Wei Zheng heard the irony in Li Mu's words, which was saying that he judged people by his appearance and was jealous of his talents. In normal times, Wei Zheng would have to reply with a few sentences, but now that the two forces are playing, Wei Zheng is too lazy to argue, anyway, Li Mu left the Ministry of Industry, which is a good thing for the Shandong Shi clan, as for the rest, it is not very important.

Wei Zheng was not worried at all that Li Mu would be able to get the top prize. He had heard of Li Mu's literary talent, and poems such as "Asking the Moon with Wine" were really good, but the top exam was not just a test of poetry, but a comprehensive exam.

The Tang Dynasty was very different from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial examination had been prevalent for thousands of years, and the system was already very clear, while in the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination had just begun, and many systems were still uncertain, and they belonged to the stage of crossing the river by feeling the stones.

Next year's imperial examination will be the first time Li Shimin has been on the throne since he ascended the throne.

According to the previous regulations, the regular department set up Xiucai, Ming Jing, Jinshi, Junshi, Ming Law, Ming Zi, Ming Arithmetic and other subjects, in these subjects, Ming Fa, Ming Arithmetic, Ming Zi refers to people who are literate, understand the law, and can count, and are not valued by the people of the time. Usually after that, it is not an official, but an official, and the most outstanding person is also a nine-rank official.

And the Xiucai and Junshi are equivalent to the best among the candidates, they all want to go further, and they will not choose to be officials. Those who raise scholars, recommend scholars, and excel. The meaning of Xiucai in the Tang Dynasty refers to a person who is full of wealth.

Only dozens of years old Xiucai will go to be an official, or a county magistrate, or a county magistrate.

Those who are truly respected by the world are the two subjects of Jinshi and Mingjing.

The Ming Sutra is divided into the Five Classics, the Three Classics, the Two Classics, the First Classic, the Three Rites, and the Three Transmissions. "The Book of Rites", "Spring and Autumn Zuo Biography" is called the Great Classic, "Book of Songs", "Zhou Li", "Rites" is called the Zhongjing, "Zhou Yi", "Shangshu", "Spring and Autumn Ram Biography", "Spring and Autumn Valley Liang Biography" is called Xiaojing. "The Book of Filial Piety" and "The Analects" are compulsory subjects, and sometimes "Lao Tzu" and "Erya" are also tested.

The Ming Jing exam is divided into two parts: the Sutra and the Moyi. The so-called scripture is to open a page of the scriptures, cover the left and right sides, only open a line in the middle, and then cover the three characters with paper stickers, so that the test can be filled. Moyi is an explanation of the words of the scriptures. It seems simple, but it is not so easy, the words of the sage are vast, and the test may be very obscure words and sentences, so if you want to pass the first, you must first 'pass through the scriptures', and reciting it like a stream is just the basic. Those who pass through the two classics shall pass one major scripture plus one minor scripture, or take two middle scriptures; Those who have passed the three scriptures, one major, one medium and one minor scripture; Those who have passed the Five Classics must pass both the major and minor scriptures. If you want to get a good ranking, you must at least pass the third classic.

It is even more difficult to enter the science department, and the examination of poetry and strategy is given. The first poem is a test of literary talent. Each candidate writes a poem and a poem, which is not a casual poem, and it is stipulated that the poem must be composed with a fixed rhyme and a fixed intention. In the second policy discussion, a question is given on current affairs and the candidates are asked to answer their own opinions, the purpose of which is to see if the candidates have their own ideas about the strategy of governing the country and choose the talents who will govern the country and level the world for the country.

If you want to be a champion, you must excel in both subjects. If one subject is not successful, the dream of champions will be shattered immediately.

Although Li Mu's poems are good, if he writes poems with fixed rhymes, he may not be able to do it. Not to mention the strategy, although he has the ability to argue, but the major national affairs cannot be solved by the debate of the tongue, and he must have real skills. The scriptures and Moyi are also difficult, and it is about to enter winter, and it will only be half a year before the spring of next year, even if Li Mu is powerful, I am afraid it will be difficult to pass the second classic, and the first is difficult, how can it be outstanding. If he really passed the test so easily, wouldn't the students who had studied hard for more than ten years have to die?

Therefore, Wei Zheng didn't believe that Li Mu could be admitted to the top prize, and he didn't think Li Mu had this ability. And Li Shimin can't help with this matter. During the Wude period, the imperial examination was presided over by Wailang, an examiner of the Ministry of Officials. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, in order to show the importance of the imperial examination, he had changed the matter of the imperial examination to the Ministry of Rites, which was presided over by the Ministry of Rites, and was called "Quan Zhi Gongju". The Ministry of Rites has always been controlled by the scholars, although Yu Shinan, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, is not a member of the Shandong scholars, but the Shandong scholars also have a certain amount of power in the Ministry of Rites, although it cannot affect the imperial examination, but it can also ensure that if someone affects the imperial examination, the Shandong scholars will inevitably know, so they can't make a fake.

What really worries Wei Zheng is the system of subjects, also known as large subjects and special subjects, which are temporary examination subjects, just like the 'Enke' in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It's just that the things tested are different from those of later generations, and the purpose is to select special talents.

The time for the examination is not fixed, and there is no limit to the qualifications of the candidates, and the current officials and ordinary scholars can take the examination, the secretary of state can recommend it, and the cloth clothes can also recommend themselves, but they must be reviewed by the magistrate.

Because it is a selection of special talents, the subjects of the examination are not fixed, and it depends on what talents the emperor feels is lacking, so he will decide what subjects to take the examination, and there is also a champion. Generally, the regular subject and the system subject will not be examined together, but because Li Shimin has been fighting in the past two years since he ascended the throne, the imperial examination has been delayed. Next year's imperial examination is the first time in the Zhenguan year, in order to make up for it, the system was added, and there are two subjects this year.

Wei Zheng was worried that Li Shimin would tailor a system for Li Mu and give him this champion. If you test the strange lewd skills, who can test Li Mu?

Therefore, Wei Zheng thought for a moment and said: "If Zhuluhou can be the champion of the regular department, I will naturally admire it, but if it is a subject...... Wei Zheng did not go down, his attitude is self-evident, if you cheat, does it count?

Li Shimin frowned and said, "Wei Zheng, do you mean that I will help Li Mu cheat?" ”

"I don't dare." Although Wei Zheng said this, his face didn't mean 'dare' at all, Li Shimin was about to get angry, Li Mu took over and said, "Since Zheng Guogong thinks that Chang Ke counts, it is Chang Ke." ”

Wei Zheng saw that the radical method worked, and said: "Since Zhulu Hou said so, then it is better for me to make a bet with Zhulu Hou." You don't need to be the champion in the exam, and I will worship you as a teacher. If you can't make it, you ......"

"Stop!" Li Mu interrupted Wei Zheng's words and said, "Even if I lose, it is impossible for me to worship you as a teacher." The Tao is different, not conspiring with each other, you want to insult me, absolutely impossible. The ancients had an allusion to 'a thousand gold and a promise', since we bet, I also bet on a thousand gold, if I lose, I will lose to you a thousand taels of gold! ”

One thousand taels of gold!

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and scolded in his heart, this loser, this is a clear losing bet, you dare to bet a thousand taels of gold?

The others also gasped, a thousand taels of gold was 10,000 taels of silver, and 10,000 copper coins. Li Mu actually used it as a block, it was really bold enough, this is bound to lose! But no one thought that he couldn't take it out, because Li Mu's earning ability was obvious to all, not to mention 10,000, even 100,000, he could take it out if he gritted his teeth.

"If you agree, let's write a note in front of Your Majesty, and all the princes are witnesses. If you don't agree, forget it, my top exam has nothing to do with you. ”

Wei Zheng thought about it, although this 'radical method' was not successful, but if it is calculated by Changke, Li Mu has no chance at all, one thousand taels of gold is not a small amount, he has been helping relatives all these years, there is no surplus wealth at home, and his wife and children are not much chattering, if he wins this thousand taels of gold, he can also give an explanation to his family.

If you win, why not bet?

"Okay, then I'll make a bet with Zhuluhou, please give your majesty pen and ink."

Although Li Shimin felt that Li Mu was a loser, but the words had already come to this point, and it was difficult to stop it. At the moment, Wei Zheng made a gambling contract with his own hands, in duplicate, and the two wrote down their names and pressed their fingerprints. With three prime ministers as a guarantee and six Shangshu as witnesses, this gambling contract is unprecedented.

Li Mu dried his ink, folded it into his sleeve, glanced at Wei Zheng, and said to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, since the minister is no longer a squire of the Ministry of Works, there is one thing that the minister has to make clear." ”

"What's the matter, let's talk."

"Your Majesty, when the minister was a servant of the Ministry of Works, he invented the Zhenguan plow and paid for the construction of a craftsman's workshop, etc., which were all within the minister's responsibility, so the ministers were all free of charge and did not ask for a penny. But the minister is no longer a squire of the Ministry of Works, and the minister feels that it is reasonable for the court to return the money advanced by the minister to the minister, and the minister's various secret methods can no longer be given to the court for free. ”

I'm waiting here!

Li Shimin and all the important ministers were stunned, Li Mu, this kid was too bold, and dared to ask the court for money. But after thinking about it, there is nothing wrong with the people, the money, the people did advance, and it is said that there are account books. As for the secret method, it is indeed someone else's own, and there is nothing wrong with not using it for you.

Everyone looked at Wei Zheng angrily and called for your impeachment, and now the impeachment is out of debt, right? Li Mu said that he spent a full 70,000 guan on the Ministry of Industry, if this 70,000 guan is now given by the imperial court, where do you let the Ministry of Civil Affairs get it?

Wei Zheng didn't expect Li Mu to have such a hand, so he said stubbornly: "Zhuluhou, you can't say that, when you built the workshop, the imperial court didn't let you build it, it was your own will......"

Li Mu sneered and said, "Zheng Guogong, why is the brazen appearance here again, is my money blown by the wind?" The officials didn't let me do it, and they spent my money, how did you say such things? ”

"This ......" Rao is Wei Zheng can speak well, and now he has no words.

Li Shimin had to take over the words, worthy of being the emperor, and directly played the scoundrel, saying: "Money, no!" Otherwise, you will continue to be your waiter in the Ministry of Works, and you will not have to take the top prize. ”

"No, the minister will take the top prize." Li Mu said categorically: "Since Your Majesty said that there is no money, the matter of money can be discussed again, it is just a matter of secret methods, Your Majesty has to let me make my own decisions." ”

It's a good thing not to ask for money, Li Shimin hurriedly agreed, and said: "The secret method is your own, of course, you will dispose of it yourself." ”

Li Mu waited for this sentence and said: "Your Majesty, it is not easy to forge the ploughshare of Zhenguan Plough, and it may be difficult to supply the whole country. Chen thinks that next year, all parts of Shandong, I am afraid it will not be needed! ”