Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 98 Provincial Examination
Early in the morning, Zhao Yifu arrived at the examination room and lined up to enter.

The scale of this exam cannot be compared with the previous college entrance examination.

Not only was the examination presided over in person by a central academic official dispatched by the imperial court, but there were also soldiers from the garrison guarding the entrance, surrounding the entire examination hall tightly.

Yiyi was very unhappy because she couldn't go to visit Zhao Yifu this time.

It wandered outside the examination room, meowing from time to time.

If you see soldiers coming to chase you away, run away, and then they come back after a while...

It soon forgot its master and began to play the game of teasing the soldiers.

Zhao Yifu entered the examination room only after being searched.

The officer who searched him was still doubting his life when he let him in.

We are all scholars, so why is this guy so powerful and majestic?

Zhao Yifu walked into his small cubicle and sat down comfortably. He was not too worried about the exam.

Soon the first exam began.

The first exam lasted three days and tested knowledge from the Four Books.

At this time, the examination was no longer about mastery of the scriptures like the provincial examinations. Instead, questions were directly taken from the Four Books. Candidates were required to find angles to solve the questions based on their own understanding, and then write essays to interpret them.

Well, it’s the kind of reading comprehension that Zhao Yifu hates.

In this regard, he can only thank his teacher Zhou, who taught him many problem-solving techniques.

Although there is a suspicion of applying formulas, it is fine as long as it is acceptable.

He had an idea for solving the problem and a formula for writing this type of article, so it was really not a difficult task for him.

All he had to do was pull out all the classic records in his memory related to his own ideas for solving the problem, arrange them in groups, and then connect them together to form supporting evidence.

Well, this is purely based on extensive knowledge to answer questions.

This approach is a bit of a trick, but it also reflects the examinee's ability.

Who in their right mind can remember so many things?

In many cases, even if you have seen it, you will forget it.

In other words, Zhao Yifu used his enhanced soul to cheat... Of course, this can't be considered cheating. After all, having a photographic memory shouldn't be a difficult task for a cultivator.

So when others were scratching their heads and thinking about how to solve the problem, Zhao Yifu had already completed his own solution.

He felt that his solution to the problem might not be considered brilliant, but it was definitely correct.

Then he began to meditate and practice qigong.

When practicing in the examination room, he always felt that he could calm down particularly well, and the effect of his practice was also particularly better.

The examiners were not surprised to see him sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, after all, there were many candidates doing similar things.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The test papers of the first exam were collected, and the candidates had a good night's rest before the second exam.

The second test was on the Five Classics, and a few sentences were also selected from the Five Classics for the candidates to decipher and solve the problems one by one.

Zhao Yifu did the same thing, still quickly finishing the problem-solving process and then began to meditate with his eyes closed.

Three more days passed, and the third policy essay exam began.

When Zhao Yifu got the test paper and unfolded it, he saw that there were five questions on it.

Questions one to three were about problems encountered in government affairs, but they were actually arithmetic questions, and Zhao Yifu answered them quickly.

The fourth question is interesting: On the violation of the law by using martial arts and chivalry.

Does this mean that we are preparing to rectify the social order?

Zhao Yi Fu laughed out loud when he saw this. He had been forced by people in the underworld to become a lackey of the imperial court, so naturally this had to be made public.

Especially since he himself came from a family of underworld people, he had a deep understanding of underworld issues, so that his creativity could flow like a spring and could not be stopped.

Even the family's plot of using water bandits as a disguise to kill the county magistrate was recast in a different light, which was truly thrilling and incisive.

Well, I don’t know if the examiner will arrest him based on this article. After all, it is too realistic and he will definitely be arrested.

After writing an article happily, Zhao Yifu looked at the last question: The theory that the common people have no land.

Here it comes, the real killer is here.

Wow, this question is full of hidden dangers.

This seems like asking candidates to analyze a social problem, but if they answer poorly, they will offend the scholar-official class or even the emperor.

In short, it is a situation where neither side pleases.

Zhao Yifu also hesitated about this.

Although he felt that he had someone behind him, he could pass any question as long as he answered the questions normally.

But he felt he should still play it safe.

So he figured out a solution to the problem.

That is, instead of starting from the perspective of how the common people became landless, we should propose solutions.

One of them is to expand the territory and then distribute the new land to the people.

The second is to develop industry and commerce so that ordinary people have multiple means of making a living.

The third is to develop navigation, so that ordinary people can have more places to go...

In short, he arranged all the common people in his own policy papers in a clear and explicit manner, without involving anyone's interests, and simply looking for solutions to the problems based on the facts.

This kind of policy essay is actually not liked by mainstream writers, because this kind of article cannot be called brilliant, it can only be said to be meaningful.

But Zhao Yifu still made this choice because he didn't want to get involved in the political disputes in the Great Xu court too early.

He felt that instead of rushing to put forward his own political ideas, it would be better to blend in with the crowd and live in harmony with the world.

Besides, why would he think about these things when he has nothing to do?
The contradictions between different classes have never been resolved. Even if the old classes disappear, new contradictions will always emerge as a group of vested interests continue to control the main social resources.

At least he hasn't seen a long-term solution yet, and he has no interest in thinking about it... As the saying goes, when you are poor, you should just take care of yourself.

This article took him a long time to write because he sorted out many methods but did not actually form his own argument.

I don’t know how many points this article will get when I submit it, and I’m even afraid that I’ll lose points.

But he didn't regret it. After all, he didn't have the answer to this kind of question in his heart, so he couldn't give a definite answer.

Anyway, he felt that he had someone superior to him, so he didn't mind at all.

So after another three days, the third exam was over.

Zhao Yifu walked out of the examination room feeling refreshed, completely different from the listlessness of others.

"Master, how did you do on the exam?"

Wu Zhong was waiting nearby and asked with concern.

Zhao Yifu said, "It's fine. There's nothing much to ask. Anyway, it should be stable."

After he said that, he realized belatedly that this might be a flag-raising incident.
Wu Zhong had the same thought. He immediately said "Pfft, pfft" and looked around. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Master, don't talk nonsense. Don't say anything about the results before the results are announced. Let's put this matter behind us this month."

Zhao Yifu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, thinking it was a good idea. However, Wu Zhong hadn't expected that Zhao Yifu's 'rest' would actually be spiritual practice.

Not only did he practice himself, but he also dragged everyone within his sight to practice.

He stared intently at his senior brother Wen Sheng as he continued to practice Qi, and also dragged Wu Zhong to hone his boxing and kicking skills.

Although Wen Sheng was driven to the point of ecstasy, he finally realized the benefits of spiritual practice after all the hardships.

Wu Zhong was tortured to exhaustion every day, as he was getting older and his prime was no longer there.

But Zhao Yifu dragged him into practicing boxing and kicking skills that were not inferior to the best, and his accumulated internal strength was also quite advanced.

Zhao Yifu fully demonstrated how to help those around him become better.

As for Zhao Yifu himself, he threw himself into Wensheng's study and carefully read all the books in his study.

He is not as naturally talented as Wensheng, he can only rely on his broad knowledge to increase his accumulation.

Fortunately, Wensheng's identity was different, and there were some rare books in his home. These rare books also contained different interpretations of Confucian classics, which made Zhao Yifu nod and shake his head at times.

Even in mid-March, the weather had already started to get a little hot, and it was already the end of spring and the beginning of summer.

The results will be announced in early April, which is the beginning of summer. It is expected to be another big carnival for writers and poets.

On this day, at the turn of spring and summer, thunder rumbled, and the land of Bei County came knocking again.

"Master Zhao, I have come up with an idea, but I wonder if you are willing to agree to it?"

Zhao Yifu said gently, "God of Land, just tell me what you want. As long as it's not too extreme, I'm willing to talk."

His words sounded very comforting, but in fact he didn't promise anything substantial.

That's what scholars are like.

But the landowner in Bei County didn't seem to hear it, or maybe he didn't care.

"Master Zhao, I am willing to serve you for a while. How about taking the Summoning God Diagram as salary?"

Zhao Yifu listened and began to ponder.

To be honest, he quite approves of this method of exchange.

Is the picture of praying to the gods very precious?
Of course it is precious.

But compared to the power of a land god, it seems...

He asked, “The key is the number of years.”

The landowner of Bei County said, "That's right, the age is the key."

"It's just that I'm afraid that rashly stating a time limit might upset you, so I want to discuss this matter in detail."

Zhao Yifu nodded in agreement and said, "In that case, the Land Lord can try to decide on a time limit."

Beixian Land hesitated for a moment. After all, it is better to strike back in this kind of situation. If you bid first, you might be counterattacked.

But at this moment, he needed help, so he could only tentatively raise three fingers...

Zhao Yifu was immediately alerted when he saw this. He said, "Three hundred years!"

The land official of Bei County immediately jumped as if his tail had been stepped on and said, "How is this possible?!"

"The Great Xu Kingdom has only been established for three hundred years. I'm afraid I don't even have another three hundred years of service left!"

Zhao Yifu immediately understood what he meant. As a community god appointed by the imperial court, he would naturally step down as well once the imperial court collapsed.

He asked curiously, "What will happen to the Land Lord after he leaves office?"

The local god of Bei County said, "The Heavenly Court will assess our achievements. If we have great merit, we will be given another position."

"If one's merits and virtues are insufficient, one will be reborn into the cycle of reincarnation."

"It's simply because I've accumulated enough merit and blessings during my time as a landowner that I was able to be born into a good family and have a good destiny in my next life."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "How long does the Land Lord think is appropriate?"

The land god of Bei County said, "Thirty years. I think thirty years is a very appropriate time."

Zhao Yifu remained silent without comment.

Seeing this, the landowner of Bei County knew that he had been a bit too harsh. He could only say helplessly: "Mr. Zhao, don't think the time I've given you is too little. But according to the current situation between the north and the south, I really don't know how long Da Xu can hold on."

"Since ancient times, it has been easier for the North to attack the South, and the South has always been in a state of lingering survival."

"I'm also worried that it won't be possible to fulfill my wish if I wait too long. I just hope to get the map back before I leave office."

Zhao Yifu nodded in understanding, then asked curiously, "But the Earth God is also a deity himself. I wonder what the use of this summoning map is?"

Upon hearing this, the land god of Bei County hesitated a bit and said, "If it weren't for the map to summon the gods, I would have entered the reincarnation cycle at the end of my term."

"And with the God Summoning Diagram, perhaps I can establish some connections with the higher gods, and they can help me in a critical moment..."

Zhao Yifu understood that this was a plan to use the map to invite gods to bribe the gods!
After hearing this, he said with relief: "So that's what it is. I thought it was for some other purpose."

"In that case, the Land Lord can come to me anytime to use the Summoning God Map. How about protecting my Zhao family for three generations?"

"Of course, if things go badly and Da Xu dies early, I won't drag the Land Lord down with me."

The landowner of Bei County nodded repeatedly after hearing this. He hesitated for a moment and said, "What Mr. Zhao said is indeed appropriate. However, the Zhao family is not in the jurisdiction of the little god, so I am afraid that the help they can provide is very limited."

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "This is easy. When I return home, I will ask my family to build a statue and a temple for the God of Land. I believe I will be able to obtain the protection of the God."

Beixian Land was quite surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect that the young man in front of him was quite familiar with this process.

The two reached an agreement on this, which confirmed the content of the transaction.

Zhao Yifu smiled and waved towards the house, and the picture of summoning gods flew out of his house.

He said, "Now that the transaction has been completed, you may use this treasure map at will as agreed."

The land of Bei County eagerly reached out to receive...

But before his hand touched it, a golden light suddenly appeared from the scroll, which directly bounced the hand of the local official from Bei County away.

The local governor of Bei County widened his eyes in astonishment. He said, "Which god has been invited to this scroll?!"

Zhao Yi Fu nodded, but before he could say anything, the scroll opened by itself.

In the scroll, Emperor Wenheng stroked his long beard, opened his phoenix eyes, and gave Zhao Yifu a rather dissatisfied look.

As if blaming him, saying: Can He fall into the hands of others so easily?
"Pfft!"

The land next to it knelt.

He kowtowed profusely and said, "I, a humble official from this humble county, greet the Emperor. May the Emperor be well and healthy."

His voice was trembling, and he couldn't tell if it was out of fear or excitement.

His purpose of using the summoning diagram to connect with the gods has obviously been achieved, and the gods he communicated with were beyond his imagination.

After all, if human culture flourishes, Emperor Wenchang will naturally be respected.

The Emperor Wenheng in the scroll showed no regard for the little god kneeling below. He just shook his head proudly, pointed at Zhao Yifu, and flew back into the house.

Zhao Yifu was quite helpless. As expected of this person, even a painting was so temperamental.

(End of this chapter)