northernbook Chapter 4: Zhuge Liang!
Chapter 4: Zhuge Liang!
Chapter Four: Zhuge Liang!
Many people looked at Ye Ru, speechless, overwhelmed by his imposing presence.
Two excellent poems on primordial chaos, and the ability to compose verses fluently—this is not something just anyone can do.
Moreover, Ye Ru has not yet become a student of the Imperial Academy, and his potential is enormous. It is obvious without even thinking that the county magistrate would not offend such a young man with such potential.
"Who's making such a racket? Don't they even care about discipline?"
A middle-aged man dressed in a scholar's robe entered. This man was Fang Zifeng, a teacher at Wenxing Private School, and one of the three successful candidates in the imperial examinations in Qingyun County.
It is equivalent to the position of principal.
In the Confucian and Taoist continent, the highest institution of education is the Sacred Academy, followed by the Imperial Academy, private schools, and academies.
Private schools were located in counties, academies in prefectures, and the Imperial Academy in the capital.
“Mr. Fang, I was lecturing on poetry and prose, but Ye Ru blatantly violated the rules by maliciously copying poems and even committing insubordination. Such a disobedient student is better off without.”
Upon seeing this, Master Xu hurriedly smiled obsequiously, but as soon as he finished speaking, the light of the Holy Judgment enveloped him even more tightly.
“I can testify that Ye Rusheng was dull-witted and, given his talent, could not possibly have composed such poetry.”
Wang Xiaoyang echoed this sentiment.
"Holy Words? The Light of Holy Judgment? How can someone who hasn't even reached the level of a child yet attract the Light of Holy Judgment?"
Fang Zifeng was startled when he saw the golden light, and thought to himself.
After understanding the ins and outs of the matter, he turned to look at Ye Ru.
"You created two Primordial Poems?"
"It was indeed written by a student, and there is absolutely no falsehood in it."
Ye Ru performed the student's salute, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Having already offended the Langya Wang clan, if he could get Fang Zifeng to notice him, he could avoid being framed by the Wang clan.
"Alright, I'll give you a test. If you pass, I can have Master Xu and Wang Xiaoyang apologize to you, how about that?"
Fang Zifeng nodded and smiled.
"Mr. Fang, you can't just believe this kid's one-sided story!"
"Shut up!"
Fang Zifeng glanced at Master Xu, his scholarly aura bursting forth, and his powerful aura immediately silenced Master Xu.
A Juren (举人) is far superior to a Xiucai (秀才), and the authority they exude is self-evident.
Moreover, as a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, he naturally had no reason to fear the Wang family of Langya.
The entire class fell silent, their gazes lingering on Fang Zifeng and Ye Ru.
"it is good."
"Ruzi can be taught."
Fang Zifeng nodded. Even before he arrived, he had already sensed the artistic conception of the two poems about the Primordial Chaos. This time, he came to see just how much talent this little guy had.
"You've heard of the great Confucian scholar Zhuge Liang, right? He assisted Liu Bei in becoming one of the three Confucian scholars of the Three Kingdoms. Although Shu had been destroyed, he still embarked on the path of sagehood with his 'Memorial on the Expedition' and 'Letter to His Son.' He created the 'Eight Trigrams Formation,' slew 108 demon generals from beyond the realm, and kept demon soldiers away from Baidi City. He became one of the great Confucian scholars who have passed away on the Confucian continent and was emulated by later generations."
"Now, you write a poem about the past. Once it's finished, it must be a poem about the primordial chaos, otherwise it won't count."
Fang Zifeng pondered for a moment, then wrote the four characters "Zhuge Wuhou" on his lesson plan.
These four words, carrying immense pressure, almost made Master Xu and Wang Xiaoyang burst out laughing.
They guessed that Fang Zifeng was deliberately making things difficult for Ye Ru.
Even if I manage to write it, it will be a terrible poem!
As for the Primordial Poems, he has already composed two Primordial Poems. Can he compose one more?
This is nothing short of a pipe dream. Even a scholar couldn't come up with three poems in the primordial chaos in just half an hour.
Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, was a great Confucian scholar.
Throughout the entire Confucian and Taoist continent, those who can compose poems of nostalgia must be extremely familiar with historical allusions; unless one is a prodigy, it is absolutely impossible to complete such a work.
Nowadays, those who can compose poems about the past are few and far between; at least, those below the rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) would never be able to do so!
"Ye Ru, if you can compose a poem about the past, then I will apologize. However, if you can't, then those two poems were copied!"
Wang Xiaoyang laughed gleefully.
"Well, Ye Ru, if you can do it, I will not only apologize to you, but I can even apologize to you in front of the entire private school. If you can't do it, you will have to get out of my 'Desolate' class."
Master Xu gave a cold laugh.
If Ye Ru can't produce it, I can register the copyright for these two poems of the Primordial Chaos. If I pass the imperial examination, I can use these two poems of the Primordial Chaos to enhance my literary reputation.
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru fell into thought.
If Zhuge Liang were on Earth, he would assist Liu Bei in becoming the ruler of Shu, dedicating his life to the cause until his death. It is unknown whether the historical achievements of this Zhuge Liang are the same as those of that Zhuge Liang.
"This is indeed a bit difficult, let's try another one."
Seeing Ye Ru deep in thought, Fang Zifeng suddenly felt a little embarrassed for Ye Ru, and then slowly said.
Even as a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, he could not have composed such a nostalgic poem immediately.
"Therefore, let me tell you the central theme of poems about reminiscing about the past. These are the more somber works in poetry, mainly based on historical events, historical figures, and historical sites."
"Yes, poems about reminiscing about the past use the act of climbing to a high place to look into the distance, praising historical facts, and remembering ancient sites to express feelings about the rise and fall of dynasties, convey sorrow, and satirize the present through the past. Am I right?"
Before Fang Zifeng could finish speaking, Ye Ru's next words sent shockwaves through him, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face:
"At such a young age, he already has some skill in writing poems about the past; he is indeed a promising talent."
The entire class looked at Ye Ru with all sorts of expressions, and a sense of anticipation welled up in everyone's hearts.
"Alright, let's see if you can compose a poem about the Primordial Chaos."
Surrounded by onlookers, Ye Ru raised his head and recited:
"In my early years, I knew not the hardships of the world; gazing northwards towards the Central Plains, my spirit soared like a mountain."
Fang Zifeng was somewhat surprised by the two lines, but he did not feel any sudden surge of talent.
Wang Xiaoyang and Xu Fuzi also smiled.
Countless people were worried for Ye Ru; if he couldn't do it, he would be fired.
Despite being mocked, Ye Ru remained unmoved and continued:
"Warships sail through the snowy night at Guazhou Ferry, iron horses gallop through the autumn wind at Dasanguan Pass."
A crimson aura of talent emanated from Ye Ru's body, a sign of the Primordial Poetry.
This scene surprised Fang Zifeng as well. Judging from the imagery of the poem, it seemed to be a war poem.
"I vainly vowed to defend the Great Wall beyond the Great Wall, but my temples have already turned gray in the mirror."
A crimson light emerged, becoming even more dazzling, like a blazing sun in the sky, extremely bright.
Fang Zifeng's eyes widened, and a feeling of resentment suddenly welled up in his heart, a sense of wasted time and the rise of petty people.
This is the pinnacle of poetic artistry.
He passed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), but due to the presence of treacherous officials in the court, he was unable to advance further and achieve the rank of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Therefore, he came here to work as a teacher and educate the county.
While Fang Zifeng was immersed in the meaning of the first three lines of the poem, a voice as loud as thunder lingered in his ears, and the orange-colored, two-foot-long talent made him stiffen all over!
"His memorial before the expedition truly made him famous throughout the ages; who else throughout the ages can rival him?"