Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"How did you do on the test?"

“Is the question difficult?”

"Why are you so tired? Sit down and take a rest."

Ji Yuan walked towards Master Zhao, Dahai and the others, and looking at everyone's eyes, Ji Yuan said, "I'm fine."

After saying that, Cai Fenglan and Chang Qing had already sat down.

The same is true for other classmates.

Are you physically tired?

I am tired, but mainly mentally exhausted.

After entering the examination room, my heart was pounding and I felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.

If that's all, that's all.

Coupled with the surrounding environment, not saying a word for three days, the psychological pressure was a bit scary.

I haven’t been eating or sleeping well these days, I’m under a lot of mental pressure, and it’s difficult to do the questions.

Especially for the third exam, I really didn’t know where to start answering.

Not to mention eating and sleeping, for three days, apart from the things I brought with me, I only ate bread and drank water.

No one can stand it.

There were only a few candles at night and they were not enough for lighting.

It's difficult.

When I was sleeping, I could still feel drafty from all sides. The room was small, and the bed was not big either, so tall people couldn't even stretch their legs.

Anyway, all the candidates can complain for a whole day and a whole night.

Outside the examination room, everyone was chatting at once, until they heard the word "locked courtyard", and everyone subconsciously fell silent.

The courtyard was locked again, and the examiners began to mark the test papers.

It represents their hard work over the years and their future prospects.

Fortunately, the people around him quickly interrupted: "And then? Just eat bread?"

The candidates began to answer one after another, and this time they spoke faster, obviously trying to relieve their psychological pressure.

On the other hand, Ji Yuan just drank some water and listened to Cai Fenglan and Chang Qing chatting.

Li Ting said: "Why aren't you nervous? I'm really not nervous."

Ji Yuan is usually calm, but this is the first time I've seen him so calm.

Master Zhao knew that Ji Yuan was calm in the face of adversities and was never nervous during any exam.

But he also wanted to know why, as this was a major matter in life.

Ji Yuan thought to himself, I have taken the college entrance examination before, and I was also very nervous at that time.

Besides, if you fail, you can take the exam again next year. You are just studying anyway.

The former cannot be spoken of, but the latter can be said: "If you pass the test, you pass it. If you fail, we will talk about it later."

Cai Fenglan replied: "If you can't pass, no one can."

Chang Qing nodded.

Li Ting, Qian Fei and Master Zhao knew Ji Yuan's level, but An Dahai's eyes widened.

It is so difficult to pass the examination to become a scholar.

The first level is so difficult, so why do people assume that Ji Yuan can definitely pass it?

This is so amazing.

Thinking about how Ji Yuan managed to improve his own grades when they were studying in a private school together, there was nothing to say now.

Ji Yuan was born to learn!

The strangers around also looked at him sideways when they heard this.

This young man is so powerful?

Ji Yuan thought about his article and said, "Let's wait for the results."

Out of eighty-two people, twelve will pass the county examination.

This ratio is relatively high.

Of course, we cannot ignore how many scholars there are below.

Ji Yuan and his team also passed the exams. The monthly and annual exams give them confidence.

In Ji Yuan’s opinion, Cai Fenglan is probably okay, but how Chang Qing performs depends on his performance.

You definitely won’t say that right now, the exam just ended and everyone is worried about the exam that just passed.

Master Zhao said, "Go back and rest first. Get a good night's sleep. You must be very tired after taking the exam for three consecutive days."

Ji Yuan felt that he was fine, and he wanted to talk to Master Zhao and Dahai and the others.

Master Zhao said, "I'm with Master Guo. You can rest first. We can talk after you've rested. I won't be back until tomorrow."

"Okay, then let's go back first." Seeing that everyone was going back, Ji Yuan followed them. Everything else was fine, he really wanted to take a shower.

Among the eighty-two candidates, except for those from the county school, most of the others lived in restaurants or stayed with relatives.

So when others saw the county school students returning, they were extremely envious.

Even if you fail the county exam, you can still go to the county school.

After returning home, Ji Yuan took a shower immediately. When he returned to the four-person dormitory in Class B Hall, the other three roommates had already fallen asleep. From their breathing, one could tell that they were very tired. They probably didn't sleep well in the examination room.

Now that I have finished the exam, I feel relieved and can finally sleep soundly.

Ji Yuan still had enough energy and quietly took out the papers he had done in the previous two years.

Let alone flipping the papers gently, even if he flipped them quickly, his roommates probably wouldn't wake up.

Two years ago, Ji Yuan encountered the county examination papers for the first time. He tried to do it and found it very difficult.

I even skipped over the sutras and treatises as I had never studied them at that time.

I did write the sutras and theories for last year's test paper, but they were very superficial and the level of the writing was not high enough.

The most obvious thing is that my handwriting has improved the fastest in recent years.

At that time, Ji Yuan couldn't find anyone to help him check the test paper, and then he forgot about it.

Now when I watch it again, I can raise quite a few questions.

Although the articles today are not good enough, there has been some improvement compared to the previous two years.

After Ji Yuan finished reading, he put the paper back, lay on the bed and thought for a while, and soon fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already dusk. His roommates had already gotten up. Seeing Ji Yuan getting up, they relaxed and said, "My classmates are going to Cai's Restaurant for dinner. Do you want to join us? If we all pay together, the boss will give us a discount, so it won't be too expensive."

Classmates dinner.

Then he will definitely go.

This is also a tradition of the B-level hall. After such an important exam, everyone goes to an affordable restaurant in the county town to eat and drink.

Cai's Restaurant was not expensive to begin with, and they would even give them a discount, so it would be enough for the classmates to pool together.

Candidates and their parents can also go, as long as they pay their own share of the money.

Sometimes the teachers from the county school would also join in the fun, but the instructor would only contribute money but not people.

Ji Yuan had heard about this matter before when he was in the Bingdeng Hall, but he didn’t expect that he would also be involved.

The county examination ended at noon. All the candidates rested for a whole afternoon and were finally refreshed.

My first reaction after I woke up was that I was so hungry!

I’m really hungry!

I didn't feel it when I was sleeping, but now I'm so hungry that my stomach is sticking to my back.

"Actually, the pancake isn't that bad. It's even delicious when it's hot in the morning. But I feel so sleepy after eating it."

"I stuffed three biscuits into my stomach and almost fell asleep after eating. Look how I pinched myself."

The county seat of Zhengrong County was very lively because of the county examination, and the owner of Caiji Restaurant was even more delighted.

To be honest, he didn't make much money from entertaining the county school students, he just managed to make back his investment.

But he is willing to do so.

So many students come here, what if one of them has a promising future? What if he becomes an official in the future?

He earns a lot.

Other restaurants in the county were so envious that one more expensive restaurant even wanted to lose money to lure students there.

Unfortunately, the students in the county school are used to Cai Ji and never go to other places.

Fortunately, there are other students, so it doesn’t matter who we entertain.

All the candidates for this county examination!

Discounts on meals!

As I walked along, I saw that the entire county was bustling with activity because of the county examination.

Ji Yuan was in a very relaxed mood. Master Zhao and An Dahai also asked someone to bring a message. They were sitting in Cai Ji's box with the teachers who had already come out of the county school, and told Ji Yuan to just go there directly.

When he went there, the door of the teachers' box in the county school was open, and waves of students went there to answer questions. When Ji Yuan went there, there were many people there, and he originally planned to wait, but a teacher had sharp eyes and saw it at a glance.

"Ji Yuan! Come here quickly and tell me how you cracked the third exam."

Everyone looked over with anticipation in their eyes.

Ji Yuan answered truthfully, he did not hide anything.

Master Zhao nodded and said, "That's right. I was poor when I was young, so I was good at doing menial things. It's a good idea to use the words of the sage to solve the problem."

The classmates looked at Ji Yuan, wondering why they didn’t think of this!

I thought if I didn't answer this question well, I would offend Confucius, but I didn't expect that I could actually write it like this!

The entire Caiji Restaurant was filled with the sound of scholars' discussions. The other guests who came to eat, as well as the waiters and the owner, even felt honored.

Look, there is such a strong scent of books here.

When it came to the last test poem, the other teachers said with a smile: "You are so lazy, so conventional, why don't you just write a good one."

Everyone knows that Ji Yuan is good at writing poetry.

Ji Yuan blushed, thinking of the bamboo and the painting he had hidden, and coughed lightly, "Beautiful sentences are naturally formed, and the student is just lucky."

"What kind of luck is this? This is real skill."

After that, the teacher gave a reminder: "It's okay to write like this for the county exam, but if you can take the provincial exam, you have to be more careful."

ah?

Be more careful.

Ji Yuan had a headache.

He really needs to improve his knowledge of poetry.

It's not good to be a plagiarist every time.

Ji Yuan was still worrying about poetry, but his classmates heard the teacher's voice-over. Chang Qing was shocked. From what the teacher said, Ji Yuan could really pass the county exam.

It’s not that we are shocked that Ji Yuan passed the county exam, as everyone can see his level.

It was shocking that this was actually going to happen.

Ji Yuan T has only been studying for a few years.

After the students finished chatting, the dishes were served and An Dahai would definitely follow Ji Yuan.

He felt uncomfortable even when having a meal with Master Zhao, let alone with so many other masters around.

Also, he has a lot of things he wants to say to Ji Yuan.

There were many things that were difficult to talk about before the exam. Now that the county exam is over, he can finally talk about them, but he is almost suffocating.

Ji Yuan saw through it, and followed Dahai to sit in the corner and listen to him talk.

Dahai looked at the students with some envy. He, a poor student, was actually having a meal with a group of top students. It was all thanks to Ji Yuan.

He not only benefited from this matter, but also from the affairs of Anji Village.

The most recent event is definitely the road construction in the village.

Last year, Anji Village made a lot of money from silage, and there was still a surplus after distributing it to everyone.

So we agreed that we would start road construction after the spring this year before the spring plowing, and continue construction after the spring plowing was over.

Anyway, we are all from the same village, so we just need to finish the repairs by the end of the year, so there is no need to rush the progress.

But when the villagers heard that there was money to be gained, they actually actively participated in January.

Most of the people who were active this time did not catch up with the silage.

During the time that Ji Yuan was preparing for the exam in the county town, the whole village was repairing the road, hoping that it would be completed sooner so that it would be more convenient for everyone.

Ji Yuan listened to what Dahai said and nodded silently.

This is very good. Building roads is an important matter and it is convenient for everyone.

Many modern people have never seen the dirt roads in a real village, and most of the dirt roads they have seen have even been repaired.

It is covered with yellow soil, but it looks neat and it only feels uncomfortable on rainy days.

In fact, those that look neat have basically been trimmed.

The real dirt road is full of potholes. One step on it will hurt your calves, and the next step on it will feel like climbing a hill.

There are many stones on such a road, big and small, making it even more difficult to walk.

If it is washed by rain again, the terrain of this wild road will change at any time, and the potholes will become different potholes.

If a bullock cart were to travel on such a road, it would be so bumpy that it would make one vomit bile.

When building such a road, the first thing to do is to clear the weeds on the road and then pick out all the stones.

The stones are of different sizes, and some even require a chisel to break them open.

When you hear this, you realize how difficult it is.

The roads in Anji Village, apart from the official road leading to the county town, also include the main road in the village which is often traveled and can be considered to have been maintained.

There is no need to mention other roads. The energy and time required to walk on a wild road will be three to four times that of a repaired road.

As for the roads from the silage cellar to various places in the village, there is no need to mention them.

During transportation last year, some of the more arrogant cows didn't want to move, and even if they were pulled, the silage was still shaken along the way.

If you are not careful, someone will need to rescue the wheel from the pit.

Fortunately, the snow fell late last year. If it had fallen earlier, it would have been even more disastrous.

In short, with so many difficulties, road construction must be carried out.

When the villagers who had transported silage last year heard about this, they subconsciously thought that the village chief was making preparations for a rainy day.

The next second I realized it must be Ji Yuan’s proposal.

How could everyone not know the village chief?

Most of these amazing things happened in the epoch.

Anyway, the people in Anji Village are willing to repair the road now. They can earn money and it is the road to their own village, so they might as well repair it.

There is no limit on the number of people who can sign up for road construction. Anyone who wants to come can come. The wages will be paid on a daily basis anyway.

Dahai told the whole story in detail. He felt that this was something Yuan Ge'er did, so he must let him know.

His grandfather and Village Chief An also thought so.

When Ji Yuan heard him say this, he knew that the matter was handled very well and he didn't have to worry about it at all.

There is Village Chief An and Uncle An in the village. Now the sea is gradually rising and a lot of things can be done.

On the accounts side, there is Madam An Er.

Speaking of this matter, An Dahai hesitated to speak, but this matter was related to Ji Yuan, so he had to say it, otherwise it would be awkward when they met in the future.

And there is something I would like to ask Yuan Ge'er for help with.

Ji Yuan looked at him and said, "Is it Xiao He's mother's family who came to your house to cause trouble?"

An Dahai nodded, it seemed that Ji Yuan had guessed it.

When that incident happened, Ji Yuan didn't think much about it, but now he knows after a little thought.

They have taken away Li Yaozhong's official status, which is really not a small matter.

Although the city government has not yet made a decision, they have sent people over to inquire about the situation in detail. Combined with Li Yaozhong's reputation in the city school, this matter is likely to be settled.

The provincial school is just going through the procedures.

The government school would come and confirm this kind of thing again and again, which shows that it is not a trivial matter.

For Li Yaozhong's family, it was a devastating disaster.

The whole family has enjoyed countless benefits because of his scholar status, and they hope that he can pass the imperial examination and become an official in the future.

The whole family will be honored then.

From Mrs. An's maiden name, Li Pandi, you can tell that all four daughters in her family support this student-friendly younger brother.

Add to that the fact that he passed the imperial examination and is still studying in the provincial capital, and you can see how much they value Li Yaozhong.

Li Yaozhong got into trouble because of something wrong with a fellow villager of An Erniang. They even had a good relationship.

It would be strange if the Li family didn't come to cause trouble.

As her own family, Madam An Er could not say anything.

An Dahai told Ji Yuan what happened at that time.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Li Yaozhong was sentenced for falsely accusing county school students and instigating lawsuits.

The Li family had already arrived at the county town that day, but they were not allowed to enter the venue at that time.

After all, the person with the least knowledge and the lowest status among them is Ji Yuan. As the victim and a student of the county school, there is naturally no problem for Ji Yuan.

Others said no one could come in.

The people from the county school and Magistrate Nie were arguing fiercely in the yamen, and the Li family was waiting outside.

At that time, all the daughters were called over.

The government is arguing about how to punish.

There was a noise outside saying that Madam An Er was restless and had said many unpleasant things.

For example: "Aren't you from the same village? Why didn't you stop him?"

"Jiyuan and the others made silage materials with you. As the second sister, why didn't you share it with your brother? If you had shared it with him, he wouldn't have done such a thing."

"Back then, you were able to read and learn from him. What's there to be dissatisfied about?"

Some sisters wanted to help explain, but were talked back by other sisters.

Not to mention Mrs. An's parents, whose faces looked extremely ugly.

And it was that classic configuration, with the mother rushing to the front and scolding, while the father sighed from time to time and looked at his second daughter, his eyes full of accusations.

The fourth sister of the Li family said a few words, but was pushed back by the other sisters.

Li Yaozhong's wife also cried loudly: "Li Yaozhong has been studying abroad for many years, and I raised the child by myself. Now he is not even a scholar. I should not have married him if I had known."

Anyway, the noise can be heard throughout the entire street.

After the results came out, an even more chaotic situation ensued.

If An Xiaohe and An Laoer had not come in advance to pick up An Er's wife, Li Yaozhong would probably have beaten his second sister.

After this incident, the two families showed signs of falling out.

A few days later, Mrs. An's family came again to ask for compensation.

What he meant was that this matter was related to Anji Village, and that Mrs. An Er must be held responsible. He also told her to find Ji Yuan and have the matter undone.

They said that Ji Yuan was the favorite disciple of the teachers in the county school and that he was the one who caused this incident, so it would definitely be okay for him to say it.

Hearing this, Ji Yuan was surprised: "But they didn't come to see me."

An Dahai nodded: "Yes, Madam An Er said she would not come no matter what, and she was sick at home for a few days."

"But thinking about the road construction bill that still needed to be kept, she packed up and went to do the billing. Xiao He didn't go to school during those few days and stayed with Second Aunt."

Dahai wants to ask Xiaohe Niang to call her Second Aunt.

Ji Yuan listened to this and made a rough guess.

After discussing it, Li Yaozhong and his family felt that they were the key to the matter, so they forced Xiaohe's mother to come to them.

This is indeed a solution.

But Li Yaozhong didn't think about why he could agree to it.

What Li Yaozhong probably didn't expect was that his second sister, who had always been submissive to him, refused to agree.

The Li family wanted to blackmail their second daughter, so they forced their fellow villagers to intercede for her.

Xiaohe's mother no longer wanted to care about him.

Although I am still upset about those things, I can regain my spirits and work.

The money for road construction had to be paid out every day, so she must have been very busy, and she was so busy that she ignored Li Yaozhong.

But will the Li family really let it go?

Now the situation has already happened even though the document from the provincial school has not yet come down. Once it really comes down, I am afraid there will be chaos everywhere.

That’s fine, but my relationship with Xiaohe is awkward.

An Dahai thought so too, but he also said: "Anyone with a discerning eye knows that this is not your fault."

"Xiao He also said in private that we will continue to be the same as before."

Not only An Xiaohe thought so, but also Mrs. An Er.

It is terrible to be without her mother's family, but if she continues to be harassed, she will really have no peace of mind.

"That's right, I want to ask you to help me think of a way to stop the other party from pestering his mother for money."

In the past, Li Yaozhong liked to go there to beg for money.

There will surely be more in the future.

Ji Yuan nodded: "This matter is also caused by me, don't worry, I will definitely help."

Dahai said so much, not just for gossip, but mainly to find a solution.

Others may watch the fun, but An Xiaohe certainly can't.

He was at a loss as to what to do about the matter and subconsciously thought of Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan will definitely find a way.

So I asked Dahai, who was here to take me to the Jiyuan County Examination, to help me.

Ji Yuan agreed, and Dahai breathed a sigh of relief.

There is an era!

Of course no problem!

After talking about other things, Dahai finally felt like eating.

Although the food at Caiji Restaurant is affordable, it tastes really good and everyone is very satisfied with the meal.

Even though everyone was discussing the county exam, Dahai only understood half of it.

As he was talking, Dahai slapped his head and said, "One more thing. I have already found someone to farm your land and the contract has been signed."

Dahai took out the document and said, "You can tell from the names that they are all good farmers in the village. They are renting the land from you. According to the usual rules, the profit is split 30% to 70%, with you making 30% and them making 70%. "

"You don't have to worry about the harvest in the future. My brother Xiaohu and I will help you look after it."

Ji Yuan almost forgot about this.

He has been preparing for the exam recently and almost forgot that he now owns eight acres of land and two houses.

One is the old house of Xiao Jiyuan’s family, and the other is the compensation given by Ji Li’s family.

Never even went back.

Dahai also asked: "When will you go back to see the land and the house?"

Ji Yuan shook his head: "It's not time yet."

"We have just finished the county exam, and there is still the prefectural exam."

Ji Yuan was not particularly confident, but he had just talked about how he wrote the article, and several teachers nodded slightly. It seemed that the county examination would not be a problem, it all depended on the ranking.

Since he might pass the county examination, he must prepare for the upcoming provincial examination.

Although the county examination is difficult, it is child's play compared to the prefectural examination.

Regardless of whether he can pass the county exam or not, he must make good use of the recent time to review.

This will avoid the situation where you pass the county exam but fail the provincial exam because you are not prepared.

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, he saw the others at the table looking at him.

When they were talking about Anji Village just now, their voices were still low and no one paid much attention.

But when talking about the exam, the voices became normal. Cai Fenglan and the others at the same table put down their glasses and said helplessly, "Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan, I really want to be your classmate for the rest of my life."

After Cai Fenglan finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.

These words were spoken with gritted teeth and with true feeling.

I gnashed my teeth because studying with Ji Yuan is just too stressful!

Oh my god!

They might feel encouraged when they see someone working hard.

When you see a talented person, you may feel a little envious.

So why does this genius work so hard?

Do you want to live?

Therefore, I really want to be classmates with Ji Yuan for life. After all, looking at him, I must work hard!

Otherwise you would be sorry for yourself!

Cai Fenglan poured Ji Yuan a cup of tea fiercely: "Drink! Because you are young, I will only let you drink tea!"

Only then did Ji Yuan take a look around.

On the entire table, the only thing in front of him was tea.

Even the fourteen-year-old Dahai was given a glass of wine.

Well, why don’t he go to the kids’ table?

Chang Qing also said quietly: "Write down the wine he owes. When he's fourteen or fifteen, give him a big drink."

Everyone couldn't help laughing again.

yes!

The age of the current era!

I can't even get you to drink!

Ji Yuan drank the tea neatly and said with a smile, "Don't worry, wait until the day you guys get drunk."

He wants to grow up too.

Who wants to be that tall and sit at the kids' table?

Dahai also joined in. Since everyone was about the same age, there was naturally a lot to talk about.

When Li Ting and Qian Fei came over, they mingled with everyone.

Ji Yuan saw the two of them and thought of what Dahai had just said about Li Yaozhong causing trouble, so he said, "Qian Fei, I heard that your family has a good relationship with Constable Lei from the Yamen. Can you help me find out something?"

Before Qian Fei could speak, Jiang Ke beside him said, "My family is familiar with the people in the government office. You can ask me."

Qian Fei:?

Why are you still trying to steal my job?

However, his family was just acquaintances, and Jiang Ke, who came from a better family, did have more contacts with the government.

Speaking of which, when Ji Yuan first came to the county school, the county school was divided into the Money-Smelling Society and the Poor Society.

This Jiang Ke is the boss of the Tongxiu Society, and they are not on good terms with each other.

But two or three years have passed and many things have changed.

Jiang Ke said: "Just tell me, I will do whatever I can."

It’s still Li Yaozhong’s business.

I heard from Dahai that the Li family has been causing trouble for Uncle An's family.

He also forced Uncle An and Second Lady An to help his family in the name of relatives.

Ji Yuan originally thought that after passing the imperial examination, he would be able to protect the people around him, but today he changed his mind.

Regardless of whether he can pass the exam or not, he has to take action.

"I heard that Li Yaozhong was stripped of his title, and the government academy came to investigate and told me a lot about his situation in the city. Can you tell me about these things?"

Before the county examination, Ji Yuan happened to hear someone mention this.

What happened is that when Li Yaozhong was studying in the provincial capital, his grades were very poor and he seemed to have been a cheater.

I didn't hear it clearly at that time, but now I want to find out and tell it to the sea, and the sea will know what to do.

Now, Li Yaozhong and the Li family think that it was Ji Yuan and the people of Anji Village who caused him to be deprived of his honor.

When I get so angry, I want to kill someone.

Ji Yuan wanted to let them know that Li Yaozhong had done more than just this one wrong thing, and that he had brought upon himself the situation he is in now.

He wanted to put all the blame on him for the loss of his fame and fortune, and to squeeze all the money out of his relatives, but that was not a good idea.

Unexpectedly, the classmate at the dinner table spoke up.

The classmate who spoke was named Li Jin. He had always been at the top of the class in Class B, even better than Cai Fenglan.

Li Jin's family is also well-off, and his family has good relations with the officials in the government office.

Although his surname is also Li, he is not a relative of Li Yaozhong, simply because this surname is more common.

Because of this surname, some people thought that Li Xiucai from Zhengrong County, who had embarrassed himself in the provincial capital, was from his family.

It made his father very angry.

"No need to ask, I know about this." Li Jin is twenty-four years old this year, but he hesitated to say some words.

Especially looking at the eleven-year-old Ji Yuan, he gritted his teeth for a long time before saying: "Li Yaozhong lost his master in the capital city, so he came back at the end of the year before last."

"And the provincial school also has annual examinations. Students and scholars who rank low must take the exam again. If they rank low too many times, they will be advised to drop out."

This is to explain Li Yaozhong's academic problems in the provincial capital.

He was persuaded to drop out because of his poor grades, so he returned to Zhengrong County in disgrace. It was not because he felt bad about the high expenses in the provincial capital.

Unexpectedly, Li Jin changed the subject: "But when it comes to persuading people to quit, the teachers are not that strict."

"It was mainly another thing to get him back."

Everyone was curious.

What is going on?

Li Yaozhong was a scholar after all, and the fact that he was stripped of his title had caused a lot of controversy in the county school. When people talked about it at the dinner, they were naturally curious.

Even the people at the neighboring table came over to listen.

Li Jin still didn't know how to speak. The people in Zhengrong County were simple and honest, and the previous county magistrate had been strict in his administration.

There is very little chaos in their county.

Even though Li Jin was twenty years old and had never met a prostitute before, he could only lower his voice and say, "He went to a brothel to have sex with a prostitute, but he didn't pay her enough. He wrote a sour poem to pay off his debt, and was chased by the madam to the government school and scolded."

ah? !

Go to a brothel.

The money was not enough.

Using your own poems as payment for debts?!

This is not a joke.

Li Jin's face turned red as he finished speaking. "When the news got out, I don't know how many people laughed at him. After hearing that he was from Zhengrong County, people my father knew thought he was a scholar from a branch of my family, and even wrote to ask about it."

Just by listening to it, you can tell what a joke it is.

Ji Yuan and An Dahai couldn't close their mouths.

It's embarrassing. It's really embarrassing.

No wonder he was persuaded to drop out of the provincial school and no wonder he had to come back to study. It was because he couldn't stay there anymore.

"He still has the nerve to say that he is innocent and just accepted a lawsuit?"

An Dahai said angrily: "Next time he comes to my house to make trouble, I will tell everyone about this!"

"That's right! Tell it!"

"It's really a disgrace to us scholars."

"Don't mention it, it's disgusting to mention it."

He did mention disgust, otherwise why didn't Li Jin mention it? If it wasn't useful to Ji Yuan today, he wouldn't bother to talk about it.

It's so embarrassing to be involved in such a joke.

Ji Yuan's expression was also extremely interesting. He didn't expect this to happen.

Disgusting enough indeed.

If we tell this to others, his family probably won't be able to face us again.

At least not recently.

Once he achieves fame and success, he will never dare to mention it again.

Everyone in the restaurant was gossiping and talking about the county exam, and no one wanted to mention this matter.

He even used his own sour poems to pay off his debts. He really thinks he is a great talent.

Forget it, I won’t say anymore.

It’s better to eat well.

It’s a rare chance to relax, so make sure you have some fun!

The entire Caiji Restaurant, and even the county town, celebrated the exam.

County examination, an examination to select talents.

Unlike other places in Zhengrong County, the examiners were busy in the examination hall.

Even for examiners, there are many subdivisions.

Responsible for organizing the test papers, responsible for preserving the test papers, and responsible for covering the names.

Finally it was handed over to five examiners.

A test paper passes through the hands of five examiners, who assign scores according to A, B, C, and D, and the scores are written directly on the paper.

After reading them, a special person sorted them out and selected the papers of seventy people from the eighty-two people.

The marking of the first exam is completed.

It was similar to what Ji Yuan had heard, the first game was very simple.

Then came the marking of the second test paper.

The test papers that had just passed were brought over, and the special examiner opened the covered names, picked out the second test papers of the seventy people, and continued to cover the names.

After finishing everything, there is the second marking exam.

All of this should be recorded so that you can refer to it anytime you have questions later.

Still follow the above order, and play A, B, C, and D.

This time, fifty people will be selected from seventy and twenty will be eliminated.

After grading the two papers, basically the whole day was over.

The third paper began to be graded on the second day.

The examiners were well-rested and were more rigorous and careful in their marking this time.

Because we need to select the top 20 out of 50 people and eliminate 30 directly.

Papers passed through their hands one after another.

The number of examiners this time has also increased to seven.

If there is any uncertainty, we will discuss it.

The third paper will basically be discussed for about two days.

Every test paper and every essay that is screened out from their hands is the carefully crafted work of the candidates and is also related to their future.

So one must be careful.

In fact, by now, the examiners are somewhat exhausted.

But there is no other way, I have to force myself to cheer up.

Fortunately, after the third round of papers were graded, the rest became easier.

February 12th was the fourth day of marking the papers.

The examiners rested in the morning and reviewed the fourth paper in the afternoon, which was the one testing "The Book of Filial Piety".

This time, fifteen were selected from twenty people.

You know, there are a total of twelve places available for the county exam this time.

Finally, these fifteen people were selected, and basically all of them could pass the county examination.

The last three people left are naturally substitutes.

If there is a problem with someone in front, the person behind can just make up for it.

And being able to rank in the top 15 means that I will have no problem passing the county exam by this time next year.

February 13th.

The fifth day of marking papers.

All five examination papers of the last fifteen people were brought over.

Ranked in order.

The top five were picked out separately, waiting for the county magistrate and the teacher to come and decide the top three.

Inside the examination room, the examiners were in a relaxed mood. It was the last day, so we could relax a bit.

The papers have basically been graded, and it’s time to see who the top three are.

The county magistrate, the county assistant, and the teacher came over at the same time, and the three seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.

The current county magistrate is the old official who used to work under County Magistrate Nie.

After no one competed with him for the position, his attitude became much milder. He had enough experience in handling government affairs, and Zhengrong County was not a bad thing in his hands.

However, when it comes to the imperial examination, it is naturally the county magistrate's strong point.

Without mentioning anything else, you can tell which article is good or bad at a glance.

After the five test papers were shuffled, Magistrate Nie and the teacher looked through them one by one.

"This official style is written in a particularly clear and upright manner," Magistrate Nie praised. "It is also easy to read the article in one breath."

Magistrate Nie looked at this sentence and said, "To seek happiness between heaven and man is the intention of a gentleman."

I couldn't help but praise it again: "Well said, it feels like Mencius expressing his true feelings."

"From my perspective, this volume deserves to be ranked first."

The teacher was silent for a long time, not because he disagreed, but because he could tell at a glance who the calligraphy belonged to.

Among the students in the county school, that guy can get first place in calligraphy.

The county magistrate also nodded: "Indeed, this article also has the intention of imitating ancient times, but it can also show what the student is thinking, and the style of the article is excellent."

Out of three votes, two votes agreed that this paper should be rated first.

The two of them subconsciously looked at the teacher.

As the county's education director, his opinion matters.

The teacher had this idea in mind a long time ago, and he kept silent not because he was unwilling, but because it was more fair.

Seeing that the county magistrate and the county magistrate both said so, he nodded and said, "I think so too."

The three of them nodded, and the other examiners also nodded.

According to their ranking, this paper is also first!

The clerk next to him opened the order in which the examiners had marked the papers.

really!

Everyone thinks exactly the same thing.

This situation is not common.

As the saying goes, there is no best writing style. Every examiner has different ideas and likes different writing styles.

So every time when the first place is evaluated, there will always be some debate.

But this time, it is undisputed, naturally because this person's articles are far superior to others and he is truly the first.

It is truly the top case in the county this year.

It was the first time for Magistrate Nie to preside over an imperial examination, and he was quite excited: "Now that it's decided, let's open the envelope and see who is on the ranking list."

"I've also heard that there are several very good students in the county school, Cai Fenglan, and Zhao Jin who almost got admitted last year. Let's see who they are."

"Oh, Ji Yuan is not bad, but he is young and cannot write such a steady and broad-minded article."

Before Magistrate Nie could finish his words, the paper pasted over the name was cut open with a knife.

There are two words clearly written on it.

era.

It’s the era!

The teacher was not surprised, as Ji Yuan's beautiful handwriting was something they practiced by watching him.

From County Magistrate Lin who helplessly pointed out that his handwriting was ugly, to County Magistrate Nie who praised his beautiful official style of writing.

The progress during this period has been extraordinary.

Magistrate Nie was shocked and looked at the paper over and over again.

"No wonder they say he is a child prodigy. He is indeed a child prodigy."

“This kind of article has a promising future.”

County Magistrate Nie had only heard of Ji Yuan's poems before, but had never read his articles.

No matter how talented an eleven-year-old child is, his writing may be beautiful, but it is difficult for him to express meaningful things.

This is not due to talent, but also has to do with experience.

As Magistrate Nie himself knew, if he were allowed to take the imperial examination again, his experience over the past six months would only make his essay more solid and more insightful.

How could an eleven-year-old boy write such good articles?

When the county magistrate, who was a successful Jinshi, said this, everyone knew how talented Ji Yuan was.

I really want to know where he will go in the future.

Will they all be out of reach?

After a moment's thought, everyone also started praising Ji Yuan.

Naturally, everyone has not forgotten to work. We have to write the list today and it will be posted in the morning tomorrow, February 14th.

They were working hard marking the exam papers in the examination hall.

The candidates outside must be waiting anxiously.

An exam that determines your fate is bound to make you nervous.

Out of eighty-two candidates, only twelve were able to pass the county examination.

The night of February 13th.

None of the students in the second-grade hall of the county school could get into the school, and all of them were very nervous.

Ji Yuan was also pulled aside to talk, and his classmates all felt that they seemed to calm down when they stayed with Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan was also a little worried.

He definitely wanted to pass the exam and also wanted to pass the provincial examination.

In his situation, everything will become easier once he has achieved fame and success.

Li Yaozhong's constant pestering is indeed a problem.

Not to mention myself, it's not right to keep pestering Uncle An's family.

If you have achieved fame and honor, these will not mean anything.

As for Magistrate Nie, because of what happened last time, Magistrate Nie drove some people back to the capital. There's no guarantee that the remaining people will not think too much about it.

These are all hidden dangers.

These hidden dangers can be solved as long as there is merit and fame.

Since he has something to ask for, he will naturally worry. He is not arrogant enough to think that he can accomplish everything.

The teachers knew what everyone was thinking, so they didn't assign much homework in the past two days.

They just asked someone to clean up a room not far from Hall B, where twelve tables and chairs were placed.

As soon as the county examination list comes out, these twelve students, whether they are students from the county school or students from the village, will study there.

There will be further subdivisions among the twelve students.

Everyone has to study the Four Books, and among the Five Classics, each person chooses two subjects to specialize in, and then they will be taught by different teachers and doctors.

Seeing Minglun Hall next door being cleaned up, everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation.

So much so that the next morning, everyone was walking back and forth at the door.

Jiang Ke and his friends who did not take part in this year's county examination couldn't help but think that it was a good thing they did not take part in the county examination, otherwise they would have been even more nervous.

Until we heard that the results were announced, everyone subconsciously went outside.

The list is posted on the bulletin board outside the county examination, just a few steps away.

Although there were already many people gathered around, when they saw the students from the county school coming out, everyone subconsciously made way for them.

The exam starts on February 6th.

The eighth day ends.

The results will be announced on the 14th.

A few days would determine their future fate.

"First!"

"era!"

"Ji Yuan is the top scorer in the county this year!"

Ji Yuan just walked to the front when he heard these words and looked up subconsciously.

The first line of names on the bulletin board was Ji Yuan.

It's him.

He passed the county examination and ranked first.

The first in the county case at the age of eleven.

Everyone looked at him.

First!

It’s indeed him!

How come I'm not surprised at all!