The outside of the courtyard suddenly fell silent, and countless eyes turned to Lord Xiao Fan with some fear, not knowing what was wrong with that student. Fan Xian glanced at the student who was carrying a mess of bedding, and suddenly asked, "Have you checked it?"

The officials of the Ministry of Rites and the officials of the Supervision Yuan reported at the same time: "It has been checked, and there is nothing unusual." ”

The student looked up at the young Master Fan with a calm face and no trace of panic. Fan Xian frowned slightly, and then asked, "I took off my clothes to check?"

"Yes, sir. The officials around him saw that there were more and more people blocking the gate of the courtyard, and they couldn't help but be a little anxious, in half an hour, the imperial decree in the palace was coming, and at this speed, it would be extremely difficult for the students to completely put it in.

At this moment, Fan Xian suddenly stood up from the Taishi chair, walked to the student with a calm face, looked at him twice, suddenly laughed, and said in his ear: "There is a problem with your clothes." ”

His voice was very small, so only the student heard it, and that student actually sweated a little on his forehead in the steep cold weather of early February! This student's surname was Yang Wanli, and he didn't know how this little Fan, who was famous all over the world for his poetry, discovered his secret, and under Fan's quiet gaze, he couldn't help but have some tendency to collapse.

Fan Xian suddenly smiled and said: "You go in, if you say it at this time, your ten years of hard work will be in vain, but remember, in the examination hall these two days, you don't let me find out that you used your clothes." ”

Yang Wanli was pleasantly surprised, and then he was afraid that he couldn't stop it, and said with a sad face: "Master Xie is complete." "I was afraid that this young middleman with two eyes like an eagle would regret it again, carry the tattered bedding, hide his face and rush into the examination hall, and made up his mind that he would definitely not be able to disassemble his clothes in the past two days. Go and see the mezzanine inside. ”

Followed by. Fan Xian warned a few poor students who tried to bring cheat sheets into the examination institute, and gradually, the officials around him also understood what was going on, although they were very surprised by Xiao Fan's eyesight and judgment. But there are also some faint anxious, and I am afraid that it will be too late in time.

Fan Xian seemed to have a feeling for the first time as an official, smiling - looking at the students who had been admitted to the hospital, he carefully did not let go of any of them, and took off many pairs of shoes. Lots of hats. Many brushes with paper balls hidden behind the branches formed a hill at the entrance of the examination hall. By this time. The students who were lining up knew that this year's Zhonglang turned out to be a murderous and powerful person, unlike the poet and fairy who people imagined, and would not pay much attention to the fraud of their own people, so they hurriedly withdrew. Throw the entrained things on your body into the gutter behind the examination hall.

Today's leader of the Supervision Yuan is Fan Xiandi's acquaintance, Master Mu Tiemu, who is currently temporarily taking over part of a function. He listened to the report of his subordinates, hurried here, and saw that Fan Xian had gone down for a big week without saying a word, and said with some embarrassment: "My lord, the hour is not early, you have to hurry." ”

The officials of the Ministry of Rites and the people in the Supervision Yuan next to him couldn't help but be startled when they saw him so respectful to Fan Xian, thinking that the people of the Supervision Yuan would be so polite to a civil servant, and only then did they think of the background behind Fan Xian, a prime minister, a scholar, and a county lord, so they didn't dare to say more, just quietly listened to Fan Xian's reply.

Fan Xian took out the imported pocket watch and looked at it, and found that the time was indeed not early, so he shook his head and stopped this interesting game, stood up to his side, and said loudly to the hundreds of students at the entrance of the examination institute: "This official Fan Xian, I think you have also heard of it." First of all, everyone saw it, in order not to delay the time of the trial, I will not take off my clothes and search my body today. ”

All beings rejoiced.

Fan Xian looked around with a smile and said: "You yourself threw the things you carried into this bamboo basket, you are not to blame, if you are discovered by this official during the exam in the past two days, beware of me letting you be stripped naked and thrown in front of the imperial city, so that everyone in the world knows what your Sven looks like." ”

The sentient beings were terrified, and then they knew that the smile of the poet fairy Xiaofan turned out to contain a murderous aura. So everyone went into their own way, and as for whether there were any students who wanted to take risks, that was a matter for the future.

After a while, the entrance of the examination hall immediately returned to quiet, leaving only stinky shoes and countless confetti, which looked a little sad. The officials of the Ministry of Rites hurriedly arranged for people to clean up to meet the will of the palace for the examination, and also arranged the incense case to fire cannons, and they were busy for a while.

While everyone was busy, they thought that this little Fan was really acting very different from ordinary Qingguo officials, if they didn't pay attention to those entrainment things, how could there be a reason to let students enter the exam after they were found out today? If this matter is spread on other examiners, I am afraid that there will be a lot of disturbance from the Yushitai, but who knows that since Fan Xian dares to do this, of course he is not afraid of these things.

Fan Xian sat on the Taishi chair, smiling and watching everyone busy, while talking to Mu Tie beside him. Mu Tie's current position has risen early, and he has always thought that it was due to Fan Xian, so he seemed to be particularly affectionate to Lord Fan, and said: "Lord Fan has worked hard, stay for a while, after the cannon starts the exam, please go back to the courtyard to rest, this matter that should be investigated and defended will naturally be handled by the lower officials." ”

Fan Xian glanced at him with a smile and said, "Where is the job, I have to wander around the examination room for a while, where is there any spare work." ”

"It's the first time I've received this mission, so I don't know, but in fact, I don't have to worry too much about entering the examination room. Mu Tie thought that this young magnate didn't know the unspoken rules of the test, and said with a smile.

Fan Xian suddenly turned to ask in a low voice, "This time I went to Northern Qi, will Master Mu go?"

Mu Tie was stunned for a moment, and he was not mentally prepared for his transfer, and subconsciously replied: "The courtyard is still arranging, but it should be the affairs of the four places, and I may not be able to interfere." He suddenly rolled his eyes, thinking that this little Fan could write poetry but didn't like to write poetry, and he liked to do some small business, thinking that he had guessed something, and said with a smile: "Is Master Fan going to buy any goods in the north? ”

Fan Xian laughed and said, "It's okay, it's okay, just ask casually." A subordinate next to him brought tea, and Fan Xian gave way to Mu Tie. Mu Tie asked curiously, "Master Fan, it seems that you are in a good mood today." ”

The corners of Fan Xian's lips curled slightly, and a trace of inexplicable expression flashed in his pupils, as if he was smiling, and he didn't know what he remembered, so he said softly after a while: "Actually...... I always thought that reading books without exams was the greatest pleasure in life. After entering Beijing, what I was most afraid of was to take the exam, but I didn't expect that in a year, I would become a middleman, able to read, without exams, and more relaxed to watch the hard exams of my colleagues who read, it turned out that this is the greatest joy of life. ”

The holy decree arrived, the cannon sounded, the incense case was sprinkled, the courtyard door was closed, and the annual Qingguo Spring Festival was officially opened. Fan Xian listened to the heavy wooden door of the examination hall slowly closing behind him, and his heart suddenly felt for a while, he had not participated in the college entrance examination in his previous life, and he thought it was the biggest regret in his life at that time.

"Meet your lordship. Entering the lobby, the cold wind at the beginning of spring surged up from the door, Fan Xian saluted Guo Youzhi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites who was sitting in the middle, and said: "The door of the courtyard has been closed, and it must not be opened again without an adult's warrant. ”

Guo Youzhi looked at the young five-grade official below, looked at his handsome face, frowned imperceptibly, and then said with a smile on his face: "Lord Xiao Fan has worked hard. Then he instructed the two masters beside him: "According to the rules of previous years, after an hour, you will go out and make an inspection. ”

One of these two teachers in Chunfu was Taixuezheng, and the other was a bachelor of Tongwen Pavilion, both of whom were appointed by His Majesty, listening to Guo Shangshu's words, he nodded and responded: "Listen to the arrangement of the adults." ”

Guo Youzhi turned to Fan Xian again and said: "Lord Xiao Fan, your job is to order the examination room, assist the two of you in promotion, patrol the venue from time to time, and pay attention to the movement at the corner gate, ready to receive orders at any time." ”

The secretary of the Ministry of Rites sighed, hugged his fist to the sky and said: "The test of the spring festival, the selection of good materials for the country, you must not be careless, you adults should be careful with their own hearts." ”

With Guo Shangshu's speech, all kinds of officials in the examination institute returned to their duties, and a serious and tense atmosphere quietly permeated every corner of the examination institute. Everyone knows that His Majesty the current emperor has shifted the focus of governing the country to Wenzhi after several Northern Expeditions, so he attaches great importance to the annual examination, and even a few years ago, there was a precedent for micro-service inspections, so no one dared to be careless.

And this spring for those who are buried in the case of the first stroke of the students, it is the most critical juncture in life, if you can pass smoothly, that is to jump on the dragon gate, if not, you can only return to your hometown, prepare for the next year's township test, a turn, I don't know how many people's youth will be consumed, and there are such stubborn people, once they fall, they are lingering in Beijing and refuse to return to their hometowns, there are those who are decadent, there are wanderers, and more disappear without a trace.

This is the great ceremony of the country, and this is the life and death of the scholar.

Fan Xian stood on the top of the stone steps, closed his eyes and listened to the rustling sound in all directions in the examination courtyard, thinking of the note handed by the prince, a strange smile appeared on the corner of his lips.