Four watches, two o'clock in the morning.

A twelve or thirteen-year-old scholar came running with a suitcase: "Young master, take the box!" ”

Wang Ce took advantage of the candle flame, opened the examination box and checked it again, and there must be no omissions before handing it over to the scholar.

Song Ling'er was still grinning and patted her son's shoulder: "Don't panic about the exam, it's not a big deal." It's just a boy's test, and if you don't pass the test this year, you will continue to take the test next year. ”

"Grandma, I'm not panicking." Wang Ce said with a smile.

Huang E, Xia Chan, and Xiangxiang were all present, and several aunts prepared their own food. A brain is stuffed into the scholar, but the poor scholar is still a child, and he can't carry these many bits and pieces at all.

Zhou Chong, who had been a housekeeper for a long time, took the initiative to come to help and hung all kinds of food and drink on himself.

Wang Yuan passed on his experience and said: "After entering the examination booth, nail the tarpaulin and go to sleep, and the sergeant will wake you up at dawn." You must sleep enough, otherwise you will be dizzy and distended, and you will not be able to play your ability. ”

This is what is really useful, Wang Ce immediately said: "Thank you Abba! ”

"Go ahead!" Wang Yuan waved his hand and said.

The adults went to sleep by themselves, and even Song Ling'er, her own mother, did not accompany her son to the examination room.

Wang Ce took the scholar with him, followed by Zhou Chong, and Zhang Mu was far away to protect his safety.

The schoolchildren in the capital are very awesome, and they directly borrow the examination room, and the chief examiner is the third grade of Shuntianfu Yin, but the official quality is already at the same level as Wang Yuan. It's like local schoolchildren participating in the children's exam, all of them are invigilated by Zhengqipinzhi County, and the poor countryside even has to bring their own exam tables.

It is quite far from home to the examination room, and it is necessary to go from the northwest of the capital to the southeast of the capital, diagonally through the entire city of Beijing.

When Wang Ce arrived at the gate of the Gongyuan, there was already a queue to enter.

The boy just tried, he didn't need to take off his clothes, and after verifying his identity, he touched it a few times and searched his body.

I don't arrange a seat in advance, so I can sit casually after entering. Since the Rite Tribute Courtyard is very large, it is impossible to fill it with schoolchildren, so there will be no situation close to the.

Wang Ce chose a random place, took out a hammer and nails, and set up a bench to nail the oilcloth there. He remembered his father's advice, and went to sleep directly after nailing the tarpaulin, and it was already dawn when he was woken up.

The exam questions are mimeographed, and after years of improvement, high-grade goods are no longer easy to deink, so that candidates are not troubled by being full of ink.

In the county examination in Beijing, two eight-strand essays need to be written, which is much more formal than in remote places. Unlike Wang Yuan, who was in Guizhou at the beginning, he was qualified if he could solve the problem accurately, and the difficulty of the two was very different.

The county exam is not so particular, unlike the examiner and jinshi, and the examiner has to sit inside.

When Wang Ce was reading the exam questions, the examiner was already patrolling the room, walking around the exam room with his hands on his back. Wang Ce only glanced at the examiner, and then seriously solved the question, because the examiner was too familiar, and sometimes he could see him two or three times a month.

The examiner's name is Yan Song.

Yan Song was previously the political envoy of Zhengsanpintong, and last year he was transferred to Zhengsanpin Shuntianfu Yin. It seems to be a flat adjustment, and the power seems to have weakened, but Suncheonfu Yin Nai is a springboard for promotion, and in the future, he will either be transferred to the local governor, or go to the sixth department to be the right waiter, or even directly promoted to the left waiter (this is rare).

By the way, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had a field in the Tiannong Altar, and he had to pretend to cultivate it himself every year, that is, the Son of Heaven persuaded the farmer. And the emperor's land in Tiannongtan must pay taxes to Shuntian Mansion Yin, indicating that no one can be an exception in terms of taxes - there are strict restrictions on tax reductions for officials and scholars, not that they can be completely exempted if they are officials, but they are implemented by various loopholes.

Yan Song walked around the examination room a few times, and already knew where Wang Ce was, but he just didn't see anything.

Shuntian Mansion Yin is not easy to be, there are too many bad things to manage, and it is easy to offend the powerful when you take it seriously. He is even more afraid of the Son of Heaven's personal conquest, every time Zhu Houzhao goes out to fight, the most pressure is not others, it is the unlucky Shuntian Mansion Yin!

Yan Song's predecessor was called Hu Zongdao, because Zhu Houzhao personally conquered King Ning, and Shuntian Mansion Yin had to be responsible for recruiting people's husbands and collecting grain and grass for tens of thousands of troops. At that time, it was not long after the fight with the little Mongolian prince, and the people of Suncheonfu were already unbearable, and the land of Gyeonggi was full of thieves. In the blink of an eye, the emperor wanted to personally conquer again, and Yin Hu Zongdao of Shuntian Mansion died of fear because of too much pressure.

Yan Song had a headache now, because he heard Wang Yuan say that the emperor seemed to be going to recruit in person again this year, so he should make all kinds of preparations in advance.

Preparing Nima, Yan Song wanted to scold people, this emperor was too difficult to serve.

Back in the main hall, Yan Song sat there drinking tea and reading, just waiting for the schoolchildren to come and hand in the papers.

Around noon, a schoolchild finally handed in the paper, and Yan Song was a little disappointed, because it was not Wang Ce who was the first to hand in the paper.

Those who submit the prefectural examination in advance have a huge advantage in asking the examiner to conduct an interview, and the examiner can pass on the spot if he is satisfied.

Yan Song quickly browsed this person's article, and casually made a pair, and asked with a smile: "How old are you?" ”

The schoolboy said, "You are fourteen years old." ”

Yan Song said: "Go back and study hard, prepare for the April government exam, and I will be the chief examiner at that time." ”

"Thank you for your support!" The schoolboy was overjoyed because he had already passed the interview.

Two more schoolchildren were interviewed, and Wang Ce finally handed in the fourth paper.

Yan Song picked up Wang Ce's answer sheet, only looked at the first line, and said with a smile: "What a big breath!" ”

This time, the county tried out two small questions, the first question is: Does the text care?

The idiom "Swen Zaiz" comes from this sentence, and Confucius is revered as "the most holy king of Wenxuan", which is also related to the content of this chapter. This question can be written very large, or it can be interpreted according to Zhu Zi's chapters and sentences, and students who are familiar with the Analects can write an article.

And how did Wang Ce solve the problem?

This kid said directly: "The Tao will be abolished, and the survival will continue, who else will I be?" ”

Yan Song carefully read the entire eight strands, and said: "Zhu Zizhang said that this 'text' is a system of etiquette and music, and it is Confucius's self-humility. You don't seem to agree much? ”

Wang Ce replied: "Sir said that this 'text' is 'Tao', and Zhu Zi's annotations are somewhat redundant. ”

Yan Song smiled and asked, "Who is your teacher?" ”

Wang Ce replied: "Yang Shen Gong (Yang Shen)." ”

Yan Song asked again: "How does your father interpret it?" ”

Wang Ce said: "My father and my husband's interpretations are similar but slightly different, and they both think that the 'text' here refers to the 'Tao'. My father said that Confucius dared to act boldly and did not give in, and the Huan Wei of the Song Kingdom wanted to harm Confucius, and Confucius bluntly said that he had undertaken a natural mission, and he would definitely be able to turn evil into good fortune. How could Confucius suddenly humble himself when he encountered danger here? Zhu Zi treated others with himself and regarded Confucius's pattern as too small. My father also said, 'Wen doesn't care', Confucius has the momentum of giving up on me, how can he pat his chest and boast on the other, and at the same time use words to humble himself? ”

Yan Song asked again: "What is the Tao?" ”

Wang Ce replied: "Confucius said benevolence, Mencius said righteousness." ”

Yan Song smiled and asked again: "Then do you think it is benevolence or righteousness?" ”

Wang Ce suddenly asked, "Why did the Mansion Zun choose one?" Benevolence and righteousness can be both. ”

"Hahahaha!"

Yan Song stroked his beard and laughed, put Wang Ce's article on the top, and said approvingly: "You have the wind of a father, I will wait and see." This article is eight shares, as the first. ”

This is not favoritism, but Wang Ce's article is indeed good. Although the language is simple and unpretentious, and the eight-strand structure is also a little loose, far less sinister than Wang Yuan when he was a teenager, but it is full of vigor and heroism, like a sharp blade that has come out of its sheath.

Looking at people with literature, we can know the roots.

"The Tao will be abolished, and the survival will continue, who else will I be?" - This kind of eight-strand problem-solving, not to mention elementary school children, even adult scholars are difficult to write.

On the other hand, the first schoolboy to hand in the paper was titled "The value of the literature is declining, and the sage is also doubting himself", which means: Etiquette and music are about to collapse, and Confucius is doubting himself.

One is the collapse of etiquette and self-doubt; One survives and dies, and who else is me.

The size of the pattern is judged from top to bottom!

Wang Ce thanked the Fuzun for his support, and then packed up the exam box and left.

Yan Song said with emotion: "The tiger father has no dog, this son scolds the eight poles, and he is another Wang Erlang." ”