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墨書 Inktalez
Yang Yichen was being dragged by Hua Scholar to the restaurant, where the atmosphere was lively and bustling with students flocking in, as if they were eager to meet some important figure.
As they walked, Yang Yichen learned from Hua Scholar that today the County Magistrate of Linyi County, County Magistrate Zhou, would be visiting De Fu Restaurant, which was a great opportunity for the many candidates.
Everyone wanted to take this chance to make a good impression in front of the County Magistrate, hoping it would benefit them during the exams.
After hearing this news, Hua Scholar hurried out to find Yang Yichen without wasting a moment.
Hua Scholar was outgoing and enjoyed making friends; he lacked the steady demeanor typical of scholars. Upon arriving in the county town, he inexplicably became good friends with the aloof Yang Yichen.
"Wow~~~ The news spread so fast! I just found out and came to look for you!" Hua Scholar couldn't believe how quickly everyone had learned about the County Magistrate's whereabouts.
He had obtained this information through special channels and had worked hard to get even this little bit of news. Who could have leaked it?
"Ah!" Hua Scholar exclaimed as a group of hurried scholars accidentally bumped into him. With several loud thuds, he nearly got trampled!
Yang Yichen quickly pulled him back just in time.
"Hurry up! There won't be any spots left soon!"
"Oh no, I heard County Magistrate Zhou is coming soon!"
"I can't miss this chance; I need to perform well!" The usually timid scholars suddenly displayed an overwhelming fighting spirit, determined to outshine others, comparable to a battlefield clash.
"Hey! Why are you all running so fast? Leave me some space!" Hua Scholar shouted, pointing at the entrance of De Fu Restaurant as he pushed his way inside with all his might.
The shopkeeper was stunned by the chaotic scene before him but quickly broke into a smile; after all, no one would push customers away.
The staff sprang into action, serving tea and snacks while relaying orders to the kitchen, bustling about energetically.
Yang Yichen and Hua Scholar, squeezed at the back, had a hard time finding a spot in the corner that no one else wanted to sit in.
"Oh dear, we arrived too late. What a great position, and it was snatched away by them. If only we could show our faces in front of County Magistrate Zhou today, it would be best to shine brightly; then we wouldn't have to worry about the County Examination!"
Hua Scholar looked regretful, sighing continuously as if he had lost several hundred taels of silver.
Yang Yichen, who had been dragged here against his will, felt indifferent; it made no difference to him.
He neither wanted nor would do such things.
But others were different. While waiting for County Magistrate Zhou to arrive, groups of scholars gathered at tables, shaking their heads and discussing academic matters, pretending to be serious.
However, their eyes constantly glancing outside betrayed them!
Some were whispering, and the keen-eared Yang Yichen caught their conversation: "Is County Magistrate Zhou really coming? I hope we’re not waiting for nothing; otherwise, we could have studied properly!"
"What are you afraid of? Can't you see everyone is here? No one is studying anyway. As long as we leave a good impression in front of the magistrate, even if we wait all morning, it's worth it!"
The scholars had a point. In the Western Moon Kingdom's Imperial Examination system, each level of selection is overseen by local officials. For instance, the Provincial Examination and County Examination are managed by the local magistrate, and once results are out, they are submitted to the governor of the Provincial Capital for review.
In reality, this higher-level review is merely a formality; as long as there are no major issues, the results sent by the local magistrate are generally accepted.
The Provincial Examination is overseen by the Provincial Capital governor, who manages all affairs. The results are then checked by officials from the capital city, and so on until the Imperial Examination is ultimately decided by the emperor.
Thus, regarding the upcoming Provincial Examination and County Examination, the magistrate holds significant influence!
They waited and waited; aside from a few diners trickling in, there was no sign of the magistrate entering.
Gradually, everyone lost their patience and became increasingly restless.
"Who was supposed to be here first? Why is no one coming now?" A young scholar in his twenties suddenly stood up in a fit of anger and shouted.
Everyone fell silent because they also didn't know whose turn it was. Anyway, one person delayed another, and soon half of the candidates for the Provincial Examination had arrived.
Once the first person stood up, the second followed, and several others expressed their dissatisfaction one after another.
As time passed, those who were growing impatient gradually left. After all, the exam was approaching, and years of hard study depended on this one performance; it was more practical to use the time to review instead.
At the same time, a middle-aged man dressed in a plain dark blue robe with a thin mustache walked out of the back door of the county office.
Beside him was an older man in gray clothing. Both looked ordinary and dressed modestly, the kind of people you wouldn't recognize in a crowd.
The older man smiled slightly and asked self-deprecatingly, "Is what we're doing really useful?"
The middle-aged man replied confidently, "We'll find out by trying. But Advisor, you mustn't give us away!"
It turned out that the two were none other than County Magistrate Zhou of Linyi County, around thirty years old, and his advisor Mr. Wen, who appeared to be in his forties.
The two had disguised themselves for this Imperial Examination to secretly observe the candidates' character. As for how the news spread?
They exchanged knowing smiles; everything was understood without words.
A moment later, it was lunchtime. De Fu Restaurant experienced a peak period as numerous guests came and went, including candidates who had been waiting all morning.
Of course, in such a large restaurant, there were still seats available in the private rooms on the second floor.
Among the crowd, two men with goatees entered the tavern inconspicuously, chose a discreet spot to sit down, and ordered a couple of dishes. They quietly ate and drank, taking bites of food and sips of wine.
From time to time, they looked up and scanned their surroundings, observing the expressions of those around them.
The restlessness of the scholars and their searching gazes did not escape the attention of the middle-aged man.
Indeed, this was part of County Magistrate Zhou's scheme. Having served as an official for many years, he had experienced numerous Provincial Examinations, but what he valued most was character.
A person who is well-educated and talented but cannot act on behalf of the people is not someone he needs.
There are not many officials like County Magistrate Zhou in the Western Moon Kingdom. His integrity and dedication made it difficult for him to fit into the complex environment of the bureaucracy, resulting in him staying in the underdeveloped Linyi County for many years.
As the bustling lunch hour passed, customers gradually left, and the impatient scholars began to disperse.
County Magistrate Zhou observed the expressions and actions of each departing individual, already forming his conclusions in his mind.
Suddenly, two figures in a corner caught his attention.
Two teenagers sat quietly there, dining elegantly. Unlike most people who were anxious and looking around, or like a few who pretended to be calm, they displayed a natural demeanor without any pretense.
"Advisor, what do you think of those two young men?"
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