Chapter 128 Leaping Dragon Gate

March 21, 11th year of Zhenguan. The triennial provincial examination has finally come to an end. Since the morning, there have been scholars who have handed in the examination papers, or disappointed or excited to step out of the gate of the Tribute Academy. Of course, Jiang Zhixuan did not do this frivolous thing. Even, the poetry column on the exam paper is still blank. However, on the scratch paper on the side, there were already several seven-character poems. The top two songs, one of which he composed yesterday:

"Mei Xue did not refuse to descend in the spring, and the saugers put aside the pen fee to comment on the chapter. The plum needs to be three points white, but the snow loses the plum fragrance! ”

The other one he wrote last night:

"The flying snow washes away the dirt, and the cold plum is cold and fragrant. The snow melts and the spring moistens all things, and the plum melts the dust and the fragrance is the same! ”

He oscillated between the two poems, and it was difficult to choose. In terms of genre, the former one is more elegant. From the perspective of artistic conception, the latter song implies a kind of self-sacrificing spirit, and the artistic conception is more far-reaching! Moreover, the latter one is a reflection of his beloved wife's silent dedication and changes to him and the Jiang family over the years, and he was moved......

Seeing that the candidates in this tribute academy he was in had already gone seventy-seven or eighty-eight, Jiang Zhixuan was still not anxious. Spring is three days, although according to the usual practice. Most candidates choose to turn in their papers before dark on the third day. But as long as he has not yet reached the beginning of the child's time, he has a reason not to submit the papers, and no one can force him.

It was already afternoon, and it was still an hour before it was getting dark. The vast majority of candidates have already handed in their papers and left the examination room, including Li Qin, Wu Pei and others. Qin Yifeng, as the deputy chief examiner of the current department, naturally had to inspect the examination room again. When he inspected the examination house where Jiang Zhixuan was, he unexpectedly found that this distant relative who he had high hopes for was still frowning there, and he couldn't help frowning, and walked to the front of his examination room, wanting to take a look.

When I saw his exam paper clearly, the poetry column was still blank, and I couldn't help but feel even more anxious. Although there is still plenty of time, if there is any accident and you have to submit the paper in advance, won't this stupid boy fall short? Thinking like this, I couldn't help but reach out to the thick stack of manuscripts, and pick up the five or six poems that had been completed and carefully tasted them.

Jiang Zhixuan saw that it was his uncle and wanted to ask, but due to the regulations of the examination room, there must be no verbal contact between the candidates and the examiner. I could only forcibly suppress that impulse, and looked at him with some inquiry and tangled eyes. Looking at that look, it seemed that he hoped that Qin Yifeng could get an idea for him.

Qin Yifeng saw his look in his eyes, and after quietly picking up the manuscript of five or six poems and reading them carefully, he put the rest down. Left and right hands. Holding a manuscript in one hand, it is the two poems that Jiang Zhixuan is difficult to choose. What made Qin Yifengmei think was that even he himself was difficult to choose, and these two poems were very appropriate. But a song is elegant and elegant, and a song has a far-reaching artistic conception, how does this make him choose?

After thinking about it for a long time, I filtered the habits of all the marking officers in my mind. Qin Yifeng finally made a decision, and slowly put the manuscripts of the two poems back on the desk very naturally. No one noticed, he pressed one of them under the other, and he pressed it lightly with his index finger on the top manuscript......

Jiang Zhixuan was sitting facing Qin Yifeng, and naturally saw this action clearly. I finally made a decision in my heart, and after Qin Yifeng took a group of examiners away. Finally, he took a deep breath, lifted the brush, dipped himself in pen and ink, and copied the poem word by word to the poetry column of the examination paper......

Outside the Gongyuan, Li Qin, Wu Pei, Mo Shaojie, Feng Gongmin, and a group of scholars sponsored by Jiang Zhixuan were looking forward to it. While waiting anxiously, there was a conversation about the exam questions of this year's spring school. Most people are stumped by the question of poetry. Although this group of people, no one handed in a blank sheet. But most of them were not satisfied with the poems they had written, and kept sighing.

When it was dark, Jiang Zhixuan finally carried a heavy bookcase on his back and slowly came out of the gate of the Gongyuan. The wind on his face is light, and there is no sadness or joy. Seeing the group of people waiting outside for the same year, he showed a slight smile, hurriedly walked over two steps, and greeted Yigan in the same year.

Seeing him come out, a group of people surrounded him with a cheer. The gossip asks different names, but the questions asked are the same:

"How's it going?"

Jiang Zhixuan smiled slightly: "Just do your best!" I don't think it's too much of a problem......"

Li Qin asked strangely, "Why is that brother-in-law so late than us?" Do you know that Gongmin, who was the last to submit the papers, has been out for more than an hour! ”

When Jiang Zhixuan heard this, he smiled helplessly and self-deprecatingly: "It's not that I was troubled by the title of the poem, I made two poems, and it is difficult to choose." It's been so much delay, if it weren't for the fact that I was the only one left in the Gongyuan, I'm afraid I wouldn't have come out yet......"

Everyone laughed when they heard this, and a poor scholar said with some envy: "It is worthy of Xie Yuangong, I even wanted to make a poem about the scenic spot, but I reluctantly made it because I wanted to break my head." Xie Yuangong is good, there are two songs at once, and it is difficult to choose! ”

Everyone smiled again, although they all desperately hoped that they would become a high school student and change their current poor and embarrassing situation. But they hope that the Xie Yuangong in front of them is like a spring breeze, and the Great Grace Gong of their own group of people can be high. After all, the number of jinshi and the same jinshi to be taken in this branch of spring. There are more than 300 people.

After a burst of laughter, everyone gradually fell silent. In the next half month, it will be the day of waiting for the release of the list, which will also be the most difficult day. Some people have begun to worry about this half-month life. At the beginning, when Jiang Zhixuan summoned them to the New Dragon Gate Inn to live temporarily, he did not say that after the Spring Festival, he would also subsidize them.

At that moment, there were several poor scholars who wanted to leave. was stopped by Jiang Zhixuan:

"Good or bad, we finally got through this hurdle, and we should celebrate tonight as a good birthday. Ladies and gentlemen, let's go back to the inn, we won't get drunk tonight! ”

Li Qin and the others immediately applauded, but Feng Gongmin and other poor scholars were surprised: Return to the inn? At present, Ai Ai's words said: "Xie Yuangong's kindness, Gongmin and others are grateful. However, the spring has passed, and we ...... or write and sell paintings, or find a high-ranking lord as a master's staff...... It's time to find a living. ”

The poor scholars were silent for a while, and the four or five days before the spring festival could be said to be the happiest days for them in recent years. Although it was only four or five days, they did not have to worry about life at all during these four or five days. between the same year. How happy is drinking and writing poems, confirming each other's knowledge? It's just that there is no feast in the world, they are all scholars, and they naturally have the backbone and face of scholars, how can they be embarrassed to rely on Xie Yuangong's funding for a long time? What's more, as far as they know, Duke Xie Yuan's Wanguan family wealth was also earned by Mrs. Xie Yuan's "> with great difficulty."

Immediately, all the scholars spoke out to say goodbye. Seeing this, Jiang Zhixuan knew what he was worried about in the same year. If he had stood in the position of these same years, I am afraid he would have chosen it this way. It was not reluctant, so they had to leave each other's contact methods and addresses, and the poor scholars were infinitely grateful to Xie Yuangong and his wife, and Jiang Zhixuan and others said goodbye.

After all the scholars left, only Jiang Zhixuan and the other four people were left in the field, as well as Feng Gongmin. Li Qin asked rather strangely, "Brother Feng, what are your plans?" ”

Feng Gongmin hesitated for a moment, and then Ai Ai replied: "Li ...... Childe" >, Gongmin took the liberty of thinking of your mansion and paying homage to Lord Li, but I don't know ...... Is it convenient? If the spring is landed again this time. Gong Min wants to ...... In the future, I will make a living in Beijing and will not return to Yangzhou......"

Although it was his father who people wanted to pay homage to, Li Qin still subconsciously looked at his brother-in-law. This kind of thing, he himself can't make up his mind. Jiang Zhixuan saw him looking at him, so he naturally knew what he meant, so he nodded:

"In this way, Gongmin will wait with me, go to Jiayue's mansion first, and then make a decision when Xuan Yuming Jiayue!"

Feng Gongmin was overjoyed: "Thank you for being the Duke of Yuan!" ”

Jiang Zhixuan waved his hand absently, and slowly walked towards the Li Mansion with everyone.

Look at the Gongyuan side again, after the last scholar submits the papers. Li Xiaogong and Qin Yifeng commanded a group of subordinates of the Ministry of Rites to classify and sort out the examination papers of all candidates. Then the list of scholars who actually participated in the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites was sorted out, and Li Xiaogong took them, under the escort of a group of royal Qianniu guards, and entered the palace and handed it over to His Majesty the Emperor for review. And the rest of Qin Yifeng took the examiner and began to mark the papers overnight.

The spring examination is different from the township examination, and the task of marking the papers is much heavier. Within 10 days, only about 20 examiners had to select 300 people who could be the pillars of the country from among the more than 10,000 examination papers. On average, each person has to read more than 50 exam papers every day. You know, this is not reading prose poetry. The examiner needs to concentrate. Read carefully to discover a series of things such as candidates' literary talents, governing ideas, and political aspirations.

Of course, there won't really be so much to read. In the first round of marking, nearly a quarter of the papers will be cleared. Mainly those who handed in blank papers, incomplete answers, untidy fonts, and like Feng Gongmin's previous time, they stained the surface of the volume......

After that, after more than 20 examiners screened layer by layer and cross-read, the best 500 exam papers were finally selected from the remaining seven or eight thousand candidates and recommended to the examiner for review. Of course, this work is in charge of Qin Yifeng, and in addition, Qin Yifeng has another job. That is to check all the examination papers that have been broken down again, which is called "searching for the papers". This work, which was unique only to the Zhenguan period in the Tang Dynasty, was to prevent talented candidates from being intentionally or unintentionally defeated by careless examiners.

Finally, from the 500 recommended examination papers, plus the examination papers searched from the falling papers, 300 copies were carefully selected, plus the comments of the main and deputy examiners of Chunfu, and recommended to His Majesty the Emperor, and the provincial examination of Chunfu came to an end.

Three hundred lucky people, this is the beginning of the dragon gate......

(Some places are not in line with historical facts, and the relatives are too serious...... During this time, I encountered a bottleneck, and the writing was not smooth, so I will adjust it quickly.................. ）

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