The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Spring has come.

The sky is bright and the snow is melting away, revealing the black soil.

Song Jing has been teaching in Liangxiang for three months and is about to take the first science exam.

The clerks, craftsmen and refugees are excited and nervous, wondering who will pass the first batch of engineers.

"Have you signed up?"

"I have. I wonder if the questions set by Master Song are difficult?"

"It would be great to pass the engineer exam. Like Master Song, you can get a salary of 100 taels of silver per month."

Outside the Liangxiang Shipyard, clerks, craftsmen and refugees came to sign up in groups.

There were a total of 2,000 people.

The Jinyiwei reported the matter to Mou Bin, who then reported it to Emperor Hongzhi.

Hearing the number of applicants, Emperor Hongzhi and Minister of Rites Zhang Sheng were a little surprised. In the past, there were only more than a thousand candidates who came to the capital for the spring exam.

How could a small Liangxiang have more than 2,000 applicants?

"It has the potential to surpass the Talent Selection Ceremony!"

Emperor Hongzhi remained calm: "Who will come up with the science questions?"

"Rumor has it... it's Yan Chengjin."

Zhang Sheng shook his head in disappointment: "If you don't study the books of the saints, what can you teach?"

Liu Jian and other ministers nodded.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes rolled around, looking at the floor under his feet, thinking.

...

Yan Mansion,

In the study, Yan Chengjin was making science exam questions.

The exam questions were divided into three subjects: mathematics, physics, and the Book of Rites.

Physics mainly focused on mechanics, addition, subtraction and decomposition, as well as levers and pulleys, teaching craftsmen how to save effort in shipbuilding.

Mathematics, the questions covered addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, trigonometric functions and the area and volume of a circle.

The Book of Rites is the Book of Rites in the Four Books and Five Classics, which teaches workers to have the spirit of a craftsman.

Song Jing glanced at the exam questions: "Master Yan, is mathematics too difficult?"

"Not difficult, send them to Liangxiang."

In later times, this is the level of elementary school students and junior high school students.

Three taels of silver was considered a middle-income family in the Ming Dynasty. Even the housekeepers of wealthy families did not necessarily receive that much salary.

Song Jing had just come out of Yan's house when a sack fell from the sky.

It caught him, and before he could react, he was thrown into the carriage.

The carriage sped all the way into the imperial city.

When Song Jing woke up, he found Zhu Houzhao standing in front of him with a smile.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, this is..."

"This is my bedroom, but do you remember that you are my warrior?" Zhu Houzhao was beaming with joy.

Song Jing said ashamedly, "Of course I remember."

"That's good, come and teach me how to solve these problems. I'm going to take the science test." Zhu Houzhao dragged Song Jing to the desk.

Song Jing was surprised to find that His Highness had done a lot of math problems, and the manuscript paper was full of math.

His Highness had never attended classes.

Can you understand it just by looking at the formulas and examples in the book?

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and teach me how to calculate the area of ​​the circle in this question?"

...

At the Liangxiang Shipyard, the government office was completely blocked, and the yamen runners placed tables inside.

It was all open-air, and there were no number rooms.

It seemed not as strict as the imperial examination, but there was an extremely strict rule that if cheated, the descendants would be disqualified from taking the exam.

Outside the shipyard, there were many craftsmen and refugees preparing to take the exam, standing or standing, without exception, all holding books.

This was their only chance to turn things around.

Although it would not start until tomorrow, they stood outside the examination room early and waited.

Yan Chengjin ordered Wang Bushui to print the test papers. For the sake of caution, those who participated in the printing were locked in the printing room and were not allowed to leave before the end of the exam.

Before entering the examination room, the candidates had to be searched three times, in a special small black room, to check whether there were any handwriting and formulas on their calves and arms.

"I didn't bring anything." Zhu Houzhao stretched out his slightly white arm.

The new yamen runner didn't know him, nor did he notice Zhu Houzhao's "this palace". He hummed and let him in.

After all the candidates entered, the yamen runners escorted the test questions and distributed them to the craftsmen one by one.

Chai An touched the test paper, and was excited. If he passed the test, he could become an engineer, earning three taels of silver a month, and save for a few years to buy an acre of land in the capital.

I didn't expect such a day to come, it was like a dream.

He looked at the test paper, there were only ten questions.

He inherited the carpentry skills of his family since he was a child, and didn't read many books. This day, he spent money to hire a scholar, who taught him many words, and then he could understand the words in "Arithmetic".

He picked up the pen and quickly wrote on the paper.

In the examination room, there was a guard every five steps and a sentry every ten steps.

Zhu Houzhao looked to the side and was immediately amused. Wasn't that the person who put his face close to him and asked him to slap him?

"Your Excellency is also here to take the science exam?"

"Yes."

Xie Yu picked up the paper and read it carefully again and again. He was ecstatic, as if everything related to arithmetic was very simple for him.

"I wonder who is the big boss behind the shipyard?"

The yamen runner beside him said sternly: "No talking in the examination room. If you violate it again, you will be disqualified from the exam."

Xie Yu's face turned green. He was almost expelled from the examination room. He was careless.

His goal was a monthly salary of 100 taels of silver.

Yan Chengjin walked outside the examination room and saw Zhu Houzhao, who was very happy. This guy looked at the test paper in a serious manner.

"Why did your highness appear here?"

Zhu Houzhao was happy: "I'm a little short of money recently. I'll take the exam to become an engineer."

The monthly salary of the East Palace is 10 taels, and the monthly salary of an engineer is 100 taels. Even a fool knows that he needs both.

Yan Chengjin held his forehead and hid the silver in the urinal. Are you still pretending to be poor? You are pretending so well. If it weren't for the Qiyu House, I would have believed you, a sly guy.

Took a look at Zhu Houzhao's paper, this guy is actually a top student...

Yan Chengjin secretly memorized the name of this paper, Zhu Xiaoshou, and failed it directly in a while, so as to avoid the court from intervening in this matter.

It is estimated that Zhu Houzhao will forget about this matter in a few days.

Walking out of the examination room, Yan Chengjin saw an old scholar walking with his hands behind his back. This old scholar was a little special because he was Yang Tinghe.

There was also Wang Hua on the side.

At this time, the prince should be studying in Minglun Hall. As soon as he disappeared, Yang Tinghe and Wang Hua chased him out.

Yang Tinghe was a straight-forward and serious person, and was strict with Zhu Houzhao.

"Master Yang, Master Wang, hello."

Yang Tinghe looked at Yan Chengjin meaningfully: "Where is the prince?"

"Inside." Yan Chengjin looked in the examination room, and the two followed his gaze and saw Zhu Houzhao, who lowered his head and was very serious.

Yang Tinghe was a little anxious, and shouted in a low voice: "Why don't you let His Highness come out!"

"Why don't you... wait a little longer? The Jinyiwei will be dispatched, which may affect other people's answers." Yan Chengjin estimated that Zhu Houzhao would not obey obediently, and everything would be ruined if he made a fuss.

Do you still want to wait for His Highness to finish the exam?

"Is His Highness more important, or is your heresy more important!"

Yan Chengjin could understand Yang Tinghe's feelings.

What the emperor needs to learn is the way of the emperor. Even the Four Books and Five Classics are just one of them, and it cannot be considered a main subject, let alone "Mechanics" and "Mathematics".

This is the first exam of the science subject, which is crucial.

Many people are looking forward to changing their fate. If they mess up, it will be difficult to do it again in the future.

Yan Chengjin said seriously: "The two adults look at the clerks and people around. This exam is about their survival."

Yang Tinghe and Wang Hua turned around and saw that the people were surrounded by the crossbars of the grille.

They looked at the examination room with expectant eyes.

"Why don't you let the prince out later?" Wang Hua felt a little soft-hearted.

"You are so indulgent! Please come in!"