Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Fan Jin had gone mad, clumsily falling into the "mud pit" that had been prepared on the stage. After getting up, he was still muttering about passing the imperial examination.

The common people couldn't help but burst into laughter at this comical scene, while many scholars present looked rather embarrassed.

This image of Fan Jin was a bit too insulting to scholars.

He was utterly lacking in manners, slow-witted, poor, ignorant, submissive, and full of pedantry... a variety of unflattering traits.

However, many scholars remembered their own experiences of repeatedly failing the examinations and couldn't help but wipe away tears with their sleeves.

Wasn't the mentality of the person on stage a true reflection of themselves?

If they were to pass the imperial examination one day, they feared they wouldn't necessarily be much better than Fan Jin.

It was just that they hadn't expected to appear so ugly from an observer's perspective... It was truly shameful.

Of course, the common people were also thoughtful. The snobbish behavior of Butcher Hu and the other extras also made some people feel uneasy.

Even a successful candidate is like this, so why should I go and lick his boots? Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?

When the performance reached the point where Butcher Hu slapped Fan Jin awake, the emotions of the common people were pushed to their climax.

They all looked at the scholars in Confucian robes nearby with meaningful eyes...

So-called successful candidates are nothing more than this... Just leave it at that!

Fang Zheng and Li Yuanzhao wandered through the crowd, observing the reactions of the people, and couldn't help but feel very satisfied.

As expected of a classic text refined by the sifting of history.

Even in another world, its brilliance could not be concealed!

In the end, Fan Jin still reached the peak of his life, surrounded by beautiful wives and concubines, not to mention money and grain... living a carefree life.

Amidst cheers, the actors slowly exited the stage.

The audience seemed a little quiet, many people still savoring the meaning of the play.

This play... although there were no intense actions or dramatic ups and downs, it was inexplicably unsettling to watch.

Some scholars who couldn't bear it had already covered their faces and left the scene.

After a while, the common people finally realized something... Wait a minute, weren't we here to see an exciting drama?

Where's the morality? Where's the humiliated son-in-law? This play had empathy, but it wasn't exciting enough! We want excitement!

Someone felt cheated and couldn't help but shout: "RNM, refund!"

"Stop yelling! It's free, what refund are you talking about! More scenes! We want more scenes!"

The host saw that the scene was about to get out of control again and quickly jumped onto the stage.

He shouted: "Everyone, don't be anxious! Everyone, don't be anxious! The good show is yet to come! Next, please welcome the new scientific drama from Taoyuan County, 'The Three Trials of Galileo!'"

Deng deng deng deng, a new batch of actors began to appear on stage.

The narrator began to read: "Galileo, a lecherous madman, believes in science and not in God. Maria, a maiden of sixteen, throws an embroidered ball from the Leaning Tower of Pisa..."

Soon, the common people were immersed in a new round of drama...

In the following days, Fang Zheng wrote two more scripts, "Du Shiniang Sinks the Treasure Chest in Anger" and "Kong Yiji."

The most popular was still "Du Shiniang," after all, the actors were all good-looking. For the other two plays, Fang Zheng chose actors with distorted appearances for the main roles in order to maximize the satirical effect.

The three plays began to be broadcast in rotation in Banshan Square, and more and more people came from other places to watch the plays, and public opinion spread unconsciously.

................

Dengjin Ward, inside Xuanming Pavilion.

Scholars were sipping tea and composing poems in the pavilion in twos and threes, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Several common people passed by sporadically, craning their necks from a distance to look inside the pavilion.

A young master in brocade clothes looked at the passing common people and said to another scholar beside him: "Brother Shen, have you noticed that the common people seem to have changed recently?"

"Originally, they would walk around us and stay far away from us. Now, people often look at us here, and some people even dare to look us directly in the eye! Look, there's someone looking over there!"

Shen Yi didn't even raise his head, flipping through the book in his hand: "Brother Su, don't you know? There's a new play in the city recently, and many common people have gone to see it, specifically satirizing scholars."

"I think many common people in Dengjin Ward have seen it these days, so they are not so afraid of us when they look at us."

Su Rongxuan frowned: "Is there such a thing? I haven't heard of it, but these common people are too undisciplined... How dare they look directly at us? I don't know what the play is about?"

"It's nothing, it's just about a scholar passing the imperial examination, from being down and out to being sought after by everyone." Shen Yi closed the book and sighed: "The satire is incisive and powerful! I also have a lot of feelings after watching it, and many scholars in our ward have gone to Banshan Ward to watch this play, and I heard that they have also set up a reading corner and a play review corner...."

"Speaking of which, I'm not afraid of Brother Su laughing at me. I was also born into a poor family, and I passed the examination after two attempts. If I had repeatedly failed the examination like the person in the play, I'm afraid I wouldn't be much better than him."

Su Rongxuan snapped open his fan, fanning himself and laughing: "Brother Shen, why belittle yourself? How can the things in the play be taken seriously? Moreover, haven't you passed the examination now?"

Shen Yi sighed again: "I have passed the examination, but after watching the play, I realized why I studied in the first place. Now we write poems and compose couplets during the day, and drink with Master Yan at night, seemingly doing nothing... just like the people in the play."

"We scholars should speak for the people and practice what we preach. It is really useless to talk big words every day....."

Su Rongxuan sneered: "Okay, why think so much? If you don't drink and have fun with Master Yan, wouldn't you be mixing with those mud legs below?"

"Brother Shen, this is the officialdom! These are all the connections for entering the court in the future! How precious is this opportunity? You should cherish it!"

"In the future, with the help of Master Yan, you will have power in your hands and beauties in your arms. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Who didn't have great ideals when they were young? Who didn't say those bold words? They were all just jokes. It's too naive to take those words seriously now. You are mature now!"

"Is this called maturity? Then what is called being slick?"

"You ......" Su Rongxuan was speechless for a moment, staring and pointing at Shen Yi with his fan.

This kid was fine the day before yesterday. Why did he become a contrarian after watching the play?

"Forget it! Brother Su, you guys talk first. I'm going to Banshan Ward. I heard that there will be another performance tonight. I'm going to take a look. There are some questions I haven't figured out."

After speaking, Shen Yi rolled up his book and left the pavilion directly.

The others saw him leave and gathered around Su Rongxuan and laughed: "People with different paths cannot conspire together. What are you talking to him about? People from humble backgrounds are like this. A crow can't become a phoenix even if it flies to a branch."

Su Rongxuan smiled dumbly: "That makes sense! It's true that a dog can't change its eating habits. We don't have to worry about him. What future can such a person have? Come, come, Brother Zhang, let me see your new work...."