chsdbacks Chapter 41 Picking Stones
Chapter 41 Picking Stones
He wore a black gauze hat, had a handsome and elegant face, wore a seventh-rank official robe with blue patterns, a jade belt around his waist, and black boots on his feet.
It was said that the new magistrate from the prefectural city was not old, and now it seems that the rumors were true.
This was also the first time Zhao An had met the new county magistrate.
The other person possessed both the refined elegance of a scion of a prominent family and the solemn and upright demeanor of an official.
His eyes were narrow and cold, giving the impression that he was someone who couldn't tolerate any flaws and wasn't easy to get along with.
"Tao Heng..." Zhao An saw the real name above the new magistrate's head, which was milky white, with a halo radiating outwards, and six feet of smoke rising from it!
"This person's good deeds..."
Before this, the person Zhao An had seen who performed the most good deeds was Meng Wanyi, whose head was radiated with a three-foot-long white light, as bright as the moon.
At this moment, the white light emanating from the head of this newly appointed county magistrate is even more intense, reaching over six feet in length!
He must be the one who performed the most good deeds that Zhao An had ever seen!
If it is said that Meng Wanyi healed countless people and relieved suffering, thus earning merit, then it is reasonable.
"Could it be that this magistrate saved even more people..." Zhao An pondered to himself.
Those in high positions, wielding power, can theoretically influence the fate of many people.
Sometimes, a county magistrate's policy or a law that benefits the people can earn him merit.
If you think about it this way, officials do indeed have an easier time accumulating good deeds than most ordinary people.
Of course, the premise is that the official must be a good official who brings benefits to the people and is upright and incorruptible.
If one engages in corruption, one's good deeds will be diminished. If one continues to serve as an official and commits evil, causing the people under one's rule to suffer, then one is the greatest villain in the world!
"If conditions permit, we could consider helping this good official when he falls from grace," Zhao An thought to himself.
Of course, such a good opportunity to reap good results may not necessarily appear in front of him.
After all, the guards around the other side, as well as the county and garrison troops in the city, were not just for show.
Zhao An's gaze naturally fell on the guards and attendants.
Four of them caught his attention.
The martial spirit emanating from those four men was completely different from that of the other officials and soldiers around them.
They were just holding knives and doing nothing, but their aura of power was so prominent that people dared not look them in the eye.
"These must be the experts brought from the prefectural city..." Zhao Anxin deduced.
"Why isn't the county lieutenant here this year? In previous years, wasn't it the county magistrate in charge of the civil service exams and the county lieutenant in charge of the military exams?"
"I heard the county constable was dismissed from his post a long time ago, and some even say he's already in jail!"
"It's a pity that even such a powerful figure couldn't escape imprisonment..."
"Forget about those things, the county examination is the key right now! I heard that those who join the army with the status of martial arts students can be directly appointed to important positions, instead of starting as soldiers!"
"Of course, that's why I came here..."
"..."
"quiet!"
Once the magistrate was seated, the county magistrate beside him gave an order, and the entire room immediately fell silent.
If you don't know what's good for you at this point, you might get dragged away.
The magistrate first scanned the candidates, nodded in satisfaction, and then spoke.
"Since ancient times, literature has been used to convey moral principles, while martial arts have been used to protect the people. Today, the county is holding a martial arts examination to select brave and talented people from the countryside. We value martial virtue first, then skill and courage, and finally martial strategy."
"I guarantee that the county examination will be fair and impartial, and there will be absolutely no favoritism, cheating, or fraud..."
The magistrate gave a long and eloquent opening speech, and finally announced, "The martial arts examination shall begin!"
On the training ground, flags were raised and horns were blown, which energized the scions of wealthy families watching from the sidelines.
The officials and clerks below them also stood in various places, announcing their numbers so that the candidates could take the tests in order.
The first item is the simplest: picking up stones.
It's all about the physical strength and physique of a martial artist.
Rows of stone locks were placed on the ground, each one larger and heavier than the last, and at the very end was a bronze cauldron.
The cauldron is taller than a person's waist and wider than a meter; it weighs a thousand catties.
The Great Wu Dynasty has a long-standing tradition of lifting a heavy tripod. In the county examination, a tripod weighing a thousand catties is set up, and anyone who can lift it will receive full marks for the stone-lifting part.
Of course, an ordinary person certainly couldn't lift this cauldron.
Usually, only those with superhuman strength or those with profound internal energy have a chance to lift this cauldron.
Those martial artists with weak internal energy were unable to lift themselves.
"Number One, Li Dabao, lift this 300-jin stone weight above your chest!"
"Number Nine, Feng Er, lift the 350-pound stone weight to your chest!"
A minor official recorded the candidates' scores. When someone lifted a 300-jin stone weight, he would shout it out, attracting attention from all sides.
Even the county magistrate on the high platform would cast his gaze upon hearing the sound.
And those gentlemen from the inner city outside the examination hall would also leave a lasting impression of these strong and powerful men.
Those who performed exceptionally well but failed the exams were recruited as laborers to guard the courtyard.
If you make the list, then you can attract funding and you'll be rewarded in the future.
Each person's physical fitness test only lasts for a minute or two, and in the blink of an eye, hundreds of people have finished the test.
Of those, fewer than ten people gave their names.
At a glance, Zhao An could tell that three of the men were martial artists who had cultivated internal energy, while the rest were just brutes who relied solely on their arm strength to withstand the attack.
The heaviest stone lock ever lifted was 450 jin (approximately 225 kg), which was achieved by one of the martial artists.
"Without developing internal energy, the chances of passing the rankings are slim, if not nonexistent," Zhao Anxin thought.
And this is indeed the case; in the martial arts examination, martial artists have an absolute advantage.
The reason why ordinary people participate is that most of them are not actually aiming to pass the imperial examination, but simply want to use the county examination as an opportunity to find a better way out for themselves.
They would be content if they could go to the inner city to guard the homes of those family lords.
After a while, suddenly gasps of surprise came from inside and outside the training ground.
"Number 277, Shen Pan, lift the 800-jin stone lock above your head!"
Zhao An looked over and saw a familiar face in the training ground.
The young Shen Pan flipped over a heavy stone lock that was wider than himself and held it above his head.
His whole body was tense, yet there wasn't the slightest tremor. His handsome face was filled with determination, exuding a resilience that made people subconsciously cheer for him.
The weight of the 800-pound stone lock is also the best strength achievement at present.
"What do you think of this boy?" Magistrate Tao Heng asked after gently clapping his hands.
One of the guards standing nearby said, "This young man has an inner strength of two hundred, and his physique is stronger than his peers. He must be practicing boxing. Very good."
"Does he have the potential to be trained?" Tao Heng asked again.
"Even in the capital city, he would be considered above average," the guard nodded.
"Hmm..." Tao Heng smiled slightly and didn't say anything more.
After the results came out, Shen Pan put down the stone lock and glanced at the bronze cauldron not far away.