Prime Minister

Chapter 284 Names
Shen Yu said Zhang Yue's theory was comparable to Ping Bian Ce, which made the examiners feel a bit too much, but such an excess is also expected.

Shen Yu is a good friend of Yang Tian, ​​so he naturally supports him. At the same time, he has a good relationship with Ouyang Xiu. Besides, he ordered Zhang Yue's famous scroll, so those words are only normal.

Yang Tian said: "Since it is a temple examination policy theory, you can answer whatever you ask. In this way, Wang Kui has been an official for several years, managed several places, and heard so many temple theories."

Wang Anshi said: "Wang Kui's prose is balanced in every sentence, obviously he has a heart of awe. What's more, in terms of prose and prose, this person is better than Zhang and Jiang."

An examiner on the side said: "Jiefu, this Fu is full of spring and autumn, and it fits Mencius's noble people's theory. It is refreshing to read. Haven't you also valued Mencius' words?"

Wang Anshi said: "Otherwise, Mencius is Mencius, and Dong Zi is Dong Zi. Mencius practiced the kingly way, and the kingly way is not domineering, let alone the way of domineering."

"Mencius said that nature is good, but Dong Zi said that there are three grades of character, divided into sages, middle people, and douyu. Can this be confused? Or Dong Zi often said that nature and man are in harmony, but floods and droughts are constant, and Yao Tang is inevitable."

Wang Anshi's words stunned the faces of all the examiners present.

Is there something wrong with the theory of sympathy between heaven and man?We civil servants have been talking about this rhetoric for thousands of years.

Wang Anshi was eloquent and eloquent, and no one could refute him for a while.Of course, those who can refute are unwilling to refute.

To be honest, Zhang Yue, Wang Kui, and Jiang Yan all came from poor families.Under the disputes of several examiners, the purpose of dismantling the name is to see the background, and whoever's "birth" is worse will be the number one scholar.

But in terms of origin, all three are from poor families, so the controversy came.

Originally, most of the officials on the field still preferred to choose one of Zhang Yue and Jiang Yan as the first emperor, but Wang Anshi, as a detailed official, was fighting hard himself, and Wang Kui was pulled up by him for a while.

Wang Anshi was arguing with Yang Tian and Shen Yu on the field.

Taichang Shaoqing Zhu Congdao, who is a secret official, is extraordinarily calm when he stays out of the matter.He smiled and chatted with his colleagues: "I have heard that Wang Kui is the number one scholar in the streets and alleys of Bianjing since more than ten years ago."

"The hearts of the people have been determined, and the two men are still fighting on their own, why bother?"

Many examiners have also heard the rumor that Wang Kui won the number one scholar, but no one will think it is a joke, but the words of the market can be regarded as nonsense.

At that time, many people believed in the prophecy, thinking that it was a sign from heaven.

Even officials and scholars are no exception. They all believe that the imperial examination is difficult to do by themselves, and mostly depends on the favor or favor of ghosts and gods.

Otherwise, just look at the incense sticks at the Erxianggong Temple and Daxiangguo Temple before the exam, and most people believe in the divination.

Often these one or two gossip spread to the court, and under the exaggeration of hearsay, it became extremely important and could influence the final result.

After hearing what Zhu Congdao said, more and more examiners supported Wang Anshi.

But Yang Tian and Shen Yu didn't believe this, and Wang Anshi just insisted on his own principles.

In all fairness, Wang Kui and Zhang Yue’s articles have their own advantages and disadvantages. Wang Kui wins in diction, but it’s as if he didn’t say the truth. However, this is not a shortcoming.

Zhang Yue is good at reasoning, and his diction is not bad.

Compared with other Jinshi papers, articles that can discuss the number one scholar can be said to be well written and of high quality.

But if we insist on comparison, whether writing is better than quality or quality is better than writing is a dispute.

When the two sides were at a stalemate, everyone finally made up their minds and asked Yang Tian and Wang Anshi to make their own proposals to the emperor, who made the final decision.

After hearing this opinion, Yang Tian and Wang Anshi both agreed and stopped arguing.

The examiners chose the next best thing, Zhang Yue and Jiang Yanzhong selected one according to Yang Tian's opinion, and then played together with Wang Kui, who was recommended by Wang Anshi.

In the end, most of the examiners still thought that Zhang Yue's prose was better, and Jiang Yan was excluded. According to the previous ranking, Jiang Yan not only missed the number one scholar, but also fell to No.19 in the first place.

Because Shen Yu and other primary examiners gave Jiang Yan the [-]th place.

It can be said that one step further will open up the sea and the sky, and one step back will...

How many people's fate is just one step away.

Then everyone was busy booking other rankings.

No.2, Chen Mu was finally decided. This person is the son of the famous official Chen Dong. As a son of an official, he is not allowed to be the champion.

No.3 is Wang Zhichen, the other party was originally a craftsman who was the chief supervisor, and as a court official, it is even more impossible to be the number one scholar.

As for the four and five are also set.

The examiners thought over and over again and left the champion and No.6 for Zhang Yue and Wang Kui. They discussed and filled in the rankings and examinee paper numbers, and it was almost dawn when they finished writing.

All the names were written on the form and submitted to the emperor just before the cold food festival. Wang Anshi and Yang Tian each made a plan to explain the reasons for taking Zhang Yue, and Wang Kui gave the emperor their respective reasons.

March [-]th is the cold food.

The examiners waited in the palace and celebrated the festival by the way, while the examiners were speaking.

Suddenly, the imperial medicine academy passed on the original decree of the Son of Heaven to take the original volume of the Zizi font size, the Tu font size, and the Qi font size.

Cold food festival, light rain.

For the people of Bianjing, this is just an ordinary cold food festival, but for the scholars, in two days it will be time for Donghuamen to roll their names.

Bianjing during cold food is another scene. The paper horse shops on the street are folded into pavilions and placed on the street.

In front of the lintels of every household in Bianjing, wicker sticks are inserted, and jujube noodles are kneaded into flying swallows and strung on the wicker sticks, which is called Zituiyan.These jujube swallows are kept for years, and if children eat them, they can be used to treat aphthous ulcers.

The ten days after the palace examination were normal days for Zhang Yue, and the matter of engagement was left to his brother and sister-in-law.

Guo Lin and Zhang Qiu are preparing for the imperial examination.

There was no movement in the Wu family, and they should avoid it before getting engaged, and the matchmaker will mediate.

Cold food On this day, Zhang Yue, Huang Lu and other Taixue classmates went for an outing, or went shopping in the market to buy some cold food such as thick glutinous rice cakes, wheat cakes, cheese, and milk cakes.

When returning to the city, the forbidden chariots and horses sacrificed to sweep the tombs of the priests of the Fengxian Temple and Taoists, and the palace people returned from outside the city. The palace people led the way with gauze lanterns.

Watching the royal horse galloping past the palace, Zhang Yuebi was chatting with Huang Lu on the side of the road. The news about the palace examination these days after the palace examination has spread all over the sky. Sometimes it is said that Wang Kui is the champion of high school, and sometimes it is said that Jiang Yan high school No. [-] scholar, of course there are also Zhang Yue high school No. [-] students, but there are quite a few.

Yue never believed in these chapters, but someone always passed them to his ears.

Han Zhongyan came to see Zhang Yue for a day, and said that it was rumored that Zhang Yue spread rumors to ruin Wang Kui's reputation so that he could compete for the number one prize.

Zhang Yue knew in his heart that there would be no waves without wind, and it was likely that after the news of Wang Kui molesting a woman from a good family spread, he hit the target instead.Of course Zhang Yue knew that it was Huang Lu who said it, but Wang Kui mistook it for him to spread it. After all, if Wang Kui's reputation is ruined and he can't win the first prize, he will benefit the most.

Zhang Yue said to Han Zhongyan: "I have never said anything unfavorable to Wang Kui. As the saying goes, those who are clear will clear themselves, and rumors are limited to wise men. I don't want to explain it to others, so as not to encourage rumors."

Han Zhongyan said: "You act openly and aboveboard, I believe you, and I will explain one or two for you when the time comes, but gossip is always hard to guard against, you have to be more careful."

Zhang Yue said: "Thank you very much, but I don't want to be deceitful, and I am not afraid of people's words."

Han Zhongyan sighed: "It's a pity that people's hearts are unpredictable. If you come here to fight for the champion, you can't be jealous. Sometimes you don't want to fight, but today you can't let you not fight. As long as you are in it, you can't escape All kinds of open and dark arrows. As the saying goes, if you want to reach the height, you must first bear the weight. If you have any difficulties, come to me at any time."

Zhang Yue heard that he had thanked Han Zhongyan, and knew that Wang Kui's voice for winning the first prize was getting higher and higher, so the news that he was misunderstood and slandered him behind his back would have some impact on his reputation.

Zhang Yue's heart is not so strong that he doesn't care about other people's opinions on him.

But he knows that with or without it, there's always going to be controversy if you want to go there.

There is no perfect thing in the world, even if you win the number one prize, you have to look at it in two parts.Han Zhongyan's words also reminded himself, but he didn't tell Huang Lu about it, worrying that the other party would feel guilty for it.

Anyway, there are various versions of the news, and unfounded stories will disappear after two or three days. People chasing hot spots is only 3 minutes of popularity. After the palace exam is released, all disputes will stop.

Now there are only two days left.

Now that Zhang Yue said that he didn't want to win the No. [-] Scholar, it must be a lie, but it doesn't hurt to think that he can get into the second class.

It can be said that the first prize is a good starting point, but more importantly, it is a prestige, let the world know you, just like no one knows who is the second person to land on the moon, winning the first prize will be a household name.

However, although the starting point is good, it depends on oneself how to go after the long official road.

Zhang Yue glanced at the loess under his feet, and he answered that sentence, the road is under his feet.

Zhang Yue and Huang Lu, who were hiding by the side of the road, did not go back on the road until the passing palace carriage passed by.

Looking at the suburbs of Bianjing, such as the city, people are outing in the green. Between the tall trees and the fields, the scholars sit here and put wine cups and plates, and persuade each other to drink. It is very lively.

The common people swam with food until sunset before returning to the city.There is a small bridge beside the road, and the farmers have just returned from selling goods in the capital with their pack horses.

Looking at the scenery of the city wall of Bianjing in the twilight, Zhang Yueyao wondered why he should worry about fame and fortune all day, and miss such a beautiful spring?

As soon as the cold food was over, the Imperial Pharmacy Institute issued a decree to take several volumes to the Imperial Palace for viewing. In the afternoon, Yang Tian and Wang Anshi were announced to the Imperial Palace to meet them.

After the two arrived, they saw Han Qi in a purple robe and Zeng Gongliang sitting beside the imperial case drinking tea, where the official was looking at the paper.Now that Fu Bi is in Ding You, only Han Qi is in charge of the Political Affairs Hall. It is rumored that Zeng Gongliang will also join the Political Affairs Hall from the Privy Council to assist Han Qi.

After Yang Tian and Wang Anshi saw the ceremony.

Only then did the official look away from the papers, and said to the two of them: "You two gentlemen, I am looking for you to decide on these papers in detail, and to discuss the first name of the imperial examination."

(End of this chapter)