The lowest status person in Qin Tian Prison is actually not a "supervisor", but a servant responsible for chores, named "Dian Zhong" and "Dian Gu".
The original meaning refers to the musicians who manage the bells and drums during the sacrificial ceremony. There are more than 400 people in total. When there are no sacrifices, they are responsible for the chores in the courtyard.
Soon after Huang He left, servants brought daily necessities, meals, and cleaned the courtyard. At the same time, they brought a message:
In the afternoon, a small gathering was held in the prison for this year's newly promoted officers. At the same time, robes, badges, books, and some common sense in the prison were explained.
…
When Ji Pingan walked along the bluestone road, bypassed a patch of weeping willows, and stepped into the agreed courtyard, he saw that many new students had already arrived.
Compared with ordinary supervisors, the number of Sichens who enter the "inner courtyard" after each spring exam is not large. They are male and female, and their ages range between teenagers and young adults. After arriving one after another during this period, , and then waited for the "class to start", during which we became more or less familiar with each other.
For most people, spiritual practice is always mysterious.
At this time, young boys and girls gathered in twos and threes, with excitement on their energetic faces. When they saw a newcomer arriving, many people looked at them with curiosity, scrutiny, or surprise.
Compared with the neatly dressed and excited students, Ji Pingan, who entered the courtyard, still had the dust of his long journey on his body, but his indifferent temperament made people ignore it intentionally or unintentionally.
"Hey, I've never seen this person before. Is he just in prison?"
"Didn't you see the mud spots on his boots? They are probably from other places."
"You're a little older. Was it recommended by the local government?"
In the hushed discussion, many eyes moved away, as if they had assessed his value and stopped paying any more attention to him.
There is a chain of contempt everywhere. In terms of spiritual practice, Ji Ping'an, who has neither birth nor age advantage, undoubtedly lacks friendship value - at least for the group of powerful children who gather together and are clearly distinguished from the rest, dressed in rich clothes. in this way.
"Astronomy student or intersex person?"
Suddenly, a fat man with sparse eyebrows, Si Chen, stood up and came over to meet him.
Ji Pingan looked curiously at the fat man in front of him who was wearing a plain toga and slightly shorter than himself:
"what is that?"
Although he had single-handedly created the Qintian Prison, that was four hundred years ago. Not to mention that he had been in seclusion for hundreds of years. Even during his most active period, he never paid attention to such small things in the prison.
"You don't know this? It seems that you are intersex like me."
The little fat man's smile became more sincere, and he pulled him to sit down among the crowd.
At the same time, he introduced himself enthusiastically: "My name is Shi Jilun, from Beiguanzhou."
Beiguanzhou is north of Shendu, and most of the area is snow barbarian territory. Even the side close to the Zhou Dynasty is considered cold. This climate has forged the bold and enthusiastic character of the people of the North, who like to make friends and drink alcohol.
Ji Ping'an went to the snowy plains alone and slaughtered three thousand miles of blood. He had a drink with the barbarian King Bai while surrounded by enemies. Unfortunately, the shochu stained with the blood of tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers was too strong and he didn't like it.
"Ji Ping'an from Leizhou." He smiled politely and asked, "What is the difference between astronomy students and intersex people?"
Shi Jilun explained:
"It is a classification of students' origins. If you want to enter Qin Tianjian to practice, there are generally two ways. The first is to be admitted here from a young age and become a 'supervisor student'. Those with outstanding talents or outstanding achievements can be awarded 'Sichen'.
“This type of students are called ‘astronomy students’. They have solid knowledge, are proficient in astronomical calculations, and most of them have strong family backgrounds.
"Second, they are recommended by yin and yang officials from all over the Great Zhou Dynasty, that is, our kind. People who are proficient in astrology and are better at divination are those who are yin and yang, or born from yin and yang.
"Actually, ordinary prison students also have such divisions, but those of us from out of town didn't know it at first..."
After a pause, the little fat man curled his lips:
"Look at those young gentlemen and young ladies in rich and beautiful clothes, they are astronomy students. These people have rich family backgrounds and have never looked down upon us. But we don't have to be discouraged. Cultivation does not matter family background. The national master is from a humble background. Achieve great things?”
Hmm, class division? Forming cliques... Ji Ping'an listened to the latter's explanation and thought that there was nothing new under the sun.
But the young man's castles are too shallow after all.
Whether it was the evaluation of his value by the powerful children, or Shi Jilun's seemingly enthusiastic and forthright words, but in fact, his words put the yin and yang students from all over the world into the same camp, as if he had become a new leader, in his eyes, they were like fish swimming in a shallow stream. Just find it interesting.
During the chat, the young students exchanged names with each other. Ji Ping'an just smiled gently and was inconspicuous in the crowd.
This caused many Yin and Yang students to gradually lose interest in him, and Shi Jilun also paid less attention.
After all...it's just ordinary.
…
"Senior Brother Xue, what's so good about a country boy?"
In another corner of the courtyard, a girl couldn't help but say.
The noble-looking Xue Hongjian looked away. As the sixth son of Duke Lu, although he chose to practice cultivation because he could not inherit the title, his family appearance and talent made him the top choice among these astronomy students, and he was the default leader of the small circle.
Hearing the other party's words, Xue Hong's clear eyes hesitated a little and said:
"I just think that student's temperament is a little different. Would you like to invite him to sit with him?"
The precocious and mature girl from a scholarly family shook her head and said seriously:
"Being admitted to the Qintian Prison certainly has some merits, but in the final analysis, he is a yin-yang student. Judging from his clothes, he comes from a poor family. Being able to enter the prison to practice is already a leap of faith. It is even less likely that he has any background support.
"It is said that cultivation does not matter family, but as the saying goes, the land of wealthy couples, we have swallowed pills since childhood to polish our foundation, and our accumulation is far beyond that of others. The gap between us and them is destined to become wider and wider in the future."
"Junior sister Wang's words make sense," another Jinyi student nodded and whispered:
"This is the so-called circle. We have different backgrounds from him, and our future achievements will only be further. Even if this person has some magnanimity, he is not from the same world after all. What's the point of inviting him here? Why don't we think about the people who will practice after the class starts? Well, I heard that albums of pictures will be distributed today, and I am asked to wait and understand..."
A group of people expressed their opinions and had a unified attitude. Seeing this, Xue Hongjian had to give up and give up the idea of making friends.
At this time, the sound of soft footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard, and the discussion stopped. Xue Hongjian and Shi Jilun stood up at the same time, preparing to represent their respective factions to welcome Si Li in the prison.
But when they reached the door, they were stunned.
Pei Sili, who was wearing a black official robe embroidered with star charts, had indeed arrived, but there was a crowd of people behind him. The leader was an old man with a square face and wearing a university scholar's robe.
Next to him was Huang He who said nothing, and behind him were more than a dozen Hanlin officials.
The Imperial Bachelor... the head of the Hanlin Academy, the candidate for the next "prime minister" widely rumored in the court... Xue Hongjian took a breath and recognized the identity of the old man. He was a big shot that his father Lu Guogong would treat with great courtesy.
What does such a person do in Qin Tian Prison? Still so excited?
Without enough time to think, Xue Hongjian instinctively stepped forward and saluted: "Junior Xue..."
The old man didn't look at him at all. He walked past like the wind. His eyes swept across the courtyard and he said in a deep voice, "Who is Mr. Ji?"
