Chapter 143 Second Round
After the first round of competition, only twenty-eight people were left, and everyone was looking forward to the second round.
Just listen to Mr. Huaying say slowly: "In the second round, please write down your birth date."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar, and they all said: "How strange! This kind of consideration has never been done before. What is this comparing to?"
"Does the comment on horoscopes mean that we can't get married? My dear, this is really a strange thing."
Someone pretended to be serious and said: "Perhaps some master in the academy has a daughter who has grown up and wants to choose a good match, so the birth dates of these people are used to match the marriage."
Someone immediately refuted him and said: "But it's nonsense. Some of these people are married, some are engaged, and there are babies. Which kind of marriage are they choosing?"
The man then said: "Is it because you want to recognize your adopted son? Otherwise, what are you going to do with the horoscope? The horoscope must be based on the compatibility."
Everyone said: "It's getting more and more nonsense! Who would recognize an adopted son if nothing happens?"
In the midst of everyone's discussion, Gong Chang'an and others had already written down their birth dates and handed them in, and were quietly waiting for the results.
Unexpectedly, the waiting time this time was much longer than the last time. Everyone was inevitably suspicious and anxious, and the longer the time passed, the more anxious they became.
Finally, Mr. Hua Ying came out, and everyone could not help but wait with eagerness.
Mr. Huaying said: "The people who entered the third wheel are Lu Hong, Xiao Manlang, Cui Zheng... Gong Changan, a total of sixteen people."
The twelve people who were eliminated were obviously unjust. One of them, Yu Hanying, asked loudly: "Sanjing Academy has always been known as a sage. How can you decide the choice with false skills? Isn't it ridiculous?"
Immediately, someone followed and shouted: "That's right! Although there are virtuous and unworthy people born in heaven, how can we determine the high and low by birth date?"
The rest of the people also followed suit and shouted: "I don't accept it! I don't accept it!"
Mr. Huaying was not annoyed. He waited until everyone's voices fell down and then said: "Don't you just learn "Yi"?"
Everyone was speechless when asked. You must know that "Yi" is one of the Four Books and Five Classics, but it is difficult for ordinary people to learn it.
The twelve people retreated dejectedly, and then Mr. Hua Ying spoke again: "Please ask the remaining sixteen people to follow me in."
Everyone couldn't help but regret that they couldn't see the rest with their own eyes and could only inquire afterward. Even if this is the case, I will still wait there and not leave. I must wait for the result.
Gong Changan is the youngest and falls at the end of the team.
He didn't know what this house was used for before, but he just felt that the house was very empty.
There were several disciples in white clothes inside, but not a single Master could be seen.
Mr. Huaying held a large lottery tube in his hand, with sixteen lots in it: "Everyone draws lots first, and then goes to the back in order."
Everyone stretched out their hands to draw lots.
Gong Changan also took one and held it in his hand. When he looked carefully, there was a "1" written on it.
"Oh, little brother, you are so lucky to come out on top!" Someone joked with him.
In fact, the one who draws the first one is often not very good. There is a lack of time to prepare and there are no lessons learned from the past for reference. When they drew the lots just now, they were silently thinking not to draw the first one.
Gong Changan didn't care and said with a smile: "It's exactly what I want. If you don't choose, I'd better go home for dinner early."
"Yes, yes, you are still young, and you will have many opportunities in the future." Everyone agreed, "Not to mention that you have already passed two rounds, which is very rare."
At Gong Changan's age, having gone through two rounds of selections from the Three Paths Academy was enough for him to brag for a lifetime.
"You come with me." Mr. Huaying took Gong Changan's hand and walked back.
After passing through a hallway, there are three main rooms. Palace Chief An entered the door and saw a large screen with green mountains and rivers standing in the center. Turning around the screen, he saw five old men sitting in the room. They were tall, short, fat and thin, with different looks, but they were all wearing black robes and Boshan crowns on their heads.
He only recognized one of them, Mr. Kang who was sitting on the west side.
After Mr. Hua Ying dropped him off, he turned around and went out without stopping.
"My dear brother, Gong Chang'an, I would like to send my regards to all the masters." Gong Chang'an respectfully saluted the five masters.
"No need to be restrained," said the first master with white beard and hair, "you can draw lots first!"
"We have to draw lots again." Gong Changan muttered in his heart.
This time the lottery tube is made of jade and is much smaller than the previous one.
He stretched out his hand and pulled one out. It was marked with the number thirty-three.
"It's question number thirty-three," said the master from before.
The palace chief thought to himself that this question was really not easy. Although he didn't know the specific content yet, he could see that there were at least forty lots in the lottery tube, and eighteen people were selected.
It is impossible to select the same test questions, and there are so many remaining questions that it is difficult to thoroughly understand them.
Then he saw the five masters taking out the keys they brought and opening the five locks on a large wooden box one by one.
Then he took out the envelope numbered thirty-three. The envelope was sealed very firmly. If he wanted to open it, he would have to destroy the cover.
In short, if someone tries to open it early, it will leave traces.
Several ladies checked the envelope to make sure it was intact, then carefully opened it with a paper knife and took out the letter paper inside.
Gong Changan saw that it was full of words, but he didn't know what they were.
"Gong Chang'an, please listen carefully." A man with a long beard took the letter and read, "Suppose you are passing through a place where there is an unsolved case that has not been solved for many years.
The daughter of a farmer's family has been missing for several years without a trace, and her life and death are unknown.
By chance, a beggar told you that he had witnessed a group of gangsters murdering this girl. In order to destroy the body and eliminate traces of it, he buried the girl's body in a coffin in a tomb that day.
It just so happened that the owner of this tomb had a distinguished status and was actually the mother of the local prefect. Now, how do you plan to solve this matter? ”
A few words is indeed a difficult question.
This poor girl died unjustly, but the evildoer went unpunished.
If buried elsewhere, just dig out the girl's bones. Report the corpse to the officials, and the government will investigate thoroughly.
But the thieves buried him in the coffin of the prefect's mother.
In other words, if you want this girl's bones to be seen again, you have to dig up the prefect's ancestral grave.
Is this easily possible?
What's more, there is no proof other than the beggar's words. It can neither win people's trust nor rule out that the beggar's words are lies.
Such a difficult problem would be difficult for Gong Changan, not to mention a seven or eight-year-old child, or for an official who has solved many cases, to come up with a solution in a short time.
But now that the question has been raised, the solution must be stated.
"Child, we give you a quarter of an hour to think." Kangfuzi said, "It's okay if you really can't answer."
The test questions of Sanjing Academy are not written by ordinary people, nor are they given to ordinary people.
Can't answer, that's perfectly normal.