The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class

Chapter 124

After dinner, Zong Jincheng embarked on his writing journey.

It all started when Pan Hongzhi accidentally let something slip. Then, Zong Jincheng went to Zong Wenxiu to borrow money to redeem a jade pendant. After writing a letter to his grandmother and not receiving a reply, he reflected for a while and finally remembered that his birthday was approaching. If his grandparents were to return, it would surely be because of this occasion.

So, he had Shunzi fetch a piece of chili from the kitchen, dabbed a bit under his eyelids, and began his quest for the truth.

Pan Hongzhi, taking deep breaths and pinching the pressure point between his nose and upper lip, forced himself to see things from Zong Jincheng's perspective.

It had to be said, once he put himself in the boy's shoes, he realized just how clever Zong Jincheng was. In his pursuit of the truth, he quickly devised a way to break through the situation and achieved significant progress, skillfully manipulating an adult in the process.

Impressive, truly impressive.

Pan Hongzhi, who had been skillfully manipulated, gritted his teeth and said, "After applying the chili, you could write a couple of sentences about your physical and emotional sensations. It would better highlight your determination."

"That makes sense," Zong Jincheng replied, making some edits and adding a couple of lines.

Shunzi snickered beside him.

He thought to himself that this way, Pan Hongzhi might feel a bit better, as Zong Jincheng had at least invested some effort.

Pan Hongzhi tried to remain calm as he guided Zong Jincheng in his writing. When he saw the last sentence where the young troublemaker described his excitement and happiness, and how he had studied more than usual, he finally thought, "Alright, this is somewhat helpful."

In the main study, Xu Wan was discussing Zong Wenxiu's academic progress with Cheng Zhidong.

Cheng Zhidong said, "Given Wenxiu's current pace, he could even get into the Child Prodigy Class at Hanlin North Academy. That's what Pan Hongzhi said."

"The Child Prodigy Class?" Xu Wan asked.

"Of course," Cheng Zhidong replied with a smile. "The test in three days is a sure thing for Wenxiu. You can rest assured, Madam."

"What about Luo Chen? Can he get in too?" Xu Wan asked again.

The two boys had made a pact that whoever performed better would win. If both of them got in, it would be hard to say who would come out on top.

Cheng Zhidong shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. We haven't seen Luo Chen's papers, so we can't assess his level. As for Qin Shi, I heard Luo Chen barely surpassed him. Their abilities should be similar. If we could get a look at Qin Shi's papers, we might be able to make a rough estimate."

In other words, Zong Wenxiu had surpassed Qin Shi.

"Really? Is my brother really that good now?" Zong Jincheng exclaimed, jumping with excitement.

Zong Wenxiu stood there in shock, unable to believe it. "I've surpassed Qin Shi?"

That was... Qin Ye's older brother...

Pan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍Hongzhi smiled and said, "When I was leaving, Qin Shi told me that he and Luo Chen are about the same level. If you're stronger than him, then defeating Luo Chen shouldn't be a problem."

Zong Wenxiu held Qin Shi's papers, feeling both happy and excited. But then he felt a bit worried. "What about Qin Shi...?" Is he not upset?

Xu Wan patted his shoulder and said, "Don't overthink it. Qin Shi has a strong heart. He knows his own path."

Zong Wenxiu finally relaxed and turned to Zhao Yin. "Then for the next three days, while I review, I'll also practice this formal handwriting. I don't want to lose to Luo Chen in this aspect."

Zhao Yin smiled and said, "I transferred to Hanlin North Academy midway, so I didn't stay long. If you want an expert in teaching this kind of writing, you should ask Pan Hongzhi."

Xu Wan nodded in agreement. "That's true. Then for the next three days, Pan Hongzhi and Zhao Yin can switch roles."

Zhao Yin: "???"

Wait, that's not what I meant!

I curse my mouth for running faster than my brain!!!

Pan Hongzhi's heart was already celebrating with fireworks, bursting in all directions. After a moment, he calmly said, "No problem. I guarantee Wenxiu will master it in three days."

Zhao Yin looked at him with a pained expression, already imagining the man's internal laughter. What a miscalculation! How could he have skipped learning this just because he was a late transfer?

Regret filled his heart...

That night, as Zhao Yin shared a room with Zong Jincheng, he nervously crept over like a kidnapped bride, hesitating to get on the bed for fear of encountering rats or cockroaches.

But after a while, when nothing happened, he remembered Pan Hongzhi saying that Zong Jincheng had never pranked anyone. He patted his chest, calming himself while giving himself a pep talk: "Stay calm, stay calm. There's nothing harder in this world than the imperial exams."