Chapter 168 Palace Examination
In the early morning, everything is quiet.
A hint of light appeared on the eastern horizon, carefully soaking the light blue sky, and a new day gradually moved towards us from afar.
Outside the Baohe Hall.
Accompanied by the long and loud shout of the ceremonial officer:
"Announcement, all the tribute students enter the palace——"
At the foot of the marble steps several feet high, there were two teams of women with majestic demeanor, all of whom were tribute students.
Hearing the voice, they all looked up and glanced with admiration at the magnificent palace at the end, where sat the supreme ruler of the Fengqi Dynasty.
Their Queen.
——Emperor Fengwu.
Su Yuan, who was sitting at the upper left, withdrew his gaze indifferently, lifted the hem of his neatly ironed robe, and led a group of tribute students who were taking the palace examination step by step onto the steps of Baohe Hall.
About a cup of tea later.
The group walked into the solemn and dignified hall with serious expressions, bowed to the Fengwu Emperor who was sitting at the top, and their voices were like a loud bell:
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with good health!"
The top.
Emperor Fengwu raised his phoenix eyes and glanced downwards. His expression was serious and his tone was not high. It didn't sound like he was deliberately emphasizing it, but it contained a kind of power that made people submit:
"Everyone, please stand up."
After the people below stood up one after another.
The empress swept her eyes across the faces of the tribute students in the hall. No one could withstand the pressure wherever her eyes went. Some timid students were even trembling with fear.
Her eyes rested on Su Yuan's calm face, she lowered her eyelids and pondered for a while, then looked up at the clear blue sky outside the hall and said in a calm voice:
"This year's exam question is..."
Having said this, she paused, which made the students below very excited.
Emperor Fengwu looked at Su Yuan meaningfully, his deep eyes seemed to be smiling, and his thin lips slightly opened:
“When drought strikes, what should the court do?”
"Using the example of the drought in the south in the first half of the year, do you think the court's response strategy is the best? Why is it good? What is not good about it? Students, start answering the questions."
Next.
Upon hearing this, the students below turned sideways with different expressions on their faces, walked to the desks with writing brushes, inkstones, and papers on both sides, and sat down.
Then he would either brush off his sleeves and grind ink, or lower his head to think and hesitate to put pen to paper.
On the other hand, Su Yuan at the lower left was the opposite. It was not that she knew the test questions in advance. Instead, she learned them through what Emperor Fengwu had done in the previous two months, and she thought she would have nothing to do while waiting for the test at home.
She thought of some solutions in her spare time and took it as a bet.
Unexpectedly, this time I was so lucky, a blind cat hit a dead mouse, and I guessed it right!
Thinking of this, Su Yuan's mouth curled up slightly, and he ground the ink skillfully.
Then he dipped the jade wolf-hair brush into the inkstone, and with a flick of his sleeve, he wrote:
"It is necessary to open warehouses and release grain during droughts. If we take the drought in the south as an example, I think it is a good strategy."
"The disadvantages are: first, the defense of the border towns is too weak and needs to be strengthened; second, the food is unevenly distributed. We can build grain reserve warehouses in various places to prevent it from happening."
"The good points are: secondly, the relief porridge was released outside the city gate to maintain order in most of the city. Secondly, the natural disaster caused chaos, and Your Majesty took timely measures to remedy the situation, sent ministers to appease the people on behalf of the emperor, and distributed grain to benefit the people. This is a great kindness."
Su Yuan told the truth in one breath, mixed with praise and criticism, then he gathered up his sleeves, put down his brush, and sat quietly on the mat waiting to finish writing.
I don't know how long it took, but the official who was collecting the papers stopped in front of each seat for a moment, like counting beans.
In a short while.
He collected the essays from all the students in the hall, and then respectfully handed them to Emperor Fengwu who was sitting at the top of the table for his review.
Su Yuan and the others were called back to the starting point.
——Outside the Baohe Hall, waiting for the emperor's appointment.
It was almost noon and the sun was scorching.
It is August now, and because of the palace examination today, all the students are dressed unusually neatly, unlike the usual cool outfits.
Therefore, under the scorching sun, the scholars, who were already weak to begin with, became even weaker and looked shaky.
Of course, Su Yuan and her good friend Lu Yanxin, who is a big and strong man and practices martial arts every day, are exceptions.
In addition to their skin being stung by sweat, the two men stood even straighter than the two birds on the eaves of the palace.
After an unknown amount of time, a woman in official uniform walked out of the Golden Palace, holding a scroll with the Empress's personal approval, and called out the names of the tribute students below:
"kneel--"
The official in the Golden Hall who was calling out the names shouted loudly, and Su Yuan and many students who were waiting outside knelt down in a rush.
The student, who had been afraid of losing his manners in front of the palace and whose body was swaying from side to side like a noodle, also took the opportunity to crawl on the ground and gasp for breath, and listened in a trance as the official who was calling out the names of the students continued:
"Your Majesty has appointed you."
"Su Yuan, the first place winner of the first class, was awarded the title of sixth-rank Hanlin Academy editor."
"The second runner-up in the first class, Yuan Shifan, is granted the rank of editor of the Hanlin Academy, seventh grade."
"Lu Yanxin, the third place winner of the first class, is granted the rank of editor of the Hanlin Academy."
"Second place winners: Liu Manxi, Lin Sanyue..., were awarded the title of Jinshi, and third place winners..., several others were awarded the title of Tong Jinshi."
After the ceremony, a green-clad palace attendant holding a whisk came forward with a smile on his face.
The corners of his lips curved slightly, his eyes looked at the women who had stood up on the ground, and he smiled faintly:
"You gentlemen may leave the palace now and come to attend the Qionglin Banquet hosted by His Majesty tomorrow."
After saying that, he shifted his gaze to Su Yuan, Lu Yanxin and Yuan Shifan, his body slightly lower than before.
He slightly turned sideways, made a gesture of invitation, and said with a smile:
"As for the three of you, please follow me to Xiqian Palace. After you have your imperial meal in the palace and wash and change your clothes, you will ride horses and parade in the streets in the afternoon."
Su Yuan and the others nodded, then followed the green-clothed palace servants and headed towards Xiqian Palace, which had always served the top three in the imperial court.
Wei time.
At the palace gate.
Su Yuan was wearing a bright red robe with a silver belt around her waist and a big red feather on her black gauze hat. She looked both beautiful and majestic, and there was an indescribable aura in her every move.
opposite.
Lu Yanxin was also wearing a red robe. She glanced up and down at Su Yuan and said softly:
"Tsk tsk, how come the same red dress makes you look elegant and beautiful, but on me it makes me look like an opera singer."
Su Yuan shook his head and smiled faintly, but did not comment. He raised his chin slightly and pointed at the tall horse waiting in front, and reminded as he walked over:
"Let's go, it's time to parade."
Lu Yanxin said "Oh", walked to the front of the horse with a happy look on his face, stepped on the saddle and got on the third horse.
When the top three candidates selected by His Majesty mounted their horses, there were a total of 108 officers and soldiers accompanying them.
Some were leading the horses and serving, while others were protecting the safety of the new number one scholar on both sides as the group marched towards Lin'an Street in a mighty manner.
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