A monk together, standing at a distance, immobile like a mountain, just like so many years, the mountain color tower and the view of the distant opposite.

In terms of appearance, Zhengyang Dao Chang is of course much better than the thin old monk.

Zhengyang Daoist suddenly raised his hand, and suddenly the wind rose, and it swept over the lake and the lotus flowers on the water.

Hiss!

A lotus flower that was originally in bloom near the corridor withered to a degree visible to the naked eye, and the green lotus leaves withered and yellowed.

The old monk recited a Buddha name: "Amitabha!"

The palms are put together, and then the water on the surface of the lake gurgles, forming a strange wave, the waves rise and fall, and those dead lotus flowers are restored to life, the green leaves are wide and fat, and the flowers are delicate.

Zhengyang Dao Chang frowned, took a step forward, the wind was louder, whirring and blowing, like an invisible blade, cutting the waves on the surface of the lake, and the water that was blown away splashed up, and some water droplets fell on the gray monk's robe of the old monk and moistened it.

The old monk sighed, his hand shook, and the Buddha beads that were originally hanging on his wrist emitted a circle of pale yellow brilliance, which was peaceful and solemn.

The glory is now, and the wind and waves are calm.

Zhengyang Daoist sighed slightly, and smiled: "Eighteen years of dry Zen have finally made you practice this string of Buddha beads...... However, that scholar is a person who wants to be in the Assassin's Mansion, and no one can touch him. ”

The old monk was noncommittal: "Are you trying to use the Assassin Mansion to suppress me?"

"So to speak. ”

Zhengyang Dao Leader was not taboo, because he was not willing to start a war with the other party here and now, and it was not yet time, and there was no need for that for the time being.

The old monk's eyelids drooped, he looked sad, thought about it, and then said slowly: "I will leave Yangzhou today, but the poor monk thinks that the scholar will also leave Yangzhou one day." ”

Zhengyang Daoist heard his meaning, and his face changed: "You must not let go?"

"He has a relationship with my Buddha, and the Buddha has a fate, which is the meaning of my sitting in dry meditation for 18 years. ”

Zhengyang Dao raised his eyebrows: "I can sue you." He must not be the person you are waiting for, a man who is dying, how can he be that person?"

"Someone who is dying?"

The old monk looked surprised, and then as if he thought of something, his eyes opened, and there was a fine light: "If you change the destiny of heaven in vain, you are not afraid of retribution?"

Zhengyang Daoist sneered: "I'm not even afraid of death. Fear of retribution? ”

As he spoke, his figure floated away.

The old monk's complexion changed several times, and he suddenly sighed: "Looking at the scholar's face, he doesn't look like a short-lived person, and his luck is ridiculously high." It turned out to be in captivity and became food, but unfortunately, it's a pity ......"

In a flash, his body disappeared out of thin air.

After they left, the entire lotus leaf on the lake was in tatters and a mess. It's like a pile of garbage.

......

Time flies, it is late July, the weather is hot, and during the day, the sun is shining, and the skin of the sun hurts.

Yangzhou is a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with a accessible water system and many weeping willows at the water's edge. The green shade relieves the sultry heat of this summer day.

Counting the days, there are only ten days left before the start of the township test.

The township examination is a major imperial examination, which is not the same as the children's examination. The township test takes a total of nine days and is divided into three sessions, each of which lasts three days. There is a day off between each session. That adds up to twelve days.

This is a protracted examination, and it is a very severe test for every reference scholar. Not just mentally, but also physically. At this point, any problem could undo all the hard work that had been done before.

The scholars from Fucheng County came to Yangzhou early to recuperate, and almost all the local candidates settled in the inns arranged by the prefecture and county.

In this township examination, there are more than 300 qualified scholars in Yangzhou. With so many people, of course a Longmen inn can't be arranged, and there are four inns designated by the state and county near the trial courtyard, and they are basically full at this time.

The inn was full, but it became quiet. Because the township exam is about to start, everyone is starting to get nervous and seize the time to review the final homework. There are some experienced people who start to focus on the problem.

The so-called "grasping questions" is to figure out the upper meaning, ponder the possible exam questions, narrow the scope, and then focus on studying the scriptures in that aspect. If you really get it in the end, it's like walking shit luck, and there is a chance that you will be lifted in the end.

Time became short, and the scholars sometimes asked Xiao Er to send them to the room for dinner, just to save the effort of running out.

On the other hand, Chen Sanlang basically has to go out to eat every meal, even if he is alone, it doesn't matter - some experience in his previous life told him that whenever there is a major event, there is calmness, and it is the right way. The more nervous you are, the more you can't get results.

For this township test, in fact, he is quite confident, not to mention the fate and fortune, there are not many problems, but with this alone, it will definitely not succeed. After these days of recuperation, his body has become better and more than enough, and as for his spirit, because of the "Haoran Silk Book", it is his most advantageous aspect at present, full and tenacious, and he can never forget it.

In the past few days, Chen Sanlang was originally worried that the nervous old monk would come to entangle, but he didn't see the other party appear, so he didn't have to worry about it. If this old monk came again, he really couldn't help but stab him with a flying sword.

The old monk didn't come, and he was happy to have clean ears. Sometimes when everything is silent, I sit on the bed and meditate, recalling the illusion that appeared when I was pointed out by the old monk: I was unwilling to put down the long sword in my hand no matter what......

At that time, I couldn't explain the reason for the obsession at that time.

Is it because of fear? or doubt......

Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot, but I don't want to!

There is an extremely famous saying in my memory: How to deal with people in the world who slander me, bully me, insult me, laugh at me, despise me, devalue me, and lie to me?

If you let yourself answer, it must be: "I can't bear it, I don't need to bear it, why bear it?"

If the left side of the face is beaten, and you have to send the right side of the face to someone to be beaten again, then what is the meaning of what this person is doing? If he is not happy, he will not be happy if he becomes a Buddha on the ground.

As if sensing the obsession in his heart, the small sword in the box was about to move, and the room was clear, and there was not the slightest trace of mosquitoes - since he lived in this room, those mosquitoes had fled without a trace, and the stubborn ones had been wiped out by the invisible sword qi.

In the summer, there were no mosquitoes in the room, and this anomaly was discovered by some people who visited the door, and they were surprised. Every night, when the lights were lit in their room, there was a big buzz at once. Lighting mugwort leaves and the like cannot be eliminated at all, and if conditions permit, you can afford to light incense, but the effect is also average. To avoid mosquito bites, it's best to hide under a mosquito net. But in that case, the heat will kill the person, and it will be difficult to concentrate on reading.

In contrast, Chen Sanlang is the most leisurely, moving a stool, sitting in front of the window, if the moonlight is bright, even the oil lamp is free, sometimes or cool breeze, very happy.

In August, the moonlight is very good, and the climate in autumn is slightly cool at night.

Three days later, the township examination began.

......

The selection of scholars in the imperial examination is related to the selection of talents in the imperial court, and it is cautious and strict. The boys' tests were still relaxed, but when they arrived at the township test, they immediately became extremely strict. Needless to say, the discipline of the examination room, in order to prevent fraud, is not under the control of the local state and county, but the imperial court directly selects people to serve as the chief and deputy examiners, and goes to the states and counties in advance. In addition, the local state and county will also send some people to cooperate with the chief and deputy examiners to form an institutional team to supervise the examination and review the examination papers, which is called the "curtain department".

On the sixth day of the eighth month, the auspicious day of the zodiac, it is advisable to travel and pay respects;

Early in the morning, a team of people came to the Yangzhou test institute, two rows of armor soldiers, fully armed, carrying more than a dozen sedan chairs in the middle, and the front of the road was eight cavalry. Some of them beat gongs and drums, and the sound of the sound opened the way.

This is the curtain official who came to the trial hospital to participate in the curtain banquet. The curtain department is divided into inside and outside, the outer curtain is supervised by the main inspector, maintaining the order of the examination room, and preventing cheating; the inner curtain officer enters the back hall of the examination court; then the invigilator seals the door, and the inner and outer curtain officials do not interact with each other, and the inner curtain officer cannot hear foreign affairs except for reviewing the examination papers.

In the inns around the trial courtyard, the scholars heard the sound of gongs and drums, and they all stood in front of the windows curiously to watch, and some even ran out and stood on the side of the road to watch.

At the door of the Dragon Gate Inn, the scholars flocked and watched intoxicated.

Chen Sanlang was also among them, and a scholar beside him, with an old face and a short beard, pointed to a large sedan chair at the front of the ranks, and said: "Daoyuan, you see, the person sitting in the sedan chair should be Master Su, the chief examiner of this year's Autumn Festival." ”

This Lord Su, whose name is "Ming" and whose character is "Yanran", was born in Jinshi and has been serving in the Hanlin Academy, although the Hanlin Academy is where the clear stream is, he has a position but no power. But everyone knows that it is the reserve base of dynasty talents, and once there is an opportunity, at least the prefect will be released, and if you move inward, you will either be a squire or a supervisor.

Su Yanran won the respect of the imperial court this time, and went to Yangzhou to preside over this year's township examination, it is conceivable that when he returns to Beijing to report on his work after completing the task, he will not have to wait long to become a real power official.

Chen Sanlang asked, "Old Zhou, what do you know about Master Su?"

This old Zhou is a scholar he is familiar with in the inn, surnamed Zhou, and the word "He Zhi". They often eat together, and their personalities are generous, but their careers are not good, and this session is the fourth township test he has participated in.

In the twelfth year of the fourth session, Lao Zhou is forty-five years old this year, in other words, he took the first township examination when he was thirty-three years old. If we can't win the imperial examination this time, I am afraid that the road to the imperial examination will become narrower and narrower, and there will be no future at all. In the next session, at his age, it is difficult to say that he will even be qualified for the township examination.

Sighing, Lao Zhou said: "It is said that this Lord Su is quite upright and has a good reputation...... Hehe, in fact, it has nothing to do with us, a good test is the fundamental. Otherwise, even if you find out clearly, you won't have a chance to talk to the adults, so what's the benefit?"

Hearing this, the surrounding scholars nodded thoughtfully, and their faces tightened.

Tomorrow, the first township test will begin.

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