"Dad, you..."

After hearing what his father said, Chen Qingtong's eyes turned red and his tone was so choked that he couldn't speak.

Growing up, her father, as a marquis, always had a strong image. She never thought that one day, her father would be able to surrender and say these words to her.

"Don't be too happy too early. My father just recognized Shen Yichen's talent and stopped interfering with you, rather than agreeing to make him my son-in-law."

"If Shen Yichen wants to be my son-in-law, Marquis Taining, he must be named on the gold list, prepare all six etiquettes, and have eight sedan-bearers to marry you, otherwise he will never even think about it!"

After all, Taining Marquis Chen Ying cannot compromise indefinitely, and there are no princes, generals or ministers who do not ask for it. However, the most basic thing is to get the Jinshi title and be admitted to the Jinshi. No matter what, he will not retreat.

Because only by passing the Jinshi examination can one be qualified to enter the power center of the capital. With the help of himself and Cheng Guogong, Shen Yichen's talent and learning have a high probability of rising to prominence.

If you fail to pass the exam, it is equivalent to the upper limit of your career being locked, and there is no room for maneuver.

"Daddy!"

Originally, Chen Qingtong just had a crush on her heart and had not considered marriage so far away. But now her father said it directly, which moved her but also made her feel a little shy.

"Well, this matter will be like this for the time being. Don't hold on to this poem all the time. After all, she is my daughter, Chen Ying. If you don't know, you think no one wants her."

"Dad, my daughter will remember it."

As Chen Qingtong spoke, he walked over, took his father's arm, and rested his head on his shoulder.

In fact, Chen Qingtong knew very well in his heart how much concessions his father had made for him today. As the daughter of a marquis, she could marry as she pleased, which was probably the greatest freedom.

Looking at his daughter's appearance, Taining Marquis Chen Ying's face was filled with relief. If he could really be sure of a good marriage, then his biggest worry would be relieved.

…

On the other side, when Shen Yichen came to Lin Zhen's courtyard, it was already approaching dusk. It might be a little late for a normal visit, but for Shen Yichen, this time was just right.

Because if he arrived too early, Lin Zhen was still giving lectures at Zhaowen Academy and did not go home. Last time Shen Yichen went to the academy to find his teacher, something unpleasant happened in the lecture hall.

After all, he was not a student of Zhaowen Academy, and Shen Yichen did not want to cause trouble to Lin Zhen again and again, so it was more appropriate to ask for advice in his courtyard.

Walking into the courtyard, Shen Yichen saw Lin Zhen sitting on the corridor at the door, with a tea set in front of him, sipping good tea leisurely.

When Lin Zhen saw Shen Yichen walking in, he put down the tea cup in his hand and said with some surprise: "Yichen, what's the matter with coming here at this time?"

"Disciple pays homage to Sir."

Shen Yichen first saluted, and then said: "Sir, you are indeed very discerning. This disciple came here because I really want to ask you for advice on something."

"Oh, let's sit down and talk about it."

Lin Zhen pointed to the position opposite the tea set, then lifted the teapot and poured Shen Yichen a cup of tea.

Now, Shen Yichen was no longer unfamiliar with Lin Zhen as a master, so he didn't bother to be polite anymore, and just sat across from him with a carefree attitude, and took the teacup from the teacher's hand.

"Sir, this disciple will have his college examination in a few days."

"Master knows that, so you came here today to ask about some academic matters?"

"No, I want to ask about the examiner Sun Tixue."

Hearing Shen Yichen's words, Lin Zhen showed a half-smile expression on his face and said: "Yichen, you don't want me to get along with Sun Ti."

"Hehe, disciple really has this idea."

"Very good. Then my teacher, just call Sun Tixue over and you can discuss it with him yourself."

The more Shen Yichen admitted so frankly, Lin Zhen understood that his disciple definitely did not want to have a personal relationship, so he also made a joke.

"Sir, in fact, the disciple came here this time to find out about Sun Tixue's writing style preferences, and plans to cater to his preferences in the college examination."

There is nothing to hide from a master, and it is not just Shen Yichen who does this, basically all candidates will have this consideration.

It's just that there are probably not many people like Shen Yichen who are closer to the water and get the moon first.

"You're pretty straightforward when it comes to talking."

Lin Zhen was a little dumbfounded and laughed. He had come into contact with countless junior students, but no one was as calm as Shen Yichen when he said that he would like others.

Others have to be secretive and make innuendoes no matter what.

"I don't dare to lie to you, sir, I can only tell you honestly."

"Actually, it's nothing. Yichen, you have such thoughts, which can be regarded as a kind of aggressiveness. I don't mean to blame you as a teacher."

To be honest, Lin Zhen admired Shen Yichen for being so calm. After all, this also proved from the side that he had great trust and respect for himself as a teacher.

Another point is that this boy finally no longer has the young and mature attitude, but has the expectations, aggressiveness, and gain and loss that should be expected at this age.

Although Lin Zhen adheres to the golden mean, he knows better that if the young man wants to achieve a great cause, he must be aggressive and show absolute willpower and determination.

Being too easy-going and having a muddled attitude means that the career ceiling is not too high.

"My teacher has known Sun Tixue for many years. If you ask me what his literary style preferences are, Yichen, you only need to keep one sentence in mind when answering the question. This is also his motto for many years as an official."

"What did you say, sir?"

"Priests must first conduct themselves morally." (General Holiday Affairs)

Priests put morality first?

Shen Yichen savored this sentence carefully, and suddenly he remembered a motto that his mentor Li Tingxiu often said, that is, to establish learning first, establish morality.

In a sense, the profound meaning of these two sentences is the same, that is, whether you are a person or a scholar, the first thing you must do is your own virtue.

"Thank you, sir, for teaching me. The students understand."

Lin Zhen was not surprised that Shen Yichen had this understanding. He smiled and said, "Now that I understand, and it's getting late, let's have dinner with my master before going back."

Lin Zhen went to Zhaowen College to give temporary lectures, but his family did not follow him, but stayed in his hometown of Jiaotai County. His current state, to use a later saying, is that of an "old man living alone."

So when Shen Yichen came today, Lin Zhen was very happy in his heart. He wanted to keep the student to have a casual meal with him and chat with him.

Shen Yichen naturally understood the teacher's mentality, so he cupped his hands and said, "It's better for me to be respectful than obey my orders."

At the dinner table, this time the master and apprentice were no longer talking about major matters such as knowledge, the future, and life, but about trivial matters that were trivial between the parents.

Lin Zhen, in particular, opened up his heart and talked about some of his experiences as an official in the capital, as well as his wife and children who were far away in his hometown.

In the past, Shen Yichen felt that there was always some distance between him and Lin Zhen, so it would be better to come and get closer to him under his mentor Li Tingxiu.

After experiencing this, for Shen Yichen, Lin Zhen lost his aura of being the top scholar and became an ordinary teacher who preached and taught. The invisible wall in his heart was broken.

After dinner, Lin Zhen ordered his own carriage to take Shen Yichen back to the small courtyard on the corner of the street. With the reminder from his master, Shen Yichen focused on the original text of the Four Books and Five Classics related to "virtue". and comments.

In this way, after studying hard behind closed doors for a few days, the day came for the college examination.

Just like before taking the exam, Shen Yichen went out carrying the clothes and food prepared by her mother. Now that the temperature is gradually rising between spring and summer, there is no need for thick cold clothes, and the weight of the test basket is much lighter.

I still live in the old inn not far from the examination room. It seems that nothing has changed, but everything seems to be different.

On the second day, accompanied by a little starlight, Shen Yichen stood in the square in front of the Xiajiang examination shed. The average age of the candidates taking the college examination today was much older than the previous county examination and government examination.

Because only those who have obtained the status of a child student can apply for the college examination, and it is not limited to fresh candidates, so many people who have not been admitted to the scholar's title in the previous years will sign up to try again.

Wherever Shen Yichen looked, he saw several old boys with white hair and beards. It was not known how many times they had come here to obtain the title of scholar.

Modern people laugh at Fan Jin and go crazy with joy when he wins the exam, which highlights his ugly appearance. But they don't know how many people in ancient times were old and decayed, and all they wanted in their lives was to be a scholar. In comparison, Fan Jin can be called a lucky man.

After retracting his emotion, Shen Yichen came to the entrance sign of Duke Chengguo's Mansion. Zhu Qingyu and others had already stood there waiting because they came in a carriage.

Seeing Shen Yichen coming over, it may be that the rumors of cheating in the imperial examination were too loud. It may also be that Shen Yichen did not care about the face of the Duke of Chengguo, so they did not dare to make any more provocations.

Anyway, no matter what the reason was, Zhu Qingyu and others behaved very honestly this time. After taking one look, they moved their eyes forward, maintaining a state of non-discrimination.

Since the other party did not stir up trouble, Shen Yichen would not take the initiative to make trouble. He lined up at the back with peace of mind, waiting for the soldiers to be released into the examination room.

As the sky gradually grew brighter, many candidates who were waiting to enter the hall spotted Shen Yichen under the entrance sign of the Chengguo Palace.

"Is that young man standing proudly the head of the Yingtian Mansion, Shen Yichen?"

"Of course. Didn't you see the preface to the Chengguo Palace?"

"It is said that there was fraud in the imperial examinations of the Duke of Chengguo. Are these rumors true?"

"How long have you been a veteran? Have you never heard of Shen Yichen's latest poem "Sword Like a Rainbow"? With such a talent, you dare to say that the Chengguo government is committing fraud?"

""Sword Like a Rainbow" looks down upon the talented Jinling scholar as nothing more than bad poetry. I really can't accept such arrogant talent!"

All the candidates present were talking a lot, looking at Shen Yichen with admiration in their eyes.

After all, it is not easy to suppress the whole audience with a poem. Many young scholars even regard Shen Yichen as their idol.

Even the students of Zhaowen College, who used to dislike Shen Yichen very much, wisely chose to shut up when faced with this situation.

No matter how dissatisfied you are in your heart, no matter how doubtful you are about the imperial examination results of Chengguo Gongfu, you can't overcome the mountain of Shen Yichen's academic studies, and speaking out is just a joke.

As time passed, the gantry of the Xiajiang examination shed opened wide, and all candidates entered in order.

I don’t know if it was affected by the rumors of fraud in the imperial examinations, but the military service inspection was particularly strict this time. Not only did candidates have to carefully check their belongings several times, but they also had to take off all their clothes and pants, and any underpants to cover up shame were not allowed. Keep.

In addition to visually checking whether there are words on the skin, we also open and carefully look at the hollows and gaps in the body, such as noses, ears, and private parts such as the anus.

You must know that in the past, body searches for this kind of preliminary examination were not so strict.

Take Shen Yichen's first two searches as an example. He only took off his clothes and pants for body search, leaving a pair of underpants to cover the examinee's shame, so as not to be humiliating. At most, if he thinks someone is suspicious, he will pinch the crotch a few times to prevent any traces. Entrainment, that's all.

Such a strict inspection system will only be implemented in the provincial examinations for candidates and the general examinations for Jinshi.
To be continued...