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

Chapter 254 Enemy or Friend? They Panicked

Chen Xu booked a superior room at the inn.

Later, he ordered Daobing to follow Rong Changyan's inkstone for a period of time.

Dao Bing searched the area around Da Yan's activity range and quickly determined that the owner of the mansion was surnamed Luo.

Coincidentally, the Luo family and the Mo family, to which Mo Huaizhang belonged, were related by marriage.

Although they are distant cousins, in a war of public opinion, isn't it just the right time for distant cousins ​​to make their move?

The propaganda war surrounding the imperial examination system may seem extraordinary, but it was actually quite simple.

Because of the fact that scholars have always valued literary reputation.

A true talent is rarely unknown. And if someone is truly unknown, even if they have great talent, they will often face more setbacks in the imperial examinations.

Of course, there are always those who remain silent for ten years but then make a name for themselves.

However, such unconventional cases lack specific examples for reference. Therefore, they are usually excluded.

Speaking of this year's autumn examination.

Taking Tiannan Road as an example, Chen Xu's reputation has become so great that he has been included in the "Records of the Splendor of Dali". He ranked from thirty-first to twenty-fifth on the Xuan List. Even if he was only on the Xuan List and not on the Earth List or Heaven List, he could still be described as "famous throughout the world".

Of course, there are different levels of "famous throughout the world," and Chen Xu's is probably only the lowest level, but let's not talk about that.

Speaking of this year's autumn imperial examinations, given Chen Xu's reputation, if he fails to become the top scholar, frankly, even the examiners might face some criticism.

Why is it that the 25th ranked student on the Xuan List can't even become a Jieyuan (top scholar)?

Is this reasonable?

Well, that's actually reasonable.

As the long-eyed inkstone said, the imperial examinations tested practical skills, not poetry and prose. So why should you be guaranteed to be the top scholar just because you can write poetry?

However, the examiner's comments are, after all, a relatively subjective process.

Sometimes, to avoid trouble, examiners may indeed prefer candidates who already possess great talent.

what?
You said that the autumn examinations have secret codes and secret seals, so everyone takes the exam anonymously. When grading the papers, no one knows who is who, so there is no need to worry about the examiners being influenced by the candidates' reputations.

Ha, then you can only say you're too naive.

It should be noted that it is easy to conceal one's name, but difficult to hide one's writing style. Truly top-notch articles must possess personal characteristics, and sometimes it is difficult for examiners to be blind to them.

So, in the end, Mo Huaizhang's propaganda war was probably because Chen Xu jumped from thirty-first to twenty-fifth on the Xuan List.

Chen Xu's reputation was so great that any candidate in the same examination who aspired to be the top scholar could not help but feel threatened.

In the inn's room, Chen Xu explained to the little hedgehog:

"My whereabouts are now mysterious, and it is difficult for others to break my reputation through direct confrontation. Therefore, this wide-ranging public opinion war is one of the best ways to deal with it."

Only by breaking the preconceived notion that "Chen Xu" is guaranteed to be the top scholar, and making the public realize that ranking twenty-fifth on the list does not necessarily mean having the best essay, will other candidates have a chance to stand out.

Wei Yuan understood, but felt very sorry for Chen Xu.

The little hedgehog said indignantly, "Brother Chen, you are clearly the best, but they insist on arguing. Humph! So what if they spread more rumors?"
Those people aren't even included in the Records of the Glorious Era of Dali; aren't they just sour grapes?

Even the little hedgehog knew the story of the grapes.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu couldn't help but smile and say, "Ah Yuan, you are close to me, and therefore you favor me."

But in reality, the provincial examinations haven't even started yet; who dares to claim they're the best before the exams even begin? There's a saying: "In literature, there's no first place; in martial arts, there's always a clear winner." It's not surprising that some people are unconvinced. However, this kind of public opinion being spread might not necessarily be a bad thing for me.

Wei Yuan opened his eyes wide and pondered deeply, then still puzzled, he asked, "Brother Chen, they've all damaged your reputation, how is that not a bad thing?"

Chen Xu laughed and said, "As the saying goes, too much rigidity leads to breakage. If a candidate's reputation is too prominent, do you think it will necessarily leave a good impression on the examiners?"

No, if you encounter an examiner with a rather eccentric temperament, they might actually develop a dislike for you.

"Ah, but didn't you say earlier that examiners are sometimes afraid of public opinion?" Wei Yuan's head was spinning, and he was increasingly puzzled.

"People's hearts are ever-changing. Just because someone is unwilling to go against public opinion does not mean that the examiners will necessarily follow public opinion when grading papers."

In short, by creating several strong competitors, the examination situation becomes more fair, which is actually to my advantage.

Of course, the same applies to people like Mo Huaizhang.

This kind of publicity can, to some extent, break down their existing disadvantages and prevent me from becoming the sole dominant player.

"Is that so? So this is what a fair exam is?" Wei Yuan was a little confused. He felt like he understood, but there was still something he didn't understand.

Chen Xu reached out and gently stroked the hedgehog's soft, spiky hair, and said with a smile, "Its heart is understandable, its feelings are pitiable, but..."

However, he wouldn't thank his rival.

That day was the fifth day of the sixth lunar month.

Chen Xu also learned that just a few days ago, on the first day of the sixth lunar month, a giant tortoise once again swam by at the Silver River Ferry in Xuanji City.

Also appearing was a gigantic scroll that stretched to the sky.

The scroll also contains the "Records of the Splendor of Dali", but compared to the version published on May 1st, this version of the "Records of the Splendor of Dali" has a few minor changes.

For example, Chen Xu's ranking changed.

Meanwhile, Zhaixingzi, who was second on the Heavenly Ranking, has actually fallen to third!
Pei Jingque, who was originally in third place, jumped to second place.

As for Xie Mingyi, who is in first place, he remains firmly in first place.

Therefore, it is possible that the "Records of the Splendor of Dali" is revised monthly, with a brand new version appearing on the first day of each month.

Chen Xu was still hiking in the wilderness on the first day of June and naturally did not receive the news.

Now that he has entered Qinglin Prefecture and arrived in Lingxi County, he has learned of this entirely new development.

The Chronicles of the Great Li Dynasty are quite peculiar. For example, in the last episode, Chen Xu annihilated a group of demons in Pufeng Mountain. This event had never been seen by outsiders, yet it was accurately recorded in the Chronicles of the Great Li Dynasty.

This time, Chen Xu killed the evil cultivators of Xiaopo Village and the Black Monkey King. He did not tell outsiders about it, but it was also recorded and described in the Great Li Chronicles and made public.

The most interesting thing is that even the poem "Drinking Wine and Asking the Moon" that he wrote on a whim while drunk and lying on the treetop with the little hedgehog that night has now been included in the Records of the Eminent Figures of Dali.

To be honest, this feeling of being watched by an invisible eye is not pleasant at all.

However, the Records of the Splendor of Dali is too mysterious. Many experts in Dali have failed to decipher it, so Chen Xu doesn't need to create trouble for himself.

Putting aside the unpleasantness of everything being recorded—

By the way, the Ghost Market was not recorded in the Records of the Glory of Dali.

Just as Chen Xu had predicted: this mysterious list is not connected to the underworld!
In short, putting aside the unpleasantness, the Record of the Glory of Dali always helped Chen Xu gain fame at the most opportune time.

In that case, how can it not be considered a friendly party?

(End of this chapter)