Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 194: Results Announced, Luming Banquet
Time flies and half a month passes in a flash.

During this period, Ye Aniu stayed in the inn and told the story of Ji Xiaolan to relieve the boredom of those who were waiting for the list, and also received a lot of rewards.

On the day when the results were announced, there were already crowds of people outside the Imperial Examination Hall at dawn.

The candidates, dressed in formal gowns, shivered slightly with nervousness and a slight chill. They gathered in groups of two or three, talking in low voices, their words tinged with apprehension.

There is no doubt that they are all waiting for the critical moment that will determine their own fate.

Suddenly, a gong rang, interrupting everyone's discussion. The gates of the Imperial Examination Hall slowly opened, and the officials walked out carrying the list of names symbolizing fate.

The crowd was silent for a moment, then suddenly became noisy, and everyone was pushing and shoving each other, wanting to see if they were on the list.

"I passed! I passed! I passed the exam!" Someone with sharp eyes saw his own name at a glance, his voice trembling in disbelief.

Some people checked again and again, fearing that they would miss a single word. After they were sure that their names were not on the list, they stood there in shock, their faces turning pale instantly.

Some people collapsed on the ground, crying loudly, and it was unclear whether they were crying tears of joy or sorrow.

However, at this exciting and tense moment, Ye Aniu was sleeping in the inn.

He had figured it out long ago. Whether he looked at it early or late, the result would be the same, and the list would not change.

At this moment, he was immersed in a dream, gently stroking his wife's face, preparing to kiss her hard to relieve his lovesickness.

Suddenly, a gong sound like a bolt from the blue exploded in his ears.

Ye Aniu shuddered, opened his eyes, and all sleepiness disappeared.

Before he could react, there was a rapid knock on the door, followed by Shopkeeper Dai's joyful shout: "Congratulations, Mr. Jie Yuan! Congratulations, Mr. Jie Yuan!"

He stretched himself, his expression nonchalant, as if winning the first prize was as easy as taking something out of his pocket. He slowly opened the door, where the messenger and the shopkeeper had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Ye Aniu open the door, they immediately bowed with smiles on their faces and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Jie Yuan! Congratulations, Mr. Jie Yuan! Here are the documents. Please don't forget to attend the Lu Ming Banquet tonight."

Ye Aniu took the document and put it away without even looking at it. Then he reached into his pocket and took out the reward money and said, "Thank you."

The man who brought the good news responded with a smile: "It is my honor to announce the good news for the champion. I have delivered the documents and will take my leave now."

"Please."

The news that the king's uncle, the prime minister and the grand tutor would all attend the Lu Ming Banquet at the same time was like a bolt from the blue.

Those who had passed the imperial examination were all ecstatic. Tonight, they had dressed up meticulously, exuding vigor and vitality, hoping to be appreciated by a few important figures and have their careers smoothly promoted.

"Have you heard? Several important officials in the court will be attending tonight."

"Yes, you must perform well tonight. If you can be appreciated by one of them, your future will definitely be bright."

"Let's prepare in advance! If they test us and we can't answer, we'll be embarrassed."

At the same time, Ye Aniu was walking in the corridor of Fengtian Academy with a group of candidates.

He had a relaxed expression on his face as he looked at the university in the provincial capital, secretly admiring in his heart: It's worthy of being the provincial capital, the university is so magnificent. If it were in the capital, it would surely be even more luxurious.

The other scholars around couldn't help but feel puzzled when they saw Ye Aniu looking casually and looking around to appreciate the scenery.

"Ye Jieyuan, you don't seem nervous at all?"

Ye Aniu smiled slightly and asked, "Nervous? Why should I be nervous?"

The scholar was taken aback for a moment, then he saluted and said, "Sir Jieyuan is truly magnanimous. I am ashamed of myself for not being as magnanimous as him."

Ye Aniu laughed and said, "No, no, I just didn't think that much."

"Jie Yuanlang is truly extraordinary. We are grateful for his guidance." One of them bowed and said.

The other scholars nodded in agreement, and with Ye Aniu at the head, they surrounded him and walked into the hall of the academy.

The hall had already been arranged in an orderly manner, with tables and chairs neatly arranged, and a large piece of red silk exuding a festive atmosphere.

now.

The king's uncle, the prime minister and the grand tutor were sitting in the main seats, whispering to each other and discussing the candidates' test papers as well as their backgrounds and personalities.

As soon as Ye Aniu entered, surrounded by many scholars, they saw the three important figures and rushed forward to pay their respects, and soon squeezed Ye Aniu out.

Ye Aniu shook his head and thought that it was true that if you rely on mountains, the mountains will fall; if you rely on people, they will run away. He was just flattering them, but in the blink of an eye he ignored everything else. These people were really fence-sitters and not worth mentioning.

After everyone finished their greetings, Ye Aniu stepped forward and bowed, "I am Ye Aniu, your disciple, and I am honored to meet the Emperor's uncle, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Tutor."

The uncle nodded slightly, feeling extremely satisfied, and said with a smile: "Ye Jieyuan, you are indeed a handsome man!"

The Grand Tutor also said casually: "I have had the honor of reading Ye Jieyuan's Jiangchengzi. It is indeed a masterpiece of literary talent."

A flash of anger flashed across the Prime Minister's eyes, but he immediately regained his composure and said meaningfully, "Ye Jieyuan, today is a great day! You have been awarded the title of Jieyuan. I wonder if you have prepared any masterpieces?"

Generally, at such banquets, candidates would prepare a few poems to answer the examiner's questions.

If you are lucky and have prepared the relevant content, you will be able to answer fluently; if you are unlucky and have not prepared it, you will have to improvise.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, I am not prepared." Ye Aniu bowed and answered truthfully.

I thought the three would look disappointed, but the Prime Minister didn't seem to intend to let Ye Aniu go. He immediately said in a flattering tone, "Oh? Ye Jieyuan is so confident? He didn't even prepare any poems. Then I will appreciate Ye Jieyuan's poems even more."

After saying this, he glanced at the Grand Tutor and the King's Uncle, who nodded in agreement. It was obvious that they did not intend to let Ye Aniu go either.

"." A thousand horses were galloping through Ye Aniu's heart. It turned out that the Prime Minister had bad intentions. It seemed that he had to pretend.

So he bowed and said, "Please ask the Prime Minister to give the question."

"Hiss..." The Prime Minister took a breath, picked up the wine glass and gently sniffed the wine in the glass. After a long while, under the gaze of everyone, he said: "How about we use wine as the topic?"

Wine as the theme? Even if it's about the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, so what? I have the divine book anyway.

Ah Niu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to communicate with the divine book. Soon the contents appeared in his mind.

Seeing Ye Aniu closing his eyes in deep thought, the uncle picked up the wine glass in his hand, filled it with wine, and said with a wave of his hand: "How can I write poetry without wine?"

Ye Aniu steadily took the slowly flying wine glass, not spilling a drop. A shudder ran through his heart: Master! But he knew it was the uncle of the emperor helping him, so he raised his glass and spoke slowly, "How many days are there in this floating life? Pursuing empty fame without purpose." (From "Drinking Alone" by Wang Ji)
An expert will know if there is one as soon as he takes action.

Just from these two lines, everyone knew that this poem was extraordinary.

The Prime Minister frowned, the Grand Tutor's eyes lit up, and the other candidates all showed shock and admiration on their faces.

The place was completely silent. Ah Niu drank the wine in his cup in one gulp and said calmly, "Why not make more wine and pour it in the bamboo forest from time to time?"

The Grand Tutor suddenly stood up, closed his eyes, and read carefully again. His expression of admiration gradually became clear, as if he was tasting fine wine. Suddenly, he clapped his hands and said, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Ye Jieyuan has expressed what I long for."

The uncle of the king narrowed his eyes and smiled. To him, Ye Aniu was already one of his own. He didn't believe that anyone could resist the charm of his niece.

The Prime Minister's face was gloomy, but he soon smiled and praised: "I didn't expect that Ye Jieyuan is such a free and easy person. I admire him."

Seeing this, the other scholars around showed envy.

If one can be appreciated by one of the three, he will soar to the sky, but Jie Yuanlang can be appreciated by three of them at the same time. What an honor it is.

Ye Aniu looked calm, not because he didn't want to be proud, but because all these were obtained by cheating.

With the sound of firecrackers and the beating of gongs and drums, the Luming Banquet officially began.

Those candidates who were a little restrained at first gradually let go of their restraint and became happier and happier. The atmosphere became more and more lively, and everyone looked a little tipsy amidst the laughter and joy.

The Prime Minister sat in the main seat, stood up and raised a glass of wine, and everyone else also stood up and raised their glasses.

He smiled slightly, raised his wine glass, and said in a loud voice: "Today is the Luming Banquet. Everyone here is well-read. How about meeting friends through literature?"

The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful, and everyone joined in as if this was not a social gathering of power but just a simple banquet.

The Prime Minister nodded, drank the wine in the cup, turned his eyes, fell on Ye Aniu, and said with a smile: "Jie Yuanlang is very talented, why don't we start with Jie Yuanlang?"

Ye Aniu stood up and bowed, smiling calmly: "I obey your command. I wonder what questions you will ask, Prime Minister?"

The Prime Minister was silent and thoughtful for a moment. After a long while, as if he had thought of something, he slowly said, "Since we are all pleading for the people, how about writing a poem with 'people' as the theme?"

The title "People" seems simple, but it actually contains a lot of mysteries.

The people are the foundation of the world and the basis of the country. However, the people are often exploited by officials. The Prime Minister was obviously testing Ye Aniu with this question.

Everyone couldn't help but worry for him.

Ye Aniu suddenly remembered that when he was in Qingshi Town, he saw the farmers and ordinary peddlers working from sunrise to sunset, struggling for a living and looking exhausted.

After a moment of hesitation, the contents of the sacred book emerged in his mind. He opened his eyes and chanted aloud:

Plant a millet in spring and harvest ten thousand in autumn.

There is no idle land in the world, yet farmers still starve to death. (From "Two Poems of Pity for the Peasants, No. 1" - Li Shen)
As soon as the poem came out, the whole room was silent, with only the clear sound of everyone's breathing.

The prince's uncle laughed heartily, breaking the silence, and then said with a smile: "What a saying, 'There is no idle land in the world, yet farmers still starve to death.'"

"Ye Jieyuan truly has the world in his heart!"

"The divine book only tells me to say this. Things like having the world in your heart are always handled by you tall people," Ye Aniu muttered to himself. "I became an official just to bring honor to my family and protect my wife from being bullied." Seeing that the Prime Minister had come up with two questions, the Grand Tutor was eager to try his hand. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Ye Jieyuan, I have a question too. Please enlighten me."

When the Grand Tutor said "please enlighten me" here, he was already treating Ye Aniu as a peer to discuss academic matters, which shows his recognition of Ye Aniu's attainments in poetry.

Ye Aniu didn't dare to be arrogant, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Student is all ears, please tell me."

The Grand Master smiled faintly and said, "Recently, a close friend and I have been at odds over political disagreements, and we've become enemies. I've come to realize that life is full of uncertainty. How about using 'Inconsistency' as the title?"

Ye Aniu pretended to close his eyes and ponder. The contents of the sacred book quickly emerged in his mind, and he recited aloud:

“Drinking wine with you, you are being lenient, human emotions are as unpredictable as the waves.

The old friends still hold their swords, while the senior officials in the wealthy families laugh and tap their hats. (From Wang Wei's "Drinking with Pei Di")
After finishing the poem, the Grand Master clapped his hands and praised, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

Then he poured a glass of wine and handed it to Ye Aniu, then filled his own glass and said, "I would like to thank Ye Jieyuan for this poem. I would like to offer a glass of wine to Jieyuan. Let me drink it first as a token of my respect."

The other scholars applauded, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy, thinking that they had studied a lot, so why weren't they as smart as others?

The atmosphere of the banquet became more lively as everyone presented poems one after another, and everyone was already a little drunk.

At this moment, the three big men suddenly stood up, raised their glasses, and toasted to the crowd. Everyone was flattered. You know, it's hard to meet such big men normally, let alone have a toast to them.

The Prime Minister said, "It is a great honor to drink with you all today. If we serve as officials in the future, I hope you will put the people first."

Everyone raised their glasses in response, and in this warm atmosphere, they all drank it all in one gulp.

Just as everyone was laughing and talking, suddenly a man dressed in official clothes and with a scar on his face appeared. It was the detective Chen Tianchou.

Ye Aniu was stunned. Why did this old guy come?

He quickly walked up to the three leaders and said, "My Lords, the Black Mountain Fox Demon has killed three more people in a row. I brought the elite troops of the Six Gates and invited the abbot of Luoxia Monastery and the abbot of Xiangguo Temple to encircle and suppress it, but we still suffered heavy losses. After killing people, the fox demon has become even more powerful than before."

The three of them were shocked, and the uncle asked, "Even the temple master and the host can't take it down together?"

The king's uncle was an expert in martial arts and could have been selected to enter the Immortal Palace. However, because he wanted to assist his niece, he gave up on entering the Immortal Palace and suppressed his cultivation to stay in the mortal world.

Chen Tianchou sighed and said, "My Lord, that fox demon is even more powerful than before. It's now blood-red, and its eyes emit a strange red light. It's bloodthirsty. Our people were sucked dry by it before they even got close."

The three of them were silent for a while before the Grand Master spoke up, "Let's not make this public for now. We'll report this to His Majesty and have him ask someone from the Xuanxin Sect to help resolve this matter."

After hearing the news, the three of them were overwhelmed and had no intention of continuing the banquet.

With a burst of firecrackers and the sound of gongs and drums, the Luming Banquet came to an end. The three bosses left one after another. They were going to return to the capital overnight to discuss how to deal with the fox demon.

Elsewhere, Chen Tianchou was called away by the Prime Minister to discuss how to deal with the fox demon. At this moment, they were sitting in a luxurious carriage.

"Divine Constable Chen..." the Prime Minister began, "The fox demon is causing trouble, and many students passing through Black Mountain on their way to Fengtian Prefecture for the imperial examination are passing through. Constable Chen, please ensure their safety."

Chen Tianchou is not stupid. He knows that this old fox called him here not just for the safety of the students.

So he said respectfully, "Please give me your instructions, Prime Minister."

"The new champion, Ye Aniu, is from Qingshi Town. I'd like to ask Master Chen to take him with him and protect him well while he's hunting down demons," the Prime Minister said calmly. "Is that possible?"

Chen Tianchou was stunned. He thought, this little Jieyuan, who had just passed the exam, had actually offended the Prime Minister. It seemed that his official career would be bumpy! No, he was afraid that he would have no official career at all.

"Tianchou will certainly live up to his mission."

the other side.

On the road, people kept coming to curry favor with Ye Aniu, but he just laughed them off.

He knew his troubles were far from over. The Prime Minister was clearly testing and embarrassing him today, so he planned to return to Qingshi Town under the cover of night.

Late at night, a figure walked away.

Ye Aniu looked back at Jieyuan Building, feeling a little reluctant to leave. After all, he had lived there for nearly a month and was used to eating and drinking for free.

The next morning, a drizzle fell on the ground. Chen Tianchou, dressed in his official uniform, came to Jieyuan Building.

He pondered over what the Prime Minister said last night. On the surface, it was protection, but in fact it was killing someone with a borrowed knife. It seemed that Ye Aniu was not a simple person!

"Is Ye Aniu here?" Chen Tianchou asked.

Shopkeeper Dai was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Sir, Mr. Jie Yuan left without saying goodbye last night."

Chen Tianchou's face changed and he thought to himself, "Oh no!" How could it be such a coincidence that he ran away?
"Let's go! He's just a weak scholar, he'll catch up soon..."

At this time, the sky in the Black Mountain was gloomy. Looking at the sky through the gaps between the leaves, thick dark clouds were pressing down, as if they would fall at any time.

The leaves were dripping water constantly, and the wild grass in the mountains was also covered with water droplets.

Ye Aniu was traveling alone and soon his body was soaked by weeds.

It started to drizzle again in the sky, and Aniu felt a chill.

In desperation, he had to quicken his pace.

Boom! A loud thunderclap sounded, and the raindrops suddenly grew larger and faster, hitting the leaves with a rustling sound.

Lanruo Temple was not far ahead. Ye Aniu felt conflicted, but since it was daytime, everything should be fine. So he gritted his teeth and walked into the abandoned temple to shelter from the rain.

To be honest, after what happened last time, he never wanted to come here again, because there were ghosts and monsters here, and Lin Wanjun almost tortured him to death last time.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The big raindrops hit the leaves, and after gathering together, they turned into larger drops and hit the dilapidated roof of Lanruo Temple.

Without the trouble of rain, Ye Aniu touched his stomach and felt a little hungry.

So he took out the roast chicken he had stolen from Jieyuan Building and started to eat it immediately.

"Amitabha." A loud Buddhist chant interrupted Aniu who was eating. Then, a voice came: "The roast chicken of the donor is really delicious. Can I have a taste?"

Ye Aniu was stunned. A flower monk? He subconsciously raised his eyes to look at the door, only to see a kind-faced old monk standing there. A figure suddenly appeared in the deep mountains, and Aniu immediately became alert.

Although this monk looks kind, after experiencing what happened to Chen Tianchou, he understands that the most undesirable thing in the world is to judge people by their appearance.

But he still tore off a chicken leg and said, "Master, please do as you please."

After saying that, he threw the chicken leg over.

The old monk caught the chicken leg accurately, and without hesitation, he took a bite of it without caring about his image, and said, "Well, this should be the roast chicken from Jieyuanlou!"

Ah Niu was stunned. This old monk actually knew about Jieyuan Building? So he asked, "How did the master know about Jieyuan Building?"

"There's a fellow disciple at my master's school, Putuo Temple, who really likes the chicken legs there."

Ye Aniu had a strange look on his face, wondering what kind of monks were there in Putuo Temple? Were they all playboys who didn't follow the rules?
"Master, why did you end up here?" Ye Aniu couldn't help but ask.

The old monk said slowly, "I'm waiting for someone. He will be here soon. I'll eat your chicken leg and I'll definitely keep you safe."

Ye Aniu's heart moved. It seemed that the old monk knew that there must be a monster here, otherwise why would he say that he would protect himself?
At this moment, an unusual rustling sound came from the rain, as if something was running around in the dense woods.

Ye Aniu was startled. Could it be that fox demon again? If it was just the same fox demon from last time, there would be no need to be too scared.

The old monk suddenly frowned, put his hands together, and bursts of Buddhist chanting filled the air.

A figure rolled in, yes, it rolled in.

It turned out to be a constable who had been tortured horribly, his face pale, foaming at the mouth, lying there motionless.

There was a sound of fighting outside, and suddenly a loud voice came: "Bald donkey, why don't you come out to help? Do you want to tire me to death?"

Bang, bang, bang! A series of falls were heard. They were all Constables from the Six Gates. They were all foaming at the mouth and dying.

Holy shit! What happened to these people? Why do they all look so listless?

The old monk clasped his hands together and said calmly, "Please don't go out, and watch me save the monster." After that, he took the Zen staff and rushed out to join the fight in the woods outside.

However, at this moment, a figure suddenly broke in. Ye Aniu looked closely and found that it was the great detective Chen Tianchou.

"It's you?" Chen Tianchou's face was filled with surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief. He never expected to run into Ye Aniu here.

"It's you! Detective Chen." Ye Aniu also responded. He knew in his heart that Chen Tianchou's appearance here at this time was no coincidence.

Chen Tianchou stared straight at Ye Aniu, his tone cold and indifferent as he slowly said, "Do you know what the consequences will be if you offend the powerful?"

Ye Aniu's heart sank suddenly, and he thought to himself, this bastard was most likely sent by the Prime Minister to take his life. Afterwards, he could just claim that he died at the hands of a monster, and there would be no evidence to prove it.

However, he did not lose his composure. Instead, he said calmly, "Detective Chen, what do you think will happen if you offend the powerful?"

"In this world, it's nothing more than either you bend your knees and lose yourself, or you die with your back upright." Ye Aniu's words startled Chen Tianchou, and a complex emotion arose in his heart.

Isn't he just like a dog? A dog that bites people and works hard for the rich and powerful.

"Hmph, no matter what you say, it's useless. Today, you must die at the hands of the monster." Chen Tianchou said, slowly pulling out the butcher knife from his waist.

Ye Aniu was also puzzled. It seemed that someone was destined to die at the hands of the monster, but he didn't know if it was you or me?

(End of this chapter)