【......】
There are many letters from children at the back, all sealed in a letter bag, a thick stack.
The correspondence between Zhou Ziyan and Ma Minggou was not timely. Sometimes, he might not receive a letter in August until November or February.
Fortunately, they don't care about this problem. As long as they know that the other person is doing well, that is enough.
After reading the letters, Zhou said he was satisfied and kept all the letters.
Then 'Old Scalper Zhou' opened another box.
It was filled with foldables that had accumulated over the past few days.
Looking at the folds that were almost overflowing, Zhou said to himself: "..."
If this matter were told, I'm afraid people outside would say Zhou Ziyan was crazy.
I have never heard of candidates who have just finished taking the examination and continue to read the excerpts when they return to the official school!
Such anecdotes may only be seen in story books!
But in Zhou Ziyan's case, it is a tragic fact.
"It's really the body of the male protagonist of the novel, and the fate of the old scalper." Zhou Ziyan twisted his wrist and began to read the folds one by one with resignation.
Fortunately, it's nothing important and doesn't take much effort.
Zhou Ziyan was so immersed in the hard work of "overtime" that when Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao knocked on the door of his room, they could only see a cousin who was still writing at the desk.
"Cousin, you've already finished your exams, why don't you go out to have fun?"
Gu Siwen stepped in.
As far as he knew, other candidates had already started participating in poetry gatherings and painting boats for fun on the first day after the exam.
Why is his cousin still sitting in front of the desk like an ascetic?
Wen Zhao didn't speak, but his eyes meant the same thing as Gu Siwen.
But first he saw the document Zhou Ziyan put on the desk.
It is a thick book with a cover covered in bright yellow moiré brocade.
Wen Zhao had only seen this style in the study room of his elders at home.
And it is the kind that no one can touch. Only the elders who are officials in the court can touch it.
The elders have said that this folded book is called a memorial, and the contents written in it are to be presented to His Majesty.
Wen Zhao slowly took two steps back.
But why does something like this appear on Cousin Zhou's desk now!
Gu Siwen was a little slower than Wen Zhao, and he had just seen clearly what was on Zhou Ziyan's desk.
"..." Gu Siwen's reaction was even more exaggerated than Wen Zhao's. He held the desk and his voice trembled slightly, "Cousin, cousin, what are you...what are you doing?"
His voice became smaller and smaller, as if he was afraid of disturbing his cousin Zhou.
Dad! What does this old friend of yours do?
If you hide this from your son, he is really scared!
Zhou Ziyan deliberately took a memorial and put it in front of the two of them, "Want to know? Take a look for yourself?"
Gu Siwen: "..."
Wen Zhao: "..."
The two teenagers stepped back one after another, waving their hands so that they left an afterimage, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
Cousin harms people!
One look at that thing will kill you!
Zhou Ziyan knew that this would be the result. He was well aware of the behavior of the two teenagers, so he did not avoid it.
He put all the folded books back into the box, "Cherish the years you are studying now. When you become officials in the court, you will not have such a good life."
"Cousin, are you really... what are you doing there?" Gu Siwen was still a young man at heart. He was frightened for two breaths, then he came over and leaned on the table and whispered, "Cousin, how could you, how could you ——"
Aren't these things done by the adults in the cabinet?
How could my cousin do such a thing?
"Little secret, you can guess it yourself. You can also ask dad when you go home." Zhou Ziyan knocked on Gu Siwen's forehead.
Gu Siwen covered his forehead and felt no pain at all. He fell into an indescribable excitement and said again: "Cousin, this, what does this feel like? Is it particularly refreshing? Is everything written in it good? Extremely important!"
Every time his father handles things in the study, he never lets outsiders listen in. He has long been curious!
"It's not important at all, it's just trivial matters." Zhou Ziyan mercilessly shattered the young boy's illusions about the court, "Ask your Majesty what you ate today, what's bothering you, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, two adults have a conflict, what, what, what, what, what, what, what?" The local specialty fruits have been harvested and I want to transport them to the capital...and so on."
"Ah? How could such a boring thing be written like this!" Gu Siwen's face twisted, feeling that his long-standing admiration for the imperial court seemed to be shattered.
Zhou Ziyan smiled, "It's not as mysterious as you think. Isn't the imperial court in your imagination also composed of people? Isn't your father's daily life thrilling every day?"
"That's true..." Gu Siwen recalled his father's daily life. He would go to the kitchen before dawn and stuff two steamed buns, then put on his court clothes and go to court in a sedan. He would definitely catch up on his sleep in the sedan on the way to the court.
When you go home in the morning, be sure to drink a large bowl of water before going to bed.
After waking up, he started to deal with his government affairs.
The things we do every day are the same, and it doesn't seem to be as thrilling as what is written in the storybook.
Wen Zhao was silent, "So...if we are admitted to official positions, will we be like my cousin and face these things every day?"
He doesn't like doing this kind of thing, it's too boring. He didn't take the imperial examination just to sit on the bench in the future.
of.
"Of course." While Zhou Ziyan was talking, he made another note and put it in the box. "The storybook says that there are flashes of swords and intrigues, but no matter where you are, as long as there are people around, there will be such things."
"More often, everyone is in their position, working on their own affairs, just like working among the people, guarding their own small stalls, asking for orders from the people, and making a living at the same time."
"Gu Siwen, your father is a good minister of His Majesty in the court, and a man in charge of business among the people. In your family, without those names, he is just an ordinary elder. You and other officials Are our elders like this too?"
Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao fell into memories together.
In their families, there are quite a few elders who are officials in the current dynasty, and some of them even hold high positions.
But they... indeed don't seem to be as powerful as the storybook says.
Both of them have seen the elders light up lamps and stay up late many times, describing the haggard scene.
The two of them originally came to ask Zhou Ziyan to go out to play, but now they each had a futon, sitting next to Zhou Ziyan, watching him deal with these things quietly.
Open one, annotate it, and put it back up.
Repeatedly, doing the same thing boringly.
Maybe the elders in their family, like Cousin Zhou, do the same thing every day.
Don't be annoyed, don't complain, day after day.
Then let them move forward smoothly and steadily throughout Daqing.
It seems that it is indeed not that mythical.
Are they all ordinary people?
Wen Zhao and Gu Siwen had some thoughts in their minds, but they couldn't express them for the time being.
It's just that they all feel that after today, they seem to have a deeper understanding of the court, officials, and their elders in the family.
When Zhou Ziyan was working as an old scalper in the number room, the city inside and outside the capital gradually became agitated as the trial ended.
The major betting markets have started one after another, and the wine shops have also begun to sell "named wines" and "top flowers". Everyone is tensed, waiting for the final ranking to be announced.
Gu Hongwen hurriedly ran into the doctor's office and said, "Nan Xing, Nan Xing, come on, we're doing the bidding outside. We're all guessing who will be the first in this year's trial!"
Jiang Nanxing heard the implication of Gu Hongwen's words and frowned: "Gu Hongwen, you actually went to gamble. Be careful, Zheng Jijiu will punish you when he finds out!"
They are role models and should lead by example, so the Imperial College explicitly prohibits gambling.
"Oh, wouldn't it be a pity to miss such a sure-win thing?" Gu Hongwen whispered, "Do you know what Brother Zhou's odds are now? That's a hundred to one!"
"One hundred for one?!" Jiang Nanxing stood up in a hurry, and the stool under her body made a harsh sound, "Why is Brother Zhou's odds so high?"
"Hey, Brother Zhou has been busy studying since he entered the Imperial College. Who knows him? Of course no one will pressure him." Gu Hongwen felt that those people had no vision, "But fortunately they didn't pressure Brother Zhou. I will give all my property to him." It's all given to Brother Zhou, and when the rankings are announced, hahahahahahaha!"
Gu Hongwen laughed when he thought of lying down and counting money.
Jiang Nanxing looked at Gu Hongwen suspiciously: "All your property? How much money do you have."
"Not much, three taels of silver!" Gu Hongwen stretched out three fingers without blushing or out of breath.
Yes, these three taels are his entire family property.
Whether you can make a fortune or not depends on Brother Zhou!
Jiang Nanxing: "..."
Head hurts.
However, Jiang Nanxing slowly took out a money bag from under her desk and handed it to Gu Hongwen, "...what, help me beat Brother Zhou to the top spot."
Chapter 107
In the imperial study, Emperor Jingxuan was sitting on the main seat wearing only bright yellow pajamas.
There were many ministers sitting in rows down the hall.
The two leading adults are Zhang Hanlin.
When meeting the Holy One, he did not forget to hang a wine gourd around his waist.
Mr. Liu has a big belly, but he seems to be a little thinner than before the examination.
Maybe the test was too tiring, and Mr. Liu lost weight.
After them are the remaining candidates for this exam.
Yishui'er's red court clothes were all from the Hanlin Academy.
Emperor Jingxuan looked at the ranking book handed over by Zhang Hanlin and asked the question he was most concerned about, "How many female candidates are there this year and how many male candidates are there?"
Lord Liu, as the Minister of Rites, stood up and bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, a total of one thousand and five hundred and sixty-three people have registered this year, of which there are only forty-one female candidates and only fifty male candidates."
"There are only 41 female candidates and 50 male candidates among the 1,653 people." Emperor Jingxuan tapped the table with his fingers, without any trace of joy on his face, "Everyone, regarding this result, Any ideas, huh?"
"..."
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to answer.
Daqing has always allowed women and brothers to take exams, but with this change, the reference number of women and brothers has indeed never increased.
It seems to have become a big problem in Daqing.
"Your Majesty, when the late emperor was still here, the number of registered female candidates and male candidates was only a few hundred over the years." Zhang Hanlin shook his head, "There is no need to rush anything. There is no need to rush."
Of course he knew what His Majesty was thinking, but it was all recorded in the books of the Ministry of Rites.
In the previous dynasty, there were sometimes not even one female candidate or male candidate for several years. Now they can have nearly a hundred female candidates and male candidates in one round of examinations. This is already a huge improvement!
"You are not in a hurry, I am in a hurry!" Emperor Jingxuan threw down the ranking book in his hand, "How many years can I live in this body? I still want to see with my own eyes the talents of Daqing and the coming of all nations. In this situation, I Even if we wait hundreds of years, it may not be possible."
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. Emperor Jingxuan stood up and said angrily, "Why live? Let's just die!"
He pursued the path to immortality everywhere, just to see the transformation of Daqing with his own eyes.
But now?
Immortality cannot be pursued, and transformation cannot be seen.
What a shame it is for him to be an emperor!
"Your Majesty! Don't talk nonsense!"
When Emperor Jingxuan said this, everyone in the hall left their seats and knelt on the ground, asking Emperor Jingxuan to take back what he had just said, otherwise they would not get up.
"..." Emperor Jingxuan covered his head, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples, "Okay, okay, okay, if I don't die, I will live like the old goblin on the mountain for hundreds of thousands of years, okay?"
These ministers are really deadly. If they disagree with each other, they will kneel down, and if they don't agree, they will hit the pillar directly.
Before the collision, he would scream "Your Majesty's warning", which made him look like an unreasonable and brutal person. He was extremely unreasonable.
Next time this happens again, he will also hit the pillar to see who can beat whom, and who can get more bad reputation than whom!
Zhang Hanlin and Master Liu patted their knees and stood up calmly, "Your Majesty has a kind heart and will naturally live a long life."
They have been ministers for so many years and have already developed their own ideas, so they often wear a small piece of kneepad on their knees to cope with the current situation.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced at Zhang Hanlin and said, "If you can stop drinking from now on, I might be able to live for two more years."
"If I quit drinking, I'm afraid I won't live for two years." Zhang Hanlin touched his wine gourd and answered with a smile.
"..." Zhang Hanlin is such an old boy that he really doesn't know what to do. Emperor Jingxuan didn't bother to talk about him anymore. He reopened the ranking book and saw the name at the top. He was happy, "Yes, your ranking... is quite interesting."
Excluding the first name, the top ten in the remaining rankings are all candidates whom Emperor Jingxuan has no impression of. If nothing else, they should be ordinary students with no family background.
What he remembered was that the students from the ministers' families were ranked behind these people.
"Are you serious about marking the papers?" Emperor Jingxuan savored the ranking and said meaningfully, "Are you not having any second thoughts?"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, we have finalized this ranking after many reviews." Zhang Hanlin clasped his hands and bowed, "Although I am a drunkard, I would never dare to go out on such a big matter. The rankings are all based on the essays written by the candidates, without any selfishness."
Mr. Liu followed closely, "I hope your Majesty will understand clearly."
Emperor Jingxuan rubbed his forehead, fearing that he had no selfish motives at all.
If there is really no selfishness, it means that the children of these ministers cannot pass the exams of those students with white background!
This is interesting.
Emperor Jingxuan seemed to be able to see the dark faces of those ministers. He smiled and asked his father-in-law to return the ranking list to Zhang Hanlin, "Okay, let's rank them like this."
Zhang Hanlin has been working with these people for more than ten years, and he is not afraid that his colleagues will make him lose face in the future. What is he afraid of?
It just serves as a warning to those ministers, don't think that it's over after you pass the imperial examination. If you don't strictly discipline them, I will struggle and my children will collapse. There are many things!
At the beginning of March, the rankings of the examinations appeared in front of the people of the capital together with the spring flowers in full bloom in the capital.
A long scroll is affixed to the wooden sign, and the most eye-catching one is the name in the first column on the left.
[People from Huiyuan: Zhou Ziyan]
Behind it is a small string of characters, which is the place of origin of this meeting.
Everyone who saw the ranking was confused, "Who is this Zhou Ziyan? Why have I never heard of it?"
"Yes, Huiyuan is not Brother Lin. Is this impossible?"
"Brother Lin...are you okay?"
These people rubbed their thumbs, a little worried about the 'Brother Guan' in their mouths.
Lin Mingxi was the grandson of Prime Minister Lin's family. He had studied with Prime Minister Lin since he was a child. Before the examination, he even got the title of Jie Yuan in the provincial examination of Qingjing Province.
Everyone thought that Lin Mingxi would get the first place in this examination and become famous in the capital.
But where did Zhou Ziyan, who came out halfway, come from?
"I'm fine." Lin Mingxi looked at the ranking list and frowned gradually.
This ranking is so strange. Not only did he not get the first place, but the candidates he knew from well-off families were all ranked at the bottom?
And who are the people at the front? I've never heard of it, why is it ranked so high? !
Lin Mingxi held his breath and returned to the Lin Mansion. His grandfather was holding the chess record and arranging the chess pieces.
"You're back? How's your ranking?" Lin Fanji stroked his beard and considered where to put the next chess piece.
In his eyes, the so-called ranking in the competition is not as important as a chess piece.
"Grandpa, I didn't get the first place." Lin Mingxi was a little angry. "The first place was a person named Zhou Ziyan, I have never heard of it! And the child of Uncle Li's family is the second son of Uncle Qian's family. , and Aunt Ming's house..."
Lin Mingxi spoke to more than a dozen families in one breath, and finally said: "They all did very poorly in the exam this time. How is this possible?! Grandpa, I have never heard of the names in the top ten. They are too It's weird."
He is not questioning the fairness of the rankings in the examinations. Private students must have many talents, but the rankings in this examinations are too far apart!
Lin Fanji twisted a round chess piece, stroking his long beard and smiled, "My dear grandson, the waves behind you beat the waves ahead. When you are making progress, others are also making progress."
He knew that boy could get the first place in the exam, which was really good!
Lin Mingxi sat next to his grandfather and cleaned the extra chess pieces for his elders, but he was still a little frustrated, "I thought I could get three yuan... This Zhou said to himself, could it be that he is some kind of unborn genius?"
"He is just a weird old monster. He is studying in the Imperial College now. If you have time, you can go and take a look." Lin Fanji said to Zhou Zizi without hesitation, "If you are still not convinced, compete with him. It will work. If he is not happy, just say that Grandpa Lin asked you to go!"
"Grandpa, do you know this person?" Lin Mingxi tilted his head.
Lin Fanji looked at his sweet young grandson and nodded, "I understand. He has a big grudge against grandpa."
We always have to quarrel before going to court, isn't it a big feud?
"...Big hatred..." Lin Mingxi read the name 'Zhou Ziyan', and all the happiness he felt about passing the examination was suppressed by this name.
The Imperial College, right? He must go to the Imperial College to find out who this Huiyuan is!
Zhou claimed that he could pass the Huiyuan exam, but no one believed this result except those who knew him well.
The market at major gambling establishments went downhill, and the bookmakers lost all their money.
Gu Hongwen and Jiang Nanxing made a lot of money, it was like picking up a pot of gold in one night. They hugged Zhou Ziyan, the golden baby, and went to Siniang's place to give her a good meal to express their gratitude.
Zhou Zi said that his reputation was not good before. This time he suddenly took the Huiyuan exam. After everyone inquired, they found out that this Zhou Huiyuan was actually Zhou Jieyuan.
In other words, he has already won the first place twice, and is only one short of the top spot in the imperial examination!
"..."
After figuring this out, everyone gasped.
Except for Mr. You, how many years have Daqing not had a candidate with a passing grade of three yuan?
Is there finally going to be a second 'Master You' now?
Zhang Hanlin, who judged this ranking, has been hiding his face for the past few days.
Without him, his colleagues wanted to have a good chat with him every time they saw him.
Let's talk about the child's ranking, the child's future education, and the camaraderie between them.
Zhang Hanlin didn't want to discuss the deep friendship between them with these big men. He wanted to go home and drink, so he hid.
But every time he was caught from under the imperial city, Zhang Hanlin was very puzzled.
At this time, there was an overwhelming joy everywhere in the Imperial College.
The first place in the examination is the supervisor of their Imperial College. What an honor it is to be the supervisor of their Imperial College!
Ever since Gu Siwen learned that Zhou Ziyan passed the Huiyuan exam, he walked lightly and smiled when he met everyone: "Hey, do you know who the Huiyuan exam will be this year? It's my cousin, it's my cousin!" "
His cousin is really amazing. He is not only the master of Jieyuan, he is also the master of Huiyuan... he may even be the number one scholar in the future!
When the time comes, then the time comes!
He has a cousin who got the third grade! Three yuan and the third place!
The supervisors were so happy, but Zheng Jijiu was the only one who saw through everything.
"..."
A bunch of stupid little supervisors!
Zhou Ziyan is not that Master You. Why should he be happy about getting Huiyuan?
If he can't get it, then there's a problem!
Zheng Jijiu shook his head, turned around and sent another box of documents to Zhou Ziyan.
The tributes nearby are now meeting friends everywhere and toasting to celebrate.
But Zhou Zhi said that this Hui Yuan was huddled in the Imperial College room working for His Majesty, tsk tsk.
Zhou Zi said that Hui Yuandang was really meaningless.
Forget it, let the kitchen prepare two more eggs for Zhou Ziyan tonight, so that Master Huiyuan will not be exhausted before he goes out to drink his wedding wine.
That night, Zhou Ziyan held two hard-boiled eggs and couldn't laugh or cry, "..."
They say there are two eggs, but there are really only two!
After learning that Zhou Ziyan was still in the Imperial College, many people sent invitations to Zhou Ziyan to establish friendship with Master Huiyuan.
Zhou Ziyan looked at the documents in his hand and rejected them all for this reason.
But the prison students in the Imperial College have the advantage of being close to the water and can directly find his cell.
"Zhou Huiyuan, we would like to ask you for some advice."
"Zhou Huiyuan, can you please have the honor to discuss the imperial examination with us?"
"Zhou Huiyuan, please enlighten me!"
Facing a pair of bright and admiring eyes, Zhou Ziyan, a person accustomed to being a teacher, covered his chest and closed his eyes.
It's really hard to say no to these students, really hard!
So, Zhou Ziyan put down the documents in his hands for the first time and went to discuss knowledge with these supervisors.
Once there, we discussed it for a day and a night, reading books and talking about Taoism, heartily.
When Zheng Jijiu came to get the documents as usual, all he could see was Zhou Ziyan's apologetic smile.
"I'm really sorry. I was busy reading and studying with the supervisors yesterday."
"Give me two more days, no...three days. I also promised a small poetry meeting today. In three days, I will definitely be able to finish it!"
"Your Majesty, Mr. Zheng, please be patient and you will be able to do it."
Zheng Jijiu: "..."
He just had his money deducted by His Majesty because of the gossip, and he felt that he couldn't do it.
And what did Zhou Ziyan say?
He is asked to mediate with His Majesty. Is he tired of living?
No, no, this won't work.
Zheng Jijiu held on to his black gauze hat, found Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao, and asked them to act as two door gods and guard the door of Zhou Ziyan's room.
As long as Zhou Ziyan hasn't finished reading the paperwork, he can't go anywhere.
Zheng Jijiu even threatened the two teenagers, "These are documents that His Majesty urgently needs. If it delays the important matter, you two just wait!"
Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao looked at each other and nodded solemnly.
As long as they are around, they will never let others get close to Zhou Ziyan, absolutely not!
Zhou Ziyan listened to Zheng Jijiu's threatening words behind the door and laughed loudly: "Master Zheng, are you starting to scare children now? Isn't it a shame?"
"You give me a good comment! I...I have to go see the Holy Master and wipe your butt for you!" Zheng Jijiu kicked the door of the cell in the air, held up his official hat and sighed. Leave.
After Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao saw Zheng Jijiu leaving, they immediately opened the door of the cell and slipped to Zhou Ziyan's side.
"Cousin, don't worry, I will definitely be on your side!" Gu Siwen beat his chest, saying that Zheng Jijiu will talk about it later!
Wen Zhao also said: "Zheng Jijiu knows nonsense. This document... is not important."
They had long known from cousin Zhou what was written in these documents, so they sneered at Zheng Jijiu's words.
Zhou Ziyan put fruits and melons on the table for the two teenagers, then sat down at the desk again and continued writing comments.
Gu Siwen gnawed on a melon and leaned on the table, "Cousin, I heard that there is a celebration party for tributes in the outer city today, won't you go?"
"I won't go. There are still a lot of documents here that have not been processed." Zhou Ziyan pointed to the pile of documents placed high on the table and settled down to deal with them one by one.
Seeing this, Gu Siwen slid to the ground and lay down and said, "It's so boring. Is it possible that after becoming an official, I won't be able to go out and have fun?"
Wen Zhao followed Gu Siwen and sat down, holding his knees and said: "If you are in your position, you must seek political power. If you only want to have fun, why bother to become an official? Wouldn't it be better to continue being your eldest young master?"
"...You! You will feel uncomfortable if you don't tear me down for a day, won't you!" Gu Siwen butted Wen Zhao with his head.
"..." Wen Zhao covered the place where he was hit. Gu Siwen, that brat, used so much force, it hurt like hell!
When Zhou Ziyan saw the two young men playing tricks, he couldn't help but add another sentence, "Being an official enjoys the admiration of the people, and you can benefit future generations. You can also enjoy the salary of the court. Naturally, you have to take on the responsibilities of being an official. If you only want to enjoy yourself and not pay attention to responsibilities." , wouldn't that make him a cowardly official?"
None of the documents given to him by Emperor Jingxuan were urgent, and a delay of one or two days would be considered normal process time.
But he was used to starting work early and finishing early, so he still had to seize the time to make up for the previously delayed paperwork.
"My cousin is right." Wen Zhao nodded.
Gu Siwen didn't say anything, but he obviously understood.
Being an official is completely different from what they imagined.
Alas, the two teenagers are very confused now.
Half a month after the examination ended, the results of this examination were finally quickly transmitted to Zhou Ziyan's registered residence.
After hearing this, everyone in Maminggou was so shocked that they all stood there stupidly.
Did Master Zhou pass the examination?
Master Zhou will be Huiyuan if he passes the exam!
Master Zhou is the first place in the examination, the first place in the capital examination!
This... this, this, this is simply incredible!
Song Douding jumped up and down happily, wishing he could run to the roof and shout, "My master is good at testing Hui Yuan, he is good at testing Hui Yuan!"
The other children didn't stop him this time. They all ran after Song Douding, shouting everywhere in Xinyang Academy, "Master Zhou is Huiyuan!"
"Master Zhou is the Huiyuan of the capital!"
"Master Zhou is only one short of becoming the top candidate in the imperial examination before he can become the third-level winner!"
Song Weifeng received a good news letter written to him personally by Zhou Ziyan.
[My brother Wei Feng, fortunately, he has lived up to his destiny and will try for the first place. 】
[The provincial examination seems to be coming soon. The capital is nice and the people are nice, but I am missing you... and those noisy children. I am very lonely. 】
[The county town is good, but all the scenery is just smoke. Wei Feng, don't forget the agreement between you and me, you must come to the capital to find me. I'm waiting for you. Listening to the rain along the window, staying awake day and night, chatting and missing each other. 】
Is Brother Zhou afraid that he won't want to go to the capital?
It's so cute to look so worried and concerned.
Song Weifeng chuckled, put the letter away carefully, took out the ribbon belonging to Zhou Ziyan from under the pillow, rubbed it carefully in his hand, "The capital is prosperous, Brother Zhou... you must wait for me. "
In late March and early April, pear flowers are in full bloom, hanging on the branches like white snow.
A total of 300 tributes passed the examination.
On the day of the palace examination, three hundred tribute ministers, all wearing robes, crowns and boots, stood on the throne outside the Baojia Hall in the imperial city.
The so-called Danbi refers to the steps in front of the door outside the palace.
Then these 300 tributes were ranked into two teams according to their ranking in the competition.
Single names are in the east team, double names are in the west team.
The imperial examination will be conducted by His Majesty himself and will be conducted in the Baojia Hall of the Imperial City.
The test is completed on the same day and the paper is handed in on the same day.
Officials from Honglu Temple had set up two pornographic cases in advance.
One is on the east side of the hall, and the other is in the middle of the Danbi outside the hall.
Luan Yiwei set up a ruthless book and stood guarding Emperor Jingxuan in the side of the hall, blocked by a curtain.
The so-called lu book is the ceremonial outfit worn by His Majesty when traveling.
So even if the tributes didn't know Emperor Jingxuan, they would know who was standing there at the moment as long as they saw such a book.
On both sides of His Majesty, there are two more curtains.
Behind the two curtains are the princes and officials in court uniforms.
They all sat behind the curtain, hands behind their backs, waiting for the newly promoted ministers to enter the hall and answer questions.
With such a big pomp, the timid Gongshi had already started to have his legs trembling and sweating on his forehead.
But time waits for no one. After the drums and music sounded, the whip was blown and the exam began.
Zhang Hanlin took out the examination questions from the yellow case in the palace, and then Mr. Liu put them on the Danbi Huang case.
At this time, all the tributes must kneel down to Emperor Jingxuan.
After the ceremony, Mr. Liu led the crowd to distribute question papers.
Three hundred tributes knelt down, took the question papers with both hands, entered the Baojia Hall one by one, sat behind the test table in the hall, and began to answer the questions.
The imperial examination articles have a fixed format.
Zhou Ziyan took a deep breath, picked up the pen and wrote on the draft paper: "I'm right, I'm listening."
No matter how the article is written, 'Chen Dui' and 'Chen Wen' are the first two words that cannot be changed without authorization, so you can write these four words in advance.
The seating arrangements in the hall are also based on the examination rankings, so Zhou Ziyan, the Huiyuan, sits first in the first row.
It can be said to be the throne closest to the emperor.
Such a close distance, only separated by a curtain.
As long as Emperor Jingxuan was willing, he could see what Zhou Ziyan was doing through the curtain.
Similarly, Zhou Ziyan could also feel Emperor Jingxuan's burning gaze on him.
No, there seem to be three looks.
There was a look of respect for Emperor Xuan directly in front of him, and Zhou Ziyin seemed to have another one on the left.
Zhou Ziyan looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Lin Fan gathering.
The remaining ones are Zhang Hanlin on the right and Master Liu.
"..."
If it weren't for the imperial examination now, Zhou Zi said that he would really want to cover his face with his sleeves.
Because he found that more and more eyes were falling on him.
Come to think of it, most of the viewers behind the left and right curtains are his colleagues.
He is seen every day without looking up, so who can not recognize him?
At this moment, seeing a colleague writing a policy paper in the Baojia Palace, who wouldn't take a second look?
Zhou Ziyan felt as if he heard a few exclamations.
"Did I see it wrong... Why does that Huiyuan look so similar..."
"...Not bad, I feel like..."
"Keep your voice down. His Majesty didn't say anything. What are you talking about?"
Zhou Ziyan muttered "I'm sorry" silently in his heart, then calmed down and began to read the palace examination questions carefully.
Whether it's life or death, success or failure, it's a test today!
Chapter 108
Although there is only one test in the palace examination, according to the rules, a palace examination requires no more than eight questions.
As for the specific amount, it all depends on what His Majesty thinks.
Just no more than eight questions.
After all, time is limited, and asking too many questions will only disturb the students.
Zhou Ziyan flattened the topic and read it one by one.
It turns out that Emperor Jingxuan asked four questions, all of which discussed current affairs.
The examiners before the palace examination were all court officials. Although they were examiners, they did not dare to go beyond the emperor in setting questions, so they were restrained.
When I came to the palace examination, the person who asked the question was His Majesty himself, so he just wrote it casually!
So Zhou Ziyan saw these four questions.
The first question: [I and the ministers are in charge of the world, which one is the best? I now think that some of the ministers do not want to listen, but if they want to hear it, what should be done? 】
Translated, it means asking, 'I and the ministers jointly govern the world, so who does this world belong to?' Now I feel that some ministers are disobedient and I want them to obey the emperor. What should I do? '.
"...Hiss." Zhou Ziyan looked at the first question and couldn't help but rub his wrist.
He really doubted whether Emperor Jingxuan was drunk when he asked the question. Otherwise, why would he ask such a pointed question right away?
Whose world is this?
If it were in the past, if it was in modern times, Zhou Ziyan would definitely answer that this is the world of the people. Even if you are the emperor, you are just the acting manager of the country. If there are no people, you are just a hammer emperor.
But this is ancient times, and there is only one answer to this question, and that is the royal world.
"..." Zhou Ziyan dipped his pen tip in ink and organized the words in his mind.
If it were before...if it was before!
He is sharp-edged and sharp-tongued.
But after being dismissed from office, he felt that he should become more diplomatic.
Zhou Ziyan wanted to make up his mind, so he took the draft paper and wrote the first word 'chen'.
He paused again.
You need to be more diplomatic, but do you have to abandon your fixed ideas and become a person like all living beings?
He is Zhou Ziyan from modern times, not a scholar born and raised in Daqing.
The education he received was 'fairness', 'transparency' and 'respect'...
These are the basic rules that make up who he is.
It is precisely because he has such thoughts that are different from those in ancient times that he has the false reputation he has now.
He took the trouble to return to the capital, not just because he wanted to use his thoughts and knowledge to influence more people, so that they would work like him to make Daqing a better place.
If he changes his mind from this moment on, will he still be 'Zhou Ziyan'?
So... don't change it!
Zhou Ziyan held the tip of his pen and lowered his eyelashes, "...Hmm."
to not fix.
Putting the people first and ignoring the imperial power was what he said to himself.
But he could definitely be more diplomatic.
At worst, just add two sentences at the end of the article, "This is all based on one person's thoughts, and the results may not be correct."
Emperor Jingxuan was sitting behind the curtain. When he saw Zhou Ziyan hesitating for a long time and finally starting to write, he waved his hand to stop the maids holding fans beside him and walked out of the curtain with his father-in-law.
He first walked to the left. Lin Fanji saw Emperor Jingxuan's eyes and understood in his heart. He took small steps out of the curtain in front of him and followed Emperor Jingxuan.
The two people held hands behind their backs and walked from behind the curtain on the left to the end of the hall, starting from the last Gongsheng.
In the whole palace examination, Emperor Jingxuan actually liked the emperor's inspection tour the most.
Seeing the three hundred Gong students with their heads down and writing hard, he felt relieved from time to time.
The fact that so many young talents are selected in every palace examination is enough to prove that Daqing under his rule, not only that everyone is prosperous and healthy, can also be regarded as a safe and smooth country.
Isn't that what he wanted to pursue when he became emperor?
Emperor Jingxuan walked forward one by one with his hands behind his back.
Among the three hundred tribute students, many children were from the families of former ministers. Every New Year, they would come to the palace with their elders to wish him a happy new year. He was impressed by this.
The parents of several Gongsheng students are important officials in the court's honor guard, but I don't know if these children can inherit their father's legacy and serve Daqing like their parents.
Emperor Jingxuan was wearing thick-soled official boots made in the palace, and there was a small commotion as his feet rubbed against the cold ground.
It is particularly obvious in the Baojia Palace where you can hear the drop of a needle.
The Imperial Examination is extremely important, it can be said to be the last line of life and death in the Imperial Examination, so all Gongsheng students are extremely nervous.
At this time, listening to the small voice made by Emperor Jingxuan, even though the voice was small and could be ignored, they couldn't help but tremble in their hearts and disturb their thoughts.
But they didn't dare to say anything.
After all...that is His Majesty! Who dares to say anything?
I can only listen to such small voices and pray that I can calm down and continue writing articles.
But there was that Gongsheng who had such a bad mentality that he was so upset that he completely forgot what he wanted to write and could only scratch his head incompetently with a painful expression.
Now that we're done playing, why can't we calm down during the palace exam?
"..." Emperor Jingxuan couldn't help but shake his head when he saw Gongsheng like this.
When did he lose his composure like this? He would definitely not be able to shoulder any big responsibilities in the future. Forget it.
Emperor Jingxuan would stop every time he passed by a Gongsheng.
After the Gongsheng student felt someone beside him, he quietly saw the bright yellow spot, and his left chest immediately began to beat wildly.
Oops, Your Majesty... His Majesty stopped in front of my desk!
I, I, I, I, did I write poorly somewhere? Is Your Majesty very disappointed in me?
Random thoughts filled Gongsheng's head, and he couldn't calm down at all.
When Emperor Jingxuan left, Gongsheng realized that his entire forehead was wet.
It's too scary, too scary... God bless him and let him pass the palace test once. If he tries it again, he may faint on the Baojia Palace.
Emperor Jingxuan walked around and finally came to Zhou Ziyan's side.
The ministers on the left and right held their breaths, wanting to see if His Majesty would stop next to this Huiyuan.
Other candidates who were paying attention to Emperor Jingxuan couldn't help but raise their heads. They wanted to see if Huiyuan would be as shaken as they were?
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jingxuan crossed Huiyuan without stopping and went to the next person.
Xu, the Gongsheng student, didn't expect Emperor Jingxuan to come to him so early. He was startled and almost jumped up from his seat.
"..."
Deathly silence passed behind the curtains on the left and right sides.
Behind the curtains, many ministers began to talk in low voices.
Among them, Zhang Hanlin and Mr. Liu were questioned the most.
"Zhang Hanlin, can you really hide it? What on earth is going on? Why do you just want to talk to us?"
The minister who spoke grabbed Zhang Hanlin's official hat and scolded Zhang Hanlin for being unkind.
Zhang Hanlin held his official hat and glanced at the man coldly, "Don't talk about it, don't talk about it! I was in the exam at that time, how dare I talk nonsense, what if I anger His Majesty? Could it be that you want to talk to me?" Let's go into exile together in a bitter cold land?"
"But what's going on!"
"Yeah, didn't you say that he was sent to the frontier? Isn't this the so-called "dispatch to the frontier"? Didn't he do the examination and get qualified! What kind of "dispatch to the frontier" is this!"
A minister suddenly rolled his eyes, held up his sleeves and said, "I said, do you really believe His Majesty's words? Are you going to be sent to the frontiers? Even if some of our old guys are sent to the frontiers, it's impossible for that kid to be sent to the frontiers. What a joke!"
"That's right... Your Majesty has always been very kind to him, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to reach the second-grade official position at such a young age." Another minister touched his beard and suddenly said, "Oh, isn't this kid originally a third-grade official? Yuan Jidi, what are you doing, taking the exam again? Is he dizzy?"
"Who knows what he is thinking, these Gongsheng students are really unlucky this year."
Lord Liu beat his right fist with his left palm, pointed at the second Gongsheng in the Baojia Hall and said, "Oh no, isn't that the grandson of Mr. Lin's family? The year before last, he had promised that he would reach the third level, but now he has lost one. Huiyuan..."
Mr. Lin had never dealt with that person before, and now he was afraid that he would take revenge on his grandson.
Zhang Hanlin thought it was not a big deal, "...it's okay. Mr. Lin and that boy are already feuding. They just want the grandchildren to hold grudges for another round. The boy is thick-skinned and not afraid."
Zhou Zi said that this person is also very powerful. He offends both the old and the young.
Now it's better. The two generations, ancestors and grandchildren, all have grudges against him. It's really okay!
All the ministers covered their sleeves and chuckled as they thought about the scene where the two had quarreled before.
Although that kid is a geek, he has to admit that with him around, it will always be a little more interesting for them to go to court.
Gu Dawang was also behind the curtain, and he did not participate in the conversation of these colleagues.
He learned about Zhou Ziyan's existence earlier than these people, but he never bothered him.
Now he could finally be sure that this old friend was really back.
Not only did he come back, he also wanted to get three yuan and get the third grade again, and regain his glory as before.
...Does Gu Siwen have a good relationship with him now?
Gu Dawang held the back of the seat and thought in his mind.
My old friend used to focus on government affairs and didn't like teaching students, so he didn't have any disciples to his name.
But he heard that his old friend now wanted to stay in the Imperial College and become a master.
In this case, wouldn't the two boys at home be able to learn from their old friends?
Based on my old friend's ability, there should be no problem in teaching two little cubs... Maybe their old Gu family can also produce a talented person with a third-level diploma!
Gu Dawang was immersed in his beautiful fantasy, but he didn't know that his old friend had just finished writing the first question and got stuck on the second question.
The second question is, "There are taxes every year, but why are the treasury and military resources never fully replenished?" When there is a shortage of food and funds, why not come at the right time? 】
Zhou Ziyan frowned, this question is really...
'There are taxes every year, so why are the national treasury and military expenditures always not full? Food, grass and horses are in short supply on the battlefield. Why can't they be sent to the front line in time? '
Do you still need to think about this question? Isn't it just because of corrupt officials that the expected results cannot be achieved!
Emperor Jingxuan must have known the answer to this question, so why would he ask it?
Among the three hundred tribute students in the Baojia Hall, there were ordinary students with no family background, as well as officials and officials whose parents were watching at court. Emperor Jingxuan wanted to see what these two types of students thought about this issue, right?
Zhou Ziyan speculated that Emperor Jingxuan might be more interested in knowing what the officials' children would think.
After all, among the three hundred Gongsheng students, there are many Gongsheng students whose families are in charge of these taxes and food.
Fishing law enforcement, isn't this just fishing law enforcement in disguise?
Zhou Ziyan pursed his lips and rubbed his forehead, suppressing the smile on his lips, and began to answer the second question.
Since it is a corrupt official, then punish him!
Since the national treasury is not enough, then open source it!
Since the front line always fails to receive food and grass, then grow it yourself!
Correct corrupt officials, find ways to strengthen official business channels, let frontline soldiers grow their own food, and reserve military rations that are easier to carry for them...
One by one, practical methods were written down on the paper by Zhou Ziyan.
After Emperor Jingxuan walked around, he finally stopped next to Zhou Ziyan.
Everyone suddenly realized that His Majesty did not skip Huiyuan, but wanted to save Huiyuan until the end for closer observation!
When Emperor Jingxuan came, he happened to see Zhou Ziyan writing about how to make excellent military rations.
Emperor Jingxuan looked at it for a while, then suddenly hummed, rolled up his sleeves and left.
Good boy, he never mentioned these things when he was in power. The feelings are all in his head, right?
If the imperial examiner hadn't asked this question, he probably wouldn't have said it!
Angry, very angry.
Emperor Jingxuan left Zhou Ziyan's place and returned directly to his own curtain, never coming out.
The other Gongsheng students were stunned when they heard the doctor's clear snort.
Could it be that Huiyuan wrote something that displeased His Majesty?
When the people behind the curtain saw this, they felt more relaxed than the Gongsheng students.
"Isn't this kid writing some sharp words to offend His Majesty?" Mr. Liu stepped on his feet, trying to see what Zhou Ziyan had written through the curtain.
Zhang Hanlin raised the wine gourd and took a sip, "Who knows, anyway, he always does this kind of walking on the tip of a knife. It's really hard for Your Majesty to tolerate him. Your Majesty is really capable."
"Look at the Gongsheng students behind Zhou Ziyan. Their faces are all stiff. They must be scared."
Mr. Liu mainly looked at the grandson of Mr. Lin's family and smiled, "The face of the grandson of Mr. Lin's family doesn't seem to be very good-looking. It seems that he did not expect to encounter such a thing."
"You are still young." Others stroked their beards and smiled without saying a word.
These Gongsheng students may not know how Zhou Ziyan gets along with His Majesty. They have been colleagues for many years, so they know very well.
Ever since Zhou Ziyan came to court, this kid has had the aura of a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers. What he says and does is contrary to the ethics and teachings of his ancestors.
If other people were so thorny, they could roll up their sleeves and throw the person out without His Majesty taking action.
But that person was so capable that they were convinced!
He can always find classics to support his words after a round of nonsense, or else, he can directly implement a good result to prove that what he said is right.
Of course, even though he has the ability to conquer people's hearts, every time he opens his mouth, he can make them mad to death.
In the court, old ministers would often appear, clutching their chests and calling him "a wise man, an unreasonable bull" and "an unreasonable person".
Even His Majesty gave him a cold look.
But that person didn't even frown, he just had the same attitude: You tell me what you said, and I won't change it.