All of a sudden, the courtyard became quiet, and countless eyes looked at Mr. Fan with some timidity, not knowing what's wrong with that student. Fan Xian glanced at the student who was carrying a rotten quilt, and suddenly asked, "Have you checked?"
Officials from the Ministry of Rites and Overwatch Council officials reported at the same time: "It has been checked, and there is nothing unusual."
The student raised his head and looked at the young Master Fan with a calm expression and no panic. Fan Xian frowned slightly, and asked again, "Take off your clothes?"
"Yes, my lord." Seeing more and more people blocking the entrance of the courtyard, the officials around him couldn't help but feel a little anxious. In half an hour, the imperial order from the palace will come. At this speed, it will be extremely difficult for the students. Put it in completely.
At this time, Fan Xian suddenly stood up from the teacher's chair, walked to the calm student, looked him up, suddenly laughed, and whispered in his ear, "There is something wrong with your clothes. "
He spoke in such a low voice that only the student heard him, and that student was sweating a little on his forehead in the cold weather in early February! The student's surname was Yang and his name was Wanli. He didn't know how this little Mr. Fan, who was famous for his poetic talent, discovered his secret. Under Fan Xian's quiet gaze, he had a tendency to collapse.
Fan Xian suddenly smiled and said, "Go in. If it's true at this time, your ten years of hard work will be wasted, but remember, during the two days of examinations, don't let me find out that you used your clothes."
Yang Wanli was overwhelmed with joy and surprise, fearing that it would be difficult, and said with a mournful face: "Thank you, my lord." Fearing that the young Ju Zhonglang with eagle-like eyes would repent again, he carried the tattered quilt, covered his face, and rushed into the examination hall , I made up my mind that I absolutely cannot take off the clothes on my body in these two days to see the interlayer inside.
Immediately afterwards, Fan Xian warned a few poor students who tried to bring cheat sheets into the examination institute. Gradually, the officials around him also understood what was going on. Judgment, but also a little anxious, afraid that some time will be too late.
However, Fan Xian seemed to have felt it for the first time as an official. He looked at the admitted students one by one with a smile, and carefully took no one off. He took off many pairs of shoes, many hats, and many sticks of paper. brushes piled up to form a hill at the entrance of the examination institute. Only then did the students who lined up know that this year, Ju Zhonglang turned out to be a murderous and powerful person, unlike the poetic fairy that people imagined, who would not pay much attention to the cheating of his own people. Something happened, so he quickly backed out and threw the things he was carrying into the gutter behind the examination institute.
The leader of the Overwatch Council today is Fan Xian's acquaintance, Mr. Mu Tiemu, who is temporarily acting as a part of a department. After hearing the report from his subordinates, he hurried over here. Seeing that Fan Xian had been going on for a week without saying a word, he said with some embarrassment, "My lord, it's getting late, hurry up."
The officials of the Ministry of Rites and the people in the Overwatch Council were shocked when they saw that he was so respectful to Fan Xian. They thought that the people in the Overwatch Council would be so polite to a civil servant. A prime minister, a minister, and a princess, so they didn't dare to talk too much, but just quietly listened to Fan Xian's reply.
Fan Xian took out his imported pocket watch and looked at it, and found that it was indeed getting late, so he shook his head and stopped this interesting game, stood up beside him, and said loudly to the hundreds of students at the entrance of the examination institute: "My official Fan Idle, I think you have heard about it before. We saw you earlier, so as not to delay the timing of the meeting, we will not take off your clothes and search your body today."
All living beings are overjoyed.
Fan Xian looked around with a smile, and said, "Throw the things you carry on your body into this bamboo basket yourself, don't take any blame. If my officer finds out during the two-day exam, be careful, I'll have you stripped naked." Throw it in front of the imperial city, so that everyone in the world will know how gentle you are."
The sentient beings were terrified, and only then did they realize that there was a murderous aura hidden in Master Shixian Xiaofan's smile. So everyone filed in honestly. As for whether there are any students who want to take risks, that is a matter of the future.
With this release, the speed was much faster. After a while, the entrance of the examination institute immediately returned to silence, leaving only stinky shoes all over the floor and countless scraps of paper, which looked a little terrified. The officials of the Ministry of Rituals hurriedly arranged for people to clean up, in order to meet the edict of the examination in the palace, and also arranged incense cases and fired cannons, and they were extremely busy for a while.
While everyone was busy, they were thinking that Mr. Fan's behavior is really different from that of other officials of the Qing Dynasty. If they just ignore those incidents, it would be fine. How could they still let the students go in for the exam if they were found out like today? reason? If this happened to other examiners, there would be a lot of commotion at Yushitai, but no one knew that since Fan Xian dared to do this, he was certainly not afraid of these things.
Fan Xian sat on the grand teacher's chair, smiled and watched everyone busy, while chatting with Mu Tie beside him. Mu Tie got up early for his current position, and always thought it was bestowed by Fan Xian, so he seemed very affectionate to Mr. Fan, saying: "Mr. Going back to the courtyard to rest, this matter that should be investigated and guarded will naturally be handled by the lower officials."
Fan Xian glanced at him with a smile, and said, "It's my job, I have to wander around the examination room later, so I don't have time to spare."
"My lord is taking this job for the first time, so I don't know. In fact, you don't have to worry too much after entering the examination room." Mu Tie thought that the young dignitary didn't know the unspoken rules of the examination, and said with a smile.
Fan Xian suddenly turned to ask in a low voice: "This time going to Northern Qi, will Mr. Mu go?"
Mu Tie was taken aback, not prepared for his transfer, and subconsciously replied: "The courtyard is still making arrangements, but it should be about the affairs of the four places, and I may not be able to intervene." He suddenly rolled his eyes, thinking This little Mr. Fan can write poems but he doesn't like to write poems. He likes to do some small business. He thought he had guessed something, and said with a smile, "Is Mr. Fan planning to buy something in the north? I can help arrange that."
Fan Xian laughed and said, "It's all right, I'm just asking casually." A subordinate next to him brought tea, and Fan Xian gave way to Mu Tie. Mu Tie asked curiously: "Master Fan, it seems that you are in a good mood today."
The corners of Fan Xian's lips curled up slightly, and an inexplicable expression flashed in his pupils. He didn't know what to think of, and then said softly after a while, "Actually... I always thought that studying without taking exams was the greatest joy in life." After entering Beijing, I was most afraid of taking the exam. Unexpectedly, I became a middle-aged man in one year. I can study without taking exams. This is the greatest joy in life.”
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The imperial decree arrives, the spring cannons are fired, the incense table is withdrawn, the courtyard door is closed, and the annual Qingguo Spring Examination officially kicks off. Fan Xian listened to the heavy wooden doors of the examination institute slowly closing behind him, and he suddenly realized that he had never taken the college entrance examination in his previous life. At that time, he thought it was the biggest shortcoming in his life. Participation is easy, but I still have some regrets in my heart.
"My lord." After entering the hall, the cold wind gushed from the door in early spring. Fan Xian bowed to Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites sitting in the middle, and said, "The gate of the courtyard is closed. It cannot be opened without an order from your lord. At this time, the students from all counties and counties in the courtyard have already got the test papers and started to do the questions, and the corner gate responsible for delivering food and drinking water is guarded by Master Mu of the Overwatch Council and the adults of the Ministry of Rites, so it should be safe."
Guo Youzhi looked at the young fifth-rank official below, looked at his handsome face, frowned imperceptibly, and then smiled all over his face, "Master Fan, you have worked hard." Then he told the two seat teachers beside him Said: "According to the rules of previous years, after an hour, you will go to the field for inspection."
One of the two teachers of Chunwei back then was Tai Xuezheng, and the other was a scholar of Tongwen Pavilion, both of whom were hand-picked by His Majesty. Hearing Guo Shangshu's words, they nodded and said: "I will listen to your lord's arrangement."
Guo Youzhi turned to Fan Xian again and said, "My lord Fan, your job is to maintain order in the examination room, assist the two in promotion, patrol the field from time to time, and pay attention to the movement at the corner gate, and be ready to receive orders at any time."
The minister of the Ministry of Rites sighed, cupped his fists and bowed to the sky, saying: "The test of the spring is to choose good talents for the country. You must not be careless. You adults should be careful."
Following Guo Shangshu's words, the various officials in the examination institute returned to their duties, and a solemn and tense atmosphere quietly permeated every corner of the examination institute. Everyone knows that after several Northern Expeditions, His Majesty has shifted the focus of governing the country to cultural governance, so he attaches great importance to the annual examination, and there was even a precedent of micro-service inspection a few years ago, so No one dares to be careless.
Moreover, this spring is the most critical moment in life for those students who are laying their heads on the case. If they can pass it smoothly, they will jump to the Dragon Gate. If not, they can only go back to their hometown sadly. , preparing for the next year's provincial examination, and going back and forth, I don't know how many people's youth will be wasted, and even those stubborn and arrogant people, once they fail, will live in Beijing and refuse to return to their hometown. There are wanderers, and many more disappear without a trace.
This is the grand ceremony of the country, and this is the place where scholars live and die.
Fan Xian stood on the stone steps, closed his eyes and listened to the rustling sound from all directions in the examination hall, thinking of the note handed over by the prince and others, a strange smile appeared on the corner of his lips.