The houses were low and cramped, the courtyards were deserted, and the individual examination rooms, each an inch in size, were crowded like pigeon cages. If you counted them carefully, there were more than thousands of them.

This is the examination hall for the Xiazhi examination. The examination lasts for nine days and six nights. During this period, one has to eat, drink, defecate and urinate in the cells where it is difficult to even turn around.

In fact, considering the national strength of Jiang, it would not be so serious.

But the contemporary Emperor Jiang firmly believed that "When God wants to confer a great responsibility on a man, he must make him work hard and starve his body", so he waved his hand, put in a lot of effort in the examination hall, and began to sharpen the minds of future officials from the very beginning.

The effect is unclear, but every autumn, many scholars died in the examinations, either starving or exhausted.

If the souls of these scholars are still there, they might still be lingering in the Imperial Examination Hall, wandering in the bitter rain and wind, suffering great pain.

Li Qingjing lined up to enter the Imperial Examination Hall, where soldiers checked each candidate to see if they had any smuggled items.

In front of Li Qingjing, there was a pale-faced candidate who was examined inch by inch, and finally excerpts were found in his anus.

Naturally, the pale-faced candidate refused to admit it. He looked around and suddenly saw Li Qingjing, who had an immature face and seemed easy to bully, behind him. So he insisted that it was Li Qingjing who did it and threw the cheat sheet in when Li Qingjing was not paying attention.

Upon hearing this, several soldiers looked at Li Qingjing with unfriendly eyes.

Li Qingjing's eyes did not change. He lifted his sleeves and bowed his hands, smiling, "If it was what I threw, how could it not go up or down, but hit the anus? Why did he raise his buttocks high to wait for the throw?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the candidates burst into laughter.

It even alarmed the examiners sitting in the high building.

"Kick this guy out, expel him from the school, hold the teacher accountable, and inform all the teachers in the city!"

The Inspector who was in charge of supervising the imperial examinations in the Imperial Academy came out, angrily scowled and waved his hand.

Several soldiers did not dare to delay and directly carried the white-faced examinee out of the examination hall.

"Are you the disciple of Shanzhang Boan, Li Qingjing?"

The inspector seemed to know Li Qingjing and spoke with a smile.

Bo'an is Shouren's courtesy name. Generally, scholars address him by his courtesy name, and only familiar friends and old acquaintances would call him by his courtesy name.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingjing bowed and said,

"The young man has met the inspector."

The inspector said: "I heard Bo An mention you. You are good at poetry. The "Magpie" you wrote some time ago has been widely circulated in the outer city. Do your best in the exam!"

The two did not talk much. The inspector comforted Li Qingjing with a few words and then turned and left.

But the moment he turned around, the smile on his face disappeared, and his cloudy eyes emanated a hint of coldness.

Li Qingjing turned around and glanced outside the Imperial Examination Hall, where his brother, third sister, and Li Xianshi had been watching them leave, and gave them a reassuring smile.

Walking into the assigned room, Li Qingjing took out his luggage and waited with bated breath.

As Li Qingjing expected, the focus of this year's civil service examination was not poetry and eight-legged essays, but classics and policy papers.

How should we interpret the big but empty proposition "Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish"?

Li Qingjing's eyes changed slightly, but he heard a lot of candidates sighing and wailing, and some even banged their heads on the desks, as if they had guessed the wrong answer.

Li Qingjing did not hesitate too much, but picked up the pen and wrote, "There is a saying in the volume of Hengren: Hengren controls the cauldron... Qingjing personally thinks that cooking people and treating people like this can only bring temporary peace, but not lifelong peace..."

Li Qingjing was confident, as if he had already polished this policy paper in his mind, and he wrote nearly ten thousand words in a very fluent manner.

When I looked up, I saw that it was already dark and soldiers were bringing oil lamps to everyone.

Li Qingjing felt that his brain was overly exhausted, so he took out some cakes and chewed them carefully before swallowing them. Finally, he lay down on the table and fell into a light sleep.

But as soon as he touched the table, Li Qingjing fell into a deep sleep, his brows furrowed, and the blood color on his face seemed to be sucked away by something, turning pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

I also started having nightmares.

In the dream, the deserted Imperial Examination Hall was empty. He was standing alone in the courtyard. When he turned around suddenly, he saw corpses tied to ropes in the air and being dragged outside the wall.

They are all candidates who died in the Imperial Examination Hall before!

The moonlight is like water, pouring into the house.

Dim lights swayed in the night wind.

There were several examiners sitting on the second floor.

The chief examiner was named Lu Youtai, who was the top scorer in the provincial examination that year and was currently serving as the governor of Feng County, a seventh-rank official.

At this moment, he said with a smile to an old man beside him who was over fifty years old, "It seems that there are dozens of students coming to participate in the examination of Hanshan Academy of Principal Boan this time?"

Then I saw this old man, with white hair, beautiful features, and a thin body, like a pine tree. There was an air of elegance in his conversation and laughter.

This person was Li Qingjing's cheap teacher, Wang Shouren, the mentor of the late emperor. Because of his stubborn character, he angrily denounced the sage in the court and was exiled to Wangfeng County.

Although Wang Shouren was stripped of his honors and titles, he was demoted to the lowest position and became a penniless person.

But no one present dared to look down on him.

That saint has always been moody, eccentric and weird. Who knows if he will suddenly have a whim one day and issue an edict to let Wang Shouren return to Beijing?

Not to mention that Wang Shouren has three thousand disciples spread across thirty-six counties, so there are people everywhere he goes.

Wang Shouren nodded when he heard this. "There are quite a few, but most of them are just average. There are only two or three that are worthy of my attention."

"Oh? I wonder which two or three they are? Could it be that the top three in this scientific examination are from among them?"

Lu Youtai asked with pretended curiosity.

All the examiners present turned their heads and looked at Wang Shouren.

There was exploration or thought in his eyes.

There was something vaguely malicious in Lu Youtai's move.

Wang Shouren didn't seem to understand what Lu Youtai meant, and said calmly,

"First, Li Qingjing, the son of a cloth-selling woman in the dyeing business, is a man of quick wit and intelligence. Although he is not proficient in the classics and essays, he will surely become a great man in the future."

"The second one is the youngest daughter of Prime Minister Zhao, Fang Fang. She is a talented scholar and warrior, intelligent and kind-hearted. She is a heroine."

"Third, Jiang Bifen, both of whose parents were teachers in academies, was known as a child prodigy."

…

Wang Shouren listed them like the back of his hand. After mentioning a few names, he stopped talking.

Lu Youtai was unwilling to give up and asked,

"Then who do you think has the best chance of taking the top spot?"

Wang Shouren glanced at Lu Youtai indifferently and said, "I'm not the chief examiner. Why are you asking me? I may not be able to judge the papers with my own opinion."

Lu Youtai's expression eased a little.

"Hahaha, Shanzhang Boan is really a wonderful person."

"I have also heard about the people mentioned by Shanzhang Boan. They are indeed good talents!"

The other examiners immediately spoke up to smooth things over.

Lu Youtai forced a smile and changed the subject.

Among the crowd, the inspector who had met Li Qingjing during the day sat upright, with a serious expression.

It was just by chance that her gaze met and deviated from Lu Youtai's.

Everything seems to be self-explanatory.

…

The autumn examination will last for nine days.

Li Qinglin no longer went into seclusion, and occasionally went to Fuwen Hall to participate in book clubs.

This group of book friends all spoke in a pleasant manner. They often discussed the current Xiazhi examination and mentioned many examiners including Lu Youtai.

The afternoon sun shone through the window and fell on Li Qinglin's back.

In order to keep warm, the walls are covered with brocade, mainly cinnamon.

There is also a fire-grade mica screen at the door, which is very valuable.

Of course, the owner of Fuwentang is not willing to pay this money. All of this is crowdfunded by this group of book lovers who are not short of money.

"It's strange! Ever since Lu Youtai became the chief examiner of the imperial examination, many of the top three candidates in the examination have become his confidants.

In just a few years, Lu Youtai's faction has grown into a complex and intertwined faction with many people. "

Then a well-dressed book friend spoke.

Someone else echoed, "Don't mention it, it's true! And since Lu Youtai took over as the examiner, the number of students who died in the examination hall has increased by several times compared to previous years!"

"Ahem, please don't talk about the current officials, let's talk about state affairs... For example, that bastard Emperor Hongmao, who is not a good son of man, actually built a temporary palace, wasting people's money and labor!"

After all, Lu Youtai is an official sent to Feng County and is in charge of it now. If he says something wrong, someone will come to visit him tomorrow.

As for cursing the emperor? Who among the literati, martial artists, and common people in the world does not curse the emperor? It has become a refined thing! If you don't curse, you are not an ordinary person!

This work is organized and uploaded by Liujiu Book Bar~~

Today, Gao Jingshu was unusually silent. She didn't speak at the book club and seemed absent-minded.

Li Qinglin glanced at her, his eyes flashing with divine light, and suddenly walked to her side and said,

"Miss Gao, is there something on your mind?"

Gao Jingshu was stunned for a moment, then she lightly pursed her lips and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Li. It's true that something happened at home, but it's nothing serious."

"But what... evil thing happened?" Li Qinglin suddenly asked.

Gao Jingshu looked surprised, not knowing how Li Qinglin saw it, but after a little hesitation, she did not hide it.

"To be honest with you, Master Li, my father has been having nightmares lately. He seems to be suffering from a nightmare, and even after seeking help from many miracle doctors, his condition has not improved.

and……"

Gao Jingshu seemed to recall something, a trace of fear flashed across her eyes, and she said

"I once went to my father's room at night with a lamp, only to find a dark shadow with red eyes lying on top of my father's bed, sucking his Yang energy!

But when I looked again, it no longer existed, as if it was just an illusion!"

Li Qinglin frowned when he heard this and asked, "Have you ever asked a Taoist priest to exorcise evil spirits, or a martial arts master with great skills to protect your home?"

Da Jiang does not believe in ghosts and gods, but that does not mean that there are no ghosts and gods.

Occasionally there would be some wandering ghosts, but Da Jiang was a martial artist, and his blood and energy were as strong as wolves and tigers, with abundant yang energy, especially when they reached the marrow refining realm, they could be called little suns.

Not to mention wandering ghosts, even powerful evil spirits wouldn't dare to approach easily.

"Of course I did, and even used my connections to invite a lieutenant in the army, who has a healthy body and profound martial arts skills.

But as soon as I left, the ghost appeared again. I couldn't drive it away or kill it. It seemed that it had set its sights on my father!"

Li Qinglin was a little surprised when he heard this.

Most ghosts follow their obsessions before they die. Could this ghost who absorbs the sun be some kind of karmic creditor of the person being raised?

Li Qinglin expressed his doubts.

Gao Jingshu shook her head and said,

"My father has always been gentle and polite, and he always makes enemies with others. Moreover, this ghost story only came out after my father gave the examination papers recently..."

Issue the test paper?

Li Qinglin was moved when he heard this and asked,

"Is Gao Juren the examiner for this autumn examination?"

"That's right. My father has been a test examiner for more than ten years."

Somehow, Li Qinglin felt a little uneasy.

He remembered that Li Qingjing also mentioned that he occasionally had nightmares.

Could it be a coincidence? After much thought, Li Qinglin decided to go to Gao's house to see where the ghost came from.

…

Gao Mansion.

Back house.

Gao Juren sat in the study room listlessly. His body, which used to be slightly plump, now had protruding facial features, exposed cheekbones, and his skin was dull and sagging.

“Cough cough cough…”

Gao Juren coughed twice.

Standing nearby was a tall martial artist with palms as big as a cushion, named Gao Kuo, who stepped forward immediately.

"Master, don't use your brain anymore, just take a rest."

Gao Juren waved his hand and said, "I have thousands of books at home, but I have only read half of them. Before I die, I want to read as many books as possible."

Upon hearing this, the martial arts master's face became more anxious, and he said, "Master, why do you say that? I have asked someone to invite Taoist Changmei from Fusheng Temple. Taoist Changmei was once a child of an immortal. With his help, he will definitely be able to kill the evil!"

Gao Juren heard this, shook his head and smiled, but he didn't care, as if he was indifferent to life and death. "You... you don't know how evil ghosts are. If you kill this one, there is still a second one."

The martial artist seemed to understand something when he heard this, but Gao Juren said no more.

"Where is the young lady?" Gao Juren asked.

The martial arts master replied, "He went to the Fuwen Hall in the inner city. Judging from the sun, he should be back."

The man raised his head and nodded.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the house, and then a man in his thirties, wearing gold and silver, suddenly pushed open the door of the study.

"Dad! I heard that you were not feeling well, so I came to visit you!"

Gao Juren looked at his eldest son Gao Li and frowned.

"But your pawn shop is losing money again?"

Gao Juren lost his wife at an early age and never remarried. He had one son and one daughter.

Gao Li was a money-losing man who had picked up many bad habits since he was young. A few years ago, he took a sum of money from the Gao family and opened a pawnshop.

Unfortunately, there were not many treasures that could be pawned, so he had to move things from Gao’s house every few days.

Gao Li laughed loudly upon hearing this, and then grabbed a doctor from outside the house, "Father, what are you talking about? I am worried about you, so I specially asked Dr. Liu to treat you!"

Upon seeing this, Mr. Gao's expression eased a little, thinking that his rebellious son had changed his ways, so he let the divine doctor Liu take his pulse and treat him.

"Gao Juren's pulse is frivolous, his Yin essence is insufficient, and he is somewhat deficient... I will prescribe a few prescriptions and see how long it will take to treat him."

Afterwards, Doctor Liu gave a few more careful instructions and prepared to leave.

Gao Li personally saw Divine Doctor Liu off. After he left the door, he lowered his voice and asked, "Divine Doctor Liu, can my father's illness be cured? Can it be cured? Will his life be in danger? Is your medicine really okay?"

Upon hearing this, Divine Doctor Liu was so frightened that sweat broke out on his forehead. "I still have some medicine boiling in my pharmacy. I have to go back and take care of it. Master Gao, please ask someone else for help!"

After saying that, Doctor Liu walked quickly, hailed a taxi on the street, and got in the car hurriedly.

Seeing this, Gao Li spat, with a hint of ferocity in his eyes.

Glancing across the street, I saw a carriage approaching and stopping outside the door.

Two women and one man got off the carriage.

Gao Li looked at Li Qinglin beside Gao Jingshu with an unfriendly look.

"My sister, why did you bring a man home?"

(End of this chapter)