[It should be updated on the first day of the new year, but I couldn't catch up.] Add a few more words to apologize. 】

In the Gongyuan, the correction of the Jinshi examination paper is in the last stage.

Pu Zongmeng and Li Chengzhi, the two Zhigongju only had some differences of opinion at the beginning, but as time passed, conflicting views were still frequent, and there were fewer and fewer times to argue, and one side always chose to compromise quickly.

And such a compromise has turned into an alternate concession. This time you accept my judgment, the next time I accept your correction, and then repeat it again next time, and so on, without looking at the situation of the test paper itself.

It's not that Pu Zongmeng and Li Chengzhi are compatible, but there are too many exam papers that need to be corrected by them. If you have time to argue about whether you are in a paper or not, it is better to read a few more papers.

More than 5,000 students participated in the Ministry of Rites Examination, which means that the total number of examination papers exceeded 5,000.

Five thousand, as long as it concerns people, no matter from what point of view, this is a number that cannot be underestimated.

From the point of view of the people, this is the entire household registration of a medium-sized Wangxian County, more than 4,000 households are the level of Wangxian, the 400 military prefectures of the Great Song Dynasty, 1,800 counties, and there may be one-tenth of those who can be classified into Wangxian, and the proportion of the amount paid by these Wangxian counties in the total income of the imperial court is far exceeded;

From the point of view of the army, this is the number of ten full-fledged commands, and in the Western Army or the Hedong Army, there are very few full-fledged commanders, all of whom are elite. The gathering of such ten commands, even in the Song and Liao wars, is a force that Han Gang and Yelu Yixin of this level of powerful ministers and important ministers would never dare to ignore;

From the point of view of officials, this is a quarter of the total number of civil and military posts, and there are hundreds of thousands of officials waiting for the quota every day in Quanxu Yamen such as Liunequan and Sanbanyuan, and the actual dispatch of officials can really be arranged in the world is only 20,000;

If these 5,000 are the test papers handed in by the tribute students who participated in the Ministry of Rites examination, then for Zhigongju, it means that it has lasted for nearly a month, and every day it has been busy from the fourth watch to the night leakage.

The examiners below can indeed help many candidates when reviewing the examination papers of the scriptures and righteousness.

But now is not the time when the "Three Classics and New Righteousness" has just become an official commentary.

Since the third year of Xining, it has been almost ten years. The talent ceremony has gone through three courses. Many of the Gongsheng, especially those who were younger, learned new texts from the very beginning of their studies, and were no longer disturbed by the memories of the past, as their predecessors had done.

The candidates who will be brushed off at the Jingyi stage are not even a quarter of them in the first year of Yuanyou today.

In addition, there are a few test papers that have been brushed down due to mistakes such as making mistakes and solving questions incorrectly. Pu Zongmeng and Li Chengzhi still had to personally review the examination papers, which still exceeded two-thirds of the total number of candidates. And even if it is a paper that has been brushed off, they have to go through it to prevent the examiners below from taking power.

Because there are so many test papers that need to be reviewed, in the hands of the two Zhigongju, as long as the first few sentences of a test paper are not brilliant, they will be thrown away directly. Only the rolls that feel good will be left to take a few more looks.

Li Chengzhi and Pu Zongmeng have so much time, and they evenly distribute each test paper, and it takes only two or three eyes. Moreover, if there are too many exam papers to read, people will also feel tired and have no intention of reading them carefully. Those volumes that are a little bland at the beginning, but splendid, can only be said to be unlucky.

With a red pen, he drew a big tick on the frontispiece of the test paper, and Pu Zongmeng dropped the paper that he had only looked at two or three times.

The two big red hooks on the roll are very conspicuous,

The clerk standing on the left side took the paper away, and the clerk on the right put the next exam paper.

Pu Zongmeng held his heavy eyelids hard, and only glanced at it, as if he had been pricked by a needle, and most of his fatigue dissipated.

The beginning of this volume is talking about qi science, and it is quoting the most controversial theory of natural selection in qi science.

When Pu Zongmeng looked at the lower part of the paper, he found that the main idea of the whole article was to take qi science as the guideline. He could also tell that the author of the article was more proficient in military affairs and geography. Even in the writing, Pu Zongmeng has a faint sense of familiarity.

Li Chengzhi has already made two circles on it, which is the highest grade of the score, but Pu Zongmeng, who is on the side of the New Party, feels that this exam paper should be directly deposed.

"Bongse. This one won't work. ”

Pu Zongmeng called Li Chengzhi and asked him to bring him this volume.

According to the order that both sides have acquiesced in a few days, this time they should follow Pu Zongmeng's advice and depose him.

But this time, Li Chengzhi didn't shake his head, but returned the volume, "This article is very good, the reason is very clear, and the text is not bad." ”

Pu Zongmeng's face immediately sank: "Even if Han San is participating in politics, he doesn't say so much. ”

Han Gang's natural selection of things is talking about the distinction of Huayi and the temperament of the barbarians in the Quartet.

However, in this article, although it can be seen that the author tries to avoid mentioning China when quoting the theory of natural selection, because of the exam questions, this paper still inevitably brings the words "natural selection" into the discussion of current affairs in the country.

Li Chengzhi pointed to the left side of the room with the pen and then to the right, "Brother Chuanzheng, what are those two sides?" ”

Pu Zongmeng didn't want to look at it, and he knew what was on the other side of the road.

It's just a square bamboo basket, but inside the basket, there is still a stack of test papers, and the total number is less than a hundred. Look at the frontispiece of the top one, it is circled by a red pen, and it is two side by side. If you scroll down, all the test papers are the same.

These test papers, which are less than 100 copies, are all papers with excellent words and reasoning, and surpass their peers. There is no need to study and consider it afterwards, after reading it, Li Chengzhi and Pu Zongmeng directly circled the exam papers, and they were already on the list. If you later survey the original volume, if there are no defacements, typos, or other errors, the ranking must be among the top 100.

On the other side, there are three baskets side by side, and there are many more rolls in them than in the basket opposite. However, the total number is only six or seven hundred so far, and even if some of the examination papers that have not been reviewed can be selected in the future, it is unlikely that it will exceed eight hundred in the end. The remaining 300 jinshi were selected from the less than 800 examination papers.

Out of 5,000, only 400 will be selected, and those who can't be selected will have to come back in three years. Isn't this natural selection, survival of the fittest?

Pu Zongmeng understood what Li Chengzhi meant and spoke with facts.

However, Li Chengzhi insisted so much, is he really optimistic about this volume? Or is it for the candidates who hand in this exam paper.

It does look a bit like a pre-agreed agreement. Especially the wording is so biased towards qi. Most of them are students who Han Gang takes care of.

Pu Zongmeng hesitated for a rare time. Now that the new party is powerful, as long as he wants to go further, he must stand on the side of the new party with a clear stand. But if you offend Han Gang, you have to be a little careful when walking at night.

Pu Zongmeng thought hard for a long time, Li Chengzhi had already approved the seventeen or eighteen-point examination papers, and he was about to pick up the pen, and then clicked a little at the front of the paper.

Although it cannot be said that it is agreed, at least there is room for renegotiation.

Seeing that Pu Zongmeng had approved this exam paper, the official on the left immediately took the paper away, and a new test paper was placed in front of his eyes.

Pu Zongmeng blinked a few times, lowered his head, and didn't care about the test paper anymore.

The sky was bright and dark, dark and bright, and the candles were changed one after another.

On this day, the door of the Gongyuan, which had been closed for many days, was finally opened.

At nightfall.

Empress Dowager Xiang still hasn't finished her work, and is summoning the newly returned chamberlain in the palace.

Huang Huaixin had just been transferred back from Michigan. Previously, because he had presided over the repair of dragon boats and offered the repair earthmoving vehicle, he had some talent in what he was going to do. When the imperial court needed a sailor, the position of supervising the sailor fell to Huang Huaixin, and he was soon sent to Mizhou.

Dengzhou and Liao are just a strip of water, across the sea, can be stationed in the sailors, but can not put the shipbuilding yard in Dengzhou. The ships built by the old shipyards in Mingzhou and other places may not be suitable for the sea conditions in the north. Therefore, the shipyard that provided sea boats for the Dengzhou sailors was placed in Mizhou.

However, the Empress Dowager Xiang only asked Huang Huaixin a few questions, and then she heard footsteps breaking through the silence outside the small hall, and gradually became louder from a blur.

More than a dozen footsteps came from far and near, and the last one stopped outside the temple gate. The door was pushed open, and Yang Jian, who was guarding the door, came in from outside, and his voice was hurried: "Queen Mother, the results of the Ministry of Rites test are out!" ”

Empress Dowager Xiang immediately forgot about Huang Huaixin, "Don't bring it soon!" ”

A letter, carefully sealed by fire paint, was sent into the temple. The Queen Mother immediately ordered someone to bring the letter up, open it and read it.

After glancing at it twice, he inadvertently caught a glimpse, "Huang Huaixin, you go down first." Come back in two days and ask the right questions. ”

Huang Huaixin bowed his head to accept the order, but when he thanked him again, the Queen Mother heard a thick nasal voice in her reply.

"Huang Huaixin, what are you crying about?" Empress Dowager Xiang immediately broke her mood.

Huang Huaixin hurriedly knelt down: "Seeing the list of the Empress Dowager's review of the new science and technology scholars, the minister suddenly remembered the first emperor, a momentary gaffe, a capital crime, a capital crime." ”

Wang Zhongzheng saw the Queen Mother's brows frown slightly, "In this way, it is also your loyalty...... Let's go down first. ”

Huang Huaixin was stunned, bowed his head again to accept the order, and then left with a hunched waist and small steps.

Just when Huang Huaixin was about to arrive at the palace gate, Xiang Empress Dowager suddenly happened: "Huang Huaixin, when you entered the right place in the past, the first emperor was also seeing the list of new science and technology scholars?" ”

Huang Huaixin turned back all of a sudden, "It was nine years ago to go back to the Queen Mother." The Ministry of Rites Examination in the sixth year of Xining was also in the evening, and the ministers served around the Emperor Xian, and they happened to see the list of the Ministry of Rites Examination sent by the Gongyuan. ”

"Six years of Xining? It was the time when Han participated in politics. ”

"Yes." Wang Zhongzheng nodded.

“…… Xining for six years, now it is only the first year of Yuanyou, nine years and Zaifu, Wang Qing, this has happened in the past? ”

Wang Zhongzheng said: "Taizu and Taizong may have it, but there should be no one after Zhenzong." Wang Pingzhang and Han Xianggong have only entered the two mansions for more than 30 years. Lu Xuanhui and Zhang Shumi have also been in the past 20 years. ”

"When Taizu and Taizong were there?" Empress Dowager Xiang asked curiously, "Who is it?" ”

Wang Zhongzheng said: "The most famous ones are Lu Wenmu and Lu Mengzheng. After becoming a jinshi, he participated in politics for six years and became prime minister for eleven years. ”

It has only been six years since he became a governor, and this speed cannot be said to be unprecedented or unprecedented, but it is already unique in the Great Song Dynasty.

"It seems that South Korea's participation in politics is not the fastest." Xiang Empress Dowager smiled.

"Before Han participated in politics, he was already a man of outstanding military achievements, intimidating the enemy, accumulating merit and promotion to the dynasty, and the Jinshi was only the icing on the cake. Since the ascension to the dynasty, he has been promoted to the two provinces in eight and nine years, which cannot be said to be very fast. And Lu Mengzheng is far inferior to Han Zhengzheng, that is, he was already old when he was a jinshi. ”

"That's right." Nodding to the Queen Mother, "Han Shenzheng should have entered the two mansions a long time ago." ”

Many officials who are valued, if they are promoted by the route of supervising the imperial history, when they do the imperial history for the first time, they are only Beijing officials, or they have just entered the court, but if they go up, they will soar and be promoted to Zaifu within five or six years, and now there is this person in the court.

Zhang Dian and Lu Huiqing are all very fast, both for six or seven years. Cai Qu is also amazingly fast. As for Wang Shao, who recovered the Xihe River, the time was even shorter, less than five years. Han Gang's promotion speed in the promotion stage was far inferior to theirs.

"Huang Huaixin." Empress Dowager Xiang sighed for a while, and asked Huang Huaixin again, "When I received the list of the Ministry of Rites, what did the first emperor think?" ”

"After opening the list, the official family searched for a while, and Zhilu said Han Shenzheng High School, and suddenly became very happy."

"Oh? …… It turns out that there is still a story. The Empress Dowager Xiang was skeptical, recalling the situation before Zhao Ji's illness, it was hard for her to imagine how happy her deceased husband would be to Han Gangzhong Jinshi, but she was still full of interest, "What did the first emperor do?" ”

"When the first emperor saw that Han was successful in politics, he ordered someone to report the good news to Wang Pingzhang,"

To give Wang Anshi the good news, for what, of course, don't think about it. There are too many things to catch sons-in-law under the list, and the famous scholars were decided before the Ministry of Rites exam, which is also common now.

"Hmm. It turns out that there is still this origin. Xiang nodded to the Queen Mother, but mentioned Huang Huaixin's own work: "The imperial court to form a sailor, you need a high-class giant boat to do the sea, Huang Huaixin, you have done a good job in Mizhou." ”

Huang Huaixin hurriedly thanked him.

"It was originally a protocol envoy, and he entered the inner chamber to serve the provincial guard." Empress Dowager Xiang picked up a piece of paper on the table in front of her, on which was Huang Huaixin's official and dispatch, looked at it, and said, "But the envoy of the East Dyeing Academy, the province knows about it." ”

Huang Huaixin was overjoyed and thanked, and he could see that his face was smiling, and Wang Zhongzheng also secretly thought to himself, this time, there will be one more person in the palace.

Then I heard the Queen Mother say: "The Mizhou Shipyard must do a good job." ”