Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

"Yes" the two took it and looked at it, and then exchanged it to read again. Defang liked the content written by Wang Sizong and Chen Shi very much, and couldn't help but smile and nodded. Taizu asked, "Who do you think wrote better?" a little better?"

Dezhao cupped his hands, "Father, this...is pretty good..."

"Where's Defang?"

"Returning to father, the two of them are indeed inseparable, but... I think Chen Shi's writing is more elegant."

"Well, according to what you said, it's true." Taizu thought for a while, "Ji'en, King Xuan and Chen Shi are in the palace."

"Yes" Wang Jien walked to the edge of the imperial steps, "Xuan! Scientific research students Wang Sizong and Chen Shi go to the hall to face the saints!"

After a while, Wang Sizong and Chen Shi bowed their heads and walked into the hall, knelt down and kowtowed, "Student kowtows to His Majesty, long live long live long live!"

"Flat body."

"Long live thanks!" Wang Sizong and Chen Shi stood up, still lowering their heads slightly, Taizu said, "The three examiners have read your test papers, and they all appreciate them very much."

Wang Sizong and Chen Shi bowed their hands at this.

Taizu continued, "But the three chief examiners didn't know who the champion should go to, so they submitted it to me. I also read your test papers with the two princes just now. It's strange to say that my father and son think that you The articles written are indistinguishable from each other, and I don’t know who to award the number one scholar to.”

Wang Sizong and Chen Shi looked at each other, and said in unison, "Please choose your majesty's imperial pen."

Taizu thought for a while, picked up two test papers and said to Wang Jien, "This is for Wang Sizong, and this is for Chen Shi."

Wang Jien handed over the test papers to the two, and they saw that they were holding the other party's test papers. Taizu said, "Look at the other party's test papers, and then tell me who should let me be the champion."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Sizong and Chen Shi looked at the test paper in their hands, and about a cup of tea, Chen Shi closed the test paper and cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the students have finished reading Wang Sizong's test paper."

"Tell me, which of the two of you do you think should be the champion?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, the student thought that the number one scholar should be given to Wang Sizong."

"Oh? Why?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, Wang Sizong's diction is powerful, every sentence makes sense, the article is smooth and makes people never get tired of reading it, and the momentum in the poems and prose makes people feel awe, so the students think that the number one scholar should be given to Wang Sizong."

Taizu nodded when he heard this, and then looked at Wang Sizong, thinking that you should also say a few words. At this time, Wang Sizong also closed the paper, looked up at Taizu, then turned to look at Wang Sizong and suddenly cupped his hands and said, " Brother Chen praises and loves me so much, I feel ashamed to accept the hospitality, but..." Wang Sizong put down his hands, stood up straight and said, "Brother Chen's article is indeed a little bit inferior to me."

Everyone was stunned for a moment when they heard this. No one thought that Wang Sizong didn't know how to be polite. Chen Shi's expression on the side changed. Defang also looked at Wang Sizong, thinking, you are too courageous, you will die if you are polite. Ah, I'm really out of my mind, I don't know that my father likes humble people.

At this time, Taizu also frowned and looked at Wang Sizong, feeling very unhappy. Chen Shi and you are being polite, but you still get cheap and good-looking. Thinking of this, Taizu couldn't help but hate Wang Sizong, so he just said, "I understand. " Then look at the three examiners, "Three lovers, tell me, who should this champion go to?"

The three looked at each other and understood that Taizu didn't like Wang Sizong, so they cupped their hands and said, "Return to Your Majesty, the ministers think that the number one scholar should be Chen Zhi."

Taizu was very satisfied when he heard this, but he pretended to show some embarrassment, "The three examiners unanimously recommended Chen Shi, and I should have hand-picked it, but...Chen Shi has already rejected it, so I am a little embarrassed...Chen Shi "

"Students are here" Chen Shi handed over

"I'll ask you one last time, who do you think should be the number one scholar, you or Wang Sizong?"

Chen Shi's mind was a little confused this time, so he rejected it himself, and the examiner recommended it again, but Wang Sizong said his essay was better than mine, so His Majesty asked me again, but he couldn't refuse it again. I don't like Wang Sizong anymore, this number one scholar is obviously going to be given to me, but. . .If I said that I can be the number one scholar, wouldn't that be deceiving the emperor just now?Thinking of this, Chen Shi was really in a dilemma. He frowned and thought for a long time, and finally he had to cup his hands and say, "Return to Your Majesty...Student... Uh... Please also ask Your Majesty to judge."

Taizu just hummed, thinking about what to do, he turned his head to look at Defang, and suddenly thought of what he said just now that he was going to be punished for practicing boxing sticks, and suddenly laughed, the people in the palace didn't dare to look up when they heard it, thinking What happened to the emperor?Why are you laughing out loud?How strange.

Taizu immediately cleared his throat, "I have a way to separate the brothers of the two of you, and it is also based on your own ability to win. In this way, no matter who becomes the champion, the other will not have any objections."

Wang Sizong and Chen Shi didn't know what Taizu's method was, but since they were relying on their own abilities, they had full confidence in poetry and books, so they cupped their hands and said, "Students respect Your Majesty's will."