Chapter 172 Examination Quota, Holy Land Disciples

Chapter 172 Examination Quota, Holy Land Disciples

"Chu Tang, sit here!" Tao Ying, who was sitting on the upper table with her back to the west and facing east, greeted Chu Tang from a distance and pointed to the first seat on her left.

Chu Tang, who had just walked to the sidelines, was stunned.

Tao Ying sat at a separate table, and to her left and right were two rows of shorter tables.

The short table is half a foot long, and there are two futons next to it; each short table is more than three feet apart, not close to each other.

The seat pointed by Tao Ying was on the right hand side of Chu Tang who was facing Tao Ying. Dayao regarded his right as the highest priority and ranked according to the banquet seating order. That was the first person besides Tao Ying!

Chu Tang also saw that opposite the chief, Shen Ya and Su Qingyue were already sitting there talking and laughing.

Is he sitting in Shen Ya's position?

She is the direct daughter of the No. 1 family in Qingcheng!

Chu Tang felt like he was sitting on wax. He didn't even need to look carefully, but he could feel countless burning eyes on him.

"Dean Tao, what are you doing!" Chu Tang saw the smile on Tao Ying's face and felt that the baby was feeling bitter.

"What are you doing standing around? Come and sit down!" Tao Ying greeted him crisply again.

To be honest, if it were any other occasion, Chu Tang would have refused.

The key is that Tao Ying spoke twice in front of so many students. If he didn't give him face, I'm afraid the other party wouldn't be able to step down.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Tang forced his face to calm down, nodded to Tao Ying, and walked slowly over step by step.

On the way, he heard many students who were already seated whispering.

With his sharp ears, he could even hear them questioning:

"Who is this person, and why did the dean let him sit in the first seat?"

"Now we have a good show. That seat has always been occupied by Qin Duan."

"What the hell did the dean do? Qin Duan was left out by her? That shouldn't be the case. Doesn't the dean appreciate Qin Duan's talent?"

"Look, our Mr. Qin's face is blue..."

Chu Tang turned his head slightly and saw Qin Duan, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and his whole body froze.

Apparently, the other student just walked towards his seat in a familiar manner with another student as usual.

Seeing that they had arrived about a foot away, Qin Duan was surprised when he suddenly heard Tao Ying's arrangement. At the same time, he felt unwilling and unbelievable.

Has he fallen out of favor?

Dean Tao has a new love and has forgotten his old love?

Shen Ya and Su Qingyue, who were sitting at the second seat, also looked at each other.

"Qingyue, what is the relationship between Chu Tang and the dean? Why does the dean value him so much? Didn't you say that Chu Tang is just a police officer in Gui County, and the dean actually favors him?" Shen Ya put her mouth close to Su Qingyue's ear and asked in a low voice.

She knew that Chu Tang was highly skilled in martial arts and was not an ordinary warrior.

However, this is an academy, the domain of literati. In the past, when guests with higher status than Chu Tang attended such gatherings, Dean Tao ignored them and let them sit down.

But Chu Tang came up and sat down at the table, which was uncharacteristic of him!

Su Qingyue did not reply, but looked at Chu Tang and Qin Duan with worry.

Under her worried gaze, Chu Tang had already crossed all the distances, arrived at the front seat, and sat down with an expressionless expression.

Qin Duanze was still frozen in the distance.

Fortunately, Tao Ying spoke again quickly: "Qin Duan, you sit at the same table as Chu Tang and sit next to him."

Qin Duan's face turned red and white. He was not happy at all about being rescued, but his heart was even more blocked.

After a long while, he recovered, forced a smile and nodded to Tao Ying, dragged heavy steps to the side of the chief, kicked the empty futon next to Chu Tang out with his feet, and then slowly sat down. .

Chu Tang didn't take it seriously. He moved the magic weapon Yitian on his left to his right, and smiled at Qin Duan.

Qin Duan lowered his head and did not respond.

Tao Ying glanced at Qin Duan, pointed at Chu Tang, and said loudly as if to explain: "Everyone, this is Chu Tang from Gui County Yamen. His name has been circulating in Qingcheng these days. Some of you must We are no strangers! He was also the one who escorted Qingyue of the Su family all the way to our academy. To thank him, I invited him over for today’s gathering. Chu Tang, would you like to say hello to everyone? "

Chu Tang was complaining in his heart, but his face was calm. He stood up bravely, clasped his fists in salute, and said it was a pleasure to meet him.

The place was buzzing with various whispers:

"The policeman from Guijun? What the hell is going on? You let him take the seat and compete with us all?"

"What do you know? He is Chu Tang!"

"who?"

"Chu Tang, who has been discussed in Qingcheng for the past two days! The young man who defeated Cheng Feng of the Cheng family! The genius who defeated the Cheng family's sword array!"

"Oh, it's him! That's okay! Our dean is both civil and military. He not only values ​​students with literary talents, but also supports young people with strong martial arts from time to time!"

"Shh, please keep your voice down. Didn't you see that Cheng Yi's face turned dark?"

"Cheng Yi? Oh, the one from the Cheng family!"

Many people moved their eyes away from Chu Tang and towards Cheng Yi, who was seated at the shorter table at the outermost seat of the venue.

Mr. Cheng, who had been chatting and laughing with Qin Duan before, now looked embarrassed, and his body felt hot, as if he was being roasted on a fire.

After listening to some of everyone's discussions, he felt so ashamed that he did not dare to face everyone, so he could only lower his head and pretend to be dead.

However, when his lowered eyes were slightly raised to look at Chu Tang in the distance, another wave of hatred flashed through him.

It's all this damn catcher's fault!

If it weren't for him, the Cheng family wouldn't have embarrassed themselves so much that he lost face in front of everyone.

He even blamed his own dean.

If he had known in advance that Chu Tang would be invited to today's party, he would not have come to embarrass this person.

"Could it be that the person named Tao did it on purpose... He actually gave him the chief position? This is a naked slap in the face of our Cheng family!" There was anger brewing in Cheng Yi's heart, "Cheng Feng, you waste! Because of your incompetence, our Cheng family has been completely embarrassed by you!"

But he forgot that he was several miles ahead of Cheng Feng in terms of martial arts talent and level!

It was because of his low qualifications that he could not go far in martial arts, so his family arranged for him to study in an academy, hoping that he could achieve something.

It would be even better if he could obtain fame and embark on an official career like Su Hong of the Su family!

In fact, Cheng Yi is somewhat talented in reading, otherwise he would not be qualified to participate in the elite student gathering organized by Tao Ying.

"Qingyue, Cheng Yi must hate your Chu Tang!" Shen Ya was at odds with Su Qingyue again.

The buzzing chatter reached her ears, and she immediately realized that Chu Tang's presence would put Cheng Yi in an awkward position.

Su Qingyue's bright little eyes widened and she said, "Sister Shen, you are crazy. What do you mean by my Chu Tang?"

Shen Ya said innocently: "Isn't he your father's subordinate? He's from Guijun!"

Su Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this and said emphatically: "Those are from the imperial court, not from our Su family."

Shen Ya smiled: "Aren't they all the same?"

Su Qingyue rolled her eyes at her: "Public is public, private is private, how can it be the same?"

Shen Ya just smiled and stopped dwelling on the topic. She looked up at Chu Tang and Qin Duan, who were not communicating at all, and couldn't help but whisper: "Qingyue, I'm afraid Qin Duan will also hate Chu Tang and rob him." The chief position. What do you think the dean thinks, and why would she let an outsider like Chu Tang sit in the position of honor?"

Su Qingyue also glanced at the two people across from her with worry and said: "The dean has always been fond of martial arts, and Chu Tang won the Cheng family's sword formation. She loves the house and the bird, so it is understandable to treat her guests as high!"

"Are you sure? How come I heard that the dean had an affair with Chu Tang?"

Su Qingyue was panicked and didn't dare to talk about Tao Ying's defeat. She hesitated and said: "Yeah, yeah, I have learned Qinggong. Sister Shen, eat something quickly. The dean is going to test what everyone has learned during this time." Something to learn.”

As expected, Shen Ya's attention was diverted. She picked up a piece of star fruit and ate it. She muttered, "Just take the test. We are women and we don't need to take the test to gain fame."

As Su Qingyue expected, after sitting for a while, Tao Ying began to ask everyone about what they had learned.

Qin Duan was still the young student she valued most, and she was the first to ask questions.

Most of the questions were about scriptures and passages, including reciting the original text, asking questions about the sentences, and some asking about understanding.

Qin Duan was indeed a student praised by everyone. His answers were clear and logical, and he was not stumped by Tao Ying's questions. He not only demonstrated his superior memory skills, but also demonstrated his ability to read to the depths.

Tao Ying nodded while listening, and finally said: "Qin Duan, you have learned almost all the literature, Taoism, classics, and classics over the years, and you have learned them very well. The professors also say that you are good enough to teach."

After saying that, she pondered for a moment and then asked: "Qin Duan, are you eighteen this year?"

"Yo!" Shen Ya complained after hearing this, "Qingyue, Qin Duan is going to be prosperous!"

"Huh?" Su Qingyue was a little confused.

Shen Yanu pursed his lips and said, "The dean said that he can start teaching!"

"Sister Shen, what do you mean..."

Before Shen Ya could answer, Qin Duan seemed to realize something. He stood up and said excitedly: "Go back to the dean. In two months, the student will be eighteen years old!"

Tao Ying hummed, thought for a while, and then said: "Then our academy will list you as a candidate for the civil service examination this year. Next year, you can go to Beijing to take the civil service examination."

boom!

As soon as Tao Ying finished speaking, the place was buzzing with commotion.

Many people immediately congratulated Qin Duan on the spot.

Qin Duan was also so excited that he trembled all over. He immediately bowed to Tao Ying and said in a trembling voice: "The dean is so kind and loving. Students dare not forget it. They will work hard and do something great to live up to the teachings of the academy!"

Tao Ying smiled lightly and said, "I hope you can uphold your original intention of being a scholar and making decisions for the people, be a responsible person, and serve as an official well."

"Yes!" Qin Duan bowed and saluted again.

Tao Ying waved his hand and told Qin Duan to sit back down. He also tested the knowledge of other students in the school. There was nothing new, so he just asked and answered questions.

On the other side, Shen Ya winked at Su Qingyue and said, "Look, where are the candidates for the imperial examination! Qin Duan has got a ticket to officialdom! Our academy can only nominate one candidate for the imperial examination a year, and the competition is very fierce. ! Finally he got his wish!"

"Yeah." Su Qingyue responded, lowering her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

Dayao established his country with martial arts, and although he used literature as a check and balance, the ceiling for a warrior was too high. It is not an exaggeration to say that if he reaches the ninth level, he can be defeated by ten thousand people.

Therefore, Yao's court still had the final say through force.

Once the martial arts has been practiced to a certain level, as long as they do not commit any serious disaster that will cause anger and anger, the imperial court will often extend an olive branch to these people, recruit them to various yamen positions, and give high-ranking officials generous salaries.

It is both a recruitment and a way to bind the master to his own chariot.

Many masters often reach the sky in one step.

For those who take a civil service career, it is more tortuous and highly competitive.

In selecting civil servants, Yao had various situations. In addition to obtaining honors through first-level examinations similar to the imperial examinations, he also gave each state and county the power to inspect the examinations every year.

The so-called inspection system is the recommendation system.

The prefectures and counties recommended candidates according to a fixed quota to take the civil service examination in the capital.

Generally, no one will fail in this exam, and it is the kind that directly awards official positions.

It is said that at least they will be given the actual job of a county magistrate.

The one who is particularly outstanding is probably comparable to the county magistrate, and is only a little behind the county guard. It is not an exaggeration to say that he has reached the sky in one step.

Therefore, the targets for investigation and promotion are very strict, and who is qualified to be investigated and promoted is even more strict.

The founder of Wutong Academy was a high-ranking member of the imperial court at that time, and he also achieved outstanding results after establishing the academy. Therefore, he was favored by the imperial court and was given a quota of one candidate for the imperial examination every year.

The number of candidates for promotion will be determined by the preferences of the candidates regardless of their origins.

The dean of Wutong Academy is one of the people who makes decisions with his words.

It is precisely because of such a quota that people can reach the sky in one step, Wutong Academy has become a well-known academy in Qingcheng and even Liangzhou. Many aristocratic families send their children to study in the academy.

I came here with the hope of getting this spot!

It doesn't matter if you can't get a place. Wutong Academy is still very promising and you can learn knowledge. Taking the imperial examination yourself is another way to gain fame.

After all, there is only one quota for inspection, which is too precious.

Now, Tao Ying gave this quota to Qin Duan.

After next year, Qin Duan only needs to go to the capital once, and when he comes out, he will be a civil servant of the seventh rank or above in the imperial court!

This is why he was so excited and everyone congratulated him.

Chu Tang didn't understand this, so he couldn't understand Qin Duan, whose hands were shaking when holding the teacup next to him. He watched Tao Ying's students taking the exam with great interest.

It has been a long time ago for him to ask questions in class and have the teacher give instructions!

After a while, Chu Tang discovered that Tao Ying did have the ability to be the dean of the academy. He asked and gave different advice to each student, and he had a certain attitude of teaching students according to their aptitude.

The students all gained something new during the questions and answers. They felt as if they had found a treasure and were overjoyed. They all bowed to Tao Ying to thank her.

Half an hour passed and the exam was finally over.

The scene was another scene of sentient beings.

The female students did not have the important task of obtaining academic honors. Some were eating fruits leisurely, some were chatting in low voices, and some were watching the crowd's reactions with great interest.

Shen Ya was the kind of person who was interested in eating, chatting and everything. Su Qingyue next to her was tormented by her.

"Sister Shen, please don't ask me again what kind of martial arts Chu Tang knows and whether he is good at it! Yes, I followed him, but you know that I don't know martial arts, I don't understand!" Su Qingyue finally said He said to Shen Ya begging for mercy.

Shen Ya muttered, "Don't I want to know what other powerful martial arts skills he has besides the sky-cutting and sword-drawing skills?"

"What day?" Su Qingyue couldn't hear clearly.

"Zhan Tian, ​​draw the sword!" Shen Ya raised her voice, "Chu Tang said he could teach me this sword technique!"

Su Qingyue was not very interested in martial arts and just shook her head and said she didn't know.

However, Shen Ya's voice was so loud that Tao Ying, who was not far away, heard it with her sharp ears and her heart moved slightly: "Bad Sword Technique? And it deserves the stinky name of Zhan Tian?"

She remembered the two boards she had gotten before coming here.

"The cut surface is as smooth as a mirror. Is it caused by this sword technique?" Tao Ying also became interested, "Stepping on the snow without leaving a trace, walking on the waves, Quanzhen sword technique, the great shift of the universe, what kind of sky-slaying sword technique is there now?" , How much martial arts does this guy know..."

While she was deep in thought, a middle-aged man hurriedly walked up from behind her. When he came to Tao Ying, he said respectfully: "Miss!"

Chu Tang's sharp eyes recognized this person.

This middle-aged man's identity has changed. He once served as the gatekeeper of the academy, and also served as Tao Ying's groom. Now he is also the person who delivers information.

"What's the matter?" Tao Ying responded.

The middle-aged man respectfully handed Tao Ying a piece of origami-like object and said, "There is a disciple from Luoshen Valley who is here to see me."

"Luoshen Valley?!" Tao Ying was shocked. He took the greeting card, opened it and read it, frowning, "The direct disciple of Luoying Divine Sword, the great elder of Luoshen Valley? This is a rare visitor. Did you tell me why?"

"I just asked for a meeting and didn't say much."

Tao Ying said thoughtfully: "Then bring him over to see him."

"Right here?" The middle-aged man was stunned.

Tao Ying glanced at him and said: "I have done nothing in my life that I cannot tell anyone! Besides, it is also a rare good thing for students to see the disciples of the Holy Land of Martial Arts, broaden their horizons, and increase their knowledge. .”

"Yes!" The middle-aged man backed away.

After a while, he arrived at the scene with a young man holding a long sword.