When many officials saw the two men like this, they thought something big had happened and looked around vigilantly.
"How disgraceful! Has a demon tribe broken into the Academy of Literature? Look how scared you two are!" Prefect Sun was furious. He didn't expect his subordinates to be so incompetent.
Afterwards, the officials noticed that there was something wrong with the expressions of the two officers.
The officer who fell to the ground first said excitedly: "No... no... it's good news, great news. You can find out if you go to Fang Yun's examination room. We dare not go to get the test papers, we really don't dare!"
Prefect Sun was still furious. He didn't bother to pay attention to the two officers and was about to continue scolding them, but he immediately shut up and suppressed his anger. He said, "What's the matter? Just tell me."
Another officer patted his clothes and said, "Your Excellency, we dare not say that thing. If it is not, we may face disaster if we say it. So please take a look and let you decide."
The officials were even more puzzled. Magistrate Sun said, "You two lead the way."
"yes."
Led by two officers, the officials walked towards Fang Yun's examination room.
Zhao Jingkong lazily followed the other officials and walked forward. His walking posture was just like an old beggar, but he was not as servile as a beggar, because his eyes were blank and his gaze was unfocused.
Everyone quickly walked to Fang Yun's examination room. Prefect Sun walked in front and noticed a faint golden light on the table. Puzzled, he took a few quick steps and looked inside. He was immediately stunned.
"How could this be!" Prefect Sun was overjoyed and shouted loudly, but then he shut up because this was the examination area.
"What's wrong? Let us take a look." The other officials asked in a low voice and hurried over to bypass Prefect Sun to look at the test papers.
Prefect Sun quickly stacked Fang Yun's three test papers together, then rolled them up in his hand, turned around and walked back quickly.
"The examination room is a restricted area. No noise is allowed." After saying this, Magistrate Sun continued to walk away. The other officials could not stop him, so they could only follow him silently.
It was not until they left the examination room that Magistrate Sun finally couldn't help himself and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, I am stupid, and I wrongly blamed Fang Zhenguo! Good! Good! When the imperial examination is over, I will hold a banquet to apologize even if I have to sell everything I have and go bankrupt! Hahaha, how wonderful! How wonderful! I really wish Fang Wenhou was here so he could slap me hard in the face! Haha..."
"Mr. Futai, what's wrong with you? Don't scare us!"
"There must be something mysterious about the test paper. Sir Sun, don't keep us in suspense and take it out quickly!" An official pretended to grab it.
Prefect Sun said with a smile, "Come on, let's go to the pavilion. I'll show you the most outstanding scholar in our Dayuan Prefecture... No, the examination paper of the Juren! Haha, I was so angry just now. He is Fang Zhenguo, how can he be inferior to us! From now on, I will never doubt him again!"
Everyone became more and more curious, and even Zhao Jingkong's confused look began to change.
Walking to the stone table in the pavilion, Magistrate Sun carefully placed the three test papers on the stone table as if he was holding a baby.
The crowd gathered around, all of them were stunned, and then there were gasps, one old official even covered his heart with his hand, gasping for breath.
Zhao Jingkong's eyes, which had been in a daze, became brighter than the bright moon. He was still wearing tattered clothes, but he looked like a hermit. He no longer looked like an old beggar, but like a hermit.
"Evaluation by the Holy Pen?" an official from the Juren class asked tentatively.
"Nonsense! Even if Fang Wenhou had ten thousand guts, he wouldn't dare to use gold paint to write three A's on his test paper to pretend to be selected by the saint!"
"This is incredible. I haven't even finished the imperial examination yet, but a semi-saint has already personally evaluated my grades. This is simply the highest praise!"
Zhao Jingkong scratched his neck with his hand and groaned, "The Ten Kingdoms are going to be in an uproar! What kind of person is this Fang Yun? He is shaking the world all the time. Is he the reincarnation of a firecracker demon? If he follows me to beg for food, he will be invincible!"
Laughter broke out everywhere. The metaphor of the firecracker monster was so bizarre that only this beggar uncle could have come up with it.
"Come, come, start with the poems! If you don't read it today, the Holy Academy will definitely take it away once the imperial examination is over." Magistrate Sun said, turning to the title page of the poems, and the original text of Fang Yun's "Remembering Hometown" appeared.
"The sentiment of this poem is quite good, and it well explains that time is like flowing water, which never returns. But perhaps it was written too hastily, and it is somewhat different from his previous poems."
"After reading this poem, I breathed a sigh of relief. Fang Yunzhenguo is finally back to normal. If every poem is unique, it would be too bizarre!"
"That's right. But this poem is vaguely extraordinary, with a hint of destiny in it, and it is superior to ordinary poems in terms of conception. I remember that Yuhai prefect Dong Wencong said that Fang Yun's interpretation of the classics is second to none in Jingguo in terms of conception."
"Then let's look at the scriptures."
After reading the poem, not only were people not disappointed, but they were even more expectant, because this poem obviously could not inspire a semi-saint. If the scriptures or policy essays could inspire a semi-saint, it would be more important than poetry inspiring a semi-saint.
When Magistrate Sun opened the first page and saw the opening sentence "The destiny of heaven lies in man, but the will of heaven is endless," he clapped his hands in praise.
"Good! As expected, he has the intention to protect the country from both sides. He is worthy of being watched by the demon saints. He has solved the problem directly and pointed to the world!"
"Look, separate the pages and let us see."
"Let me in and take a look!"
The stone table in the pavilion was very small and could accommodate only eight people. However, there were nearly twenty officials in the examination room, and the people at the back could only stand on tiptoe and stretch their necks to see.
Prefect Sun picked up Fang Yun's Confucian classics test paper, held it in both hands and handed it to Zhao Jingkong, saying, "Please give me some advice, old uncle."
Everyone took a step back and bowed slightly to the "old beggar" to show respect.
Zhao Jingkong stroked his hair, which looked like a chicken coop, and took the test paper with a smile, then slowly recited: "The destiny lies in man, but the heavens are endless..."
Zhao Jingkong's voice was not pleasant at all, and was even a little hoarse, but everyone listened with gusto and nodded from time to time.
This voice seemed to resonate with heaven and earth and had the power to influence people's hearts. No matter what these people originally thought or what their emotions were, the moment Zhao Jingkong opened his mouth, they were immersed in it, as if basking in the spring breeze.
Under the influence of a strange power, Zhao Jingkong's words turned into text and were directly imprinted in their minds. What everyone heard was not only the text, but also Zhao Jingkong's understanding of the article.
When a university scholar travels, he will rise to high positions. When he preaches, he will speak the words of heaven, conveying the profoundness and truth in the text to the audience's mind, like the words of heaven, which everyone can quickly understand.
The governor or the commander-in-chief of each state of the Ten Kingdoms could be a Hanlin, but the president of the state academy of literature had to be a grand secretary, because only a grand secretary could speak the words of heaven to teach the students. No matter how talented a Hanlin was, it was impossible for him to speak the words of heaven to educate the world.
Although everyone was listening, the words appeared clearly in front of everyone's eyes. This was the highest realm of Tianyan, and everyone respected Zhao Jingkong even more. It seemed that Zhao Jingkong was not as good as Li Wenying in killing monsters and barbarians, but he was not inferior in the way of saints.
As a Grand Secretary, Zhao Jingkong's understanding of the classics far surpassed that of anyone present. His divine words fully explained what Fang Yun was going to write.
Several old gentlemen were shaking their heads, as if they were drinking fine wine, intoxicated and overjoyed.
When Zhao Jingkong finished reciting Fang Yun's sutra, everyone was speechless, still immersed in the truth contained in this sutra. They savored it for a long time.
After a long while, Gezhou Mu smiled and sighed: "It's really wonderful. I seem to see Fang Yun writing furiously at his desk."
"I feel the weight of each word when Fang Yun wrote this. His sweat must have been as heavy as mercury. The old uncle's understanding is not wrong."
"I see him standing on the top of the mountain, looking down on the world. It is man's destiny, so he should take the responsibility. Good!"
"No wonder Fang Yun fell asleep early yesterday. He must have been too tired from writing this article."
"The human race is surrounded by monsters and barbarians, but they still want to open up the ancient land. I originally thought it was unnecessary, but it was not until I read this article that I suddenly realized the truth. Thank you Fang Yun for your good article. Thank you uncle for your wise words."
Prefect Sun said: "This article is very thick and resembles a history book. Fang Yun seems to have seen a great country that was isolated and complacent and felt something. He has an indescribable sense of mission and humiliation. So he can deeply understand 'The Endless Sky', and that's why he thinks that the human race should not be content with the status quo."
"Sir Sun, you are indeed a top scholar. After what you said, I finally understand that Fang Yun's vision is truly amazing."
"It's not that I understand it well, but the emperor's uncle's words are powerful. He explains the article thoroughly and also explains the world."
Zhao Jingkong chuckled and returned to normal. He did not have the aura of a grand scholar or the authority of an imperial uncle. He just looked like an ordinary old beggar.
Prefect Sun handed the "Strategy for Subduing the Barbarians" to Zhao Jingkong and said, "Next, let's look at this strategy paper. This strategy paper is nearly a hundred pages thick and extremely rare. I'm afraid it is most closely related to the selection of the Half-Saint."
Zhao Jingkong took the "Plan to Subdue the Barbarians" and started reading it with great concentration. His expression changed slightly, his eyes became exceptionally bright, and even the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, as if he had become four or five years younger.
However, all the people around were staring at the beggar uncle in a daze. Some were picking their ears, while others were patting their ears with their heads tilted, as if their ears were filled with water.
Finally, they looked at each other in great surprise.
"Can you hear the sound?" asked Magistrate Sun.
Everyone shook their heads.
“I can’t hear you.”
"I couldn't hear anything at all. I know lip reading, but I couldn't understand what he was saying."
Everyone's expressions changed at the same time. Some people looked extremely resentful, some whispered softly, and some clenched their fists in dissatisfaction.
Gezhou Mu said: "Normally speaking, no matter how important the exam paper is, we examiners have the opportunity to see and hear it. At most, the Half Saint will keep it secret and we cannot leak it. But the Half Saint does not allow us to see this essay. Only the Grand Secretary examiners are qualified to see it. It seems to be more important than the sutra interpretation that Fang Yun took during the scholar exam."
"Yes, it must be of great importance and cannot be leaked."
"Old uncle is so lucky."
Everyone looked at Zhao Jingkong with envy.
Magistrate Sun's eyes flashed, as if he had thought of something, and his envy became even stronger.
People nearby kept walking back and forth in the pavilion, and some were complaining in low voices, feeling extremely anxious. They really couldn't bear the fact that a policy paper that could be passed down throughout the world was right in front of them but they couldn't see its true appearance.
Someone went around behind Zhao Jingkong to take a look and found that he could clearly see the words on it, but there was an invisible force that cut off his thinking, and he could neither recognize what the words meant nor remember them. (To be continued...)