In the past, he had avoided the policeman, but now he gathered around him, squeezing Liang's head and asking, "Guan Ye, Guan Ye, how do you know?"
"Are you sure? Did you really win?"
"Master, five, that's five, is it true?!"
For the first time, Capt. Liang was swayed by the crowd, and he couldn't draw the knife directly. He could only try to stand still, and kept saying: "It's really a hit."
"Yes, five. Aren't there wedding invitations?"
"Come on, be back soon, in three or four days."
Liang Captou couldn't bear it anymore, so he clasped his fists and said goodbye, "Mr. Zhou, I have told you the good news, so I would like to trouble you to report the good news to their family. There is still something going on in the yamen, so take care of it!"
After saying that, he immediately took his agents and fled, the dust flying all the way.
Zhou Ziyan watched helplessly as Liang Captou fled. He was about to close the door, but the uncles and aunts around him had already squeezed in and knocked open the door of his house.
Zhou Ziyan desperately held on to the door, a little embarrassed, "Don't squeeze, don't squeeze, oh! Uncles and aunts, why don't you go tell their parents the good news?"
Divert trouble to the east!
"yes!"
Everyone woke up in shock and rushed to the house of someone they knew well, banging the door with bang bang bang bang.
When the person opened the door with squinting eyes, they shook his shoulders and said, "Hit, your child has been hit! You are a scholar!"
"What?!"
Several families who had not yet woken up felt like they were about to faint again.
The next day, Ergun's grandma, Pang Pang's mother, and brother Jiang Qingqing all sat at Zhou Ziyan's house.
They only have one thing to ask, and that is whether their child...is really a winner?
Zhou Ziyan gave them the wedding invitation left by Capt. Liang and explained in detail: "Auntie, grandma, look here, this is the seal of our Yamen, and this is the official seal of Yuenan Mansion. With these two seals, you can Prove that this wedding invitation was issued by the imperial court."
"Brother Jiang family, you should know, right?"
The eldest brother of the Jiang family nodded, "Yes, this is the official seal of Yuenan Mansion. I saw it once when I was selling wine."
With these two seals, there is no way to fake it.
In other words, did their little kids really pass the exam? !
Is there a scholar in their family? !
Grandma Ergun couldn't catch her breath, and Pang Pang's mother hurriedly helped the old man breathe, "Grandma, grandma, you can't faint at this time!"
"Boom!"
Grandma Ergun did not faint, but the eldest brother of the Jiang family fainted. Before he fainted, he was still thinking: He is going to die! Jiang Qingqing actually passed the exam! Now when he comes home, he might be so mad that he wants to kick his own head!
When Song Weifeng came back with his children, everyone felt that these children had changed.
No matter how I looked at it before, it looked like a naughty and mischievous child, but now I look at it, and I actually have a hint of bookishness.
Those little etiquette skills are not inferior to those of the academy students outside!
"Master, we are back!"
As soon as they saw Zhou Ziyan, the children all threw away their burdens and went directly to Zhou Ziyan.
Zhou Ziyan spread his arms, held these sweet burdens, and praised: "You did a good job!"
To be honest, he never thought they would pass together, and he was even ready to comfort everyone.
But I didn't expect these children to be so upbeat that they all passed the line in one go!
Zhong Qiaoyi was the only child who did not jump up. He raised his head with his hands behind his back, his eyebrows flying, "Master Zhou, I am the best among them."
Jiang Qingqing made a sound and hugged Zhou Ziyan's arm without letting go, "Master, even if he is the best, he is still in the last row."
"Jiang Qingqing, you are the last one!" Zhong Qiao was so angry that he was so angry, "Why are you laughing at me!"
Pang Pangshan was the most stable, "Master, we are all in the last row this time... the last batch, Zhong Qiaoyi is first, Ergun is second, Xiaoniu is third, I am fourth, Qingqing is the last."
When Jiang Qingqing heard the ranking, he pouted unhappily, "I don't know... I don't know why I am the last one. If I slip up one more place, I won't pass the exam."
"But you passed the exam." Zhou Ziyan touched Jiang Qingqing's head, "As long as you pass the exam, no matter your ranking, you are all doing well!"
Being praised so highly by Zhou Ziyan, the children immediately became excited again, holding hands and jumping around Zhou Ziyan.
After dancing enough, he went to look for his parents in the crowd.
Grandma Ergun's legs and feet were not good and she didn't go out.
Ergun and Zhou Ziyan said something to each other and rushed home to tell their grandparents the good news.
Song Weifeng walked up behind Zhou Ziyan and patted Zhou Ziyan on the shoulder, "Brother Zhou, I think you are going to become famous again."
Five young scholars suddenly came out of the Zhou family's school. They were all still of mental age, so they knew what kind of wind they would create.
"The provincial examination is coming soon." Zhou Ziyan clasped his hands behind his back, turned around and smiled softly, "Do you think the title of Jie Yuan in the rural examination can surpass these five children?"
"Brother Zhou..." Seeing Zhou's confident smile, Song Weifeng felt panicked.
No matter what happens, Brother Zhou is so confident and calm, as if nothing in the world can trouble him.
Mature and sensual, confusing people's minds.
Song Weifeng bent down and bowed, with one shoulder of black hair hanging down, and smiled broadly: "Then Wei Feng wishes Zhou Jieyuan in advance that all his wishes will come true."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Song. With these words from Mr. Song, Zhou will work hard to win the title of Jieyuan and return home in glory." Zhou said to himself with a smile, bent down and bowed, and bowed to Song Weifeng at the entrance of the alley.
At this time, in the Yuenan Mansion Post House, an old man with a drooping beard was reading a letter in his hand, "I created my own imperial examination document and passed the yamen's approval... What else is this crazy guy doing..."
"Are you going to take part in this year's provincial examination? Not bad, just for me to see if he has regressed!"
Chapter 86
Several children have achieved good results in the children's examination, and now they have become the golden bumps of the whole town.
Every year, there are newcomers who pass the exam, but young talents like them are really unheard of!
Not to mention that there is also a brother Jiang Qingqing and a girl named Wang Xiaoniu among them!
You must know that Maminggou has not produced a female scholar for many years!
The Wang family had no idea that Wang Xiaoniu would have such a good fortune. The eldest brother of the Wang family is still just a child. How old is his sister? She has become a scholar?
When he learned the news, he smashed pottery bowls all over the floor and cursed him all day long.
The second brother of the Wang family came to the house with a roast chicken to express his congratulations and talk about old times with Wang Xiaoniu.
Compared with others, Wang Xiaoniu still has this second brother in her heart.
Now in her heart, only the second brother in the entire Wang family is her brother.
After hearing the news, the Wang family clan came over overnight to scold the Wang family's parents, scolding them for being short-sighted and giving up a good young talent like Wang Xiaoniu for a little money.
The old patriarch came to see Wang Xiaoniu on crutches.
Wang Xiaoniu actually had no impression of the old patriarch, but the old patriarch brought her many things.
If it were before, she would definitely throw everything at the old patriarch and let him leave her house.
But now, Wang Xiaoniu will only accept them one by one, be a good child obediently, and not quarrel with the Wang family clan.
The old patriarch knew that the dead end could not be restored, so he did not ask for anything.
As long as Wang Xiaoniu still remembers the Wang family and becomes successful in the future, it will be enough if she is willing to help other members of the family.
Unlike the Wang family, the old patriarch of the Zhao family in Xiahe Village was so happy that he almost lost his way.
He thought that Wang Xiaoniu could make it, and now he has!
The first female scholar in their clan was born, and she was such a young scholar!
Moreover, Wang Xiaoniu is a child who misses his love. As long as they don't let Wang Xiaoniu down, if Wang Xiaoniu succeeds in the examination in the future, she will definitely remember to help the children of her clan!
Aunt He and the old clan leader came to the town overnight and left Wang Xiaoniu with all the good things the clan had scraped together.
Wang Xiaoniu also accepted them one by one, her expression looked much more real.
She always remembers whoever treats her well.
At first, Zhong Qiao came to Zhou Ziyan just to test himself as a scholar.
Now that he has passed the examination as a scholar, he doesn't want to leave.
Here he is just an ordinary child, who can be beaten no matter who he offends, and lives happily and freely.
Anyway, he was studying everywhere, so why not choose a place he wanted to stay?
Zhongzhi County could not come forward in person, so he asked Zhongqiao to send a letter.
In the letter, he sincerely thanked Zhou Ziyan, and finally asked Zhou Ziyan to continue educating Zhong Qiaoyi.
He also sent a pile of gold and silver items as a bundle.
After Zhou Ziyan read the letter, he folded it and gave it to Zhong Qiaoyi, asking him to keep it by himself.
The gold and silver were returned softly, and he didn't want them.
As soon as Zhong Qiao read Zhong Zhixian's letter, he didn't know what he felt in his heart.
In short, he was sure that he would rather stay in a small place like Maminggou for the rest of his life than return to the Lu family in Yuenan Prefecture.
There were only a few children left. Zhou Ziyan heard that Jiang Qingqing was now domineering at home relying on his reputation as a scholar, so he almost bullied his elder brother Jiang by riding on his father's head.
Pang Pang Niang put on new clothes for the first time. When she went out, she told everyone that Dashan had passed the examination and was very happy.
The tone seems to be complaining, but in fact it is showing off.
And Ergun is the calmest one. Grandpa is lying down at home, and grandma herself is the only one. He passed the exam to be a scholar, and now he still has to help grandma collect shoe soles to subsidize her life.
But from now on, he can get two taels of silver every month, and his grandma no longer has to work from dawn to dusk to collect shoe soles.
Ergun was very happy. He finally made his grandparents live a good life through his own efforts.
Zhou Ziyan saw all this.
He was very happy, losing his childishness, and all these children slowly grew into what they are now.
They all look very good.
It was late July when the children returned home.
They were still celebrating, but Zhou Ziyan had to pack his bags and embark on the journey to the provincial examination.
The rural examinations were held in provincial capitals. Coincidentally, Zhou Ziyue said he would go to Yuenan Mansion three times.
But this is also a good thing, it is better than traveling across mountains and rivers to a strange place.
People who take the provincial examination come from all provinces and states, and there are very few people who are as lucky as Zhou Ziyan. Therefore, the imperial court will provide a certain amount of gold and silver subsidies to the candidates based on their place of origin, commonly known as 'Binxing fee'.
Zhou Ziyan naturally also received the 'Bingxing Fee', but his carriage was enough to reach Yuenan Mansion, so the 'Bingxing Fee' was not used.
Others who have received the "Binxing Fee" will be registered, and they must take the exam after receiving the money.
If you don't go, you selfishly embezzle the "Binxing Fee" and are found out by the court, you will be punished.
Song Weifeng and Song Douding will not participate in this provincial examination. Song Douding is clamoring to go together, but no matter what, it won't work.
Even though Zhou Ziyan was very confident about the provincial examination, Song Weifeng felt that he still couldn't delay things by bringing a small oil bottle.
There are many people in the rural examination. If Song Douding is not taken care of properly and something happens to Song Douding, it will probably delay Zhou Ziyan's rural examination.
No way, no way, absolutely not.
Song Weifeng was so annoyed that he sent Song Douding to his home and locked the door.
Song Douding was locked in the bedroom and fell backwards in anger. He opened the door and shouted: "Song Weifeng! Just wait! When I, Douding, grow up, I will definitely be taller and stronger than you. I'll see when the time comes. You're still locking me up!"
Song's father stood at the door and knocked on the door, asking Song Douding to be honest.
With his father not on his side, Song Douding kicked the doorframe hard, feeling depressed.
When will he grow up to be an adult? Children are so boring!
This provincial examination was only accompanied by Song Weifeng, so it was indeed much more convenient for two adults to travel.
Along the way, we chatted about poems and recited articles, and the time passed very quickly.
They traveled by land, but they also passed by water.
The carriage was a little stuffy. Song Weifeng opened the door curtain and saw the cruise ship outside. A large flag was erected on the boat, which read, "We have ordered the provincial examination in a certain province, and no one else should come near."
"Brother Zhou, is this a royal ship?"
Zhou Ziyan also saw that most of the ships on the lake were flying flags. "They should all be from remote towns to avoid dangers along the way, so the imperial court sent people to accompany them, and various tariffs could be reduced or exempted along the way."
"I see." Song Weifeng learned another aspect of the provincial examination.
"Actually, it's okay if Dou Ding doesn't take the exam." Zhou Ziyan looked at the candidates standing at the bow of the boat. They were all adults. The youngest should be fifteen years old. "He is too young. Whether he has passed the exam or not, he is too young." It's irritating. This is not good."
Song Weifeng smiled, "Indeed, I have never heard of a Juren under ten years old. It's a bit shocking. Douding, a kid like this, doesn't like to be noticed. If his mind is disturbed by those messy things, it's better not to take the exam. ."
Zhou Ziyan had already begun to calculate Song Douding's age in his mind. He pinched his fingertips and said, "Douding will play for another two years and end up around ten years old. To be honest, he may not be able to pass. The provincial examination is only held once every three years. Wait until he succeeds in the provincial examination. , about fifteen or sixteen years old. No matter what you do at this age, you won't get much attention."
Song Weifeng: "Exactly."
This time they focused on a relaxed journey, so they hired a carriage master.
The carriage master in front heard the words of the two scholars and laughed loudly, "Two scholars, look at our horses. There is also a flag on it."
"Oh?" After getting on the carriage, Song Weifeng had not yet looked outside the carriage, so he quickly stuck his head out and saw a flag on the top of the carriage.
Rushing for the rural examination.
Keep away from idlers.
Zhou Ziyan explained: "This is the flag of the dry road carriage. If other carriages on the road encounter our car, they will give way to us as long as it is not an emergency."
"Planting flags is also to avoid encountering robbers."
"Why, when they saw that they were candidates, didn't they stop trying?" Song Weifeng didn't quite understand this.
This time it was Zhou Ziyan who chuckled, "They still want to rob, but it's not cost-effective to rob the candidates. Robbing the businessmen can also get some money, and robbing the candidates, except for books, is books. If the candidates win the exam, they can become an official." , how can those who rob the Tao deal with themselves?"
"Yes, it's safe to put up the flag." The carriage master raised his whip, "Two scholars, we will arrive at Yuenan Mansion in a little while!"
Daqing was united for the imperial examination.
In order to prepare for the provincial examination, the county government had already counted the candidates who were going to the county and reported them to the prefectural cities. The prefectures then booked guest rooms in various places in Yuenan Prefecture to provide the candidates with rest.
Zhou Zi said that they were in Yuenan Mansion in the front, and a smiling boy from the inn came to ask if they were candidates from xx County or xx Prefecture.
If it's right, just follow the boy.
Zhou Ziyan can only be counted as one candidate, so Song Weifeng is not included in the candidates and can only share a guest room with Zhou Ziyan.
Fortunately, during the provincial examination, there was not much distinction between genders. Most of the candidates were dressed in the same clothes and crowded into one room.
Zhou Ziyan asked for two extra quilts from the inn and spread them on the floor. "I'll sleep on the floor at night. You can sleep on the bed."
"How can that be okay? This is your exam this time!" Song Weifeng pulled Zhou Ziyan up and sat on the ground to make a bed. "It's quite soft here. I can sleep here."
Zhou Ziyan was not satisfied, "You are a brother, how can I let you sleep on the ground?"
"What should we do?" Song Weifeng was determined not to back down. Zhou
The eldest brother is a candidate and must sleep on the bed.
Zhou Ziyan came up with a bad idea, "How about... sleeping on the bed together?"
Song Weifeng: "..."
Zhou Ziyan touched his nose and felt guilty.
He picked up a quilt and folded it into a strip, placing it in the middle of the inn bed as a boundary between the Chu and Han Rivers.
"You sleep here and I sleep over there, is that okay?"
The bed is narrow, but it can sleep two people.
Song Weifeng felt that he should not continue to worry about such trivial matters, so as not to delay Brother Zhou's study, so he nodded, "Okay. Brother Zhou, you can read quickly. I'll go out and get some hot water."
With Song Weifeng helping out, Zhou said he felt much more relaxed.
The group of elementary school students who had to take care of him the last time he came here now only need to sit in the guest room and read.
But he couldn't stand reading now, "Wei Feng, let's go out for a walk."
"good."
When the two of them went out, they met Ye Lang who was going out to fetch water, but Ye Lang looked tired, as if he was tired.
After a few chats, Zhou Ziyan and Song Weifeng left the inn, while Ye Lang went back to catch up on his sleep.
Outside, you can see candidates rushing to take exams everywhere, as well as inn boys waiting somewhere.
People were coming and going, and heads were moving. August, which was already hot, was now even more suffocating.
Zhou Ziyan was still holding his own folding fan in his hand, and he just pushed it open to blow away the heat on this side, "Shall we go to Gongyuan to have a look?"
Song Weifeng loosened the button on his collar and breathed a small sigh of relief, "I heard that Gongyuan has been surrounded now. We can only watch from a distance outside."
Looking at the magnificent Gongyuan, Song Weifeng felt envious, "This is the Gongyuan."
"Yes." Zhou Ziyan stood on the outside with his hands behind his back.
The place where the rural examination is held is called Gongyuan.
Gongyuan can accommodate more than 20,000 people at most and is a very large building.
Unless there are major changes, the time of the annual rural examination will never change, so Yuenan Mansion has been repairing the Gongyuan two months ago.
Now several examiners have moved in, and the perimeter is immediately tightly controlled by the garrison.
Now there are not only troops stationed at the gate of Gongyuan, but also all kinds of pedestrians who come to visit Gongyuan.
Candidates, merchants, and people joining in the fun all crowded together, but they did not dare to step forward to challenge the majesty of the garrison. They could only keep trampling on the people around them.
Amidst the chaos, a man came out on a tall black horse to maintain order.
The rioting crowd returned to silence in an instant.
"Lu Mingxue?" Zhou Ziyan smiled distantly, "It's still him."
Song Weifeng was also a little surprised, "Master Lu came to test with Guan Xiang again?"
"It seems that he has done well in the camp and is deeply trusted." Zhou Ziyan nodded and waved his hand.
Lu Mingxue seemed to have seen them, but now he could not leave privately. He could only nod slightly and smile a little from his majesty.
Fortunately, Zhou Ziyan saw this and nodded lightly.
"He seems to have seen us, but we better not disturb Mr. Lu from his official duties." Zhou Ziyan bought two bowls of tea from the tea stall next to him to relieve the heat. "Let's go, let's try Yuenan Mansion's specialties?"
"good!"
Song Weifeng followed Zhou Ziyan for two days and ate all the "Zhegui Cake" and "Timing Crispy" nearby.
It was obviously the same thing, but with a different name, it would cost a few more cents. Song Weifeng clutched his money bag, his body hurting terribly.
"How come there are so many pastries around here this year?" Song Weifeng bit into a piece of the new 'Number One Fried Roll' and looked puzzled, "These stalls should rarely sell together, so why are they all gathered together now? Near Gongyuan?"
Zhou Ziyan also noticed this.
The stalls set up around the Gongyuan must be because the people living in the Gongyuan like to eat cakes and buy them frequently, so they all gather near the Gongyuan.
The people living in Gongyuan now, except for the magistrate of Yuenan Prefecture, are two officials sent from the capital.
The prefect doesn't know if he likes sweets, but someone in the capital likes sweets and can be sent down to be the examiner?
Just a few.
Zhou Ziyan shook his fan and said, "The examiners who come this year must like to eat sweets."
He remembered an old friend who had a sweet tooth.
But that old friend probably won't be the examiner this year.
After all, he scolded Emperor Jingxuan and was ordered to go home and reflect. How could he come out to be the examiner again?
Provincial examinations must use special official paper.
On the fifth day of August, Zhou Ziyan received an order from the imperial court to go out and buy the paper needed for the imperial examination.
The official paper is all red-lined paper. One copy contains seven pages of draft paper and fifteen pages of main page.
Use one copy each for the first and second sessions, and eight pages of draft paper and twenty pages of original paper for the third session.
The first page of the draft paper will have 'start' and the end will have 'end' printed on it.
When handing in the paper, only the main page must be handed in, but the draft paper cannot be taken out of the examination room and will be destroyed by the court in a timely manner.
Such paper is also called 'ink roll'.
Because the candidates all answered with ink pens, the paper and ink had a faint fragrance.
To purchase official paper, you need to get a certificate, and candidates have to take the certificate to the Yamen to have it stamped.
Every official paper and certificate must be stamped.
The certificate needs to write down the candidate's place of origin, facial features, home address, and net worth in advance.
After all this is done, the candidates' official paper will be taken away by the court and managed uniformly.
Distribute them on the day of the exam.
Song Weifeng followed Zhou Ziyan through the entire process, only to find that the provincial examination was so complicated and rigorous.
Looking at the black cornices of Gongyuan again, I feel only a heavy feeling in my heart.
On the eighth day of August, Song Weifeng stayed up all night anxiously.
Put on a tired look directly.
On the contrary, Zhou Ziyan, the candidate, felt refreshed.
Song Weifeng slept well. Occasionally, he could smell the faint fragrance of his brother, which was very helpful for sleeping, so he slept well.
So on the day of the exam, he was in good condition and didn't look like he was going to take the provincial exam.
Song Weifeng: "..."
Forget it, there's no point in envy.
If he had Brother Zhou's mentality, he might even dare to take the provincial examination now.
It was still early at night, and there were already many people standing at the gate of Gongyuan.
At the front, there were people from the imperial court lighting lanterns and holding signs, asking candidates from all over the country to stand in groups according to their place of origin.
Zhou Ziyan really didn't want to squeeze in, so he stood at the outside and walked forward slowly.
Compared with the children's examination, the inspection in the rural examination is more stringent, and even the inspection personnel are specialized.
Zhou Ziyan put away the folding fan, pointed to the two people in the front and said, "Look, the one on the left is called transcription, and the one on the right is called reading. After checking the candidates' documents, one is responsible for reading the name, and the other is responsible for recording."
"These are the outer curtain officers, and the inner curtain officers are the two examiner officials and the prefect."
"It looks much stricter than the child test." Song Weifeng couldn't help but pinch Zhou Ziyan's arm, trying to relax him, "Brother Zhou, please don't be nervous."
But Song Weifeng's slightly trembling hands were really unconvincing.
Zhou Ziyan's mouth twitched slightly, "I think you are more nervous."
Wei Feng, your massage hands are shaking.
After waiting in line for a while, it was finally Zhou Ziyan's turn.
Song Weifeng stood outside and could not continue to accompany him. Zhou Ziyan gently touched Song Weifeng and said, "I'm going."
"Brother Zhou...you made the decision!"
Song Weifeng stood outside the crowd, watching Zhou Ziyan slowly enter the Gongyuan, his eyes full of reluctance and worry.
Before Zhou Ziyan stepped into the Gongyuan, he looked back for someone.
After seeing Song Weifeng's eyes that never turned away, he waved to him.
After walking through the gate, Zhou Ziyan underwent the first inspection and a body search.
Just like the child test, only ordinary bedding and cooking utensils can be brought, and everything else must be cut open and inspected.
As for other things with words on them, they are not allowed to enter.
After passing the inspection at the gate, Zhou Ziyan received a 'photograph'.
Holding the photo in hand, he walked to the Yimen Gate and was inspected again. He received the imperial examination manual assigned by the imperial court, called "Three Fields Procedures."
After Yimen is Longmen.
There are some 'sacrifice' placed at the dragon gate, mostly pig heads and tributes, and the supervisor is offering incense and praying for blessings.
After all the candidates are seated, the supervisor comes in to inspect whether everything is in order.
You must check in early for each provincial examination. You are not allowed to leave during the exam. You must complete all exams before you can leave.
So Zhou said he would stay in the dormitory for at least three days.
It was a small dormitory with brick walls all around, and a wooden plaque with "Thousand-Character Classic" written on it.
This is the representative name of the house.
Outside the dormitory, there is no rockery or river for children to test. There is only a small path leading to the room, which is called the 'No. Alley'.
Now is the hottest time of summer. Sitting in the dormitory, Zhou Ziyan feels like his body is steaming.
Even after taking off the outer layer of robe, I still feel hot, so I can only rely on a folding fan to get cool air.
In such a situation, if a young or old person can persist in such a place for three days, it will be considered a great achievement.
It's no wonder that some candidates can't insist on taking the provincial examination.
There was a bucket of water, a stove and a hand-held kettle in the dormitory.
The so-called bed is just a bed board, two quilts and a pillow.
After sleeping on the comfortable and soft bed of the inn, Zhou Ziyan touched the bed board with barbs and sighed in his heart.
Three days... just three days.
You can leave in three days!
The daily meals were distributed by the imperial court. They were simple steamed buns and side dishes, which were only enough to satisfy the hunger and were not very tasty.
Zhou Ziyan finished eating the steamed buns given by the imperial court, warmed up the cold buns he had brought, and then spread out the quilt and lay down.
I miss Song Weifeng outside a little. I wonder what this little brother is doing at this time?
Are you like him...I miss you so much here.
The next day, the cannon was fired.
Candidates get up.
The printing officer distributes the previously collected official paper according to the number of houses. Every time a copy is distributed, he must carefully confirm whether the candidate and the official paper match.
Only after confirming that it is the candidate himself will it be issued.
After the inspection is completed, the printing officer will stamp "correct" on the answer sheet.
This is also known as "check stamping".
After an exam, there will be an extra seal at the end of the official paper.
But no one less will do.
When Zhou Ziyan got the official paper, he didn't dare to put it around randomly. He only dared to put it carefully on the bed board to avoid stains.
The inspection of this government-made paper is much stricter than that of the children's test. There must be no stains or any traces of alteration.
Even if there is only one ink dot, it may be judged as fraud.
In the first test, there are three questions on four books and one poem.
Poetry has a designated rhyme and cannot be written randomly.
The four books seem to be answers, but in reality they also require divergent thinking and are combined with the reality of Daqing to be written into two articles.
If you want to add annotations or modify the text in the title of the four books, you need to write at the end the number of words in the text and the number of words to be modified.
What you write and answer are all rules.
Zhou Ziyan read the title, made a draft in his mind, put the pen on the draft paper, and started writing the article.
The children's examination is still about memorizing for the test, but starting from the provincial examination, every question is for selecting officials.
All answers must be answered from the official's perspective.
The examiner not only looks at the candidate's knowledge, but also looks at the article to see whether the student is suitable for being an official and whether he has the ability to serve in politics.
If selected, he may become a colleague in the future.
Therefore, when making choices, examiners often start from personal preferences.
This means that candidates must find out the preferences of the examiner in every exam and prescribe the right medicine.
Zhou Zi said that these questions he had were quite satisfactory.
Not surprising, not out of the ordinary.
Either the examiner is a calm old man who doesn't like changes, or he is holding on to some big tricks and wants to kill the final decision.
But no matter which one it is, Zhou Ziyan is not afraid, he just needs to answer it well.
The first session lasts for two days, and papers can be submitted until tomorrow evening.
So Zhou Ziyan had plenty of time to answer.
I finished writing an article on the Four Books in the morning, had a good lunch, took a nap, and then started writing the second article on the Four Books in the afternoon.
The two questions on the Four Books are both from "The Great Learning". One asks the candidates what is a righteous heart, and the other asks about the relationship between family and country.
There is a lot of room for performance. As long as the candidates don't lose track, these two questions are still easy to answer.
But when it comes to exams, accidents always happen.
After Zhou Ziyan finished writing the second question of the Four Books, before putting away the answer sheet, he heard a commotion coming from an unknown residence not far away.
No conversation could be heard, only the rush of footsteps.
Zhou Ziyan sat firmly on the bed, put away his answers, and put them in a clean place to avoid getting dirty.
There were only a few possibilities for the commotion just now.
Either the examinee fainted or the examinee broke the official paper to cause such a big commotion.
No matter which one it is, that candidate's provincial examination has ended early.
The first exam takes two days and two nights in the dormitory. If someone has not finished writing in the evening, they need to light up the lamp and stay up late.
With this light on, accidents are more likely to happen.
Time after time, there have been cases where candidates burned themselves and the official paper because of lighting the lamp.
For one reason or another, the provincial examination ended prematurely, which is particularly disappointing.
Zhou Ziyan allocated his time and answered questions slowly and leisurely.
The next morning, those who have finished writing can hand in their papers.
However, you can't leave early after handing in your papers. Everyone waits behind the gate and can't leave until everyone has finished answering.
Zhou Ziyan finished writing the last poem question, checked it again, and handed in his answer sheet at noon.
After handing in the answer sheet and receiving the "photograph note", Zhou Ziyan can leave the dormitory.
When he left the dormitory, there were many candidates beside him, writing furiously.
Until the evening, they will have the opportunity to submit their answers.
These thin pieces of official paper are the result of more than ten years of hard study by Han Chuang.
Whether it is a blessing or a curse is difficult to predict.
I stayed in the small dormitory for two days, where I had everything I needed to eat and drink.
The taste is extremely difficult to describe.
Anyway, as soon as Zhou Ziyan left the dormitory, he immediately covered his mouth and nose with the cloth strips he had prepared.
Because not only did he smell bad, but all the candidates who handed in the papers had the same smell.
Such a group of people gathering together is comparable to a poison gas scene.
Wearing a cloth strip to block out the smell, Zhou said he felt much better.
Experienced people, like Zhou Ziyan, prepare in advance.
The remaining people who were participating for the first time could only cover their mouths and noses, as if they could vomit at any time.
If there is a next time... they must, they must also bring good equipment!
Back at the inn, Zhou said he didn't care about anything and took a good bath first and then went to sleep!
After taking a good rest, Zhou Ziyan finally changed from a slovenly appearance to the noble lady he originally was.
Song Weifeng directly regarded Zhou Ziyan as a baby who was paralyzed on the bed and could not move. He brought all the food to Zhou Ziyan and never let him get hurt.
"Brother Zhou, when will these results be released?" Song Weifeng fed him spoonfuls of sweet rice porridge and wiped Zhou Ziyan's mouth from time to time.
Zhou Ziyan wanted to serve the bowl by himself countless times, but Song Weifeng knocked him down. In the end, he could only end up like this.
"If you don't get results in the first test, you will just screen people." Zhou Zi said after swallowing the rice porridge, "There are thousands of people taking part in the provincial examination. Those officials can't see it, so they need to go through all the papers quickly and eliminate the skipped questions. Candidates who miss answers, or soil the paper. Only the remaining ones can take the second test."
Zhou Ziyan saw that Song Weifeng didn't know much about the provincial examination, so he continued, "For the remaining papers, the candidates' information will be covered with paste by the official, and the papers will be rearranged in a certain order, and then sent to the transcription officer."
"The transcribers are the two we met this morning."
"There are many copyists in the inner curtain. Unlike the outer curtain, they need to use the shortest time to re-copy all the papers with ink pens."
"The candidates' papers are called ink papers, and these are called red papers."
"What if a transcriber made a mistake?" Song Weifeng asked a question.
Zhou Zi said: "Don't worry, there are people in charge of checking the inner curtain. They will compare the ink scroll and the ink scroll again. If any copying officer makes a mistake, then this group of copying officers will be thoroughly investigated. Everyone will I don't dare to implicate so many transcription officers."
"Finally, the ink scroll was sealed for future use, while the ink scroll was sent to the two examiners for their approval."
"Actually, it's similar to the children's test. People are screened in every game."
"Only those who pass the first test can go to the next one, and only those who stay until the end can become candidates."
"It's so difficult, but so many people are coming." Song Weifeng shook the porridge bowl, a little unsure whether he could pass the provincial examination.
Zhou Ziyan patted Song Weifeng's hand and said, "It's still early for you and Douding, don't worry too much."
"Okay." Song Weifeng raised the bowl and glanced at Zhou Ziyan's face with his bright eyes, "Brother Zhou, take another bite, the last bite! I went to the kitchen to cook it!"
Zhou, who was almost exhausted, said to himself: "..."
Let him go!
He just took a test, not regressed into a baby!
When the list was released, Song Weifeng single-handedly led Zhou Ziyan to the front.
"..." Zhou Ziyan almost lost one of his shoes this time.
In the first round, there was no ranking, and the names written on it were not the names, but the names of each room.
Except for the court officials, only the candidates who have entered the dormitory know which dormitory they are in, which greatly avoids the possibility of leaks.
"What do people think of this..." Song Weifeng originally wanted to see where Zhou Ziyan was, but now he was looking at a bunch of names and couldn't understand it at all.
But if outsiders like him can't understand it, then the court's purpose will be achieved.
I really don't know whether to praise or be depressed.
Zhou Ziyan took Song Weifeng's hand and gently pointed to the first dormitory.
Brother Zhou is here.
Song Weifeng immediately understood what Zhou Ziyan meant. Just as he was about to say something, Zhou Ziyan covered his mouth.
Zhou Ziyan shook his head and told Song Weifeng to keep quiet.
When contacted, there was only the name of the house, but no personal name. Song Weifeng immediately understood the court's intention.
This is because they are afraid of exposing their identity and causing unprovoked trouble.
But it was really uncomfortable not to vent the excitement in his heart. Song Weifeng could only grab Zhou Ziyan's arm and hold it hard.
Brother Zhou passed the first game, passed!
Zhou Ziyan nodded, yes, passed.
But he felt a little pain in his arm!
"..." Song Weifeng had no idea what kind of harm he had caused to Zhou Ziyan.
He was remembering the name Zhou Ziyan, and he would definitely find Brother Zhou as soon as possible next time.
Ye Lang found Zhou Ziyan and Song Weifeng from the crowd, and let Zhou Ziyan and Song Weifeng know with just one look.
Ye Lang also passed!
This is really a great joy. They are one step closer to becoming a Juren!
Chapter 87
After the first game, Zhou Ziyan immediately picked up his baggage and moved into the new dormitory.
Yes, all the remaining candidates have been rearranged.
These three rankings are all in completely different order, so outsiders will never know which candidate is in which dormitory.
The residence number recorded by Song Weifeng was immediately useless.
When the results were released for the second time, it was only after Zhou Ziyan pointed it out that he knew that his brother Zhou had successfully passed the second test.
In the first round, 12/10 were screened out, and in the second round, more than half were screened out in large batches.
The rural examination was like a big wave washing over the sand, with thousands of people crossing the bridge. By the time of the last session, the dormitory was full.
The originally bustling Gongyuan gradually became deserted.
It is precisely because of this that the last batch of candidates can sit next to each other to avoid being affected by the people next to them.
In the tribute courtyard, Zhou Ziyan sat calmly and calmly, waiting for the final test questions to be distributed.
Outside the Gongyuan, Song Weifeng was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. He kept walking around the tea stall, checking the time and the direction of the Gongyuan from time to time.
Really impatient with waiting, Song Weifeng bought a bowl of tea, walked to a familiar place, and poured the tea on the ground.
He lifted his robe and knelt down in the direction of Ma Ming Gou, clasped his hands and prayed devoutly: "Your Majesty the County Magistrate, Dad, Douding... and all the gods, most of the time has passed, and today is the last one, God bless you, I hope Brother Zhou stays safe and completes the last question smoothly."
After finishing, he held his hands on the slightly moist mud and kowtowed three times.
Song Weifeng had no way to help Zhou Ziyan in the Gongyuan, so he had been praying to Buddha and praying for Zhou Ziyan outside these days.
Just so that the gods and Buddhas can bless his brother Zhou and successfully pass the exam.
Suddenly, a gunshot exploded overhead.
Song Weifeng looked back and saw faint black smoke hovering above the Gongyuan.
The last round of the provincial examination has officially begun.
Zhou Ziyan took the exam questions that were just handed out and read them from beginning to end.
But when I saw the last question, I was stunned.
Just as he had guessed before, the questions asked by the examiner in the first two games of this provincial examination were difficult, but they were all satisfactory, and they did not deliberately make things difficult for others.
Many candidates also praised this year's examiners for their kindness and for not using tricky questions to sway people like examiners in previous years.
They also said that if they could pass the exam, they would kowtow to express their gratitude.
But in this last scene, the examiner really showed his strength.
There are three questions in total, each question is more difficult than the last.
The first question is, when the country is governed, the world will be peaceful, a gentleman will be respectful and the world will be peaceful, and if he cultivates his body, the world will be peaceful, and the principles of peace in the world will be the same or different?
It is asking the candidates what are the differences between the several methods mentioned in the book and what they have in common.
The second question is, to govern the people safely, one must not be good at etiquette.
The examination of governing a country with etiquette and the etiquette of serving as an official can be regarded as examining the candidates' thoughts on being an official.
The first two questions are easy to talk about, but this third question is a policy argument.
[Your Majesty has succeeded to the throne and has been in chaos for many years. Most of the people are uncontrollable at the frontier. This is why he is resentful. Judging from the book, if you ask those who governed the world in ancient times, they all respected the teachings and literature, which was benevolence. The customs are different, and if they are not good, they will harm the country. The imperial court sent envoys to guard each year, which was quite unpredictable, and it was impossible to survive. Students live in this land and observe this evil practice. How can we change this? It cannot be broken, and it cannot be completely destroyed. Please tell me. 】
Translated in vernacular, I am asking the candidates: Since His Majesty ascended the throne, rebellions have often occurred in various places. Many of them are civilians on the frontier who cannot be easily controlled. They complain that their current life is not good.
From the book, everyone is saying that we should use better beauty and culture to educate the customs and people of various places, so that we can be a benevolent monarch. Therefore, if the customs in various places are not uniform and not good, it may harm the country.
The imperial court sends many officials to solve this problem every year, but until now, such things are still happening in various places.
You students, living in this land now, see such disadvantages, do you have any good solutions?
We cannot harm or divide this country, nor can we completely eliminate the unique customs of each place. If you have any good ideas, please tell me.
"..." Zhou Ziyan suddenly felt that this question was a bit hot.
It seems like he is asking about customs, but in fact he is asking, why do rebellions always happen frequently after His Majesty ascended the throne?
Analyzing the reasons from the title, it is nothing more than those few reasons, but they are all relatively sharp.
When writing an article, you must not only quote scriptures and combine them with reality, but also see if the candidate himself can really say something harsh and write down these reasons.
Is this question testing the reasons or the candidates themselves?
Food for thought.
Today, there are only a few people who can write His Majesty directly on the examination paper.
In addition, before the exam, I learned that the examiner likes sweets.
No matter how Zhou Ziyan didn't believe that guess, he could only confirm that the examiner who came to Yuenan Mansion this year was that old man.
The dead old man cursed Emperor Jingxuan, but he was still able to come out again and take charge of the provincial examination after being imprisoned.
He cursed Emperor Jingxuan, so now he can only take the provincial examination again.
"It's really..." Zhou Ziyan laughed angrily at this ridiculous thing. He smoothed the tip of the brush and began to dip it in ink.
"In ancient times, when teaching children, they first started with a common language, and then studied the Four Books and Five Classics..."
"Therefore, the formation of folk customs has its origins in history and today's teachings. What is teaching? What is formed in the people is also in the teachings."
"...When will the people be taught? Naturally, those who are satisfied with food and have more than enough things will learn and be taught while reading."
"As the saying goes, 'when the people are rich, then education is given', the people's well-being is adequate and the struggle is weakened..."
After finishing writing on one piece of paper, Zhou Ziyan changed another piece of paper and continued writing.
"The people's livelihood is not rich because of the negligence of officials. Now there is no such disadvantage, because there are local officials and floating officials."
The so-called local officials refer to the local officials who serve as "local emperors". The floating officials refer to those who have been favored by His Majesty to change people's livelihood, but will leave after only a few years, leaving the people without benefit. officials.
"The local officials collected all the taxes and half entered their mansions. The officials wanted to use their fists to achieve their goals, but they sat down and stayed there for half a year, causing the people to suffer..."
"...the people want to change their shortcomings. They do not blame the people but the officials. They do not govern the people but govern the officials."
After writing this, Zhou Ziyan put down his pen and turned his wrist.
From ancient times to the present, from bottom to top, he wrote everything he could think of.
Having written so much, I feel a sense of accomplishment.
However, Zhou Ziyan thought about it and added at the end, "This is all the words of a mad wolf, and it is not a true strategy. Now we should do better and respect it."
It was a little bit of a candidate's attitude to avoid being scolded by others.
Writing so many words in one breath made Zhou feel a little tired.
He put away his answer sheet and fetched a teapot to boil water.
Holding a chipped pottery bowl, Zhou Ziyan looked at the blue sky outside through the narrow window.
God is really kind this year, and there was no sudden rainfall, otherwise their batch of candidates might have to enter at half the rate.
After taking a good rest, Zhou Ziyan checked it again before handing in his answer sheet.
The moment he followed the crowd and stepped out of the Gongyuan, Zhou Ziyan truly felt his body relax.
It was a feeling of being light and about to fly.
All the hard work is finally over today.
Song Weifeng was standing in the tea shop opposite Gongyuan. When he saw Zhou Ziyan, he couldn't help but rush over.
Zhou Zi said that his whole body was dirty now and he didn't want to tarnish his fair and clean little brother.
But Song Weifeng didn't care about this. He threw himself into Zhou Ziyan's arms and held him tightly without letting go. He choked up a little when he heard the tone, "The exam is over...Brother Zhou, the exam is finally over."
"The exam is over." Zhou Ziyan tried his best to pat Song Weifeng's shoulders and back with his clean clothes to comfort him.
After the provincial examination, everyone was as relaxed as Zhou Ziyan.
So when the candidates who were passing by saw Zhou Ziyan's soft jade in his arms, they couldn't help but joke, "Brother, have you even left Gongyuan and your family has already come to pick you up?"
"It's a joke, it's a joke." Zhou Ziyan frowned at these teasing words and responded with a smile.
Another candidate also came over and joked, "Sister-in-law, please take your brother home quickly! Many of us are not yet married and have children. Let us see you loving each other. Wouldn't it be heartbreaking? What!"
"Hey, you are all alone, don't take me with you. I have made an engagement long ago. You can get married after you go back after the provincial examination. Who wants to stay with you?" The speaker deliberately flicked his sleeves, as if he was really shameless. He took two steps to the side like a teammate.
In an instant, he was besieged by other people, begging for a glass of wedding wine.
The solemn and simple Gongyuan was suddenly filled with a lot of laughter and laughter.
No matter how the test goes, at least at this moment, everyone is happy.
Zhou Ziyan picked up his dirty baggage and held Song Weifeng's hand through his sleeve, "Let's go."
"Brother Zhou, will it take a long time for the provincial examination results to be released?" Song Weifeng followed Zhou Ziyan, calculating the date for returning home.
Zhou Ziyan thought for a moment and nodded, "It will take about half a month. Sometimes, if it's slow, a month is possible. But don't worry, when booking an inn in Fucheng, it will be negotiated directly."