Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

Chapter 23 Deer Creek Academy
Just after the Lantern Festival and the snow on the road hadn't melted yet, Gu Yunji bid farewell to his family and set off to report to Luxi Academy in the cold spring.After a long and difficult journey, the gate of the academy is finally in sight.

Luxi Academy is located on the hills in the suburbs of Fufucheng, Hangzhou. The surrounding scenery is quiet and there are few pedestrians. On weekdays, only the clear and crisp calls of birds can be heard.Gu Yunji dragged his luggage and walked heavily on the long bluestone road. From a distance, he saw a young man in hospital uniform walking towards him.

"You should be the junior brother who came to report, right? Come, I'll help you." As he spoke, the young man enthusiastically helped him share the luggage.

Gu Yunji finally breathed a sigh of relief, took out the recommendation letter and handed it to him, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Gu Yunji, a native of Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, what's your name?"

The young man took the letter, read it carefully, and smiled even brighter: "It turns out that I am the grandson of Mr. Gu. You don't have to be so polite. My name is Gao Cheng. How old are you? Just call me Senior Brother Gao. Let's go, let's go!" Advanced Academy."

Gao Cheng talked a lot, and kept chattering with Gu Yunji along the way: "The academy hasn't recruited new students for many years, and I'm almost dying of loneliness. I don't know how many people have been recruited this year. Junior brother Gu, how old are you? How old are you? A scholar?"

"15 years old, oh, how young, I think I was a little older than you when I first entered the academy. The chief of the desk? It's amazing, you have such good grades, and you have a grandfather like Mrs. Gu. In the future, you will definitely The future is endless."

Soon, the two entered the mountain gate, but Gao Cheng kept walking: "Go to the dormitory to put things first, the entrance ceremony is tomorrow."

Gu Yunji couldn't bear his enthusiasm, so he declined, "Senior Brother Gao, I can go by myself later, you can go and do your work."

Gao Cheng didn't care at all: "It's okay, I'm not busy. My task today is to help you new juniors settle down. You are not familiar with this place. I will take you to the dormitory. You are in No. [-] Meizishe. Room, let's go!" After finishing speaking, he didn't care about Gu Yunji, turned around and left with his luggage, Gu Yunji had no choice but to follow.

While walking, Gao Cheng enthusiastically introduced: "There are nine dormitory areas in our academy, which are Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, Xin, Mei, Lan, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum. In Meizishe, we have to go further inside."

"Look, we're here." Walking to Room [-] of Meizishe, Gao Cheng stopped and opened the door to enter, "You are the first one to arrive in your house, and the others haven't come yet."

The dormitory has a lot of space. Three people live in one room. Each of them has a small bedroom of their own. There is also a spacious living room outside, which is the study area and living area shared by the three people. There are simple furniture such as tables and chairs. Generally speaking, the furniture is simple and well-equipped, which is better than Gu Yunji imagined.

Gu Yunji had just put things away in his room when he saw a familiar person walking in from the door.

"It's you? Why are you here?"

Seeing Gu Yunji, Cheng Yan was also taken aback, and soon smiled again: "What a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet Mr. Gu here, let alone we are still in the same dormitory. As for how I got here, I will It’s not like Gu Gongzi has a good grandfather, so he naturally submitted articles to the academy to get in.”

Gu Yunji was stabbed by his words, and immediately choked, not knowing what to say.Cheng Yan also packed his things silently, without taking the initiative to speak.

"Yo, you guys know each other. It's a good relationship. It's more harmonious when we get along like this." Gao Cheng didn't feel the subtle atmosphere at all, and started talking enthusiastically, "Junior Brother Cheng, right? You just said you were yourself. Did you submit an essay to get in? That’s amazing! You must know that the academy accepts essays very strictly, and ordinary people can’t get in!"

"Are you also a scholar who was admitted last year? How many places? Don't you also be the first case?"

Cheng Yan smiled perfunctorily at him: "No, No.2."

Hearing this, Gao Cheng's eyes widened immediately: "You are so good that you come in second? How good is the top case? Why doesn't such a talented person come to our academy? Don't be a hunchback who got into the exam by chance. old man?"

"Old man" Gu Yunji froze immediately, and gave Gao Cheng a hateful look behind his back, but he still didn't speak.

Seeing this, Cheng Yan hid the smile in his eyes and said casually, "Who knows, I haven't seen it either."

The two waited for a while after packing up, but the third person was still missing. Gu Yunji looked at the nameplate with "Su Qi" written on the remaining empty room and asked, "Senior brother Gao, do you know this Su Qi?" ? Why haven't you come to report for so long?"

Gao Cheng said: "That Su Qi is the heir of Duke Ding's family. He has been a demon king since he was a child. He knows everything about eating, drinking, playing, walking birds and fighting crickets, but he doesn't like reading. Duke Ding hates iron for being weak, so he forced him into it. In the academy, Su Qi still refuses to come. I heard that his father broke several sticks but failed to subdue him. I don’t know if he will come or not.”

Cheng Yan asked suspiciously: "I remember Dingguo's family is a family of military generals, why do you have to force your son to study?"

Gao Cheng said: "You don't know that, do you? Although Duke Ding was born as a military general, he admired scholars very much. When he was young, he didn't like to touch books. When he got older, he felt that knowledge was more valuable, so he chased him away. Let his son study, who knows that the son will be as virtuous as he was back then."

As he said that, Gao Cheng expressed emotion: "Speaking of which, although Su Qi doesn't study well, he has a talent for practicing martial arts. He is very good at martial arts at a young age. In my opinion, even if he doesn't study, as long as he joins the army in the future , can still inherit his father's mantle."

Hearing this, Gu Yunji stared at Su Qi's name tag, lost in thought.

Seeing that it was still early, Gao Cheng suggested: "Anyway, there is nothing to do, why don't I take the two juniors to visit the academy? It will help you get used to it sooner."

Hearing this, both Gu Yunji and Cheng Yan nodded, followed him out of the dormitory, and wandered around the academy.

Gao Cheng said as he walked, "We currently have more than [-] students in Luxi Academy, of whom there are about [-] or [-] Juren, and the rest are scholars. It is said that once you enter Luxi Academy, you will be able to step on it with one foot. Entering the officialdom, although this statement is a bit exaggerated, it is not false. You must know that the academy can take more than ten Jinshi exams in each imperial examination, and the admission rate is so high!"

Seventy or eighty candidates can take more than a dozen Jinshi exams, and the admission rate is about one-seventh, which is really high.

Gu Yunji asked: "What about the elimination ratio? There are always people who didn't even pass the exam?"

"Our academy generally doesn't take the initiative to expel students." Looking at the puzzled expressions of the two, Gao Cheng smiled complacently, "This is the genius of the head of the mountain. Although there is no elimination standard in the academy, there is an age limit. First of all, only recruit students." Students under the age of 20, secondly, whether you are a juren or a scholar, once you reach the age of 30, you will all graduate!"

"30 years old? As far as Jinshi is concerned, 30 years old is still very young. Is this limit too strict?"

"Without such strict restrictions, how can there be such a high admission rate?"

As they walked, Gao Cheng pointed to a small house in the northwest corner and said, "Did you see that house? That's the residence of Shanzhang Xu Chengyu and his family. However, his wife died young and his son was an official outside. It should be just him and his daughter."

"Speaking of Shanzhang Xu Chengyu, he is a well-known figure. Although the gentlemen of the academy also have extraordinary backgrounds, whether they are great scholars in the world or officials who have become officials, Xu Shanzhang is different. He is a former official to the first assistant of the cabinet. He has given lectures. It is said that when he was young, he even tugged on the sleeve of the late emperor to speak out!"

Speaking of this, Gao Cheng seemed to have thought of something, turned around and said to the two of them: "I heard that Xu Shanzhang intends to choose one of this batch of newly recruited students as a closed disciple. You can pay attention. Xu Shan There are long disciples all over the world, but there are only a few students who have actually taught them, and they are all important officials in the court now. If he is my teacher, I am afraid that I will wake up laughing from my dream."

The three of them strolled through the academy until the sun set, and then they went back separately.

(End of this chapter)