This exam paper was written by Xu Fenglei. As the deputy examiner, he didn't see the title until now.
I thought there would be several test questions for people to write about, but I didn’t expect that there would be just one line:
Do scholars also regard it as beneficial to the world? If you become a Jinshi after taking the test, why is it so valuable?
"Why is it expensive?"
Changsun Wuji murmured,
"This topic is interesting...but it hits the point."
The imperial examination is nothing more than the selection of officials for the imperial court through examination.
Whether a person can be an official, or to be precise, whether a person can be a good official, depends entirely on his thoughts and ambitions!
Therefore, Xu Fenglei asked such a question.
As a scholar, have you ever observed what benefits you have to the world?
As you are about to become a Jinshi... can you tell me what is most important?
Translated into vernacular, it is——
If you become an official, what good things can you do for the world?
When the candidates got this question, their expressions were different.
Some people are confident and confident.
Some people frowned, thinking hard and finding it difficult to write.
Xu Fenglei's eyes fell on the young farmer in the corner.
He was seen holding the pen, his expression was as usual, he only thought for a moment, and then he picked up the pen to write.
The speed is neither fast nor slow, but steady.
"Grand Master, you chose the exam questions well."
Changsun Wuji walked to Xu Fenglei, raised his thumbs up and praised in a low voice,
“One article can distinguish the good from the bad.”
Xu Fenglei smiled slightly.
"That's not necessarily the case. There are people who write brilliantly, but if you really ask them to do something practical, they can't get anything done."
He responded,
"I can only say, try your best to see and choose a few good officials for the court!"
Changsun Wuji nodded, deeply convinced.
Even if an article is written in a colorful way, it cannot be said that the author is necessarily good.
It can only be said that he has the qualifications to implement the articles he wrote and the blueprint he planned.
…
An hour and a half later.
clang!
As the bell rang, Xu Fenglei said decisively:
"Stop answering! Anyone who writes another word will be punished as a violation and their test results will be cancelled!"
Wow!
All the candidates stopped writing.
Some of them had finished writing early, and they were sitting there with smiles on their faces and their arms folded across their chests.
But there are also those who worked hard to write until the last second. Seeing that the end of their article was missing, they scratched their heads anxiously. They wanted to complete it but did not dare to touch the discipline. They had to watch Changsun Wuji take away the examination paper with a look on his face. of frustration.
If only I could write faster...
"Master, here it is."
Changsun Wuji gathered the test papers and gave them to Xu Fenglei.
"You are lucky. It was the first imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty, and the rules were not perfect yet, so you met."
Xu Fenglei said in a deep voice,
"There are fifty or sixty people in the entire examination room, and twenty-four Jinshi will be selected. Your probability of winning the Jinshi can be said to be extremely high."
"In the future, the imperial examination system will become more and more complete and the difficulty will become higher and higher. It will be much more difficult to be a Jinshi at that time."
"Exit! Your exam papers will be judged by His Majesty himself! I wish you good luck."
This imperial examination can be said to be a group of young men taking the Yangguan Road.
And in a few years, it will be the same imperial examination to select officials, and maybe thousands of troops will cross the single-plank bridge.
Crash.
All the candidates stood up, bowed their hands, and left the classroom one after another.
Only the young farm boy in the corner looked at Xu Fenglei coyly, as if he had something to say, but he was a little afraid and did not dare to speak.
Xu Fenglei smiled slightly.
"what do you want to say?"
In order not to scare the boy, he tried to speak in a soft tone.
"I……"
The young farmer hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said,
"Back to the examiner, I want to stay in the classroom overnight and leave tomorrow."
"You can see it?"
Xu Fenglei was stunned.
"Staying overnight, in the classroom?"
He said in surprise,
"Why?"
The young farmer lowered his head slowly and said with some shame:
"It takes a long time to go back home..."
"The students got up at the fourth watch to finish the work in the fields, and then rushed here in a hurry. In the end, they were almost late."
"Now that the exam is over, it's already evening... The city gate will be closed soon. Students will not be able to get out by then. If there is a curfew in the city, I will be arrested..."
Xu Fenglei couldn't help but smile when he heard this.
That's true.
If you are still wandering on the street after the curfew, you will definitely be arrested by Wu Hou who patrols the streets!
"So you came in a package?"
He smiled and said,
"Have you already made this idea?"
The young man looked shy and nodded.
Xu Fenglei pondered for a moment and said
"Originally, given your situation, I could give you money or let you stay at my house for a night."
"But after all, you are a candidate for the imperial examination, and I am the examiner, so I have to avoid suspicion."
"We can't have any interaction before the exam results come out, so I can't help you."
The young farmer glanced at the sky outside the window with a complicated expression.
The sun was setting in the west. From here to the city gate, even if his shoes smoked, he couldn't catch up!
If he walked from the south gate, he would have to go around a long way, and he didn't know the way... Then he would have to sleep in the countryside.
Sleep in the open...just sleep in the open!
His expression hardened, as if he had made a great determination.
However, Xu Fenglei said:
"But if you want to stay in the classroom for a while, that's no problem."
"It just can't be in this room. This room is sealed. You can go upstairs! There are many empty classrooms upstairs, and the doors and windows are all new, which is enough to protect against wind and rain."
When the young farmer heard this, his expression suddenly brightened.
"Really? Can I really borrow it?"
He couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart.
"Okay, but you have to solve the food problem yourself."
Xu Fenglei smiled and said,
"Have you brought dry food?"
The young farmer nodded repeatedly.
He took out a naan cake from the package, glanced at Changsun Wuji, hesitated, and then took out another one.
"Your Excellency, Chief Examiner, Your Excellency, Deputy Chief Examiner, my mother baked this with her own hands. You...you try it."
Changsun Wuji looked at Xu Fenglei with a strange expression.
"Are you offering a bribe?"
Xu Fenglei said with a half-smile.
Farmer youth: "!!!"
"Don't dare! How dare students! Students just..." He panicked and tried to defend incoherently.
But even the words are useless, my legs are weak!
Snap.
Xu Fenglei patted his shoulder and said with a smile:
"Okay, it's a long night and the journey home is long, so you'd better eat carefully."
"I won't give you anything, and you don't want to give us anything. If we want to talk about friendship, I will talk to you when the results are released."
"When the time comes, please tell me your name."
"Let's go! Close the doors and windows yourself."
After saying that, he held the test paper and left the classroom with Changsun Wuji.
"Student...thank you, Mr. Examiner!"
The young farmer's eyes wet, and he bowed deeply towards Xu Fenglei's retreating back, unable to stand up for a long time.
