The county examination is approaching, Zhang Yuan does not dare to slack off even if the four books are memorized, this is the first stop of his imperial examination road, he must pass, otherwise the efforts of more than half a year will be in vain, maybe it seems that it doesn't matter if he waits for another three years in the eyes of others, it is a kind of grinding, Liu Zongzhou hopes that Zhang Yuan will participate in the imperial examination at the age of twenty, but he Zhang Yuan can't afford to wait, it is now the forty-first year of Wanli, and time is like an arrow.

Wang Si appointed Zhang Yuan County Examination before this period of time not to make ancient texts, each said to make two four books of small questions and eight shares, the county test is from the four books of the question, there will be no Five Classics questions, although the scope of the question is narrower, but because it is a small question, the meaning of the question is incomplete, so there are still a lot of variables, of course, as long as the luck is not to the extreme, the four books of the small question is difficult to Zhang Yuan - on the twenty-eighth day of the first month, Zhang Yuan said that he made an appointment with Zhang Dai, the eldest brother of West Zhang, to accompany him to the Sanyin School Department to register, On the morning of the twenty-eighth, he took Wuling first to the white skin pine in front of the gate of the champion and waited, Zhang Dai came out quickly, but said: "Jiezi, the eldest father called you to have something to say." ”

Zhang Yuan didn't know what his uncle called him, so he followed Zhang Dai to the north courtyard to see Zhang Rulin, Zhang Rulin sat on the chair in the study, smiled and watched him the two most outstanding juniors of the Shanyin Zhang family come in, and said: "Zhang Yuan, do you want to register for the county exam today, well, I have something to tell you, Songjiang Dong Xuanzai specially wrote a letter to apologize to me for the Lantern Festival Longshan Lantern Festival, saying that he had bitterly reprimanded his dog, and asked me to forgive his son's rudeness, hehe, there is also a letter addressed to Mr. Shang Zhoude, presumably also apologized, and sent it to me, You take this letter and give it to Mr. Shang Zhoude. ”

Zhang Yuan took the letter and put it in his arms, but he heard his uncle Zhang Rulin say again: "Dong Gongxin also mentioned at the end of the letter, saying that his son Dong Zuchang has a large piece of black and green on his left flank, and he is extending medical medicine Yunyun - this is obviously still a complaint." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The grandson of the clan has no power to restrain the chicken, so he lightly touched that Dong Gongzi, why should he delay the medicine, this is too exaggerated." ”

Zhang Rulin said with a smile: "Dong Gong is famous for protecting calves, but he also complained a little, and he beat him, who made his son rebellious, that's it, even if the matter is revealed, you can prepare for the exam with peace of mind." ”

Zhang Yuan was waiting for Shi Li to retreat, and Zhang Rulin said again: "Here is a picture of Dong Xuanzai imitating Mi Yuan Zhang Yunshan, which was given to me with the letter yesterday, so I will give it to you, and it can be regarded as Dong Xuanzai's son apologizing to you." ”

Zhang Yuan bowed down and said, "Thank you, uncle." After taking the picture scroll and going out of the north courtyard with Zhang Dai, he met Zhang Cao holding a delicate birdcage while teasing the birds, and asked: "Jiezi, what good things did the eldest father reward you?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "A painting by Dong Xuanzai was given to my uncle, and my uncle rewarded me. ”

Zhang Cao's eyes narrowed when he heard this, and he said: "When Longshan put the lantern, I brought more than a dozen slaves to rush over, and I wanted to catch up with the kid surnamed Dong and beat him hard, to see if he dared to despise my Shanyin Zhang family, but he had escaped by boat." ”

Zhang Dai reproached: "The third brother is too reckless, if you beat Dong Zuchang to a serious injury, then the eldest father must not apologize to Dong Xuanzai, Jie Zi only kicked once, and Dong Xuanzai still complained." ”

Zhang Cao pouted and said, "Since you can complain about kicking, then you can simply beat you half to death." ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "The third brother is also fighting for me, and the third brother will be invited to drink after the county test." ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Then I wish you a county head." "The first place in the county test is called the county head.

Zhang Yuan hurriedly said: "The third brother still wishes me a name for Sun Mountain, the third brother spoke in reverse." ”

Zhang Cao laughed, handed the birdcage to Xiao Fu'er, and said, "Jiezi, let me see what Lao Dong has drawn." Stretched out his hand to take the picture scroll handed by Zhang Yuan, unfolded it to see - Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dai also looked at it together, Zhang Dai said: "This is the imitation of the Song Dynasty Mi Fu's cloud mountain map, ink dyed clouds, swallow and extinguish, very charm——"

Zhang Cao said: "Why does this surnamed Dong imitate other people's paintings, isn't this plagiarism." ”

Zhang Dai said with a smile: "Imitating the famous paintings of the past dynasties is a shortcut to figure out the painting skills, just like we learn to read and post in general, how can this be said to be plagiarism, Dong Xuanzai Ximi's landscape and Ni Yunlin's paintings, there are a lot of imitations, didn't I borrow Ni Yunlin's "Hengyun Autumn Ji Picture" from my father the year before last to imitate. ”

Zhang Cao said: "Then big brother, if you give the homework you usually post to others, will others be annoyed with you?" ”

Zhang Dai smiled: "This can't be compared, Dong Xuanzai is a famous artist, and there are people vying for it after a few casual strokes." ”

Zhang Cao said to Zhang Yuan: "Jie Zi, give me this painting." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The third brother wants this painting, just take it-" As soon as the words came out, he realized that something was wrong, and he didn't have time to change his words, just listening to the "hiss", Zhang Cao had already torn the unframed Dong Qichang painting in half.

Zhang Dai shook his head again and again and said: "It is unreasonable to destroy the heavens. ”

Zhang Cao laughed, threw the broken painting aside, and said, "Thank you, disciple." He staggered away with the birdcage.

Although Zhang Yuan was a little pity, he could only shake his head and say to a few servants on the side: "Whoever wants this broken painting will take it and hide it, and it will be worth a lot of money if it is passed on for dozens of generations." He and the eldest brother Zhang Dai smiled all the way out of the house, walked more than a mile to the left, crossed the Guangxiang Bridge, and entered the gate of Confucianism, but saw that the inner courtyard of Yimen was crowded with Confucian children and their families who came to sign up. ”

Zhang Dai said: "Then let's go to the county yamen room, where you can also sign up." ”

The two of them were about to turn around and leave, but they saw their brother Zhang Dingyi running over and said to the two: "Brother Jie Zi is also here to sign up, Brother Zongzi is a guarantor, and he will also guarantee the younger brother, okay?" ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "You also have to come to the exam, are you going to hand in a blank paper?" ”

Zhang Dingyi: "Brother Jie Zi Mo looks down on people, and the younger brother has been studying hard recently, and this time the county exam is a must." ”

"Oh." Zhang Dai looked at this sixteen-year-old brother who was the same as Zhang Yuan but was a little shorter, and said with a smile: "If you want me to be your guarantor, you can recite a paragraph of the mean to me, and recite it from the 'way of a gentleman, such as going far, you must be self-defeating, such as ascending to the height, you must be inferior' backwards-"

Zhang Dingyi scratched his head and said: "Why do you want to start from the middle, start from the beginning-'The name of the Mandate of Heaven is the surname, the surname of the rate is the Tao, and the cultivation of the Tao is the ......'", all the way down the recitation, but it is also smooth.

Zhang Dai said with a smile: "Cutting a section from the middle and telling him to memorize it will not be, he has to memorize it from the beginning, can he enter the exam like this?" To Zhang Ding: "Stop singing books and songs, hurry up and go home to play." ”

Zhang Dingyi didn't leave, and said honestly: "Brother Jie Zi is a must, people say that the head of this county test case is none other than Brother Jie Zi, Brother Jie Zi writes quickly, he can take advantage of his mouth, and it is not a problem to write ten or eight articles a day, when the little brother and Brother Jie Zi sit together, Jie Zi will help me write two articles, and our brothers will be together, wouldn't it be good." ”

Zhang Dai laughed and said: "You want to be beautiful, do you want to take the same exam with Jie Zi all the way, and play with one of the people and Jinshi?" ”

Zhang Ding smiled and said, "My own brother, I must help when this is critical, right?" ”

Zhang Yuan frowned and said, "Dingyi, who gave you this idea?" ”

Zhang Dingyi: "My own idea, how could I not know that Brother Jie Zi is a high fighter, do you still have to ask others." He said in his heart: "Jie Zi is a fairy, how did he know that this was someone else's idea for me, I don't know that person, what a warm-hearted person." ”

Zhang Yuan asked Zhang Dai: "Brother, what will happen to this fraud in the examination room once it is discovered?" ”

Zhang Dai said: "The punishment of the county test and the government test is lighter, and it will hit the board a few times, post it to show the public, and if it is found to be cheating during the road test, it will be punished for two subjects for six years, which refers to slight fraud, if it is a big trouble, such as hiring someone to take the test on its behalf, the crime is not small, and the township test and the meeting test are found to be fraudulent and will be sent to the border guards to fill the army." ”

Zhang Dingyi said with a smile: "Brother Jie Zi is very familiar with the county and the mansion, and they eat and drink together, how can they catch Brother Jie Zi." ”

Although Zhang Yuan can't be sure whether his brother Zhang Dingyi is being used, but he can't do anything to cheat in the field, he is now famous, and there are many people staring at him, so he must stand firm and act right, although Yao Fu and Yang Shangyuan have been removed from their reputation and imprisoned, but the charges have not been determined, and the family property has not been confiscated, and his family is still trying to rescue him, presumably the prefect Xu Shijin got a letter of plea from Yao Fu's cousin Yao Chengli, and he didn't want to sentence Yao Fu to a serious crime, but he didn't dare to give a light sentence, for fear of provoking public anger, so he dragged it, This shows how difficult it is to completely defeat a person with backing -- Zhang Yuan said: "Dingyi, I am also taking the county exam for the first time, I have no experience, and I have a little stage fright. ”

Zhang Dingyi rolled his eyes and thought for a while: "Three years later, I was nineteen years old at that time, and I was nineteen years old, and I was not bad at the age of nineteen, so it was decided, Brother Zongzi and Brother Jie Zi will see you back." "I'll go back first.

Zhang Dai couldn't help laughing: "Take him to the exam in three years, who will take him!" ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "Explain more that he doesn't listen, that's the only way to say." ”

Zhang Dai said: "I can't help him cheat, if it drags you down, it's bad, and my father will be angry." ”

The Menzi of the School Department came over and said: "Are the two Zhang Gongzi here to sign up, Sun Jiaoyu has instructed, if you see Zhang Gongzi coming, please go to Zhidaozhai, and you don't need to rush to sign up with everyone." ”

Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dai followed the door to Daozhai, Sun Jiaoyu saw Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dai, smiled wrinkledly, praised him, and personally went through the registration procedures for Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dai also signed and drew a pledge on the guarantee, everything was done, and the exam started after ten days.

Out of the gate of Confucianism, seeing that the hour was still early, Zhang Yuan said goodbye to his eldest brother Zhang Dai, and took Wuling to take a boat from Guangxiang Bridge to meet his brother-in-law Shang Zhoude.

(To be continued)