That was one of the things that happened during the scientific expedition in the early years.

It is said that although one of the students had mediocre overall results, far from being on the list, he was favored by the officials at the time because he was sophisticated and fluent in answering the test questions related to the river, and his language was exquisite and concise, like a river worker who had worked in the river for decades, and like an insightful student.

After the release of the list, the official was still concerned about the candidate's regulations for the settlement of the river matter, so he specially invited the holy order, found out the student's examination paper, and brought it to the Son of Heaven for His Majesty to see.

Today, the saint is a practical person who loves talents and especially likes to say something, and he was happy to summon that student. After some questions and answers, His Majesty was overjoyed and promoted the student who failed to make the list to a six-rank official and went to Jiangnan to control the river.

The student's name is Zhang Daren, and he is really competitive, and he is indeed very thoughtful about river management. In the past few years, he has managed a lot of flooded and blocked rivers, and made a lot of political achievements, which has added luster to His Majesty's face.

This matter is still talked about today, and the Tao is that His Majesty's eyes are like a torch, and he has selected the pillars of the capable ministers, which is really a beautiful conversation between Bole and Maxima, and every time it is said, it is fascinating.

This matter has been passed down like this, and now, there are people who fail in the exam, and they also hope that any question on the answer sheet will be appreciated and recommended by the examiner, and finally sent directly to His Majesty, so that they can become the second Zhang Daren, and they may be more capable than Zhang Daren at that time. Thinking about Zhang Daren, he was promoted to the fourth rank official in just ten years, and they are also hot-eyed. If Your Majesty is willing to give them this opportunity, they will definitely work harder than Zhang Daren, absolutely share your Majesty's worries and solve problems, and add a strong touch to Your Majesty's reputation of knowing people.

Now Suqian is using this matter to persuade Xu Erlang, but unfortunately Xu Erlang is really intentional about falling off the list this time. He knew in his heart that he would naturally not be lonely, so it was a pity for Suqian's persuasion.

The students on the list started singing from the bottom one, and Suqian did well in the exam, ranking 54th in the second grade.

This result is really, really outstanding, after all, most of the students ranked in front of him are familiar names. The names of those people were very loud, and they had heard them more than once when they were collecting news from Wangxian Tower.

And these people are either the heads of several major academies, or the famous prodigy geniuses in Jiangnan, or the students of Guozijian, or the closed disciples of some great Confucians, and the sons and daughters carefully cultivated in the family.

Compared with these people, Suqian is not competitive, but he has been able to get this result under pressure, which is really very, very good.

The higher the list is sung, the more sweat on Suqian's forehead, not hot, purely fluke.

He sat on the stool with his chest clutched, and Shure laughed at himself, "Because I am free and arrogant, I thought I could sit still at this time, but I don't want to, I am just one of the ordinary people, and I will work hard for fame and fortune." ”

Xu Erlang listened to his chatter and didn't interrupt, only when he finally finished speaking, he gave him a cup of tea, "Congratulations to Brother Su for getting what he wanted, and he will be a second-class jinshi in the future." Later, there will be a palace test, and I hope that Brother Su can make persistent efforts to make a name for me Shuozhou. ”

All the lifters who came to Shuozhou to take the exam this time, except for Suqian and a man named Wang Pengju, were all killed.

And this Wang Pengju was admitted to the top three, and it is a pity that he cannot participate in the palace examination. Therefore, the burden of making a name for the scholars of Shuozhou is really all on Suqian.

When Su Qian heard this, he smiled loudly, "You must do your best", and asked Xu Erlang tentatively, "Is Runzhi okay?" ”

Xu Erlang unexpectedly fell off the list, thinking of this, Suqian was originally very happy, and there were less than five points left.

Xu Erlang didn't mind at all, "I was prepared, so I wasn't sad and lonely." Brother Su, I was still in the middle of my studies, and I was able to successfully pass the examination all the way, thanks to my talent and intelligence, plus the help of two good gentlemen. But it is such a simple thing to try there, if you can't get through the poetry and books, and the accumulation is profound, you want to make a name for yourself in the test, but it's just a dream. I have this preparation, and I also have the ambition to fight again for three years, and now let me be happy for my brother, and after three years, I will be named on the gold list, and I need my brother to set up a banquet for me to celebrate. ”

Su Qian laughed when he heard this, "So good, very good!" Then I'll wait to see Runzhi's results in three years. At that time, the banquet will be set up, and the good wine will be served, and we will not get drunk. ”

"Good. Brother Su. ”

"I also respect the virtuous brother of Run."

After a party with Suqian, it was still early when Xu Erlang returned to Pingxi Hou's Mansion, but it was very rare that Pingxi Hou was in the mansion at this time.

Xu Erlang just sat down and poured a cup of tea, and before he could drink it, a person dressed as a guard came over and said, "Master Hou, please ask Young Master Runzhi to come over." ”

"Okay, I'll go change my clothes later."

Xu Erlang knocked on the door and entered the study, and saw Pingxi Hou holding a snow-white silk handkerchief, wiping a sword in his hand.

The hilt of the sword was bronze, and there was a splash of red on it, and it was all blood. Maybe it's been a long time, or maybe there is too much blood splashed on it, and it can't be washed off anymore, so the red is very dull, and there is a thick ominous smell. And the sword body is sharp and sharp, glowing with the cold light of Sensen, which makes people look at it awesomely.

This is a sword that has killed countless enemies to protect the country, and there are countless souls under the sword, so that just looking at this sword, it seems to smell thick blood, as if it is already in a battlefield like a boundless region.

Pingxi Hou spoke first, "How about my sword?" ”

"Rare treasures."

"This is a sword handed down from our ancestors. The ancestor was born in poverty, and when he followed the ancestor emperor to fight the world, he went bankrupt and replaced this thing from a merchant. Since then, this sword has accompanied the ancestors on the battlefield seven times and seven out, making immortal contributions. This is why I have the prestige of Pingxi Hou, and only then do I have the ancestral training that Xu Jiaerlang wants to compete on the battlefield, be loyal to the country, and protect my Pingxi Hou's lintel. ”

Speaking of this, Pingxi Hou said coldly, "Erlang, you have great ambitions when you are young, you want to fight on the battlefield, kill the enemy and protect the country, now your ambition has changed?" ”

Xu Erlang's heartbeat suddenly stopped, and he didn't react for a long time, what Pingxihou was saying.

Pingxihou didn't urge him, but continued to rub the sword, looking at it with a serious expression, as if this was not an ordinary sword to kill the enemy, but his lifelong belief and pursuit.

He felt that he and Xu Erlang should be all the way. They are bloodthirsty and arrogant in their bones, and only on the battlefield can this reckless urge to vent can release the shackles that have long shackled their souls.

He felt that everything was under control, and he would definitely get a satisfactory answer from Xu Erlang. After all, he is so young and enthusiastic, after all, he failed in the imperial examination.

Clinker, Xu Erlang was silent for a long time, and then he said again, "My ambition has not changed, I still want to serve the country loyally, but I no longer try to kill the enemy, but I want to take a road of being an official who asks for his life for the people and seeks the well-being of the people." ”

Pingxi Hou's eyes swept over like lightning, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and like the coldest sword light, radiating a chill, as if he could kill people with just the light of his eyes.

Xu Erlang withstood his compelling gaze and emphasized again, "Runzhi promised his parents before that he would study for the imperial examination for the rest of his life and no longer think about the battlefield." The man is true to his word, and he does not dare to change it. ”

This time, Xihou was silent, and after a long time, he seemed to accept this fact. He waved his hand and said, "In that case, go down." ”

Xu Erlang withdrew and was about to walk to the door, when Pingxihou's voice came from inside. "Now that you have made up your mind to conduct a scientific expedition, don't let a defeat discourage you. You have a short time of studying, and you are not good at what you have learned, and now that your grades are out, you are also free, and from tomorrow, you will go to study with a few friends I have made. ”

Xu Erlang thanked him again, "There is Lao Hou Ye worried, thank you Hou Ye." ”

"Go ahead. Tomorrow I will send someone to send you over, this is a post, you can take it. ”

"Yes."

Xu Erlang has been really busy since the second day.

Perhaps Pingxihou's personal face played a role, or he was really talented in reading, and the two great Confucians who visited agreed that he would come to study regularly and ask for advice.

Xu Erlang knows that diligence can make up for clumsiness, and he also knows that he will not stay in Kyoto for too long. So it's not an exaggeration to read a lifeless book, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the head cantilever cone piercing the strands, and the three watches and the five watches, really want to absorb and digest everything I have learned recently, and then absorb more knowledge.

When he studied so hard day and night, and didn't pay attention, the day of the temple test came. Then the palace examination ended, and the champion, Bangyan and Tanhua were also decided.

At this time, Xu Erlang and Suqian had already met again in the box of the previous restaurant.

When Xu Erlang entered the Great Confucian Sect to study, Suqian was also working hard for the palace examination. The two of them were too busy to be flawless, so naturally they didn't see each other again.

Now that the palace examination is over, Suqian's performance has improved slightly, and finally he is the twenty-first in the second class.

He was in a "joyful" mood, and thought that he hadn't seen Xu Erlang for a long time, so he quickly asked the little guy to send him a letter.

I didn't want Xu Erlang to be waiting for his exam results, so he waited in the original restaurant box, so Suqian came straight here after coming out of the palace.

As soon as they met, Suqian almost didn't recognize the person in front of him.

Thinking about Xu Erlang, whom he met before, he was handsome and incomparable, the jade tree was in the wind, and he was free and easy like an immortal. Who knew that after just a few days of not seeing him, his friend would lose weight?

The cheeks are sunken, the forehead bone is prominent, the facial lines of the whole person are sharper, the momentum is more indifferent, and there is a kind of cold and solemn air in the whole person, which makes people daunting, and just wants to avoid this person.

This man...... This Xu Erlang ......

His friend is cold and noble, indifferent and calm, seemingly unapproachable, but in fact, he has the best temperament, and getting along with him is the most comfortable for people to get along with. And now this ...... The person who is thin and out of shape really makes his heart tingle at a glance.

Suqian asked cautiously, "Is Runzhi seriously ill?" ”

Xu Erlang shook his head amusedly, "No." ”

"Is that because I didn't participate in the temple exam, I was sad?"

Xu Erlang sneered, "Brother Su thinks too much, since I said to see it, I just look at it completely." Now I just studied with a few gentlemen, and I know more and more that I have a shallow foundation, and I have to work harder in order to get good grades in three years. ”

Su Qian's heart was slightly relieved when he heard this, so he said, "Then you can't work so hard." You see that you are thin now, like a patient who has just recovered from a serious illness, which is really worrying. Runzhi, the body is the capital of scientific research, and it should not be ignored. ”

"Brother Su is right, I have made a note of it, and I will definitely pay attention to the time when I study in the future, and I will not dare to spend my body day and night anymore. Brother Su still said that he couldn't bear to see me like this, and it is not difficult to imagine how distressed Uchiko should be when he saw it. It's time for me to get my body in condition, otherwise I won't be able to explain to Uchiko when I turn back. ”

Su Qian laughed, patted the table and pointed at Xu Erlang and said, "I didn't expect a character like Runzhi to be so breezy and moonny, but it turned out to be a person who was afraid of guilt." It's so good, if Runzhi is so nonsense again, I'll ask someone to send a letter to tell my younger siblings. ”

Xu Erlang hurriedly begged for mercy, "Don't dare anymore." ”

The two talked about the palace test again, and said with a wry smile to Suqian, "The literary style in the northwest is still weaker, compared to the places where the literary style is prosperous in the south of the Yangtze River, and these places at the feet of the Son of Heaven, are much worse." I'm a second-class heir, and if I talk about it carefully, my majesty still appreciates it. ”

Xu Erlang looked stunned and asked Suqian, "What are you talking about...... How so? ”

"Because the students in front of me are all from Kyoto and Gangnam without exception."

Xu Erlang is a shrewd person in the end, and the meaning behind some things may not be imagined by others, but he seems to have been born with the eight veins of the Qi Sutra, and he can instantly comprehend the deep meaning behind it.

Just like His Majesty wants the rain and dew to be evenly soaked for the peace of the harem, the ranking of the imperial examination is also a bit of a meaning.

You can't give all the rankings to the students in Jiangnan and Kyoto, otherwise the students in the rest of the Great Qi Dynasty will be upset.

The most terrible thing is that the literati hide their anger, and I don't see how many rebellions in history have been provoked by narrow-minded literati.

Therefore, in order to appease the literati in various regions, and more importantly, to appease the common people by appeasing these literati, the imperial court had to raise or decrease the ranking of the students as appropriate.

And Suqian, he was very lucky, because he was the only one in the entire northwest region who had a place for the palace examination, so whether it was the ministers of the court or His Majesty, they had to "look at him differently".

It's a pity that such a proud person as Suqian does not hesitate to look at him differently. Such a result mixed with water is an insult to him. But Tianzi Longen, if he didn't make an ecstatic expression, but cried with a sad face and an insulted look, isn't this a brainless and stupid fork, and he sent himself to a dead end.

However, there is no way to put this idea into words. Otherwise, there will be someone who is sour behind people and says that he is hypocritical.

This can't be done, that can't be done, Suqian is really panicked. Now that I meet this well-informed friend, I can talk about it and solve it here with him.

Your Majesty's "rain and dew" matter, after all, it is not good to say much, the two of them briefly mentioned it, and then brought this topic over. Turning to this year's champions, Bangyan and Tanhua.

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