Chapter 94
Chapter 94
The second question comes from Mencius.
King Wen treated his people as if they were his own wounds.
King Wen of Zhou treated the people with the same patience and care as he would treat the injured.
There is not much to say about the context of this chapter, except that Mencius gave a lot of examples.
We should learn from Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu and so on.
In short, the way to be a king should be learned from previous kings.
Why do we have to learn from those who came before us?
Ji Yuan answered directly: "It is enough to keep the people and the Tao in mind."
As long as you care about the people and morality in your heart, that's enough!
"Look at the Kang Gongfu, who has achieved his goal, and the beauty of the subtle and virtuous, who loves the gentle and respectful. Isn't the Dao in the body already flourishing?"①
Seeing the fields and roads in good repair, it would be great if this could become a regular practice in the future.
To comfort the people without slacking off, isn't this the Holy Way?
Later on, it also said that we should learn from King Wen as well as the ancient sages. It then went on to say that as long as we treat the people well and our hearts remain unchanged towards them, we can be on par with King Wen.
If a Confucian who "believes in and loves antiquity" reads this article from Epoch Times, he can basically start cursing at them.
The third question, which is also the last question of the Four Books, comes from the Analects of Confucius.
The title is: "Serving the King Can Be Successful."
This question was not among Ji Yuan's predicted questions, but it was also this question that made him want to roll his eyes at the first question.
Serving the lord is a way of achieving success. This has been mentioned before and is the principle that Confucius believed in.
The general meaning is that one can sacrifice one's life to serve the monarch.
Ji Yuantong looked at all the questions and was speechless after the first one.
Anyway, I have answered the first two questions in the same way, so if I don’t let go for the third question, I will lose out.
Of course, a straightforward war of words is definitely inappropriate.
Although Ji Yuan is the only one in the family, he doesn't want to reincarnate directly.
So the first sentence is: "If a minister follows the example of his ruler, he can see the full extent of ethics."②
That is to say, if a minister can die for the emperor, he has fulfilled the ethical obligations.
When people in later generations talk about human relations, they think it refers to the relationship between relatives. In fact, the relationship between the ruler and the subject is also one of the human relations.
This sentence was said by Zixia, one of Confucius' disciples.
Ji Yuan continued praising Zixia, but then changed his tone to: "I don't care about my own advancement or retreat, but I will devote myself to whatever can benefit the king."③
Regardless of their own promotion, ministers should care about the safety of the country, even at the cost of their own death.
He then went on to say that as a subject, it was his duty to discuss state affairs with the monarch, and he would have no regrets even if he died for it.
From loyalty to the emperor, it was changed to loyalty to the country.
Is there anything wrong?
Of course that's right.
However, it is a far cry from the flattery that the questioner wants to hear.
After finishing the four books and three questions of Ji Yuan, I felt hungry.
Looking at the front of the table, the pancakes and meat sauce distributed at noon were neatly placed.
He started writing the article at noon.
I actually wrote until the afternoon?
I started writing around eight or nine in the morning and continued until two or three in the afternoon, only stopping when I finished writing the topics of the four books?
Ji Yuan took a bite of the pancake and didn't touch the meat sauce next to it to avoid getting an upset stomach.
While Ji Yuan was eating, he was flipping through the Five Classics with his other hand.
The questions on the Five Classics are finally normal.
It seems that only the titles of the Four Books are a bit strange.
After Ji Yuan finished his meal, he read the article again.
Yes, no big problem.
In fact, with some articles, the more you study, the angrier you will get.
It’s like an article is insulting people, but it uses a language you don’t understand. Would you be angry?
Most likely not.
Because I can't understand it.
But if you understand it, you will inevitably feel a little unhappy.
Fortunately, although Ji Yuan wrote down what he was thinking, it was not too out of the ordinary. At most, he did not answer according to the questioner's idea.
Furthermore, he did not deviate from the topic and his answers were still within the framework.
As for whether the person who set the question would mind, Ji Yuan paused.
Forget it, just close your eyes and hand in the paper.
He has already finished writing, he can't tear it up again.
Ji Yuan slowly finished his bread, then went on to eat the dried meat and fruits he had brought with him.
The guards nearby all thought this student was interesting.
He first concentrated on writing, and then began to eat slowly after finishing.
Then, then fell asleep?!
Ji Yuan took a nap at noon, got up to exercise, ate something, and then continued to sleep.
It is a bit tiring to write articles with true feelings.
Fortunately, on the second day of the examination, I was still full of energy.
Ji Yuan even shook his head, putting aside yesterday's "irrationality".
Today you are writing a topic on the Five Classics. You have to choose one or two from five. No matter which topic you choose, it is normal.
Ji Yuan breathed a sigh of relief again.
Faced with this kind of "normal" question, he can also be normal.
The first exam lasted three days.
There are four questions in total for the Five Classics, which can be written over two days. One reason is that you can think about the article, and the other is that it allows time to pass faster.
When talking about writing articles, Ji Yuan thought of the eight-legged essay of later generations.
It has to be said that the eight-legged essay does have its merits.
Fortunately, the Tianqi Kingdom is not forcing it, otherwise his article yesterday would be invalid and useless.
Ji Yuan felt he had plenty of time to write four articles of 800 to 1,000 words in two days.
And he is a person who becomes more energetic the more he writes when he faces a big exam.
I thought that since I had plenty of time, I might as well polish the articles on the Five Classics.
It can also make up for the previous release.
Before writing, Ji Yuan decided on the format.
Although it is not written strictly according to the eight-legged essay, the introduction and the development of the topic should be determined first.
There is naturally a reason why the eight-legged essay became popular.
The strict structural form and prescribed ideas are just a framework, but the person who can write it is definitely a genius.
Ji Yuan followed this line of thinking, keeping his own ideas consistent, and then polished and concisely prepared clear language.
This is how it goes step by step.
Without talking about the content of this article, just looking at the wording it is superior to others.
When Ji Yuan was taking the Tongshi exam, Director Guo mentioned the eight-legged essay. There were some signs of this at the time. Now, three or four years have passed, and there are more and more such essays on the market.
But if we talk about how well it is written, we have to look at Ji Yuan's work.
It was not difficult for Ji Yuan to polish four articles in two days, and he even felt that he enjoyed it.
During these days, someone took care of his eating and drinking, so he just had to immerse himself in his articles.
The first three days of the imperial examination passed quickly.
Everyone in the examination room was visibly depressed.
There is no way, this is an imperial examination, an opportunity to rise to fame overnight.
And everyone said that as long as you pass the provincial examination, there will be basically no problem with the final palace examination.
The palace examination mainly tests policy essays, and candidates are ranked directly after the test, so no one will fail.
If you must compare.
It is somewhat like the last test in the Tongshi exam.
As long as you pass the provincial examination, you will have no problem with the academy examination.
Up to this point, as long as you pass the joint examination, there will basically be no surprises in the palace examination.
The second exam starts on April 11th.
If it were before, everyone would be very relaxed about this exam.
However, in recent years, the imperial court has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the three subjects, forcing the candidates to answer the questions seriously.
But to be honest, the emphasis on the three tests is a requirement for the examiners, that is, the examiners.
However, the candidates were much more relaxed because they knew that the examiners would not pay much attention to the last two test papers.
The second test was about applied writing and legal judgments. These questions had no standard answers, no objective requirements, and no unified standards. It all depended on the individual performance of the candidates.
Ji Yuan still wrote fluently, and he wrote carefully no matter what the examiner thought.
There are nine questions in total, which are divided into two days.
By the second day of the second exam, the floor in the dormitory was completely dry.
There was a gentle, warm spring sun outside, which felt very comfortable on the body and brought with it a gentle breeze.
He was the first student to feel the gentle breeze coming from this vent.
The third exam has a total of five questions and lasts for one day.
The papers are distributed in the morning and collected in the afternoon.
These questions couldn’t be more normal.
Even the sunlight was better that day, making people feel very energetic.
It seems that Haruhi has really arrived.
On the evening of April 14, the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, which had been closed for six days, opened.
The people who were watching and welcoming people outside looked over subconsciously.
The gate of the Imperial Examination Hall is opened!
The candidates are coming out!
The ceremonial music team beat the drums, and as the first student left the examination room, the music became louder and louder, all to serve as a foil for the examinees.
When Ji Yuan walked out, he looked around.
What's going on.
He seemed to be the first one to come out?!
Ji Yuan handed in his paper quickly and his seat was close to the door, so he was the first one to leave without noticing.
"era!"
"here!"
Wuying and the others waved their hands, also happy that Jiyuan had finished the exam: "You are the first one to finish!"
All the onlookers looked over and saw that the young man walking over had a handsome face, a dignified look, and clear brows.
What a handsome young gentleman.
Wait a minute.
Be able to get out of this examination hall.
At least he is a juren, right? !
This scholar is not even 20 years old, right? !
Juren? !
Whose good boy is this!
"Jiyuan." Cheng Yisan, who also came to watch the fun, felt that the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember it.
When she returned home, her father remembered: "Remember that you have a distant cousin who is a teacher in the county town under Jianmeng Mansion? You are his student."
There was no way. When he wrote to his cousin, his cousin would mention this student whenever he had nothing to do.
It turns out that he came here to take the imperial examination this year.
At this time, at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, the eyes looking at Ji Yuan were extremely enthusiastic.
Someone familiar with the capital said: "He is not from the capital. If there is such a man in the capital, how could we not know about him?"
That's true, there are only a few people who can be counted.
With Ji Yuan's looks, fame and knowledge, if he were in the capital, he would have joined some poetry and literature club and become a talented gentleman.
Looking at him again, he seemed relaxed and natural, unlike the other candidates.
It's really good.
Since you are not from Beijing.
Which big family might he be from?
Which big family has the surname Ji?
Could they be from a poor background, or a newly emerged clan in Yunnan and Guizhou?
Everyone thought about it, but no one could figure out who this person was.
The students who came out later diverted their attention again.
Seeing the large number of students leaving the Imperial Examination Hall, everyone knew that the examination was truly over.
More and more people came to see the candidates. Cheng Yisan and her maid were worried about danger, so they simply got on the carriage and went home.
Cheng Yisan was even more curious about the upcoming marking of the papers and the "Examination Records" that would be selected for printing. She wanted to see what this year's exam would be like and whether there would be any that were not up to their reputation.
If her article was included, how many places would she have gotten?
"Let's go home."
A voice came from the carriage, Ji Yuan looked over subconsciously, and felt that he had heard that voice before.
But he was quickly pulled back by Wuying and the others: "How is it? After six days of exams, how do you feel?"
"I was taking the military exam and I only did one day's worth of questions. I couldn't sit still at all."
Wu Renhao also nodded.
He too thought it would be better to let him go out and swing a hammer.
Liu Jun also said: "After finishing the test, you can't move. If you move, it will be invalid. Who can do that?"
Their civil service exam lasted for six days and six nights, which was really scary.
Following the monk Bai, Gao Laosi and the others were extremely excited.
The two of them looked at Ji Yuan, as if they had countless things to say.
that.
The topic of the prediction?!
You bet so accurately.
Ji Yuan had forgotten about this.
He did predict the questions before the exam, but he did it casually and did not take it seriously.
And this time, the topic was indeed predicted correctly.
Monk Bai and Gao Laosi also knew the seriousness of the matter, so they naturally wouldn't say a word more.
Even the books with the key points marked at that time were burned, which shows how cautious they were.
Until they returned to their residence, away from other people, and there were only three of them.
Ji Yuan said first: "Lucky, this incident will be treated as if it never happened."
The two of them nodded without hesitation.
Okay, let’s just pretend it never happened.
The main interests involved are really different.
But they have already remembered this kindness in their hearts, and no matter what their ranking is in this examination, they will be grateful to Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan actually breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.
Not to mention that both Monk Bai and Old Fourth Gao are cautious people. If there is anything that cannot be said under normal circumstances, they will definitely not say a single word more.
Furthermore, the questions for the first examination of this year's joint examination were even made up on the spot.
In this case, even if he told others, he wouldn't be in trouble.
But being noticed is unavoidable.
Ji Yuan thought it was better to have less trouble than more, so he simply didn't mention it.
Gao Laosi and Monk Bai have great admiration for Ji Yuan.
There was even a feeling that they would agree to whatever Ji Yuan wanted to do.
After the two of them went to rest, Ji Yuan also returned to the room.
He did not go to bed immediately. Instead, he opened the window, spread out the rice paper, and slowly painted a picture.
From coming to the capital to taking the imperial examination.
He was full of thoughts.
And is he a little impetuous?
Everything went so smoothly.
It was easy enough to get him to talk a lot more.
Last time, after he marked the key points, he burned the book, and he still hasn't come to his senses.
Now that the two of them were looking at him excitedly outside the examination room, Ji Yuan finally realized what he had done.
It’s not that you can’t say it, but once you say it, you have to take it seriously.
For example, after he gave instructions today, the matter was finally over.
Furthermore, Ji Yuan thought of his literary skills on the three questions of the Four Books.
How to say it.
Those examiners were well-read, so they would definitely see through his little tricks at a glance.
In other words, it cannot be seen when they are separated.
Once it becomes coherent.
You can definitely see the clues.
He still overestimated himself.
Ji Yuan sighed and buried himself in the quilt.
Why couldn't I help it?
Are you drifting?
Ji Yuan sat up again and finished practicing the big characters he was supposed to write today.
After writing the hundred words, Ji Yuan's heart slowly sank.
Regardless of the test results.
He could accept it all.
Next, he still needs to be cautious.
Ji Yuan looked at the night sky, thinking about something, and finally fell into a deep sleep.
Who cares? He’s finished the exam anyway.
There's no point in thinking more.
Ji Yuan has finished the exam.
But the Gongyuan that was locked again was different.
The closed isolation for the examiners behind the curtain has officially begun.
Before the students started taking the exam, the examiners in charge of marking the papers were also in the Imperial College, naturally to prevent cheating communication.
After six days and six nights, the candidates finished their exams and the examiners began to get really busy.
There are many kinds of examiners, except the chief examiner who is responsible for everything.
The examiners who have been patrolling and setting questions can now take a rest.
Of course, you still can’t leave the Imperial Examination Hall.
The next people to be busy are the examiners.
When the examiner came over, he looked a little depressed.
Chu Daxueshi sighed: "Busy, busy, busy, this is only half of the work, the real busyness is about to begin."
After saying this, he went to the Sutra Distribution Room.
He had just come from the place where he was copying the anonymous papers. The students' test papers had finally been copied, and the next step was to sort them out.
The Four Books are easy to talk about.
In the Five Classics, each person takes exams on different subjects, and the papers are graded separately.
Scholar Chu had been in charge of the imperial examinations before, and had even served as a steward, so he was very clear about everyone's responsibilities.
If there is anything that is not understood, he can answer it immediately.
What?
Aren't these people his?
It's already this late, the job must be done first.
He likes to make things difficult for people, but that doesn't mean he wants to mess up the examination.
The process of marking papers is really important.
When reading the two classics, "Spring and Autumn Annals" and "Book of Rites", Chu Daxueshi nodded to the two old officials and said, "I am short of people to help me with this book. Thank you for your help."
The old official in charge of reviewing the Book of Rites was even a fellow townsman of Chu University Scholar.
As for why this is said to be an isolated scripture?
There are really too few people learning this.
The two old officials thanked the Grand Secretary and waited for the examinee's papers to be delivered.
They basically have to read overnight in order to finish grading before April 21st.
On the afternoon of the 21st, the top 30 articles must be delivered to the emperor for selection, regardless of whether the emperor reads them or not.
It’s true that there was no such rule before, but the current emperor of Tianqi is well-versed in literature, so he added this rule.
Anyway, they have to wait for news from the palace before they can announce the results smoothly on the morning of the 22nd.
The chief examiner and officials from the Ministry of Rites were looking back and forth in several scripture rooms.
If the examiners disagree, the chief examiner will also make the decision.
The workload of the examiner is shocking enough.
The amount of papers that examiners have to mark is even more exaggerated.
This year, there are more than 3,900 candidates.
There are 12,000 test papers in total, and the total number of questions is at least 70,000 or 80,000.
These less than 20 examiners have to review more than 70 papers and about 450 questions every day.
Just look at the quantity.
You will know what it feels like to vomit from reading papers.
According to what some examiners said before, it is probably: "Do your best during the day and work hard until noon at night."
Do your best during the day and keep fighting with candles at night!
In the tea room, extremely strong tea is continuously delivered, as long as one is in high spirits, it's fine!
After working continuously for six days, many officials were exhausted.
With so many test papers, it is necessary to evaluate the quality and write comments on each question.
Therefore, many officials even wanted to avoid being examiners.
After reading to the end, Chu Daxueshi took a sip of tea and said, "Continue."
Candidates are suffering outside the examination room, and examiners are suffering inside the examination room.
I couldn't tell which one was scarier.
The imperial examination is finally over, and even the most hard-working students will come out for a walk at this moment.
After all, this is their most important exam.
Besides, since you have come to the capital, how can you say you have been there if you don’t take a walk around the city?
The capital city was more prosperous than Jianmeng Mansion, and the clothes worn by pedestrians on the street were also better.
The shops in the streets and alleys are crowded with people.
Ji Yuan and his companions also found a bookstore in the outer city, where the paper prices were obviously much cheaper.
This is also where many poor students and even poor officials settle down.
Things in Beijing are expensive.
The closer you are to the inner city, the more expensive it is.
Ji Yuan also went to taste the delicacies of the capital. Many of the things came from the palace and were indeed quite delicious.
However, Ji Yuan and his friends saw an unexpected person.
It was Monk Bai who saw it first, and his tone was full of surprise: "Ji Yuan, look."
Ji Yuan looked in the direction that Monk Bai pointed.
He was a middle-aged man in his forties. The fabric of his clothes was very good, but the style was what a butler often wore.
They know this person.
Ji Yuan was even grateful to him.
If his family had not bought his own paintings, how could he have given money to Master Zhao for his retirement, and he would not have been so calm when coming to the capital to take the exam.
This person was none other than Yun Guiren, who had bought Ji Yuan's "Imperial Examination Scenes" on the calligraphy and painting street in Jianmeng Prefecture.
He followed behind a young man. The young man had a dark skin and his clothes were better than those of the butler. The colors were particularly bright, which did not seem to be the style of the capital.
The exquisiteness of its printing and dyeing makes it look like the work of Dianzhou Prefecture.
I wouldn't sell my paintings to this company, would I?
Four thousand taels of silver!
Ji Yuan looked at the other person with some gratitude.
The other person also happened to look over, and when he saw Ji Yuan for the first time, he asked, "The first student to come out of the examination room?"
The young man naturally didn't know, it was the housekeeper who told him.
The housekeeper had some impression of Ji Yuan. He had heard of Ji Yuan when he went to Jianmeng Mansion to do business before. Besides, Ji Yuan stood out from the crowd in the calligraphy and painting competition arena, so he must have seen him.
Furthermore, when the butler was waiting for his young master to come out of the examination room two days ago, he saw Ji Yuan again and heard others discussing him.
In this situation, I must tell the young master.
The other party became enthusiastic and took the initiative to greet Ji Yuan.
Why?
Because they belong to the third category of candidates.
The first category of candidates from the Imperial College in the capital.
The second type is candidates with family background and rich family heritage.
The third category is candidates from remote areas.
This candidate from Dianzhou Prefecture directly treated Ji Yuan as his own.
Furthermore, he had heard from the housekeeper about Ji Yuan’s reputation in Jianmeng Mansion. Now that he had met him, he must make friends with him.
It's not surprising that the two sides met.
Anyone who can afford to buy the Imperial Examination Pictures must have students at home.
Since the other party is so enthusiastic, Ji Yuan usually won’t refuse.
Besides, this family is a little different.
Ji Yuan and Monk Bai looked at each other.
They bought their own paintings!
Four thousand taels of silver!
You should be nicer to your financial sponsor.
Of course, Ji Yuan had no intention of exposing them, he just treated them more politely.
"My name is Dong Kang, and I'm from Dianzhou Prefecture. Our housekeeper went to your Jianmeng Mansion to do business before, so he knows you." Dong Kang, who is 25 years old this year, introduced himself.
Ji Yuan, Bai Heshang and others also made introductions.
This also counts as acquaintance.
It is indeed easy to make friends when coming to the capital to take the exam. They are all juren, all scholars, and we have the same topics.
Of course, people of the same kind tend to stick together.
That night, the wealthy Dong Kang wanted to invite Ji Yuan and his friends to dinner. Ji Yuan had already made an appointment with Zhang Xun and his friends, so Dong Kang didn't mind and simply went with them.
The butler seemed to be hesitant to speak, and in the end said nothing.
Before the imperial examination, Ji Yuan rarely met with the people from Jianmeng Mansion.
After the imperial examination, most people were resting again. This time they finally got together. It didn’t matter if there was an extra Dong Kang, it was all the same anyway.
It would have been fine if they were just eating, but Dong Kang unexpectedly started talking about the "Imperial Examination Pictures" that his family bought.
"You don't know, this picture is hung directly in the Minglun Hall of our clan school. Every time the students pass by, they will see it. The pressure is really great."
"Fortunately, the map had just arrived, so I set out for the capital."
"I heard from my cousins in the clan school that our teacher couldn't help crying every time he saw the picture."
Students who built Meng Mansion naturally remember this map.
At that time, the results of the provincial examination had just been announced, and the two most popular news in the entire city were: one was that Ji Yuan was the top scorer that year.
The second one is the "Imperial Examination Scenes" which was sold at a sky-high price. This picture is unexpectedly peaceful and interesting.
In other words, anxious people will be anxious, and peaceful people will see peace. It is no exaggeration to say that there are all kinds of situations.
The auction continued until the next day.
It has already attracted most of the students to watch it.
Meng Huawei even said: "My family wanted to buy it, but your price was too high."
Dong Kang even said: "My father said it was worth buying, and he also said that if Mr. Qingtang publishes another painting, he must buy it. My family even asked a friend in Jianmeng Mansion to help keep an eye on it."
Ji Yuan almost spit out a mouthful of water.
Stop talking, he couldn't help but send a painting back to Jianmeng's house!
"It's a pity that he never showed up again, just like Mr. Wu Tang back then."
"Come to think of it, he really seems to be Mr. Wu Tang's student."
"He must be a genius, otherwise how could he draw a picture like that?"
Ji Yuan didn't want to listen to the praises from a group of people anymore.
The white monk was still laughing.
Not many people knew about Ji Yuan’s “alias”, so he could only laugh to himself.
Dong Kang became friends with everyone in just one night.
He also discovered that this group of people were of different ages, but they all seemed to have the youngest, Ji Yuan, as their backbone.
The fifteen-year-old had quite the air of authority among this group of people.
But in fact, Ji Yuan was an easy-going person and didn't talk much at the banquet, but whenever he spoke, everyone agreed with him.
For them, such a person is somewhat like a "leader".
It is the leader of a group of people or a tribe.
Whether it is Meng Huawei from the Wenju School, or Zhang Xunsun Juren and others.
Or Wu Ying and others who took the military examination.
The people who built the Meng Mansion are often together, so maybe there is nothing special about it. He has just joined, so he can see it.
Ji Yuan is indeed unusual at such a young age.
At this moment, his unusual paper surprised several examiners slightly.
On April 17th, the provincial examination was held in the Imperial Academy.
Candles were lit everywhere and examiners marked the papers by lamplight.
"If one person is kind and righteous, and can work with others to achieve his goal, then so are all the people." The examiner of the Four Books said, "Well said! It is indeed well said."
There were five examiners for the Four Books. They passed the book around and each of them read it carefully: "It is indeed good."
"This article is profound, brilliant, and both logical and powerful!"
The examiner with the lowest position even wrote a comment directly: "The words are pure and reasonable, which are beyond the reach of other scholars."
This evaluation is really high.
But the examiners nodded one by one, all in agreement.
One of them even sighed: "If all the imperial examinations were like this, we wouldn't feel so tired."
Today is already the fourth day of marking the papers. Most examiners feel dizzy and dazed. Reading such a fluent and logical article is like drinking sweet spring water.
Good, it’s really good.
This article was picked out separately, and if the following four books were also good, it would definitely be listed in the top three.
"See how he answers the next two questions."
The second question is "King Wen treated his people as if they were his own wounds."
The candidate answered: "It is enough to keep the people and the Way in mind."
This sentence opens the topic and directly elevates the article, making the examiner's eyes light up again.
The following insights are even more impressive: "It is clear and well-organized, and shows great virtue."
The examiner wrote directly: "The words and sentences will win people's appreciation."
Not only should you praise the author's good character, but you should also read every word!
"Look at the Kangfu's merits and virtues, and the beauty of the subtle and virtuous, loving the gentle and respectful. Isn't the Tao in the body already flourishing?"
It even gives reasonable advice and reasons why we should emulate the ancients.
Several examiners even put aside what they were doing and read every word carefully.
"Great! It is a blessing for the imperial examination to have such a talented person this year!"
"What a wonderful person who has the Tao in his body, isn't it great?"
As long as you do it well, why worry about not doing it well?
As long as we put it into practice, isn’t it a prosperous age?
This was quite exciting to read.
It even explains things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, presents facts and makes sense in a very readable way, making it feel like the writings of ancient sages.
"Read the next one, quickly."
"How he answered the third question, I think he got first place!"
Although I only looked at two of his answers out of the three questions in the Four Books, I already feel that he will be first!
The third question is "Serving the king with dedication."
The examiners will definitely understand what this means.
But I just wanted to see what insights this student could offer.
However, the most experienced examiner subconsciously flipped through the first question, then looked at the second question, and felt a little uneasy.
By the time the essay for the third question was brought out, the examiner was already scratching his head.
The first question is about being a subject, being respectful; being a son, being filial.
Although it may seem like flattery, who doesn't flatter in this court?
Everyone can see that the title was made up by Mr. Chu on the spur of the moment.
I didn't expect that the candidate also noticed it.
The first question clearly asked them to answer "filial piety and loyalty", but he directly raised it to the requirement for everyone to "be kind and uphold righteousness".
The answer is indeed from a different angle and also shows unique insights.
I thought he was taking a different approach.
For the second question, the question setter clearly wants the candidates to use the past to illustrate present times based on King Wen’s attitude towards his people.
The candidate circumvented the questioner's train of thought and answered how the ancient sages regarded the people as their own flesh and blood, because they cared about the people and the Tao.
Wow, this third question is even more amazing.
The title clearly states, "Serving the King Can Be Successful."
Naturally, we have to talk about how to be loyal to the emperor.
The emperor is in poor health now. Reading more articles like this will definitely help him feel better.
What about this candidate?
He changed his mind again.
The reply seems to be loyal to the emperor, but also says that one can die bravely.
But you must die for the national interest.
These three articles are worth reading alone.
Put together?
It's simply that he doesn't answer anything the person who set the question asked him to answer.
If it is an ordinary candidate, everyone might think that the candidate did not understand the question setter's idea, so he found another angle, which is definitely not wrong, and the angle is also good.
All three articles are like this, and they are so well written. If this is not intentional, then what is intentional?
The most senior examiner was already sweating profusely, while other examiners around him were still praising the third essay for being well-written.
Some even praised the article: "It is a masterpiece of talent and a masterpiece of talent."
This article can be used as a benchmark!
"What a person who doesn't care about his own advancement or retreat."
"It should be a passionate article, but it is extremely calm, neither shouting nor showing a heart-wrenching attitude, which is really rare and precious."
"With such talented people in our country, Tianqi will surely prosper."
"This article deserves to be ranked first!"
“No!”
The examiner said loudly.
He also found himself a little excited, so he lowered his voice: "No."
Why not?
Why not?
The other five looked over directly, all with confusion on their faces.
The examiner looked at his colleagues, his mind working rapidly.
How to say it?
Explain the interests involved?
That would be putting this excellent candidate in a dangerous situation. If someone present told others what this student meant, he might be targeted by Chu, a tricky man.
But if no explanation is given, it would be easy for this boy to be ranked first based on his article.
What excuse can I find to demote him to second class?
It’s best to be ranked at the back of the second place.
In that case, the test paper cannot be delivered to the emperor.
Yes, the examiner was still worried about what the emperor would think when the student's article was sent to him.
What would be the emperor's attitude when he saw a student who refused to say that he was loyal to the emperor, or that he was only loyal to the wise emperor and the country?
If the emperor were in a good mood, it would probably be nothing.
But the emperor had a serious illness and his temperament had changed a little, and he was not sure what the emperor meant.
After they finish grading the papers, they will select the top 20 or 30 and send them to the palace. This is called "sending for selection" so that the emperor can also take a look.
Generally speaking, it is impossible for the emperor to read all the articles, and he would basically read the first three or five.
Therefore, we want this student to be safe and sound and pass the test smoothly.
At least fifth or later.
Finally, after the age of 30, the test paper will not be shown to the emperor.
As for why the examiner wanted to help this candidate.
The reason is simple.
Such an outstanding student must be kept.
Moreover, this scholar's spirit makes people can't help but admire it.
Still in the top three.
In his eyes, save your life and future first!
This is much more important than the first three.
Such a student is too bold.
The examiner wiped the sweat off his forehead again and said, "Maybe there are better essays. Let's take a look at them."
???
I have enough time to mark the papers on the 8th, and I have already reviewed most of them.
Where are there better articles?
"What's wrong with you? Can't you tell whether this article is good or bad?"
"Old Chen, you have also been through five imperial examinations and served as an examiner five times. Can't you tell the difference?"
"If you ask me, this article must be number one."
"Yes, at least in the top three."
The most senior examiner was speechless.
Another examiner remained silent as he was looking through the examinees' papers again.
In his opinion, the most senior examiner among them would not be so confused, so there must be a problem.
When he looked through them again, his eyes widened and he looked in disbelief at the old official who had raised objections.
Ah, this.
Student, who gave you the courage?
But if you ask whether I like this candidate doing this, the answer is yes.
So smart, so literary, so spirited.
It really makes people love it.
People say that they like people who are worldly-wise but not worldly-wise.
This article is of that kind.
Know that the test taker wants the examinee to flatter.
He refuses to flatter.
I just have to say what's on my mind.
Is this a scholar's ambition?
really.
But this kind of spirit and confidence, "The pond is green, waiting for me to glow red", makes true readers love it.
That’s right, after understanding the meaning.
The examiners like it more!
God knows how disgusted they feel when they see so many flattering articles.
I feel like vomiting!
This candidate is unusual!
But at the same time, he said with reluctance: "I agree with what Master Chen said. Thirty-one is just right."
Although the results of the imperial examination will not be directly divided into several classes after it is announced, but if you are ranked 31st, your essay will not be seen by the palace, and it will be easy to rank in the second class in the subsequent palace examination.
It can be said that these two examiners took great pains.
The other three started arguing directly.
After reading articles for so long, you finally find one that suits your taste.
Directly outside the top 30? !
Is this appropriate!?
Is this normal?!
If the timing wasn't inappropriate, they would definitely be sarcastic.
You guys should open your eyes!
No, can you buy a 叆叇?
If you two don’t have money, I’ll pay for it!
Going a step further, do you have a grudge against this talented person?
If you have a grudge, just say it directly!
But this sentence sounds like cheating, so it's not easy to say.
There was endless debate here, and the two officials who held opposing views had even more headaches.
This can't go on like this.
If the examiner comes over, it will be over.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy?" Scholar Chu had just calmed down the commotion over the Five Classics papers next door, and now he came to the Fourth Study Room, where there was also a quarrel.
Before the two examiners could speak, the others had already told the story.
This is normal. When the examiners have different opinions, the chief examiner can make the decision.
The two of them couldn't stop it at all and could only hold their foreheads in silence.
The questions on the Four Books were placed in front of Mr. Chu.
Scholar Chu actually took out his gold-rimmed pen and began to read the article carefully.
He wrote all the test questions, so he just had to read the articles.
After reading the first article, the scholar from Jiangsu and Zhejiang nodded slightly: "Great."
Although it's only one word, it is the best compliment.
After reading the beginning of the second article, Mr. Chu flipped forward again and even adjusted his glasses.
When I read the third article, I couldn’t hide the smile on my lips.
Lord Chen knew that Grand Secretary Chu must have seen through it.
The other party smiled and said, "This candidate is interesting."
As for the rest, Chu Daxueshi did not say anything more and directly said: "This boy is the first."
After saying that, he even looked at Lord Chen and the other examiner.
The three of them looked at each other, and everything was said without words.
Mr. Chu has always been tricky, and the three questions about the Four Books were obviously intentional.
Moreover, the questions were for the emperor to see, and they were questions from the Four Books to please the sick emperor.
Now there is an unusual candidate, what is he thinking?
Chu Daxueshi looked at the two people who were uneasy and deliberately said, "Don't worry, candidates like this are real talents."
"Do you think the Emperor would hate it?"
The clever thing about this student is that he does not follow the tricks of the questioner, nor does he show any fawning attitude in order to please the questioner.
Being too flattering will make people disgusted.
Would the truly educated Mr. Chu really like someone who is too flattering, or would he like a scholar who has his own scholarly spirit?
The answer is self-evident.
So, which one would the emperor like?
Chu Daxueshi unexpectedly comforted him: "Don't worry, even if the emperor is unhappy, at most he will let him go to the top three, and he won't punish him."
???
Such knowledge?!
Go to the top three?!
All six examiners of the Four Books were unwilling to do so.
no!
The lowest is Class 2!
Can't give in!!!
The other examiners also noticed the problem. When they thought about it carefully, they wanted to punch themselves.
Lord Chen, why don’t you explain it clearly?
Let’s stop arguing!
Let’s give this candidate a safe second place!
As soon as the chief examiner, Chu Daxueshi, left, the six of them had the same idea.
Fortunately, there are still papers on the Five Classics and the next two exams.
It is hoped that this candidate's answers will be worse later, so that overall his paper will not be placed first and then sent to the palace.
But is it really possible that this person's literary talent is not the best?
It doesn’t seem to work!
“This student.”
"Forget it, at least I'm in the top three."
“He shouldn’t be in the top three.”
"Perhaps the Emperor will not do this?"
Who knows!
On the other hand, the examiner of the Five Classics was holding the paper of the Spring and Autumn Period with his hands even shaking a little.
"It is like the tone of the ancients, and the parallelism is even better, one positive and one negative, one virtual and one real, and the idea is clear at a glance."
"Okay, great."
"The Spring and Autumn Annals is already known as an isolated classic, but it is surprising that there are candidates who are so proficient in it and write such an exquisite essay."
The examiner of the Book of Rites was also clapping his hands and applauding.
These two articles are vigorous and vivid in spirit.
Very good!
The articles polished in this way are extremely accurate word by word.
First!
Absolutely the first!
Spring and Autumn Annals, Book of Rites, the two examiners placed the papers on the top at the same time.
Good, very good indeed!
Is there such an outstanding student in other scriptures?
You can’t not study just because the test is difficult!
There will be geniuses to inherit their doctrines!
Hahaha.
First!
Definitely the first one!
After the examiners in each room are determined, they will be gathered together with the chief examiner and deputy examiner.
They are then ranked one, two, three and four according to the ranking of each paper.
At this time, it was already April 19th.
Among more than 3,900 candidates, only the first 200 papers were selected, and the rest were directly sealed.
These two hundred papers are ranked one by one in order.
Although only 170 people will be selected this year, the last 30 will be on the waiting list. If there are any problems with the first 170 people, they can be replaced at any time.
As for the first 170 articles, they will complete the actual sorting on the mornings of April 19, April 20, and April 21.
Although this ranking does not distinguish between the first and second place, it will lay the foundation for the subsequent palace examination.
Therefore, this ranking is extremely important.
Especially the top ten in the provincial examination, if nothing unexpected happens, the top three will come from the top ten.
Another group of examiners took their seats.
Rank the students according to the grades given by other examiners.
At this time, the names of all the candidates were still covered up and were sent to the palace in the order of their paper rankings.
On the afternoon of April 21st, the arduous process of marking the papers finally came to an end, and the papers were finally delivered to the palace.
As to whether the emperor will read it and how many articles he will read, it all depends on his own will.
Anyway, it must be sent back before evening.
Because the list of candidates for the imperial examination will be posted tomorrow morning.
Countless candidates are still waiting.
They had just sorted out the answer sheets of the top thirty students when the palace guards arrived.
To prevent cheating, these palace-specific guards will escort you throughout the journey.
Watching the guards take away the copied papers.
The examiners of the Four Books were really anxious.
How did that candidate perform in other subjects?
If it really ranks first, then it's over.
emperor.
Can't the emperor see it?
How is that possible!
I hope Prime Minister Li is here too, maybe he can say a few good words?
Such students really cannot get into the top three!
What a pity!
As they waited anxiously, Grand Secretary Chu smiled and thought, how could the emperor be so petty?
The emperor also knew that I had deliberately set such questions for the Four Books.
After all, after the impromptu topic is drafted, it has to be sent to the emperor, and only after the emperor's approval can it be sent to the candidates.
For such an obvious question, the candidate should either flatter or curry favor in order to answer it, which would also make the emperor happy.
Or they get extremely angry and start swearing, which is also not uncommon.
Both reactions were expected, and the emperor knew it well.
But this student neither flatters nor gets angry.
On the contrary, it aroused his spirit.
This spirit is morale, a kind of morale that middle-aged and even elderly people miss very much.
It's like an old man watching the high-spirited young people.
Nostalgia, even a little greedy.
No complaints, no flattery.
Just writing what's on my mind, funny and cunning.
Scholar Chu asserted that this student had very solid knowledge and should not be too old.
Would the emperor dislike such a candidate?
That's strange!
This candidate, just wait for a meteoric rise to the top!
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