On March 19, the Imperial Gift Jinshi Grace Banquet was held in the Ministry of Rites, and the Grace Banquet was presided over by the Grand Master and the Crown Prince, and the British Duke Zhang Mao.

The Enrong Banquet is modeled after the Qujiang Banquet of the Tang Dynasty and the Wenxi Banquet of the Song Dynasty.

At the Grace Banquet, all the people involved in the palace examination, including the officials who read the papers, the Luan Honor Guard, the Scholars of the Ministry of Rites, and the attendants, as well as the officials who received the papers, sealed them, received the palms, supervised the examinations, guarded the army, participated in the examinations, filled in the lists, printed the papers, provided the papers, and praised the officials, but these people were different from the banquet time.

The examiner of the temple examination because he was in the presence of a court, either did not attend, or only returned in person. As for the others, they will leave with the banquet after the feast.

Although the Enrong Banquet didn't start until noon, Shen Xi still had to go to the Ministry of Rites early to wait. This is the rule, even if the new science and technology jinshi is expensive, but in the end he has not become an official, and it will naturally not work to put on a shelf before becoming an official.

When I arrived at the Yamen of the Daming Gate Rite Department at the junction of East and West River Rice Lane, the banquet table in the wide courtyard had been set up, and each Jinshi came wearing a hair crown, and the first thing to do when they met was to congratulate each other, but Shen Xi did not wear a hat. Because of Shen Xi's age, he has not yet performed the crown salute, but Sun Xu, who is on the same list as Shen Xi and is the first in the second class, reminded him: "It is not feasible for the champion to wear a crown, otherwise where will the golden hairpin be inserted?" ”

At the grace banquet of the Ming Dynasty, there will be a hairpin ceremony, and all new science and technology scholars will be given hairpin flowers and inserted on their hats to show their festivity.

And the champion's hairpin flower is a golden hairpin, which is said to be golden, but in fact it is plated with a layer of gold powder, but even if it is just a symbol, it is enough to have a long face. After all, in these days, when it comes to decorations with golden colors, they are not available in the Emperor's House.

It's almost noon. The British Gong Zhang Mao came out together accompanied by Xu Qiong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and the Jinshi hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

As the champion of the new department, Shen Xi, like Zhang Mao, who presided over the Enrong banquet on behalf of the Son of Heaven, has his own separate seat, one seat for Bangyan Lun Wenxu and Tanhua Fengxi, and one for Sun Xu and Liu Chao for the third class. It is one seat for every four people. In addition, there is one seat for every two officials, and the table fills the courtyard of the entire Yamen of the Ministry of Rites.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the grace banquet officially began.

To the disappointment of the full number of new science and technology scholars, except for Zhang Mao and Xu Qiong, none of the cabinet scholars and Qiqing attended, none of the palace examination examiners came, and even Fu Han, the left attendant of the Ministry of Rites, did not show up.

Originally, what the new science and technology scholars hoped most was to thank their teachers and get close to the hall examination examiners, but perhaps there was something unusual about this palace exam. After all, the examination involves a question, and even the palace examination examiner avoids attending this kind of occasion.

Zhang Mao is nearly sixty years old, but he is in good spirits and does not have the roughness of a martial artist. He was born in a noble family and has a very good cultivation, he looks more like a Wenchen, from the point of view of appearance, he doesn't look like an old man who is close to the sixtieth year, but he looks like a middle-aged scribe in his forties, and he always has a smile on his face, but he is not the kind of smiling tiger who does not smile. It makes people feel very comfortable, like a spring breeze.

The grace banquet of this palace test is very simple, there is not so much red tape, the hairpin ceremony has not been held, and Sun Xu is worried about Shen Xi in vain. As the banquet began, Zhang Mao toasted the Jinshi present, and the Jinshi did not dare to hold it up, so they quickly stood up and saluted.

After toasting, Zhang Mao looked at Shen Xi with a smile and said: "I heard that Shen Xi, who has not yet entered the new science and technology, is young, and he was the top student in high school at the age of thirteen. ”

Shen Xi didn't expect Zhang Mao to know about this, obviously Zhang Mao would conduct an investigation and understanding of the new science and technology scholars with the banquet before presiding over each Enrong banquet, so as to adjust the atmosphere of the banquet and make it happy.

Shen Xi hurriedly got up and saluted: "Back to the old man's words, there is indeed such a thing." ”

Zhang Mao nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "These two poems are well done, after the old man heard about it, he immediately wrote them down and put them in the study, and appreciated them from time to time. ”

As for whether Zhang Mao really put the poem "The sword is sharpened from the sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold" and placed it in the study, no one will verify it, but it is expected that the dignified duke will not deceive everyone in such a public occasion, and now he seems to be quite interested, and he actually wants to inscribe for the Jinshi, using two lines of Shen Xi's poems.

This fully shows Zhang Mao's ardent expectations for this new science and technology scholar, and at the same time, there is also the advice of the world's scholars, to endure hardships and hardships, in order to become a master, but for Shen Xi, it is an honor.

Needless to say, this half of the poem may not have been known before, but after this incident, it will inevitably become a household name and will be used by many people as a motto to inspire him to work hard.

Xu Qiong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, was very respectful to Zhang Mao, and the old man wanted to write an inscription at the Rites Banquet, so he hurriedly asked people to prepare pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.

I saw Zhang Mao pick up the bold brush, dip it in the ink, wave the pen, and inscribe the two lines of poetry on the paper separately, after writing, it is like a couplet, which can be hung up and appreciated.

After Xu Qiong read it, she clapped her hands and praised: "My husband's words are really good." ”

In this case, it is easy for the new science and technology jinshi to shoot the horse's hooves, where do ordinary people dare to talk nonsense? It's easy to be targeted by everyone!

But Xu Qiong himself is the brother-in-law of Emperor Hongzhi, a relative of the emperor and the country, even if he praises the sycophants of the military commanders in public, he has no scruples, and what he praises at the moment is only Zhang Mao's words, not these two poems.

Zhang Mao read the words he wrote, was very satisfied, and sighed lightly: "These two poems by Shen Zhuangyuan are still well written." Encourage you. ”

Xu Qiong asked people to show Zhang Mao's words to all the banquet scholars and ministers at a glance, after reading it, everyone praised and nodded, although Shen Xi's two poems were well written, but if it weren't for Zhang Mao's personal praise, these arrogant readers would not take it very seriously.

The Enrong banquet was started by Zhang Mao, and then the atmosphere of the banquet was so harmonious that Zhang Mao even personally held the wine glass and toasted one table at a time.

Xu Qiong didn't want to drink more, but Zhang Mao was so excited that he had to accompany him. Fortunately, there is only one drink at every few tables. I can't drink too much after counting them all.

Shen Xi was a little embarrassed here, he didn't drink alcohol before. Because he knew that early exposure to alcohol in his small body was harmful. But on this occasion, he couldn't say anything "tea instead of wine" in front of the British public Zhang Mao, so he could only drink it on his stomach. After only a few rounds of toasting, Shen Xi drank six or seven glasses, even if the alcohol in this era was not high, he still felt slightly drunk.

The other side. Zhang Mao's toast is still going on. Fortunately, Shen Xi drank some tea from time to time, ate a few more mouthfuls of food, and pressed the strength of the wine down.

Zhang Mao is not a civil servant, but he has a family background, and his knowledge is really good, plus he does not host the grace banquet once or twice, so he can cope with it easily on this occasion. When he arrived at the table, in addition to asking the new branch jinshi to report to his home, he would also say a few words. Occasionally ask a little about learning, poetry and singing, but there is also a little bit of the old man chatting about the freedom of a teenager.

Wherever Zhang Mao went, there was a lot of laughter.

The feast lasted more than two hours. It was not until the end of the unitary period. In fact, the Jinshi didn't eat anything at the banquet, mainly to accompany the officials to drink, and the scholars in this year boasted that they were not drunk with a thousand cups, and regarded drinking as a graceful thing, except for Shen Xi, everyone seemed to be a wine jar.

At the end of the banquet, these wine jars talked and laughed and left, but they had not yet left the courtyard of the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites. Someone began to rush to the corner of the wall to vomit, which made Shen Xi frown.

Shen Xi was about to leave the yamen, when a person came from the side and saluted Shen Xi and said, "Champion Gong, Lord Shangshu has specially ordered you to come down and give an order, please go to the inner hall to speak." ”

Xu Qiong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, asked himself to speak?

Shen Xi was a little more cautious in his heart, this was obviously a bad comer!

Before the dismissal, Xu Qiong personally sent Zhang Mao away, thinking that he wanted to say a few words to him after he came back, as for whether it was about official or private affairs of the imperial court, Shen Xi was not very easy to judge, he thought to himself, could it be that Xu Qiong was also involved in the grain theft case in the treasury?

Shen Xi followed the messenger to the back hall of the yamen of the Ministry of Rites with a little trepidation, but he didn't dare to sit down, just stood aside and waited, after all, this is not an ordinary yamen, but the highest authority in charge of etiquette, national Confucian affairs, and imperial examinations, and he can't be rude.

After a while, Xu Qiong came in from outside, and when she first entered the door, she stretched her waist, as if she was relaxing...... This book of the Ministry of Rites is a little "informal" in terms of etiquette.

"The student has seen Xu Shangshu." Shen Xi hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

"Shen Zhuangyuan doesn't need to be polite, sit down and talk." Xu Qiong said, and ordered the people around her, "No one is allowed to enter without the official's orders." ”

When Shen Xi heard the meaning of this, it seemed that he wanted to discuss something that could not be said to others, so he could only pretend not to know, slowly walked to the guest seat, sat down solemnly, lowered his head slightly when he kneeled, and did not look at Xu Qiong head-on.

Xu Qiong sat down, drank a cup of tea first, and then asked in a slow and logical tone: "Shen Zhuang was rarely done in his first year, and now he is a model for the world's scholars, I don't know where to prepare for it?" ”

Well?

Shen Xi thought about it, could it be that Xu Qiong was joking with herself? Even if he is the champion of high school in the just-concluded palace examination, what officials the court wants to put out, can he choose?

What's more, according to the rules, as the champion, he must be awarded to the Hanlin Academy for revision, and as for what officials will be released after serving in the Hanlin Academy, it all depends on where there is a shortage of people in the imperial court.

Shen Xi replied respectfully: "Students are new to the office, and everything is subject to the appointment of the imperial court. ”

Xu Qiong smiled and nodded, and said with a smile: "The Ministry of Rites has been short of manpower recently, how about serving in the Ministry of Rites in the future?" ”

This question made Shen Xi stunned, he first thought carefully about the meaning of these words, "to serve in the Ministry of Rites in the future" is an affirmation of his ability, and it can also be regarded as a trust in him, this is an invitation from one of the Seven Secretaries of the Ministry of Rites, isn't it equivalent to a bright future in the future?

But the question is, where will the new champion serve in the future, and a secretary of the Ministry of Rites can make a decision, so what do the officials at the head of the six departments do?

However, this can be regarded as a disguised co-optation, Shen Xi thought about it in his heart, even if Xu Qiong was not involved in the grain theft case from the treasury, it was very likely that he was instructed by the two Zhang brothers to "take extra care" of himself, the new champion, or to draw himself into the camp of his relatives.

Although the Zhang brothers are noble, they do not serve in the Sixth Department after all, and if they want to win over people, they must find a spokesperson in the Sixth Department, and Xu Qiong is their brother-in-law, so it is most appropriate for Xu Qiong to do this kind of thing.

"If a student has the opportunity to join the Ministry of Rites, he must do his best to serve the imperial court." Even if Shen Xi knew that this was a pool of muddy water, he couldn't refuse it bluntly at this time.

Anyway, Xu Qiong's words are just a promissory note, no matter what, he will have to do it for a few years in Hanlin to repair this official vacancy from the sixth grade, as for whether the Zhang brothers and Xu Qiong still want to use him after Liu Daxia investigated and dealt with the grain theft case, two things to say. All he has to do now is not to offend any side.

Although logically speaking, Liu Daxia and Ma Wensheng are historically recognized as famous ministers who govern the world, and the Zhang brothers are traitors, but the problem is that the power of the relatives is also not to be underestimated, Empress Zhang has at least twenty or thirty years to live, and the Zhengde and Jiajing dynasties are the queen mothers, and the Zhang relatives are also unaffordable.

You can't be embarrassed, but you can't be openly offended, and you must first have this kind of tactfulness in dealing with the world, and you can't act completely with likes and dislikes.

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PS: The fifth update is delivered!

This chapter is specially for all book friends, in addition to the big red of "Lan Xi" today, there are several 10,000 points of reward, as well as 191 monthly tickets and the support of more than 90 book friends, the Son of Heaven hereby sincerely says thank you!

The Son of Heaven promises that he will do his best to code words and never let everyone down!

Finally, continue to ask for subscriptions, tips, referral tickets, and monthly passes! Again, the better the grades, the more updates! (To be continued.) )