Xuanxia

Chapter 133 Academy Appointment
"Eh? I fell asleep completely last night?"

In the early morning sunshine, Yue Heng stared at Fu Qingzhou, overjoyed: "So, Brother Fu has already stopped the assassin from the first night?"

Fu Qingzhou smiled at him and casually threw a big, round, plump fruit to him: "Would you like some?"

Yue Heng reached out to take it, then his face frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Fu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows: "Do you think this thing is not tasty?"

“No, no…” Yue Heng gave a bitter smile and said, “Brother Fu, it’s better to eat less wild fruits from the mountains. I ate a few the other day and my stomach has been upset for most of the day…”

Fu Qingzhou burst into laughter.

He took out another wild fruit from his arms, took a big bite and started chewing.

"Don't worry." He smiled and said, "I used to be a hunter in the mountains. I know very well what is edible and what is not edible in the mountains."

When Yue Heng heard this, he immediately became happy and started eating the fruit in big mouthfuls.

He ate with great satisfaction and indulgence, and didn't care even though his mouth and face were covered in juice.

Fu Qingzhou laughed: "Brother Yue, no one is competing with you for it."

"Well... Brother Fu, you don't know..."

Yue Heng's cheeks were stuffed with fruit pulp, and his eyes were full of emotion: "I haven't eaten anything with water for three days. I can only drink wine when I'm thirsty. Although the drink in this cup is good, it will also burn my throat if I drink too much..."

Fu Qingzhou laughed out loud again.

After eating the fruit, Yue Heng climbed up by supporting himself on the altar table, and walked out of the temple dragging his injured leg.

"What's wrong, Brother Yue?" Fu Qingzhou asked, "Don't walk around. There are still many traps I set outside. If you step on one, I can't save you."

Yue Heng did not go far, but just leaned on the temple door and looked out a few times.

Soon he turned around, eyes full of surprise: "So Brother Fu, all the assassins last night died in your trap?"

Fu Qingzhou laughed: "Not entirely."

"Oh?"

Yue Heng was even more surprised: "But I see that Brother Fu has no wounds on his body, not even his clothes are torn..."

Fu Qingzhou smiled mysteriously and said nothing.

Yue Heng was immediately surprised and delighted: "Brother Fu is amazing!"

The two had nowhere else to go, so they started chatting casually in the dilapidated temple.

Fu Qingzhou didn't tell him about the Nebula Order, Xiyu Pavilion and other matters, and there was no need to tell him, but Yue Heng was very concerned about the details of last night and asked very detailed questions.

"So, Brother Fu, you are deliberately hiding your abilities, waiting for the critical moment to speed up and kill them all at once when they are hanging in the air?"

Yue Heng exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

Fu Qingzhou smiled and said, "In fact, I'm not sure if I can kill them with one strike, but before I came here, I guessed that there would not be only one or two assassins, so I deliberately prepared talisman arrows with a large explosion range."

"If that attack is not enough to wipe them out, I will naturally have other tricks up my sleeve."

Yue Heng was very happy to hear this and couldn't help but reach for the wine again.

Fu Qingzhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and held his hand: "It's broad daylight, isn't it bad?"

"Oh, that's right too."

Yue Heng shook his head, but his expression was still very excited: "I used to think that people who practiced martial arts were all vulgar and reckless, but now that I have met Brother Fu, I know what it means to be thoughtful!"

Fu Qingzhou felt a little embarrassed by his praise, so he had to change the subject abruptly: "By the way, Brother Yue said before that he wanted to go to Beijing to take the exam, I wonder how is the preparation going?"

"Haha."

Yue Heng laughed: "I may not be good at other things, but I am good at reading and writing. I am the best in Qingyang City. No one can compare to me! When I take the exam, I will definitely be able to return home in glory and marry Chuchu in style!" He is so confident...

Fu Qingzhou became curious again: "Speaking of which, what is the imperial examination of the Dayan court like?"

"Isn't that the same thing as the imperial examination?" Yue Heng said casually, "Before we went to the capital, we had already registered at the county government office where the famous households were located and decided whether to participate in the major or minor imperial examinations..."

"Wait, the big imperial examination? The small imperial examination?" Fu Qingzhou interrupted him: "What's going on here?"

In his previous life, he had never heard of any imperial examinations, big or small.

"Brother Fu, you don't know?" Yue Heng asked back.

Fu Qingzhou laughed dryly: "I grew up in the mountains since I was a child, so I really don't understand it very well. Please forgive me for making fun of you."

"It's okay, it's okay. Brother Fu wants to hear it, so I will tell you in detail."

Yue Heng shook his head and said, "The so-called imperial examination is that the Hanlin Academy sets the questions and the candidates write essays according to the questions. Afterwards, the ministers in the court will examine the papers anonymously, rank them, and list the top three. Finally, His Majesty will hold the palace examination and select the top three from the top three candidates."

Fu Qingzhou nodded and said, "I understand this, but what about the minor imperial examination?"

"Small imperial examination..."

Yue Heng's eyes suddenly flashed with a gleam of light: "That is the big test of the Sword Academy."

"Sword Academy!" Fu Qingzhou was shocked: "They can also hold the imperial examination?"

"of course can!"

Yue Heng slapped his thigh and said, "Although the Palm Sword Academy is part of the Imperial Academy, it is the most prestigious institution of learning that everyone in the world aspires to have!"

"They hold a small imperial examination every three years, divided into civil and military examinations, recruiting civil and military students. Anyone who can graduate from the Sword Academy, both civil students can become officials in the capital, and martial students can enter the Mingjian Pavilion. This is the most desirable path for those who aspire to enter the officialdom in the world!"

Fu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows.

The background of this Sword Academy is even greater than he knew.

In the past, he only knew that the Palm Sword Academy had a close relationship with the Ming Sword Pavilion and would send talents to the Ming Sword Pavilion, but he didn't expect that they also trained civil servants?

Based on his understanding of the ancient imperial examinations, even talented people like the top two candidates in the imperial examinations might not be able to stay in the capital to serve as officials. But could the scholars who graduated from the Sword Academy be able to stay in the capital to serve as officials directly?
"So..." he asked in a low voice, "Is this minor imperial examination more difficult than the major one?"

"Of course."

Yue Heng nodded: "The major imperial examination is held every year, but the minor imperial examination is held every three years. Moreover, if you fail to pass the entrance examination to the Sword Academy, you will not be able to participate in the major imperial examination for the next three years!"

Fu Qingzhou laughed: "Then with Brother Yue's talent, I guess he signed up for the minor imperial examination?"

"Hey, that's inevitable."

Yue Heng smiled sheepishly: "I have to give it a try."

After that, he looked at Fu Qingzhou again: "Brother Fu, you are so good at martial arts, have you ever thought about taking the exam for the martial arts student of the Palm Sword Academy?"

Fu Qingzhou smiled gently.

At the beginning, the dean of Palm Sword Academy came to me personally to ask for admission...

"I won't participate in this small imperial examination." He smiled, "But my sect has a good relationship with the Sword Master Academy. Maybe one day, I will go to the academy to exchange ideas and learn."

The relationship is indeed good, the kind that is good even if they fight to the point of bleeding.

However, Qingsongzi did promise Dong Qianran that he would let Fu Qingzhou go for exchanges in the future.

But considering that Qingsongzi has been like an invisible man and has not shown up for more than two years, I guess I have to go on this exchange and learning trip by myself.

Yue Heng was delighted: "That's great! I should work harder to get into the Sword Master Academy, and when Brother Fu comes to exchange ideas, I will be his guide!"

The two of them burst into laughter, ignoring the solemnity that was about to happen tonight.

(End of this chapter)