Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Spring of the thirty-eighth year of Huayuan.
Capital city.
As soon as the examination results came out, the tense atmosphere hanging over the capital city dissipated instantly.
The results are out.
Some are happy and some are sad.
Some failed scholars could not help but compose poems to express their bitter tears.
What is this? Yantai, holding a horse and suffering from the dust, asked Duting for the way to the ferry.
The road to the sea is thousands of miles away, and I am the only one who has returned home.
What's behind? I look at the clouds and see my tears wet my handkerchief.
No matter how many tears there are, the spring water will just flow away.
There were even candidates who directly wrote a letter of refusal to take the exam.
The general idea is that I will never take the imperial examination again and concentrate on my studies.
People in this situation usually think they have no hope of becoming a Jinshi and never want to take the exam again.
According to statistics from that powerful bookstore, a large number of candidates gave up the exam this year.
It seems that after seeing the age of those ranked first and comparing it with my own age, I couldn't help but feel sad and decided not to take the exam anymore.
The gap between people is too huge, which can easily make people feel despair.
As soon as they saw Ji Yuan's age, despair naturally welled up in their hearts.
I have spent half my life reading thousands of books.
What's the result?
There is no need to say more.
Of course, some people also say that it cannot be compared with Ji Yuan.
They came here to compete for second place. So what if they are second? Second place is also a good ranking.
It can be seen that it doesn't matter whether you give up the exam or continue.
None of them are determined by one era.
Those who originally wanted to give up the exam just had an excuse because of the existence of Ji Yuan.
So when the news reached Ji Yuan, he didn't think it was his fault.
His mentality makes people secretly admire him.
If an ordinary person of his age heard this kind of news, he would inevitably be upset for a while.
But Ji Yuan is not like that. He basically won't take responsibility for mistakes that are not his own.
After the examination results were announced.
Candidates who pass the exam naturally have to prepare for the upcoming palace examination.
As for the candidates on the second list, as mentioned before, the Ministry of Personnel was prepared to assign teaching positions to them, but each of them ran away faster than rabbits, or simply did not tell them where they lived, making it impossible for the Ministry of Personnel to assign them positions.
The Ministry of Personnel thought the same as they did and would not make it too difficult for the candidates.
However, if someone is willing to take a teaching position, it can still be arranged.
But most of the candidates packed up their things and returned to their hometown to prepare for the exam again three years later.
They have studied for so many years not to become teachers.
Yellow scrolls, green lamps, and an iron inkstone that has been worn out.
The purpose is to become an official, not anything else.
As the capital city became empty, only a few hundred of the more than 3,900 candidates were left.
The 170 candidates on the main list, regardless of their ranking, were basically crying with joy.
After the happiness, I became even more nervous.
Palace examination.
The palace examination is coming.
The palace examination determined their specific rankings.
Determine whether you are in the first, second, or third class.
Regardless of other things, you can tell the difference just by looking at the grade.
The first in the first class is directly promoted to an official of the sixth rank.
The second and third are from the sixth rank.
A second-class Jinshi starts from the seventh rank.
The third class is an eighth-rank official.
The difference in ranking is so big
There is no need to say more about the subsequent selection.
For those who are truly knowledgeable, the top three are like chicken ribs.
Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many candidates. They would simply avoid taking the exam and wait until they are fully prepared.
A good starting point means a good future.
For example, Lord Lin, the former county magistrate of Zhengrong County.
When he was a county magistrate, he was an official of the seventh rank. He worked hard in Zhengrong County for more than four years before he was promoted to the sixth rank and went to serve as an official in other places.
And this sixth rank was not promoted from seventh to sixth, and from sixth to sixth, because of his outstanding political achievements and the compensation given by the Nie family.
The difference between each grade is so huge.
For many candidates, they don’t even think about getting the first place, but they still have to hope for the second place.
Especially for the candidates who are ranked high, they need to work harder now than before the examination.
Not to mention, other examinations were conducted by officials as examiners.
The emperor is the chief examiner of the palace examination.
They even took exams in the palace.
I heard that this year it will be held in the main hall of the imperial palace, the Fengtian Hall.
That place is not easy to step into.
As for the rules of the palace examination, they are very different from other examinations.
The basic process is:
Linxuan Face means giving questions on the spot, and there is only one policy essay, to offer advice to the emperor.
Do the questions the day before.
The next day was the day for marking the papers.
On the morning of the third day, the papers were read and the top three places were determined, and the imperial edict was announced at noon that day.
As for the exam period, the more diligent emperors will even invigilate.
Although it's just a walk, it still makes the candidates very nervous.
Within three days, everything from the examination to the marking of papers to the announcement of the results, to the transmission of the system, to the calling of names, and even to the on-the-spot banquet and distribution of official uniforms.
All in one go.
The examination time is short and the result announcement time is also short.
No need to wait anxiously, surprise?
Many candidates will ask, is this a surprise or a shock?
But the good thing is.
As long as you pass the palace examination, you generally will not fail. This is a ranking exam.
In order to show the emperor's kindness and wisdom, as long as you come, you will be rewarded with honors.
This is probably the real consolation.
There will be a banquet held that evening until the imperial edict is announced.
So this is both a palace examination and an honor.
It is painful to get the results within two or three days.
But after the results are out, holding a commendation meeting immediately makes people look forward to it.
For many scholars, the dream is to perform well in the palace examination.
I won’t say any more. Let’s prepare for the palace examination.
I felt uneasy before the Jiyuan Palace Examination.
Mainly because of his fame, many people came to invite him to talk.
Fortunately, he had to prepare for the palace examination, so he declined all the applications with this reason.
Some people also came in person, but were all sent away by Wu Renhao.
Given Wu Renhao's height and build, it was easy for him to deal with a few people.
There is also other news in the capital.
For example, the prince went to pray in early April and is expected to be back in early May.
A whole month is long enough.
Another thing is that the emperor is in good health and is already attending the morning court.
It seems like a series of good news.
But recently, some unexpected people came to the door, that is, the basketball gangster Wang Li and his gang.
Last time, Ji Yuan told them that they hadn't come to visit for a while, and now they came with less momentum. They said they wanted to discuss something with Wuying.
He said he wanted to discuss it with Wuying, but actually he wanted to see what Ji Yuan thought.
Naturally, the topic of conversation was still about Cuju.
They haven't played a single game of football since the beginning of the new year. It's already late April, and the Fifth Prince hasn't called them either.
There are rumors that the Fifth Prince may not want the Cuju team anymore.
All of them will be dismissed.
Hearing this, the gangsters naturally panicked.
I want to ask Wuying or Jiyuan for a solution.
They definitely pay.
To put it bluntly, even if the Cuju team is disbanded, those who have made achievements in the Wuying camp may still have a place to stay.
They are gone.
Go back to Qinglan Mansion?
What's the use? The Qinglan Prefecture School only let them in because the Fifth Prince liked Cuju.
If the Fifth Prince didn't like them, he would definitely not keep them.
Anyway, where they are going is a big problem.
After thinking about it, they realized that among all the people they knew, Ji Yuan was the smartest.
Ji Yuan was also surprised.
He didn't expect the other party to find him.
But he had nothing to say about this, so he just said, "It's better to pack up early and go back home."
"While I still have money, I'll find a decent job. If that doesn't work, I'll teach people how to play Cuju."
But who would like this thing?
The gangsters Wang Li and others were also very anxious. Seeing that Ji Yuan was unwilling to pay attention to them, they simply left.
Ji Yuan ignored them, but he still had to pay attention to his own people.
Ji Yuan said to Wu Ying and the others, "You still have official positions, so why don't you report to the camp headquarters in advance? If there is a suitable position, you can go there in advance."
After the martial arts examination, they were given honorary positions according to their ranking.
Wu Renhao was a sixth-rank guard, while Wuying and Liu Jun were patrol guards.
But they were taken over by the Fifth Prince and these positions were never actually implemented.
Since the Cuju team is going to be gone, it would definitely be a good idea for them to go to the camp and take a look around in advance.
This also reminded the three of them, and Wuying became even more excited.
He had long wanted to stop wanting to stay in the Fifth Prince's Cuju team, and now he could finally leave with a clear conscience.
This was just a minor episode. For the rest of the time, Ji Yuan was still preparing for the palace examination.
Monk Bai and Old Fourth Gao were also very serious.
There was only one question in the palace examination, which was about current affairs. It was basically just giving a real-life problem and asking the candidates to come up with a solution.
As for specific requirements, of course there are.
First of all, the format must start with a special way such as "I reply" or "I respectfully reply".
You cannot write along the edge of the paper, and there should be at least eight lines left at the end of the paper.
Only twenty-two characters can be written on each line of the document; any more than twenty-two characters will be discarded.
The word count is one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four, which is basically within this range. If it is more or less, it will determine the quality of your article.
Such an examination was indeed rigid, but it allowed the examiners at the time to quickly review the papers and the emperor to see them clearly.
As for the palace examination, the emperor has the final say.
A lazy emperor might not bother to care.
The current emperor of Tianqi Kingdom is obviously not such a person. He will definitely conduct random inspections, and the officials below will be even more serious.
The three men wrote furiously all night long, hoping that their efforts would be wasted before the battle.
The letters of these newly-appointed scholars were sent to all parts of the country at full speed.
The three of them must have been sent to Jianmeng Mansion.
Gao Laosi was sent to his home in the city.
Monk Bai was sent to Qingyun Temple.
The two letters from Ji Yuan were given to Dr. Yin and Cai Fenglan.
The rest was sent to Zhengrong County.
The letter sent on April 22nd was rushed to Jianmeng Mansion on the 28th.
When Dr. Yin saw that it was a letter from Ji Yuan, he immediately opened it and read it.
The teachers in the provincial school's research department were also a little worried.
Because they knew that Ji Yuan's last letter had arrived not long ago, in which he expressed his concerns, and judging from the tone, it seemed that this time his concerns were not true.
Although everyone can understand it, after all, this is the first time to take the imperial examination. It would be rare to pass, and it is normal to fail.
But everyone will have a certain degree of regret.
Even still thinking about it.
If a genius like Ji Yuan couldn't pass the exam, who else could pass it?
Are exams nowadays so difficult?
With this mood, Dr. Yin received another letter from Ji Yuan. After a quick calculation, he knew that the letter was sent by express after the results were announced.
That is to say.
The grades are written on this letter?!
After hearing this, the instructors on both sides involuntarily walked over here.
Dr. Yin had already opened the letter. Dr. Yin, who was usually humorous and calm, didn't even notice that his hands were shaking.
And he finally finished reading the letter.
Ji Yuan went straight to the point and talked about his examination results. He then expressed his gratitude to his teacher, thanked Dr. Yin for his teachings, and told some interesting stories about the capital.
The thick letter contains all of Ji Yuan’s thoughts.
Dr. Yin read it from beginning to end and couldn't help wanting to watch it again, but the instructors on both sides were urging him to do so.
"Was it the letter sent after the results were announced?"
"The results are out?! What results!?"
"He's the first in the imperial examination! He's the champion!!!"
This sentence was not said by Dr. Yin, and everyone looked over subconsciously.
I saw the provincial school's academician coming from nowhere, and he also had a letter in his hand.
This is not surprising, as the letters coming from the capital are probably from the same batch.
After seeing the letter, the academician will definitely come over as soon as possible.
Wait a minute.
What did the academic administrator say?!
Did they hear it right?!
Dr. Yin also tried to suppress his excitement, but still couldn't control himself: "Ji Yuan got first place in the exam."
"He was the first in the exam."
The entire research and study center was suddenly quiet, and then suddenly there was a ripple.
Did they hear it right?!
The first of the era?!
How old is he?!
Is this his first time taking the exam? !
This is the first one?!
"Didn't he write to me two days ago saying that he might not make it?"
“Are there any articles about him?!”
"Oh my god, is that true?! Doesn't that mean he won two prizes in a row?!"
"More than that, it's clearly five yuan! Have you forgotten his reputation as a little three yuan?!"
yes.
He has been ranked first since the beginning of the Jiyuan Children's Examination.
At that time, people called me Xiao Sanyuan.
Now he is first in the provincial examination and first in the metropolitan examination.
The only thing left is the palace examination?!
If I get first place in the palace examination.
In that era, he was the first person in the entire Jianmeng Mansion to win three top honors in the imperial examination!
All the teachers covered their chests and felt their hearts beating rapidly.
Especially the teachers who taught Ji Yuan, they felt that they could not stand steadily.
How is that possible.
How is that possible?
But that was the era.
There is no need to say much about how smart Ji Yuan is.
The key is that such talented students work hard, even many times harder than others.
"Terrible genius."
"Era, Era is number one."
The first place in the provincial examination is the first place in the province.
He ranked first in the imperial examination, the first in the country.
Needless to say, these are of great value.
The academic officials were extremely excited and even patted Dr. Yin on the shoulder: "Master Yin, the students you taught are very good."
"It seems that the reform of the prefectural school you proposed earlier can be implemented. With students like you, I don't think anyone would dare to disobey you."
Yin Zhangyin nodded, his eyes filled with excitement.
After this year, he has been wanting to reform the Jianmeng Prefecture School, at least to learn from Zhengrong County.
No, Zhengrong County has too few resources, and the Six Arts of a Gentleman, now known as auxiliary subjects, cannot be developed at all.
But the provincial schools are different.
You have to read books, but you can't abandon these six arts.
However, these words were scoffed at by many people.
The academician supported him, not only because his own performance in the imperial examination was not bad, but also because of Ji Yuan.
Whether Ji Yuan gave the academician a painting or firmly stated that he was his student, he wanted to let the academician know that Ji Yuan supported Dr. Yin.
This time, the letter announcing the good news was written only to him from all over the prefecture.
As for him?
He can teach students to get first place in the provincial examination and the imperial examination.
Is it not possible to reform a provincial school? !
What the academician said is very true.
From now on, let’s see who dares to disobey.
His students are nice.
Very good.
Dr. Yin was also really happy for Ji Yuan.
Jiyuan’s efforts are worth it.
Dr. Yin took a deep breath and said, "Today is April 28th. If nothing unexpected happens, Ji Yuan should be taking the palace examination."
"If nothing unexpected happens in the palace examination, there is a high probability that I will pass the three top prizes."
"No, six yuan."
Having said that, Dr. Yin still tried to tone down the matter: "But it's great to have such a result."
"When the imperial court selects the top scholar, it tends to prefer students from Beijing or the Imperial College."
"We are the ones who built the Meng Mansion in Ji Yuan, so we may not have an advantage."
Dr. Yin is absolutely right.
The terms "Beijing student" and "Imperial College student" are actually a bit euphemistic.
The people the court is willing to appoint must be people they are familiar with.
For example, the imperial concubine's nephew and the son of the Left Vice Minister of Works.
One is to know the person's background, and the other is to save face.
Although the names on the palace examination papers were covered, they were not copied.
The candidates' handwriting is clearly visible.
It’s too simple to decide who the emperor wants to favor.
The teachers in the Research Department of Jianmeng Mansion sighed. How could they not know this?
I just hope that the knowledge of era t is powerful enough to crush them all.
That's all right.
But they were still curious about how Ji Yuan wrote his essay in the imperial examination.
He actually crushed everyone and won first place?
Unfortunately, the test paper has to wait and cannot be obtained for the time being.
The academician walked around twice in excitement, and then he looked at Dr. Yin and said, "Seal holder Yin, pack up and go to the government office to see the prefect. The prefect will be very happy to hear this news."
This is to announce the good news.
It also carries Yin's seal.
Everyone looked at Yin Zhangyin with envy.
It seems that Yin Zhangyin's future is also bright.
Why don’t they have such good students!
What a pity!
At this time in the capital, inside the Fengtian Hall of the Imperial Palace.
Just as Dr. Yin said, the palace examination has already begun.
As mentioned before, the biggest difference between the palace examination and other examinations is that it is presided over by the emperor, so the real chief examiner cannot be called that and should be called the paper reader.
This year's examiners were Lord Sun, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, cabinet minister Li Shoufu, and other officials from the six ministries.
Everything that should be avoided has definitely been avoided here.
For example, the father of Song Liuqun, who ranked second in the imperial examination, would definitely not be among them.
But it must be said that Song Liuqun, who ranked second in the examination, and Xie Zhifu, the nephew of the imperial concubine, who ranked third, were both students of the Imperial College.
The chief academic officer of the Imperial College was their principal.
All I can say is that Dr. Yin’s concerns are indeed justified.
At that time, Dr. Luo wanted Ji Yuan to study at the Imperial College for a reason.
Early morning of April 28th.
The emperor personally came to the Fengtian Hall, and first all the civil and military officials wore official uniforms and kowtowed in obeisance.
Then, they stood on both sides as they did when attending court.
After the officials from the Ministry of Rites gave their nod, the candidate who ranked first in the joint examination led the remaining 169 candidates, as well as those who had not taken the palace examination in previous years, into the Danchi in front of the Fengtian Hall.
That is, on the red platform in front of the Fengtian Hall.
Ji Yuan and others were wearing official uniforms and could not look up. Everyone stood in line, waiting for the emperor to speak.
Civil and military officials were still discussing matters in the palace.
However, most of the discussions today were light-hearted and simple, or they were discussing what policy topics should be proposed today.
Overall, the atmosphere was not tense.
After all, I can come to the palace examination.
From now on we will basically be colleagues.
Although the civil and military officials in the palace always felt like they were looking at college graduates when they looked at these new scholars.
A kind of clear stupidity came over me.
But more people are still curious about Huiyuan standing in the front.
Huiyuan, who was less than fifteen years old, was still a child from a poor family.
No matter which aspect you look at, it is eye-catching.
But I heard that this president was extremely handsome and did look quite impressive from a distance.
If you didn't tell me, I would have thought he was a young master from some wealthy family.
But this time Yuan had a steady temperament and lowered his head slightly, which made him appear respectful and polite, and also showed that he was neither humble nor arrogant. Apart from anything else, his aura alone was enough to satisfy the emperor.
The top scholar of their Tianqi country should look like this.
As for the others, they were just itching to watch.
Especially the imperial concubine's brother and Lord Song from the Ministry of Works.
There's nothing you can do about it. As soon as Ji Yuan appeared, he surpassed the others.
Since Ji Yuan is young, he must be taller than the older ones, right?
He is not short, about five or six feet tall.
Even because of her youth, her face alone is more attractive than the latter two.
Face is also very important.
The chief examiner of the imperial examination, Chu Daxueshi, even deliberately said, "Your Majesty, I heard that the first place in this year's imperial examination was a junior third place in the child examination."
"He also ranked first in the provincial examination in Jianmeng Mansion."
Ji Yuan ranked first in the provincial examination of Jianmeng Prefecture last year, so this is not difficult to find out.
Many people already know this.
But he has always been the first in the children's exam?
How old was he then?
"Eleven years old, a scholar who passed the imperial examination."
Chu Daxueshi added.
Among them, Chief Censor of the Hanlin Academy and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Lord Xu, raised his head.
He is well-known for his dislike of artificial child prodigies.
Logically, he should have said something to stop it.
Everyone thought that when Mr. Chu said this, Mr. Xu would definitely refute it, but unexpectedly he didn't say a word.
Are you saying that he is afraid of Scholar Chu?
This is impossible.
If the emperor is wrong, he will refute it.
So the Emperor also wanted to watch the fun and his eyes turned to Lord Xu.
Lord Xu had no choice but to step out of the group and bow, saying, "I have been in Huayuan for thirty-four years and served as the supervisor of Jianmeng Mansion. I met Ji Yuan at that time and he was a good student."
ah?
There is also this one?
The emperor remembered.
He had just recovered from a serious illness, but he was in a good mood and had plenty of energy.
However, he didn't expect that even Lord Xu would not refute it today. It seemed to be a good sign.
Their lively discussion invisibly brought a lot of hatred to Ji Yuan.
People in Tianqi Kingdom also value perfection.
Ji Yuan has won five yuan in a row. According to the emperor's habit, he will probably make up for it with six yuan.
Besides, Ji Yuan seems to be suitable in every aspect.
But is it really like that?
The emperor looked at Mr. Chu. His words just now had caused Ji Yuan a lot of hatred.
If I really let Ji Yuan win six places in a row and become the final top scorer, this kid's career will not be smooth in the future.
How many people are eyeing the top spot.
The Imperial College also hopes that the top scholar will come from their school.
If it is really good for Ji Yuan, he should not be the first to take the lead.
There is no need to mention five yuan.
The older Scholar Chu gets, the more he likes playing tricks on people.
But they are all his old ministers, so the emperor is too lazy to say more.
As for whether to give Ji Yuan the top spot, it depends on whether he can catch it.
After all, as the emperor, it is impossible for him to read all the answer papers of the palace examination, and the examiner has to pick out three.
The emperor will choose one of these three as the top scholar.
So, Ji Yuan wanted to be the top scholar.
The article must first pass the examination of the examiner before it is qualified to be presented to the emperor.
If the essay for Ji Yuan's palace examination is good enough, then give it to him.
But whether he will be troubled later depends on his ability.
If it's not good enough, maybe he's lucky.
Prime Minister Li frowned. This Chu guy was praising the first place in the imperial examination openly and secretly, and he was almost putting it on the fire.
After the court meeting on April 28th, the emperor raised his hand, and outside the Fengtian Hall, the ceremonial officer led the new scholars to perform the ceremony by bowing five times and kowtow three times.
This was the first time that the newly-appointed Jinshi met the Emperor.
It was also the first time for them to see civil and military officials attend court and the first time to pay homage to the emperor, and everyone was very excited.
The Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple reported that today's morning court session has ended.
The Emperor and all the civil and military officials left the court.
In the open space where the candidates were, the guards set up the tables and chairs used for the imperial examination, and the people from the Ministry of Rites held the test papers, waiting for the exam to begin.
The emperor watched from afar as the examiners performed their duties.
The palace examination is about to begin.
I just saw the scene of all officials attending court, and then I saw them leaving court.
This scene made the new scholars excited.
Will I be able to attend court in the future?
Will I be able to wear such official uniform in the future?
It seems that they are only one step away from becoming the best.
Ji Yuan, who was standing at the front, took his seat, and the others followed one by one.
As the first in the imperial examination, his position is different from others.
Almost all the examiners would pass by him. As soon as the papers were put down, some people would be curious about how Ji Yuan, who ranked first in the examination, would write.
The only question in the palace examination is policy questions.
How should he answer?
This year's palace examination questions were set by the emperor himself.
As for the questions in the palace examination, whether it was the emperor, the civil and military officials, or the examiners, they actually did not have much expectations for the new scholars.
Anyone who has worked in a workplace knows this.
What you learn and what you use at work are basically two different things.
What we learn is very different from the knowledge we actually need to apply.
Therefore, the purpose of the questions is basically to see how their articles are structured and what their ideas are.
Any practical advice?
How can you ask these people who haven't even become officials about something that the court has been arguing about for three months and still can't figure out?
What are you thinking about.
This year's policy questions made the candidates for the palace examination excited when they received the test papers, and then they were sweating profusely.
To find the countermeasures, we must first clearly understand the problem.
And this policy topic is too detailed and closely related to them.
No, it is closely related to the candidates who failed the imperial examination.
Although they have already become Jinshi, their identities and positions have not been changed for the time being, so they can't help but wipe the sweat from their foreheads.
But if Ji Yuan looks carefully, he finds that it is actually related to these Jinshi scholars.
Because the emperor had such a long speech to translate.
The central idea is that today's imperial examination system is a bit rigid. There are so many talented people coming up through the imperial examination every year, and there are only so many good positions, so how should these people be used?
How to use talents is also one of the common topics.
This was also one of the problems faced by the imperial court after the imperial examination system was standardized.
One is that officials are selected based on the knowledge of classics, and what they learn are Confucian principles, but it is hard to say how they can actually do things.
Second, there are too many officials for the annual Tongshi examination, the provincial examination every three years, and the metropolitan examination.
In the village, scholars are considered precious.
It would be fine if they went to the county town, because people in the county town think that the juren are the most powerful, and there are a lot of them in the provincial school.
Now we have arrived in the capital.
Good job.
They are all Jinshi.
Among the civil and military officials in the court, how many are not Jinshi?
The same is true for the martial arts examination.
Now is a time of peace and prosperity.
It would be the same if the martial arts examination was not held.
Why didn't the emperor care? Of course, it was not a critical moment.
Just looking at Wu Renhao's talent, you can tell that the generals don't care much about him.
There are only a few positions. If I care about you, what about my family?
These problems summarized by later generations were not unknown to the people of the time, but they were difficult to solve.
First of all, the imperial examination system is definitely worthy of recognition.
In terms of universal education and fair selection of candidates, we have done relatively well.
The so-called rigidity today is also due to the fact that the imperial examination system completely suppressed other subjects.
If other subjects are given a little more relaxation, such as mathematics, astronomy, and agriculture, they will develop rapidly.
Ji Yuan has great faith in the potential and abilities of teachers in other subjects.
For example, Mr. Gao, who was a mathematics student at the prefectural school, his abilities were completely buried.
Even so, he never stopped his research.
It's like opening up the martial arts examination and providing a stage for Wuying and Wu Renhao.
Giving Master Gao and his people a stage would surely shock the government and the public.
Even the hooligans he didn't like.
Give them a chance, and they may no longer be gangsters, but real professional players.
Is what everyone lacks ability?
No, it's an opportunity.
The era is magnificent, combining modern perspectives, the summary of later generations, and the current situation.
Before I knew it, I almost exceeded the word count.
I had no choice but to refine the article and write it according to the rules of the policy questions.
After finishing it, I even felt like I hadn’t finished it.
When it was time to hand in the paper, Ji Yuan paused.
Today's policy questions were so realistic that he couldn't help but answer them with true feelings.
Let’s talk about the development of the imperial examination system.
Ji Yuan also discovered his own characteristics.
Whenever I take an exam, I always feel full of energy and the more I write, the more excited I become.
But most of the time, the test papers are answered just to meet the test requirements.
No more than ten articles are written from genuine feelings.
Unexpectedly, in the palace examination, the emperor's question also aroused his feelings.
His movements were clearly visible to the people at the highest point.
Seeing that the exam was about to end, they naturally came over.
The Emperor, Prime Minister Li, and Grand Secretary Chu all had different ideas in their minds.
But almost all eyes were on Ji Yuan, and there was admiration in their eyes.
Prime Minister Li glanced at Scholar Chu casually and thought, if you admire him so much, why were you digging a hole just now?
Scholar Chu agreed with a smile. He was very respectful to Prime Minister Li, who was older than him and had a higher rank than him!
Wait a minute.
Prime Minister Li frowned.
Scholar Chu saw that Prime Minister Li understood.
Hey, who wouldn’t want such a good seedling?
But after the results of the imperial examination were announced, no matter how many people went to invite him, he refused to move.
Not only does he know this, the emperor also knows it, otherwise why would he appreciate it so much.
In this case, you still have to use some tricks.
When Ji Yuan knew about seeking asylum, the door of Chu Daxueshi was open to this champion.
Win over the new scholars.
This is what everyone is doing.
Besides, he, the Grand Secretary Chu, only said good things!
Those people had long been dissatisfied with a poor boy becoming the champion, and Lord Chu's few words were just adding fuel to the fire.
Sooner or later Ji Yuan will have to face the jealousy of those people, and sooner or later Ji Yuan will have to find someone to protect him.
But the great scholar Chu brought these things forward.
Before Ji Yuan entered the officialdom, he had already been targeted by the old foxes.
Little do I know whether it is good or bad.
Anyway, one thing is certain.
There probably won’t be too many problems in your career after the era.
What Prime Minister Li wanted was to let the child finish the exam smoothly.
What Chu Daxueshi wanted was to get this child into his camp as soon as possible.
emperor?
The emperor was very excited.
He really thinks that winning three or six prizes in a row is great!
He really hopes that Ji Yuan can be selected into the top three, and it would be best if he could actually be selected.
For the first time, the emperor even felt regretful that he could not directly appoint someone as the top scholar.
It is better to maintain the fairness of the imperial examination.
Looking at Ji Yuan’s actions just now, is there something wrong?
The young eunuch watching from behind couldn't help but envy this year's champion.
Hey, this kid will definitely be promoted in the future.
Even the emperor is so concerned.
Next, it depends on how Ji Yuance performs in answering questions.
The exam time is up.
Around noon, food was delivered from the palace.
According to the rules, it is no longer a pancake, but two fine flour buns per person, plus a serving of soup.
After eating, everyone continued to answer the questions.
It was not until the end of the afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., that the papers were collected one by one by the palace soldiers.
At this point, everyone should put down their pens and breathe a sigh of relief.
The palace examination is over.
An exam that lasted nearly ten years has finally come to an end.
From the Tongshi to the Xiangshi, and then to the Huishi, he now stands at the highest palace examination.
My exam as a student is completely over.
Many candidates felt lost.
Is the exam over?
Is it not good?
That's great, but they've worked so hard for it for so long, and suddenly they're told that it's all over.
This mood is still different.
Under the leadership of officials from the Ministry of Rites.
All the candidates saluted again to the emperor who returned to the palace in the distance.
The palace examination ends here.
All that remains is to wait for the results to come out tomorrow.
The candidates lined up according to the previous team, with the top candidate still standing at the front.
Now that the exam was over, all the candidates were relaxed, as were the officials from the Ministry of Rites who accompanied them.
The official from the Ministry of Rites was also very friendly when he looked at Ji Yuan, and said with a smile: "Our Lord Xu has mentioned you before, maybe we will be colleagues in the future."
There will probably be no problem for Ji Yuan to pass the palace examination.
Just look at his ranking.
Anyway, we will all be observing politics in the future, so we will basically be colleagues.
Ji Yuan replied with a smile.
The harmony between them in front looks completely different in the eyes of the people behind them.
Song Liuqun, who ranked second, has been tossing and turning since the results of the imperial examination were announced.
Xie Zhifu, who came in third, wasn't much better.
I thought one of them would get first place in the examination.
How could a strange young man from a poor family suddenly appear? And he is so young.
Some people even thought bitterly.
It must be that Grand Secretary Chu did this to please the emperor.
That's why they chose a younger one.
genuine talent?
Definitely not!
This thought became more and more intense, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Ji Yuan became ferocious.
This is the first place in the examination!
First in the examination!
They were obviously so close.
But it's useless to say anything more.
The first place in the imperial examination of Jiyuan has been determined.
So we can’t let him take first place in the palace examination.
This top scholar title belongs to them.
In any case, Ji Yuan definitely has no real talent or knowledge, and he will definitely show his weakness in the palace examination.
However, would others deliberately put Ji Yuan’s palace examination essay in the top three because of the emperor’s preference?
If that's true.
The position of the top scholar still belongs to Ji Yuan.
This is the divine will, who can change it?
Doesn't Ji Yuan think that such a win is not glorious enough? !
These speculations intensified, and I even felt extremely aggrieved.
Ji Yuan knew the hostility coming from the rear, and he was no stranger to this hostility.
So don't worry about it.
Finally left the palace.
Most of the candidates breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Song Liuqun and Xie Zhifu stared at Ji Yuan, wanting to ask him how he did in the exam, but were too embarrassed to say more.
Let’s not talk about the article. Ji Yuan went to the palace for the first time, and it was just like any other time?!
Ji Yuan didn't care about these. What kind of result he got after submitting the palace examination paper had nothing to do with them.
It all depends on the judgment of the examiners.
Ji Yuan saw Monk Bai, Gao Laosi, Meng Huawei, and Zhang Jieyuan coming over.
No one dared to say much at the palace gate, but after they were a little further away, they couldn't help but speak out everything they were thinking.
"This palace is too high."
"I was so nervous that my palms were sweaty."
Ji Yuan was listening to them talking when he happened to see Dong Kang. The two of them had greeted each other before.
Dong Kang was also familiar with the people in Jianmeng Mansion. He walked over and patted Ji Yuan on the shoulder: "What's wrong with you? Aren't you nervous at all?!"
The crowd who had just shouted in nervousness looked directly at Ji Yuan.
ah?
Ji Yuan was the first one to attend the meeting, and he wasn't nervous at all?!
Those people at the back were extremely nervous.
The team that just took the palace examination.
Huiyuan stood in the first row, and he was the only one there.
There are five people in each row at the back.
Dong Kang from Dianzhou Prefecture also did very well in the imperial examination, ranking seventh, so he stood in the third row and was able to see the Ji Yuan at the front at a glance.
Meng Huawei, who was ranked twelfth, also nodded. He was standing in the fourth row, not far from Ji Yuan.
While he was extremely nervous, Ji Yuan was still following the people from the Ministry of Rites to perform the rituals and was even able to have conversations with the officials as usual.
Why?
Ji Yuan looked back at the towering imperial palace.
How to say it.
When he was in modern times, he visited many palaces.
At most you have to pay for the ticket.
To put it bluntly, when I was a child, the scenic area was not strictly managed and tourists could still sit on the dragon throne.
As for such a tall and majestic palace, it would make people feel awe, and such a high-rise building would show majesty for no reason?
For ancient people, it might have been an architectural wonder, and thus frightening.
But for modern people, "This scenic spot seems quite beautiful."
After all, they have seen too many real wonders.
Not to mention the long mountain roads and the bridges across rivers and seas, the amazing buildings built to showcase technology have become a part of daily life.
That being the case, he wouldn't be too afraid.
Without fear, there is no tension.
But these could not be explained, so Ji Yuan could only say: "I was only thinking about the palace examination, so I didn't watch it more."
This explanation is reasonable.
"The palace exam is really stressful, and the questions are not easy to answer."
"If we say we should directly reduce the number of candidates admitted to the imperial examination, I feel sorry for my classmates who haven't passed yet. If we say we should increase the number of positions, that's not realistic either."
It's a dilemma anyway.
Everyone discusses these things to relieve tension.
But I guess I won’t be able to sleep well in the next few days.
The palace has started marking the papers now, and the imperial edict will come out tomorrow at noon the day after tomorrow.
Their future prospects and starting point will all depend on these few days.
After the palace examination, everyone had to go back.
Ji Yuan looked around and found that Wuying didn’t come today?
Although Wuying and the others didn't need to come to pick us up, they would come over after every exam and we would all go out for a good meal together.
This is a bit weird.
Fortunately, it was already afternoon and no one had an appetite to eat, so Ji Yuan, Monk Bai and the others went straight back to Shanqin Street.
They ran into Wang Li and his gang of hooligans head-on.
Wang Li and others felt so grief-stricken that they were not in good health.
The expressions on Wu Ying, Wu Renhao, and Liu Jun's faces were indescribable.
Wu Ying said directly: "The Cuju team is disbanded."
Disbanded?
This is a good thing.
"What about your official positions?" Ji Yuan asked.
"The battalion commander will also make arrangements. He said that as long as you are willing to be a patrol guard, there will still be a position, but the monthly salary is average."
This is not a big problem. The three of them are very happy to be able to do their work.
The key point is.
"The Cuju team asked us to move out within five days because they still have use for this house." Liu Jun took a deep breath.
house?
Ji Yuan looked at the house where Wuying and his family lived.
Monk Gao Sibai also thought of this: "This is the house rented to you by the Cuju team, so if the Cuju team is gone, you can take it back too?!"
This, this is normal.
But where do they live?
Only five days left!
The time given is too tight.
Even Ji Yuan was dumbfounded.
Who could have imagined that the three military candidates, three Jinshi candidates, and even the Jinshi candidate who had just finished the palace examination, would end up on the streets in just five days!
Gao Laosi didn't know what he was thinking of, and patted Ji Yuan's shoulder heavily: "I can only rely on you."
?
he?
"I heard that if you become the top scholar, the emperor may grant you a mansion."
"We are all depending on you."
???
You should have said it earlier!
Let’s talk about it after the palace examination?!
Ji Yuan was joking, of course.
There was nothing he could do before the exam.
Whether or not one can become the top scholar is not up to him.
"Let's find a house in five days, or move far away."
Shanqin Street is very close to the inner city. If they are asked to rent it at normal prices, they definitely can't afford it. Let's look outside.
It’s just a longer commute, they can do it.
No one could have imagined that Huiyuan's first thing after taking the palace examination was to find a house!
Of course, if he wanted help, many people in the capital would be happy to help.
But everything has a price. Rather than owing favors to others, it is better to commute farther.
Wuying Jiyuan and the other person went out to look for a house, while the others packed up their belongings.
Five days is really short for moving.
Not to mention that in the next few days, Ji Yuan and the others still have to wait for the results of the palace examination to come out.
Inside the palace at this moment.
The marking of the palace examination is in progress.
There are a total of 170 new Jinshi this year, and 37 people who did not take the palace examination in previous years.
The test papers of these 207 people were all received by the sealing officer.
They are responsible for sealing the personal information of these candidates, as well as the information of three generations, and also shuffling the order so that no one can see the pattern.
The palace examination only requires covering one's name and does not require copying, so this job is much easier.
The officials were busy and the candidates could only wait.
After all the names were sealed, the test papers were sent to the four examiners in the East Pavilion.
The paper reader of the palace examination is the general term for the chief examiner and the paper grader.
The four examiners read the articles one by one at a very fast speed.
After all, whether it is the chief academic officer of the Imperial College or other officials of the Hanlin Academy, they are all very familiar with articles. They can tell the quality of an article of less than 2,000 words by just glancing at it.
They first found the top 35 articles based on their quality, and then selected the top three best ones among these 35.
The top three will be presented to the emperor on the morning of April 30th.
As for who these three people are?
Most people don’t know.
Even if one originally ranked first in the imperial examination, if his policy essay is not good, he might not be able to make it into the top three.
The three articles presented to the emperor must be unanimously agreed upon by all the examiners before they can be sent.
These examiners were not dominated by the chief priest alone, and all of them dared to express different opinions.
This can also be seen from here.
I want to really hit the jackpot.
It’s really not that simple.
The article will conquer almost everyone.
Only three were picked out from hundreds of similar articles.
These three are the articles that ranked first.
Who can be sure that their article is in there?
The essays of students who can pass the exam today are not bad.
But in the selection of the palace examination, a slight mistake can lead to a huge mistake.
If you are not careful, you will fall from first class to second class.
Or it may drop directly from the second place to the third place.
Although you cannot see all these operations, you are clear about the process.
All your hard work, and the hard study at night, are included in this thin piece of paper.
After marking the papers on April 29th.
Several examiners finally completed their task.
During the morning court session on April 30, the top three essays were submitted to the court.
The emperor looked at the three papers, wondering if the student he was thinking of was among them.
It's good to be here.
If he is not here, it is because he is not knowledgeable enough, so there is nothing to regret.
The emperor nodded slightly. The prince had already come out of the Imperial Ancestral Temple today. The emperor said, "Prince, please help me listen and see which one is the most suitable to be selected as the top scholar."
This is the last item of the palace examination.
From more than 200 palace examination essays, the best three were selected.
These three copies are read personally by the examiner.
The occasion for reading it depended on the emperor's mood. Some would be read after returning to the Qinzheng Hall, while others would be read directly at the court meeting.
The prince bowed and agreed. The prince of Tianqi Kingdom was 29 years old this year. His two brothers died young. He was the last son of the late queen. Now as the eldest son, it was also legitimate.
All the civil and military officials in the court listened attentively.
Let’s see how the students who took the examination this year performed.
Among them, the imperial concubine's brother, Uncle Xie, and Lord Song, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, were the most nervous.
Both of their sons passed the palace examination.
I don’t know if they are included in these three articles.
I don’t even know if any of these three include the Huiyuan Era.
If the former is available, that would be best.
If the latter?
That's really a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.
Just as Chu Daxueshi was about to say something else, Prime Minister Li glared at him and he had to step back.
As soon as his old rival opened his eyes, Prime Minister Li knew that the other party was not holding back his fart.
He must be trying to attract hatred to that student again.
Although Prime Minister Li had little contact with the student, he couldn't bear to see him doing such harm to others.
Suppress first and then win them over, be a human being.
Over there, the examiner in charge of the palace examination had already started.
There is no particular order for these three documents; officials will read whichever one the emperor points to.
After reading the first article, everyone praised it, saying that the article was smooth and the wording was elegant, which was very good.
Uncle Xie was secretly proud.
This is his son's.
His expression was seen by everyone.
After reading the second article, the officials also praised it highly.
Since he has passed the exam to this point, his writing must be good.
And this article was written by Song Liuqun, the son of Mr. Song from the Ministry of Works.
The Emperor showed no expression, and the Prince didn't seem to be interested either.
The last one.
Was this article written during the first era of the imperial examination?
In the era, I won the first place in Liyuan and the first place in Huiyuan. It’s impossible that my essays are still in the top three, right?
He is really not nervous to take part in the palace examination at such a young age? Can he really maintain his level?
And this volume is read once.
The prince raised his head slightly, his eyes brightening.
The opening of this policy essay naturally follows the normal format.
When it came to the main text, Han Fei Zi's words were used directly.
He said: "When times change, things change. When things change, be prepared for change."
What this means is that times have changed and there must be corresponding changes and preventive measures.
This statement is used at the beginning, and then the article goes on to talk about the development of the imperial examination system and how much it has been improved in this dynasty.
These were originally words of praise, yet they took up very little space, and at the same time pointed out the flaws in the emperor's test questions.
Then, the article is divided into two parts, one part talks about letting things develop, and the other part talks about the possible changes that may result.
Finally, looking at the overall situation, analyze the pros and cons of the changes in the imperial examination system.
An article should be well-reasoned and based on facts. It should not show off one's literary talent or individuality. It should only state facts, principles and opinions.
The quotations from ancient sages are also very good. Even if they are quotations, they are also used to support one's own point of view.
Many of the words are concise and plain, striving to be easy to understand and absolutely not mysterious.
Any suggestions?
I have given it, and the suggestion is not big, it is the kind that can really be implemented.
Want to shake up the situation? But he doesn't have such a big idea, he just tells the story in a leisurely manner, showing the author's extraordinary foresight.
This question is answered very well.
The emperor nodded slightly, and the prince said: "This article is detailed, without any extra words or redundant meanings, and it has some feasible points."
"It's actually a good strategy."
Although the prince just returned to court today, how could he not know about the imperial examination?
But such an article could not possibly be written by a child under the age of fifteen?
The emperor means the same thing.
But no matter who wrote this policy paper, he would choose this person as the top scholar.
What?
Winning three or six prizes in a row sounds great, right?
No matter how good it sounds, it cannot compare to such articles and such good strategies.
The emperor thought to himself: "This is not bad. I can keep the child prodigy by my side and train him slowly. Such a talented person can directly become an official."
Not bad, not bad, double happiness.
"This person is nominated as the top scorer in this year's exam." said the emperor.
As for Uncle Xie and Lord Song standing next to them, they felt a chill in their hearts when they heard the last article.
They really can't compare to this.
Could one have written such a sophisticated style if he had not been an official for more than ten years?
Of course, they still felt a little relieved.
It’s okay as long as it’s not that era. It seems that Jiyuan didn’t even make it into the first class, and the glory of Huiyuan is only temporary.
Prime Minister Li and Lord Chu were also slightly disappointed.
After selecting the top scholar, the emperor did not care who would be the second and third place, and he just assigned them at will.
"Come, open the envelope and let me see who this year's top scholar is."
Until now, even the emperor cannot see the names of candidates in advance, of course for the sake of fairness.
The officer who opened the envelope hurried forward and carefully opened the name of this year's top scorer.
The name on it made the unpacking officer gasp.
era.
Another era.
Still an era.
How could it be him? !
As the first person to see the name, the official who opened the envelope should immediately hand over Ji Yuan's test paper.
But he was completely stunned, and even took a quick look at Ji Yuan's three generations of origin.
It's that era.
It was the era when the first place in the imperial examination was ranked first.
ah?
Less than fifteen years old, this article is so sophisticated?!
The unsealing officer even read the Epoch Times article again.
Wait, the words in this article can also be considered the best, right?
"What's wrong?" The emperor was a little confused.
The opening officer looked up, his voice tinged with disbelief, and hurried forward with the article in his hand.
The emperor was also dumbfounded.
It’s him, it’s Ji Yuan!
Ji Yuan is the top scorer in this exam!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
