Chapter 25: Feng's Daughter

Chapter 25: Feng's Daughter

Chapter 25: Feng's Daughter

The person who opened the door was a young girl in her teens. She was very thin, with delicate features and a pair of big, bright eyes. She looked very much like the anime heroines that Xu Qing had seen in comics in his previous life.

In short, there isn't much of the flavor of a lady from a noble family disciplined by etiquette.

"Who among you is Xu Qing?" she asked again, her eyes fixed on Xu Qing.

"It's down."

"Daddy only lets you in."

Xu Qing looked at Master Qian, then at Yan Shan, apologized briefly, and followed the girl in.

The yard is not big and looks shabby at first glance, but it is very clean. The walls are decorated with ivy, which gives the environment a quiet and elegant charm.

In line with the spirit of war and iron cavalry in the poems in the courtyard, it is even more vibrant and uplifting.

The singing stopped. The singer was a tall, thin man with dishevelled clothes and untidy beard, probably in his early thirties, with eyes that looked like they were carved from the same mold as the girl's.

If they stand together and say they are not father and daughter, no one will believe it.

"My junior name is Xu Qing, nice to meet you, Mr. Feng." Xu Qing bowed.

"sit."

Xu Qing looked around and found no chairs or stone benches, so he simply sat on the ground.

The girl next to her smiled.

Feng Xifeng, on the other hand, sat on the ground in a casual manner and said, "I heard that you were the top scorer in the county exam. What are your ambitions in life?"

"Live long and live comfortably." Xu Qing said honestly.

Feng Xifeng was stunned, he had seen many young people's ambitions, some wanted to help the world, some wanted to clean up the world, some did not want to be a marquis but wanted peace all over the world, some were more straightforward and wanted to be the best in the world, and some wanted to ask for land and houses, but he had never seen such an ambition.

But this ambition sounds like the truth.

Who doesn’t want to live long and comfortably?

What's more, what do young people know about the world? Those great ambitions are nothing but value standards imposed by vulgar people.

"How can we live longer and more comfortably?" Feng Xifeng asked again.

Xu Qing: "Most of the civil servants in this dynasty lived a long time."

At thirty, you are a Mingjing, and at fifty, you are a Jinshi.

In the current Dayu Dynasty, civil servants are still in their prime at the age of fifty, and it is the right time to get things done.

It’s actually not surprising.

Not doing productive work will naturally reduce the wear and tear on the body; using the brain frequently will prevent dementia. These are all wonderful tips for maintaining health and prolonging life.

"So you want to take the imperial examination and become an official, instead of studying to establish your mind for the world and your destiny for the people?"

"I have heard in the Daoist scriptures that when a government is dull, the people are honest; when a government is strict, the people are lacking. So I think that 'establishing a mind for heaven and earth and a destiny for the people' is a means to promotion, but it is not really a way to bring peace to the world."

After hearing such unorthodox words, the girl's big eyes became even more curious about Xu Qing.

How dare you say that?

Feng Xifeng: "How dare you say these things to me? Aren't you afraid that I will spread your words and make it impossible for you to gain a foothold in Shilin?"

Xu Qing: "First, the emperor loves Taoism, so I think it is politically correct to say what the Tao Te Ching says. Second, the atmosphere in Nanzhili is open, and the major schools of thought are fighting for the right to speak orthodoxly, and there are even more unorthodox words. My words are nothing. Third..."

He hesitated and didn't say anything further.

Feng Xifeng: "What is the third one?"

"I heard that you are very learned, but you have failed the provincial examinations in the past five times. I guess you are a heretic and don't want to write those official moral articles. I said this to make you happy."

The girl next to her burst into laughter.

Feng Xifeng's face turned black.

In fact, Xu Qing guessed it from Feng Xifeng's poem, which was written by a hermit in the previous dynasty who was quite a counselor. Because the eight-part examination also pays attention to rhythm, and there are test poems, so poetry must also be learned.

However, when ordinary people study, most of their energy is focused on eight-legged essays, and their exposure to poetry is not too broad.

Xu Qing's current soul has a strong ability to read and remember, so he would also read some poetry collections when reading on weekdays. And the key is that the poetry collection of this poem comes from Guo Zhuang.

It was probably an old book written by Guo Zhuang’s brother-in-law.

Xu Qing did not directly state the reason, but analyzed it from the perspective of the provincial examination. This seemed to be a complaint and belittlement, but it was actually a compliment.

The reason you didn't pass the imperial examination is not because you don't have the ability, but because you disdain to be contaminated by the secular world.

No matter how aloof and proud a person is, he or she will be happy to hear excuses for his or her failure.

Even if you don't agree with it verbally, you will definitely agree with it in your heart.

What can I do if they don’t recognize me? I can’t just say I’m not a good player, right?
Feng Xifeng still got angry: "You are so rude, kid."

Then he paused again, sighed and said, "You two uncles and nephews have finally relieved my worries. I have to thank you. Qing'er, you teach him eight-part essays."

"Uh, sir, this is not good. Letting a girl teach me will easily lead to criticism of etiquette."

Feng Xifeng sneered, "How can etiquette be set up for our generation? Besides, you are in my house, and there are no outsiders. If I don't tell anyone, and you don't tell anyone, will Qing'er tell anyone herself? Are you worried that Qing'er can't teach you? If she wasn't a girl, she would have been a student in the mansion long ago."

Well, Lao Feng himself doesn’t think there’s anything wrong, so what else can Xu Qing say?

And although Old Feng was talking, he was still in the yard, lying on a recliner. His daughter made him a pot of tea and was lying beside him to sober up.

Then the girl found a straw mat, put a small table on it, and took out a collection of current affairs essays, seeming quite excited.

She saw the doubt in Xu Qing's eyes and whispered, "I can't pass the imperial examination. If you pass it with what I taught you, then it means I passed it!"

"That makes sense." Xu Qing coughed lightly.

The girl opened the book and let Xu Qing read the first chapter first.

Although this article quotes classics in every sentence, it actually doesn't make sense. Xu Qing also studied contemporary literature for some time, but couldn't see what was good about it.

After Xu Qing finished reading, the girl asked, "Do you think this article is not as good as the one you wrote in the county exam?"

“It’s not inferior, but far inferior.”

The girl smiled and said, "Do you always tell the truth like this?"

“It depends on the person.”

The girl was startled, then suddenly realized, "You are quite good at talking. But you really shouldn't treat me as an ordinary woman. I am not afraid of fame or anything like that, and I will never get married." She continued, "If you write an essay like this in the government examination, you will definitely win first place."

"Why?"

"The names of candidates are not covered in the Tongsheng exams. Whether or not a candidate is admitted depends entirely on the examiner's opinion. So the quality of an essay is determined by the examiner. Of course, it can't be completely nonsense. Although this essay doesn't make sense, every sentence is a classic and the essence of Dongzhou School's knowledge. If you want to pass the prefectural and academy exams, you have to study these."

"Miss, is the newly appointed Supervisor of Education from the Dongzhou School?"

"No, the Inspector of Education is from the Xizhou School, the mortal enemy of the Dongzhou School. So if your test paper contains the essence of Dongzhou School's knowledge..." the girl said meaningfully.

Xu Qing: “…”

He wondered if it was too late to leave now.
What if a villain (Zhao Xiong) complains to the newly appointed education commissioner about his studying under Feng Xifeng?

The girl seemed to see Xu Qing's concerns and said softly, "My mother's surname is Zhou."

"So what about Zhou?" Xu Qing was puzzled.

The girl added, "The school supervisor's surname is also Zhou."

After these words were spoken, the girl looked like a fairy from heaven in Xu Qing's eyes.

Girl, why are you so beautiful?

(End of this chapter)