Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 103: Jichuan County, Chen Xu (fourth update)
Ding Qian was radiant and took the lead.

Among the many houses ahead, there was only one house above which the shadow of a giant bell could be seen faintly.

Ding Qian walked quickly in front, following the instructions, and then he saw that in the room indicated by the giant bell, the young man was putting down the pen and ink in his hand.

A piece of snow-white rolled paper was spread out in the middle of the table, with fresh ink on it.

Ding Qian remembered the appearance of the young man, who was Chen Xu from Jichuan County, whom he had checked in advance.

All the candidates on both sides of the dormitory were stunned.

What happened?
But no one dared to make a noise, and just watched the chief examiner and deputy examiner walk to a room.

The prefect Ding Qian was in high spirits, but he was also trying to restrain himself.

He smiled and asked, "You took the exam today, and it attracted a beetle to strike the bell. Do you know what that means?"

Chen Xu sat in his dormitories and bowed, saying, "My student is rude. I am honored to meet you, Grandmaster. I would like to ask for your guidance."

Ding Qian was very pleased with his message and said immediately, "Since I came to the examination hall, the paperworms have been a strange phenomenon.

This phenomenon will naturally select the student who has the best answer in this exam and obscure his perception as a test.

If students can pass the test, break through ignorance, gain enlightenment in the examination room, and finish all the unfinished answer sheets, so that the paperworms can also be influenced by them, they will be able to attract the paperworms to ring the bell.

The borer strikes the Juntian bell. Four sounds mean passing, five sounds are excellent, and six sounds are perfect.

Whenever a bell was struck by a coiled beetle, that candidate would be instantly recognized as the top scorer of the examination. The ringing of the bell six times was unprecedented in a century.

You stand up now and hand in your papers and be awarded the title. According to the decision of this dynasty's imperial examination, you are the first in this exam.

By the way, now you can tell me the origin of your name."

After he finished speaking, the whole place fell into silence.

The students on both sides were stunned. They hadn't even finished the exam yet, but someone had already been named the top scorer?

Is there still fairness in the world?

But from what the Lord implied, the beetle striking the bell was a sign of something strange happening in the exam room. If even something strange had been triggered, what was there to argue about with this first place finish?
The students didn't dare to whisper to each other in front of the examiner, but each of them had a very rich expression.

Some people already knew the story of the beetle hitting the bell, and at this moment they could only feel envy and admiration.

Some people have less experience and although they feel that they have not fully understood the power of the beetle's bell-striking sound, they also know how to remain silent and forbearing.

Some people showed obvious resentment on their faces——

So what if I’m angry?
They could only watch as the man stood up from his cell, bowed to the examiner again, and said his name in front of everyone.

"Reporting to the Grandmaster, my student is Chen Xu from Jichuan County."

Jichuan County, Chen Xu!

From now on, this name will be well-known.

Chen Xu's test paper was taken away and put into a box with runes on it.

He followed the examiners to the front of the examination room and exchanged a few words with them.

During the process, Ding Qian was the main person asking questions, and the two deputy examiners didn't say much.

It was not until Ding Qian had the clerk take Chen Xu to the entrance of the examination hall to wait for the gate to open that the deputy examiner, Shi Wentao, with an exceptionally fair face, said in a pinched voice, "It is rare for Yunjiang Prefecture to have such a talented person. You must not neglect him."

The clerk who received the order bowed and said, "Of course I wouldn't dare. Please rest assured, sir."

Ding Qian chuckled.

Shi Wentao shut his mouth again and stopped talking.

Chen Xu followed the clerk out of the examination room—

In fact, it was just leaving the area of ​​the dormitory, not leaving the Imperial Examination Hall.

You can't leave the Imperial Examination Hall early. You have to wait until the last exam is over, then the gates will be unlocked and everyone can leave together. And in the small open space next to the gate, there were actually several people squatting.

There were several soldiers guarding the gate standing by with guns, while the people squatting all looked decadent and haggard.

It turned out that these people had made mistakes in the examination room before, and were disqualified from the examination early and expelled to this door.

Although they were expelled, they were still unable to leave the Imperial Examination Hall.

One of them was originally sitting not far away from Chen Xu. He had just finished writing most of the test paper when it was suddenly blown away by a gust of wind.

The guards retrieved the test paper for him, but his qualification to take the exam was also cancelled.

He had some impression of Chen Xu's appearance. When he turned around and saw Chen Xu appear, he blurted out, "You came out before you even finished the exam. What did you do wrong?"

His expression was quite surprised.

Obviously it means: I feel happy when I see someone living worse than me.

The two clerks who brought Chen Xu out frowned and were about to scold him.

But Chen Xu sighed and said, "I finished the test paper early, so I came out early. Is this considered a crime?"

"Is that so?" The student whose test paper was blown by the wind stood up awkwardly. "Why did you hand it in so early? Did you just not write well or couldn't finish it, so you just handed it in early?

By the way, the bell inside just rang six times. Do you know why? "

Chen Xu: "I know, but I guess you probably don't want to know."

"What?" Feng Xuezi was a little confused and asked again, "Hey, are you going to take the exam next year? I always fail and I almost don't want to take it anymore. By the way, how many times have you taken the provincial exam this year?"

Chen Xu said, "It's the fourth year."

The other party suddenly sighed, and looked at Chen Xu with a hint of pity in his eyes: "It's the fourth year, I'm fine, this is my third year, and you have it harder than me.

In that case, I might as well take the test again next year.

Next year, we must be fully prepared and never let our exam papers get blown away by the wind again!"

Feng Xuezi gritted his teeth as he spoke, and finally told Chen Xu his name: "Brother, I am Zhang Yu from Yunheng County. May I know your name?"

He didn't notice that the two clerks were looking at him with the same pity as he looked at Chen Xu.

Chen Xu pondered for a moment, thinking that he would not change his name, so he finally said, "I am Chen Xu from Jichuan County."

Zhang Yu patted Chen Xu's shoulder and said comfortingly, "I think you are not too old. Even if you take the exam again next year, it won't be too old. Unlike these brothers, they are all a little older.

Otherwise, if you have a family with you, it will be very inconvenient.

These people are all hesitating whether to take the exam next year."

Chen Xu: ...

The expressions of the people squatting there were very bleak. Zhang Yu talked to Chen Xu for a long time but they didn't say a word.

When Zhang Yu mentioned them, one of them sighed and said, "Forget it. I shouldn't take the exam again. I can't understand the art of divination no matter what I do. I think it will be the same even if I take the exam for a few more years."

My family isn't very wealthy, and if I continue to take the exam I'll have to rely on my wife's dowry to make a living. I might as well find a way to make a living."

The others remained silent, so Zhang Yu said, "You should find a way to make a living. You can't just live off your wife, right?"

That person: ...

A minor official could no longer hold back and burst out laughing at this moment.

Zhang Yu turned around and was about to ask the clerk what he was laughing at when he heard three bells ring: Dong, Dong, Dong.

It turned out that the exam was finally over, and the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall was slowly opened by the soldiers guarding outside.

(End of this chapter)