Wu Shu suddenly breathed a big sigh of relief, nodded at Young Master Tian and said: "Everyone has their own ambitions, Brother Zuo has ambitions in all directions, and we are obsessed with careers, compared with Brother Zuo, it is embarrassing." ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled: "You're welcome." I'm just a person with a surname and not an official, and people are expensive and self-aware, so I don't bother to bother with that," Zuo Shaoyang drank a few big cups in a row, and he was already a little upset, and asked: "The questions you asked me just now, are they the test questions of the medical imperial examination?" ”

Wu Shu was pleasantly surprised: "Brother Zuo is really smart! The three questions asked by the talented and foolish brother were one of the test questions in last year's medical examination "Su Wen", "Materia Medica" and "Treatise on Typhoid Fever". Brother Zuo is smart and can't help but answer fluently, and the younger brother thinks that Brother Zuo's assertion on the last question is more incisive and unique than the answer to the original question, and with Brother Zuo's talent, if he participates in the medical examination, he will definitely ......"

"Ahem!" Young Master Tian coughed lightly.

Wu Shu immediately understood, and said with a smile: "It's a pity that Brother Zuo has no intention of pursuing a career, he just wants to laugh at the mountains and forests, play the dust, hang the pot to help the world, and have lofty ambitions, which is amazing." ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled, listening to this kid say a lot of flattering words, praising his medical skills as if there was nothing in the sky and the earth, and he was afraid that he would participate in the medical examination, and he didn't know what to do, but he knew that this kid must have something to ask of him.

Sure enough, after being full of wine and food, Young Master Tian and Wu Shu invited Zuo Shaoyang to the study to taste tea and talk.

When he entered the study, Young Master Tian closed the door and said to Zuo Shaoyang: "Zuo Langzhong, Brother Wu has a reluctant request, and I also ask Zuo Langzhong to help as a thank you." ”

Zuo Shaoyang took a sip of tea and looked at Wu Shu.

Wu Shu took out a package, put it heavy, put it on the coffee table next to Zuo Shaoyang, untied it, and inside it turned out to be five strings of copper coins, which were wrapped in a pile like a snake.

Zuo Shaoyang looked at Wu Shu suspiciously.

Wu Shu and Young Master Tian glanced at each other, smiled, and whispered to Zuo Shaoyang: "I know that Zuo Langzhong is a straightforward and chivalrous person, so I won't beat around the bush and say it directly." -- Since Brother Zuo has no intention of taking the imperial examination, he wants to ask Zuo Langzhong to participate in the state examination of the medical examination to be held in the state after the fifth day. After the deed is completed, another reward will be given. ”

This kid really wants to be for himself, but he didn't expect to let himself take the test on his behalf. Zuo Shaoyang smiled: "Your family is a famous medicine store in Longzhou, and you yourself are studying medicine, why don't you take the exam yourself?" ”

Wu Shu said: "It's not a secret, I studied medicine, and it was three days of fishing and two days of drying nets, so I didn't learn anything." I took the test myself, and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to pass. ”

"It's all the state test, didn't you pass the county test?"

"Hehe, that's also to ask someone to take the test, but the last time I invited the person, the medical skills were too poor, almost failed, the county test is already like this, the state test and the first place is limited, we are in a Zhongzhou like Longzhou, there are only two places for tribute students, and dozens of people can compare with the non-county test, so he refuses to help anymore, saying that he can't pass it. We had to invite Gao Ming, a few days ago to visit Brother Tian, and learned that he had been treated by Zuo Langzhong, and his injuries had been healed, he was very amazed, and he felt that your medical skills were so clever, and he would definitely be able to take the test for me. ”

Zuo Shaoyang shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I can't take the test for you." ”

"Why?" The two asked together.

"Since your medical skills are not good, if I take the exam for you and become a medical officer in the future, I am afraid that I will be a quack doctor and harm people, isn't it my sin?"

Wu Shunai is a gentleman, and he doesn't know how to learn, so he doesn't feel embarrassed, and said with a smile: "You can rest assured of this, my family has money, and I don't need to rely on me to see a doctor to earn money." I took the imperial examination just to gain fame and glory. I still know very well how many pounds and taels I have, it is impossible to slap a swollen face and become fat to treat people, not to mention others, and to drag myself down, why bother. Besides, the vast majority of people who are medical scholars cannot become officials. ”

"Why?"

"Because after the medical examination, you can only be a medical officer, not another official, and to be a medical officer, you can only serve as a medical officer and a physician in the Dianzhong Provincial Medicine Bureau, the Taichang Temple Taiyi Department and the Taizi Donggong Medicine Bureau, these positions are limited, and the number of doctors and the first is far more than the vacancy every year, so the vast majority of people can only be awarded the loose official, and it is my greatest wish to be awarded the loose official, even if there is a shortage and it is my turn, I will let my father try to push away the unacceptable."

Zuo Shaoyang smiled secretly in his heart, this person also has self-knowledge, if this is the case, he will not be quacky and harmful. After thinking about it, he still shook his head and said, "Even if you just gain fame and are determined not to practice medicine in this life, I still can't help you take the exam on your behalf." ”

"Why is that? I'm afraid it's not too much money? How much do you want, tell me a price, and I'll go back and discuss it with my father. ”

"It's not a matter of money, the total price for the substitute exam is ten times (equivalent to 50,000 yuan), just to participate in the state exam, in my opinion, it is already a high price. However, I heard that once the proxy exam is found out, they will be imprisoned or even beheaded, and I don't want to joke about my head for ten dollars. ”

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the punishment for fraud in the imperial examination was far more severe than that of the Tang and Song dynasties, and the Ding You fraud case that occurred in the early days of the Qing Dynasty's entry into the customs was decided by 16 examiners, and hundreds of people were re-examined under the entrainment of the full army, and dozens of people who did not pass the examination were all executed, and some of them were relegated to the frontier, which was the largest and most severe punishment in the history of China's imperial examination.

Of course, it is generally believed that this was the need for the newly entered Manchu political axe to severely punish Han intellectuals, in order to consolidate the power newly seized by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and did not have a common surname, but the severe punishment for fraud in the imperial field was a common practice during most of the imperial examination. For example, in the Song Dynasty, both parties who bribed and cheated on behalf of others in the examination were punished as theft, and at the same time stabbed and refilled the army. The Ming Dynasty also imprisoned those who knew the same insurance, and the famous merry and talented Tang Bohu was imprisoned because he went to Beijing to take the exam and was implicated in the fraud case of others.

Zuo Shaoyang knew more or less about these things, so he categorically refused.

Unexpectedly, when Wu Shu and Young Master Tian heard what he said, they laughed, and Young Master Tian said: "Zuo Langzhong, who did you listen to, you have to go to prison to lose your head for the exam?" ”

Zuo Shaoyang said: "Isn't it? ”

"Of course not!" Wu Shu said, "According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, those who cheat in the substitute examination will never be punished, and there will be no other punishment." ”

Zuo Shaoyang was surprised: "Won't it?" ”

Young Master Tian smiled and said, "This is known to everyone, and everyone who takes the test knows it. Zuo Langzhong can inquire as much as he can. ”

Wu Shu and Young Master Tian told the truth, the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was very different from that of later generations, that is, the implementation of the dual-track system of general ranking and public recommendation. In other words, it is not only necessary to have a good score in the imperial examination, but also to be recommended by celebrities and scholars. Candidates not only have to participate in the imperial examination, but also run under the door of celebrities and scholars, and submit their works, in order to get the recommendation of celebrities and scholars, so as to pass the imperial examination. Therefore, the important surnames of the imperial examination itself in the Tang Dynasty were lighter than those of later generations, and the punishment for fraud was correspondingly lighter.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Wen Tingyun, the famous pioneer of the Wanyue School, was the most famous gunman who caught the pen for others. He repeatedly participated in the Jinshi examination, but failed to pass the rank due to various reasons such as politics, and was angry, so he went around taking the exam for others, and even in the palace examination where the emperor personally presided over the examination, he also made endowments for others, and was seized by the government many times. The emperor was very angry and issued an edict to scold him for "virtue is not gained", even so, the punishment he received was only a lifelong career without a career.

Zuo Shaoyang looked at them and didn't look like they were lying, and thought that he would wait to go back and ask the shopkeeper Zhu to help inquire if this was the case, if this was the case, he could also consider earning him ten times by the way, and then experience what was going on in the imperial examination of the Tang Dynasty. Anyway, I don't want to participate in the imperial examination, even if I am found out in the future, I will not be harmed.

At that moment, Zuo Shaoyang arched his hand and said: "If the two of you didn't lie to me, there is really no other punishment, I can take the medical examination for you." I'll have to check it out when I go back. ”

"Thank you, Brother Zuo! Wu Shu was overjoyed, arched to the ground, and stabbed again: "Don't worry, there is absolutely no other punishment." Besides, this is just a state test, and our Wu family is also a role in Longzhou, and there is nothing unfair. ”

Zuo Shaoyang glanced at Young Master Tian, and Young Master Tian hurriedly nodded in agreement, indicating that Wu Shu was not bragging. Zuo Shaoyang said: "Yes, yes, but, although the two of us are about the same size, we have different appearances, how to take the test?" People can see it at a glance! Besides, my calligraphy is very bad, it's only been five days, and no matter how much I practice, I'm afraid it's too late. The handwriting gap is too big. ”

Wu Shu said with a smile: "Don't worry about appearance, my father has opened up the joints, and the invigilator will open one eye and close one's eyes, you can just go in and take the test for me." This trace is easier to do, when the time comes, you write the official book, stroke by stroke, don't write even the pen, everyone is almost the same, you can't recognize the difference. ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled bitterly: "Lishu? I've also written a terrible book. ”

Wu Shu and Young Master Tian glanced at each other, their eyes full of disbelief. Because in ancient times, children picked up a pen and wrote from an early age, and calligraphy would not be rotten.

Seeing that they didn't believe it, Zuo Shaoyang walked to the desk in the study, picked up a pen and wrote a few words, imitating the writing of Li, which was indeed one foot deep and one foot shallow, and it was not in order. Putting down the pen, he said: "I studied medicine, I didn't have a good student to practice calligraphy, it's really bad, it's not a joke." ”

It is very difficult to fake this calligraphy, the so-called connoisseur will know if there is a calligrapher or a person who is good at calligraphy, and it is very difficult to pretend to be a very bad word, and it can be seen at a glance.

Wu Shu and Young Master Tian looked at each other and smiled bitterly, and it could be seen that Zuo Shaoyang's calligraphy was indeed very bad.

Young Master Tian said, "What should I do?" It's only five days away, and it's too late to practice. ”

Wu Shu frowned and thought for a long time, and said: "It's too late, so let's do it, Brother Zuo, please practice your calligraphy first in the past few days, concentrate on practicing Lishu, I will copy the words I wrote for you, try my best to imitate my words, I will accompany you to practice these days, correct your penmanship at any time, and try to be consistent with me." Then I asked my dad to take out the paper I took the county exam, ask you to copy it, and then stuff it back, so that the handwriting is consistent. ”

(To be continued)