Chapter 12: Don't Judge by Appearances (Part 2)

  After eating a big wonton, all flavors are bland. Drinking a bowl of celery soup and a cup of clear tea makes me feel refreshed and invigorated.

  After sitting for a while, it was bright outside. The coachman came in and informed them that the carriage was ready outside.

  Shen Jing finally came back to his senses and said in a low voice, "Let's go." Shen Mo nodded with a smile and stood up to follow him out.

  They got on the horse carriage and sat facing each other. The coachman outside shouted, "Two gentlemen, hold tight!" With a crack of the whip, the horse began to move slowly forward.

  As they approached Huaihai Road, Shen Mo said softly, "Let's go over there."

  Shen Jing let out an "oh" and lifted the curtain to jump off the horse carriage, landing with a thud on the ground.

  Shen Mo quickly jumped down and helped him up, laughing: "What's wrong with this, like losing your soul?"

  "Others would feel ashamed......" Shen Jing said with a gloomy face: "At the dinner table, one shouldn't think of making fun of you."

  "I knew you were up to no good." Shen Mo patted his shoulder vigorously, laughing and scolding: "You just want to see me make a fool of myself?"

  Shen Jing gazed at his face and asked tentatively, "Aren't you angry with me?"

  "Why get angry?" Seeing that he was fine, Shen Mo let go of his hand and laughed: "Who didn't have a reckless youth?" As he spoke, he strode forward with big steps.

  "Shen Chao Sheng, you're so arrogant!" Shen Jing shouted from behind, panting: "Wait for me, ah...!" and hurriedly limped after him.

  Never underestimate the Chinese people's love for watching excitement! Shen and Mo thought they had arrived early enough after two hours of walking, but before they even reached Xuan Ting Kou, they were shocked by the swarms of people.

  Only three layers of people inside and outside the wooden plaque building, surrounded by water, two people turned around for a long time in the outer circle, but couldn't find a way to get in.

  Just as he was in a hurry, he suddenly heard the sound of a gong, and several attendants in blue robes escorted an official wearing a green robe with a yellow oriole badge on his chest from the east.

  Then came another gong, and several yamen runners in the same livery as before escorted an official wearing a green robe with a yellow bird emblem on his chest from the west.

  As soon as the officials arrived, the common people made way with a loud noise and cleared out a five-foot-wide path.

  The two groups of people met at the entrance of the passageway, exchanging warm smiles and greetings. One said: "Please go first, Lord Zhang." The other replied: "No, please go first, Lord Hou." After a few rounds of polite and insincere modesty, both men suddenly darted towards the middle at the same time, each trying to take advantage of the other's unpreparedness and grab the lead, almost colliding with each other.

  The two county lieutenants smiled awkwardly and said, "Let's go together." They walked hand in hand into the crowd and stopped under the sign of "Guxuan Pavilion". They politely declined each other again, saying, "Please, Zhang Zan Gong, you speak first." "No, no, Hou Zan Gong, please..." After several rounds of this, they almost simultaneously opened their mouths to say, "Ladies and gentlemen..." "Everyone...", causing the surrounding onlookers to snicker.

  Zhang County Magistrate of Huiji reminded in a low voice: "Ti Tong Ti Tong!" Hou County Magistrate of Shanyin nodded, and said in a low voice: "Then I'll say it, you can't compete with me."

  "I've never seen anyone so shameless." Zhang Xiancheng said indignantly: "You speak up."

  "Hehe." County Magistrate Hou smiled slightly and cleared his throat, raising his voice to say: "Ladies and gentlemen, the officials have gathered here today with Zhang Zan Gong of Kuaiji to solve a case."

  "Not bad," Zhang County Magistrate interjected, taking advantage of the other's pause: "Since it involves two counties and is a civil dispute, after coordination between the two county governments, both parties agree to resolve it in the traditional way." Having said this, he ran out of breath and had to pause for a moment.

  County Magistrate Hou saw the seam and inserted the needle, and immediately held his breath to continue: "The cause of the matter is not necessary to repeat, both parties agreed to choose a literary duel, with County Magistrate Wang Gui issuing the topic, and Shen Mo responding. A total of three topics were issued, each limited to three days, if one party exceeded the time limit or answered incorrectly, they would be declared the loser, and Shen Mo would be dealt with by County Magistrate Wang Gui. Conversely, if all three topics were answered correctly within the time limit, then County Magistrate Wang Gui would be dealt with by Shen Mo. Now both parties will enter the arena to sign the contract book, call..."

  Hou County Magistrate finished speaking in one breath, panting heavily while looking at Zhang County Magistrate with a self-satisfied expression, wanting to provoke him with a few words, but unfortunately, he was out of breath and couldn't say anything.

  County Magistrate Zhang was also furious and thought to himself, "You've all spoken up, what can I say?" He could only clear his throat and say, "Not bad."

  "Make way, make way..." As soon as the two onlookers' voices fell, the crowd to the west burst into an uproar. The common people seemed to be avoiding a plague god, scattering left and right, only to see several burly men with bare chests and menacing faces, surrounding a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a square flat cap, a blue satin robe with round collar and large sleeves, who strode into the circle with an air of importance.

  That big black Han Dynasty county magistrate sang a fat "hello" and said: "Student Wang Guifa, has seen the two honorable gentlemen." This made many ignorant old people drop their jaws and whisper to each other: "How did the Black Way Dragon Head become a cultured person?" Then there were those who understood the inside story and laughed, saying: "Don't you understand? In previous years, the emperor showed mercy and ordered that all commoners who paid taxes to the government could enter the imperial academy. Our Lord Wang was made a monitor at that time."

  "Oh... so it was donated, how much money?"

  "Didn't he also owe a thousand taels of silver?" It turned out that this person was also just spreading rumors.

  In fact, the so-called "entering the Imperial Academy" refers to entering the Guozijian to study and obtaining this qualification is called a Sheng. The selection was very strict at first. However, when the Shen family came to power, due to the country's continuous troubles, the central government squandered money without restraint, resulting in insufficient national finances. Prime Minister Shen's son thought of using money to buy status.

  No matter whether you are a scholar, farmer, worker, merchant, or even a hooligan or beggar, as long as you pay enough money, you can immediately register at Central University and become an honorable student of the Imperial Academy, with a status theoretically equal to that of a successful candidate in the imperial examination... Moreover, you don't have to actually go to Beijing to study; just keep doing what you were doing before, without any delay.

  For those who have money but no status, this is simply a gospel. In Shaoxing City, there are five or six of them, one of which is this Wang Lao Hu Wang Da Guan Ren.

  Hou Xian Cheng smiled and returned the courtesy, saying: "Tong Da brother is polite." Zhang Xian Cheng, on the other hand, didn't have a good expression. He just nodded his head and didn't even hum a sound. This illiterate roughneck who can't tell apart a few big characters actually dares to be mentioned in the same breath as himself - it's truly a great shame just thinking about it.

  In fact, this is also the consensus of readers all over the world. Since the promulgation of this decree several years ago, those who were selected to study at Guozijian have all been excused due to illness, and those who originally studied inside have also dropped out one after another. They would rather go back to being a student and take the exam again than be with these 'donated students' who are full of copper smell.

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  Yes, tomorrow is Monday, should be able to write well then.