Bracelet space through the past and present? Take it

"You're increasing the psychological pressure on my brother and the others!"

Zhou Lingling said righteously and sternly.

"Every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses. I am me, and my brother is my brother. I am just a little clever, but their talent and diligence in studying are beyond my reach."

Old Master Liu raised his eyebrows, glanced at the two obviously nervous teenagers, and drank his tea slowly.

"That's not necessarily true."

This girl is articulate and clear-headed, which shows that she is not stupid.

After a while, Liu Yuanyi came in from the gate of the courtyard with two middle-aged men in Confucian robes.

The two of them glanced at the people standing in the yard, then respectfully bowed to Old Master Liu.

"Dean."

Here, Old Master Liu is not an old minister, nor is he the head of the Liu family. He is just the dean of Mingzhao Academy.

Mr. Liu nodded and said, "Yuan Yi, please show the two gentlemen a seat."

"The scenery in this courtyard is very beautiful. It's a good opportunity for an old man like me to see the strength of the two young friends. You can take the test here."

The two teachers were named Qian and Sun respectively. Both were Juren (a juren) graduates and were old teachers at Mingzhao Academy. The entrance examinations for students were mostly conducted by these two teachers.

On the way here, Liu Yuanyi informed the two gentlemen that two students would be tested today.

Mr. Qian sat on a chair brought by the servant, with a serious face and brows so furrowed that they could kill a few mosquitoes.

He looked at the Zhou family members with a sharp gaze and said, "Dean, the academy has already accepted four students this year, and there is only one spot left."

It is customary for Mingzhao Academy to accept only five students a year. They have four teachers who teach different courses, plus Liu Yuanyi, so each teacher can take care of one student individually.

This one-on-one model has been the tradition and advantage of their academy over the years.

Old Master Liu glanced at the hesitant little girl, shook his head and chuckled, "It's just a convention, not an iron rule. If they have a connection with Mingzhao Academy, what's wrong with making an exception?"

"On the other hand, if you don't have the chance, not to mention one spot, even five spots would be in vain."

Zhou Lingling nodded silently. This old man was reasonable and not old-fashioned at all!

Master Sun also nodded, "That's what the dean said."

The examinations at their Mingzhao Academy are extremely strict. Every year, countless people flock to it, but only a few can pass the examinations.

He looked at everyone in the Zhou family and his eyes fell on Zhou Chi and Zhou Zhuo.

"Are you two going to take the test?"

It must be said that this teacher has a very keen eye.

Zhou Chi and Zhou Zhuo stepped forward and bowed to the two masters.

"Student Zhou Chi (Zhou Zhuo) greets both gentlemen."

Master Sun nodded slightly and exchanged glances with Master Qian. "Well, let's get started!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Zhou Lingling also clenched her fists and silently cheered her brother on.

Zhou Laoer and Zhou Yun stayed at the back the entire time. In this courtyard full of scholars, they always felt a little out of place...

The entrance examination of Mingzhao Academy is neither strict nor simple.

They are inquiry, recitation, random recitation, interpretation and posting characters.

The so-called inquiry means that the teachers who are examining students ask what books they have read before, where they went to school, etc.

Reciting and random reading means that the teacher asks questions and you answer them, or you recite a certain article.

Interpretation means picking out a random sentence and asking you to translate its meaning.

The final step is to see how well the student’s handwriting is.

Master Sun asked, "Where did you two study before? What did you learn?"

Zhou Chi replied, "I have studied for some time with a scholar in Xiliuxiang, and have now completed the Elementary Studies and the Four Books."

Zhou Zhuo said nervously, "I... I have attended the private school in Dayan Village for four years and have completed elementary studies. Of the Four Books, I have only studied The Analects and Mencius."

After they answered, they stood there quietly with their heads down, waiting for the judgment of the two gentlemen.

Little did they know that the two teachers were also surprised.

Master Qian asked, "Zhou Chi, you said you had already learned the Four Books, but you only studied with a scholar for a while?"

Zhou Chi nodded and said, "I dare not lie to you, sir. Since I was eight years old, I have come to stay at my grandparents' house in town for a while every summer. It has been four years now, and the scholar who taught me is actually my grandparents' neighbor."

Master Qian fell silent.

This young man is either gifted or has a smooth tongue, but Master Qian looks at him and thinks it is more like the former.

He immediately asked a few questions, and Zhou Chi answered them all fluently.

Master Qian also asked him to recite the chapter "Encouraging Learning" from the Analects of Confucius.

Zhou Chi said without hesitation, "A gentleman says, 'Learning should never stop.' Blue is derived from indigo, but it is bluer than indigo. Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water..."

The whole article flows smoothly without any mistakes or omissions.

Zhou Lingling's eyes were full of stars. Her elder brother was so awesome!

You know, what they hated most in the past was memorizing all kinds of ancient Chinese texts. It would take them their lives to memorize an excerpt, but her eldest brother could recite the Four Books by heart!

Zhou Laoer and Zhou Yun also looked at Zhou Chi with admiration. He really is my eldest son (eldest brother), he is so awesome!

Master Qian then asked, "'A gentleman is harmonious but not swayed; he is strong and upright. He is neutral but not biased; he is strong and upright. If a country is ruled by the right way, he will not change or resist; he is strong and upright. If a country is ruled by the wrong way, he will not change or resist until his death; he is strong and upright.' What does this mean?"

Zhou Chi replied: "People with noble character are docile and unyielding, remain neutral and impartial, do not change their aspirations when the country is peaceful, and uphold their integrity when the country is in trouble. They would rather die than change. Only then can they be truly powerful..."

Master Qian was completely silent now. He looked at Zhou Chi with a complicated expression and said his last question:

"Go inside and copy the words you just said and give them to me."

"Yes."

Zhou Chi bowed to the two gentlemen and followed Liu Yuanyi into the house calmly.

Here, Master Sun retracted the surprise in his eyes and looked at Zhou Zhuo.

Seeing Zhou Zhuo's nervousness, Master Sun said, "You not only learned elementary education in the private school in the countryside, but also learned Mencius. That's quite good."

Some people who came to their academy to take the exam even said that they had read the Five Classics, but when they recited them they either stumbled or were confused.

People like Zhou Chi just now are rare.

Master Sun also randomly picked out a few questions to recite. Although Zhou Zhuo was nervous, he answered them all smoothly.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Master Sun suddenly smiled and said, "I see that you have a solid foundation. I'm sure ordinary recitation won't be difficult for you. Let's skip it!"

Zhou Zhuo: "Huh?"

"I don't know what the so-called great spirit in the book means?" asked Master Sun.

Zhou Zhuo was stunned for a moment before answering, "Mencius said: 'It is difficult to explain.' Its spirit is the greatest and most unyielding. If it is nurtured with righteousness and without harm, it will fill the space between heaven and earth. Its spirit is in harmony with righteousness and the Way; without this, one will be discouraged. It is born from the accumulation of righteousness, not something acquired through righteousness. If one's actions do not satisfy one's heart, one will be discouraged. That is why I say that Gaozi never understood righteousness because he excluded it. There must be something to do, but one should not correct it, should not forget it in one's heart, and should not encourage it..."