roccoschili Chapter 27 The True Colors Are Revealed
Chapter 27 The True Colors Are Revealed
The Great Test of Literature and Morality!
It happens today.
Early in the morning, Tie Poshan personally drove Li Lan and Lin Ruoshi to the examination hall.
As soon as I arrived outside the examination hall, a commotion could be heard.
"Everyone, Li Lan has arrived!"
"That so-called Poet Immortal?"
"What kind of 'Poet Immortal' is he? He's nothing but a fraud and a charlatan!"
Which scholar in the world is not proud and arrogant? It is common for scholars to look down on each other. With the help of someone in the shadows, Li Lan, who married a proud woman from heaven and was also known as the "Poet Immortal", really became the target of everyone's criticism!
In particular, Xu Ruyu and others spread rumors about how Li Lan plagiarized "Spring River Flower Moon Night," and during this period, Li Lan had truly aroused public outrage.
Hearing the curses outside, Li Lan calmly lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out.
Lin Ruoshi felt a chill run down his spine when he saw everyone's gaze.
Lin Ruobing, playing the role of Lin Ruoxue, also came along as the wife. At this moment, she frowned slightly and whispered, "Stay close to me, no one can hurt you."
Li Lan was surprised; this was the first time in all their years of marriage that he had heard Lin Ruobing say something caring to him.
Without any hesitation, he simply extended his right hand and said, "Take my arm."
Lin Ruobing glared at him, secretly biting her little tiger teeth, but still reached out and took Li Lan's arm.
"You are Li Lan?"
"I wonder where you copied your poem 'Spring River Flower Moon Night' from?"
"The name of the Poet Immortal has been widely known for a long time, but unfortunately I have been waiting outside the Lin residence for many days, while you are as cowardly as a mouse and have retreated into hiding!"
Many people came to greet them.
"Brother Xu, it's been a while since we parted ways at Zuiyue Tower. I hope you've been well."
Li Lan smiled slightly and looked directly at Xu Ruyu in the middle of the crowd!
Today, Xu Ruyu was dressed in white, looking elegant and handsome, standing out from the crowd like a star among the crowd.
However, when he met Li Lan's gaze, it flickered slightly. But he gritted his teeth, his face turned cold, and he said, "Li Lan, how dare you bring up the Drunken Moon Pavilion?"
Li Lan smiled and said, "Brother Xu, what makes you say that?"
"Do I need to say more that the Drunken Moon Pavilion plagiarizes other people's poems and deceives the world to steal fame?"
Xu Ruyu pressed on, "Do you dare say that 'Spring River Flower Moon Night' was truly written by yourself?!"
Li Lan showed no anger whatsoever, but instead smiled and said, "You're right, that poem was copied by me."
They admitted it outright!
Immediately, the crowd erupted in uproar.
"Sure enough!"
"Hehe, I knew it! There's no such thing as a genius lying dormant for a day and then suddenly becoming a legend!"
"This kid is truly shameless, plagiarizing other people's poems and yet so arrogantly spouting nonsense!"
Another wave of criticism followed.
Even Lin Ruobing pinched Li Lan's arm, wondering what nonsense he was spouting.
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruyu was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Whom did you copy from?"
That night at Zuiyue Tower, Li Lan's poem "Spring River Flower Moon Night" truly left him utterly powerless, shattering his pride completely!
However, after being persuaded by Mr. Zhu and others, and due to his own unwillingness to admit it and his resentment, he seemed to have forgotten the scene that night and instead felt that Li Lan must have plagiarized.
Hearing Li Lan admit it himself, he felt an overwhelming sense of hope.
Yes, it was Li Lan who copied it!
This useless son-in-law can't possibly defeat me!
He could accept that his talent was not as good as those of the great scholars of his predecessors, but he could not accept being trampled underfoot by another peer!
Li Lan smiled and pointed to the sky: "Celestial Immortals!"
"I, Li, am indeed not talented. Unfortunately, I am extremely lucky. I often dream of immortals bestowing poems upon me..."
He looked relaxed.
"What a madman!"
"Shameless! What are you to dare spout such nonsense?"
"You actually think you can evade the fact of plagiarism with such absurd nonsense?"
The crowd erupted in angry curses.
"If you don't believe me, then forget it. I need to go to the examination hall to sleep so that the immortal can bestow the essay upon me in my dream. I won't waste any more of your time."
After speaking, Li Lan calmly stepped forward and entered the examination room.
"Gentlemen, this boy is arrogant. We will make sure he is utterly disgraced when the results are announced!"
"Yes, it's the crucial exam for literature and scholarship, who else could he possibly copy from?"
"Let's see how he handles this!"
Everyone spoke up and entered the examination room.
Inside the examination room cubicle.
The sealed exam papers were handed out. It was a major exam for literature and art, and all of them were policy essays. Li Lan glanced at them and found that the theme was always the same: On the essentials of governing a country.
This kind of article is very easy to write because everyone has countless ideas.
Such articles are extremely difficult to write because the subject matter is too broad. Without a systematic theory and outstanding viewpoints, they will become utterly commonplace and lose their meaning.
After a moment's thought, Li Lan picked up his pen and began to write.
He was indeed plagiarizing.
Soon, Li Lan was the first to leave the examination room.
Outside the examination hall, people from all the households were waiting, and when Li Lan came out first, it caused a stir.
"Young Master Li, my master invites you."
Just as the Lin family was about to come and pick him up, a servant in blue approached. Li Lan waved to Tie Poshan and walked with the servant to another carriage.
Inside the carriage, a middle-aged man holding a folding fan lifted the curtain and smiled slightly: "Young Master Li Lan, would you mind coming aboard for a chat?"
Li Lan calmly entered the carriage.
The carriage was spacious and had a small table with wine on it, namely Qingyun Brew.
"Mr. Zhu is indeed a man of refined taste and enjoyment."
Li Lan said.
Mr. Zhu was not surprised that Li Lan could guess his identity. He said, "I heard that Young Master Li Lan likes Qingyun wine, so I specially prepared a small amount of wine to celebrate Young Master Li's success in the imperial examination."
He then poured wine for Li Lan.
Li Lan picked up his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and said, "Good wine."
Upon seeing this, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but nod in admiration, saying, "Young Master Li is upright and magnanimous, truly admirable!"
Li Lan had been poisoned before, but when faced with the wine he was offered, he was able to drink it all without any fear. Such courage is rare among ordinary people!
"We have already drunk the wine, and I, Li Lan, fully appreciate Mr. Zhu's kindness."
Li Lan said calmly, "The Lin family only knows how to serve the country with utmost loyalty and never gets involved in other matters. Li Lan also has no intention of relying on others. Therefore, Mr. Zhu, there is no need to bring it up again."
Mr. Zhu was even more surprised and admired him even more, saying, "Young Master Li Lan is indeed extraordinary."
Although Li Lan had already guessed his purpose, he still said:
"I've heard that Lin Ruoxue has no true feelings for Young Master Li Lan. Brother Li, why should you sink into depravity with the Lin family? There are countless beautiful women in the world. With your talent, you have a bright future ahead of you. Why worry about not having a wife!"
Upon hearing this, Li Lan smiled, picked up the wine pot, and poured a cup for Mr. Zhu as well: "What you said is exactly what I wanted to say."
"At this banquet, the distinction between host and guest has not yet been established. With your wisdom, why take your place so early? Besides, a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. With your talent, it would be a pity to be confined to a withered tree."
"Moreover, with your talent, you can roam freely across mountains and rivers, and travel the world freely. Where in the world can't you go? Wouldn't that be a joy? To be willing to work for others for a mere livelihood is nothing but breaking a fragrant orchid and disgracing a pure lotus. What a pity, what a pity!"
After saying that, Li Lan smiled, lifted the curtain, and left.
"gentlemen,"
The coachman spoke up, "This man is disrespectful. Should I kill him now?"
But Mr. Zhu shook his head and said, "No."
He stared at Li Lan's retreating figure, a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "After years of dominating the capital, I find my soulmate here. Heh."
A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes, but it was fleeting. He raised his glass, poured the wine into it towards Li Lan's retreating figure, and then poured it onto the ground.
"We have different paths, and you will eventually die, but... it's a pity you died."
He murmured, drew the curtain, and locked himself in the dark, unlit carriage, saying softly, "Let's go."
……
Three days later.
Results were released in Kyoto.
The top scholar is Li Lan!
The entire city was shaken.
At the same time, Li Lan's article spread throughout Kyoto in an instant—his famous work "Five Vermin" was published, astonishing the world!
Beneath the golden list of successful candidates, countless scholars discussed the matter, and the name Li Lan spread like wildfire throughout the land.
"Five Vermin... How could there be such a great talent in the world!"
"Li Lan's talent... is truly astonishing. If 'Spring River Flower Moon Night' was plagiarized, then where did this article come from?"
"The Five Vermin's masterpiece is worthy of being sung for thousands of years. Li Lan, the top scholar, truly deserves his title!"
This article not only circulated among scholars but also quickly reached the imperial court, where various great Confucian scholars read it and were full of praise!
……
A procession, beating gongs and drums, went straight to the Lin residence to announce the good news.
Everyone in the Lin family was overjoyed.
"My son-in-law has become the top scholar in the imperial examination!"
"That's great, that's great!"
"That's amazing!"
Everyone was overjoyed.
……
Li Lan, however, was reading a book in the pavilion in the back garden when Yue Ran came running in excitedly, saying, "Young Master, that's wonderful! You've become the top scholar! You've become the top scholar!"
Her pretty face was flushed, and she was very excited.
Li Lan smiled and said, "Yueran, come over and give your son-in-law a shoulder massage."
"Young master! What time is it? Everyone outside is waiting for you!"
The moon dyes the road.
"No, it's been a while since I've been able to enjoy Xiaoyue Ran's massage techniques. Give me a massage."
Li Lan lay on the armchair, seemingly indifferent to all the noise outside.
Seeing her son-in-law being so shameless, Yue Ran had no choice but to walk behind him and start massaging him, saying, "Young master, once you become the top scholar, you can become an official. You've finally accomplished what your father has always wanted..."
"Miss should be happier. Although she gave up martial arts, being the wife of a top scholar is still quite prestigious."
Li Lan simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
He closed his eyes to rest, as if enjoying the last moments of bliss.
"Secret Intelligence Division on duty! Where is Li Lan?!"
"Li Lan colluded with examiner Cen Jingchi to cheat in the examination and steal the honors. We are now ordered to arrest Li Lan. All bystanders, get out of the way!"
A loud roar resounded, shaking the entire Lin family mansion.
Yue Ran, who was massaging Li Lan, was suddenly startled and exclaimed incredulously, "What?!"
Li Lan slowly opened his eyes, smiled, and said, "Alright."
He stood up, looked at Yue Ran whose pretty face had turned pale, and said gently, "Young master, come back in a while. In the meantime, study the Four Pillars of Destiny accounting method carefully. I will test you when I come back."
After saying that, Li Lan walked straight out.
……
The main hall of the Lin family residence.
The procession that came to deliver the good news was stunned when they saw the secret service agents who had suddenly arrived.
Lin Zheng, Xu Yanrong, Lin Ruobing, and the others frowned deeply, their expressions changing drastically!
Outside the Lin residence, countless onlookers erupted in a frenzy upon hearing the news!
……
In an instant, Kyoto was in an uproar!
……