Chang'an Academy.
The exam has officially started.
The examination room here is not the kind of simple cubicles, but in the hall. Each hall can accommodate hundreds of people. There are hundreds of tables with prepared pen and ink on them, and a rectangular The wooden strips are used to press paper, also called paperweights. The distance between each person's front, back, left and right is also very large, making it impossible for prying eyes to exist.
In each examination room, there will be three examiners who can have an overview of the entire examination room. They are one official from Zhangtai Pavilion, the Ministry of Rites, and the Supervisor and Censor, in order to further eliminate fraud in the examination room.
In a certain examination room, all the candidates have taken their seats, and the examination papers are no longer the simple papers of the past, but paper of moderate thickness, which are placed in each case one by one.
After all this was done, the examiner directly above said loudly: "The examination paper has been distributed, and the candidates are ready to start. You can see that there is a line on one side of the examination paper. That is the place to fill in your name, place of origin, and age. Do not Forget, by then, all examination papers will be sealed for review."
After hearing this, the candidates immediately understood it as soon as they looked at the test paper.
Wang Yuanju was in this examination room and couldn't help but said to himself: "It's a good move to seal the names and review the papers. Your Majesty has said many times that the selection of scholars does not ask about their origins, and it is true."
He picked up his pen and wrote down his name and place of origin before starting to read the paper.
The first test is to post scriptures, which is equivalent to filling in the blanks and briefly asking about the meaning. Those who are proficient in the meaning of the scriptures will pass.
This was not difficult for Wang Yuanju. He was familiar with poetry and classics and began to write immediately.
All the candidates did the same. They picked up their brushes and dipped them in ink.
Time passed slowly, and soon we came to the chapter on the meaning of the classics. The title read:
[Those who are courteous to their ruler behave like a filial son and his foster parents. 】
Please review the following.
Wang Yuanju never paused, and his handwriting was neat and beautiful.
To say:
[Anyone who is disrespectful to his ruler will be punished like an eagle or a falcon chasing a bird or a magpie. 】
Another question:
[Then observe virtue, conduct things with virtue, achieve merit with deeds, and feed the people with merit. 】
Wang Yuan held Yunliushui:
[To destroy is to be a thief, to hide is to hide, to be a thief is to be a thief, to steal a weapon is to be a traitor]
Time passed slowly, and when it came to poetry and prose, Wang Yuanju wrote with great skill, and all kinds of articles came at his fingertips.
The examiner directly above looked at the scene in the field and said casually: "To be a good student in the exam, you must not look around."
All the candidates are writing at their desks, no matter how serious they are. In fact, no one is looking around. This sentence is just a reminder.
After another half an hour, the examiner also began to raise his voice: "The candidates still have half an hour to answer the papers. However, those who have finished the papers now can also leave early and use wooden bars to hold down the papers. However, they must pay attention to the rules of the examination room and are not allowed to leave." Speak up. The second exam will start on time in the afternoon."
In this regard, the Daqin Imperial Examination does not have many restrictions. It is okay if you hand in your papers in advance and leave immediately after the exam.
In fact, many people had stopped writing. After hearing this, they all started to put down their brushes and carefully check their examination papers. Wang Yuanju did the same. After checking it four times and confirming that it was correct, he used a paperweight to hold down the examination paper and stood up. He bowed his hands and bowed respectfully towards the examiner.
Some other candidates also bowed and left.
Not long after, the examiner began to collect the papers in the empty seats, and then returned to the upper position to perform special sealing.
It was almost over at this time. After finishing all this, I saw one or two students in the examination room. They were looking ugly, wiping cold sweat from their foreheads from time to time and unable to write. The examiner couldn't help but glance at it and shook his head secretly: It was like this in the first session. I don't know why. Passed the government examination.
In the afternoon, the exam continued, this time it was poetry. Wang Yuanju reviewed the questions for a while, but he was still fluent.
In this way, more than 7,000 candidates took the exam for three whole days, divided into two sessions.
When it came time for the last test on the third day, the test paper handed out was a blank piece of paper. Except for the line for writing your name and place of birth, it was completely blank.
All the candidates looked confused. Some couldn't help but salute and asked: "Sir, what's the question?"
The examiner raised his hand to interrupt him and said with a smile: "This grand examination is the first test of the founding of the Qin Dynasty. Your Majesty attaches great importance to it. Therefore, this last question is written by your Majesty and is called Lamrim."
"Larim?"
All the candidates looked at each other.
Some people frowned in confusion, while others felt as if they had caught something and nodded secretly.
The examiner continued: "The so-called Lamrim is an article summarizing your views. You can write about politics, people's livelihood, business, military, industry, law, music, etc. For medicine, you can write articles, you can write about martial arts, you can also write poems and songs, and you can even comment on national policies."
"In short, you can write whatever you want without any restrictions."
By the time he finished speaking, the candidates all understood and looked like they were suddenly enlightened.
The examiner added: "Okay, the Lamrim is already known. As for the content, it's up to you. Your Majesty has said that no matter what aspect it involves, it will be considered based on its content, rather than focusing on a certain area."
Now the candidates understand better. This means that as long as my strategy is good, Your Majesty will not focus on one just because you write about business and the other side writes about music.
After understanding this, the candidates' confidence greatly increased and they all started to pick up their pens and ink. The examiner also said at the right time: "This is the last test. The time limit is half an hour. Candidates can start now."
This time, Wang Yuanju thought about it for a long time before he started to write:
[In ancient times, holy kings must take people's livelihood as the cornerstone. They also say that the top and bottom are in peace, and the family has enough people. Your Majesty has to overcome thorns and thorns to create the country of Qin. However, the business you create also requires capable ministers and officials, and those who serve as ministers must have good manners. Minister, sycophant, meritorious minister, virtuous minister.]
Wang Yuanju wrote eloquently, starting from the administration of officials, then the military, and then to the people's livelihood, including industry and commerce. There was no flattery or grandstanding. It was all his own unique point of view. He wrote two full examination papers.
Others know a lot about taxation and have elaborated on their profound views on some current policies, even writing down the key points of being too lenient on the people.
There are also people who have studied the law quite a bit and used it as a basis to summarize the entire text.
There are also people who are outstanding in literary talents and sing poems and songs to praise their virtues.
Of course, there are also those who don’t know what to write, so they simply flatter Xiao Yuan. The whole text is full of compliments, and they are as flattering as possible.
Half an hour passed quickly. After collecting the test papers of each candidate, the examiner began to call names one by one.
Outside the examination room, at a glance, there were all young scholars dressed as scholars. People gathered together and discussed in a hurry:
"How do you feel today? Do you feel confident?"
"Hey, I'm afraid I'm going to fail."
"Me too. The question in the morning was so difficult. I felt like I didn't answer it well."
(End of chapter)
