Chapter 19 Lost the Competition
After Deng Ziqiu returned to Class Xuan, he excitedly shared with his classmates what he had seen and heard in Class Huang, focusing on the talents and extraordinary performances of Jiang Zhiyu and the other nine students.
"You don't know," Deng Ziqiu said excitedly, "what I saw in Class Huang! Jiang Zhiyu is simply a miracle! Her intelligence and talent make me feel ashamed. And there are also nine people, Liu Mengmeng, Qi Zimo, Xiao Wen, Zhang Anjie, Zou Ting, Liao Zhen, Xu Guokun, Hu Jiahong, and Kang Yining. Their talents are also top-notch in the Imperial College!"
The classmates were all surprised. They asked curiously, "Zi Qiu, how outstanding are the talents of these people you mentioned?"
Deng Ziqiu said mysteriously: "You will know at the Talent Conference."
Sure enough, not long after that, the Imperial College held a talent conference in the Imperial College garden and invited outstanding students from each class to showcase their talents.
Deng Ziqiu and other Xuanban disciples went to watch with great interest.
The chrysanthemums in the garden are in full bloom, and the golden sea of flowers sets off these young faces, making them look even more dazzling.
First is Liu Mengmeng. She is standing in the sea of flowers, with a confident glow on her beautiful face.
She opened her mouth slowly and recited a poem about chrysanthemums: "The autumn chrysanthemums stand proudly in the frost and snow, dancing independently in the wind. They are not afraid of the severe cold, and their fragrance fills the garden." Her voice was like the sound of nature, which made people admire her.
Next was Qi Zimo, who picked up a brush and painted freely on the white paper, creating a chrysanthemum garden. The chrysanthemums in the painting were in full bloom, colorful, as if they were really blooming in the garden.
Xiao Wen gently stroked the strings of the zither, and the melodious sound echoed in the garden, complementing the fragrance of chrysanthemums. The sound of the zither and the fragrance of the flowers intertwined, making people intoxicated.
Zhang Anjie stepped forward and started a debate with the crowd. His sharp words and quick thinking left the other party powerless to refute. Everyone cheered for him.
Zou Ting took out a medical book and explained it to everyone. His medical skills were amazing, and it was no exaggeration to say that he was the reincarnation of Hua Tuo.
Liao Zhen demonstrated his martial arts skills with a set of sword techniques that were so smooth and flowing that it stunned everyone.
Xu Guokun talked about his domestic policy strategies, and everyone was amazed after listening to him. They believed that he would become a pillar of our dynasty in the future.
Hu Jiahong took out a copy of "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" and began to explain the algorithm. His algorithm was so ingenious that it made people sigh.
The last one was Kang Yining. He took out a wooden box and pressed it lightly. The box started to work. Sawdust flew around, and soon, a delicate wooden chrysanthemum garden appeared in front of everyone.
Seeing them, Deng Ziqiu was filled with pride, and thought proudly: "The Imperial Academy of our dynasty has trained such outstanding disciples, who will surely make great contributions to the development of our country in the future!"
After the Talent Conference, Deng Ziqiu and other Xuanban disciples expressed their desire to learn from Jiang Zhiyu and the other nine talents and work hard to improve their talents. Therefore, they decided to set up a mutual aid group to encourage each other and make progress together.
Deng Ziqiu became closer and closer to the students in Huang's class, and their relationship was extraordinary.
When Xiang Tiange saw this scene, his heart was filled with malice.
"I'm in a bad mood today, so I might as well vent my anger on this kid!" Xiang Tiange thought.
Deng Ziqiu was discussing academic matters with students from Class Huang when he suddenly saw Xiang Tiange coming over. His expression immediately turned a little ugly.
"Brother Xiang, what can I do for you?" Deng Ziqiu asked with forced calmness.
"Humph! Deng Ziqiu, do you think setting up a mutual aid group is a big deal?" Xiang Tiange sneered, "Don't forget, you are no match for me in this Imperial College."
Deng Ziqiu's heart tightened when he heard this, he knew Xiang Tiange was telling the truth.
Although they encourage each other and make progress together in the mutual aid group, Xiang Tiange's talent cannot be underestimated.
"Brother Xiang, we are all working hard for the prosperity of our dynasty. Why should we attack each other?" Deng Ziqiu tried to ease the atmosphere.
"The prosperity of our country? Haha, what contribution do you think your mutual aid group can make to our country?" Xiang Tiange smiled disdainfully.
The students in Class 4 of Xuanzi saw this and stood up for Deng Ziqiu: "Xiang Tiange, don't go too far!"
"That's right. Our mutual aid group is for mutual progress. What qualifications do you have to laugh at us?"
Xiang Tiange widened his eyes and sneered: "Do you think that you are the only ones who can contribute to our dynasty? If I, Xiang Tiange, am willing, I will definitely become a pillar of our dynasty in the future!"
Deng Ziqiu saw this and came up with an idea. He walked up to Xiang Tiange and said, "Brother Xiang, since you are so confident, why don't we have a competition?"
Xiang Tiange was stunned. He didn't expect Deng Ziqiu to take the initiative to challenge him. He sneered and said, "Okay, I accept your challenge. But what do you want to compete in?"
Deng Ziqiu smiled and said, "Since we are going to compete, let's compete in knowledge. We will each prepare an essay on the topic of national prosperity. Whoever's essay can impress the Imperial College's chief priest more will be the winner."
Xiang Tiange agreed to this proposal, but he didn't agree with it in his heart. He thought that his knowledge and status in the Imperial College were unmatched, and this article was just a piece of cake for him.
So, the two agreed to have a competition in the main hall of the Imperial College five days later.
During these five days, both of them began intensive preparations.
In order to write this policy paper, Deng Ziqiu searched for information everywhere and visited Confucius in search of inspiration.
He knew very well that he was carrying the expectations of the students in Class 4 of Xuanzi and he couldn't let them down.
Xiang Tiange, on the other hand, seemed a little nonchalant, thinking that he could easily win without any effort. He even laughed at Deng Ziqiu's behavior when he was at a party with his friends.
The five-day appointment soon arrived, and the Imperial College's main hall was packed. The Imperial College's chief priest sat on the high hall, looking serious. Students from the Huang class and Xuanzi class 4 came to the main hall one after another, nervously waiting for the competition to begin.
Deng Ziqiu and Xiang Tiange stood on either side of the hall, and the Imperial College Priest announced the start of the competition. They each stepped forward, took out a policy paper from their sleeves, and handed it to the Imperial College Priest.
The Imperial College's chief priest took the essay and began to read it carefully. The atmosphere in the hall became tense, and the students held their breath, waiting for the result.
Soon, the Imperial College's chief priest raised his head, his eyes were sharp, and he looked around at the crowd. He said in a deep voice: "In this competition, Deng Ziqiu's essay impressed me deeply. His essay has clear viewpoints and sufficient arguments, which shows his profound academic foundation."
Upon hearing the result, the students in Class Huang cheered and gave Deng Ziqiu admiring glances. However, Xiang Tiange's face turned pale. He couldn't believe that he actually lost to Deng Ziqiu.
The Imperial Academy's chief priest continued, "Although Xiang Tiange's article has some insights, it is somewhat lacking compared to Deng Ziqiu's. I hope that in the days ahead, you can work harder and improve your knowledge."
Xiang Tiange had no way to refute and could only swallow his anger.
Deng Ziqiu, on the other hand, won the attention and welcome of more classmates through this competition.