The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin looked at it and found that the signature on the book actually contained the three characters Zhao Houzhu.

The ancients valued filial piety, loyalty, and integrity. After Liu Bei was the upright Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Cao Cao rebelled, and Zhu Houzhao, that bitch, actually wrote him as a righteous teacher who risked the disapproval of the world. How could he be popular?

Sure enough, the capital was boiling, the saliva was flowing like the water of the Yellow River, and the curses were like thunder from the sky, night after night.

Everyone in the capital was scolding Zhao Houzhu, but the one who didn't buy it the most was the storyteller, who assigned several identities to the mysterious Zhao Houzhu and scolded him for seven days and seven nights.

At this time, in the East Palace,

Zhu Houzhao was happy, thinking that he would gain a wave of fame. When he heard the wave of curses, he beat Liu Jin severely.

"Your Highness...what this servant said is true!" Liu Jin cried in grievance.

In the early morning of late August, the air was filled with coldness, and oriole flew to the eaves of Yan's mansion, chirping happily several times.

Today is a great day in autumn. The capital is very busy early in the morning. Vendors set up stalls in front of the Gongyuan gate early, selling pens, ink, lamps and other items.

The early morning in Yan's Mansion was much more lively than usual. His son had lost his mother since he was a child, and his father naturally made arrangements for him. Yan Ke started at the fifth watch of the night when the rooster crowed, running back and forth, ordering people to prepare.

Chunxiao sent a set of new Confucian clothes, but Yan Chengjin wanted to wear 70% new clothes so that Qiu Wei could perform well.

Yan Kesong, who has always been thrifty, asked the chef to prepare a sumptuous breakfast.

Yan Chengjin only drank two bowls of wolfberry and bird's nest porridge.

Yan Kesong's eyes suddenly softened, and Lao Huai said happily: "Cheng Jin, my father is usually strict with you because he is a small imperial editor. Unlike those princes, who have been favored and have titles. But it’s passed on to you. Dad has always felt guilty. Oh, why are you crying? Don’t tell me, just go ahead and take the exam. Now we, father and son, can’t starve to death in the capital.”

Yan Kesong felt guilty. He was busy with books these days and tired of giving lectures to the prince, so he had no time to teach Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin had always been quarrelsome with his father, and he would become red-faced when fighting over melons. He was looking at him with such an old father's eyes, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

I checked the three luxury pens myself and asked my father to check them again before I went out alone.

On weekdays, the shouts and shouts in the streets are far apart, but today you can hear them when you go out. In the Shuntian Prefecture Township Examination, the excitement on the streets is no less than the temple fair on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.

He had expected that the atmosphere in the capital today would be very tense and solemn. In order to relieve the high-pressure atmosphere, Yan Chengjin had already prepared a relaxing ditty to encourage himself. He was humming along the way:

"After decades of hard work, once I return to BC,

The family wealth is one-third of an acre, and the more they work, the poorer and loser they become.

The first thing you do when you wake up every day is to cheer yourself up.

To be a good person, you need to be a master, and to eat chicken, you need to be a running chicken..."

When I arrived at Gongyuan, I was surrounded by Confucian scholars. They were queuing up to search me one after another. Except for pens and lamps, I was not allowed to bring anything else with me.

The imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty was quite strict. Candidates had to stay in the Gongyuan room for three days, so they had to bring their own lamps. In addition, they had three pens. Finding any extra items was regarded as fraud, and they were caught on the spot. .

At this time, Yan Chengjin actually heard someone scolding Zhao Houzhu.

It turned out that it was because of the Three Kingdoms vying for hegemony a while ago that the scholars had gone to check the history books for evidence. Only then did they remember that they were about to take the exam. They all cursed Zhao Houzhu for causing great harm to others. If he hadn't said that Cao Cao was a good man, How could they check for evidence?

Yan Chengjin was hiding in the corner, but he saw a scholar with a beautiful face walking towards him, staring at him, as if he was specifically looking for him.

The scholar bowed to him and said, "Young Master is Yan Bianxiu's son, Yan Chengjin?"

Yan Chengjin looked around. The noise was too loud and no one noticed their conversation. After thinking about it, he admitted in a low voice: "It's me."

The scholar blushed for a moment, as if he was feeling unfeeling, and said awkwardly: "Student Cheng Zitang, whose courtesy name is Chengxiang, and his father is Cheng Minzheng, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites."

Yan Chengjin was wary. He had heard that poems and essays were both popular. He had also heard that Cheng Minzheng was so angry that he was bedridden.

Cheng Zitang said: "After the dispute between my father and Yan Bianxiu a few days ago, he fell ill and didn't go to court for many days. I was worried and guilty. When I learned that the young master was also a candidate for this subject, my father ordered the student to decide. If I want to be better than you, my parents will not dare to give up. Young master, please be careful."

Enemies have conflicting interests and interests, and life and death are incompatible.

They are enemies, and they should be invaded by fire and water. When encountering such a polite confession, Yan Chengjin couldn't help but sigh, the world of Ming Dynasty is really good.

Yan Chengjin also bowed his head and said, "I already know this and will do my best."

In the rural examination of Shuntian Prefecture, Wang Hao and Wang Hua served as examiners, and scholars were also called the Shuangwang Township Examination.

After being searched, all the scholars entered the Gongyuan, and the officers and soldiers of Shuntian Prefecture locked the courtyard.

Yan Chengjin entered his small room, and as he got higher and higher day by day, the room gradually became stuffy, and there was a smell of mystery in the corner, which was very unpleasant.

Yan Chengjin was a child from the countryside in his previous life and had suffered all kinds of hardships. But now... he felt like he wanted to vomit.

Fortunately, I was wearing 70% new Confucian clothes, which I often soaked in Menglou brand laundry detergent, and had a scent to protect my body, so I felt better.

After the gong was sounded, the first subject of the Shuntianfu Township Examination began.

Yan Chengjin polished his ink quickly, and by the time the official had the test paper in his hand, he was ready to start answering.

After three games, life and death were so uncertain that even Yan Chengjin, who had made sufficient preparations in advance, felt exhausted, let alone those scholars.

However, the provincial examination is finally over.

Ten years of studying hard is not something ordinary people can bear.

After leaving Gongyuan, there were many crazy scholars, and dozens of them were taken away by the officers and soldiers of Shuntian Prefecture.

He was already quite young. Although he was a talented scholar and received a salary from the imperial court in the township, he did not have much money, which was not enough to support a family of three.

The imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty were not consecutive, and if you missed it, you had to wait another three years. Many scholars whose families were not well-off had no choice but to find another way to support their families.

Yan Chengjin sighed and didn't stay long. He returned to Yan's mansion and took a comfortable bath. Wang Busui didn't know whether it was intentional or coincidental, but he came to deliver money on this day.

"What are you talking about? My father and wife...Zhao Houzhu's books actually sold better than Menglou?"

Yan Chengjin couldn't believe it.

According to Wang Busui, after the provincial examination, those scholars bought a lot before returning to their hometowns, just to criticize Zhao Houzhu with reason.

In the past few days, the pace of publishing books has become even faster.

I believe Zhu Houzhao also knew that he was scolded so miserably. Under such circumstances, he still insisted on proving to the world that Cao Cao was a great hero. Yan Chengjin admired Zhu Houzhao's spirit very much.

East Palace,

Recently, the teacher-student relationship between Yan Kesong and Zhu Houzhao has become a bit subtle, but it is still a master-student relationship. Zhu Houzhao gave Yingke Song some guidance on how to write the story of heroes fighting for hegemony.

Yan Kesong said with a guilty conscience: "Your Highness, I am here..."

Zhu Houzhao said carelessly: "Don't be afraid, Liu Ban is guarding outside. I have invented more than a dozen secret codes. The roar of the dragon means that my father is coming, the cry of the tiger means that Master Wang Hao is coming, and the crow of the cock means Wang Hua. The master is here, there are even three masters in the cabinet, just write the book in peace."

Yan Kesong sighed secretly, Eunuch Liu is really versatile.

Naturally, Yan Kesong did not dare to ask, and added: "Your Majesty randomly checks His Highness's studies, isn't it..."

Zhu Houzhao looked like he suddenly understood, and then picked up the book: "Master Yan concentrates on writing the book. Just write it according to what I just said. I can see it for myself."

Yan Kesong had a dark look on his face, and the book was destroyed in the hands of Zhu Houzhao.