After the palace examination, the rankings are not announced immediately. After all, there are more than 300 candidates' papers to read, and the rankings always cause some debate. How can it be done on the spot?
Therefore, after the candidates finished the exam, they had already left the venue in order from the east corner gate under the leadership of officials from the Ministry of Rites, left the palace and returned to their apartments to wait for the news. The paper readers will start to get busy. Basically, they have to complete the paper reading within two or three days, and then select the top ten or so papers to submit to the emperor for inspection - the emperor will not read all the more than 300 papers. .
The grade of the examination examiner is higher than that of the examiner, and the status is more prominent. Especially after the middle period of orthodoxy, this has become a common practice. For example, in the spring of Gengchen this year, Shen Shixing, the chief examiner, was only ranked third in the cabinet, while the chief assistant Guo Pu personally took charge as the examiner, leading the cabinet's five cabinet elders, Zuodu censor, six ministers, bachelors of the Hanlin Academy, and ministers. All the dignitaries in the capital, including the Bachelor of Reading, the Bachelor of Attendant Lectures, and the General Affairs Secretary and General Affairs Envoy, all joined the battle, and all of them served as the file readers at the same time.
In addition, the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites was appointed as the chief promotion officer, and two well-known supervisory censors were appointed as the supervisors and examiners. The remaining officials such as receiving the volume, Mifeng, and Zhangjuan were appointed by the Hanlin Academy, Chunfang, Economic Affairs Bureau, and Guangzhou. Officials from Lu Temple, Honglu Temple, Shangbaosi and the Sixth Section were appointed.
Of course, the marking cannot be done in the Zhongji Hall. Instead, the examiner will transfer the examination paper to the East Pavilion, where the examiners will mark the examination papers.
There is one more thing to say at this time, that is, during the palace examination, someone will record the appearance of the candidates in advance to prevent the top ten or dozens of tribute students selected by the examiner from being "too horrible to look at". looks.
But these things have nothing to do with Gao pragmatism now. His guesses before the exam were very accurate. Zhu Yijun could see his handwriting at a glance, and he could be sure of his test results by casually looking at the writing. But to be honest, he didn't expect that Zhu Yijun was so excited that he decided to be the top pick without looking at other test papers provided by the examiners, and even caused some trouble.
At the same time, the palace examination also stipulated that before the announcement of the gold list, the examiner could not return to the court and could only stay in the Ministry of Rites.
Well, so if there is a big explosion in the Ministry of Rites in the past two nights, the Ming Dynasty will be completely paralyzed. Except for the emperor himself, all the high-ranking officials of the court will probably die.
Gao pragmatically waited for the candidates to leave the palace. They first exchanged greetings and congratulated each other, and then met for a banquet. Speaking of eating and drinking every day, it was boring, but this was a necessary social interaction. Even Gao pragmatically couldn't avoid it today. He treated it as if he was with his classmates. The relationship is getting closer, and the court is paying for it anyway.
The next day, the paper readers went from the Ministry of Rites to the East Pavilion to read the papers. After marking the papers, they marked them with prescribed symbols to classify them into grades. They then took turns reading other people's papers. Because each table took turns to read each other's papers, this procedure was also called Turn the table.
The final review is carried out by the chief reader, who is Guo Pu himself who counts the marks given by the readers, and others join in to give their opinions. However, this "other person" currently only has four cabinet members. The elder is qualified.
Generally speaking, more than half of the readers will give first-class or second-class marks to the top candidates; papers with mostly fourth- and fifth-class marks will usually be listed in the top three, unless the chief reader particularly likes them and forcibly promotes them. .
After the examination was completed, the top candidates were ranked first, second, and third. On the second day after the examination, all the examiners kowtowed and knelt in front of the emperor. The cabinet bachelors chose the first place. The first and third papers will be read in order. After listening and reading, the emperor wrote and personally determined the order of first, first and third place.
However, this time was an exception. Since the first place was decided in advance, Guo Pu and other five bachelors only went in to give advice from two people. As expected, the emperor did not change the position of the first place, and ranked the other two and that was it.
At this time, the officials who read the records all kowtowed and thanked them, and Zhu Yijun then gave them a banquet. After the banquet, each of them was given a certain amount of silver. This "amount" is really hard to come by. One person only has about ten or twenty taels. Everyone. You have to kowtow to express gratitude with a grateful look on your face.
On the third day, Gao Pangshi and other Chinese-style Jinshi scholars put on the Jinshi uniforms they had rushed to the Imperial College to collect yesterday, and went to the palace again to prepare for the examination.
The Jinshi uniforms were bright red, but they had no patches. They were all put on today. More than three hundred people were neatly dressed and brand new, which was quite a spectacle. According to the instructions of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, they lined up one after another and stood facing north.
If you can look down from the sky at this time, you will definitely see a stretch of red and gold among the gray buildings, which is completely different from other places.
If you can lower your gaze a little lower, you will find that it is a dark red palace wall and golden glazed tiles. This huge, neat, solemn, and magnificent building complex is completely different from its surroundings. Its name symbolizes the supreme imperial power: the Forbidden City.
Accompanied by the solemn ringing of the Jingyang Bell, the three main doors and two east-west Yemen of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City slowly opened at the same time. Two teams of Han generals, wearing golden flying fish uniforms and holding halberds measuring one foot in hand, walked out of the four doorways except the middle gate in neat steps, facing each other, and stood beside the five avenues paved with white marble.
Most of the new scholars were immersed in the shock of returning to the Forbidden City, and couldn't help themselves - last time it was an exam after all, and this time after the exam was over, they felt even deeper. The main entrance of the Forbidden City in front of them is located in the southern section of the central axis of the capital. Due north is called "Zi" and due south is called "Wu". Therefore, the gate in front of them is called the Meridian Gate! Its east, west, and north sides are connected with city platforms, surrounding a square square. It is like being surrounded by three mountains, with five protruding peaks, and it is extremely majestic.
The three door openings on the front are extremely high and wide, and the middle one is eleven feet high, which is breathtaking. This doorway was a special door for the emperor of the Ming Dynasty to enter and exit the Forbidden Palace. Anyone who entered without permission would be punished!
However, there are two exceptions. One is that the queen can enter once during her wedding; the other is that the top three, the second, and the top three in the imperial examination can walk out of this door once.
In other words, among the more than 300 new Jinshi scholars wearing identical Jinshi turbans and robes today, three of them will leave the imperial palace in a short while, enjoying the highest honor in the lives of scholars all over the world, honoring their ancestors, and leaving their names in history! No one can refuse this temptation.
After the deacons finished saluting in the Zhongji Hall, the officials of Honglu Temple invited the emperor to ascend to the palace. There was a great musical performance, and the conductor led the way. The emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty wore a leather bean suit, and the royal guards arranged a guard of honor. The director of the teaching workshop set up the Zhonghe Shao Le and Da Le halls as usual, and Honglu Temple set up a table in the east part of the hall. Set up a yellow list. All civil and military officials wear court service squads.
So the emperor went to the Zhongji Hall to ascend his seat and was happy. The preface class raised the list and paid tribute in the hall. After everyone bows four times, the announcer kneels down to announce the order. Then everyone stands up, goes out from the east gate to the east of Danbi, and stands facing the west.
At this time, the deacon held up the gold medal and placed it in Danbi's royal road, saying loudly: "There is a system!"
Both the Zanli and the Chinese Jinshi knelt down to listen to the reading.
"The Emperor of Heaven has made a decree: On the 15th day of the third month of the seventh year of Gengchen in Wanli, he will test the world's tributes. The first one will be awarded a Jinshi title; the second one will be awarded a Jinshi background; the third one will be awarded a Jinshi background... …
No. 1 Henan Xinzheng is highly pragmatic;
First and second place: Xiao Liangyou, Huguang and Hanyang;
The first and third place was written by Wang Ting of Huazhou, Shaanxi Province;
The second and first place was Dong Sicheng from Wucheng, Zhejiang;
Second place: Yingtian Wuxi Gu Xiancheng; second place;
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Second and fourth place: Zhang Taizheng of Puzhou, Shanxi;
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2nd, 13th, Zhang Jingxiu, Jingzhou, Huguang;
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Second place: Xiao Liangyu, Huguang Hanyang, No. 56;
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Second place: Zhang Maoxiu of Jingzhou, Huguang; 58th place;
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Third A, No. 135 Shaanxi Huazhou Wang Tingyu..."
After the prelude was sung, Gao Yongshi, who was standing at the top of Danbi, was led to kneel before leaving the class. Xiao Liangyou and Wang Tingzhuan also came out alone, but they could only kneel behind Gao Yongshi.
This is what the so-called number one scholar "dominates"!
