Ye Qing, Ge Shen and others were sitting around the front hall eating tea, and Shu Yan told them the news. The shopkeeper is an old man in his sixties, he listened to it next to him, and said with a smile: "You are all filial piety and honesty are our moral models and Confucian talents, thanks to everyone's patronage of our store, it is a great honor to be contemptible, and it will be opened tomorrow, I wish you all can get the middle and high rank!" After saying that, he arched his hand.

Ye Qing hurriedly returned the salute and said, "The old gentleman is polite." ”

Ge Shen was also polite, and said: "It's rare for the old gentleman to have leisure today, and I just want to ask the old gentleman about the meaning of the name of the store." ”

The shopkeeper smiled unhurriedly: "My signboard has two meanings: first, the so-called cold and heat, is the cold and summer, the cold and the heat, the purpose of the store is to provide a place for customers from afar to escape the cold and heat; Both, although my inn is big, but only seek economy, not luxury, so those wealthy aristocrats are disdainful, the store also disdains to entertain them, only entertain people from the cold, take the meaning of "cold" and "cold and summer". ”

All of you here are filial piety from a poor family, and they all praise it when they hear this.

Xiao Mo smiled on the side: "Old man, although everyone here is from the Shu clan, but they are all going to take the exam tomorrow, maybe who will go to high school and become a big official in the future, if you want to come to your store, won't you be able to accept it?" ”

"How dare you. However, with all due respect, even if you get the middle and high ranks, and become officials, it is unlikely that you can get rid of the identity of the Hanmen Shu clan. Although the old man was humble, he still told the truth.

Shu Yan smiled when he heard this: "What the old gentleman said is extremely true. However, since we were held up as filial piety and honesty, all of us were open-minded, and although we did not dare to vain seek to serve our family and country, we never thought about becoming any scholars. ”

The shopkeeper listened to the young man's words and nodded his head. And all of them were justified. Everyone talked about it for a while, and then they all dispersed.

In the evening, Shu Yan lit a small lamp, picked up the book, and put it down after only reading two pages, staring at the lamp in a daze.

"Brother Shu, why haven't you read a book? What are you in a daze? ”

"I don't want to see it today."

Xiao Mo sat opposite the bookcase: "As the saying goes, sharpen the gun in battle, you see those filial piety people, they are all reading at night." You're going to the battlefield tomorrow, and I see that you always love books on weekdays, so why can't you read them today? Is it nervous? ”

Shu Yan smiled: "I'm not nervous, but I don't know what's wrong, I feel very calm in my heart, but my relatives keep appearing in my mind." They all used to have great expectations for me, my parents, grandfather, Grandpa Xie, Grandpa Xia, Grandpa Tang, ......"

"And the dead Zhixin who was born on the same year, month, and day as you, right?"

Shu Yan blushed and didn't speak.

"Who is she?" Xiao Mo asked.

"It's mine...... Fiancee. After a while, Shu Yan said.

……

The hourglass leaked for another half a moment, and Xiao Mo's voice became much softer: "Settle down, I think you won't let them down." ”

The test was jointly organized by Taichang Temple and the Ministry of Officials. At the beginning of the next day, Xiao Mo accompanied Shu Yan to Cao, but the scene in front of him surprised Shu Yan - there are so many people! Shu Yan wondered, there are only a few dozen filial piety people who were cited this time, but there are more than 100 people here, and they are gradually increasing, who are these people? I was wondering, and I saw a group of handymen hurriedly moving books, rolling mats, and tidying up the room, and someone next to them ordered: "Hurry up, we must vacate all the rooms that can be used at the right time, there are many people who plan today......

As soon as the words fell, I saw Wang Rong, the secretary of the ministry, also come out and urge, and stood on the steps and shouted to the people present: "Everyone, everyone. Let me say a few words first, the two main ways for the imperial court to select scholars are to promote filial piety and selection from among the students. In the past, these two paths were planned and tested by the imperial court separately, but this time it is different from previous years. This year, the Ministry of Officials has come up with ingenuity to conduct a test of filial piety and Tai students at the same time, and then the central officials of their respective states and counties will evaluate them together, and then the officials will select the best ones and award them respectively......"

There was a commotion below, some saying good, some saying novelty, and some talking nonsense.

Shu Yan heard that the Tai students also came to participate in the test today, he looked around the crowd, but did not find a shadow of Shi De, at this time the handymen had already cleaned up all the rooms, and the utensils such as the table had been placed neatly. I also heard Wang Rong say: "With so many people planning at the same time, a single official Cao will definitely not be able to tolerate it, so we will pack up all the rooms that can be used in the entire Shangshutai official office for you to try, and now you will listen to my dispatch, with this pillar in the middle as the boundary, all the Tai students will try in the room east of the pillar, and all the filial piety will try in the room west of the pillar, and you will immediately take your own positions......"

"Wow-" The crowd heard the command, and there was a commotion, and they hurriedly took their places. Suddenly, everyone present had already sat down, and Wang Rong asked loudly, "Is there anything else that hasn't arrived?" ”

No one squeaked.

"Alright, when you're all done, close the gate, and no one is allowed to enter or leave."

When Shu Yan heard that the door was going to be closed, he thought that Shi De hadn't come yet, so he hurriedly shouted: "Please wait a minute, there is still a student who hasn't come." ”

When the official Shangshu looked at it, a voice came from the west side, and he said in a deep voice: "You are a filial piety, how do you know that a student has not yet come?" ”

"That student is my fellow countryman, beg Wang Shangshu to wait for him a little longer."

Wang Rong looked at the hour and said, "Okay, it's three quarters now, wait for him for a quarter of time, if he hasn't arrived yet, don't blame me for being ruthless." ”

"Thank you, Wang Shangshu."

Shu Yan anxiously, Baba looked at the door. No one came, and he estimated that the time had passed by almost a moment.

"It's time, close the door."

Shu Yan was dumbfounded when he heard this. He had the heart to delay the intercession, and he knew that it would be in vain. Just as he was anxious, he suddenly saw two people wearing white scarves and wearing Tai student uniforms pacing towards him, unhurried, and stepped into the door.

Shu Yan breathed a sigh of relief and turned his worries into joy, but before he could finish his breath, he suddenly turned from joy to sorrow - it turned out that none of the two people had it.

"Why are you two so late?" Wang Rong asked.

The two were not in a hurry: "Is it late?" Now it's just right, how can you say it's late? ”

"What's your name?"

"Xiahoumen."

"Xun Bao."

"What about the man who is called Giver?"

"I'm here, who's calling me?" Voices came from inside the east room.

Shu Yan turned his head and saw that the person who was speaking was also wearing a white scarf on his head and a school uniform on his body, it was none other than Shi De. Shu Yan was so angry in his heart, and said in his heart, I have been worried about him for a long time, it turns out that he has already come. Just because Shi De was wearing a white scarf and his back to Shu Yan, there were too many people just now, so Shu Yan didn't find him.

Shi De asked Xiahoumen and Xun Bao: "Why did you come?" ”

"It's nothing, it's just going slower." After the two finished speaking, they found their seats and sat down.

Everyone was seated, and in front of everyone's bookcase was an inkstone, a small piece of ink, a pen, and a small pot of water. Before you start to send out the papers, you must first study the ink. Shu Yan and most others are very good at grinding ink, because they usually study ink by themselves. Pour an appropriate amount of water into the inkstone first, then pick up the ink block and grind it gently. In a moment, an inkstone ink is already uniform and delicate. But Shi De, Xiahoumen, Xun Bao and a few other Tai students' ink research was not so smooth. Xiahou Gate is less water, no ink; Xun Bao's water is poured too much, and the ink is too thin; What I got was that the strength of the ink was used unevenly, and the ink splashed on one hand, scattering a case, and the more anxious I was, the more busy I became. When they write at home on weekdays, they have a bookkeeper to serve them, and they never study ink by themselves. Even when I was in school with Taixue, I often promised to give some benefits to others, and someone would do it for me.

The rest of the crowd couldn't help but laugh when they saw the embarrassment of these people. These people were busy for a long time, the water ran out, the ink was worn out, but the ink did not come out. The examiner was anxious and angry, and brought them water and new ink. At this time, Shi De suddenly stood up and said: "Examiner, we are not good at the work of grinding ink, our scholar is waiting outside the door, and we are waiting to ask for our scholar to be put in and study ink for us." ”

"What? Looking for a bookmaid to study ink for you? It's really unreasonable, no idle people are allowed to enter when the imperial court is taking the test, and I've never heard of someone else to replace the ink during the test! You can write it, and if you can't, forget it! ”

The examiner was furious. At this time, another examiner next to him persuaded in a low voice: "Why be angry, the fathers of these sons are all from the court now, why embarrass them?" It is better to raise your noble hand, be accommodating, and take care of each other in the future in the DPRK and China. ”

The examiner listened, pondered for a long time, and said, "So, I just have to ask Wang Shangshu." ”

"This is natural."

The two of them told Wang Rong, and Wang Rong was helpless when he heard it, so he had to agree. The servant opened the door and let in a few scholars, who were good at grinding ink, and it only took a few moments to polish the ink and then withdraw. The examiner sent the exam papers, and everyone put pen to paper. The method of the test is to give 10 questions in each of the Five Classics for the examiner to answer. The examiner can choose one or more sutras.

Shu Yan had already memorized the Five Classics, so he opened the scroll, and without thinking, he picked up the pen and waved it. After writing, I saw that others were still thinking hard, and some even patted their heads in a burnt shape. In this case, if you turn in the paper early, you will appear too arrogant, and it will cause nervousness to others. So, he put down his pen and sat quietly. Suddenly, I heard someone open the door in the east room, and I knew that someone from the students had handed in the papers. I sat for a while, until someone in the room handed in the papers, and then they came out together.

Walking out of the door, he was about to find Xiao Mo to tell him that he had answered very well in this test, when he suddenly saw Xiao Mo talking to a student who was facing away from him. When I got closer, I heard the Taixue say: "I remember, you are the one who followed Shu Yan to Taixue a few days ago." ”

Xiao Mo also said: "Oh, I also remembered, you are the countryman of my Brother Shu, what is your name." ”

Shi De heard this and said angrily: "Why do you call me by my name!" ”

"Why, don't you also call me Brother Shu's name?"

"I ...... Hmph, it's rude, can he compare with me? ”

"Y-how great are you?" Xiao Mo scoffed, "We Qiang people don't have so many rules. It was you who were arrogant first, and I was rude. ”

Shi De turned to smile: "It turns out that you are a Qiang person." Hehe. However, I've seen a lot of Qiang people, and I've never seen you dressed like this. Look at your head, non-flashy, nondescript, what you look like - a ponytail; And your clothes are full of butterflies, colorful and green, if you face the wind and open your arms, it really looks like a big butterfly, hahahahaha. ”

Xiao Mo was already a quick temper, and when he heard this, he was so angry that he glared at Shi De with his slightly concave eyes, and retorted: "I didn't see yourself!" Not to mention the ink all over his body, a big man, without a bit of masculinity, walks swaying, and has to be supported by a scholar, like a weak willow. And since you don't like to be called by others, I'll call you '' in the future." ”

Shu Yan heard that the atmosphere was wrong, and hurriedly came forward to persuade him, and interrupted: "I was the first one to come out of the filial piety field, but I didn't expect Shi Gongzi to come out earlier than me, so he must have answered very easily?" ”

Shi De was robbed by Xiao Mo, but he couldn't say anything about the other party. Listening to Shu Yanbin talking to himself politely, there were steps to go down, and he said coldly and arrogantly: "Of course, how can that bit of content be difficult for me?" ”

Shu Yan arched his hand and said, "That's good, let's wait for the day when the list will be released." ”

Shi De's arm was held by the scholar Aji, and he didn't salute, but said lightly: "You have to teach and teach your uneducated Hu friend well!" Leave. ”

"You-" Xiao Mo was about to step forward to reason with Shi De again, but was stopped by Shu Yan and went back to the inn together.