During the spring general examination in the ninth year of Jingwu, Zhu Zhanyi was ordered to be the president (that is, the examiner), and he made a big comeback.
Emperor Taizu of this dynasty came from a wealthy merchant family, so he set the rules based on the scientific examination systems of the Tang and Song dynasties.
The examination not only tests classic knowledge, but also evaluates, inspects and records the candidates' ability to observe life, use of diction, flexible thinking and logical argumentation, as well as their specialties.
Compared with the Ming Dynasty Eight-legged Examination that Li Dan knew before, it is not only more difficult, but also more practical. This is why local officials such as Tang Xuan are more pragmatic and familiar with various laws and rules.
In fact, in addition to Shangjing, there are four examination centers in Nanjing Yingtianfu (Jinling), Xijing Xi'anfu, and Beijing Shuntianfu. Candidates can take the examination at a convenient location or nearby.
Of course, the examination questions are the same, and they are all set by the Presidential Academy of Science and Technology. They are transcribed in four copies and then sealed with fire paint and asphalt.
Then they put them into four rosewood "gold boxes" wrapped with copper edges. After being locked, they were escorted by Wing Dragon Guards to the Sidi Gongyuan. After a solemn seal inspection and key handover ceremony, they were put into three layers of locked copper boxes. in the cabinet.
On the day when all the students entered the Gongyuan examination room, officials holding three copper keys arrived together and took out the gold box from the cabinet under the supervision of the Wing Dragon Guards.
The academic official who holds the handover key opens the box, and then the Wing Dragon Guard verifies it and opens the asphalt seal bag and the paint seal bag successively. Only then can the academic official take out the examination questions and display them to the students.
This process is not only strict, but also standardized, effectively preventing the leakage of pre-examination questions. From the setting and selection of the topic to the emperor's writing and finalization of the topic, until the day when the candidates leave, all the officials related to the topic setting live together in Xinghua Island on the West Lake.
Fortunately, I don't have to worry about food and drink, and the scenery is beautiful. After a month, apart from missing my family, it doesn't matter. I just treat it as a public holiday.
Shangjing Gongyuan is located in the "Wenbu Street" not far from the Guide Government Office. To the east are Guide Government School and Suiyang County School, and to the west is Wenhua Square. It is the most prosperous place for writing in the city. .
At the beginning of February, first-year students entered the school and took the exam "Confucian Classics"; on the 12th, they entered the school for the second time and took the exam "Policy Theory"; on the 15th, they took the third exam "Judgment" and "Poetry".
The third session is a special feature of this dynasty. The judgment is mostly a case test, allowing students to analyze the rights and wrongs of both parties and the applicable legal provisions, and then write a judgment of their own.
Poetry tests students' ability to comprehend and judge poems and their agility in the works they are asked to write. The former requires students to have an understanding of urban life and folk customs, while the latter depends more on adaptability and the ability to use diction flexibly.
A total of 1,160 tribute students were taken from the four examination rooms, including 350 from Shangjing, 310 from Yingtian Prefecture, 260 from Beiping Prefecture, and 220 from Xi'an Prefecture.
Then one-quarter to one-third of the outstanding candidates will be selected to become Jinshi, and they will be sent to Shangjing to take part in the palace examination with the expenses paid by Gongyuan from various places.
The establishment of additional examination rooms in Peiping and Xi'an was a strategy adopted by Emperor Taizong to resolve the long-standing dispute between the North and the South, because one of the contents of the dispute was the Taizu's regulations at that time:
The admission ratio for southern scholars (exam at Yingtianfu) and northern scholars (exam at Zhongjing Shangqiu) is six to four.
This ratio was appropriate during the time of Taizu, because the population in the north declined more due to long-term wars, and the culture was suppressed by the previous dynasty for a long time and was not as popular as in the south.
But by the Taizong period a few decades later, the situation had changed, and the situation that there were more southerners than northerners in the court had to change, so two more examination rooms were added to nominally cater for northern candidates.
In fact, when candidates take the provincial examination, the distance of residence is not used as a criterion for choosing an examination venue, which gradually makes the dispute between the two parties on this issue subside.
After the first two exams, everyone felt that this year's scripture topic was acceptable, but the policy topic "On the pros and cons of mining and mine supervision systems" surprised many people. Everyone thought that the emperor would not mention the mining issue because he was at a disadvantage, but who knew that he would mention it anyway.
"It seems that this king is really a wise king, quite like Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty!" Fat Buddha Lin Wanyan sighed with emotion.
In the third case, the verdict was about a maritime businessman who filed a lawsuit against the shipper for compensation due to the sea salt being transported by moisture. The shipowner claimed that other cargo in the same cabin was not affected by moisture.
In cases where compensation is refused, everyone is required to analyze the facts of the case and make a judgment citing the terms.
It was very lively now, students were writing about everything, and they became noisy after leaving the examination room. Some supported the maritime merchants, while others supported the shipowners. The two sides were quarreling endlessly.
It even made noise in pubs, restaurants and even red buildings, making the officials of Guide Mansion exhausted and dumbfounded. "Who asked this immoral question? Aren't we the fish that were affected by the fire at the city gate?" someone scolded.
Little did they know that the question came from a story Li Dan told Liu Xi after drinking. Liu Xi wrote it in a secret report and handed it to the emperor. Zhao Tuole picked it up and used it as this year's test question!
"Hey, where did your Majesty find this case? It's absolutely incredible!" The examiners who were marking the papers also shook their heads. Regardless of whether the judgment is right or wrong according to the case, first check whether the logic of the judgment and the reference of the law are appropriate. If it is appropriate, it is qualified.
If the captain is found to be irresponsible and the captain is found to be irresponsible, then it is considered to be the best. If you can highlight the packaging issues and remind the shipping company that they can hold the packaging merchant responsible, that would be the best choice.
Zhou Wu didn't know much about maritime trade and salt goods, so Han Chang came up with the idea of having a debate show between Jinpao peacemakers Deng Xun (a son of a salt merchant) and Lin Wanyan (a son of a maritime merchant). It dawned on me.
"Fengzhi, you don't have to worry. Your classics and strategies are good. You should be able to get your grades back." Han Chang comforted him.
The new scholars from the other three places have already arrived in Beijing, where they are waiting for the ranking and release of the papers after the major review, and then prepare for the palace examination next month. The top three will be selected through the palace examination, namely:
The first A (top three) are awarded Jinshi and the official positions of editor (from the sixth rank) and editor (seventh rank) of the Hanlin Academy.
The second-tier A is given to those who were born as Jinshi, and were called Shujishi, and were admitted to the Hanlin Academy to study and prepare (only the first-place in the second-tier A can be awarded the post of reviewer, starting from the seventh rank).
The third Jia was given a Jinshi background and went to the Six Ministries to observe government, and then worked in low-level bureaucratic or county magistrate positions.
On the day when the results were released, the gate of Gongyuan Street was crowded with people. After the gong was sounded, Tongshi began to paste yellow paper from left to right. The beginning was a big word "Bang", and then the nouns, names, and place of origin were written in gold and gold ink characters. This is called the inscription on the gold list.
Posting from the top three to the first, it was a sensation as how many people came to see it.
Zhou Wu saw that he had won the top three and was ranked 307th. He wiped the sweat from his head and said with a wry smile: "I don't think the emperor has the eyes to give me a chance. Ashamed, ashamed!"
He is originally from Xi'an, and failed the first two exams he took in Xi'an. Fortunately, I could afford it at home, so I came all the way to Shangjing to take the exam. I didn’t want to fail here, and I was very happy from the bottom of my heart.
Han Chang won the top three hundred and twenty-sixth place. He knew how much ink he had, so he just won! Deng Xun ranked one hundred and seventy-fourth in the second grade; Xu Baozhong ranked ninety-three in the first grade.
Now there are only four others, Su You, Fang Wei, Lin Wanyan and Wei Congxi who haven't come out yet. Everyone is waiting anxiously, but they keep trying to comfort others.
Look carefully at the next one, and it is clearly written that Fang Wei is the 62nd and Su You is the 34th. "If you go further, that will be the top ten!" someone whispered.
Lin Wanyan had given up hope. He shook his head: "Alas! It seems that there is no chance of success in Jinke!"
"Wait a minute, is it still coming out?" Han Chang said, even thinking it was impossible. He knew Fat Buddha's skills, especially in poetry, he was really far behind!
Another one was posted, but among the top ten to four in the first class, Wei Congxi was still missing. He frowned, turned around and left! Fang said he wanted to hold him back, but Su You waved his hand: "Leave him alone, he has such a temper...!"
Wei Congxi's family was poor and he could not afford to live in an inn near the Literature Square, so he stayed far away in the Huanglin Temple on the east bank of the Bao River. Wei Congxi walked quickly and returned to his residence and started to pack up his bedding and clothes and prepare to go home.
Suddenly I heard a knock on the door. When I looked back, I saw the monk from the temple clasping his hands at the door and asked him, "Is the donor going to leave?"
"Ah, I'm getting ready to leave." Wei Congxi blushed. He thought the other party had seen through him and felt ashamed and ashamed:
"Master, are you here to give alms? To be honest, I only have fifty coins left on me. If I don't leave the capital, I will only
I'm afraid I can't even drink water. ” he said with a hint of self-deprecation.
"Amitabha!" The monk also smiled: "It is very difficult to live in the capital, and it is difficult to be a benefactor.
However, the young monk did not come here just for alms and money for tea. The donor was not the only one who had to go to Beijing to take the exam. Our temple has never cared about it. Besides, someone has already given alms in our temple on behalf of the donor. "
"Ah? Is there such a thing?" Wei Congxi wondered: "Master, does he know who the other party is?"
The monk shook his head: "Monks don't care about worldly affairs. The man only left one sentence: Those who want to be able to study things and gain knowledge must be able to endure what others cannot, be patient and able to wait." After saying this, the monk bowed slightly and disappeared through the door. outside.
"Can endure, can wait..., what does this mean?" Wei Congxi was stunned for a moment, sitting on the neatly folded quilt and thinking blankly. I don't know how long it took, but suddenly a burst of drum music woke him up.
Wei Congxi raised his head and looked out the window blankly, wondering if it was a certain student in this temple who was boarding like himself and had gone to high school?
Footsteps sounded again, and the monk appeared at the door again. Seeing that he was still there, he seemed relieved and said, "Donor, we have a visitor."
"Looking for me?" As soon as Wei Congxi asked this question, he saw an official and a man in brown clothes appearing in front of him. "Excuse me, is Mr. Cong Xi, Mr. Wei of Xi'an Prefecture, in person?"
"Yes!" Wei Congxi opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He only answered one word.
"Congratulations, Mr. Wei, you are ranked third in the first class of Jinke High School! This is Lord Huangmen Langyou. He is here to teach you the etiquette of entering the palace. Please prepare to go down to the Wuchao Gate to thank you!"
"Uh... ah, sir, the student's family is poor and he only has these clothes..." Wei Congxi was excited and embarrassed at the same time, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably.
The official pursed his lips and smiled: "Don't worry, Tanhua Lang. Lord You has made arrangements for everything. Just listen to him."
