Seeing the overly young face of Wei Chen, who was standing at the front of the 80-year-old imperial examination, Dong Xuezhou, the marking officer sitting in the hall, shook his head and sighed softly: "If I had known that this person was only fourteen years old, I would not have done it." I recommend this person to the housing officer."
Bi Jiaoyu, who was also serving as a reviewer, asked curiously: "Why, is this kid not talented?"
Dong Xuezhou stroked his completely white beard and sighed: "Based on his articles alone, this boy is indeed a great talent, and it is natural that he should be selected for the imperial examination. However, he is too young, and if he is selected for the examination at this time, he may be in trouble. Suffer."
Candidates were not admitted because they were too young. This kind of thing has happened before. Han Zhang, the chief minister of this dynasty, is a vivid example.
Han Zhang passed the scholar examination at the age of twelve and was known as the Jiangling Wizard. When he was thirteen, he went to the provincial examination. Although his essays were excellent, his name was forcibly crossed out from the list by Cai Jingxing, the president of the provincial examination at the time.
Cai Jingxing believed that Han Zhang had the talent of a national scholar, but a thirteen-year-old boy winning the imperial examination would lead to complacency, discourage his ambition, and be detrimental to future development. Therefore, he advocated giving Han Zhang some setbacks to make him work harder.
Three years later, 16-year-old Han Zhang took part in the provincial examination again. After successfully passing the examination, he went to see Cai Jingxing and said to Cai Jingxing: "My heart is full of public knowledge, and I repay my kindness with death. I hide it in my heart. Never dare to forget."
It can be seen that Han Zhang did not feel resentful because Cai Jingxing deposed him three years ago, but instead had an attitude of gratitude.
The next year, Han Zhangzhong became a Jinshi and entered the Hanlin Academy. Twenty years later, he entered Longtuge and became a bachelor. In the end, Cai Jingxing fulfilled Cai Jingxing's expectations for him.
Although Dong Xuezhou did appreciate Wei Chen's article, he had the same worries as Cai Jingxing back then. He was afraid that Wei Chen, a boy who had just turned fourteen, would become proud and complacent in high school and lose his ambition, and his future would be ruined. destroy.
That's why Dong Xuezhou regretted it and felt that he should not have recommended Wei Chen's article to the house official at that time.
After understanding what Dong Xuezhou meant, Bi Jiaoyu on the side also sighed and comforted: "I don't blame Mr. Dong, I also read the articles in the Gengyin volume later. The writing style is old and sophisticated, and the writing style is as mature as an old Confucian." Normally, who would have expected that it was written by a fourteen-year-old boy? Besides..."
Bi Jiaoyu paused, and then said: "Besides, Wei Chen was selected as Jieyuan. The deputy examiner and six fellow examiners, as well as dozens of inner and outer officials, jointly invited him. Even the president had no choice but to agree. It can be seen that Mr. Dong is not the only one who thinks what people want."
When Dong Xuezhou heard this, he smiled: "Do you think they are really willing? When the seal was opened and Wei Chen's name was revealed, many people's expressions changed. If it weren't for the words recommending this volume a moment ago, they would still be in their ears. If you change your mind suddenly, I’m afraid someone has already asked the president to remove this volume!”
Bi Jiaoyu suddenly realized: "No wonder when the paper was being discussed, the president first asked about the deputy examiner, the second asked about the co-examiner, and the third asked about Hai Xuezheng. After the third question, the president was still hesitant. He had to wait until everyone could no longer hold back and all asked. The President recommended this volume, and the President just nodded."
Dong Xuezhou stroked his beard and smiled and said: "I heard that the president and Wei Chen have a close relationship. I guess the president has long recognized who wrote the Gengyin paper, so he went to such great lengths to create a situation that everyone expected, just to open the door. After the name of the lake, everyone’s mouths were blocked, leaving me with nothing to say.”
"High, it's really high!" Bi Jiaoyu patted his thigh, glanced at the officials sitting above him, then lowered his voice and said excitedly: "Why didn't I think of that before!"
While the two were talking quietly, Wang Wenqing, who was sitting high in the hall, had already stood up and walked to Wei Chen.
"I have read your article in the Provincial Examination. It is full of character and outstanding. It has the charm of the poem "Bamboo and Stone" from the past. After a few years of not seeing each other, your article has already become a household name and has become a family of its own. What a formidable young man!"
Wei Chen didn't expect that Wang Wenqing would take the initiative to bring up the past in front of everyone, and did not avoid the relationship with him at all, so he couldn't help but be slightly startled.
At this time, Walrus Qian also walked up to Wei Chen and said meaningfully: "You must not let down the President's cultivation of you!"
Wei Chen immediately bowed down and bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, my two mentors. This kindness and kindness will definitely be remembered by my students."
"No need to thank me."
Wang Wenqing waved his hand and said: "You have a deep connection with me, and everyone in the Jiangnan scholars knows it. To avoid material disputes, I didn't want to take you, so I took you reluctantly, and you should be regarded as lowly at the bottom of the list. If not, All the examiners who tried to protect your article in front of me are no longer as good as you, Xie Yuanlang."
Wei Chen raised his head in surprise, looked at the examiners in the hall, and saluted respectfully: "Thank you, seniors, for your support."
The deputy examiner and his fellow examiners twitched at the corners of their mouths and said with a forced smile: "Xie Yuanlang's articles are extraordinary and his talents are vivid on the page. I can't wait to select scholars impartially."
These examiners are all human beings. The moment they opened the name of the lake and saw Wei Chen's name, they knew that they had been tricked by Wang Wenqing and that Shili Lake was painted with pirate ships.
If anyone in the future questions Wang Wenqing for bending the law for personal gain and unfairly recruiting scholars, they must first stand up and fight for Wang Wenqing to prove Wang Wenqing's selflessness.
To be dissatisfied, there must be some. After all, no one wants to be played as a fool.
But the matter has come to this, and there is no point in regretting it. It is better to make mistakes. The examiners can only comfort themselves in their hearts and try to think in the best direction.
Although fourteen-year-old Jieyuan is rare, there are not all examiners in the world like Cai Jingxing who are worried about expropriating seedlings. There are still thirteen- or fourteen-year-old Juren.
More than eighty years ago, there was a thirteen-year-old boy who took the imperial examination and won the Jinshi in one fell swoop. After that, he survived three dynasties and dominated the world for decades.
If Wei Chen could be half as good as this old man in the future and not forget his old feelings, the examiners in the hall would be satisfied.
Come and try it quickly. 】
In the audience, watching Wei Chen chatting and laughing with the examiners, dozens of new imperial examination candidates felt extremely envious.
With the praise of Wang Wenqing, Hai Xiangqian and all the examiners, from now on, Wei Chen's articles will surely become famous all over the world along with his legend of Jieyuan at the age of fourteen.
After giving a few words of encouragement to the other candidates for the new imperial examination as usual, Wang Wenqing ordered the clerk to bring in the eighty red scrolls for examination by the examinees.
Everyone rushed to Wei Chen's paper and rushed to read Wei Chen's article.
After reading the article, everyone sighed.
"The work is carefully crafted, the writing is exquisite, and the reading is like breaking gold and jade. It is so catchy that it is no wonder that the examiners all chose Wei Xingyun as Jieyuan."
"This guy is so talented, I'm not as good as him!"
"To be able to write such a good article at the age of fourteen, could it be that Wei Xingyun got the wonderful pen in a dream?"
Seeing Wei Chen's paper, the last trace of injustice in the hearts of all the candidates disappeared.
Those who, like Wei Chen, took Shangshu as their classic canon, admired Wei Chen even more after reading Wei Chen's articles on the Five Classics.
Such extensive knowledge and in-depth understanding may not even be achieved by their masters!
Even Xu Shizheng, a talented man from Suzhou who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Wei Chen, stopped talking after reading the article.
The true talent and knowledge are there, everyone has already agreed, what else is there to say, if he jumps out to look for trouble again, it will be a slap in his face. Xu Shizheng is arrogant, but he is not stupid at all.
