To The Land of Nevernight

The imperial examinations of this dynasty followed the system of the previous dynasty, and the tribute courts in each province only accepted local candidates, but all scholars from all over the world could come to the Shengjing tribute court to take the exam.The students in Beizhili were distributed according to their native places, and they were all in Shengjing Gongyuan.In addition to the admired students from all over the country, there were 29 candidates in Shengjing Gongyuan for the provincial examination this year!

No wonder other things, just because of "Student of the Son of Heaven"!

The scholars who entered the examination in the Shengjing Gongyuan were all admitted in the imperial city. If they were thick-skinned, they could boast that they were "students of the Son of Heaven".Exams under the eyes of the emperor, in a sense, they can be regarded as disciples of the emperor.In addition, some talented and famous students will also come to Shengjing to take the exam as long as they are in the vicinity of Beizhili.

It is better to come to Shengjing Gongyuan to pass the examination of Xie Yuan in the poor Gongyuan, because the examiner here is a scholar of Hanlin University.Xie Yuan has dozens of people in each township examination, but there is only one examiner.The examiner is a teacher, and it is better to have a strong examiner in the officialdom in the future than to have other examiners!

The inspection system of the rural examination was much stricter than that of the children's examination. Tang Shen almost had to strip off his clothes to be inspected by the officials.Each examinee cannot enter the examination room immediately after the examination, and has to line up outside the examination room, and then enter together after a hundred students have been checked.

After gathering a hundred students, the officer shouted loudly: "Let go!"

Tang Shen followed in the crowd, rushing in together.

Among the hundred scholars, there are young and energetic young men like Tang Shen, and there are also old men who are very old.Most of them are middle-aged men with beards and already married and established businesses.This is only 100 people, and they are all the faces of the world.Everyone stepped into the outer curtain door together, and thousands of examinees waiting outside the inner curtain door came into view.

Seeing so many people at first glance, Tang Shen was shocked.

When these people lined up and then entered the inner curtain door, and actually entered the examination room of the Gongyuan, the crowd let out an exclamation. The students looked at this magnificent scene, and no one could restrain their amazement.

As soon as you enter the inner curtain door, you will be facing a wide corridor.Looking at the two sides of the corridor, there are more than 1 numbered rooms in the vast expanse!

The room number Tang Shen drew was "Yue Ding", "Yue" was taken from "Yue Zong Tai Dai" in "Thousand Characters", and "Ding" was taken from the heavenly stems and earthly branches.The number rooms of the Gongyuan are numbered with "Thousand Characters" and Tiangan, which is convenient for candidates to find.

Tang Shen quickly found his own number room.

The official patrolling the field walked past him and slammed the gong: "Go in quickly, don't be too long-winded!"

Tang Shen looked at the room in front of him, which was as small as one and a half square meters at most, smiled helplessly, and walked in.

This is where he will be staying for the next three days!

It will take a lot of time for more than 1 candidates to enter the examination room.However, this has not yet been tested.

It was not until the afternoon that the examinees were all checked and entered their number rooms.Tang Shen sat in the numbered room, ate something casually, and had nothing to do, so he could only fall asleep.In the middle of the night, the examiner suddenly rang the gongs and drums, and the candidates woke up from their dreams in a daze.Officials separated from the corridors, filed into the small alleys, and distributed the test papers to the candidates in the numbered room.

Tang Shen picked up the test paper and opened it immediately.

The first question: "I have five out of ten and I am determined to learn."

Just as Wang Qin had guessed, the chief examiner of the provincial examination at the Shengjing Gongyuan was none other than Master Yang.Master Yang likes to read "Book of Changes", but the first round of the rural examination does not take the Five Classics, but only the Four Books and a five-character and eight-rhyme test post poem.

The first question comes from "The Analects of Confucius Weizheng". The original sentence is "The Master said: "When I am ten, I am determined to learn; at thirty, I stand up; at forty, I am not confused; at fifty, I know the destiny; At seventy, do what you want and do not exceed the rules.'” Even in later generations, this sentence is almost household name and familiar.It is about Confucius' comments on himself, and it is Confucius' review of his life and an evaluation of himself, so as to inspire others.

Confucius said: "I decided to study at the age of 15."

Tang Shen carefully examined this sentence, and then scribbled on the draft paper.

There are many ways to solve the problem. You can start with the whole sentence and talk about Confucius' life, how to inspire future generations, how to encourage future generations, and how future generations should learn from Confucius.But this is extremely difficult and easy to digress.

Tang Shen sat in a small number room, with a wall in front of him and other students on both sides.He couldn't see anyone, but he knew that there were more than 1 people in the examination room.

It is not easy to stand out from the crowd of more than 1 people!But once the first question is off topic, the marking officer will most likely not read his subsequent articles and test post poems at all, and will directly circle his blue name and throw him into the failed test paper.

"Well, let's start with the first sentence, and don't write too much."

Confucius decided to study hard at the age of 15. Since then, he has been diligent and diligent, learning the new by reviewing the past.This is the attitude of Confucius, Tang Shen decided to start from the attitude of study.He thought for a long time, and wrote four or five breaking points.

Thinking about it, my stomach growled.Wang Qin put some snacks and some dry food in the test basket that Wang Qin sent to Tang Shen.The snacks won't last long, so Tang Shen ate these snacks first.

After finishing his meal, he thought about it carefully for a long time, then picked up a pen and wrote it down on the draft paper.

"At that time, people entered school according to the way of Confucius and Sage. They first had aspirations and then they completed their studies. Those who have aspirations are endless, but scholars are exhausted. Although the reason why a sage became a Taoist is that his life has a limit, and his knowledge has no limit!"

Everyone starts their own learning path with the way of Confucius when they are enlightened and start their studies. To learn from Confucius, one must aspire to study.However, over the past hundred years, my ambitions have been constantly changing and endless, but I forgot to learn.Even a sage would say that when life is finite, knowledge is endless.

That's right, Tang Shen wanted to use his determination as the starting point, to solve the problem and persuade students to learn!

With a beginning, the article will be easy to write.Tang Shen pondered every word carefully, and drew the structure on the draft paper.On the structure tree branch diagram, he first wrote the arguments and arguments he was about to write, and the words and sentences of the articles to be quoted.Then start writing.

Until the scorching sun hung in the air, Tang Shen finally finished writing the first article on Stereotype Art.Once he finished writing, he didn't copy at all, and fell asleep directly.I slept for two hours before getting up. After checking that there were no mistakes or omissions, I copied it down carefully.

Only then did Tang Shen notice the candle he lit at night.He was surprised to find that the candles Wang Qin prepared for him had very little smoke and did not smother his eyes at all!

Tang Shen had heard that Jinling Mansion had this kind of candle, and the price was extremely expensive, an inch of gold. He never thought that Wang Qin would prepare this for himself.

Wang Zifeng...

At this moment, Senior Brother Zifeng, whom Tang Shen missed so much, was painting at home.

After the butler entered the study and reported to Wang Qin the situation in the house today, Wang Qin remembered: "The township examination has officially started."

The housekeeper said: "Yes."

"Send it to him."

"According to the young master's order, I sent them all."

Wang Qin dipped in the cinnabar, and said in a gentle and melodious voice, "Then wait for two days before going to see how my little brother is doing."

There are a total of three township examinations, each of which lasts three days.It is one day to enter the field, and the official examination is only two days.

Like Tongshi, the most important thing is still the first round, followed by the second round, and the third round is just for soy sauce.

After finishing the first question, Tang Shen looked at the second question.This time the topic is "I also want to straighten people's hearts", which comes from "Mencius Teng Wengong".

Gongduzi asked Mencius: "People say that the teacher likes to argue with others. Why is that?"

Mencius answered Gongduzi with this sentence.

The reason why Mencius likes to debate with others is because he has to do it.He saw the dross of the society of the times, and wanted to straighten people's hearts, get rid of fallacies, resist biased behavior, and criticize absurd remarks, so as to inherit the career of the three saints.

"I also want to correct people's hearts", this is Mencius's ambition.

Mencius was an advocate of the theory that nature is inherently good.

Tang Shen thought about it again and again, and decided to start with "education" and write an article on the art of correcting the social atmosphere and promoting education and goodness.

After writing the second chapter on making art, Tang Shen copied it carefully, and he lost all strength, so he fell asleep.In the evening, he lit a candle, got up to read the third article on Zhiyi, thought patiently for a long time, and began to write the article.

After writing all three Zhiyi articles, it was already the afternoon of the last day.

No matter how tough the man was, no matter how young the boy was, he was trapped in the small cell for three whole days, almost losing his human form.

Tang Shen strengthened his spirits and lit the incense that Wang Qin sent.Fortunately, the township test is not like the children's test. The most difficult smell is not the smell of feces and urine (there are special toilets in the test room), but the sweaty smell of men who haven't bathed for three days. It can be smoked away with incense.

Tang Shen looked at the title of the test post poem, and saw the four big characters "every flower in the past and present" written on the top of the test paper.

Tang Shen's heart skipped a beat, and his mind immediately became clear.

All the flowers in the past and present?

Master Yang really dared to ask questions, and he was not afraid that the questions would be too big!

This topic comes from a poet in the previous dynasty. It is no longer important what the original word is about. Just this sentence "every flower in the past and present" directly includes all the flowers in China and Kyushu, from ancient times to the present!

At this moment, Tang Shen heard a scolding voice from beside him.The candidate next door spoke the authentic Shengjing dialect, and almost scolded Master Yang to death.The official patrol came over, and suddenly there was no sound again.It's just that at the last moment of the first round of the township examination, everyone started to write test post poems almost in unison, and the voices of everyone gasped for air could not be stopped.

Tang Shen grimaced, thinking that although he was a student of science and engineering, there were so many famous poems chanting flowers, he could think of two at random.However, what the township examination had to write was five-character and eight-rhyme test post poems. Even if Tang Shen decided to copy another poem to help himself pass the Jieyuan exam, he couldn't find a poem with the right format and structure.

Ordinary chanting flowers, of course there is no mistake, if the writing is brilliant, maybe you can get a high score.But since Master Yang came up with this question, he naturally didn't want the examinee to chant flowers honestly.

Besides... With Tang Shen's literary talents, it is possible to get a high score, but to be honest, it is too difficult for Yonghua to get into the top few exams.

Tang Shen suddenly remembered a poem: "Luohong is not a heartless thing, it turns into spring mud to protect flowers!" His eyes lit up.

Yes, later generations like to use candles and gardeners as examples of teachers. In fact, the ancients have done similar things, using falling flowers to describe the feedback of flowers and leaves.He can start from this aspect and write a "flower love" poem well.

After making up his mind, Tang Shen beat his stomach and began to write poems.

Thunder moves and listens, and it is sunny and bright.

The grass is full of solitary branches, and the rain beats down all the flowers.

……

The fallen flowers are gone, and the flowers are even more sad.

Unbearable to be crushed and made into mud, spring comes to talk to you.

Tang Shen writes with spirit and finishes in one go, and in an instant a test post poem with five characters and eight rhymes appears on the paper.After finishing writing, he copied it on the paper, blew on the ink, and then went back to check the three articles he had written on stereotyped art.

Tang Shen sighed, knowing how difficult it was to get Jie Yuan.

But he must at least take the top three this time!

Finally, the three days were over, and the examinees got one night to go home and sleep, and come back to continue the exam the next day.

After the officials collected the test papers, Tang Shen picked up his test basket and went out with the candidates.As soon as he stood up, he felt his mind sink, and all the muddled thoughts accumulated in the past three days flooded into his heart at once.Tang Shen followed the flow of people out of the tribute courtyard with vain footsteps, and he faintly seemed to hear someone calling his name.

Tang Shen turned his head and stared blankly at the person who came.

He was hit by someone, he staggered and fell into the arms of the visitor.

Wang Qin was slightly taken aback, raised his hand and patted Tang Shen's face lightly twice, and said with a smile, "Little brother?"

A thought flashed through Tang Shen's mind, "Don't slap my face", and he actually said it.However, in the next second, under Wang Qin's unsmiling expression, Tang Shen fell asleep directly.Wang Qin quickly hugged his waist to prevent him from slipping down.

Yao San rushed over and said, "What's wrong with Xiaodong's family?"

Wang Qin hugged the man, looked up to the sky and sighed, with a smile on his mouth, but he was extremely helpless: "Fall asleep!"

The author has something to say: Pharaoh next door: This is the first time I hugged someone, and it was also the first time I was scolded by others.Junior brother, what do you think should I do?

Little Tang Lang: zzz...