It rained in Lezhi County, and a few light rains fell in Chengdu in the middle of the night.

In the morning, the rain stopped and the ground quickly dried. The sun rose red, looking bigger and brighter than usual.

"It's a good day!" Zhu Pingjin stood on the platform in front of the palace of Jinde Hall with his waist crossed, looking into the distance, full of confidence.

His confidence came from the victory in the battle at the land pass two days earlier.

The 3rd Battalion, with the 2nd Company as the main force, reinforced a platoon of firearms and a tiger squat cannon, actually defeated in one fell swoop the regular officers and troops who were several times its size in the field battle. He Qiukou, Liu Sangen and Lin Yan commanded properly, and it seemed that they could stand alone.

His confidence also came from the final count of the number of applicants for the Shu exam last night.

As of yesterday afternoon, more than 1,000 scholars had signed up for the Shu exam. This amount greatly exceeded Zhu Pingjin's expectations.

According to the preliminary statistics of the candidate roster, the candidates are from all the state capitals of Sichuan, and there are several people from other provinces. At most, Chengdu Mansion is close to the water, accounting for about half of it. There are also more candidates in Yazhou, Xuzhou, Jiading and other areas with strong royal powers, and the least are Kuizhou, Chongqing and Zunyi (Note 1), with only one person each. In addition to civilian status, there are also many candidates with military status, mainly from Chengdu Guards.

It seems that the preferential treatment of the royal officials did play a decisive role in this Shu examination. But the good pay isn't the only attraction. For example, among the candidates who applied for the exam this time were Juren 1, Invigilator 1 and Xiucai 4. When they signed up for the Shu exam, it could not be explained purely by economic reasons. Zhu Pingjin has already decided that these six people do not need to take the exam, and each of them will submit an argument, and they will be summoned as long as they pass the test.

Zhu Pingjin was stunned for no reason, and the wife next to him was dissatisfied: "Then shout the password, if you don't shout, I'll shout!" ”

Zhu Pingjin, of course, was reluctant to give up the lead, especially in front of so many people.

"Section 32, stretching! One-two-three-four, two-two-three-four......"

Zhu Pingjin and Luo Yuhong demonstrated on the platform, while the eunuchs and palace maids followed in the courtyard of His Royal Highness. The eunuchs and palace maids were neatly arranged, their movements stiff and irregular, but they were all very serious and hardworking, trying their best to imitate the movements of Shizi and Miss Luo, like a group of elementary school students who had just transferred to a school doing recess exercises, or aunts who had just joined the club dancing square dances.

……

On August 6, the 14th year of Chongzhen, on the second day after Zhu Pingjin went to the countryside to investigate, the first test "foundation" and the second "skill" of the Shu examination were grandly opened in front of the Duanli Gate of the Shu Palace.

In order to save time and money, the two exams are scheduled to be held in the morning and afternoon of the same day, and the third essay exam is scheduled five days later.

The first and second joint examinations actually gave many candidates a chance. They won't be eliminated just because they fail an exam, and those who are not very good at moral essays can use this to fight for a chance to rise.

The examination room was originally located between the carrying gate of the Shu Wangfu and the Duanli gate. In the middle of the two tower-like gates, there is a huge square, which can be used by many candidates to take the exam at the same time. However, after the number of applicants exceeded expectations, it was necessary to temporarily decide to move the examination room outward and move it to the Imperial City Dam between Duanli Gate and Hongzhaobi. The tables and benches prepared in advance were not enough, so I had to go out overnight to find teahouses and restaurants around the Huangcheng Dam to borrow. Fortunately, there are many teahouses and restaurants in Chengdu, and the tables and benches lent to stain the scholar's buttocks, and these bosses are also willing.

On the upper floor of Duanli Gate, Zhu Pingjin sat in the main hall and drank tea with Master Shu, waiting for the time for the exam to start at 9 o'clock in the morning. Shu Guoping, who was in charge of cadre work, followed Zheng Anmin to the left guard, so only Sun Hong, who acted as the supervisor of the military department, stood by the side.

Looking out from the throne high in the middle of the main hall, and beyond the jagged brick saucer on the edge of the city gatehouse, Zhu Pingjin could see a long red wall. Between the big wall and the Duanli gate, a straight royal road with a width of more than 100 feet divides the main square of the Huangchengba into two halves, and the two sides of the royal road are planted with pines and cypresses. Dense tables and benches are placed on the royal road, from the waterside of the Jinhe River (Note 1) below the Duanryemun Gate Castle to the Hongzhao Wall.

For this Shu examination, the team of guards transferred to the palace came to a general mobilization, forming a cordon outside the examination room. Chengdu and Huayang counties also dispatched a lot of officials to maintain order outside the examination room. All the onlookers who tried to watch the excitement were driven away by these crooked-looking officials who carried water and fire sticks and looked crooked and evil.

Some candidates have already arrived early. They showed their admission tickets, passed through the temporary entrances and exits of the cordons on the east and west sides of the red wall, and then, according to the requirements of the eunuchs who led the way, they started from the first row of examination tables by the Jinhe River, one person per table, and gradually sat back.

Zhu Pingjin has always disliked the immovable qi cultivation kung fu in the officialdom, and he said it directly.

"Master Shu, there are a lot of candidates in Qiong and Mei this time!"

Shizi specifically refers to the candidates in Qiong and Meizhou, and he is clearly still thinking about the elbow and armpit.

"There are sixty-eight people in the two states." Master Shu put down the teacup and said with a smile: "As long as they can understand the text, the old man will be admitted!" ”

Talking to Master Shu is a pleasure. Before Zhu Pingjin's thoughts were spoken, Shu Lao'er had already made a clear statement, which made Zhu Pingjin ask why.

Master Shu glanced at Zhu Pingjian, who was sitting in the middle, with deep meaning: "The gentry of the two states are powerful, and there is a lot of conflict with my palace (DIU)!" With these sixty-eight people entering my palace, the two states will not be dominated by the gentry in the future! In other state capitals, those with less Wangzhuang take more, and those who have more Wangzhuang take less! For military and civilian candidates, the military will take more, and the civilian will take less! ”

"The master once said, those who have attained the Tao have much help, and those who have lost the Tao have little help." Zhu Pingjin bowed his head and said: "Take more and take less, it's better to take both!" ”

"Exactly!"

The mystery was revealed, the answer was the same, and both laughed.

Seeing his students smiling happily, Master Shu's face immediately sank, and he added: "It's just that the Lord employs people, and at that time, he was honest, diligent, and honest, and there were clear rewards and punishments everywhere. This exam is a good opportunity, and it must not be wasted! ”

Master Shu took out the posture of the prince to educate Zhu Pingjian. Zhu Pingjin had no choice but to bow his hand and say: "The student has been taught!" ”

"Does the prince know that Mr. Fuchu Tian Qian also signed up for reference this time?" After drinking another cup of tea, Master Shu asked.

"Oh? This son went to the countryside yesterday to observe the people's feelings. I didn't know that I was late at night! ”

"Mr. Tian is an important minister of the prince and a teacher of Luo Jianjun. Such characters have a great impact! He is not only a reference, but also stubborn! ”

Speaking of this Tian Qian, Zhu Pingjin had a headache. Let him teach, he won't do it, let him do something else, Zhu Pingjin is not at ease.

After the military training, the cadet company was disbanded. Tian Qian was placed in the military department of the director as the deputy director of the Propaganda Bureau, Zhu Pingjian's intention was to let him stand alone, but who knew that he was not very concerned about this position, and often asked for leave to go home, and threw the integration of the army's propaganda team to his superior, Sun Hong. In the past month, he has only completed one major job, and reached a secret agreement with the Qingyang Palace on the fire - Zhu Pingjin spent 15,000 taels of silver.

Although Sun Hong did not complain in front of the prince, his evaluation of Tian Qian could not be very high.

"Please also ask the master for advice!" Zhu Pingjin knew that Master Shu's words were not finished.

Master Shu unveiled the mystery: "He not only has to refer to it, which shows that he has no second heart for the palace, but also shows that he is still confident in his talents." We can give him a chance to nominate himself. ”

Sun Hong stood next to him and did not talk. Shizi talked to Shizi Fu, and he didn't dare to interject rashly. Tian Qian is capable, and he is very close to Guan Xiu, the sister and brother of the princess. Although he is Tian Qian's superior, he can't say that Tian Qian is not in front of Master Shu.

Master Shu's idea was very good, and Zhu Pingjin couldn't help but nod. However, in this public examination, the questions are all formulated in advance, and how to make him recommend himself must be clearly thought out at the operational level. Otherwise, it is not fun to make thousands of candidates make trouble for one person. In the past, I should have taken the time to recruit Mr. Tian in person, but I was negligent. Now that it's coming to an end, I don't even know what he's really good at!

Thinking of this, Zhu Pingjin blamed himself a little, nodded, and shook his head again.

As if seeing Zhu Pingjian's thoughts, Master Shu immediately gave him a suggestion: "It's okay!" Although there are subjects in the Shu Examination Recruitment List, there is no rule that all candidates' questions must be consistent! We'll send him a white roll and let him splash his ink! If Mr. Tian has real talent and real learning, he should understand our hard work! ”

"Of course that's good! It's just that...... I have to ask Mr. Tian not to make a noise......"

Master Shu knew what Zhu Pingjin was worried about, it was nothing more than worrying about someone gossiping! He smiled lightly: "Mr. Tian's test paper is personally reviewed by the old man!" Except for the son and the old man, there is no more than the eye of the third person! ”

"There's Master Lao!" Zhu Pingjin hurriedly thanked him.

The teacher and the student were talking, and the time was approaching in a blink of an eye.

Candidates are lining up to enter. Li Sixian and Qin Yi personally went into battle, two entrances, one person held one entrance and checked the admission ticket. The leading eunuch kept leading the people forward. But some candidates just pretended to be weird, and they just sat randomly and made the scene a little messy.

These are all subsections, and Zhu Pingjin, who was educated by the examination, is not surprised. He smiled and asked Master Shu: "The auspicious time is approaching, and the students dare to ask the master, what is the proposed topic for this first place?" ”

Not! Master Shu proudly stroked his increasingly thinning white beard, "Shizi, the title proposed by the old man is ......"

……

Regarding the right to issue questions for this Shu exam, Zhu Pingjin had to have a battle with his master.

Shu Laoer believes that since he is the chief examiner, of course he is the one who makes the questions.

Zhu disagreed. He quoted scriptures and pointed out that the palace examination for the final ranking of the imperial examination was still presided over by the emperor, so all the jinshi were protégés of the Son of Heaven, which was also in line with the principle of "grace comes from above".

The two fought back and forth and eventually reached a compromise.

The basic course was asked by Shu Laoer, and Zhu Pingjin didn't care about it at all.

The Shen Essay section was also written by Shu Lao'er, but it was checked by Zhu Pingjin.

As for the questions in the skill department, the financial accounting class is Qiu Yide, the big shopkeeper of Huitong Qianzhuang, the law class is Master Shu, and the geography class is He Youyi, and the three of them are also checked by Zhu Pingjin after the questions.

Only Zhu Pingjin didn't know the topic of this basic course, but Master Shu just didn't tell him, which made Zhu Pingjin feel upset and upset. Zhu Pingjin was not worried about Master Shu's level of questioning, but worried that this old man was like the last time he saw a student in Huangchengba, and he almost did something rebellious when he was enthusiastic, and was caught by Liu Zhibo and people with bad intentions.

Master Shu stroked his white beard and shook his head slightly:

"Wang Rushi is benevolent to the people, provincial punishments, thin taxes, and deep cultivation of Yi Yu (NOU, Yi Yu: diligent in weeding); The strong man cultivates his filial piety and faith in his spare time, enters his father and brother, and goes out to his long-term. It can be used to control the armor of Qin and Chu. ”

Note 1: The Jin River, which originates from the Modi River and flows through the Duanli Gate of the Shu Palace, disappeared in the urban transformation in 1971.