Compared with the county test and the state test, the road test is obviously more formal.

After all, it is the leader of the provincial capital city who presides over the road test, and it can be regarded as an exam in the real sense of fame. The strictness of its admission and invigilation, and the transcription of the seal in the marking process are all carried out in accordance with the standards of the interpretation test and the provincial test. Although it is not as high as the specifications of the latter two, it also makes people experience the hardships of ancient scientific expeditions.

After three days and two nights of suffering, all the candidates were already dizzy and "dying". In later generations, there was the so-called big test and big play, and small test and small play. Fang Zhongyong just wanted to sleep well for three days and three nights, at least he could stretch his legs in bed! It seems that this talent is not easy to test.

In fact, I can also understand what the college entrance examination in later generations will be like, and what the Xiucai test will be like. The difference is only that there is no distinction between undergraduate and junior colleges, and even the scheduled examination time is in the hot summer, and five subjects are taken in three days.

When I woke up, it was the afternoon of the next day. If you don't say it's good to be young, after a long sleep, all the fatigue will be swept away. led Uncle Zhong and Li San out to buy some snacks, and walked on the streets at will, surprisingly relaxed. It's no wonder that women love to go shopping tirelessly, it's not a physical job at all, it's a great form of entertainment. As long as you don't spend money indiscriminately, or have a lot of money in your pocket.

Just as Fang Zhongyong was secretly comparing the difference between this street scene and the scenes in the later costume TV series, he saw Zhang Panlong coming towards him. Counting, this guy is the first friend he came to this world. I haven't seen him for a few months, and Zhang Panlong looks a little darker, but he is also a little more energetic.

Fang Zhongyong also missed this product a little, and hurriedly said, "Brother Panlong, what have you been busy with lately?" I haven't been able to see you for a long time, and we weren't there during the exam. By the time the younger brother handed in the paper, you had already completed the answer sheet early and had already left. I haven't seen him for a few months, and I really want to annoy my little brother. ”

Zhang Panlong's face was full and said: "Wen Yuan, please call this official title, Wen Linlang." ”

Fang Zhong never ignored this thing's demon, and was very happy for him: "Has your shadow supplement been done?" It's so good, congratulations to my brother. ”

Zhang Panlong stopped pretending to be a big-tailed wolf, and said with a wry smile: "What is there to congratulate." There are a total of twenty-nine sections of Wen Sanguan, and Wen Linlang is the second from the bottom, which is a little stronger than the general Shilang at the bottom. ”

Fang Zhongyong disagreed with his statement: "It's finally an official body, from the ninth grade." Compared with the Zhengjiupinzhi County of the lower county, it is only one level lower, which is very rare. It's a lot of hard work, isn't it? ”

Zhang Panlong looked around and said, "It's messy here, it's not a place to talk." Find a quiet place, let's talk about it. ”

When he came to a clean teahouse, Zhang Panlong said: "You and I are like brothers, and we can't hide it from our virtuous brother." During this period, my father entrusted some relationships, opened up some joints, and spent a lot of money to adjust my father's level to the seventh grade. easily took Wen Linlang, who was his brother, down. ”

Fang Zhongyong was puzzled: "It's understandable to find a relationship, but spending money seems to have nowhere to spend, right?" This dynasty shares the world with scholars, and the officials are very rich, and even the coachman can be paid by the state, so what is the use of asking for money? ”

Zhang Panlong was very disdainful of Fang Zhongyong's pattern, and said in the tone of a passerby: "Wenyuan, have you been reading too much lately and reading stupidly?" No matter how high the official's salary is, can he withstand the expenses of officialdom, delicacies from the mountains and seas, and drunken gold fans? Even if the coachman has a salary, will the official family still raise so many concubines for you and pay for you to drink flowers and wine? If that were the case, the treasury would be emptied of any amount of money. ”

"Nowadays, officials are not forbidden to do business, so why do such a risky thing?"

"You don't need capital to run a business, you need a good and loyal servant to take care of it. And the easy-to-make business has already been divided up by those nobles, you are a newcomer, if you don't have a strong background, you have to be run into bankruptcy by others. Even those businesses that can only make hard-earned money are not something you want to do. There's a bit of a doorway here.

Business is not good, and it goes without saying that you lose money. If you make money and attract the eyes of others, you have to transfer it to him or participate in a share, how do you deal with it? Since you dare to fight your idea, the official power will definitely not be weaker than you, and it will definitely not work to carry it hard.

Besides, who says business is business? ”

Fang Zhongyong couldn't understand, what did you mean by tongue twisters?

Zhang Panlong smiled proudly: "I don't understand!" I'll give you an example, and you'll understand. Walk forward from here, turn right, and there is a teahouse in the alley about two miles away. The ordinary lobby seat is 100 seats, and the private room seat is 500 seats. If you like his tea, you can also take some with you, but you have to add another 500 yuan. ”

Fang Zhongyong was speechless: "What kind of tea is this, so expensive?" Lafite in '82? ”

Zhang Panlong didn't understand what Lafei was, and he didn't care: "What do you think of the business of this teahouse?" ”

"Such a black store, it must be a crowd, and it's closed!"

"Definitely. According to the day my brother went, there were three or five people in the lobby and one or two people in the private room. ”

"Oh, I really didn't know that my brother had such a Yaxing, and he was willing to drink such expensive tea. I don't know how the tea tastes, it must be a supreme product! ”

Zhang Panlong said hatefully: "What a fart!" Lao Tzu spent five hundred times and drank a cup of water. Before leaving, the shopkeeper also said that it was pleasing to my eyes, and he sold me 300 yuan of tea at a 60% discount. ”

Seeing that Fang Zhongyong was about to ask, Zhang Panlong waved his hand and lowered his voice and said, "No one is going to drink tea." The reason why the store dared to sell such a high price was because there was a plaque in the store, which read "There are arbors in summer and shade in autumn". Everybody went for the plaque. Can you understand what's going on? ”

Fang Zhongyong muttered two sentences, "There are arbors in summer", and suddenly said: "There are arbors in summer? Xia Ziqiao, Xia Zhu! Xia Ziqiao responds to all requests! What a literary style! ”

Zhang Panlong saw that Fang Zhongyong's indignant youth was sick, and persuaded him: "Brother Xian doesn't need to be angry. If it weren't for that teahouse, it would be inappropriate to do things for my brother. Pay the money in one hand, deliver the money in one hand, you love me and I want to do it, I can't say who is right and who is wrong. Besides, they didn't do anything to bring harm to the country and the people. To put it bluntly, it is human relations. It's just that our identity is not enough, and it is natural for people to accept some money. ”

Fang Zhongyong thought about it, and he was right. If Xia Zhu was really a fool who didn't know what to do in order to accumulate money, with the strict requirements of the civil officials of the Song Dynasty for the morality of scholars, he would have been sprayed into a sieve long ago, where would he have the opportunity to worship the same Zhongshu twice. Everyone is in the officialdom, you help me, I help you. Even if you do someone a favor and receive a little money, it's not a big deal. You don't see, as strong as a rich man, he also left a hand-me-down calligraphy work "Son Sticker", begging others to give more advice to his son. It's just that his friend was too careless and forgot what Fu Bi said, "This is also begging to go" (Bingding fire, the meaning of burning after reading), so that he left the evidence of the Song Dynasty's high-ranking officials asking for help to future generations.

Seeing that Fang Zhongyong didn't know anything about the joints, Zhang Panlong asked, "Brother Xian has never been to that teahouse?" ”

Fang Zhongyong smiled bitterly: "The younger brother's family is poor, and he can't afford to drink such good tea. It's just that I went to Xia Mansion with Zeng Ye and Zeng Gong to hand over the poems, and I just responded in vain, and I didn't even see the face of the master. ”

Zhang Panlong pondered for a moment and said, "That's fine." Xia Zhu is the most ruthless and narrow-minded. Since you have handed over the name post, it means that you do not despise him. As for the lack of money, it is only because the family is poor. However, in this way, if you want to win the head of the road test, you will only be afraid that it will be difficult. ”

Fang Zhongyong smiled bitterly again: "Where do you dare to have such extravagant hopes." I just hope that Mr. 'Xia Youqiao' will not depose a poor student like me. ”

Zhang Panlong said with a smile: "You are underestimating Xia Zhu." That Xia Zhu is by no means a fool, how could he openly slap the face of the state capital in a small talent test. It's just a matter of ranking. ”

At the same time, Xia Zhu, who was "by no means a fool", read the exam papers for a day and returned to the house.

The housekeeper reported the day's income and the things that should be done in the tea house. Xia Zhu thought for a moment and said, "I told you earlier, if you can do a small thing, you don't have to report it to me." You have followed the old man for many years, and the old man still trusts you. As for the death of the young master of the Gao family who caused death by arson, you asked the family to find someone to prove that the young master of his family had a brain disease. When the old man was sentenced, he asked him to pay more money to the bitter master. ”

The butler said, "The master is wise! The bitter lord came from a humble background, and he died just after marrying a wife who was like a flower and jade, which is really a blessing. The young master of the Gao family wanted to buy it, but he didn't allow it. Now it's empty of people and money! ”

Xia Zhu said angrily: "You dog, you dare to do anything wrong!" You give him the money back immediately, and nothing else has to be said. By the way, have any scholars come to pay their respects recently? ”

The butler replied, "The scholars who came to pay their respects and the list of gifts presented have been sorted out, so please take a look at them." After speaking, he submitted the list that had been sorted out in advance.

Xia Zhu looked through them one by one, and said for a long time: "Why are there so few people? ”

The housekeeper said: "I heard that the master is about to ascend, and there is an endless stream of people who come to do his bidding. The villain was afraid of disturbing the master's official business, so he took it upon himself not to let some empty-handed people enter the door. But their poems and names are also recorded in a separate volume. ”

Xia Zhu smiled: "You can be regarded as a different name for 'entering another book'." Ah Fu, you have followed me for many years, when will this greed for money be changed? That Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan are not from famous families, and our family is not a big family in De'an, so this scholar cannot be taken lightly. If one day people ascend to a high position, wouldn't they have one more enemy in vain? You can quickly bring the list of people and poems that have been admonished in the past few days, and if they are really talented, I can also recommend one or two as appropriate. ”

The housekeeper knew his master's temperament, and quickly took out the "other book".

Xia Zhu sat in the study and carefully reviewed it.

While watching, Xia Zhu thought at the same time: Recently, there have been rumors that the official cheated in the road test. It's a joke, is it worth cheating on a mere showmanship? Even if there are so many people who don't learn enough, what kind of big deal is it for the official to let him pass within the scope of his authority? It's just that the name of the head of this case can't be given to those rich sons, even if it's the children of official eunuchs, it's better to find one from the poor scholars. It's kind of to gag the mouths of those noisy. However, people like that kind of arrogant and arrogant people can't be chosen, and they feel that they are highly talented, and they must think that the head of the case is due to their own talents, and they may not read the feelings of their own officials. It's better to choose from this "separate volume".

When he turned to Fang Zhongyong's "Ascending Yuntai Mountain", Xia Zhu smiled.