Chapter 75

Chapter 75

After the holiday, the three of them exercised in the morning, Wu Ying asked them to play football in the afternoon, and they continued to study in the rest of the time.

Seeing this, Wu Ying also went to Li Jin's study to study when he had nothing to do. He was reading the art of war, which would also be the subject of his exams in the future.

A few people got together to study, and they all made progress.

As the end of the year approaches, everyone starts to receive replies from home.

Everyone then realized that the New Year was approaching and the thirty-four years of Huayuan were about to pass.

A lot has happened this year and time has passed very quickly.

After the child exam, he came to the provincial school.

There are various things in between.

Now the year is finally over.

Ji Yuan saw Dr. Yin's letter. Dr. Yin was leaving after the new year. He was going to the capital to take the imperial examination.

The juren took the imperial examination and became a jinshi.

It is extremely difficult.

Dr. Yin is an optimistic person and even joked that he hoped Jiyuan would have a scholar who passed the imperial examination and was waiting for his good news.

Dr. Yin has solid knowledge, but it is hard to say whether he can pass the exam.

It depends a lot on the exam questions, and also on the preferences of the examiner at that time.

Ji Yuan was worried about Dr. Yin and hoped that his wish would come true this year.

In his letter, Dr. Luo expressed surprise, asking why he was spending the money now, and told him not to worry about the money.

He also said that his eldest son would go to the provincial capital to do some business after the New Year and would come to see him then.

Finally, she expressed concern about her child living in the temple, saying that life in the monastery was too hard and that it was not a good idea to eat vegetarian food with the monks, so she asked him to eat more meat, etc.

Ji Yuan was moved to tears by his sincere love for his disciple.

Mr. Fang was saying that he had eaten the snacks made by Qian Fei’s cook. Although they were not quite up to standard, they were still pretty good.

He also said that he was teaching Qian Fei and Li Ting to write, and that they were not as smart as Ji Yuan.

Qian Fei also told Li Tingxin about this. They both respected and feared Master Fang. When he was teaching them calligraphy, they were scared to death. Fortunately, they have finally got the hang of it.

At the same time, there is good news. Both of them have been promoted to the second-class hall and will probably be able to take part in the county examination next year.

This is indeed a big step forward.

Everyone else was fine, and the teacher sent someone to deliver a message, saying that if there were any cheap and suitable books, they could be sent to the county school.

Ji Yuan laughed when he saw this.

On the other side of Anji Village are Dahai and Master Zhao.

Everything is fine in the village. Dahai and Xiaohe even helped him to weed the graves of his parents, and said that Xiaohuang was doing well too.

Xiao He was admitted to the county school and will study at the Class III Hall next year.

Master Zhao understood that he couldn't come back, and also said that the Zen temple was too cold, so he asked if he could rent a house.

After collecting everyone's letters, Ji Yuan still had a smile on his face.

Today is the end of December, and there is snow outside. Even Ji Yuan just walks around in the yard and spends the rest of the time reading.

It was too cold outside, so Li Jin's servants went shopping several days in advance. If nothing unexpected happened, they would not go out in the next few days.

During the two or three days of the New Year, Ji Yuan put away his books and played chess with everyone every day, or cooked hot pot himself.

The days during the New Year were quite lively.

When the weather got a little warmer, Wu Ying came again. He found that after coming to Li Jin's place, his learning progress had caught up.

Ji Yuan finally completed the three illustrations for "Mengdie Ling", and the remaining text was easy to copy.

Only after it was actually copied down did Ji Yuan understand why this story was officially compiled.

It actually tells the story of a young emperor who dreamed of a butterfly. The butterfly transformed into a human and disguised itself as a man to take the imperial examination.

Anyway, after overcoming all the obstacles along the way, he finally became the top scholar and wanted to benefit the people.

Why did the butterfly have to transform into a human and serve the emperor?

Because the emperor saved a butterfly when he was a child.

After the emperor woke up from his dream, he saw the top three scholars in that year's palace examination. The one with the best essay looked exactly the same as the one in his dream.

After revealing the woman's identity, the emperor proposed to marry her on the spot and made her his queen, becoming a virtuous empress.

The story is very old-fashioned, but fortunately the writing is beautiful and uses many allusions.

Among them, the poems written by the Butterfly Fairy are also excellent, which shows that the author has a solid foundation.

Then, why would such a story be compiled and collected by the official?

Because it seems to be telling the story of the emperor and the beautiful woman.

It actually talks about the relationship between the emperor and his subjects.

That’s right, it’s the relationship with the ministers.

Because of the emperor's grace, ministers can take the imperial examinations and benefit the people.

The emperor was wise, so God gave him a sign, allowing him to see who the true "loyal minister" was, and he decisively allowed "her" to assist in the government.

She is said to be a virtuous queen, but in fact she is just a comparison made by the ministers.

This kind of self-comparison may seem corny, but it is not uncommon in literary processing.

For example, many poets seem to be writing about prostitutes who are old and frustrated and no longer young and beautiful and sought after.

What he actually wrote was that he felt left out.

When the emperor reads this article, he will feel that he is blessed by God, so he has the assistance of immortals and is a true emperor.

When scholars read it, they felt that they could be appreciated by wise rulers and excel in the imperial examinations.

Ji Yuan silently complained that the ancients also had a rich imagination.

As for these three illustrations.

The painting must be of a higher level, and you can't just carelessly draw a picture of a beauty.

No wonder the printing houses in Jiangnan didn’t do things so blatantly.

Ji Yuan has prepared all the illustrations for the first volume of "Meng Die Ling" and is somewhat curious about the story of the second volume.

Come to think of it, it’s all about butterflies?

The tone of the first book is like this, and the rest of the book will probably either be about the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, or a warning to the world.

However, you can only get the next one after you hand in this one.

The First Street in East Market has been closed recently, so he will have to wait until the sixth day of the first lunar month before going there.

Cai Fenglan’s script has also been copied. It’s all small stories and very positive.

The four families like Zhou, Yue, Lin and Wang who built the Meng Mansion basically have the support of the government and generally do not publish content that is too extreme.

Other small workshops are a little different.

Cai Fenglan was glad that Ji Yuan woke him up, but when he thought of the books stuffed in the corner, he felt uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the other party never came to find us, so I guess that's where the matter ends.

In fact, after being in the provincial capital for so long, Cai Fenglan somewhat understood why many scholars could not persist after arriving in the provincial capital.

Because I have seen more things and met more people.

In the county town, no matter how powerful a family is, it is just that there is a juren in the family, or some relative is an official.

But in the capital city, many people’s fathers and grandfathers were officials, both big and small.

Silver and money were paid in several dozen taels, which was completely different from before.

The upper limit is very high, and the lower limit is infinitely low.

Now that I think about it, Xu Chun was cheated into gambling as soon as he came out, and I almost copied a book that I shouldn't have touched, all because I changed my environment but my mentality has not changed.

The thirty-fifth day of Huayuan is the sixth day of the first lunar month.

Shops on the First Street of East Market are gradually opening, but there are not many pedestrians on the street.

Most students are still celebrating the New Year, and in February, more scholars will come to buy things.

Ji Yuan handed over the books he had to Cai Fenglan and waited for a new task.

It is estimated that it will still take two to three months. The time given by the Zhou family is very generous.

After the New Year, Ji Yuan had ten taels of silver left after deducting the fifty taels of silver notes he had exchanged.

Now I have received the balance of the previous book, plus the deposit for this book, totaling eighty-four taels.

By this calculation, I have a total of one hundred and forty-four taels of silver on me?

That’s quite a lot.

Ji Yuan specifically asked the Zhou family's steward to help him exchange a silver note worth one hundred taels.

This one hundred taels of silver can be kept in the bottom of the box!

Cai Fenglan took seven taels of silver, and his life would be much better for the next period of time.

At the beginning of the year, things were going smoothly.

They both waited for the new book to be brought over, and then they both went back.

Then two craftsmen came running over from behind, staring at Ji Yuan and asked, "This, this was painted by you?"

The title of the book that Ji Yuan copied was "Mengdie Ling". He copied the first one and made an appointment with the eldest master of the Zhou family to draw three illustrations.

Is this the first time Ji Yuan sells paintings?

This is considered selling paintings, and I was really nervous: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"have."

“The problem is still huge.”

After hearing this, the Zhou family steward who had brought the second part of "Dream Butterfly Order" was surprised and said, "I saw the painting, it's very good, how could there be a problem with it?"

In fact, the butler was amazed by Ji Yuan's paintings.

The power of the brush and the artistic conception are truly superb.

If it weren't for the fact that it's just the beginning of the year and there aren't so many things to do, he would definitely chat for a while.

The craftsman curled his lips directly: "That's the problem, it's too good."

As he said this, the craftsman took out the words from the Ji Yuan painting and said, “We can’t carve it out.”

Three illustrations from the first book.

There were no handsome men or beautiful women as I had imagined.

Instead, green mountains are faintly visible in the fairy mountains shrouded in clouds and mist. From a human perspective, it is like seeing a fairyland after just waking up.

This painting naturally shows the opening of a dream from the emperor's perspective.

Ji Yuan has a lot of movie scenes in his mind and has watched many videos of scenic spots. It is not difficult for him to draw such a fairyland-like scene based on the impression in his mind.

The second picture shows the heroine Xiaodie wearing scholar’s ​​clothes.

There is some heroic spirit between her brows, but her eyes are gentle, and one can tell at a glance that this is a scholar whose gender is difficult to tell.

Ji Yuan did not describe her appearance in detail except for her eyebrows and eyes. It was just that Xiaodie was sitting in a sea of ​​books, studying hard.

Looking from a distance, it is easy for scholars to imagine themselves studying hard.

The third picture is of the Golden Palace. The palace is majestic and Xiaodie is wearing a Jinshi dress, with only her back shown, proving that she has actually entered the palace and taken the palace examination.

This is a scene that countless scholars could never dream of.

Each picture is imaginary, the outline of the people is unclear, and the artistic conception is greater than realism.

So the craftsmen said, "I can't carve it."

"It's easy to carve a flower or a blade of grass, but we can't create such ethereal clouds and dreams."

"The carving will be very rigid and have no charm."

As the most powerful Zhou Family Bookstore in Jianmeng Mansion, the craftsmen there must be the most powerful.

But they said they couldn't carve it.

If they can't carve it, then there is no one in the entire Jianmeng Mansion who can carve with such skills.

So these paintings should be discarded?

Even the craftsmen didn't need to say anything, the Zhou family manager felt it was a pity.

This painting is so good, and the illustrations are just right. It is an official book, and the paintings are very interesting.

The craftsman looked at Ji Yuan and said, "How about you carve it?"

Ji Yuan was shocked.

he?

He can't do it.

Unexpectedly, the craftsman said, "You have steady hands. Although painting and carving are different, the smoothness of the lines depends on the steady hands and the control of the painting."

"If you come to carve it, maybe you can get twice the result with half the effort."

Ji Yuan quickly shook his head, not to mention that school was about to start.

Besides, he really can’t.

The Zhou family manager said, "You can give it a try. We have a lot of lead clay boards here anyway. We can just change the original brush painting to knife painting."

"How about giving it a try?"

The craftsmen are confident about this.

Since ancient times, many calligraphers and painters were sculptors themselves, and their control of art was inherited from the same source. They could see the foundation of Ji Yuan.

If nothing unexpected happens, once Ji Yuan gets started, he will be more powerful than many apprentices.

Ji Yuan resolutely refused. He knew his own strengths and weaknesses, so he said directly, "Maybe if I tell you two the painting techniques, maybe you can carve it?"

What? !

Skills, teach them both?

This, how can this be possible!

Now the craftsmen were confused.

Leave the painting skills to them?

This was an option they had never considered.

Painting skills, painting skills, as long as the word "skill" is involved, it is precious.

I also saw it when I came here last time. The eight craftsmen were accompanied by little disciples who were waiting on them trembling with fear. They did this just to learn this skill, so they had to be extremely respectful.

This is a skill that requires making a living. As the saying goes, teaching a disciple will starve him to death, so in ancient times people would be extremely strict in accepting apprentices.

Why does Ji Yuan have to teach them right away?

This method is indeed good. The two craftsmen in front of him are the best in Jian Meng Mansion. As long as Ji Yuan briefly explains his painting techniques, the craftsmen will understand them very quickly.

Compared to asking Ji Yuan to learn carving from scratch, it is indeed faster for the craftsmen to learn Ji Yuan's painting skills.

Even so, the latter option was not even within the consideration of the craftsman, the manager of the Zhou family.

The reasons are as above.

Ji Yuan heard the two craftsmen who were originally talking eloquently start to stutter. The faces of the men in their forties were full of embarrassment, but of course, expectation.

They even feel embarrassed because of this expectation.

To be honest, do you want to learn?

I want to, I want to too much.

If they can learn it, their level will definitely improve a lot.

But, can you really learn it?

Ji Yuan nodded again: "Come on, the two masters have been carving for many years, and you will definitely understand once I tell you."

"As long as the book can be printed well, it's better than anything else."

He also wants to make money from the next few books.

I think there are too many places to spend money in the provincial school. If the books are printed well, it will be good for everyone.

The Zhou family’s steward also reacted and immediately said, “Make room for a small room, quickly!”

Things like imparting technology cannot be heard by too many people!

The Zhou family's steward became even more enthusiastic about Ji Yuan. While they were teaching there, the steward personally brought tea over.

Ji Yuan’s words touched his heart.

As long as the book is printed well, that's better than anything else.

This has even been the Zhou family's top priority for many years.

The Zhou family's steward is called Zhou Bo, and just by listening to his name you can tell that he is also a member of the Zhou family.

He naturally hoped that his own business would get better and better. Just as he was thinking about it, Zhou Bo ordered, "Go and invite the young master over."

For this kind of thing, it is better to let the young master host the event to show their sincerity.

Cai Fenglan went to listen. Although he had never studied painting, he knew that Ji Yuan's technique was very exquisite.

Ji Yuan also said: "My teacher taught me a lot, and this is all I have mastered now."

It was the first time that everyone saw Ji Yuan painting, and as soon as he put pen to paper, they could tell how skilled he was.

When the eldest son of the Zhou family rushed over, he saw the completed painting and was so amazed by Yunshan in front of him that he could not close his mouth.

Ji Yuan’s painting skills are truly amazing!

They were looking for Ji Yuan, and it turned out to be the right thing to do!

Ji Yuan couldn't help but smile bitterly when listening to everyone's praises. His level was not yet up to Master Fang's requirements.

The eldest son of the Zhou family said, "Ji Yuan, why don't you go to the calligraphy and painting competition arena? You will definitely become famous there."

Their family also heard what the right instructor of the prefectural school said and took it to heart.

Otherwise, you would never know that Ji Yuan has this ability.

Calligraphy and painting competition arena?

He is going to go, but his level is not good enough now.

Mr. Fang’s requirement for him was to sell a painting for three thousand taels before he would be considered to have completed his homework.

What is the price today?

Only twenty taels per picture.

The two craftsmen learned very quickly and now they all called him Master Ji.

Even though they are much older than him, they still call him "Master" with all their heart.

The Zhou family steward asked, "If we try to carve it now, will we be more confident?"

"Give us some time, five days, maybe. We can imitate 80% to 90% of it in five days."

Ji Yuan felt that they were giving him face, so he gave it 80% or 90%.

In fact, I estimate that I can learn 100%.

They have been engaged in carving crafts for at least several decades, and their skills are extremely stable. These techniques are very easy for them to digest.

I think the painting will be very beautiful when it is printed.

Ji Yuan said: "Okay, when it's finished, let me see it."

Ji Yuan is no longer an ordinary writer, so he will naturally satisfy this small request.

The eldest son of the Zhou family admired the painting of Bandian Jiyuan, reluctantly put it down, and said, "Most of the restaurants in the city are open today. I will treat you to a meal and a drink."

"No, you can't drink. I'm inviting you to dinner. Do you have two other friends?"

This must be referring to Monk Bai and Li Jin.

Since Monk Bai hasn't come back yet, Li Jin will definitely call him. He is a playful person and if he is called to go to the restaurant together, he will definitely go.

Speaking of which, Wu Ying is also here. Ji Yuan said, "Let's call Wu Ying. He is probably studying in the study as well."

The eldest son of the Zhou family had heard of the name of Wuying. The business of the bookstore was very dependent on the students of the prefectural school. They knew everything that happened on a daily basis.

Wuying's reputation for being good at Cuju is known to many people.

What matters when dining is the liveliness, so having more people is not a problem at all.

A group of young people became familiar with each other as soon as they met.

The eldest son of the Zhou family said, "Let's go to Taipei for dinner today. The restaurants there are more unique."

feature?

Only after entering did I realize that there was singing and dancing inside. The stage in the middle was basically never empty. During the intermission, there were even people talking and making jokes.

The city is divided into east, west, south and north.

The most famous place in East Market is First Street which specializes in selling books.

There are many elegant restaurants and even more tea houses in the surrounding area.

It’s different in other places.

Taipei City is famous for its bustle. From the most elegant and magnificent restaurants to the brothels where all kinds of people come from, you can find everything you want.

If you think of the First Street in East Market, the first impression you get is that there are a lot of books there.

In the eyes of many people, there is a street called the First Street in Taipei City, and the impression of this place is about eating, drinking and having fun.

Some people who cannot resist the temptation may even linger here and not go home for a month.

It was here that Li Yaozhong was rumored to have written sour poems and visited prostitutes.

Several candidates in Heyuan County were also caught gambling, and they were also discovered by detectives during the search.

Of course, even if they are all in Taipei, there are differences between large and small stores.

It’s just that the type of restaurant or tavern you choose depends entirely on your personal preference.

The place that the eldest young master of the Zhou family took them to would naturally not be a messy place.

When we say singing and dancing here, it means real singing and dancing, just a simple performance.

At least that's what happens to the eldest son of the Zhou family and Ji Yuan and the others.

When you enter this restaurant, it doesn't look like a restaurant, but rather a place to eat by the waterside via a water pavilion. The stage in the middle of the pavilion is higher, and the performances are held inside.

What’s interesting is that even though it’s only the first month of the year, it’s not cold by the water.

Looking closely, I realized that there were countless charcoal fires burning around this place, and there seemed to be underground dragons under where they were sitting.

In a semi-open-air environment, you can feel warm on a night in the first month of the lunar year?

Li Jin, the most knowledgeable among them, was amazed.

If you eat in this environment, is it still food?

It's such a pleasure.

In the middle of winter, watching performances and chatting with friends by the warm water is an enjoyable experience.

As for the price?

The eldest son of the Zhou family didn't say anything, so I guess it definitely won't be cheap.

But for the Zhou family, Ji Yuan was willing to help them improve the skills of their craftsmen. It was just a meal, so it didn’t matter.

Wuying sat here for a while, even taking off his coat, and said in shock: "This place is really warm."

Yes, otherwise how could the weak scholars feel warm and comfortable.

Cai Fenglan inexplicably thought of his previous embarrassment.

Because of a dozen taels of silver, he almost went astray. If he hadn't made a single mistake, his path to the imperial examination would have been ruined.

The pair of ivory chopsticks in front of him can easily solve his previous problems.

Cai Fenglan sighed slightly, and then looked at Ji Yuan, who was also short of money before. He enjoyed the food calmly. When he saw him looking at him, Ji Yuan said directly: "This dish is really good. There are fresh vegetables in winter."

The technique of storing vegetables in winter has always existed.

But in ancient times, only rich people could use it.

Ji Yuan had been eating too much meat and dried vegetables in recent days, so when he suddenly took a bite of fresh vegetables, he felt happy.

Cai Fenglan smiled and said, forget it, why think so much.

Anyway, books have to be read and imperial examinations have to be taken.

He can't think that he is so insignificant that he is invisible just because he has seen the world, right?

After this sumptuous banquet, Cai Fenglan felt much more open-minded.

The eldest son of the Zhou family watched and noticed that Ji Yuan’s friends were also extraordinary.

As expected, birds of a feather flock together. Ji Yuan is such a powerful figure, and he has good friends too.

It seems I need to make more friends in the future.

After the banquet, everyone became familiar with each other. Li Jin secretly asked about the price and took a deep breath.

Forget it.

He felt distressed that a meal cost dozens of taels of silver.

Everyone was talking and laughing as they walked out of the restaurant. The Zhou family's eldest son's servant had already driven a carriage over to take everyone back.

Ji Yuan has been living in Li Jin's house recently, so they can just go back together.

Cai Fenglan adjusted his glasses and was the last one to get on the carriage.

But he inexplicably sensed a gaze, and Cai Fenglan looked over subconsciously, only to feel his hands and feet go cold. He quickly got on the carriage and dared not look any more.

The eldest son of the Zhou family, who was walking behind, saw this scene, then looked at the man who was obviously a rogue, and felt a little confused.

The eldest son of the Zhou family still has to go look for his father, and he has other business to discuss today, so they won't go back together.

In the Zhou family carriage, Ji Yuan, Li Jin, and Wu Ying all noticed that something was wrong with him.

Cai Fenglan suppressed his fear and still had some rationality. He looked at the Zhou family's driver and whispered, "Let's talk about it when we get back."

When we arrived at Li Jin's house, we heard him say, "I just saw that person."

that?

Ji Yuan reacted: "The one who asked you to copy the book?"

"right."

The copied books mentioned here are definitely not serious books.

It has been a month or two since the beginning of the year, and I didn’t expect to meet you in Taipei City.

When Wu Ying heard what happened, he secretly asked the name of the book: "Is the book called "Searching for Spring"?"

Cai Fenglan blushed and nodded. Wu Ying mentioned the protagonist's name again and said embarrassedly, "The book has already been printed."

ah?

Printed out?

Wuying is twenty-two years old this year, and he is also a grown man. He and a group of people from Wei Ji know all the books except the serious ones.

Wu Ying was still a little embarrassed in front of Ji Yuan and the others, but in order to comfort Cai Fenglan, he said, "They were sold before the New Year's market closed. The words printed on them were not good, and the paper was also average. They were sold secretly. Anyway, they have been printed, so it has nothing to do with you."

Wu Ying's words really put everyone at ease.

When Ji Yuan collected pornographic books at that time, he cast a wide net, hoping to find someone with good handwriting to copy, and maybe they could work together frequently in the future.

Cai Fenglan did not contact the other party. The other party probably knew what he meant, and they also chose other people to copy.

The book has already been published, so I think the matter is over.

Wu Ying whispered, "I heard that those who copy this kind of book are mostly people who have no hope of passing the imperial examination. Cai Fenglan, you are so young, don't do anything stupid."

Cai Fenglan nodded. After the scare today, he was even more afraid.

Fortunately, the book has been printed and has nothing to do with him.

Then, Cai Fenglan added, "He saw me riding in the Zhou family's carriage. I hope nothing will happen."

"Definitely not." Li Jin also said, "Those small workshops are just waiting for the big workshops to give them some benefits. If the big workshops know that they, the small workshops, secretly recruited their own pen-running masters, the small workshops will definitely be punished."

Cai Fenglan is only twenty years old this year and is very knowledgeable. Even if Zhou Family Bookstore knew about this, they would not embarrass him with such things and would probably just pretend that they didn't know.

contract?

Just like that book on the prosody of poetry from Guangdong and Guangxi.

The same contract was signed, but two copies were still sold. They said they were different versions, but they still sold two copies at the same place.

Everyone knows that it's too troublesome to argue.

Cai Fenglan said self-deprecatingly: "I didn't expect that I would also have to use my power to suppress others."

No one would easily touch such a group of scholars like them.

Cai Fenglan wiped his face and vowed never to do it again.

If he does something wrong, he will feel guilty for several years.

At this moment, in the brothel on Beishi Street, Wang Er, who had just been defined as a scoundrel by the eldest son of the Zhou family, slammed the table fiercely: "That's him!"

"You took my book! But you didn't copy it!"

Cai Fenglan was not the only one who took his book but did not copy it.

Wang Er did not hold a grudge against other people, he just thought Cai Fenglan was not good because Cai Fenglan's handwriting was good, the best among those people.

"Who took your book and didn't copy it?"

When Wang Er heard the voice, he stood up immediately.

The eldest son of the Yue family opened his fan and said in a self-righteous manner, "Don't be so angry."

Wang Er hurried over to pour wine, but unfortunately there were so many people surrounding the eldest son of the Yue family that he could not get a number, and there was no place for him even when pouring wine.

Seeing this, Wang Er could only use what happened just now to attract the interest of the eldest son of the Yue family.

"It's still the book 'Looking for Spring'. I originally found a scholar with excellent handwriting, but he changed his mind and didn't copy it at all. If you don't know, you would think he was cheating."

Searching for Spring?

The eldest son of the Yue family remembered and said, "Oh, is it the one you boasted about? You found a penman with excellent handwriting? In the end, the copy was as good as a ghost?"

Wang Er smiled and finally squeezed in, whispering, "Yes, I saw him today, and he appeared from Ruwen Tower."

Like Wenlou?

That place isn't cheap.

"He is so poor that he has to copy messy books. How can he have money to go there? Don't be kidding." The eldest son of the Yue family laughed directly.

Seeing that the young master was really interested in this, Wang Er quickly pointed to the sky and swore that it was true. He then said something that made the young master of the Yue family even more interested: "He even got on the Zhou family's carriage? It seems that the young master of the Zhou family personally invited him to the banquet."

After saying this, the eldest son of the Yue family sat up straight and pushed the prostitute beside him away.

Zhou family, Yue family.

Everyone knows that the Meng Mansion is under construction.

But not many people know how fierce their competition is behind the scenes.

Mr. Runbi of the Zhou family, is copying a book that is not up to standard?

That's all.

Among so many writers, there are always poor ones.

But Mr. Runbi, who was personally invited to a banquet by the eldest son of the Zhou family, must be an extraordinary person.

Who could that be?

He must find out.

"Go and find out who the Zhou family's eldest young master invited to Ruwen Tower today?" The Yue family's eldest young master lowered his voice and responded to the news.

In the past few years, the Zhou family has always been superior to the Yue family. The government also often asks them to publish books, so they have firmly sat in the first place in the guild.

Can the Yue family accept this?

After a lot of efforts, he finally got the connection with the instructor in charge of the prefectural school and obtained the qualification to print "Tongshilu".

Thinking of taking advantage of the opportunity of selling "Tong Shi Lu", he spread the word and let small workshops print supplements, which could also make up for the losses incurred in smoothing relations.

I didn't expect it to be exposed. It's really infuriating.

On the other hand, the Zhou family had secured the "County Examination Records" and they also published the supplement to the "Child Examination Records".

Even the rhythm of the poems from some time ago is good, and the calligraphy is really beautiful.

Why do all the good things get taken by their family?

Soon, the news got out.

The eldest son of the Zhou family invited Ji Yuan?

And the person who wanted to copy inferior books turned out to be Ji Yuan’s good friend and classmate?

The eldest son of the Yue family was disappointed. It would be better if it was Ji Yuan. If Ji Yuan wanted to copy, he might be able to interfere.

No, Ji Yuan didn’t copy it either, there is no evidence at all.

What is Cai Fenglan?

It's useless.

It's no fun to trip him up.

Of course, this matter is complicated and could make Ji Yuan suffer a lot, but there is no need to do so.

This man is the inner demon of his adopted brother Yue Chang, so it's good to keep him around.

The most important thing for him now is to find a way to make the Yue family surpass the Zhou family.

As long as he could help the Yue family become number one, his father would not consider anyone else to manage the Yue Family Bookstore.

There is a group of younger brothers waiting to surpass him below, so he has to try his best.

After Cai Fenglan met Wang Er, there was no follow-up and he was completely relieved.

I have to pack up and go back to Qiyan Temple soon.

Li Jin's yard is not big, and it is enough to disturb him in his bookshop in winter.

Moreover, Qiyan Temple is very quiet, which is very suitable for reading.

On the sixth day of the second month, before Monk Bai returned, Ji Yuan and his companions returned to the meditation room of Qiyan Temple.

The monks here also welcomed them and helped them pack up.

Ji Yuan and his classmates paid for their food and accommodation for the next six months, and a new year of study and life was about to begin.

When Monk Bai returned, it was already the sixth day of the second lunar month. He said, "It snowed heavily this year. It took me five or six days to walk."

Monk Bai’s temple is relatively close to the city and can be reached in one or two days on weekdays.

This time it took five or six days, which was indeed a long delay.

Fortunately, Ji Yuan and the others did not go back, otherwise, I don’t know how much time would have been wasted going back and forth.

Everyone tidied up their rooms and waited for school to start.

School starts on February 9th.

What worries people most is, of course, the annual exam results.

But according to Wuying, generally speaking, the papers won't be graded until around the 15th day.

Moreover, the way of examining papers in the provincial school is slightly different.

There are more than 580 students in the provincial school. It would be impossible to examine them all carefully.

Generally speaking, teachers would pick out the top ten articles from each hall.

Especially the new students, such as Ji Yuan, Bai Heshang, Cai Fenglan, Li Jin, Yue Chang and others, must be in there.

Take out these people's essays and read them carefully. If possible, send them directly to the first or second class.

This year was better. After the provincial examination, many students in the first two or three classes left. Some took the exam and some dropped out.

There are vacancies in every place, so just fill in Ji Yuan and others.

For the remaining students who are not being paid attention to, you can just read the articles casually.

This means that students who are the focus of attention have a greater chance of success because they will be listed separately.

For those whose studies are okay but not very outstanding, it depends on the teacher's mood at the time.

In the words of Wuying: "Except for the first three halls, everyone else in the prefectural school is basically left alone."

This is a subtle rule.

Only those who have spent a long time in the provincial school can fully understand it.

Why?

Because the imperial examination is difficult.

It's too difficult.

There are more than 500 students in the provincial school, and we really don't expect all of them to pass the imperial examination. We just need to select the best ones.

Selecting the best ones and focusing on their training can also improve efficiency.

Anyway, everyone knows what kind of students are coming through the Tongshi exam every year.

"That is to say, if nothing unexpected happens, we can at least make it to the third class?" Li Jin put down the book in his hand, still feeling a little surprised.

Everyone used to think that the annual examination would determine which school they would go to.

But now they say that, in fact, after they entered the academy, the matter was basically settled.

Of course you should do well in the annual exam, but it’s not that important, right?

For example, Ji Yuan, he was sure to go to the first class, without having to think about it.

Wuying didn't tell me before because I thought they knew.

Li Xun didn't say anything, he just understood that it wasn't a good thing to let everyone know about these things.

After all, know that you will succeed.

Would you still work so hard?

Ji Yuan was not feeling well, but his cousin Li Jin might not be feeling the same.

So, let them read it on their own.

By today, Ji Yuan had understood the operation mode of the provincial school.

In fact, they can be roughly divided into two groups.

A group of people who are admitted through the exam will also be considered to have great potential by the provincial school.

Although they have just entered school, after the annual examination at the end of the year, they will be transferred to better schools in the second year to receive the best education.

There is another group of people who paid to come in.

But there are also differences for those who pay to get in, like Li Jin and Yue Chang, one ranked fourth and the other fifth in the examination, so the provincial school will also pay special attention to them.

Finally, the students who spend a few hundred taels to come in will have to look at their performance. If they perform outstandingly, they will be noticed and trained.

The rest?

It all depends on luck.

It has to be said that this operating model of the provincial school is a bit crooked, but it is also the best way to cultivate talents in the current situation.

But it should also be noted that this does not mean that local leaders like talented people.

But I like useful people.

If wealthy students are useful, then we will recruit them to earn money.

It's just classes anyway, and other things the provincial school doesn't provide, so it's not much different from just getting paid for free.

Talented students are also useful, and in the future they will be the political achievements of their superiors, who are also willing to give some help.

The way to survive in the provincial school is to be useful.

Even Wuying was able to stay because he was "useful".

Before the era, people helped out instinctively, but they never thought about the reason behind it.

Now I know how the provincial school is divided into departments, and I understand it completely.

He had previously thought that the government would read all the students' articles and then sort them out.

It seems he was overthinking it.

In this way, when he went to the first class, he was actually confirmed.

No wonder they have to wait until after the New Year to talk about it. I guess the government school already has an idea about it.

School starts on February 9th, and the few people who knew the news in advance felt somewhat complicated.

Especially Cai Fenglan, the knowledge in the provincial school is really profound.

Years ago, I felt unhappy because I had to pay tribute to the teachers.

After the New Year, they will be treated preferentially again.

If it were someone else, they might already be happy.

But they are all truly smart people and they really can't be happy.

I was unhappy before the New Year because my privileges did not take care of me.

It’s not because they received preferential treatment after the New Year, but because the privileges were tilted towards them.

No wonder they say that after coming to the prefecture to study, the good ones get better and the bad ones get worse.

This muddy pond is indeed difficult to deal with.

Many people don’t hate privileges, they just hate the fact that the privileges are not in their hands.

Therefore, Cai Fenglan and others were a little hesitant.

Cai Fenglan said: "I'm really afraid that I will like this feeling."

Once you really fall in love, I'm afraid everything will be different.

Ji Yuan said: "Adapt in advance. You can't back down."

Where to retreat?

County school?

In the county school, these people can definitely feel at home and focus on studying.

But if you pass the imperial examination in the future, you may be able to make further progress.

Or maybe you have to really take charge of the household and become a real adult.

At that time, should I learn more in a hurry?

Just like County Magistrate Nie?

They had no old officials by their side, nor any loyal servants.

Only by experiencing it can you know how to proceed in the future.

If you still stay in the county school, you won't know that someone compares students to farmlands, and you won't know that everything that happens in the provincial school has a reason.

I won’t experience these things.

Li Jin and Cai Fenglan nodded, and Monk Bai sighed and talked about their temple.

After he returned, his own temple suddenly became popular, and many scholars went there to study. Now there are not even enough monasteries to live in.

Not only that, many wealthy people also went there to burn incense and worship Buddha, thinking that Monk Bai’s temple was effective.

Just because Monk Bai got second place in the children's examination.

As he spoke, White Monk showed them his purse: "It is not good to talk nonsense like this, but they came to pay their respects to the Buddha, and it made me stop worrying about the cost of my studies."

Everything has two sides.

This is what happened in the provincial school, and the story of Monk Bai further proves this point.

Cai Fenglan finally said: "The world outside really makes people grow up quickly."

A few days before the start of school, everyone in the provincial school received this year's main subject course books and filled in the auxiliary subject course books.

Everyone is pretty much the same as last year.

I only learned T for half a year last year, so I still need to consolidate what I have learned.

After these chores were completed, the list of branches of the provincial school was also announced.

Li Jin, Cai Fenglan and Bai Heshang went to the second class.

Ji Yuan went directly to the first class.

No matter whether it is the main subject or the auxiliary subject, he deserves to be the first to attend the class.

Ji Yuan didn't expect that his first class would be so easy.

I thought that he would be judged based on the quality of his essay, but now I feel that perhaps his instructors or even the academician had already decided this when he entered school.

This privilege did not make Ji Yuan very happy, but it made him calm down and not be too complacent because of temporary attention or a slight privilege.

In fact, the truth is a bit discouraging for a king of volumes like Ji Yuan.

He applied for a long time, but someone told him that he didn't need to apply because the people above him saw his potential and had paved the way for him.

After playing the game for a while, I’m about to fight the boss.

The planner tells you, I secretly compared your numbers, and you pass the test, so you don’t need to fight anymore.

ah?

But I have saved up so much equipment and so many stats, isn’t it just to experience the joy of defeating the boss and then touching the equipment?

Not fighting anymore?

Directly issue rewards?

The rewards have become bland.

Cai Fenglan was afraid that he would fall in love with the feeling of being privileged.

Ji Yuan regretted that he couldn't defeat the boss by himself.

But in the end, neither of them liked this feeling.

Li Jin seemed to be thinking about something, but Monk Bai was a man of firm determination. He comforted Ji Yuan and said, "There will be real tests in the future."

"This year marks the 35th year of Huayuan. When it comes to the 37th year of Huayuan, we will take the provincial examination."

“That’s the real test.”

After hearing what Monk Bai said, everyone was scratching their heads.

Why do I feel like the provincial examination is right before my eyes?

They just tried last year and failed, but they must take the provincial examination three years later seriously.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Are you guys free?"

"Shall we do a countdown?"

Countdown?

What is it?

Ji Yuan cut the paper, calculated the time carefully, and wrote down a number.

Eight hundred and eighty-nine days.

"There are still 889 days until we have the provincial examination."

"Every day that passes, one number is subtracted!"

The day when the score returns to zero is the day of the exam!

Tremble!

Let’s experience the fear of the countdown to the college entrance examination together!

Li Jin:?

Cai Fenglan:?

White Monk:?

Even the white monk, who is usually devoted to Buddhism, can't remain calm.

Do this kind of countdown!

Are you still human!

Wouldn’t you be nervous seeing these numbers every day?

What we want is for everyone to be nervous.

Do you want to escape from this environment?

Do you want to pass the imperial examination and take control of the world?

bring it on.

Work hard on the provincial examination!

Ji Yuan was in high spirits and said with a smile: "If you want to see farther, you must climb to a higher level!"

Everyone has learned this poem, so there is no need to explain it in detail.

If you want to see farther, go up.

What are privileges or not, what are the entanglements or not.

Boring.

Let’s reach the top together!

At that time, I will be able to say, don’t be afraid of the clouds blocking your view, because you are on the highest level!

Or in other words, I will climb to the top of the mountain and look down on all the other mountains.

The ancients had such a broad mind, why can't they have the same?

Li Jin silently complained: "Ji Yuan, do you remember what you said about marketing gurus and pyramid schemes?"

When Ji Yuan was bored, he made up these stories and told them.

Li Jin said: "You seem like a pyramid scheme master."

???

How can you say that!

He is really not that kind of person.

Monk Bai put the countdown in his arms. He thought this countdown was good enough!

The rest of the people also wrote down the countdown.

Pyramid schemes are pyramid schemes.

You still have to use it!

It’s just the provincial examination!

They are coming!