After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Gu Lin looked at Peng Zhizhi, who was laughing incessantly, with a puzzled expression, not understanding why the other party suddenly started laughing.

Peng Zhizhi naturally couldn't tell the truth, so he changed the subject, saying, "I just thought of something funny and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Please don't take offense, Uncle Gu."

Gu Lin was never interested in other people's business. Since Peng Zhizhi had explained, Gu Lin nodded slightly and didn't ask any more questions.

Seeing that he had successfully fooled Uncle Gu, Peng Zhizhi breathed a slight sigh of relief, and he did not behave rudely again on the rest of the journey.

They continued upwards until they finally reached the summit of Mount Baiyuan.

Peng Zhizhi led Gu Lin to the place where the peach blossom banquet was being held. Before entering the garden, Peng Zhizhi instructed Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, they are having a competition. Let's go in quietly and sit in a corner later."

Gu Lin nodded to indicate that he understood.

This is just like when a student is late for class and has to sneak in through the back door. Although Gu Lin had never been late before, he had seen this scene many times, so he was not completely unaware of it.

Following behind Peng Zhizhi, Gu Lin and Peng Zhizhi bypassed the many students and sat down at a table in a corner. Peng Zhizhi sat two seats away from him.

The garden was filled with students dressed in the academy's uniforms. They walked in groups of three or five, some standing under the peach trees reciting poems and composing couplets in front of the bright peach blossoms, some drinking wine and drawing the beautiful spring scenery on paper, and some gathering together to look at a few people standing opposite each other in the middle of the garden, frowning and listening carefully to what they were discussing.

Peng Zhizhi pointed to the middle of the garden and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, look, Brother Zheng is over there."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin immediately looked up in the direction the other person was pointing and indeed saw a familiar figure.

The peach blossoms are in full bloom, a beautiful sight to behold. Amidst the vibrant flowers and verdant willows, Zheng Hao, dressed in a light-colored school uniform, remains unmoved by the springtime atmosphere, his expression indifferent.

The other person was talking to the students of the prefectural school in front of him. No, Gu Lin narrowed his eyes and noticed the clothes worn by the person opposite Zheng Hao. Although they were somewhat similar to the students' uniforms, upon closer inspection, one could see that Zheng Hao's uniform was embroidered with green bamboo, while the person opposite him was embroidered with orchids.

Gu Lin asked Peng Zhizhi, "Those people must be students from Xuzhou Prefectural School, right?"

Peng Zhizi nodded and said, "The students debating with Brother Zheng now are from the top-tier class of Xuzhou Prefectural School. Based on Brother Zheng's knowledge, they are no match for him. Brother Zheng's real opponent is..."

Before Peng Zhizhi could finish speaking, a gentle voice rang out: "Why are you all silent? You raised questions, and your senior brother provided answers. Why are you all remaining silent? Is it because we have misunderstood?"

Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng remained expressionless, but the students of the prefectural school beside them looked troubled.

The interpretation of their statement "Attacking heresies is harmful" has been a difficult problem that has been debated by great Confucian scholars throughout history. Even when a specific interpretation was established in this dynasty, great Confucian scholars from the north and south argued heatedly, and it was not until finally that a conclusion was reached.

Regarding this interpretation, the students of Xuzhou Prefectural School not only provided the official translation of the current dynasty, but also offered their own detailed understanding, which was well-reasoned and supported by evidence, leaving no room for error.

As the gentle voice appeared, Gu Lin saw the crowd that had been gathered in the middle of the garden disperse, and a figure slowly appeared in front of Gu Lin.

For a moment, he was stunned.

Since arriving in this world, Gu Lin has seen many people with outstanding appearances. Among them are the Zhen brothers, who, although brothers, have different temperaments. One is as cold and aloof as jade, while the other is as fiery as the sun. Although Peng Zhizhi is not as good-looking as the two brothers, he is still tall, handsome and dignified.

The closest one is Zheng Hao. Although Gu Lin has never seen what Zheng the hunter and Zheng Hao's mother look like, he has heard Zhao's wife talk about them a few times. They are both outstanding people who are well-known in the area, and Gu Lin believes it based on Zheng Hao's appearance.

In terms of appearance, Zheng Hao far surpasses the others, but the man opposite him is about twenty years old. Compared to the immature youths like Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng, the man's body is gradually maturing, with a strong physique and broad chest, gradually showing the unique charm and temperament of an adult man.

The scene was noisy, and Gu Lin was slightly lost in thought. Apart from the first few words he heard, he couldn't hear any sound from the man's mouth as he opened and closed it.

Peng Zhizhi called him several times.

Gu Lin snapped out of his daze and asked Peng Zhizhi, "Who is the man speaking on the other side?"

Gu Lin had no ulterior motives; it was simply a matter of universal appreciation for beauty and pure curiosity.

Seeing Gu Lin's question, Peng Zhizhi, who had been focused on listening to the man opposite him, did not notice his unusual behavior and said, "That is He Yanzhi, who is known as a child prodigy in Xuzhou Prefecture. He took the imperial examination at the age of twelve and achieved the top three honors. Seven years later, he still has not taken the provincial examination. I heard that he is being pressured by his elders and teachers to temper his character. With such deep thinking, his future is already planned."

After Peng Zhizhi revealed He Yanzhi's achievements, Gu Lin lost interest in listening to what he had to say next.

He looked at the two groups of people locked in a stalemate in the middle of the garden, and a look of worry gradually appeared in his eyes.

Gu Lin turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Zheng Hao, who remained as still as a mountain. The other party's calm and composed demeanor gradually put him at ease.

He believed Zheng Hao wouldn't lose.

Zheng Hao coldly observed the students of Xuzhou Prefectural School in front of him. When dealing with the other students opposite him, Zheng Hao felt no difficulty and easily solved their problems one by one.

But when facing He Yanzhi, Zheng Hao had to admit that, given his current strength, He Yanzhi was a formidable opponent.

Zheng Hao remained unmoved as He Yanzhi calmly and methodically refuted his remarks.

Looking at the other person, who had a gentle smile and a mild and gentlemanly demeanor even when criticizing others' opinions, Zheng Hao thought of the story of the smiling tiger that Uncle Gu had told him when he was a child.

The Smiling Tiger appears kind and friendly, but is cunning and treacherous at heart, making him extremely deceptive. Gu Lin was unaware that young Zheng Hao was similar to the Smiling Tiger and feared that his young son would be deceived and harmed by the Smiling Tiger. He warned him never to befriend the Smiling Tiger.

Zheng Hao's cold gaze softened slightly.

After He Yanzhi finished speaking, he smiled and said, "I would appreciate your guidance."

Zhen Yuan secretly rolled his eyes, pretending to be serious.

Zheng Hao began by saying, “There are many interpretations of ‘Attacking heresies is harmful.’ Zhu Xi regarded heresies as not the way of the sages and believed that studying heretical doctrines would be harmful. This was also recognized by many great Confucian scholars in many dynasties, including the Great Qian Dynasty.”

However, throughout history, many renowned Confucian scholars have offered different interpretations. The most famous is the translation of "攻" as criticism, and "攻乎异端，斯害也已" as meaning that criticizing incorrect statements can eliminate harm. Other interpretations include "attacking opinions different from one's own is dangerous."

"Our dynasty regards Zhu Xi's words as the orthodox interpretation of this sentence, but some dynasties have regarded the second interpretation as the correct one. For example, Emperor Wu of Zhou, who drove out the barbarians and made all sides come to pay tribute, Emperor Wen of Yong, who followed the Huang-Lao philosophy to recuperate and make the granaries full and the people live in peace and prosperity, and Emperor Taizu of our dynasty, in the early days of the founding of the country, also regarded the second interpretation as the correct one, until the reign of the late emperor when Zhu Xi's words were once again regarded as the orthodox interpretation."

Upon hearing this, He Yanzhi smiled gently and asked, "From what Brother Zheng has said, do you support the second theory?"

The whole place fell silent.

Even Peng Zhizhi, who was standing next to Gu Lin, suppressed his smile and gritted his teeth, saying, "That guy surnamed He is really cunning. Is he trying to ruin Brother Zheng by asking such a question in public?"

Although Gu Lin was unfamiliar with the debates between ancient schools of thought, he had heard his teachers say during his modern history studies that the ancients valued doctrines. For example, the interpretation and punctuation of traditional classics like the *Analects* varied across dynasties.

Faced with He Yanzhi's question, if Zheng Hao supported the first explanation, it would be neither good nor bad. However, Zheng Hao had already extended the explanation to the latter two. If he answered the first one, the students of Xuzhou Prefectural School would definitely not let it go.

However, if Zheng Hao supported the latter two viewpoints, unless he decided not to pursue an official career, publicly supporting interpretations of scholarship that were not recognized by the court would be tantamount to ruining his future.

Gu Lin gradually grew anxious, but seeing Zheng Hao in danger, he was completely helpless.

The teachers of the two prefectural schools were also outside the garden, watching the students exchanging ideas. The teacher of Xuzhou Prefectural School said to Zhou Zicheng: "Your prefectural school has produced several more excellent students than before, especially Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng, who are quick-witted and rare talents. If they had not met He Yanzhi from our prefectural school, given time, no one in your prefectural city would have been able to compete with them."

“Yan Zhi has been known as a child prodigy since he was a child. I blame myself for not reminding him before I came. Look at the questions he asked. Even the students of your academy don’t know how to answer them. Let’s go in and stop them from making a scene.”

In contrast to the smugness of the teachers at the Xuzhou Prefectural School, Zhou Zicheng calmly said, "Let's wait a little longer."

At first, the teacher of the Xuzhou Prefectural School thought that the other party was making a last-ditch effort, but when he turned to look in the direction of Zheng Hao and He Yanzhi, he saw the young man who he thought had been rendered speechless by He Yanzhi calmly say: "Based on Zhu Xi's interpretation, firstly, Zhu Xi's interpretation has been recognized by many great Confucian scholars in various dynasties."

Secondly, the late emperor summoned the great scholars of the realm to reinterpret the Four Books and Five Classics in shorter sentences. After careful consideration, the final interpretation of this sentence was based on Zhu Xi's words. However, Emperor Taizu once said, "One should not blindly believe in the opinions of one school of thought. We should learn from the strengths of all schools, taking the essence and discarding the dross, as exemplified by the current emperor's revision and interpretation of Mencius when he was the crown prince."

As soon as Zheng Hao finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

After a moment, a student from the academy whispered, "How dare they utter such words? Aren't they afraid of being condemned by scholars throughout the land?"

A nearby student said, "Zhu Xi's words are the right path. How can we listen to heretical and unorthodox teachings?"

"What you say makes no sense. How can what Brother Zheng says be heretical? Those were also proposed by great Confucian scholars. If we follow your argument, then the second interpretation of Mencius, which His Majesty compiled when he was the Crown Prince, was also heretical when Emperor Taizu was alive and adopted it as the orthodox interpretation?"

A student from the Xuzhou Prefectural School across the way said indignantly, "Shameless scoundrel, all he knows is how to flatter and fawn."

However, other students from the Xuzhou Prefectural School said, "What Zheng Hao said is not without reason. How come I didn't think of that?"

In fact, Zheng Hao's words were not particularly insightful, and many students failed to realize this because their thinking differed from Zheng Hao's.

Zheng Hao was always self-centered, and nothing could shake his ideas. Even after studying the Four Books and Five Classics, Zheng Hao could not feel any reverence for them. Instead, he used them as tools to do his own thing.

However, other students have been taught the teachings of Confucius and Mencius since childhood and have been influenced by Confucianism for more than ten years. They have long regarded the Four Books and Five Classics and the words of great Confucian scholars as treasures and truths, and dare not doubt them in the slightest.

They may have wavered in their youth, unable to understand why some of the words of sages were interpreted in that way, and why there couldn't be other interpretations? But the imperial examination system suffocated them, and for the sake of fame and fortune, they slowly lost their own thoughts and dared not have their own thoughts.

Zhou Zicheng, unusually smiling, said to the teacher of Xuzhou Prefectural School, whose face was not very pleasant, "The students have finished their discussion, let's go in."

He Yanzhi, being a prodigy, would not easily admit defeat when he encountered strong opponents in the past, but Zheng Hao was clearly different from the people he had met before.

He Yanzhi did not continue. He lowered his eyebrows slightly and smiled at Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng, saying, "Thank you both for your guidance today. I feel an instant connection with you both. I hope to have the opportunity to discuss scholarship with you again in the future."

Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng cupped their hands and said, "Your foolish younger brother is also one."

Then, He Yanzhi said to Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng, "Next year, I will be taking the provincial examination. Given your intelligence, I hope that we can take the exam together."

Zhen Yuan rolled his eyes. The provincial examinations were conducted independently in each prefecture, so there was no such thing as a simultaneous examination.

Unlike Zhen Yuan, who showed his emotions outwardly, Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng remained calm and said, "Wishing Brother He all the best in his future endeavors."

He Yanzhi smiled, his gentle brows radiating confidence.

He made no attempt to hide his presence from the audience, telling everyone that He Yan would definitely be among the successful candidates in the provincial examination the following year.

After they finished speaking, He Yanzhi turned and left the garden.

The teachers and students of Xuzhou Prefectural School did not stay either; they bid farewell to Mr. Zhou and left the Peach Blossom Banquet.

As soon as the competition ended, compared to the joy of the other students in the academy, Zheng Hao's emotions were much calmer. He glanced around, as if searching for someone or something.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on something and saw Uncle Gu sitting in the corner near the door.

Zheng Hao walked over. Because of his brilliant performance just now, many people's eyes were focused on him. As he walked towards Gu Lin, Gu Lin clearly felt that more and more eyes were being cast in his direction.

When Zheng Hao came in front of him, before the other party could speak, Gu Lin said, "You did very well just now. I was worried about you from the side, but seeing your calm and composed appearance put my mind at ease."

Zheng Hao relaxed his brows slightly and said, "Uncle Gu, you flatter me. It's just picking up scraps from someone else's work."

"I won't listen. Out of all those scholars here, you're the only one who can parrot what others say. They can't? The fact that you can say it means you've learned it, while they haven't. You're the best one."

Looking at Uncle Gu, whose words carried a hint of evasion, Zheng Hao smiled and said, "Yes, Uncle Gu is right."

Then, Zheng Hao looked around and asked, "Where is Brother Peng? Why is Uncle Gu here all alone?"

Gu Lin explained, "He had a bit of an upset stomach and went to the outhouse."

Zheng Hao nodded, his gaze falling on the food on Uncle Gu's table. Because the seat was located in a corner of the garden, the food on Uncle Gu's table was somewhat perfunctory.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "It's windy at the entrance, Uncle Gu, let's go into the garden to enjoy the flowers."

“Alright, I see the peach blossoms in the garden are in even more bloom. Let’s take a food box and have a picnic while enjoying the flowers,” Gu Lin said, getting up to agree.