Provincial Tribute Courtyard

Liang Zijun walked out of the examination room with a sloppy face, and he had long since lost his graceful and handsome appearance. As soon as the door opened, all the candidates fled from the room like prisoners.

Liang Zijun pulled off the strip of cloth stuffed in his nostrils, and took a deep breath of the cool evening air, "Damn~ Lao Tzu will never come again!"

"I didn't expect Brother Liang to have such a wolf bèi," a 17 or 8-year-old boy still stood neatly outside Liang Zijun and laughed.

"Hehe~ I'm used to being served at home, and it's inevitable that I'm not used to doing it everywhere" Liang Zijun wiped off the charcoal ash on his hands with a little embarrassment.

The corners of the young man's mouth twitched, and he said goodbye without humility or arrogance, and left in a hurry.

"Cut~" Liang Zijun snorted coldly, and stepped out of the gate of the tribute courtyard with a chic hem.

"Oops~" Behind him, a candidate with a big bag and a small bag bumped his head into Liang Zijun, who was walking slowly.

Liang Zijun staggered back and laughed, this candidate is probably reluctant to lose his luggage, and after the exam, he packed it all and brought it back, even if he washed such a dirty thing, Liang Zijun didn't dare to use it, so he couldn't help but avoid asking him to go first.

Each province has a tribute institute as a township examination room, and the number room is also called "examination shed", as an examination room and dormitory for candidates to answer papers, eat and stay in the tribute institute.

Each candidate has a single room, less than 4 square meters in size, with only two planks on the top and bottom. The top plank is used as a table, and the bottom is used as a chair, and the two boards are put together as a bed when sleeping at night. There is also a charcoal fire for candidates to warm or cook. During the test, candidates are isolated from the outside world, and all their eating, drinking, and lazing are solved in the number room, so they have to bring their own daily necessities, such as meals, candles, bedding, etc.

It's enough to be stuffy in it for three days, and you have to endure the smell of feces and urine from yourself and others. No one in this examination room poured the bucket for you, and after three days, everyone had a foul smell on their bodies, which could be smelled from a distance of 3 meters.

Liang Zijun has always been clean, and he is on the verge of collapse after enduring three tortures for nine days, although he can return to the inn every three days to rest for one night, but he is terrified at the thought of having to enter the examination room comparable to a pigsty again. No, the pigsty at home is better than that environment, not only clean but not so smelly.

Thinking of the daughter-in-law who was not tossing pigs, Liang Zijun couldn't help but feel a little homesick. When I returned to the inn, I took a shower three times before I wiped my face, touched my bearded chin and laughed.

After shaving the stubble and washing up, the noble son looked at the mirror and said, "Well, this is like a person!"

Changed into a new dress embroidered by his daughter-in-law, picked up the stinky clothes with two fingers and handed them to the guy to clean, if it weren't for the fact that this dress was embroidered by Ah Qing himself, Liang Zijun would have wanted to lose this dress together.

Such exquisite clothes are really in the limelight among the students, Liang Zijun can cause admiration every time he changes his outfit, there are envy, there are jealous, Liang Zijun is not lacking in vigorously touting his own store, and the right talent raises a glass to invite the shallow talent to learn.

After every exam, all the candidates have to inquire about the news overnight, and they are secretly glad that they are good in the exam, and they are anxious and sleepless if they are not good in the exam, Liang Zijun has no such concerns, and he goes back to the room after participating in the banquet and falls asleep.

"You spare me~"

"If you don't go, if you don't go, I'm going to die...... Hah~"

"Brother Liang, let's change the day? Just after the exam, you let the little student go~"

"Bump~" After Liang Zijun ate a slap in the door again, he couldn't help but sigh and shout at the door, so he simply went out to have fun by himself, and sighed in the room with this waste wood.

Liang Zijun became famous for his gorgeous clothes before the examination, in addition to the chic and conspicuous gorgeous embroidery, there are still two sets of low-key and elegant robes to make a face. At this time, Liang Zijun was a fine white Confucian robe, with a belt of ethereal auspicious clouds and wide-brimmed brocade belt at the waist, lined with pants of the same color, and pedaled auspicious brocade boots.

In addition to the placket hem embroidered with a turtle pattern, the collar of the shirt is edged with silver wire, and the slightest bit of color floats between the hands and feet, which really attracts the attention of passers-by.

Liang Zijun played with the jade on his waist, padded the silver bag in his hand, walked into a magnificent restaurant without hesitation, and ordered a table of good wine and food to pour himself a drink.

Before leaving, the big deal had not yet been settled, because the money was embezzled from the cloth shop account, Liang Zijun was not a masochistic master, after such a big test, he must have a good meal to replenish the oil and water.

Behind the diagonally opposite screen, one person happened to have a full view of this scene, and he couldn't help but have a trace of interest, smoothing the hem folds and walking generously.

"Isn't it boring for my brother to pour himself like this? Wouldn't it be better for you and me to talk about the wine?" the man sat down in a dashing manner, called his men without consent, threw over a piece of silver, and ordered the altar to be good wine.

Liang Zijun was worried about being lonely, so he rushed to have fun. The man opposite is gentle and elegant, Liang Zijun is humorous and witty, and the two of them have no tea to become confidants, and they are very happy to talk about changing cups.

Talking about all kinds of indecent things in the examination room, Liang Zijun looked disgusted, and bluntly said that he never wanted to enter the examination room that was inferior to the pigsty again in his life.

The man thought that he would be able to drink so energetically just after the exam, and he must be a junior who did not learn and did not know how to do it, but he didn't want to talk about him, but he couldn't help but sigh at this time, "That's true, I and other students were answered by the circle number room, and they really lived a life that was not as good as pigs and dogs for a few days"

Liang Zijun laughed, and did not expose his scheme, but he was just a temporary drinking friend, so why dig out his heart and lungs? Besides, he talked casually, and he was afraid that this rich man would not look down on him, so he picked out some strange things and said, and the expression of the person on the other side of the direct talk flickered brightly and darkly, and it was very exciting.

The man frowned slightly, this guy looks like he is acting exaggeratedly, but he is by no means as prodigal as he appears on his face, he must be on guard, he can't help but smile bitterly, and he bowed his hand again and again, "Brother Tai is not the person who is looking for it, so he will no longer bother, and please forgive me for being abrupt."

Liang Zijun casually stretched out his arms to signal a word of invitation, and then saw that people got up depressed, and suddenly said, "If Brother Tai is willing to help in the next little favor, I am willing to help Brother Tai in the next hand."

Liang Zijun laughed twice and drank the good wine in the cup, "You don't have to help, Liang is not such a person who doesn't know the depths, even if he eats your wine, he doesn't dare to help, and he can still give one or two instructions."

The man's face lit up, and he hurriedly arched his hand and said, "I want to hear it in detail"

Liang Zijun said a few words casually, and saw that the man left the table in a hurry with a strange expression, and said playfully, "Say yes, whether you can find a way depends on yourself! Tsk~ It's really good wine, it's not in vain for me to sell credit to you."

Liang Zijun doesn't like to cause trouble, but the scientific examination has ended, and he is only waiting for the early winter to release the list, so it is better to have some fun and relieve boredom for a long time.

As for how much shock his remarks will cause to the provincial capital, it is not something that Liang Zijun can interfere with. He doesn't care who will fall off the horse, who will rise to the top, he just wants to have fun, as for the result, it is not within his care.

Cheating in the imperial examination room can be said to have existed in ancient times, there are dozens of types of cheating, and the methods are also strange, such as making friends, traveling papers, harboring, ghostwriting, conferring, following candles, flying pigeons, etc., which can also be simply classified into three categories: entrustment, substitute examination and entrainment.

Ask for a connection, bribe the examiner, and open up the joints in order to seek to win the list. The specific methods include probing, articulation and stealing. Probing questions are leaked test questions before the exam. Joints are commonly known as ciphers. Secretly changing the test paper goes one step further, making manipulation on the test paper, transcribing and secretly changing the test paper.

The noble are entrusted with the potential, the rich are entrusted with wealth, and the relatives are entrusted with affection. If you have no power, no wealth, and no relationship, then please have no way.

If the candidate has a little property, but there is no way to buy an official directly, and he can't ask for bribes, there is another way to cheat, that is, to take the test. The ghostwriter is also known as the prosthetic hand, and there are two kinds of substitute names for the examination and the prosthetic hand for the hospital. Substitute entry refers to taking the test on behalf of others, and the substitute does not enter the test. The prosthetic hand in the hospital is that the substitute and the substitute enter the exam at the same time, and answer each other's questions.

If the candidate's family is poor and he can neither pay bribes nor afford to hire a ghostwriter, he can only bring it himself. There are many different ways to do it, but the most common way is to stuff a slip of paper into your clothes, shoes and socks, or write it on the body of your garment. You can also carry items with you, such as brushes, food, candles, etc.

There are also those who find another way to hide the answers in oiled paper and tie them with thin threads and hide them in the □□. There is even a master developed the "silver salt blackening technique" The most unique cheating method is to pass the book of the flying pigeon, use the flying pigeon that is trained on weekdays to send a message home at night, and then ask the family to write the answer on behalf of the master, which can be described as unaware.

Of course, the imperial court has also introduced many solutions to this over the years, but the emperor is far away, and corrupt officials and corrupt officials are blended with nepotism, and it is even more difficult to completely prevent and control it. Even if you are caught cheating and will hit the 50 boards, and you will not be allowed to enter the office for life, there are still talented people who are not knowledgeable and are tempted by fame and fortune and go forward.

It was because when someone spied on fraud under the pretext of talking, Leung would say that he was unwilling to reveal the truth. How could such a talented and good person appear in this small provincial capital for no reason? Presumably it must be the inspection officials sent down from above, Liang Zijun did not wade into this troubled water, he refused to explain, and only made a slight mention of it for him to toss himself. Anyway, as long as he waits for the release of the list, he will return to his hometown, as for whether he is in the middle or not? With his knowledge and the money for customs clearance, I don't believe that there will be anyone who will dare to drop his test paper without opening his eyes.

Liang Zijun ate and drank enough to return to the restaurant with confidence to wait for the news, and within three days, the pond water in the provincial capital was stirred into a pot of gruel by the man.

Listening to the latest news, Liang Zijun covered his mouth and said with a smile, "If it's really not a thing in the pool, it's not in vain."

After Liang Meng returned to the door three days later, the Liang family returned to its former peace, Chen Qing had no time to be sentimental, he was still busy going into the mountains to pick mountain goods, and he had to ask someone to repair the old house in his spare time.

Wood-framed houses have to be painted with tung oil every few years, otherwise it will take a long time*. Chen Qingyuan wanted to do it himself, but later considering the tight time, he had to reluctantly hire two carpenters to help.

Tung oil is the paint that is commonly used for brushing oil, and it is also the only means of antiseptic of wooden furniture. Before the wood is used, it will be soaked by a special method, and then brushed with tung oil to prevent corrosion and insects.

Chen Qing couldn't stay idle, so he simply rolled up his sleeves and worked, anyway, it was just a brush of oil, and there was no difficulty.

Although brushing oil is not a technical job, it is very easy to stain clothes, Chen Qing pulled the hem of his clothes and secretly rejoiced, thanks to wearing linen clothes, otherwise stained with tung oil, the best brocade clothes will be ruined.

The tung oil can't be washed off, and it will be hard to condense into a piece after drying, and Chen Qing rubbed it hard to make the oil stains softer, but fortunately, it is not necessary to tighten the clothes, and it is not tight to wear and work.

After the Chung Yeung Festival, the weather began to get colder, and after several heavy rains in a row, the house became damp and cold. Taking advantage of the good weather, Chen Qing turned over the mountain goods collected two days ago to remove the tide, and began to fry some snacks for the pregnant husband and children at home.

Brother Yang was about to give birth, Chen Qing deliberately went to the shopkeeper Lin in the town to give two tonics and a pair of induced decoctions, and happened to find an old ginseng when he went up the mountain, so he stayed in case of unpreparedness.

Chen Qing was not willing to eat the eggs at home, and they were all saved for Brother Yang's body. If it weren't for Liang Meng's wedding, he would have used up all the eggs he had saved, and at this time, I am afraid that he would not even have to exchange the red-skinned eggs with the villagers.

As soon as he sent a bowl of walnut kernels to Brother Yang, the cloth man hurriedly came to the door to look for someone. Chen Qing immediately took off his apron and explained to Brother Yang, and then got into the carriage with his guys.