Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The capital, the Imperial Examination Hall.

When the clerk holding the examination card walked past Jia Cong, he had already memorized 80% to 90% of the three essays from the Four Books and the four essays from the Five Classics, and then he wrote them down on the manuscript paper.

When the clerk holding the sign returned and passed by Jia Cong again, he wrote down all seven test questions in full, and then completed the few omissions in the notes one by one.

When the academy examinations and provincial examinations were held, the first questions on classics were often excerpts from the Four Books and Five Classics.

Although it seems to be difficult to understand and full of ambiguity, its purpose is to test students' mastery of classics and their ability to respond with words.

However, when the imperial examination entered the joint examination stage, all the candidates who were able to enter the spring examination were outstanding talents among the scholars.

All of these people have studied the Classics intensively and are familiar with the words of sages. However, it is a bit too superficial to use the method of cutting sentences and combining them into questions used in the academy and provincial examinations to test these candidates.

Therefore, the examination questions were designed to simplify the complex and return to their origins, with more often than not entire sentences being taken from classics as test questions for current affairs.

Since these complete sentences of the Book of Documents have been annotated and explained by countless sages throughout the ages, it would be difficult to establish a basis for explanation on this topic.

When candidates face this type of exam questions, they want to come up with an original and unique argument to stand out from the crowd.

Without a broad vision and insight, it is absolutely difficult to write with a brilliant and magical writing style.

Therefore, this type of simple but clever test questions can often better test and identify the talents of the candidates, and thereby select the qualified candidates.

The first question of the first round of the imperial examination was: I can trust an orphan of six feet tall, I can entrust my life to you, and I cannot be defeated in times of crisis. Is he a gentleman? He is a gentleman.

This is an examination question that takes a whole sentence from the Book of Documents, and the title comes from the Taibo chapter of the Analects of Confucius.

This passage has been overused by countless scholars and literati since ancient times to compare their own ambitions and encourage themselves.

If you use this whole sentence as a test topic, it will easily become a cliché and bland. It is not easy to write a novel and original article based on it.

There were more than 3,000 candidates for the imperial examination this year. The examination was divided into nine days and three sessions. For the chief examiner and co-examiners, the task of marking the papers after the examination was very heavy.

Although the first round of the examination, calligraphy and prose, is the foundation of the spring imperial examination, it has always been important to the candidates.

This is because, if one fails even the Book of Documents and Contemporary Chinese Essays, no matter how well one performs in the next two exams on discussion and policy questions, one will be eliminated by the examiner.

Therefore, every candidate does not dare to take the first exam lightly, and the first question of the first exam is of utmost importance.

Because it is the first thing that the examiner pays attention to, and determines the examiner's initial impression and perception of the candidate's talent.

If the first question of the book is written poorly or is mediocre, it will not be easy for the candidates to pass the exam.

……

Every candidate naturally understands the importance of the first question in the first exam, and no one dares to take it lightly, in order to discover new ideas and create new ones.

Some people rack their brains, think hard, but still can't put pen to paper.

Some people can draw inferences from one instance to another, and as if they have realized something, they excitedly start writing down their thoughts.

Jia Cong was not in a hurry to write, because he had plenty of time to prepare for the exam. The first question of the Book of Documents that he had in mind was the one set by the chief examiner.

His teacher, Liu Jing'an, once served as the Grand Master of the Ministry of Rites and had served as the chief examiner for several provincial and metropolitan examinations. He had profound thoughts on writing essays for examinations.

Liu Jing'an once told him that no question set by an examiner would be without basis.

Every spring exam question contains the writer's literary temperament, and vaguely involves the ups and downs of the writer's career...

Every examiner, when setting questions, is expressing his aspirations and asking about the examiner's heart. He uses the test questions as a carrier to test students from all over the world and select talented people with similar aspirations to his own.

Although this is an invisible link between the examiner and the examinee, it is the most real connection between them.

After each imperial examination results were announced, a close and solid relationship would be formed between the examiner and the candidates.

It is not only the teacher's kindness in selecting the candidates, the deeper reason is that they share the same ideals in literary context and rhetoric, and are the group most likely to become allies.

This is the basic principle of Confucianism for governing the world, and it is also an invisible means for civil servants to form cliques and join forces.

……

Compared with a great Confucian master like Liu Jing'an, who is well-known throughout the world, and those mediocre teachers who only know how to study classics all their lives.

The former not only imparts the meaning of books, but also imparts knowledge beyond books, the human mind and techniques.

Jia Cong received many years of dedicated teaching from Liu Jing'an, who regarded him as the successor of his mantle in his later years.

In addition, Jia Cong was a man of many generations, and his mind and vision were far-sighted compared to ordinary people. It was easier for him to apply what Liu Jing'an taught him, and what he learned was even better than his teacher.

It was precisely because of the special connection between the examiners and the test questions that, before Jia Cong took the spring examination, Liu Jing'an analyzed in detail the personalities and origins of the three chief examiners of the spring examination to his young disciple.

Although these three examiners of the Spring Examination had much less seniority than Liu Jing'an, they had already made their mark in the officialdom before Liu Jing'an retired.

Although Liu Jing'an had retired from officialdom for more than ten years, he still had a strong network of contacts. Through his daily interactions with old friends and colleagues in the officialdom, he naturally knew these people very well.

Wang Shilun, a member of the Cabinet University, became famous at a young age. He was shrewd and shrewd, and was well versed in seeking justice through crooked means and in knowing how to advance and retreat based on facts. This is why he was able to reach the highest position among officials at such a young age.

Chen Mo, the Minister of Rites, has extensive experience, is tactful and insightful, and is often able to take risks in times of crisis while being able to protect himself. He is a well-known tumbler in the officialdom.

Huang Hongcang withdrew from the position of examiner midway, so he was not included in Jia Cong's speculation.

Xu Liangxiong, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a temporary replacement for the chief examiner, which was completely expected, so Liu Jing'an did not analyze this person to Jia Cong.

However, Jia Cong had also heard some rumors about Xu Liangxiong. He said that although this person missed the first place in the first place, he was still a world-renowned talent and had a high opinion of himself...

Which of these people has the thoughts of a gentleman, thinks deeply about the way of justice, and deduce the idea of ​​entrusting an orphan to someone else...

Holding the purple-hair brush given by Daiyu, Jia Cong wrote and drew casually on the manuscript paper to sort out his thoughts.

The purple-hair brush he used was polished by Daiyu herself, and honed by writing hundreds of words with the soft strength of a girl's hand. The brush was soft but tough, and he wrote very smoothly.

As the pen and ink strokes appeared on the manuscript paper and the words flowed, he suddenly thought that he was born into a wealthy and powerful family, but grew up in poverty.

If you think about it carefully, there are actually quite a few doubts.

I have been able to turn things around in recent years, but it is difficult to rely on external forces. In the final analysis, it is all due to my studies. My thoughts are surging, and a generous spirit is gradually born in my heart...

……

Earl's Mansion, Daiyu Courtyard.

Daiyu also got up early. She estimated that the examination must have started at the Imperial Examination Hall by now.

She believed that with Jia Cong's status as a top scholar in the imperial examination and his outstanding literary talent and academic performance, passing the imperial examination would be a piece of cake.

But after he had been gone for nine days, the mansion seemed unusually empty without him, which made Daiyu feel a little restless and she felt really depressed staying in her own courtyard.

So she took Zijuan to walk around in Jia Cong's yard. In fact, he was not at home today, she just went there for a stroll.

When I entered Jia Cong's yard, I found that it was quiet inside and outside, which was very different from usual.

All the girls and maids in the courtyard were at home, even Wu'er did not go to the West Mansion for the meeting today.

Zhishao was tidying up the bed curtains and clothes in Jia Cong's room, while Wu'er was bored in the main room, watching Qingwen do needlework.

Yinglian was in Jia Cong's study, lying on the desk, half asleep.

Lingguan also hid in the room and did not go out. Even Douguan, who usually ran around, did not come out to make a fuss today.

Daiyu entered the yard and went to Jia Cong's study, thinking in her heart that at this time in the past, he would always be concentrating on reading in the study.

When she entered the study, Yinglian, who was lying on the desk and looking quite bored, heard footsteps at the door. She looked over with her beautiful eyes a little dazedly, and when she saw it was Daiyu, she stood up to greet her.

He asked, "Miss Lin, why are you here today?"

Daiyu said, "I'm bored today. I don't want to stay in my yard, so I'll go out for a walk."

She saw that the study was clean and tidy, without the bloated and messy books piled on the table as when Jia Cong used to study.

Daiyu smiled in her heart. Although her third brother was full of talent, he was a practical person at heart. If it weren't for the imperial examination, he wouldn't have buried himself in scriptures every day.

He was determined and confident to win the imperial examination this spring, so he tidied up his study early before entering the venue, as if he was just waiting to see his name on the list and live a carefree life from then on.

Daiyu casually browsed the study, and her eyes unconsciously fell on the guqin hanging on the wall. Yinglian followed her gaze and also saw the guqin hanging on the wall. She knew that this guqin was the young master's treasure, and usually only Zhishao and herself took care of it, and no one else dared to touch it.

Yinglian smiled and said, "Every time I come to study calligraphy, I play the guqin with Third Master for fun. Third Master is not here today, why don't you play a tune for me?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "Okay."

Yinglian carefully took the guqin down from the wall and placed it upright on the desk. She remembered that the young master liked to light soul-clearing incense the most.

She obediently took one from the bookshelf and lit it in the small incense burner on the desk.

Daiyu stroked the strings of the zither and suddenly remembered the unexpected discovery she and Jia Cong made that day. There were strange words engraved on the bottom of the zither, and someone had sealed it with rouge to cover it up.

The shape and craftsmanship of the guqin are also very exquisite. Daiyu looked through relevant ancient books and confirmed that this is a precious guqin from the Tang Dynasty.

……

Daiyu comes from a prominent family of scholars and officials. The Lin family has been a family of marquises in Suzhou for five generations. Their family background is not inferior to that of the Ning and Rong Jia families, and their cultural heritage is far superior.

Born into such a family, she knew that rare calligraphy, paintings, and musical instruments were not ordinary items. They had always been regarded as heirlooms by the officials of the family and would not be discarded lightly unless it would bring disaster to the family.

Lin Ruhai once had a son, but he died young, leaving only one daughter, Lin Daiyu, which meant that his family line had expired.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

He sent his daughter to the Jia family in the capital to be fostered. He did not bring her a large amount of gold and silver, but instead filled Daiyu's room with piles of rare ancient books.

In the eyes of the aristocratic families, gold and silver cannot be passed down from generation to generation, but a rare copy of an ancient book is a priceless heirloom.

Although Daiyu seems inconspicuous while living in the Jia family, the rare ancient books in her room are her dowry in the future, which is more valuable than the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver dowry from her parents.

Precisely because of this kind of upbringing from an aristocratic family, Daiyu was sure that the guqin left by Du Jinniang was a rare Tang Dynasty guqin, and she guessed in her heart that Jia Cong's maternal family was extraordinary.

Daiyu gently plucked the strings of the zither, and the lingering sound was loose, vast, beautiful and extraordinary. Even though it was her first time playing the zither, she was still intoxicated by the elegant tone of this Tang Dynasty zither.

The thought that had been lingering in my mind for a long time suddenly came to my mind again...

The third brother's biological mother carried with her such a precious Tang Dynasty guqin. Only a prominent and powerful family with a profound background could afford such a thing.

But over the years, people in the Jia family have always spread the rumor that the third brother's biological mother was a prostitute and was an oiran with a rough life.

If my aunt really came from such a noble family, how could she have fallen to this point and given herself to a man like the eldest master? This is really unbelievable...

Moreover, she was so unfortunate. She passed away soon after giving birth to my third brother, without leaving any instructions for him.

The third brother was left alone, and how much hardship and frustration did he have to endure since childhood?

Although Daiyu had many doubts in her heart, they were just speculations after all, and she never expressed them in front of Jia Cong, otherwise it would be disrespectful to her deceased relatives and elders.

However, she was also very clear in her heart that with her third brother's intelligence and talent, how could he not think of what she could think of?
Daiyu stroked the cool body of the zither, her eyes as clear as autumn water, her waves graceful, and her eyes filled with unusual cherishment and fondness.

She plucked the strings gently, and the condensed and graceful sound of the piano, like gentle ripples, lingered in the study, touching the heart, and spread outside the house.

Yinglian sat at the desk, her chin supported by her hands, listening attentively.

In the bedroom, Zhishao was sorting Jia Cong's clothes. When she heard the melodious sound of the piano, she unconsciously sat on the couch to listen.

In the main room, Qingwen suddenly stopped sewing, and Wu'er also looked towards the study.

Ever since Jia Cong entered the Imperial Examination Hall, Lingguan has been somewhat bored. She stays in her room all day, playing with the flower crown and costumes that Jia Cong gave her.

A melodious and beautiful piano sound came from the study. A woman like Lingguan, who came from a musical background, was so engrossed in listening that she unconsciously put down the flower crown in her hand.

The piano sounds are gentle and scattered at first, melodious and peaceful, like gentle emotions, or more like silent confession.

Gradually, the sound of the piano became more powerful and smooth, like a rushing stream, full of joy and without stopping, like a swift tide, going back and forth, filling the quiet courtyard and spreading far into the sky...

……

The capital, the Imperial Examination Hall, and the main hall of the government office.

It was a warm and sunny spring day when suddenly the air changed, the clouds rolled and a spring rain began to fall.

The fine rain curtain, with a hint of joy and excitement, diffuses pleasant moisture and coolness...

In the main hall of the government office, three examiners were sitting and chatting, with tea mist floating from the tea bowls beside them.

Minister of Personnel Chen Mo smiled and said, "Just now, an official showed me the exam card, and I have paid attention to today's exam questions.

Especially the first question, which cuts down the whole sentence, simplifies the complex, and is simple and ingenious, quite exquisite.

He can be trusted with an orphan of six feet tall, he can be entrusted with a life a hundred miles away, and he cannot be taken away when facing a great event. Is he a gentleman? He is a gentleman.

This saying has been annotated in many dynasties and has been chanted by famous people and wise men all the time. It is quite difficult for the candidates of this year to write something new based on this saying.

Moreover, all these candidates were born in a peaceful and prosperous time.

The chastity of being entrusted to someone for a favor, the firmness of being able to entrust one's life to someone, and the integrity of one's character are the highest level of a gentleman's virtues. It is too sad for people living in a peaceful and prosperous era to have a deep understanding of these.

What do you think, Lord Wang?"

Wang Shilun smiled slightly, because today's calligraphy test questions were made by him, and Chen Mo was the top scholar in that year, so he said this just for the purpose of discussing and chatting.

He said: "What Lord Chen said is not wrong, but when it comes to governing a country, the sages have taught us to be prepared for danger in times of peace.

Although it is a prosperous era, we still need loyal and upright ministers.

Lord Chen is a senior official in the officialdom. He has seen many ups and downs and understands the vicissitudes of life better than the younger generations. There are rises and falls, but the virtues of a gentleman, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, can help one overcome disasters and should not be discarded lightly.

No matter in a peaceful and prosperous age or in a country with difficulties, the chastity of being entrusted with an orphan, the firmness of entrusting one's life to another, and the integrity of a scholar should be the virtues that he should practice throughout his life.

The thousands of students taking the imperial examinations were all born in a peaceful and prosperous world. There are old scholars, talented people who study hard, and there must be generous and extraordinary men!"

After listening to Wang Shilun's words, Chen Mo put away the chatty expression on his face, gently stroked his gray beard with his right hand, his eyes fixed, and seemed to be in deep thought.

Wang Shilun picked up the tea bowl beside him, took a sip, and looked out the window at the countless dormitories neatly arranged under the rain. His eyes flickered, and I wonder what he was thinking...

Wang Shilun and Chen Mo seemed to be sitting and discussing. Xu Liangxiong, who was listening on the side, was a little confused. How could these two adults start talking about Zen while chatting?
However, Xu Liangxiong was not very interested in the content of their conversation.

He was also very talented and had a broad vision back then.

Therefore, I feel that the study of the Book of Documents is only the foundation for scholars to get started, and the so-called subtle words and profound meanings often become empty talk.

In the imperial examinations, only the study of policy questions is a practical study for governing the country...

……

Gongyuan, in the temple.

Jia Cong pondered over the copied test questions from the classics until he felt somewhat confident.

This brings us back to the first topic of the Book of Documents: I can entrust an orphan of six feet to you, I can entrust my life to you, and I can't be defeated when facing a great event. Is he a gentleman? He is a gentleman.

At this time, outside the shelter, the spring rain was like silk, and the moist and cool breath seemed to contain a powerful force of heaven and earth.

His mind was full of thoughts and ideas. He picked up his pen and wrote quickly. The lines of ancient and elegant handwriting on the manuscript paper seemed to burst out:

The hope of entrusting an orphan, the virtue of entrusting one's life to someone, and the righteousness of great integrity.

Only those who are pure and magnanimous, who can step away from the filth of profit-seeking and get rid of the gloom and darkness in their hearts, can do it.

However, the nature of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom is not innate to man, and the qualities of hardness and softness, good and evil are not given by heaven.

When the sky is vast and clear, the sun, moon and stars revolve around it; when the earth is broad and open, the grass, trees, mountains and rivers flourish.

How can scholars gather the three honors of being entrusted with one's life, entrusting one's life to someone, and being of great integrity?

There is no other reason, it comes from the hard study of books, the teachings of the sages, the inspiration from the examples of the heroes, and the hard work of time.

Only then can one see one's nature and understand one's mind, and the virtue of chastity and purity can begin to be forged.

The Book of Documents is passed down by our ancestors, and the classics are covered in dust and hung high, but they are not decayed words. They have been passed down for thousands of years, soaked in blood and fire, and confirmed life and death, illuminating loyalty and treachery. They are both elegant words and swords!
Born in 1875, he is a scholar and a lawyer, with a heart full of righteousness from the scriptures. He does not refuse the courage of a person who entrusts his life to another, and he does not abandon the righteousness of life and death.

I will guide the country to prosper, and protect the righteous path through vicissitudes. I can withstand the wind and rain alone, and dare to emulate the beheading Xingtian!
...(End of chapter)