Prime Minister

Chapter 217 Visit
Before taking the test, Zhang Yue and others went to the bookstore to make a statement.The family form recorded the examinee's name, year, township, three generations, head of household, number of references, field number, bound together with the examination paper, and then handed over to Yousi.

Back then, Cai Que helped Zhang Yue, and Huang Haoyi undertook the matter so that they would not be tricked.

Now Zhang Yue is already familiar with the way.

The scope of the bookstore is very wide, except for the examinations for candidates, the interpretation of the examination, and even the participation in the ministry hall after becoming an official, these documents are all undertaken by the bookstore.

The bookstore mainly writes the family statement, and also verifies the identity of the official.

According to the notes of the people of the Song Dynasty, when Lu Yijian was in power, his son Lu Gong went to the bookstore to submit a petition.

Everyone looked at him and thought that this person was very polite, but they didn't think there was any difference.

Before leaving, I found out that the other party was the son of the prime minister.

The bookstore is responsible for verifying the authenticity, but there are also countless disadvantages.

For example, officials repeatedly responded to the imperial court that "supervised students make more supplements to trade with others, so that people who live in vain will try to use Yousi".

The behind-the-scenes manipulator who caused outsiders to pretend to be supervisors for the exam was Shusi.

When Zhang Yue arrived at the bookshop, the shopkeeper said to Zhang Yue courteously: "Five thousand dollars for the shop rule and three thousand dollars for the self-binding. But Zhang Xiucai and we have been friends for so many years, so we changed it to [-] dollars and one thousand for the self-binding Five hundred dollars would be fine."

Zhang Yue came here just to get a discount on the group purchase price.Zhang Yue summed it up, felt that it was still a bit expensive and asked, "Is that the price?"

The shopkeeper heard the words and said: "Another person will send a copy of the test instructions."

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Why do we need so many books in Yangzhengzhai? This thousand and five hundred dollars is a bit expensive, otherwise I will go to another house and ask, there are more than [-] people."

The shopkeeper hurriedly grabbed Zhang Yue and said: "Zhang Xiucai stays behind. Look at this, don't go to other houses, and don't make any noise with outsiders. Let's talk behind closed doors. One thousand yuan for self-binding, and a copy of the instructions for the test , I will ask you to take care of the business in the future."

"What? Take care of your business more, what do you mean you want me to explain the exam and take the exam again?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly said: "That's not what I mean. Look at my stupid mouth. Of course it's He Zhang Xiucai. You solve the test quickly and quickly, and give me a copy of the test guide. What do you think?"

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "That's about the same."

The shopkeeper wiped his sweat and said with a smile: "But Zhang Xiucai, let me tell you, do you have any familiar classmates who want to write for you?"

Zhang Yue shook his head and said, "I don't know, just ask for you."

The shopkeeper smiled and said: "Thank you Zhang Xiucai. Besides, we are very familiar with Mi Feng and the transcription officer. If your classmate has this plan, the price can be negotiated."

Zhang Yue said: "I can ask you about this, but are you really sure?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said: "That's natural. I can't guarantee the provincial examination, but the Imperial College Jiexie Examination and Kaifeng Fufu Examinations are all my own people, as long as they can afford the money."

"Did you work hard on printing paper?" Zhang Yue asked.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Zhang Xiucai is really a transparent person."

Zhang Yue lamented that the Song Dynasty was really an era of commodity economy, and to be precise, money can pass through officials.

As far as he knew, there were two ways for bookstores to cheat.

Generally, the bookstore will glue the family form in front of the test paper as the header and then deliver it to the examiner.

Then the examiner will seal and transcribe the joint between the family form and the test paper.

At this time, the book shop will accumulate a large number of test papers and hand them in when the test starts soon.

The examiner will make mistakes in his busy schedule at this time.

Originally, the home form and the joint of the test paper were printed together.But in a hurry, they could only print the family certificate, but the test papers were not available for printing, so the bookstore could transfer the test papers during the transcription process.

There is another level, which is the format of the test paper. Candidates should write "Bong" on the first line, "test" on the second line, copy the title on the third line, and start copying the text on the fourth line.

The first three lines are the same for all examinees, so the bookstore pressed the header of the test paper extremely low when binding the test paper.Candidates are not allowed to write the text until the second page.

What is stamped is the seam of the home form and the first page of the front page, so that the package can be adjusted directly from the second page.

During the period, the bookstore must have bought the transcription officials and Mifeng officials long ago, and then cooperated from top to bottom.

In addition to the exam, the bookstore also contracted many matters for the candidates, such as requesting a number, notifying the exam information, and even collecting notes in the same year after becoming a Jinshi, and various fees.

Cai Que owed so much money after he won the Jinshi, including a large amount of fees for the book shop.

Zhang Ji has a poem.

The title of the poem moved Chang'an in the past, read it in the first volume.

Dr. Qin has practiced Western learning, and Nangong is a new official of Hanlang.

The money I got was only for returning the bookstore, borrowing the house for regular affairs and medicine.

Today, I went to Qizhou to make a living, and moved to Longtouhan.

This is what is said in the poem about returning the money to the bookstore.

This was the case with the imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty.

A few days before the test, the Kaifeng mansion and the candidates for the imperial proctor were also finalized.

You Sijian Zhao Yan, Zhijixian Academy Wang Anshi, Zheng Xie, and Zhijixian Academy Li Teng Fu are responsible for the examination of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Chen Zhu, the censor in the palace, Sima Guang of the Zhimi Pavilion, Li Dalin, the school manager of the Mi Pavilion, and Yang Hui, the school manager of Jixian, are responsible for the examination of the Imperial Academy.

Zuo Zhengyan, Wang Tao, and Pei Yu, the school manager of the Secret Pavilion, presided over the test.

In the Song Dynasty, there was a system of locked courtyards. Officials who wrote hemp during examinations were locked in courtyards and were not allowed to contact outsiders.

Specifically, an imperial edict was drafted for the emperor, in which internal officials with important appointments must be restrained.

As for the imperial examination lock court, it is strictly enforced in the provincial examination.As for the solution test, it is not strictly enforced.

In Beijing, after the appointment of the examiner is generally issued, they can still live at home, and only send a closed door to wait and watch.

As for the local examinations, it is even more lenient, because the examiners are all transferred from other states, so the candidates cover the road and pass the papers, or rush to pay homage to the examiners in the hotel, or invite heroes to threaten the examiners.

An official named Ouyang Che criticized and explained the examination system to the court.

In the Imperial Examinations of Gabin Years, most of the wealthy nobles made friends with the examiners with gold and silk before the edict was issued...even when the examiners came, some asked to see him in the Daozhou Hotel, some accepted swallows from Juzi’s house, and some coerced knights come, who seek bribes.

So after the imperial examination officer gave the order, all the examinees inquired about a few examiners and tried various ways to ask for help.

But everyone only knew that Chen Zhu, the chief examiner, was from Jianyang, Jianzhou, and he was a Jinshi in the second year of Qingli.

Deputy examiner Li Dalin, styled Caiyuan, was born in Huayang, Chengdu.

Yang Hui, courtesy name Element, nickname Xianbai, was born in Mianzhu, and was awarded Jinshi in the first year of Jiayou.

As for Sima Guang, there is no need to mention it.

Zhang Yue was satisfied when he heard the names of these examiners.

It turns out that among the four, Sima Guang and Li Dalin have good official reputations, they can be regarded as honest and upright, and they can select scholars impartially.With them presiding over the exam, although it is unavoidable to ask for help, it will not bury their talents.

In this way, even if he fails the exam, he will not complain about anything.

It seems that the rule of man is not entirely bad.The people above will still select officials, and they are not as self-invited as imagined.

When Zhang Yue was thinking about this, Chen Xiang found himself.

Zhang Yue was very happy to see the teacher. These days he was busy taking papers, so he seldom went to Chen Xiang's.

Zhang Yue was worried about being reprimanded by Chen Xiang for being lazy recently, so he said that although he was busy looking for connections through connections, he did not miss his homework at all.

Chen Xiang looked at Zhang Yue and said, "Take the scrolled articles and come with me in plain clothes."

Zhang Yue didn't dare to ask more questions, and followed Chen Xiang's words.

Chen Xiang also dressed very low-key, and the two of them rode in a carriage for a night.

Both of them had nothing to say, Zhang Yue felt that Chen Xiang was thinking.

Immediately, the two stopped at a street corner, and walked for a while, before arriving at a mansion, where dozens of scholars stood, and they or their servants were holding roll bags, which contained travel rolls article.

Whose mansion is this?

Before Zhang Yue could ask any questions, he learned from other people that this was the residence of Chen Zhu, the official examiner of the imperial examination.

Zhang Yue suddenly remembered that Chen Zhu and Chen Xiang were both Jinshi in the second year of Qingli. They were of the same year, and they were both from Fujian, and their surnames were Chen.

They have a very close relationship, so what is the purpose of Chen Xiang bringing her here?
Chen Xiang looked at the scholars in front of the mansion and said to Zhang Yue: "It's too eye-catching for us to go through the main entrance, follow me through the small gate, don't look around."

Going through the small door means going through the back door?

"Let's go."

Chen Xiangfang took a step forward but saw that Zhang Yue was still standing still, his face was already flushed red.

"how?"

Zhang Yue said nothing.

Chen Xiang already understood how to ask: "Don't want to go?"

Zhang Yue said: "Yes, the students dare not let the teacher owe this favor."

Chen Xiang said: "You are worrying too much. The thing I usually tell you about studying is not to ask others, but to ask yourself, but I also talk about the way of scriptures and authority."

"You've also seen how many scholars come to other countries to ask for a meeting. But if the chief examiner accepts the papers of these people, but you are the only one, what do you think?"

Zhang Yue heard the words and said in relief: "The student understands."

Chen Xiang nodded and said, "Follow me."

Zhang Yue followed Chen Xiang to the back of the courtyard and knocked on the small door, but an old servant opened the door and took a look, then let Zhang Yue and Chen Xiang in.

After entering the house.

Zhang Yue saw an official in a room who was supposed to be waiting at the door, drinking with several people, accompanied by a beautiful singer.

Chen Xiang and Zhang Yue followed the others to the side hall, and through the screen, one could vaguely see an official talking to someone.

After a while, the visitor left, and Chen Xiang entered with Zhang Yue.

The official behind this screen is Chen Zhu.

As soon as the other party saw Chen Xiang, he greeted him with a smile and said, "Shu Gu, why do you need to work for your master, it's so late at night."

Chen Xiang signaled Zhang Yue to wait by the screen, then stepped forward and said with a smile: "I don't go to the Three Treasures Hall for nothing, and I come to ask Brother Si for help if I have something to do."

"Hey, Shugu, you're still out of touch with me. If you want anything, just speak up."

Immediately, the two sat down as the guest of honor. Zhang Yue watched from the side, but saw that the two of them deliberately lowered their voices to speak.

Chen Zhu and Chen Xiang were talking, and then looked at Zhang Yue a few times, which should mean looking at it.Chen Xiang kept talking, but Chen Zhu just listened but didn't comment, and nodded from time to time.

And he looked at Zhang Yue with a much softer gaze.

After the two finally talked, Chen Xiang signaled Zhang Yuejin to come forward.

Chen Zhu said warmly to Zhang Yue: "Show me the articles you usually have at hand."

Zhang Yue said it was offered.

Chen Zhu nodded while reading, and said to Chen Xiang after reading: "Okay, okay, no wonder even Mr. Fu and Privy Councilor Zeng also praised Ling's talent."

(End of this chapter)