"Hou Zhihan, the main hall of Shanyin County, Shaoxing Prefecture, held a scientific examination in accordance with the Xuexian, and this ticket was given to the child to know: at the roll call, the child Zhang Yuan held the constitutional evidence, and those who did not have a ticket were not allowed to enter. It is advisable to follow each one's own merits, and not to make mistakes. The child's great-grandfather Yuan Ting, ancestor Ruzhi, and father Ruiyang. Wang Siren, a business teacher, Zhang Ruiyou, and Qi Biaojia. Zhang Dai, Zhou Menong, who pledged to guarantee -- gave it on March 28, the 42nd year of Wanli -- This ticket was handed over to Zhang Dai, who was guaranteed to receive the paper for future reference. ”

On March 28, Zhang Yuan was accompanied by his eldest brother Zhang Dai and Zhou Menong to hand over the final ticket of last year's government examination in the county yamen gift room, and filled in his name, age, place of origin and the resume of the three generations of his ancestors on the blank cover of the road test. This year's thirteen-year-old prodigy Qi Biaojia has been reading and writing particularly hard this year, he has a verbal marriage contract with Shang Jinglan, and has become Zhang Yuan's junior, the competitive Qi Huzi is holding back his strength to press Zhang Yuan's head on the road test, and win the first of this test, he also specially bought a copy of Zhang Yuan's collection of current texts to figure out and compare, this set is engraved by Suzhou Fushui Mountain House, the engraving is exquisite, the paper is excellent, it is said that thousands of copies were sold in Songjiang Mansion, and it is more prosperous than Shaoxing, Qi Biaojia carefully read Zhang Yuan's 200 pieces of craftsmanship, although admired, But they were not discouraged - out of the county office, Zhang Dai and Zhou Menong handed over the settlement to Zhang Yuan and Qi Biaojia for storage, they were afraid that if they lost it, it would be a mistake for Zhang Yuan and Qi Biaojia's major event, so according to the regulations, the settlement of tickets should be collected and stored by the Liao Bao, and in fact, they were all handed over to the candidates themselves for safekeeping.

Qi Biaojia collected the bill, said goodbye to Zhang Yuan and the others, and took the two servants back to study in the Tangsheng Hall outside the city.

Zhang Yuan invited his eldest brother Zhang Dai and Zhou Menong to go to the Fuxue Palace Tea House to drink tea, Zhang Dai rushed back from Hangzhou this time, Zhang Dai went to Hangzhou in early February, and listened to Mr. Huang Yuyong's lecture in the grass hall at the foot of Nanping Mountain.

Met Zhang Cao under the teahouse, they went upstairs to drink tea together, the tea doctor cooked the best pineapple tea and presented it, the late Ming Dynasty hierarchy collapsed, the tea protector called the doctor, the head shaver called the edict, once the ordinary people made a fortune, they built a big house, the heavy eaves of the beast spine, the gold and splendor, like the official office, beyond the rules and regulations, but no one cares about it, can not control, the control of the government has been greatly weakened - Zhou Mo Nong tasted two sips of tea, sighed: "The little official in the Fangcaimen ceremonial room said that there are 2,600 Shanyin children who participated in the Taoist examination this year, which is the crown of the calendar, 2,600 people take 80, if you count from the Confucian children is already one in a hundred, our Shanyin's talent is too difficult to test. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "We have a lot of people here to read, it is difficult to show talents, and it is even more difficult to take the exam, according to the predecessors, it will be easy to take the exam, if it is not for the admission of the north and south papers, all provinces have quotas, according to my opinion, the vast majority of more than 300 jinshi in each subject will be people from Zhejiang, Nanzhili and Jiangxi. ”

Zhang Dai said: "Hanlin Duoji water, the courtiers are half Jiangxi, in recent years, we have gradually caught up in Zhejiang, Jiangnan is prosperous, but the quota of each subject is so few, many people who are full of reading and have superb intelligence have also failed repeatedly. ”

Zhou Menong was also indignant and said: "The imperial examination is also unfair, some poor and remote prefectures and counties, if you can read through the four books or can solve a problem, you are a talent, because there are prescribed places, it must always be full, and there are many indiscriminate fillers, and any Confucian child in our Shaoxing Mansion is more knowledgeable than those students in small places, that is, I and Zongzi, if we are in other provinces, the township examination the year before last is already high school-"

Zhang Dai said with a smile: "It's useless to scratch it, and it's impossible for us to go to other provinces to take the exam." ”

Zhang Cao said: "How is it impossible, I will write a letter to discuss with my father and move my household registration to Yunnan or Guizhou, when I am a high school jinshi, and the three of you are still nesting in Shanyin." It's funny to think about, and I laughed.

Zhang Cao didn't speak seriously, one time he said that he wanted to be imprisoned, and one time he said that he wanted to impersonate, Zhang Dai was too lazy to say more to him, and asked Zhang Yuandao: "Jiezi, I heard in Hangzhou that your friend Zong Yishan is no longer in Jiao Taishi's place, and he has returned to Songjiang, does he have a letter to inform you?" ”

Zhang Yuan sighed: "A letter came at the beginning of last month, Dong Qichang detained Zong Yishan's parents, forcing Zong Yishan to go back. ”

Zhang Dai said: "It is said that Jiao Taishi is very unhappy about this, Zong Yishan sorted out the bibliography of the Yuanyuan conscientiously, calligraphy is also good, the summary of the compilation is very appreciated by Jiao Taishi, and now the bibliography is not half compiled, Zong Yishan was forced to go back to Songjiang, and I heard the people of Huating say that Dong also let Zong Yishan serve as a lowly servant to show insult. ”

Zhang Yuan's eyes narrowed, and said: "Things must be reversed, Dong's father and son should be arrogant and domineering, my brother-in-law wrote a letter at the beginning of the month, Dong Qichang instructed his protégé Huang Guoding, the prefect of Songjiang, to release Chen Ming, a traitor of the Lu family, from prison, the judgment said that Chen Ming was punished for one year of hard labor, but Chen Ming still went in and out of the Dong Mansion, and the Dong family relied on the power to run rampant, so it was not too much. ”

Zhang Cao has always been annoyed with Dong Zuchang, last time I heard that Zhang Yuan beat Dong Zuchang in Hangzhou, and even said that the fight was not hard enough, at least let Dong Zuchang break his muscles and bones, Zhang Cao did things recklessly, only cared about the momentary pleasure, and then heard Dong's arrogance, and said angrily: "Jiezi, that's also your brother-in-law's business, you just endure it?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I have to endure it, what can I do if I can't bear it?" ”

Zhang Cao scratched his scalp, thinking about it, he really couldn't do anything to Dong Qichang's father and son, it was impossible to lead the slaves to Huating, so he was so annoyed that he scolded Dong Qichang, and scolded him first.

Zhang Dai picked up the teacup so as not to be shaken, and said: "Yanke, what are you anxious about, can Jie Zi endure it, can't you also bear it when you deal with Yao Fu at the beginning?" ”

Zhang Cao's eyes lit up and asked: "Jie Zi, you are resourceful, do you already have a strategy to deal with Dong Qichang's father and son, just use the strategy to deal with Yao Zhiba's to deal with Dong's family, I think the strategy is still easy to use, strike first, don't wait until Dong bullies your brother-in-law and comes to harm you." ”

Zhang Cao is very righteous, but it is too public, not enough to make a big deal, but there are some things with Zhang Cao's participation, it will be much more exciting, Zhang Yuan said: "My Taoist test is imminent, and now I am only concentrating on preparing for the exam, but even if I want to fight against the Songjiang Dong family in the future, the third brother is not easy to participate, and you have to lead the way when you go far away." ”

Zhang Cao glared and said: "Is Xiucai amazing, then I will go to the prison, I am eighteen years old, I can be in prison, only 1,200 taels of silver, and then I will go and ask the eldest father to write a letter to the prince of Nanjing to supervise the wine." ”

Zhang Caona's supervisor is called a regular supervisor, and the children of good families who have not been enrolled can enter the Guozijian to study through Nasu, horses or money, just like the self-financed students of the university in later generations, the regular supervisor is one level worse than the Nagong, and the Nagong refers to the famous students who enter the Guozijian through Nasu to study, and after graduation, they can be some petty officials, and the regular supervisor only has the privilege of not being able to travel and see the county officials not worshiping, and also, the routine supervisor can participate in the township examination, but only once, and even the children who can't pass the township examination want to pass the township examination, which is equivalent to dreaming, and the tribute only needs two hundred taels of silverAfter Wanli, regular supervisors and tributes are almost a regular system, and every time there is a big famine or when the court needs money, the price will be reduced - Zhang Dai smiled: "You are squandering the silver again, but this is finally a serious matter, and I will help you speak well in front of the eldest father." ”

Drinking and chatting in the teahouse, Zhang Yuan returned to the East Zhang Mansion, a servant of Wang Siren was waiting, saying that the king invited Zhang Gongzi to meet, Zhang Yuan didn't know what was going on, and hurriedly followed the servant to Mr. Wang's house, but it turned out that Wang Siren was going to Beijing to go to the election, this year is the year of the local officials' inspection, Wang Siren was impeached and dismissed by the official two years ago, and now the Ministry of Rites wants to reinstate him as an official, and he will set off in three days - on the first day of the first month of April, Zhang Yuan and Wang Siren's eldest son Wang Binglin, as well as Wang Jingshu and Wang Yingzi sisters, sent Wang Siren on the ship, At the Dongdachi Wharf, a white canopy boat with four bright tiles is moored on the shore, the river is clear and rippling, and the weeping willows are still around, Wang Siren said to Zhang Yuan: "Zhang Yuan, I wish you next autumn high school for the teacher, and you must be sharp and steady in dealing with people, and don't make too many enemies." ”

Zhang Yuan bowed down to be taught, and reluctantly said: "The teacher went to the capital, and the students' essays were not reviewed. ”

Wang Siren said with a smile: "Don't say this, you can be said to be a multi-teacher, Hangzhou has Huang Zhen's father, Nanjing has Jiao Taishi, and the knowledge is above me." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Teacher Wang is the most respectable and amiable, and students can learn a lot of knowledge outside of books from Teacher Wang. ”

Wang Siren nodded, Zhang Yuan is telling the truth, the two of them have a deep friendship with teachers and students, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they are in love with father and son, alas, if it is said that it is the most appropriate to say that it is the same as Weng's son-in-law, he said: "Those books and laws in my collection, if you want to read them, even if you come here to borrow them, Binglin will not go out this year." ”

Wang Binglin said: "Yes, even if Brother Zhang Xian comes, don't be too busy because my father went to the capital, I also want to ask my children for advice." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Okay, when I have time, I will come to learn from Senior Brother Wang." When he said this, he glanced at Wang Yingzi on the side, and said in his heart: "According to several interviews I have with Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Wang's erudition and understanding are not as good as his sister Yingzi. ”

Wang Yingzi also looked at Zhang Yuan, her eyebrows raised lightly, and she smiled.

…… Zhejiang Tixue Wang Bian came to Shaoxing Fucheng on the sixth day of the first month of April, and directly stayed in the examination shed of the Xuedao Yamen, and the accompanying scribes and servants also had to live in the examination shed, and were not allowed to go out, which was also to prevent them from swaggering and soliciting bribes in the name of learning, even if Wang Tixue himself, he could not leave the examination shed casually, let alone visit the local squire, which was also to prevent intercession and fraud.

The Shanyin County Xuesun Jiao and the clerk of the county gate ceremonial room sent more than 2,600 test papers filled in the headers to the examination shed Xuedao Yamen, and waited for the examination to start on the eighth day of the fourth month.

(To be continued)