In a monk's room in Daxiangguo Temple.
Wang Kui has been studying hard in the monk's room for half a month to go to his major in July.
Wang Kui sat for a while and saw someone knocking on the door.
"What's the matter?" Wang Kui was a little unhappy.
"It's me." He Qi's voice came from outside the monk's room door.
Wang Kui thought for a while, put on a happy face, and went to open the door.
He Qi smiled lightly and said, "Brother Junmin didn't disturb your study, did he?"
Wang Kui waved his hand and said: "The more I read, the worse I get. Taking the major exam was not my previous plan, because it is not my strong point. Come in and talk!"
He Qi put a pot of plain wine on the table and said with a smile: "Brother Junmin, let's have a glass of wine first."
Wang Kui raised his glass and drank a glass of wine and said: "I pride myself on my ability to write poems and essays, but that doesn't mean I can pass the major exam. Because the major exam requires the Six Essays on the Secret Pavilion."
"This is not something that ordinary people can dabble in. It has to be a person who has learned a lot and memorized a lot of knowledge."
He Qidao: "I also heard that the threshold for the Sixth Examination of the Secret Pavilion is extremely high, otherwise the imperial court would not have taken less than thirty people in more than a hundred years."
Wang Kui said: "There are not many people I know who can reach this point. I can't do it myself either."
Wang Kui pointed to the books on the bookshelf.
He Qidao: "I do know someone."
"Who is it?"
"I'll take away your No. 1 prize, Zhang Duzhi."
Wang Kui's face turned red when he heard this, and he immediately said: "The Six Analects of the Secret Pavilion cover the nine classics, the Analects of Confucius, the Classic of Xiao, and the annotations of various classics. There are also nineteen official histories from the Historical Records, Hanshu to the New and Old History of the Five Dynasties. The Seven Books of Martial Arts, including "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, as well as the Mandarin Chinese, and other scholars (Laozi, Han Feizi). Have you read all of these books?"
He Qi said with a smile: "Brother Junmin doesn't know Zhang Duzhi at all. Zhang Du's background lies in his background in various disciplines."
Wang Kui was shocked and said: "You said he was a Jingsheng?"
He Qi nodded and said: "It's not just Jing students, it's also the most difficult Nine Classics subjects among Jing students."
"When he and I were studying together in Pucheng County, he was a master of eleven classics, and he was recommended to the Imperial Academy by the state school with a complete pass. He was only fourteen years old at that time."
"Comprehensively mastered the Eleven Classics at the age of fourteen?" Wang Kui asked in shock, "There is such a person?"
He Qidao: "I can't believe it, but the Confucian classics students are far inferior to the Jinshi students. Although I was amazed at the time, I didn't think much about it. If he hadn't taken the Jinshi exam, I'm afraid he would have passed the ninth class by now."
"You said that the exam for Zhike is about memorizing knowledge. He Zhang Duzhi is such a person. As for the Nine Classics and Classics and the commentaries on various classics that are tested in Zhike, he was already familiar with it when he was fourteen years old."
Wang Kui almost collapsed after hearing this. The Jinshi Department has always looked down on economic students and despised them for only memorizing by rote. At the same time, the Jinshi Department does not force Jinshi to recite scriptures. In the provincial examination, as long as they can recite the Analects of Confucius, the Classic of Filial Piety, and the Spring and Autumn Annals, it is enough.
But the system of subjects is different. In addition to the classics and meanings, there are also official histories, the Seven Books of Wu Jing (Books on Military Examinations), not to mention Mandarin, and various scholars.
Candidates must not only memorize these, but also know how to integrate them and turn them into written articles and write them in the form of policy discussions.
This again tests one's writing skills.
Therefore, the scope of the examination is very large. It is impossible for an average person to read so many books in a lifetime, let alone familiarize themselves with applications.
For example, if you want to read the Three Biography of Spring and Autumn Period, you will be fine. The most difficult subject of the Nine Classics is to read the Eleven Classics. It pales in comparison to the scope of the exams for the majors.
Jinshi subjects only test poems and essays.
The system of subjects is everything, so it is not suitable for the large-scale recruitment of scholars by the imperial court. It is not suitable for poor people who cannot afford to buy books, let alone read these books.
This book is only suitable for readers who have no shortage of books at home, have extraordinary energy, and are truly well-read.
Therefore, the system can only be used to assess a small number of people and select specific talents.
But those who can pass the examination will be recognized as ministers.
Wang Kui said: "Brother He, why do you need to tell me this?"
Seeing Wang Kui's expression, He Qi smiled and said: "Zhang Duzhi is now in a state of disgrace and will no longer take the training course, but if brother Junmin wants to beat him and turn around, he can only rely on the training course."
"As long as Brother Junmin is admitted to the top grade, he is a first-rate talent."
Wang Kui understood what He Qi meant and immediately sat down and sighed: "I know you are doing your best for me, but look at the books on the bookshelf in the monk's room. I was exhausted after reading them for a few days. It was far from the standard when I was admitted to the Jinshi exam. in this way."
Wang Kui knew that this was not his strong point, but he had to go to Dakeda.
"Are they pushing you again outside the Butcher?"
Wang Kui sighed and said: "It's all my fault that I didn't get the top prize, so I was so tired that everyone except the butcher blamed me."
He Qidao: "How can this be true? I am not completely sure about the number one scholar. You are also a court official now, why should you be afraid of a businessman. If not, just take him to Kaifeng Mansion to see the official."
Wang Kui said: "How dare you bring them to court? I cheated and bribed my eunuchs to obtain the test questions, but the butcher was out to get them."
"Now many people in the capital have spread rumors about this matter. If it comes out, my life will be over, let alone being an official. My life will be over."
He Qidao: "Don't panic, brother Junmin, you are the grand-niece and grandson-in-law of the rich husband after all. Think on the bright side, maybe someone has covered this up for you."
Wang Kui sighed: "How can I feel at ease, knowing that this matter is enough to ruin my reputation, so I have been hiding in the monk's room these days."
"Everyone thought I was preparing for a major, but I was avoiding trouble."
He Qi brought a glass of wine to Wang Kui, and Wang Kui used the gesture of drinking to suppress his shock.
He Qidao: "Brother Junmin can divert other people's attention by going to Da Ke. As long as you are admitted to Da Ke, you can turn around. People outside who want to harm you will also have to reconsider their plans, so they will postpone any harm to you." thing."
"The most important thing is to let the rich family take a high look at you, as long as the rich lady marries you. In this way, everything can be turned into safety. No one will take the risk of offending the rich husband."
Wang Kui said: "I also know, but now I am hiding in the monk's room and can't step out, looking at the books piled up like a hill. This is a system that ordinary people can't take."
Wang Kui thought to himself, what's more important is that after he saw the prosperity of Bianjing and the beauty of women, he was no longer like when he was young, and he could not go out to study for more than ten days.
He has been sitting for several days now, and it is already unbearable. Although he is in Daxiangguo Temple, his heart is in the gentle countryside beside the Bianshui River.
Sometimes I thought about Guiying who was abandoned by me, and I didn't know where she was?
He Qidao: "Brother Junmin, you must not think about this now. If you don't turn around now, you will only be manipulated by people other than the butchers in the future. You can't avenge Zhang Du for taking away your first prize."
Wang Kui finally nodded after hearing this.
He recalled the moment when he was excluded from everyone at the gathering place.
Zhang Yue actually deliberately refused to let himself join the regiment division. This was a great shame and humiliation. This enmity will be retaliated tenfold in the future.
"Well said, how can a man be willing to judge someone else's rules? If he hadn't used means to ruin my reputation, how could he have won the first prize?" Wang Kui raised his glass and drank it down.
Wang Kui understood that if he failed again this time, everything would be over.
Seeing Wang Kui's eyes light up again, He Qi knew that his trip was not in vain, and finally mustered up his fighting spirit.
He Qi's career was now ruined, so he had to put all his hopes on Wang Kui.
While the two were discussing, Zhang Yue and his followers embarked on the journey.
In April, the suburbs of Bianjing are a beautiful spring scene.
Zhang Yue sat in the carriage, leaning lazily on the pillow, with a thick brocade mattress underneath him.
The official road on the outskirts of Bianjing was relatively flat, so Zhang Yue could barely read a book while leaning on the brocade mattress. Even the occasional bumps were tolerable.
After reading for half an hour, Zhang Yue was finally dazzled by the bumps of the carriage. At this moment, he couldn't help but miss the days when he was in college and sat on the high-speed train reading.
Then he thought of his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew's eyes that were red from tears when they sent him out yesterday.
In the final analysis, it is better to stay at home for a thousand days than to go out for one day. Only two days after leaving Bianjing, Zhang Yue began to miss home.
Putting down the book, Zhang Yue opened the car curtain and took a look at the vast plains on the outskirts, but there was no hilltop.
"The scenery is really different from that in Fujian."
Zhang Yue looked at the farmers cultivating the ground, and it was a pastoral scene.
"There is a pavilion beside Master Road where you can sit and take a rest."
Zhang Yue nodded, immediately got off the carriage and sat down in the road pavilion.
Immediately, the officers and soldiers accompanying Zhang Yue made tea for Zhang Yue. Zhang Yue sat calmly by the pavilion, picked up the book given by Qi Niang and started reading.
"Master, you are really diligent in studying. Even though you won the top prize, you still study so hard."
Zhang Gong looked at Tang Jiudao with admiration.
Tang Jiu took a sip of the wine in the gourd and said, "Of course. He often told me that if he doesn't study for a day, he will feel hateful in appearance and tasteless in words."
Zhang Gong said: "No wonder the master is so knowledgeable."
But Zhang Yue said in the pavilion: "What are you muttering about? How many miles have we traveled from Bianjing?"
"Replying to the master, we have walked almost sixty miles."
"It's only sixty miles," Zhang Yue shook his head and said, "You have to be tight, or you will miss the deadline."
"yes."
After saying this, several strong horses suddenly came from the west on the official road.
The officers and soldiers around Zhang Yue were on guard with knives.
But I saw several riders stopped by the side of the road and seemed to be going to the pavilion to identify people.
"What are you looking at?" Zhang Gong pressed his knife and yelled angrily.
The other party held up his hands on the horse and asked, "But Zhang Zhuangyuan's charioteer, I am the Yuansui of Prime Minister Ouyang."
Zhang Yue said without raising his head: "It's someone from the Privy Council. Let him come over."
The other party said in surprise: "He is really the number one scholar."
After saying this, the man got off his horse and clasped his fists at Zhang Yue, who was sitting in the pavilion drinking tea and reading: "Prime Minister, please ask the champion to return to the capital immediately. I have important matters to explain. I will use this letter as proof."
Zhang Yue asked suspiciously: "My term is tight, what is the purpose of the Prime Minister asking me to return to Beijing?"
"The Prime Minister didn't give an explanation. He just asked the Number One Scholar to return to Beijing immediately after seeing the letter."
Zhang Yue read the letter and it was indeed Ouyang Xiu's handwriting. But now he was on his way to Chuzhou to take up his post. Only halfway there, Ouyang Xiu wanted to go back to Beijing by himself, but he refused to say the reason. If he was delayed on the way, he would be blamed.
But Zhang Yue said without hesitation: "Immediately leave for Beijing without any delay."
