Chapter 16: The Number One Scholar of Jiangnan

Xu Xian stood at the entrance of this ancient version of a university canteen and took a deep breath. The aroma of food filled his nose and mouth, bringing a profound sense of satisfaction. In his past life, a life free from worries about food and clothing hadn't brought him much happiness, but only after losing it did he learn to cherish it!

At that moment, a middle-aged man with a black beard walked into the small canteen. Wherever he went, students bowed and greeted him as "Sir."

The middle-aged man was elegant and refined, with a face like polished jade. He was clearly well-maintained. This was the same teacher who had lectured in class today. Now, he no longer held the solemn and respectful demeanor of the classroom; instead, he wore a slight smile and nodded, displaying an extraordinary aura. He was a famous Great Confucian in Jiangnan, and it was said that in his youth, he held the title of "The Number One Scholar of Jiangnan."

Once Li Siming sat down, his eyes lit up as he spotted Pan Yu standing at the door. He waved his wide sleeves and called out, "Come, come, Pan Yu! You, the 'current' Number One Scholar of Jiangnan, have come to the academy but haven't come to pay your respects to me, the 'former' Number One Scholar. You really don't know the rules."

Pan Yu laughed heartily and said, "This student only knows of the 'Number One'; I know nothing of 'former' or 'current'." As he spoke, he pulled Xu Xian along and sat down at Li Siming's table, clearly very familiar with him.

"The apprentice really has forgotten the master once he's learned the trade. Back then, your teacher used literature to make friends and defeated all heroes to earn that title. It won't be that easy for you to just sit back and relax."

Pan Yu chuckled. "I've heard the stories of your glory days eight hundred times already. Just watch my methods this year and see if I can take the seat of the Number One Scholar of Jiangnan."

"Good, good, good! You have a bit of my boldness from back then. I'll be watching your performance this year." Li Siming said "good" three times in a row, clearly very pleased.

Xu Xian watched with curiosity. Why had Pan Yu, who was usually the epitome of humility, suddenly started talking so big? Moreover, he didn't quite understand what they were talking about. He couldn't help but ask, "Mingyu, is something happening this year?"

Before Pan Yu could respond, Li Siming interjected, "So you're Xu Xian! Fine jade does not associate with common stones. If you lack talent and virtue, you'd better stay away from my disciple, the Number One Scholar of Jiangnan, lest you cause him trouble." Having said that, he took a sip of tea, not even glancing at Xu Xian.

Xu Xian scratched his head. Who was this guy? He looked at Pan Yu apologetically. Just as Pan Yu was about to defend him, Xu Xian turned his head to look at Li Siming with a serious expression. Then, he slowly extended his right hand, suddenly pulled down his lower eyelid, stuck out his tongue, and made a face at Li Siming.

"Pfft! Cough... cough, cough...!" Li Siming sprayed out the tea he hadn't swallowed yet. His face turned red as he choked, coughing incessantly and looking quite disheveled. Everyone in the canteen was drawn by the sound. Xu Xian smiled nonchalantly, signaling to the crowd that it was just an accident.

Since the table was in a corner, only Li Siming and Pan Yu saw Xu Xian's face. Pan Yu rolled her eyes at Xu Xian while patting Li Siming's back, though she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

Li Siming's coughing finally subsided. Pan Yu sat back down and glared at Xu Xian again; she finally understood the meaning behind his look from earlier. She thought to herself: Who said honest people are easy to bully? Here’s one you definitely can’t mess with.

To Xu Xian's surprise, Li Siming, having recovered from the pain of choking on water, laughed and said to Pan Yu, "Good, good, good! It seems I misjudged him. This kid has even more arrogance than you." He then turned to Xu Xian and said, "We're even now. My greatest loathing in life is for those who are cowardly and incompetent. You seem to be alright."

Pan Yu explained from the side, "Hanwen, Mr. Li has another nickname: 'The Mad Scholar.' He has a most unrestrained temperament. What he said just now was just a joke, don't take it to heart."

Xu Xian shrugged to show he didn't mind. Li Siming’s eyes brightened; he found the gesture unique, yet it possessed an indescribable air of nonchalance. He praised, "Not startled by sudden events, not angered by baseless provocations. To have such a temperament at such a young age is rare, truly rare. I was just testing your character earlier, don't mind me." After saying that, he used his tea as wine and toasted himself a cup in apology.

Xu Xian asked curiously, "Testing me? How?"

He muttered to himself: It seems older people love doing this kind of thing! Though, if one really considered his age, Xu Xian—having lived two lives—was nearing forty. However, mental age is closely related to one's environment; without experiencing marriage or parenthood, he didn't quite feel like an "uncle" figure yet.

Li Siming laughed. "If you had flared up in anger and argued back, it would prove you lack poise. If you had endured it silently out of regard for my status, it would prove you are scheming and deep."

Xu Xian was speechless. No matter what he did, he couldn't win. He said bluntly, "What if I had just punched you!"

Li Siming waved a fist and huffed, "Looking at your scrawny limbs, I'm afraid you wouldn't be my match."

Xu Xian turned to Pan Yu and asked, "Mingyu, does Mr. Li have a twin brother or something?" Seeing the erudite Great Confucian turn into an unscrupulous middle-aged man, Xu Xian clearly found the transition a bit hard to take.

Pan Yu simply shook her head with a smile, finding it quite amusing. While Li Siming's playful personality might be common in the modern era, in ancient times—especially among Confucian scholars—he was a rare breed. Even the socially adept Pan Yu often found herself unsure of how to interact with him.

Xu Xian, however, felt like he had met an old friend in a foreign land. Meeting such a modern-feeling ancient person after being a transmigrator for so long was a pleasant surprise, and his speech became increasingly casual.

As for Li Siming, the more they talked, the more pleasantly surprised he became. He would frequently and inadvertently draw out Xu Xian's modern viewpoints, which he found perfectly suited to his own tastes. As they got into the conversation, he even forgot to eat.

Pan Yu watched from the side as the older and younger man conversed with high spirits, occasionally tossing biting sarcasm at one another. At times, they were so acerbic that even Pan Yu frowned secretly, but the two of them brushed it off as if they didn't care at all.

In a group conversation, being the one left out was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Pan Yu looked at the revitalized Mr. Li. She had studied under him since she was a teenager, and she had seen him debate and argue with many, but there were few with whom he conversed so joyfully. Even when he did, it was mostly about the classics, histories, or poetry, not just shooting the breeze like this.

Xu Xian, oh Xu Xian, what kind of person are you, really?

While Pan Yu was still pondering, one person had already decided what kind of person Xu Xian was. Xia Ziqi had been watching them since Xu Xian entered. Seeing him so familiar with Mr. Li, he concluded that Xu Xian must have connections; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so "disrespectful" to the son of a Vice Prefect.

Hmph, he's just a lowly teacher. Does he really think he's some great official? Xia Ziqi sneered in his heart.

Teachers in government academies did have official ranks. Li Siming was a rank seven official, half a rank higher than the Vice Prefect’s rank eight, but he held no real power. Naturally, he didn't command much respect from someone like Xia Ziqi, who came from a powerful family. Although the Vice Prefect’s rank wasn't high, he held the power of oversight; even the Prefect had to show him some respect, let alone a common minor official. Living in such an environment, Xia Ziqi was inevitably arrogant. Having been teased by Xu Xian earlier, he felt he had suffered a great insult and would certainly not let the matter drop.

Xu Xian suddenly remembered the discussion between Li Siming and Pan Yu and asked again, "What was that about the literary competition and the 'Number One Scholar of Jiangnan'?"

Pan Yu thought for a moment and said, "It is a grand event for the scholars of Jiangnan, held once every three years. Led by Jintian Academy, it gathers learned men from all the major academies in Jiangnan to compete in literature and poetry by the shores of the West Lake. If one can suppress all other scholars, they earn the title of the Number One Scholar of Jiangnan. Although it's just a popular nickname, the major academies take it very seriously. Mr. Li once debated a crowd of scholars and was the Number One Scholar of Jiangnan for the previous generation. Because it always begins during the First Snow Festival, this grand gathering is also called the First Snow Trial!"

Xu Xian glanced at Li Siming and asked, "Can old guys like him participate too?" Since Pan Yu called him the scholar of the "previous generation," shouldn't there be a new Number One Scholar every time the competition was held?

Pan Yu ignored Li Siming’s strong dissatisfaction and explained with a smile, "Winning first place in this competition doesn't necessarily make one the 'Number One Scholar of Jiangnan.' It has been a long time since a so-called Number One Scholar has emerged."

Xu Xian immediately understood. "Suppressing" the crowd didn't just mean being first; it meant holding an absolute, overwhelming advantage. It was like those top students back in high school who would take the top spot in every exam with a terrifying lead of dozens of points over second place. In a high-pressure environment where everyone was working themselves to death, such a gap was inconceivable. Only a person like that could be the "Number One Scholar of Jiangnan"!

Xu Xian looked at Li Siming in surprise. He hadn't expected this unscrupulous "uncle" to have such strength. But thinking back to the level of his lecture earlier, he did indeed have true talent, and Xu Xian couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration.

Li Siming basked in Xu Xian's admiring gaze, feeling great. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "That's all in the past. This year, I believe Pan Yu will definitely be able to take the crown," showing immense confidence in Pan Yu.

"True. The new waves of the Yangtze push the old; the old waves die on the shore. Since you're on your way out, it's natural you'd say kind words. I should focus more on Mingyu!" Xu Xian sighed, immediately ruining Mr. Li's good mood.

Pan Yu burst out laughing. "What 'dying on the shore'? Hanwen, don't talk nonsense." Her peerless face was like snow melting in spring, like a thousand flowers blooming at once. Xu Xian hadn't expected a common witty remark from the modern era to elicit such a sight. He was dazed for a moment and murmured, "If only you really were Zhu Yingtai!"

He immediately snapped out of it and chanted in his head ten times: I'm not gay, I'm not gay. Then he said to himself seriously: Xu Xian, you must be loyal to your future My Lady. You cannot lose yourself to the charms of a man!