Lin Sanzhu, who was so excited, could not stay at home. After Zhou Xing said goodbye and left, he couldn't wait to go out. At this moment, Lin Sanzhu wanted to see his son Huiyuan who was still in the Imperial College.
Yes. Lin Yuanqiu, who was walking out of Taixue Gate with a bookcase on his back, saw his father standing at Jixian Gate, circling back and forth.
The palace examination is held half a month after the results are released. During the period before the exam starts again, the successful candidates usually review and prepare for the examination by themselves. Those who are not at home in the capital will naturally stay in the dormitory, and those like Lin Yuanqiu who have houses in the capital will naturally stay in the dormitory. They all went home to prepare for the exam.
Lin Yuanqiu knew why his father came here, so he was really happy and wanted to come over and talk to him.
"Dad, how long have you been here? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
How could Lin Sanzhu let people know about him? It can be said that he regretted it after arriving at the Imperial Academy. Thinking about how many times he had been here, there must be many people who knew who his father was. Therefore, not even Lin Sanzhu from the Taixue Sect did not know who his father was. He dared to get close, for fear that when others saw him, they would laugh at Yuan Qiu and say that his father could not contain his anger.
So, Lin Sanzhu was preparing to leave at this moment.
At this time, I suddenly saw my son coming out, and I was a little surprised, "Hey, Yuanqiu, why did you come out?"
Lin Yuanqiu smiled and said, "Dad, my son is going home to prepare for the imperial examination in half a month."
"Yes, the palace examination." Lin Sanzhu patted his head and couldn't help laughing, "Dad actually forgot about taking the palace examination."
He was so happy today.
After returning to Nanluogu Lane, Lin Sanzhu gave Mrs. Zhang money and asked her to buy some vegetables as soon as possible, especially fish. She must buy a few more and keep them. During the next period of time, her son will be eating at home.
Lin Yuanqiu couldn't help but laugh when he heard that he was buying fish to raise. His father thought he was in a small mountain village where buying fish was inconvenient. From here, he could walk to the West Market and get there in at least two cups of tea.
Lin Yuanqiu didn't say anything. It was rare for his father to be so happy, so he asked him to make arrangements.
Now they are the only two people in the house, so Lin Yuanqiu does not open a separate courtyard to live alone. Both of them live in the east wing of the Sanjin courtyard. There are four rooms in this wing. Except for the second hall at the east end, the others are two bedrooms and a study room. Lin Sanzhu and his son have one bedroom each, and the rest A study room is just for Lin Yuanqiu.
Lin Sanzhu wiped the tables, chairs and benches in the study with a rag, and then went to the verandah to pick up a pot of spring orchids and put it on the study table. Now, the look of the study was revealed.
The palace examination only tests policy questions. As for the content of the policy questions, they must be inseparable from current affairs. So the direction of preparation for the exam is naturally centered around current affairs. Lin Yuanqiu has planned half a month to prepare for the exam and is ready for this last ditch effort.
Lin Yuanqiu felt that Mrs. Zhang's cooking skills were almost as good as those of her uncle, especially the roasted fish, which was also very delicious.
A plate of braised fish nuggets and a bowl of fish head stewed with tofu were so delicious that Lin Yuanqiu ate two large bowls of rice in a row.
Today was a happy day, so it was natural to celebrate. Lin Sanzhu brought out the apricot rice wine and drank two bowls of it himself. Lin Yuanqiu thought he was drunk, but it turned out that he was still organized and didn't stagger at all when he walked.
However, when Lin Yuanqiu got into bed and was about to turn on the light and go to sleep, he saw his father pushing the door open and holding pillows and quilts.
Lin Yuanqiu wondered, was his father suddenly afraid of the dark alone?
Lin Sanzhu didn't bother to pay attention to his son's surprised gaze. After putting the pillows and quilts on the bed, he climbed into the bed and said, "Gouzi, there is something in my heart that I really want to tell you."
"What are you talking about?" Lin Yuanqiu asked as he moved into the bed to make room for sleeping.
Ahem, maybe he felt that what he was about to say was a bit unreasonable. Lin Sanzhu couldn't help but clear his throat first, and then lowered his voice with determination, "Actually, dad is quite happy that Zixu failed the exam this time."
"Why?" Lin Yuanqiu was a little confused after hearing this, "Zixu is my son's brother-in-law and your son-in-law. Why are you happy that he didn't pass the exam?"
Lin Sanzhu looked like his son is a fool, "Think about it, Chunyan will get married in a short while, and with your brother as a Jinshi, the Zhou family will definitely treat Chunyan differently, but if it's a son Xu also passed the Jinshi exam this time, so their family must pay half as much attention to Chunyan. Naturally, his father hopes that Zixu can also pass the Jinshi exam, but it would be best to wait for another three years, when Chunyan will also be in the Zhou family. It’s almost established.”
Lin Yuanqiu took a long time to come back to his senses after hearing Lin Sanzhu's words.
If it were the father-in-law next to him, under the same circumstances, he would naturally wish that his son-in-law could pass the Jinshi examination as soon as possible, so that not only would his face be bright, but his daughter would also be able to follow suit. How could he even think about this in detail?
Lin Yuanqiu is naturally relieved about Zhou Zixu's character, but as his father said, the Zhou family has many relatives. If Zixu also wins the Jinshi this time, he will feel that his status is equal, and even think that the Zhou family's family background is better. They definitely don't pay as much attention to Chunyan as her brother is the only one who is a Jinshi.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuanqiu couldn't help but sigh in his heart, his father really felt sorry for the three siblings.
…
The next day was the day when the teacher had a rest. After breakfast, Lin Yuanqiu went to the Qin Mansion with his new essay.
Qin Yu had been waiting in the study for a long time. Now he saw Lin Yuanqiu coming over, with a bright smile on his face, and he was in a good mood unknowingly. Qin Yu never expected that he could actually teach a Hui Yuan.
However, he is also self-aware. During the last rest period, Qin Yu carefully read the answers to the examination questions written by two disciples. At that time, Lin Yuanqiu's answers to several arithmetic questions made Qin Yu exclaim "wonderful!"
Therefore, the reason why his disciple was able to obtain the Zhonghui Yuan was directly related to his own hard work and clever mind.
…
Chapter 142 Palace Examination
Qin Yu took out the policy questions he had listed in the past few days and asked Lin Yuanqiu to practice writing according to these.
The questions on the day of the palace examination were set by the Holy Sage. No one could figure out the temperament of the Holy Sage, and naturally no one could predict the questions that would be asked on that day.
Qin Yu only told Lin Yuanqiu that no matter what the topic was, when writing, he must not overdo it or sit down and talk.
In fact, Qin Yu also knew that his advice was in vain. The articles written by his disciple were the most simple and not exaggerated, so at this point, he had nothing to worry about.
"You have to take the next step on your own. There is not much that a teacher can teach you about being an official."
Not surprisingly, after the palace examination, his disciple will officially enter the official career.
Qin Yu felt that his contented temperament was definitely not suitable for a young and energetic young man who had just entered the officialdom.
However, some warnings are indispensable. Qin Yu said solemnly, "The ministers must be loyal to the king. The emperor is old, and the princes have their own agendas. They have even gathered many courtiers in private. You must remember not to get involved. Do you understand?"
Lin Yuanqiu bowed his head and said, "Disciple knows."
The servant changed the tea and brought pastries.
Qin Yu asked Lin Yuanqiu to follow him to the side pavilion and sit down, and soon whispered about the affairs of the court.
It is said that it is a matter between the DPRK and the Central Government, but in fact what is talked about the most is the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government, including their names, positions, and factions.
Lin Yuanqiu didn't know why the teacher suddenly said this to him, but the content was so useful to him. At this time, he couldn't wait to take out a pen and paper so that he could record everything the teacher said word for word.
Soon, Lin Yuanqiu heard the name of Lu Huai, the minister of the Ministry of Industry. He really didn't expect that he was from the eldest prince.
Lin Yuanqiu couldn't help but feel lucky. Fortunately, the Zhou family didn't have a close relationship with him, and they still had no contact with him.
Lin Yuanqiu, who has read many history books, certainly knows how difficult it is to get a job from Long Zhigong.
So he would definitely stay away from cliques like this.
Qin Yu was very pleased to see Lin Yuanqiu's clear eyes. His disciple's clear and transparent mind was the most rare thing.
Thinking like this, Qin Yu quickly remembered what happened a few days ago.
After the examination results were released, some colleagues came over to inquire about Yuan Qiu's marriage. After hearing that the marriage had not been decided, the colleagues revealed that they wanted to help arrange the marriage.
Qin Yu didn't agree at the time, and only excused himself by saying that his parents had to worry about the child's marriage. Isn't it good for him to be a free man? He had to take over this matter, otherwise the life of the young couple would not be satisfactory. , I still have to complain.
The reason why Qin Yu said this was because he already knew in his heart who the other party was asking for marriage. Not only did Liu Shangshu want to talk about his concubine, but also because he was the second prince's Yue family, Qin Yu couldn't do it. Accept this marriage.
However, Qin Yu also knew that it was already nineteen in the far autumn, and it was only a matter of time before they said goodbye.
And according to the current situation, there will definitely be more and more people coming to inquire about marriage in the future, so you must have a plan in mind for how to make a cost-effective deal.
Thinking of this, Qin Yu couldn't help but say, "I ask you, what are your plans for your marriage?"
Marriage?
Lin Yuanqiu was stunned. He didn't expect the teacher to suddenly mention this.
What did you plan to do? Lin Yuanqiu thought about it and suddenly realized that he had not thought about it since he told his family that he would not get married for a few years.
Seeing Lin Yuanqiu's stunned look, he knew that this boy had never thought about it.
Qin Yu also knew that now was not the time to mention this matter. After all, the palace examination was coming soon, so he could not be distracted by other things, so he waved his hand and said, "I am mentioning this matter today just to give you an idea. Otherwise, let's wait." Let’s talk about it after taking the palace exam.”
After leaving Qin Mansion, Lin Yuanqiu went directly back to Nanluogu Lane.
In the next few days, Lin Yuanqiu did not plan to go out again. It won't be long before he takes part in the imperial examination, so he needs to hurry up.
When he got home, Lin Yuanqiu saw his father and Ping An carrying a crescent table to the side room. Then he saw his father directing Ping An, and the two of them placed the table near the window of the bedroom.
Lin Yuanqiu couldn't help but laugh when he thought that that was where the pottery pot was buried. His father still remembered the twenty-six thousand taels of silver notes and wanted to add an extra layer of insurance to it.
…
In order to prevent etiquette mistakes during the palace examination, officials from the Ministry of Rites specially arranged for the 282 tribute scholars who were successful in the examination to be held in the Jiying Hall two days before the examination. Teach them the etiquette of meeting the Holy Spirit.
Jiying Hall is the place where the imperial examinations are held. Lin Yuanqiu thinks that the reason why he arranges to learn etiquette here is similar to the actual rehearsal in his previous life.
In this way, with on-the-ground experience, the tributes will be less likely to make mistakes, whether in position or process.
Lin Yuanqiu studied very seriously, and there was no room for any mistakes in front of the Holy Master. Don't be kicked out because he didn't do the etiquette well, then he would have lived up to the hard work of more than ten years of study.
There were nearly 300 other tributes who were equally serious. Everyone had the same idea as Lin Yuanqiu, that is, they must not make mistakes, otherwise they would fall short.
Coming to the palace for the first time in their lives, one can imagine the excitement in everyone's hearts. It was also the first time that they truly felt like they were one step away from the dragon gate.
…
March 28th is the day of the palace examination.
At just nine o'clock, Lin Yuanqiu and Lin Sanzhu set off from Nanluogu Lane.
Since they didn't need to carry a test basket or anything else today, the father and son walked particularly briskly.
Thinking that his son would enter the palace later, Lin Sanzhu felt the pride in his heart almost overflowing.
Lin Yuanqiu was wearing a green round-neck robe today. The hem, wide sleeves, and collar were all edged with black satin ribbons. Around his waist was a satin belt of the same color, and on his feet he wore a pair of black boots. This outfit The attire is the tribute uniform prepared by the Ministry of Etiquette for the tributes, specially worn during the palace examination.
Nanluoguxiang is about half an hour away from the palace. When the father and son arrived outside the palace gate, there were already many tributes waiting in line.
This was the first time that Lin Sanzhu was so close to the palace. When he saw the guards guarding the palace entrance, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Seeing this, Lin Yuanqiu did not rush to join the queue. Instead, he led Lin Sanzhu to the horse farm nearby. This was a place reserved for officials to park their carriages and horses. However, today there were many more people taking the imperial examination.
Lin Yuanqiu pointed to a row of eaves and said to Lin Sanzhu, "Dad, just sit here. When your son comes out, we will go back together."
Lin Sanzhu nodded. When he saw that there were people taking the exam like him, he lost his restraint and quickly started chatting with them.
A team of nearly three hundred people, all wearing the same clothes, looked quite spectacular from a distance.
The tributes all waited there quietly, with no one making a sound, let alone whispering to each other.
Among the rules they learned the day before yesterday was the prohibition of making noise. This is the most basic etiquette.
As soon as the hour came, all the tributes began to enter the palace one after another.
As they approached the Jiying Hall, everyone stopped and were called by officials from the Ministry of Rites. They quickly reorganized into lines according to their rankings in the examination, and then entered the Jiying Hall in an orderly manner.
Lin Yuanqiu was the first in the test, so he naturally walked at the front of the team, and right behind him was Ding Dejin, who was ranked second.
Looking at the first-place Huiyuan in front of him, who was half a head taller than himself, Ding Dejin quickly adjusted his emotions. Passing the Huiyuan exam does not necessarily mean he is the top pick. It is not yet time to really know the outcome.
