Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 175 Imperial Examination

Outside the Gongyuan, the children's cries kept ringing.

"Grandma!"

"Cry, he is not our grandpa, no!"

Xue Xin was so busy that he covered his brother's mouth and then tried to cover his sister.

At the same time, there were indeed several creditors who commanded their servants to chase Xue Ling. There were indeed some rich and powerful people who were willing to take part in the imperial examination.

"Did you see that person? He is dressed in brown linen, with small eyes and a sharp mouth." Lao Liang ran a few steps and whispered to Jiang Hai, who was dressed as a salesman, "I will send him away, you wear him and see who sent him. "

"it is good."

Lao Liang raised his hand and made a gesture, and some of their people scattered nearby quickly separated the creditors. These people are called "guys", but in fact they are spies and thugs under Du Jin and Da Xi Yingying.

Jiang Hai fell behind silently.

After leaving the imperial city and setting up the gate, brothers Tian Shengong and Tian Shenyu were chatting with the two patrol envoys of the Jinwu Guard, leaving the Jinwu Guards no one to pay attention to Xue Ling, who was being pulled away in a hurry.

Jiang Hai was a little envious of the Tian brothers, thinking that if Xue Baiwai became a high-ranking official, he would be able to give them a clear identity.

He walked leisurely all the way to the vicinity of Dongshi. Lao Liang deliberately got rid of all the pursuers and disappeared into the crowd with Xue Ling.

The thin figure in brown linen clothes lost track of the person, scratched his head, turned around and walked towards Shengyefang in the north. Jiang Hai followed all the way, and finally arrived at the small side door of a huge mansion.

After waiting for a moment, five servants in brown linen clothes entered the mansion.

Finally, Jiang Hai went around to the gate to inquire about it. He couldn't help but grinned and went back to Daozhengfang to inform Da Xi Yingying.

~~

"Zhang Si?"

In the afternoon, Du Jin learned the result and was a little surprised.

Her first reaction was that Dong Gong had done this again, but then she thought about it and felt a little confused.

"The owner of the house, Li Tan, is Zhang Si's son-in-law." Da Xi Yingying said: "I know this couple very well. They often come to my gambling house. Zhang Si needless to say, the eldest sister of the prince Liangdi and Zhang Ting is Li Tan. He was born in the Li family of Zhao County and has a noble status."

"Then what do you think?"

"On the surface, it's just a trivial matter so far. Anyone can do it by spreading rumors to compete for a Jinshi spot. For the time being, it can only be said that Zhang Si wants to take the opportunity to find Xue Ling."

Da Xi Yingying said, unfolding the account book in her hand and handing it to Du Jin.

"Er Niang may not believe it, but let me tell you the simplest speculation first. Zhang Si is one of Xue Ling's big creditors. Even if it is just for the money of nearly one thousand guan with principal and interest, she would not hesitate to send someone to find Xue Ling. Excusable."

This account book is shocking. Xue Ling's family property is only one thousand yuan, but he can owe such a huge debt.

Of course, Zhang Si does not necessarily need Xue Ling to repay him. For example, if he can ask Xue Hui, the general of the Jinwu Guard, to owe her a favor, he can at least get the privilege of walking under the curfew.

"But it's more likely." Da Xi Yingying changed the topic, "Someone doesn't want my husband to successfully enter the officialdom, and wants to cause him some trouble..."

~~

South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites.

The scholars had already begun to examine scriptures, and the entire south courtyard fell silent, with the sound of rolling papers occasionally being heard.

The pasting of scriptures is similar to filling in the blanks of famous quotes. The pasting of scriptures in Jinshi subjects is simpler than that in Mingjing subjects. It only tests the content of one scripture and ten questions. If you pass five out of ten, you can pass.

Xue Bai had already received the test questions, and knew that the subject of the test today was "Zhou Rites", so he had reviewed and memorized it in advance. When he opened the paper, he saw that it was indeed the case.

He calmly sharpened the ink, picked up the pen, and filled in the missing sentences with beautiful calligraphy.

After filling in the sixth sentence, there is a small trap.

The text passages given in the paper are "the princes of the country patrolling the country with the help of festivals and coins" and "the moral considerations of the Tao King", Xue Bai filled in "and the gathering of all the people".

When writing the word "people", he was careful not to fill up the vertical line, leaving a gap to avoid mentioning Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.

Wrong one or two questions doesn't matter, it will affect the ranking at most; while mistakes such as dirty papers and typos will give people an excuse to criticize. Although Genu has no choice but to acquiesce to his passing, he will not speak for him; if he even avoids taboos, If you don't understand, then you can't even think about getting the status promised by the saint as a joke, and it's impossible to pass.

Xue Baizai carefully filled out the ten questions, but he made three mistakes in the middle, so he copied them again and then checked repeatedly to see if his name and place of origin were filled in correctly to ensure that there would be no taboos.

At this point, he put down his pen and breathed a sigh of relief.

He made complete preparations, starting from finding his family background, to competing for fame and holy family. He even got the questions in advance, but he still behaved very cautiously.

Many people in the examination room have already handed in their papers, and those who can't answer the questions at this time basically don't know how to answer them. There's nothing you can do about scratching your head.

However, there were indeed many crazy people in the Tang Dynasty. A few candidates did not answer a word. When the papers were collected, they just brazenly said that their poetry was unparalleled in the world and they wanted to use poetry to redeem their grades.

The so-called "redemption of posts" was also a common practice in the imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty. Some scholars had high reputations and had already planned to win the exam. However, they failed to pass the examination, and the examiners had to test poems to let them pass.

In Xue Bai's view, this was blatant cheating.

……

The exam the next day was on policy questions.

Xue Bai got the paper and unfolded it. His eyes first fell on the first policy question.

"Question: Tubo has been worried about the Tang Dynasty for a long time. If it prepares for its defense, it will attack hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the world. It will lament about its parents and wives, and it will not give them enough food and clothing. The people will be in vain. If it fails to prepare for its defense, it will be inevitable. The generals will wait for me, attack the city, plunder the children of jade and silk, kill the old and the weak, and then return with the strong ones. Since ancient times, have the emperors not had the strategy to kill the barbarians and the Di? How can the border not be as safe as this? Zi et al. The weapon will be waiting for the time, and the talent will be presented to respond to orders. All things from ancient to modern times will be recorded, and detailed offensive and defensive strategies will be prepared."

Looking at the next four policy questions, they were indeed the same as the test questions he got.

If the emperor really asked seriously what was going on in Tubo, Xue Bai would give an answer based on Tubo's climate, topography, religion, people's livelihood, etc. According to his opinion, the destruction of Tubo should take time, decades, or even The work of two or three generations. However, in fact, Li Longji had already made up his mind and did not even listen to Wang Zhongsi's suggestions. How could he listen to a few scholars?

This is just another trap.

Today's policy test not only tests the scholars' knowledge and insight, but also their sense of proportion.

Xue Bai cared about his own future and did not talk too much. He followed the emperor's wishes and answered with his pen.

The articles answered are all the most useful sentences summarized by veterans in the examination room.

"I would like to respond to you: I heard that the jade crossbow hangs down, shining with power in the purple latitude; the golden precepts condensate the murderous spirit in the sky. Your Majesty, you are loyal to the orders of the gods, and you follow the wishes of the subordinates. You are always called a god. , mixed together to become the Tao. Then move the heaven and earth, the sun and the moon to come to it, let out thunder, rain, and fire to educate it, preach morality, benevolence and righteousness to appease it, spread rituals, music, punishment and government to restrain it..."

"The strategy says: Think of the ministers to control the enemy, and attack the Zunzu; ask for the name of the general to guard the border and subdue the soldiers. Chen Tang killed the Chanyu, Fu Jiezi assassinated Loulan, Feng Fengshi flattened Shacha, and Ban Chao conquered the Western Regions. , all due to the great achievements of the Han Dynasty. In the glorious Tang Dynasty, heroes emerged in large numbers. In the past, I believed in the great expedition to Beidi and defeated the barbarian chiefs of the Qing Dynasty. Herding horses did not dare to go south. Now the army in Longban is at the stone fort, which is dangerous and dangerous..."

In short, it is a policy question written eloquently. From the employment of personnel to the garrison of troops, it is all about praising virtues and existing strategies without any new ideas.

~~

It was getting dark. In the main hall of the south courtyard of the Ministry of Rites, officials were busy collecting papers, while the examiners climbed up to the pavilion and looked down, just enough to catch a glimpse of the scholars who were answering questions in the veranda.

Da Xixun did not look at the scholars. Instead, he sat down by the low table, made tea with his own hands, and observed the officials in the pavilion.

The list has actually been drawn up. Although it is decided by the right minister, he is a reasonable person and can basically satisfy all parties.

Royal relatives, famous families, and even political opponents in the court all have recommended scholars. The games and exchanges that should be played have been completed before the exam starts. Simple adjustments are made in the exam room to determine the ranking.

What Da Xixun cared about the most was Yang Zhao. The new censor Zhongcheng insisted on letting his son take the Ming Jing exam and refused to avoid suspicion. If this matter went wrong, it would affect his reputation.

"The Prime Minister is here."

Following this call, Chen Xilie climbed up to the pavilion with a graceful demeanor. He waved his hands with a smile, telling everyone not to be polite, and then asked Cui Qiao: "Is everything going well?"

Since the beginning of the exam, Cui Qiao's face has always been gloomy. At this time, he raised his head when he heard the words and simply responded: "It's okay."

He is the direct son of the Cui family in Qinghe. His father Cui Rongnai was an important minister of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Together with Su Weiwei, Li Qiao, and Du Shenyan, they were known as the "Four Friends of Articles" and were famous all over the world; his mother was born in the Du family in Jingzhao.

In short, he has an extraordinary background, and is relatively less involved in party disputes in the current court. Although he is polite to Li Linfu, he is not completely attached to him, and he even looks down upon Chen Xilie.

"The saint agreed to Xue Bai's approval, so this matter can only be like this." Chen Xilie said: "How is his adhering to the scriptures?"

"Nine times out of ten, it's the best." Cui Qiao replied lightly.

"He's actually quite talented." Chen Xilie didn't care about this distant attitude. He stroked his beard and praised, turned to Yang Zhao, and asked with a smile: "I heard that Xue Bai is not married yet, is it true?"

Yang Zhao laughed and responded: "Does the Prime Minister of Zuo intend to marry the young lady in the family to me as his sworn brother? But don't forget that the saint will grant him a marriage."

Upon hearing this, Cui Qiao suddenly said: "Yang Zhongcheng, since your son and step-brother are both taking the exam, shouldn't you avoid suspicion?"

"Haha, I won't mark the papers. I'll just review them once everyone has decided on the list."

"It's best not to provoke criticism." Cui Qiao was a little worried and said, "You can send a censor to come forward. As for the list, Yang Zhongcheng will review it after reviewing it." , and ordered him to stay in Gongyuan and keep an eye on the list to ensure that Yang Dang selected the candidates. If there was any problem, go to Nanqu to find him immediately.

Yang Guanghui was Yang Zhao's confidant and immediately responded: "Zhongcheng, don't worry. I'll be watching and there will be no surprises."

……

Cui Qiao stood up, walked to the railing and looked at Yang Zhao's back. Suddenly he remembered something and asked: "Speaking of the saint's thoughts, I heard something and I would like to ask the left prime minister."

Chen Xilie smiled and said, "It's okay to ask Mr. Cui."

"I heard that the saint once wanted to give his son-in-law Wang Rusi, who was enshrined in the palace, a Jinshi. The right prime minister ordered Zhongshu to issue an ultimatum to deny the matter. He said that the way of selecting talents for the country should not be abandoned because of the excellence of the saint's grace. Why do you order Xue now without taking the exam? Are you the number one scholar for nothing?"

"I have never heard of this matter." Chen Xilie waved his hand and refused to talk about the saint and the right minister.

Seeing his attitude, Cui Qiao turned to Da Xixun.

Da Xixun, whose official position was not as high as his, smiled, whispered the truth, and said, "Mr. Cui, you should know that saints' thoughts may be true or false."

"That Xue Lang is the leader, is it true? Is it false?"

Da Xixun was stunned. At this moment, the junior officials collected Ce Wen's papers and interrupted their conversation.

The examiners found a few important papers and read them first. Da Xixun pointed at Xue Bai's well-prepared policy essay and said with a smile: "What a good article, and the writing is also good. In this way, the saint's intention is true or false. , isn’t it clear at a glance?”

Cui Qiao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Know how to eat."

That night, the examiners went to the capital hall of Shangshu Province for a meal. The hall was brightly lit with candles, and the dining table was filled with delicacies. This was provided by the Ministry of Personnel. Chen Xilie, as left minister and Minister of Personnel, was specifically responsible for this matter.

Chen Xilie had no power over the quota, but he had to give Li Linfu a few extra words of advice.

"When reviewing the policy questionnaire, be sure to see if there are any officials who criticize the government or criticize the governor. If the guard is not strict and the news reaches the ears of the saint, we will resign!"

"Don't worry, Minister Zuo, this matter is a top priority and we will treat it with caution!"

"Okay, okay." Chen Xilie said with a smile, "Everyone has a taste of this fish breast."

After finishing his errands, he slowly sat down and chatted with Da Xixun. He asked curiously: "Why is Cui Qiao so preoccupied and asking so many irrelevant questions?"

"I think he is worried that if he nods to Xue Bai, others will say that he will only obey the holy will. He is also worried that the Right Prime Minister's Office does not want Xue Bai to be on the list, so he is just testing him with words."

"He is someone who knows how to be an official." Chen Xilie commented.

Da Xixun smiled apologetically, but he couldn't help but sneer secretly in his heart: "Look at what Zuo Xiang said, there is no one else in the court who knows the 'way of being an official' better than you."

……

The next day, the test was poetry.

The Tang Dynasty paid the most attention to poetry, so this was the most important of the three exams.

When the time came, the title board of poems and poems was taken to the pavilion on the second floor. Cui Qiao, the examiner, took a look at it first. He nodded and said, "Please take a look at it, Prime Minister Zuo."

Chen Xilie came here to kill time and said with a smile: "Do I have any objections to the questions set by the examiner? But from this look, it is really a good question, a good question."

"Okay." Cui Qiao said, "Let's put the question aside."

"The exam starts!"

"Let's put it to the question!"

A question board was hung on the second floor so that the scholars in the two verandas could see it, and at the same time, a clerk read the question loudly.

In previous years, the scientific examination sometimes examined poetry, sometimes poetry, and sometimes both poetry and poetry. This Jinshi subject for the seventh year of Tianbao is a combination of poetry and poetry.

"The title of the poem "Jian Zhishui Fu" uses the rhyme "Chengxu accepts the light, meets the fractal form of the image" as the rhyme, and the rhyme does not need to be used in sequence."

"..."

Xue Bai was sitting in the veranda. Hearing this, there was an inexplicable smile in his eyes.

Because Yan Yan had already written the poem for him, it was all in his mind at this time.

"Those who use water as a guide do not seek its vastness, but seek its clarity. If it is running, the weather will be indistinguishable, but if it is still, its shape will be slim, just like the silence of a golden mirror, or the emptiness of glass..."

Picking up the pen, he first wrote down the name of the poem. The tip of the pen fell on the white paper and he wrote two words but suddenly stopped.

When the clerk announced the title of the poem loudly, Xue Bai looked at the title board with some confusion.

~~

The title of the poem Xue Bai got from Yang Zhao was "Poem of Spring Grass in Longchi". For this reason, he and Yan Yan carefully considered it and prepared a poem about the beautiful scenery of Longchi in Xingqing Palace.

However, the title of the poem in the south courtyard of the Ministry of Rites at this time was not this.

The topics for this subject were all consistent with what he got, except that the title of the poem was changed... The problem was not too serious. He planned to write a poem by himself.

"The title of the poem "Xiang Ling Drum and Seed" takes one character for Shaojiao and has six rhymes and twelve lines!"

Xue Bai frowned and wrote down the title and rhyme requirements of the poem. He finished writing the poem without any rush and copied it over to make sure that there were no omissions in the poem before he started thinking about the poem.

It was already past noon. While he was eating some snacks, he was thinking about changing a poem. Even if it wasn't very good, it wouldn't be a problem to become a Jinshi without seeking the top prize.

But when Xue Bai looked at the title of the poem again, his eyes suddenly froze, and he remembered something, and anger burst into his eyes for a moment.

It's a taboo.

In the imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty, scholars were not allowed to write the names of their fathers and ancestors in the examination questions. Today's poem is titled "Xiang Ling Drums and Seeds", but now Xue Bai's nominal father is named "Xue Ling".

What he should do at this time is to immediately tell the examiner that his heart hurts and that he hopes to rest. The examiner will help him out, and he will be considered a failure in this year's imperial examination. If you continue to answer questions, your reputation will be ruined and your future will be lost.

In the Datang Examination Hall, it is far easier than this to destroy all the efforts of a candidate.

This was obviously a question that Cui Qiao deliberately asked in order to make him fail.

Xue Bai didn't leave, he didn't even put down the brush in his hand.

……

Time passed little by little, the sunlight filtered in through the gaps in the bamboo curtains, and some candidates had put down their pens.

It is difficult to write examination poems. You must stick closely to the topic and do not stray from the requirements. In addition to meter, content is also specified.

This title comes from the poem "The Songs of Chu", "It makes the Xiang spirit play the harp and make the sea dance like Feng Yi". Emperor Shun was buried in Cangwu Mountain after his death. His concubine committed suicide by drowning herself in the Xiang River and became the goddess of the Xiang River. She often Drums and harps are played by the river, expressing grief with the sound of harps.

Finally, Xue Bai opened his eyes and wrote a poem on the paper.

"The smoke in Weimu is gone in the evening, and the rain in Sanxiang has stopped."

"The goddess Fu Yaose, the second concubine Cong Zhu Ming."

"The wonderful finger floats clear and clear, and the traces of fragrance are tangible."

"Play the white autumn moon once, and then play the clear water and clouds."

"When a guest goes to Lanzhou, he is far away from the emperor's spirit."

"At the end of the song, no one has appeared, and the mountains on the river are green."

This poem is not very good, but it was written by Xue Bai himself.

Most people in the world see him working on the sidelines, but few people know that he has really worked hard on his studies. Although it is really difficult for him to understand the pronunciation of the Tang Dynasty, it is more difficult for him to learn than others, and the progress he can make in just one year is also limited. limited.

It is true that he will do whatever it takes to get a future, but he is also willing to do whatever it takes to do so. He has never once expected to get something for nothing and enjoy it.

It was precisely because of the sweat and hard work that he put in that he was convinced that he was worthy and that he could succeed, so he was confident, fearless, calm, and never gave up.

　It took me a long time to write this chapter today. I had to look up Tang Dynasty imperial examination materials and find ancient texts to revise. I also wrote the test poems myself. The second chapter is probably going to be even later. I was so tired that I originally thought I would just post one chapter today as an adjustment. But the top ten on the monthly vote list is not stable. Let’s fight for it. Then hold on a little longer and write another chapter tonight. Please give me a monthly vote~~ Thank you all, please give me a monthly vote~~

　　

　

(End of this chapter)