As the time gradually approached the day of the imperial examination in Liaodong, more and more scholars from all over the world gathered in Jicheng, among which the most eye-catching was naturally the first graduating scholars of Liaodong Prefecture led by Feng Yu, Huangfu Zhen, Pei Kai and Yangyu.

After four years of study, the four of them successfully graduated from Pingzhou Prefecture School with excellent results, and after receiving their graduation certificates, the four of them coincidentally chose to participate in the first imperial examination to be held in September.

As early as April, Cao, a minister directly under the Pastoral Government, announced the instructions for the imperial examination, including the examination process, content, time and other requirements. According to the regulations, the imperial examination is divided into two major examinations, qualification and position, and each major examination is divided into preliminary examination and re-examination, which means that once the scholars participating in the imperial examination are selected, they must take at least four examinations.

The first examination was set on the day of the Double Ninth Festival in early September, and in the next ten days, the scholars who participated in the scientific examination had to take four major examinations in a row, which was a major test of the students' energy and intelligence.

In order to prevent accidents during the examination, the Pastoral Government will conduct a simple physical test for the applicants before the examination, and those who fail the physical examination will be disqualified. The scholars reacted violently to this. Many people who were ill gathered at the Yamen of Cao Cao to petition for the cancellation of the physical test.

However, the Liaodong Pastoral Government was unmoved, and the reasons they gave were also very sufficient, without a good body, how could they have the energy to govern the place and appease the people?

In addition to the physical test, the most concerned by scholars was the examination syllabus promulgated by the official Cao, which clearly delineated the scope of the examination. The examination will focus on the four Confucian classics of Analects, Daxue, Mencius, and Xunzi, as well as arithmetic knowledge.

This basically means that in the future, Confucianism will be the mainstream of Liaodong, and others such as Lao Zhuang can only study and study in various states, but cannot get official support.

The scientific expedition in eastern Liaodong was based on Confucianism, which immediately caused an uproar in the outside world. Although Confucianism flourished in the Han Dynasty, metaphysics has been popular in the mainstream of Chinese thought since the Wei and Jin dynasties. In this regard, the grandmasters and Confucians of the Confucian school have long been dissatisfied for a long time. Today, General Zhenbei has made it clear that he supports Confucianism, and has won wide support from Confucian masters everywhere.

As soon as the examination instructions were announced, a new round of talent trend was set off to Jicheng, and a large number of Confucian students went to Jicheng to take the exam.

If the inclusion of Confucianism as part of the examination received a lot of praise, the introduction of arithmetic was widely acclaimed. Scholars everywhere were extremely angry that arithmetic had been added to the exam.

Arithmetic was not valued by ancient scholars, who preferred to delve into and speculate on what the sages had said than to settle down to study arithmetic. Only a few scholars who studied astronomy had to devote themselves to arithmetic out of professional necessity.

Nowadays, the Liaodong imperial examination clearly lists arithmetic as a compulsory examination, which makes many scholars who have never been in contact with arithmetic quite dissatisfied. This time, the number of scholars gathered in front of the official Cao Gate was more than the physical measurement, and more than hundreds of scholars gathered in front of the official Cao Yamen and made endless noise, which greatly affected the normal order of the official government.

It wasn't until later, when the new official Cao, the head of the Yang Association, came out to say that he could persuade everyone to leave. It's just that arithmetic has become a foregone conclusion that it will become a compulsory part of the test, and it cannot be changed at all. However, arithmetic became a compulsory subject. It caused a huge heated discussion among the scholars, and even though a few months have passed, many scholars are still quite unhappy when they think of it.

"Xie Langjun, how are you preparing for arithmetic? I really didn't expect General Zhenbei to attach so much importance to arithmetic! ”

Entering the second floor of the hotel, Wei Wei pulled Xie Ai to get down, like a resentful woman, and couldn't help but complain to Xie Ai. Speaking of which, Wei Huan was born in a family and has a rich collection of books at home. There is no shortage of arithmetic books, but Merriam-Webster has always focused on scriptures. He has not systematically studied arithmetic since he was a child.

"What else? It's just that I've read a few books related to arithmetic, and I can't master the more advanced knowledge, so I can only pray that arithmetic in the exam is not too difficult, otherwise I ......"

Xie Ai showed a wry smile on his face, he was from a poor family, and he had never had the opportunity to contact such an obscure knowledge as arithmetic during his previous studies. At present, I can only rely on an IQ slightly higher than ordinary people to forcibly make up for the knowledge of evil.

"Xie Langjun, you said that the Liaodong Mufu forcibly made arithmetic a compulsory part of the exam, is it to take care of the local scholars of Youyan?"

"Well, I don't rule out the possibility of this, I heard that arithmetic is a compulsory course in Liaodong Prefecture. Moreover, the first batch of scholars who graduated from the state school in June will participate in this scientific expedition without accident. With the strength of Youyan students, the possibility of passing the scientific examination is very high. ”

"Could it be that General Zhenbei is also in vain? Under the slogan of meritocracy, using power for personal gain? Wei Huan's face was full of shock.

"Where do you think of it?"

Xie Ai couldn't help but roll his eyes at Wei Yan and explained, "General Zhenbei is only doing this to select the talents that Liaodong needs. ”

Hearing this, Wei Yan showed a hint of an embarrassed smile on his face, he has been in Jicheng for a while, and he has also known General Zhenbei, and his person is definitely a hero like great wisdom and bravery, and it is impossible to play such a small trick.

Just as Xie and Wei were drinking and talking, suddenly there was a commotion downstairs, and I saw four young people with lofty weapons whispering through the hall without squinting and walking towards the private room on the second floor.

Xie Ai's eyes flashed, and he stared straight at the four of them. These four people are not outsiders, they are Feng Yu, Yang Yu, Huang Fuzhen, and Pei Kai, who are the most outstanding talents among the first graduates of Pingzhou State School this year.

Feng, Yang, Huangfu, and Pei were all born in wealthy families in Liaodong, and their families all have elders in the high-level of Liaodong, and they are the real second generation of officials, but they still rely on their own efforts to become the most outstanding representatives of the next generation in Liaodong. Sometimes I have to sigh that the wealthy family really surpasses the Hanjia family in cultivating the next generation.

"Feng Yu, Yang Yu, Huangfu Zhen, Pei Kai ......"

Xie Ai muttered to himself, obviously regarding the four people in front of him as the biggest opponents in the imperial examination. Wei Yan is also staring at the four children of the family with burning eyes, he knows that the four people in front of him are by no means comparable to the children of ordinary families, plus Feng Yi, who is an official, and Yang Hu, who is an official, these six people are the most outstanding young generation talents in Liaodong.

It was not only Xie Ai and Wei Yu who were paying attention to Feng Yu and the others, in a window position on their left, there were also two young people staring at Feng Yu and the others. These two are young people from the Bohai Sea and the plains, one is named Jia Jian, and the other is called Yiyi.

"Shigu, did you see the four of you just now? That is the four people who have been in the limelight in Jicheng recently, they are not only from a family of official eunuchs in Liaodong, but also graduated from Pingzhou State School with excellent performance, tsk, it is really enviable, jealous and hateful! ”

Unexpectedly, Yi Yi's words attracted Jia Jian's laughter, "Hehe, anyway, the little brother is not worried, but Yi Langjun should be careful, you have to participate in the imperial examination, they are all your biggest competitors!" ”

Jia Jian was not ready to participate in the scientific examination, he had outstanding archery skills since he was a child, and he was familiar with military books, and this time he came to Jicheng to participate in the entrance examination of the Liaodong Martial Arts Academy.

"Humph! You think I'm afraid of them? This imperial examination is just a good time for a certain person to compete with Liaodong Toshihiko to see what they are really good at! ”

Yi Yi was provoked by his friend, and suddenly he was arrogant, and his expression was flying for a while, which made people not be forced to look.

"Good! I admire the confidence of the bandits, come, the younger brother first toasts the elder brother, and wishes the elder brother to win the first prize in the imperial examination in the future and become famous all over the world. ”

Feng Yu and the others walked into the private room one after another under the gaze of everyone, regardless of it, until the screen cut off everyone's sight, and the four of them relaxed.

"Oops, it's so awkward, I think the four of us should not come out to drink in the future, it's so uncomfortable."

"This is just the beginning, and we all have to learn to adapt to it in the future."

"Alas, I knew that I should have followed Brother Yang Hu to go to the martial arts academy in the first place, so that I wouldn't have to be like a monkey to make people watch."

"I said a few brothers, there will be a scientific examination in a few months, and if you are lucky enough to win the top prize, don't you blame the brother for not caring for friendship?"

Although Feng Yu, Yang Yu, Huang Fuzhen, and Pei Kai are good friends, after all, they are from different families and young people at the same time, so there is not only a simple friendship between the four, but also inevitable competition. (To be continued.) )