Prime Minister

Chapter 305 Returning to Beijing Halfway
In a monk's room in Daxiangguo Temple.

Wang Kui has been studying hard in the monk's room for half a month, and he is going to the university in July.

Wang Kui sat for a while, but saw a knock on the door.

"What's the matter?" Wang Kui was a little displeased.

"It's me." He Qi's voice came from outside the door of the monk's room.

Wang Kui thought for a while, put on a happy face, and went to open the door.

He Qi smiled lightly and said, "Brother Junmin didn't disturb your study!"

Wang Kui waved his hands and said, "The more I study, the more I feel bad. This exam is not what I planned, because it's not what I'm good at. Come in and talk!"

He Qi put a pot of vegetarian wine on the table and said with a smile: "Brother Junmin, let's have a glass of wine first."

Wang Kui drank a glass of wine and said, "I pride myself on being good at poetry and prose, but it doesn't mean that I can get a major test. Because the major test is the Six Theories of the Secret Pavilion."

"This is not something that ordinary people can dabble in. It is necessary to learn a lot, and to memorize people who have a lot of knowledge."

He Qidao: "I also heard that the threshold for taking the Six Examinations of the Secret Pavilion is extremely high, otherwise the imperial court would not have taken less than 30 people in a total of more than a hundred years."

Wang Kui said: "There are not many people I know who can reach this level. I can't do it myself."

Wang Kui pointed to the books on the shelf.

He Qidao: "I know someone."

"Who is it?"

"Zhang Duzhi, who took your champion."

Wang Kui's face turned red when he heard the words, and he said immediately: "The examination of the Six Treatises of the Secret Pavilion involves the Nine Classics, Concurrent Classics (The Analects of Confucius, The Classic of Filial Piety), and annotations of various classics. There are also nineteen official histories from Shiji, Hanshu to the history of the five dynasties. The Seven Books of Martial Arts including "Sun Tzu's Art of War", as well as the Mandarin, Zhuzi (Laozi, Han Feizi). Have you read all these chapters?"

He Qi smiled and said: "Brother Junmin doesn't understand Zhang Duzhi at all. Zhang Duzhi is originally from various disciplines."

Wang Kui was taken aback and said, "You said he used to be Jingsheng?"

He Qi nodded and said, "It's not just Jingsheng, it's also the most difficult subject in Jingsheng."

"When he and I were studying together in Pucheng County, he mastered the Eleven Classics alone, and was recommended to the Imperial College by the prefectural school with all passes. He was only 14 years old at the time."

"Have mastered the eleven classics at the age of 14?" Wang Kui said dumbfounded, "Is there such a person?"

He Qidao: "I can't believe it either, but Jingsheng is far inferior to Jinshi. Although I was amazed at the time, I didn't think much about it. If he didn't take the Jinshi exam, I'm afraid he would have passed the Nine Classics by now."

"You said that the exam is to memorize extensive knowledge by force. Zhang Duzhi is such a person. As for the nine classics and the annotations of the scriptures in the exam, he had already mastered them by heart when he was 14 years old."

Wang Kui was about to collapse after hearing this. The Jinshi Division has always looked down on Jingsheng, because he despises others who only know how to memorize by rote.At the same time, the Jinshi Department does not force Jinshi to recite scriptures. In the provincial examination, as long as they can recite the Analects of Confucius, the Classic of Filial Piety, and the Spring and Autumn Period.

But the disciplines are different. In addition to the classics and meanings, there are also official history, the Seven Books of Wu Jing (martial arts books), not to mention the Mandarin and the scholars.

Candidates not only memorize these, but also know how to master them, and turn them into articles in their pens and write them in the form of policy theory.

This again tests the level of a person's writing.

Therefore, the examination scope of the system examination is very large.It is impossible for ordinary people to finish reading so many books in a lifetime, let alone familiarize themselves with applications.

For example, you only need to read the three biographies of the Spring and Autumn Period.The most difficult subject of the Nine Classics is just reading the Eleven Classics.Compared with the examination scope of the system, it pales in comparison.

Jinshi subjects only test poetry and essays.

The system is all, so it is not suitable for the imperial court to recruit scholars on a large scale.It is even more unsuitable for humble scholars, who can't afford books, let alone read these books.

This is only suitable for scholars who have no shortage of books at home, have extraordinary energy, and really read a lot.

Therefore, the system can only be used to assess a small number of people and select specific talents.

But all those who can pass the system examination are recognized as the talents of ministers.

Wang Kui said: "Brother He, why did you tell me this?"

Seeing Wang Kui's expression, He Qi said with a smile: "Zhang Duzhi is now the top student and will not go to the department anymore, but if Brother Junmin wants to beat him and turn himself around, the only way to do it is to rely on the department."

"As long as the Junmin brothers are admitted to the first-class department, they are top-notch talents."

Knowing what He Qi meant, Wang Kui sat down and sighed: "I know you are all for my own good, but look at the books on the bookshelf in the monk's room. I read them for a few days and my head was burnt out. When I was admitted to the Jinshi, it was far from enough. in this way."

Wang Kui knew that his strengths did not lie in this, but he had to go to university.

"Did the butchers press you again?"

Wang Kui sighed and said: "It's all my fault that I didn't win the first prize, so I'm so tired that even the butchers blame me."

He Qidao: "How can there be such a reason? The number one scholar is not completely sure. You are an official of the court anyway, so why be afraid of a merchant. If you can't, take him to the Kaifeng mansion to see the official."

Wang Kui said: "How dare you bring them before the officials. I cheated and bribed the eunuchs to obtain the examination questions, but the butchers took it into their hands."

"Nowadays, many people in the capital have spread rumors about this matter. If it really gets out, my life will be over, let alone being an official, and my life will be gone."

He Qidao: "Don't panic, brother Junmin, after all, you are the nephew and son-in-law of Mr. Fu. Think about it, maybe someone has covered this up for you."

Wang Kui sighed: "How can I feel at ease, I only know that this matter is enough to ruin my reputation, so I have been hiding in the monk's room these days."

"Everyone thinks that I am preparing for a major, but I am avoiding disaster."

He Qi served Wang Kui a glass of wine, and Wang Kui suppressed himself in shock by drinking.

He Qidao: "Brother Junmin can divert other people's attention by going to the university. As long as you are admitted to the university, you can turn around, and those outside who want to harm you will have to reconsider, so the delay is not good for you. thing."

"The most important thing is to let the rich family take a look at you, as long as the rich lady marries you. In this way, everything can be saved. No one will take the risk of offending Fu Xianggong."

Wang Kui said: "I know it too, but now I'm hiding in the monk's room, looking at the books piled up like a hill. It's really not something that ordinary people can take."

Wang Kui thought to himself, what's more important is that he has seen the prosperity of Bianjing, and the women's delicacy is no longer as good as when he was young, who can study behind closed doors for more than ten days.

He has been sitting for several days now, and it is unbearable. Although he is in the Daxiangguo Temple, his heart is in the gentle village beside the Bianshui River.

Sometimes I thought of Gui Ying who was abandoned by me, but I didn't know where the other party was?
He Qidao: "Brother Junmin, you must not think about these things right now. If you don't take advantage of this to turn around, you will only be in the hands of those other than the butcher in the future. You can't avenge Zhang Duzhi for taking your number one prize."

Wang Kui finally nodded when he heard the words.

He remembered the moment when he was excluded from everyone when he was in the stock market.

It is a great shame and shame that Zhang Yue deliberately refused to let himself join the regiment company.In the future, this enmity will be retaliated tenfold.

"Well said, how can a man be willing to be judged by others? If he didn't use tricks to ruin my reputation, how could he win the first prize?" Wang Kui raised his glass and drank it down.

Wang Kui knew that if he failed again this time, everything would be over.

Seeing the light in Wang Kui's eyes rekindled, He Qi knew that his trip was not in vain, so he finally summoned up his fighting spirit.

He Qitao's official career is also ruined now, so he has to put all his hopes on Wang Kui.

While the two of them were discussing, Zhang Yue and his followers embarked on the trip together.

In April, the outskirts of Bianjing are a beautiful scene of spring.

Zhang Yue sat in the carriage, leaning lazily on the pillow, with a thick brocade mattress under his body.

The official road in the suburbs of Bianjing is relatively flat, so Zhang Yue can barely read a book by leaning on the brocade mattress, even if there are occasional bumps, it is tolerable.

After reading for half an hour, Zhang Yue was still a little dazzled by the bumps of the carriage. At this moment, he couldn't help but miss the days when he was sitting on the high-speed rail to read when he was in college.

Instead, he thought of his brother, sister-in-law and nephew's eyes that were red from tears yesterday when he sent him out.

In the final analysis, it is better to stay at home for a thousand days, but it is difficult to go out for a day.Only two days after leaving Bianjing, Zhang Yue began to miss home.

Putting down the book, Zhang Yue lifted the curtain of the car and glanced at the vast plains in the suburbs, but there was no mountain top.

"The scenery is really different from Fujian."

Zhang Yue looked at the farmers farming on the ground, which was an idyllic scene.

"There is a pavilion next to Master's Road, where you can sit down and have a rest."

Zhang Yue nodded, got out of the carriage immediately, and sat down in the road pavilion.

Immediately, officers and soldiers from his entourage made tea for Zhang Yue.Zhang Yue calmly sat by the pavilion, picked up the books given by Shi Qi Niang and started to read.

"My lord, you really study hard, even though you won the first prize, you still study so hard."

Zhang Gong said to Tang Jiu with admiration.

Tang Jiu took a sip of the wine from the gourd and said, "Of course. He often told me that if he didn't study for a day, he would feel ugly and his words would be tasteless."

Zhang Gongdao: "No wonder the master is so knowledgeable."

But Zhang Yue said in the pavilion: "What are you muttering about? How far have we traveled from Bianjing?"

"Reporting to the master, I have traveled almost sixty miles."

"It's only sixty miles," Zhang Yue said, shaking his head, "Hurry up, or you'll miss the deadline."

"Yes."

After speaking, suddenly several healthy horses came from the west on the official road.

The officers and soldiers around Zhang Yue were all on guard with knives.

But when he saw Shu rode to the side of the road and stopped, he seemed to be identifying people in the pavilion.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Gong pressed his knife and shouted angrily.

The other party clasped his hands on the horse and asked: "But Zhang Zhuangyuan's driver, and next to him is Ouyang Shuxiang's Yuan Sui."

Without raising his head, Zhang Yue said: "It's someone from the Shufu, let him come over."

The other party was pleasantly surprised: "It's really the number one scholar."

After speaking, the man got off his horse and clasped his fists to Zhang Yue, who was sitting on the pavilion drinking tea and reading: "Private Minister, please come back to Beijing immediately. I have something important to explain, and I will use this letter as evidence."

Zhang Yue doubted: "My term of office is tight, what is the meaning of the Prime Minister's sudden request for me to return to Beijing?"

"The Prime Minister didn't explain, but asked Zhuangyuan Lang to return to Beijing immediately after seeing the letter."

Zhang Yue read the letter and it was indeed Ouyang Xiu's handwriting.But now he was going to Chuzhou to take up his post, and he was halfway there. Ouyang Xiu wanted to go back to Beijing by himself, but he refused to say the reason. If he was delayed on the way, he would be punished.

But Zhang Yue said without hesitation: "Let's go back to Beijing immediately, without a moment's delay."

(End of this chapter)