Chapter 56
Chapter 56
On the sixth day of April, the matter in Wangtong County came to an end.
The results of the secret exams over the past few days are finally out.
The fourteen candidates who came to complain, as well as the forty-three candidates who rushed over after hearing about this, took the exam again together with the other 19 candidates from the same county who had "passed" the county exam.
The examination for seventy-six people was completed within two days.
I don't know how to comment on this matter. The county examination in Wangtong County started on the sixth day of February and lasted until mid-March. After seven or eight rounds of examinations, there is still no result.
The matter was reported to the provincial school and the examination was completed within one day.
One day I heard that there would be three consecutive exams, and the judgment would be based on these three exams.
Only nineteen out of seventy-six were selected.
Many people are paying attention. It would be interesting if the latest 19 selected people do not match the 19 people sent previously.
But the results did not match.
Of the nineteen candidates who had passed the county examination sent by the Wangtong County Government, only two were admitted in this examination.
The essays of the remaining seventeen candidates were so incoherent that the examiner was very angry.
At this point, we can see how corrupt the imperial examination system was in Wangtong County.
However, this method can only pass the county examination, but not the provincial examination.
I hope the teachers in the same county will not care about anyone's future just to make money.
The Tianqi State attached great importance to nurturing scholars.
The imperial examination is part of the training of scholars.
Since such a serious problem has occurred, the prefect has sent people to investigate. The result will not come out too quickly, but at least it will calm the students' anger.
The prefect then ordered people to check the examination results in other counties. Fortunately, there was no second Wangtong County.
This matter happened very quickly and was handled quickly.
After all, this year not only has the provincial examination, but also the county examination.
Although the provincial examination will be held in August, it is already April, June or July, and the supervising officials from the capital will be here soon.
When the news gets out, life will not be easy for the prefect and the provincial school principal.
Although the Supervisory Officer was only a temporary post, his rank was about the fourth grade, which was similar to the prefect and the academician.
However, for this kind of temporary official position, the official himself basically still has a full-time job.
The full-time positions are different, they are basically officials of the third rank or above in the Hanlin Academy and the six ministries.
In order to show his importance to the imperial examination, the emperor always sent officials who were either important officials or his confidants.
How could the local officials of Jianmeng Mansion possibly offend the important officials from the capital? They were already trying to curry favor with them.
I hope that the matter in Tong County will be dealt with severely and strictly.
Regardless of the intention, this will indeed bring fairness to local scholars.
These things are only gossiped about by students in Zhengrong County when they are eating.
The rest of the time is spent on final study.
The restaurant owner couldn't help but add more dishes to their menu, and said, "We have students coming here every year to take exams, but you are the only ones who are not disturbed by external things. It's really lamentable."
After that, he asked the kitchen to be careful as the weather was getting hotter and the food served to the students must be fresh.
"What if our restaurant produces a top scholar or a top scholar?"
Seeing this, candidates from other counties in the restaurant also picked up their books and put aside the prayer sachets they had bought earlier.
The sachet said "guarantee success in every exam" and it was obviously used by the city government to fool students.
But many people really want to buy this thing when they see it.
You can’t say it’s useless after buying it, it is indeed a psychological comfort.
On April 8th, the provincial examination finally arrived.
Before dawn in the morning, the candles in the restaurant were gradually lit. Some candidates were still studying, while others were relaxing.
The twelve students from Zhengrong County got up a little later.
They had experienced the county examination in Zhengrong County, so they naturally knew what to do the next day.
You must be fully refreshed and have a good rest.
The morning exam time is still at 8 o'clock in the morning.
There is no need to get up at five o'clock.
Furthermore, the restaurant that Li Xun and his team helped book was very close to the Imperial Examination Hall where the examination was to be held, so it was within walking distance and there was no need to panic.
Everything is ready, except the exam.
I don’t know if it’s because all twelve students have gone through the county examination in Zhengrong County.
I was less afraid of the provincial examination as the examination time, examination requirements and examination format were exactly the same.
I feel more comforted.
To put it in modern terms, it means that after taking the mock exam, you will have a better idea of what to expect.
Unlike most other counties, the examination method is the same as Wangtong County and Heyuan County.
Take one exam a day and then rest for two days.
Of course, in comparison, the exam in Zhengrong County is obviously more brutal.
All these cruelties became everyone's experience when taking the provincial examination.
From this morning on, Ji Yuan stopped flipping through the book and instead led everyone to do a set of exercises.
We are all used to running every morning. These days, we have nowhere to run and we feel uncomfortable in our muscles and bones, so we do a set of exercises every day.
Radio gymnastics seems a bit weird, so I did Ba Duan Jin.
A group of people were having a lot of fun doing it. Master Guo and Master Li joined in and thought that the Eight Section Brocade was really good.
I don’t know if it was because of these things, but as soon as the students from Zhengrong County came out, other students all looked over.
They seemed to be well rested and had no worries on their faces. The three leaders, Ji Yuan, Cai Fenglan and Li Jin, were even chatting and laughing.
The remaining few people were in the same boat, so they went downstairs and said, "Boss, give each person a portion of noodles, a little less noodles, add an egg, and give each person an extra portion of meat."
How can you still feel like eating before the exam?!
It was also ordered in a very special way.
A little noodles, an egg, and some meat.
Ji Yuan said to the people around him, "Anyway, as I said, you should eat less of the biscuits you are given, otherwise you will definitely feel sleepy. The ancients said that you should eat until you are 70% full, but I would say that you only need to eat 50% full for the imperial examination."
This naturally has scientific basis.
The ancients naturally did not understand what blood sugar and starch are, but everyone has basically experienced feeling sleepy after a full meal.
Cai Fenglan said: "You are right. It seems that it is right for us to bring more dried meat. Just eat a little bit."
Although we are not rich, we will not eat too much dried meat during the three-day exam. At most we can buy dried salted fish.
The same principle applies to the noodles, eggs and meat I had this time.
It is high in protein and low in starch. It will make you energetic and full after eating, and will definitely help you prepare for exams in the morning.
I don't know who it was, but he secretly told the waiter, "We eat the same as them, with noodles, eggs and meat."
ah?
Are you learning this too?
But since they can make money, the guys naturally won’t say much.
But when Master Guo and the others came over, they saw that the students from all counties were eating the same meals in the hall, and couldn't help but ask, "Is this the only meal the boss is providing today?"
Constable Lei and the others laughed.
It’s obviously because everyone is learning from us!
At the exact time of Mao, around six in the morning, everyone packed up their things and went to line up in front of the Imperial Examination Hall.
There are approximately 1,689 candidates for this exam.
So you have to line up early and have the investigators check the various items the students bring.
The provincial examination lasts for three days, and students have to spend two nights there. No bedding or candles are provided, and students have to bring everything themselves.
I guess they will be given very little food, but warm water will be provided.
So the things the students brought were very good. Master Guo and Constable Lei have been busy with these recently, and they also provided the students with a lot of dried meat.
Apart from anything else, after the new county magistrate came, he was not stingy with the funding for the county school, and even allocated more.
The teacher didn't know why Magistrate Nie was so generous, but he just wanted to take it as long as he could give the students good food and drink.
Therefore, the students in Zhengrong County brought a lot of scattered things with them.
With Mr. Guo, Mr. Li, Li Xun and others helping with the purchase, there will basically be no problem.
Speaking of which, Ji Yuan only recently found out that Li Xun, Master Li, and Li Jin are actually from the same clan.
It seems that Li Xun was able to study in the provincial school because of the help of Li Jin's father.
As a member of the side branch of Li Jin's family, Li Xun received support from the main branch after he ranked first in the county exam.
However, Li Jin was not proud of this, and Li Xun did not feel inferior. Neither of them said much. If Ji Yuan did not have a good relationship with Li Jin and Li Xun, they would probably not know.
Mr. Li, who was accompanying them, was devoted to studying and had profound knowledge. When he was in the county school, he did not pay much attention to the children of his own clan because he was attentive to every student.
Only this time when he sent the examinee to the examination room did Master Li pat Li Jin on the shoulder and said, "Take the exam well. Our Li family has been in decline for many years. It's hard to have a Li Xun. Now if you can do well in the exam again, the two of you will surely bring glory to our Jianmeng Li family."
It is not surprising that many students bear the expectations of their families.
On Ji Yuan's side, Master Guo looked at him and nodded slightly.
Ji Yuan doesn't need to bring glory to his family, but he also has his own ideas in his mind.
An idea that sounds big and may even be laughed at.
Ji Yuan looked at the blue sky and white clouds and smiled slightly.
There is no need to say what his ambition is.
Everyone in Zhengrong County brought everything they needed and lined up in advance, waiting for the investigators to inspect them.
The twelve students were all experienced and not panicked. When the search officer checked them and the interrogator verified their identities and names, they answered fluently without any nervousness.
This calmness is what distinguishes them from students from other counties.
Mock exams are useful!
Now no student in Zhengrong County would complain about the difficulty of their county examination.
It's difficult for a reason.
Since the county examination was difficult, the pressure of the provincial examination was greatly reduced.
The process is the same. Next, you draw lots and find your own seat. Everything is so easy.
But at this time, Ji Yuan cheered up again.
The more smoothly things go, the more vigilant you should be, otherwise big mistakes will be made.
Ji Yuan checked what he had brought.
Paper specifically for the exam.
Pen, ink, three candles, and a fire starter.
A set of change of clothes, bedding, etc.
There were also two boxes of food and other things.
That's right.
Ji Yuan closed his eyes, waiting for the clock to strike eight at noon.
At seven o'clock, the bell rang and incense was lit in the Confucian Temple next door, which could be seen from inside the hall.
It seemed that the provincial school's academician and the invigilators were burning incense and offering sacrifices to the heavens, and taking an oath together.
Such as: "Seek the wise and serve the lord righteously."
Another example: "If you break this oath, heaven and earth will bring disaster upon you."
"Only the duke is prudent and wise, and only he can be loyal to his subjects."
And so on and so forth.
Many students saw such a scene for the first time and could not help but stretch their heads to look. They were hit by the police and asked to sit down immediately.
There were more than 1,600 candidates taking the provincial examination and none of them dared to utter a word.
Each examination room has several invigilators and more than ten constables.
Finally, the smoke from the incense dissipated and all the invigilators arrived.
Listen to the bell again.
It's the hour of Chen.
The first exam of the provincial examination.
Officially begins.
Answer two questions on the Four Books within two hours.
The first question is, I was poor when I was young, so I was able to do many menial jobs.
ah?
Ji Yuan thought he had seen it wrong, so he looked at it again.
This question is actually the same as the one in their county examination!
The questions for the county examination are usually discussed among the people in the county themselves.
The questions for the provincial examination will naturally be discussed by people from the provincial school.
The two do not interfere with each other.
This means that when you take the actual exam, the first question will be the one that was asked in the mock test.
Good thing!
The teachers of the previous mock papers had commented on them and found their omissions. I just needed to delete and modify the previous essays and I would be able to write them up.
It's an article I wrote myself, so there's no problem in copying it.
The topic was exactly the same, but the essay written on it had been carefully revised. The first question at the beginning of the first round gave the twelve students of Zhengrong County full confidence!
The second question is different.
But the question is not difficult.
If you study without thinking, you will be useless.
Write 700 words based on this.
This sentence comes from the Analects of Confucius. The meaning is very simple: learning must be combined with thinking, otherwise it will be a waste of effort.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment, dialectically discussing "learning" and "thinking" and expounding his point of view.
When he started writing, Ji Yuan thought of the method of contemporary writing mentioned by Master Guo.
This is the prototype of the eight-legged essay of this era.
Although it's not necessary to copy it, you can really try to use a similar method.
Ji Yuan started writing and went straight to the point, first imitating the prose of the Song Dynasty and then using the methods of Yuan opera.
But as I wrote, I fell back into my old habits and turned my eight-legged essay into prose.
Ji Yuan laughed when he saw this, and simply reintegrated it, removing some of the overly formatted parts at the front and tightening up the parts at the back that were too scattered.
I guess no one would have thought that Ji Yuan was still practicing his essay in the examination room.
I finished writing two articles in the morning and it was almost noon.
Ji Yuan ate some dried meat, drank warm water, and continued to rest with his eyes closed until the second exam started in the afternoon.
The second round was still based on questions from the Four Books.
It comes from Mencius, and the title is: "He who worries about the people's worries, the people will also worry about his worries."
If you consider the people, the people will also worry about you.
Mencius' idea is to extend his own kindness to others and show kindness to the people.
It seems that the two are related, but there is also a priority.
The superior must first worry about the safety of the inferior, and only then can the inferior respond in return.
If those in power do not do their job well, they should not expect help from the people.
The first sentence of the Chronicle states: "The people are equal to the ruler, and the affairs of the ruler are not dependent on the people."①
Take the county school in Zhengrong County as an example.
First of all, the county school was good to its students, so students like Li Xun were willing to run around for their own county school.
They even advanced the money, contacted the restaurant in advance, and greeted them at the city gate, etc.
Why didn’t students in other counties do this?
Of course, this is because county schools in other places do not take such good care of their students.
When Ji Yuan and his group of students pass the exam in the future, will they take care of their younger classmates in every detail and share the work of the county school teachers?
Of course.
Because the people are also worried about their worries.
They would naturally be grateful for the actions of the teachers in the county school and help share these tasks.
Therefore, only two teachers and two constables were needed to come from Zhengrong County to complete the task.
What they did is the best proof of this statement.
Of course, this incident is not an allusion, so it is not a good idea to write it down, but using the insights gained from this incident to think about other things can also help us understand the laws of similar things.
If you study without thinking, you will be useless.
You need to think about things related to study.
You should also think about things.
Later he wrote: "Moreover, those who forget the worries of the people and indulge in their own pleasures probably have something to rely on...If you look around at your people, you will find that they all have two hearts. I see that you are independent in the court, but your right and wrong are not the result of one day."②
Those who forget the worries of the people and are happy instead must be fearless.
I would also think that their unhappiness has nothing to do with me and it won’t affect me.
One day, the worries of the people will surely develop to the point where you will also become worried, and you will have no choice but to go and see.
When you look at the people around you at that time, you will definitely have second thoughts about yourself and the people.
The king is alienated from his people, and when he stands in the courtyard and looks around and finds that he is the only one left, it means that this situation has happened more than once.
A monarch who does not care about the people will surely be deserted by his friends and relatives.
The whole article is about the relationship between concern for the people and people's worries.
Fundamentally analyze the relationship between the monarch and the people, as well as the idea of serving the people sincerely and showing kindness to the people.
This is also consistent with Mencius's idea of the whole book.
Finished answering the first question of the second round.
The second question is "To stabilize the people of the four seas is a joy for the gentleman."
This quote also comes from Mencius, meaning that pacifying the people of the world is the happiest thing for gentlemen.
A gentleman emphasizes benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom.
To bring peace to the people of the world is something that gentlemen would like to see.
Why?
Because this is the nature of a gentleman, they like to do it. It is their original intention from the inside out, not for any other reason, just because they are gentlemen.
This question talks about why a gentleman is a gentleman.
It's not that one becomes a gentleman by doing these things, but that a gentleman is simply that kind of person.
This is to restrain the scholars and make them become gentlemen of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom.
This actually echoes the first question.
If scholars can really reach this ideal state, then the above question, worrying about the people, will surely come to fruition.
The evening of April 8th.
The first day of exams is over.
Ji Yuan analyzed that the content of the first exam was all about "The Analects of Confucius".
The second scene is all "Mencius".
Is it possible that I will take Zhongyong and Daxue together tomorrow morning?
Two questions from the Five Classics in the afternoon?
If you look at it this way, it seems to be such a regularity.
On the morning of the last day, there was the final and fifth exam, which should be the Book of Filial Piety and the Examination Poetry.
In general, the order is not much different from that of the county examination in Zhengrong County.
But each exam is a test of one book at a time.
It's a regular pattern.
It was very dark in early April.
Ji Yuan closed his eyes early and first recited the Doctrine of the Mean and then the Great Learning.
The total number of words in these two books is only about five or six thousand, so it is not difficult to memorize them.
If he really takes the test on these two books tomorrow morning, then he will be reviewing again.
It was almost time to rest before Ji Yuan lit a candle, spread out the bedding and went to sleep.
I don’t know if I’m used to it.
Worse bed I've slept in before.
Ji Yuan fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow and slept soundly.
Whenever there is a major exam, his sleep quality is exceptionally good, as if his body knows that he must rest well in order to perform well in the exam.
The morning of April 9th.
The students who woke up looked at the freshly made pancakes in their hands. The twelve students of Zhengrong County no longer wolfed them down. No matter how delicious the pancakes were, they would only eat until they were 50% full.
When the test papers were handed out, Ji Yuan took a closer look.
The first question comes from the Doctrine of the Mean, "The way of a gentleman is difficult and hidden."
The second question comes from the University, "The Way of the University."
After seeing the two questions in the third exam, Ji Yuan could almost see the bad taste of the person who set the questions.
Yesterday’s exam was one day on the Analects of Confucius and one day on Mencius.
The first question is difficult at the beginning, but the second question is easy.
Today's exam, one is moderate, one is university.
The seemingly moderate “The way of a gentleman is difficult and hidden” is not easy to answer.
In fact, the "Way of University" is all-encompassing. If you don't answer it well, it will be a mess.
The question is not tricky, but it has a sense of evil taste, which is to make students fall into the "trap" at any time.
The questions on the Four Books are all like this. For the Five Classics exam in the afternoon, Ji Yuan is looking forward to what questions the test setter will give.
Question 1: "The way of a gentleman is difficult and hidden."
It means that the way of a gentleman is broad and profound.
It may seem contradictory, but it also explains the way of a gentleman.
In fact, it means that a gentleman can achieve the same level as a saint and also do the things that ordinary people do.
In the context, a gentleman is compared with ordinary people and with a saint.
It means that gentlemen can learn and improve. They are just ordinary people at the beginning, and when they reach the highest level, they become saints.
Starting from this point, there shouldn't be any problem.
If you want to go from being an ordinary person to becoming a saint, you can do so through hard study and analysis, or through practical analysis.
Just write along a line and the article is ready.
The second question was also a question that made Ji Yuan helpless.
“The Way of the University.”
Many people will recite this sentence later.
Anyone who reads books will always memorize the contents of the first chapter, right?
The way of the university is to manifest the illustrious virtue, to love the people, and to strive for the highest good.
Next comes an explanation of what the principles of the university are.
And the way of university can be translated as:
What are the principles of the university?
For example, let me ask you, what is the meaning of learning Chinese?
What is the significance of studying physics?
This is an answer that is different for different people. Of course, if you ask about Chinese, you should focus on phonetics, and if you ask about physics, you should focus on physics.
Ask about university?
Naturally, it revolves around the university.
But what is the "Great Learning" about? It is about investigating things to acquire knowledge, about sincerity and uprightness of mind, about self-cultivation, family management, governance of the country and peace in the world.
Good job.
If we answer this together.
Not to mention 700 words, even 7,000 words are impossible to finish.
Most people will never learn it in their entire lives.
Faced with such a big question, Ji Yuan felt a bit of a headache.
In addition, his writing style is sloppy and he must be forcibly restrained.
Let me just make a small summary.
Let’s just talk about the main significance of The Great Learning.
Write about the general aspects in the title.
Then he also wrote about the big picture and didn't go into the details.
The way of a gentleman is difficult and hidden.
From big to small, from small to big, he can write!
"It is the essence of the university, combining the merits of the sages and the way of the kings, and reaching the ultimate."
The key point of great learning is to bring the merits of saints and the principles of benevolent government to the extreme.
This is a summary of what adults learn in college.
Isn't the purpose of learning Chinese just to let us write? Then he asks why we should learn it, how far we have learned it, and what is the use of learning it.
After determining these three points, the article came naturally.
One method is to first determine the large surface and then shrink from the large surface to the small surface.
"Measure for what is good, and then strive to achieve the best."
“Go wherever you want to go, but never move from where you want to stop.”
"And let Jianzhong be the model, without bias."
“Those who are of the same mind and spirit will eventually converge towards the same destination.”④
When standards are taken to the extreme, they can become the best and most compassionate.
In the end, I couldn't change my mind.
We must establish fairness and set an example, and not be partial or biased.
We are all like-minded people, all taught by the emperor, and have the same goal.
These behaviors that demonstrate virtue and care for the people are what adults learn. If you can do all of these, then you have learned well in college.
Be virtuous, close to the people, and be the best.
Finally return to the original meaning of university.
After finishing this article, Ji Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
This question was the most difficult one in the provincial examination, and it was also his weakest point.
Fortunately, Mr. Guo’s intensive training on contemporary writing was very effective.
After finishing writing, he looked at the time and found that there was still enough time. Ji Yuan copied it again and the fourth exam was over.
The third day of the provincial examination, the fifth exam.
As expected, the test was on "The Book of Filial Piety".
As mentioned before, the Book of Filial Piety seems to be talking about filial piety, but in fact it is talking about loyalty to the emperor.
The person who set the question actually gave a slight hint of the meaning.
The question directly tested one's loyalty to the emperor, and then brought up the topic of filial piety.
No matter how you look at it, the idea of the person who set this question is extraordinary.
Most of his topics are related to the people and the virtues of a gentleman.
When it comes to loyalty to the emperor, there are only a few words, which is quite ironic.
The topic of the Book of Filial Piety has been completed.
Finally we have arrived at the most troublesome part of Ji Yuan.
Test poem.
This year's test poem is based on the Book of Filial Piety.
Just write eight sentences of five words.
When Ji Yuan was taking the provincial examination, he was not very good at writing these, he could just barely make the rhymes work.
Nowadays, when selecting scholars, people only focus on their writing, not poetry and prose.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to pass the Jiyuan County Examination.
Of course, most of the teachers in the county school thought that Ji Yuan just wrote it casually. In their minds, Ji Yuan's poems were very talented.
Otherwise, how did the great works come about?
Therefore, after the county examination, he did not help him to improve his examination poetry, but instead found Master Guo to ask him to refine his essay.
So what seems like a simple test poem to others is already causing a lot of headaches for Ji Yuan.
Fortunately, he had a lot of poems in his mind, and he remembered a poem that was rediscovered by later generations, which should be appropriate to put here.
If you want your children and grandchildren to be filial, there is nothing wrong with educating yourself.
If you are beaten a thousand times in one day, you should be more angry if you are guilty. ⑤
If you want your children and grandchildren to prosper, establish virtue and set a righteous mind.
A man who loves his son is not a real man, and who protects his son will bring endless disasters.
The first part is still fine, the first sentence also has the feeling in the test question, that those who worry about the people's worries will also be worried by the people.
That is, those in power should set an example themselves, and the relationship between the monarch and the people is that the monarch should take care of the people first.
If you want your children to be filial, you must teach them yourself.
But the further I wrote, the more it became doggerel.
After finishing writing, Ji Yuan covered his face.
It's too difficult.
It's really difficult.
But it took him an hour to come up with this idea.
It is even more difficult than writing a 700-word question on the meaning of the Book of Filial Piety.
He really couldn't make it up.
Fortunately, these scores do not account for a large proportion in the provincial examination.
He can only win by writing articles!
On the tenth day of April, Ji Yuan came out of the examination room with his eyes still dull.
Mainly because my own doggerel is dull.
Why.
How to say it.
It's so embarrassing, but it has to be this way.
Writing poetry is really not his strong point.
After coming out, Ji Yuan suddenly realized, "How could I have forgotten it!"
Even if he was writing doggerel, he should have added a few lines praising the court at the end.
This is what is required in order to write a decent fu poem for the imperial examination.
It's like a composition assignment, which seems to ask you to describe the scenery, but actually asks you to observe the words and expressions and praise your boss.
He really only wrote about the relationship between filial piety, descendants, and elders.
It would be great if it could be changed to praise the saint’s wisdom, and people all over the world would follow his example.
What a pity.
Not only did he write doggerel, he even forgot to flatter.
Master Guo came to take the students out of the house for the exam. Seeing Ji Yuan's shocked expression, he subconsciously asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the exam?"
The other classmates also looked over, and their originally depressed expressions turned into alert ones.
Are there any problems with the Jiyuan exam?
What's the problem?
Do they have any?
Ji Yuan suppressed his embarrassment and shook his head slightly.
How could he say that he wrote doggerel in the examination room?
It's the ultimate oil-infused kind.
Seeing everyone worried, he whispered, "The last fu was decent. I think I wrote a doggerel."
ah?
Doggerel?
Upon hearing this, Master Guo laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. Most people's proper fu poems are doggerel."
But on second thought, Ji Yuan shouldn’t do that.
He could just write casually in the county examination, but why is it the same in the provincial examination?
Are you extremely confident in your article?
Forget it. Anyway, the imperial examination nowadays tests essays, so it’s fine as long as the following poem is not outrageous.
Ji Yuan thought to himself that the first four sentences were not too outrageous, but the latter part was extremely outrageous.
Fortunately, the exam is over. I hope his article will give me some extra points.
If that doesn't work, he can only come back next year.
It is hard to say how confident Ji Yuan is in this provincial examination.
It has only been three years since he started learning Buddhism. Although he has read as many books as others in these three years, he has also read them very well.
But the disadvantages are also obvious.
The first is the lack of history books. When writers write articles, they have to quote from classics and have a wide range of knowledge.
He really lacks this piece.
Scholars should read books, not just Confucian books.
They also had to read contemporary laws, learn musical instruments, and take many other courses.
These lessons will be integrated into your own articles.
The county school of Zhengrong County tried its best to provide things related to the imperial examinations, so it naturally had no time to take care of miscellaneous subjects like these.
In addition, Ji Yuan’s ideas are unconventional, which can also be seen in the article.
Although Mr. Guo had some tutoring before the exam, some problems cannot be corrected in a short time.
To solve this problem, one needs to study more contemporary literature, not only the literature written by Jian Mengfu, but also all the good articles in the world.
Just read more college entrance examination model essays, and at least you will be able to understand what the current imperial examination examiners prefer.
These problems are not minor.
It can't be made up in a short time.
Ji Yuan was already nervous, and now the final exam poem made him blush with embarrassment.
Writing poetry is also a problem.
Why is studying so difficult?
The more you learn, the more you realize how vast the universe is, and how magnificent the world is.
In front of these books, even the greatest people will become insignificant and become students of books.
Not to mention anything else.
The test setters of the provincial examination can "make things difficult" for the examinees and "spy on" the students' thoughts simply by using simple questions.
This kind of effortless approach shows that one has truly studied the subject thoroughly.
Ji Yuan sighed softly and followed everyone back to the restaurant.
The sound of gongs and drums outside the Imperial Examination Hall seemed to resound through the sky.
The students who had just come out of the examination room couldn't help but feel elated. Walking through such inspiring music, they seemed to have become important figures.
In fact, it could not be heard at all in Liu's Restaurant, which was not far from the Imperial Examination Hall.
When Ji Yuan and his companions returned to Liu's Restaurant, they were already separated from the music from the Imperial Examination Hall.
The candidates, exhausted from leaving the Imperial Examination Hall, gradually became anxious.
The county examination was over at that time and the candidates were also anxious.
But after the anxiety, there seemed to be some peace of mind. We were all classmates and from the same county.
Have an idea of the level of the people around you, and have an idea of whether you can pass.
The provincial examination is very different.
One thousand six hundred and eighty-nine people took the exam at the same time.
Everyone in Jianmeng Prefecture who has passed the county examination is here.
The level of the people around you is high or low.
Examiner's preferences.
They know nothing about it.
All that is left for the candidates is to wait.
This waiting spread among everyone's emotions, gradually becoming anxious and restless.
There's nothing we can do about it.
Even though Ji Yuan hadn't read the book, he also wanted to know the result.
One is to test his learning results, and the other is that he needs a reputation.
In fact, he has offended quite a few people along the way.
Thanks to the protection of the county school, nothing happened.
Now Li Yaozhong's fame has been taken away. I'm sure the other party will hate him more and more as time goes by.
That is a loss of real money.
Not to mention anything else, he will have to pay taxes when his land is harvested in autumn this year. I guess his whole family will hate him to death.
With such a disaster lurking around us, who can sleep peacefully?
If he implicates Anji Village again because of these things, he will be committing a great sin.
From any perspective, Ji Yuan wanted this fame very much.
There are 1,689 candidates.
Only one hundred and twenty people were selected.
It would be good enough to be a Ding-class scholar.
Not only him, but also Cai Fenglan, who had studied so hard that he had already become nearsighted.
Li Jin for the glory of his family.
There is also Xu Chun, who had all his wealth cheated away on the road. Who doesn't want to pass the imperial examination?
Those who say they don't want it are all liars. If you don't want fame and fortune, why bother taking the imperial examinations?
Unfortunately, no matter how much they want to know the results, they need to wait patiently.
There are more people taking the provincial examination, and there are more examiners and examiners, so the results will naturally be announced later.
Today is the tenth day of April.
It is estimated that the results will be out around April 18th.
On the 8th, the provincial school worked overtime to mark the papers.
That night, Mr. Guo took out some money and treated everyone to a good meal to ease their anxiety.
Other candidates can even drink some low-alcohol liquor.
The eleven-year-old Ji Yuan had no choice but to drink the juice.
Almost overnight, Liu's Restaurant went from being a quiet place for reading to a lively place.
Everyone slept in the morning, started activities in the morning, and went to the city to play in the afternoon.
The few who persisted and exercised were Ji Yuan and his group.
After learning that they had the habit of jogging in the morning, senior Li Xun said, "There is a Cuju field behind the prefectural school. Go there and run."
As he said this, he took them to have a look.
It was April 11th, the afternoon of the second day of the examination. Classes at the provincial school had not officially resumed yet, but there were still many students living there, so they came out to play Cuju in the afternoon.
It seems that Cuju is indeed a hobby of the Tianqi Kingdom, but the one in Zhengrong County was abandoned. Fortunately, it was renovated recently.
Li Xun's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Really? Our county school has also started playing Cuju?"
"You don't know that there is a Cuju competition in this city every year. Unfortunately, my skills are not good enough, so I can only be a substitute for the provincial school. During the competition last year, I played for less than a quarter of an hour."
Is there any competition?
It just sounds lively.
"It would be great if you could come in the fall. It would be fun to watch." Li Xun finished speaking and then sighed, "I really hope you can come to the prefectural school."
He was not bragging, he said it sincerely.
Who doesn’t want to have fellow countrymen in school, or have someone to stick together with amid the public opinion of sour poetry and prostitution?
Ji Yuan actually wanted to play as well. He liked running, and Cuju was such an exhilarating sport, so who wouldn’t like it?
Everyone looked at it for a while and decided to come over for a run tomorrow morning.
There was still some time left, so Li Xun said, "How about I take you to the largest bookstore in the city? You will definitely like it."
How could Li Xun not understand the people from his own county school?
Since I was admitted from the B-grade hall, it is impossible for me not to like books.
At this point, the twelve candidates from Zhengrong County felt like they had arrived in the provincial capital.
There was also a feeling that the provincial examination was finally over.
One moment it's the lively Cuju game, the next moment it's the largest bookstore in the city. It sounds different from Zhengrong County.
Li Xun did receive instructions from his teachers to take his classmates for a walk whenever he had time.
If I just stay in the restaurant, I'm sure I'll be thinking about the results of the provincial examination.
But there’s no point in worrying now, so I might as well go out for a walk.
Whether you pass the exam or not, your trip will not be in vain.
During this period of time, everyone was so absorbed in their studies that they almost forgot how they felt when they first arrived in the city.
At that time, I only felt that the capital city was prosperous, but I felt that it had nothing to do with me.
But now, I really understand why this place is the capital.
There are four markets in the east, west, south and north.
The place they came to now is known as the First Street of East Market.
Or a street full of books.
The name was so straightforward that Ji Yuan and the others knew what was going on as soon as they heard it.
Reading was the top priority for Jianmeng Mansion, so the place is full of books and naturally it is the first street in the East Market.
Before entering, I saw the Four Books and Five Classics being sold on the street stalls at the door.
In the past, a book cost two cents of silver, or two hundred coins, in Zhengrong County, but now it only costs fifteen coins.
Of course, the paper is not good and will rot after being turned a few times.
The advantage is that it is cheap.
If you really want to read but have no money, you can also read books of poor quality.
Of course there are good ones, with exquisite printing and high-quality paper, and each one costs one or two taels of silver.
Every price range exists, just buy the one that suits you.
If these books shocked Ji Yuan and the others.
The paper is even cheaper.
The point is that these papers aren't bad.
In the only bookstore in Zhengrong County, one penny could buy three large sheets of the worst quality paper.
But in the First Street of East Market, you can buy five sheets of smooth bamboo paper.
Li Xun introduced: "The cheap paper sold by each company doesn't make much money. It's mainly for attracting customers. Jianmeng Mansion has many students and readers. If we use cheap paper to attract customers, we will always be able to buy books."
"Not only books, you can read it again."
Li Xun took them to a shop.
The shop was so huge that some people were afraid to enter, but the waiter was very enthusiastic and greeted them with a smile: "Are you the candidates who just came to Jianmeng Mansion? The examination is over, and you must have worked hard. Wait for me to serve you some tea!"
Their group was not dressed well, except for Li Jin and another person who were dressed nicely.
It is normal for people like Ji Yuan to have patches on their bodies.
The waiter served tea to everyone and introduced them, saying, "You can come and take a look. It's up to you gentlemen to buy or not. It's all for us to gain popularity."
This was a really nice statement, which encouraged everyone to ask questions boldly. Even Xu Chun asked many questions.
In fact, Xu Chun and the others didn’t know that these guys had bright eyes.
Having met so many students, they can tell at a glance which ones are well-read and elegant, and which ones are idiots.
If you want to do long-term business among so many peers on a street in Dongshi, you must have a keen eye.
But if you ask them how they figured it out, it’s all a secret among everyone and they won’t reveal it at all.
Ji Yuan was being followed by a clerk at this moment. He felt like he was shopping in a modern clothing store. Before he could say what he wanted, but just stared at the clerk for a second or two, the clerk picked it up and let him try it on.
Li Xunt saw Ji Yuan subconsciously took a half step back and thought he was embarrassed, so he introduced: "I often come to this store."
"From pen holders, pen washers, pen beds, paperweights, pen rulers, we have them at any price range."
"Let's look at the paper. It's also very cheap."
Li Xun picked a shop at random just to show his junior classmates how sophisticated the business was.
Any store can sell everything a reader needs.
Forget about other things, I really like Bamboo Paper Era.
Five for one penny!
Five of them!
There is also rice paper for painting, which is also ridiculously cheap.
The guy also said: "Hey, for the most basic items, everyone is priced the same."
Then the waiter whispered, "If you buy more, we'll give you a few free tickets."
By this calculation, the actual purchase price will be more than one cent and five pieces of paper?! Cheaper?
Even Ji Yuan was dazed by the price.
I almost opened my wallet and started buying things.
Li Xun pulled them out and told them about the "unspoken rules".
"There are seven or eight paper mills of all sizes in Jianmeng Mansion, and three of them are the largest. Most of the paper on the market is provided by them, so the three are vying for supply and fighting each other. It is also a good deal for poor students like us."
Someone asked: "Since it's not profitable, aren't you afraid that the workshop will not be able to continue?"
"Don't worry. They don't make money with cheap paper, but they do with better paper. If the three companies hadn't thought the price was too high and made an agreement, they would probably give it away for free now."
This is definitely an exaggeration.
But to translate it, the three companies were engaged in a price war, and finally they couldn't bear it anymore, so they simply set a price that neither lost nor gained, and used this as a source of goods to attract customers.
The kind of business warfare that modern people are using was already being practiced by people in ancient times.
Li Xun finally said: "I don't let you buy it, I want you to come here and take a look."
"I'd like to make it clear in advance that if you see something you like, don't buy it yet, otherwise you will regret it even more."
Having said that, Li Xun led everyone to the place mentioned before.
The largest bookstore on the first street of East Market.
The entire street in Jianmengfu is full of people selling books and school supplies.
This store is also the best on this street, which shows how big it is.
"Zhou Family Bookstore."
"Buy his books! Just give him his homemade paper!"
“Not only that, if you’re lucky, you don’t even have to buy it!”
When Ji Yuan walked in, he was stunned.
He finally experienced what a mountain of books and a sea of books meant.
This Zhou Family Bookstore has two floors. The upstairs sells school supplies, and the downstairs has eight shops, all filled with books.
For the first time, Ji Yuan felt that he couldn't see enough.
If you can finish reading so many books, you will have no regrets in your life.
The two-meter-high bookshelf is filled with all kinds of books from top to bottom.
There are books used for the imperial examinations, travelogues, history, philosophy, and even medical books.
You can find all the categories you can think of here.
Ji Yuan was stunned for ten seconds before he entered the door. Unexpectedly, the waiter said directly: "Congratulations to the 999th guest today! Free white paper and rice paper for fifty each!"
ah?
Is he the 999th person to enter the store today?
As soon as Ji Yuan got the paper, he heard someone next to him say, "Ah? Don't I already have 999? Why is there another one?"
The waiter was stunned and quickly changed his words: "This customer is the thousandth, so we will give it to him as well."
Li Jin:?
He entered earlier than Ji Yuan.
No matter how you calculate it, it's impossible that there's only one person missing.
Li Xun pulled Li Jin and Ji Yuan away.
Ji Yuan understood without waiting for Li Xun to explain.
Routine, what is a routine.
They just give you paper under a name and make you a loyal customer of this bookstore!
Li Xun gave another reason: "The guys here only give out paper based on appearance, so we ask you not to buy it and try your luck here. We all come here when we don't have money to buy paper."
Li Jin:?
Cai Fenglan:?
no? !
Don't we just hit it off?
Just the era and the times!
The white and rice paper in Ji Yuan's hand had not even warmed up yet, and some waiter looked at him again, and without even noticing what he had in his hand, he pulled him and said, "You are the 888th customer today. We would like to give you 100 sheets of white paper and 100 sheets of rice paper. Please accept them."
After the guy said that, he saw what Ji Yuan was holding, his face turned red, and then he actually gave him the paper.
He even pretended not to know and didn't let Ji Yuan speak, just giving things as if they were hot potatoes.
era:?
Is your competition a bit too fierce?
Is he so compatible with me?!
But don’t waste something that comes for free!
Fucheng is good, you can get paper for free in Fucheng!
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