After Qin Bai talked to Qin Jianshen, he decided to do this nephew a little favor and speak for him in front of the Xu family, Qin Zhonghai and Yao family in the long room.

Qin Jian didn't choose to retreat in front of the palace exam because of timidity. He really has a plan and a certainty to strive for better results for himself in three years. He reflected on his shortcomings, made a list, wrote down where he needed to improve himself in the past three years, and proposed corresponding solutions.

In fact, he is not enough to accumulate, in terms of the Four Books and Five Classics, he has already memorized it, and with Qin Bai's guidance and explanation, he can also understand it, but his writing is a little lacking, and his literary style is insufficient, and he also needs to learn more about historical and literary allusions in order to make the article write better.

Qin Bai had read the list he had made and felt that he could help him with allusions, but in terms of literary style, it might be a little difficult. Qin Bai's own specialty is in terms of scripture and history, poetry and songs, but he is actually not proficient. He thinks that his poetry is only meagre, far from being excellent. He has done this, and the students he has taught can be imagined. Several of his students, but all of them can enter high school, are not superior in literary talent. Wang Fuzhong is good at writing all kinds of documents, and his writing is brilliant, but that is because he is talented and hard enough, and he also has the credit of studying poetry from another gentleman in Xi'an Mansion.

Qin Jian itself is lacking in literary talent, the articles are all popular and shallow, and there is nothing in the township examination stage, and when it comes to the meeting examination and the palace examination, it is easy to be compared with others. In this regard, Tang Han did a better job than him. His father, Dali Siqing Tang, after all, is also a serious jinshi, and has been a Hanlin for a few years, so he can give his son private guidance.

After thinking about it, Qin Bai suggested to Qin Jian: "I have a few friends who are good at poetry, you can ask them for more advice." When I go to find them for tea another day, you remember to keep along. ”

Qin Jian hurriedly agreed, and he felt more confident in his heart. As long as he has the support of the third uncle, he is confident that he can achieve better results in three years, and truly glorify his ancestors.

He used lunch in the third room, all of them were his own family, although they were also divided into male and female seats, but there was no other screen during the banquet, so Qin Hanzhen could easily talk to his grandfather and cousin.

After listening to her grandfather's arrangement for Qin Jian, she glanced at her grandmother Niu, and asked with a smile: "According to me, there is an excellent person who will definitely be able to help Brother Lobby, but I don't know if Brother Lobby has the courage to come to the door to ask for guidance." ”

Qin Bai turned his head and glanced at his granddaughter suspiciously: "Who is it?"

Qin Jian was also stunned at first, but then as if he thought of someone, he instantly blushed and hurriedly lowered his head.

Qin Hanzhen said with a smile: "It's Shou Shanbo! Shou Shanbo's knowledge, who in the whole country doesn't know? The Yu family's sister's poetry is so outstanding, it can be seen that Shou Shanbo's poetry will only be better." Brother Lobby often said that Sister Yu's poems compared him to the sky. Now that Brother Lobby is interested in learning poetry, why don't you ask Uncle Shoushan for advice? Sister Yu often comes to our house to borrow books, and Brother Lobby has also been to Uncle Shoushan's Mansion many times, right? Even if it doesn't work, Uncle Shoushan will not blame Brother Lobby, and Brother Lobby will not have any losses. It's such a great thing, why not give it a try?"

Qin Jian was stunned again, his face turned red again, he raised his head and glanced at his cousin with an accusatory look. He originally thought that she would talk about Yu Xinlan, but he didn't expect to talk about Yu Xinlan's father. That's true...... He is an extremely famous poet of this dynasty, but ...... Every time he saw Shou Shanbo, he couldn't help but feel weak, where did he have the courage to open this mouth to the other party?

Qin Bai didn't know the little Jiujiu in his heart, and he really seriously thought about this possibility: "Yes, although Uncle Yu and I are gentlemen's friends and don't have much contact, we both have mutual friends. I have heard of the name of his poem for a long time. Although Shou Shanbo was an important minister of the dynasty and did not have much leisure time, he was willing to promote his younger generations, and he was also famous. If Brother Jian can sincerely come to the door to ask for advice, Shou Shanbo will never turn people away. Even if you can't worship under Uncle Yu, as long as you can get a few words from him, Brother Jian will be inexhaustible. ”

He turned his head and said to Qin Jian: "I know that Uncle Yu will attend a poetry meeting in a few days, and I have also been invited, I had no intention of going, and I was planning to write a letter to refuse my master. But since you are in need, pack up your tidiness on that day and go with me. Remember to be respectful and respectful, and never neglect any of the guests in the poetry club because of your status. You are a junior, and if you can be appreciated by those seniors, it will also be very beneficial to your reputation in Shilin. ”

Qin Bai hadn't considered the possibility that Qin Jian would be reluctant to go.

Qin Jian was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and saluted: "Yes, my nephew and grandson obey the order." But my heart was beating faster and faster. It was the first time for him to meet Shou Shanbo on such a formal occasion...... What kind of clothes should he wear at that time? What should he say? How should he ask Shou Shanbo for advice? He, he, he, he...... Can he?

Qin Hanzhen said to Qin Bai again: "I am familiar with Sister Yu, why don't you write a letter to her in advance and let her say hello in front of Shou Shanbo first?" If Uncle Shou Shan looks at Brother Lobby is quite pleasing to the eye, he can also have more time to think about it, should he accept this protégé? lest Grandfather say it too suddenly, Uncle Shou Shan was not prepared, and subconsciously rejected us. ”

Qin Bai said: "It's okay to say it in advance." You girls are in correspondence, and that's it. However, I need to write a letter in advance to say hello to be polite. ”

He said to Qin Jian again: "You can also show Shou Shanbo the articles you will try and the essays you do on weekdays, explain to him the reasons why you want to give up the current science palace test, and then show him the things you just showed me in the study." Shou Shan Bo will be able to understand your thoughts. If he agrees, he will be more attentive when he instructs you in the future. ”

Qin Jian hurriedly agreed, but his heart was chaotic and dazed.

Seeing this, Qin Hanzhen smiled and said to him, "Brother Hall, don't be nervous. Shou Shanbo is rumored to be not a bad talker, even if he is too busy to accept you as a student, it still doesn't hurt to give you a few words. My grandfather usually participated in that kind of poetry meeting, tea party or something, and often met others with their children and nephews, so that the children and nephews were more diligent, and it was easier to please the elders and then ask the elders for advice. This kind of thing is not uncommon at all, if it weren't for my grandfather's constant suspicion that I was a girl, maybe I would have gone. You just have to do what others do, and if you don't know anything, just ask your grandfather. Can my grandfather still pit you? Take 10,000 steps back and say, even if Shou Shanbo has a mediocre opinion of you, you can still ask other elders who are good at poetry for advice, what can you lose?"

Qin Jian smiled dryly, and his heart was very entangled. He really didn't want the situation that his third cousin said at all. Speaking of which, Mrs. Shoushanbo seemed to be a little aware of Yu Xinlan's thoughts, and she didn't have any objections, but she didn't know what Shou Shanbo thought?

No matter how entangled Qin Jian was, the poetry meeting would be a few days away, and he needed to worry more about explaining to his grandmother and parents that he had given up the palace exam. Although he has now received the support of his third uncle, Qin Bai, it does not mean that his mother can understand and accept his thoughts.

Sure enough, when Qin Jian said his plan in front of the elders in the family, the Xu family was only facing disappointment, but more thinking about the pros and cons, Qin Zhonghai fell into deep thought, Qin Shutao didn't care, only Yao's family, and reacted the most intensely: "Give up? Why give up?! This is already a sure thing to pass the exam, why do you have to give up?! What does it matter if you are a fellow jinshi? Tongjinshi can also be an official! Don't care if outsiders will laugh at it, it's just that you can't eat grapes and say that grapes are sour." The world will only laugh at those who can't pass the Jinshi exam and can only fail in the examination. When you become an official and rise to the top in the officialdom, who cares if you are from the same Jinshi or Jinshi?!"

Qin Jian tried hard to convince her mother: "The difference between the second class and the third class is very big. Those who enter the cabinet are at least second-class jinshi, and when have they been real high-ranking officials......"

Yao immediately interrupted him: "You haven't even become an official yet, so you want to be a high-ranking official?! There are thousands of Jinshi in the world, and how many high-ranking officials can there be? You are not the child of an ordinary family, others can only rely on their background as a scholar to fight for a high position, you were born with a higher status than others, as long as you have a background and can enter the career, you will naturally be able to do a good job as an official in the future, and you don't have to compare with those small families......"

Xu raised his eyes and looked at his eldest daughter-in-law: "Okay, what are you talking about to the child?!" Our Qin family is a relative, and Brother Jian'er is still a relative, can he be a high-ranking official? The child just wants to have a decent background. This is also ambition. Being an elder can't help him with anything, how can he not even protect the child's ambition? Brother Jian wants to take the exam again in three years, so let him give it a try. If our Qin family can produce a second-class jinshi, it will naturally be more decent than a third-class jinshi. ”

Yao choked for a moment, looked at her mother-in-law in a daze, and was speechless for a while. The Yao family is also a family of eunuchs, how could she not understand the truth that the second class is more decent than the third class......? If the son gives up this subject, God knows if he will be able to pass the next subject? If his grades are worse than Xu Zheng's, won't he be belittled by his mother-in-law again? What's more, his son's marriage can no longer be delayed, and a young talent who has not passed the crown and has entered the imperial examination, and a child of the Hou Mansion who has not passed the crown and has been promoted in the examination, the weight in front of the high-ranking families is not ordinary. She always has to think about her son's life's work!

Xu ignored the reaction of the eldest daughter-in-law, and turned his head to look at the eldest grandson: "But Brother Jian, you have to think about it." A family of relatives like ours would never be able to produce high-ranking officials. Whether it is a second class or a third grade, there is not much difference in the original. Your foundation is unstable, and it was already an unexpected joy to be able to make the list in the exam. If you don't pass the next subject, won't you ruin your future in vain?

Yao's face suddenly turned green.