Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

Jia Yun woke up with a headache and a dry mouth.

He found himself lying in an unfamiliar, elegant hotel room, with dusk approaching outside the window.

Memories resurface like fragments: the heated exchanges at the poetry gathering, the unrestrained venting of anger under the influence of alcohol, the astonishment of the audience after three poems were completed, and finally, that uncontrollable fall...

"Hiss—" Jia Yun rubbed her throbbing temples and struggled to sit up.

There was a pot of cold tea on the table. He didn't care about anything else and drank several large cups in a row, which finally relieved the burning sensation in his stomach.

"Awake?" A gentle voice came from the doorway.

Jia Yun looked up and saw a middle-aged scholar, about thirty years old, dressed in a blue robe, walk in.

He has a handsome face and a refined and composed demeanor.

"You are..." Jia Yun quickly stood up.

Although he did not know the other party's identity, he could tell from his demeanor that he was no ordinary person.

"My surname is Fang, and my given name is Yizhi," the middle-aged scholar introduced himself.

Fang Yizhi?! Jia Yun's heart skipped a beat! So this was the one who had defied all opposition and placed her exam paper seventh!

"So it's Editor Fang! Student Jia Yun greets Lord Fang!" Jia Yun quickly straightened his clothes and was about to perform a grand salute.

If it weren't for this person, he probably wouldn't even have made it to the bottom of the list, let alone seventh place!

Fang Yizhi reached out a hand to help him up, and said calmly, "This is not a courtroom, no need for formalities. I was having a chat with a friend when I heard that the literary gathering downstairs was lively, and then I saw someone helping you up here, so I came to check on you."

His gaze lingered on Jia Yun's face for a moment before he continued, "I've read your three poems."

Jia Yun's heart tightened, and she looked at him with some trepidation.

It's one thing to copy poems to show off, but it's quite another to be exposed by a real scholar.

Fang Yizhi did not inquire about the poem's origin, but his tone became more serious: "The poem is excellent. However, Jia Yun, do you know that for that county examination paper, if it weren't for me, Fang Yizhi, not only would you have been seventh, but you would have had a hard time even making the list?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yun bowed deeply, his tone earnest: "This student... has some understanding, but does not know the details. Please enlighten me, Lord Fang!"

Fang Yizhi walked to the window, looked at the twilight outside, and slowly said, "Your article has a solid foundation and a rigorous format. The problem lies in that policy essay, where the viewpoint is too novel, even... in the eyes of most people, somewhat unconventional and out of touch with the times."

The magistrate initially did not want to select you, but I overruled the objections, saying, "The selection of officials should be based on their literary talent, not on their words." I also said that you are still young, and it is rare for you to have such insight. Even if you are somewhat extreme, you can be guided. That's why I reluctantly placed you seventh.

Fang Yizhi turned to Jia Yun again: "Do you know that most of the examiners present at the time believed that your essay was 'incompatible with the way of the sages' and 'reckless and radical,' and should be rejected?"

Jia Yun broke out in a cold sweat.

He had only vaguely felt that his views might not be accepted by the mainstream, but he never expected it to be so serious, almost ruining his future!

Jia Yun bowed again, his heartfelt gratitude and lingering fear evident: "I will never forget Lord Fang's kindness in helping me! If it weren't for you, I would have... I'm afraid I would have..."

Fang Yizhi helped him up, his tone softening: "I don't want your gratitude. I'm just telling you that the path to the imperial examinations isn't paved with mere cleverness or being unconventional. The classics are the foundation, and the way of the sages is the essence. Your 'insights' may have some merit, but revealing them prematurely before you have sufficient fame and status is like a child carrying gold through the market—it won't lead to anything, but rather to disaster."

He earnestly said, "What you need to do from now on is to calm down and work harder, and thoroughly study the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections! Make your academic foundation so solid that no one can ignore it. Only then will people listen to your voice seriously."

"I will heed your teachings, sir! From this day forward, I will devote myself to my studies, never again participating in these pointless gatherings, and focus solely on preparing for the prefectural examination!"

"You're wrong," Fang Yizhi shook his head.

Jia Yun looked up in surprise.

Fang Yizhi's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "A gathering? Why not attend? Not only should you attend, but you should attend with great confidence! Like today, making a splash would be excellent."

"Huh?" Jia Yun was completely dumbfounded.

Just now I was telling him to focus on his studies, and now I'm encouraging him to attend a party?

Fang Yizhi explained, "Do you know why your paper was almost rejected? Besides the issue of viewpoints, it's also because you're unknown! Although the papers are anonymous, the ranking after selection is still made public. If it turns out you're the son of a collateral branch of the Rongguo Mansion, who would care about the depth of your essay? Most people would just glance at it, find it unsatisfactory, and then lower your ranking or even reject you."

"But after today, things will be different! The name 'Jia Yun,' along with your three 'banished immortal' poems, will soon spread throughout the scholarly circles of the capital! You will become the talk of the town, and many people will call you a 'talented scholar'!"

With this "reputation," even though your exam papers are anonymous during the prefectural, provincial, and even municipal examinations, once you've passed and been ranked, your answers will be given more attention by the examiners. They will read them with curiosity, scrutiny, and even anticipation! This gives your perhaps still "unconventional" but insightful views a greater chance of being understood and accepted! This is the power of "reputation"!

Jia Yun was struck dumb, and instantly understood Fang Yizhi's deeper meaning!

The imperial examinations tested not only knowledge, but also reputation, connections, and influence among scholars!

I used to only rely on hard skills, but I overlooked the importance of the soft environment!

"Once you're more well-known, people will start looking at your papers..." Jia Yun murmured, repeating the sentence over and over, feeling a sudden sense of clarity.

He lifted his robe again and respectfully performed a third deep bow for Fang Yizhi, this time a disciple's salute to his master: "This student is dull-witted, only today do I understand your profound meaning, sir! Thank you for your guidance!"

Fang Yizhi accepted the bow without hesitation, but smiled and said, "You and I are destined to meet. When I was young, I also studied under Master Li Shouzhong. Master Li was rigorous in his scholarship and upright in his character, and he taught me a great deal. Now that you have gained his favor, you should not let him down. Study hard and cultivate your reputation. I hope you will achieve excellent results in the prefectural examination. At that time, we may be able to call each other 'fellow students'."

Jia Yun only learned about his nominal senior brother from Jia Rui's affair, but since the other party had not spoken, he felt awkward about acknowledging him.

Now that the other party had brought up the subject, I had no choice but to go along with it: "This student will certainly work hard and never let down Master Fang... no, Senior Brother Fang's expectations!"

Fang Yizhi patted him on the shoulder: "The road ahead is long, I hope you take good care of yourself."

After saying that, he turned and drifted away.

Jia Yun stood alone in the room, savoring every word Fang Yizhi had said, a firmness he had never felt before filling his heart.

Study hard, but study even harder!

Be more enthusiastic about gatherings!

A greater reputation is needed!

He wanted the name "Jia Yun" to resound not only throughout the Jia family mansion, but also throughout the entire scholarly community of the capital!

Only in this way can he truly have a voice and have the opportunity to put into practice those ideas that may be "ahead of their time" but are related to the future.

Time flies, and the day for the Shuntian County government examination registration arrived in the blink of an eye.

As promised, Jia Yun went to the government office with Zhou Xiangyu and Wang Wei, two students he had met at the poetry gathering.

The group arrived at the solemn and dignified Shuntian Prefecture government office, where they saw a large crowd of students in blue robes.

Just as Jia Yun and the others were queuing to complete the registration procedures, they suddenly noticed a slight commotion in the crowd ahead, which automatically parted to make way for them.

A young scholar dressed in a blue robe and wearing a square scarf walked slowly towards them.

He had a handsome face and a calm demeanor, exuding an aura of unapproachability, which was completely different from the immature students beside him.

"It's Brother Liu Ruozai!"

"Senior Brother Liu from the front courtyard!"

Someone in the crowd gasped in a low voice, their tone filled with awe and envy.

Jia Yun's heart stirred.

He had heard of Liu Ruozai before; he was the top scorer in the previous provincial examination, directly obtaining the title of Xiucai and was hailed as the best among the young scholars in the capital.

This was a true scholar, a world apart from those of them who were still struggling in the early stages of their education.

Liu Ruozai's gaze swept calmly over the crowd, pausing slightly on Jia Yun's face as if he recognized him, and then he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Jia Yun quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

A familiar student seized the opportunity to approach him and ask, "Senior Brother Liu, what brings you here today?"

Liu Ruozai smiled calmly and said in a clear voice, "I came to register with a cousin and took this opportunity to check things out."

His gaze fell on Jia Yun again: "This must be Brother Jia Yun, whose poetry has recently gained fame? I have also heard of the three poems he wrote at Qinghua Pavilion that day; they are indeed excellent works."

Jia Yun dared not presume, and could only respectfully say, "Senior Brother Liu is too kind. I am just making things up by chance, and I dare not accept the title of 'masterpiece'. I have long admired your name, and now that I have met you, I understand what it means to be 'a person with a wealth of knowledge and refined manners'."