The world-renowned erudite Confucianism has finally taken the exam. This day was March 19, the 18th year of Kangxi, and as soon as the sky was bright, the Confucians who were taking the exam gathered at the Taihe Gate, and the black crows knelt on the ground. The old chief eunuch Zhang Wanqiang held the knotted Yue in his hand, stood at the entrance of the Taihe Palace, and waited for Kangxi to arrive.

Suddenly, there was a Jingyang bell ringing, three silent whips, and the sound of fine drum music came from the heavenly street, and after a while, I saw Kangxi coming from behind the Baohe Palace with thirty-six Luan Yu, and did not come down until the front of the Taihe Palace, Zhang Wanqiang shouted: "Long live the Lord has arrived!" There was silence.

Kangxi went down, but he was not in a hurry to enter the hall, stretched his body in the morning sun, took two deep breaths of slightly chilly air, walked and paced, and first looked at the majestic Taihe Palace. After a few months of renovation, this place has been renewed, the spirit turtle, incense ding, crane, and rui beast have been burned with lily incense in their bellies, and the mist is shrouded; The eight objects and camels beside the grade mountain stood solemnly in turn, and the treasure bottle on the back was shining brightly, all of which really gave people a feeling of "purple steaming". Kangxi saw that there was a couplet of a new book on the pillar, so he paced over and read it silently, one was:

Rilidan, the clouds surround the flag, and the phoenix feathers

Xiang opened the Forbidden People from Changlu to Longguang

The other is:

Guanxiang Tianjiuze is the same as the Jade Majesty of the Wen Dynasty

The wind building glows in all directions

Kangxi knew that it was Gao Shiqi's handiwork, so he couldn't help but nod and smile. I feel that the two couplets use "阊", which is not without suspicion of repetition, but the momentum of the rhetoric is impeccable, and the gesture is solemn and vigorous. Seeing Xiong Cilu and the others kneeling beside him, Kangxi smiled and said: "Gao Shiqi ate a jar of Moutai in vain, and within a few days, he actually replaced all the couplets in the three major halls and the Qianqing Palace. Seeing Mu Zixu's guidance, the official of the Ministry of Rites brought nearly 200 Hongru to step up, Kangxi nodded slightly, and then strode into the hall, and sat upright on the "first seat in the world" with dragons and phoenixes and golden splendors.

After a while, Mu Zixu led the person to the entrance of the hall, bowed, and retreated to the side. The three ministers Xiong Cixu, Mingzhu and Suo Etu led everyone into the city. Nearly 200 people danced and worshiped in the dust, and the mountain shouted long live, shaking the hall to buzz. Then Xiong Cixu played: "Cabinet scholars, ministers of the guard, princes and princesses, ministers Xiong Cixu, ministers Hesheri Suotu, ministers Nalan Mingzhu, the edict should be erudite and Confucian scholars one hundred and seventy-nine, long live my emperor!" ”

"Gu Yanwu and Fu Shan, they refuse to try after all! It seems that subduing people's hearts can't be achieved overnight! Kangxi sighed slightly in his heart, conspired, only raised his hand slightly, and Suo Etu hurriedly walked out of the south of the class and stood up to read the edict:

The emperor of Fengtian carried the edict and said: Since the rise of the ancient generation, there must be erudite Confucianism to stir up the literary movement, expound the scriptures and history, and polish the words and chapters for the selection of consultants' works. I have a lot of time to go, I am a scholar of literature, a person of knowledge, and I use the classics to learn. Since I set the Dingding, I have respected Confucianism and cultivated talents. Within the four seas, is there no genius Shuoyan, profound knowledge, magnificent literature, can track the former philosophers? All those who are excellent in learning and deeds, and excellent in writing and writing, whether they have been in the past or not, are above the three grades in Beijing and the officials of the science and technology, and they are known by their own examples. I will try to hire you. The rest of the internal and external officials, if they have insight, will send them to the ministry internally, and report to the governor externally, and recommend them on their behalf. The order is to postpone the visit, expect to get real talent, and seek the right text of the deputy me. Chin this!

Kangxi remained motionless, scanning the vast hall with his eyes, and the selected Confucians also fell to the ground to listen to the holy oracle. This edict has been heard several times since the day they were recruited, but today when it is read in front of this twenty-eight-year-old young emperor**, there is a sense of sublime sacredness.

"Long live Ron!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kangxi's voice was very loud, "The country swept away the rebellion of the three feudatories, the military affairs gradually disappeared, and the cultural movement rose." Wang'er and others advocated the holy way, and each exhibited what they had learned, living up to the intention of trying and earnest. After Kangxi's edict was completed, there was a Honglu Temple Zhengqing Buddha Lun flashed out of the class, holding a yellow silk spread out with a gold plate, and bowed forward. Kangxi lifted the red pen and waved it on the silk. Folun stepped back and held the silk to Mingzhu again. Mingzhu preached loudly: "The topics of the imperial examination: 1. Xuanji Jade Hengfu; Second, a poem on provincial farming. With the bear to give the shoes, ask for the map, Mingzhu led the scholars to the Tiren Pavilion to prepare the volume, the time to pay it, and the afternoon in the Tiren Pavilion to give a banquet, Qin this! ”

This is a special encounter that has never been encountered in the palace examination and the hall examination. The people were immediately excited, exchanged warm glances with each other, and retreated with indescribable excitement. Kangxi Fang got off the dragon seat, beckoned Mu Zixu to come and asked, "Yesterday, the edict asked Jin Fu to hand over the sign to come in, I don't know if it's coming?" Mu Zixu hurriedly smiled and said: "The servants waited for the master to come to the Taihe Palace, and saw Jin Fu kneeling outside the Qianqing Gate waiting for the order!" Kangxi went around in a circle, as if he was a little reluctant to leave the atmosphere of Fang Cai, and was unwilling to leave this supreme treasure hall. After thinking about it, this is not the place to discuss politics after all, so he smiled and said, "Call up, I will see him in the Zhonghe Palace!" After that, he came out of the back door of the hall, paced to the front of the Zhonghe Palace, and while considering the newly written couplet above, he saw Jin Fu coming in a hurry from afar, and nodded and smiled: "No courtesy, come in and talk - the Tiren Pavilion over there is taking the test to compare Confucianism, and our monarchs and ministers will talk about the matter of governing the river." ”

"Yes!" Jin Fu almost trotted up all the way, and he spoke with a slight panting, "It's just that the Lord has all the opportunities, and all affairs are gathered, and it is ...... to work hard" As he spoke, he followed up with the palace and stood beside Kangxi. Kangxi opened his mouth and asked, "When are you going to leave for work?" "Back to the emperor," Jin Fu bowed down and said, "The slave's fold has been handed over, I don't know if it can be seen by the emperor?" After hearing the hadith, the servants immediately went south to take up their duties. ”

Kangxi nodded, took a cup of honey from the inner service, and handed it to Jin Fu, who was a little flustered: "Give it to you to drink-these days in Beijing, have you heard anything outside?" ”

Jin Fu was a little confused, holding the cup and asking carefully, "I don't know what the holy will means......"

"The matter of Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei." Kangxi said lightly, "What do you say next?" Jin Fu didn't expect Kangxi to ask this, he felt a little unbelievable, and replied with a deep groan: "The courtiers expected that the emperor would be in prison. Some of them are a little uneasy when they take the test. Chen Menglei is a Fujian scholar and is admired by scholars in the south, although he is guilty, the evidence seems to be insufficient. After the Lord's disposal, everyone looked up to him, saying that the emperor was benevolent and generous, and it was a blessing for scholars in the world! Kangxi stared at Jin Fu for a long time, and said with a smile: "You don't have to be flattered, I'm afraid of saying cool things!" I know this in my heart, the clear water pond does not raise fish, some things can only be handled in a foolish way, I never trample on talents at will, that's what I said - don't feel irrelevant to you, I said this to you, and the fold of the accusation to you was handed over a long time ago, do you know? How dare you take money from the national currency and come to Beijing to deal with the powerful? Seeing that beads of sweat were oozing from Jin Fu's nose, and he was anxious to plead, Kangxi smiled and waved his hand, "Their folds have been retained, and you don't have to go to your heart, borrowing treasury silver is better than adding fire and consuming silver to knock off the people." You are in charge of the river work in the back, and the silver is like flowing seawater, and I can't help but remind you to be careful, and if I don't believe you, I won't talk about it. Let's get to the point, there are some water conservancy rules in your excerpt, I can't understand it, and tell me your plan, and I will plan it for you. ”

Listening to Kangxi's words, Jin Fu's nose was sour and almost fell into tears, and he hurriedly wiped it secretly. Thinking that he could only play Chen briefly at this time, he took out a picture from his sleeve, which was made by Chen Huang after entering Beijing and staying up all night. Kangxi saw that he stretched out his hand to pass, so he spread it on the case and asked Jin Fu to give him a closer look.

"Lord," Jin Fu was a little nervous because he was too close to Kangxi, and he breathed a sigh of relief before he said, "The minister's governance of the river is roughly divided into two steps, in short, it is based on the governance of the river, and the governance of the river is the standard...... "...... The first step is to block all the existing breaches of the Yellow River, gradually moving from east to west, so that the course of the Yellow River will be restored. The overhaul project is a total of five projects: dredging the river from Qingjiangpu to Yuntiguan to Haikou; Dredging the west of Gaojiayan to Qingkou silt, and then building a strong embankment in Gaojiayan to ensure that the flood does not break through the north of Qingkou...... After the completion of these projects, the road to the sea of the Yellow River will be unimpeded, and then efforts will be made to fill in the old breaches in turn to prevent them from flooding again. Finally, the canal is dug deep and the pond is cleared, and the canal is unharmed......"

Speaking of this, Jin Fu glanced up at Kangxi, and saw that Kangxi was not tired, staring at the river map with blazing eyes, and hurriedly continued: "The second step, in the area of Yifeng, Kaocheng, Henan, dig a middle river along the Yellow River, from Luoma Lake through Suqian and Taoyuan to Zhongjiazhuang in Qinghe, avoiding the danger of 180 miles of wind in the middle of the Yellow River, and the Cao Yun ship sails in the Yellow River for only 20 miles, and there is no big worry. Then, Jin Fu dictated and pointed out the detailed projects of changing the mouth of the canal, picking the soap river, and Quy Nhon embankment one by one. This is all discussed with Chen Huang repeatedly, and he is already familiar with it, and he speaks very freely.

Kangxi nodded while listening, and kept saying "um", and never interrupted. It wasn't until Jin Fu finished speaking that he stroked his head and leaned back, closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, and said, "It sounds like it's still feasible." However, I don't know how to water conservancy, and I haven't personally surveyed it, so it's hard to say whether it's okay or not. After the completion of the first step of the project, Caoyun will not be harmed by yellow, and I am very relieved. I don't know how long it will take? ”

"Long live, ten years!"

"Ten years is not good, how about seven years?"

"I will do my best."

"Okay, where's the money?"

"Four million taels a year."

Kangxi couldn't help but take a breath of cold air and said: "I don't want to say that you also know that the country's annual income is 25 million, and it is still using troops, if it weren't for the 15 million received by Wei Dongting Customs every year, it would have been stretched thin - four million a year can't be taken out." Of course, Jin Fu knew about these situations, and he had calculated carefully, and there was a little surplus in it—because the household department had never allocated the silver to the river according to the amount, so it could not be higher. After thinking about it, Jin Fu said with a smile: "It won't be a long time before the soldiers are used, Wu Shipan's thousands of tired soldiers will retreat to the lonely city, and they will be able to take it in a few days." The saint might as well take a little more silver to rule the river, this is the benefit of the world for all eternity......" "You are wrong! Kangxi looked at the Taihe Hall standing in front of him through the window, and said slowly: "The matter of using soldiers is in the ascendant!" I said that in seven years, to cure Cao Yun, that is, to rush into Taiwan, to transport warships and sailors to the south, Geldan in the northwest, and the Rakshasa country to disturb in the northeast, but also to use troops, and to rely on Cao ships to transport grain to the north; The remnants of Liu Tiecheng, a local bandit in Shandong, gathered together, don't you want to conquer it? I see that there are still 20 years to fight! ”

Recently, the imperial court issued an edict, ordering all of them to be martial arts and cultivate texts, to bring peace and prosperity, where did Jin Fu think that Kangxi had so many plans to fight? He glanced at Kangxi in amazement, and said with a smile: "The saint bows to the foresight, and the ministers can know." However, the river work consumes a lot and the effect is slow, the work is small and the slander is fast, and the Lord knows that it is difficult to do it with less silver. ”

"I've already done some planning for you." Kangxi smiled slyly, "Now that we allocate 2.5 million a year first, it's already difficult for the household department." The military of the 'three feudatories' was completely pacified, and it was increased to 300 to 3.5 million troops, which was probably enough. Only you just said that the opening of the middle river, how much is needed, and the time will be allocated to the ...... Ha ha! An honest man like you will also come to fight with me! ”

When Jin Fu heard this, he felt a lot more relaxed, although two and a half million was a little less, he could do a lot of things. He smiled silently, and when he was about to play again, he saw Suo Etu come in, bowed down and smiled: "The time has come, please give the master a banquet." As he spoke, he stared at Jin Fu and saw a chill in Jin Fu's heart.

"So be it!" Kangxi got up with a smile and said to Jin Fu, "You played very well, you don't have to hand over the sign to come in, just go to work." I didn't have much to say, and after I went back, I handed over an excerpt every half a month to tell me the details of the river work. Pay attention to the talents, collect a few more from your screen, and you can also keep playing in the future...... I saw one in Kaifeng, but I missed it, but it's a pity that I got up after saying ......."

The Hongru in the Tiren Pavilion had already sat neatly, from south to north in two rows of seats, a total of fifty high tables, and four or five people sat in front of each table. Dishes are set up by Guanglu Temple, and the twelve colors of dishes are all raised high with Jun porcelain plates, and the four large sea bowls in the middle are stacked with apples, grapefruits, lychees, raisins and other seasonal fruits, and the officials sent by the Ministry of Rites are accompanied to serve wine. This kind of pomp and circumstance has never been seen in eternity, so before the wine is opened, the old men are already full of red light, and they are a little drunk. At this time, people don't care too much about whether they can pass this exam, and they have the honor of this banquet, even if they don't become officials, they also have words to write lines, epitaphs, sacrifices and epitaphs after death, which is more decent and glamorous than anything else!

"The emperor has an order, there is no need to be formal, and the banquet will be held immediately!"

With a page, everyone got up together, bowed their hands to thank God, and then sat down to eat with food in fear. Some people even secretly picked up what they could bring and stuffed them into their clothes and bags, so that they could take them out and share them with relatives and friends. When the last meal - steamed buns, rolls, red silk cakes, flour soup, and white rice came up, Kangxi brought the crown prince Yinren and the eldest brother Yinren in. As soon as he stepped through the door, he instructed everyone to eat and drink, not to be formal, and to visit and greet everyone from table to table. Where can the people eat again? One by one, they were so flustered that their hearts were pounding.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Yushan!" At the fourth table on the left, Kangxi saw Shi Runzhang, the head of the Xuancheng Sect, so he walked around and said with a smile, "The last time I saw you in the old pavilion of Fengyi Garden, there were Wang Wan, Song Yushu, Wu Sangui's eldest son Wu Yingxiong, who else is coming-" Kangxi patted his forehead lightly, "-Yes, Wang Shizhen." Now he is the secretary of the criminal department. Shi Yushan never expected Kangxi to talk to himself alone, so he hurriedly stood up, and said with a red face: "The lord was still a micro-service that time, and it was six years in a flash, and it seems that he has reduced a little, but his complexion is much better!" ”

Kangxi laughed and said, "I'm young, I'm better than you!" You are a poor official, guarding Qingjiang Road, and selling all the official ships sent by your friends when you evacuated! I remember that you talked about Pu Liuxian in Shandong that day, he was very talented, how is he? Kangxi has such a good memory, Shi Runzhang secretly admired it in his heart, and said with a smile: "He often writes to him, and he received a poem from him yesterday." This person is unlucky, and he has not yet been promoted. ”

"Oh, poetry?" Kangxi couldn't help laughing, "Take it?" ”

Shi Runzhang was stunned for a moment, hurriedly took out a letter from his boots, and held it with both hands. Kangxi took it and said with a smile: "It must be good, I will take it down and see it." As he spoke, he greeted Yinren. Yin Yu was beside him, and hurriedly pointed his finger and said, "Amma, the prince is over there." ”

When Kangxi watched it, he almost laughed. On a table in the far corner of the north, the crown prince knelt on one knee on a chair, tore the flesh with his small hands, and put it into a bowl. It turned out that when Kangxi came in, more than 200 people all stopped eating, but this person was the only one who was sitting in danger and eating calmly, which aroused the curiosity of the crown prince. Kangxi glanced back at Suo Etu, and Mingzhu hurriedly approached and said, "This person's name is Tang Bin." Kangxi hurriedly walked over and stopped the prince: "Don't be mischievous, didn't Chenda teach you?" ”

"This is because the prince loves me." Tang Bin left the table and said with a smile, "The king has a gift, and the minister does not dare to resign." Giving death is still happy, and giving food? ”

Kangxi looked Tang Bin up and down and said, "I've heard your name for a long time." As an official in Jiangnan, aren't you the one who burned down the Wutong Temple in the territory? Is it because the prisoner ran away from prison and dismissed the official? "Yes!" Tang Bin replied, "The fugitive is not in charge of his duties, and the fugitive is not because of lax custody, but because of the minister's release. ”

"Hmm?"

"He is not guilty of any serious crime, but he is in arrears of rent and has been sued by the landlord." Tang Bin's face did not change, and he said eloquently, "There is a seventy-year-old blind father in his family, and there are six-year-old children under him, and one person is detained and three people die. ”

Kangxi couldn't help but be silent when he heard it, the national law is not in line with reason, how can there be more than one such case? But Tang Bin was willing to risk the misfortune of dismissal and stand up for righteousness, which is rare. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but move in my heart, I handed over the prince to such a person for counseling, afraid that I would not teach the king of benevolence and filial piety? Although Xiong Ci's shoes are good, he is just too busy, and it is rare to have a clone! After thinking about it for a long time, Kangxi smiled heartily and said, "If you talk about this matter, you Meng Lang is a little bit louder, and you are a little bit of a rubber pillar." Wouldn't it be better to be sentenced to a flail for three days and prevaricate the boss? I heard that when you were dismissed, the city boycotted the city for three days, and collected money and sent it back. I know everything, so do it yourself! With that, he took the crown prince and the eldest brother, smiled and nodded to the Confucian scholars, and walked out of the Tiren Pavilion.

As soon as he went out, he saw Gao Shiqi coming lazily from the Zhaode Gate, Kangxi stood up and asked with a smile: "You slave, where have you got, you are not waiting in front of me for such a big matter today!" Gao Shiqi saw that the crown prince was also by Kangxi's side, so he hurriedly kowtowed to Kangxi, and then asked the prince and his brother to say goodbye, and said with a smile: "Why did you forget, I said that I would give the slave a day off today!" Early in the morning, Lao He Guizhu invited the slave to go, and when his woman was gone, he begged the slave to order the master of God and write a sacrificial text. The slave is worried about the master's side, where is the mood! I copied a paragraph of "Lanting Collection Preface" to him, and I hurried back......" Kangxi saw that he was holding a silk silk silk full of knots in his hand, reached out to come over, looked at it and asked, "What is this?" ”

"Alas......" Gao Shiqi sighed, "This was given to him by his woman Gu Azuo on her deathbed, saying that if someone can solve it, her soul will be able to ascend to heaven." Lao He can't help it, saying that the slave is prosperous, and the slave is thinking all the way, this knot is really porcelain, and there is no way! ”

Kangxi walked all the way, looked at the silk knot carefully all the way, a string of seven in total, as if dipped in water, beaten and soaked in oil, all of them were chicken heart-shaped, red as a string of blood beads, when trying to solve it, it was useless at all, so he threw it back Gao Shiqi, and said with a smile: "This Ah Zor is also weird, and he has a problem for a man when he is dying - I just don't understand, how can Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Collection Preface" be used as a sacrificial text? ”

"I'll have to change a few words." Gao Shiqi said, "That's how the slave wrote. So saying, he recited softly:

The phase of the lady is with, and the admiration of the first life. or take it from its bosom, and speak in a room; Or because of the entrustment, outside the sad and sad remains. Although the choice is different, the restlessness is different, when it is happy with what it encounters, it is temporarily obtained by itself, and it is happy and self-sufficient, and it is not known that the number is coming. and what they are tired, their feelings change with things, and their feelings are related. To the admiration, between the pitching, has been a vestige, still can not help but to be happy, the situation is short, with the end of the period. The ancients said: Life and death are also great, isn't it painful!

Kangxi listened, somehow suddenly remembered the late queen Hesheri, looked back at her orphan Yinren, jumped up and down behind him, really "between pitching, has been Chen Ji ......" thinking, his nose was sore, and he almost burst into tears.