Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 798: Famous Prefectures and Counties
Such a simple idea left Bai Suzhen speechless.

Seeing Xiaoqing's earnest and sad expression, my heart softened.

My little sister is no longer the little snake demon who only cares about playing; now she knows how to think about her companions.

This growth makes her very happy, so... perhaps there are other ways to help her realize her ideas.

Bai Suzhen, being a powerful demon with a long history and a disciple of Lishan, still possesses some abilities.

On the other side, inside the examination hall, Xu Xuanzheng was writing with lightning speed.

The first exam focused on the interpretation of the classics, with questions drawn from the Four Books and Five Classics. This was a piece of cake for the teachers at Chongqi Academy.

Moreover, several of the examiners from previous years at the academy have already explained the intricacies of solving the questions thoroughly.

"As expected, the quality of teachers determines everything..." Xu Xuan sighed inwardly, but his pen continued to flow.

His articles are meticulously structured, with aptly chosen allusions, seamlessly transitioning from the initial topic to the main argument. The ink spreads across the rice paper, each word like a precious gem.

While I was writing with great enthusiasm, I suddenly felt a sense of cause and effect in my mind. After glancing around, I didn't delve any further.

Perhaps it was his extraordinary talent that caught the attention of Confucian and Taoist sages.

Just as he was writing the section on "A gentleman understands righteousness," a shadow suddenly fell over the scroll.

Of course, it wouldn't be a real Confucian master opening a literary palace for him to hone his literary skills. Because the visitor was someone with a shadowy presence.

Hearing a soft cough, he looked up and met the probing gaze of the Prefect of Yangzhou.

The governor of Yangzhou, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, was nearly sixty years old, yet his back remained as straight as a pine tree, and a hint of ruthlessness emanated from his brows. His sharp, hawk-like eyes were carefully scrutinizing his answer sheet.

Not all governors are the same.

Taking advantage of this break, he quickly sorted through the other party's information in his mind—thanks to his senior Lu Dan, his understanding of this high-ranking official was far deeper than that of ordinary people.

The title "Holding the Imperial Staff and Commanding Up Military Affairs in Yangzhou" may seem simple, but it actually hides a deeper meaning.

The phrase "holding the imperial staff" signifies the power of life and death personally granted by the emperor. Although not the highest-ranking "envoy holding the imperial staff," this official still had the power to execute without prior approval in urgent military matters, and possessed the power of life and death over those without official rank.

The position of "Commander-in-Chief" was even more remarkable—supervising officials of prefectures and counties, suppressing local rebellions, conscripting troops and provisions, and even temporarily appointing prefects and directly recommending or impeaching other governors to the emperor. Such power was comparable to that of a regional warlord.

As for "military affairs of Yangzhou", it means that all military affairs in the entire Yangzhou region were under its command.

The Jianghuai region is a strategic location that military strategists have always fought over; its importance is self-evident.

Therefore, it is very incongruous for such an important figure to appear in the examination hall. So, is the imperial examination being used as bait to quell the chaos of cults?
Xu Xuan instantly deduced a bunch of random and nonsensical things.

A hint of surprise flashed in Governor He's eyes as he looked at the exam paper.

Having met countless talented people, he had seen many brilliant minds, but those who could write so fluently and eloquently were truly rare.

Without making a sound, I leaned down to examine it closely and found that the article was well-structured, with quotations from classical texts used with ease, and the way it addressed the topic was particularly unique.

"It's not a random answer..." he thought to himself, "but a genuine expression of confidence."

When he saw Xu Xuan's face clearly, he suddenly realized—it was Xu, the famous teacher from Chongqi Academy who was renowned throughout Jiangnan. No wonder he had such talent.

I recall that Lu Dan specifically mentioned this person in his letter a few days ago, saying that he was "talented enough to be of great use".

Xu Xuan's talent was no longer limited to Qiantang; he was known to all the scholars in Wu County and even enjoyed a high reputation in the literary circles of Yangzhou.

But witnessing his brilliance in answering the questions firsthand, I realized that the world's evaluation of this extraordinary person was far too conservative.

"It seems that the title of top scholar in this year's imperial examination is undoubtedly his..." the governor thought to himself.

How wonderful it would be if we could arrange for this talented young man to return to Yangzhou to take up a post after next year's imperial examination.

According to Lu Dan's letter, Xu Xuan was not only a man of great literary talent, but also, more importantly, a man of great military prowess, making him exactly the kind of versatile talent the state government urgently needed.

Governor He recalled his experience as an official in Luoyang when he was young—the officialdom in that capital was full of petty and despicable dealings, and there was no room for young people to realize their ambitions.
"Only by being assigned to a prefecture or county outside the capital can one truly unleash their potential and get things done..." he sighed inwardly.

Unfortunately, young scholars are always blinded by the prosperity of the capital and insist on plunging into that whirlpool.

You won't understand this principle until you hit a wall.

Seeing Xu Xuan looking at him, he couldn't help but smile approvingly, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then continued his inspection.

Xu Xuan responded with a humble smile and continued answering the questions with his head down, but his mind was still racing.

I felt a little proud; look, even the governor was amazed by my talent.

As he wrote with great speed, he thought to himself with satisfaction: This person holds a high position and is burdened with blood sins, so he shouldn't be a good person in the traditional sense. But his smile just now clearly showed goodwill. I should make friends with him if I have the chance in the future.

There's no psychological burden in using this kind of person.

But... why does the other person have a strange aura? And this person's blood and energy are not in good condition.

Even the Holy Father, being in the examination hall, could not break through so many barriers to release his senses, much less casually pry into the information of the highest-ranking official in Yangzhou.

If she were truly that powerful, then the White Lotus Saintess would have already swept across the Nine Provinces. "Strange..." Xu Xuan muttered to himself, keeping this doubt in mind.

After I finish the exam and leave, I'll definitely ask Senior Lu for some information.

If he could get in touch with Governor He, his sphere of influence could expand from Wu County to the entire Yangzhou.

Several clear paths seemed to appear before his eyes:
I am the head of Baoan Hall, a renowned physician in Wu County. I can easily use the fact that the other person's complexion is unwell as a starting point.

Furthermore, there is another point that can be used: Governor He became a devout Buddhist in his later years, seemingly atoning for his sins of killing on the battlefield in his youth.

"Interesting," Xu Xuan chuckled to himself. An ordinary official might have required some effort. But this high-ranking official, a devout Buddhist and physically weak, held far more cards in his hand.

Perhaps we could make contact using other identities.

The Father's instincts kicked in, preparing to drag people down with him.

The governor, unaware that the examinee harbored malicious intentions, returned to his seat as the chief examiner to rest after making his rounds.

Suddenly, he frowned slightly, rubbed his throbbing temples, and a sense of doubt arose in his mind.

Since taking the golden elixir bestowed by His Majesty, I have always been full of energy. Why do I feel unusually tired in this examination hall today?

"My lord," a bodyguard approached quickly and whispered in his ear, "suspicious individuals have been discovered in the south of the city, secretly worshipping those wooden carvings..."

A cold glint flashed in the governor's eyes, and he made a decisive killing gesture with his right hand under the table. The guard understood and immediately bowed and withdrew.

Half an hour later, a private residence in the south of Shouchun City was surrounded by soldiers. The yamen runners broke down the door and found several strange statues of the God of Literature in a hidden compartment.

The lead constable sneered, "As expected, they're still operating in the shadows." With a swift movement, blood splattered everywhere.

Inside the examination hall, the prefect looked at the dark clouds drifting across the sky and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Using the imperial examination as an opportunity to eliminate evil spirits was a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

But... he suddenly pressed his hand to his chest, where a sharp pain shot through him.

"Strange... Could it be an old injury flaring up?"

The imperial examination had reached its seventh day.

The third show began on August 15th.

The final exam was a policy essay.

The test mainly assesses the candidate's understanding of and ability to address issues related to national welfare and people's livelihood.

The exam questions covered specific issues related to national welfare and people's livelihood, such as the Yellow River floods and border policies, requiring candidates to provide countermeasures and solutions.

The policy questions not only test the candidates' knowledge reserves, but also their ability to analyze and solve problems.

Xu Xuan also saw the last big question, to see how accurate the professors' predictions were.

Ok?
"When a sage appears, the Yellow River will run clear."

These six short words left Xu Xuan's pen hovering in mid-air.

This question is very subtle. On the surface, it asks for strategies for river management, but in reality, it contains a hidden mystery.

It not only tests the candidates' knowledge of floods, but also probes their understanding of the concept of "interaction between heaven and man," and even contains a metaphor for the politics of the court.

This is probably not something that came out of nowhere. Considering the recent rumors circulating in the court that His Majesty is obsessed with alchemy and seeking immortality, could it be... that he is trying to create momentum for some kind of "auspicious omen"?

With swift and flowing strokes, he penned the opening line: "A peaceful and prosperous world is not solely achieved through human effort; it also requires the support of favorable timing..."

It cleverly discusses the relationship between "political harmony and social stability" and "auspicious omens from heaven".

Xu Xuan was a standard extraterrestrial demon, so naturally he wouldn't show his integrity at this time and denounce any nonsense.

Instead, they answered the questions seriously and even made up stories with great enjoyment.

On the ninth day, a gong sounded.

Submit the paper and seal it.

The scholars who had taken the exam walked out of the examination hall in a bustling manner, all of them looking tired and emitting a sour smell.

Even so, some people have started to analyze the problem and break down the thought process.

They were afraid of making a mistake, or afraid that someone else had written it correctly.

Only one person remained energetic and didn't care about any of this. Passing the imperial examination was a sure thing, but considering the subjective questions and many external factors, Xu Xuan couldn't say what ranking he would ultimately achieve.

He glanced one last time at the examination hall and was about to head towards the inn.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the proctor's station.

　I was really busy today, so I'm posting late. Sorry.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)