Because there are only a few pieces of white paper in the official examination paper, if you make a mistake or have ink spots on it, you will be completely ruined.
Therefore, even Fang Xiaoyue seemed very cautious at this time.
If something goes wrong, I will have to wait for next year's county examination, which is equivalent to wasting a year in vain.
The only thing that made Fang Xiaoyue a little unhappy was that he was using block letters at this time.
He had already activated the block lettering skills when practicing at home or in private school.
However, the speed of improvement of the block letters skill is not as fast as that of other skills, so at this time, he has only upgraded the block letters to level 2.
In fact, after he arrived in the county, he also went to teahouses and other places to interact with other candidates and saw the calligraphy skills of some candidates.
To put it simply, level 2 in block letters is still a bit low among county examination candidates.
Most of the candidates have reached level 2-3 in calligraphy, and some candidates from better families have even reached level 4 in calligraphy.
Because for these candidates, they started practicing calligraphy at the age of 5. After more than ten years, they are still better than the calligraphy that Fang Xiaoyue just practiced.
In this way, if the content of the test papers is about the same, the examiner will definitely choose the candidate with better calligraphy.
After all, your handwriting is a knock on the door. If your handwriting is good, others will naturally have a good impression of you when they see your handwriting.
Of course, at this time, it was too late for Fang Xiaoyue to practice even now.
Fortunately, even though his calligraphy is slightly inferior, Fang Xiaoyue is still confident in herself.
After all, in terms of skills such as the Four Books and Five Classics, the most powerful among other candidates may only be level 4 or 5, and level 6 is the most powerful.
In this regard, it can still make up for the shortcomings of calligraphy.
After copying all the contents onto the white paper of the official examination paper, Fang Xiaoyue did not check it and looked at the time. It was already two o'clock in the afternoon.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, a government official rang the gong.
This means the paper can be handed in.
Of course, you don’t have to hand in the papers. The exam will last until eight o’clock in the evening at most. Once the time is up, whether you have finished writing or not, the government officials will forcibly collect your papers.
When Fang Xiaoyue heard the sound of the gong, she stood up from the small grid and waved to a government official.
The yamen officer approached and asked, "Do you want to hand in the papers?"
Fang Xiaoyue nodded and said, "It's troublesome."
The yamen officer then opened the small grid gate, put away Fang Xiaoyue's test papers, and sent them to the examiner.
Fang Xiaoyue strolled out of the passage.
During this process, he must not look sideways, speak or make any suggestive movements, otherwise, he will get into trouble.
After all, there are several government officials guarding each passage. If you want to cheat at this time, you are seeking death.
Before Fang Xiaoyue walked out of the examination hall, the yamen officer sent Fang Xiaoyue's test paper to the examiner's desk.
At this time, the county magistrate was drinking tea with the two deputy examiners and laughing and talking quietly.
As examiners, they have had a hard time these two days. They bear huge responsibilities and have to stay in the examination hall. It can be said to be extremely boring.
So when the yamen officer handed over the examination papers, the three examiners couldn't help but feel refreshed.
The county magistrate, as the examiner, casually took the examination papers into his hands and looked through them.
It should be said that the rules of the county examination are not that strict. There is no need for lake names, copying, etc. As long as the paper is submitted, the examiner can get it and start correcting it.
After all, this county examination is just the first step in the imperial examination, and the county magistrate will not delay his future because of such an examination.
To be able to become a county magistrate, this great man had also passed through the imperial examinations step by step, from scholar to scholar, and then to Jinshi. His level of the Four Books and Five Classics was definitely not comparable to that of ordinary scholars and judges.
Therefore, as soon as he got the test paper and glanced at it, the county magistrate Cui Changshou read the scriptures and Mo Yi questions clearly.
All right.
This is not surprising. In fact, the cultural and educational level of Kuangluo County has been improving year by year in recent years. More than 200 candidates pass the county examination every year. The scriptures are definitely correct. As for Mo Yi, as long as the meaning is the same It’s also considered a passing grade.
If you even make mistakes in the scriptures and ink meanings, do you want to pass the county examination? Dream on.
Therefore, the focus is on test poems and four calligraphy essays.
Cui Changshou looked at the test poems and couldn't help but his eyes lit up. Although the test poems, which are propositional poems praising the imperial court, have great limitations, it is almost impossible to write high-level test poems.
But the test poems he saw at this time were almost the best in recent years.
Looking at the four letters again, Cui Changshou was silent for a long time and couldn't help but sigh: "This article has the talent to lift people up."
Hearing what the chief examiner said, the two deputy examiners immediately became interested. Regardless of official status, they came over to watch for a while. They couldn't help but marvel that such a genius appeared in this county examination.
"As Mr. Cui said, this person can be a successful candidate."
"But this person's calligraphy is a little poor, which is a pity."
"But the flaws do not hide the virtues."
.........
After some exchanges between the three examiners, they decided that this person should be the leader of the county examination.
Of course, this is settled if there is no better article later.
Fang Xiaoyue left the examination hall at this time. The weather today was good, sunny and dry, and many people had gathered outside the examination hall.
The families of the candidates had been waiting outside the examination center early.
The same goes for Butcher Zhang’s family.
Seeing Fang Xiaoyue coming out, Zhang Tufu and others immediately surrounded him and showed their concern.
"Mingrui, how did you do in the exam?"
"Mingrui come home with me quickly. Your grandmother has stewed the old hen for you. It's a good supplement. You're already thin."
.......
With the care and company of her family, Fang Xiaoyue returned to her grandfather's house.
After all the candidates turned in their papers, Cui Changshou and the two deputy examiners began to correct the papers.
For Cui Changshou, although he experiences this once a year, it makes him feel extremely uncomfortable every time.
Because there are always only a few candidates with high standards, and the test papers written by most candidates will make people have the urge to burst into unknown anger.
"You have the nerve to take the county exam at this level?"
Cui Changshou looked at a candidate's test paper and couldn't help but start complaining. He wrote a comment on the test paper: Go back and study for a few more years.
This is not surprising, because this candidate even got most of the Bible questions wrong.
Even if the number of candidates admitted is not enough, Cui Changshou is determined not to allow such candidates to pass.
Since the county examination did not require the name of the lake, copying and copying saved a lot of time. By ten o'clock in the evening, the three examiners had finished marking all the examination papers and listed the 56 people who had been admitted.
Well, the admission quota for children is not fixed and is controlled by the examiner.
Generally speaking, it is one-fifth of the candidates. It is said that there are more than 360 candidates taking the county examination this time, and more than 70 people should be admitted.
But the level of the candidates this year is really not good. Many of them couldn't even answer the scripture questions and Mo Yi questions correctly. Cui Changshou and the two deputy examiners felt that if they were passed like this, they would really feel sorry for their consciences, so they all degraded.
Besides, if a guy like this can pass the test, it will easily lead to speculation of fraud.
Once things get serious, the superior academic officer or the county guard comes over and takes a look at the test papers. Hey, big trouble will happen at that time.
Therefore, based on their own conscience and to avoid big trouble, the three examiners decided to only admit these candidates.
"Okay, let's post the list tomorrow at nine o'clock."
Cui Changshou, who yawned, gave instructions to an official in the ceremony room.
The so-called ceremonial room is one of the six rooms in the county government office, including officials, households, rites, soldiers, punishments, and workers.
Each room has one official and 1-2 attendants.
These six houses are similar to the six yamen of the imperial court, and they are the foundation of the government to maintain the operation of the county.
This ceremonial room is the office in charge of ceremonies, imperial examinations, schools and other affairs.
For example, in times of drought, the government holds rain-seeking ceremonies, the logistics of county examinations, and even the application for private schools are all within the jurisdiction of the Lifang.
In the early morning of the next day, at 2:00 p.m., even though it was raining lightly, many candidates and their families appeared at the announcement board outside the examination center in advance, waiting to see the results.
Fang Xiaoyue originally didn't plan to get up early to look at the rankings, but Zhang Butcher couldn't bear to get up early and dragged him up.
In desperation, after having breakfast, Fang Xiaoyue could only arrive outside the examination hall accompanied by Butcher Zhang's family.
The only good thing was that even though they got up early, soon after they arrived, the official in charge of posting the list appeared holding a roll of yellow paper, and behind him was a waiter carrying a bucket of slurry.
"Give way, give way, you guys are surrounding me, how can I post the list?"
The official of the ceremonial room loudly opened a path for the crowd gathered in front of the announcement fence. However, after the official of the ceremonial room and the attendants entered, the crowd immediately surrounded the announcement fence tightly, just like a group of besiegers. Flies that live on carrion.
The attendant stepped forward and smeared the paste on the announcement rail, and the official immediately pasted the yellow paper in his hand.
Before the official could evacuate, the crowd surged forward with a roar, squeezing the official and stumbling around, shouting curses.
Fang Xiaoyue saw so many people and had no idea of going over to take a look. Instead, Zhang Jutai and his son Zhang Yuanming squeezed in with their tall size, causing a lot of scolding.
But from this moment on, surprise shouts of "I won!" came from the crowd from time to time.
But there are also people who quickly read the list and found that their name was not there. They were unwilling to read it a few times, sighed, and turned around to leave.
"I hit it! I hit it!"
It took a lot of effort for Zhang Yuanming to squeeze out of the crowd, with a look of ecstasy on his face, as if he had been born a child.
Zhang Jutai followed behind, also looking happy.
"Say it nicely!"
Butcher Zhang grabbed the panting Zhang Yuanming.
"Brother Ming Rui was hit, hit in the head!"
Zhang Yuanming had attended a private school after all, and was much better than the semi-illiterate Zhang Jutai and the completely illiterate Zhang Butcher.
"Hit? Also hit in the head?!
"
During this period, because Fang Xiaoyue had to take the county examination, Zhang Tufu's family had learned about the county examination, so they also knew that Fang Xiaoyue was actually the first place in the county examination!
So Butcher Zhang's family immediately became ecstatic.
Even after returning home, the corners of Butcher Zhang's mouth could not help but curl up.
Of course, Butcher Zhang went home because he needed to open a stall to sell meat, while Fang Xiaoyue needed to go to the county government office to collect the birth certificate.
Only by receiving this child's birth certificate can he enter the examination hall when he takes the government examination.
When he came to the county government office accompanied by his cousin Zhang Yuanming, and when he received the childbirth certificate from a courtesy house servant, the county government office in his eyes became very different from before.
The entire county government office was shrouded in a layer of light red translucent mist.
When he went to the backyard to meet the county magistrate Cui Changshou, he saw that Cui Changshou had a rich red aura, and a red tree crown hung above his head, making him look very majestic.
Is this official? In other words, it was the mutated dragon energy that brought him so much pressure.
How is this going?
Fang Xiaoyue began to think in her heart, but on the surface, she greeted Cui Changshou with great respect.
Cui Changshou also showed concern and kindness towards him as a leader. Not only did he talk to him about the situation of the government examination, he even heard that his family was poor, and even gave him five taels of silver as a gift before he left. As travel expenses.
This made Fang Xiaoyue a little surprised.
It has always been students who give gifts to examiners, but today it's the other way around. Officials give gifts to students?
Although for a county magistrate, five taels of silver is nothing.
But for Fang Xiaoyue, it was a solution to an urgent need.
After the results came out, he didn't plan to stay in the county for long.
Because the scholar examination requires passing the county examination, the government examination, and the college examination.
In Daze Country, the time of these three exams is very tight.
One week after the county examination, the government examination will be held in Tongfeng County.
Ten days after the prefecture examination, the college examination will be held in Shannan County, the capital of Shannan Province.
Anyway, it all costs money.
Fang Xiaoyue said goodbye to Butcher Zhang and his family the next day, and took an ox cart to the Tongfeng County Prefecture.
The ox cart we rode this time was considered a formal ox cart. There was a small carriage behind the ox for Fang Xiaoyue to ride and rest.
Butcher Zhang gave Fang Xiaoyue six taels of silver before he left.
After calculation, before leaving home, his mother Fang Zhang gave him 1.5 taels of silver, the county magistrate Cui Changshou gave him another 5 taels of silver as travel expenses, and Butcher Zhang gave him 6 taels of silver.
The total is almost 13 taels of silver.
Because the five taels of silver given by the county magistrate Cui Changshou were official silver of extremely high purity. When used outside, the value was higher than the silver circulating among the people.
Fang Xiaoyue felt that 13 taels of silver was completely enough, and she might be able to save a lot.
Of course, when you go out, everything costs money, so it’s wise to save.
For example, the bullock cart he was riding at this time required 500 copper coins to go to the Tongfeng County Prefecture!
This is because Kuangluo County is relatively close to Tongfeng County. If it were replaced by other counties that are far away, the charge for the oxcart would not only be 500 copper coins, but one tael of silver.
The speed of the ox-drawn cart was not as fast as that of the horse-drawn carriage. It took a day and a night to set out from Kuangluo County and arrive at the Tongfeng County Prefecture.
This is how ordinary people hurried during this period, and it would be even slower if they used their legs.
