It was dusk, and the golden light turned the mountain behind the Academy into a very high altar. There seemed to be warmth in the cracks of the bluestone stones on the stone platform, urging people to go back. However, the candidates who already knew the results of the Academy Entrance Test did not leave. They surrounded a corner of the stone platform and looked at the seemingly ordinary young candidate. Occasionally, they would pay attention to the little handmaiden beside him and whisper to each other from time to time.
The candidates had complicated looks in their eyes. Some were puzzled, and some were shocked. There was a candidate who got three A + grades in the Academy Entrance Test and surpassed the third young master of South Jin Kingdom. No one had heard of him before. He was a complete nobody. The young candidate might have been recommended by the Military Ministry, or he might have honed his skills on the grassland at the frontier fortress. However, he also got an A + grade in Mathematics. Xie Chengyun, Zhong Dajun, and Wang Ying, the three candidates who had high hopes, only got an A grade in this subject.
Some candidates who were quick to talk could not help but raise their doubts, and some people immediately responded. Situ Yilan tidied up the front robe that she had pulled and frowned at Ning Que. She asked, "How did you pass the Mathematics exam?"
Her words were full of doubt and confusion, and her tone was a little tough and defiant. Ning Que was a little unhappy when he heard it. However, looking at the girl's expression, he was sure that she had no malice. She was just a typical confused girl who was overwhelmed by unexpected news. Therefore, he spread out his hands and smiled innocently without answering.
The Military Ministry had selected more than 70 candidates this year, which had already made many people unhappy in Chang 'an City. Now that Ning Que had overshadowed most of them, seeing that he did not answer, the boys and girls in Chang' an City began to discuss about Situ Yilan's question.
As candidates recommended by the Military Ministry, they got the first place in three subjects. Of course, those candidates who came from the frontier fortresses and camps of the Tang Empire felt very proud. However, they were older than the other candidates on average, so they behaved and spoke calmly. Although they were on Ning Que's side, they were not in a hurry to say anything.
However, a young master of Chang 'an City could not stand it anymore.
Chu Youxian walked to Ning Que, waving his fan. He put his hand on Ning Que's shoulder and stared at those candidates. He said, "What's there to be unhappy about? Ning Que is my friend. Do you know who he is? He was the kind of person who could go to the House of Red Sleeves to drink with prostitutes without having to spend money! Is there anything he can't do in this world? "
It was said that the most effective way for the young people in Chang 'an to compete with each other was not to compare whose father's position was higher or whose family made more money. For an open and active society like the Tang Empire, social status and wealth accumulation could change drastically at any time. Moreover, it was too vulgar and tasteless. What they valued more was one's talent, reputation, and strength, as well as who was the most popular in Chang' an.
Of course, if one wanted to make a living in Chang 'an, he could not completely leave his family background. But there were always places where one's family background was not so taboo, such as the House of Red Sleeves and the canteens of various departments. Therefore, it became a place where people competed with each other.
Chu Youxian said that Ning Que didn't have to pay for drinks at the House of Red Sleeves, which was not an insult, but a real show of support for Ning Que. Sure enough, after hearing that Ning Que could go against the House of Red Sleeves, which no one dared to offend, those young men and women of Chang 'an suddenly changed their expressions and looked at Ning Que with a sense of awe.
Not everyone was shocked by Chu Youxian's shout. For example, Sangsang looked up and frowned. She stared at Young Master Chu's trembling hand on Young Master's shoulder and listened to him talking about Young Master's visit to the brothel. She was not in a good mood at all. And Situ Yilan looked at Ning Que in a weird way.
"I'm still not convinced. There's only one big question in the math exam. If you're right, you're right, and if you're wrong, you're wrong. The Headmaster of the Academy has drunk several pots of wine and cut several pounds of plums. It's impossible for him to have several answers. Then why are you A +, while Mr. Xie is only A +?"
Situ Yilan held Jin Wucai's little hand and shouted. She was very reluctant.
She was not an unruly and unreasonable person, but she knew that her female companion Jin Wucai admired the third young master of the South Jin Kingdom. At this time, the third young master's limelight was completely overshadowed by Ning Que, and Jin Wucai looked a little gloomy, so she could not help but ask a few more questions. In addition, there was a more important reason that she probably did not realize.
In the driving course examination, she was thrown to the ground by the big black horse and her face was almost trampled. As the daughter of the Yunhui General, she could not even deal with a horse, which was extremely embarrassing. Then Ning Que tamed the big black horse so easily and got the only A + result in the driving course, which was really incomprehensible to her. The A + result in the math course was even more incomprehensible to her. Since she could not understand it, she was naturally unwilling to accept it.
At this moment, an old voice suddenly sounded in the crowd.
"Because he was the first one to hand in the math exam. Those who can't answer such an idiotic question are even worse than idiots. Then, the grading can only be based on speed. When I was grading the paper, the cinnabar hadn't even melted yet, and he already answered, so he got an A + … Student, please let me pass. "
An old woman in a blue cloth gown, holding a bamboo broom in her hand, appeared at a corner of the stone ground. She stooped and slowly swept away the dust under the feet of the crowd. Then she slowly walked out.
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Looking at the back of the old woman disappearing into the depths of the Academy, the examinees were stunned and speechless. In fact, at least four out of five examinees could not answer this math exam, but the old woman said that it was a question that even an idiot could answer. Someone could not help but say angrily, "Who does she think she is?"
A teacher-in-charge outside the crowd coldly replied, "She is the only female honorary professor in the Academy. Those among you who are admitted to the Academy will be in her hands for the next few years in the math exam."
"Is she … the Second Professor?" Ning Que looked at the stooped old woman in the distance, trying hard not to laugh in his heart.
Xie Chengyun, the third young master of the Xie family in the South Jin Kingdom, had completely calmed down. Although he was young and aggressive, he was still the first in the overall score of the Academy Entrance Exam. Moreover, his goal and vision were not exactly the same as those ordinary examinees. He was more concerned about how to enter the second floor of the Academy. The young examinee in front of him should be an ordinary person, so it was very meaningless to argue with him on these things.
On the contrary, after hearing the old woman's words, he could not help but secretly admire Ning Que for getting the answer in such a short time. He earnestly asked, "For the math question, I first used the method of exhaustion, and then came up with an infinite number. Finally, I figured out the reason behind it. I wonder if this is …"
Situ Yilan whispered Ning Que's name in his ear. Xie Chengyun nodded to express his gratitude. He looked at Ning Que and continued to say, "I wonder how Brother Ning calculated it? Did you use some other algorithm to be so fast? "
"If it was an infinite number at a glance, why did I use exhaustion at the beginning? As for the last answer, in fact, I was too lazy to push it to the end, so I just wrote down the number. "
Ning Que's answer was very irresponsible, like Mr. Almost Same. But in fact, he was not talking nonsense. The so-called conversion between the concept of infinity and precise values was nothing more than irresponsible ambiguity.
Many people did not understand. Some thought that Ning Que had hit the jackpot, and some thought that Ning Que was hiding something. Only Xie Chengyun seemed to understand, but when he was about to ask further, the voice of the instructor of the Academy called the roll in the distance.
"Xie Chengyun, Wang Ying, Ning Que, Chen Simiao, He Yingqin … report to the Department of Magic Skills."
Ning Que was stunned when he heard his name. Report to the Department of Magic Skills … What did that mean? Why did he feel like he was going to the Department of Worship? Why did he feel cold between his legs? But it seemed that it was not convenient to ask others, so he said a few words to Sangsang, and then followed Xie Chengyun and others to the depths of the Academy. He was a little relieved when he found that there was also a female examinee going to the Department of Magic Skills.
None of the examinees on the stone ground showed a look of surprise. In fact, the main reason why they did not go home was that they wanted to hear whether their names would be called in the Department of Magic Skills. They looked at those people going to the depths of the Academy with envy. Situ Yilan kicked the bluestone cracks in disappointment, looking at Ning Que's back and muttering in a low voice, "Why did all the good things go to this guy?"
It did not take long for those seven or eight examinees to come back from the depths of the Academy, as if they had just gone for a stroll. Xie Chengyun looked calm, Wang Ying and other examinees could not hide their joy, and only Ning Que's face showed no expression at all.
The Academy set up a special course in addition to the six courses to cultivate students with potential for cultivation. In the future, those students would be exposed to the art of sword and talisman, so it was called the course of magic skills. The instructors thought that those students who were called before had potential, and they went to receive a Psyche Power examination.
The reason why Ning Que was selected was related to the Hairpin-style Small Regular Script he left on the ink scroll today and his quick response to the math questions. The Academy thought that he should have the potential for cultivation, but the instructor who was responsible for the physical examination made a rare failure, and was disappointed to find that his Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow was blocked.
But once again, he experienced the switch between hope and disappointment. If there was no hope, there would be no disappointment. Ning Que was very clear about his physical condition, so he could face it calmly.
Xie Chengyun had already embarked on the road of cultivation when he was in the South Jin Kingdom, so of course there was nothing to be excited about. But Wang Ying and other examinees could hardly suppress their excitement until today when they knew that they might step into the legendary mysterious door.
"I can't." Ning Que spread out his hands and explained to the crowd, "Oh … I can't say I can't … The instructor said that my willpower is fine, but my Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow is a little weak, and my body is not suitable for cultivation."
The Academy called seven people by name, and he was the only one who failed the examination. The examinees on the stone ground looked at him with complicated eyes, and the faint hostility in some eyes turned into sympathy. Of course, there were also a few people whose eyes were full of ridicule.
The Tangs respected the strong, but they would not discriminate against the weak. They were tolerant and generous after thousands of years of romance. Situ Yilan, who had been displeased with Ning Que, looked at him and sighed. She comforted him with sympathy, "Don't be too disappointed. After all, there are only a few people who can cultivate. Look at us, we can't do anything."
"That makes sense, and not being able to cultivate doesn't mean that we are useless." Ning Que took the water bottle from Sangsang and drank a mouthful. He looked at her and said with a smile, "I am a professional woodcutter."
After saying this, the master and the servant walked out of the Academy in the twilight.
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