Chapter 29
Chapter 29
As February approached, the weather gradually became warmer and the atmosphere in the county school also changed.
Probably because of yesterday's sacrifice to the Confucian Temple, everyone was talking about the upcoming county examination.
Even the four-book classes in the morning were temporarily cancelled and all replaced by self-study.
Ji Yuan only found out about the cancellation when he arrived in the morning. It seemed that the county school also gave a last-minute notice.
Some people also said, "Since the teachers are not here, why not give us a holiday?"
"I don't know. Anyway, we are not allowed to go to school outside the county, so we have to study on our own."
After these complaints, everyone's topic returned to the county examination on the sixth day of February.
All scholars want to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.
But to take the examination for the title of scholar, one has to go through three major examinations.
County examination, prefectural examination, and college examination.
Only after completing all the exams can one be called a scholar.
In modern times, there are the first test, the second test, and the final test.
Now the students in Class B are busy with the first stage.
If you can’t pass the first level, forget about the rest.
"Liu Rong, I heard that your grandfather was invited to be the examiner for this county exam? Is that true?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all fifty or so people in Hall C looked over.
The man called Liu Rong is thirteen years old and a new student. He looks calm but actually a little arrogant. He tries hard to appear less arrogant: "Yes, he didn't want to come, but he had to obey the order of the county magistrate."
When the local government is busy, they can invite local scholars and juren to come and help.
In the words here, it means to preside over the Qing ceremony.
This is not only a very respectable job, but after it is completed, you will be invited as a guest and receive some extra salary.
For Mr. Liu, being invited to be the examiner of the county examination, he naturally did not care about the money from rice and grain. What was more important was his reputation.
Even the family can benefit.
"Your grandfather was a scholar named Liu, and he was an official when he was young. There aren't many of them in Zhengrong County, so it's natural to invite him."
"It must be appropriate for a juren to be the examiner."
Among the twenty new students, Jiyuan was the most famous because of his age and Zhushi, and was called a child prodigy.
Liu Rong was the second famous one, not only because he had a grandfather who was a juren, but also because his family had some roots in the local area and was a well-known wealthy family.
Liu Rong himself was gifted since childhood. Everyone knew that he was smart and was the youngest in the entire Liu family who had the greatest hope of passing the imperial examination.
Ji Yuan also took a few more glances and realized that the rich young men like Wang Xingzhi who usually caused trouble were just Liu Rong's followers.
Liu Rong happened to look over and Ji Yuan smiled at him.
Liu Rong didn't seem to have thought of it and forced a smile. He subconsciously wanted to read a book, but then he remembered that no one around him was reading, so he decided to go home and read it.
What's going on with Ji Yuan? Won't he be affected?
After listening to everyone's gossip, Ji Yuan said something to Li Ting, then packed up and left.
Since it’s self-study anyway, I might as well continue copying books.
The Book of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals together have 280,000 words, so we really need to race against time.
Ji Yuan's appearance in Zunjing Pavilion in the morning surprised the old master, but he didn't say anything and still followed the old rules, registering first and then copying the books.
Ji Yuan spent the whole day in the Zunjing Pavilion, and the progress of copying books finally accelerated.
The old man hesitated to speak, and walked closer to take a look.
It's ugly indeed.
The old man asked, "How many more books do you want to copy?"
Ji Yuan answered honestly: "In the Five Classics, there are also the Book of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals. If you include the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism, there are still ten books."
The Thirteen Confucian Classics are also compulsory subjects in the imperial examinations.
The old man hesitated to speak.
There are so many words. If I really copy all these books, my bad writing habits will probably become ingrained in my bones.
Ji Yuan saw that the old man stopped talking and continued copying.
The version of "Book of Rites" in his hand now has a total of forty-nine chapters, and he copied the eighth chapter "The Prince of King Wen".
The main content of this article is to record the education issues of the crown prince, the education system, etc.
But just as Prince Wen finished writing his essay, he heard the old master say, "You are wrong."
Wrong?
Ji Yuan confirmed again and again that the word "文" was written correctly.
The traditional and simplified versions of this character are the same, and it’s so simple.
The old man took the pen from Ji Yuan's hand, and wrote casually on the paper. A beautiful and elegant "文" came out casually.
The characters were so vivid that Ji Yuan was extremely shocked.
It is no exaggeration to say that this was the most beautiful handwriting he had ever seen.
Before Ji Yuan could collect his expression, he heard the old man continue, "Write."
Write?
How can he write this!
He can't write at all!
It would be fine if there was no comparison, but in comparison, his handwriting is really ugly!
It was a rare moment when Ji Yuan felt so ashamed that he began to write according to the old master's "text".
Before the dot on "文" was even placed, the old man said directly: "Wrong."
"Point sideways, like a bird turning over and sideways, and start writing with the tip of the brush facing upward to the right."
"Wrong."
"Use your wrists."
“When finishing the stroke, turn the tip of the brush upward to the left.”
"Write more."
The county school bell rang for the end of the term, and Ji Yuan came out of the Sutra Library, sweating profusely.
Looking at the side dots that filled the entire page, and then looking at the "text" written by the old man, I couldn't help but sigh to the sky.
It's too difficult.
There is so much knowledge in just one point.
What was that that he had written before?
When he met Li Ting, Li Ting asked as usual how many books he had copied today, and Ji Yuan shook his head.
However, even though he didn't copy a single word, he felt like he had found a treasure.
Ji Yuan had a vague feeling that his broken handwriting seemed to be saved.
Li Ting was a little dazed today. After asking, he didn't wait for Ji Yuan to answer and told him about his own affairs: "My father hasn't replied yet, and I don't know what's going on with the book."
Li Ting’s father is, of course, Mr. Li, a large breeder in Baoli Village.
When Ji Yuan was selling silage, he met the other party.
Half of the Li family's business belongs to Mr. Li, and the other half belongs to his step-wife.
Therefore, although Li Ting is the eldest son in the family, he still has to struggle with how to use money and things.
Ji Yuan knew the reason and asked, "The Five Classics that were promised have not been delivered yet?"
"Well, originally I was supposed to bring the money over so I could buy it myself." Li Ting said, "But the books in the county are more expensive, and the books in the prefecture are cheaper. My father told me to wait, because he was going to the prefecture to do business, and he could just bring a set back when he came back."
After all, the capital city is a big place with many bookstores and even several specialized printing workshops.
With well-developed transportation, supplies must be abundant, and with the advantage of local printing, books are naturally much cheaper.
It may not be cost-effective to make a special trip to the capital to buy one, but it would be great if you could take a set with you.
This shows that the county magistrate went to the provincial capital and bought the Four Books.
At first, Li Ting was able to remain calm, but as the county exam was about to begin, the official start of their school was approaching.
He will be panicked when there are no textbooks.
Li Ting wrote two letters back, but received no response. Ji Yuan had already copied several books, so he was naturally a little worried.
Ji Yuan comforted him: "Since your father has agreed, he should not lie to you. Maybe something has delayed him?"
Li Ting sighed: "I will write another letter to ask and ask someone in the village to take it back. I will receive news tomorrow."
See what his father really means, if there are any difficulties, he can know it earlier.
Every family has its own difficulties. Ji Yuan patted him on the shoulder and said, "At worst, you can copy the book too. I'll copy with you."
"Just think of it as preview."
Li Ting smiled, not talking as much as before.
Ji Yuan actually understood that this was not about the book. What was more important was that his father had made a promise but had not fulfilled it for his child.
Li Ting was only fifteen or sixteen years old, so he naturally had expectations of his father.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan naturally thought of Anji Village. The people he could think of were naturally Master Zhao, An Dahai, and Xiao Huang.
I haven't seen them for half a month.
I don’t know if it was because of something I had never thought about, but on the second day of the new era, I saw Master Zhao and An Dahai at the gate of the county school.
Just after school in the morning, the doorman came over and said someone was looking for him, but he didn't believe it.
I didn’t expect it to be true!
Master Zhao rarely put on the blue robe that scholars wore. This was the official uniform of scholars. During the last sacrifice ceremony at the Confucian Temple, Ji Yuan saw that all the scholars in the first-class hall had worn it.
"Master Zhao! Dahai!" Ji Yuan took a few steps forward. He really didn't expect this. "Why are you here?"
An Dahai said quickly, "Master Zhao has been invited to be the invigilator of this county exam. He will move into the examination room today. I am here to see him off."
So that's how it is.
Mr. Zhao, like Mr. Liu, was also invited to help.
Master Zhao shook his head helplessly: "It is also because none of my students participated in this county exam, so his status is suitable."
"That's because you are knowledgeable, so the county invited you." Ji Yuan praised immediately.
Master Zhao smiled, looked at Ji Yuan, and then felt relieved.
It was lunch time, so Ji Yuan simply took Master Zhao and Dahai to eat the most famous Fu Zeng Tangyuan, and bought some chicken legs nearby.
Ji Yuan told Master Zhao everything that had happened recently. Master Zhao felt more relieved when he heard that there was a master teaching Ji Yuan calligraphy.
"Okay, okay. I'm just worried about your handwriting."
"Last year the time was too short. If I wanted you to be admitted to the county school, I could only do it quickly." Master Zhao said, feeling relieved.
As they were talking, the owner of Ma's Tangyuan brought over a few more snacks, and the look he gave Ji Yuan was self-evident.
Ji Yuan couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it.
After a while, another Ma's Tangyuan restaurant next door brought a lot of food.
Dahai didn't feel anything and just thought that he was benefiting from the students of the county school.
Master Zhao understood it. Although he was in Anji Village, he also knew the poem about rice dumplings.
Seeing his student like this, Master Zhao was particularly happy.
But he didn't stay for too long, and said, "I'm going to the examination room soon. Today is the second day of the second month, and the examination will start in four days. We, the teachers in charge of the examination room, must go there in advance to prepare."
Master Zhao said to Ji Yuan, "When the county exam is over, you will officially start school. You must study hard."
Ji Yuan naturally agreed, bowed deeply to Master Zhao, and packed up all the things, insisting that Master Zhao take them away.
Master Zhao declined: "You have worked hard studying, take it back."
As he said this, Master Zhao even paid the money himself and would never let his students pay the bill.
Just then, a government carriage arrived and Master Zhao got in and left, leaving An Dahai and Ji Yuan alone.
Ji Yuan was amused and gave all the food to his friend: "Take it back and eat it with Madam An. I can buy it in the county town."
"But please bring some food to Master Zhao and the others for me."
Ji Yuan is stingy with himself, but he can't forget the kindness of Master Zhao and his master's wife. The master won't accept it, but he has to give it to him.
Dahai hesitated for a while, but finally couldn't resist the temptation: "No problem, I will definitely help you deliver it. When the green dates in the village are ripe in a while, I will bring you a basket."
Although the two haven't seen each other for half a month, their relationship remains the same.
Dahai also talked about the village gossip, which was related to Jiyuan's third uncle and aunt.
Ever since Ji Yuan came to the county school, the two of them have been complaining about being tired in the village. One day they say they are tired of raising cattle, the next they say they are tired of collecting firewood.
The villagers secretly laughed at him and said behind his back that Ji Yuan had always done it before, so you guys must not be tired.
That would have been fine, but what made them even more upset was Ji Li’s matter.
The two of them had gone to great lengths to send Ji Li to the county school to be an apprentice accountant, but they kept talking about it over and over again.
But years ago, Ji Li had been doing odd jobs in the silk shop, and Ji Yuan had seen him selling things.
Ji Li also asked, but they just told him to do his job well, as they were too busy before the New Year to teach him.
As the years passed, Ji Li continued to work and was still doing odd jobs. He said that if he wanted to learn the skills of an accountant, he would have to do odd jobs for a year or two. How could he learn accounting right away?
Ji Yuan, listen, this is probably what company recruitment is like. They said you were going to do finance, but actually they asked you to do sales?
Ji Li was unhappy for a moment and went home directly.
But his family had already spent so much money, and he finally had the chance to work, so his third uncle and aunt went back with gifts to beg for help.
Anyway, after all the trouble, a lot of money was spent.
"You should be careful. His family is in trouble now. They might set their sights on you. Many people say that you are making a lot of money studying in the county school. They will definitely be jealous."
Ji Yuan almost laughed out loud: "Why would I get any money? It's already good enough to have food and lodging provided."
"Who says it's not true?" An Dahai said, "Anyway, it's definitely better to be careful."
Ji Yuan thanked him. An Dahai was about to go back as well. He came here just to send the Master here.
Now that Ji Yuan is not in the private school, he and Xiao He are considered the teacher's right-hand men.
He came again to wait for the county examination to be completely over. When the teacher returned home, it would probably be around February 13th.
The formal exam will be held on February 6th and will last for three days.
But after the exam on February 9th, only the candidates can leave the examination room.
The other teachers would have to stay in the examination room for another three days to correct all the papers, and even the invigilators would have to stay in the examination room to do other chores until the results of the county examination were announced.
Counting it down, it’s February 13th.
Seeing that Ji Yuan went to Zunjing Pavilion again during the afternoon class, everyone was so angry that they stamped their feet.
How come he doesn’t go out to play even when his friends come to visit him?
But by now, they also know that the bet is basically over.
He is not a human being in Ji Yuan!
Learn every day!
Aren’t you tired?
Are you tired?
Ji Yuan, are you feeling okay lately?
Starting from yesterday afternoon, he switched from copying books to actually practicing calligraphy.
This morning, I finally mastered the art of writing the side dot on the character “文” (wen).
According to the old master, "It is comparable to a young child."
The dot on the character “文” is fine, but the long horizontal line below is full of problems.
Calligraphy requires not only practice, but also dexterity, experience, and talent.
Ji Yuan has enough talent and strength, but he lacks experience and skills.
Although the old man didn't say much, every word he said was to the point.
When Ji Yuan came back this time, he brought an extra portion of Fu Zeng Tangyuan and bought some of the county’s famous chicken legs.
He didn't know what the old man liked, so he only brought these.
Ji Yuan was also smart. He took the food but did not go into the Sutra Library. He just said, "Master, I left the county school at noon and just happened to bring you some food."
In fact, the old man smelled the fragrance of food and wanted to scold Ji Yuan for bringing food in, but he didn't expect that Ji Yuan was so sensible.
The old man wanted to say he didn't want to eat it, but he said, "Is it Fu Zeng's glutinous rice balls?"
"Yes, it's Fu Zeng Tangyuan." Ji Yuan said quickly.
Lao Fuzi had gone to buy it several times, but unfortunately there were always too many people there each time, so he had only eaten it five or six times and was never satisfied.
If Ji Yuan heard this, he would definitely be surprised.
It’s only been half a month since Fu Zeng Tang Yuan came out. I’ve eaten it five or six times in that half a month, and I still don’t feel satisfied?!
The old master then came out and sat down on the stone table outside the Sutra Library.
Ji Yuan naturally served the teacher and advised him, "Tangyuan is made of glutinous rice, which is not easy to digest. How about I cook you some hawthorn soup to help you digest it?"
The old man looked at him and nodded.
Ji Yuan was obediently cooking hawthorn soup in the small room at the corner door outside the Sutra Repository. The old man usually made tea here.
Wash and core the hawthorns, boil them first to remove the bitterness, then simmer over low heat to bring out the sourness and sweetness of the hawthorns, and add the tangerine peel bought from Jiyuan to add flavor.
When it's almost done, add a little honey at the end.
By the time a pot of hawthorn tea was brought over, the old man had finished his glutinous rice balls and chicken legs.
The old man saw that Ji Yuan had taken a clean wet wipe, and couldn't help but look at him again: "You are a very well-behaved child."
"You are the teacher of students, so students will naturally do their best."
Although he had limited knowledge in ancient times, he had seen many famous calligraphy and paintings in modern times.
In his opinion, if the calligraphy of the master in front of him could be passed down, he would definitely be called a great calligrapher.
For a teacher like this to teach him the art of calligraphy, tasks like buying food and making tea were not worth mentioning at all.
Besides, it is a student's duty to serve others when there is something to do.
The old man took a sip of hawthorn tea and tasted it again in surprise.
It is really sweet and sour.
"Okay, don't copy the Book of Rites today." The old man said, motioning Ji Yuan to bring the pot of tea over. "The Book of Rites has 100,000 words, and the Spring and Autumn Annals has 180,000 words."
"After copying these 280,000 words, your handwriting will be completely ruined. Bad habits can be ingrained in your bones."
"Write the word Yong today."
forever?
The Eight Methods of Yong? !
Anyone who has come into contact with calligraphy knows this saying.
As the calligrapher Wang Xizhi said, "I have studied calligraphy for many years, and for fifteen years I have focused on the character Yong. With its mastery of the eight principles, I can master all characters."
This may be a bit exaggerated, but it also shows that if you can write the character "永" well, you can master most of the brush strokes and a certain structure.
This is the best way to get started.
What the old man meant, of course, was to teach seriously.
Ji Yuan took a deep breath and immediately followed to express his gratitude.
Seeing that the student was serious, the old teacher nodded slightly, and said, "This matter cannot be spread to outsiders. If outsiders know about it, you don't need to come to study."
The old teacher muttered again, and Ji Yuan only heard what the teacher said. It seemed that he was afraid that the teacher would ask him to teach more students?
Ji Yuan laughed. It seemed that his guess was correct. The old man worked in the Sutra Library just to avoid being idle. He was also lucky.
His handwriting really made the old man unhappy.
I was also afraid that he would copy books of hundreds of thousands of words and develop bad habits that would be difficult to change.
Ji Yuan thanked him again, sat up straight, and started writing.
After Ji Yuan mastered how to write the character "永", the old master stopped talking and continued reading, asking Ji Yuan to write 100 characters of "永" every day, and to write in large characters.
Wait until I finish writing the 100 characters of "永" (forever), and then I will finish today's homework, and then I can copy the book.
Although it was just an extra task, Ji Yuan was happy in his heart. After returning, he taught this method to his good friend Li Ting.
Unfortunately, Li Ting still doesn’t have the time to learn these.
He asked someone from the same village to send back a letter yesterday. When his fellow villager came back today, he still brought back letters, not even a verbal message.
Ji Yuan listened and felt that every family had its own difficulties.
He had to be on guard against his uncle and aunt, as Li Ting's family was also experiencing problems.
During the past half month in the county school, T has been studying only, which is surprisingly the most leisurely time.
It was not until the sixth day of February that this year's county examination officially began.
The county school was also completely closed for the holiday.
They will return to school after the county examination results are announced.
On the day of the holiday, most of the students in the county school left.
The scholars in the first-class hall usually live in seclusion.
All the students in Class B went to take the exam.
Those who were supposed to go home went home, a few stayed in the county school, and even Li Ting went home, and it seemed that he was still worried about the Five Classics.
After all, when the holiday comes, teaching in the county school will return to normal, and the Mingjing doctors' classes will also start in the afternoon.
There were only two people left in Ji Yuan's dormitory, him and the dormitory head Chang Qing, and neither of them talked much.
But Ji Yuan still got up early to study, which made Chang Qing take a closer look and couldn't help but learn from him.
Chang Qing also asked: "Aren't you going home?"
Ji Yuan thought about his home and shook his head, "I won't go back."
If Master Zhao was at home, he might go back to Anji Village to take a look, but since Master Zhao was not there and he had already seen Dahai, there was no need.
The only person I miss is Xiao Huang, but when I think about what’s happening at my uncle and aunt’s house, I’d better forget it and not cause trouble for myself.
Ji Yuan still goes out early and comes back late. Zunjing Pavilion is almost his second home. He spends three days on holiday.
Even when eating, he did the same as the old master, in the small tea room in Zunjing Pavilion.
The old teacher had never seen a student as patient as him, and couldn't help but say, "The county exam is over today, and all the scholars in the county are going to watch them leave the exam room. Aren't you going?"
After hearing this, Ji Yuan looked up and said in a daze, "Have you finished the county exam?"
A few days before the exam, Ji Yuan could still feel the different atmosphere around him.
During the exam, everything around me became quiet.
The three-day county examination ended just like that.
The old man said with a smile: "You go and have a look. It's not easy for the students to come out of the examination room. Go and have a look."
This can also increase experience.
Ji Yuan didn't comment, but since the old man said so, he might as well go and take a look.
He had basically copied the "Book of Rites", except for the last part, the Spring and Autumn Annals.
The Five Classics are profound, and copying them is part of learning.
Not to mention that he has mastered the secret of writing. Now his handwriting is getting better and better, and he even feels that he is writing faster and faster.
It can be seen how important it is to master the method of practicing calligraphy.
After packing up his things, Ji Yuan walked out of the county school.
The examination hall for the county exam was not far away, and it used to be an old government office.
After it fell into disuse, the current county magistrate cleaned it up and used it as an examination hall.
Before Ji Yuan got close, he heard the sound of gongs and drums outside.
The drumbeats were inspiring, obviously to welcome the students coming out of the exams.
But unlike the inspiring music, most of the students who walked out had unsteady steps. Those in better health could still walk on their own, while those in poor health even needed help from others.
I took five exams in three days.
It took all their energy.
Many people's eyes were dizzy.
Ji Yuan couldn't help but think of the time he took the county entrance exam last year. He felt exhausted after only one day of the exam. Now it was difficult just thinking about taking it for three consecutive days.
Come to think of it, he also needs to train himself well, otherwise he won't be able to finish the test paper.
The onlookers couldn't help but discuss: "Studying is so hard."
"The exam lasts for three consecutive days. You have to eat, drink, defecate and urinate in it."
"Ten years of hard study, just three days to wait, how can I not be nervous?"
The vendors who were setting up stalls nearby were shouting their wares. There were even more stalls than on the day of the Ji Yuan Exam.
But what everyone sells is basically not school supplies.
They are either sachets for praying for blessings, or talismans for academic progress, which are dazzling to look at.
When the test results come out, what’s wrong with praying to God more?
Ji Yuan watched with great interest. After the forty-six examinees came out, the examination yard was sealed off again.
This blockade is for the purpose of grading and ranking.
When the gate opens again, the fate of these forty-six students will be decided.
The common people were watching the fun, and the students, who were also students, felt a sense of empathy.
"Will it be like this when we take the exam?"
"It's terrible. These are the students from our county school who have excellent grades in the second grade hall. They all look embarrassed. What about us?"
As soon as you hear it, you know that this must be the students in the third grade hall whispering to each other.
Ji Yuan looked over there and saw that it was his classmate.
However, he did not go to say hello. The only people who could be so leisurely in the county town, besides those who went home, were the kids from rich families.
Ji Yuan just looked away and saw another familiar face.
Ji Li, who was carrying the goods, was wearing shorts. He was fourteen years old, not very tall, and looked much rougher than when he was in school.
Reading and working are definitely two different states.
The two men looked at each other, and Ji Li, who was already indignant, became even more angry.
He was wearing work clothes, but Ji Yuan was wearing the county school gown, which made him very jealous.
The winter clothes distributed by the county school are divided into different grades in school and are not even looked down upon by children from wealthy families.
But when they wear it outside, they look different, because everyone knows that these are students of the county school and future scholars.
When others occasionally meet Ji Yuan, they will apologize to him politely.
As for Gillie?
To say nothing about him would be an understatement.
A good dog doesn't block the road, don't you know?
Ji Yuan also looked away, pretending not to see it.
It’s not that he looks down on his relatives who work, it’s just that this is Ji Li.
Ji Yuan didn't stay long and went to buy Fu Zeng dumplings and some hawthorn paste.
The old man really likes to eat these dumplings, but glutinous rice is not easy to digest, so he needs to eat some hawthorn cake or something like that.
Ji Li watched as Ji Yuan bought a lot of food, even some Fu Zeng dumplings.
There is always a queue at that Tangyuan shop, but once Ji Yuan went there, there was no need to queue anymore.
This is naturally because Ji Yuan wrote the recipe.
However, Ji Yuan and the two Ma family Tangyuan tacitly agreed not to mention this matter.
From the perspective of outsiders, people would think that this was preferential treatment for students from the county school.
Ji Li's eyes were blazing with anger.
Why, why can Ji Yuan go to the county school while he has to do odd jobs.
It was obvious that Jiyuan was his servant at home. Not only did he do the laundry and cooking every day, but he also let him beat and scold him.
How did a cowherd boy become like this today?
Just as he was thinking about it, Wang Xingzhi and others who were passing by bumped into Ji Li and subconsciously said, "Why don't you look at the road?!"
Ji Li apologized subconsciously, but when he saw that they were people of the same age again and they were dressed very well, he became even angrier.
Listening to those people leaving cursing, the content of their conversation seemed to be related to the county school.
This is also a student of the county school.
If he could go to the county school, he would be the same as them.
A person next to Wang Xingjie looked at Ji Li. This person was Liu Rong, the grandson of Mr. Liu.
Liu Rong always felt that Ji Li seemed to be looking towards the county school?
Liu Rong also looked over and saw Ji Yuan’s back.
Why watch Epoch Times?
Do they know each other?
Liu Rong didn't think too much and decided to go home and study.
Even though he doesn't study hard at the county school, he studies harder than anyone else when he gets home.
He is not like those idiots like Wang Zhixing and Wang Xingzhi, who really don't study.
The county school examination is over, and the test questions from the past three days have naturally leaked out.
Many students who stayed in the county school copied down the questions and tried to do them.
President Chang Qing brought the questions and Ji Yuan copied them as well.
The county examination lasted three days and consisted of five examinations.
The first scene is called Zhengsheng, the second scene is called Fuqi, and the third scene is called Fuqi again.
The fourth and fifth are both consecutive.
The content of the exam is mainly the Four Books.
"The Great Learning", "The Analects of Confucius", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" are still the main four books, and the topics of the Four Books are written.
Next comes the test poems, "The Book of Filial Piety", and finally "The Examination of Classics".
Needless to say, the questions on the meaning of the Four Books are the same as before. A sentence is picked out from more than 50,000 words and students are asked to write down the meaning, which is basically around 700 words.
There were two questions on the meaning of the Four Books in this county examination. Although it might not seem like a lot, one had to weigh every word and sentence carefully.
Examination poems are also called fu deti.
It is a type of poetry specifically for the imperial examination.
To put it simply, it is poetry that praises the emperor or commends current events.
This exam does not score much in the county exam and is not very important.
As long as the writing is appropriate and the language is solemn, of course the emperor's name should be avoided.
However, Tianqi State does not have too strict requirements on this. As long as the students are not blatantly swearing, they will basically not be held accountable.
In the county examination, you only need to use neat five-character and six-rhyme couplets.
The Book of Filial Piety is also one of the Thirteen Confucian classics. Listing it separately naturally shows its importance.
The following section, “Examination of Classics”, draws questions from the Five Classics, and candidates can choose two to answer.
Of the three days of the exam, the first day is the most difficult, as the paper must be submitted that night.
If you do not hand in your paper, you will be sent out of the examination room.
The second day was equally difficult and we also had to hand in the paper that night. Any failure to do so would be subject to the same punishment.
The third day was better, but the psychological pressure was enormous. The papers were basically collected in the afternoon of the third day, and the exam was over.
In some places, the county examination will extend the three-day examination period.
Take one day’s exam, take two days’ break, and then continue taking the exam.
However, the examination in Zhengrong County was quite strict, lasting for three days, which seemed to be imitating the provincial examination.
Ji Yuan spent three days answering the questions according to the schedule of the county examination.
Only when I finished writing did I understand why the students who scored second place in the county exam all looked so depressed.
Disaster.
It's really difficult.
He had never even seen some of the questions.
Not to mention answering questions in a high-pressure environment, those who can survive it are all top-notch talents.
Ji Yuan put down the test paper and breathed a sigh of relief.
I have finished writing, but I don’t know who to show it to.
Ji Yuan wanted to see Master Zhao, then looked at the time.
In one day, Master Zhao and other examiners would come out, and perhaps he could ask the Master for help.
But there is no need to rush. It must be hard for the teacher to be the invigilator.
The students took the exam for three days, but the examiners stayed in the examination room for seven or eight days.
It must be hard for Master Zhao to come out.
Ji Yuan thought about it, put the test paper down again, and decided to talk about it later.
Time soon arrived and it was February 13th.
Early in the morning of that day, the county school was bustling with people.
The students in Class B, who had been the quietest before, became the most lively. All of them had anxious expressions on their faces. Even the calmest students on weekdays became restless at this moment.
"How's it going? Are the results out?"
“Not out yet.”
"Let's go outside the government office and wait for the notice to be posted."
"Let's go and take a look."
Although Ji Yuan also wanted to watch the fun, he still went to the Sutra Library and practiced a hundred big characters seriously before going out.
It's already noon, and it looks like the results are not out yet.
There were twenty-eight third-grade students in the county school and the students from the villages below, a total of forty-six people, plus their family members and servants, all gathered near the yamen.
The detectives from the yamen seemed to know that they were anxious, so they just tried to keep them from blocking the road and maintain order.
There was a sound of gongs being struck, and the people behind said, "Make way! Make way! The results are out!"
The results are out!
Ji Yuan also stood up.
Well, he couldn't see it even when he stood up.
How could a nine-year-old child not see what’s in front of him?
I saw several teachers coming with the list.
There were constables protecting them, preventing the excited students from getting close.
Out of forty-six people, only ten could pass the county examination.
Just look at the top ten!
"Sun Zihang, help me find Sun Zihang's name."
"Zhao Wen, is there Zhao Wen?"
"Guo Chang! You're here! Ninth place! You passed the county exam!"
"Wu Zhiwang! Second!!"
A student who failed the county examination was completely different from one who passed it.
"The first in the county case is Li Xun!"
On the one hand, they were in excruciating pain, on the other hand, they were so excited that they were just about to dance to celebrate.
Li Xun, who was known as the top scorer in the county exam, forced himself to calm down, accepted the congratulations from his classmates, and said modestly: "This is just the county exam, there is still the prefectural exam waiting."
"You are the top candidate in the county, so the provincial exam is a sure thing for you."
"Yes, once you pass the provincial examination, you will be a scholar immediately."
Li Xun took a deep breath, his eyes lit up surprisingly, and he quickly bowed to his old father and mother.
Their family background is average, but now they have finally graduated and lived up to their family's expectations.
The scene before them made everyone sigh with emotion.
Master Guo, who was pushed aside, saw Ji Yuan and said, "You are here too? Didn't you copy the book today?"
Ji Yuan looked at Master Zhao’s good friend Master Guo. Didn’t he go to take care of the county examination early in the morning? How did he know that he was copying books?
Ji Yuan still answered: "I only need to read Spring and Autumn Annals, it will be soon."
Master Guo was astonished. The Five Classics together contained about 300,000 to 400,000 words, and he had copied two-thirds of them. Only the last one was missing, which he needed to learn slowly.
"That's right. You will start formal classes tomorrow. Study hard."
After Master Guo finished speaking, Ji Yuan asked where Master Zhao was before leaving.
After Ji Yuan left, the doctor Ming Jing next to him couldn't help but ask, "Didn't we agree to pretend we didn't know what the students in the C-class Hall were doing?"
"That's Ji Yuan. He's the only one in the C-Class Hall who really works hard."
"Too."
"After so many days of herding sheep, everyone is having fun."
As they spoke, the two teachers looked into the crowd again and counted how many students from the third grade hall had come to watch the fun.
They have been busy recently, but they know the situation in the C-Deng Hall very well.
Now that I have finished my work, it is time to shift my attention to the Class C Hall.
When Ji Yuan met Master Zhao, he was resting in the inn arranged by the government.
Ji Yuan did not disturb him. He took out the book he brought with him and read for a while. When dusk fell and Master Zhao woke up, he quickly put the book away.
Although Master Zhao and Ji Yuan met a few days ago, they didn't talk much because of various things.
At this moment, the master and the disciple talked about their recent situation.
Master Zhao was even more satisfied when he knew that Ji Yuan was not delayed in his studies because of the things around him.
Master Zhao is also doing very well recently.
In Anji Village, because there was a man named Jiyuan who was admitted to the county school, many students from the village went to study there, and the conditions naturally improved.
In addition, I was asked to be an invigilator this time and I will also receive a salary, so I don’t have to worry about the situation at home.
After chatting for a while, An Dahai, the boss of Anji Village, came over to pick up Master Zhao.
Ji Yuan had no choice but to say goodbye to them.
An Dahai brought some green dates from the season and gave them all to Ji Yuan.
But it was already evening and they had to hurry back.
Ji Yuan watched the carriage go away, straightened his clothes, and walked towards the county school.
There was still a lot of jubilation in the county school. Everyone was happy about the end of the county examination and were also discussing how to practice for the ten students who had passed the exam.
The provincial examination will be held in April, and they will set off in the next few days.
As for those who failed the exam, they seem to be nowhere to be seen in the county school.
One exam divides everyone into two parts.
Some people rise to high positions, while others continue to study hard.
Not everyone can endure this kind of suffering.
However, Ji Yuan also went to congratulate him. Although they were classmates for only a short time, they also graduated from the same county school.
Unexpectedly, Li Xun, the head of the county case, looked at Ji Yuan and said with a smile: "I know you."
"Maybe you are the one with the most potential among the new batch of students."
Being praised like this by the county's top judge, Ji Yuan felt very embarrassed and quickly waved his hands.
Fortunately, Li Xun was quickly pulled over by others to celebrate, so Ji Yuan was not so embarrassed.
But before Li Xun left, he said, "Hurry up and get into the second-class hall, so that you can be qualified to take the county school exam."
A, B and C, three schools.
Clearly layered.
If students from the third grade hall want to take the Tongshi examination, they must be promoted to the second grade hall.
Ji Yuan thanked him and walked towards the dormitory.
Read books.
No matter how busy others are, they have to study.
Most of the students went to join in the fun. Ji Yuan thought that there was no one in the dormitory, but unexpectedly he heard some crying coming from inside.
And the voice sounded familiar.
Ji Yuan hesitated, thinking that if he went in, the people inside might feel embarrassed.
After hesitating for a moment, the person inside opened the door and bumped into Ji Yuan face to face.
Li Ting?
He came back from home.
Li Ting was holding a brand new copy of "Book of Rites" in his hand, and it looked like he was going to stay up late to study hard.
Li Ting was a little embarrassed when he saw Ji Yuan coming over, but he still said, "My father bought the book from the capital, but he forgot to send it to me."
Not really. Not to mention all the books, how could I forget them so easily?
The books were bought specially for me. If an ordinary person came back from the provincial capital, they would definitely be delivered to me first.
After all, I'm going to read it soon.
Ji Yuan nodded, unwilling to expose his friend's disguise.
But Li Ting slumped his shoulders and told the reason directly.
Everyone knows that there are five books in total in the Five Classics.
But the number of words in each book is different, so a book may have many volumes.
This set of books totals thirty-nine volumes. Even though books in the city are cheap, it would still cost nearly ten taels of silver to buy them.
This is a relatively cheap version, and the printing is not particularly good.
His father and stepmother went to the provincial capital to send off the Spring Ox. When they came back, his father went to the bookstore to buy books.
When his stepmother found out the price, she didn't say anything at first, but when she got home, she wanted to keep the book.
She said that her son also needed education and books, so she would buy them for Li Ting later.
As a result, Li Ting's request for the book was naturally delayed.
The actual situation was that his stepmother felt sorry for the money spent on buying books and was unwilling to give it.
Her son is seven years old this year and does need some enlightenment, but he cannot read the Five Classics, purely because she feels sorry for the money.
As for buying it for Li Ting later, who knows when he will go to the capital city again.
It would definitely cost twenty or thirty taels to buy this set in Zhengrong County. Not only would Li Ting's stepmother be unhappy, but his father would also be unwilling.
If Li Ting hadn't gone back, the book would probably have been confiscated.
It took six or seven days after I returned home to bring the book back.
Li Ting held one of the volumes in his hand, and had the urge to read the book thoroughly.
Ji Yuan looked at Li Ting, then at the B-grade courtyard next door, and at Li Xun, the top judge in the county today, who was grateful to his parents.
Study hard, only by studying hard can you change all this.
However, when Ji Yuan walked into the dormitory and saw a thick stack of books, he was still shocked: "The new books look good. This is so spectacular."
Ji Yuan copied more than a dozen books and put them all in the bookcase at the end of the bed. He copied one and put it in there. It didn't seem like a big deal.
Li Ting's new set of books looks spectacular.
Li Ting is also a person who gets over sadness quickly, he chuckled: "Yeah, I think it looks good too."
There are thirty or forty brand new books placed here, giving a strong sense of power.
When book lovers see this scene, their mouths water.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's put it away first. Most of our dormitories don't have books like this, and it's bound to attract attention."
Li Ting nodded, and while packing up the books, he laughed again.
His book, his new book.
As the two were packing, their roommates Chang Qing, Chen Zhiliang, and two other students came in.
Although this is a room for ten people, there are usually only six students living here. The remaining four are students from the county and do not live here on weekdays.
Chang Qing had sharp eyes. Although he did not see the whole set of books that were put away, he saw the "Book of Rites Volume 1" that Li Ting had just taken out.
"Is this a new book?" Chang Qing asked, "How much did you pay for it?"
The other roommates also gathered around curiously, with envy in everyone's eyes.
Those who can live in the dormitory must be from a poor family. They like to see new books more than new clothes.
Li Ting suddenly became nervous. Fortunately, he did as Ji Yuan said and put the whole set of books away, otherwise it would definitely be more eye-catching.
Ji Yuan was the same as usual. Although he was a little envious of Li Ting's new book, it was not much. He still read the books he had copied.
They are all words, they are all books, as long as the content is right.
What he was reading was not the Five Classics, but the various annotations copied from Master Zhao.
From the 16th day of the first lunar month when he entered school to now, the 13th day of the second lunar month, he has finally seen almost everything.
The collection of annotations on classics is indeed extraordinary.
After reading these collections of annotations, I looked at the Four Books I had written before and found them to be very shallow. There were only one or two interesting sentences in ten chapters, which was actually quite good.
Ji Yuan was just sighing when he heard the dormitory head Chang Qing say, "Go to bed early today. The holiday will end tomorrow and Dr. Ming Jing and the others will be back. They will definitely have something to talk about."
The county examination is over, and the teachers who used to give extra lessons to the second-grade students are all back!
Master of the Four Books and Doctor of the Five Classics.
And all the strict instructors from the county school have returned.
As a student who entered school earlier than Ji Yuan and Li Ting, Chang Qing reminded them, "In the days ahead, you can't be as lax as you were last month."
It was not until he saw Instructor Yan the next day that Ji Yuan understood what these words meant.
Instructor Yan didn't say much. He just handed out a page of paper with "Zhengrong County·County School Motto" written in big letters on it.
"Memorize it within three days. I will check it randomly then."
Recite the school motto?!
There are fifty-five people in Hall C.
Twenty of them are freshmen and thirty-five are seniors.
The freshmen looked pale, while the seniors just laughed, saying that they had already learned how to recite it!
If this was the first critical hit for the twenty freshmen, then what Instructor Yan said next was the second critical hit.
"I was too busy recently, so the entrance exam rankings have not been announced yet. They will be posted tomorrow."
Ji Yuan was equally incredulous.
One month into school!
He thought that everyone's ranking would not be announced, after all, it would be enough to get into the top 20.
Unexpectedly, he still underestimated the strictness of the county school.
Ji Yuan was also curious about what his ranking would be.
Twenty freshmen were trembling with fear.
Guess your own ranking in your mind.
The remaining thirty-five senior students were in a rather playful mood.
Little did they know that the third thing about the strict training was aimed at everyone.
"This February, there are twenty-eight days in total."
"Today is February 14th, and there are still 14 days until the monthly exam."
"Are you ready?"
Monthly exam?!
The people in the C-class hall, who had already been having fun, didn't even think about this.
That’s not right. Last February, there were a lot of things to do, so the monthly exam was waived.
What happened this year.
Still need to take an exam?!
"All fifty-five people will take the February monthly exam."
"For the bottom 20, the daily homework will be doubled."
"Did you hear that clearly?"
The last twenty?!
Double it?!
Isn’t this a bit exaggerated?
Instructor Yan's expression remained serious, but the Four Books teacher who was waiting for class behind him smiled slightly.
The Four Books Master opened the Analects and cleared his throat: "Randomly check the recitation. Students whose names are called should stand up and answer."
The teacher didn't even need to look at the roster; he could call out everyone's name off the cuff.
The pupils of the new and old students in Class C trembled.
They had a vague premonition.
The next half month might be the most difficult half month for them? !
Is this the county school that students from Zhengrong County and even the surrounding areas want to enter?
How come it is completely different from before?
Announcement of results ranking.
Monthly exam.
Double the homework.
Is this the life people live?
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