Chapter 602 - 591: I Know
Mr. Zhuang said, "You have always been very proud. When you were in Qili Village, the people you interacted with were all genuine and pure, so in some respects, you inevitably lack experience. For this reason, starting your studies at the academy will be even harder for you than it is for others, especially since you are younger than most of the other students and more likely to draw attention."
Mr. Zhuang wasn’t foolish. Moreover, he was only responsible for three disciples now. Even though Bai Shanbao had been doing very well, his expression still showed a touch of melancholy.
Just yesterday everything was fine, and even this morning when he left the house, he was mostly excited. How could it be that after leaving home for just one day, he came back changed?
He didn’t ask Bai Shanbao what had happened at the academy; instead, he told him, "No matter what happens, as your teacher, my only hope is that you remember you are there to study."
Mr. Zhuang said, "The academy has a big exam every year. As long as your results are good enough, not only can you be in the top class, but you can also go further than your classmates who enrolled in the same year, and even get a spot to take the exam for the Imperial Academy."
Mr. Zhuang stood up and walked to the window, his back to Bai Shanbao, and spoke softly, "In the past two years, there have been very few good students at the academy. Last year, I heard that among the students who went to the capital to take the exam, only two were admitted to the Six Academies. Do you understand what that means?"
Bai Shanbao was a bit startled and asked, "Is Yizhou really that weak, with only two people passing the exam?"
"In past years, from the entire Jiannan region, there should be no fewer than twenty people who pass the exam each year, and at least ten of them would be from Yizhou Prefecture academy..." Mr. Zhuang didn’t finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
Bai Shanbao’s eyes lit up, realizing what this meant.
The fact that the number of admits had suddenly dropped to two, regardless of what the military governor and the Prefecture thought, would definitely be distressing for the academy.
So no matter why he was being targeted, as long as his results were good enough...