The Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

Chapter 950: A Private Visit

Some people from Ning'an County gathered at the gate of the County Academy of Literature. Some were relatives and friends of the students who participated in this year's Xiucai exam, and some were scholars from Ning'an County. Only a small number of people were irrelevant.

Especially the scholars in the county were the most enthusiastic, from the old scholars in their seventies and eighties to the little children of seven or eight years old. For them, the annual imperial examination results were more meaningful than the New Year.

Those old scholars were talking about various interesting things in previous years, and the young people listened with relish.

After the three golden lists appeared, there was a brief silence outside the Academy of Literature.

Anyone who had seen the County Academy of Literature announce the results many times instinctively felt strange.

"Why three golden lists?"

People asked questions everywhere.

"Will it be written in big characters?"

"No, there are basic rules for the size of the characters on the gold list, and it is impossible to make it bigger at will."

"Then there is only one possibility..."

"Wait and see, don't be too happy too soon..."

Everyone waited nervously. After the three gold lists were posted, the people nearby rushed forward. As a result, the people in the front and the guards of the gold list were squeezed against the wall, their faces pressed against the wall, and they shouted bitterly, "Stop squeezing."

The people in Ning'an County behind didn't care about this. They continued to squeeze while looking up at the gold list and kept exclaiming.

"There are so many scholars!"

"There must be 40 or 50!"

"Thanks to Wenquxing and Fangxusheng, the number of candidates for the imperial examinations in Jingguo has increased, but Ning'an County alone cannot have 40 or 50 candidates, which is almost 30% of the total number of candidates in the prefecture. Are the candidates in other cities answering the exams with their eyes closed?"

"If you don't believe me, count them yourself."

"It's Brother Zhou! Brother Zhou is on the list! God rewards hard work! God rewards hard work!"

"Brother Zhou actually passed the exam. Before he went to Qingwu Prefecture, he said that it would be normal if he didn't pass this year. If he did, it must be the result of Fangxusheng's teaching!"

"Also, Xiaolin also passed the exam. He is only 17 years old. He likes Fangxusheng's poems and articles the most. He studies them as if they were semi-saints. He said he was just going to join in the fun this year. Who knew he passed!"

"Haha, my eldest nephew passed the exam and ranked 78th in the prefecture! Haha..."

Many people who came to see the list were beaming with joy, especially their schoolmates, who were the most excited.

"Fang Xusheng's teaching is very useful! Those who didn't come to listen suffered a great loss, a huge loss!"

"I will go back and write down Fang Xusheng's lectures word for word. When I take the exam in September, I will have at least 20% more confidence than last year!"

"Yes, yes, when has my Ning'an County ever been so glorious in the imperial examination? Thanks to Fang Xusheng! From now on, I will go to the gate of the county government to worship Mr. Lion once a year!"

"Hehe, I heard that Mr. Ouyang from Zhengzhi Academy didn't listen to Fang Xusheng's lectures and didn't worship Mr. Lion who was personally appointed by Fang Xusheng because he had an old relationship with the officials of the Left Prime Minister's party. What was the result? He was only a dozen points away from passing the imperial examination last year, and he should have passed this year. What was the result? Haha, he was on the gold list!"

"You can't say that. Maybe he firmly followed the Left Prime Minister and used his failure to prove that Ning'an County, which Fang Xusheng governed, was not educated, and sacrificed his life for justice!"

"Hahaha..." The students around were amused by such harsh remarks.

Although Fang Yun sat firmly in the academy, he could hear the discussion of the people outside the door. He nodded gently, took out his pen and ink, and said, "Mirror."

Ao Huang immediately took out a mirror and held it in front of Fang Yun, smiling and saying, "Another incognito visit? I like it, but you are not going to eat all the food in Ning'an County on the incognito visit."

Fang Yun did not answer. He used the ability of the second realm of painting in front of the mirror, combined with talent and ink, to disguise himself into a new face, and then changed into ordinary coarse blue clothes. He was not even a boy, but just an ordinary scholar of sixteen or seventeen years old.

Ao Huang transformed himself into a five or six-year-old naughty boy, smiling and following Fang Yun out.

When they walked outside, most people didn't care about these two people. The academy of literature only cared about the entrance and not the exit, and there were also poor students studying in the academy.

When approaching the gate, a soldier found two people dressed in ordinary clothes and unfamiliar faces, and came up to question them. Fang Yun took out the official seal, shocked the literary courage, and said: "It's from this county."

The soldier suddenly realized, immediately stood up and lowered his head, watching Fang Yun and Ao Huang leave.

Walking out of the side door of the literary academy, Fang Yun glanced at the front door of the literary academy, and a large number of people were crowded under the golden list.

The child Ao Huang wiped the saliva from his mouth, looked up at Fang Yun with bright eyes, and asked in a crisp childish voice: "Mr. Fang, which restaurant are we going to eat today?"

"The braised sauce of Lao Zhang's braised meat is excellent, and the offal is even better." Fang Yun said.

"Good! Good! Good! Let's eat at that restaurant!" Ao Huang began to drool again, and his ignorant eyes were occupied by eating.

Fang Yun smiled and glanced at Ao Huang. Ao Huang was only one or two years old. If calculated according to the age of the dragon clan, he is still equivalent to a baby. If he hadn't turned into a human, it would be difficult to regard a real dragon as a child.

On Wenyuan Street in Ning'an City, a young scholar walked leisurely with a folding fan in his hand. Behind him, a naughty boy of five or six years old grabbed the corner of the boy's clothes with his chubby little hands, stepped on the mottled sunlight that passed through the gaps between the leaves, and walked with his short legs.

"Don't eat too much."

"Just eat twenty... no, thirty plates?"

Lao Zhang's Braised Pork is located on Changbai Street, where there is a lot of traffic. Even though it is past dinner time, half of the more than ten tables on the first floor are occupied, and there are three people queuing at the takeaway window.

The waiter in the store glanced at the new guests and found that they were dressed in plain clothes. He didn't want to greet them at first, but then he saw the boy's eyes. He just glanced casually, but the waiter felt that he was looking at all directions, looking down on the world, as if he could kill the enemy with a smile and bring peace to the world.

A person with a good knowledge of poetry and books is naturally elegant.

The waiter was shocked and blinked his eyes and looked again, but found that the boy had already scanned the store and turned into a scholar with a smile and gentle as jade. Except for looking more mature, there was nothing special about him.

"Sir, please! The private rooms on the second floor are empty."

The shopkeeper behind the counter looked up and found that the waiter actually asked a boy in coarse cloth to go to the private room, and was a little puzzled.

Fang Yun smiled and said, "Just find a table by the window on the second floor."

"Okay, I'll lead the way for you." The waiter smiled and walked to the front.

The guests on the first floor ate their own food, and some just glanced casually.

When they reached the stairs, Fang Yun turned around and said with a smile: "Do you want me to carry you up?"

Ao Huang saw Fang Yun teasing him, and immediately raised his head and chest, saying: "Ben... I will do it myself! You are not needed!"

"Okay." Fang Yun went upstairs first.

Ao Huang went up the stairs step by step, which seemed a bit strenuous to others, but in fact it was a sure thing, but he was too small, which made the waiter sweat.

After Fang Yun reached the second floor, he walked towards the table by the window and said: "Bring a plate of meat and vegetables from your store."

The waiter was stunned, then smiled and said: "Okay! What kind of wine would you like to drink?"

Fang Yun glanced at Ao Huang and said: "I won't drink it because there are children here. Just have the best green tea in the store."

Ao Huang was stunned and muttered softly: "It's better to drink something. I promise not to get drunk."

The waiter smiled and said: "Okay, sir, please wait a moment, it will be delivered immediately."

Fang Yun nodded, glanced at the street outside the window, and sat by the window.