"Knowing the subtleties don't have to be too humble." Bai Shanggong said with a smile, "The slave maid has been in the palace for fifteen years, and she has heard of a lot of people and things, and it is rare to see a strange woman like Zhiwei Jushi, so I am more curious." ”

She looked at Zhao Ruxi curiously with her beautiful eyes: "I don't know if the Weiju has the ability to never forget, so he is so good at studying?" ”

Both are talented women. Bai Shanggong is curious about Zhao Ruxi, why is Zhao Ruxi not curious about her?

It's just that this is the palace, and you have to be cautious in everything you say and do, and many topics are taboo.

Zhao Ruxi suppressed the curiosity in his heart and said with a smile: "I don't dare to say it if I don't forget it, but I can still remember an article after reading it two or three times." I guess I'm the kind of person who has a better memory. ”

She looked at Bai Shang Palace: "I don't have a bad memory when I want to come to Bai Shang Palace." ”

Bai Shanggong glanced at her and laughed.

Sometimes identifying with a class really just needs a look.

After that, the two stopped inquiring about each other, but talked about the books they had read.

Although Bai Shanggong is busy in the palace, he reads a lot of books; Zhao Ruxi also read a lot of books in order to write strategies. The more the two chatted, the more speculative they became, and before they knew it, they arrived at Donghua Gate.

Bai Shanggong stopped and said to Zhao Ruxi: "I have always admired the talent of Zhiwei Jushi, and I specially asked the emperor to give me this opportunity." Sure enough, it was in vain for me to come here. I am fortunate to be able to get acquainted with Zhiwei laymen. It's a pity that I can't leave the palace and can't have in-depth contact with Zhiwei laymen, which is really a pity. ”

She bowed to Zhao Ruxi in a dignified manner: "Bai Wei wishes Zhiwei a bright future and prosperity. ”

Zhao Ruxi also saluted: "How fortunate it is to be able to intersect with Baishang Palace today." Ruxi also wished Bai Shanggong a long life, good health, peace and joy. ”

Bai Wei helped her up and said, "Your carriage is here, get in the car." ”

Zhao Ruxi glanced back, bowed his head at Bai Wei, and turned to leave.

A lot of words, can't be said. This Bai Wei also has her own arrogance. So Zhao Ruxi doesn't need to show the slightest sympathy and regret to her; Pingshui meets, and may never meet again, so there is no need to say goodbye.

But the appreciation of each other, both of them will remember in their hearts.

In Suipingbo's Mansion, although the Zhu family had already experienced the first few exams, she was apprehensive when she arrived at the palace exam. In the second half of the morning, she couldn't sit still, and kept pacing back and forth at the second gate.

Hearing that Zhao Ruxi was back, she hurriedly greeted her and asked, "Are you back?" Did you go well in the exam? ”

Zhao Ruxi smiled and grabbed her mother's arm, walked to her grandmother's yard, and said with a smile: "Anyway, after writing what I want to write, I will hand in the paper, and the exam is considered to be successful." As for the results, I don't know. ”

Hearing this, seeing that her daughter looked as usual, nothing happened, and Zhu's heart settled down.

It's not the first time that my daughter has entered the palace. Originally, when she was helping the household department settle accounts, she was summoned by the emperor to see her. Zhu himself didn't know what he was worried about.

Zhao Ruxi glanced back and saw that the Zhu family only brought Caidie alone; Qingfeng and Luo, who came back with her, were also confidants, so she told Zhu about Bai Wei.

At the end, she asked curiously, "How did this kind of female official enter the palace?" If you are talented and learned, you can also come to your family if you want to. Then how did you go to the palace and become a palace maid? Didn't the family commit a crime and then take turns to be sent to the palace as a slave? ”

"You." Zhu Shi laughed when he heard this, "In vain, you have always been smart and transparent in everything, why are you stupid again?" The palace doesn't want the daughter of a criminal official. What if these people have thoughts of revenge? ”

"Yes, yes, I haven't turned a corner for a while." As soon as Zhao Ruxi said that, he knew that he was wrong.

Her thinking was influenced by the routine of buying people.

"However, these talented palace maids, although they are not the daughters of criminal officials, their circumstances are similar, they are all in the middle of the road, and they really can't survive. entered the palace and became a palace maid, so that she didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and she could still have a good life, and she might be promoted to a concubine if she had a better life, and she could ask someone to bring it out to help the family if she had money. Otherwise, you can only marry into a poor family, not to mention that you will suffer your own crimes, and the children you give birth to will also suffer, and you will not be able to help your family. In short, they are all people who have a hard life. Zhu sighed.

"Then they ...... in this life" Zhao Ruxi has an unbearable understanding of the female official system in the Great Jin.

"If you are favored by the emperor and become a concubine, then it is needless to say, stay in the palace for the rest of your life; When the emperor died, he went to the Taimiao; If they are not pampered, they can apply to leave the palace when they reach a certain age. has a certain amount of savings, and after leaving the palace, he will find a widower to marry, and he will have a dependency for the rest of his life. I really don't want to get married, so I go back to my parents' house to be an old girl. How the days go depends on the will of God. ”

"Because I can't control what kind of life I live after leaving the palace, more female officials are reluctant to leave the palace. No matter how the throne changes, as long as they are not disliked, they can stay in the palace steadily, manage a part of the harem, have the right to have slaves and maids to wait, and accept a few apprentices, and their lives are quite comfortable. ”

Zhao Ruxi sighed.

These women are talented and good-looking, and they also have a certain amount of money after staying in the palace for so long. But after leaving the palace, you have to rely on men to live. It can be seen that the status of women is only an accessory of men, and their independence is not recognized by society.

How many independent women in modern times live alone, not only do they live very well, but they can also get the envy of others.

There is a long way to go to fight for the corresponding social status for women.

……

The time limit for the temple examination is based on darkness, and when the light in the temple becomes dim and it is impossible to read the characters clearly, it is time to hand in the papers.

After Zhao Ruxi handed in the papers, Duan Chen also handed in the papers after a cup of tea, and the subsequent tributes all handed in the papers before evening, and the rest of the people were stunned until it was dark and could not see, and then handed in the test papers.

The Ministry of Rites divides the test paper into two parts, one to the side hall on the left and one to the side hall on the right.

The examination was completed in one day. That is to say, before the next day, the list of palace examinations will come out, and the review of the examination papers will be in the form of alternate review. That is, every marker has to read all the test papers. Although there are only more than 100 copies, instead of more than 300 copies at the time of the founding of the country, it is also a very difficult task.

The time period, the task is heavy, and considering that the examination is more rigorous than the palace examination, and the manpower, material and financial resources consumed are more, the top ten of the examination can be regarded as strictly screened out layer by layer. Therefore, the officials of all dynasties have a lazy method, that is, the ranking of the palace examination is basically ranked according to the ranking of the examination. At most, because a certain tribute's article is particularly well written or very poor, he moves a certain position back and forth. The first-class jinshi is only produced in the top 10 of the examination.

Among the top ten in the examination, the champion, Bangyan, and Tanhua were selected, and the remaining seven will also be listed in the top few of the second-class jinshi.