novel-bin 64. Examination of Recommendations and Appointments
64. Examination of Recommendations and Appointments
"In the spring of the year Yi Si, this official, Fang Yanping, in Huaiyin County, implemented the regulations for the recommendation system and selected three military scholars for the imperial court. Today is their examination!"
After the drums sounded three times, Fang Yanping slowly rose and stood on the stage, his dignified and authoritative voice resounding throughout the arena.
"The first person is Li Xiaoting, 29 years old. He is from Wenxi Village, Huaiyin County. He has a clean background. Thirteen years ago, he was secretly taken in as a disciple by the then county magistrate, who taught him martial arts. However, he was instructed to hide his identity and infiltrate the 'Ghost's Sorrow' gang of ruthless bandits."
"Li Xiaoting rose through the ranks over thirteen years, from a lowly soldier to the second-in-command, earning the nickname 'Crossing-the-River Dragon.' But he never forgot his original aspirations. Not long ago, he devised a plan to completely eliminate the 'Ghost-Scaring' gang of river bandits, thus eradicating this flood threat!"
"This is a great achievement! Now that you are returning to our county, you should rightfully be given a quota."
Upon hearing Fang Yanping's words, the audience erupted in uproar.
The canal connects multiple waterways, and bandits have long plagued both its upper and lower reaches.
Unexpectedly, the imperial court had made such an arrangement!
Ren Qingshan couldn't help but look to the side at a burly man with a bandit-like air about him, and felt a little curious.
Bro, are you an undercover agent?
Impressive, impressive. After thirteen years undercover, he's become the second-in-command.
"As for the second spot, it belongs to a hero in the righteous world of martial arts, named Jiang Shi'an, who is thirty-six years old and was the youngest son of the chief镖头 of the Eight Horses Escort Agency in this county."
"The Eight Horse Escort Agency was wiped out thirty-two years ago, shocking the entire county. Jiang Shi'an was fortunate to be rescued by Wei Yue, a famous martial arts master known as 'Pine Crane Hand,' and learned martial arts from him. Over the years, the master and apprentice have successively killed nineteen lone bandits who committed crimes in various places for the imperial court. All of them have official documents from the Ministry of Justice to prove their merits."
"Now that his master has passed away, Jiang Shi'an has returned to his hometown, rebuilt his family business, and added another martial artist at the Jade Marrow Realm to the county!"
The crowd erupted in uproar once again.
This incident left a deep impression on many elderly people in the county. The massacre of the Eight Horse Escort Agency, which killed more than a hundred people, shocked the entire county.
Unexpectedly, the Jiang family still has descendants, and now they are able to revive their family's reputation.
With such an experience, reaching the Jade Marrow Realm, he is fully qualified for a recommendation spot.
Jiang Shi'an looked weathered, with a strand of white hair at each temple. He solemnly bowed to the surroundings, his eyes slightly red.
He carried this deep-seated hatred for over thirty years. He learned martial arts as a child, pursued the murderer as a youth, and endured countless hardships until this year's Lunar New Year when he finally killed the last enemy who committed the crime. He was able to return home in glory and start a new life!
When Ren Qingshan saw him looking over, they exchanged a glance and nodded, which was considered a greeting.
This man is quite legendary.
It's a classic wuxia protagonist story: his entire family is wiped out at the beginning, and he embarks on a long road of revenge.
"The last spot belongs to Ren Qingshan, a native of Renjia Village in this county. He was poor and weak from a young age, but he studied and practiced martial arts diligently and never gave up. Finally, he accumulated his strength and achieved great success. At the age of thirty-five, he made a name for himself and advanced to the late stage of Silver Blood, condensing his true qi."
"Later, on the official road, he killed the notorious bandit 'Devil Hand,' who was wanted by the prefectural city with a large reward. This bandit was a fugitive from the border army, with dozens of lives on his hands. He had been on the run for many years and was finally brought to justice."
"The path of martial arts is like this: some people have little talent but fade into obscurity, while others waste many years but achieve great things later in life. Young martial artists should always remember the words 'diligence' and 'perseverance,' never forget their original aspirations, and they will surely reap the rewards."
Fang Yanping said a few more words before waving his hand and ordering the drums to be sounded.
The exam begins!
……
The first test was on mechanics.
From a thousand-pound meteorite lock to a ten-thousand-pound lock.
The three took turns playing and cleared the level without any difficulty.
The clerks on the sidelines took notes, while the adults on the stage watched with smiles, and cheers occasionally rang out from the audience.
Given their martial arts skills and experience, it was truly convincing that these three individuals were awarded the title of Martial Arts Scholar through the recommendation system.
Selecting these three ahead of time is certainly a good thing for the young martial artists next year.
After completing the first round.
The second challenge is coming up soon: speed.
A thick, long stick of incense burns in the incense burner, which can burn for an hour. If you return with the token before it burns out, you have succeeded.
As the drums sounded, the three received their respective pouches containing valuables, opened them, glanced at them, and immediately shot out like arrows, rushing off in three different directions.
……
On the drill ground.
Everyone waited patiently, chatting and catching up.
In the crowd in the northwest corner.
Lu Qingyi, disguised as a man, wore a blue dress, with Lu Haichuan and Fang Yonggang beside her.
"Father, who do you think will come back first?"
She was in a very good mood, her eyes crinkling with joy.
"This competition doesn't have any rankings; it's just a formality. But as your father, I certainly hope Ren Qingshan will come back first."
Lu Haichuan chuckled softly and said that he had met with Ren Qingshan again a few days ago and told him that the knife had been returned and that things were peaceful with the bandits, so the matter should be settled.
With a gentle smile, Lu Qingyi nodded slightly: "Father, what's the deal with the Eight Horses Escort Agency? Tell me in detail?"
She actually wanted to boast about Ren Qingshan to her father, but she held back. After all, there were many people here, and it was also quite embarrassing. But in her heart, she was calculating that this year's martial arts scholar could take the martial arts examination next year, which was much shorter than the three-year agreement!
Lu Haichuan glanced at his daughter, thought for a moment, and then began to explain in general terms.
……
From the main seat on one side of the arena, Fang Yanping smiled and said, "These three people I recommended this year, do they meet your standards?"
In fact, the identity file had already been submitted; they are just asking a question they already know the answer to.
"Huaiyin County produces talented people!"
"Brother Fang deserves credit; you have a discerning eye."
"Why don't you all guess who's the fastest among these three?"
Waiting is boring after all, so why not find some fun? Even big shots can't escape this.
Commander Yang Yi, the garrison commander, laughed and said, "Of course it's Jiang Shi'an. The name 'Pine Crane Hand' comes from two techniques: the Green Pine Fist and the White Crane Step, both of which are top-notch martial arts. Moreover, Jiang Shi'an has already advanced to the Jade Marrow realm, how could he possibly fall behind?"
His words killed off all speculation.
There's really no reason to guess.
Of the three, Jiang Shi'an was at the Jade Marrow Realm, while Li Xiaoting and Ren Qingshan were only at the True Qi Realm, making them incomparable.
When the incense stick had burned halfway down, Jiang Shi'an appeared at the entrance of the training ground. He was extremely fast, his toes barely touching the ground, and headed straight for the arena to hand over the token.
With the sound of drums, the first one passed the test.
Not long after.
Ren Qingshan also returned and passed the test second.
However, the crowd waited for a long time on the training ground, until the incense stick was almost burned out, but Li Xiaoting still did not return.
until...
The incense has completely gone out.
Li Xiaoting still hasn't returned.
Fang Yanping suddenly stood up, his brows furrowed slightly, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes—was he really that slow?
The other adults also looked puzzled.
The crowd watching was starting to stir, with many looking on with a desire to see what would happen.
Although the recommendation system was just a formality, it was still unacceptable if one did not meet the minimum standards.
Just then...
Accompanied by a rapid "clattering" sound, a horse galloped towards them.
There was a soldier on horseback.
Before they even reached him, the soldiers cried out in panic, "Sir! Li... Li Xiaoting was killed by someone about seven miles outside the west gate!"
……
……