A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 78 Seeking a Place to Stay
As the examination for Yingtianfu Academy approaches, more and more students come to Songcheng.

Song Xuan did not go out either, but instead familiarized himself with the Analects and practiced solving questions every day, as he was going to take exams in four subjects.

He was sharpening his skills before the battle and working hard to get a higher ranking.

Bao Zheng spent the whole day thinking about and understanding the suggestions Zhang Kang gave him.

Because of his hard work, he had no problem with some dictation and understanding of the scriptures.

However, it is still extremely difficult to improve policy theory in a short period of time.

Zhang Fangping has had a photographic memory since he was a child, so he has no pressure at all when it comes to memorization.

In addition, he had been hanging out with Song Xuan for a long time and had Song Shou's careful teaching, so he made great progress in policy writing.

Compared with students who are studying steadily, students who arrive later often stay in the homes of surrounding residents and pay a small amount of rent.

In addition to setting questions, Fan Zhongyan also made preparations for the examination.

Although he had organized 40,000 laborers to repair the canal, this was also his first time to examine more than a thousand students.

Fan Zhongyan has always been thinking about how to be more fair and at the same time test the levels of more students for subsequent teaching.

At this time, he also ordered people to hurry up and make desks for the exams. In the past, there were not so many students taking the college entrance exams every year.

According to the regulations of the Song Dynasty, candidates who wanted to take the provincial examination had to hand in their desks to the Imperial Examination Hall before the examination.

The Imperial Examination Hall arranges the seating arrangements according to the principle of spacing out the candidates from each subject. The results will be posted the day before the provincial examination, and candidates will sit according to the list during the exam.

Fan Zhongyan also planned to rank them in this way, but he did not expect so many students to come.

It was mainly Yan Shu who made the effort. He wrote letters to many colleagues.

Let them encourage local students to take the entrance exam for Yingtianfu Academy, which has strong faculty and is helpful for the imperial examinations. Even if they fail, they can still treat it as a study abroad opportunity to broaden their horizons.

Yan Shu, who wore a purple robe at a young age, did not have many political enemies even though he adhered to the doctrine of the mean. However, he had relatively many friends.

A child prodigy wrote you a letter asking you to promote Yingtianfu Academy, especially since private schools in various places are not very good.

Whether it's for the sake of friends, the future of students, or even more for the sake of my own educational contribution, what's wrong with helping Yan Shu to shout a few words?

Fan Zhongyan was so busy that he was overwhelmed, and Yan Shu came to help.

He was the one who made this scene popular and also gave greetings to officials at all levels.

If there are students coming to take the exam, try to arrange for them to stay in the B&Bs around the academy for a few days, so that they can take the exam smoothly.

This is a big deal!
"Twelve Lang."

Ding Zhe was very polite to Song Xuan, the financial sponsor, and bowed with his arms crossed:
"According to the government's request, I've come to ask if there's a place for you to stay at home. The students will arrange one or two nearby."

Song Xuan looked at the student following Ding Zhe. There were seven or eight patches on his clothes. He was wearing straw sandals and had a resolute expression.

He looked at Song Xuan and saluted first.

"Captain Ding, you know, my family is large, and we have quite a few rooms, but there's only one habitable room left, and it's rather simple. I hope this classmate won't be too disgusted."

Shi Jie quickly said, "It's very kind of my classmate to take me in for three days. I have no other requests. My name is Shi Jie, from Fengfu County, Yanzhou, and I'm nineteen."

"Song Xuan, from Lema Town, Ningling County, the twelfth in the family."

"Thank you, Twelve Lang."

Song Xuan personally led Shi Jie forward. He naturally didn't know that the man in front of him became the founder of the Taishan School after seeking a teacher from Fan Zhongyan.

The Taishan School was a school that emerged in the early days of the rise of Neo-Confucianism. This group of people were all experts in the "Spring and Autumn Annals"!

Shi Jie is three years older than Song Xuan. Although he is not as tall as Song Xuan, his complexion is darker overall. His hands holding the package are covered with calluses, as if he has been working in the fields for a long time.

The whole person also looks extremely strong.

He didn't look like a bookworm at all. Shi Jie entered Song Xuan's house without looking around, but when he saw the weapons rack in the yard, he hesitated for a moment.

The captain of the police was so polite to him just now. Maybe someone in his family is a military officer?

Warriors have always been domineering, and this is not just boasting.

Song Xuan led the way and said that he had just moved here and was preparing to take the entrance examination. In fact, everyone here was a stranger.

Nalema Town is just down the river from Songcheng, which is no more than thirty miles away from home. How can I be considered a stranger?

But Shi Jie didn't expect that the young man in front of him would tell him all this, and he seemed very hospitable.

However, Song Xuan's few words did bring the two sides closer together.

Lian Shijie didn't realize that he had let down his guard and felt much more relaxed because of a few casual words.

Then Song Xuan called Tao Hong and asked him to find a thin quilt.

This room is not facing the sun, so it might be a bit cold in the middle of the night. I should cover myself to avoid catching a cold and getting a stomachache, which would delay the exam.

Although Song Xuan was enthusiastic, he did not have the habit of asking his servants to give up good rooms for strangers to sleep in.

Tao Hong brought a thin quilt, and Shi Jie took it and thanked him repeatedly.

The quilt was filled with cotton, which made Shi Jie realize that this was not an ordinary family.

Learning literature costs money, but learning martial arts costs even more.

Ding Zhe saw that Shi Jie was an honest young man, so he brought him here to try his luck.

"Captain Ding."

Song Xuan asked Tao Hong to explain how to use Shi Jie's toilet, and to go outside the academy to check his student number tomorrow to prepare for the exam.

"What do you want, Twelve Lang?"

Ding Zhe immediately ran over like a dog.

"There are more students in the city now, and I'm afraid there are a lot of petty thieves. I'm also a horse archer, so call me if you need help."

"Hey, Shi Er Lang, you must be joking."

Ding Zhe didn't dare to order Song Xuan, the horse archer, around, looking at the weapon racks in the yard.

He was afraid that Song Xuan would not hold back.

They just stole some money, it's not a crime that would cost their life.

Ding Zhe knew these "children of the powerful" too well. They didn't take other people's lives seriously at all.

Song Xuan casually tossed a bamboo tube to Ding Zhe: "Drink it while you're on patrol."

"Thank you, Twelve Lang, for the reward."

Ding Zhe happily walked away with Bingshou's bamboo tube.

When it was time for dinner in the evening, Song Xuan sent someone to call Shi Jie out, and everyone gathered around the table to prepare for dinner.

Shi Jie sat aside, looking at the table full of stir-fried dishes and quickly waved his hands:
"Shi Er Lang is so kind to treat me. I don't have much money on me, so please prepare some plain noodles for me."

"Ah?" Song Xuan picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
"Don't worry, Shijiulang. Even if you don't come, we will still provide the same food. It's definitely not prepared specifically for you. Don't be so stubborn."

Bao Zheng knew that Song Xuan was telling the truth. He didn't expect that this man named Shi Jie was living in even greater poverty than himself.

Shi Jie stood up and saluted:
"Thank you for your kindness, Twelve-sir, but it's human nature to eat rich food in the morning and dislike coarse food in the evening. I dare not accept your invitation to a feast. I would rather live in poverty and eat coarse food to continue my hard study."

(End of this chapter)