Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 57 Qiao'er is the tightest-lipped
Song Yan's guess was correct, Mingyue was indeed from the Hehuan Sect.

All those who have some influence in the court and in the martial arts world know about the relationship between Qun Yuyuan and Hehuan Sect. Many people even go to Qun Yuyuan specifically for the reputation of Hehuan Sect, wanting to experience how exquisite the women of Hehuan Sect are. However, no one has publicized it, and it has almost become an unspoken secret.

There was nothing he could do. Although he liked the sect in his heart, the Hehuan Sect's reputation was not good after all. In the words of those old scholars, the Hehuan Sect's ethos was like a flood and a beast, endangering the aspiring young people of Ningguo.

Even those old scholars, each of whom has white hair and beard, still have a lot of say.

Speaking of which, in everyone's stereotype, the disciples of the Hehuan Sect are all young ladies with charming bodies, but few people know that in the beginning, the Hehuan Sect had male disciples, and even the grand master was a man.

The secret method of the Hehuan Sect is also divided into two parts, one for men to practice and the other for women to practice. The fusion of the two will form the great way.

The lost secret book was used by men for their cultivation, but without male disciples to cooperate with them, the women were also in decline.

Mingyue shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She took the manuscript of Linjiangxian from the table. The original manuscript of such a masterpiece was of great value for collection.

Cui Shi'an, who was a step slower, stamped his feet and beat his chest. If this manuscript was in his hands, he could earn at least a hundred gold leaves with just a few operations. What a loss, a huge loss.

Even as they walked, Mingyue kept her eyes fixed on the words on the manuscript. The characters were beautiful, the words even more so. She seemed completely absorbed in a scene, unable to extricate herself. It wasn't until she heard several shouts nearby that she woke up and looked up to find herself on the small bridge.

Next to him was a pretty girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed quite brightly, lively and cute. She was Jin Qiaoer, a top courtesan in Qun Yuyuan.

"Sister Mingyue, has someone seduced you? Why are you so entranced?" Jin Qiaoer's voice was as clear and crisp as a lively sparrow. "I almost thought you were going to commit suicide by jumping into the water."

Mingyue, startled awake, rolled her eyes at Jin Qiao'er. Before she could say anything, Jin Qiao'er began chattering away, vividly describing what had happened in the front hall not long ago. "Oh, oh, Sister Mingyue, just now, Song Yun admitted it himself. He wrote 'Falling flowers, a man standing alone, light rain, swallows flying in pairs.' It's a pity there are only fragments left. If it were a complete poem, I wonder how beautiful it would be."

"That Song Yan is so despicable. He actually came out here with my brother's poem and acted pretentiously... It's a pity that I used to like him very much."

Mingyue was stunned. "You said Song Yun personally admitted that he wrote that poem? And there are only fragments?"

Jin Qiaoer nodded her head. "Yes, yes, Mr. Song is truly a gentleman. Even when he arrived at Qun Yu Garden, he only enjoyed tea and listened to music. You don't know that many playboys in the building just now offered themselves for his bed, but they were all rejected by Mr. Song. Haven't you always wanted to find this talented man? It's a pity that you are not here. Mr. Song just left."

"Heh..." Mingyue frowned slightly and sneered, "Such a good sentence, only he? Is he worthy of it?"

Jin Qiaoer was stunned. She didn't expect Mingyue to have such an attitude. Sister Mingyue had always admired that talented man very much, so why was she so disdainful now... No, it was disgust.

Inadvertently, he saw the paper in Mingyue's hand and squeezed his little head over. The moving words accompanied by the crisp voice had a unique charm:
“…The bright moon was there then, shining on the colorful clouds as they returned!”

When the poem was finished, Jin Qiaoer's eyes widened: "Who wrote this?"

"Song Yan..." She opened her mouth subconsciously and the words came out. Mingyue then remembered what Song Yan had just said and quickly blocked Jin Qiaoer's mouth with a finger: "Shh, Qiaoer, please don't tell anyone. Young Master Song doesn't want others to know that he wrote such a poem."

Jin Qiao'er was puzzled: "Why?"

With a good poem like this, you don’t have to spend money to visit a brothel.

Mingyue tilted her head: "Maybe it's because they have a deep brotherly love?"

"Anyway, don't talk nonsense."

Jin Qiaoer immediately straightened her chest and said, "Don't worry, Sister Mingyue, you know me. Qiaoer is the tightest-lipped person."

……

In front of the low attic.

Cui Shian's eyes were full of envy: "Brother Song! Did you see that? Miss Mingyue's eyes were all sticky when she looked at you just now."

Slimy? What's the adjective for this? It feels a bit cheesy.

Zhao Anze also said with a smile: "That's right. Although I have known Miss Mingyue for two years, this is the first time I have seen her look at a man like this. Song boy, work harder. It would be nice to marry her home as a concubine."

"Second Elder, please stop joking with me."

"Why, do you look down on Mingyue? Although Mingyue is a virgin in Qunyu Garden, not to mention the girls in the brothel, even the courtesans are virgins. There's nothing to worry about."

Song Yan sighed: "Have you ever seen a son-in-law take a concubine?"

"That's right. It's a pity for you to be a son-in-law." Lu Changqing shook his head and walked into the house. He picked up the wine pot familiarly and warmed up a pot of rice wine.

After three rounds of drinking.

Everyone was a little tipsy, and Lu Changqing finally said, "Song boy, do you know that there will be a Spring Examination next year?"

This change of topic was so abrupt... Song Yan complained in his heart and shook his head.

Lu Changqing and Zhao Anze gave Song Yan some knowledge about scientific research. The scientific research in this world is quite different from that in the original world.

The Ningguo imperial examination is held every three years, usually in spring and autumn. After all, the temperature in these two seasons is suitable, unlike winter and summer, which are either too cold or too hot. An examination often lasts two or three days, and eating and drinking are done in the examination rooms. It requires extremely high physical fitness of the candidates. If it is held in winter and summer, it will seriously affect the candidates' performance.

The imperial examinations in spring are called the Spring Examination, and those in autumn are called the Autumn Examination.

"In Ningguo, the imperial examination is divided into five stages. The first is the provincial examination. Those who pass it are considered tongsheng."

"The second is the county exam, which only tongsheng can take. Those who pass will become scholars."

"The third time is the provincial examination. If you pass it, you will be a juren."

"The fourth time is the imperial examination, for the Jinshi degree."

"Finally, there's the palace examination, which will rank the Jinshi scholars as top three, second, first, second, and those who fail."

"If you take first place in every exam, you will be awarded the title of Five Yuan Pass."

Song Yan pursed his lips and listened silently. The imperial examination in Ningguo was indeed complicated. In the ancient times in his previous life, the first place in the imperial examination was three, but here it became the first place in the imperial examination.

In the more than one hundred years since the founding of Ningguo, there has never been a talented person who has passed the imperial examination.

Lu Changqing took another sip of rice wine and fiddled with the willow charcoal in the stove, which sizzled and emitted sparks: "The provincial and county examinations are relatively simple. Each candidate will be given a set of bound papers, a total of ten sheets, one hundred questions, including thirty questions on classics, thirty questions on law, twenty questions on mathematics, and twenty questions on calligraphy!" He didn't expect that the imperial examination would also test calligraphy. But then again, the ancients attached great importance to calligraphy. If the handwriting was poor, the examiner would probably not even be interested in looking at the answer.

"As for the provincial examination, there will be one hundred questions on classics, law, and mathematics. This is the first round. The second round will test poetry and songs, and the third round will test policy essays."

Every game is a day.

At this point, the difficulty increases.

Not to mention anything else, writing out all the answers to a hundred questions on scriptures, laws, and mathematics with a brush is something that not everyone can do.

"The Beijing-style exam consists of two parts: one for poetry and song, and one for policy essays."

"When it comes to the palace examination, the emperor will set the topic, and all candidates will write a policy essay based on it."

It seems to be the easiest one, but it is the most stressful one. There is no way around it, because the emperor, who is the invigilator, is sitting on the dragon throne and staring at you.

Alexander, that's all.

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

"Young people just don't have patience. Hear me out." Elder Lu drank another glass of wine. "Although the Ningguo imperial examinations are complicated, the questions...are the same year after year."

"The legal questions are all about the same old cases over and over again, and the math questions are nothing more than swapping chickens and rabbits for ducks and sheep, or geese and buffaloes, with just a few numbers changed... Those students don't need to be proficient in law or math; as long as they remember the fixed problem-solving methods, they can hand in a pretty good answer. It's really boring, so this year the court decided to add a few more unique questions to the exam..."

"I once worked in the Dali Temple and later transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, while Mr. Zhao worked in the Ministry of Justice." Elder Lu glanced at Zhao Anze and said, "So, the task of formulating laws and studying new mathematical topics falls on the two of us."

"It's just that we've traveled to several state capitals, but the cases we encountered were all similar, not much different from the test questions. But the Zhang San you mentioned really caught our eyes. I wonder if you have encountered any similar bizarre cases over there?" Old Lu said with a smile, as if he had discovered a treasure.

What is weird?

Can't you use a better word?
"As for the young man from the Cui family, I'm afraid no one in the entire Ning Kingdom can surpass him in mathematical attainments."

Song Yan understood that this meant he was to be Ge Jun.

"Then if we take the imperial examination, wouldn't it be unfair to other scholars?" Song Yan blinked.

Zhao Anze sighed, "You're a son-in-law, and he's a businessman. What does the imperial examination for scholars have to do with you?"

"Aren't you afraid that we might leak the test questions?" Song Yan pointed at Cui Shian beside him. "I'm sure we won't, but I seriously suspect that if the money is enough, Brother Cui would sell out his own sister without hesitation, let alone the test questions."

Cui Shian glared as if he wanted to refute, but after thinking carefully, he agreed with Song Yan's words.

Lu Changqing said kindly, "Don't worry about that. The Ningguo Imperial Examination is extremely strict. There are people who dare to leak the exam questions, but they all lost their heads."

forget it.

"What's more, we're just using it as a reference. The actual questions on the exam will definitely be changed, so even if the questions are leaked, the impact won't be significant."

"Of course, I won't let you work for nothing." Lu Changqing knew very well how to control Song Yan. He took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table: "One hundred taels for one question."

Song Yan narrowed his eyes. The bill of exchange from Qian's bank could be exchanged in Songzhou Prefecture, and it also came with a code word.

After thinking for a moment, Song Yan said, "What is Mr. Lu doing? As a citizen of Ningguo, it is my duty to help Ningguo students improve their academic level. How can I accept money?"

Lu Changqing was somewhat touched. He had thought that Song Yan was a greedy person, but he did not expect that he could be so righteous. However, he had been judging others by his own standards.

If he continued to give money, it would seem like a humiliation. Thinking of this, Lu Changqing prepared to take back the bills.

He just pulled it, but the bill didn't move at all. He looked down and found that Song Yan's fingers had been pressing on the bill, and he slowly and firmly pulled the bill out of his hand.

"It's just that I dare not refuse a gift from an elder. Elder Lu has already taken it out. If I don't accept it, wouldn't that be disrespectful to Elder Lu?"

Old Lu was stunned, then he slapped his thigh and scolded with a smile: "You brat... take it, take it all."

If I put all the papers I did in my previous life together, they would probably be several meters high. I never thought that I would have to give questions to others one day. Inexplicably, a trace of evil thoughts emerged in my chest:
Students of Ningguo, your blessing has come!

Thinking of this, Song Yan's smile grew even wider. He quietly put all the twenty pieces of paper, each worth one hundred taels, and the paper with the secret code recorded on it, into his arms, suppressing the corners of his mouth that curled up:
"But I have one more request!"

"explain."

"I can ask questions, but I will never sign my name."

"Why is that?" Elders Lu and Zhao were somewhat puzzled. After all, being able to sign one's name on an imperial examination paper was a matter of great honor for a scholar.

"I'm afraid of being beaten." Clearing his throat, Song Yan said, "Please listen to the first question."

The two elders hurriedly found paper and pen and prepared to record:
"There is a man named Zhang San..."

Mr. Lu frowned. "Why is it Zhang San again? Can't he just change his name?"

Song Yan shook his head: "Everything else can be changed, but Zhang San is the only one that cannot be changed."

"Okay, as you wish."

"There was a man named Zhang San who saw Li Si forcing a woman. He asked Li Si: 'Can I come in?' Li Si replied: 'Yes.' Zhang San then came in..."

As Song Yan's voice rang out faintly in the room, everyone stopped what they were doing, even Mr. Zhao who was recording the questions was no exception. They all looked at Song Yan in amazement.

"Excuse me, has Zhang San violated the law? If so, what crime has he committed? If not, is it considered a heroic act? Why?"

puff!
The yellow wine that Mr. Lu had just drunk finally spurted out. In his forty years as an official, this was the first time he had lost his composure like this. Unfortunately, the words Mr. Zhao had just written on the white paper were smudged.

Is this a question a human could ask?
Here is the second chapter of 4,000 words.

Thank you Jiujiu Bushi Wanwanwan, book friend 2020****3493 for the reward, thank you for your support
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(End of this chapter)