiangyin, stood alone on the perilous ramparts, his bow drawn like the moon, his voice shattering the heavens.

The poem was completed and the arrow was released; Li Guang's divine might suddenly appeared!
A golden arrow pierces the moon, penetrating the tortoise general's black armor!
Demonic blood spilled across the sky, staining half of the lake and its surrounding lands crimson.

In an instant, the demon army collapsed like a tidal wave, and on the walls of Wuxi, piles of broken armor stood like mountains!

A thunderous cheer erupted as the young man in his blue robe was bathed in blood.

The poem's spirit is unyielding, each word a sword's cry—[The forest is dark, the grass rustles in the wind, the general draws his bow at night. At dawn, he searches for the white feather, only to find it embedded in the stone's edge.]
Once there were stone ridges that had no feathers, now we see arrows piercing the dragon's palace.

When the demonic aura dissipated, the waters of Taihu Lake turned ink-black, still bearing witness to that arrow—a thunderclap that cleaved the heavens!
Before long, a personal memoir was completed.

Jiang Xingzhou put down his wolf-hair brush and gently stroked the ink marks on the draft paper with his fingertips.

The words were arranged neatly like soldiers in battle, within a small space. He counted them carefully; there were exactly three hundred words, no more, no less.

He took the examination paper from the prefectural examination, dipped his wrist in ink, and copied the entire "Three Hundred Records" onto it word by word.

After finishing the last stroke, Jiang Xingzhou blew the ink dry, then sealed the exam paper with the name on it into the exam bag.

The first two-hour written examination of the prefectural examination has come to an end, but the fragrance of ink still lingers in the examination rooms of the candidates.

"Dang~!"

At noon, the gong suddenly rang out!
"The first round of the Jiangzhou Prefecture Examination—Anonymous submission of papers!"

The shouts and chants of the yamen runners echoed between the corridors, their black boots clattering as they collected the answer sheets from each examination room in turn.

The students, some looking anxious and others confident, handed over their examination bags and waited for the chief and deputy examiners to review them.

Before long, the official chef brought out the "passing the exam meal"—four dishes and a soup, light and elegant.

Liu, the head examiner, personally carried the food box to the first-class examination room and served the food to the top thirty examinees in the first-class room.

He lifted the curtain and entered Jiang Xingzhou's examination room, bringing out a bowl and chopsticks, and serving him food.

"Young Master Jiang, lunch is simply a bowl of millet rice, accompanied by four side dishes and a soup. It is rather simple."

Fish meat is prohibited as per custom, to avoid causing drowsiness and impaired thinking.

This was a nephew whom both Prefect Xue and Lord Zhou valued highly, so he dared not neglect him in the slightest. To prevent any villains from plotting against him, he personally delivered all the meals.

"Yes, thank you for your help, Foreman Liu!"

Jiang Xingzhou smiled and nodded, slowly savoring his food.

The jade soup is clear and refreshing, with sweet and fragrant millet. Although it lacks delicacies, it is delightfully light and refreshing.

Used up

He put down his chopsticks and closed his eyes to rest in the examination room No. 1, Class A.

The cicadas outside the window gradually fell silent, leaving only a gentle breeze blowing through the corridor.

We await the examiner's final decision.

Before the vermilion-lacquered hall,
Hundreds of yamen runners hurried along, presenting stacks of anonymous examination papers to the desks of the five chief and deputy examiners: Zhou Yuanjun, the educational commissioner of Jiangzhou; Cui Chengye, the prefectural governor; Liu Mingchuan, the registrar; Zhao Shiheng, the chief clerk; and Lei Wanting, the captain.

Amidst the swirling sandalwood incense, the judging officially began—the first session of the prefectural examination. Only the top ten in the first rank needed to be selected; of the remaining two thousand students, eight hundred would be retained and one thousand two hundred would be dismissed.

"Wonderful!
This article is of outstanding merit and brilliant writing; it must be the work of Jiang Lang!

Among a pile of exam papers, Cui Chengye, the charioteer, found an article and exclaimed in amazement.

"Not bad!"

The examiners were full of praise upon seeing it.

Although it's a pseudonym.

However, the first question in the prefectural examination was intended to reward the students for their achievements.

Candidates are required to write a personal account, recounting their achievements in vanquishing demons and saving lives. They will naturally mention their own deeds—making it easy to identify the candidates.

Apart from Jiang Xingzhou himself, no one dared to write the poem "Stone Arrow" from the Dafu that slayed the turtle demon general on their exam paper.

Slay the Turtle Demon General!
Boost the morale of the entire army and crush the demon army!
This achievement makes him the undisputed number one student of the imperial examinations in Jiangzhou!
Professor Zhou stared at the exam paper, picked up his vermilion brush and wrote with great strokes, "First place, Class A!" The four characters were as bloody as blood, their force penetrating the paper.

"Shen Jialang from Jiyang County, this is a good piece!"

Donating 1,000 dan of millet is a remarkable achievement!
His writing style is also commendable.

The first examination in Jiangzhou Prefecture can be judged as follows:

Registrar Liu Mingchuan picked up his vermilion brush and wrote: "Second Class, Grade A!"

The chief and deputy examiners of the prefectural examination each selected ten papers, and the papers with outstanding performance were judged as the top ten in the first rank.

The grading only needs to select the top ten students in the first round of the prefectural examination, and the rest do not need to be ranked.

As Jinshi and Juren graduates, they were all able to read ten lines at a glance, instantly skimming through a three-hundred-word article.

The decision is made with a single stroke of the pen!

Those who have rendered meritorious service will remain—those who went to Wuxi County to fight against demons, their ink marks contain the flames of war and their merits.

Those who are uneducated and have never fought or achieved merit are dismissed—no matter how skillful their writing is, it is still considered worthless.

While the students of the prefectural academy were having lunch in their examination rooms,
They finished grading the papers.

The chief and deputy examiners opened the sealed name boxes and announced the results of the first examination of the prefectural examination to the two thousand candidates.

Among the rejected papers, Prefect Cui Chengye unexpectedly discovered one and remarked, "Lord Zhou, this is Zhao Zilu's answer sheet."
He was eliminated in the very first match?!

The entire room was stunned.

The top candidate in the preliminary examination from one prefecture and five counties was actually eliminated in the first exam, which was the easiest to pass in the prefectural examination—a situation that had not been seen in Jiangzhou Prefecture for decades.

"oh?!"

Zhou Yuanjun took the scroll, his gaze sharp as a blade, and swept it over the four characters "Hard Studying by the Cold Window".

On the paper, there was a large character: 【黜】 (meaning "dismissed").

The writing is full of excuses like "studying diligently behind closed doors" and "there's plenty of time in the future," but the section on the Taihu Lake demon disaster is not mentioned at all.

snort!
No wonder!
Zhao Zilu even shamelessly wrote in "Studying Hard by the Cold Window" how he studied diligently in order to achieve greater merit in the future.

Naturally, he was immediately disqualified by the examiner!

"After all, he is the top scholar in Jiangzhou Prefecture, so he still needs to maintain some dignity!"

"Prefect Cui said in a low voice."

"Then let's give him face—we'll record him as the last place in the first round of the prefectural examination, and let him continue to take the second round!"

Zhou Yuanjun sneered, and with a stroke of his pen, he wrote the word "dismissed" in bright red on the exam paper, changing the verdict to eight characters of strong and elegant strokes: "[First place in the student's examination, recorded at discretion]".

The results of the examiners' grading of the first examination in Jiangzhou Prefecture are out.

Outside the hall, at the foot of the stone steps, the heads of various families, scholars, and officials who had been waiting for a long time immediately became agitated.

The head of the Shen family, dressed in brocade robes and jade belt, stood among the other family heads, amidst a chorus of congratulatory voices.

"Congratulations, Lord Shen! Your son has won second place in the first round, so it's almost certain he'll be in the top three in the prefectural examination! He might even have a chance to compete for first place!"

Patriarch Shen stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of awe in his eyes: "My son was merely lucky. Compared to that Jiang Lang who slew demons with the 'Stone-Edged Arrow,' he is ultimately slightly inferior! If he can achieve a top-three ranking in the prefectural examination, that will be a great fortune!"

"The boys from all the families performed quite well in their first performances, except for..."

As they spoke, dozens of gazes from the family heads, like thorns, pierced the solitary figure under the ginkgo tree in the courtyard—Zhao Bingzhu, the head of the Zhao family.

The head of the Zhao family, Zhao Bingzhu, stood with his hands behind his back, his face as hard as iron, his expression gloomy, and he did not utter a word.

After lunch.

The results of the first round of the prefectural examinations have been released!
After the examiners finished grading the papers, they ordered the yamen runners to announce the results to all the candidates in the examination hall.

Three gongs rang out, and the bailiffs' booming voices echoed through the examination hall corridors:

"Number One in Class A, Jiang Xingzhou, first place in Class A!"

Before the uproar subsided,

The examination hall was filled with students, who were in an uproar.

However, this was within their expectations!
Who dares to compare with Jiang Xingzhou's achievements in slaying demons in Taihu Lake?

Shen Zhiyun snapped her folding fan shut with a "whoosh," fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Number 2 in Class A, Shen Zhiyun, second in Class A!"

Upon hearing the score for her first question, Shen Zhiyun finally breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

First round, second place in Class A!
Very good!

In this first match, he wasn't too far behind Jiang Xingzhou.
This means that if he performs well in the second and third rounds, then there is still hope for him to win the top spot in the prefectural examination.

"Number 6, Class A, Zhao Zilu, record as appropriate!"

When the announcements from the yamen runners echoed through the examination rooms,
The wolf-hair brush in Zhao Zilu's hand snapped with a "crack." A few deliberately suppressed sneers drifted from afar—"The top scholar of Jiangzhou? Nothing special!"

"Good! What a fine 'record at your discretion'!"

His face turned sorrowful.

Ah!
For other top candidates in the preliminary examinations, being allowed to be included in the list was a cause for great joy—as long as they could remain in the examination hall and pass the county-level examination, that was better than anything else.

However, for the top scholar in Jiangzhou Prefecture, the phrase "[recorded at the discretion of the authorities]" was a blatant irony and humiliation.

The level of humiliation was comparable to the branding of the word "prisoner" on a prisoner's face.

"Number 57, Class A, Wan Luodi, is dismissed!"

"Number 17, Class B, Li Yunshan, dismissed!"

"Number 492 (Ding) is dismissed!"

As the final announcement tolled like a death knell, the blue robes of over a thousand students instantly faded.

The dull thuds of the caskets closing echoed one after another, like the repeated sheathing of a knife in a slow, agonizing death.

The 1,200 rejected students looked dejected as they packed their examination boxes and left the examination hall in a gloomy mood.

"This time, the scholar has failed the imperial examination. He must return to three more years of arduous study! Three years... another three years!"

The young scholar Wan Luodi stared blankly at his draft paper filled with annotations, then suddenly slammed it against the corner of the wall.

I regret it so much!

Back then, the academy's leader personally led the students to Taihu Lake to slay the demon and relieve the disaster. Why should I hesitate, hiding at home, hoping to cram a few more exam questions than my classmates?
They've been blinded by lard!

Greed for this small gain ruined three years of his career!

Li Yunshan staggered out of the examination room curtain, his mind buzzing. Urged on by the yamen runners, he walked out of the vermilion gate of Jiangzhou Prefecture in a daze.

The vermilion gate slammed shut, and the examination hall suddenly became empty.

Inside the Jiangzhou Prefectural Academy, only eight hundred students remained, sitting motionless like statues.

In an instant, half of them were gone, and the examination rooms became much emptier.

The candidates who were lucky enough to remain gripped their pens tightly, even more nervous, awaiting the upcoming second round of the Jiangzhou Prefecture Examination.

They knew that the first round was just a preliminary selection, and the second round of questions would only be more difficult!

This time, more than half of them will leave dejectedly in front of the vermilion gates of the mansion.

Inside the main hall of the Jiangzhou government compound, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the bronze xiezhi incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke.

Zhou Shanzhang stood with his hands behind his back under the plaque that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High," his green robe and jade belt fluttering slightly in the breeze.

The academy master, who was in charge of education in the prefecture, gazed at the newly sprouted willow branches outside the hall, lost in thought for a long time. He had already given considerable thought to how to select talented people in literature and art.

"The second examination in Jiangzhou Prefecture focuses on agriculture and education!"

His voice echoed through the four walls of the lobby, “The Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Xiaowan: The cicada has offspring, but the wasp carries them on its back!”
Please answer the following question:

The clerk standing by hurriedly brought over the test questions board, where five short test questions were laid out in a row:

"I. The Classic of Recitation: Complete this sentence, considering the context. Test your recitation skills!"
II. Meaning of the Ink: Briefly explain the meaning of this sentence, or provide commentary by a great scholar on this sentence. Test your understanding!
III. Examination Poem: Compose a poem based on the imagery or allusion of this line! This tests your talent and wit!
IV. Meaning of the Classics: Profound meaning in concise words.

Fifth, policy questions: The principles of governing the country through agriculture and sericulture, and the way of education.

"This"

The pen of the Assistant Prefect Cui Chengye suddenly stopped in mid-air, and he exchanged a surprised look with the Chief Clerk.

The four deputy examiners below the hall straightened up in unison, their official robes rustling softly.

This question, taken from the Book of Poetry, is one of the Five Classics of Confucianism and is the most orthodox question on the meaning of the classics.

It should be noted that the examination for the young scholars typically only tests the first three items.

The last two questions are for scholars who have passed the imperial examinations.

The "interpretation" of the scriptures aims to elucidate the true meaning of the sages and saints.
"Policy consultation" requires a thorough understanding of practical application and the principles of current affairs.

Such a question, placed before a novice just beginning their education, is tantamount to asking a toddler to pluck the ripe fruit from a towering ancient tree on the path of literature.

"Your Excellency is wise!"
Although the Book of Poetry is one of the Five Classics, its meaning and the questions posed are probably too difficult for most of the young students!

"I can't help but worry," said Cui Chengye, the driver.

"That's right! The Book of Poetry is something only scholars who have passed the imperial examinations will formally study!"

Even if a student can recite, he won't delve too deeply! The student's examination stops at three questions! Perhaps it would be better to remove the later sections on scripture interpretation and policy questions?

Even the registrar Liu Mingchuan couldn't help but say something.

Zhou Yuanjun raised his hand to interrupt,

"No problem!
I want to see just how far the students from the five counties of Jiangzhou can go!
The prefectural examination is for selecting talents for the country, and it is precisely this examination that should be used to test their abilities!
If none of them can answer, that's fine! We will just select the best candidates and keep 300 out of 800.

Let's see if anyone can solve all five problems!

Zhou Yuanjun smiled.

The deputy examiners exchanged silent glances, all knowing that the professor's actions must have a deeper meaning.

Let's test Jiang Xingzhou's true abilities?

Test the true abilities of the top candidates and the best candidates from the five counties of the prefecture.

Let's test whether there are any talented individuals among these hundreds of students who have not yet been discovered.
Perhaps Zhou Yuanjun wants to know just how far Jiang Xingzhou can go?

The clerks quickly copied the exam questions onto dozens of wooden boards, and the yamen runners, carrying the exam question boards, moved between the rows of examination rooms.

When the eight hundred students saw the second question of the prefectural examination, a chorus of astonishment erupted in the examination hall.

"Agriculture and sericulture, education?"

"Just as expected! This year's exam will definitely test agriculture and sericulture!!"

A hint of wild joy flashed in Gu Zhimian's eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This question was indeed expected by all the children, after all, the Zhou Dynasty court and Lord Zhou have attached great importance to agriculture in recent years.

He had long since mastered all sorts of agricultural and sericultural problems through practice.

However, Gu Zhimian's smile quickly faded, and his face stiffened.

Agriculture and sericulture is a very broad topic. These two words seem simple, but in fact they encompass everything.

If agriculture and sericulture are broken down, there can be hundreds or even thousands of branches—grain cultivation, irrigation, the twenty-four solar terms, spring, summer, autumn and winter, weather observation, pest control, and various literary arts.

The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, Xiao Wan: [The caterpillar has offspring, which the wasp carries on its back!]

This sentence relates to the Confucian tradition of moral education, and also involves two kinds of monstrous insects in the mulberry and rice fields of farmers—the rice weevil and the wasp!
However, after everyone calmed down and carefully looked at the exam questions...

Only then did they discover that the exam questions were divided into five parts: Classical Texts, Ink Interpretation, Test Poems, Classical Texts, and Policy Questions.

The students in the examination hall were immediately filled with cries of despair.

"The first question was clearly a free point!"

"But little did I know, this second question was a death trap!"

Lu Ming was both amused and exasperated.

"Moth-like insects, wasps...aren't these the monsters from the 'Classic of Insects'?!"

"I originally thought that Magistrate Zhou was kind and benevolent, and would give us some easy questions to help us pass the imperial examinations."

Inside a certain examination room designated as Class A, Han Yugui shook his head and sighed, his expression complex: "Who would have thought that the Dean would first offer a sweet treat, and then deliver a blow to the head!"

"Wonderful!"

Inside the examination hall, a young man with his hair tied up in a blue jade style crushed half a piece of mint ice and put it in his mouth, letting the cool fragrance seep into his stomach. Suddenly, he whispered with secret delight, "I understand! Dean Zhou, this is a metaphor for the people's livelihood, and a metaphor for the corrupt officials—it's not difficult at all!"

"Alright, answering quickly is the most important thing!"

Gu Zhimian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Each question in the prefectural examination was limited to two hours; any further delay would likely result in not even finishing half of the answer. This round resulted in immediate disqualification!

The examination room was immediately filled with the sounds of turning paper and grinding ink.

The students gritted their teeth, dipped their pens in ink, and forced themselves to write furiously on their answer sheets.

Some people frowned, pondering the meaning of the second sub-question.

Some people were sweating profusely, and hesitated to put pen to paper for the third test poem.

The examination hall was silent; no one dared to utter a single complaint—time, like sand, was slipping swiftly through their fingers.

Examination Room No. 1, Class A.

"What is this level of difficulty for?"

Jiang Xingzhou tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly as if he were thinking.

Logically speaking, Zhou Yuanjun should not have set such difficult questions for the prefectural examination.

Unless, the professor did it on purpose!

Then, he unfolded the exam paper, his gaze sharp as a blade, scanning from the first question to the last.

The inkstone on the desk is newly ground, its black ink gleaming.

A glint flashed in Jiang Xingzhou's eyes, and a knowing smile curved his lips. He dipped his brush in ink, the tip hovering about an inch above the paper, and began to write swiftly.

I. The Classic of Calligraphy

topic:

The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, "Xiao Wan" says, "The caterpillar has offspring, the wasp carries them." Please complete the context of this sentence.

【answer:
[In the Central Plains, there are beans, which the common people gather. The caterpillar has offspring, which the wasp carries on its back. Instruct your children, lest they resemble these grains.]

This question is simple; you only need to memorize the context.

I reckon most of the students could answer that.

II. The Meaning of Ink.

Question: Explain the meaning of "The caterpillar has offspring, and the wasp carries them," and provide annotations.

Answer: The mole cricket is a mulberry insect! The wasp is a slender-waisted wasp! When the mole cricket lays its eggs, the wasp steals them, carries them back to its nest, and raises them.

A: Commentary by early scholars.

The great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan wrote in his "Annotations on the Book of Songs": "The wasp is also called the pulu. It takes a mulberry insect, carries it into the hollow of a tree, and after seven days it transforms into its offspring."

The great Confucian scholar Zhu Xi wrote in his "Collected Commentaries on the Book of Poetry": "Even a wasp, though a small creature, can raise another's offspring as its own; how much more so a human being?"

As Jiang Xingzhou wrote this, his gaze turned cold, his pen suddenly stopped, and the ink drop remained suspended on the brush.

The solution to this question goes beyond mere textual interpretation and word meaning; it also involves the debate over the interpretation of the classics and the traditional lineage of the Way!
The great Han scholar Zheng Xuan, in his commentary on the Book of Songs, asserted: "The wasp catches a mulberry leaf, and after seven days it transforms into its offspring." — This is a concept of rebirth and transformation, defying fate!

The great Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi, in his "Collected Commentaries on the Book of Poetry," said: "Even small things can nourish other people's children, let alone people?"—This is a theory of the inheritance of education and the subtle influence of nature!
A single word makes all the difference!

The Zheng school of thought refers to "transforming oneself," much like the Taoist practice of turning stone into gold, forcefully reversing the bloodline of the caterpillar into that of the wasp.

The disciples of Zhu Xi said, "Teach it," which is like a Confucian teacher gently influencing others with virtue and educating all things, thus making them his own disciples.

The Confucian scholars of the Han and Song dynasties wrote commentaries on this sentence, engaging in a thousand-year debate. The resulting commentaries could fill the Taiye Pond.

Some old scholars slammed their fists on the table and denounced Zheng Xuan for "spreading heresies and using ruthless methods," while others sneered that "Zhu Xi was pedantic and irresponsible, and was indiscriminately teaching foreign peoples."

During the Great Zhou Dynasty, these eight characters from the Book of Songs sparked a long-standing debate on the Great Way and a war of Confucian classics!
This debate on classical studies has never been merely a word game or theoretical discussion!
Instead, they will take action!
For example, when Han Yugui took Qinghu, the young locust tree spirit, as his maid and raised her in his boudoir, he was using the method of the great Confucian scholar Zhu Xi—stealing the young child of a demon and raising it.

This is the principle of "educating beasts"!
Many Confucian scholars followed this path, either taming insects to become inkstone attendants or enlightening spirits to become beautiful women adding fragrance to their sleeves.

Furthermore, the ruthless methods of Zheng Xuan's lineage are not uncommon: extracting demon cores to refine the Wenxin Jade Marrow to nurture one's own offspring. Or seizing demon mothers to give birth to their own children.

Among the high-ranking officials in the imperial court, which one doesn't have several copies of "Mao Shi Zheng Jian" in their study?
Nowadays, almost everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty, whether a student or a scholar, unconsciously uses the annotations of these two great Confucian scholars.

"I wonder which school of thought, Zheng Xuan or Zhu Xi, Mr. Zhou Shanzhang, prefers?"

Jiang Xingzhou pondered for a long time.

That's it!

He couldn't figure out what Zhou Yuanjun was thinking.

He simply used the commentaries of the great Han Dynasty scholars Zheng Xuan and Zheng Kangcheng as the framework, and with a flourish of his brush, he wrote a test poem!
"boom--!"

Summer weather is the most unpredictable.

Jiang Xingzhou looked up and saw...
Just moments ago the sky was clear and blue, but in an instant, dark clouds surged over Jiangzhou Prefecture, as black as ink, pressing down heavily on the earth.

A bolt of lightning cleaved through the darkness, followed by a rumble of thunder.

(End of this chapter)