The area outside the courtyard fell silent. Countless eyes, filled with a hint of fear, turned towards the young Lord Fan, wondering what issue the student might have. Fan Xian glanced at the student carrying a tattered bundle of bedding and suddenly asked, "Has he been checked?"

A Ministry of Rites official and an official from the Overwatch Council reported simultaneously, "Yes, he has been checked, and there's nothing unusual."

The student raised his head, looking squarely at the young Lord Fan, his face calm, showing no signs of panic. Fan Xian frowned slightly and asked again, "Checked him with his clothes off?"

"Yes, my lord." The official beside him, noticing the growing crowd at the courtyard entrance, became a bit anxious. In half an hour, the imperial decree would arrive from the palace, and at this rate, it would be difficult for all the students to enter completely.

Just then, Fan Xian suddenly stood up from the grandmaster's chair and walked over to the student with the calm expression. After sizing him up, he suddenly smiled and whispered into his ear, "There's something wrong with your clothes."

His voice was so low that only the student could hear him. Despite the chilly weather in early February, beads of sweat appeared on the student's forehead! The student, named Yang Wanli, had no idea how the young Lord Fan, famous throughout the land for his poetic talent, had discovered his secret. Under Fan Xian's quiet gaze, he felt on the verge of collapse.

Fan Xian suddenly smiled and said, "Go in. If I expose you now, ten years of your effort will be wasted. But remember, during these two days in the examination compound, don't let me discover that you've used your clothes."

Yang Wanli was overjoyed and terrified in equal measure, unable to stop the lingering fear. With a mournful face, he said, "Thank you, my lord, for your grace." Afraid that the young *juzhonglang* with eyes like a hawk would change his mind, he hoisted the tattered bedding onto his shoulder, covered his face, and rushed into the examination compound, determined that he absolutely could not open his clothes to look at the hidden layers within.

Following this, Fan Xian warned a few other impoverished students who were attempting to sneak in cheat sheets. Gradually, the officials around him understood what was happening. While they were quite surprised by Lord Fan's sharp eyes and judgment, they were also becoming increasingly anxious, worried about running out of time.

However, Fan Xian seemed to be enjoying his first taste of officialdom. He smiled and scrutinized each of the students entering the compound, not letting a single one go unnoticed. He stripped off many pairs of shoes, many hats, and many writing brushes with paper balls hidden inside, piling them into a small mountain at the entrance of the examination compound. By this point, the students in line realized that this year's *juzhonglang* was a formidable figure, full of murderous intent, unlike the imagined poet-immortal who wouldn't care much about their cheating attempts. Therefore, they quickly retreated, throwing the things they had smuggled into the ditch behind the examination compound.

The head of the Overwatch Council today was an acquaintance of Fan Xian's, Master Mu Tie, who was currently temporarily holding a partial position in one of the offices. Hearing his subordinates' reports, he hurried over to Fan Xian and, without a word, bowed deeply, saying with some difficulty, "My lord, time is running late, we must hurry."

The Ministry of Rites officials and the Overwatch Council members beside him were startled by his respectful attitude towards Fan Xian. They thought that people from the Overwatch Council would actually be so polite to a civil official, and only then did they remember Fan Xian's background: a prime minister, a minister, and a princess. So, they dared not say another word and quietly listened to Fan Xian's reply.

Fan Xian took out his imported pocket watch and checked the time, discovering that it was indeed getting late. Only then did he shake his head and stop this interesting game. Standing up, he announced loudly to the hundreds of students at the entrance of the examination compound, "I am Fan Xian, and I imagine you all have heard of me. As you have seen, to avoid delaying the main *hui shi* examination, we will not be performing strip searches today."

The students were overjoyed.

Fan Xian smiled and looked around, saying, "You yourselves throw the things you've smuggled into this bamboo basket. I won't hold it against you. But if I find out during these two days of the examination, be careful that I don't have you stripped naked and thrown in front of the Imperial City, so the whole world can see what your refined gentlemen are really like."

The students were terrified. Only now did they realize that the smile of the poet-immortal Fan Xian contained a bone-chilling murderous intent. So, everyone honestly filed in, one after another. As for whether there were still students willing to take the risk, that was a matter for the future.

This release sped things up considerably. Before long, the entrance of the examination compound returned to silence, leaving behind only a pile of stinking shoes and countless scraps of paper, looking rather desolate. The Ministry of Rites officials quickly arranged for people to clean up, in order to welcome the imperial decree for the start of the examination and to set up incense tables and set off cannons, busy as could be for a time.

While busy, everyone was thinking that Lord Fan's actions were indeed very different from those of ordinary Qing Yu Nian officials. Ignoring those smuggling matters was one thing, but where was the logic in finding them out and still letting the students enter the examination? If this matter were placed on other examiners, the Censorate would probably be in an uproar for a while, but everyone knew that since Fan Xian dared to do this, he was naturally not afraid of these things.

Fan Xian sat in the grandmaster's chair, smiling as he watched everyone busy themselves, while chatting with Mu Tie beside him. Mu Tie's position had risen early, and he had always believed that it was thanks to Fan Xian, so he seemed particularly warm to Lord Fan, saying, "Lord Fan has worked hard. Once the decree arrives and the cannons fire to start the examination, please return to the compound to rest. This matter of guarding against cheating will naturally be handled by this subordinate."

Fan Xian smiled and glanced at him, saying, "It's my duty, I'll still have to wander around the examination hall later. I won't have any free time."

"This is the first time that my lord has taken on this task, so you don't know, but once you enter the examination hall, you don't need to worry too much." Mu Tie thought that this young nobleman didn't understand the unwritten rules of the *hui shi* examination, so he smiled and said.

Fan Xian suddenly turned and asked in a low voice, "Is Master Mu going to Bei Qi this time?"

Mu Tie was stunned, unprepared for the change in topic. Subconsciously, he replied, "The Council is still arranging it, but it should be affairs from the Fourth Office, I probably won't be able to get involved." Suddenly, his eyes turned, and he thought that this young Lord Fan could write poetry but didn't like to write poetry, and preferred to do small business, thinking that he had guessed something, he smiled and said, "Is Lord Fan planning to import something from the north? I can help arrange that."

Fan Xian laughed and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, I was just asking casually." A subordinate brought tea, and Fan Xian offered it to Mu Tie. Mu Tie asked curiously, "Lord Fan, you seem to be in a good mood today."

The corners of Fan Xian's lips curled slightly, and a strange expression flashed in his pupils, half-smiling, not knowing what he was thinking of. After a long while, he said softly, "Actually... I always thought that reading without having to take exams is the greatest joy in life. After entering the capital, I was most afraid of the *hui shi* examination. I didn't expect that in a year, I would become a *juzhonglang*, able to read, without having to take exams, and even more easily watch my fellow readers take the exam with hardship. It turns out that this is the greatest joy in life."

———————————————————————

The imperial decree arrived, the spring cannons fired, the incense tables were removed, and the compound doors closed. The annual Qing Yu Nian spring *hui shi* examination officially began. Fan Xian listened to the heavy wooden doors of the examination compound slowly closing behind him, feeling a sense of unreality. In his previous life, he had never participated in the college entrance examination, and he thought it was the biggest regret in his life. In this life, he could not participate in this *hui shi* examination either. Although it was easy, he still had some small regrets in his heart.

"Greetings, my lord." Entering the main hall, the early spring cold wind surged from the entrance. Fan Xian gave a salute to Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites, who was sitting in the middle, and said, "The compound doors are closed. Without your order, they cannot be opened again. At this time, students from all counties and prefectures in the compound have already received the exam papers and started working on them. The corner gates, responsible for delivering food and water, are jointly guarded by Master Mu from the Overwatch Council and the Lords from the Ministry of Rites. There should be no cause for concern."

Guo Youzhi looked at the young fifth-rank official below, looking at his handsome face. He frowned imperceptibly, and then smiled slightly, "Lord Fan has worked hard." Then he instructed the two *zuoshi* beside him, "According to the rules of previous years, after an hour, you will go down and inspect the venue."

These two *zuoshi* from the spring *hui shi* examination were one from the Imperial Academy and one from the Tongwen Pavilion, both scholars appointed by His Majesty. Hearing Minister Guo's instructions, they nodded and replied, "We will follow your arrangement, my lord."

Guo Youzhi turned to Fan Xian again and said, "Lord Fan, your duty is to maintain order in the examination hall, assist the two directors, inspect the venue irregularly, pay attention to the movements at the corner gates, and be ready to receive the decree at any time."

The Minister of Rites sighed, clasped his hands in a salute to the sky, and said, "The spring *hui shi* examination is to select talented people for the country, and we must be careful. May you all be diligent."

With Minister Guo's instructions, the various officials in the examination compound each returned to their duties, and a serious and tense atmosphere quietly permeated every corner of the examination compound. Everyone knew that the current Emperor, after several northern expeditions, had shifted the focus of governing the country to civil governance, so he paid special attention to the annual examination. He had even made unannounced visits in previous years, so no one dared to be careless.

Moreover, this spring *hui shi* examination was the most important moment in life for those students who were buried in their desks, writing furiously. If they could pass smoothly, they would leap over the dragon gate. If they could not, they could only return to their hometowns in dismay and prepare for next year's *xiang shi* examination. With each turn, they would waste countless years of their youth. There were even those who were stubborn and arrogant who, once they failed, would linger in the capital and refuse to return home. Some were decadent, some were dissolute, and more disappeared without a trace.

This is a major national ceremony, this is the life-and-death arena of scholars.

Fan Xian stood on the stone steps, closed his eyes, and listened to the rustling sounds coming from all directions in the examination compound. Thinking of the notes handed over by the Crown Prince and others, a strange smile floated on the corner of his lips.