Seeing Li Longji's urgent treatment for illness, Lu Tianshi couldn't help but ask: "Li Longji, have you never thought of borrowing money from a noble family in Chang'an?"
"Why haven't I thought about it, but I can't borrow it?" Li Longji said bitterly, "These high-ranking families are like iron roosters, they all have nothing to lose. I was desperate, so I ran to every place one by one. Setting up a stall on the cross street to sell the spices you collect or your calligraphy and paintings, this is not setting up a stall, it is clearly just to slap me in the face."
After a pause, he added: "Besides, borrowing money can only last for a while, after all, it is not a long-term solution."
Master Lu Tian couldn't help but be happy. It turned out that the civil servant group in the late Ming Dynasty learned from the high-ranking families of the Tang Dynasty.
It seems that Li Longji's current situation is similar to that of Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty. The only difference is that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the national power of the Ming Dynasty had been exhausted by internal and external troubles. Although the economy of the Tang Dynasty had collapsed, it was politically and militarily weak. It was still in its heyday, and before the Anshi Rebellion broke out, it was still very bluffing.
Master Lu Tianshi did not tell Li Longji that "borrowing" money from high-ranking families was the fundamental solution. Instead, the two-tax system, salt law reform and commercial tax collection were expedient measures because it was not time to talk about it yet.
At that moment Master Lu Tian said: "Then let's try it."
At least I can make some money.
…
Pingkangfang, Duan Qijia.
It was already three o'clock in the morning, but Li Bai was still bedridden.
Last night he and Du Fu, Cui Hao, Xue Ju and other friends drank again until dawn before they dispersed. Li Bai also went to sleep in Duan Qiniang's boudoir.
I was sleeping when I heard a knock on the door.
Duan Qiniang, who was dressing up, looked out of the window, then returned to the couch and shook Li Bai: "Mr. Lang, it seems that the second son of the Du family is calling you downstairs."
"Don't make any noise, I'm having a banquet with the Nine Heavens Fairy."
Li Bai muttered, turned over and fell asleep again.
"Go play with your Nine Heaven Fairy." Duan Qiniang got up and went downstairs.
After going downstairs, Duan Qiniang said to Du Fu, "Mr. Lang is feeling unwell today and won't go out."
"What? Today is the day when Enke releases the results." Du Fu said in astonishment, "Brother Taibai didn't even look at the results?"
"It's very interesting. I'm sure to win this subject." Li Bai's muttering came from upstairs, "And I will definitely be the top scorer in high school."
Li Bai has always been extremely confident in his own talents. Except for Wang Wei and a few other people who can compare with him, the rest are not worth mentioning. However, Wang Wei has already become a doctor in the Ministry of Civil Affairs at this time, so he is embarrassed. He took the exam, so the top scholar in this subject was none other than Li Bai.
Finally, Li Bai said: "Come back and tell me when you see the ranking."
After hearing what Li Bai said, Du Fu and others stopped calling him and immediately came to Xingqing Palace Square together.
Although this year's Enke exam was held in Wubenfang, the results were released not in the Imperial College of Wubenfang, but on the imperial notice board in front of Xingqing Palace Square.
When Du Fu and others arrived, Xingqing Palace Square was already crowded with people.
Especially in front of the Imperial List notice board, it was even more crowded with candidates.
Fortunately, there were hundreds of Jinwu guards on site to maintain order, otherwise there would have been trouble.
"Hey, there are so many people, how can we squeeze in?" Du Fu said in shock.
A candidate next to him who also didn't dare to squeeze in said, "No, there are too many people."
Another candidate shook his head and said: "There are more than 100,000 candidates participating in this session of Enke. How many people are here now? Later all the candidates will come to Xingqing Palace to see the results. That's when it will be really crowded."
Du Fu's scalp was numb and he said, "Do you think it's better to squeeze in?"
The previous candidate said: "Squeeze, let's squeeze in together."
"Okay." After Du Fu said that, he turned sideways and squeezed in as hard as he could.
While squeezing, Du Fu asked the candidate: "What do you call me, brother?"
"I'm in Yanzhuang, Cangzhou." The candidate said, "How do you call me my dear brother?"
"I'm calling Du Fu." After Du Fu finished speaking, he said, "Ah, who stepped on my feet?"
"Brother, is this Du Fu?" Yan Zhuang wanted to cross his hands and sing a greeting, but he couldn't raise his hands at all. He could only smile bitterly at Du Fu, "Brother Du, I have heard about your poetic talent."
"Poetry is nothing." Du Fu shook his head and sighed, "The important thing in this subject is strategy."
"That's not to say. This subject is indeed determined by policy, but poetry is still the deciding factor. In other words, if poetry is not good enough, you won't even have a chance to be on the list, so how can you go to high school?"
"Brother, why do you say that poetry is the only thing that will stay or leave? Didn't you say that it's the articles that will stay or leave?"
Not far away, another candidate who was struggling to squeeze in subconsciously asked.
When Du Fu, Yan Zhuang and others looked over, the man crossed his hands and chanted again and again: "Caozhou Liu Yan."
Yan Zhuang said: "It turns out to be Brother Liu. We only heard the news from the public. We don't know whether it is true or not."
After hearing this, Liu Yan was ashen-faced: "If poetry really determines whether I will stay or go, I will definitely fail the exam. Even I can't stand the few poems I wrote this time, so how can I not fail the exam."
While talking, a group of people worked together to squeeze in.
After a long while, I finally squeezed in front of the imperial list.
At this time, the imperial list had already turned into a mess.
Some people were dancing with excitement, I won, I won! I'm in high school!
However, more candidates burst into tears, and then began to curse. There must be a shady story, and there must be a shady story in Jinke. Rumors have spread among the public for a long time, saying that Jinke will decide whether to stay or leave based on poems. Someone must be worried about it!
So some people echoed, ah, yes, yes, yes, there is a shady story, and they asked to retake the exam, and students must take the exam.
Du Fu and the others ignored it and just looked for their names on the imperial list.
The first person to speak out was Caozhou Liu Yan, shouting: "I won, hahahaha, I'm in high school and I'm second in the top ranking!"
Du Fu's heart skipped a beat, and he became more and more anxious. He had already found the top 100 people in the third place, but he still hadn't found his own name. He didn't see Li Bai's name either, nor did he find the names of Xue Jue and the others. It shouldn't be. With their poetic talents, especially Li Bai's, they should not fall outside the top 100.
While searching, Yan Zhuang shouted excitedly.
"I won too, hahahaha, Brother Du, I won! I'm in high school too!"
Du Fudun became more and more anxious. Was Yan Zhuang also hit? Why haven't you found his name yet?
However, the reality is cruel. After reading all the lists, Du Fu didn't even see his name. Li Bai and Xue Ju were also not on the list, but they all failed.
After Yan Zhuang and Liu Yan were happy, they began to comfort Du Fu.
"Brother Du, don't worry, you probably missed it, look for it again, look carefully."
At the moment, the two of them also helped Du Fu search together. However, they searched the entire list from beginning to end several times and confirmed that there were no names like Du Fu and Li Bai.
Du Fu's legs suddenly became weak.
If it weren't for Yan Zhuang's support, he would probably be able to sit on the ground directly.
In the end, Du Fu didn't know how he got back to Pingkangfang.
As soon as they entered the door, they saw Xue Ju and the others, hugging each other and wiping away tears.
Li Bai seemed to have lost his soul, staring blankly at the Bajiao Well in the yard. It really made people worry that he might fall into the well if he couldn't think about it.
I have to say that this subject was a big blow to Li Bai and the others.
Although many candidates are saying that there is something shady about Enke this time.
But Li Bai and Du Fu knew that this subject was actually the most fair. They were close friends with the deputy chief examiners Gao Shi and Cen Shen, and they were not taken care of, let alone others.
There is no doubt that the students admitted to this subject are all real talents.
The only explanation is that the court needed someone who could not write poetry.
…
This time Enke dealt a huge blow to Li Bai and the others.
However, few people will know that this term Enko dealt a greater blow to the rebels.
Before Enke's exam started, Yan Zhuang, the chief think tank, and Gao Shang, the second think tank under An Lushan's command, ran away with their buckets and went to Chang'an to take the exam. When Enke's admission list was announced, it was discovered that the 500 high school students There were actually 486 new Jinshi from poor families, and only 14 from aristocratic families. Scholars who were originally skeptical about this class of Enke were also shocked. The imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty seemed to be real. Things have changed.
Those high-ranking families could no longer control the imperial examinations.
Moreover, those high-ranking families can no longer monopolize the officialdom.
Because most of the 500 new scholars in the high school were directly awarded to the county magistrates of the seventh rank, the three in the first rank and the seventeen in the second rank were directly awarded to the magistrates of the household department, and the rank was from the sixth rank to the lower.
The news spread, and all the scholars in the rebel army fled overnight.
Those scholars who originally planned to defect to the rebels to seek a career also changed their minds.
In a word, the new imperial examination opened up the upward path for poor families. Those truly underappreciated elites were unwilling to destroy the old platform of the Tang Dynasty, and instead began to maintain this old platform.
ps: I’m a little busy these days with the renovation of my new house.
