The preparations for Tianyuan University are in full swing, and the atmosphere in the capital is becoming more and more lively.

Every day, there are good players from all walks of life arriving one after another, and there are many more Jianghu people with swords on the streets of one city and two cities.

These people are either suave, or vicious, or dignified and beautiful, or not amazing, and some of them are cold and dead-faced and ignore everyone, as if they owe them tens of thousands of taels of silver, and their bodies exude an aura of indifference that rejects people thousands of miles away.

All kinds of characters have added a lot of talking points for the people of the capital, and those who have been famous for a long time have become the guests of the dignitaries, with the promulgation of the "martial arts order" by the imperial court, these Jianghu people have no shackles and have become the focus of attention in the capital and even the entire Tianyuan.

As we all know, Tian Yuan Law prohibits armed fighting in the city, especially in the capital, and the control is extremely strict.

Anyone who entered the city with weapons would be strictly checked and recorded, including the guards of the princes and nobles.

For the people of the rivers and lakes who enter the city, there will be a special person to secretly monitor after the record, once they find that they have violated the law and discipline, they will be arrested immediately, and they will be convicted according to the severity of the circumstances, and they will be imprisoned at the least, and beheaded at the worst, and the case will be too serious and will affect the relatives and teachers, so the hot-blooded sons and daughters on the rivers and lakes will rarely come to the capital if they are not necessary.

However, the Tianyuan Dabi was held in Beijing, and the people of the rivers and lakes wanted to participate in this grand event and had to come to the capital, there were many people in the rivers and lakes, and the yamen of Jingzhao Mansion was not enough.

The "Martial Order" is a special order for the Tian Yuan Great Competition, which is the abbreviation of "Appropriate Opening of the Military Ban", which was written by the emperor himself, and sent his personal attendants to issue it directly to the government offices on the eve of the previous Tian Yuan Great Competition.

The core content is very simple, on the premise of not affecting the safety of the lives and property of the people in the capital, the people in the rivers and lakes are allowed to resolve their personal grievances, the government only maintains order and will not stop it, and if the defeated party is killed or injured, it will also be very considerate to send people to the nearest hospital or directly collect the body.

To sum it up, in one sentence - as long as you don't harm the innocent, just hit it.

At first glance, the "Martial Fitness Order" is quite relaxed, but if you think about it, you will realize how difficult it is.

All the martial artists and the warriors in the early stage of Huayuan are okay, the aftermath of the fight will not spread far, and the middle and late stages of Huayuan and even quasi-congenital will be different, a careless, scattered sword gang can sweep down a piece, not to mention the innate realm above, that scene can be experienced by looking at the ruins that Feng Zhiping left in the Green Lotus Fang, so most of the people who do it in the capital are up to the point, and there are very few outlaws who fight regardless of their strength.

Although there are restrictions, compared with the comprehensive ban on martial arts, the "Forcefulness Order" has finally made the Jianghu people much more relaxed.

On the other hand, the shopkeepers of various restaurants, teahouses, inns, prostitutes, and workshops are also active, and the genuine boutiques in the store are all replaced, and all kinds of old tables and chairs to be replaced are refurbished and wiped before the stage, just waiting for the "hot-blooded children" to come to Beijing to smash, you must know that the utensils damaged during the "martial arts order" are to be compensated according to the price, and they will not miss this free opportunity to replace them.

If Feng Zhiping knew, he would definitely mumble that the unspoken rules set by the old man for Quanzhou City turned out to be like this.

On the eve of this grand event, with the acquiescence of the imperial court, it can even be said that under the "instigation", it can not only solve old grievances but also make a name for itself, why not?

As a result, more and more people competed in the streets and alleys.

Because the two sides maintain mutual restraint to the point, the victory or defeat usually lies in the technique rather than the simple cultivation, and most of the competitions are quite exciting, especially for ordinary people.

Insiders look at the doorway, laymen look at the excitement, compared to those who stand for most of the two sides for a long time and suddenly shoot a blow to win, the victory or defeat is a trick under the slightest point of the wonderful duel, ordinary people prefer you back and forth to fight endlessly "fierce battle", the former is unpredictable where they can't see or understand, they like the latter's kind of shouting five drinks six table tennis non-stop pleasure.

Because of this, the "masters" who are circulated in the market are divided into two poles, one is the real master, which is valued by the family, and the other is the master who is hotly discussed by the people.

Tian Yuan established the country with martial arts, and the martial style was very strong, and the Tian Yuan Great Competition made the wind of martial arts blow all over the world, inspiring many young people to devote themselves to it, and also inadvertently covering the limelight of the other two major events.

The first is the "strange case" that just happened in Green Lotus Square.

According to the official statement, the riot in Green Lotus Square was caused by a collective fight between two groups of Jianghu people with old grudges, and the people involved in the case have been arrested pending trial.

The other is more embarrassing - the imperial examination.

Many people who focus on the sword and sword shadow have forgotten that on the eve of the Tianyuan Competition, it is also the day of the current imperial examination.

It wasn't until two days before the list that a group of people put up five big signs of different heights in front of the gates of the two cities leading to the three cities, that people finally remembered that the day of the list had come, and for a while, the style of writing overwhelmed the martial style again and became a topic of conversation among the people.

Others have forgotten, but the candidates have not, many scholars hate to death those Jianghu people who are "showing off their fists and feet" everywhere, thinking that they have greatly corrupted the atmosphere of the capital and greatly increased their anxiety about waiting for results.

Zou Xun is one of them.

He doesn't dislike martial artists, in his eyes, whether it is Xi Wen or Wu, he is a pillar of the pillars, and it is the cornerstone of maintaining the stability and peace of the Tianyuan Dynasty, but these days, he is really tired of those ping-pong guys outside.

is also practicing martial arts, and the sword marquis Shizi has learned it to save him from fire and water, but what about these people outside?

If they don't agree with each other, they will face each other with swords, and he will fight with just one look without dealing with each other, and he will see it no less than three times with his own eyes, and he really can't understand the meaning of this kind of fight.

For the sake of face?

People feel that they have lost face when they look at you more, how thin are you and how did you live so big?

To compete in the competition?

Wait for Tianyuan Dabi, or find a place where no one is.

If you don't go to a lot of wilderness outside the city, you have to find a place with a lot of people to fight, to put it mildly, what is the difference between you so-called masters of the rivers and lakes and those who play tricks?

The sage cloud, the gentleman is not arrogant, and the great man of the cloud is for the country and the people.

The chivalrous warriors in his mind should be the kind of chic characters who "hide their merits and fame", they are handsome gentlemen and detached immortals, but they are not these shallow people who are coquettish everywhere and don't leave after they finish and enjoy cheers and praise.

No wonder the world equates the rivers and lakes with the lower ninth rate, and regards the people of the rivers and lakes as worse than the lower ninth rate.

Zou Xun was angry, but he only dared to think that he, a weak scholar with no power to restrain chickens, would not have the courage to reprimand those guys who danced and played with swords in person.

At the same time, he also knows the reason for his anger, his anger comes from irritability, and the closer he gets to the day of the announcement, the more restless he becomes.

In the last two days since the unveiling of the list, he couldn't even eat, and went to the nearest list to watch it five times a day.

He didn't know what he was going to see, he just wanted to see it, and he couldn't help it.

Finally, it's time to unveil the list.

Early in the morning, before dawn, he got up, moving as gently as he could, without alarming the others on the bunk.

Slowly walk to the large cabinet. Carefully opened and took out his bag, took out the brand-new scholar's outfit pressed under the bottom of the burden, put it on carefully, stood in front of the blurry rough copper mirror with many bumps and bumps in the light of dawn, took a deep breath, clenched his fists and silently cheered himself up, resolutely turned around, and quietly pushed the door and left.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and the few who were the only ones were like him, dressed as scholars and in a hurry.

Greeting several familiar people, forcing himself not to pay attention to the aroma wafting from the early stall, Zou Xun walked all the way to the nearest platform and breathed a sigh of relief.

Very good, not many people.

Then he smiled wryly.

It's not like no one.

Zhang Bang is at noon, except for a poor scholar like him, who will come early in the morning to occupy a seat.

Touching the shriveled belly, listening to the gurgling inside, the wry smile became stronger.

I haven't eaten for two days, I don't feel hungry, I'm hungry at this juncture, it's so strange, what is God hinting at?

Looking at the gradually increasing number of people behind him, looking at the breakfast stall in the distance, he withdrew his gaze.

I was in a hurry to go out and didn't bring a money bag, and I couldn't leave with him.

He is a poor scholar, there is no housekeeper, no servant, no scholar, he only has himself, and when he comes back after eating, he can't squeeze in anymore with his own strength.

That's it, it's not bad.

Wait for the title of the gold list, and then put on a big feast!

Time passed slowly, the sun rose, shining high, and the people behind him gathered more and more gradually boiling.

Someone paid for his position, someone tried to force him out of the way, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it.

Today is the most important day in his life, even if the sky falls apart, he will never take half a step back!

With a deafening noise, my legs stood sore, and the lazy sun finally climbed overhead.

In the distance, there was the sound of horses' hooves and the sound of opening the road, and the noisy crowd instantly quieted down, and turned their heads in unison, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.

After a short time, the head horse walked out of the city gate, followed by the whole team.

In the middle of the procession was a four-lifted sedan chair, and everyone's eyes were focused on it, and there was a fate-determining list in it.

The team slowly came to the front of the platform, and the guards dismounted, and when they arrived first, they set up a human wall to separate a cordon of about ten steps.

When the venue was cleared, the sedan curtain slowly opened, and the Xuanke envoy in a dark blue court dress walked out of the sedan chair, holding two large, three small and five volumes of the imperial list in both hands, first looked around the crowd, and then walked to the front of the list with a solemn look, and handed over the scroll to his relatives to post.

Soon, the list was hung up and covered with red silk, and how many people wanted to go up and tear it off directly, but they didn't have the guts, so they only dared to think about it.

Xuanke looked at the sky, whispered a few words with his relatives, and then coughed and cleared his throat, and sang loudly: "Noon has come, Zhang Bang!"

Boom~!

A gong sounded, and five pieces of red silk slipped down at the same time.

Zou Xun looked eagerly, and the top three on the first list hurriedly glanced at it and skipped it, the one that had nothing to do with him, and the list of thirteen people on the second list was also roughly swept and skipped, seeing that he had a trace of fantasy, there was a blessing from the sky, and it was not normal. make

Three lists!

His focus is on the three lists!

Thirty-three people in the three lists, thirty-three people out of hundreds of thousands of people, one out of ten thousand is not enough to describe, but he has this self-confidence!

He thinks that he has played well this time, and he doesn't dare to say certainly, but he is likely to squeeze into the third list!

However, the reality is...

"Ugh..."

Zou Xun sighed regretfully.

No.

Shaking his head and smiling bitterly, he regretted it for a moment and stopped thinking about it.

He thinks that he has played well, in fact, he is really good, but there are hundreds of thousands of candidates, and there are people who are ordinary to him, and people who are stronger than him are the same.

After all, there is still a chance.

Although it is not as good as the top three, it can be included in the fourth or fifth list, which is enough to glorify the ancestors.

Zou Xun regained his spirits and squeezed through the crowd and moved towards the four lists.

The top three lists add up to only 49 people, and there are more people on the fourth and fifth lists, and thousands of names hang in a long row.

I looked at the names one by one, and at the end, his face was ugly again.

No!

Zou Xun's body shook, bit his lip tightly and patted his face hard.

It doesn't matter, there are still five lists!

The five lists will definitely be on the list!

Struggling to squeeze in front of the top five lists with the most names, he looked down word by word, and it took him enough time to melt a stick of incense before he saw the end, his face retracted his gaze miserably, and he took two steps back.

No...

Or not!

Why?

He saw a lot of names with the same knowledge as him, and also saw a lot of names that he secretly teased as "straw bags" and "mediocre people", but the reality is that these people are all on the list, but he is the only one who has not seen them.

Why?!

Zou Xun didn't believe in evil, and after a moment of stiffness, he arrogantly squeezed back to the front of the list, ignored the scolding, and focused on looking at one name after another.

After an hour and seven times, the sun had already gone down, and most of the list had been memorized, he finally retracted his gaze and froze in place.

Not really.

It's not that it's missing, it's really not.

Why?

People who are not as good as me can get on, why can't I?

Why?

"Don't look at it, don't look at it, get out! Occupy the pit and don't, what kind of person!"

Who's little guy pulled him behind him rudely, with a look of disdain.

He has seen too many people like this, anyway, if he is not on the list, he is not an official master, so there is no need to be polite.

Zou Xun lost his soul and went with the flow, being pulled and pushed out of the crowd by one person after another, at this time, a young scholar who was on the list was about to leave, and after seeing him, he deliberately turned a corner and "happened" to pass by him, as if he had just found it, and covered his mouth with a folding fan with a surprised face.

"Yo, isn't this the 'chess saint' Zou Xun Zou Dacai, why is his face so ugly? Lost on the list?"

Zou Xun turned his head stiffly, and struggled to stare at it for a long time before he recognized who this person was.

This person's name is Huang Qing, and Tang Hai is a fellow villager, quite famous, it is this person who lost three games in a row with him, and he threw his sleeves away angrily, and then attracted Tang Hai, which led to the subsequent incidents.

On that day, there was a conflict in the teahouse, this person was not present for something, and he didn't know what happened, and Tang Hai naturally wouldn't shout everywhere after suffering a big loss, because he didn't know that Zou Xun had a "backer" behind him who couldn't be provoked, so he immediately stepped forward to ridicule him when he got this opportunity.

Seeing that Zou Xun was stunned and didn't speak, Huang Qing smiled contemptuously, patted Zou Xun's shoulder and lowered his voice: "What if you play chess well, you are not a common person? ”

Retracted his hand, unfolded the folding fan and shook it gently, Huang Qing smiled and said: "Brother Zou, you and I have met once, and I will send a golden and jade good word - people are pragmatic, don't dream that you shouldn't do." In my opinion, don't think about the imperial examination, if you don't succeed this time, it will be the same next time, this is your life, poor life. ”

Zou Xun's heart hurt in his heart, his nails were clutched into the flesh, and he glared at Huang Qing angrily, but he couldn't refute it.

It's a fact that you don't make the list, it's useless to say a thousand things and ten thousand, the facts are the facts.

"Gone. Huang Qingxi had enough, waved his fan and walked away.

When passing by Zou Xun's side, he stood on his feet again, and laughed without turning his head: "If you have a chance to see you again next time, you will have to call me an adult, if you are still so down-and-out by then... Hehe, I'm kind-hearted, and there is just a lack of a little guy who brings tea and water around me, you think about it, three taels a month~ Hehe, haha, ahhahahaha~~!"

Huang Qing laughed wildly and left, Zou Xun didn't look back, and only turned around suddenly when the laughter disappeared, raised his feet and chased after him and said loudly: "I..."

"Get out of the way!"

Before he could say anything, he was thrown to the ground with a whip, and a luxurious carriage, escorted by a troop of cavalry, galloped past and did not enter the city gates.

Zou Xun covered the blood marks on his chest, looked at the city gate angrily, and at the end, he hung his head weakly.

Life.

That's fate.

Huang Qing is very hateful, but that sentence is not wrong, this is his life, poor life.

Fair...

Tianyuan does have justice in the imperial examination, but this justice does not belong to him, or in other words, his ability to participate in the imperial examination is already a manifestation of justice.

And at this point, the so-called justice is no longer as pure and immaculate as he thought.

That's fate.

Zou Xun stood up happily and staggered towards the inn.

He just wants to go home now, and maybe he'll come back in three years, or maybe...

"Childe stays!" a crisp voice came from behind itself, "Excuse me, are you Zou Xun Zou Gongzi?"

Zou Xun stopped, turned around in a daze, looked at the delicate girl blankly, and then looked at the four powerful guards behind the girl, and nodded for a long time.

"I... Xiaosheng is exactly, but Xiaosheng and the girl have never known each other..."

The woman didn't seem to be at ease, and asked again: "Are you the Zou Gongzi who plays chess very well?"

Zou Xun smiled bitterly and arched his hand: "That's right, it's Xiaosheng." I don't know what the girl is looking for, and how can she know Xiaosheng's name?"

The woman was relieved, smiled and saluted: "Slave Biliu, I've seen Zou Gongzi." My young master instructed the slave maid Zhang Bang to come here to wait, if Zou Gongzi failed to make the list, he would ask the son to come over the house, the carriage was ready, and the son was asked to move with the slave and maid. ”

Zou Xun was stunned and didn't move.

"Dare to ask the girl, who is your young master...?"

"My young master's surname is Feng. Biliu smiled and leaned sideways, "Childe, please come here." ”

Zou Xun was stunned, stupidly following behind Biliu, his mind in a mess.

Surname Feng?

This self-proclaimed slave girl looks like this...

Could it be...

He?