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

Chapter 321 Unseen Storms, Struggles Everywhere

On the Star-Judging Platform, there were as many as eight examiners present.

However, there was only one chief examiner, and that was Feng Xing, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Although he was not a great Confucian scholar, he was renowned for his literary talent and authored more than ten volumes of books. In some ways, Feng Xing was only one step away from becoming a great Confucian scholar.

What he lacks is not skill or cultivation, but some mysterious and profound key point.

As the saying goes, one should establish virtue, merit, and words.

Or propose a certain academic theory, become the leader and make it a school of thought and spread it throughout the world;

Or they may forge their own unique path, write books, and gain recognition from the world.
Or they may put their ideals into practice, influencing a region or even the entire world...

Only in this way can one truly be called a great Confucian scholar.

Before becoming the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Feng Xing had served as a member of the Hanlin Academy, working as an editor and a reader-in-waiting.

He was also sent to serve as an official in various places, sometimes as an assistant official, sometimes as the head of a region.

He was qualified enough, he just had one short streak.

However, it was precisely this one breath that made a seemingly small difference feel like an insurmountable gap.

There are countless scholars in the world, but only three or five great Confucian scholars may emerge every few decades.

The difficulty lies not only in innate talent and cultivation, but sometimes it seems that luck and opportunity are even more important.

On the Star-Observing Platform, Feng Xing sighed, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have read more than just one or two of Chen Xuzhi's poems."

This young man possesses extraordinary talent and an astonishing poetic sensibility. While others might not be able to compose a single poem in ten or more years, he can effortlessly produce poems that surpass the efforts of others who have spent countless days and nights pondering and refining their work.

One of them, "The Knight-Errant," is particularly memorable; it leaves a lingering fragrance on the palate, as if guided by divine will, unlike anything written by human hands.

I still love the line, "Kill one man in ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles."

Or perhaps it's like saying, "Three cups of wine and I'd utter a vow; the Five Sacred Mountains would seem light as a feather."

How unrestrained and free-spirited, so otherworldly!

At this point, Feng Xing smiled, his words carrying an air of extraordinary ease and enjoyment.

However, at that moment, he abruptly changed the subject and said:

"But today, I am actually afraid that Chen Xu will write another poem with similar imagery to 'The Knight Errant'."

Ladies and gentlemen, the murderous aura in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" is too strong.

In the provincial examination, if one were to receive a poem titled "Ode to a Knight-Errant," it would instantly transform into a wisp of purple smoke. Would any of you dare to take it?

The other examiners were speechless.

No one expected that Feng Xing would interpret Chen Xu's poem from this perspective.

But upon closer examination, Feng Xing's words do make sense.

Fortunately, Feng Xing didn't necessarily need everyone's answer; he gave his own:

"I am very happy with this poem, 'Summer Solstice in the Countryside,' today."

Although Chen Xu could write about killing one person in ten steps, fortunately he could also write about plums turning golden and apricots plump.

This boy is not indiscriminate in his killing instincts; he also knows when to cultivate his character and temperament.

In my opinion, this poem could be ranked first in the examination poetry competition; my evaluation is top-tier (A). What do you all think?

What else can people think?

The white-haired examiner below bowed and replied, "Excellent, I would also rate it as top-notch."

Feng Xing quickly replied, "I dare not accept such a title from Elder Su. Since Elder Su has also been rated as top-ranked, I am relieved."

He gave the white-haired examiner plenty of face.

The other examiners immediately echoed in agreement, and thus, Feng Xing had unwittingly gained an even greater voice in this examination.

Yes, although Feng Xing was the chief examiner, the provincial examination was by no means a one-man show.

The numerous deputy examiners checked and balanced each other, and the two sides seemed to be in harmony. However, from the moment Feng Xing was parachuted into Tiannan Road, the power struggle between the two sides never stopped.

The chief examiner had a higher title, but there were as many as seven assistant examiners.

If the seven deputy examiners were united in their desire to oppose Feng Xing, he would inevitably be sidelined. But today, through the analysis of Chen Xu's poems, Feng Xing subtly suppressed them once again.

This invisible struggle is something that cannot be explained to outsiders.

In the examination hall, none of the candidates were aware of the competition taking place on the Star-Gazing Platform.

The Star Observation Platform is in a special location, and several array formations have been crafted on it.

The examiners on the platform had a commanding view of all the candidates' exam activities, but in the examination cells of the East and West examination halls, not a single candidate could see the movements of the Star Gazing Platform.

The Star-Gazing Platform stands high above, while the Imperial Examination Hall stands mysterious and weathered.

The candidates were confined to their cells, confined to a small space, yet they were required to write thousands of words of exquisite prose within that confines.

The ordeal was so intense that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a living hell.

The controversy surrounding Qingyan Poetry has finally passed.

No matter how surprised, distressed, or even self-doubting the test takers may be, they will eventually have to accept this fact.

Many test takers did not sleep well at night.

In the vast examination cells, countless people tossed and turned, their hearts filled with anxiety and unease.

The smell in the air is getting worse, and the heat is intensifying day by day.

It arrived as scheduled on the fourth day of the seventh lunar month.

This means that the second major examination of this provincial examination has finally begun.

The second major venue differs from the first major venue in many ways.

This time, instead of collecting papers daily, all the exam questions were distributed at the very beginning.

All the test questions revolved around various types of official document writing.

There are ten questions in total.

Don't underestimate these ten questions. You should know that in imperial examinations, the fewer the questions, the more difficult they are to answer.

Completing all ten official document writing questions within three days is no easy task.

So, when the second major exam began on the fourth day of the seventh lunar month, the atmosphere in the entire examination hall changed again.

Silence, repression, stillness.

This is both reality and appearance.

The truth is that the examination room was shrouded in scorching heat, and a silent sense of anxiety permeated the atmosphere.

So much so that the entire examination room sometimes didn't feel like an examination room at all, but rather like a terrifying cage that could explode at any moment.

Everyone is walking a tightrope.

A slender rope connects reality with the tiny world inside the cell, where pairs of cloud-climbing boots tread, crowded together, trembling precariously.

Such torment day and night made time pass extremely slowly.

But in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Before we knew it, the second round of the provincial examination had come to an end.

It was the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, around dusk.

Wei Yuan and A Shi secretly used earth magic to reach a small alley not far from the examination hall. The two little demons silently scurried up the courtyard wall of a house.

They jumped onto a high roof ridge and stood on tiptoe to look out over the examination hall.

As dusk settled, the examination hall was enveloped in the shadow of the setting sun.

For some reason, the sight of the mouse made me feel a little uneasy.

It couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Hedgehog, it's only the sixth day of the seventh month! Why is the exam taking so long? Why isn't it over yet?"

Wei Yuan was much more composed. He comforted the little mouse in the tone of someone who had been through it all, saying, "It's already the sixth day of the month. Two rounds of the provincial examination have already been held. Brother Chen will be able to leave the examination hall in three more days. Don't worry."

The mouse also knew it shouldn't be anxious.

However, it inherited some of Ninth Master's ability to observe qi. Although this skill was sometimes effective and sometimes not, when it was really uneasy, the little mouse knew that it should trust its intuition.

It tiptoed and murmured, "For some reason, I find this examination hall rather frightening..."

(End of this chapter)