Originally, Zong Zhao had brought Jin Cheng along to amuse the Crown Prince, but the little one's antics ended up giving the Crown Prince a headache instead.
He talked way too much.
And with such dramatic flair…
Even from outside, one could intermittently hear his exaggerated remarks.
Zong Zhao endured it for half an hour before finally dragging him out, feeling like his patience had improved tremendously compared to before.
Xu Wan couldn’t stop laughing. "Jin Cheng probably can’t understand why you speak so little. Why not put all that knowledge you’ve learned into talking more?"
Zong Zhao fell silent for a long moment before replying seriously, "Let’s have a child who talks less in the future. One who looks like you but is quiet."
Xu Wan frowned, imagining a taciturn version of herself…
She murmured weakly, "Wouldn’t that be a bit… unlovable?"
Zong Zhao pondered her words.
Soon, he conceded, "Never mind, forget I said that."
Still, despite his words, Zong Zhao continued to take Jin Cheng to see the Crown Prince every ten days or so, letting him chatter for half an hour before dragging him away.
By February, as scholars from all over the country began arriving in the Capital City, the entire city buzzed with unprecedented excitement. Even from inside their estate, they could sense the lively changes outside.
At the request of the young boys, Xu Wan and Zong Zhao took them to a literary gathering at a renowned library. The five of them set off early in the morning, so eager they could’ve performed a martial arts routine on the spot.
Shen Yibai was the first to ask, "Auntie, Auntie, when we meet those people today, should we show our true skills? I’m not worried about anything else, but what if the top scholars learn from us and end up surpassing us? What then?"
He still vividly remembered the incident with Ge Hong. While helping someone far behind them wasn’t an issue, sharing knowledge with real competitors would be like handing them an advantage on a silver platter.
Xu Wan chuckled. "Weren’t you the ones clamoring to go and ‘crush the weaklings’? Why the sudden fear of being copied?"
Wei Xinglu answered honestly, "Right now, the Capital City is crawling with top scholars. What’s supposed to be an exchange of knowledge is really just a gathering of our competitors for the imperial exams. Do you think they’d dare reveal their full abilities?"
Zong Jincheng rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. "I think they’d probably show off half and hide the other half?"
Zong Wenxiu added, "Then let’s observe the situation first and avoid exposing our strengths. Save the real competition for the exams. Keep a low profile this time, alright?"
The little troublemaker suddenly grinned, struck by a brilliant idea. "How about we pretend to be Childhood Scholars? Act like five prodigies who haven’t even taken the provincial exams yet!"
He Zheng’s eyes lit up. "Exactly! No one would suspect us—we’re young enough to pull it off!"
"Perfect, perfect! Let’s go and join the fun!"
And so, the five boys made up their minds and piled into the carriage, while Zong Jincheng squeezed in with his parents again.
As the carriage rolled along, Xu Wan turned to Zong Zhao. "Actually, I’ve never seen how scholars interact at these gatherings. Have you?"
Zong Zhao was the only one with experience, but given his personality, he might not have been the type to join such lively events.
Zong Zhao replied, "I have. They gather to compete in poetry, couplet matching, and discuss current affairs—sharing their perspectives. Though most of what they talk about won’t be on the exams, seeing so many talented scholars from all over makes you want to experience the wider world."
Zong Jincheng perked up. "Dad, did you join in? Did you hold back your skills?"
Zong Zhao thought back. "I participated, but what I shared only gave others new ideas—nothing that could make or break their success."
The little troublemaker tilted his head. "Huh? Dad, you were that selfless? Weren’t you afraid they’d outrank you?"
Zong Zhao explained the rules of the imperial exams. "The court selects around three hundred candidates for the final exam. If there are more outstanding scholars that year, they increase the quota; if fewer, they reduce it. In my year, only two hundred ninety-one passed. The next year, when students saw the quota shrink, they studied harder, and three hundred thirty made it."
"Oh…" Zong Jincheng understood. "So if they’re talented enough, even exceeding the quota, they’ll still pass. That’s great! Even if I teach someone, they won’t push me out. No wonder everyone’s eager to exchange ideas—it’s mutually beneficial."
Xu Wan corrected him, "Not entirely. For example, if the person you taught is as good as you—like Qin Ye—he could bump you down a rank."
Zong Jincheng’s face instantly turned pale.
He wailed, "Mom, I’m starting to regret that policy debate with Qin Ye! He kept saying, ‘I’ve learned so much, so much!’ He must’ve copied my techniques (╥﹏╥)!"
Nearly a year later, the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He groaned, "Did I just train my own rival in policy debates?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0velFire.ɴet
She didn’t know how to answer. "So far, I haven’t seen Qin Ye’s policy essays, so I can’t gauge his ability, much less compare your levels."
Zong Jincheng clasped his hands together, eyes shut in prayer. "I hope Qin Ye’s at the library, debating someone right now. Then I can see exactly how good he is!"
Xu Wan was also curious, though she doubted Qin Ye would show up.
But then again, if even Zong Zhao—who avoided crowds—had attended such gatherings, maybe Qin Ye would too?
The library was the largest in the Capital City, spacious and bright, with over twenty tables on the first floor and countless private rooms upstairs. Every exam season, the owner enthusiastically hosted scholars from all over to boost the library’s prestige. Now, the place was packed, buzzing with eloquent debates among the country’s brightest minds.
"Brother Wei, your poem carries the free-spirited essence of Su Xi’s style. Tell us honestly—as a top scholar from the south, have you met Master Su?"
"Not at all, not at all! How could I possibly have met Master Su? This is just a humble attempt, hardly worth mentioning."
The moment Zong Jincheng’s group stepped inside, they overheard this exchange. They craned their necks to look. "What luck! Right off the bat, we meet the top scholar from the south—and he’s never even seen Master Su?"
Shen Yibai grinned. "Not only have we met him, but we were also personally taught by Master Su for over a month. Round it up, and I’m better than the south’s top scholar!"
Xu Wan was thoroughly impressed by his logic.
That scholar had become a top candidate without Su Xi’s guidance, while they, despite his teachings, hadn’t surpassed him. How did that translate to being better?
A waiter, noticing their refined attire, hurried over. "Welcome, honored guests! Would you prefer the main hall or a private room?"
Zong Zhao handed him silver. "The main hall. Serve your best tea."
"Right away, honored guests!"
The private room was quiet, but not ideal for conversation, so they preferred sitting in the main hall, sipping tea and listening closely to the discussions among the scholars.
However, Zong Wenxiu’s sharp eyes caught sight of two familiar figures. He whispered, "Huh? Qin Shi and Qin Ye are here too."