The next day, it was Mu Hongyue himself who went to pick up Ye Liangyu and bring him into the academy.
Yunhe pushed the wheelchair, and the passing students' gazes kept shifting between Mu Hongyue and Ye Liangyu.
Who was the man sitting in the wheelchair? Why was the academy head walking beside him?
Upon hearing the news, Yang Yanfeng was the first to rush out of the Wenjing Hall. He was finally here.
With Ye Liangyu's talent and learning, he would surely teach the Upper Division. But Song Qiming was in the Inner Division. Where would he go?
Ding Weiyue walked to the doorway, his gaze first hardening slightly as he noticed the wheelchair Ye Liangyu was sitting in. The moment he lowered his head, a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes, vanishing without a trace when he looked up again.
After entering the Wenjing Hall, Mu Hongyue announced before all the instructors, "I presume everyone knows Master Ye. Our academy had to repeatedly urge and invite him before he agreed to come as an instructor. For now, he will teach the Inner Division."
All the teachers' eyes widened in shock.
Teaching the Inner Division? Shouldn't it be the Upper Division?
Which of those present could match this man's scholarly achievements or official rank? Teaching the Inner Division seemed like a demotion. Would Ye Liangyu accept it?
Yet when they looked at Ye Liangyu, they found he showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever; on the contrary, he was smiling.
This was utterly bizarre.
Ding Weiyue clenched his fist, his eyes darkening.
Among all the teachers in the Inner Division, his own talent and status were the highest. If Ye Liangyu came, he would undoubtedly overshadow him.
What should he do?
When Yunhe pushed Ye Liangyu onto the lecture platform, the students of the Inner Division were stunned.
Ji Youming and Hu Fengye, sitting in the front row, exchanged a glance. With him here, whether one went to the Upper Division or not seemed less important.
Song Gaoli and Su Luobai turned their heads and winked at Song Qiming.
Your master is here to back you up. No one would dare bully you now.
Noticing Song Qiming sitting in the last row, an unnoticed spot, Ye Liangyu was already displeased.
He directly had Yunhe push him down from the platform and stopped in the aisle to begin his lecture.
This forced the students in the front rows to keep turning their heads.
Throughout the lesson, Song Qiming received frequent attention from Ye Liangyu. Even the slowest in the room sensed something unusual.
Teacher Ye seemed to favor Song Qiming greatly.
When Song Qiming stood up to answer questions, Teacher Ye's expression remained smiling, in stark contrast to his more neutral demeanor towards others.
After class, Ye Liangyu openly called out to Song Qiming, "Qiming, come out with your teacher for a moment."
The already quiet lecture hall fell so silent that even the sound of breathing vanished.
Someone's book fell to the floor with a 'thud,' the sound striking everyone's hearts and leaving their bodies numb.
After the morning lecture ended, Ding Weiyue came over. His gaze swept coldly over Song Qiming's face as he announced loudly, "Seating will be rearranged according to the rankings of this month's exam, starting from first place. Choose wherever you want to sit."
Watching Ding Weiyue leave with a flick of his sleeve, the displeasure radiating from him was palpable to anyone.
After everyone had chosen their seats, Song Qiming sat in the middle of the third row, while Yan Baoyi moved to a desk by the wall in the fourth row.
Su Luobai leaned to the right, lowering his voice to whisper, "It must have been Teacher Ye who demanded Master Ding change the seating. He was unhappy the moment he entered and saw you in the last row."
After classes ended at noon, Ji Youming pulled Hu Fengye out for a meal.
"Who would have thought Song Qiming is Ye Liangyu's disciple? No wonder his progress has been so miraculous. With a master like that, Song Qiming entering the Upper Division is a certainty."
The corner of Hu Fengye's mouth lifted in a faint smile. "If not for Song Qiming being in the Inner Division, Ye Liangyu probably wouldn't have come to teach there either."
Ji Youming shook his head helplessly. "At the start of the term, all the academy's teachers who visited his home were turned away. Now he's willing to lower his status. Besides Song Qiming, I can't think of any other reason."
He held up three fingers. "Three spots. Wang Rui sits high above like a cloud. You, me, and Song Qiming are competing for two. Who will get them?"
Hu Fengye stabbed his chopsticks through a roast chicken. "We'll each rely on our own abilities. But I know one thing: once Song Qiming passes into the Upper Division, Ye Liangyu will definitely follow."
In the Upper Division lecture hall, the mere ten students instantly erupted upon hearing that the former Vice Censor-in-Chief, a Second-Ranked Palace Graduate placed seventh overall, had gone to teach in the Inner Division.
"Why didn't the Headmaster assign Elder Ye to the Upper Division? Are we less outstanding than the Inner Division students?"
The annual academy exam only allowed three students to advance from the Inner to the Upper Division. Their teaching resources had always been the best. Now that Ye Liangyu had gone to the Inner Division, these proud talents began to feel unsettled.
The lecture hall door was pushed open from outside as Wang Xu walked in. "It's because Elder Ye's disciple is in the Inner Division. That's why he went to teach there."
Everyone was puzzled. "Who? Elder Ye has a disciple?"
Wang Xu had just learned the news from his younger brother Wang Rui. Setting down his book, he said gravely, "It's Song Qiming, this year's top candidate in the academy entrance exam. He just entered the Inner Division a month ago."
He Feixuan, the top student of the Upper Division, asked, "What rank did he get in this month's Inner Division exam?"
Wang Xu shook his head dejectedly, understanding He Feixuan's implication. "Seventh."
The expressions of the Upper Division students darkened like a cloud covering the sun. Only seventh.
Only three students from the Inner Division could enter the Upper Division each year. Song Qiming wasn't even close.
If he couldn't pass the exam, would Elder Ye have to teach in the Inner Division for his entire life?
In just one morning, Song Qiming, at the center of the storm, received friendly treatment from his Inner Division classmates. Even former Outer Division classmates came to discuss essays with him.
Most of these people had previously wanted to stay far away from him, not even exchanging a nod when they met, let alone speaking.
Su Luobai threw an arm around Song Qiming's neck. "Just give them a few perfunctory replies; you don't need to worry about saving their face. No one in the academy dares to offend you now."
Song Qiming turned a page in his book. "I don't plan to engage with them. The most important thing now is the year-end exam. I can't let my teacher stay in the Inner Division with me forever."
Su Luobai shook his head with a sigh. "Only three spots. Wang Rui, Ji Youming, Hu Fengye—they consistently dominate the top three in every exam. Trying to snatch a spot from them is extremely difficult."
Song Qiming looked up, his expression serious and determined, his right fist pressed on the paper. "No matter how difficult, I must fight for it. Studying day and night, enduring hardship—I've never been afraid of that."
Su Luobai pressed his lips together, meeting Song Qiming's eyes. Already ranked seventh and still pushing this hard?
What were ordinary people like them supposed to do? Chase after him by not sleeping all day and night?
That evening, Yan Baoyi slammed a fist onto the desk in Ding Weiyue's home. "Teacher, what should we do now? Just let Song Qiming overshadow me like this?"
Seeing him lose control of his emotions in this furious state irritated Ding Weiyue immensely.
"Right now, it's not just Song Qiming overshadowing you. There are a full eighteen people above you. From now on, don't just fixate on Song Qiming. Pour all your effort into studying. Don't dwell on anything else."
No matter how much the Yan family paid, it wasn't worth opposing Ye Liangyu. He couldn't afford to offend him either.
