The Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

"This Fang Yun was a fool who didn't understand anything before. How did he become so powerful today? What a ruthless method. The head of the case must be Magistrate Cai. If I offend him, I offend Magistrate Cai. "Shopkeeper Zhen was in a state of confusion.

Fang Yun handed over his hands to everyone and said loudly: "I used to work in this Jixiang Restaurant and earned five hundred copper coins every month. Just yesterday, shopkeeper Zhen fired me and didn't even give me a penny of my previous wages. , and even yelled at me to kill me. Today, Magistrate Cai held a children’s meeting at Jixiang Restaurant. I went to the banquet on time at the Sheng Wenhui, but shopkeeper Zhen wouldn't let me in. Although I am a poor scholar, I still have a lot of backbone. I won't go into the Jixiang Restaurant. I'll go and apologize to the county magistrate tomorrow. Everyone, look for shopkeeper Zhen, look for Jixiang Restaurant, only the clothes will recognize you."

After Fang Yun finished speaking, he lifted his legs and left.

Shopkeeper Zhen was hesitant. From the corner of his eye, he saw someone looking down on the second floor. He subconsciously looked up and saw that almost all the important figures in the county were on top, including Magistrate Cai, Wang Yuanjun, Su Juren from a prominent family, etc.

Especially Su Juren, who was in his fifties, looked at Shopkeeper Zhen with a particularly cold look.

A prominent gentry in the county wants to befriend the most promising young boy, but a restaurant owner wants to drive away the most promising and worthy case boss?

Shopkeeper Zhen was so frightened that his face turned pale and he felt like his bones were frozen. It didn't matter if he offended Magistrate Cai, he would leave after his term was over. However, Su Ju had been rooted in Ji County for many years and was a member of a prominent family for three generations. Offending him would have even more serious consequences.

Shopkeeper Zhen gritted his teeth and quickly followed Fang Yun, saying: "Fang Yun, I'm blind. I didn't know that you were the one responsible for this year's case. Since we have known each other for many years, please forgive me."

Fang Yun stopped and said: "You're welcome, Shopkeeper Zhen, you did nothing wrong. This Jixiang Restaurant is your place, and you have the right not to let me in. Of course, if you let me in now, I also have the right not to enter." Farewell."

Shopkeeper Zhen remembered the look in Su Juren's eyes, and without caring about his face, he hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Fang Yun's sleeves, pleading: "Master Fang, please forgive me. I look down on others. I have eyes on my butt. I only recognize the clothes and not the person. I sincerely admit my mistake and I will compensate you for your wages. "

There was a light cough from the second floor, and Magistrate Cai said: "If you have anything to say, how inappropriate is it to have sex on the street!"

After speaking, Magistrate Cai glared at Shopkeeper Zhen, then looked at Fang Yun and smiled.

Fang Yun immediately held up his hands and said, "Since the county magistrate has spoken, students should obey." After speaking, he stepped into Jixiang Restaurant without hesitation.

Shopkeeper Zhen was extremely horrified. Only then did he realize that Fang Yun was lying about leaving. In fact, he was waiting for Magistrate Cai. If he wanted to leave, he would not respect the magistrate, so he deliberately yelled a riddle downstairs. Attracting the attention of Magistrate Cai and others, he eventually defrauded his restaurant, killing two birds with one stone.

"He was always pretending before? This kind of scheming is nothing, but it's terrible when it appears on a child!" Shopkeeper Zhen suddenly realized that he had no power to resist in front of Fang Yun.

The two people went up to the second floor, and there was a tall and strong man standing at the door of the upper room in Tianzihao. Fang Yun took a few more glances, and then walked in.

The Tianzihao room was very large. Three tables had been set up inside, and nearly twenty people were sitting there. They all stood up at this moment.

Magistrate Cai was obviously dressed in casual clothes and even had a smile on his face, but he still had an impressive majesty that was due to his talent, his cultivation, and his official position.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Magistrate Cai asked with a smile.

Shopkeeper Zhen knelt on the ground with a plop and slapped his face with his hand. While slapping him, he said: "I am reporting to the county magistrate, everything is the villain's fault! The villain is despicable and shameless. He deducted Young Master Fang's wages and was raped by lard." The villain is willing to compensate for being deceived."

"Who told you to speak?" Magistrate Cai said calmly, his tone was very soft, but it made Shopkeeper Zhen's hair stand on end, and his eyes were filled with fear, like a rabbit being stared at by a liger.

No one around him spoke, and almost everyone had a faint look of ridicule in their eyes.

Shopkeeper Zhen lowered his head in despair, and then he realized how big the gap between his status and that of Shuangjia Tongsheng was.

Fang Yun bowed first, and then told the truth about what happened between himself and Shopkeeper Zhen.

Everyone showed anger, and Su Juren said sternly: "I didn't expect such a beast to come out of Ji County! If you just don't allow Fang Yun to take the discarded vegetables home, it's understandable, but why do you want to do it?" Insult him! Fang Yun’s riddle poem is absolutely correct, you really only recognize clothes but not people!”

Shopkeeper Zhen was frightened and trembling all over.

Fang Yun said with a smile: "Today is Tong Sheng's literary meeting, but it was delayed by Wan Sheng's personal affairs. Wan Sheng is willing to punish himself with a glass of apology. Shopkeeper Zhen, since you have admitted your mistake, I will forgive you, go on."

Shopkeeper Zhen looked up at Fang Yun blankly. Seeing Fang Yun's smiling face, he seemed to have really forgiven him, but he knew in his heart that this matter would never be solved so easily.

"Good temper! Everyone, sit down and don't let that villain dampen your mood. As for drinking, there is no penalty." Magistrate Cai made no secret of his appreciation for Fang Luck.

Everyone sat down one after another.

There are three tables in total. The first table is headed by Magistrate Cai. The people sitting at the table are all officials or prominent families in Ji County. The one with the lowest literary rank is also a scholar. Only one seat is reserved for the head of the case.

The second table was occupied by children of this year, and the third table was occupied by famous scholars in the county.

There is a Jinshi and three Juren here. Except for Tong Sheng, the others are all scholars.

Fang Yun was polite and sat at the first table. As soon as he sat firmly, the door opened.

Fang Yun turned around and saw Fang Li and Fang Zhongyong walking in together.

Fang Zhongyong immediately bent down to salute, while Fang Li just cupped his hands, then looked around, and finally his eyes fell on Fang Yun's head, his eyes blazing.

Fang Yun didn't seem to notice.

After the two people sat down, the cultural meeting officially began. First, Magistrate Cai toasted to all the saints, then to the King of Jingguo and the Queen Mother, and finally to all the children.

The theme of this cultural meeting revolved around the county examination. Magistrate Cai first talked about the first question of the invitation to the Holy Word, where was Confucius in the 27th year of Duke Zhao.

This is equivalent to a Jinshi teaching, and it is also helpful to the classics and meanings. Not only the children will listen carefully, but the scholars and candidates present will also listen carefully to prepare for the future imperial examinations.

Those scholars who had just learned the test questions also thought carefully. They all knew that Confucius was in Qi and Lu that year, but since Magistrate Cai asked this question, the answer would naturally not be simple.

Magistrate Cai said: "This question is extremely obscure. Even if you are a judge, you may not be able to answer it correctly. I was able to answer it because I read some books in the capital. Fang Yun, please tell me how you answered this question."

Everyone is watching Fang Yun, and the most taboo thing about learning is that he knows what is happening but does not know why. If Fang Yun cannot explain this question clearly, then his reputation as a double-armed boy will be greatly compromised.

Fang Li interrupted: "Zhong Yong hasn't answered yet, please give me some advice from the head of the plan, and educate this incompetent child like me."

Fang Zhongyong looked troubled, then looked at Fang Yun with an apologetic expression.

Fang Yun nodded slightly, indicating that he knew. He had known for a long time that although Fang Zhongyong was a little arrogant, he had always been taciturn and had no bad reputation. On the contrary, his father Fang Li was showing off in the name of the father of a child prodigy. , many people don’t like it.

Fang Yun pondered for a moment, organized the words in his mind, and said: "I thought the answer to this question was simple at first, and only mentioned Qi and Lu. But when I wrote the sixth question, I saw that it was for the "Book of Rites" test, I was inspired to remember that the Book of Rites once said that Kong Sheng went to the funeral of Ji Zi’s eldest son..."

Later, Fang used his own language to straighten out the ideas of this question and explained it in the most solid way without any flaws.

When Fang Yun finished speaking, many children and scholars present were still thinking, while the others who had fully understood it all praised him one after another.

Fang Li's momentum suddenly weakened. He was also a child student, so he knew the difficulty of this question very well, and he also understood that Fang Yun's idea of ​​solving the problem was flawless.

"Fang Yun is a great talent, I am not as good as me." Fang Zhongyong whispered, his voice was a little melancholy, but there was no resentment.

Magistrate Cai smiled and said: "What a blessing. Although this idea is complicated, it is the most suitable for children. If you use my problem-solving methods, I will definitely suspect you of cheating."

Magistrate Cai went on to talk about his problem-solving process. He used several books that were rarely circulated to solve the problem, and most of them were not found in Fang Yun's world of strange books. Not to mention Fang Yun, even Wang Yuanjun Su Juren Haven't read it.

After comparison, everyone looked at Fang Yun even more differently, and Fang Yun's method was the right way.

Next, everyone continued to discuss some topics about asking for the Holy Word, and Magistrate Cai even extended the discussion to "the meaning of the scriptures".

The so-called meaning of the scriptures is to take a sentence or a part of the classic works of the saints as the title, and the candidates write an essay to explain the truth in it.

If "asking for the holy words" is to memorize the ways of the saints, then "the meaning of the scriptures" is to understand the ways of the saints and form one's own opinions.

When Magistrate Cai finished speaking about the invitation, the food was served. Everyone ate and drank for a while, and then the next topic was poetry.

Magistrate Cai said that if he asked for the Holy Word, then Wang Yuanjun of the Literary Academy would start talking about poetry, but Fang Li took the lead and said, "My son's poetry has the ability to get out of the county, but he only got a B. Magistrate Cai said that Fang Yun His poems are of great talent in Mingzhou, can you let us see his county examination poems? "

Many people remained silent and looked at Wang Yuanjun secretly.

Wang Yuanjun didn't expect Fang Li to be so ignorant of the rules. To be strict, he meant no distinction between superiority and inferiority, which was a big taboo.

Wang Yuanjun said expressionlessly: "I originally wanted to leave Fang Yun's test paper in the county liberal arts college for future generations of candidates to look at, but after I passed his poem to the state academy monarch Li DaXian, Li DaXian said that I should The poem was originally sent to the Prefectural Literary Academy, and it was said that this poem was not only the best in the county examination this year, but also the best poem in the county examination for hundreds of years! University scholar Li said that this poem will definitely be included in the "Poem" next month. Holy Way" monthly magazine!"

The room was boiling.

"Did University Scholar Li really say that? Enshrined in the Prefecture Academy of Literature, how can Tong Sheng's poems and essays be treated like this!"

"The best poem in the world in the county examination? This title is incredible."

"If you can get into the "Holy Way", won't there be one more archway in the county? With the unprecedented double armor, Fang Yun will have two archways for one person."

"It seems like no one in Ji County has ever been on "The Holy Way", right?"

"Indeed not."