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

As the wine jug swayed and swirled, the students from Yingtian Prefecture were mired in deep confusion. "Grain Rain..." they muttered to themselves, their brows furrowed as they pondered: Was this title about the solar term itself, or about the agricultural activities during Grain Rain? Or perhaps about the flood prevention and disaster relief associated with it? For a moment, their thoughts were swirling, unable to make a decision.

Several students passed by the jug, still unsure how to address this dilemma. Time ticked by, until the jug finally and slowly made its way to Liao Xinyin. Without hesitation, he picked up the glass, paused for a moment, and then slowly chanted: "The Grain Rain season has arrived, and the busy farming season is here. Spring rain moistens the earth, sowing the seeds of hope."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur broke out in the crowd. Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, is Liao Xinyin actually from a peasant family? He knows so much about farming!" Then another voice chimed in, "That's right! A farmer's son actually dares to sit in this hall with us. How can he possibly deserve it?" Someone else, unabashedly mocking, sneered, "Although the scholar-farmer, artisan, and merchant classes each have their own affiliations, these positions are nothing compared to us aristocratic families."

Faced with the crowd's sneers and ridicule, Liao Xinyin's face instantly turned red. He lowered his head, not daring to meet their gazes. He looked so ashamed that he almost wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground. At this moment, Tang Qi, who had been silent until then, suddenly stood up and shouted, "If it weren't for the farmers' hard work and dedication, what would you eat and wear? Is there anything in this world that isn't achieved through the farmers' tireless efforts?"

However, the man who had spoken rudely just now retorted with his neck stiffened: "Hmph, I have plenty of money, I can spend it to buy it!" As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall.

"Money? What if they don't want to sell it?" Tang Qi frowned and asked in confusion.

"However, in years of famine, it was the peasants who died. I have never heard of aristocratic families, nobles, or merchants starving to death." Some people said that Tang Qi was well aware of the gap between social classes. In such difficult times, it was always the people at the bottom who suffered. But what this student said was the truth. The farmers' harvests were suppressed by the merchants and sold at extremely low prices, so they lived in hardship.

Tang Qi and the others had come to the Heavenly Book Mansion prepared. Even if they could make a coherent argument, the other party would likely resort to various evasive arguments. To convince them, they needed to present convincing, impeccable arguments. However, just as the situation reached a stalemate, something unexpected happened.

Liao Xinyin slowly stood up, a scornful smile on his face, and said loudly: "Funny! It's really ridiculous!" Everyone thought that he was ashamed of being speechless, but they didn't expect that he had been trying hard to hold back his laughter.

Liao Xinyin then began to recount the story of the founding emperor of the State of Zhao. He, too, came from a peasant family. Unable to endure the brutal exploitation and oppression of the previous rulers, he resolutely launched a peasant uprising. After countless bloody battles, he ultimately triumphed, ascended the throne, and founded a new dynasty.

When Liao Xinyin finished his story, the entire place fell silent. Everyone present was so shocked by what he had said that for a moment no one dared to refute him. After all, with this historical fact before their eyes, who could easily deny it?

Then, a series of complex and thorny challenges emerged. However, these challenges did not faze the talented Tang Qi and the students from Yingtian Prefecture. With their vast knowledge, agile thinking, and exceptional wisdom, they overcame each challenge one by one. Solving each challenge was a fierce intellectual battle, with both sides going back and forth, refusing to yield, and ultimately each side emerged victorious.

As time went on, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. At some point, everyone stopped focusing on the questions and instead picked up their glasses, drinking heartily. Perhaps it was the excitement, or perhaps a desire to compete, but this originally poetic and elegant Qushui Liushang event suddenly turned into a drinking contest.

As they drank glass after glass of wine, many began to show signs of intoxication. Some had fuzzy eyes and slurred speech, while others simply slumped over the table, snoring. Despite this, everyone remained in high spirits and continued to drink.

Just when everyone thought the event was about to end in a drunken haze, a surprising twist occurred—a brand new game session awaited everyone! This sudden news instantly ignited the enthusiasm of everyone present, and those who had been feeling a little drowsy immediately perked up, rubbing their hands in anticipation of the new challenge.

You know, the six essential skills for a gentleman—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics—all have a systematic and rigorous curriculum at the Imperial College. However, Liao Xinyin had only been enrolled for a year and was still in the initial stages of mastering these skills. So, when Tang Qi heard that there might be competitions in these areas, he couldn't help but feel a sense of worry, fearing that Liao Xinyin would perform poorly.

At that moment, a striking figure slowly stood up—it was the dean of Yingtian Academy! He glanced around with a piercing gaze, then announced in a resounding voice, "This year, let's have a unique competition!" Upon hearing this, everyone present began to whisper, curious about what kind of novel competition this would be.

The dean then continued, "You may not be aware that bandits have been rampant in the Wutai Mountains outside Yingtian Prefecture lately, causing great distress to the local people. Our spies report that these bandits are numerous, numbering approximately 600. In previous exchanges and learning sessions, we typically faced three rounds of challenges in various formats. This time, in addition to the traditional Qushui Liushang (Shang-Shang), the final victory will be determined by the number of bandits you strangle or capture!"

As soon as the dean finished speaking, the whole audience erupted in excitement. Some were excited and eager to try, while others looked hesitant and worried. But regardless, this unique competition rule undoubtedly gave everyone an unprecedented sense of excitement and challenge.