Chapter 311: Chapter 205_2
"Whether or not I insulted you depends on your ability to get into the Imperial College." Zheng Rang intentionally provoked Zheng Qian, "You read so inconsistently, I’m really worried you won’t make it into the Imperial College."
"Big brother, you’re insulting me!" Zheng Qian knew his big brother was using provocation tactics on him, but he couldn’t help but fall for it, "How could I not get into the Imperial College?!"
Seeing their younger brother falling for it, a flash of amusement appeared in the eyes of Zheng Rang and Zheng Cheng, although they didn’t show it.
"Then take the exam and show us." Zheng Rang continued to provoke Zheng Qian, "If you don’t pass, we’ll laugh at you for a lifetime!"
Zheng Qian coldly replied, "I won’t let you laugh at me!"
Zheng Cheng gently patted Zheng Qian on the shoulder and warmly said, "Stay home and study well for the next few days, then go and take the exam at the Imperial College."
"Before taking the exam, I want to visit the Imperial College first." Zheng Qian wasn’t foolish enough to fall for his two brothers’ tricks, "I want to see for myself if there is anyone smarter than me there. If not, I won’t study at the Imperial College."
Hearing Zheng Qian say this, Zheng Rang and Zheng Cheng inwardly shouted, "Oops."
"Little brother, you’re not planning to cause trouble at the Imperial College, are you?" Zheng Rang thought of how Zheng Qian used to stir up trouble at academies back home.
In Zheng Xilin’s hometown, there were many good academies, and they had produced a number of talented scholars. Many scholars were quite accomplished, yet Zheng Qian severely humiliated them.
Back then, Zheng Qian was still young, only about seven or eight, challenging one academy after another, and all those academies’ students lost to him miserably.
After beating those students, he even mocked them as being mediocre, and this infuriated them.
These students banded together to seek revenge against Zheng Qian, competing in poetry, essays, and arts, yet all lost to him.
In addition to local scholars, students from nearby regions also came to challenge Zheng Qian, yet unsurprisingly, they lost terribly. From then on, students revered Zheng Qian completely.
Local scholars would come to challenge Zheng Qian periodically, and these contests were grand events, a major local festival of sorts.
Zheng Qian, having nothing better to do, played along with these scholars. Because of him, the local students were greatly inspired. They studied hard just to defeat Zheng Qian.
In Zheng Xilin’s hometown and the surrounding areas, Zheng Qian was very well-known; no one didn’t know him.
Toward Zheng Qian, they truly had mixed feelings of love and hate.
When they learned Zheng Qian was going to the capital, they felt both happy and reluctant. Happy because this "monster" was finally leaving, so they wouldn’t have to endure his "bullying" anymore. Reluctant because with him gone, no one would motivate them anymore.
However, many hoped Zheng Qian would never return once he went to the capital; they didn’t want to be tormented anymore.
Zheng Cheng slightly twitched his mouth and asked, "Little brother, are you planning to go around challenging academies like you did back home?"
Zheng Qian beamed widely at his two brothers, "That’s right, that’s exactly my plan!"
Zheng Rang and Zheng Cheng were aghast!
As expected!
"Little brother, there are many famous academies in the capital..."
Zheng Qian interrupted Zheng Rang, "Perfect, it will let me see how smart the scholars in the capital really are."
"Little brother, that’s not what I meant." Zheng Rang held his forehead, feeling quite the headache, "Little brother, you should know that most people in the capital are powerful and influential, right?"
Zheng Qian raised an eyebrow at Zheng Rang, "So?"
"Most of the scholars in the capital’s academies are either rich or noble, they’re not people we can afford to offend." Thinking about how his little brother was prone to causing trouble, Zheng Rang suddenly felt ten years older, "The capital is not our hometown. At home, people won’t trouble you out of respect for father, but in the capital, no one will spare you because of him either."
Zheng Cheng followed up Zheng Rang’s words, "Father has been out of the capital for over ten years; he’s not the Grand Commandant he used to be. People in the capital won’t let you off out of face for him."
Zheng Qian hadn’t considered this, being used to flaunting his prowess back home.
"If you offend the wrong people, no one can save you." Back home, they could always clean up after the little brother’s mess, but in the capital, they couldn’t. "There are many powerful families in the capital. If you anger one of them, your second brother and I won’t be able to save you. Even if father were here, he wouldn’t be able to help you. Do you understand?"