Who Said a Study Servant Can't Win the Imperial Exam? - Chapter 24 - The Terrifying Invincible Super Genius

After writing the comments, Teacher Wu quickly stood up and found the servant responsible for managing the Inner Room. He asked, “Did you happen to notice who was writing at the desk earlier?”

The servant looked troubled. “Well… I don’t know.”

There are so many people coming and going from the Inner Room every day, how could he keep track?

Outside the Inner Room, Cui Xian stood in the corner, watching from afar as Wu Qinglan held a piece of calligraphy and instructed the servant. If his guess was correct, Teacher Wu was likely instructing the servant to keep an eye on whoever was writing calligraphy in the Inner Room.

Cui Xian chuckled to himself, hiding his achievements and fame, and strolled away leisurely.

Just then, Pei Jian and his three companions finished their class. Walking out side by side, the four young masters wore identical expressions of ‘dejection,’ ‘exhaustion,’ and ‘despair.’

It was too difficult! With their level of academic failure, could they really write “The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit”?

Yesterday, Pei Jian and the others were full of enthusiasm and confidence. But today, after being mocked by Teacher Wu and attending a class, the four young masters were deeply discouraged and their spirits were dampened.

They seemed to truly not be cut out for studying.

Seeing their expressions from afar, Cui Xian understood and was pondering how to give the young masters a motivational boost.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing Cui Xian, the four young masters’ expressions instantly brightened.

Pei Jian rushed over first, lowering his voice, “Xian, let’s go home.”

The other three young masters had similarly mischievous expressions. “Yes, yes, let’s go home. We have important matters to attend to!”

Cui Xian: ?

What important matters?

–

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later.

In Pei Jian’s study.

Cui Xian was forcibly seated at the desk by the four young masters, looking puzzled.

Then Pei Jian cleared his throat, with a peculiar expression, and took out a “Thousand Character Classic” from the Book Chest, placing it in front of Cui Xian.

Pei Jian explained, “Xian, this book is called the ‘Thousand Character Classic,’ a must-learn text for students beginning formal studies. Now, I’ll teach you to recognize characters. I’ll read a sentence, and you read after me.”

Although Cui Xian was clever, he didn’t quite understand what Pei Jian was up to, so he tentatively asked, “Why does big brother suddenly want to teach me to read?”

Well…

I can’t exactly say that you, without having begun formal studies, managed to conceive such a brilliant story as “The Legend of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit,” and might be a super prodigy. As your big brother, I feel a lot of pressure.

So, after discussing among ourselves, we decided to use the “Thousand Character Classic” to test whether you are indeed a super prodigy.

Pei Jian suppressed his thoughts and seriously fabricated, “Your big brother here has the potential of a Top Imperial Scholar, and the other three present are renowned Great Talents in Nanyang. You’re about to write a book with us, but you don’t know how to read, which is somewhat holding us back.”

Zhuang Jin added from the side, “Of course, only a little bit.”

Li Heyu and Gao Qi nodded repeatedly. “But once you learn to read, you’ll be as excellent as us!”

Oh.

After hearing this, Cui Xian roughly understood the young masters’ intentions.

He suppressed the amusement in his eyes, decided to go along with it, and nodded, “Alright! Please rest assured, Great Talents, I will definitely study hard.”

So, Pei Jian opened the “Thousand Character Classic” and pointed to the text, saying to Cui Xian, “Come on, I’ll read it once, and you follow along… Heaven and Earth are mysterious and yellow, the universe vast and wild. The sun and moon rise and set, stars are arrayed.”

Cui Xian followed along, “Heaven and Earth are mysterious and yellow, the universe vast and wild. The sun and moon rise and set, stars are arrayed.”

As an ancient student’s primer, the “Thousand Character Classic” contains a thousand unique characters, with balanced couplets and rich content. It encompasses knowledge of astronomy, geography, history, and morality.

Cui Xian had been pondering how to skip the beginner’s level and jump to the ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’ classes. Now, the opportunity had arrived. The four young masters were teaching him to begin formal studies!

Later, when asked, Cui Xian could confidently say, “Begin formal studies? My elder brother taught me!”

In the study room, under the tense gaze of the other three young masters, Pei Jian led Cui Xian in reading the “Thousand Character Classic.” Pei Jian read a line, and Cui Xian repeated it.

After a long while, they finally finished the book. Pei Jian took a sip of water to soothe his slightly hoarse throat and, mimicking Teacher Wu’s demeanor, said, “Learned it, right?”

“Learned it.”

Seeing Pei Jian finish reading and sipping water, Zhuang Jin quickly took over, saying to Cui Xian, “Xian, it’s okay if you haven’t learned it, come, I’ll read with you again… Wait, what?”

Zhuang Jin suddenly realized and raised his voice, “What did you just say, learned it?”

The other three young masters looked over in disbelief. Pei Jian’s hand trembled slightly, almost dropping his teacup.

Facing their astonished gazes, Cui Xian innocently nodded, “Yes.”

Impossible!

Pei Jian, unwilling to accept it, hurriedly put down his teacup and flipped the “Thousand Character Classic” to the first page, “If you’ve learned it, then read it yourself.”

The other three young masters watched Cui Xian closely. Cui Xian nodded, picked up the book, and began to read aloud, “Heaven and Earth are mysterious and yellow, the universe vast and wild. The sun and moon rise and set, stars are arrayed…”

“Punish the people and ask for justice, Zhou conquers Yin and Tang. Sit in court and inquire about the way, govern with calm and order.”

“Palaces are grand and majestic, towers and pavilions are startling. Paintings depict birds and beasts, colors portray celestial beings.”

In the study room, Cui Xian held the “Thousand Character Classic,” reading word by word. At first, the four young masters were skeptical, full of disbelief. Moments later, their eyes widened in unison.

No way, he really learned to read it?

But surely, he could only read the first few lines, right? Yet, Cui Xian continued smoothly beyond the initial lines, reading fluently without a single mistake!

Pei Jian’s mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist. Li Heyu’s expression was blank. Gao Qi gasped. Zhuang Jin’s lips trembled, muttering ‘impossible’ repeatedly.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

“Isolated and ignorant, mocked for being foolish. The auxiliary words, wherefore and alas.”

Cui Xian finished reading the last line, closed the book, and announced, “I’m done.”

If this were a lesson with a school Teacher, Cui Xian wouldn’t have dared to act this way. He was taking advantage of these pampered, clueless students, knowing they wouldn’t catch on. Ironically, they had built up an image of themselves as ‘prodigy scholars,’ but faced with a true genius like Cui Xian, they lacked the confidence to question him.

The four young men exchanged glances, each seeing the ‘ghostly’ shock mirrored in the others’ eyes.

After a long pause, Pei Jian, unwilling to give up, tentatively asked, “Xian, did you study the Thousand Character Classic at home before?”

The other three perked up, hope lighting up their eyes: That must be it! Cui Xian must have studied it before! How could anyone possibly learn the Thousand Character Classic in one go?

Such a genius couldn’t exist!

How could we, mere mortals, survive in comparison?

However, the four were destined for disappointment today.

Cui Xian shook his head, “At home, I only learned the Three Character Classic with my father, never the Thousand Character Classic. Just now, Big Brother read it with me, and I learned it. Big Brother is such a great teacher!”

He then looked at them with feigned anxiety, his face full of guilt and self-doubt, “Why did Big Brother ask? Did I make too many mistakes? I really envy you all, Big Brother and the three talented scholars, who have been brilliant and full of talent since childhood.”

“Unlike me, too dull to learn anything.”

The four: “…”

No, you’re not wrong.

We are.

Our mistake is existing in this world as failures.

And even more so, we dared to boast as genius prodigies in front of you.

“Well… well, you actually, um, are quite good, barely comparable to us.”

After a while, Pei Jian forced out these insincere words, then added, “Alright, Xian, you, you go out first. The three of us need to start on our assignments.”

Cui Xian nodded, got up, and left.

Once they were sure Cui Xian was gone, Pei Jian collapsed onto the floor, murmuring in shock, “There exists such a terrifying super genius in this world! And what’s scarier, he calls me Big Brother! What… what should I do?”

The other three were equally stunned, gasping for breath.

If it had been a Teacher like Wu Qinglan or ordinary students from the clan school, they would have immediately questioned it. But these four, lacking in academics and as worthless as Rotten Wood, dared not question a genius.

No, no, no.

Cui Xian wasn’t just a genius; he was a terrifying, invincible super genius!

Recalling the boasts they had made in front of Cui Xian over the past few days, Pei Jian and the others felt nothing but shame and embarrassment.

After a while, Zhuang Jin murmured, “…Should we introduce Junior Brother Cui to Teacher Wu? Teacher Wu is known for cherishing talent and would definitely teach Xian personally.”