The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 56 Zhang Jingheng, Chief of Staff of the Prefectural Office

Tang Shijun's arrogance comes from his very bones and originates from the depths of his soul.

Even if he weren't an official now, he would never bow his head.

The only person in the world he could respect was the emperor.

What truly captured his heart were the countless ordinary people.

Looking at Tang Shijun, who is now the prefect, he is still as arrogant as when we first met, but he is not annoying.

Chu Xun sighed inwardly, thinking that such a person was perhaps destined to stand at the pinnacle of power.

For ordinary people, this is also a great blessing.

Tang Shijun did not linger in the courtyard. He was busy with official duties, and the fact that he could take the time to meet Chu Xun and have a meal was already a great honor.

Besides, Huan'er needs to take the prefectural examination and needs to calm down and study.

Before leaving, Tang Shijun specifically called Huan'er over and stared at her, saying, "This prefectural examination consists of a main session and a supplementary session, covering classics, policy essays, and poetry."

"Zheng Xiuwen said you are very intelligent and may become a pillar of the nation. Let's start with this prefectural examination. If you can win first place in the prefectural examination, I will personally take you to the provincial examination in the future."

The top scorer in the prefectural examination was the first place in the prefectural examination.

When Tang Shijun said this, it was as if he was telling Huan'er something.

If someone can get first place in the prefectural examination, they can be taken as a student.

Although Tang Shijun is currently only a fifth-rank prefect, he may very well become the next Grand Secretary in the future.

Given the prestigious family behind him, becoming his protégé would guarantee a limitless future.

Huan'er quickly knelt down to express her gratitude, and Tang Shijun accepted the gesture without hesitation. He then said to Chu Xun, "After the results are announced, we can catch up again."

Chu Xun quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

Tang Shijun said no more and turned to leave.

After watching the prefect leave, Chu Xun closed the courtyard gate and pulled Huan'er back to sit down.

Huan'er was still very excited and said, "Uncle, the prefect thinks so highly of me? Did Lord Zheng say a lot of good things about me?"

"Of course, both Lord Zheng and Lord Tang are good officials," Chu Xun said with a smile. "Have something to eat. You must be starving from being so reserved earlier."

Huan'er chuckled and agreed, then picked up her chopsticks to fill her stomach.

Tang Shijun did not leave in a sedan chair, but instead took the bamboo hat handed to him by his attendant and put it on his head to cover his face.

The attendant, somewhat curious, asked, "Why is Your Excellency treating a local notable so kindly?"

He knew that Chu Xun had protected the villages and towns and had made a contribution.

Such merit, though not insignificant in the eyes of the prefect, was not a great achievement either.

A token reward would suffice; there's no need for a personal visit, especially with wine and meat, where everyone would sit down, toast, and chat.

Tang Shijun did not answer directly, but instead asked, "What do you think of my judgment?"

"Your Excellency possesses a mature and far-sighted vision, which is universally acknowledged," the attendant replied.

This is not a compliment; after Tang Shijun took office, he promoted many people.

They are all capable, competent, and resourceful; not a single one of them is a pushover.

It was precisely because of this that Fenggu City was able to prosper under his rule and had the hope of being promoted to "Central Prefecture".

Tang Shijun said, "What you see is merely his status as a local notable; what I see is him as a person."

"Although Chu Xun came from a farming family, his speech, insights, and magnanimity were beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Although I believe my talent is no less than anyone else's, for some reason, I always feel that in the distant future, Chu Xun's achievements may surpass mine."

The attendant was taken aback: "Why would you feel that way, sir? No matter how capable he is, he is ultimately just a country bumpkin with no official rank or title. How can he be compared to you?"

Tang Shijun shook his head; he didn't know why he had such a thought.

Moreover, this thought only deepened with each encounter with Chu Xun.

yes……

How could someone born a farmer have achieved more than himself?

How high can it really be?

As Tang Shijun pondered this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly and curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.

He wasn't afraid of how high Chu Xun could climb; on the contrary, he hoped that one day he could see this man climb to a height he couldn't even imagine.

The higher the better.

The higher you go, the more interesting it becomes.

Of all the people in the world, only a handful can truly interest him.

A few days later, the prefectural examination officially began.

Due to the large number of students taking the exam this year, the main session and the supplementary session took three days in total.

Huan'er was a little nervous at first, but when the official list was released and she saw her name on it, she completely relaxed.

The ranking list is not divided into high and low ranks; anyone who is on it can participate in the next round.

The confident students searched the list for a long time but couldn't find their names.

Furious and aggrieved, she couldn't catch her breath and fainted on the spot.

Some people were even crying and wailing, "How did it go viral again...?"

The day after the event was overturned, the long list was posted.

"Zhang Jingheng topped the list in the Fenggu City Prefectural Examination!"

The moment the name was uttered, the entire audience erupted in cheers.

The head of the government case!

Although he only ranked first in the prefectural examination, there were still the provincial examination, the autumn examination, and even the spring examination to follow.

But it's still number one!

"Who is Zhang Jingheng? Which academy's top student is he?"

"Never heard of it. Have you seen it?"

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Huan'er's eyes lit up, but she forcibly suppressed the urge to shout out loud.

"Uncle, let's go back. We're starving after waiting for so long."

Chu Xun could easily see the elation in his eyes and couldn't help but laugh, "Aren't you going to shout a few words and show off?"

"Let's not," Huan'er said. "They say scholars are jealous of each other. I might not stand out, but there will definitely be a lot of people who are envious."

Chu Xun chuckled to himself. This kid was only sixteen years old, how could he have such a deep mind?

What will happen when they grow up?

Who would have thought that Zhang Hanzi, who was so honest and simple that people had called him that for a long time, would have a son who was surprisingly clever?

The next day.

Huan'er was summoned by the government office to register and be included in the register.

However, unlike other students who lined up in front of the government office, he was escorted in by a special person and received by Tang Shijun personally.

Tang Shijun bestowed upon Huan'er the Four Treasures of the Study and accepted her as his student, fulfilling his previous promise.

When the provincial examination comes next year, Chu Xun will not need to come again; the prefect will personally take Huan'er there.

Such a joyous occasion naturally cannot be left hastily.

Since they rarely got to meet, Tang Shijun simply changed into casual clothes, took his entourage, and led Chu Xun and Huan'er on a tour of Fenggu City.

There are many lively places in the city, and the City God Temple is one of them.

Tang Shijun led Chu Xun to the entrance of the City God Temple and said, "His Majesty has decreed that the City Gods of the world be ranked, divided into three levels: county, prefecture, and capital."

"Even a county-level city god is ranked as a fourth-rank official. The city god of Fenggu City is even a second-rank official, which is much higher than my rank."

"For this reason, countless people come to worship every day."

There is also a City God Temple in Zhangnan County, but Chu Xun has never visited it.

Peeking inside, one could see craftsmen were currently re-gilding the statue and decorating the main hall; entry was not permitted at this time.

Only a few statues of gods can be vaguely seen, such as the City God, the Civil Judge, the Military Judge, and the Impermanent One.

Although it was a place of immortals and gods, and the sun was shining brightly, Chu Xun inexplicably felt a chill in the wind, and his whole body went cold.

But the others seemed oblivious, and Chu Xun immediately realized that it might be related to his Qi cultivation.

However, his cultivation level was still low, and apart from a few sensations that were different from those of ordinary people, he had nothing else.

A stone tablet stands in front of the City God Temple, inscribed with the origins of the City God of this place.

Chu Xun went over to take a look and learned that the city god of Fenggu City was named Xie Wenlan, who was originally just a merchant.

The previous dynasty had been driven to this place by the Ma tribe, and he gave away all his wealth to organize the local militia to fight back.

On the eve of the city's fall, he hid the old and young in the city in a cellar, and led twenty elite soldiers to open the city gates and feign surrender.

After the assassination attempt failed, he drew his sword and committed suicide in front of the enemy commander's tent.

When reinforcements arrived, they saw his loyalty and bravery, reported it to the emperor, who bestowed upon him the title of City God of Fenggu, to protect the city forever.

This remained unchanged even in the Jing Kingdom.

"While the City God is the orthodox deity, the Pine and Willow Water God near your home might also be one."

"There are gods watching over us; it won't hurt to go and worship them more often," Tang Shijun said.

Chu Xun felt embarrassed by what he heard. Instead of worshipping the Pine and Willow Water God, he thought it would be more practical to go home, find a mirror, and kowtow to himself a few times.

Fortunately, Tang Shijun didn't say much. He led the group to experience the atmosphere around the City God Temple before heading to other places.

A gust of cold wind blew out from the temple, stood for a moment, and then dissipated.

Chu Xun seemed to sense something and looked back, but he couldn't see anything except people coming and going, and a constant flow of traffic.