After Fan Xian left the Tongfu inn, the four scholars in the room looked at each other, as if they couldn't have imagined that such a big biscuit would drop on their heads.
"What should I do?" Yang Wanli sat on the bed stupidly. After Cheng Jialin and Shi Chanli congratulated him, they said with a smile: "From now on, Brother Yang has climbed up to the position of Prime Minister and Minister of the Household Department. I'm afraid this official career will be smooth sailing."
Yang Wanli's simple and honest face showed a look of distress: "I have always admired Mr. Fan's talent and learning, and this time Chun Wei is also thanks to his accommodating adults. If he wants to come to review the papers behind the scenes, this Mr. Fan also contributed a lot, but... I wish Master Xiao Fan didn't come here today."
Cheng and Shi were speechless, knowing that Yang Wanli felt that Fan Xian seemed to be benevolent.
Hou Jichang, who had always hidden himself as the leader of the crowd, smiled and shook his head and said, "If Mr. Fan is kind, you don't have to come here in person. You don't have to worry about Wanli. I have decided that from now on, Mr. Fan will be remembered in the court. , must make a career.”
Shi Chanli was stunned, wondering why Brother Hou, who had always prided himself on himself, suddenly changed his temper.
Yang Wanli shook his head and said: "I also know that it is customary for students to be master teachers in every exam, but Brother Hou knows that I have always respected Xiao Fan's talent and learning, and because of the belt on his body in the examination hall, I like Xiao Fan very much." Lord Fan has a temperament, so I always hope that Lord Fan is a little different from these court officials."
"Please forgive me, please forgive me." Cheng Jialin reprimanded, "Although Mr. Fan has a poetic talent, he is still an official of the court and a son of a powerful man. It is not easy to come here in person. Brother Wan Li, do you want Xiao Fan Is your lord a true immortal who doesn't eat fireworks? What's more, a true immortal is not necessarily better than a capable official who is good at planning for this poor world."
Shi Chanli clapped his hands and praised: "Brother Jialin doesn't talk much, but he spoke thoroughly today." Turning to Yang Wanli, he said, "If you talk about admiration, Wanli, you are definitely not as good as me. I often read the poems of Banxianzhai , the hundreds of poems in it can be memorized backwards, but I was not disappointed when I saw Mr. Fan today. Why? It was all because of Shino's heartfelt words. How can we talk about corrupt officials together."
He smiled, and then said: "When I came here with the roast chicken, there were not many people holding umbrellas in the alley. I like to play around and look at the handsome young man under an umbrella. The breath was fresh and pleasant, and the comments he made were somewhat novel and terrifying, so he recklessly got under his umbrella and walked all the way. If it were an ordinary powerful official, how could I be so rude? But that little Fan My lord, however, was smiling, walking with me, without a trace of unnaturalness on his face. The inn knew that he was Fan Xian, and to be honest, Brother Yu was really pleasantly surprised. Fan Xian, Fan Xian, really did not disappoint me."
At this time, everyone knew that there was such a thing before. No wonder Fan Xian said just now that he had a half relationship with Shi Chanli. Thinking of the feeling, he couldn't help but smile. Yang Wanli rubbed his head in embarrassment: "Perhaps... it's just a feeling of disillusionment and desolation? I always feel that Mr. Fan should be the kind of noble who lies idle on the grape arbor, wakes up thousands of poems, and ignores the dirty things in court. figure."
Hou Jichang shook his head disapprovingly, and said coldly: "That kind of person seems to be elegant and detached, but he is really useless to the country and not beneficial to the people. If Lord Fan really looks like a courtier, I will look down on him instead."
"Not necessarily, not necessarily." Yang Wanli sighed.
Hou Jichang smiled lightly and said: "I'm not afraid of your jokes. The only way for scholars to serve the country is to enter the court as an official. How can outsiders like you and I understand how difficult and terrible the government is? So Mr. Fan came here today. It's not that he needs us, it's that he knows we need him."
He paused, and then said: "Although I am a bit arrogant, I am not a sour person who does not know how to advance or retreat. Since we have this opportunity, of course we must seize it. If we must follow a certain person in the court, then I think , Mr. Fan should be the best target, and what he wants to do in the officialdom in the future will not conflict with our usual ideals."
Everyone asked in unison: "Why?" Everyone was a little surprised at Hou Jichang's firm attitude, but now they heard him emphasize it again, and they were even more curious.
Hou Jichang picked up the teacup from the table, looked at the tea left by Fan Xian next to him, and was a little lost in thought, before saying after a long while: "A celebrity who is walking on a rainy day will notice when the water on his umbrella falls, Don't drip into the pot of the peddler hiding from the rain on the side of the road. I would rather get wet on my body and turn to the outside. Such a careful and kind person, if he is not a big villain, he is a great sage."
He smiled and said: "It is impossible for a seventeen-year-old young man to be able to cover up so well anytime and anywhere, so I believe that Mr. Fan is a great sage. My judgment is so simple, because I was caught by the rain. The scene was moved."
There was silence in the room, and after a long time, there was a sound of sighing.
※※※
On the second day, on the vermilion wall on the left side of the examination room, the yellow paper that the examinees had been waiting for was finally posted. The rules for selecting scholars in Qingguo Chunwei are not complicated. After the provincial examination, there will be a general examination. After the general examination, the top three candidates will be selected, but the ranking is not determined, and they are arranged on the imperial list according to the strokes.
The number of top three has varied over the years. Because Enke was opened once more in the third year of Qingli, the number of recruits in the next two years was somewhat small. There are only 108 names on the imperial list this year. Because of the lack of results, no matter the students of Beijing Central Taixue, or the Gong students from various counties and districts who came to Beijing to take the exam, they were a little nervous.
To the west of the examination hall is a bridge. If you want to go to the red wall to read the rankings, you have to cross the bridge. At this time, the students wearing long gowns are already surrounded by the red wall. There are a lot of people, and they are looking for the big yellow paper nervously. own name.
But on the other side of the bridge, Hou Jichang and Yang Wanli, who had already taken reassurance in their hearts, walked slowly. There were still rain stains left on the bridge surface from yesterday, and the moss between the stone bricks looked particularly slippery. The four of them walked over there. Suddenly, Cheng Jialin almost slipped and fell, causing everyone to laugh. Cheng Jialin laughed at himself, although his and Shi Chanli's steps were as slow as those of their two friends, but deep down they were unavoidably nervous.
When they came under the red wall, the four of them managed to squeeze into the crowd. They looked from the left hand side, and for an unknown amount of time, they heard Shi Chanli's joyful shout: "Brother Hou, Brother Hou! We hit it! We hit it! Already!"
Hearing the voice, the other three rushed to Shi Chanli's side, and sure enough, they saw Hou Jichang's name written on the third row above their heads.
Hou Jichang smiled slightly, trying to show a little self-respect, but what a big deal this is! Although he has a high self-proclaimed name, when he thinks of ten years of suffering, the ardent expectations of his parents, and the envious eyes of many scholars around him, he can't help feeling a little flustered, and his lips parted involuntarily, revealing a very happy smile.
At this moment, the names written by the three golden powders of "Hou Jichang" on the imperial list seemed to be shining brightly in the sun, appearing extremely precious and promising.
…
…
The four of them did not separate anymore, they simply looked to the right carefully, and after an unknown amount of time, they finally managed to find Yang Wanli's name in the imperial list, and only then did they really believe what Master Xiao Fan said yesterday. Seeing that his name was indeed on the imperial list, Yang Wanli was extremely excited, his eyes were a little red, and he murmured to himself, "I really got it, I really got it."
He suddenly let out a strange cry, rushed out from the crowd, ran to the side of the bridge, and roared loudly at the water under the bridge, his voice echoed in the bridge hole, making a buzzing sound.
The three friends looked at him with a smile and knew why he was so excited—Yang Wanli lost his mother at the age of eight and grew up alone in Quanzhou. Xue endured the roll of his eyes to study, passed the provincial examination with great difficulty, and then came to Kyoto.
But in the first month of the capital, Yang Wanli realized that he should have some talents, and his theory was more practical than that of other scholars, but Hejiashan was far away, and his ethnology was simple, so he never learned from Beijing. The flourishing rhetoric of the students, and a policy theory are always dry and unattractive.
That's why even close friends like Hou Jichang and Shi Chanli thought it was impossible for him to win, and Yang Wanli himself didn't have any hope, so he spent the last of his money to buy the most popular shirt among students, and put Shi Chanli's The article was caught in it, and I wanted to take a gamble.
Unexpectedly, he was dragged out by Ju Zhong Lang Fan Xian before he even entered the examination institute. A second chance for myself.
After the exam, he was discharged from the hospital. He didn't dare to use the cheat sheet in his jacket. Naturally, the poems and poems he made were not glamorous at all, so he also rejected all the thoughts in the record. He just drank and had fun. He only heard that Guo Shangshu was arrested and jailed. There is a little more joy. Unexpectedly, Master Xiaofan came to Tongfu Inn to see him in person yesterday, and secretly pointed out that he might enter the top three.
Joy after grief, hope after despair, this emotional impact has continued until today, after Yang Wanli crossed the bridge and stood under the vermilion wall, he felt more and more that Master Xiao Fan’s visit yesterday was just a dream, and whether he possible.
... But, I really hit it!
Yang Wanli looked at his somewhat distorted face in the swaying river, calmed down a little, and naturally understood why he was able to achieve such good fortune in just a few days, and was very grateful to that young adult in his heart.