Disguised as a man: Watch me create a new dynasty

Chapter 136: Fragrance in the Imperial Academy Causes Controversy

The autumn sun shone on the courtyard of the ancient academy, the bell of the provincial examination rang solemnly, and a group of students began this fateful exam with nervousness and anticipation.

Among these many students, Yan Nansheng stood out.

She was dressed in a blue shirt, with an upright posture, a calm and confident face, and a firm and calm look in her eyes.

Ever since Roubao's consciousness became the system, Yan Nansheng's control over the system has become particularly handy.

After taking the height-increasing medicine given by Roubao, my height increased a lot and I am obviously much taller than my peers.

But Roubao said that the original owner was a woman after all, and her body could only grow to about 1.7 meters after she reached adulthood.

But Yan Nansheng felt that it didn't matter at this moment.

After all, a woman who is 1.7 meters tall is not short.

When I think of my previous life when I was 1.6 meters tall, my aura was still 2.8 meters.

1.7 meters, not short at all.

The provincial examination was divided into three parts. The first part focused on the understanding and interpretation of Confucian classics.

Among them, there are three questions on the meaning of the "Four Books", which require candidates to deeply analyze the principles and ideas in "The Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "The Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius", and demonstrate their accurate grasp of the core ideas of Confucianism.

The "Five Classics" have four meanings, covering "The Book of Songs", "The Book of History", "The Book of Rites", "The Book of Changes" and "The Spring and Autumn Annals".

Candidates are required to give an in-depth explanation based on a classic they are good at. This not only tests their familiarity with the classics, but also their ability to think independently and have original insights.

After Yan Nansheng received the test paper, he closed his eyes and thought for a moment, organizing in his mind everything he had learned and thought over the years, then opened his eyes and started writing.

"The Way of the Great Learning is to manifest the illuminating virtue, to love the people, and to abstain from the highest good. The illuminating virtue is the essence of the mind, pure and spotless, like the bright moon in the sky, shining brightly everywhere.

Those who are close to the people extend their own kindness to others, educate all people with a benevolent heart, and make the world return to benevolence. To stop at the highest good is the highest pursuit, which has no end, like climbing a peak and constantly surpassing it.

In my opinion, these three complement each other and none of them can be missing.

Bright virtue is the root, loving the people is the branch, and supreme goodness is the flower and fruit.

Without the root of bright virtue, there will be no source for loving the people, and there will be no talk of supreme goodness.

Without the branch of being close to the people, it is difficult for virtue to spread widely and it is difficult for the highest good to achieve the right result.

Without the flowers and fruits of supreme goodness, cultivating virtue and loving the people will lose their direction and become futile.

Take the ancient sage kings as an example. Yao’s virtue was so great that it illuminated the whole world. He abdicated the throne to Shun, which was a move to be close to the people.

Shun inherited Yao's ambition, worked diligently, governed the world, and finally achieved the highest state of goodness.

Another example is Duke Zhou, who created rituals and music based on the principle of clarifying one's moral character, benefited the people and made the Zhou Dynasty prosperous. These are all examples of clarifying one's moral character, being close to the people and striving for the highest good.

In today's world, people are impetuous and morals are corrupted.

If we want to revive the morals of the world, we should first promote moral integrity and awaken the conscience of everyone.

Then he did things to be closer to the people, cared about their sufferings, and relieved their difficulties.

Only by not being content with the current status quo and pursuing the ultimate good can our country prosper and the world be peaceful.

We are born in this world, and we should follow the example of the ancient saints, cultivate ourselves, have a broad mind, and work tirelessly to realize the great path of manifesting virtue, being close to the people, and pursuing the highest good. "

For the first exam, one only needed to read history books carefully and think more to write a good essay, so Yan Nansheng answered it easily.

The atmosphere in the examination room was heavy and depressing.

As the sun was getting higher, Yan Nansheng's stomach began to growl.

She gently put down the pen in her hand and reached out to take out the food box that the cook at home had carefully prepared.

The moment you open the food box, an enticing aroma instantly fills the air.

That was the cook’s specialty, the braised lion’s head dish, which was bright red in color and had a fragrant aroma.

There is also soft, sweet and fragrant osmanthus cake, which exudes a faint osmanthus fragrance.

And a plate of refreshing and delicious cold seasonal vegetables, which makes people's appetite increase at the sight.

Yan Nansheng picked up the chopsticks as if no one was around, picked up a piece of lion head, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

Because it was to be brought into the examination room, the lion head was made in a smaller version, but it was still punctured one by one by the officials to prevent smuggling.

But it does not affect the taste and texture.

The fresh and juicy taste instantly comforted her tired body and mind.

At this moment, the students around who were racking their brains to think over the questions were attracted by the sudden fragrance.

Their thoughts, which were originally focused on the test paper, were interrupted and they couldn't help but look sideways.

Some people swallowed secretly and glanced at the food box in Yan Nansheng's hand from time to time.

Some people frowned and complained in their hearts: "It's already this late, and you still have the mind to eat. Which student is so calm?"

A student with a haggard face stared at the blank test paper in front of him, smelling the tempting fragrance, his heart full of envy and helplessness.

"My head is a mess, I haven't even figured out the topic yet, but this guy is so good, he's still in the mood to enjoy the food."

Another student bit his lip and tried to focus on his test paper, but the fragrance was like a naughty elf, constantly lingering around his nose and making him feel distracted.

Yan Nansheng didn't care about the eyes and thoughts of the people around him at all. He continued to enjoy the food leisurely.

Every bite of food seemed to carry the warmth and care of home, allowing her to find a moment of peace and satisfaction in this tense examination atmosphere.

After finishing his meal, Yan Nansheng wiped his mouth, covered the lunch box and put it away.

There are a lot of cooked food stored in the space in advance. Bringing food boxes in advance will make it convenient to take out food later without arousing suspicion.

With the food box blocking your view, who knows how much food you have eaten?

Although the food boxes were put away, the aroma of the delicious food seemed to linger in the room for a long time, becoming a unique episode in this tense provincial examination.

On the first day of the provincial examination, night fell quietly, and the rooms in the Imperial Examination Hall were filled with an atmosphere of tension and fatigue.

Yan Nansheng carefully packed his test papers under the candlelight.

She gently smoothed the test paper, folded it carefully in half, wrapped it in a clean silk cloth, and placed it in the safest corner of the desk, ensuring that it would not be accidentally damaged or dirty while she was sleeping.

Then she took out the prepared waterproof kraft paper and carefully wrapped the desk.

Yan Nansheng's movements were gentle and focused, and he performed every step meticulously.

Because it is late summer and early autumn, it may rain at night, and we must ensure that the answer sheet will not get wet even if it rains.

After everything was packed up, Yan Nansheng lay on the narrow wooden bed, took a long breath, took out the newly made thin quilt at home, covered himself with it, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

However, Yan Nansheng had just fallen asleep when she was awakened from her sleep by a loud noise.

She opened her eyes drowsily, only to hear the crackling sound of rain outside. It suddenly rained heavily in the night.