madnovel Chapter 40 The County Martial Arts Examination!
Chapter 40 The County Martial Arts Examination!
Outside, ever since the city fell that night and was looted by bandits, the county town has become much more desolate.
A few days ago, news of a batch of fast horses leaving the city to hold the county examination spread to various parts of the county.
The county town has become noticeably more lively these past few days, showing signs of a renewed vitality.
People came from every village and town.
There were scholars in plain clothes, as well as roughnecks from all walks of life; some brought their families, while others went to take the exam alone; and still others were young heroes from the martial arts world who came upon hearing the news.
Carriages and horses moved about, and even merchant caravans became more numerous.
Every year, the county-level examinations in various places are like a grand event, very noisy.
Which family made the list, which family failed, where a young hero emerged, where another scholar went mad after passing the imperial examination—these stories are what people talk about most.
The Great Wu Dynasty is now in chaos, and people's hearts are scattered. It needs such a grand event to boost morale and attract talent.
Zhao An didn't feel much about this, but Li Gou'er was keen on gathering information. Whenever he heard something, he would come back and tell Zhao An.
"Brother Zhao, the county soldiers are back! A great victory! A resounding victory!"
"The heads of those bandits filled an entire cart; the sight was... wow..."
In the afternoon, Li Gou'er came running back in a flash, excitedly saying...
"Judging from this, this magistrate from the prefectural city certainly came prepared."
"Everyone says how powerful the martial artists in the prefectural city are, with fierce warriors as numerous as clouds and heroes as plentiful as rain. Now I believe it."
"With Black Wind Stronghold wiped out, the new magistrate has gained popular support and can now firmly secure his position."
"..."
Seven days later, in mid-May, the county examination began as scheduled.
Both the civil and military examinations were held in the inner city.
Early in the morning, two long queues stretched for a mile under the inner city gate.
One group consisted entirely of slender, scholarly men, while the other was filled with strong, burly men, creating a stark contrast.
The surrounding area was crowded with people, mostly family members and friends of today's test takers, who were seeing them off into the examination hall.
Of course, there were also onlookers. As bystanders, they were not allowed to enter the inner city to join in the fun; they could only listen to the rumors circulating outside.
Zhao An was also in line. He thought that, apart from Li Gou'er and Zhao Chunzi, no one would be seeing him off this morning.
Unexpectedly, Meng Wanyi and her two sisters arrived early.
Since experiencing the chaos that night, Zhao An's relationship with the two female doctors is now more familiar than that of a typical client; they can be considered friends who can barely talk to each other.
"Zhao An, we're waiting for you to pass the exam!" Meng Wanyi waved to Zhao An from the crowd.
"I hope I can pass the policy discussion smoothly too," Meng Shao muttered to herself.
She was completely at ease with Zhao An's martial prowess, but she still found it hard to believe that Zhao An could sit down and write a long treatise.
Not far away, Zhao Ke, my good older brother, also inexplicably arrived today.
He wanted to put on a show with Zhao An, reconciling and becoming good brothers again, but Zhao An didn't bother with him at all, and didn't even glance at him.
This also made him very embarrassed.
"You'd better pass the martial arts exam so I can use your success to my advantage in the future..." Zhao Ke's face fell, and he cursed under his breath in a gloomy tone.
The team continued to move forward.
"Zhao, Zhao An!"
Suddenly someone behind him recognized Zhao An and exclaimed in a low voice.
This sound caused people in the front and back of the group to turn around and look.
Zhao Anzhi's name is nothing special in the inner city, but in the streets and alleys of the outer city, he is a very famous and well-known figure.
There are all sorts of opinions about it.
Some say this person is extremely wicked and wants to eliminate the two major gangs and then take their place.
Some say this person was a young hero who rose from humble beginnings, and was more diligent in eliminating evil than the officials and constables of the yamen.
Its name strikes fear into the hearts of the wicked and sends the treacherous fleeing in terror.
Some say that Zhao An possessed a great opportunity, which enabled him to rise to power overnight.
There are even rumors that Zhao An is possessed by a ghost general and is no longer the original Zhao An.
There are different opinions.
In just over a month, Zhao An has already made a name for himself in the outer city.
"So he was Zhao An!"
"I thought it was some kind of three-headed, six-armed deity. This guy looks strong and powerful, but how is he any different from me?"
"Whether one is a true hero or a mere seeker of fame, this county examination will make it clear and transparent."
"..."
Zhao An didn't care about what others said; he only cared whether these people had red names on their heads.
If you become famous, you'll inevitably get stabbed in the back by him someday.
"Brother Zhao, I haven't had a chance to thank you properly yet." Suddenly, a scholar in patched clothes from the group next to him turned to Zhao An and bowed.
Zhao An felt that the scholar looked somewhat familiar. After looking at the name above his head, he remembered that this poor scholar had once lent him a military book.
This person originally possessed good deeds, and he bought the other person's good deeds with money. The resulting good deeds eventually merged with several other good deeds, which is how he was able to practice his lost finger technique.
"Have you recovered from your illness?" Zhao An looked at the young scholar, who had previously appeared sickly and seemingly not long for the world.
When we met again today, although I was still weak, I was at least much more energetic.
"Thanks to Brother Zhao, the doctors at Mingyue Medical Clinic have been incredibly skilled, and I'm much better now," Li Tianhuai said sincerely.
"That's fine then." Zhao An nodded.
"But after thinking it over, I realized that Brother Zhao only came to borrow military books from me for a few days, yet I accepted so much silver. I feel truly ashamed..." Li Tianhuai said with a look of guilt on his face.
He possessed the integrity and moral character of a scholar, but without this life-saving medical money, he would find it difficult to survive.
"You've already given me what I wanted, there's no need to mention money again." Zhao An noticed that the other party was a bit stubborn, so he waved his hand and said that this matter should not be brought up again.
"In that case, I, Tianhuai, will remember Brother Zhao's great kindness. If I ever pass the imperial examination in the future, I will definitely come back to repay Brother Zhao!" Li Tianhuai said solemnly.
Zhao An casually agreed.
Whether the poor boy was a high school graduate or not is another matter, and he didn't expect the other party to repay him in any way.
After all, in a few years, it's uncertain whether the Great Wu Dynasty will still exist in this chaotic world.
After their identities were verified, the candidates entered the inner city one after another.
Scholars would go to the examination hall to test their talents, while warriors would go to the martial arts arena to first test their skills and courage, and then discuss strategies.
Zhao An took his number plate and walked to the training ground.
Before him, at least three to five hundred candidates had gathered here, and each of them looked strong and robust.
Some were even more imposing and outstanding, dressed in brocade robes, seemingly of some kind.
Beside the training ground, rows of weapon racks were set up, filled with all kinds of weapons, and the officials in charge of the examination were also among them.
The outer area was teeming with people.
Unlike ordinary people who were not allowed to enter the inner city, these people were either rich or noble and had the right to watch the county examinations every year.
Once everyone was present, a loud shout rang out.
"The magistrate has arrived!"
The new magistrate of Lianjiang City, accompanied by a group of officials, personally came to the examination hall to preside over the county examination!