Chapter 73 Body Search
“Daddy, you…”
After hearing what his father said, Chen Qingtong's eyes suddenly turned red and he was choked up and couldn't speak.
Growing up, her father, a marquis, had always been a strong-willed person. She had never thought that one day her father would be so soft-hearted as to say these words to her.
"Don't be too happy too soon. Your father just recognizes Shen Yichen's talent and will no longer interfere with you, not that he agrees to let him become my son-in-law."
"If Shen Yichen wants to become the son-in-law of Marquis Taining, he must pass the imperial examination, complete the six ceremonies, and marry you in a sedan chair carried by eight people. Otherwise, forget it!"
After all, it was impossible for Taining Marquis Chen Ying to compromise endlessly. He no longer asked for the title of king, prince, general or minister, but the most basic goal of passing the imperial examination and becoming a Jinshi was something he would never compromise on.
Because only those who pass the imperial examination will be eligible to enter the power center of the capital. At that time, with the help of himself and Duke Chengguo, with Shen Yichen's talent, the probability of his rapid rise to prominence is very high.
If you fail the exam, it means that the ceiling of your career is locked and you have no room for maneuver.
“Daddy!”
Originally, Chen Qingtong just had someone in her heart and had not yet considered something as far away as marriage. But now her father had said it directly, which made her feel touched but also a little shy.
"Okay, let's leave it at that for now. Don't hold on to this poem forever. After all, she is my daughter, Chen Ying. If you don't know, you might think no one wants her."
"Daddy, I will remember this."
As Chen Qingtong spoke, he walked over, took his father's arm, and leaned his head on his shoulder.
In fact, Chen Qingtong knew in her heart how much concession her father had made for her today. As the daughter of a marquis, being able to marry as she wished was probably the greatest freedom.
Looking at his daughter like this, Taining Marquis Chen Ying's face was full of relief. If he could really find a good marriage, then he could let go of his biggest knot in his heart.
…
On the other hand, when Shen Yichen arrived at Lin Zhen's courtyard, it was almost dusk. It might seem a little late for an ordinary visit, but for Shen Yichen, this time was just right.
If you arrive too early, Lin Zhen is still teaching at Zhaowen Academy and has not gone home. Last time Shen Yichen went to the academy to find the 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 home.
Walking into the courtyard, Shen Yichen saw Lin Zhen sitting in the corridor at the entrance with a set of tea sets in front of him, sipping the fine tea leisurely.
When Lin Zhen saw Shen Yichen coming in, he put down the teacup in his hand and said with some surprise: "Yichen, why are you here at this time? Is there something going on?"
"Disciple greets sir."
Shen Yichen bowed first, then said: "Sir, you are indeed very discerning. I came here this time because I really have something I want to ask you."
"Oh, then sit down and talk."
Lin Zhen pointed to the position opposite the tea set, then picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Shen Yichen.
Now Shen Yichen no longer felt unfamiliar with his teacher Lin Zhen, so he didn't bother to be polite. He just sat opposite him and took the teacup from his teacher.
"Sir, I will have to take the college entrance examination in a few days."
"Master knows, so you came here today to ask me about academic matters?"
"No, I want to ask about the chief examiner, Sun Tixue."
Hearing Shen Yichen's words, Lin Zhen showed a half-smile on his face and said, "Yichen, you don't want me to communicate with Sun Tixue, do you?"
"Hehe, disciple really has this idea."
"Very good, then I will call Sun Tixue over and you can discuss it with him yourself."
The more frankly Shen Yichen admitted it, the more Lin Zhen realized that his disciple certainly did not want to use his connections for personal gain, so he also made a joke.
"Sir, actually, I came here this time to find out what Sun Tixue likes in terms of writing style, so that I can cater to his preferences in the college entrance examination."
There is nothing to hide from the teacher, and it is not just Shen Yichen who does this, basically all candidates will have such considerations.
However, there are probably not many people like Shen Yichen who can get the upper hand by being close to the water.
"You are quite direct, kid."
Lin Zhen couldn't help laughing. He had met countless younger students, but no one was as frank as Shen Yichen, who talked about pleasing others so calmly.
Others have to cover up the matter and make indirect comments.
"I dare not deceive you, sir, so I can only tell you the truth."
"It's nothing, actually. Yichen, you have such an idea, which is also a kind of enterprising spirit . Your teacher doesn't mean to blame you."
To be honest, Lin Zhen actually admired Shen Yichen's frankness. After all, it also proved that he trusted and respected his teacher.
Another point is that this kid is finally no longer that mature and nonchalant attitude of a young man. He now has the expectations, ambition, and sense of gain and loss that he should have at this age.
Although Lin Zhen adheres to the doctrine of the mean, he knows that if a young man wants to accomplish great things, he must be sharp and enterprising and show absolute willpower and determination.
An overly easy-going and laissez-faire attitude means that your career ceiling will not be very high.
"I have known Sun Tixue for many years. If you ask me what kind of writing style he prefers, then Yichen, you only need to remember one sentence when answering the question. This is also his motto for many years as an official."
"What do you want to say, sir?"
"The priest must first be virtuous." (Paragraph of affairs)
Should priests first practice virtue?
Shen Yichen savored this sentence carefully, and he suddenly remembered a motto that his teacher Li Tingxiu often said, which was that to establish learning, one must first establish morality.
In a sense, the profound meaning of these two sentences is the same, that is, no matter whether you are being a person, doing things, or studying, the first thing you need to do well is your own moral character.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I understand."
Lin Zhen was not surprised that Shen Yichen had such an understanding. He smiled and said, "Since you understand, and it's getting late, then accompany me to finish dinner before going back."
Lin Zhen went to Zhaowen Academy to give a lecture temporarily, but his family did not follow him, but stayed in his hometown, Changtai County. His current state can be described by a phrase from later generations, that is, "an old man living alone."
So when Shen Yichen came today, Lin Zhen was very happy. He wanted to keep the student to have a simple meal together and chat with him.
Shen Yichen naturally understood the teacher's mentality, so he bowed and said, "Then I will respectfully obey your command."
At the dinner table, this time the master and the apprentice were no longer talking about major issues such as study, future, and life, but rather some trivial matters in the daily lives of their families.
Lin Zhen, in particular, opened up his heart and talked about 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 seemed to be something between him and Lin Zhen, so he decided to ask Master Li Tingxiu to come and get closer to him.
After this experience, for Shen Yichen, Lin Zhen lost the halo of the top scholar and became an ordinary teacher. The invisible wall in his heart was broken.
After dinner, Lin Zhen even asked his family's carriage to take Shen Yichen back to the small courtyard on the corner of the street. With the reminder from his teacher, Shen Yichen focused on the original texts and annotations of the Four Books and Five Classics related to "virtue".
In this way, after studying hard behind closed doors for a few days, the day of the college entrance examination arrived.
Just like in previous exams, Shen Yichen went out carrying the clothes and food prepared by his mother. Now that the temperature is gradually rising at the junction of spring and summer, there is no need for thick winter clothes, and the weight of the exam basket is much lighter.
I still live in the old inn not far from the examination hall. It seems that nothing has changed, yet it seems that everything is different.
On the second day, accompanied by the starlight, Shen Yichen stood in the square in front of the Xiajiang examination hall. The average age of the candidates taking part in the academy examination today was much older than those in the previous county and prefectural examinations.
Since anyone who has obtained the status of a Tongsheng can apply for the academy examination and it is not limited to current candidates, many people who did not pass the exam in previous years will sign up to try again.
Wherever Shen Yichen looked, he saw several old students with white hair and beards. He didn't know how many times they came to take the examination to become a scholar.
Modern people laugh at Fan Jin's success in the imperial examination and say that he went crazy with joy, highlighting his ugly appearance. However, they do not know that in ancient times, many old people spent their entire lives seeking only the title of a scholar. In comparison, Fan Jin can be considered a lucky man.
Putting aside his sentimental mood, Shen Yichen came to the entrance plaque of Duke Chengguo's Mansion. Zhu Qingyu and others had been standing there waiting for a long time because they came in a carriage.
Seeing Shen Yichen coming over, it might be because the rumors of cheating in the imperial examinations had caused too much noise. It might also be that Shen Yichen completely disregarded the reputation of the Duke of Chengguo's Mansion, so they dared not provoke him again.
Anyway, no matter what the reason, Zhu Qingyu and others behaved very honestly this time. After taking a look, they moved their gaze forward, maintaining a state of non-interference.
Since the other party didn't cause any trouble, Shen Yichen would not take the initiative to cause trouble. He calmly lined up at the back, waiting for the conscripts to let him enter the examination room.
As the sky gradually brightened, many of the candidates waiting to enter the examination room noticed Shen Yichen under the admission card of Duke Cheng's Mansion.
"Is that young man standing proudly the first in the Yingtian Prefecture case, Shen Yichen?"
"Of course. Didn't you see the entrance card of Duke Cheng's Mansion?"
"It is said that there was cheating in the imperial examination at the Duke of Chengguo's mansion. Is this rumor true?"
"What time is this? Haven't you heard of Shen Yichen's latest poem, "Sword Like Rainbow"? With such talent, you dare to accuse the Duke of Cheng of cheating?"
"'Sword Like Rainbow' is so arrogant that it looks down upon the works of Jinling's talented scholars, which are nothing but broken poems. It is really hard to deny such a bold talent!"
The candidates present were talking about it, and most of them looked at Shen Yichen with admiration and worship.
After all, it is not easy to overwhelm the whole audience with a poem. Many young scholars even regard Shen Yichen as their idol.
Even the students of Zhaowen Academy who used to dislike Shen Yichen wisely chose to keep quiet when faced with this situation.
Even if he was unwilling to accept it in his heart and had doubts about the imperial examination results of the Chengguo Mansion, he could not overcome the huge mountain of Shen Yichen's talent, and speaking out would only add to the joke.
As time passed, the gate of the Xiajiang examination hall opened wide and all the candidates entered in order.
Perhaps influenced by the rumors of cheating in the provincial examination, the examination for military service was particularly strict this time. Not only did the examinees' belongings have to be carefully checked several times, but they also had to take off all their clothes and pants, not even their underpants were allowed to cover their private parts.
In addition to visually checking whether there are words on the skin, even the holes and crevices of the body are carefully examined, such as the nose, ears, and anus.
You should know that in the past, body searches in such preliminary imperial examinations were not so strict.
Take Shen Yichen's first two searches for example. The body search only involved taking off the outer clothes and pants, leaving the examinee with a pair of underpants to cover his/her private parts to avoid humiliation. At most, if they thought someone was suspicious, they would pinch the crotch a few times to prevent any contraband, that was all.
Only the provincial examinations for juren and the metropolitan examinations for jinshi would implement such a strict inspection system.
Obviously, this strict body search method caused dissatisfaction among many conservative scholars, and the Xiajiang examination hall was immediately filled with complaints.
But after the invigilator came out and disqualified several candidates who were the leaders of the trouble, the rest of the crowd immediately became obedient. After all, when you live under someone's roof, you have to bow your head...
Shen Yichen didn't care about this kind of body search. There were a bunch of grown men at the scene. Others might have the same parts you have, the only difference being the size. What was there to be shy about?
However, Shen Yichen still noticed something unusual. That was that Zhu Qingyu, who was standing in front of him in the queue, was shaking noticeably.
Cold? Shy? Scared?
Seeing Zhu Qingyu's strange behavior, Shen Yichen thought of three possibilities. Cold could be ruled out first. It was already the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and the temperature was just right. There was no such thing as shivering from the cold.
Being shy is not very realistic. A clan member like Zhu Qingyu is probably more familiar with brothels than his own home. Would they be shy about taking off clothes?
Then there is only one possibility left, Zhu Qingyu and others are afraid of strict inspection!
To be honest, Shen Yichen had always been curious about how Zhu Qingyu and his group of playboys cheated in the examination room.
Shen Yichen thought it was unlikely that someone could smuggle something in or write something on their body. Although the previous body searches were not as strict as today, it was definitely not easy to sneak in, let alone several people getting through in a row.
So they definitely have a more sophisticated method, what is it?
With this curiosity, Shen Yichen suddenly patted Zhu Qingyu on the shoulder and said, "Hey, you seem to be shaking badly."
Shen Yichen's slap directly frightened Zhu Qingyu so much that he jumped for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said calmly, "It's none of your business. I just didn't wear one piece of clothing today, so I'm a little cold."
"Yeah?"
Faced with this answer, Shen Yichen looked at Zhu Qingyu with a playful expression, obviously not quite believing it.
"Take care of yourself and don't worry about anything else."
After giving a warning, Zhu Qingyu turned around and ignored Shen Yichen.
At the same time, the clan members of the inner courtyard private school who were at the front of the line had already begun to undergo military service inspections.
His behavior was exactly the same as Zhu Qingyu's, and his hands were clearly shaking as he took off his clothes.
Faced with this situation, Bingyi had some doubts in his heart, but he could not conclude that the other party was suspected of cheating. After all, some candidates had poor psychological quality and were easily nervous during the examination. In addition, it was indeed a bit chilly in May when they took off their clothes, so it was normal to shiver.
However, Shen Yichen keenly discovered that this Zhu clan relative always looked at him intentionally or unintentionally, which was very unusual!
