Chapter 1780 – Horse Riding
Wei Ci seemed to notice Feng Gui’s concerns and smiled, reassuring him, “All the esteemed scholars have their measures; the exam questions won’t be too difficult for the students.”
Feng Gui forced a smile, but his discomfort only deepened with Wei Ci’s attempt to soothe him. The ones setting the exam questions, particularly Lan Ting, were notorious for their unpredictability.
Feng Gui couldn’t help but worry about the difficulty of the upcoming assessment.
While he was fretting, there were others like his father, Feng Zhen, who seemed oblivious. Feng Zhen was busy munching on snacks, his chatter never ceasing.
Wei Ci, not far away, couldn’t help but feel for Feng Yi, who had his big day today. A little token concern from Feng Zhen would’ve been nice, but he showed no sign of it at all.
With a smirk, Feng Zhen grabbed a handful of raisins from the snack tray, casually stating, “What’s there to worry about? If you don’t pass, just repeat the year and take it again.”
Wei Ci and Feng Gui were taken aback.
Was Feng Zhen serious?
Wei Ci replied, “This is the first edition; it holds significant meaning. If one fails, having to repeat the year and retake the exam could be a hard blow to Rong Li.”
Although the likelihood was slim, what if something unexpected happened—like answering everything wrong?
Feng Zhen tilted his head, thinking seriously, then replied, “If that’s the case, repeating the year might even be a blessing. If he can’t handle such a minor setback, what future can he hope for? Better for him to stay at the Golden Scales Academy, basking in its protection, and be a fool who just memorizes books. Besides, the lady is still expecting; if Rong Li can’t make anything of himself, we can just nurture the next one.”
From a certain perspective, Feng Zhen could be called a small-time fanatic.
He was oddly obsessed and fond of the new kid while losing interest in the established one.
A typical case of “out with the old, in with the new”; how could Feng Yi not be more endearing than a child yet to be born?
As soon as those words left his mouth, Feng Gui noticed his second brother, seated a few spots away, suddenly turn his head, glaring daggers at Feng Zhen.
Feng Gui was stunned, realizing that Feng Zhen’s eldest, Feng Yi, was set to become his second brother’s future son-in-law. If Feng Yi did poorly, it wouldn’t just tarnish Feng Zhen’s reputation but also that of Feng Jin’s. Feng Jin was known to dote on his daughter and wouldn’t tolerate a poor match for her.
Sensing something amiss, Feng Zhen instinctively glanced over, locking eyes with Feng Jin’s venomous gaze.
With an awkward chuckle, he quickly said, “Rong Li is exceptionally talented and takes the assessment seriously. He will definitely be in the top ten!”
Wei Ci, seeing Feng Zhen back down with no spine, couldn’t help but secretly kick him under the table.
Noticing Feng Jin’s gaze intensifying, Feng Zhen grinned widely while internally cursing, wishing he could smack Wei Ci with his shoe.
He unilaterally declared that he was cutting ties with Wei Ci, the friend with a kind face but a wicked heart!
“These children are born at just the right time… though I wonder if that’s a blessing or a curse…”
Just as Feng Zhen finished his “cutting ties” oath, his ears perked up at Xu Ke lamenting to Zhang Ping at the next table.
Zhang Ping chuckled in response, “How could it be a curse?”
Xu Ke replied, “These students are all around seventeen or eighteen; what were we doing at their age?”
Zhang Ping fell into thought, momentarily at a loss for an answer.
When their generation was that age, they were already toiling for their livelihoods and still struggling to study.
Why is it said that education is difficult for the needy?
The precious and profound books are in the hands of the gentry; to study, one must visit them, speak flatteries, and might not even get a glance at a book.
Because the environment is so complicated, they learned early how to leverage their education for their own benefit.
In contrast, the students at the Golden Scales Academy were lucky; sometimes it made them feel envious.
These students spent eleven to twelve years in study, with their greatest worry not being where to find books or how to manage family affairs, but rather how to finish the seemingly endless textbooks and complete the assignments from their teachers. The people they interacted with were primarily classmates and teachers, not having to fret over livelihood, filial piety, or book expenses.
The relative cloistered environment of the academy allowed these students to maintain a certain innocence and simplicity at this age; even if they had schemes, they were straightforward about it, leaving them transparent in the eyes of seasoned schemers.
Recalling his own past, Xu Ke couldn’t help but feel melancholic.
Zhang Ping laughed, “These students may have little cunning, but that doesn’t mean they’re foolish. Once they leave the academy and encounter a broader world, some things they won’t need others to teach them; they’ll pick them up on their own. Xiaoyu needn’t worry about them…”
High emotional intelligence can’t make up for low intelligence, but high intelligence can compensate for low emotional intelligence.
Xu Ke nodded in agreement; there was some truth to Zhang Ping’s words.
As the group conversed quietly, the students taking the assessment began to arrive at the sports field, lining up neatly according to their classes.
The saying “people rely on their attire” isn’t unfounded. Although not every student was exquisitely good-looking, the bookish atmosphere cultivated over years, combined with their blue and white school uniforms featuring wide sleeves, gave them a certain ethereal beauty.
Aesthetic enthusiasts were satisfied.
Due to the numerous subjects being tested, one day wasn’t enough, but Jiang Pengji felt she had ample time and could take it one exam at a time; she wasn’t in a rush.
The first subjects were horse riding and archery, each worth thirty points.
According to protocol, Mr. Yuanjing, Wan Xuan, and Cheng Cheng took turns speaking, with Jiang Pengji concluding the session.
Jiang Pengji didn’t ramble, efficiently addressing the students while each word was filled with unspoken pressure.
Being the first graduation assessment, many heavyweight figures were invited to watch. This was not only a stage to showcase the educational achievements of the Golden Scales Academy but also an opportunity for them to display their own prowess. In such a scenario, performing poorly… well, let’s just say, not ideal…
Cold sweat dripped down Wei Ci and the others.
Was this how you threaten students?
“The military camp atmosphere is already tense; with the Lord saying this, the students must be even more on edge…”
How could they not be tense?
They were in a military training ground, surrounded by nearly ten thousand elite soldiers; the oppressive aura alone was enough to weigh heavily on them, let alone the temporarily erected VIP seating filled with familiar yet unreachable important figures. Not only was Lan Ting present, but also his ministers, renowned scholars, and notable clan leaders. How could they not feel the pressure under such scrutiny?
Feeling the pressure mount was inevitable!!!
In ancient times, the term “horse riding” originally referred to the skill of maneuvering chariots, which was divided into five categories, including the “Chasing Water Melody.” But nowadays, the use of ancient chariots in battle was rather outdated.
