Wan Xuezheng showed an unconcealed envy and said, "Talented Mingzhou, a former student of the Holy See, two literary memorial arches at once, unprecedented in Jingguo. Even Chen Sheng was only a former student of the Holy See. Compared with this candidate, the so-called child prodigy is nothing. Magistrate Cai, your county is full of hidden talents."
Magistrate Cai and Lord Wang looked in the direction of the child prodigy Fang Zhongyong, and quickly turned back. Wan Xuezhen was right. Compared with Shengqian and Mingzhou, the little child prodigy who just came out of the county was really nothing.
Magistrate Cai said with a smile, "The examiner is inspecting the venue. Would you two like to go together?"
"We're willing to go!" Wan Xuezheng and Wang Yuanjun answered in unison.
The three of them laughed and walked towards Fang Yun.
The three of them passed by the examination room, and the candidates in the examination room looked up and felt something was strange.
"Are the three examiners possessed by demons? Why are they smiling as if they are getting promoted and getting rich?"
"It doesn't look like a patrol. Did something serious happen?"
"Mr. Cai is usually a cold-faced and upright official. Is he possessed by evil spirits today? His smile is brighter than the sun."
Many candidates leaned their heads out, wanting to see what the three adults were going to do.
The three adults slowed down their pace in front of Fang Yun's examination room, as slow as a snail.
Fang Yun had just received the initiation of talent and the joy in his heart had not yet faded when he saw County Magistrate Cai, Wang Yuanjun and Wan Xuezheng turning their heads to look at him with extremely bright smiles.
Fang Yun was stunned. The behavior of the three adults was so strange that it reminded him of scenes from horror movies.
The three adults nodded to Fang Yun with encouraging looks, then glanced at the test paper on Fang Yun's desk and left with a little envy.
"They should know that I have become a Saint-level student." Fang Yun thought.
Fang Yun read "Spring Dawn" carefully again, and his sense of crisis was relieved. After becoming a student before the Saint, Liu Zicheng did not dare to kill him in Ji County.
Fang Yun packed up his book box, placed the test paper on the table, and left with the book box on his back. A nearby yamen runner immediately came over, took the test paper away, and placed it on top of Fang Yun's Please the Holy Word test paper.
When Fang Yun passed by other examination rooms, many candidates couldn't help but murmur in low voices.
"Crazy student!"
"This guy is so fast. I admire him."
"Isn't this the Fang who is being supported by the Jiangzhou Xishi? What bad luck!"
Walking out of the examination room, Fang Yun saw three examiners sitting in the pavilion looking at him. He did not approach them to talk, but just bowed and walked out of the Academy of Literature.
Wan Xuezheng praised loudly: "What a man of noble bearing!"
County Magistrate Cai thought that the child was obviously from a poor family. He was extremely thin and covered with wounds. No one could tell that he had such a noble bearing.
Wang Yuanjun, who was standing by, praised him: "He was clearly injured, but he resolutely went to take the exam. His character is outstanding and he is a role model for other candidates. He will definitely be included in the County Annals and will be remembered by future generations."
Magistrate Cai immediately ordered someone to bring over the two soldiers who had been brought in for inspection.
Magistrate Cai looked at the two anxious soldiers and said, "I have something to ask you. You must answer truthfully."
"yes."
"Did the injured candidate who just left tell us about his injury when he entered the venue?"
Among the two thousand candidates, there was only one with a medical patch on his head. The two soldiers remembered it very clearly and repeated Fang Yun's original words verbatim, saying that Fang Yun was brought here by a ox cart and was attacked by four masked men with Dayuanfu accents yesterday and was almost beaten to death.
County Magistrate Cai's face turned dark blue.
Wan Xuezheng and Wang Yuanjun looked at Magistrate Cai with sympathy.
Fang Yun's poems Cheng Mingzhou and Shengqian Tongsheng were certainly the achievements of County Magistrate Cai, but Shengqian Tongsheng was almost beaten to death before the county examination. This was a result of poor public security. If the court investigated the matter, County Magistrate Cai would most likely face reprimand and salary fine.
The Ministry of Personnel has an Examination Office to examine the governing ability of officials, which is the so-called evaluation. Originally, Magistrate Cai could get a top-quality rank, but if the beating of Fang Yun becomes a big deal, it would be good if he could get an upper-middle rank.
Magistrate Cai slammed the table and said, "Tell Captain Lu to investigate this matter thoroughly! It is not easy for this county to produce a saintly student, and we will not tolerate the rampant behavior of scoundrels!"
After saying this, Magistrate Cai looked towards the entrance of the Academy of Literature.
Fang Yun walked out of the College of Arts from the side door. The gate that was previously crowded with candidates was now occupied by parents. Thousands of people were waiting anxiously, and those who knew each other gathered together to chat, making it extremely noisy.
"How pitiful are the love of parents in the world." Fang Yun thought of his mother and his eyes darkened.
"Have you handed in your paper? Didn't you say the exam would end at 5pm? Why did you come out before 4pm?"
"Whose child is this? It's a wonder he can pass the exam like this."
"It seems to be the child of Xishi's family in Jiangzhou. Everyone said he was pretty good, but I didn't expect him to give up on himself. What a pity."
Fang Yun didn't want to get entangled with those uncles and aunts, so he walked out quickly and squeezed out of the crowd. There were many sedan chairs and horse-drawn carriages parked outside, and one ox cart was particularly eye-catching.
Fang Yun walked quickly towards the ox cart and saw several neighbors and acquaintances chatting with Yang Yuhuan beside the ox cart.
"Xiao Yun?" Yang Yuhuan looked at Fang Yun in surprise.
The neighbors said nothing, but looked at Fang Yun with regret. Those who handed in their papers now were either geniuses or those who gave up because they did not do well in the exam. In their opinion, Fang Yun obviously belonged to the latter.
These neighbors did not say harsh words like others did. Instead, they comforted Fang Yun.
"Xiao Fang is still young, there is no need to rush. It would be strange if he passed the examination now."
"Yes, it's all because of this injury, otherwise Xiao Fang would definitely pass the high school entrance exam."
Fang Yun smiled and said, "Thank you, aunts and sisters. Sister Yuhuan, let's go home."
"Okay, the old hen is already stewed, just waiting for you to come home." Yang Yuhuan smiled like a flower, without any disappointment or blame. She didn't even ask how the exam went, for fear that Fang Yun would be sad.
Fang Yun became more grateful to her and went home with her.
On the way home, the two talked and laughed, and Yang Yuhuan deliberately said some happy words.
Yang Yuhuan returned the ox cart to her neighbor and went home with Fang Yun.
Yang Yuhuan went back to her room, tied on her apron, and said with a smile, "Xiaoyun, sit still. I'll make you a meat feast! Not only will there be stewed chicken and braised pork, but I'll also buy you a fish. You can eat as much as you want today. If you can't finish it today, you can eat it tomorrow!"
Fang Yun looked at Yang Yuhuan who was wearing an apron and said, "Sister Yuhuan, I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead, I'm listening." Yang Yuhuan looked up and looked at Fang Yun with her beautiful eyes. Although she was three years older than Fang Yun, she was shorter and petite.
"Did you notice that the cuts and bruises on my face are particularly light."
Yang Yuhuan took a closer look and said in surprise: "The wounds have disappeared, leaving only pale white marks. How strange!"
Yang Yuhuan sensed something hidden in Fang Yun's smile, so she thought carefully for a long time and vaguely thought of a possibility, but she felt it was absurd.
Fang Yun suddenly stepped forward, walked around to Yang Yuhuan's side, and then picked her up horizontally.
“Ah…” Yang Yuhuan screamed and hurriedly put her arms around Fang Yun’s neck, looking at Fang Yun in panic and confusion.
Fang Yun smiled and asked, "Sister Yuhuan, what power do you think can make a person suddenly strong? And can heal my wound quickly?"
Yang Yuhuan looked straight at Fang Yun. From childhood to adulthood, Fang Yun was just a little brother in her eyes. If she wanted to describe Fang Yun, the words that came to her mind were nothing more than timid, cowardly, clumsy, unable to read, and kind.
In the early morning, Yang Yuhuan saw determination in Fang Yun's eyes, and now, she saw confidence in Fang Yun's eyes that she had never seen before.
That's the look only a real man has!
"You... you got the initiation of talent?" Yang Yuhuan asked cautiously.
"I am already a student of the Saintly Preceptorate!" Fang Yun said, staring into Yang Yuhuan's eyes.
"Really? Really?" Yang Yuhuan hugged Fang Yun's neck tightly and looked at him in surprise, fearing that this was just a dream.
"I will never lie to Sister Yuhuan!"
Yang Yuhuan nodded vigorously and said, "I know that our Xiaoyun will not lie to my sister."
As Yang Yuhuan spoke, tears fell from her eyes like beads from a broken string. She had suffered so much to support Fang Yun's studies. She knew that there was almost no hope, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.
Countless matchmakers came to her house to propose marriages to her, including wealthy businessmen and even prominent families in the county. She even rejected a man from a famous family like Liu Zicheng without hesitation, just because of her inner persistence.
Now, the night is over and the dawn is here!
But this dawn was too bright. Even though Yang Yuhuan was not a scholar, she knew the significance of being a sage. His status was higher than that of an ordinary scholar. It could even be said that if nothing unexpected happened, he would definitely become a juren.
"Good! Xiaoyun, you've done a great job!" Yang Yuhuan choked and wiped her tears with one hand.
Fang Yun understood the bitterness and joy in Yang Yuhuan's tears.
Fang Yun slowly put Yang Yuhuan down, reached out to wipe her tears, and said, "Sister Yuhuan, don't cry, this is a good thing."
Yang Yuhuan's hands were rough, but her face was as delicate as white jade, and it felt smooth, cool and warm in her hands.
"Okay! I'll go back to my room to wash my face." Yang Yuhuan suddenly turned around and walked quickly, lifted the door curtain and went back to the west wing. She quickly washed her face and wiped it clean. Then she looked in the bronze mirror and saw a blush on her face. Her heart beat faster.
"Why is my heart beating so fast!" Yang Yuhuan thought shyly.
"Although I'm going to marry him in the future, I only think of him as my brother. What happened today? It's normal for a brother to wipe his sister's tears. Why would I do this? I must be too tired recently. I need to go to bed early tonight."
Yang Yuhuan calmed down quickly and was about to go back to the main room, but she looked in the mirror and combed her hair carefully, and then used a little rouge, which was rare, to make her look better. She never bought these things, they were all given by neighbors.
After a while, Yang Yuhuan came out and found Fang Yun clumsily scraping the fish scales. She smiled and said, "Let me do it. We don't eat fish often. How can you do this? I've done it for others. Let me do it."
"Um."
Fang Yun stood up and Yang Yuhuan came over, bringing a scent with her.
Fang Yun looked at Yang Yuhuan's beautiful face and couldn't help but say, "Sister Yuhuan."
"Hmm?" Yang Yuhuan lowered her head to deal with the carp.
"you are so Beautiful!"
Yang Yuhuan stopped her hand and did not raise her head. Her fair face was burning, and even her earlobes were burning red. After a long while, she said, "Go and see how the old hen is stewed. If the soup is less, add some hot water, not cold water."
"Okay." Fang Yun knew that Yang Yuhuan was shy, and added water to the casserole with a smile.
The two of them finished quickly, preparing a stewed chicken, a bowl of braised pork, a braised carp, and finally some refreshing shredded carrots.
This is the most sumptuous meal the Fang family has had in all these years, even the New Year’s Eve dinner cannot compare to it.
Before the meal, Yang Yuhuan offered three incense sticks to the tablets of Fang's father, Fang's mother and her father.
Fang Yun lit six incense sticks and inserted them in the incense burner respectfully.