The palace gate opened wide, and people came out of the small yellow gate, announcing an order to all the tributes waiting outside to enter the West Garden. Zhu Ping'an and other tributes lined up under the guidance of the small yellow gate and were divided into two rows. They filed in excitedly and nervously, not daring to breathe.
Xiyuan is like a fairyland. Except as soon as he entered Xiyuan, Zhu Pingan almost mistakenly thought that he had arrived in Penglai Wonderland. The first thing I saw was the Golden Sea in Xiyuan, a place Zhu Ping'an had known for a long time in modern times. It included three parts: the North Sea, the Zhonghai and the South China Sea. Yes, the Zhonghai and the South China Sea are collectively called the Zhonghai and the South China Sea.
At this moment, the golden sea is rippling with blue waves and mist, shrouding the islands in the golden sea and the majestic peaks on the other side in the mist. From time to time, there are several cranes chirping, exotic flowers and grasses are everywhere on the shore, and the palace in the distance is looming. At first glance, it looks like Like a paradise on earth.
Under the guidance of the Xiaohuang Gate, Zhu Ping'an and other tributes passed through the Jin'ao Yudong Bridge between Zhonghai and Beihai and entered the hinterland of Xiyuan.
The emperor's personal armors were fully guarded at various strategic points in Xiyuan. According to the armor styles, they were roughly divided into Jinwu Guards, Yulin Guards, Fujun Guards and Huben Guards. They were scattered throughout Xiyuan to protect the safety of Xiyuan Palace.
After entering the hinterland of Xiyuan, Xiaohuangmen did not take Zhu Pingan and others directly to the examination room for the palace examination. Instead, they took Zhu Pingan and others to a slightly low palace. There was a plaque on the palace with four words on it. A big character, "Zhenkun Daodian".
At first, Zhu Ping'an and others were still wondering what Xiao Huangmen was doing leading everyone here, but they soon understood.
Shower and change clothes!
Although this hall is low, it is large enough. There are several separate bathtubs filled with hot steam, covered with curtains, and all the students are filing in to bathe and change clothes.
This bathing has two purposes. Bathing and changing clothes are to show respect to the emperor. Emperor Jiajing is at the critical moment of cultivating immortals and refining elixirs, so he cannot be disturbed by ordinary people like Zhu Ping'an. In addition, bathing and changing clothes also have the meaning of inspecting the imperial examination. You Go in and take a shower naked, while we will search your clothes and belongings outside. All contraband items should be temporarily left in this Zhenkun Taoist Hall. I'll give it back after you finish the imperial examination.
After bathing and changing clothes, Zhu Ping'an found that the pen and inkstone he carried had been temporarily left in the palace. As for the ginseng that Li Shu asked Baozi's maid to bring, it was not contraband and was classified as food. was retained and allowed Zhu Pingan to take the palace examination.
After bathing and changing clothes, Xiao Huangmen took Zhu Ping'an and others to the south again. Near the south gate of Xiyuan, there was a row of straight huts. There were more than ten officials standing in front of Zhilu wearing official robes.
They were probably officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple.
Xiaohuang gatekeeper Zhu Ping'an and others led them to these officials of the Ministry of Rites, whispered to the officials at the front, and left waving their whisks.
The rest was the matter of the Ministry of Rites, including roll call, emphasizing discipline, and mobilization. It took about half an hour, and then Zhu Pingan and others followed the officials of the Ministry of Rites to the Taisu Hall, the examination room for this palace examination.
Taisu Hall is located on the north side of Xiyuan, near Beihai.
By the time Zhu Ping'an and others arrived at Taisu Hall along with officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple, the rising sun had already risen in the east. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple brought the tributes to the open space in front of the palace, where they stood in awe and waited for the edict.
"Xuan Jiajing Xinhai Enke Gongshi came to see you." The announcements came one after another from the palace.
Soon, officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple led Zhu Ping'an and others into the Taisu Hall along with the inner guards who announced the decree.
There were already many officials in Taisu Hall, wearing official robes of crimson, cyan and green, embroidered with birds and animals, looking at the four hundred paying tributes with the eyes of younger generations.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live long live"
Zhu Ping'an, along with officials from the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple and all the tributes, paid a grand salute to Emperor Jiajing who was sitting on the dragon throne - five bows and three kowtows. This is an expressly stipulated salute for tributes to the emperor during the palace examination. To put it simply That means bowing your head five times. Then he kowtows to the ground three times.
"Get back on your feet." A rather majestic voice came from the hall.
This was the voice of Emperor Jiajing. After hearing this, many Gongsheng students trembled with excitement and got up in a hurry after being pushed a few times. Stand respectfully in the hall.
When Zhu Pingan stood up, he took the opportunity to look at Emperor Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing was sitting on the dragon chair. He was a little thin, but his majestic aura was extremely strong. He was wearing a dragon robe, like a real dragon coiled on the dragon chair. It makes people afraid to look directly.
"It's the end of the year, and there are many auspicious signs... Don't let me down!" Emperor Jiajing said a few sacred precepts after the tributes were completed. In short, this is the end of Enke. It is to obey God's will, and you must also obey God and the people, and don't let me down.
After Emperor Jiajing finished speaking, he nodded to Huang Jin who was standing next to him. Then Huang Jin held an apricot-yellow cloth scroll in front of the imperial case in his hands, walked down the hall and handed it to a middle-aged official. The official was the minister of Honglu Temple. After receiving the apricot-yellow cloth inscription, the minister of Honglu Temple knelt down and saluted Jiajing.
He, the Minister of Honglu Temple, is the examiner for this palace examination.
After receiving the test questions and saluting, he placed the test questions on the east side of the imperial desk in front of the cabinet members and others. Under the supervision of the cabinet members, he opened the test questions and placed them on the imperial desk.
After that, there was a burst of drumming and the sound of whips.
Zhu Ping'an once again followed everyone in the palace to salute Emperor Jiajing, who was sitting on the dragon throne. This time he kowtowed three times and bowed nine times.
After everyone bowed, Emperor Jiajing slowly left the Taisu Palace. He still had a furnace of good elixirs to refine, and he didn't have time to keep an eye on it. He could just leave the palace examination to his ministers. Otherwise, why would he be given so much salary? them.
After the emperor left, a group of ministers in the palace also left. Yan Song and more than ten officials stayed, but Xu Jie did not stay. None of the examiners stayed this time, probably to avoid suspicion.
After the emperor left, officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple divided Zhu Ping'an and others into two rows and sat on the east and west sides of the Taisu Hall according to their examination rankings. Those with odd examination rankings sat on the east side of the hall. Those with even numbers sit on the west side of the hall.
Tables and chairs have been placed on the east and west sides of the main hall for the imperial examinations. Zhu Pingan and Ouyang Zishi took the first place on the east and west sides, facing each other from a distance.
Zhu Pingan was in a very bad condition. After kneeling down and tossing so many times, Zhu Pingan, who was already exhausted and haggard, almost couldn't stand, and his haggard and tired state became even more serious. Ouyang Zishi, who had been paying attention to Zhu Pingan silently, saw Zhu Pingan's crumbling figure and raised his lips silently, "What are you trying to argue with me about?"
"It's the day of the palace examination. One breakfast, one lunch, and two tea rounds will be provided. The palace examination has its own rules. You should follow your own rules and don't let down the expectations of the Holy Emperor!"
After all the tributes had finished sitting down, the officials from the Ministry of Rites gave a brief lecture and began to distribute the test papers for this palace examination.
After Zhu Pingan received the test paper, he slightly rubbed his tired and dizzy forehead, and slowly opened the test questions in his hand.
The test paper was made of snow-white rice paper with extremely fine workmanship and a touch of sandalwood. The font of the test questions was excellent, and the test questions slowly appeared in Zhu Pingan's eyes. (To be continued.)
