Prime Minister

Chapter 277 Chongzheng Palace

In the Song Dynasty, the ranks of the palace examination fluctuated greatly, and the first place in the provincial examination may also fall to the second and third.

At the end of the provincial examination, it may also be promoted to the top three.

There is no fixed number, everything depends on the intention of the emperor and the examiners, everything is possible in the final ranking, the provincial test results are just a reference.

But since Zhang Yue got second in the Provincial Examination, there is no reason to say that I just want to be a top four or five top, so that everyone will think that you are in Versailles.

Since it is the second place in the provincial examination, the palace examination is to compete for the top prize, or even the top prize, and the chance of second place is very high.Anyway, Zhang Yue thought to himself, since I got the second place in the provincial examination, there is no reason why I can't compete for the first place in the palace examination.

The more you think about these words, the more you think about it, it would be better to shout a slogan like the national football team to protect the three and fight for the second.

However, No. 1 in the palace examination is the first, the second and third are the first, the fourth and the fifth are the first, the top is the first, and the next two, the third, the fourth and the fifth are the first.The higher the ranking, the difference between one and another is very different.

Seeing Huoliao flitting in the night wind, Zhang Yue's expression gradually became serious.

In the past, the feudal lords used great shooting to select those who were good at shooting.

Therefore, if those who ask for shooting fail to hit, they will not complain about those who beat themselves, but seek others for themselves.

That's the case, but if scholars don't have a heart to win or lose, why bother to take the imperial examination?

The imperial examination is not a treat for dinner, it is a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

As the sky gradually brightened, more and more scholars came to Donghua Gate. In front of Donghua Gate, there were all scholars in white robes. People who were acquainted with each other talked to each other, and the sound of banter kept coming and going.

The more Zhang thought about this, except for a little nod to the acquaintances, the rest of the people were as if strangers should not enter.As a result, many fellow candidates who wanted to get acquainted with Zhang Yue dared not greet him.

At this time, except for the palace test, everything is out of his sight, a little disrespect is nothing, and you can explain it after the palace test, or you don't need to explain it, especially after you get to a position.

But Zhang Yue's silence doesn't mean others don't talk about him.

At the beginning, "Jin Zairong Fu" and policy theory of Zhang Yue's provincial examination, together with Jiang Yan and Wang Kui's provincial examination articles, were published by hawkers in the market.

After the results of the provincial examination were released, the three examiners including Wang Gui and the detailed official gave an evaluation to the three.

Among the three, Wang Kui won first place in the first game, Zhang Yue won first place in the second and fourth games, but in the third game he almost fell behind because of "pointing out the current situation", and Jiang Yan's third game was the best.

This is an official evaluation, and after the article was sold to others by hawkers, people in Bianjing made different comments.

But I saw a scholar said: "In terms of poetry and prose, Wang Juncai deserves to be number one. Reading it has the feeling of Wang Wenzheng's "There are things mixed into a prose."

Another person said: "This Fu is known as Fuge, and I read his Fu as Ge when I was young."

"Exactly, Wang Junmin's breakthrough in solving the problem is also unique, which reminds me of one Fu and one public's breaking the problem, saying that "the big ceremony must be simple, and the mound is natural", and another public saying is "the big ceremony must be simplified, and the mound is natural." The latter is not as good as the former. .Wang Junmin has this sense of frustration when he breaks the title, and it makes people feel energetic at first glance."

At this time, an old and prudent scholar said: "I don't think so. Although Wang Junmin's literary talents in Fu are superior, they are far inferior to Zhang Duzhi."

"Where did you say that?"

The mature and prudent scholar said: "Ordinary people pay more attention to the diction when reading articles, and ignore the knowledge of tools. I have read Zhang Duzhi's Fu three times, and I can see that it is far better than Wang Junmin. .”

"However, it is still important to select a scholar by writing, why not select a scholar by knowledge of tools?"

The scholar said: "I can't agree with this statement. What is knowledge? It is a person's ambition, mind, ambition, bearing, and insight. The imperial examination is used to select officials to see whether they have the talents of Wang Zuo, and even the future. The talent of Zaifu."

"For a prime minister, he wants to rule the world, and to rule the world is to convince the people. So is it to convince the people with words, or to convince the people with knowledge?"

As soon as this remark came out, everyone agreed, and some shook their heads.

At this time, a person said: "What if Wang Junmin writes a prose in the palace examination that is better than Zhang Duzhi?"

The other party said with a smile: "Words can be better than talent, but wit cannot. Just like a shepherd cannot overlook the world like an eagle. Unless the shepherd can fly against the wind, it must not be changed."

At this time the gate of the palace opened.

The rising sun slanted on the palace wall, Zhang Yue glanced at the sun on the eastern horizon, at this moment all the scholars in the palace gate bowed to each other.

In the end, Zhang Yue, Wang Kui, Jiang Yan, Wang Zhichen, and Huang Lu were the first to count and enter the palace gate first.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of guards, the eunuch gave the number to the eunuch for examination and then let him go.

After reaching this level, the guards will search Zhang Yue's belongings.

Among the group of people, as the guards searched, such as towels for wiping pens and inkstones were picked out, and any suspicious items were confiscated.If the scholar has any objections, it's okay, please leave the examination room, and come back for the next palace examination.

After the inspection, Zhang Yue and more than [-] white-robed scholars accompanied by the palace people lined up through the palaces. The guards on the left and right of the road were holding bones and golden banners.

The golden sun was shining brightly, flags were flying in the imperial city, bells were ringing one after another through the high walls, stirring in the palace courtyards layer upon layer.

For many Juren, no matter how the palace examination is, coming here to witness the magnificence of the imperial city is not in vain.

Zhang Yue walked through the corridor to Chongzheng Hall.

The Chongzheng Hall was originally called the Jiangwu Hall. Later, advocating literature and suppressing martial arts became the political correctness of the Song Dynasty, so it was changed to the Chongzheng Hall.

All the examinees first filed into the hall, and stood up one by one according to the guidance of the eunuchs of the Imperial Medicine Academy.

Jiang Yan was in the front, and Zhang Yue and Wang Kui were in the second row, one on the left and the other on the right, and they made pin characters with Jiang Yan.

The remaining Jinshi imperial examination candidates are ranked after the three, followed by Mingjing imperial examination candidates, and finally all imperial examination candidates.

Sandalwood was burning in the hall, and pleasant palace music came from the left and right chambers. Zhang Yue looked at the carved beams and painted buildings, colored door decorations and undulating curtains in the hall, and thought he was in a fairyland for a moment.

But Zhang Yue just glanced at it, not daring to look any further, and immediately looked down at the floor tiles.

Ding ding dong dong underground palace music is still ringing in my ears.

Zhang Yue listened to this calm and elegant palace music, and thought of "I have nine acres of orchids and hundreds of acres of trees" in Lisao, which fits this scene.

After a while the music stopped.

Zhang Yue's heart tightened, thinking that the emperor was coming, but in the end, under the guidance of the eunuch of the Royal Medicine Academy, the scholars just bowed to the empty throne.

Zhang Yue thought that the Son of Heaven would visit the Chongzheng Hall in person, but it is normal to think about it. The Son of Heaven has been in power for 40 years, and now he is old and weak.

But Zhang Yue was still disappointed for a while, he still wanted to meet this benevolent official as soon as possible.

"flat!"

Then the scholars were led to the two corridors for examination.

The palace examination is in the two corridors of Chongzheng Hall.The palace examination is to sit at intervals and set up seats infrequently to prevent scholars from "passing on meaning", that is, dictation or transmission of words is not allowed.

Each table had the examinee's own name on it, and Zhang Yue had already seen his seat on the test map, so he walked to his seat and sat down.

Well, the cushion is actually double-layered. This alone shows that the emperor is really kind.

Zhang Yue sat in the hall, with a short table in front of him, which was about to reach his waist after sitting down.

Zhang Yue flicked up his robe, sat upright on his ankles, straightened his back, raised his hands and gathered his temples upwards, straightened his hair and crown, straightened his robe, and calmly walked from the side of his knees. Take out the pens, inkstones, ink ingots, inkstone pots, paperweights, etc. from the examination box and put them on the examination table.

After setting it up, Zhang Yue looked up and saw that there was a sundial with twelve hours as the dial in the courtyard of Chongzheng Hall.Now the sundial needle on the sundial is pointing to a little more than Chen.

Seeing this, Zhang Yue put his hands on his knees and looked straight ahead. Zhang Yue is not the only one, and he is also doing the same gestures. These rules have been taught since childhood, and every gesture is like breathing. Simple.

In Chongzheng Hall, apart from the footsteps of the examiners and eunuchs patrolling the hall, there was no sound at all. Hundreds of examinees were as quiet as one person.

At this moment, in Chongzheng Hall, Wang Feng, Fu Bian, and Lu Shizong, who were in charge of the palace examinations, held up the sealed scrolls on Huang's case. After all the examiners checked that they were correct, they immediately opened the sealed scrolls and handed them out one by one.

Immediately, the officials filed out of the Chongzheng Hall holding the test papers, and handed out the papers to the examinees' desks one by one.

Zhang Yue glanced at the questions first, but he saw that it said "The King's Ode to Heaven, Earth and People", "Tian De Qing Ming Poems", "Water is as good as Taoism".

The source is written next to each question.

The source of the Fu is Dong Zhongshu's "Spring and Autumn Fanlu". As for Shentong, whoever is not a king can be the one.

The origin of the poem

Water is almost as good as Taoism.Water is good for all things without fighting, and it is evil for everyone, so it is more than Tao.

After reading the exam questions, Zhang Yue had to say that the sources of the palace exam questions were very complicated.

Neither the Chunqiu Fanlu nor the Tao Te Ching comes from the orthodox Nine Classics of Confucianism.

Zhang Yue put down the test paper and closed his eyes to meditate on how to pave the way and layout. The three test questions must be answered before dark, and the time is both abundant and not abundant.

If it is a spring of literary thinking, it doesn't take much effort to swing it, but if you want to stand out in the palace test, you must think carefully about how to structure it to pave the way to break the game. It is not too much to spend one or two hours, or even half a day to conceive.

As long as you think about it in general, then the next step can be done in one go.

And Wang Kui, who was sitting not far from Zhang Yue, looked at the three test questions on the test paper. The first two questions were exactly the same as what the eunuch of the Royal Medicine Academy said.

Wang Kui was relieved to see this.

In the past few days, he has been thinking hard at home, and he has already written these two poems, and now he can just write out the manuscript.

Wang Kui suddenly thought about it with confidence, as for the last one?
This strategy theory is not his strong point, but if he spends all his efforts to specialize in this topic, he will definitely be able to improve a lot. In any case, the number one scholar has fallen into his palm.

Wang Kui couldn't help but feel conceited. There are hundreds of disciples in the hall, and they can all watch from the wall to see how I won the first prize.

Wang Kui glanced at Zhang Yue who was not far away and said in his heart, no matter how hard you try to win the first prize, it will be futile in the end, and it is nothing more than my wish.

Thinking of this, Wang Kui did not immediately write the first two lines, but contemplated the third line. After all, writing too quickly will make people suspicious.

(End of this chapter)