I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1523 The lamp burns at midnight, the rooster crows at dawn; this is the time for a man to st

Sun Shan frowned as he finished reading Jing Yang's article.

Honestly, there's nothing particularly outstanding about it. It's not much different from the first article I read; it's still empty and meaningless.

In other words, after more than a year of study, his admiration for knowledge had not improved.

It seems that the tutor the Jing family found is still unreliable, or perhaps he doesn't know where Jing Yang's shortcomings lie, and therefore doesn't provide targeted instruction.

Sun Shan handed the article filled with comments to Jing Yang.

He cut to the chase: "A-Yang, you need to change your tutor."

Jing Yang, pale-faced, asked in shock, "My lord, this...?"

Sun Shan said directly, "This is the first time I've read your article, and this time I've read it again. You haven't improved at all. In other words, you've wasted all your time studying."

It's not that there's no progress; at least the handwriting is much better than the first time.

However, this is only a bonus point, not a required subject.

Upon hearing this, Jingyang's eyes widened, and he stared at Sun Shan in disbelief.

Equally surprised, Wang Jiaxing stared wide-eyed at Sun Shan.

He thought to himself: "Oh dear, my cousin Yang seems really dull. He's studied for an extra year and hasn't made any progress."

Tsk tsk~ It seems he's stuck at the level of a child scholar; dreaming of becoming a scholar is just a pipe dream.

If Sun Shan knew what Wang Jiaxing was thinking, he would definitely roll his eyes.

Because Wang Jiaxing hasn't made much progress either; he only played around at the prefectural school and neglected his studies. If he doesn't work harder, he won't just fail to improve, he might even regress.

Sun Shan continued, “Your biggest problem right now is that your studies aren’t solid. You need to relearn the Four Books and Five Classics. Study them one by one, build a solid foundation, don’t rush, take it slow. Your greatest asset is your youth, it’s okay to enter the market two or three years later.”

Jingyang blushed, overwhelmed with shame: "My lord, I am ashamed."

Sun Shan waved his hand, comforting him, "Don't think like that, everything can start over."

He then added, “To succeed on the path of the imperial examinations, you must master the most basic knowledge and integrate it into your understanding in order to make further progress. Perhaps you didn’t lay a solid foundation from the beginning, which is why it was so difficult later on.”

Find a learned teacher and study diligently. It's not necessarily the best to be a great scholar; what's most needed right now is a teacher with a solid foundation. Be patient, learn little by little, master the basics, and then move on to more advanced topics.

Logically speaking, the tutor the Jing family found must have been highly learned.

Sun Shan wondered if it was because he was too knowledgeable that he couldn't teach Jing Yang, a student with a weak foundation.

Just like elementary school students, the teaching effect of a PhD might be worse than that of an undergraduate.

What Jingyang needs most right now is to weld the foundation firmly.

The learned master may have mistakenly thought that admiration had already skipped this step and directly taught deeper content.

This made it difficult for Jingyang to learn, and he was also confused, ultimately making no progress in his studies.

Sun Shan then casually asked a dozen or so "superficial" questions about the Four Books and Five Classics.

It turned out that Jingyang's words were vague and required prompting before he could answer.

Sun Shan sighed. It was obvious that his basic knowledge was inadequate.

The excuse of being careless or forgetting is just that—an excuse. If you have solid knowledge, you don't need hints.

Wang Jiaxing dared not breathe loudly, trying to remain hidden, but his eyes darted around. One moment he looked at the stern and cold Sun Shan, the next he looked at the drooping head of Jing Yang.

He muttered to himself: "My aunt is unreliable; she won't find a husband."

Didn't Lord Sun say that a student like my cousin Yang doesn't need a great scholar to teach him?

Finding a low-level teacher would be more suitable, especially one who has taught the Four Books and Five Classics for ten or twenty years. That would be most suitable for my cousin Yang.

Wang Jiaxing secretly rejoiced that he had met a good teacher who taught him well from a young age. Later, he met Lord Sun and underwent rigorous training, which led to his instant fame.

Hehe, I'm much luckier than my cousin Yang.

After testing Jingyang's knowledge, Sun Shan said, "Come back to the post station with me later and bring a letter to your grandmother. She knows what to do."

The reason why Aunt Wang was able to have the last laugh was not only due to good luck, but also because she possessed both beauty and wisdom.

Instead of talking to Jingyang, it's better to talk to Granny Wang directly.

Jing Yang looked at Sun Shan nervously and said in a trembling voice, "Sir, this...I..."

Sun Shan patted his shoulder and smiled gently: "Good boy, don't be afraid. This is just the first hurdle on your path to the imperial examinations, nothing to worry about. You will encounter more difficulties in the future, but don't worry about them. Believe in yourself, and you will get through it smoothly."

He paused, then continued, "You are very intelligent, but you have been delayed by various reasons and have taken the wrong path. Now I will point out a new path for you. If you follow the direction I indicate, you will definitely be on the right track."

Pointing to Wang Jiaxing, he said confidently, "Your cousin also went down the wrong path in the imperial examinations before. After my guidance, he took a new path and succeeded."

"Good sir, I may not understand other things, but when it comes to the imperial examinations, none of you know as much as I do. I've come this far through practical experience, so what I say won't be wrong."

Jingyang stared intently at the confident Sun Shan, and for some reason, it was as if a force had been injected into his heart, making him confident as well.

Yes, my cousin used to be a poor student, and his teacher said he would have a hard time passing the imperial examinations.

Since studying under Lord Sun, Cousin Xing seems to have taken a magic pill, his potential has exploded, and he has won a good ranking.

His confidence soared instantly; if his cousin could succeed, he certainly could too.

Wang Jiaxing was so angry upon hearing Sun Shan's words that he vomited blood.

He said he had taken the wrong path and only found the right one after being corrected by Lord Sun.

Bah! He, Wang Jiaxing, has always been on the right path, hasn't he?

Master Sun's teachings were good, but they only bore fruit because of one's own intelligence.

Wang Jiaxing wanted to argue, but Sun Shan was not only an official but also a teacher, so how could a student dare to say no?

After discussing academic matters, Sun Shan asked Jing Yang to introduce the food, drink, and entertainment in Chenzhou Prefecture.

The previous topic was too heavy; we need to lighten the mood.

Of course, the most important thing is to have a good meal before going back.

Such a high-class teahouse is a rare opportunity for Sun Shan. He's reluctant to spend money there. But free teahouses are a different story.

The joy of getting something for free, family members, who understands!

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Jingyang followed Sun Shan back to the post station and wrote a letter for him to take back to his grandmother.

Sister Yun asked in confusion, "Brother Shan, why are you so concerned about Young Master Jing's studies?"

Sun Shan spread his hands and said matter-of-factly, "I care about all the children who love to read. I want any child with even a glimmer of hope to succeed."

Sister Yun believed it.

There's no other reason than that Brother Shan has always liked to teach others.

He used to insist on studying with his older brother when he was a child, and he hasn't changed his nature. He will earnestly persuade students to study whenever he sees them.

They especially believed in the saying, "The lamp burns at midnight and the rooster crows at dawn; this is the time for a man to study."

Not to mention men, even chubby girls are not spared by Brother Shan.