Chapter 174 [VIP]
After passing through a winding corridor, the students finally saw the palace. It was the end of the court session, and civil and military officials were walking out of the main hall in long lines.
The civil officials wore red robes, while the military officials wore dark blue robes. The red and blue robes were clearly distinct yet each had its own charm. Everyone watched intently as these officials slowly walked out, their eyes filled with envy.
Even if they passed the imperial examinations and were admitted to the Hanlin Academy, they still had to wait many years before they were qualified to attend court. During this period, many people were demoted or dismissed before they even had the chance to gain the necessary qualifications.
After the court officials had left, the women from the inner palace led them on their way. The palace examination was to be held in the main hall.
All 150 candidates entered the hall, kneeling and kowtowing in rows of ten.
The imperial examination was naturally presided over by the emperor. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "I am here to examine the candidates. Seeing all of you talented people, you are all learned scholars and pillars of the nation. I am very pleased."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the hall could hear it clearly. Upon hearing it, everyone was startled and slowly straightened their backs.
"Since ancient times, the rise and fall of a nation has depended on its talent, and the abundance of talent depends on the fairness of the selection of officials and the diligence of their training. You have studied diligently for years, honing your knowledge of the classics and history. Today, you have been able to stand before the Emperor, and you are already outstanding individuals among men."
The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing, "However, the essays written in the imperial examinations are not merely a display of talent and literary skill; they should be based on understanding the principles and applying them practically. I have observed that throughout history, the order and chaos of dynasties have all been determined by the integrity and character of the scholars."
Now that you have studied the classics, you should strive to make your ruler like Yao and Shun, whose benevolence extends to all people. Ministers should be loyal and diligent in serving the country, and scholars should seek to understand principles and rectify their hearts. If you one day hold positions in the court, you must remember to be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures, so as not to fail my thirst for talent.”
"Yes—" The students were all deeply moved upon hearing this.
The time was almost up. The Emperor coughed lightly and continued, "Today I test you with this policy essay, not to see your literary talent, but to observe your character and vision. I hope you will uphold your sincere hearts, express your strategies for governing the world, live up to your lifelong learning, and not disappoint the high expectations of the people. If you truly possess talent and learning, I will certainly promote you and employ you, so that you may realize your ambitions and jointly contribute to a prosperous era!"
The Emperor raised his hand, and a palace attendant beside him drawled, "Opening of the imperial examination, bestowing the topic—"
A timer incense stick, about the thickness of a finger, was burning for exactly two hours. Once the incense went out, one had to stop writing and wait for the scroll to be finished.
The students returned to their seats and began grinding ink to solve the questions. The palace examination lasted only two hours, and the questions were different each time. Most of them were based on facts. The question of the previous palace examination was about the evils of the salt administration and the way to adapt.
At that time, the private salt trade in the south was chaotic. If strict controls were implemented, the people would not be able to afford the official salt. Wang Jun, a candidate at the time, won the top scholar title by adapting to local conditions and is now serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
It is truly remarkable that one can write such a profound and insightful article in such a short time.
It depends on the candidate's daily study and accumulation. Everyone will prepare some essays in advance, and if they encounter the same topic, it will be easy to write.
The most important matter in the court right now is the war with the Northern Qiang and the Turks, so most people have prepared articles on this topic. As expected, the topic was sent out and everyone buried themselves in writing.
Two hours is neither a long nor a short time. The emperor could not sit in front and wait indefinitely, so after the questions were given out, he got up and went to the study in the back.
After reading the question, Chen Qingyan began to think quickly in his mind while grinding ink. When he had thought it through, he picked up his pen and began to write on the draft paper.
As time passed, some candidates had already finished the exam.
Chen Qingyan finished the last stroke, blew the ink dry, and began to study the text word by word, making sure there were no omissions or taboo words before copying it onto the official dossier.
The examination papers for the palace examination were no longer written on ordinary Xuan paper, but on stiff paper similar to a memorial to the emperor. First, one would write one's place of origin and name at the top to ask the emperor's opinion, and then the formal content would begin.
When transcribing, the handwriting must be neat and clear. A dirty paper is a sin of disrespect, and no matter how good the content is, it will result in failure.
Chen Qingyan was so engrossed in writing that he forgot to check the time. Fortunately, he finished writing the last word just before Xiang Luo finished writing.
As the palace attendant called for everyone to stop writing, they put down their paper and pens and sat down. They could only line up and leave after the eunuchs collected the papers, and then continue to wait in the side hall. The results would be available in about an hour.
Of the more than one hundred examination papers, only the first ten would catch the emperor's eye. The rest were reviewed by Hanlin officials. Unless a paper was exceptionally well-written, it would be selected and presented to His Majesty. Otherwise, the rankings were mostly based on the provincial examination rankings.
The Emperor first picked up Huang Yuanzhou's paper and looked at it. Overall, it was indeed a good article. However, what Emperor Wuping wanted to see was not a good article, but a useful one.
After reading this person's paper, he placed it in the middle and then picked up Chen Qingyan's paper.
This one is quite interesting. It starts by stating that the only way to end the conflict in Xizhou is through war.
The more I read, the more I appreciated it. Every word on the paper was like a needle, hitting the nail on the head. Until the very last sentence, "Not an inch of the borderland will be yielded. I do not seek merit in this generation, but only for the benefit of future generations!"
Well written! Which emperor wouldn't want to be remembered for eternity?
"Who is this person? How come I've never heard of him before?"
Standing beside him, Eunuch Cheng said, "Your Majesty, this is Liang Liufang's disciple. Back then, he was falsely accused of cheating, and it was you who gave him the opportunity to participate in the imperial examination again."
He was too busy with state affairs to remember such trivial matters, but upon hearing that she was Liang Liufang's disciple, he couldn't help but reveal a meaningful smile.
Years ago, Emperor Wuping valued talent and gave Liang Boqing two opportunities to retake the imperial examinations, but the man was too stubborn and refused to come either time. Now, however, he has come to terms with it and has taught a good disciple, so it's not a waste of his talent.
Emperor Wuping was not a short-sighted monarch; if he were, he would not have thought of reopening the ancient tea and salt road.
A wise ruler emerges in a prosperous era, while a powerful leader emerges in a chaotic one. Now that the Wu Dynasty has been in his hands for five generations, he is determined to emulate his ancestors and restore the glory of the Great Wu!
Emperor Wuping put down the examination paper and continued to look at the next person's paper. After reading the top ten papers, he personally named the top three scholars: Zhuangyuan (状元), Bangyan (榜眼), and Tanhua (探花). The other second and third place rankings were determined by the Hanlin Academy scholars.
At the end of the Wei hour (1-3 PM), the results of the palace examination were finally released, and the names were announced by the chief examiner.
Hundreds of candidates stood nervously outside the ceremony. After three cracks of the whip, they announced, "First place in the first class: Chen Qingyan."
Liu Junshan came in second place.
Xu Wei came in third place.
...
Chen Qingyan could hardly believe his ears. Was he the first place winner just now?
He turned around and saw that everyone around him was looking at him. In an instant, the world changed color, and he heard his heart pounding like a drum. He had passed the exam!
He was the top scorer!
*
On the other side, Wang Ying was writing a rental agreement for someone.
During this period, the number of people in Jizhou Prefecture increased. In addition to the people of Xiguan, nobles and merchants from Suzhou and Liangzhou also began to flee to the Central Plains to avoid danger.
This morning, a middle-aged couple came to rent a house. They had two children and an elderly person with them. They wanted to rent a courtyard house on Zhenghe Street. Since there weren't many people, renting such a private courtyard house was just right.
Wang Ying first took them around to see the place, and after confirming everything, they began to discuss the rent.
The housing prices in the prefecture are rising faster and faster. The rent, which was originally thirty taels, has increased to sixty-five taels after several rounds of increases. Even at this price, there are still no buyers.
The couple didn't haggle; they paid directly to rent the place for a year. They were business people and didn't need the money. Of course, people without money couldn't enter the prefectural city.
After receiving the money, Wang Ying made two copies of the contract, which stipulated that subletting and damaging the main structure of the house were not allowed during the rental period.
Just after seeing the two off, I suddenly heard a ding-dong sound: the experimental field has been upgraded to level 7!
Wang Ying was stunned for a moment, then instantly realized that Chen Qingyan must have passed the exam!
He quickly called to Lin Sui to close the door and go home!
"Are you closing now, sister-in-law? There are still some vegetables left to sell..."
"I'm not selling anymore! I have to go home first."
"Okay, I'll pack up right away." Lin Sui didn't dare to delay and quickly put the remaining vegetables into the basket so that Tianju could take them home later.
After closing the shop door, the two hurried home.
Upon arriving home, Wang Ying went straight to her bedroom, locked the door, and entered the experimental field.
I was startled by the pop-up message as soon as I entered: the experimental field had just gained 500,000 experience points, instantly leveling up to more than halfway to level 7.
How could you give so much experience? Could it be that my husband really passed the imperial examination with top honors?
Wang Ying suppressed her excitement and clicked on the upgrade rewards.
Experimental field level: 7
Phase reward: Start the teleportation function. You can teleport to a fixed location three times if the two players have been there.
Wang Ying's eyes widened in disbelief. This was just too amazing!
It's not blind teleportation. You decide where you want to go in your mind, and the surrounding scenery will appear in front of you before you are teleported. You will only be teleported after you confirm the teleportation.
Wang Ying gave it a try. He set the location to the old house in Chenjiazhuang, and instantly felt as if he were in the wilderness, surrounded by houses and buildings that had been destroyed by the flood.
Wang Ying stopped at the last second of the teleportation. The opportunity to teleport was too precious to be wasted!
The regular rewards remain the same: accelerated growth, increased storage capacity, and an additional acre of experimental field area.
Aside from using the noodles, everything else is pretty useless. What makes him happier is that his husband passed the imperial examination!
Unfortunately, he can't share this happy news with his family yet. This afternoon, he plans to go to the street to buy some food so he can take the whole family out for a spring outing tomorrow. This season is neither too hot nor too cold, making it the most comfortable time for the children to play.
Outside the house, the children were playing a game of cops and robbers in the yard. Yuanbao and Qing'er were the cops, and Mutou was the thief. The children were running around and sweating profusely.
"Father, Father!" Yuanbao ran over with a smile when he saw Wang Ying come out.
Although Qing'er couldn't speak, she happily came over and affectionately rubbed against Wang Ying's leg.
"Look how sweaty you are from running around." Wang Ying took out a handkerchief to wipe the two children's foreheads. "Your uncle and I will go shopping later, and we'll take you out to play tomorrow."
"Okay!" Yuanbao jumped up happily again, and Qing'er clapped her hands and smiled happily, her eyes crinkling.
Lin Sui happened to arrive as well.
Wang Ying said, "These two kids can play together."
"Yes, Qing'er has become much more lively since she came to our family."
"Come with me to the street for a stroll, buy some things, and tomorrow we'll take the kids out for a spring outing."
"OK."
When going on a picnic, you need to buy several hats, because children's skin is delicate and can peel after being exposed to the sun for half a day.
There were many kinds of hats in ancient times. Women and boys wore veils when they went out. They were usually made of gauze and fine cloth, with a thin silk veil around the face.
Most men wore straw hats, which were wide-brimmed hats woven from bamboo strips. Those who were better off would sew a black cloth around their hats, and some would also attach jewels to their hats to show their status.
While choosing hats, they suddenly heard a commotion outside, and the two leaned out to look.
A man was seen running around frantically, shouting, "The Northwest Army has suffered a crushing defeat! Marquis Wuping has died on the battlefield! Yumen Pass has fallen! The Northwest Army has suffered a crushing defeat! Marquis Wuping has died on the battlefield! Yumen Pass has fallen—"
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