We said we would experience life, fairy, how did you become real?.

Chapter 102 Two Hearts Yearning for Each Other, Sharing the Snow, May We Grow Old Together in This Life (4400 words)
"So this is the capital of Beihai Prefecture, Xiao Mo. It's so lively here."

As soon as Bai Ruxue and Xiao Mo entered the Beihai Prefecture, they saw pedestrians coming and going on the street, and all kinds of small vendors shouting their wares on both sides of the street.

"It's quite lively." Xiao Mo nodded.

It was winter, and the entire town was covered in a thick layer of snow after a recent heavy snowfall.

But this did nothing to mask the town's hustle and bustle.

In Xiao Mo's mind, he compared the capital of Beihai Prefecture with that of three thousand years ago.

Three thousand years have passed, and although the name has not changed, the layout of the entire Beihai Prefecture has indeed changed a lot.

Overall, however, it has become more prosperous than before.

"Candied hawthorns! Candied hawthorns for sale!"

Not far away, an old man was shouting.

Bai Ruxue's eyes lit up, and she pulled Xiao Mo over, saying, "Xiao Mo, I want to eat this!"

"Sir, how much is one skewer?"

"Three coins a string."

"Give me a string of candied hawthorns," Xiao Mo said with a smile, handing over three coins.

A moment later, Bai Ruxue and Xiao Mo continued walking forward, but now they had a string of candied hawthorns in their hands.

Watching the woman beside him eat candied hawthorns, Xiao Mo couldn't help but smile, as if everything had returned to three thousand years ago.

Three thousand years ago, Ru Xue also accompanied me to the capital of Jiangnan Prefecture to take the imperial examination.

Today, Ru Xue accompanied me to the capital of Beihai Prefecture to participate in the assessment of Bailu Academy.

It seems that nothing has changed.

"What's wrong with Xiao Mo? Do you want some too? Here you go."

Bai Ruxue raised the candied hawthorn, her sleeve sliding down her delicate, lotus-like arm.

"No, you can have it." Xiao Mo smiled. "By the way, Ru Xue really likes candied hawthorns?"

"It's alright~" Bai Ruxue shook her head. "When I'm with you, I just want to eat candied hawthorns."

"why?"

"Silly Xiao Mo, don't you know that the inside of a candied hawthorn is sour?"

"What does this have to do with me being with you?"

"Of course it's related!" Bai Ruxue's eyes crinkled into a smile. "As long as I'm with you, the candied hawthorn doesn't taste so sour anymore!"

"..." Xiao Mo paused slightly, then looked at the woman beside him, his eyes softening. "In that case, eat more."

"Xiao Mo, eating too many candied hawthorns can get cloying." Bai Ruxue gently tugged at Xiao Mo's sleeve. "But whenever I want candied hawthorns, you're always there for me, okay?"

Xiao Mo reached out and patted the woman's head: "Okay."

Hearing Xiao Mo's reply, Bai Ruxue lowered her head and continued to eat the candied hawthorn in small bites, her cheeks flushed with a pretty blush.

soon.

Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue found an inn to stay in.

After putting down her baggage, Bai Ruxue followed Xiao Mo to the local examination hall to register for the selection of Bailu Academy.

The prefect of Beihai Prefecture lent the examination hall to Bailu Academy, and the examination venue was also the examination hall in Beihai Prefecture.

The number of students who want to participate in the Bailu Academy selection process is neither too many nor too few.

There's no reason not to, because anyone with a certain spiritual root and who is also a scholar will generally choose to give it a try, and Bailu Academy generally welcomes all applicants.

It's rare, because there aren't many ordinary people who can cultivate themselves, let alone follow the path of Confucianism and Taoism.

Xiao Mo successfully registered and will go directly to the examination hall to take the test five days later.

Before we knew it, five days had passed.

On the day of the exam, Bai Ruxue personally escorted Xiao Mo to the examination hall.

"Don't be nervous during the exam."

"Ah."

"Xiao Mo, you must believe in yourself. You will definitely pass the test."

"knew."

"It doesn't matter if we don't pass the exam, we can always go to another academy."

"If all else fails, I'll help you bring over a few teachers from Confucian academies to give you private lessons."

On the way to the exam, Bai Ruxue kept talking to Xiao Mo, afraid that he would be heartbroken if he failed.

"Ru Xue, don't worry, I'm really fine. If I don't pass the exam, it just means I'm not capable enough," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "Besides, it's supposed to be my exam, so why do you seem more nervous than me?"

"I didn't," Bai Ruxue turned her head away.

"That's good." Xiao Mo stopped in his tracks. "Ru Xue, I'm going to take the exam."

Bai Ruxue then noticed that she and Xiao Mo had arrived at the gate of the examination hall.

The woman raised her head and looked earnestly at Xiao Mo: "I'll wait for you to come out."

Xiao Mo stepped back, bowed to the beauty, turned and disappeared into the crowd, entering the examination hall.

Standing on tiptoe in front of the examination hall, the girl gazed into the distance again and again.

Imperial Examination Hall.

An old man was sitting in a room.

Two disciples, a man and a woman, stood beside the old man.

"Jiuli, how many scholars are participating in the selection process of my Bailu Academy this time?"

Qi Daoming, a teacher at Bailu Academy, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked a question.

"Teacher, there are a total of 325 scholars participating in this selection," the girl named Shang Jiuli said playfully.

“Three hundred and twenty-five.” Qi Daoming stroked his chin. “That’s definitely more than usual.”

The man named Luo Yang calmly said, "It would be a great blessing if two out of these 325 disciples could pass the test."

Just as the three were chatting, an official in charge of helping them knocked on the door and came in: "Mr. Qi, all the scholars who participated in this assessment have arrived."

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zhang." Qi Daoming smiled, put down his teacup, and stood up. "Let's go and meet the scholars of Beihai Prefecture."

"Yes!"

Luo Yang and Shang Jiuli bowed to each other and followed their master out of the room.

More than three hundred scholars stood in the large courtyard.

When they saw the old man walk out of the room, the noise gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to the old man.

"I will be presiding over today's assessment at Bailu Academy. My name is Qi Daoming. Greetings to all of you." Qi Daoming bowed.

"Greetings, sir." The crowd quickly returned the greeting.

"I never expected it to be this Mr. Qi."

"What's wrong with Mr. Qi?"

"You don't know this? Old Master Qi is the Chancellor of the Confucian Academy."

"Not only that, Mr. Qi is also the junior brother of the current head of the Confucian Academy."

"Why would Mr. Qi become a teacher at Bailu Academy?"

"It's nothing. Mr. Qi likes to travel around and study. It just so happens that Bailu Academy is short of some teachers, so he stayed."

Standing in the crowd, Xiao Mo heard the whispers around him and roughly understood the background of this Mr. Qi. It turned out that this old man was not just an ordinary gentleman.

"Today's assessment consists of three parts. The first part is to test your knowledge. Please take your seats." Mr. Qi gestured for you to sit down.

The students took their seats on the prayer cushions that had been prepared in the examination hall.

With a wave of his sleeve, Mr. Qi sent the exam papers fluttering down onto the small tables in front of each person: "The exam will last for one hour. Please answer the questions."

The candidates flipped through the exam papers.

In Xiao Mo's view, this exam paper was actually similar to the regular imperial examination.

It only lacks some national and political affairs, and focuses more on the exploration of various Confucian classics.

As he wrote further, Xiao Mo discovered that it wasn't just Confucian books, but also some miscellaneous books available on the market.

An hour later, Mr. Qi put away the scroll.

One exam paper after another floated past Mr. Qi's eyes, each one only remaining for a mere three breaths.

"Yue Penglai is qualified."

"Dialect, not acceptable."

"Wei Xinyu, qualified."

After reviewing each exam paper, Mr. Qi would read out whether the paper was qualified or not.

When the exam paper was placed in front of Mr. Qi, he stared at it for a full ten breaths. Even Shang Jiuli and Luo Yang curiously leaned closer to take a look. "Xiao Mo, you pass."

Finally, the old man recited.

In the crowd, Xiao Mo bowed respectfully.

After the first test, fewer than one hundred candidates remained.

"Congratulations on passing the first test. The first test relies on your knowledge, but as you all know, the students of Bailu Academy are not only scholars, but also cultivators."

Next, we will test everyone based on their level of cultivation.

Qi Daoming stepped forward, picked up an inkstone, and then splashed it into the air.

The ink in the inkstone separated into drops, which landed on each person's forehead.

Xiao Mo's consciousness gradually succumbed.

Everyone is trapped in an illusion.

In the illusion, Xiao Mo saw himself possessing endless wealth and glory, surrounded by countless luxury cars and beautiful women, and wielding immense power over the court.

"Senior brother, guess how many people will be able to wake up?" Shang Jiuli asked the man beside him.

Luo Yang glanced at the crowd: "They are all vulgar people. I don't think any of them will ever wake up."

Just as Luo Yang finished speaking, the scholar in the middle of the crowd slowly opened his eyes.

"How is this possible?" Luo Yang was shocked.

It took me half an incense stick to pass this test back then.

But the opponent only used four breaths?

"It seems that Senior Brother lost."

Shang Jiuli smiled broadly.

But when she looked at Xiao Mo, her eyes also held surprise.

This scholar is quite something.

Could it be that luxury cars, beautiful women, power, and money hold no allure for him?

Noticing that Mr. Qi and the other two were looking at him, Xiao Mo bowed and gave a salute.

One by one, the scholars gradually woke up.

But even including Xiao Mo, there are only five people.

Finally, Qi Daoming took out a writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his storage bag and placed them on a table:

"For this third test, I would like to ask you all to pick up your pens and ink and compose a poem on the theme of 'snow'?"

"Yes!"

The five men bowed, drew lots, and then took turns writing poems.

To most people, writing poetry was an incredibly simple thing.

Everyone is very confident in their talents.

But when the first person walked up to the desk, gathered his sleeves, and tried to pick up the brush on the table, he couldn't lift it no matter what he did.

Qi Daoming shook his head: "This pen name is Wenqi. When Confucian scholars cultivate themselves, they will gradually gather literary and artistic energy. If they do not have enough literary and artistic energy, let alone composing poetry, they will find it difficult to even pick up a pen. Young friend, please cultivate more in the future and come again next time."

Although the man was unwilling, he could only sigh, bow, and turn to leave the courtyard.

The second person stepped forward and picked up the brush. He could lift the brush with difficulty, but as soon as he wrote a stroke, the brush felt as heavy as a thousand pounds and slipped from his fingers.

The third person's name was Fang Chen, and he wrote down four characters.

The fourth person was named Hu Qingshan, and he wrote down half a line of poetry.

Although none of them had completed a single poem, they had already passed the test and were admitted to Bailu Academy.

Seeing their puzzled looks, Shang Jiuli, standing to the side, smiled and said:
"It's not easy for you to write a complete poem with this brush. There's not even one person in every state and county of Chu who can do it. So, as long as you can write four characters, you're considered qualified."

The two of them understood.

Shang Jiuli looked at Xiao Mo not far away with a playful expression: "Hey, you handsome scholar, it's your turn."

Xiao Mo bowed and stepped forward.

The moment he picked up his brush and ink, almost everyone outside the examination hall turned to look.

Within that courtyard, the roar of a black dragon could be heard.

At 1-3 PM, the gates of the examination hall opened, and a man dressed in a blue robe walked out.

"Xiao Mo~"

Outside the courtyard, a woman in a white dress waved her fair arms.

Looking at the woman not far away, Xiao Mo smiled slightly, walked down the steps, and the woman quickly caught up with him.

Under the watchful eyes of the other two equally qualified scholars, Xiao Mo followed the woman as she walked away step by step through the white snow on the street.

"Xiao Mo, how did you do on the exam? Did you pass?" Bai Ruxue asked.

"Yes, you've passed." Xiao Mo nodded.

"I knew you could do it." Bai Ruxue stood on tiptoe, wanting to pat his head, but he was too tall for her to reach.

If she couldn't reach it, she would just tug at his sleeve.

Bai Ruxue tugged at Xiao Mo's sleeve and shook his arm: "What kind of exams does Bailu Academy have?"

“There are three tests. The first one is answering questions,” Xiao Mo patiently explained to Bai Ruxue. “The second one is a test of character. I entered an illusion where I was surrounded by beauties, surrounded by mountains of gold and silver, and held immense power. However, I should wake up in less than four breaths.”

"So soon? Aren't you men usually quite interested in these things?" Bai Ruxue asked.

Xiao Mo smiled and said, "I wield immense power, yet I have no desire to be an official. You've shown me too much wealth and luxury, as for fancy cars and beautiful women..."

Xiao Mo looked at the woman beside him: "None of them are as pretty as you."

"That's natural."

Bai Ruxue turned her head, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears, but her small hands gripped Xiao Mo's sleeve even tighter.

After a long while, Bai Ruxue calmed down and realized that she hadn't finished asking: "Xiao Mo, what is the third test?"

"The third test is to write a poem with the theme of snow. It's actually quite simple," Xiao Mo said.

"Poetry? What kind of poetry did you write?" Bai Ruxue asked curiously.

"Want to know?" Xiao Mo stopped and looked at Bai Ruxue.

"Mmm." Bai Ruxue nodded seriously.

"This poem has four lines in total. The first two lines I wrote are..."

Xiao Mo pulled his sleeves together and began to read.

"An old friend's shadow startles on a boat beyond the clouds; the river's chill seeps into autumn."

"Hmm, not bad. What about the last two sentences?" Bai Ruxue blinked.

"The last two lines..." Just as Xiao Mo was about to read them aloud, a smile crept onto his lips.

"Never mind, I won't tell you for now." With that, Xiao Mo walked forward.

"Huh? Why are you like this?"

Bai Ruxue was stunned for a moment, then quickly ran forward, hugged Xiao Mo's arm tightly, and shook it coquettishly.

"That stinky Xiao Mo told me, hurry up and tell me!"

Inside the examination hall.

Shang Jiuli looked at the calligraphy brush on the table, and then at the neatly written poems on it.

The more Shang Jiuli looked at it, the more he liked it: "Teacher, this poem is really well written. May I have it?"

"You're being silly, girl. All three candidates' exam papers need to be reviewed by the dean."

"It's okay, teacher. My grandpa won't mind. I can just make a copy for him. Teacher, please give it to me, please give it to me!" Shang Jiuli shook the teacher's arm.

"Alright, alright, here you go." Qi Daoming was also helpless, knowing that this girl liked to collect poems, especially those written by the authors themselves.

If I don't agree, I'm afraid there won't be any peace and quiet along the way.

"Thank you, teacher." Shang Jiuli happily picked up the brush and ink, preparing to make a copy for his grandfather.

Luo Yang looked at the scholar's examination paper and felt a little excited, but in the end he couldn't take away his junior sister's favorite.

The two watched as the girl picked up her elegant calligraphy brush and, stroke by stroke, word by word, copied the characters onto the paper.

"An old friend's shadow startles the boat beyond the clouds."

"The river is so cold that it feels like autumn."

"Two hearts yearning for each other, yet both drenched in snow."

"We'll grow old together in this life."

(End of this chapter)