I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality-Chapter 78 - 66: The Provincial Examination_2

The noisy hall gradually quieted down, and Guo Dongyang put down the ruler and began to chat.

One moment he was talking about the prosperous customs of the capital city, and the next moment he seamlessly transitioned to talking about the equally wealthy Jiangnan.

He said that during the festive temple fairs in the six regions of Jiangnan, they would hold a "Foot Competition." The so-called Foot Competition is a beauty contest. At that time, people were more reserved and did not want to show their faces even for beauty contests. So, what should they do?

The locals came up with a compromise: the participating women would sit around an open field or in a cart, veiled, so their faces could not be seen.

Some might ask, how could it be called a beauty contest if they couldn’t see the faces? That shows the ignorance of outsiders. The Foot Competition is also called the ’Lotus Foot Competition,’ and the beauty standards naturally have something to do with ’feet.’

At that time, the participating women would reveal their lotus feet, still covered in shoes and socks, whether they were embroidered with lotus leaves or butterflies, various delicate embroidered shoes for people to admire and evaluate, which one would not see in Jin Sect...

In the teahouse, Zhu Huai’an’s eyes sparkled as he listened, feeling that if he didn’t go to Jiangnan once in his lifetime, he would have wasted his life!

He had already wasted this life; a few days ago, when he went to the Book Phoenix Pavilion, he said he wanted to spend a night with Miss Wan’er.

Now that he had been to the Book Phoenix Pavilion, his eyes were set on another place.

When Guo Dongyang finished chatting and saw that everyone was engaged, he was ready to proceed to the story he wanted to tell today...

"Listen to it for the moment,

Like rain on the bean rack and melon trellis.

Even if people get tired of mortal words,

They love to hear ghosts sing poems in autumn graves."

"Everyone, I recently got a good book called ’Corpse Transformation’..."

With a loud slap on the table, Guo Dongyang looked around, and the hall fell silent.

"It is said that in the former dynasty, there was a place called Yangxin County, where an old man who ran an inn lived in Caidian Village..."

Zhu Huai’an, who was supposed to go to the painting boat for tea, ended up listening to the book for half a day with Xu Qing.

As night fell, Guo Dongyang greeted Xu Qing, and the two old men sharing the table were clearly acquaintances with Guo Dongyang, and they were all chatting together.

Listening to their conversation, Xu Qing then realized that the two old men were the supervisors responsible for grading the provincial exams, and Guo Dongyang was a scholar who participated in the same provincial exams session as them.

Xu Qing clicked his tongue. A scholar with a clean background and someone to vouch for him, yet he was unwilling to continue the imperial examinations and enter the court; instead, he wandered around teahouses and taverns telling stories. Isn’t he also a reclusive master?

...

Jinmen Prefecture City had just experienced a spring rain. The city air was now heavy with moisture, and at night, the dense rising night fog resembled ghostly soldiers clearing the way, as if the underworld had manifested.

Some tea guests who had just listened to the story of the corpse transformation still looked over their shoulders from time to time while walking down the road, fearing that a zombie might suddenly jump out.

Zhu Huai’an craned his neck to look around, finding that he couldn’t see people’s faces clearly beyond five steps.

The chubby little guy was so scared that he refused to go home alone, insisting on pulling Xu Qing to accompany him.

He said he was afraid of encountering the zombies from the corpse transformation story.

Xu Qing remembered the promise to write story drafts for Guo Dongyang and had no time to accompany a man on a night walk.

"Go find your family’s guards. I have something to do; don’t pull my clothes."

"I sneaked out; where would I get guards? Good brother, send me back, and I’ll have the chef make you something delicious..."

"You’re a Crown Prince; how can you not have guards when you go out? Even if you sneaked out, they would follow you. What’s there to fear!"

Ever since surpassing the Iron Armored Corpse, Xu Qing’s five senses had surpassed those of ordinary martial artists. He had long since detected someone following him.

"Is that so? Would they be able to spot me sneaking out of the palace?"

Zhu Huai’an looked around suspiciously.

"Why don’t you shout and see?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huai’an brightened up, then grabbed Xu Qing’s hand and placed it around his neck, shouting to break the silence of the street. freewebnσvel.cøm

"Help! I’m about to be murdered! Can anyone save me..."

Xu Qing’s face turned dark instantly. He had told him to shout, but not like this!

But the effect was genuinely good. After Zhu Huai’an’s shout, several figures immediately sprang out from the teahouse, the alley entrance, and the rooftops.

As these people gathered around with hostile looks, Zhu Huai’an immediately changed his expression, released Xu Qing’s hand, and instructed coldly, "This is my friend, the shouting was a test for you..."

Watching Zhu Huai’an putting on airs, Xu Qing thought it best to stay away from this chubby guy in the future. He was too unreliable and might bring trouble any day.

...

In the private room of the teahouse, the shopkeeper had specially added several candles.

In the private room, the elderly Guo Dongyang was still accompanying Xu Qing, burning the midnight oil.

Most of the time, Xu Qing was talking while Guo Dongyang was recording.

One story draft after another was produced. Xu Qing, familiar with the Scripture of Books, recited each tale without pause until the writing Guo Dongyang called for a break. He would then pick up the drafts to examine.

As expected of a scholar, even though he wrote swiftly, the drafts were exceptionally neat.

Xu Qing looked at the draft for a while, lost in thought.

These stories, when viewed separately, did not evoke much emotion, but when connected, they provided a sense of journey through the mortal world, embracing the myriad emotions of life.

Perhaps years later, after reciting the stories of the dead, transcending countless spirits, he could write his own Corpse Talk.

...

The night passed without a word.

The next morning, Wu Zhiyuan led a fine steed to the teahouse.

This was the prized horse rewarded by the Crown Prince the previous day. Wu Zhiyuan was in high spirits, hoping the provincial exams would end quickly so he could ride the Thousand-Mile Steed to the capital city and participate in the autumn imperial examinations, not disappointing the Crown Prince.

Wu Wencai, slightly less talented, did not receive the steed, but was still recognized and rewarded with some precious items.

The two brought Xu Qing to the teahouse to celebrate, while Guo Dongyang, upon hearing the news, just shook his head silently.

Unable to stand his deliberate posturing, Xu Qing asked him directly in front of the Wu brothers.

Guo Dongyang sighed deeply, "Twins assisting a dragon, what a beautiful tale. But the current Crown Prince is already old, even if he has the will to build power, it’s a castle in the air, and it might vanish like a bubble any moment."

"Royal struggles always end in rivers of blood. The situation is unclear now; instead of worrying about these matters, it’s better to focus on getting your qualifications and calmly wait for the opportune moment."

Guo Dongyang, experienced and wise, with a profound knowledge of various places, naturally had a far-sighted perspective.

"The waters of the capital city run deep; my advice is to focus on the imperial examinations and avoid getting involved in any conflicts."

The Wu brothers were not foolish, sensing the hidden meaning in Guo Dongyang’s words.

This old gentleman probably knew some insider information but could only hint at it.

Wu Zhiyuan rose to bow in thanks, followed by Wu Wencai.

Only Xu Qing remained calm.

After the provincial exams, once he earned his scholar title, he would return to Linhe to continue running his funeral shop, casually repairing Corpse Immortals and visiting flower houses.

As for becoming an official, it was not worth as much as a strand of hair from any of the bodies in his shop.

...

The Wu brothers did not attend the final literary gathering at Jade Shadow Pavilion. Their aim of making a name had already been achieved with their outstanding performances over the past few days.

Having received advice from Guo Dongyang, they no longer let pride get to their heads, focusing on studying and preparing for the exams.

Early the next morning, the provincial exams officially began.

Xu Qing and the Wu brothers went to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office together, handed over their Examination Guide, and followed the examiners to their respective cubicles to await their papers.

The provincial exams differ from the county exams, requiring three consecutive days of exams, one session per day.

The first day tested the Scripture of Books, the second day miscellaneous essays, and the last day policy discourse.

In simple terms, it tested memory, writing skills, and the ability to express political views on current affairs.

Although Xu Qing was well-versed in the scriptures and essays, he wasn’t sure he could write a satisfactory policy discourse. After all, it required guessing the examiners’ intentions, and no one knew the exact criteria before the exams.

For two days, they ate, drank, and stayed in the exam hall. By the third day’s policy discourse, Xu Qing noticed three additional examiners among the proctors.

One was the current Crown Prince, another was the informant from the literary gathering, and the third was a pale, beardless elderly man with a refined, gentle demeanor.

Xu Qing answered his paper quietly, and when the three exams were over, everyone submitted their papers and left the exam hall one by one.