abnabooks Chapter 107 A learned man with a wealth of knowledge, but a pretty face but no substance.
Chapter 107 A learned man with a wealth of knowledge, but a pretty face but no substance.
Chapter 107 A learned man with nothing to his name, but a pretty face with no substance.
Upon hearing this, Feng Shu's lips twitched imperceptibly, and the anger that had been building up inside him suddenly surged up again.
He glanced at Qin Chuan with disdain in his eyes, thinking to himself, "No, what kind of piece of trash are you?"
A young clerk at a gambling den, whose household registration had just been renewed, dared to ask me if he could pass the high school entrance exam after only a few days of schooling.
When you take the imperial examination, it's like rolling dice in a gambling den, where betting on big or small depends entirely on luck.
He originally wanted to yell, "Who do you think you are? A waiter at a gambling den, how dare you ask such a question?"
But when he caught a glimpse of Zheng Ding still standing there, he swallowed back the harsh words he was about to say.
Feng Shu took a deep breath, suppressed it, and put on that smile again.
He stroked his short mustache, cleared his throat, and spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Good question. The imperial examination is a method for selecting officials, chosen for those with genuine talent and learning. As for whether one can pass with flying colors—" He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sweeping over Qin Chuan's face, a half-smile playing on his lips. Then he looked at Zheng Ding, his tone full of flattery, and bowed, saying, "Naturally, it depends on each person's ability. As long as one is knowledgeable, has literary talent, is learned and erudite, and possesses a wealth of knowledge, then one will naturally pass with flying colors. One might even be able to top the list, achieve academic success, and bring glory to one's ancestors."
He paused, then changed the subject, looking at Qin Chuan with a hint of contempt and disdain in his voice.
"But if someone is all show and no substance, a mere imposter, there's absolutely no chance of them passing the exam. Such a person is just there to make up the numbers and lower the bar for others. Anyone who manages to sneak in by luck will only become a laughingstock."
Feng Shuna emphasized the words "embroidered pillow" very heavily, and paused after each word of "fish eye mixed with pearl," his eyes fixed on Qin Chuan. The meaning behind his words was all too clear.
Qin Chuan, upon hearing this, was not annoyed. Instead, he smiled and calmly cupped his hands, saying, "Minister Feng's insightful remarks are truly enlightening. I have learned a great deal."
Feng Shu snorted inwardly, thinking that the kid in front of him was a complete scoundrel. He was too lazy to say anything more, so he simply flipped open the official documents on the table and didn't look at the two of them again.
Zheng Ding stood aside and overheard the conversation. Although he didn't fully understand the sarcastic tone in Feng Shu's words, he vaguely sensed that something was amiss.
He glanced at Qin Chuan, and seeing that Qin Chuan's expression was normal, he didn't say anything more, only casually tossing out, "Let's go."
Qin Chuan responded and turned to follow Zheng Ding out of the room.
The door then closed with a dull thud.
Feng Shu sat behind his desk, listening to the footsteps fade into the distance. He slammed the official documents in his hand onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh. Looking at the list of two people who had registered, Feng Shu couldn't hold back his resentment any longer and cursed, "A gambling den waiter dares to ask me if I can pass the imperial examination? Bah!"
"You want to go to high school? Absolutely not!"
After Zheng Ding led Qin Chuan and the other person out of the house, he turned around and looked at Qin Chuan after walking a few steps.
Qin Chuan also understood, and pulled Zheng Ding aside, saying, "Young Master Zheng, Xiaoxiaosheng really doesn't have time..."
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"You lied to me!" Zheng Ding exclaimed before he could finish speaking, his face full of anger.
"Hey, Young Master Zheng, let me finish," Qin Chuan waved his hand and continued, "Xiao Xiaosheng really doesn't have much time these days, but he promised Xiangmanlou a few days ago that he would go there tomorrow to paint for the girls there. I can introduce you to him then, Young Master Zheng, although the meeting may be a bit short."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Ding's expression calmed down. After a moment's thought, he said, "It's alright. Just meeting once and exchanging a few words is enough. The length of time doesn't matter."
Qin Chuan nodded: "Then it's settled. Tomorrow at the end of the afternoon, at Xiangmanlou, Young Master Zheng, just give me your name when you arrive."
Zheng Ding then showed a hint of satisfaction, took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve, and casually tossed it to Qin Chuan: "Take this."
Qin Chuan did not refuse, took the silver and put it in his pocket, cupping his hands and saying, "Young Master Zheng, rest assured, everything will be arranged properly tomorrow."
The two agreed on a time and place, and Zheng Ding did not linger any longer. He turned and walked towards the front hall of the county government office. His steps were much lighter than when he came, and his clothes fluttered in the wind. He quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Qin Chuan watched him leave, the smile on his face slowly fading, and then he turned and walked towards the back door.
The old master is still waiting there.
Seeing Qin Chuan return, the old scholar nodded, asked no further questions, and turned to walk towards the alley entrance. Qin Chuan followed, and the two walked one after the other on the bluestone path at a leisurely pace.
The sun was already setting in the west, and the sunlight slanted down from above the alley, casting long shadows of the two people, one old and one young, one in front and one behind.
After walking for a while, the old scholar finally couldn't resist. He slowed his pace, turned his head to look at Qin Chuan, and asked with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation, "That Young Master Zheng, isn't he the magistrate's nephew? How do you know him?"
Qin Chuan smiled and answered truthfully, "I work as a errand boy at the gambling den, right? Young Master Zheng often comes to Heaven on Earth, and that's how we got to know each other. He asked me to do a few things for him, and that's how we developed a relationship."
He did not elaborate on what Zheng Ding had asked him to do, and the old master did not press him for details.
Sometimes, knowing too much about something is not a good thing.
The old master had taught for most of his life, so he still had some sense of propriety.
After listening, the old scholar remained silent for a while, then slowed his pace and focused his gaze on the road ahead.
Then he sighed softly, a sigh so light it carried an indescribable sense of melancholy.
"It's good to know people," the old scholar's voice was somewhat low, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps to Qin Chuan. "Back then, I was too arrogant, thinking that as long as you had real talent, you could get by anywhere. In the academy, the teachers valued me, and my classmates respected me, so I thought that's all there was to it. Later, after leaving the academy and entering the examination hall, I realized the coldness and warmth of human relationships. There are countless talented people, but how many can truly succeed?"
He paused, shook his head, and gave a bitter smile: "I've wasted most of my life, and in the end, I have to beg even a ninth-rank clerk. If you hadn't met Young Master Zheng today, I don't know how long the household registration matter would have been delayed."
Qin Chuan walked behind the old master, listened to these words, hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help himself. He quickly took two steps to walk alongside the old master, turned his head and asked, "Master, can you tell me?"
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