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Chapter 152 The Upright Gentleman Ning Caichen, the Fair-Faced Scholar Yan Chixia! (Please Subscribe)

"Thank you, young master. My name is Ning Caichen. May I ask your name?"

Ning Caichen looked at Niu Jun, who was dressed in white and had an extraordinary demeanor, like a noble young master, and expressed his gratitude.

Niu Jun looked at Ning Caichen as if he had seen something interesting, and said with great interest, "My name is Niu Jun. Young Master Ning, are you going to Guo Bei County to participate in the annual examination?"

As the saying goes: Beggars fear being bitten by dogs, and scholars fear the annual examinations.

The so-called annual examination was an examination held by the imperial court for scholars who had passed the county-level examination. It was held once a year to distinguish between the good and bad and to determine rewards and punishments. Only scholars who passed the annual examination were qualified to participate in the provincial examination to become candidates for the provincial degree.

If a scholar neglects his studies and fails the annual examination three times, he will be stripped of his academic title and demoted to a commoner.

This is also why scholars fear the annual examinations.

Niu Jun asked Ning Caichen whether he was going to Guobei County to take the annual examination because he observed from Ning Caichen's appearance that Ning Caichen was not only married but also had academic achievements, which was completely different from the Ning Caichen in the TV series.

in other words.

The story of A Chinese Ghost Story in this world is very likely not the TV series version, but the version from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, or like the White Snake, a combination of TV series and folk legends.

Upon hearing this, Ning Caichen felt somewhat ashamed: "To be honest, I have taken the provincial examination three times and have yet to pass. How could I possibly be qualified to take the annual examination?"

Unlike the imperial examination system of later generations.

The imperial examination process in the Great Pine Dynasty was very simple, consisting of three levels.

The selection process, known as the local selection, was generally handled by the prefectures. Passing the exam granted one the status of a scholar.

The provincial examination was usually held in the spring in the capital. Those who passed were considered successful candidates and became "Juren" (a degree in the imperial examination system).

Finally, there was the palace examination, which was usually presided over by the emperor himself. Several ministers jointly reviewed the papers to ensure fairness, and finally, the top three ranks of Jinshi were determined. The emperor then selected the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua.

The reason Niu Jun asked Ning Caichen whether he was participating in the annual examination or the provincial examination was because Guobei County was just a county under Jinhua Prefecture and was not qualified to hold the provincial examination.

“Young Master Ning, there is no need to be ashamed. I am also an expert in physiognomy. I can see that you are destined for officialdom and are blessed with good fortune. You will also have three sons who will bring honor to your ancestors. The reason you have not yet made a name for yourself is simply that it is not the right time.”

Niu Jun paused slightly at this point, then joked, "Also, I want to congratulate Young Master Ning here."

"Thank you for your kind words, young master. May I ask what you mean by this happy event?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Caichen asked curiously.

"But Young Master Ning, on your journey to Guo Bei, you will encounter a predestined marriage. Isn't this something to be congratulated on?" Niu Jun said with a half-smile.

At this point, he was basically certain.

The story of A Chinese Ghost Story in this world is a combination of the original Liaozhai Zhiyi and the film and television versions.

Although there are Tree Demon Granny and Black Mountain Demon, Nie Xiaoqian's final fate is not reincarnation, but marriage to Ning Caichen, and the two of them, one human and one ghost, will have two sons.

Even Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian's two sons have extraordinary origins, being reincarnations of the two star deities, Ju Men and Lian Zhen, from the Big Dipper.

First came the Wenqu Star, then came the Jumen and Lianzhen Stars.

This made Niu Jun wonder if all the Big Dipper Army in the sky had descended to earth to undergo tribulations.

As the saying goes: When Heaven unleashes its killing intent, stars shift and constellations change; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, dragons and snakes rise from the land; when Man unleashes his killing intent, Heaven and Earth are overturned; when Heaven and Man act in unison, all things are established.

It is now suspected that the Big Dipper's seven stars have descended to earth as a group.

This is a divine pill from the Great Pine God Dynasty!

"Young master, please don't joke. I already have a wife who has shared my hardships. Although my wife is not a suitable match, she is my destined marriage. Why would I need any other destined marriage?"

"Moreover, my husband and I have a very good relationship, we are harmonious and respectful to each other, and we do not need any other marriage."

Ning Caichen stated that he has never been with another woman in his life and has been absolutely loyal to his wife. He said that the idea of ​​a preordained marriage is nonsense.

Upon hearing this, Niu Jun looked at Ning Caichen carefully and exclaimed, "As the saying goes: A beautiful woman of sixteen or seventeen has a body as soft as butter, and carries a sword at her waist to slay ordinary men. Although no heads fall, she secretly drains your marrow."

"Throughout history, countless heroes, kings, generals, and wise rulers have been captivated by beauty and lost their true selves."

"If they could be like Young Master Ning, there would be no such thing as a beautiful woman causing trouble."

to be frank.

Niu Jun had a lot of respect for Ning Caichen.

At least in his view, Ning Caichen was a hundred times more virtuous than Xu Xian, whom Bai Suzhen had her eye on.

Although in the story of Nie Xiaoqian in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Ning Caichen eventually married Nie Xiaoqian and had two sons with her, and even took a concubine after passing the imperial examination and becoming an official.

However, before his first wife passed away, Ning Caichen truly remained unmoved by the alluring female ghost Nie Xiaoqian. Even after spending several years with Nie Xiaoqian, he still did not overstep any boundaries.

To know.

In the Nie Xiaoqian chapter of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Nie Xiaoqian's unparalleled beauty is described many times through various narrators.

If you were to replace someone else...

He was probably already bewitched by Nie Xiaoqian and lost his life back in Lanruo Temple.

Then I thought that even after Ning Caichen became rich and powerful, he only took one concubine besides Nie Xiaoqian, instead of having three or four wives and concubines and a large harem like other officials.

Not to mention that Ning Caichen was able to resist the temptation of gold and silver, and had a strong sense of justice.

Doesn't this demonstrate Ning Caichen's character and virtue?

What is a gentleman?

In Niu Jun's view, a person like Ning Caichen in front of him is a true gentleman.

Anyway.

Niu Jun asked himself, if he were placed in Ning Caichen's position and unaware of the plot, he felt that his performance would definitely be far inferior to Ning Caichen's.

As for Xu Xian?
He is far inferior to Ning Caichen.

"Young Master Niu, you flatter me."

Upon hearing Niu Jun's praise, Ning Caichen shook his head and said, "I simply don't want to betray my true self."

Niu Jun sighed softly, "To be able to maintain one's true nature is already better than 99% of people in this world. Therefore, Young Master Ning is a true gentleman!"

Stay true to yourself.

It sounds simple, but how many people can actually do it?
Like Song Dingbo, who caught and sold ghosts, he eventually went astray and became a heretic.

so.

In Niu Jun's view, being able to uphold one's true self is enough to be worthy of the title "gentleman," surpassing 99% of the world's people, and perhaps only one in a thousand.

Just as the two were talking.

A bustling county town had already appeared before the two of them.

With the annual examinations approaching, Guobei County was exceptionally lively. Even from a distance, Niu Jun could already see the bustling atmosphere above the city.

Niu Jun glanced at Ning Caichen and said, "I still need to visit a friend at Lanruo Temple, so I won't be entering the city with Young Master Ning."

Done.

He thought for a moment, then reminded him, "With the annual examinations approaching, the prices in Guobei County must be high and the inns must be full. If Young Master Ning cannot find a place to stay, you can come to Lanruo Temple to find me."

Unlike the Guo Bei County depicted in the TV series "A Chinese Ghost Story".

Guobei County of the Great Pine Dynasty was a subordinate county of Jinhua Prefecture.

Jinhua Prefecture was a vital center for the finances and provisions of the Great Song Dynasty, boasting not only thriving commerce but also excellent public security.

Therefore, the rampant banditry and indiscriminate killing depicted in the TV series "A Chinese Ghost Story" did not occur. Niu Jun did not stop Ning Caichen from entering the city; he merely left a message saying that if he could not find a place to stay, he could go to Lanruo Temple.

After saying that.

He then rode his little donkey toward a mountain path. The famous Lanruo Temple was located in this mountain forest.

The ancient temple is secluded and hidden in the mountains. The temple halls and pagodas are magnificent, but the weeds grow taller than a person, as if no one has been here for a long time.

The doors of the monks' quarters on the east and west sides were ajar, except for a small house on the south side, whose lock looked new, suggesting that someone had lived there for a long time.

Looking at the eastern corner of the hall, there are clumps of thick bamboo, and below the steps is a large pond filled with wild lotus flowers, quiet and serene.

"not bad!"

"I wonder if this Yan Chixia is a bearded man or a pale-faced scholar!"

Niu Jun looked at the small house with the padlock and a smile appeared on his face.

All I can say is that the White Snake myth universe is really interesting.

It seems not impossible for the white-browed Fahai to transform into a young and handsome monk like the Great Heavenly Dragon, or for the bearded Yan Chixia to become a pale-faced scholar version of Yan Chixia.

After all, Yan Chixia in "Nie Xiaoqian" from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" was originally a pale-faced scholar, not the judge of six provinces.

I hastily tidied up a room to use as my place to stay.

Niu Jun sat in the pavilion in the temple, silently waiting for Ning Caichen and Yan Chixia to arrive.

He did consider getting rid of Yan Chixia and taking his place, but there was simply no need for it.

After all, he had already met Ning Caichen and moved into Lanruo Temple at the right time. As long as Nie Xiaoqian's story could become a tale of ghosts and monsters, he would surely be able to integrate into it and gain a little bit of mythical power.

There's no need to do something so petty as to drive away Yan Chixia and ruin his opportunity.

Late afternoon.

Unable to find suitable accommodation in Guobei County, Ning Caichen carried his book basket to Lanruo Temple.

"Because the provincial examination is being held, housing prices in the city are high, so I'm afraid I'll have to bother you, Brother Niu, for the next few days."

Ning Caichen looked at Niu Jun and said with a somewhat helpless expression.

The annual exams are just around the corner.

The prices of guesthouse rooms in Guobei County have increased by three to five times.

Ning Caichen wasn't short of money, but he was unwilling to waste it. So after much thought, he decided to stay at Lanruo Temple for two days.

"It's alright. This is an abandoned temple, and it has long been without an owner. My friend has probably left long ago, so Young Master Ning can find a house to stay in."

Niu Jun said nonchalantly.

After saying that, he thought for a moment and finally decided to give a reminder: "However, I feel that there is a ghostly aura in this Lanruo Temple, so you may encounter strange ghosts and monsters at night."

"If Young Master Ning encounters this, he may contact me directly."

Niu Jun believed that with his reminder, if Ning Caichen encountered any ghosts or monsters, he would come to him first instead of going to Yan Chixia.

This is the advantage of having acquaintances.

In this story of a Chinese Ghost Story, Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen are undoubtedly the main characters. Once they become ghosts and monsters, they will gain the most mythical power. Then they will become the powerful figures responsible for exorcising demons.

He won't ruin Yan Chixia's opportunity, but he can compete with him.

"A ghost?"

Ning Caichen glanced at the desolate temple overgrown with weeds, lost in thought.

Ghostly occurrences are not uncommon in the Ōmatsu Shinchō Dynasty.

Especially as the fortunes of the Great Pine Dynasty became unstable, more and more ghostly occurrences occurred within its borders. In fact, the Great Pine Dynasty even had a special department called the Demon Suppression Division responsible for dealing with ghostly matters.

Therefore, although Ning Caichen was an ordinary scholar, he knew that ghosts and gods existed in the world.

Scholars, however, cultivate righteousness, respect ghosts and gods, but are not afraid of them.

Therefore, after hearing Niu Jun's reminder, Ning Caichen was only slightly taken aback before accepting the existence of strange ghosts in Lanruo Temple, and bowed again to express his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your reminder, Brother Niu. I understand now."

"You are not afraid?"

Seeing Ning Caichen's calm and fearless expression, Niu Jun became somewhat curious.

Ning Caichen said, "The sage said that reading cultivates righteousness. As long as one's heart is upright, one can cultivate righteousness and make ghosts and gods flee. Although I have not cultivated righteousness, I have never done anything wrong, so I am naturally not afraid of ghosts and gods."

"Since you're not afraid, then you might as well stay here. You can keep me company."

Niu Jun said with a smile.

Although he was neither a gentleman nor an upright person, he enjoyed dealing with such people.

Just as many bad people like to befriend good people, those with deep-seated cunning prefer those with pure hearts.

"It's my wish, but I don't dare to ask for my ear!"

Ning Caichen said with a delighted expression.

Earlier on the way, he discovered that Niu Jun was extremely knowledgeable, had his own unique insights into many things, and could pinpoint the crux of the matter.

For Ning Caichen, being able to learn from and consult with Niu Jun for a period of time is undoubtedly a delightful thing.

So when Ning Caichen heard Niu Jun's words, he was overjoyed and immediately got some straw to lay on the ground as a bed and set up a wooden board as a table, intending to live there for a long time.

……

Soon after.

The sun is about to set.

Another scholar arrived at Lanruo Temple and opened the door to the locked room on the south side.

The scholar was about twenty years old, with a fair complexion and an extraordinary, heroic appearance. He had a tattered animal skin bag hanging from his waist.

Niu Jun looked at the scholar with great interest, his gaze sweeping over the animal skin bag at the scholar's waist.

If he wasn't mistaken.

This pale-faced scholar, with his handsome and extraordinary appearance, was none other than Yan Chixia.

The animal skin bag at his waist was a sword pouch containing a three-inch-long flying sword.

In the story of Nie Xiaoqian from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio", Yan Chixia used the flying sword in the sword pouch to injure the Rakshasa demon, and then gave the sword pouch containing the flying sword to Ning Caichen for protection.

Years later, Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian got married. The Rakshasa Demon went to seek revenge, but the sword sheath was spiritual and swallowed the Rakshasa Demon whole, turning it into a pool of clear water.

Niu Jun looked at Yan Chixia's sword pouch not because he was interested in it, but because he was thinking about whether he should leave Ning Caichen a treasure like Yan Chixia in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: Nie Xiaoqian," so that he could kill the demon in two separate ways.

the reason is simple.

Although he did not know the essence of this mythical power, he understood the key elements of mythological stories and ghost stories.

He even suspected that the final distribution of mythical power was based on each person's participation and performance in the story.

The more times you appear in the story, the more often you are mentioned.

Ultimately, the amount of mythical power they can obtain will likely be substantial.

Continue thinking along these lines.

Killing a demon directly is definitely not as effective as letting it dart around a couple more times.

It's a story!
It's bound to be full of twists and turns.

It shouldn't be too bland, nor too short.

(End of this chapter)