I am not a literary giant

Chapter 137 Three Beginnings and All Things

"Come over here for inspection first."

Wang Zixu glanced at the people queuing up. Most of them were recent graduates with innocent-looking faces, and they showed no desire to resist the girl's bossy attitude.

"Come here, what's wrong? Are you scared?"

Prince Xu said, "I'll join the queue."

Lu Qingxuan said, "This is the random selection panel. You don't need to worry about the others, just come over here."

Wang Zixu didn't understand what a random audit was, but he still went over. The girl twirled a strand of her hair with her finger, took the file bag he handed her, and deftly unsealed the envelope with her fingers.

"Not a recent graduate, applying to the Chinese Literature Department, born in 1993."

Lu Qingxuan raised her eyebrows and glanced at Wang Zixu: "You're 30 years old?"

This was the second time today that someone had brought up his age, but Wang Zixu remained relatively calm: "What's wrong?"

Lu Qingxuan said briefly, "It's nothing," and then continued to look down at the documents.

"You don't want to be reassigned? Given your situation, I suggest you do accept the reassignment." Lu Qingxuan said.

Wang Zixu said, "Thank you, but there's no need for that."

If he were to be transferred to another major, Zhao Peilin would strangle him without Professor Zhong even needing to intervene.

Lu Qingxuan raised her dark eyes: "You're applying to a different major than yours, right? I have to remind you, the entrance exam for the Chinese Literature Department at our university is independently designed and places great emphasis on literary accumulation. It's absolutely not a rote learning exam. In the world of postgraduate entrance exams, it's always been considered a disaster for students applying from other majors. In the last 5 years, the admission rate for non-major applicants has been only 5%."

"You're already 30 years old. Considering your age, time is running out, isn't it? If you just want to get a degree, Jiangnan University is actually the best choice. In recent years, Jiangnan University's admission score has been one level lower than our school's. If you apply for a transfer, even if you don't get into our school, you still have a chance to go there. I suggest you apply for a transfer."

Lu Qingxuan's eyes shone as she stared intently at him, her brows slightly furrowed, like a beautiful policewoman watching a criminal.

What she said was indeed correct to most people; not only correct, but also well-reasoned, eloquent, and even her voice was gentle.

The problem is that he is not suitable for Prince Xu.

"Sorry, I don't accept transfers."

After Wang Zixu said that, the girl looked very unhappy, as if all her previous words had been wasted. She silently organized the remaining documents, her hands moving with even more force than before.

"File these out."

The boy who was supposed to be a helper walked over, took the documents from Lu Qingxuan's hand, and whispered to Wang Zixu, "This is Lu Qingxuan, the top student in our Chinese department, the top scorer in the college entrance examination. You should listen to what she has to say. She went to so much trouble to say all this, and you don't even appreciate it."

Wang Zixu looked up and thought for a moment, then looked down at Lu Qingxuan: "How much preparation do I need to have to be considered a sure thing for the Nanjing University postgraduate entrance exam?"

Lu Qingxuan chuckled lightly: "There's no such thing as a guaranteed pass in Nanjing University's postgraduate entrance exam. As for what kind of content to accumulate, I can only say that it encompasses everything from ancient and modern times to Chinese and foreign sources."

Wang Zixu said, "If it's just about ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, then I should be able to pass with flying colors."

Lu Qingxuan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "I'm sorry, this is probably a field that you science students can't quite understand. The ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign things I'm talking about are not the things that everyone is familiar with."

"Not only should you read the Analects, but also the Four Books with Commentary; not only should you read the Songs of Chu, but also the Supplementary Commentary on the Songs of Chu; not only should you read the Book of Poetry, but also the Commentary on the Plants, Birds, Beasts and Fish in the Book of Poetry."

"The Wenxin Diaolong, the Complete Works of Li Bai, the Detailed Annotations of Du Fu's Poems, and the Annotations of Yu Xisheng's Poems are only entry-level works. You need to read and understand the names of Yu Zishan, Jiang Baishi, and Wu Mengchuang, which are not even familiar to ordinary literary youths. And the above only covers the 'ancient' realm of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign literature."

Lu Qingxuan finished speaking in one breath, staring straight at Wang Zixu with a slight smile on her lips, wanting to see if he was frightened, but to her disappointment, she couldn't find any expression on his face.

Wang Zixu said, "Oh, that's alright. What other things, both Chinese and foreign, are there today?"

A strange expression appeared on Lu Qingxuan's face. The male assistant next to her was greatly astonished. The other graduate student candidates for the review all pricked up their ears and gathered around.

Many of them were also students from other majors. Whether they were from different majors or not, it's always good to hear more information. The line gradually grew longer and longer, and then the flow of people began to stagnate.

Lu Qingxuan's voice was crisp and clear: "As for foreign works, not to mention the complete works of Shakespeare, you must have read the works of the three great tragedians of ancient Greece and the three great philosophers of ancient Greece, right? Besides them, there are Aristophanes, Virgil, and Dante. Don Quixote goes without saying. Goethe, Byron, Shelley, Pushkin, Baudelaire, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Sholokhov, and Pasternak, you must have read them all, right?"

"Have you read Camus, Sartre, and Nietzsche, the authors that artsy types love to use to show off? And what about Faulkner, Joyce, and Calvino, whom you might not be familiar with? Go back and look them up. I don't expect you to have read all the Nobel Prize-winning works, but surely you should be able to get a general understanding of the important ones?"

Before Wang Zixu could react, the other people in line started sweating.

Some people pulled out their notebooks and scribbled down notes, while others cleverly took out their phones to record the conversation. However, most could only keep up with 30% of the time, and gave up at 50%.

Lu Qingxuan spoke extremely fast, and the faster she spoke, the stronger the effect of dissuading people. Many people who were originally full of confidence and had not been afraid even after hearing many people complain about difficulties in various chat groups were now afraid.

Even worse, some people walked away without even submitting their application materials. Hilarious! They should take advantage of the remaining opportunity and change their major.

Lu Qingxuan raised her face to look at Wang Zixu, but Wang Zixu remained unmoved.

"Have you read all of these yourself?" Prince Xu asked curiously.

"Of course. I had already read most of them in high school, and in college I just did some additional reading," Lu Qingxuan said. "I have a good relationship with many university professors, and I've already decided to pursue a master's degree at my own university."

The guy next to her seized the opportunity to say, "Qingxuan is amazing; she's about to be accepted into a graduate program."

Lu Qingxuan rolled her eyes: "Don't open the champagne too early."

The boy, acting like a tool, pitifully shut his mouth.

Lu Qingxuan turned her head and said, "If you have only read 50% of it, or if you have never even heard of some of the names, I would not recommend that you apply to this major at this school. You will definitely not be able to pass the exam."

"It's alright, I've checked 120%." Prince Xu smiled faintly.

Lu Qingxuan fell silent. The boy next to her muttered again, "Anyone can brag."

"I'm not bragging. What she said just now was only the beginner level," Wang Zixu said with a smile. "Back then, there was a girl who kept talking about these things in my ear. I had already read most of them by the time I was in high school."

Lu Qingxuan stared at him for a long time (this girl really liked to stare at people), and then suddenly smiled.

"You know what? You can brag about yourself however you want, but you shouldn't compare yourself to me. It makes me competitive."

Wang Zixu was wondering where he could compare to her when he heard her say:

"Alright, let's test you then. You said you've read it all, so you should at least know some basic literary knowledge, right?"

Prince Xu nodded: "Probably."

"Let's play a three-word chain game," Lu Qingxuan said.

"How do I connect it?"

"Let's talk about classical Chinese words that contain the character 'three.' Not only do they have to contain 'three,' but you also have to specify which three they are. Whoever can't think of any within 10 seconds loses," said Lu Qingxuan.

"Okay," said Prince Xu.

More and more people gathered to watch. The people in charge of checking the records in the other queues stopped what they were doing.

Lu Qingxuan said, "Then I'll let you have a turn. I'll go first, the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"The three luminaries: the sun, the moon, and the stars?"

"Yes, that's it." Lu Qingxuan smiled faintly, "The Three Cardinal Guides: Ruler and Subject."

"The three things are described in the poem, which uses metaphor and allegory," said Prince Xu.

Lu Qingxuan said, "The three religions: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism."

Prince Xu said, "The Three Kingdoms: Wei, Shu, and Wu."

"The Three Officials: The Official of Xin'an, The Official of Shihao, and The Official of Tongguan."

"Three Farewells: Farewell to the Newlyweds, Farewell to the Homeless, and Farewell to the Elderly."

After Wang Zixu finished speaking, he sighed and muttered, "How long will this take?"

Lu Qingxuan glanced at him sideways: "So you're saying you have a lot of stock?"

"So numerous as to be boundless and vast."

"Hmph, enough nonsense. The Three Sovereigns: Yao, Shun, and Yu."

"The Three Dynasties: Xia, Shang, and Zhou".

"The Three Dukes: Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Protector."

"The Three Ministers are the Minister of Education, the Minister of War, and the Minister of Works."

"The Three Departments: the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs."

"The Three Prefectures are: the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Left Prefect of Fengyi, and the Right Prefect of Fufeng."

"The Three Mountains: Huangshan, Lushan, and Yandang."

"The Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, Xiling Gorge, and Wu Gorge."

"The three islands are Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang."

"The Three Wu regions are Wu County, Wuxing County, and Kuaiji County."

Lu Qingxuan still looked at Wang Zixu with displeasure, but this time her eyes were somewhat serious.

The male assistant, barely daring to breathe, knew at least half of what they were saying, but even if he did know the other half, he couldn't possibly answer as instantly as they did.

Lu Qingxuan continued, "The Three Rivers: the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, and the Lancang River."

Wang Zixu said, "The Three Excellences are: the Provincial Examination Top Scholar, the Provincial Examination Top Scholar, and the Imperial Examination Top Scholar."

"The three commentaries are Zuo Zhuan, Guliang Zhuan, and Gongyang Zhuan."

"The Three Rites are the Rites of Zhou, the Etiquette Rites, and the Book of Rites."

"The Three Caos: Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Zhi."

"The Three Sus: Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe."

"The Three Yuans: Yuan Zongdao, Yuan Hongdao, and Yuan Zhongdao."

"Three thanks: to Xie Lingyun, Xie Huilian, and Xie Tiao."

Lu Qingxuan's expression grew increasingly serious, and her breathing became uneven.

She didn't know how much of Prince Xu's stock was left; judging from his relaxed demeanor, he probably had plenty. But her stock was truly running low.

"The Three Pure Ones: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing."

Wang Zixu said, "Taoism and Buddhism have many different concepts of 'three.' Are you sure you want to talk about this one?"

Lu Qingxuan was somewhat confused. She didn't recall Taoism and Buddhism having many "threes"—the Three Powers, the Three Lights, the Three Pure Ones. That was probably all she knew.

But since she had already said it, it was impossible for her to show weakness. Besides, how did she know that the other person wasn't just pretending?

Lu Qingxuan said coldly, "If you know, you know; if you don't, just say so. Ten seconds are almost up."

Prince Xu said: "The three energies are Xuan, Yuan, and Shi. The three births are the ears, eyes, and heart. The three pure heavens are Qingwei Heaven, Yuyu Heaven, and Dachi Heaven."

Lu Qingxuan said anxiously, "You broke the rules! You said so much in one breath, did you think I couldn't keep up?"

Wang Zixu smiled and said, "No, I was just afraid I would forget, so I said it all at once."

Lu Qingxuan blushed and said, "That can't count as three, it can only count as one. What if you beat someone else to the answer they already know? It can only count as one."

Wang Zixu's smile widened. He knew that when a girl started to cheat, it meant she felt she was going to lose.

So he generously said, "Okay, okay, just count one."

Lu Qingxuan had a flash of inspiration and continued, "The three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance."

Prince Xu said, "The three studies are precepts, concentration, and wisdom."

He indeed answered the question she knew first. Lu Qingxuan was slightly sweating, biting her lip, and was about to speak when a burst of applause suddenly erupted outside.

"good!"

Someone shouted, and the two realized that the crowd had grown so large that it had completely blocked the door.

Lu Qingxuan's face hardened, and she turned to the onlookers inside, saying, "What are you doing? The people coming in to register are blocking the door. How are they supposed to get in? And you lot, hurry up and check their documents! Once you've checked the documents, urge them to leave! What are you standing here for?"

Wang Zixu said, "We were a bit too flamboyant, so it's no wonder people are watching the spectacle. Is the test over? I think my skills are pretty good, right? How about we call it a day?"

Lu Qingxuan pouted: "This is a competition, not a test. What, you've run out of money and want to run away?"

Prince Xu said, "There are still many more."

"Heh," Lu Qingxuan sneered. Now she truly didn't believe it. "It's not too late to retreat after the battle is over. It seems it won't take long."

"Fine, whatever you want, I'll play along. But it was your turn just now."

Lu Qingxuan blushed and quickly said, "The Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha."

Prince Xu said, "The Tripitaka consists of the Sutras, Vinaya, and Abhidharma."

Lu Qingxuan said, "The three bodies are the Dharma body, the Sambhogakaya body, and the Nirmanakaya body."

Prince Xu said, "The Three Realms are the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm."

"..."

Lu Qingxuan's eyes darted around, beads of sweat were already visible on her forehead, her hair clung to her cheeks, and her breathing was completely disordered. It was clear that she had reached her limit.

Wang Zixu lowered his head: "10 seconds are almost up."

"Three...three...three corpses..."

Lu Qingxuan paused here, unable to continue.

She spoke when she thought of the "Three Corpses," but she didn't know which three corpses she was referring to.

Prince Xu smiled slightly: "The Three Corpses are crouching, stumbling, and leaping. You got this one right."

"..." Lu Qingxuan said shamelessly, "It's your turn."

Wang Zixu lowered his head and thought for a few seconds. Seeing this, Lu Qingxuan immediately said, "What, have you finally run out of supplies too?"

Wang Zixu looked up: "You spoke first. If I want to win, I'll have to say one more thing than you, right?"

Lu Qingxuan said, "Of course, but I'm afraid you won't be able to name a single one. Also, you're stalling for time; the 10 seconds are up. Since I also exceeded the 10-second limit once earlier, I'll be lenient and give you another 10 seconds."

Wang Zixu didn't waste any words: "The Three Caverns are the Cavern of Truth, the Cavern of Mystery, and the Cavern of Spirit. The Three Consciousnesses are the True Consciousness, the Present Consciousness, and the Consciousness of Discriminating Things. The Three Retributions are Retribution in This Life, Retribution in the Next Life, and Retribution in the Future Life. The Three Dharma Seals are Impermanence of All Things, Non-Self of All Things, and Nirvana as Peace. The Three Great Joys are the Wedding Night, Passing the Imperial Examination, and Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land. The Three Great Sorrows are Losing One's Father in Youth, Losing One's Husband in Middle Age, and Losing One's Son in Old Age."

After saying that, Wang Zixu looked at the dumbfounded Lu Qingxuan and said, "I still have a thousand things to say. Do we still want to continue the competition?"

Lu Qingxuan's lips twitched, and after hesitating for a long time, she couldn't bring herself to say "You won."

The guy next to her, who was just there as a scapegoat, looked at her and then at Wang Zixu. This was a perfect moment for a hero to save the damsel in distress. He desperately wanted to step forward and take on the challenge to save Lu Qingxuan's face, but he was too weak to even come up with a new "three" (a homophone for "three" in Chinese).

Just then, a round of applause came from outside the door.

"As expected of Prince Xu, the top scholar of the Xihe Literary Society. But Lu Qingxuan, I finally managed to get him here, why are you making things difficult for him?"

(End of this chapter)