"Poetry can increase talent and kill enemies, but it must be based on the classics of the saints. Without understanding the classics of the saints, everything else is just a castle in the air. When I pass the exam to become a scholar, I will start studying the classics of the Hundred Schools that are not available on the Shengyuan Continent, and strive to integrate and fully understand them, so that my strength can be steadily improved. Then I will deliberately spread some concepts that are in line with the saintly way but are novel, to lay the foundation for spreading the skills of the Hundred Schools in the future."
"As long as I become a Juren, I can start spreading more knowledge. Once I become a Jinshi, I can find opportunities to spread "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" and "The Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" to the world, so that our race will be more prosperous. These things cannot be attributed to others. The saints can see it at a glance. I must learn the relevant knowledge and then write it."
After seeing Feng Zimo off, Fang Yun prepared for tomorrow's provincial examination.
On the first day of June, Fang Yun got up very early.
The weather in June is like a child’s face, changing in an instant.
No matter how the weather changes, as long as it is the day of the imperial examination, the city where the examination is located will always have the most suitable temperature, humidity and climate.
The early morning sun shines on Yuhai City. It is not as bright as the one at noon, and it feels very comfortable on people.
Having experienced the county examination once before, Fang Yun was much more calm than the first time.
After breakfast, Fang Yun, Yang Yuhuan and Nunu got on the carriage and headed to the Fuwen Academy in Yuhai City.
Yang Yuhuan looked at the lush willow trees outside the window and said softly, "Time flies by so fast. It's already been three months."
"Yes." Fang Yun said.
"Oh oh!" Nunu immediately nodded seriously, indicating that he felt the same way. In fact, he didn't understand what the two people were talking about at all.
Yang Yuhuan looked at Fang Yun tenderly and said, "Thinking back to what happened that day, it seems like a lifetime ago. On the way to send you to the Academy of Literature in a bullock cart that day, I was terribly scared. I was afraid that you would faint in the examination room, but I couldn't say anything. I could only say nice things."
Fang Yun held Yang Yuhuan's hand and smiled, "I know. I still feel bad when I think of your desperate look that day. Don't worry, I will never let you fall into the situation you were in that day. Those people will definitely be punished for what they did!"
Yang Yuhuan looked at Fang Yun worriedly and asked in a low voice, "Do you want to take revenge on Liu Zicheng?"
Fang Yun said: "It's not revenge, it's to make him atone for his sins!"
"Yeah! But you have to be careful."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Fang Yun said with a smile.
Yang Yuhuan reached out to help Fang Yun straighten his clothes and said, "After you became a student, you are indeed different from before. This is what a man should be like."
"Well, Sister Yuhuan will like me like this."
"Bah!" Yang Yuhuan blushed and lowered her head, continuing to help Fang Yun tidy up his clothes. However, Fang Yun stared at her and liked her more and more.
Nunu blinked, turned her head and made a sound like Yang Yuhuan, then lowered her head. She secretly glanced at Fang Yun from the corner of her eyes, wanting Fang Yun to look at her.
Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan burst into laughter. Fang Yun reached out and grabbed Nunu's neck and lifted him up, asking, "What are you doing?"
Nunu looked at Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan blankly, not understanding what the two were laughing at.
Fang Yun smiled and held Nunu in his arms, gently rubbing its little head. It squinted its eyes and hummed softly in comfort. This was its favorite moment.
The carriage stopped before it reached Wenyuan Street. Fang Daniu outside said, "Master, there are too many cars ahead. You can only get off here."
"Okay. Let's get off here."
Fang Yun got out of the carriage, then reached out to hold Yang Yuhuan's hand and led her out of the carriage.
Fang Yun looked in the direction of Wenyuan and saw thousands of carriages parked on both sides of the street, and the wide Wenyuan Street was filled with countless people.
"Why are there so many people?" Yang Yuhuan asked curiously.
Fang Yun said: "A large number of students from the nine counties of Yuhai Prefecture have gathered here over the past twenty or thirty years. There are no less than 20,000 students alone. If you add their families and relatives, the total number is probably more than 50,000."
"Doesn't that mean half of the people in Ji County are crowded on this street?"
"Yes, that's half of the people in Ji County. You don't have to see me off. There are too many people inside, and it's not convenient for a grown girl like you to squeeze in the crowd." Fang Yun said.
Yang Yuhuan nodded and said, "Well, I'll listen to you. Nunu and I will come to pick you up in three days."
"Oh! Oh!" Nunu cried, with a hint of reluctance in her voice.
Fang Yun chatted with Yang Yuhuan for a while, picked up his bookcase, touched Nunu's little head before leaving, joined the crowd, and squeezed towards the entrance of the Academy of Literature.
The road was crowded and noisy. Fortunately, Fang Yun was wearing a student's uniform. Everyone knew that he was a student taking the exam, so they all gave way to him.
Fang Yun shined at the Dragon Boat Festival that day and was quickly recognized by some people, but most people were not sure. After all, there were too many people and they were all far away from Fang Yun.
When Fang Yun walked into the provincial academy of literature, there were more and more students and more people recognized him.
"Fang Shuangjia!" Several students bowed to Fang Yun excitedly and greeted him. Some of them were obviously older than Fang Yun, but when they saw Fang Yun, they acted as if they had seen a leader in the literary world, with their faces flushed. If the timing was right, they would have shamelessly begged Fang Yun to give them a poem.
The actions of those people immediately attracted more people's attention.
"Fang Yun is here!"
"Little Shijun Fangyun?"
"Yes, that's him!"
Fang Yun was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when he heard this. How come after staying indoors for a month, he became a little poet
"Xiao Shijun! You must pass the exam! We can't let Tong Li, who is colluding with the enemy country, succeed!"
"Xiao Shijun will definitely win the championship! Tong Li is nothing!"
"Fang Yun, don't be careless. The examination hall is nothing. The most important thing is to go to the Book Mountain. You must not lose to the people of Qing!"
"All of us Yuhaifu scholars support you!"
"Yes! We all support you!"
All the students around him and their relatives and friends encouraged Fang Yun.
Fang Yun was deeply moved and kept expressing his gratitude.
Everyone tacitly made way for Fang Yun, not for the national poet, not for the scholar before the emperor, but for the champion of the Dragon Boat Festival.
"Thank you everyone!" Fang Yun kept expressing his gratitude along the way.
It was an extremely long process for more than 20,000 students to enter the examination hall. Even if they were divided into 100 lines and checked every 30 seconds, it would still take more than an hour.
Fang Yun found a team to line up, and the nearby students immediately greeted him, asked him about his life, and were very interested in everything about him.
Fang Yun was helpless, but he could only answer patiently and brush aside the things he didn't want to say.
Most of these students are young people with strong curiosity. They regard the conversation with Fang Yun as more important than the provincial examination. The provincial examination is held every year, but the opportunity to talk with Fang Yun is even rarer.
While queuing, Fang Yun saw Tong Li. Unlike the lively atmosphere on Fang Yun's side, many students avoided Tong Li.
The two people's eyes met and then quickly looked away.
After a long queue, Fang Yun finally got into the College of Literature as he wished.
The square of the Fuwen Academy in Yuhai City is very large, and it is not crowded even with more than 20,000 students standing there.
More than 20,000 students walked slowly forward and finally stopped in front of the large bronze incense burner in front of the holy temple.
The prefectural examination was only larger in scale than the county examination, but the procedures for offering sacrifices and opening the examination were no different. First, Prefect Dong led the worship of the saints, then Yuan Jun Feng Zimo recited the "Sacrificial Texts to All Saints", and then Zhou Zhubu of the State Academy of Literature read out the rules of the examination room.
Fang Yun looked ahead. In the last county exam, there was only one chief examiner and two deputy examiners. But now, in addition to the three examiners, there was also a middle-aged man in Hanlin uniform, who seemed to be on an equal footing with the first three examiners.
Fang Yun guessed that this person should be the imperial examination inspector sent by the Holy Academy, but he didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that he appeared in Yuhai City. After all, the imperial examination inspector only randomly inspected one prefecture in a country.
"This imperial examination is really strange. Prefect Dong, Feng Yuanjun, and Zhou Zhubu are all familiar faces, but I happened to meet a strange imperial examination inspector."
Zhou Zhubu finished reading the examination room rules. The candidates should take their examination cards to the examination room, but the imperial examination inspector suddenly shouted, "Wait a minute!"
Everyone looked at the imperial examination inspector.
Tong Li in the crowd looked at Fang Yun with a vicious smile.
The imperial examination inspector had a gloomy face and said, "I have received a report that one of you transferred your student status from Dayuan Prefecture to Yuhai City before the prefectural examination in order to get a place in Shushan. Is this true?"
Fang Yun's heart sank as he realized that this person was targeting him.
The students were stunned, the matter had been clarified, everyone knew that Fang Yun was forced by the rebellious scholars and the demons, what was the intention of the imperial examination inspector saying this at this time
Prefect Dong immediately said, "Inspector Geng, my Yuhai Prefecture and the Prefecture's Academy of Literature have already investigated this matter. It was a slanderous rumor spread by a villain! Inspector Geng, please do not delay the imperial examination. If you miss the auspicious time, who will be held responsible?"
Inspector Geng said, "Mr. Dong is wrong. As an inspector of the imperial examination, I have received a report and I must investigate the matter thoroughly. Who is Fang Yun?"
The people nearby looked at Fang Yun.
Fang Yun immediately walked forward and said as he walked, "I am Fang Yun, the scholar from the former Jingguo Saint, and I am honored to meet you, Your Excellency." Fang Yun's words were sonorous and powerful, and he was much calmer than those of an ordinary young man.
"Fang Yun, someone reported that you used your power to gain a place in Shushan. Is that true?" Inspector Geng looked at Fang Yun coldly.
Fang Yun guessed that this person was trying to confuse him, so he said firmly: "Absolutely not. But there is one thing I don't understand. Where is the person who reported it? Where is the letter of report? When did he report it? Why didn't you investigate earlier or later, but just before the exam?"
"You are sharp-tongued! I am the Imperial Examination Inspector of the Holy Academy. I do not need to answer your questions."
Prefect Dong immediately said, "Sir Geng, I am the chief examiner and I demand that you produce the letter of accusation. Otherwise, I will determine that you are slandering the scholars of Jing State. Even if you bring the case to the Saint, I am not afraid!"
"Lord Geng, please show us the evidence!" Feng Zimo and Zhou Zhubu said in unison.
Inspector Geng had a dark face and said calmly, "I just got the news from my subordinates today. There is no letter of accusation. However, since Governor Dong confirmed that there is no problem with you, I don't need to investigate in detail. All right, you can go into the examination room."
Fang Yun glanced at Inspector Geng warily, then, carrying his book box and holding his exam card, he looked for his exam room like other candidates.
Inspector Geng followed Fang Yun with two of his men. Prefect Dong and his two men immediately followed quickly, staring at Inspector Geng.
Fang Yun found his own examination room and just as he put his book box on the table, Inspector Geng immediately said, "Someone, check his book box!"
The two young officers pounced on Fang Yun like wolves and tigers.
"Wait a minute!" Feng Zimo said, holding the official seal in his hand, and a huge force surged out from the holy temple, binding the two boy students in place. (To be continued...)