This was not all, he was pleasantly surprised by Lian Mu Su’s ability to extend and deepen his understanding of the topics they discussed, which felt like meeting a kindred soul.
He did not treat him as a student, but rather as a young friend, a friend with whom he could converse and share thoughts.
Lian Mu Su smiled gently, bowed deeply, and sincerely said, "Mr. Qin, your praise is too generous. Thanks to your profound benevolence, I have the honor to express my humble opinions, which is a great privilege indeed. I had heard long ago of Mr. Qin’s extensive knowledge and, seeing you today, it truly is extraordinary. Every word and phrase from you is a gem, a proverb, from which I benefit greatly and to which I deeply admire."
Minister Jia, standing beside him, could not help but pat Lian Mu Su’s shoulder and scowled, "What humble opinions? Lian Mu, you spoke brilliantly, there’s no need to be modest."
Another student nearby who had lingered and was unwilling to leave, couldn’t help but hiss softly, reminding, "Mr. Jia, please be gentle, didn’t you say no more scolding..."
Minister Jia glared at the speaker, "What now, with Lian Mu here you don’t respect Mr. Jia anymore?"
"Not at all, not at all..." the student who spoke immediately averted his gaze and shrank back.
Although he said this to the student, Minister Jia eventually softened the lines on his face and forced a smile towards Lian Mu Su.
He knew he naturally looked fierce, and took the reminder to heart.
Seeing this made Lian Mu Su unable to hold back a smile, he said, "Mr. Jia, you really don’t have to do this."
Minister Jia disagreed, "I promised you, and I will surely do it. But Lian Mu, please don’t call me ’Mr.’ anymore, it’s too embarrassing for me."
Minister Jia truly respected this young man, who at the age of twenty-six, when others were barely grasping the basics of the imperial examination, was already capable of discussing scholarly matters with Old Qin. This young man was indeed formidable.
Lian Mu Su bowed, "I shall respectfully comply, but elder brother, I have something to say..." he paused there.
The others leaned in, thinking he had some profound insight to share.
Lian Mu Su continued, "You might as well be as usual, if you smile, I find it even more frightening."
The surrounding students covered their mouths and began to snicker.
Minister Jia’s face suddenly turned dark, so his smile was also not acceptable?
Minister Qin found this amusing and joined in teasing, "Old Jia, you are the fearsome deity of the academy, your smile horrifies gods and humans alike, better not scare the young friend Lian Mu, ha ha ha."
The crowd burst into boisterous laughter.
"Old Qin, how can you also mock me?" Minister Jia protested but was eventually infected by everyone’s laughter and joined in.
After a while, he suddenly remembered something, and could not help speaking out, "I say, Old Qin, why must we still exam after three days? With Lian Mu’s knowledge, how many in the world could match him, how could he be one of those cheaters?"
"Exactly, exactly." The nearby students also chimed in, thinking of those troublemaking examinees in Taiyuan Prefecture, they became righteous with indignation, such ignorant, narrow-minded people.
Lian Mu Su smiled warmly and directly replied, "I know elder brother holds me in high regard, but the examination in three days might not necessarily be a bad thing for me."
Minister Jia and the students nearby were puzzled, how could it not be a bad thing?
Minister Qin couldn’t help but look at Lian Musu and nodded slightly in approval as he loudly said, "Calamity leans on fortune, and fortune hides in calamity. Do not judge matters and persons by mere appearances."
Turning to leave, he left a remark, "Young Lian, in three days, I shall celebrate your successful accomplishment with a pot of clear wine."
His Majesty invested so much effort in orchestrating this event. Could his intentions be as simple as everyone perceives?"
Lian probably caught the eye of His Majesty.
It was much later that Minister Jia, after persistently bothering Old Qin to the point of annoyance, surprisingly realized this point after being prompted sharply.
Moreover, since he had confidence in Lian Mu, there was no need to worry. Remember, if answered well, Lian Mu’s papers would be posted in provincial capitals everywhere, a powerful rebuttal to those spreading rumors in Taiyuan Prefecture and a warning to scholars across the nation.
He also forgot to consider another point, aside from rebuttal and warning, this could make Lian Musu’s name renowned everywhere.
However, he hadn’t figured this out at the moment. Dropping a word to Liang Qi to help arrange accommodation and other affairs for Lian Musu, he apologized to Lian Musu and hastily left the crowd to follow after Minister Qin.
Firstly, he was still worried that something might go wrong, fearing Lian Musu’s papers might not pass. After all, passing this exam still depended on His Majesty’s approval, and no one could predict the outcome. He wanted to ask Old Qin what to do;
Secondly, he had an idea. Just in case, if the Ministry of Rites were mistaken and Lian Musu failed, he wanted to vouch for Lian Musu. Even if Lian Musu could never participate in the imperial examinations again, he couldn’t let the man end up in prison. He thought of discussing with Old Qin to bring him to the Imperial Academy to teach.
So, disregarding everything else as time was pressing and he had only three days, he went to persuade Old Qin.
Lian Musu smiled slightly, bowing in the direction of the two departing men, "Many thanks to Mr. Qin, and many thanks to Older Brother Jia."
He knew Minister Qin could understand his plans and felt warmed by Minister Jia’s actions. They had only met once, and helping Minister Jia was just a small effort on his part, albeit with a touch of self-interest. Unexpectedly, Minister Jia was willing to speak up for him. Such a person was worth befriending.
Watching the two disappear, Lian Musu sighed silently. Right now, reputation was what he needed most and lacked the most.
The light of a firefly can hardly illuminate the path ahead. His own strength, or even that of his family, was far too weak. Had it not been for his obscurity, Guo Neng and others like him would not have easily preyed upon him, and if he weren’t so unknown, he wouldn’t now be pressured by so many scholars from Taiyuan.
Reputation is a sharp double-edged sword; if used well, it is unstoppable, but if used poorly, it leads to the Abyss. He had always been aware of this and constantly reminded himself.
Yet, the things he wished to do in the future required a reputation that could convince others. He was willing to devote all he could to ensure a clear and prosperous era, to root out malice and prevent anyone else from enduring the suffering his family had faced.
Later, Liang Qi, taking Lian Musu along to arrange accommodation, placed him in a residence next to his own. To look after these Scholar students, the Imperial Academy was very considerate, placing them in the quietest part of the academy, a very peaceful area.
He was deeply impressed and held great admiration for Lian Musu, arranging the neighboring room so Lian Musu could settle down and study, preparing for what was to come in three days.
Moreover, he did have his own motives; should he be fortunate, he hoped to cultivate a relationship with Lian Musu, even if he himself might lack the qualifications, he still hoped to be closer to such a person.
That day, the students of the Imperial Academy spread the news about Lian Musu’s visit to the Chongwen Pavilion.
From that day on, scholars in the Capital knew of Lian Mu, the Jieyuan from Taiyuan Prefecture, who, on the day after his name was posted, went to the Imperial Academy for examination, conversing amiably with Mr. Qin and displaying remarkable brilliance and talent.
Such a man, however, being accused of cheating was utterly nonsensical. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would have believed it to be true, an absurdity!