He Is William Wang Jinling, Incomparably Brilliant

A prodigy, elegant and young, carefree and above it all, untouched by the ranks of officials.

Jixia Academy’s entrance standards are notoriously strict. To become a student there, you need not only exceptional talent, but also unimpeachable character. In its centuries of history, Jixia has never admitted a student with a disability like William Wang Jinling’s eye condition…

There have always been disabled students of great talent, but Jixia Academy has never accepted them. In fact, even those with fierce or unpleasant looks are refused admission.

It’s not that Jixia Academy judges solely by appearances, but physical bearing is one of the requirements for entering officialdom. Jixia’s standard is simply dignified, proper features—not necessarily handsome, but at least presentable.

William Wang Jinling’s blindness should have disqualified him at the very first stage. But Old Master Wang found a clever loophole: Jixia Academy doesn’t require applicants to declare their disabilities, so he simply sent William to register and take the entrance exam without mentioning it.

William Wang Jinling cannot see, but his eyes are lively and expressive. Decades spent in darkness have made him fully accustomed to it; in daily life and conversation, his blindness hardly affects him at all. Unless you look closely, you’d never guess he can’t see…

Most importantly, with such natural grace and talent, no one would believe—or even want to believe—that he is blind.

The Wang family didn’t hide anything. If the staff at Jixia Academy couldn’t see that their Grand Heir had an eye condition, how is that the Wang clan’s fault?

William Wang Jinling passed Jixia Academy’s exam with ease. Walking among the new students—just ten years old—he was dazzling. Everyone who passed by couldn’t help but look at him; some even stopped just to admire his presence…

William cannot see, but that doesn’t mean he’s unaware of the world around him. He knows many people are ‘watching’ him—but what does that have to do with him?

William Wang Jinling is utterly unaffected by others. His steps are calm and steady, his expression always light and breezy. Even at such a young age, he already has the air of a true gentleman—everyone can’t help but focus on him…

“This boy is extraordinary. I admire him,” said several Great Scholars at Jixia Academy, their eyes shining with delight at the scene.

Call them shallow or obsessed with appearances if you like, but the truth is, anyone facing a dignified, striking young man will always steal a few glances, maybe even feel a bit of fondness…

But what these Great Scholars value most isn’t just William’s looks—it’s his poise and natural brilliance.

With just a glance, the Great Scholars know: William’s bearing and brilliance couldn’t have come from an ordinary family, nor from a child who’s barely literate…

A person steeped in literature naturally exudes a scholarly aura. Years immersed in books set him apart from ordinary people. And William isn’t just dignified—he’s strikingly handsome, with a refined grace that radiates from his very bones. If these Great Scholars didn’t notice him, that would be truly strange.

“Who is that young man?” William doesn’t realize that several Great Scholars are already asking about his identity, planning to test him. If his talent matches his bearing, they wouldn’t hesitate to take such an outstanding youth as a personal disciple.

Being a Great Scholar’s personal disciple is nothing like being an ordinary student at Jixia Academy.

Jixia Academy admits around a hundred students each year, but only one or two are ever chosen as personal disciples by a Great Scholar. You can imagine how strict their standards are.

It’s not hard to find out who William is. Soon, the Great Scholars learn that this remarkable youth is the Wang clan’s eldest legitimate son—the future head of House Wang.

"Go, bring me his exam paper."

Normally, the Great Scholars wouldn’t bother with an ordinary student’s paper, but William Wang Jinling is an exception—they want to see just how talented he is…

Talent is the top criterion for becoming a personal disciple—it outweighs every other condition. If you don’t measure up, it doesn’t matter how good your family, character, or looks are; the Great Scholars simply won’t accept you.

William’s exam paper is brought up quickly. Even before reading the content, everyone is stunned by his elegant calligraphy: “Such backbone and style at his age—remarkable writing!”

And when they finish reading, they can’t help but praise him: “What an essay, what talent! With such a son, the Wang clan can flourish for another hundred years.”

Praise like this isn’t just high—it’s extremely high.

“I will take this child as my disciple,” declares the current Chancellor of Jixia Academy. The other Great Scholars, seeing the Chancellor speak, abandon the idea of taking William as their own student.

The Chancellor’s talent and reputation surpass everyone else’s—and more importantly, he has never before accepted a disciple. For the Wang clan’s Grand Heir to catch his eye is far better than following any of the other Great Scholars.

The Great Scholars are gracious about it—they’re not upset that the Chancellor claimed such a brilliant student. In fact, they’re genuinely happy for the Wang clan’s Grand Heir.

Since the Chancellor wants to take the Wang clan’s Grand Heir as a disciple, he won’t follow the usual procedures. Soon, Jixia Academy staff come to the Wang family, saying the Chancellor was delighted to meet their Grand Heir and wishes to see him personally.

The words were tactful, but the whole Wang family understood: their Grand Heir had caught the Chancellor’s eye, and might have a chance to become his disciple.

Everyone in the Wang family was overjoyed. One uncle who’d accompanied William was so thrilled he didn’t know what to do with himself. Only William remained calm, as if being summoned by the Chancellor was no different from meeting anyone else.

As the family urged him to hurry, William smiled and nodded. “Let me change my clothes first,” he said.

From start to finish, he never showed the slightest excitement or nervousness. His calm rubbed off on the rest of the family, making them feel ashamed of their own reactions.

It wasn’t that they’d never seen big occasions before—just that hearing the Chancellor wanted to meet William was such a shock, they forgot their manners.

William simply changed into an ordinary outfit. He didn’t make a big show of bathing or burning incense just because the Chancellor had summoned him—his composure drew praise from the attendant who came to fetch him.

William followed the attendant to meet the Chancellor of Jixia Academy, along with the Great Scholars who wanted to see him.

Although William couldn’t see, he wasn’t timid at all. He greeted everyone with grace, and when the Chancellor told him to sit, he didn’t hide his blindness. He said frankly, “Chancellor, I can’t see. Would you please tell me where the chair is?”

William never hides his blindness, but he doesn’t go out of his way to mention it either. He doesn’t need to use it to seek sympathy. Aside from a few inconveniences, he never thinks of himself as different from anyone else.

But…

William had no idea how shocked the Great Scholars at Jixia Academy were by his words…