The temple test came as scheduled.

Too many people have put in unimaginable effort to squeeze into this exam room, and those who can get this far are the best. After this selection, many people will enter the officialdom, ask for the people's lives, and become famous through the ages in the future; There will be people who will continue to seek knowledge, travel to study all over the world, five lakes, three mountains and Kyushu, and broaden their minds; There will also be people who are willing to return to their hometowns, open forums to speak, and cultivate talents for the country. Although the students are of different ages, different purposes, and different backgrounds, they are all excited in the same way.

The palace examination was held in the Baohe Temple, and only the examination was asked. said that it was a palace test, but the emperor did not show up, and it was He Jing, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and several very old officials who were in charge. However, Ji Ying was very relieved about this, after all, she had already seen the emperor's dragon face, and she didn't want the majestic Son of Heaven to recognize her at this time.

Candidates enter the main hall at dawn, and after verifying their identities and saluting, they take their seats.

The seats are arranged according to the ranking of the examination. Ji Ying sat in the first row, and the top was Rong Shen. Rong Shen smiled at Ji Ying, still like the sunshine of March. The next one is a Confucian student in his forties, and Ji Ying only knows that his name is Lin Zejun, a native of Jizhou. He didn't talk to Ji Ying after nodding and saluting, and he looked a little nervous. Rong Zhe was not far from them, and when he saw Ji Ying looking back at him, he made a grimace, and the corners of his mouth were obviously raised, he was really a childish child. Nomad was obscured by layers of candidates, and only the corners of his red and dazzling clothes could be seen - he wasn't late today, thank goodness.

After the deputy examiner handed out the rice paper for answering the questions, he looked around, and then signaled to He Jing, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, that the exam could be opened. Master He immediately ordered someone to show the question board.

Question: The trouble of barbarism should be lenient and strict?

Ji Ying doesn't understand the marching soldiers, but Ji Ying has some unique opinions on national affairs, especially the choice of border defense and defense, and often discusses and comments with Fang Yanqing back then.

In recent years, the Beidi people have recovered their vitality, and they seem to have forgotten the reason for the destruction of the country, and their arrogance is even more arrogant than before, repeatedly harassing the borders of our Great Zhou, and even disturbing the Northwest Mutual Market. Fortunately, there was King Huai'an in the northwest, and Zhou Yu, the king of Yan, led the troops in the sixteen states of Yanyun, and repelled the enemy army many times. However, due to the continuous use of troops against the Nanban rebels and natural disasters in the Great Zhou, the treasury has long been empty, and I am only powerless to Beidi. I am afraid that this policy is to gather the opinions of students and facilitate the decision-making of the imperial court.

Ji Ying thought for a while, and put down the pen:

Ministers: The Celestial Empire is the most abundant in the world. The mountains and rivers are splendid, the fertile fields are thousands of miles, the Zhumen Cui households, the uneven people, how can it be compared? However, the little insects, ants, and rats covet my anointed land, covet my magnificent rivers and mountains, and delusionally want to eat whales.

Chen Tang of the Han Dynasty once said: Those who commit strong men will be punished even if they are far away! The ministers are despicable and dull, but they think it is true. The bite of insects and ants may be the pain of scabies; Snakes and rats swallow it, and if it is left unchecked, it can become a sore problem. And my holy pilgrimage has many generals and the same desires, how can I retreat? The battle will be won, and the retreat will be lost. Therefore, it is said that we must fight!

However, I used troops in the south several times in the week, and even suffered natural disasters in the north, where can I get food? The minister thinks that there are three feasible strategies. One is to seek food for the people, the second is to ask for pay for officials, and the third is to seek peace for the country. If these three can be obtained, there is no need to worry about it.

……

sprinkled with water, about 500 words in one go.

After getting out of the examination room, the candidates were taken out of the Baohe Hall by the chamberlain. Unsurprisingly, Ji Ying caught a glimpse of Jiang Yichen, the king of Xiaohuai, at the door of the main hall.

In fact, Ji Ying expected that she might meet Jiang Yichen in the palace in the future. She admired or admired Jiang Yichen very much, because he did something like this at a young age. On his body, there is no delicate and lazy of ordinary aristocratic children, there is no pretentiousness of a weak scholar, he is slightly melancholy in his arrogance, and there is a sense of loss in his self-satisfaction. He is like a painting, a poem, a puzzle, which will always lead people to experience, taste, and conjecture.

In fact, Ji Ying also knew that her friendship with Jiang Yichen was not all curiosity and admiration, she was selfish, after all, Jiang Yichen's identity was the king of the county. Throughout the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, there are very few above him. If you want to gain a foothold in the capital, it is absolutely impossible to have no backers, not to mention that she has to deal with such a person.

So early this morning, Ji Ying declined Duanmu's kindness to her. As long as there is an opportunity to have a heart-to-heart relationship with Jiang Yichen, Ji Ying will never miss it.

Jiang Yichen was dressed in a rigorous red court dress, inlaid with gold and silver everywhere, wearing a purple and gold crown on his head, and court boots on his feet. He stood in the distance, facing the direction of the Bohol Temple, firm and majestic. He's been waiting here for a long time.

An attendant came over with a hunched body, whispered a few words to the attendant who led the team, and seemed to give the other party some benefits, so he took Ji Ying out and led her to see Jiang Yichen. Ji Ying confessed to the Rong brothers on the side, and left the team with the attendant.

Ji Ying stood in front of Jiang Yichen, smiled slightly, and gave a peer salute with his fists.

"I'm also a county king, why don't you bow down when you see me?" Jiang Yichen waved his hand to let the chamberlain go down, and asked with his hands behind his back.

Ji Ying replied with a smile: "If Brother Yuanqing really expects the younger brother to make a big gift, he won't specially let someone bring me over." Look at the sweat on your face, you must have been waiting here for a long time, right? ”

Jiang Yuanqing's serious appearance disappeared immediately. He touched his forehead casually, a little embarrassed, you know, he has never done such a boring thing as waiting for someone: "How is it possible." I just finished the errand assigned by His Majesty, passing by the Baohe Palace, thinking that you are here for the exam today, so I just stopped by to take a look. ”

Ji Ying looked at his flickering face, very satisfied, and said, "There is a dignified little Huaiwang who came to see me, should I express it well?" I heard that Ruyi Restaurant opened the cellar today, and I have prepared my daughter Red for 20 years, do you want to try it? ”

"You'll do what you like."

"I'm calling it a good relationship with my colleagues in advance." Ji Ying raised the old book bag containing the four treasures of the study room behind her back a little higher, and said with a smile.

"It's not modest!" Jiang Yichen flew over and rolled his eyes, and easily carried Ji Ying's book bag onto his shoulder, "You wait for me, I'll go change my clothes first." ”

Ji Ying was embarrassed to let the prince get something for her, besides, such an old book bag was incompatible with Jiang Yichen's dress, so she was busy holding the book bag and didn't let go: "This thing is not sinking, I can carry it." ”

Jiang Yichen insisted on taking the book bag and said, "My dormitory is a little far away from here, so you better not do it." Now there are many people coming and going at the gate of Miyagi, and there are many cars and horses, and you can't tell what your little body will look like, and you can't find it if you get lost. You follow me, and no one can touch us! ”

"Good!" Ji Ying was not hypocritical, followed behind Jiang Yichen, and left the Baohe Hall along a path.

After turning several corners and passing through several halls, when Ji Ying was about to lose his breath, Jiang Yichen walked into the ear room of a side hall, and when he entered, he didn't forget to shout, "Xiao Jiu, go out for a drink, prepare the car!" ”。 After a while, he changed into a pure white robe, tied his hair with a plain silk ribbon, and still had the eye-catching waist knife around his waist.

Jiang Yichen changed his clothes, and it happened that Dong Jiu had prepared a spacious and gorgeous carriage and waited at the door of the side hall. Jiang Yichen took Ji Ying to sit on it, and the three of them walked through the side door on the east side, all the way unimpeded, and occasionally accompanied by chamberlains or slaves and maids passing by, and they all saluted and avoided when they saw this car.

Ji Ying looked out of the small window of the carriage. This tall palace gate broke into her dreams every night, and today she was finally able to see it in a dignified manner. The vermilion gate, the relief carved with the dragon, and the strict patrol team all made her excited.

Leaving the magnificent palace pavilion, Ji Ying felt a rare sense of ease. For more than a decade, how she had eagerly awaited this moment. How many books of sages and sages of their predecessors, how many sleepless nights of hard reading, how many teachings of the ancestors, how many friends' efforts, how many wishes, how many expectations, all make people clearly feel at this moment that everything is worth it.

She wanted to drink, drank a lot, and she smiled happily as she held her old book bag. At first, Jiang Yichen despised this, but seeing Ji Ying laughing so relieved, he couldn't help laughing. Dong Jiu was outside the carriage, and the corners of his mouth were hooked.

There was laughter all the way, but people couldn't tell why they were laughing.