After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

The morning after watching the dragon boat race, the sun slowly rose, casting a soft glow across the land, bringing a fresh and pleasant air. This morning held special significance for many students, as it was the day the Imperial College's results were announced.

As an institution with a rich history and distinguished reputation, the Imperial College was renowned for its rigorous admissions standards and fair selection process. Unlike other academies, the Imperial College did not simply publish the names and scores of the top 100 admitted students; instead, it publicly disclosed the results of all who took the exam. In other words, regardless of whether a candidate was ultimately admitted or not, their names and scores were posted on the wall for all to see.

A long list of names was posted on the walls of the Imperial College, covering nearly the entire wall. These lists were arranged in chronological order, with the top name and score highlighted in vibrant red, bold font. The top-ranked student was Qi Chenqi, with grades A+ and A in two subjects. The remaining names were written in delicate, regular script, densely filling the walls.

Tang Zichan stood in the crowd, feeling nervous and expectant. He knew his performance on this exam was average, so he decided to start looking for his name in the middle. This position represented his highest possible ranking, but even so, facing tens of thousands of competitors, he felt like just another ordinary candidate.

Just as Tang Zichan was about to search from the middle back, he noticed Tang Qi confidently approaching the first wall. He couldn't help but wonder, was Tang Qi confident he could even make it into the top few? Curious, he decided to follow Tang Qi and see for himself. After all, he couldn't believe that the Duke of Tang's mansion, which had always relied on the power of their family, could actually produce a truly talented person. He himself wasn't particularly talented.

As he approached the first wall, Tang Zichan's heartbeat quickened. He stared intently at the list in front of him, scanning every line. Finally, he saw Tang Qi's name. He was listed on the first wall, scoring "B-Excellent" and "A-Excellent Plus," earning him admission to the Imperial College with an excellent score of 99th.

Tang Zichan widened his eyes and stared at the word "Tang Qi" on the list in astonishment, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

His heart was like a whirlwind of emotions, a medley of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors. He had always harbored prejudice against Tang Qi, a concubine's son, believing him unworthy of studying alongside his legitimate sons. Yet, at this moment, Tang Qi had achieved an excellent score, placing 99th on the exam. This left Tang Zichan both astonished and impressed.

Looking at his own ranking, Tang Zichan ranked 1,234th. However, nearly all of the Duke Tang's children had participated in the exam, including Tang Zigao, Tang Geng, Tang Li, and Tang Jizhi. Surprisingly, aside from Tang Jizhi's 2,309th place, the others were all ranked outside of the 3,000-plus range! Such a result was truly disheartening.

Finally, Tang Zichan carefully counted and found that there were 3908 people taking the exam. He couldn't help but sigh: Although the educational resources of the Tang Guogong Mansion were very superior, their literary talent was indeed not as good as those of the Juren.

In the end, Tang Zichan was lucky enough to become the only one from the Duke Tang Mansion who could enter the Imperial College, and Tang Qi was also successfully selected due to his excellent grades. Therefore, Tang Zichan and Tang Qi would enter the Imperial College together.

The afternoon of the day the notice was posted was the time to register. After entering the Imperial College, one would only have one day off every two weeks, and only then could one go home. Unfortunately, Tang Wenshu was still in class at the academy at that time and was unable to witness Tang Qi's registration.

When they arrived, the teacher who greeted the new students explained, "The exam topic was 'Yangzhou Flood,' and students were asked to write a response plan based on the topic. Unfortunately, only 32 students answered the question correctly, and only 8 were able to propose feasible measures."

Hearing this, Tang Qi couldn't help but be surprised. He had originally thought his grades were pretty good, but now it seemed there was still a huge gap compared to the other outstanding students. As he pondered this, the teacher continued, "Among them, one student performed exceptionally well. Not only did he answer the question correctly, he also proposed a concrete and feasible solution. Therefore, he was awarded the only A-grade."

Tang Qi was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped, and he muttered to himself: "Isn't I ranked 99th? How could this happen? Did I remember it wrong? Or is there something wrong with the list?" After some thought, he suddenly remembered that he only got a B in the first subject, which led to a significant drop in his overall ranking.

Realizing this, Tang Qi sighed deeply. He knew he needed to study harder and improve his abilities and skills. Although this exam was somewhat disappointing, it also made him realize his shortcomings. He was determined to continuously improve himself and strive for better results in his future studies.

When Tang Zideng heard the news, his eyes instantly lit up like two stars, seemingly illuminating the entire world. Tang Qi, the top-place finisher, was from their Tang family. Although their relationship wasn't harmonious, they were still family. At that moment, Tang Zideng felt an indescribable sense of pride and honor. Standing beside Tang Qi, he felt like he was standing on a high stage, radiating a dazzling light. Even his walk became extraordinarily confident, as if each step carried a unique rhythm.

As night fell, Tang Qi lay in his assigned bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He missed Shushu, wondering how she was doing. Thinking of his own merit in getting into the Imperial College, he couldn't help but anticipate Shushu's pride and joy. Amidst endless thoughts, Tang Qi gradually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, at 2:30 AM, a gong suddenly sounded, accompanied by the distinctive droning voice of the academy attendant, calling everyone to get up. A quarter of an hour later, everyone needed to quickly gather in the courtyard. However, to their surprise, they were all going for a morning run! This unexpected arrangement surprised Tang Qi, but he could only run along with everyone else.

After running, it's 2:15 AM, when we begin studying classics like "The Great Learning," "The Doctrine of the Mean," "The Analects of Confucius," and "Mencius." At 7:00 PM, we enjoy a hearty breakfast. This tight yet fulfilling schedule makes one marvel at the rigorous standards and comprehensive training the Imperial College provides its students.

He gently flipped open the ancient yet thick schedule, which was densely packed with records of various courses and study arrangements. Among them, the six arts of a gentleman - etiquette, charioteering, archery, music, calligraphy, and mathematics - each of which was a focus of training at the Imperial College.

The State of Zhao was long acclaimed as a land of propriety, and thus, etiquette was placed at the forefront. This meant that the Imperial College focused on cultivating students' moral character, teaching them how to become ethical and cultured individuals. This education went beyond superficial etiquette and norms, delving deeply into the heart, allowing students to understand the true virtues of a gentleman.

At the same time, military strength was paramount for a nation. Therefore, charioteering and archery became key areas of instruction. Students were trained in skills like horseback riding and archery, which not only strengthened their physical fitness but also cultivated their combat prowess and strategic thinking. As a result, Zhao's students were both skilled in both civil and military matters, becoming the backbone of the nation's development.