The south of the Yangtze River is shrouded in mist and rain. The steps on the top of the Tingyu Pavilion are icy cold. A figure stands in this cold late autumn.
Even in the twilight, his handsome face was still faintly visible. His arms, as bright as the moon, were lightly folded on the railing, as if he didn't feel the slightest bit of cold.
When Feng He came over and saw this scene, she couldn't help but vaguely recall the time when winter turned to spring, and every day Langjun and Xie Xianggong talked under the moon here. This scene was vivid in her mind, but she didn't know what day it was.
Feng He sighed in her heart. She had never seen her lover so lonely before...
Fortunately, Mr. Xie knew that he was thinking about you all the time and was very attentive, so it was worth it... It was worth it for you to spend so much effort to prepare...
Thinking of this, Feng He couldn't help but smile and said, "My dear, come and see what this is?"
Hearing Feng He's voice, Yu Chuxi woke up from his thoughts and turned around. Then, his eyes quickly fell on the letter in Feng He's hand. At this moment, his eyes were bright and shining, like flowing light.
"It's a relief to see you in person, and I'm glad to hear from you..."
Once the imperial examination was over, it was as if the ban on scholars and candidates was lifted.
There is still half a month before the announcement of the results. During this half month, many people have made plans to visit the scenic spots and historical sites outside the capital, or go to theaters and taverns to have fun. Some are also busy meeting with dignitaries and engaging in busy personnel activities.
Although the results of this exam determined the fate of most people, as long as they had not left the capital, it meant that there were still infinite possibilities. After all, there were other ways to go besides the imperial examination.
However, some people have discovered that this year's imperial examination was particularly grand, with many young men from aristocratic families competing to participate, which was very different from previous years.
In other words, there are most likely only a few children from poor families who can make it to the list of this year's imperial examination, let alone the top scorer. How many will even be able to get into the first or second place?
At this time, the examination hall was busy with the examination papers. The examiners were all from the Hanlin Academy, so they had been preparing for the examination papers since early autumn, and could not come out until the examination papers were completed.
The Hanlin Academy serves as a talent pool for the entire Daqing. In recent years, only those who rank at the top of the imperial examinations can enter. Although they do not have much influence on actual politics and do not have busy duties to bear on a daily basis, the literary quality of the Hanlin scholars is impeccable.
The Minister of Rites Zhu Han paced slowly in the corridor, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Ever since His Majesty summoned him that day, Zhu Han has been thinking about how to accomplish this task.
Cheating was naturally impossible. All the test papers had their names covered after they were collected. The Hanlin scholars who marked the test papers were not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. Moreover, almost all of them had real talents and knowledge. It was impossible to hide the truth in front of these people.
However, Zhu Han did think of an idea. He knew that the number of children from poor families on the list of this imperial examination would definitely not look good. However, the number could not be changed, but the ranking could.
If the first place winner of the imperial examination is a child of a poor family, it would make Your Majesty feel much more relieved.
But this is extremely difficult. Few of the top scorers in the imperial examinations came from humble families. After all, the imperial examination is different from the palace examination. It all depends on one's writing skills and talent.
However, there are tens of thousands of scholars in the world, and the capital accounts for eight of them. The children of aristocratic families and officials are as numerous as carp crossing the river. Which person from a poor family can surpass the scholars and win everyone's respect?
After a few days, the progress of marking the test papers has accelerated a lot.
The scholars of the Hanlin Academy who served as the test takers and examiners for the imperial examination all had some experience. Newcomers who had only joined the Hanlin Academy in recent years, such as Wang Jing, were certainly not among them.
In the focused and quiet atmosphere, the only sounds in the whole room were the sound of turning papers and the collision of pens, ink and inkstones. At this moment, a sudden exclamation of praise was heard, which attracted everyone's attention.
When everyone looked over and saw that it was Luo Qing, they were even more surprised.
It turned out that Luo Qing, the scholar in charge of commenting on the essays, was the top scholar in Tai'an that year. He had always been well-known for his talent. Although he was not as talented as Lu Shuo, he was also quite famous among the literati.
He has always had a sharp eye for essays, and there are very few articles that are refreshing to him, let alone an exclamation like "the jade is sitting on the jade, the knowledge is profound and beautiful".
It is really hard to imagine what kind of article this is.
Several examiners came over to read it and praised it highly. They said that the article was indeed full of meaning and logic, without a single superfluous word in the whole article.
The opening line states directly, "If Emperor Wen did not have such benevolence, he would pursue desires instead of the Way, be hypocritical instead of gaining..." This is from the opposite perspective, explaining Emperor Wen's morality and benevolence from the perspective of if he did not have such benevolence, which is really eye-opening.
One examiner couldn't put it down and read it several times. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "If this boy has no other mistakes, he will definitely be at the top. I just don't know who is the genius. Can everyone here guess?"
This is the only pleasure in the boring secluded life during every long scientific expedition.
Although most of the scholars in the Hanlin Academy lived a leisurely life, usually spending their days either studying poetry or compiling books, they were not completely ignorant of the news in the court and the country.
Every year, many candidates who gather in the capital would arrive early and try every means to meet them. Of course, this was not to inquire about the questions for this year's imperial examination, but to seek their favor.
After all, the competition in the imperial examination is so cruel, and there are so many talented people. Who can guarantee that they can perform well in the examination room and catch the examiner's eyes? It is better to present your most proud articles and poems first. If the examiner is familiar with them, there will be a lot of guarantees.
Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the Hanlin Academy is the most noble and elegant in the court. Before each examination, it is common to see "people coming to see you like a forest and people offering books like clouds".
However, when the examiners looked at the test papers in front of them, they really couldn't remember which article submitted to them could match the font in front of them.
However, one person speculated: "Could this person be Kong Xiu who became famous in the capital some time ago? I heard that his writing is known as the best in the world, so I think it must be him."
Another person said, "I don't think so. I have seen Kong Xiu's articles. He also likes to take a different approach in his writing, but his writing is mature and has the style of a great writer. Unlike this article, which has a somewhat elegant and graceful tone."
Everyone guessed a few more names, but still couldn't be sure of this person's origins.
Luo Qing also had no idea. At this time, he noticed that Zhang Sheng on the side had not participated from beginning to end, but looking at his expression, it seemed that he had already made up his mind.
Seeing Luo Qing looking at him, Zhang Sheng smiled without saying anything and returned to his seat. When he was flipping through the papers just now, he saw that although the handwriting of this candidate was unfamiliar, it revealed a little bit of his shadow everywhere.
Many years ago, Zhang Sheng was fortunate enough to be appreciated by Jiang Hong, the chief examiner at that time. His test paper was selected from a group of rejected test papers, and he also won the first place. Later, after Zhang Sheng entered the Hanlin Academy, he began to study the essays written by Jiang Hong on the imperial examination. These essays had long been forgotten after Jiang Hong left the Imperial College, but fortunately he still remembered them.
Last year he heard that Jiang Hong accepted a student named Xie Shu in Jiangnan. At the beginning of this year, the name of Xie Shu was the champion in the Jiangnan provincial examination list.
But after that, Xie Shu remained unknown until a few days ago, when the news of Xie Shu and Kong Xiu's competition in Wangchuan Tower came out.
Now that he has read this article, Zhang Sheng is even more certain that the old gentleman has successors.
Only after all the examination papers were marked and the rankings of the papers before and after were almost arranged, the names were removed and the list was presented to Emperor Qing by Minister of Rites Zhu Han. With Emperor Qing's permission, the list of candidates admitted to this year's examination would be announced the day after tomorrow.
Zhu Han nervously picked up the blue pen and slowly opened the list of candidates to see if he needed to re-copy it. When he saw the top position, Zhu Han's heart started beating wildly, then dropped heavily.
Xie Shu, Xie Shu, this person happened to be one of his few choices!
By the way, isn't this person Jiang Hong's disciple? He is also the champion of Jiangnan Province. If he wins the first prize this time, then on the day of the palace examination, if...
It seems that when the list of candidates for the imperial examination is announced the day after tomorrow, the entire government and the public will be shocked.
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