Since ancient times the literary institutions where the literati were a*sessed were relatively simple.
Especially after Zhu Sheng, who put an end to extravagance and waste, simplicity was beautiful, and even everywhere at one time began to compare poorer, especially regarding the literati aspect.
Of course the tributary schools for the imperial examinations were different, after all it was the royal family, the Great Wei Dynasty, that was involved.
The tribute courtyard at Nan Yufu was a little shabby, not covered with tiles and bricks, but with straw stacks, which were laid on the building.
The plaques were also not painted with gold or anything like that, and everything looked simple and austere.
At this time, before the dawn hour, the entire South Yu courtyard was already filled with literary scholars.
At the entrance of the courtyard, there were twenty constables with long swords, looking at the crowd with a grim smile.
The literati examinations, both the imperial examination and the provincial examination, were extremely strict.
This was no joking matter.
Just a quick glance, there were only twenty constables in the House Courtyard, which was obviously a bit low. It was reasonable to say that the House Examination should be the most important matter in the South Yu Province at the moment, and there should not be so few of them.
Before he could think about it in detail, many people gathered around at that moment.
“Your Excellency is Xu Wangu, Xu Qingnian, Brother Xu, right?”
Someone came up and saluted towards Xu Qingnian.
“Wangu wouldn’t dare, I am none other than Xu Qingnian, gentlemen?”
Xu Qingnian came back from his thoughts and looked at the few people in front of him with some curiosity, while at the same time, he really had a bit of a toothache at this title.
Xu Wan Gu, this was too facetious, right?
And with Xu Qingnian just answering, several people instantly revealed their great joy.
“We are readers from Beilin County, and when we first arrived at South Yufu yesterday, we heard that Brother Xu had composed lyrics for a banquet, and that a song called “Full of River Red” had expressed the wishes of my generation of readers, and when we see him today, Brother Xu is really imposing and heroic.”
“Yes, yes, Brother Xu is very talented, since we have read your famous words, we have been sleepless almost at night, only hoping to see your face sooner.”
“Brother Xu, we have a request to make, can you give us a name, so that even if we lose the exam, at least we have not come in vain.”
Several people opened their mouths and said all sorts of compliments, as if they were little fanboys.
The so-called name drop is actually an autograph.
Understanding the other party’s intention, Xu Qingnian was also very polite, and after nodding, a few people were even more delighted, taking out the booklet, flipping open the first page, handing a tiny brush to Xu Qingnian, and even preparing an ink bag.
Dabbing a bit of ink, Xu Qingnian dropped his name on it.
Soon, almost in an instant, Xu Qingnian had named three people, and before Xu Qingnian could put down the brush, four or five more people came along with the same purpose.
It is a common thing to seek out one’s favourite scholar to take his name, and it is also a rather forced thing to do.
Xu Qingnian was an easy-going person, and could be said to have come to the house without refusing.
It was not yet dawn, and the literati were either waiting patiently or just chatting.
When they suddenly heard that Xu Qingnian had appeared and was signing autographs, it was like a stone falling into an ancient pond, stirring up a thousand waves in an instant.
“Quick, what are you still standing here for, Xu Wangu is here.”
“What? Xu Vanguard is here?”
“Xu Vangu is giving a name drop, let’s hurry over there.”
“Xu Wangu will at least be a great Confucian in the future, with a great Confucian penning his name, it can be framed at home in the future, it can add blessings to his children and grandchildren.”
“Take me one, take me one.”
“Who is Xu Wangu? I’ve never even heard of him, what’s the point of asking him to write his name?”
“What? Xu Wangu is Xu Qingnian? The one who wrote “Full River Red”? Brother, wait for me.”
The crowd instantly boiled over, it was not a bad idea to run to get an autograph as they were idle anyway.
At this moment.
The crowd around Xu Qingnian was surging, with hundreds of people surrounding him, all of whom had come to ask for their names.
Among the crowd, Wang Ru and others were struggling to maintain order. Xu Qingnian was a bit panicked when she saw this scene, hundreds of men were pouncing on her like a tiger, who could stand it?
On the other hand, Chen Xinghe looked at the scene with a calm face.
In fact, Chen Xinghe was tempted to ask a question.
Do you want my name to fall?
But he could not say such words.
Glancing at Xu Qingnian, who was being chased by the crowd, Chen Xinghe was a little envious, but his will was even stronger.
After today’s House Examination.
He would let everyone know that he, Chen Xinghe, was the most talented person in South Yufu.
When the time comes, you will beg me, Chen, to give you the pen, but I, Chen, will not give it.
It was also while Chen Xinghe was making up his mind that a voice suddenly rang out.
“May I ask if your Excellency is Chen Xinghe, Brother Chen?”
It was a clean-cut Confucian scholar, holding a small book and a brush in his hand.
“Yes.”
At this moment, Chen Xinghe became excited inside.
At last, someone knows me, Chen.
Very well, seeing that you have a pair of discerning eyes, I will give you a name, the first to do so, so that you can brag to your descendants later.
So thought Chen Xinghe in his mind.
The latter also handed out the booklet and the brush and said, “I heard that Brother Chen is Xu Wangu’s elder brother, can you help me with my name?”
The clean-shaven man said excitedly.
The next moment, Chen Xinghe, who had already reached over, slowly withdrew his hand and said with a clear and cold expression.
“Ask for it yourself.”
After saying this, he took a half step backwards, eyes on the nose, nose on the heart, and opened his self-imposed mode.
At this moment, the hustle and bustle outside the courtyard of the mansion also drew the attention of those inside.
South Yu Tribute Courtyard.
In the middle of the examination hall, nine old men stood a short distance away, watching the hubbub outside.
“In another hour, it will be time for the government examinations, why is there such a hubbub outside?”
The old man at the head of the centre frowned slightly and asked.
“Lord Zhao, after asking around, it seems that Xu Qingnian has arrived and these literati are just a bit excited.”
Someone replied, informing him of the reason.
“Xu Qingnian? Xu Qingnian, who made the Man Jiang Hong?”
He inquired, and then continued.
“It is indeed remarkable to be able to produce a thousand ancient words, it is good that heroes come out of youth, but they do not need to be treated like this.”
“Have someone stop the ruckus, and open the courtyard doors when the dawn hour arrives.”
Lord Zhao said slowly.
This Lord Zhao was a very big man, coming from the Hanlin Academy and in charge of the main examinations for the South Yufu Prefecture examinations.
A man from the capital was indeed a man of great style.
Xu Qingnian’s name was famous in South China, so even if a normal scholar had studied for a few more years, he would be polite when he saw Xu Qingnian, after all, who wouldn’t want to get to know him?
However, this Lord Zhao Yuan was not surprised, but was as usual.
After all, the Hanlin Academy of Wei is the place where the world’s scholars gather, so how could there be any mediocre people?
Soon, someone was sent from within the court to stop the ruckus outside the house.
Xu Qingnian breathed a sigh of relief when someone stopped it, while Wang Ru and the others panted for breath.
The good thing was that everything had settled down.
The literati were so fierce that if the officials hadn’t come to stop them, Xu Qingnian felt that they would have touched him.
However, it was at this moment that Li Xin came along.
After saluting Xu Qingnian, he gave Xu Qingnian a look.
Xu Qingnian instantly understood, and after responding with a smile, the two did not say anything.
And so it was, until the dawn hour.
“Enter.”
With the sound of a bell and a loud and clear voice, the House Examination was about to begin.
The doors of the Tribute Court opened and twenty officials gathered as the students lined up in four lines and entered one by one.
First, they took out their proofs of admission, then their proofs of entry to the examinations, and finally they checked whether they had any copies of the cheat sheet on them or whether they had any marks on their clothes.
Only after strict checks were people let in.
The benefits of fame were evident at this moment.
Xu Qingnian was originally at the back of the queue, but the crowd gave way, allowing Xu Qingnian to move to the front of the queue.
Within a short while, Xu Qingnian received her number plate and entered the court.
There were four examination halls in the Southern Yu Tribute Courtyard, and Xu Qingnian was chosen at random from Hall A.
When he entered the court, Xu Qingnian basically followed behind Chen Xinghe.
It was his first time taking the government exams and he didn’t understand many things.
“Senior brother, come with me.”
After entering the Tribute Courtyard, Chen Xinghe spoke in a low voice, asking Xu Qingnian to follow him.
Walking side by side, the two walked into the inner hall, received three cones of incense, and worshipped towards the four directions, where portraits of saints were hung in all four directions.
However, these portraits were not of the real person, but were fictitious, a kind of decoration.
After worshipping the saints, one then walks through the inner hall, with examination room A and B on the left and examination room C and D on the right.
“Senior brother, you go to the left, I will go to the right with brother Wang Ru, take a good exam, and when it is over, meet at the inn.”
“Oh yes, I don’t think you have brought a pen, ink, paper and ink stone, right? Take it.”
Chen Xinghe spoke, pointing to the entrance on the left, while taking out a small bag from his sleeve, which was a pen, ink, paper and ink stone prepared for Xu Qingnian.
“Many thanks, senior brother, senior brother really forgot.”
Seeing the pen and ink handed over by the other party, Xu Qingnian had really forgotten about it, fortunately there was a senior brother, otherwise it would have been troublesome.
The three of them then saluted each other and left separately.
After bidding farewell, Xu Qingnian walked towards the Grade A examination hall.
Not long afterwards, the full view of the examination hall appeared in Xu Qingnian’s eyes.
There were two horizontal and two vertical rows, a relatively small space with no cover in front, just a desk, and each examination room was checked back and forth by two examiners.
He handed in his number plate and was directed to Xu Qingnian’s position.
It was relatively close to the front, in seventh place.
When he entered the examination room, Xu Qingnian moved more gently. One of the strictest rules of the examination room was that there should be no noise.
Only when he entered his room did Xu Qingnian understand how strict the examination was.
Inside the small room, which was rather dark, there was a bucket on the left and right, one for convenience and the other filled with clear water.
There was only one government examination, which lasted for three hours.
After taking their seats.
Xu Qingnian then waited in silence.
Nearly half an hour pa*sed.
One after another, many people gathered here.
After scanning the sky, it was already three minutes past the dawn hour.
The examination officially began at the hour of the morning.
At that moment, an old man came in front of Xu Qingnian, the examiner.
Over sixty years old, with pale white hair and a smile on his face, he looked at Xu Qingnian and said.
“Xu Da Cai?”
“Greetings, sir.”
Xu Qingnian rose to salute.
The latter waved his hand and said, “Don’t be like that, do well in the exams and win some glory for me in South Yu.”
The old man laughed.
And Xu Qingnian also smiled and nodded his head.
After the old man left, Xu Qingnian didn’t stay idle, arranging the pens, ink, paper and inkstones in the small bag one by one.
It was good to have a senior brother who would do everything for you.
Once they were set up.
Xu Qingnian began to study the ink in advance.
But as she studied, her eyes fell on the ink.
Xu Qingnian’s eyes couldn’t help but fall on these brushes.
Because she also had a brush.
And it was still a literary instrument.
I wonder if …… What would be the effect of writing with a literary instrument that one had coalesced?
It was also when Xu Qingnian was pondering.
Another bell rang out.
The hour had arrived.
The students rose, and the examiner stood in the centre and began to recite the rules of the examination hall.
After the rules had been read out, a loud and unmistakable voice rang out.
It was the voice of the chief examiner, Zhao Yuan.
“The House Examination begins.”
“Test question.”
“An Guo.”
As the voice fell, it spread throughout the entire House Courtyard.
Many people revealed their surprise and joy.
