A few days before the exam, Chen Xiliang deliberately took leave, took the three Chen Ke brothers and Song Duanping, and burned incense four times. The first time was at home, worshipping in the direction of southwest Sichuan, praying for green smoke from the ancestral tomb; The second time, I went to the Wenchang Emperor's Temple to burn incense, and asked the immortal in charge of Wenyun to bless the examination. Then I went to the Confucian Temple to offer incense, hoping that the Holy Master could help ......, these two places are crowded with people, and they can't get in, all of them are examinee-taking Xiucai and his family who came to pray.

Even if it is a thousand years later, every time there is a college entrance examination, the parents of the candidates are very superstitious, let alone in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, although Chen Ke didn't believe this, he didn't object, anyway, Chen Xiliang let him go wherever he wanted, and he could worship as much as he wanted.

After worshipping the Confucian Temple, it was already noon, Chen Ke said, let's go eat.

Chen Xiliang shook his head and said: "There is also a temple ......",

"That's almost it...... Chen Ke said with a bitter face: "It's just a test, why bother to worship all the immortals in Bianjing City?" ”

"This one must be worshipped." Chen Xiliang said mysteriously: "It's very effective." ”

"Then why do you want to worship the first two?" Gorou urn sounded the urn airway.

"You can't slack off, and whoever is unhappy will be in trouble." Chen Xiliang sighed. I took them to the west side of the inner city to the 'Erxianggong Temple', which is indeed not high in the mountains, and there are immortals and spirits, this inconspicuous temple is like a city, and the cigarette smoke is around.

Chen Xiliang took them to line up to burn incense and donate incense money, and then they came to the scene of this trip to ask for a signature.

Chen Xiliang asked Song Duanping to beg first, this guy was very arrogant on weekdays, but he was extremely nervous at the moment, holding the black and shiny lottery holder, and shook it for a long time before shaking off a stick. Quickly picked it up as if it had been a treasure, and when I saw it, it read, "Yellow Umbrella Pavilion Pavilion Tianzhan is near the red and faint phoenix sheath" It feels very good to be literally gracious, but I don't know how to untie it.

Shiro also begged for one, and got a signature, Xi's 'got new news, and it was rumored to occupy the independent class'

Then there was Goro, and the signature he asked for was 'Born Yao Shunshi, good wind with strength)

Chen Ke looked at these signatures, and said in his heart, how can they all be tuned? He couldn't help but think of the hexagram that the host of the Great Xiangguo Temple had calculated for Di Qing, and couldn't help but laugh secretly and said, "The monks are really cunning and cunning. , At Chen Xiliang's urging, he also drew a lot, saying: 'Throw the king of flowers, the spring breeze is fragrant"

"Wow", Song Duanping picked up his signature and said, "Doesn't this mean that you want to be in the Tanhua?" ”

"Then you're going to be a colt." Chen Ke snorted.

"Hurry out after the lottery, the people behind are still queuing." The scholars in the back protested.

Chen Ke hurriedly took the sign out and went to the old monk outside to unsign it. Song Duanping handed over his signature, and the old monk looked at them and said, "You guys together?" ”

Seeing the four nodding, the old monk said, "Bring it together."

After taking all the signs and looking at them one by one, the old monk closed his eyes and was silent. Chen Ke couldn't wait, and asked urgingly: "How many can we pass the exam?" ”

"......" The old monk slowly opened his eyes, stroked his beard with a deep face, and then stretched out a finger.

"What's the point?" The mood of several people fell to the bottom: "Can we only win one?" ”

The old monk smiled and said, "Don't say it, don't say it." Then he said to the back: "Next ......."

Coming out of the temple, the original elated atmosphere became much duller, and Gorou sighed and said, "It seems that I am out of drama this time." "He doesn't study hard, and he doesn't have a smart brain...... At least that's the case in this group.

Chen Ke laughed out loud and said, "Stupid, that old monk is a big fool. ”

"What do you mean by that?" Everyone wondered.

"You think, if he stretches out a finger, in addition to being able to interpret it as 'one person has passed the test, it can also be translated as 'a group of people have all succeeded' or 'no one has been successful' or only one person has failed the exam, or even half of them have passed the exam, which can explain all the possibilities. Chen Ke said with a smile: "The old monk said 'don't say' because to put it bluntly, it is not so bright. ”

"It's like, how can you only hit one?" Song Duanping said with a smile: "The three of us will participate in the hall lock test, and we will take three out of ten!" Saying that, he looked at Shiro and said, "Even if Shiro participates in the main exam, there is a ratio of one out of ten, and he will definitely be able to pass the exam." ”

"Well, asking for a sign is just for peace of mind." Chen Xiliang also smiled: "If you want to pass the exam, you have to look at your strength." He smiled and said, "Let's go, let's go to dinner." ”

"Where are you going?"

"Seongnam!"

"So far?"

"The hotel has a color head, called 'Kui Xing Lou,'!" Chen Xiliang is ready to be superstitious to the end.

"Go by yourself!" The crowd rebelled completely. ……

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After worshipping all the immortals, there were still three full days before they went to the examination room, Chen Xiliang ordered them not to do anything, but to sleep. This is the experience of people who have come before, a three-day exam, can grind people into ghosts, and it is impossible to have a good sleep at that time, so you have to sleep enough in advance and reserve abundant energy.

In addition, in the past few days, Zhao Zongji sent the chefs of the palace to take care of their diet, Chen Ke ate and slept well, lived a pig-like life, and arrived on the eve of the exam without any feeling.

After the day, Chen Ke and the four of them were called up, and after freshening up, they came to the front hall. I saw that Chen Xiliang and Cao were all there, as well as Cao Ping, Di Yong, Yang Huaiyu, and the little prince Zhao Zongji was also there... For scholars in the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination was a more important event than marriage, so there was a custom of sending the examination to relatives and friends.

There were four tables in the hall, each table was filled with dozens of objects, Chen Xiliang said: "Look, I have a number in my heart, if there is nothing missing, I will pack it." ”

After greeting the guests, the four went to the table with their names written on them and checked them according to the list. During the three-day exam, there are many things to bring, in addition to the necessary pens, ink, inkstones, and character circles, you also need to bring food, tableware, etc. Because it is August, the weather is still relatively hot, so I can only prepare some non-perishable foods such as moon cakes, duck, bacon, orange cakes, and lotus rice.

There are also pills to help digestion and prevent headaches and brains, to sleep on the cover rolls, and to hold the test papers"... Everything is ready.

Wait for the four people to count correctly, on the bundle of four maids, in front of them, these things are all received into the examination box...... the examination box is the most famous Hu family wood shop in Bianjing City, the materials are exquisite, the design is also quite exquisite, it is divided into three layers, in addition to a large drawer up and down, the middle layer is also designed with two small drawers, which is convenient for candidates to store items in different categories.

And it also has the advantage that it is strong enough, and if candidates need to rest while waiting for the exam, it is a hangzi, which can save the need to bring an exam stool.

After packing up their belongings, everyone moved to their seats and practiced for the four strong men who were about to set foot in the examination room......

The same thing happened all over the city.

In the guest room of the monk's temple, Su Tao packed up for his two sons, and his face was like a railway: "This trip is only allowed to succeed, not to fail!" ”

"Father relax", Su Shi felt that the old man was too nervous, and said with a smile: "It's just a township test...... hey, hey, ......" Before he finished speaking, his head was hit hard, and he saw Su Xun blowing his beard and glaring: "How many times have I said it, you have to go all out, you can't be careless!" This is Bianjing City, where there are people outside the world and there are heavens outside the sky! If one is not careful, be careful to break your legs...... "Next, there is Balabala for half an hour."

Su Shi was sprayed with saliva all over his face, but he didn't dare to say more.

Su Zhe looked at the old brother helplessly, and said in his heart, isn't your baby asking for it?

Chengxi Hokkien Huay Kuan. At this moment, the lights are also bright, and the five brothers of Lu Huiqing live here. At the moment they were sitting upright in their chairs meditating, and none of them spoke.

A simple house in the south of the city is the residence of the Zeng brothers, at this moment they are sitting around a table of dinner, Zeng Gong sat in the first place, he swallowed the rice in his mouth, and asked Zeng Bu how many people said: "Is everything cleaned up?" ”

The brothers all nodded, and Zeng Gong said no more.

Tonight, Bianjing is destined to have no sleep.

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Soon after the drum sounded on the fourth watch, there was also movement on the street, the sound of cars and horses, and footsteps, sounded from all corners of the capital, and converged in the same direction to Guozijian! In this era, there was no tribute academy dedicated to examinations, and Guozijian became an examination room.

Chen's house is very close to Guozijian, and it is just a short walk away.

Chen Xiliang naturally wanted to send them to the examination room, and when he walked on the road, he was still taking the trouble to remind them what to pay attention to when entering the examination room, and never contradict the soldiers who were patrolling the examination......

Chen Ke carried the examination box on his back, with a lantern, Zhao Zongji carried him a cover roll, the two walked behind, listening to Brother Xiaoliang's chatter, Zhao Zongji laughed softly: "Uncle Chen is in the court, but he is notoriously black and hard, I can't imagine that there is such a side." ”

"For more than ten years, I have been a father and a mother again, and I have fallen into trouble." Chen Ke smiled and said, "Don't you think it's a kind of happiness for someone to nag?" ”

"Hey......" Zhao Zongji didn't expect him to say this, and looked at Chen Ke carefully: "I found that you have changed?" ”

"How has it changed?"

"It's become peaceful", Zhao Zongji smiled: "It's not as sharp as before." ”

"As soon as I entered the rivers and lakes, I was old." Chen Ke said in an old-fashioned manner.

"you!" Zhao Zongji scolded with a smile: "People who haven't married yet say that they are old, how can I be embarrassed to be a father?" Saying that, he hit Chen Ke with a cover roll and said, "Seriously, you're okay, right?" ”

"Although Shiwen is not my strength", Chen Ke thought about it and said: "But if you fail the exam, it is more difficult than passing the exam......

"It's a stinky fart......" Zhao Zongji was overwhelmed.

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I checked the information of the imperial examination in the Song Dynasty for a day, and found out the difference between it and the Ming Dynasty one by one. (To be continued)