In early autumn, when the sky was dark and all things were silent, all the candidates for the imperial examinations in Qingshan County gathered at the entrance of the county government office while the ordinary people were fast asleep.

The examination sites for the county-level examinations were mostly set up near the county government office. Generally, a market area would be cleared out, cleaned up, and then a shed would be erected, fences would be put up, and the area would be enclosed to form a closed space, which would then be considered completed.

The examination hall for the county examination was so casual. After all, even if you passed the county examination, you still had to pass the prefectural examination to get the lowest degree of scholar status, which barely made you a scholar. It sounded better to say that, but it didn't bring much benefit in daily life.

At this darkest hour, when the sky was just before dawn, Feng Bingwen, surrounded by his family, arrived at the county government office. His arrival caused quite a stir.

It wasn't because of his status as one of the top celebrities in Qingshan County, but because the carriage he was riding in was being pulled by a mechanical beast that was entirely black and whose eyes gleamed with an eerie white light. On the eve of dawn, such a combination was truly terrifying.

When Feng Bingwen stepped down from the carriage, many people gave him friendly and warm smiles. Well, it wasn't directed at him personally. Behind him, the old man Feng Lingjun also got down.

As a renowned scholar in Qingshan County, Feng Lingjun had countless students. Among the candidates waiting to enter the examination hall at the county government office, one or two out of ten were his students, and most of them were able to participate in the imperial examinations thanks to his guarantor.

The old man's prestige and reputation were naturally incomparable to that of Feng Bingwen, a mere brat who specialized in beating people. His fame in the county was entirely earned through his fists. Although many families thanked him, his public image was not exactly stellar.

"I've already told you the precautions before entering the exam room. Just follow them. I'm going in first."

The old man first greeted the many students at the entrance of the examination hall, then gave instructions to his grandson beside him. After seeing Feng Bingwen nod, he put his hands behind his back and walked ahead towards the examination hall, which was not yet open.

As a guarantor for a candidate, one needs to cooperate with the government to further verify the candidate's identity after the candidate enters the examination hall, in order to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation and impersonating the candidate.

After the old man went inside, Feng Zichuan, who was slightly overweight, slowly climbed down from the specially made carriage and took out the large and small bags that he had prepared in advance.

It included essential exam supplies such as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as well as dried fruit, pastries, cooked food, braised meat, and even a sheepskin rug, making it extremely comprehensive.

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Feng Bingwen frowned as he looked at the large and small bags overflowing with fatherly love. Of all the candidates before the yamen, none had been as extravagant.

"Here you go. I also took the imperial examination. Don't be fooled by their carefree attitude. If they don't bring enough, they'll suffer when they get in. All of this I've prepared for you will come in handy."

"Alright!"

Feng Bingwen sighed and helplessly took the bags from his father.

As dawn broke in the east, five teams of yamen runners emerged from the gate of the temporary examination hall, and the students and examinees gathered on the street rushed toward them.

Feng Bingwen, who appeared to be the youngest, remained calm and followed at a leisurely pace. Some people even offered him directions, claiming to be his grandfather's students. Feng Bingwen naturally nodded and thanked these people politely—his hands were currently occupied.

Before long, it was Feng Bingwen's turn. The two constables began to search his clothes and all the items he was carrying, which was much more rigorous than airport security.

Rice Ball Exploration

To check for any hidden items, all the fabric had to be turned inside out. If anything seemed amiss, the clothes would be torn open for inspection. Feng Bingwen's clothes were naturally prepared in advance and had no hidden layers.

The only problem was that he carried a few more items than usual. The braised meat, roast duck, and candied fruit that his father had prepared for him were all carefully cut into small pieces by the yamen runners with a small knife. It was extremely strict.

Feng Bingwen watched as a young man who looked to be from a well-off family was stripped naked by several burly men who seemed to be carrying something. When a piece of cloth covered with small characters fell to the ground, the man let out a wail and was then dragged away.

Cheating in the imperial examinations was a serious crime. Even bringing cheat sheets into the county-level examinations would result in imprisonment, effectively ending one's chances of ever taking the imperial examinations again, and possibly even leading to a period of imprisonment.

After this little incident, Feng Bingwen carried the re-wrapped bags and entered the examination hall through the gate. However, there was still another layer of verification after entering the examination hall.

A clerk with some literacy came to verify his household registration and identity, and then led him to an open space. As expected, he saw his old man there.

Then he could only stand there and wait, not even allowed to speak to the old man in the family, because that was the rule. Only after all the candidates had entered the examination room and the county magistrate appeared to encourage them and verify their identities could they officially enter the examination room, take their seats, and begin answering the questions.

At dawn, the county magistrate, looking weary, appeared, his body radiating fragrance. When this highest-ranking official of Qingshan County appeared, the candidates who had been waiting for so long became excited.

To become the head of a county, one must have passed the imperial examination and obtained the title of Jinshi. This was a level that none of the candidates present dared to even dream of. Only a very few dared to think about the title of Juren like Feng Bingwen did when he was young. Most of them just thought that it would be good enough to get a title and make a living.

"..."

It was just a routine matter. The county magistrate, who rarely got up early, glanced at the empty space specially left in the temporary examination room. His steady steps faltered as he stared at the young man who stood out among the many candidates.

In an instant, the magistrate of Qingshan County felt as if something inside his body had exploded. Waves of heat spread from the inside out, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his back. The weariness he had felt from waking up early was swept away.

And perhaps because he had spent too much time with his new concubine last night, he felt his legs were actually a little weak.

"Why is this person here to take the county exam? Damn it, why didn't anyone tell me?"

At this moment, the county magistrate felt as if he were being roasted over a fire, his mouth dry and parched, and he didn't know what to do.

As is customary, as the chief examiner of the local county examination, he should give some encouragement to the candidates before the exam. In short, it's a rather clichéd saying that you don't need to think about how to say, you can recite it with your eyes closed.

However, this otherwise quite ordinary thing made the county officials somewhat uneasy.

Feng Bingwen didn't recognize him, but he knew Feng Bingwen all too well. After all, with such a powerful figure appearing in his territory, it was difficult to ignore or pretend not to see him.

His initial understanding of Feng Bingwen was merely that he possessed innate wisdom. Although he was somewhat disdainful of him, he considered him nothing special in the context of the entire Daqian territory.

Every few years, so-called reborn individuals will spring up, but those guys who have no real skills but are arrogant and think they can bully men and women will soon be suppressed. Those who should be beheaded will be beheaded, and those who should be imprisoned will be imprisoned. They won't cause any trouble.

But the person in front of him is different. This person is very likely a reincarnation of a sage. As a county magistrate, he should not know such secrets given his rank. However, the person lives in his jurisdiction, so he has the right to access relevant information beyond his rank to avoid trouble.

The more you know about important matters, the more concerns you have. If he were just an ordinary examinee, he could simply read a few lines from his prepared text and get by. But standing below him was a powerful figure he could only look up to.

Would he dare to be so easily fooled?

"Lord County Lord?"

At this moment, a voice came from beside the magistrate's ear, and he realized that he had been standing still for a while. The candidates below were all a little confused by his action.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I am fine. I just caught a slight cold and am not seriously ill."

The county magistrate hurriedly offered an explanation, then stood somewhat flustered in front of the group of examinees. He glanced at Feng Bingwen, who seemed to be lost in thought, before clearing his throat and racking his brains to improvise a rather inspiring speech to encourage the examinees.

This stirred up the excitement of the candidates below, who cheered enthusiastically. However, Feng Bingwen, who only gave a perfunctory shout, stood out in the eyes of the county magistrate.

But by then there was no chance to make amends. The county magistrate had only so much room to maneuver in the county examination. After delivering his impressive speech, he had no choice but to leave.

After verifying his identity, Feng Bingwen received his seat number and officially entered the examination room to take his seat.

The county examination was the easiest of the imperial examinations. Generally, anyone who was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and understood the meaning of Confucian classics could pass. The only thing that mattered was the amount of reading material. If the question asked for something you hadn't read, you were doomed.

This was naturally no problem for Feng Bingwen. Ever since his father went into business, the old man's attention had been on him. His father used to bring home truckloads of books.

Therefore, Feng Bingwen answered the questions with ease and fluency, and these were questions that were simply testing his reading comprehension. After answering all of them, only the last question remained.

The last question will provide a rather vague sentence or phrase that is barely related to policy discussion.

The requirements for the county examination were naturally not too high, and the direction of the answers was also very simple: just sing praises and flattery. No matter what the question was, just find a way to sing its praises and that would be enough.

Knowing the tricks all along, Feng Bingwen was fully aware of them. He originally just wanted to make a quick mess of things and say a few words to get by. Just as he was about to pick up his pen, he suddenly felt a cold wind blow by, and the scent of sandalwood filled the air.

Ghosts and spirits are patrolling the examination hall!

"..."

Feng Bingwen pursed his lips, and the keyboard immortal awakened.