Three Kingdoms

Perhaps many years later, ten or twenty years later, when Chigan Ping and others who are temporarily living under the same roof may suddenly recall the time when they took the exam, they may have different feelings in their hearts. , or it may be relief, or regret, or regret, or it may still be complaint or even resentment.

Obviously they experienced the same thing, were in the same place, and spent the same time together, but what exactly determined that they would be different and have different emotions in the future?

This may be a test that determines their future destiny, and they will embark on a completely different path from now on. For Chi Gan Ping and others, they feel more nervous and slightly confused with hope.

The exam is approaching.

No one chatted for almost a whole day. They all packed their things silently. They went to bed early as soon as it got dark. Just after the ugly hour, people woke up one after another, and then more people woke up, and there was chaos. He washed up, then packed up his belongings again, ate a simple breakfast absentmindedly, and then lined up to board the carriage at the entrance of the camp and headed to the examination room.

Chi Ganping was a little troubled, because the unlucky kid seemed to think that Chi Ganping took the lead for him and solved the problem, and from that moment on, he has been sticking to him.

"Brother, is the examination room big?" 』

"It should be big." 』

"Can I sit with my eldest brother then?" 』

"I do not know. 』

"There are so many people, how can we find the big brother?" 』

"It's okay. It depends on the examination room arrangements." 』

"But I'm a little scared and nervous. What should I do?" 』

"hehe……"

"By the way, Brother Chigan, your last name is so strange..."

"Um...yes, yes..."

It wasn't that Chi Ganping was particularly patient, but that Chi Ganping didn't want to care about this matter, so he managed to maintain a polite yet awkward smile and responded as gently as possible.

He is middle-aged, and life has worn away a lot of his temper and edges, making him reflect the gentleness and mellowness that young people often lack, or what we call worldliness and smoothness.

Some hot-blooded young people often hate the so-called "sophistication" and "smoothness", and even think that people like Chi Ganping have no personality, are self-degenerate, and are simply all kinds of greasy uncles. Some people will ridicule Chi Ganping. Ordinary middle-aged people scorn the theories such as "doing more is worse than doing less" and "suffering a loss is a blessing" when going out, and laugh at such behavior as simply being weak and condoning crime...

In fact, middle-aged people also have their youth, while young people have not yet had their middle age.

The surname Chi Qianping was originally a noble surname among the Xiongnu. Like most of the early Han people, untouchables were not given surnames. Most of them were called by occupation or tribe, and then slowly evolved into surnames based on titles such as fiefdoms, titles, etc.

Chi Ganping was once proud to stick to his surname because it represented the glory of his ancestors.

But now Chi Ganping seems to feel that the glory of his ancestors belongs to his ancestors. No matter how much he talks about it, it still belongs to his ancestors. If he wants to truly gain glory, it needs to be his own.

Your own glory must be obtained by yourself.

On the surface, it seems that Chi Ganping and others have indeed suffered a loss. They have become the so-called "Holy Mother Bitch". Not only do they spend money on the unlucky children, but they are also attached to the unlucky children because they think they are their saviors...

But actually?

In these two days, at least Chigan Ping and others can get a relatively quiet and peaceful environment, have a good rest, and face the exam in a relatively complete mental state.

What else to do?

Ask the inspector to throw the unlucky child away, or complain that the unlucky child disturbs others' rest?

Regardless of whether the inspection of the big man has the so-called spirit of serving "God" in later generations, why should the inspection listen to Chi Ganping's command? Even if the inspection is willing to listen, where can the inspection move the child?

The camp is full, who should the unlucky children crowd with?

Or does it mean that as long as everyone is peaceful, it doesn't matter what happens to others?

So for Chi Ganping, what he chose was not to say he was happy in life, but to bear the humiliation and bear the burden, not to show off wantonly, but to work quietly, not to throw away at the slightest disagreement, but to endure and stand firm. Although unlucky children are annoying, the most important thing now is to do well in the exam first.

Everything else can be temporarily compromised for the sake of this important goal.

Just like all the roads in Chang'an today were compromised for the exam, there were soldiers on duty in the early morning. Before the exam started, only candidates were allowed to pass by carriages and horses, so Chi Ganping and others quickly arrived outside the exam room, and then Get off at a fixed location.

When they arrived at the examination room, the sky was getting brighter.

"get off! Move faster! 』

The officials and soldiers responsible for guiding were directing from the side.

The carriage has to go back again to pick up the next group of people.

Chi Qianping pinched his test bag and got out of the car. Looking at the huge crowd of people, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He wanted to compete with so many people?

Are there any masters here that I can't beat at all?

if……

Chi Ganping grasped the bag in his hand tightly.

This cloth bag was sewn by his wife herself using the latest cloth at home after he passed the preliminary examination...

This piece of cloth was originally intended to be used to cut new clothes for the children in the New Year.

The child used to be Chi Ganping's hope for the future of their family, but now the hope is in his hands.

In the hand he used to hold his hoe and shovel.

There were people around him who were just holding cloth bags, and there were also people who were carrying ordinary test baskets. Of course, there were also some noble-looking people who were shaking golden folding fans and letting the book boy behind him carry the test box, which looked very elegant. .

Hey, there are really many people buying such expensive things...

"Brother, brother, why isn't the examination room open yet?" So many people have come! 』

"The time has come. Chi Ganping said softly, "The door won't open until Mao..."

"queue! "Some civil servants came with soldiers, "Line up according to the states and counties on the sign! Which state are you from? Line up according to state and county! Do you understand? 』

"Go find your state and county and line up!" Chi Qianping said to the unlucky child, and then watched the unlucky child leave reluctantly. For some reason, he suddenly felt relaxed, as if he felt clean and refreshed after New Year's cleaning.

More and more people are waiting.

The three assistants in Chang'an had the largest number of people, but among the three assistants, Zuo Fengyi had more people than right Fufeng. The queue could not fit in one column and was divided into three columns. As for Hedong County, Chi Ganping looked around and saw that there were only a dozen people, less than one-third of You Fufeng, who had the smaller number among the three assistants.

Moreover, the people from Chang'an Sanfu all lived nearby, so they arrived even later. It was not until around Mao hour that these talents arrived one after another.

Everyone was waiting nervously.

From time to time, the cries of civil servants and soldiers were heard to maintain order, and the weapons and armor reminded everyone that this was no joke, this was a battlefield that belonged to the civil servants.

As soon as Mao hour arrived, there was the sound of drums. After that, the door of the examination room slowly opened, and finally saw the situation in the examination room. All the candidates couldn't help but hold their breath, and they became more or less nervous...

No matter who it is, they will feel shocked when they see those neatly arranged desks.

"Keep the queue, and when the people from that county are called, come forward!" "The soldiers patrolling the field shouted, "Repeat it again! Only when you call that county can people from that county come forward! No crowding! Stay in line! 』

Chi Ganping took a deep breath.

At the same time, ten channels were opened, and candidates began to line up for inspection and admission under the requirements of inspections and soldiers.

"Stop!" Show me your ID! Prove your identity! 』

The inspecting soldier stopped Chi Ganping, then took Chi Ganping's ID card, looked at it up and down, and then was stunned for a moment, "Uh... what kind of surname is this?" 』

Chi Ganping repeated his name helplessly, "This is... it means snow, which means snow..."

"Oh, then just give your surname Xue and it will be over soon?" ” The soldier muttered, “Go forward! The bag mouth is open and ready for inspection! 』

For some reason, Chi Qianping suddenly felt that he could consider changing his last name? The surname is "Snow", or something else...

He came to take the Han exam, but he still uses a Huns surname?

But before his sudden idea could take shape, Chi Qianping was distracted by other matters. Soon after, he took over the randomly arranged seat numbers, took a breath, and calmed down. He walked into the examination room with his head held high, ready to devote himself to this examination that might determine his future destiny.

The area around Chi Ganping gradually filled up with candidates with almost the same serious and earnest expressions as Chi Ganping, sitting piously and quietly, as if waiting for the arrival of new students.

The drum sounded again, the three-way urging drum was beaten, the examination room was closed, and the examination officially began.

Chi Ganping finished polishing the ink, looked at the test papers and handed them to his hands. After scanning the questions, he took a long breath and felt that they were all relatively familiar.

This calmed down his mood. He put his hands together, rubbed them together, then picked up his pen and started answering the questions...

The exam time passed quickly, and it seemed that the exam was over in the blink of an eye.

When Chi Ganping finally walked out of the examination room, he looked up and felt as if he had been sucked dry by some kind of creature. He almost felt exhausted.

And in his memory, it seemed that the concept of three days was missing unknowingly. It was like he walked into the examination room one moment, and then walked out the next moment, and what happened in the examination room was unexpectedly present at the moment. It's a little blurry...

"Brother!" Brother, how did you do in the exam? 』

A familiar voice came over, and Chi Qianping couldn't help but tremble.

"I...I don't know..." Chi Ganping exhaled and looked at the unlucky child who appeared from nowhere, "What about you?" How did you do on the exam? 』

The unlucky child's face dropped, "I don't know either..."

"..." Chi Qianping was silent for a moment, "Let's go back to Confucius and Mencius Yipu first..."

On the way back, the unlucky boy seemed to have no energy, and he did not continue to talk about how big his brother is. At the same time, most of the other people were silent and didn't talk much.

The camp was mostly dull, with only a small number of people having fun and talking loudly about where the title came from, what it was used for, and how it was extended...

The days of waiting for the results to be released were very difficult. I felt like my heart was on fire, nothing I ate tasted good, and I couldn't sleep. Just count the days on your fingers. The days that usually fly by in vain are like an old horse with a broken leg, dragging along so slowly that it can make people anxious to death.

Among the Confucius and Mencius Yipu, there are also many people who want to go to Chang'an City to play, but more people quietly pack their luggage and go back to their hometown after finishing the exam, without even thinking about waiting for the results to be released.

That unfortunate kid was one of those people who went straight home...

I don’t know whether it’s because the unlucky child feels that he really has no hope, or because he feels that the eldest brother Chi Ganping is a fake elder brother after all, and the parents at home are the real parents, or for some other reason. Anyway, the unlucky child’s departure makes Chi Ganping Now that I have recovered, I feel a little cleaner, and I feel that I can live in Confucius and Mencius Yipu.

Chi Ganping's original plan was to go back directly, but after much thought, he still stayed in the Confucius and Mencius Yipu temporarily. On the one hand, the accommodation fee in the Confucius and Mencius Yipu was free before the results were released, but the food cost more. It's just money, and the money he brought with him is enough. On the other hand, going home is also painful, and when you go home, this person will inevitably come to ask, or that person will come to inquire, which can't be said to be even more uncomfortable.

Of course, if that unlucky kid still lives together, there's no telling why he won't be able to keep her.

At first, Chi Ganping would be anxious and insomnia, but soon, Chi Ganping found something for himself. Should he change his surname?

As for the so-called saying "You can't change your surname even when you are sitting down", it actually didn't appear in opera literature until after the Yuan Dynasty...

Note that it appears in opera literature, not in upper-class gentry families.

But in the feudal dynasty, changing one's name for certain things was like drinking water. Changing one's name or surname was really not a big deal and would not be tabooed by others.

Otherwise, it would not be popular among Bangzi or Japanese people to change their surnames. Those who changed their surnames would even feel that they had successfully been promoted to a higher level, which was a great honor.

The reason for scolding Qianping was not to adopt a certain surname, after all, he had been married for many years, but just because he felt that it was a little inconvenient at the moment.

When he was at home, it didn't matter what he was called. A cat, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog, a dog. So he didn't feel anything at all.

But after walking out of Hedong, he began to find that his name was a bit troublesome. Putting aside everything else, almost everyone he met would hesitate, then look at the name, then look at him, and then confirm again...

Some people think that attracting attention is a good thing, but Chi Ganping doesn't like to attract too much attention, so he feels a little embarrassed and uncomfortable every time this happens.

Why don't you give your last name "Xue"? Anyway, "Chigan" in the Xiongnu language also means snow, or snow.

Chi Ganping wondered, are there any Han people named Xue?

It seems to have?

Chi Ganping thought about this to relieve his anxiety and kill time, and then finally came the day when the results were released.

Chi Ganping originally wanted to watch the announcement of the results by himself, but he was really hesitant in his heart. He stood up several times to go, then sat down again...

The more you take this matter seriously, the more you worry about gains and losses.

Before the rankings were released, Chi Ganping was looking forward to them, but when the day came, he felt that if he went to see the rankings on site, he would know the rankings immediately. It was a matter of life and death, and he felt uneasy in his heart. Waiting here seems to be able to slightly extend the life and death of the exam for a moment...

The sky was getting darker, and Chi Ganping was flipping through the book uneasily. After reading for a long time, he couldn't read a single word. Finally, he gritted his teeth and stood up. When he was about to go to the city to see the results, Chi Ganping heard some movement outside the camp. After a while, some candidates from the camp rushed to him and opened their mouths, "Congratulations." !

Chi Qianping's heart moved, and blood rushed to his face. He was speechless for a moment, and felt dizzy, as if he had been hit directly on the head by this "congratulations"!

More and more people came together, with similar smiles on their faces, but not necessarily the same color flashing in their eyes.

"I told you a long time ago, brother can hit it!" 』

"Congratulations! Congratulations! Blame my brother! Congratulations on graduating from high school! 』

"Brother Chigan really has the air of a general, calm and measured!" 』

"Congratulations brother! 』

"Don't forget each other if you are rich or noble!" 』

"That's right, in the future we will all be waiting for my brother to help me, and it's no wonder we have the friendship we have now!" 』

"Brother, at first glance, he seems to be a generous and generous person. I think he will definitely become a successful person!" 』

"congratulations……"

Chi Ganping smiled and responded hummingly. He was actually a little flustered, but on the surface he looked about the same as usual. Just when he didn't know how to respond, someone came to report that another person in the camp had been selected. Immediately, the people surrounding Chi Ganping came forward one after another, and the sounds of congratulations could not be heard.

The surrounding noise quieted down, and Chi Ganping felt a little dizzy.

It wasn't until another selected person came around that Chi Ganping calmed down a little. Then inexplicably, he felt that that person was a little kind, like a strange friend. Although it was the first time he met, there was an extra tacit understanding. feel.

"My younger brother is from Longkang. His surname is Huan and his given name is Hao and his courtesy name is Zihao. May I ask my brother Gao's surname?" 』

Chi Qianping suddenly opened his mouth to say his name, and suddenly changed his mouth and said: "My surname is Xue... My first name is Ping, my courtesy name is Chunzhi, I live in Fenyin..."

"Xue?" But "Xue Sha Qing Xie"? ” Huan Hao nodded, “Fenyin Xue family, I remember it.” Brother Xue, please take good care of me from now on..."

Chi Ganping was stunned for a moment, then acquiesced and returned the favor to Huan Hao.

Fenyin Xueshi, well, it seems to sound good too.