Time is like flowing water, and it is difficult to find it again when entering the river. Since Sun Nian proposed what later generations called the imperial examination, that is, the matter of the trial, the days of the year have been in a hurry, and it will soon be the time for the real big examination. Although it was the first time it was held, the officials were in an orderly manner and did not panic at all.

On the 10th day of the first lunar month, the top 50 people who took the county government examination were escorted down to Luoyang by the local governor (prefecture and county magistrate). All the expenses for coming to Luoyang were paid in full by those who took the exam, and the right was to pay for the soldiers who escorted them.

The Luoyang big test is located in the Taixue Palace. Hundreds of students occupied all the houses in the entire Taixue Palace, just enough.

On the first day, the test was for university and moderation; The next day was the Historical Records and the Warring States Policy. As for the Analects and the Thirty-six Strategies, they were taken on the third day. In the next two days, he was dragged to the six arts of the gentleman, and the students chose one of them to take the test. The exam was personally invigilated by Sun Nian. These six arts are etiquette, music, archery, royalty, calligraphy, and mathematics [Note 1]. Because considering that the children of the poor family may not have learned too much, they will choose three of the six arts that have been set before, and they should be tested for the choice of one. In this way, there will be a little more accommodation for those poor children. After all, being able to blow a flute is considered music.

Sure enough, many plainly dressed children from poor families mostly performed vocal arts, such as flute, changxiao or drumming, which are easy to find and easy to learn.

Among them, those children of the poor family still felt ashamed, Sun Nian saw it, and laughed loudly: "Students, if the family is not rich, it is not a shame for you. A manly man can stand in heaven and earth without deserving. Why bother with other people's eyes? When you stand before the widow, you will not distinguish between high and low. And the musical instruments are in our hands, and there is no distinction between high and low. It's just a matter of preference. The flute and the flute are also his favorite instruments, but he doesn't want to say it, so too many people practice the flute and flute in order to please him. Sun read this, and really comforted those students who were worried and uneasy.

"Alright, here you go." Sun Nian pointed to a gray-robed young man holding a long flute.

The man saluted, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then there is a song of spring river, blowing the spring pool.

"Not bad!" Sun Nian laughed, "Sure enough, I came to invigilate your six arts for fun." You've passed. "After the six arts, it is one out of ten. If the meaning of the poems and books is not good enough, the six arts can also make up for a little, and maybe they can get by.

This first one is so easy to pass, and the people behind are naturally more confident. This of course refers to the person who chooses the music. The other choices are a little uneasy. I wonder if the one they choose will be able to enter His Majesty's eyes?

Fortunately, all of them worked hard to learn, and only one failed the test. It was a tall man, and he chose to drive, that is, to drive, but the horses did not obey the command, and pulled the fences aside, and then neighed. Sun Nian couldn't bear to be defeated, so he allowed him to pick another horse, who would have expected to be in such a situation. In this way, the tall and strong man wiped his tears with his sleeve in front of everyone.

"What else will you do in your six arts?" Sun Nian couldn't help but smile and asked this big man.

The big man replied, "Nothing." In my hometown, I learned to drive with the village chief's ox cart! ”

Sun Nian was stunned and speechless when he heard this, but Jiang Wei coughed on the side before pulling Sun Nian's mind back, "Ahem, then, what else will you do besides the six arts?" ”

"Study, farm."

"Oh? What is your name and where is your origin? ”

"The small one's name is Rong Meng, and the word is Wanting."

"You're the eldest in the family?" Sun Nian asked affirmatively.

"Your Majesty, yes. Wan, in my hometown, it also means 'first' and 'long'. So my husband gave me this name and the name. ”

Sun Nian nodded, thinking it was also good.

Rong Meng was asked a few words by Sun Nian, but it was a big opportunity, which could make other students envious and jealous. They didn't expect that among the six arts exams, Rong Meng, who came to the imperial art test after driving an ox cart for a few days, did the worst in the exam, and was actually taken by His Majesty! This has made them work hard for a year, and every night the magic sound harasses the excellent of the neighborhood, how do they deal with themselves? What is the principle of heaven?

"Alright. Go down. Sun Nian remembered his name, smiled, asked him to step back, and said to those students who were almost jealous and red-eyed: "You go back and have a good rest, and wait until ten days later, the results of this Luoyang trial will come out, and then you can go to the announcement altar in front of the Taixue Hall to watch." ”

"Promise!"

"Can the scribe write down the art that every student is good at?" After many students left, Sun Nian asked the scribe in charge of the record.

The scribe waited early in the morning, and when he heard Sun Nian's inquiry, he immediately stepped forward respectfully, held the long scroll in his hand with both hands, and said, "Please take a look at Your Majesty." Sun Nian didn't look at the long scroll held by the scribe, but took it casually and went to it carefully.

After reading it, he gave it to the scribe official, "You seal it and send it to Guangluqing." He will understand how to do it. ”

"Promise!"

Sun Nian got up, stretched his waist, and said, "Oh, these six arts have finally finished the exam." I don't know what happened to Guangluqing and their review of the students' books? ”

"Your Majesty, I guess they're too busy to eat right now." Where is Sun Nian so comfortable watching the students drumming and playing sheng, archery and sword dance? Fortunately, the people who came to the test were all young people, and they could barely be regarded as beautiful and delicious, if there was a gray-haired old man who danced with a sword or something there, wouldn't his eyes be blinded?

"Well, in that case, send someone to take a look, and if that's the case, ask the dining room to deliver meals to them."

"Promise!" Jiang Wei turned around and called someone to go. But their kindness caused Su Li and others to complain, and they sent things, but they didn't send the desk, so where did they go to eat? The low table in front of them is full of students' books! I care so much about them, why don't you see Your Majesty personally reviewing them?

No matter how they complained, Sun Nian didn't know, and only cared about his own pleasure.

"I just want to find some capable ministers who are county officials, but according to today's six arts test, the widow has picked up a big bargain. Among them, there are many generals! This solves the shortage of talents. ”

"Congratulations, Your Majesty." Jiang Wei flattered a little, and then said: "Shen Zhongshu (Shen Shang) sent someone to speak, please ask Your Majesty to determine the trial strategy of the last section in ten days, that is, the content of the palace test." In addition, the titles of the top three, the fourth to the tenth are also requested to be finalized by His Majesty. ”

"Isn't it already settled with them? Why do you still ask? Is it because I'm too idle? Sun Nian muttered in confusion, not seeing Jiang Wei's quietly hidden smile. Could it be that Shen Shang, Fifth Chang and others couldn't see that Sun Nian was too idle and wanted to find something for him to do.

Sun Nian also attached great importance to this first trial strategy, and when they said this, he also felt that the top ten of this trial strategy were very valuable, but he needed a resounding name to show his importance.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, the first place is Zheng Youxiang's eldest son, Zheng Wei. And the second place is a son from a family from Shu, named Fu Chi. The third place is a son of a poor family, surnamed Wanxi. The fourth place, but he is an acquaintance, that is, Rong Meng, who dared to drive a carriage after learning to drive an ox cart. Of the remaining six, three were merchants, three were from a family, and the last one was from a craftsman's family.

Among the ten students, five are from the scholar family, two are from the poor family, and then the merchant family also has talents. The Craftsman's House, the hardest to read?

This result is expected for Sun Nian, but for ordinary officials, it is uncontrollable. Why? Because, only five of them are from the Shi clan! What's the deal!