In the study room where the exam was held, Xiao Rui led a group of boys to eat slowly. Everyone frowned, each with different thoughts. I thought it was because my answer was poor that I was punished with such a poor meal.
Xiao Rui explained: "Don't dislike the poor food tonight. If you are really candidates for the imperial examination, then you can only eat dry food and drink water. You won't even be able to eat the warm meal of whole grain tonight."
Li Chengqian threw down his bowl and chopsticks and asked anxiously: "Brother-in-law, we are not in the mood to eat. Can you please tell us how our answers went? If we put it in the imperial examination room, can we get the top three?"
What? Top three?
Xiao Rui almost spit out the sesame cake in his mouth. It was like a toad yawning, and his tone was quite loud. How dare you think!
Calmly picking up the porridge, eating a bite of cake and a bite of porridge, Xiao Rui said: "Everyone eats steadily. If you don't have this little patience, if it were a real examination room, you would not be able to compare."
Several people were scolded and had to immerse themselves in the food. Although it was tasteless, they had to eat it anyway. This is the rule of the Xiao family and food cannot be wasted.
"Okay, are you all full?" Xiao Rui put down his bowls and chopsticks and looked at the uniform students.
Everyone replied in unison that they were full.
Xiao Changle raised his hand and shouted: "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, mark my answer sheet first, mark mine first."
Xiao Rui smiled and took out Xiao Changle's simple test paper, waved and handed it to the excited Xiao Changle, "The writing is good. Although I only answered one question, it is better than what they wrote. Okay, you You’ve passed the test, go back to your room and go to sleep.”
"Ah? Did you pass the exam? Go back to your room and sleep? Is there any reward for doing well in the exam? Brother-in-law?" Xiao Changle was a little disappointed.
Xiao Rui smiled slyly and pretended to be intimidating: "If you do well in the exam, no punishment is a reward. Those who do not do well in the exam will be beaten. Do you want to stay and be beaten?"
Yeah...don't want to, don't want to...
Xiao Changle took the test paper and ran away as if running away.
Xiao Rui pointed at his apprentice Huang Yaoshi and said, "Yakashi, please go back to your room and sleep first. Remember to get up early to practice martial arts tomorrow."
"Yes Master."
After the rest of the crowd had finished leaving, Xiao Rui glanced at the group of people left behind. His eyes made these people feel hairy all over.
Finally, his eyes stopped on the Liang brothers. He stretched out his hand and said sternly: "Yi Ai, take them both and take them to the martial arts field and beat them up severely. The same standard as last time will be fine."
"Okay, Brother Xiao!" Fang Yiai was very obedient and didn't ask any unnecessary questions. He just agreed and got up to work.
"You can't, you can't... why? Why did you beat us indiscriminately? Why? We answered the papers carefully..." The two of them were so frightened that they shivered when they remembered the beating they received last time.
Before the two of them could escape, Fang Yiai caught one on either side.
Xiao Rui patted the two test papers and reprimanded: "The imperial examination is for the purpose of becoming an official. What did you write? Are you a mountain bandit and a bandit? Are you still thinking that you are the prince of the Liang Kingdom? The Liang Kingdom is the Tang Dynasty. You are the hostages with all the fat you can eat at any time! Even the prince of the Tang Dynasty who was present didn’t say a word, so what’s your answer?”
"Just hand in your answers. Let alone become an official. If you can't leave the examination room, you will be arrested and executed as a rebel!"
"Yi Ai, take them down and give them a good beating so that they can remember and correct their position!"
Don't, don't... we know we were wrong, we...
It's too late, I didn't run away after this beating.
Yang Zhengdao, who was left on the spot, was trembling. Li Chengqian looked a little arrogant, thinking to himself that I am the prince of the Tang Dynasty, and those two rebel princes of the Liang Kingdom? None of that.
"Yang Zhengdao, come here, stretch out your hand and hit your palm."
"Ah? Cousin, what's wrong with me?" Yang Zhengdao was a little afraid of Xiao Rui, the god of death.
Xiao Rui glared: "I asked you to write about the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the northern grasslands. Even if you don't want to write about the Tang Dynasty, you can just write about the Central Plains. Look at what you wrote? The bad habits of the people in the grasslands? You want to help Do they reform their bad habits? The answer is incorrect, zero points!"
"I've been teaching you for so many days, and you can't even read the questions. Should I be beaten?"
In front of Li Chengqian, Xiao Rui beat Yang Zhengdao's left hand until it was swollen. Even Xiao Yue felt a little miserable.
"Okay, go back to bed. Think about it carefully at night. I will ask you to answer it again tomorrow."
Yang Zhengdao wiped away tears and left.
Xiao Yue waved his hands and said: "Brother, brother, please be merciful, I answer the questions in a satisfactory manner."
Xiao Rui glared and scolded: "Yes, you are by the rules, but you just copy everything I usually tell you. You didn't use your own brain to think about it. Do you have any opinions of your own?"
Xiao Yue stuck out his tongue and said flatteringly: "That's not what my brother taught me so well. My brother is stupid and I can't make up for it."
Xiao Rui picked up the ruler and tapped it twice, "Okay, I barely pass. Go to bed and think more about whether you have any other opinions, preferably your own."
"I know, brother, then I..." Xiao Yue pointed at the last remaining Li Chengqian.
Xiao Rui glared: "What? Do you want to stay and be punished?"
Xiao Yue seemed to be running away. Li Chengqian thumped on the spot, what was he thinking? Put me last, listen to this tone, you want to beat me? But I answered the test carefully, okay? At worst, it's better than Yang Zhengdao's answer.
Xiao Rui looked at Li Chengqian's expression, as if he had seen through this guy, and complained: "Where did you get your confidence? Do you think you answered well?"
Xiao Rui threw away Li Chengqian's test paper and scolded him, "You are the prince of the Tang Dynasty. Look what you wrote? Every word of it is praising the food, drink and entertainment of the grassland barbarians? This is how you treat the northern barbarians. What do people think? Don’t forget your identity, the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Grasslands are feuding!"
Li Chengqian argued: "National hatred is national hatred, and customs are customs. You have to admit that the things of the Hu people are indeed interesting."
Xiao Rui slapped Li Chengqian in a daze, "Do you understand that you lose your mind by playing with things? You like to eat, drink and have fun, right? In the Central Plains, there is nothing to eat, drink and have fun that catches your eye? That's because you have never been out of the palace. I’ve seen the world! Just what belongs to the barbarians? What if you become the emperor? Will the palace demolish the Tai Chi Hall and change it into a round tent on the grassland according to your ideas? "
"It may not be impossible!" Li Chengqian also contradicted with a temper.
Xiao Rui held up his raised hand for a few moments before finally letting it go. Pointing to the door, he said: "Okay, if you like Hu people's culture so much, then take this test paper and show it to His Majesty and see if he will encourage you."
Li Chengqian stupidly picked up the test paper with a look of dissatisfaction on his face. He thought to himself that my father should praise me for the policy I wrote seriously, right?
Just as he walked to the door, Xiao Rui's voice came, "Don't blame me for not reminding you. I really let His Majesty know what you think like this. Haha, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep your position as prince."
You...you're scaring me? Li Chengqian turned around, his face full of doubts!
