Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 317 Overjoyed

  The sky is falling with fine snow, and the earth is shrouded in ice cold.

   But this did not stop the enthusiasm of the candidates.

  Although the township examination in Shuntian Prefecture is not important, because there are many wealthy families in the capital, and there are many wealthy families in Beijing, so the prefectures also pay a lot of attention.

  Liu Jie is the son of the chief assistant, so many classmates recognize him.

  As soon as he appeared outside the examination room, many people immediately greeted him enthusiastically.

  Among these people, some were old and some were young. They all bowed their hands to him, but Liu Jie felt a little unnatural in his heart, so he had no choice but to return the courtesy.

  As early as more than ten years ago, when he came to the exam, he must have called friends, but now facing such a situation, he seemed at a loss.

  The older he was, and as his father's official position became more and more prominent, he began to realize that he was different from others. It was luck for others to be selected as a scholar, and it would be even more gratifying to be selected as a scholar.

  As for myself, a scholar who has achieved fame and fame, failing repeatedly, it is nothing less than a shame and a great humiliation.

   Not only Liu Jie, but also many scholars who studied in Xishan also arrived.

   There are a total of thirteen people. We see each other every day, or because of the same illness, we seem to be warmer when we meet.

  Everyone entered the tribute courtyard in an orderly manner. This year, the person who presided over the tribute examination in Shuntian Mansion was Zhang Sheng, Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Zhang Sheng's experience is a legend. He was the No. 1 scholar in Chenghua for five years. Later, when he was in Chenghua, he wrote a letter to impeach Liu Ji, a cabinet scholar, with ten crimes. Instead, he was framed. Yuanwailang was dismissed from office thereafter. Ever since, like many unsatisfactory ministers during the Chenghua period at that time, when Emperor Hongzhi came to the throne, Zhang Sheng immediately soared to the sky, and he was appointed as the left and right minister of the Ministry of Rites, and moved to the Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

   His Majesty suddenly selected Zhang Sheng, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, because Shuntian Mansion is different from ordinary rural examinations.

  For the provincial examinations in each province, only one academic officer is required to preside over the examination. The situation in Shuntian Mansion is the most complicated. After all, here, there are as many dignitaries as dogs. If an ordinary academic officer presides over the rural examination, even if this person is upright and able to withstand the pressure, the results of the examination will often be questioned by the examinees.

  Thus, the examiners in Shuntian Mansion are often hand-picked. Last time, the examiner was Wang Ao, Shangshu of the Ministry of Officials. This position is of high authority. Naturally, candidates don't have to worry about anyone daring to exert pressure in front of the prince. On the other hand, Wang Ao has always been upright, which is well known by everyone, and no one is worried that he will be involved in fraud.

  The same is true for Zhang Sheng, Minister of Rites, extraordinary. What's more, he is also famous for his uprightness. When he was young, he had already opposed the elder Ge at that time, so he did not change his original intention when he was dismissed from office, and he was born as the number one scholar. With such qualifications, who would dare to question Zhang Shangshu's impartiality?

  Liu Jie didn't have much impression of Zhang Sheng, so when he entered the Tribute Academy to salute the great master, he took the examination number and left.

  When he arrived at the examination booth, he took a deep breath. He was discouraged by failing many times, and he still came to take the exam, but there was still a trace of unwillingness deep in his heart.

  I want to come... This time, it is also difficult.

  However... In Xishan, some gentlemen asked him to write stereotyped essays continuously, saying that he had made some progress in stereotyped essays, but they didn't know if it was useful?

  He tried his best to recall that in this short period of six months, he had written eighty stereotyped articles instead of one hundred. Even when he saw any words in the Four Books and Five Classics, he reflexively wanted to solve the problem.

   Maybe... this time... there will be a chance.

   he thought so.

   Then a cannon rang.

  The examiner puts the questions, and the guards hold signs and wander around the test booths.

  When the guard held up a sign in front of Liu Jie, Liu Jie saw the word "Ning Wu Zibang" written on the sign impressively.

  Liu Jie was stunned for a moment. He had an impression of this question.

   It’s not that this question is very impressive, but that among the many questions he has done, there is really such a question.

   Several gentlemen asked eighty if not one hundred questions. If you do too much of this question, you will inevitably feel a little numb. The reason why this question is impressive is that this question is very tricky.

  How bad is it?

  If you understand the four words Ning Wu Zibang, you will find that you can't understand them at all. These four words come from "The Analects of Confucius." The original text of "Gongzhi Chang" is: The Master said: "Ning Wuzi, if the state has the way, it will know, and if the state does not have the way, it will be stupid. It is easy to know, but it is impossible to be stupid." '

  Black...really black...

  When the gentlemen assigned this question, this was everyone's initial impression.

  Ning Wuzi is the name of a person, while "Bang" comes from "If you know the way, you will know the state". It's like, my mentor Wang Shouren, I want to say to Wang Shouren, Wang Shouren, have you eaten yet? Then someone came up with a question called 'Wang Shouren you'.

Come, come, write an article for me. This article must conform to the norms, and it must conform to the principles of the sages. By the way, every format, whether it is breaking the title or inheriting the title, you must also conform to the norms, one word Not more, not one word less!

  Of course, these are just appetizers, and you have to conform to Cheng Zhu’s understanding. For example, in this sentence, Zhu Xi said in "The Analects of Confucius": 'Knowledge, get rid of the sound. Ning Wuzi, Doctor Wei, named Yu. According to "Chunqiu Zhuan", when Wuzi served as a guard, when he was Wengong and Chenggong, Wengong had the way, but Wuzi had nothing to see, so he knew it well..."

  See, you have to comply with Zhu Xi’s understanding of this passage. If you don’t understand Zhu Xi’s meaning, then I’m sorry, and we will still be eliminated.

   Moreover, you only have one day, to be precise, about five hours, if you can’t write it, you’ll just get out.

  Since the opening of the imperial examination, almost every examinee has been searching their brains and wanting to bet on the questions, but the truth is one foot higher than the devil, and every examiner is also racking his brains to come up with strange questions.

   Today, this Zhang Sheng and Zhang Shangshu have played tricks and mastered the level. He actually used the name of the person in the Analects of Confucius and added a state character to make things difficult for the candidates of Shuntianfu.

  As soon as the question was released, there were faint sighs and sighs from all around the test room! Your uncle Zhang Sheng, you have the ability, use your name Zhang Sheng to write an article full of great principles in governing the family and the country to see, it is shameless.

  The Minister of Rites, Zhang Sheng, was sitting in the Minglun Hall, stroking his beard with a slight smile, thinking of the worries of the students, but he was very proud.

  They are all people who have studied hard in the cold window. Zhang Sheng, who was born as a number one scholar, was once a struggler among scholars when Zhang Sheng was young. Now, he has already turned himself over. After many years, his daughter-in-law has become a wife. Unexpectedly, he will have today.

  This question was pondered by him behind closed doors for a long time.

  As soon as this question came out, it immediately showed his level as the No. 1 Scholar. I think there must be a lot of Shuntian Mansion handing in blank papers this year.

   Sitting in the examination shed, Liu Jie was stunned at first, but he was not overjoyed.

He only remembered that he had written this article back then, but because he had done too many questions these days, he had forgotten how he answered the question, but obviously, because of the impression of this question, he remembered that he was very familiar with it. know a lot.

  Therefore, after pondering for a while, he began to draw up a pen to break the title: "The doctor is not only called by foolishness, but also by foolishness."

The problem was easily solved. Although Liu Jie had learned from Wang Shouren, he hated stereotypes. He knew that this problem was specious and empty, but he also knew that the only way to solve the problem was to revolve around a With an inexplicable topic, only by writing an article that seems to make sense can he have a chance to go to high school, so he couldn't help but smile bitterly, put away his mind, and then continued to write.

   After more than an hour, Liu Jie had finished writing an article.

  He just put down the pen, twisted his sore wrist, wanted to check it again, and prepared to re-transcribe the article written on this draft.

But at this time, in the examination room not far from the next door, there was a sudden commotion, as if someone smashed pen and ink on the ground, and before he could react, he heard someone wailing: "Zhang Sheng, you are also a scholar. Suffering from the cold window, being made difficult by the examiner, today I am the examiner, and I am not as good as a beast, I am really inferior to a pig, I... I will not take the exam, I will not take the exam..."

   A heart-piercing scolding.

   Apparently... another one driven crazy.

  Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Liu Jie's smooth forehead, and he thought to himself, if he hadn't been studying in Xishan, he might have gone crazy if he saw this question!

   Several guards rushed up like wolves and tigers, mercilessly subdued the examinee, and quickly dragged him out.

   It's just that the examinee is still howling: "Zhang Sheng, you are raised by your lowly maid, it's not human, it's not human!"

  In the examination room, the sad atmosphere spread, and some guards hurriedly shouted: "Silence, silence!"

   And in Minglun Hall.

  Zhang Sheng was looking at the book proudly, and several examiners were sitting beside him.

  Hearing the commotion, Zhang Sheng frowned slightly, put down his book, and listened hard. When he heard this, his old face immediately pulled down.

   "It's really bold, Mr. Zhang, such a raw student..." Some examiners had a strange expression, and subconsciously scolded.

Zhang Sheng did not show any anger, but said lightly: "I think back then, the old man had slandered the examiner, but now that he is an examiner himself, he knows the difficulty of the examiner, the suffering of the examiner, I can't understand it, old man It's nothing to be scolded for being a talent for the imperial court."

  Implicit in the words, there is still a little bit of excitement. Even though I was scolded, didn't I also show my level?

  At this time, the examiner said again: "Mr. Zhang, do you want to expel this student..."

  Zhang Shengya pressed his hands and said: "No need, the matter is not so serious, just kick him out and cancel his rural examination this year. Young people are ignorant, and this is also a common thing."

  Therefore, all the examiners took this opportunity to praise: "Mr. Zhang is magnanimous and generous, which is comparable to ordinary people."

  The old **** Zhang Sheng said: "I think it will be difficult for Shuntian Mansion to pick out a few talents this year."

  This is the truth. The topic is so difficult that someone can write an article fluently.

  (end of this chapter)