The World of Yellow Sky

Chapter 757: Shangyuan Lantern Festival
The north wind blows the snow at the beginning of the fourth round, Jiarui Tianjiao and Sui Chu.

Half of Tu Su did not raise it, and peach charms were written in cursive in front of the lamp.

Thousands of houses in Chang'an City are lit up. Although it is cold in winter, it doesn't make people's hearts cold.

The curfew was also lifted during the new year. In the past few days, the workers in workshops and workshops in Chang'an City put down their work early.

Even the Ming army garrisoned in Chang'an City has also been given a holiday notice in the past few days. Except for the soldiers who have guard missions who are still guarding their posts loyally, the rest of the soldiers have also been specially allowed to leave the camp. .

Although it is impossible for them to go home during a few days of vacation, they can still visit Chang'an City.

Originally, Chang'an City was always extremely quiet at night, only watchmen and patrol soldiers would make a little noise as they walked through the streets and alleys, but now Chang'an City is brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

The vast Chang'an Square was full of people.

On Chang'an Square, there are lanterns of different shapes one after another.

The lanterns were placed together and gathered together to form huge lampstands one after another.

There are also some lanterns themselves that are particularly huge. The entire Chang'an Square is covered with lights, one after another, illuminating the vast Chang'an Square as if it were dawn.

This year is the first year of Taipingdao's founding, and Zhongzhou suffered three large-scale disasters, so Xu An ordered that a lantern festival be held on the first day of the first lunar month in the second year of the Ming calendar, to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, and to pray for the second year.

That's why there is such a grand occasion on Chang'an Square today.

Today is the last day of the first year of the Ming Dynasty (194).

Xu An canceled the calendar year, and directly set the year when Taipingdao was founded as the first year of the Ming Dynasty.

Although there is a chronological method of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, it is really complicated. Ordinary common people do not have such high knowledge, so it is naturally difficult to understand, so Xu An adopted a simpler and more intuitive chronological method.

On the square, vendors selling lamps, customers buying lamps, and people watching lamps are bustling with each other.

Chang'an Plaza has already been released in advance. There were originally many commercial areas around Chang'an Plaza. Now that Chang'an Plaza has been released, it is even more lively.

"Tsk..."

Fan Ah held the medicine box in his hand, and stared at the beautiful lanterns in different shapes one after another with his eyes dazzled.

Never since he had grown up had he seen such beauty, such grandeur.

The large-scale military parade in the past was also held on Chang'an Square. Fan A stood on the city wall at that time, standing with his master Hua Tuo, and he saw the incomparably magnificent momentum of the Yellow Turban Army with his own eyes.

It's just that what he sees now is another landscape.

"Fan Ah!"

A hand rested on Fan Ah's shoulder.

"I didn't pay attention, why did you disappear again, I really lost it to you at that time, Mr. Hua, I can't explain it..."

Zhang Ji looked helpless, and grabbed Fan Ah tightly. He had just met his colleagues and said hello, and Fan Ah ran away without seeing anyone. Fortunately, he has been in the Eagle Wolf Guard for so long, and his eyesight is naturally not the same. , Fan A's figure can be spotted at a glance in the crowd.

Zhang Ji grabbed Fan Ah's shoulder, squeezed out from the crowded crowd, and stood behind Fan Ah.

At the beginning Xu An sent Zhang Ji to lead the eagle wolf guards to guard Hua Tuo, Fan A was not much different in age from him, and after arriving in Chang'an, the two had become acquainted with each other.

"Hahaha."

Fan A smiled awkwardly, and patted Zhang Ji on the shoulder.

"I'm not a child. How could I get lost? At most, the two of us will be separated. When the Lantern Festival is over, I'll go back to my doctor's house. You'll go back to the Eagle Wolf Guard Office. Don't worry, my master will never talk about you." .”

"Now I have graduated from medical school, and I have obtained the doctor's qualification certificate. I will be able to perform the crown ceremony in a few months."

"At that time, if you fail to handle the case and get slapped, you can come to me. I have special medicine."

Fan A patted Zhang Ji on the shoulder and boasted.

"As expected of Hua Tuo's personal disciple."

Zhang Ji also laughed when he heard that Fan Ah started to feel complacent again.

"After only taking the intermediate medical examination twice, I became a doctor."

The smile on Fan A's face instantly froze. He was too nervous during the first medical examination. He made a mistake during the assessment and was directly eliminated from the list of doctors.

A very low-level mistake, he should not have made a mistake.

He still remembers Hua Tuo's expression at that time, so throughout this year, he has been obediently staying in the medical school to study, and has hardly stepped out of the medical school grounds, and has been immersing himself in his studies.

Zhang Ji really does not mention which pot to open.

"Fortunately, I passed the exam this year..."

Fan A smiled awkwardly, raised his sleeves and wiped off the fine sweat that oozed from his forehead, if he couldn't do it better, he might have to wander the streets the next day, how could he still be here watching the lanterns.

"Hahahahaha."

Seeing Fan A deflated, Zhang Ji couldn't help laughing.

Since they are friends, those embarrassing memories of each other are naturally the source of happiness.

"Zhang Ji."

Fan Ah was about to turn back, but saw a familiar person in the crowd ahead, immediately nudged Zhang Ji with his elbow, and then pointed to the front.

"Ok?"

"Look at that man, isn't he Chen Sheng?"

Zhang Ji was slightly taken aback, and looked in the direction Fan A pointed.

In front of the crowd, there were three young men in green robes.

One of them was more than seven feet tall, quite taller than the two around him.

The color of the green robe on his body was slightly lighter, which seemed to be due to too many times of washing. Although it looked a little old, it was still flat and smooth, without even a wrinkle.

Zhang Ji took a step forward and saw the young man's face clearly through the light. Although the distance was still the same, Zhang Ji's memory of Chen Sheng was particularly deep.

At that time, he was in charge of escorting Hua Tuo all the way to the north, and he took the schoolboys to the eldest son city when he got there.

The schoolchildren he picked up along the way were basically timid and afraid to speak when they met him. He had to say it three or four times each time before picking up a child.

But Chen Sheng's performance at that time surprised Zhang Ji.

When seeing him, Chen Sheng was not as flustered as a boy of the same age, nor was he at a loss.

Neither humble nor overbearing, he behaves like an adult, and his conversation is not like an ordinary farm boy.

Later, because Zhang Ji felt strange, he specially sent someone to investigate Chen Sheng's details, but got the information that he was indeed an ordinary farmer's boy.

Afterwards, Zhang Ji didn't meet Chen Sheng very often, after all he was the Eagle Wolf Guard and had his own work to do, and Chen Sheng was still studying in Meng Xue Tang.

But later, Chen Sheng won the case and entered the county college to study, and was also known as the reincarnation of "Wenquxing". Zhang Ji also met Chen Sheng several times, but that was three years ago.

The young man in front of him was indeed somewhat similar to Chen Sheng, but Zhang Ji was not sure for a while whether it was Chen Sheng or not.

"Chen Sheng!"

Zhang Ji was still remembering, but Fan A who was at the side had already raised his hand and waved towards those young people.

The young man with similar face to Chen Sheng also saw Fan Ah when he heard the shout.

When a smile appeared on the young man's face, Zhang Ji was convinced that this man was Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng seemed to have said something to the two people beside him, and then he and the two walked towards them looking in their direction.

"Chen Sheng, I met Zhang Qianhu and Mr. Fan."

Before he had reached nearly a thousand, Chen Sheng had already bowed to the two of them, and the two companions beside him also bowed together.

Zhang Ji stopped and returned a salute, but Fan Ah walked up to him holding the medicine box, and directly held Chen Sheng's hand.

"Long time no see, long time no see."

Fan Ah has always been acquainted.

"You still recognize me, it seems that I am quite famous."

Fan Ah was a little complacent and self-satisfied.

"Anyone who has been annoyed by you for hundreds of miles has to remember you."

Zhang Ji moved to the side of Fan Ala who was a bit jumpy.

Chen Sheng couldn't remember that Fan Ah was a ghost. On the way to the eldest son city, Zhang Ji was outside the carriage, and he could only hear Fan Ah chattering.

When Chen Sheng got out of the car later, Fan Ahai held Chen Sheng and talked for a long time.

I don't know how such a steady person, Mr. Hua, accepted such an unrestrained disciple as Fan Ah.

Fan Ah is a real chatterbox. In the words of his classmates in the same college, Fan Ah walked on the road and encountered a stone, and he could talk to the stone for three days and three nights.

The two people next to Chen Sheng couldn't help laughing when they heard Zhang Ji mocking Fan A.

"I haven't introduced you yet. These are two of my classmates who study in the county together. The three of us are in the same class."

Fan A was a bit off the hook, but Chen Sheng didn't forget etiquette.

"This is Zhao Kang. His hometown is Taihang, and now he lives in the eldest son city of Shangdang County. His father is a retired soldier, and now he is a policeman in the eldest son city."

Zhang Ji looked serious and saluted.

There is only one type of retired people in the Yellow Turban Army, and they retired due to injuries.

There are no old and retired soldiers. After all, young and middle-aged men were selected when the army was first recruited.

Most of the current soldiers of the Ming Army are at the peak of their physical strength, and there is no problem of retirement due to age.

Although the Eagle Wolf Guard is a special organization, independent of the three government departments and six ministries, they are also an army, and they are naturally close to their comrades who are also soldiers.

Zhao Kang is the shortest and the youngest of the three.

"I met Zhang Qianhu, Mr. Fan."

I don't know if it was because of the fire or what, but Zhang Ji noticed that his skin was a little pale, his complexion was not very good, and his body looked thinner.

"This is Meng Zhu. His hometown is also in Changzi City. His father is a local merchant."

Meng Zhu took a step forward and saluted generously.

"I met Zhang Qianhu, Mr. Fan."

Compared with Chen Sheng and the thin Zhao Kang, Meng Zhu's body is more handsome. Before Zhang Jidu saw that Meng Zhu seemed to be holding a bag containing things. Before Fan Ah called Chen Sheng, he kept eating thing.

"Eagle Wolf Guard Qianhu, Zhang Ji."

Zhang Ji cupped his hands. Although he knew that Chen Sheng had communicated with Zhao Kang and Meng Zhu just before he came, and he must have told Zhao Kang and Meng Zhu their information, but he still had to be courteous.

"Fan A, Physician of Chang'an Medical Academy."

It was rare for Fan Ah to be serious, but after introducing himself, he returned to normal.

"Don't call me Qianhu, it sounds really weird..."

Zhang Ji felt a little strange about Chen Sheng's address to him.

"By the way, didn't you all study at Bingzhou County College? Why did you come to Chang'an City?"

Zhang Ji knew the identities of Chen Sheng and others, he was a little puzzled, he couldn't help committing an occupational disease as a wolf guard, and asked.

Chen Sheng also showed doubts on his face, but he still answered Zhang Ji's question.

"Shortly after the beginning of spring, it will be the date of the national examination. I have already had a holiday. If I come back after the spring, I am afraid it will be a bit late. So I thought about it and decided to come to Chang'an City in advance to prepare for the national examination."

"Brother Zhang is in Chang'an City, doesn't it mean he doesn't know about the national exam?"

"National exam?"

Hearing Chen Sheng mention it, Zhang Ji remembered that he had indeed heard someone mention the word "national examination" in the Eagle Wolf Guard Office, but he was handling a case at the time, so he ignored it.

"I still have a case in hand. I have been busy these days, and I just got away now, but I heard my colleagues in the government office mention it."

"'National Examination' is the exam for county students to enter Chinese studies. This year's national exam is set in Chang'an City, so we came here early to prepare for the exam. After all, if we wait until the beginning of spring, we will not be able to arrive if we are far away from Chang'an. Chang’an, and I’m already exhausted along the way, and it will also be affected during the exam.”

"I see."

Zhang Ji nodded slightly. He has been busy with the affairs at hand these days, but he didn't care about these things.

"The time for the national exam is March [-]th, which is scheduled for the end of March. There are two days of exams in total. The first day is for language, mathematics, and Taoism, and the second day is for officials and miscellaneous subjects."

"The Mengsheng test is the county test, and the first one is called 'the head of the case', also known as the 'jieyuan'."

"First in the national examination, called 'Huiyuan'."

Meng Zhu then added, his tone full of longing, he turned his head and glanced at the tall Yingtian Mansion on the north side of the square.

"After the national examination, there will be a palace examination. I heard that the great virtuous and good teacher personally wrote the questions to test the school, and the chief officials of the six departments of the three palaces will be present at that time!"

"The first one in the palace examination is called the 'No. [-] Scholar'."

"The county examination, the national examination, the palace examination, the three examinations, the first one in all three examinations, is the Sanyuanji!"

When Meng Zhu mentioned Sanyuan Jidi, his eyes were shining, and then he patted Chen Sheng.

"Three yuan and the first one are impossible for me, but they must be in Chen Sheng's pocket!"

"As Sanyuan Jidi's friend, I am equally honored, hahaha."

While talking, there was a sound of firecrackers not far away. It was the crackling sound of burning bamboo, and more lanterns were lit up.

It also attracted everyone's attention to it.

"Long live!"

Amidst the sound of firecrackers and the cheers of the people in Chang'an City, the first year of the Ming Dynasty (194) became the past and history.

(End of this chapter)