Qining sighed: "If I don't want it, can I not go in?"
Before the man could speak, someone from behind urged him: "You don't want me to take it. The Jinghua Book Club is the largest literary event in our country, and not everyone can enter." He threw it into the wooden box in a cool manner. With a broken piece of silver, he reached out to take the number plate and quickly entered the academy.
Qi Ning couldn't help but said: "Look at these pieces of silver, the smallest one only has two taels. Could it be that the lunch in your academy is delicacies from all over the world?"
"I asked you why you are such a verbose person." The man at the table said angrily: "There are only 700 number plates in total. After the number plates are distributed, you will not be able to get in even if you have gold and silver." He waved his hand and said: " You stand aside first and don’t block other people’s way.”
Qi Ning frowned slightly, but at this moment, he heard a voice saying: "Hey, Lord Marquis, why are you here?" A person came gracefully, Qi Ning looked up, saw the person clearly, and smiled: " Mr. Yuan is here early." However, he discovered that the person who came was suddenly Mr. Yuan Rong from the Office of the Minister of Rites.
Qi Ning has been busy with a lot of things recently, but he hasn't seen Yuan Rong for quite some time.
However, when the three people sitting behind the table saw Yuan Rong, they immediately stood up, bowed their hands and said, "Young Master Yuan!"
Yuan Rong is a very smart man. When he saw Qi Ning standing on the side, he immediately understood something and frowned: "Were you the ones stopping Mr. Hou from entering?"
"Master Hou...!" Not only those three people, but also the scholars behind who had not entered the academy were also stunned.
Yuan Rong sneered and said: "You are really blind. This is the Marquis in Jinyi. How dare you block the Marquis from the door?" He stepped forward and took Qining's arm, and said with a smile: "Let's go in first."
Everyone looked at each other, dumbfounded.
"Are you going to pay a private visit incognito?" After entering the academy, Yuan Rong was very familiar with Longchi Academy. He looked at Qining and said with a smile, "Why do you have the nerve to come to the book club?"
When Qi Ning came today, he naturally didn't wear rich clothes and jade belt. He represented Qionglin Academy, so he wore more ordinary clothes. He didn't answer and asked, "Can you see that wooden box just now?"
"You mean the dining table donation?" Yuan Rong said with a smile: "You didn't participate in these things before, no wonder you didn't know that this dining table donation has been around for many years."
"Dangtang Academy is a place where saints and sages are taught. You have to pay money to enter the academy. Don't you think it's awkward?" Qi Ning asked lightly.
Yuan Rong said with a smile: "You don't know something. At the end of every calligraphy competition, the eight major academies will each ask three questions. Those scholars who do not belong to the eight major academies, if they can answer the questions from which academy, they can enter directly. Studying in the Eighth College, you should know the benefits of entering the Eighth College, right?"
Qi Ning shook his head, and Yuan Rong explained: "After entering the Eighth College, you will have the opportunity to participate in the Jinghua Book Club. As long as you have outstanding talents, you can directly enter the court as an official. In addition, the Eighth College conducts a major examination every three years. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Rites, some outstanding students are selected to be included in the official candidate list, and they will eventually become imperial officials. The students in these eight academies are all selected from all over the country. They are the best from all the academies in Dachu. Every year The seats are very limited. It is very difficult to get into the eight major academies. Every year at the Jinghua Book Fair, the eight major academies can provide twenty-four places in total. Do you think these people will grab it?"
Only then did Qi Ning suddenly realize.
It turns out that this group of people came here actively not because they really wanted to see the Book Club Competition, but because they were competing for places in the eight major academies.
Presumably, this is also an ingenious way that the eight major academies came up with in order to increase their influence.
"You need money to buy a license plate to get in. If some people are talented and knowledgeable but don't have money to get started, won't they lose their opportunity?"
Yuan Rong sighed: "There is nothing we can do about it. If he is really talented, the local academies will naturally recommend him to the eight major academies. As you can see, although this Longchi Academy is not small, it cannot accommodate too many people. The number of people who can enter is limited, if there are no rules, this academy will be destroyed."
Qi Ning didn't seem to be too entangled in this matter, and asked: "Eight academies... Well, are all the people from the nine academies here?"
"Nine major academies?" Yuan Rong was startled, then smiled and said: "You mean Qionglin Academy?"
"Yes, the Eight Great Academies plus Qionglin Academy make it the Nine Great Academies."
Yuan Rong laughed and said: "Qionglin Academy is just here to join in the fun. Mr. Zhuo Qingyang is a great scholar of the generation. Jinghua Book Club invites Qionglin Academy just for Mr. Zhuo's face."
"According to what you say, there is not a single student in Qionglin Academy who is truly talented?" Qining asked calmly, with his hands behind his back.
Yuan Rong said with a smile: "Since you know Qionglin Academy, you also know that Qionglin Academy is a home for girls. It's okay to put a needle in their hands to do embroidery and sew clothes. You can give them a needle in their hands." What kind of wonderful articles can a pen really write? There are also many talented women on the Qinhuai River, who are just moaning for no reason, either singing to the wind or pitying the moon." While he was joking, he still looked down upon women to some extent.
When Qi Ning heard him talking about the Qinhuai River, he thought of Zhuo Xian'er for a moment. He didn't know if the heart-thumping woman had returned to the boat. However, although Yuan Rong's tone was contemptuous, Qi Ning Knowing that this book is his true state of mind, as Zhuo Qingyang said, although Qionglin Academy has been established for many years, to this day, it is still not truly accepted by the intellectual class represented by literati.
While talking, the two of them had arrived at the east courtyard of Longchi Academy. Once they entered the courtyard, Qining realized why the book club was held here. The courtyard was indeed extremely spacious, like an open-air square, with tables and chairs arranged in the middle of the venue. , to the south is a long table, which seems to be several tables put together, covered with silk cloth, and there are five chairs behind the table.
Qining took one look and knew that this long table was similar to a podium, where the judges should be seated.
To the left and right of the long table, at an angle of 90 degrees to the rostrum, there are four small cases on each side, and nine futons behind the small cases.
Without Yuan Rong's explanation, Qining knew that it must be the place where the eight major academies sit, but he didn't understand why there were only nine futons in one academy.
Yuan Rong obviously saw Qining's doubts and explained with a smile: "Of the eight major academies, Yunshan Academy, which ranks first, has more than 300 people in total, and Baimen Academy, which has the smallest number of people, has more than 80 people in total. If all the people from the eight major academies come, Longchi Academy will not be able to accommodate them." After a pause, he said: "So each academy selects the eight most powerful students to come to participate in the book party. The seat at the front is , it is the position of the dean of each academy."
Only then did Qi Ning understand.
In addition to the four tables on the left and right of the rostrum, there is also a table opposite the rostrum, with nine futons placed on it. Qining thought for a moment and knew that it was probably the location of Qionglin Academy. This time Since Zhuo Qingyang asked him to come to the Jinghua Book Club, and the futon in the front is Zhuo Qingyang's seat, one of the eight futons in the back should belong to him.
Surrounding the center of the venue, the ground is densely covered with futons. Nearly a thousand futons are arranged in a circle, but they are not messy. Most of the literati who entered the venue earlier have already knelt and sat down according to the corresponding number plates. Although there were many people on the futon, after entering Longchi Academy, everyone was very disciplined and not noisy.
The biggest purpose of these people coming here was to compete for the last twenty-four places, so they tried their best to show an elegant attitude.
In addition to the seven hundred literati from all over the world, the organizers of the calligraphy club also reserved thirty seats for each of the eight major academies. They were all behind their respective academies. There was an empty futon. Qining looked at it and suddenly thought of waiting for him. If I really sit behind Zhuo Qingyang now, then there are almost all girls' houses behind him. The little bit of green among the thousands of flowers must be very conspicuous, and I'm afraid it will be a little embarrassing.
At this moment, someone suddenly heard someone shouting: "Siming Academy is here!"
Qi Ning followed the sound and saw a group of students in long-shirted uniforms not far away, lining up to come here. The first person was holding a white wooden stick with a sign across it that read "Siming Academy". This four-character pen was very powerful and powerful. Under the leadership of the sign holder, thirty or forty people from Siming Academy entered in order.
Qi Ning looked at it and laughed dumbly, thinking that this formation looked a bit like the entrance to the Olympic Games.
After taking his place in Siming Academy, an old man in his sixties sat on the futon next to the desk. Eight of the disciples sat in two rows behind him, and the rest sat on the other side. The futon at the back is equivalent to cheering for the team, and the sign with "Siming Academy" written on it is erected next to the table.
After everyone in Siming Academy took their seats, all the scholars who came to watch immediately stared at this group of people with envy.
After entering the Eight Great Academies, one may not be able to enter the imperial court and become an official in the end, but after all, under the eyes of the emperor, the opportunities are naturally much greater than those of literati outside the capital. Everyone understands the principle of those who are closer to the water, the first to get the better.
Although Yuan Rong is the son of the Minister of Rites, he can only be regarded as a spectator today. However, if a high-ranking official like him wants to watch the book meeting, the academy has naturally already set up a special place, just behind the rostrum. There were about thirty seats. Yuan Rong had not met Qi Ning in recent times. He did not know that Qi Ning was already a teacher at Qionglin Academy. He only thought that Qi Ning came here out of interest and wanted to take Qi Ning with him. After taking his seat, Qi Ning shook his head and only let Yuan Rong go first, not in a hurry to tell the truth.
Next, the major academies came in one after another. After all the eight major academies were seated, Qining saw a group of girls from Qionglin Academy arriving late at the entrance of the academy.
However, Zhuo Qingyang was not seen in front. The person walking in the front was Jiang Suiyun. He was holding the academy nameplate in his hand but did not raise it. When he saw Qi Ning, he frowned at first, but still walked forward and said: " Mr. Qi!"
Today is a book meeting, so Jiang Suiyun simply addressed him as sir.
Qi Ning didn't see Zhuo Qingyang and asked curiously: "Where did Mr. Zhuo go?"
However, Jiang Suiyun had already sent over the academy nameplate in his hand and said: "Sir, I have told you that you will be the leader of Qionglin Academy today." A group of girls from Qionglin Academy looked at Qining with different expressions. There is excitement, but also suspicion, both admiration and apprehension.
"What?" Qining's body trembled, "What do you mean?"
Jiang Suiyun said calmly: "Sir, I will leave the academy to you to lead today. The Jinghua Academy will compete with the eight major academies. It is up to you to arrange the arrangements." He sent the academy sign in his hand this way again, as if holding it This sign was something that made him very embarrassed.