Liu Haiqiao said: "Feng Sheng's words are wrong! Nowadays, there are many candidates, the number house is dense like a pigeon cage, the world that is four feet deep and three feet wide, is already narrow and depressed, and then look at the weather now, it is the autumn tiger, it is slightly cool in the morning and evening, and it is very hot in the afternoon, and it is extremely difficult for the old or weak candidates to endure. ”

"In addition, the food brought did not bother to prepare, resulting in rot and taste, so I had to eat it reluctantly in order to be full, and even between the beams of the eaves of the house, there may be flowers and snakes coiled, poisonous insect bites, and after several days of boiling, there are always candidates who can't bear it, and it is inevitable that they will be confused or die."

"These candidates' relatives are either for face, or for comfort, by comforting the gods and ghosts, and the private transmission in the tea alleys, or through the exaggerated storyteller, the more bizarre it becomes. The government is the most aware of public opinion, so it simply calculates and comes up with a ritual to summon gods and ghosts, one is to make the candidates have awe of the imperial examination, the second is to make the candidates jealous of the order of the examination room, and third, if there are dead and crazy demons, the government should blame them, but the gods and ghosts are worshipped. “

Liu Haiqiao said that he drank the tea and said with a smile: "Actually, I don't know the beginning and the end, it is what Shen Erye said when he laughed and talked with me, I just feel that what he said is very reasonable, and I will listen to you, I don't believe in what ghosts and gods are in charge, and hard work is the right way to enter the office." “

Having said that, seeing that it was dark outside, listening to the autumn rain hurriedly hitting the plantains, getting up to say goodbye to leave, Er Feng sent to the door, and he asked Shun Yu to rest and recuperate earlier, the exam was anxious and dry, and the examination questions were not biased, Shun Yu should accept them one by one, and he only held up a green cloth umbrella, carried an empty bamboo basket, and went all the way.

.........................

On the ninth day of the first month of August, the autumn rain has no day and no night, and the dripping clouds are dripping.

Shun Yu got up, put on a blue-trimmed shirt, washed his hands and face carefully, picked a silver hairpin to tie his hair, wore a scarf, and then went to the restaurant for breakfast.

Because it was rainy and slightly cool, the hour was early, and it was a good day to sleep, there were few prisoners in the hall, Tian Rong quietly handed her a bowl, which was a rice ball filled with lard and rose bean paste, looking at her worried and anxious, her lips were chattering but she couldn't say half a sentence.

Shun Yu smiled at him, lowered his head and scooped up the rice balls with a spoon, and ate them sweetly, then he stood up and went out of the hall, crossed the threshold, the eaves were dripping and raining, Qin Xing and Mason carried the examination basket for her, carrying the cage, she turned her head, Tian Rong was filling the bowl with a spoon for the prisoners, the oil lamp on the table had burned to the end, the dim light and shadow were pervasive, she was inexplicably a little nostalgic, every step on the road to go was thrilling, I don't know if there would be a chance to go back here.

Take a deep breath and call Qin Xing Mason to go, there is no turning back in the life of reliving, she understands it very well in her heart.

Only to the vicinity of the examination institute, the bluestone slab path leading to the main gate is very clean, there are dozens of soldiers wearing red and black hats on both sides, lined up guards, there is no smile on the face, and occasionally you have to see the saber brocade guard hurriedly coming and going, the east and west corners of the door are wide open, but see the candidates long winding, the heads are clustered, the hand holds the umbrella to block the drizzle, the blue and blue shirt is known to be the Guozi prison student, and there are many northern candidates who came to Beijing, there are cocoon silk gorgeous straight high-spirited, there are also patches of coarse cloth full of wind and frost, there are old Confucian students with fading hair, There are also children who are still childish.

This is the imperial examination system, there is no distinction between rich and poor, noble and low, young and old, and the children of the poor family and the young master of your mansion are not antagonistic, and they all judge heroes by their knowledge.

Therefore, the ragged Confucian scholar has never been ridiculed by white eyes, and some people are even willing to borrow an umbrella to hold it, who knows if he will be Tian Shelang and ascend to the Son of Heaven at dusk!

"Feng Jiu!" Shun Yu heard someone calling her, raised her eyes and looked around, all of them were pressed with a big umbrella on half of their faces, and they were shaking, but Qin Xing pointed out to her, and when she looked, it was Zhang Buyan.

Shun Yu walked up to him, smiled and said that he had come early.

Zhang Buyan carried the cage on his back, holding the test basket in one hand and holding an umbrella in the other, he was already a little soft and numb, and then looked at the crowd in front of him who was black and pressed, and he didn't know when it would be his turn to go to the door. ”

Shun Yu was a little hesitant, she was not afraid to do such a thing, she looked at the prisoners behind the row, but her demeanor was kind and did not care, she thanked her, and stood in front and back with Zhang Buyan.

Zhang Buyan hid under her umbrella, suddenly pouted, and said to Shun Yu somewhere at the west corner gate opposite: "Have you seen those five big and three thick, fat and strong Confucian students?" ”

Shun Yu heard that the rain was falling, the cool smoke was everywhere, and it was far away, only to see a vague figure.

Zhang Buyan was very unhappy: "That's Lu Daneng, I told you about his snoring, he was invited out by the store in the champion building the night before, and he was not allowed to live anymore, otherwise the candidates who took the exam would all have to leave the store, but imagine how shocking he is." I am his neighbor, and I am very distressed about how to spend these days. ”

At this point, his face is full of desolation.

Shun Yu comforted him in a low voice: "Mencius said, the heavens will descend on people, and they must first suffer their minds, strain their muscles and bones, starve their bodies and skin, and empty their bodies. “

"You don't have a backache when you stand and talk." Zhang Buyan hummed and chirped, knowing that it was irreversible, but he was always uncomfortable.

The candidate standing behind him could hear their words, and interjected coldly: "What is it to listen to a snoring, I am in the No. 1 house next to the dung bucket at the bottom of the alley, if you are willing, I will exchange it with you." “

Zhang Buyan was speechless for a while, and Xiao Na was even more of a place where he couldn't stay, and his tone softened: "How can you and I be willing to change this number change." “

Suddenly there was silence all around, and a gong sounded, from far to near, cutting through the heavy rain curtain.

Shun Yu saw Shen Zetang coming first in his official uniform, wearing a big hat, and the commander on the left side held a green silk oil umbrella, while he listened to the words of the accompanying officials on the right with a calm face, followed by several guards with knives behind him, all of whom were in good shape and had solemn expressions.

Behind them are officials wearing crimson and green uniforms, presumably officials who are taking the same examination, being promoted, and invigilating the examination, who are drawn from various ministries, and they are also chatting with each other while walking.

The two main doors have been slowly opened, and the candidate behind him asked in a low voice, and the one who walked first was the chief examiner, Lord Shen.

Shun Yu replied yes, and at that moment, she suddenly felt that Shen Erye seemed to look at this side lightly, and then used her eyes to catch it, only to see that the tall back had entered the main entrance.

Then he looked at his own procession, and after twenty-five people, he came to one gate, where five or six search soldiers and one supervisor stood there.

The candidates who took their turn handed in the tickets and the number card, and then put the cage and the examination basket on the long table next to it, and two or three soldiers picked up the basket and turned over the box to carefully check whether there was anything to carry. Another soldier ordered the examinee to untie his shirt and expose his undershirt, while he touched his chest, back, waist, elbows and ankles, and ordered him to take off his shoes and check if there was a note embedded in them.

Shun Yu's heart tightened.