Li Yi spent the whole afternoon in Hong Wen Library. He didn't care if it was the Four Books and Five Classics or the Thirteen Classics. As long as it was a book related to the meaning of the scriptures, he moved it all into his library.
The Confucian school in this world was similar to the one he was familiar with, but there were some differences. However, the books in the library could definitely be used, so Li Yi decided to familiarize himself with all of them.
Comparing the classics with the Great Wen School was definitely looking for death. But who didn't know how to cheat in this day and age?
If he couldn't beat him in this way, he might as well find a piece of tofu and kill himself.
When he returned home, it was already evening. After absorbing so many books in one go, his head was a little dizzy. After talking with Ruyi for a while, he felt abnormally sleepy. He only ate a little bit of dinner and went back to his room to sleep.
"What's wrong with the son-in-law?"
Xiao Huan went into the room to take a look, then came out and murmured in confusion.
Not long after, Miss.Liu also came in with a tired face. The servant girl went up to her and asked, "Second Miss, have you eaten?"
Miss.Liu waved her hand as if she didn't want to talk and went straight back to her room.
The servant girl's expression was a little strange. She didn't know what the son-in-law and Second Miss went out to do today. Why did they look so tired …
When he walked out of the small courtyard, he saw a few maids gathered together and whispered something. They seemed to be very excited.
"I went shopping in the city today. Guess what news I heard?"
"What? Don't keep us in suspense, tell us quickly …"
"It's about our Lord Jue. The whole capital is talking about it …"
Looking at the servant girl's exaggerated gestures, Xiao Huan curiously moved closer …
…
…
It was a very happy thing to wake up after a good night's sleep, especially after being extremely sleepy. After sleeping for ten to twelve hours, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the first ray of sunlight shining in from outside the window. His gentle, virtuous and generous wife stood by the bed and handed him a warm towel …
Of course, this was just Li Yi's imagination. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was an old face covered with wrinkles. The old man stood by the bed like a criminal and stared at him with a pair of cold eyes. He didn't feel happy, but the effect was pretty good.
"Chief Steward Chang …"
Li Yi almost jumped out of bed. After he came back to his senses, his face was full of anger as he squeezed out these words from between his teeth.
Chang De looked at him and said lightly, "County Li has woken up. This saves me the trouble of calling you …"
After washing up, Li Yi threw the towel into the basin. He pulled Ruyi's hand seriously and said, "In the future, don't let that old guy in this room again. If he barges in, break his legs. I'll take responsibility if anything happens!"
"Got it. Just don't let him in next time." Ruyi picked up the towel with a smile. After wringing it dry, she wiped his face and said, "That old man's leg is not so easy to break …"
"Let's go!"
Li Yi turned his head around and said this to Chang De coldly, and then headed for the outside of the room.
This time he had to suggest to the old Emperor that he should replace him with someone else. As the Chief Steward of the Royal Servants, Old Man Chang had nothing to do all day. Was he worthy of the monthly salary?
… …
… …
"Grand Scholar Zhou, it's up to you today."
"Today is the last round of the written examination. We are waiting to congratulate Grand Scholar Zhou!"
"So what if he is the Grandmaster of the Literature Sect? Grand Scholar Zhou has been studying the meaning of the scriptures all his life; so he won't necessarily lose to him!"
Outside the Political Hall, a few officials surrounded the Grand Scholar Zhou before the start of the tournament even though the people of Qi State hadn't arrived yet.
The Grand Scholar Zhou had a bitter expression on his face. He had learned the news that County Li would represent him in the competition of the scriptures the day before.
He didn't know why the Emperor made such a decision. It was true that County Li was talented in poetry, but the content of the scriptures was different. How could a young man in his early twenties compete with the Grandmaster of Literature of the Qi Kingdom, who was over sixty years old and had studied the scriptures all his life?
Yet, he saw County Li stay in the Hongwen Library for a long time and read through all the scriptures; but would he be able to memorize all the scriptures by doing so?
No matter what, this was the arrangement of the Emperor. The Grand Scholar Zhou had no reason to doubt the Emperor. All he could do was pin his hope on County Li, even though he knew that the hope was very slim, so slim that it was almost impossible to see it.
"The people of the Qi Kingdom are here!"
An official said as he glanced at the distance and saw a few figures walking in their direction.
The leader was still the Third Prince of the Qi Kingdom, followed by a few ambassadors of the Qi Kingdom, and an old man whom the crowd had never seen before.
The old man wore a coarse cloth, and a pair of cloth shoes with rough edges on his feet. He looked like an old farmer in the fields outside the capital. As soon as Prime Minister Qin saw this old man, an unnatural expression flashed on his face, and a few scholars standing among the officials showed a hint of embarrassment on their faces.
It was this ordinary-looking old farmer who had defeated all of them in the competition of the scriptures. If the Grand Scholar Zhou were defeated by him today, County Li would be in a bad mood the day before. It would be meaningless to win the poetry competition with great difficulty.
The Third Prince said something to the old man with a smile on his face. The old man didn't show any expression on his face, but the ambassadors of the Qi Kingdom behind the two of them seemed to be quite arrogant. What happened the day before was merely an accident. Though the Jing Kingdom was delayed by one day, it was merely a delay in tasting the defeat. With the Old Master here today, if they weren't afraid of being beaten to death, they would ask the emperor and the chancellors of the Jing Kingdom loudly, "Who else is there?"
Not long after the ambassadors of the Qi Kingdom arrived, Emperor Jing appeared in front of the crowd.
Seeing the officials walking into the hall one after another, Li Yi stood up in a corner and clapped his hands, saying, "I'm done. The competition is about to start."
The Princess Shouning threw away the branch in her hand and stood up angrily as well, saying discontentedly, "You cheated. I was about to win …"
Li Yi curled his lips and pointed to the entrance of the hall, saying, "You can see for yourself if you don't believe me. Your father the Emperor is here. It's not good to be late."
Having said that, Jing Jiu walked toward the Political Hall while holding Yong Ning's hand.
What a joke! As a man, he didn't need to play the game of "wolf eating sheep" with a ten-year-old girl. Did he need to cheat?
Did he …?
The Princess Shouning stomped her foot angrily, and followed up after the Jing Jiu after glaring at the back of Li Yi.
"Now that the ambassadors of the Qi Kingdom have arrived, let's start the third round of the written examination." After a eunuch announced the rules of the competition, Emperor Jing didn't say anything more, and announced the start of the competition.
The old man of the Qi Kingdom stepped forward, and all the chancellors of the Jing Kingdom looked at the Grand Scholar Zhou.
The Grand Scholar Zhou lowered his head, looking at the ground with his eyes focused on his nose and his heart.
Emperor Jing glanced in a certain direction and said, "Though we are debating the scriptures today, this old master is a great scholar no matter what. Li Xianzi, don't be too impolite."
Li Yi curled his lips. Respecting the old and caring for the young was the traditional virtue of the Chinese people; did he look like someone who would be impolite?
No sooner had the Emperor Jing said this than the Third Prince of the Qi Kingdom showed a hint of bewilderment on his face. The ambassadors behind him hadn't come back to their senses yet either.
As for the officials of the Jing Kingdom, they were even more flabbergasted.
Why was it him again?!
Shouldn't the contestant be the Grand Scholar Zhou? Why did it suddenly become Li Xianzi? What was the Emperor doing?
Did he ask the young Li Xianzi to compete with the great scholar of the Qi Kingdom on the scriptures? Did they hear it wrong?
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