Who Said a Study Servant Can't Win the Imperial Exam? - Chapter 46 - The Star of Scholarship in the Cui Family

At the Cui Family’s field, Gao Qi was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. “I never knew harvesting wheat could be this exhausting!”

He had enthusiastically picked up a sickle to work, but after less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was already worn out.

Cui Xian wasn’t faring much better, lying beside Gao Qi and constantly wiping sweat from his brow.

Commander Gao, along with the soldiers and the elders of the Cui Family, were still busy in the field.

A few of the younger ones were resting under the shade of a tree by the field.

Cui Xuan brought over two bowls of cool water, smiling, “Brother, young master, have some water to quench your thirst.”

Cui Xian quickly took a bowl and drank it down, feeling refreshed all over.

Gao Qi, usually the loudest, shyly thanked her and sipped his water politely.

Oh my!

Even a little rascal like him could get bashful.

Cui Xian chuckled mischievously beside him, causing Cui Xuan to blush and run off.

Gao Qi feigned annoyance, “Alright, Xian, you’re laughing at me? Just wait and see how I’ll get back at you!”

The two of them started playfully tussling on the field path.

Cui Yu, who was cutting wheat in the field, was soon sent over by his grandmother to rest, carrying a cloth book bag.

“Cui Yu, come rest and have some water to quench your thirst.”

Gao Qi, ever sociable, asked with a smile, “What’s that you’re carrying?”

Cui Yu drank some water and sat down beside them. He then took out a stack of papers from the cloth bag and said earnestly, “These are the characters I’ve learned to write and excerpts from the ‘Three Character Classic’ since beginning formal studies at the private school.”

“Brother, here. I’ll teach you to begin formal studies during this time.”

Using the money meant for his brother to become a Study Servant to begin formal studies himself, Cui Yu always felt a pang of guilt.

So, he noted down all the knowledge points he learned at school and came back to teach his younger brother.

However, Gao Qi’s expression turned peculiar upon hearing this.

Does Xian really need to learn the ‘Three Character Classic’? He’s already mastered all the introductory books with ease!

Before Gao Qi could voice his thoughts, the village chief’s voice echoed from afar, causing everyone harvesting wheat to be startled.

“Xian-Ge’er! Cui Family’s Saozi! The two Provincial Graduate Lords from the Pei Mansion and the Scholar Candidate from the Pei Family’s clan school have come to visit you!”

What? Two Provincial Graduate Lords!

Oh my goodness!

Many villagers looked up, seeing the men in Scholar’s Robes behind the village chief, hurriedly dropping their sickles and rushing to bow.

The Cui Family members looked over in a daze, hardly believing their eyes.

Old Cui squinted, her face flushed with excitement. “Wearing Scholar’s Robes, Gauze Caps, waist belts, and Jet Boots, they must be Provincial Graduate Lords!”

“They… are here for Xian-Ge’er too?”

Her smile was so wide it seemed frozen.

Only Commander Gao and Gao Qi appeared indignant.

The Pei Family must have changed their minds and decided to take Xian-Ge’er back.

How shameless!

Upon hearing the commotion, Cui Xian exclaimed in surprise, “Why is my brother here? And Teacher Wu, along with the two Pei Family Elders?”

He had anticipated Teacher Wu’s visit but never expected the Provincial Graduate Lords to come as well!

Gao Qi muttered, “Why else? They’re here to poach talent.”

Yet, when Pei Jian arrived, he didn’t immediately try to ‘poach’ anyone. Instead, he shouted excitedly, “Xian! Finally found you! Teacher Wu, my father, and my grandfather all say you’re a prodigy of the ages!”

“They say you wrote some calligraphy that’s destined to make you the future Saint of Calligraphy, and that your ‘Ode to the Goose’ is a thousand times better than Zhao Yaozu’s ‘Ode to New Bamboo.'”

What?

Gao Qi was dumbfounded. The Cui family and the onlookers from Hexi Village were equally stunned.

Wu Qinglan impatiently pushed Pei Jian aside, looking at Cui Xian with a flushed face, as if he were gazing at a precious gem. “Cui Xian, finally found you!”

“Wonderful! Finally found you!”

“The most talented prodigy in Nanyang, no, in all of Henan, even the entire Great Liang!”

“I’ve searched so hard for you!”

Upon hearing this, countless eyes widened in disbelief. Old Cui trembled, her eyes clouded with emotion.

Yet what left everyone in a daze was that the Honorable Scholar Candidate and the two Provincial Graduate Lords seemed even more excited and urgent than they were.

Pei Kaitai pushed Wu Qinglan aside, dissatisfied, “Stop stating the obvious! We need to clarify some things first!”

“Cui Xian, let me ask you. Did you write three pieces of calligraphy in the clan school’s Inner Room?”

“The first one, your initial attempt at writing. The second, your writing on the second day. The third, a month after you learned to write.”

Cui Xian blinked, admitting, “Yes. My first attempt was copying someone else’s calligraphy on the desk. It wasn’t good, and Teacher scolded me as ‘rotten wood.'”

Wu Qinglan felt a pang of guilt so intense it was hard to breathe. Then, under the astonished gaze of everyone, he bowed deeply to Cui Xian, apologizing, “I was blind, mistaking a genius for rotten wood! I owe you an apology!”

“Your handwriting is lively and graceful. With diligent practice, in Great Liang…”

“No! Looking five hundred years back and five hundred years forward in the Great Liang Dynasty, the literary and calligraphy world will surely have a place for you!”

“You are destined to become a Saint of Calligraphy, revered by all scholars!”

Pei Kaitai nodded repeatedly, “Brother Qinglan is right! Cui Xian, do you know how astonishing your talent is? It’s the most remarkable I’ve ever seen!”

A hush fell over the surroundings. Everyone looked at the eight-year-old Cui Xian in shock, finally understanding.

The Provincial Graduate Lords and the Honorable Scholar Candidate came for Xian-Ge’er because this child had an extraordinary gift for learning!

The initially excited Old Cui and the Cui family were left in a daze. They even wondered if they were hearing things.

But then, Pei Chongqing pushed his son Pei Kaitai aside, urgently turning to Cui Xian, “Cui Xian, let me ask you. Did you compose the poem ‘Ode to the Goose’?”

Cui Xian nodded, “Yes, I did.”

Pei Chongqing took a deep breath, even more excitedly asking, “But you haven’t begun formal studies, how can you write poetry?”

Wu Qinglan and Pei Kaitai also turned their attention to Cui Xian.

Cui Xian confidently replied, “I have begun formal studies! I learned to write in the Inner Room of the clan school, by copying and practicing on my own. As for the books for formal studies, like ‘Dragon Script Whip Shadow,’ my elder brother taught me.”

“As for writing poetry, I finished reading ‘Sound Rhythm Enlightenment,’ so I learned how.”

Everyone: “…”

Is this possible?

Only Gao Qi and Pei Jian weren’t surprised by this.

Because Xian has always been this extraordinary!

Pei Kaitai looked at Cui Xian, his mouth moving for a long time, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, he remembered something and turned to his son, “You said that Cui Xian learned ‘Thousand Character Classic’ just by reading it once, is that true?”

Pei Jian shrugged, “Of course it’s true. And that’s nothing; Xian even memorized ‘Dragon Script Whip Shadow’ in one afternoon.”

Gasp!

Pei Chongqing, Pei Kaitai, and Wu Qinglan all drew in a sharp breath.

And this time, even Cui Boshan and Cui Zhongyuan, who spent their days buried in books, were shocked as they looked at Cui Xian.

The previous feats were beyond their comprehension, leaving them in disbelief.

But memorizing ‘Dragon Script Whip Shadow’ in an afternoon-

What kind of prodigy is this?

Heavens!

Wu Qinglan was so excited that he stomped his feet on the spot, then burst into laughter, shouting “peerless genius” and “I’m too excited, I need to calm down by harvesting a field.”

With that, he actually went off to harvest wheat, leaving everyone stunned!

Pei Chongqing followed suit, exclaiming “modern Star of Scholarship,” and went to harvest wheat to calm down too!

Seeing these two acting so unpredictably.

Pei Kaitai tightly grasped Cui Xian’s hand, fearing the young genius might run away, and then excitedly turned to Old Cui, “You must be Cui Xian’s grandmother, right? May I ask if you would be willing to let Xian-Ge’er come to our Pei Family clan school to begin formal studies?”

“Rest assured, we will provide him with the best education!”

Hearing this, Old Cui couldn’t hold back any longer, tears streaming down her face in excitement.

Oh heavens!

She had hoped for so many years, and finally, a Star of Scholarship had come to the Cui family!

And this astounding scene was one that the people of Hexi Village remembered for many years.

That hot summer day.

Two Provincial Graduate Lords and a Scholar Candidate stood excitedly on the field path, telling the eight-year-old Xian-Ge’er of the Cui family:

This child is undoubtedly the modern Star of Scholarship!