After that, several days passed, and in a blink of an eye, it was the day when the exam was officially held.
According to past practice, the night before the exam is held in Gongyuan, the examiner must be present in person to preside over the sacrificial ceremony.
This sacrificial ceremony is used to pay homage to the souls of those who died in the examination room, in order to pray for the smooth progress of the examination.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Yan Shifan immediately turned around, looked at his subordinates on the side, and then gave instructions.
"Well, we can start!"
"Yes, Mr. Xiaoge!"
Soon, there was a sound of gongs and drums. The Gongyuan, which was unusually deserted on weekdays, seemed quite lively at this moment. Not only that, there were people constantly throwing yellow paper money into the air.
After doing this, I saw someone singing like this: "Homage to the saints, blessings are yet to come, Mount Tai is green, Zhusi is long, the wind of the Master, the mountains are high and the rivers are long..."
After the memorial chant was finished, there was another sound of gongs and drums, and then, someone repeated the previous actions and kept throwing paper money into the air to pay homage to the souls of those who died in the examination room.
After completing the above steps, it was Yan Shifan's turn as the examiner. He stepped forward and solemnly took three sticks of incense with smoke rising from the hands of his subordinates.
Then, Yan Shifan stepped up the steps in front of him step by step and came to the long table covered with red cloth.
On the long table, there are three animals and six animals used to sacrifice to heaven, as well as an incense burner.
Behind Yan Shifan were many officials responsible for this exam.
"bye!"
Hearing a loud voice, Yan Shifan and the officials behind him knelt down respectfully, and silently recited the previous memorial in their hearts. At this moment, everyone looked intently, with extremely pious expressions on their faces.
"rise!"
After the words fell, Yan Shifan slowly stood up from the ground and solemnly inserted the three incense sticks with smoke in his hand into the incense burner on the table.
After that, Yan Shifan was seen retreating to his original position with a solemn expression.
Then, there was a deafening sound of firecrackers. When the sound of firecrackers ended, it was announced that this sacrificial ceremony had come to a perfect end.
Not only Yan Shifan, but also all the officials behind him could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Although the imperial court had issued a notice not long ago that there were ghosts and gods at work in the Gongyuan, which was purely a rumor, it was undeniable that six lives had indeed been lost in the Gongyuan.
At this moment, the subordinates on the side cautiously came to Yan Shifan and suggested to him: "Xiao... Mr. Xiao Ge, let's go in and have a glass of wine to warm up!"
"Um."
Hearing this, Yan Shifan nodded, and then led the subordinate into the room.
After entering the room, Yan Shifan only felt that the cold that seemed to penetrate deep into his bones had subsided a lot.
"Well, putting aside everything else, the weather in the Gongyuan is really weird!"
With Yan Shifan thinking this way, he went to the main seat and sat down.
The charcoal fire in the room was burning brightly, and sumptuous food and drinks had been prepared. After Yan Shifan took his seat, the other officials arranged their seats according to their respective ranks and qualifications.
Seeing that everyone had already sat down, Yan Shifan smiled, picked up the wine glass from the table, and said in a deep voice.
"Everyone, since His Majesty has entrusted us with such an important errand, we must not betray His Majesty's trust!"
As soon as Yan Shifan finished speaking, many officials in the room looked solemn, picked up their wine glasses, and responded in a deep voice.
"Yes, sir, we will live up to your majesty's trust and do our best!"
After that, Yan Shifan drank all the wine in the glass. After the glass of wine, the atmosphere at the scene became obviously much more relaxed.
Everyone was chatting and chatting happily, and their "friendship" was also heating up rapidly. Perhaps in order to dilute the gloom in recent times, the topics everyone talked about were relatively light and interesting.
Some people chatted about the customs and customs of various places, while others talked about the anecdotes that happened in the capital in recent days. What's more, they told the ridiculous things they had encountered, which made everyone burst into laughter.
During this period, Yan Shifan also chimed in from time to time to talk about the interesting things he encountered.
As the wine was drank one glass after another, the atmosphere in the room gradually became harmonious. Officials who were not familiar with each other gradually became familiar with each other and treated each other as brothers.
Later, I don’t know who suggested it, and poems and poems were recited on the spot. Accompanied by the chanting of shaking heads, the atmosphere of the entire banquet was gradually pushed to the highest point.
A drunken official stood up and suggested to everyone.
"Come on, let's toast to Mr. Xiaoge together, how about that?"
The words of the drunken official were unanimously recognized by everyone present. Afterwards, everyone stood up from their seats and raised their wine glasses.
Seeing this, Yan Shifan's face was filled with a warm smile, and he stood up and responded in return.
"Come on, let's cheers!"
"cheers!"
The atmosphere of the entire banquet reached its climax at this moment, and then gradually cooled down.
Throughout the entire banquet, Yan Shifan did not drink too much wine, because as the examiner, he could never make any mistakes. Moreover, he still kept in mind Yan Song's previous instructions to him.
Therefore, compared with the drunken officials, Yan Shifan was relatively sober. After the banquet, Yan Shifan refused the help of the guards and returned to the rest room on his own.
In the room, Yan Shifan tossed and turned on the bed for a long time, still not feeling sleepy at all. After repeatedly trying to fall asleep to no avail, Yan Shifan simply got up from the bed, folded the fire and lit the candle in the room again.
Then, Yan Shifan looked away from the night scene outside the window, sighed helplessly, and thought in his mind.
"Oh, I'm really unlucky. First, I was dragged by His Majesty to be this thankless examiner!"
"Then, the Taoist priest I invited to exorcise evil spirits in Gongyuan died suddenly and inexplicably in Gongyuan, which triggered this series of events, causing me to be reprimanded by His Majesty!"
"Then there's that damn Ouyang Yijing!"
When Yan Shifan said this, he couldn't help but grit his teeth and secretly hated it.
"This Ouyang Yijing, why don't you deliver a memorial to His Majesty? It's just a memorial to His Majesty, but it just made His Majesty angry!"
"What's even more annoying is that I still can't catch you!"
After the matter calmed down, Yan Shifan and Yan Song immediately ordered Ouyang Yijing to conduct a detailed investigation.
But the result was very unexpected. Even though the father and son racked their brains, they could not find anything in Ouyang Yijing that could be used to make an issue, so they had to give up temporarily.
"It should get better after this period of time passes!"
After Yan Shifan comforted himself in this way, he immediately blew out the candles, lay on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
…
The night passed in the blink of an eye, and when it was just dawn, Yan Shifan was woken up by his subordinates.
"Mr. Xiaoge, the time is coming, we should start preparing!"
"Well, I know, please go down!"
Yan Shifan opened his sleepy eyes and ordered.
"Yes, Mr. Xiaoge!"
After the subordinate responded, he left without stopping in the room.
This time's exam is different from the past, because those who come to take part in this exam are all descendants of the clan and noble families.
Therefore, the defense near Gongyuan is much tighter than before. There are fully armed soldiers everywhere, and there are even Jinyi guards lurking in the dark, observing every move at the scene.
The idlers and others have been cleared out long ago, and even the places near Gongyuan that could hide people have been turned upside down.
At this moment, the officials responsible for maintaining order on the scene were constantly communicating and preparing for the next exam.
Seeing Yan Shifan's arrival, everyone stopped communicating and bowed to him.
"Old Xiaoge!"
"Um."
When Yan Shifan heard the words, he responded in a subtle way, looked around, and then asked.
"How are you prepared?"
"Mr. Xiaoge, don't worry, everything is ready!"
As soon as Yan Shifan finished speaking, the official next to him who was responsible for maintaining order in the examination room immediately stood up and responded without thinking.
After that, the official responsible for maintaining order in the examination room looked troubled, turned his gaze to Yan Shifan, and asked cautiously.
"Xiao...Xiaoge Lao, if entrainment is discovered during the inspection of those candidates later, what should we do?"
"You know, the people who came to take the exam today are different from the past. They are all nobles and clans. The lower officials can't afford to offend!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Shifan glanced at the official rather indifferently, and then gave instructions.
"Your Majesty said that everything should be done according to the imperial examination procedures. That's all. I will be responsible for the inspection later!"
"Yes, Mr. Xiaoge!"
When the official responsible for maintaining the order of the examination heard Yan Shifan's words, a look of gratitude suddenly appeared on his face, and he immediately lowered his head and responded in a deep voice.
While everyone in the Gongyuan was busy with the upcoming exams, outside the Gongyuan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng were waiting quietly at the gate of the Gongyuan.
Waiting with them at the gate of Gongyuan, there are many candidates who came to take this exam. Most of these candidates are from the side branches. Judging from their clothes, they are not much different from ordinary scholars. difference.
At this moment, they were looking at the cabinet members with envy.
The reason why Yan Song and others are waiting here is very simple, because not long ago, Jiajing personally announced that he would come to Gongyuan on the day of the exam.
And how many people who can enter the cabinet are Yi's generation?
Therefore, except for Yan Shifan, who was the examiner, the rest of the people came to the gate of Gongyuan to wait tacitly early in the morning.
By doing this, I can not only show His Majesty my support for holding examinations for the clan and nobles, but also win His Majesty's favor by the way, killing two birds with one stone. Why not?
At this moment, Gao Gong tightened his tight clothes and took the lead in provoking the topic.
"By the way, it's already this time, and the weather is still foggy. Also, it's really cold in the Gongyuan. You know, we're still outside!"
After Gao Gong's words fell, Yan Song, who was closing his eyes to rest his mind, opened his cloudy eyes, and then spoke in agreement.
"Yes, the weather in Gongyuan has always been so weird. After I took the exam, I fell seriously ill!"
When Yan Song said this, his face was full of memories.
Seeing this, Xu Jie on the side also joined the conversation.
"Well, the weather in Gongyuan is indeed like this. It was also like this when I was the examiner. If there is no charcoal fire for heating, I will not be able to sleep at night!"
While a few people were chatting, many candidates who came to take the exam appeared one after another near the Gongyuan. From their clothes and the servants following behind them, it could be seen that they had noble status and respected status.
However, when these candidates saw several cabinet members chatting near the entrance of Gongyuan, they all lowered their heads and said nothing.
At this moment, I saw several sedan chairs of different colors not far away, heading towards Gongyuan.
Seeing this situation, Xu Jie on the side could not help but squint his eyes, with an inexplicable look on his face. Immediately, he turned around, looked at Yan Song on the side, and then asked.
"Mr. Yan Ge, that seems to be the British prince's sedan chair, right?"
After hearing Xu Jie's words, Yan Song looked away, shook his head slightly, and spoke firmly.
"No, in addition to Duke Ying, Duke Cheng and Duke Ding are also here!"
"What!"
As soon as Yan Song finished speaking, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng's faces were filled with shock.
After all, British Duke Zhang Rong, Chengguo Duke Zhu Xizhong, and Dingguo Duke Xu Yande are all the top clans and nobles of the Ming Dynasty. Ordinary officials may never see them in their lifetime!
But today, these three top clansmen and nobles of the Ming Dynasty gathered at the gate of Gongyuan. The meaning contained in this is very thought-provoking.
At this moment, Xu Jie on the side seemed to have suddenly thought of something, with a look of horror on his face, and confirmed to Yan Song.
"Mr. Yan Ge, do you think this could be..."
Hearing this, Yan Song glanced at Xu Jie, with a bitter smile on his face, and then spoke.
"Oh, Mr. Xu Ge, you are right. They are taking this opportunity to announce to the world that the clan and nobles have officially returned!"
Not long after, those sedan chairs of different colors stopped not far from Gongyuan.
Afterwards, the British Duke Zhang Rong, the Chengguo Duke Zhu Xizhong, and the Dingguo Duke Xu Yande got off the sedan and walked towards the direction where Yan Song and others were.
Yan Song and others were about to bow and salute, but they only heard a friendly voice.
"Mr. Yan Ge, how are you these days?"
When Yan Song heard this, he suddenly raised his head and found that the speaker was Zhu Xizhong, Duke of Chengguo.
"Thanks to Duke Cheng for your concern, I am in good health recently!"
When Zhu Xizhong heard Yan Song's words, he nodded slightly and then spoke.
"Mr. Yan Ge, you must take care of yourself. You are the pillar of our Ming Dynasty!"
"Where, where, Duke Chengguo's words are serious!"
When Yan Song heard this, his face was filled with humility, and he immediately leaned down and responded.
At this moment, the British Duke Zhang Rong stood up, faced everyone, and explained with a smile.
"Don't get me wrong, we came here today mainly just to take a look, we have no other intention!"
When Zhang Rong said this, he immediately waved to a young man in a brocade robe not far away and scolded him.
"Why are you still standing there? Why don't you come here quickly!"
Zhang Yuangong, who was not far away, heard the words and immediately summoned up the courage to come to Zhang Rong, lowered his head and said softly.
"Father!"
"Um."
Zhang Rong heard the words and responded in a subtle way. He immediately looked in the direction of Yan Song and others and introduced them.
"This is the dog!"
Seeing this, Zhang Yuangong immediately lowered his head and saluted Yan Song and others respectfully.
"I've met Mr. Ge!"
When Yan Song heard this, a look of relief appeared on his face, he stroked his beard, and immediately spoke in praise.
"Well, not bad, not bad, he is really impressive and talented!"
As soon as Yan Song finished speaking, Xu Jie on the side also spoke in agreement.
"Yes, seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. When I saw you today, you are really handsome and full of knowledge. I heard that you usually like reading very much. You will definitely get a good ranking by then!"
When Zhang Yuangong heard Xu Jie's words, a look of fear and uneasiness suddenly appeared on his face, and he responded immediately.
"Xu... Mr. Xu Ge praised it!"
After that, Duke Cheng Zhu Xizhong and Duke Ding Xu Yande also introduced their sons Zhu Shitai and Xu Wenbi to Yan Song and others respectively, and the atmosphere between the two parties became more harmonious in the process.
…
Time passed by slowly, and a high-pitched voice was heard: "Your Majesty is here!"
After hearing this, Yan Song and others quickly stopped chatting and lined up. All the candidates who came to take the exam were silent and did not dare to make any sound.
Not long after, the dragon boat Jiajing was riding arrived at the gate of Gongyuan. Behind the dragon boat, there was a group of royal guards closely following. Then, with the help of Lu Fang, Jiajing got off the dragon boat.
As soon as Jiajing came down from the Dragon Boat Festival, he found the British Duke Zhang Rong, the Duke of Cheng Guo Zhu Xizhong, the Duke of Ding Guo Xu Yande and others who were present at the scene.
The positions where they stood were clearly different from those of Yan Song and others. On one side were civil servants, and on the other side were clan members and nobles.
Seeing this situation, Jiajing couldn't help but have a dazed look on his face. His eyes stayed on them for a moment longer and then quickly moved away.
"I bow to your majesty, long live my emperor!"
Then, under the leadership of Yan Song, the chief minister of the cabinet, everyone present knelt on the ground and bowed to Jiajing.
After Jiajing looked around, he looked back and then gave instructions.
"Well, everyone, get up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After receiving Jiajing's permission, everyone present slowly stood up from the ground.
Then, Jiajing came to the front of the crowd with a warm smile on his face, and spoke immediately.
"I just came here today to check on the situation!"
As soon as Jiajing finished speaking, Yan Shifan, the examiner at the side, immediately stepped forward and introduced the specific situation to Jiajing.
After listening to Yan Shifan's report, Jiajing nodded slightly and immediately spoke.
"Well, Yan Shifan, you did a good job!"
After that, Jiajing changed the topic, turned around, looked at Yan Song and others, and asked.
"By the way, has the weather in Gongyuan always been so abnormal?"
As soon as Jiajing finished speaking, Xu Jie stood up and spoke in agreement.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the weather in the Gongyuan has always been so abnormal!"
"Um."
When Jiajing heard this, he nodded slightly, and immediately looked towards the sky above Gongyuan. At this moment, the sky above Gongyuan was still foggy.
Seeing this situation, everyone followed Jiajing and looked at the sky in Gongyuan. However, even though they tried hard, they did not find anything unusual.
At this moment, from Jiajing's perspective, one can see a black air shrouding the Gongyuan.
"Could it be that this is the resentment accumulated by the candidates who died in Gongyuan over the years?"
"No wonder the weather in Gongyuan is so abnormal!"
Jiajing thought so, and suddenly a look of understanding appeared on his face.
"Forget it, let me take you in!"
Then, Jiajing's mind moved, and the originally foggy weather suddenly became filled with clouds. Even the faint sun in the sky was obscured by endless dark clouds, and the sky suddenly darkened.
In the dark clouds, silver-white thunder flashes from time to time, and the power of the sky is unfathomable!
"This...is it going to rain?"
Yan Song looked at the sudden change in the weather with a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.
Seeing this situation, Lu Fang on the side looked very calm on the outside, but judging from the trembling hands hidden in his sleeves, he was not at peace in his heart at this moment.
"Is Your Majesty going to take action?"
Lu Fang thought so, and then heard a loud "bang", brewing in the air for a long time, and the silver-white thunder mixed with the aura of destruction finally struck down.
'Boom' 'Boom' 'Boom'
The black air that originally enveloped Gongyuan completely disappeared the moment it came into contact with the silver-white thunder.
Immediately, Jiajing's mind moved. The dark clouds that had covered the sky quickly disappeared. The originally foggy weather became clear and cloudless, and the sun came out!
Immediately afterwards, everyone only felt that the previous cold that penetrated into the bone marrow completely disappeared, and was replaced by the warmth of the sun shining on the body.
This sudden change shocked everyone present. At this moment, they looked at Jiajing as if they were looking at gods.
"Could it be said that it was precisely because of His Majesty's arrival that the weather in the Gongyuan returned to normal?"
"That's right. Your Majesty is the emperor. Maybe God felt your Majesty's wishes and then sent down thunder to make the weather in Gongyuan return to normal!"
“Even God supports this exam!”
Then, Yan Song was the first to react, kneeling on the ground with a thump and saying in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, long live my emperor!" (End of this chapter)
