Jing Xingzhi’s Daily Life in Ancient Times

Chapter 99 - III



Jing Xingzhi saw that Liu Fang was stunned and started to offer the treasure. “Does it look similiar? I must be pretty good. I only failed a few pieces of wood.”

Liu Fang smiled, but his focus was off-centre. “Where did you carve it? Why didn’t I see it?”

“I’ve done it in the teahouse with Brother Mingrui and the others. We went there to check the news, they talk about poetry, but I don’t understand,” Jing Xingzhi said, a little pitifully.

Looking at this look, who would have known that it was him who was ignoring people.

Liu Fang touched his head. “It’s amazing! When Ah Deng grows older, he’ll know what he was like when I was pregnant with him.”

Jing Xingzhi hummed. “It’s for you.” Then Jing Xingzhi picked up the little wooden horse he had prepared for Little Ah Deng and gestured, “Yours is better than his.”

Both were prepared by hand, and Little Ah Deng’s had been polished them without even a single barb. But Liu Fang’s was much more complicated, and it was still a small piece of wood carved with delicate patterns, which really wasted a lot of Jing Xingzhi’s efforts.

On the full moon of Little Ah Deng, everyone remembered to give gifts to the baby.

When Jing Xingzhi prepared gifts for Little Ah Deng, he found that everyone would give it to his son, and he remembered that his Xiao Fangfang had no gifts.

How was that possible? It must be arranged!

Liu Fang was so moved that all he could think of was Jing Xingzhi.

.

In fact, many people in other places also had Jing Xingzhi in their hearts.

For example, Li Jiarui had started drinking the Northwest wind. For another example, in the examination building, which had been in seclusion for almost a month, the examiners had already arranged the rankings and begun to reveal the names.

One of the middle-aged fellow examiners was filled with thoughts of Jing Xingzhi’s face.

He hoped that this blind and arrogant candidate would fail the exam so that future candidates would not be blindly confident, hand in papers indiscriminately, and ruin their bright future.

Jing Xingzhi’s name was also circulated among the examiners. He could be said to be the most well-known person in the building.

The officials who revealed the names were also very excited and announced their names one by one from back to front.

This session of the examination was a major examination, and a total of 220 tributes would be selected. After the palace examination, they would be divided into the top three.

There were three exams, and the answers to each of the three exams were ranked. Once all three exams were revealed, the final ranking would be determined based on the details.

Starting from the answer sheet of the first examination, from the 220th to the 11th place, there was no trace of Jing Xingzhi.

The middle-aged examiner touched his beard and smiled in his heart: No chance.

The candidate surnamed Jing was definitely out of luck. Was it possible that he finished the test paper in one day and still wanted to be ranked in the top ten?

This middle-aged examiner was over 40 years old and was serving as an examiner for the general examination for the first time.

He was ranked second in the general examination and was a Jinshi, but it took him four full exams to pass. In his mind, it was very difficult to be among the best in the entire Li Dynasty and to be able to succeed.

Tenth, no.

Ninth, neither.

The eighth, seventh… even the second one wasn’t the one surnamed Jing.

Even Su Mingyuan was a little worried. Fang Qichen’s disciple wouldn’t make a mistake, right?!

At that time, the clerk reported the first answer sheet in the first game with a long voice.

“First, Hanbei Prefecture, Jing Xingzhi.”

“Bang——” A teacup was scrapped.

“Bang bang bang” several teacups were scrapped one after another.

The middle-aged fellow examiner’s eyes were dull, and he murmured, “It’s really him?!”

“How is that possible?!”

“Isn’t it too unbelievable?!”

Su Mingyuan coughed. “Everyone, take your teacups. These expenses will be recorded later.”

After one session of exams, they broke dozens of teacups. People might think they were irresponsible and just smashed the cups for fun during grading. How was this allowed?

“Leave the top twenty answer sheets. After reading the three sessions, we must first select the top ten to report to the Holy One.” Su Mingyuan arranged with a smile.

They kept the top twenty answer sheets for the first examination and then started the second examination.

From 220 to 11 again, there was no trace of Jing Xing.

Finally, he checked in first and dropped a few more cups.

Su Mingyuan snickered in his heart and reminded his colleagues to “hold the teacup”.

In the third round, because he had to write a poem, Jing Xingzhi finally fell into third place.

Poetry was a flaw, and there was nothing Jing Xingzhi could do about it. Fortunately, he excelled in other projects, and he was able to surpass all the top three due to his lack of subjects.

Everyone looked at each other, the same face appearing in their minds at that moment.

Fair and handsome, his smile was like a spring breeze on the pavement, and he had a rather scholarly temperament. No need to tell them, he was pretty good-looking.

——That was Jing Xingzhi’s face.

The middle-aged fellow examiner couldn’t help but pick up Jing Xingzhi’s answer sheet and read it carefully.

Then he raised his heavy head, shook his head, and sighed: “I have read books in vain for ten years!”

It wasn’t that he had any objection to the result, he was just shocked.

Asking himself, with their current level as examiners, could they finish one exam in one day and get such results?

One word – difficult.

To be precise, even the examiners couldn’t do it!

Using their brain was actually very tiring.

If the test could be completed in one day, why should it be divided into nine days? The questions were to be done in nine days, and it was a stressful type. It meant that many people couldn’t finish it in nine days, but those who could finish it were already strong.

Out of the 4,000 people, 3,800 came with full confidence and hope, but returned with empty wallets.

As a result, in a field that even the examiners thought was not good, a man who was good at it emerged and hit people a lot.

Many examiners sighed, obviously they were on the losing side and now they were losing money.

Only Su Mingyuan said cheerfully: “Why are you guys sighing? It’s a great thing that we have such talents this year!”

Everyone looked at Su Mingyuan expressionlessly. Although it was a good thing, most of them weren’t happy.

Su Mingyuan touched his long beard with a kind smile and a kind voice.

“Think about it, colleagues, when you first heard that someone wanted to go home early, how did you feel? Didn’t you feel comforted when you heard that the candidate was thinking about his family? He thought about his wife and children at home, so we all acquiesced and did whatever was convenient for him!”

“So, the ending is no different from what we promised at the beginning. Everyone has a good heart, and their knowledge and expertise are different, but their temperament is good enough to be a teacher, so they shouldn’t take themselves lightly.” Su Mingyuan felt that this batch of subordinates was pretty good and they worked conscientiously.

Just a few words of praise and encouragement. The more than two hundred essays behind needed to take a closer look. They couldn’t lose their fighting spirit now.

As soon as the old fox encouraged them, many people figured it out.

‘No matter how awesome you are, we are also your examiners. When you meet me later, you should also call me, Teacher.’

Superintendent Su Mingyuan was a teacher, and these deputy examiners and co-examiners could more or less have some teacher-student friendship.

After being fooled by Su Mingyuan, the dedicated examiners continued to work hard and didn’t dare to slack off at all.

Finally, on the evening of April 14, they finished.

Once the final list was handed in, the rankings were revealed. At that time, the gate of Gongyuan could be opened, and the examiners could go home.


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