The man in this probe turned out to be Zhou Chun, a friend Li Yanqing met when he participated in the liberation test, a native of Linzhang County. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"It turned out to be Brother Zhou, what a coincidence!"

"Haha! I didn't expect to meet a virtuous brother here, it's really a place in life where I don't meet. ”

The two stepped forward to greet each other affectionately, and Zheng Rongtai, who had already walked outside the store, was suddenly deflated, it seems that this store has to be eaten, but the signboard is so greasy!

"Brother Xian, let's eat! We have a seat here. ”

Li Yanqing pointed to Zheng Rongtai outside the store, "There's another one outside!" ”

Zhou Chun saw Zheng Rongtai, and a knowing smile appeared on his face, it turned out to be Zheng Fatzi, "No problem, let's come together!" If there is a vacant seat next to it, just add a chair. ”

"Brother Zheng Xian, please come and sit!" Zhou Chun waved warmly to Zheng Rongtai.

Zheng Rongtai had no choice but to walk in listlessly.

There were five people squeezed in front of a small table, Zhou Chun and two other friends ate together, one of them Li Yanqing also knew him, and he was also a scholar from Linzhang County, Hong Dazhi, and the other person was a scholar from Yuelu Academy, and he was also from Anyang, Xiangzhou, called Wu Yun, coincidentally, he knew Zheng Rongtai, and he and Zheng Rongtai lived on the same street.

They all know each other, and the relationship is much more harmonious, Li Yanqing asked Hong Dazhi with a smile, "Brother Hong was promoted last year!" ”

In September last year, the states held another release test, which was also held once every three years, in the autumn of the year before the provincial test.

Hong Dazhi smiled and nodded, "Because the number of places in you was too small that year, the Xiangzhou government negotiated with the Ministry of Rites several times, and finally the Ministry of Rites finally relented, and the quota increased to thirty, and I finished twenty-ninth in the exam, and finally caught the tail, and I can enter Beijing to catch the exam." ”

"Who is the first Xie Yuan?" Li Yanqing asked with a smile.

"You know, Yang Du, your second place that year."

"Can I repeat the test if I pass the test?" Li Yanqing was surprised.

"Of course you can, as long as you are willing, you can sign up for the retest, but few people are willing to retake the test, if you don't pass the exam this time, the previous test will also be invalidated, it is estimated that Yang Du wants to take the first place."

"He doesn't want to be the first, and he can't help it."

Zheng Rongtai on the side interjected: "He hasn't taken the exam twice for the middle school students in the upper dormitory, and he can only go straight to the middle school students in the upper dormitory only if he gets Xie Yuan, otherwise he can only leave Taixue, this is the only chance." ”

"Looks like he's taking his chance."

Wang Dazhi said in a low voice: "Brother Li, it's really unfortunate, last year's liberation test, there was only one person in Tangyin County who passed the exam, and Linzhang County passed the twelve. ”

Li Yanqing is not strange at all, there are people like Li Daguang who should be upright, the county students dance with guns and sticks all day long, and it is strange that the scholars of Tangyin County have passed the exam.

Li Yanqing took a sip of wine and let out a long sigh, "This is Jiang Dadao's political achievements, he has been the county governor for so many years, and he has made Tangyin County miserable." ”

At this time, the guy brought a few plates of crispy bone meat, crispy bone meat is to marinate the meat bones for three days and then slowly roast over low heat, roasted brown and crispy, fragrant abnormally, it is a famous dish in Xiangzhou, but the marinated ingredients of each family are different, so the taste is different.

This shop is very authentic, and even Zheng Rongtai doesn't dislike that the grade is too low, he gnawed three in one go and applauded loudly.

Zhou Chun picked up his wine glass and asked, "I heard that this year's chief examiner is Dazai Yushen, and Brother Xian has been in the capital, do you know him?" ”

Wang Dazhi and Wu Yun next to him also stepped forward and wanted to hear Li Yanqing's high opinion, the examiner's personality and political philosophy are extremely important to the results of the imperial examination, for example, the examiner is the main battle faction, and the candidates' strategies are full of appeasement and compromise, no matter how good the candidate's literary style is, he will not be on the list.

Li Yanqing said with a smile: "I listened to his report once at the beginning of last year, and I personally understand that this person is very organized, pays great attention to organization, and lists his own views when examining policy theories, and divides them into one, two, three, four, five, which should be remembered." ”

Everyone listened very carefully, and even Zheng Rongtai opened his little eyes without blinking, listening intently to Li Yanqing's narration, and he couldn't help asking, "Does he have any requirements for calligraphy?" ”

"Calligraphy should be the same as all examiners! It can be written in block letters and line letters. ”

Li Yanqing glanced at Zheng Rongtai, "You don't really want to participate in the imperial examination, do you?" ”

Zheng Rongtai's expression was very embarrassed, and he smiled reluctantly: "Of course I don't want to, it's just that my father and sister have to force me to participate, but I also want to give it a try and experience the atmosphere of the imperial examination." ”

Hong Dazhi and Wu Yun next to him were puzzled: "Brother Zheng Xian is also a lifter, or is he too academic, why can't he participate in the imperial examination?" ”

Zhou Chun knew a little clue, he didn't say anything, of course Li Yanqing knew very well what it meant for Zheng Fatzi to participate in the imperial examination, he didn't say anything, and said with a smile: "At the beginning, he told me that he wouldn't participate in the imperial examination, but now he has changed his hexagram, so I think it's a little strange." ”

Zheng Rongtai just wanted to explain, but was kicked by Li Yanqing under the table, so he had to smile and stop talking.

"Does the examiner have any special hobbies or anything like that?" Zhou Chun continued to ask.

"I love to drink tea!"

Everyone laughed, Zhou Chun was about to explain, but Li Yanqing waved his hand and smiled: "Just kidding you, Yu Shen pays more attention to small things such as firewood, rice, oil and salt, and does not pay much attention to major matters in the frontier. ”

"But Yu Shen is just the examiner, and he doesn't care about the questions." Hong Dazhi was not convinced.

Li Yanqing said with a smile: "In fact, there is some truth in this discussion, the appointment of the chief examiner actually represents a kind of wind direction, for example, the last imperial examination was mainly examined by Xiangguo Cai Bian, some people inferred from his resume that the imperial examination will focus on finance and taxation, and the results of the five policy topics are related to tax and fortune, maybe this is just a coincidence, but even if you believe that there will be no loss, what do you think?" ”

Everyone nodded silently, and everyone felt the need to read some more books on people's livelihood.

At this time, Li Yanqing remembered something and asked Zhou Chun, "Where do you live?" ”

"In the Yinanqiao Inn, just opposite the gate of the tile shop, the room fee is not expensive, thirty dollars a day, including breakfast, there is hot water supply every day, which is more convenient than private houses."

Wu Yun, who had been silent next to him, said with a smile: "Yuelu Academy subsidizes three times per person to all the scholars who participate in the imperial examination, although it costs money to eat, but the accommodation fee is available, plus a little money that is usually frugal, basically there is no need to increase the burden on the family." ”

Everyone chatted for a while, and the time was almost up, everyone rushed to pay the bill, or Li Yanqing paid the money to settle the bill, and everyone broke up.

After walking for a while, Zheng Rongtai smiled, "Lao Li is so famous in the capital, the first in the bow horse competition, the young proprietor of Baoyan Zhai, I found that they didn't know, and I thought you were as poor as them." ”

Li Yanqing glared at him, "I don't care about this kind of thing, what are you excited about?" ”

Zheng Rongtai muttered, "I just think they are lonely and unheard." ”

"They're readers, will they care about the bow race? How many people in Bianjing know that the proprietor of Baoyanzhai is surnamed Li? You say this is all nonsense. ”

Li Yanqing suddenly pulled Zheng Rongtai to an angle and asked him in a low voice, "Do you want to cheat in the imperial examination again?" ”

Zheng Rongtai's face was full of embarrassment, and he squeaked and whined after a while: "I really don't want to participate in the imperial examination, but my family forced me to participate, and said that it was the prince's meaning, this time I don't care about anything, just answer the questions, whether I can be admitted or not has nothing to do with me." ”

Li Yanqing suddenly understood that the Zheng family should take the examiner's route, and there is no need for low-end cheating methods such as coercion, plagiarism, and substitute exams, and they can be done directly on the examiner's side.

Li Yanqing did not continue to ask, since there was the imperial examination, cheating has been accompanied by a shadow, especially at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the officialdom was dark and corrupt, and the cheating in the imperial examination was extremely serious, and the cheating of the Zheng family was just the tip of the iceberg, so there was really no need to be surprised, but even so, it made Li Yanqing feel as uncomfortable as swallowing a fly.

"Let's go! I'm going back. ”

Li Yanqing wanted to find a place to drink two more glasses, but at this moment he was not interested at all, and Zheng Rongtai really made him feel bored.

He didn't care if Zheng Rongtai could keep up with him, turned around and walked in the direction of Taixue.