The news that the imperial examination was to be held in the new dynasty was like growing wings. Only seven or eight days had passed since the announcement was posted, and even Laiyang, Qixia and Dengzhou Prefecture under the Manchu Qing had heard about it.
This year is the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong's reign, and the branches and branches are ugly. According to the imperial examination system of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the provincial examinations were only held in the years of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You. But the problem was that last year's provincial examination had just ended, and in one month, the capital examination was about to begin.
Although the news about the imperial examination in Beihai Town was released, the scholars in the city and from all over the country did not dare to get involved. They just waited and watched. After all, the Manchu Qing Dynasty had not yet fallen.
It can be said that the scholars of the Qing Dynasty occupied the highest status in rural society, and the spread of rural government orders and moralization mainly relied on them. This is mainly because all Jinshi have gone to work as officials in other places, and not many of them have settled in the countryside; some are serving as county magistrates, some are serving as edicts, and some are working as staff for officials, and at the worst, they can become academy professors. . Usually if you see someone wearing a gold-domed hat when walking in the countryside, most of them are scholars. The common people only address him as "Mr." and don't even dare to call him by his surname.
However, for those children who were eliminated in the "Literature Examination", the news from Beihai Town undoubtedly gave them one more choice, which was especially heart-pounding for those poor children.
You must know that the passing rate of the "Wen Tong Examination" in the Qing Dynasty was extremely low. The national average was only one percent, which was lower than that of the National Juren Examination. Compared with this, the college entrance examination admission rate of later generations is nothing.
Hong, the famous "Son of God" in history, passed the county examination at the age of 15. After that, he failed in the government examination four times. He was hit hard and embarked on the path of rebellion. However, for some super academics, it is not difficult to reach the top at a young age, such as Yuan Mei, Liang Qichao and Cai E, who were admitted as scholars at the age of 12.
During the Qing Dynasty, the government had been strictly restricting the number of students admitted to the "Wen Tong Examination" in various places. Therefore, those who could pass the examination as scholars in these years were absolutely lucky; those who passed the examination would reach the sky in one step and set their sights on becoming local tyrants and evil gentry in the future. Base. As long as you don't mess around, there is absolutely no such thing as a "poor scholar".
Under the Ming and Qing Dynasties, each county had a quota of scholars, thirty or forty in large counties, more than twenty in middle counties, and more than ten in small counties. If a place has a strong academic atmosphere and there are many children taking the exam, it will be more difficult; otherwise, it will be easy. For example, in Tongcheng, Anhui Province, where education is concentrated, as many as 3,000 to 4,000 people take part in the "Literary Education Examination" for each subject, and there are only 25 admission places. There are many people in their 50s and 60s who fail to pass the "County Examination."
Dengzhou Prefecture has prospered in culture and education due to its developed maritime trade. In the 27th year of Qianlong's reign alone, there were 275 candidates admitted, ranking third in Shandong. Therefore, the admission rate of the "Literary Examination" has been 1%. None.
If someone has never passed the Tongsheng examination, even if he has read a lot of books, he can only be called Bai Ding; if he is a self-taught scholar and becomes a Confucian scholar, he can be called "Changshi so-and-so".
For the large number of "tongsheng" groups, although they do not yet belong to the gentry class, they are still a class. Otherwise, why are they said to be inferior in everything but good in education?
If this kind of people have a lawsuit, they will kneel down and answer the same questions as the common people, but the county magistrate will be more polite when asking questions; , the county magistrate can make him stand up and reply, which is already a great honor. If they are just civilians, no matter how old they are, the county magistrate cannot let them stand and answer; because this is a systemic issue, the county magistrate cannot violate the rules.
Ninghai Prefecture, prefecture city.
Guo Yu was wearing a dark green military uniform of the Northern Navy, an armed belt, and an iron ruler at his waist, walking hurriedly on the street. Whether it's the shops or vendors on both sides, everyone nodded and bowed when they saw him, and they all greeted him with a smile.
"Mr. Guo, come in and sit down, have a sip of tea and rest. Everything on the street is hopeless."
"Guo Captou, this new official uniform looks really impressive!"
"Oh, it's Brother Yu! I just slaughtered the big fat pig this morning, leaving two kilograms of fine pork belly for Xie. Look at the fat, it's three fingers thick!"
"Captain Guo, some mountain products have just been brought into the shop. I have left them all for you. Take them back and make them stew chicken and soak it in wine for the old lady. It will be a great supplement!"
Seeing people all over the street holding up tributes to him, Guo Yu felt proud and irritated, and ignored them. He just waved his hands and kept walking.
Ever since they received public food from the Military Control Commission, Guo Yu's family has been visiting every day to give gifts, ask for help, and even have a lot of go-betweens and grooms to give their daughters as wives or even concubines. It's like a market in the house. However, the people from the Military Control Commission said that people from the Public Security Police Department would arrive in a few days, and he didn't want to make mistakes at this time.
After walking near the Chenghuang Temple and turning eastward into a small alley, Guo Yu arrived at the door of the person he was looking for. Unexpectedly, he heard a quarrel going on inside through the door.
I heard an old man say: "Nen writes letters every day to other people. He always earns dozens of pennies. He buys pork head meat and sesame cakes in soup. He just cares about his own happiness and doesn't take any money to come home. , Do you want me to raise Nen’s wife and children for you? They are my daughters after all, so that’s fine. Nen and Butcher Zhang gave us pig head meat on credit without paying for it, and people come and ask me for it every now and then, where’s the bad luck!”
At this time, another person said: "Dad, if you eat this pig head meat yourself, you have to pay back the money."
"Fart! If I eat it, I will certainly pay it back. But this is all for young people!"
"Are you satisfied with the large bowl of guanzaer (dumplings) that was delivered to you a few days ago?"
"How to say?"
"The stuffing is made of pig head meat."
"Asshole!"
"Dad, I don't have any trouble with you. Since you have eaten all this pig head meat, the money will naturally be returned to you."
Guo Yu covered her mouth and had some fun. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she heard the courtyard door creak open. A man in his early thirties was wearing a patched cotton robe and an old felt hat. , ran into the alley in a flash; behind him, an old man holding a broom was still five or six steps away from him.
"Brother Deyuan, what are you..." Guo Yu took a look and saw that this person was Lin Qizong he was looking for. Looking at the person behind him, it was Lin Qizong's father-in-law, Old Man Li.
"Brother Yu?" When Lin Qizong saw the reinforcements, he hurriedly stepped aside and stood behind Guo Yu.
Old Man Li was trembling with anger. He stood at the door and pointed at his son-in-law with a broom and said: "Brother Yu, I just said a few words to him, but he actually promised me these bastard words. He read the book into the dog's belly." Yeah, how can’t you hate it!”
Lin Qizong defended: "Dad, I don't drink, I don't gamble, and I don't go to brothels. I just want to get something good to eat and nourish my brain every day."
Old Man Li scolded: "Pig brain! I'm just tired of leaving my wife and children alone. I can't afford to be tired! I took four exams in a row and couldn't even pass the exam. I don't know how to make money to support the family. My daughter didn't know how to live in her previous life." What evil have you done!"
"Dad, if you don't like your daughter to be my wife, just go back."
"Damn it! What will happen to my daughter after she quits?"
"Let dad marry another son-in-law."
Old Man Li said angrily: "Plague slave! Unless Nen dies or becomes a monk, this can only be done!"
Lin Qizong said: "Death is impossible for a while, and becoming a monk is even more impossible. I will continue to take the exam."
Old Man Li said angrily: "I don't have money to pay, so I will become a monk tomorrow!"
Guo Yu heard what the two people said was "hanging mats on the door - it's outrageous", and hurriedly advised: "Old man Li, please calm down, I came to see Brother Deyuan today for a good thing."
"What's the good thing?" Old Man Li was still angry, with one hand on his waist and the broom in the other hand.
At this time, the surrounding neighbors had come out to watch the fun, Guo Yu said: "Well, why don't we go in?"
Only then did Old Man Li notice the "official uniform" on Guo Yu's body. He couldn't help but blush, and hurriedly invited him in. Then he looked at his son-in-law who looked carefree behind him and glared fiercely.
Lin Qizong, courtesy name Deyuan, is a native of Ninghai Prefecture. He started his education at the age of 6 and passed the county examination at the age of 17. However, he failed to pass the government examination several times. His father was just a tailor, so it was not easy for him to study. When he was 22 years old, his father died, and he was required to observe filial piety for three years and could not take the imperial examination. When he was 27 years old, his mother died, and after another three years, he was over thirty if he was not careful.
Guo Yu's mother had a "handkerchief" relationship with Lin Qizong's deceased mother since childhood, so the two had known each other very well since childhood. When Lin Qizong's parents passed away, the Guo family helped a lot with their money and efforts. Now that something good happened, Guo Yu thought of coming over and asking.
Lin Qizong relies on his good calligraphy and writes letters for others on weekdays. This little money is enough to support a family, but there is no chance of taking part in the imperial examination. In the Qing Dynasty, there were two examinations every three years, one for the annual examination and one for the scientific examination. Each time you took part, you had to go to Dengzhou Prefecture, and then No matter how much you save, you still have to spend eight or nine taels of silver. Moreover, this guy is a greedy person, and he will get something good to eat every few days, euphemistically calling it "brain replenishment".
After Guo Yu entered the hospital, Lin Qizong's wife wiped away her tears and walked out of the west room of the main room to see him. Although Lin Qizong was a child, he was not a scholar after all, and his family did not have so many rules. Guo Yu and others brought tea, took a few sips, and then told Lin Qizong about the Military Control Commission's notification of the imperial examination.
Lin Qizong was silent for a long time, and said with an embarrassed look on his face: "Brother Yu, I heard about this a few days ago. Although the notice says that you can take the boat for free, eat and live for free, you are going to sea after all! This is different from going to Dengzhou Prefecture.”
"How is it different?"
"Although Fucheng is more than two hundred miles away from Zhoucheng, it is by land. Everyone walks together, but the legs and feet are tired, so there is no danger. But to go to Beihai Town, you have to take the sea route, and there is North Korea in the middle. It’s thousands of miles away, and if there’s a storm on the way, your life is at risk.”
Guo Yu smiled slightly after hearing this, and said with an enigmatic look: "Brother Deyuan, I'm afraid you haven't seen the big iron ships of the Xin Dynasty, have you?"
Lin Qizong shook his head. Although the ships from Beihai Town came to Longmen Port last year, they were all sailing boats. The Thor went to Europe, and the Thunder also went to Southeast Asia and South Asia. The Thunder Cruiser did visit Rongcheng in the first few years, but Rongcheng is more than 260 miles away from Ninghai Prefecture, which is already out of reach for many ordinary people.
Guo Yu then recounted what he had heard from the Military Control Commission about the large iron ship. Lin Qizong listened attentively, and even the sulking old man Li who was sitting in the east room was attracted.
"It's better than this. Brother Deyuan, take your household registration card to the Military Control Commission to register in the afternoon. The big iron ship will come to Longmen Port in a few days. Director Li asked me to follow him to pick him up. I'll say hello to his old man tomorrow. I’ll take you with me to see it, and you’ll feel relieved when you see it.”
The household registration card was issued by the Military Control Commission of the four counties after the door-to-door registration was completed. It was the same size as Guo Yu's employee card, but there was no photo. The house number, age, name, household head information, etc. were registered on it. It was regarded as a temporary household registration book. It is currently used together with the Baojia house number certificate issued by the Manchu and Qing government. The "Director Li" Guo Yu refers to is Li Bi, the head of the Military Control Commission, who reports directly to Cao Guifu and meets with him almost every two days.
"this"
Guo Yu struck while the iron was hot: "Brother Deyuan, you can write the character "灁" well. This is a once-in-a-lifetime good thing! The Manchu and Qing Dynasties will not be in power for a few more years. If you still want to get fame there, I advise you not to do this. think."
Lin Qizong was still hesitating, but Old Man Li spoke first: "Brother Yu, is it true that the new dynasty government really doesn't charge money?"
The reason for this question is that despite the fact that the imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were open to everyone on the surface, in fact they had financial thresholds. It was said before that the Liu family in Zhucheng had accumulated more than a hundred years in the Ming Dynasty, and it was not until the year of Tianqi that any of their children stepped into the threshold of "Zhusheng". The main reason was that the cost of cultivating a scholar was too high.
Not to mention the expenses of attending a private school since childhood, each child examination costs at least several taels of silver. Those who live in the countryside have even greater expenses, including transportation, board and lodging, test papers, guarantees, tuition and miscellaneous fees, and bad regulations. . If you pass the county examination and take the government examination and college examination, it will cost more. In addition, if you pass the examination as a scholar, you will have to pay a "student's seal" to the county teacher, and another amount to repay the teacher and guarantor, and you will also need to buy or Renting a dress to participate in the "school sending ceremony" costs a total of one or two hundred taels of silver.
"No. Not even a test paper fee. I heard from Director Li that everyone who goes will also receive a subsidy."
"Subsidy? How much is it?" Weng and his son-in-law asked almost at the same time.
Guo Yu was amused and said: "Ten silver coins."
Old man Li's eyes widened and he quickly bumped his son-in-law's back with his elbow. Lin Qizong said hurriedly: "I'll go after lunch!"
Guo Yu then declined the invitation from Weng and his son-in-law to have dinner at home, saying that he still had something to do. He said to himself that the pig head meat issue in your family has not been sorted out yet, so he should not get involved.
Lin Qizong and Old Man Li knew that Guo Yu was different now, and it was a sign of affection for someone to say something, so they sent him to the entrance of the alley with a lot of gratitude.
After exiting the alley where Lin's house was located, Guo Yu turned around the cross street and passed by a brothel called "Fengmingyuan". Zhang Fu'er, dressed in a gorgeous dress, suddenly walked out of the doorway and stopped him with her hand.
This person is said to be an old bustard, but in fact he is only in his twenties. She walked up to Guo Yu and flattened the other man's slightly curled collar without any hesitation. She looked him up and down and said, "Tsk, tsk, it's true that a man relies on his clothes and a horse relies on his saddle. Brother Yu puts on this outfit and looks better than those gentlemen." All magnificent.”
Guo Yu hurriedly took half a step back and said, "Hey, what are you doing? Don't touch it!"
"You little heartless boy, how long has it been since I was young to forget about me?" Zhang Bustard said, and then came closer and said, "If you want me to tell you, Brother Yu just doesn't know how to feel sorry for me. It's such a cold day." Son, don’t you want to find a shop to have a cup of hot tea and rest? Let’s go to the slave’s house and let the slave have a good time.”
The woman said that she was about to pull her arm. Guo Yu broke away and said: "Zhang Bustard, don't do this to me. You must be asking me for something. Otherwise, I would never have come with you before." "
The woman spat and said coyly: "It's shameless, isn't it? Nen pats her chest and asks herself, it's not like I haven't taken care of you before. Let's go in and have a glass of wine with my slave to warm up."
After that, he took Guo Yu's arm again. Guo Yu didn't dare. He broke away with a "Hey, hey, hey" and said with a straight face: "Zhang Bustard, if you want to touch me again, I will yell."
Zhang Bustard covered his mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile: "What are you shouting for? Who are you shouting for? You should shout for me, there is only one official on this street."
Guo Yu's face turned red and she thought to herself that this woman was really not a light-hearted person. If she had known better, she would not have come to this street. Zhang Bustard had finished playing, and then he came over and said softly: "The Nu family knows that Nen is afraid of attracting attention and making people gossip, but the Nu family is not a narrow-minded person. Brother Yu hasn't married yet, has he? If he finds someone who likes him, The money is not enough for the slave family to give."
"real?"
"But there is one thing, brother Yu, you are so tender that you should pay attention to your body and bones, and you are not allowed to touch those messy women. If that is the case, the slave family will not rely on tenderness."
While Zhang Bustard was talking, he had already taken a small bag from the big teapot behind him. There was about ten taels of silver in it, and he stuffed it into Guo Yu's hand.
"Hey, where can I find someone like this from the slave family? He really is Wang Baochuan!"
Guo Yu's eyes widened, he threw the money into the opponent's arms and said angrily: "Go! Leave! Go with whomever Wang Baochuan Nen wants to follow, and go back to Nen's 'Han Kiln'! If Nen behaves like this again!" Hey, I will take Nen back to the military control meeting for a few days!"
Although Guo Yu is only nineteen this year, he has a father who has been a businessman to guide him, and he is very clear-minded. In the past, he and Madam Zhang were always very close to each other, but that was in the past; now that Beihai Town is here, in my father's words, they have to be reborn.
The Beihai soldiers have been in Ninghai Prefecture for several months, but he has never seen a Beihai soldier buying and selling forcibly on the street, eating and drinking for free, and he has never seen a Beihai soldier enter a casino and visit a brothel.
For this point, the people of Ninghai Prefecture all have their thumbs up, and there is no one who is not convinced. Guo Yu's father made it very clear, your boy is now also a member of Beihai Town. If you want to be promoted and get the same salary as Cao Guifu, you can't make mistakes and learn from other soldiers.
Zhang Bustard squinted his eyes, tilted his head and looked at Guo Yu's leaving figure, and muttered to himself: "Young little Picha'er, he doesn't like wine, sex or wealth. Huh~~ I got kicked in the head by a donkey!"
1. Turning tent, fluffy grass blowing in the wind, later used as a metaphor for the wandering life. 2. Bannermen were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations of the Qing Dynasty before Qianlong. Therefore, some books state that bannermen participated in the imperial examinations during the Kangxi and Yongzheng years, which is pure nonsense. Even when the ban was lifted during the Qianlong period, there was a different quota, which was different from that of the Han people.
(End of chapter)
