It was about the beginning of the year, the blazing sun was emitting heat, and the cannon had not yet been fired to open the dragon gate, the vast majority of candidates were still answering the paper while wiping their sweat, and there were not many candidates who handed in the papers, Zeng Yubu went to the lobby of the examination shed center, Jiangxi Tixue Dao Huang Guoqing and the governors and instructors of the four counties of the government were sitting in the hall, and two candidates were asking the grandmaster for an interview, because if the interview was praised by the grandmaster, then the study was basically determined-

In such a long summer afternoon, Huang Tixue is sleepy, all supported by strong tea, at the beginning of February he left the Nanchang School Department Yamen, Jiangxi Road 13 mansions to go all over, until now according to the eight mansions, and five mansions, really hard, he has been in poor health since last winter, but the hospital examination can not be delayed, has not been able to follow the doctor's instructions to meditate and recuperate, reading the file is laborious, in addition to the first point, most of the others are handed over to the three friends of the courtesy, so where is the energy for the interview, just casually looked at the first art to break the question, then Wen said: "You two solve the problem one positive and one negative, It's also round, and I'll take a closer look at it after the rolls are finished, so you can go down first. ”

These two candidates are conceited and quick-witted, and they turned in the papers early just to get an interview with the grandmaster, but they were sent away like this, and they couldn't help but be unhappy, and walked past Zeng Yu when they got out of the hall, and one of them said in a low voice: "Just hand in the papers, don't ask for any interviews, the grandmaster yawns." "There is dissatisfaction.

Huang Tixue in the hall had already seen Zeng Yu, and said to the officials with a smile: "Zeng Yu has also handed in the papers, and all the adults have tested him." Without waiting for Zeng Yu to see the salute, he said: "Zeng Yu, you will read the two eight-strand essays to all the adults on the spot, whether you can go to school or not, it is not the old man alone who can be the winner, if there is any adult here who thinks that your composition on behalf of the saint is not accurate or the chapter is not detailed and other omissions, then you will not be able to pass this retest." ”

Zeng Yu bowed and said, "Yes, please advise you." ”

The two candidates who had just walked out of the hall listened to the grandmaster speak to Zeng Yu like this, obviously favoritism, they were very jealous, and immediately made a look at each other, and listened to Zeng Yu read the eight shares in the hall, and to see what was clever, was it selfish to be able to get the grandmaster's interview?

"There is no way to be virtuous—"

Zeng Yu began to recite his four books with eight shares: "The king of Shang makes good use of people, so those who take it are also great." ”

After reading the question, Zeng Yu paused, waiting for the officials in the hall to comment.

Huang Tixue twisted his beard and nodded his head gently, without speaking, the prefect of Yuanzhou said: "This question is concise and smooth, and the gist of the topic is tight, which is very good." ”

The other hall officials and instructors all echoed and praised, although the candidate in the hall also thought that this question was broken, but the article was still his own good, how could he easily convince people, the officials praised Zeng Yu for solving the problem like this, I was afraid that there was something strange in it, this Zeng Yu was a relative of Huang Tixue?

Zeng Yu continued to read his title, the original title and the beginning of the lecture -

"There is no greater way to build a king than to employ people, and to use those who have no way. Its virtuous people are also in one middle school. And the ancients cultivated themselves and encouraged the masters, so they supplemented them to become virtuous, and they must use their own virtuous beginnings. The cover can make those who use it not have a heart of happiness; And those who have not used it also know that they are not overwhelmed by the above, and are enthusiastic about fame to change their customs. Only strict with the code of performance evaluation, and wide with the way of the trial, so the king is called a ......"

Huang Tixue heard the two sentences of "only strict performance evaluation, and wide to the way of the trial", he couldn't help but smile, thinking that Zeng Yu was making a footnote for this opportunity to make up the examination, this son is quite talented, and it is really humiliating him to go up and down the list, but this kind of missing talent in the scientific examination is not uncommon, the vast majority of people only recognize the time and good luck, looking forward to coming again in three years, this Zeng Yu has come all the way to ask for the make-up examination, is it forced by his family background, this time he will fulfill his wish.

- Emperor Gaigu tried his hand again, so he made the law clear; And "Spring and Autumn" ridiculed Shiqing, and he has learned that later generations will be officials. It is an official to the world, and the Tao is so salty and dead; And the use of people is wide, and there is soup so prosperous. ”

Zeng Yu finished reading the big end, all the officials in the hall praised, Pingxiang County Xue Jiao even said that this article can be promoted to the head of the case, Zeng Yu is a scholar of Guangxin Mansion, how can he be the head of the Yuanzhou Yuan Yuan Examination, Pingxiang County Xue Jiao said this is just flattering Huang Tixue, most of the officials in the hall thought that this Zeng Yu is not Huang Tixue's relatives or Huang Tixue's friends and nephews, Zeng Yu's "Lixian No Way" is elegant and thoughtful, clear and sober, without any omissions of violating the law, it can be said that there is no blame for the students who enter the school with this article, it is not that Zeng Yu knew the exam questions in advance, or Su Construct or ask a famous hand to ghostwrite and then copy it?

The middle-aged Confucian student beside Huang Tixue noticed that the officials had doubts, and was busy whispering a few words to Huang Tixue, Huang Tixue nodded, and said to Zeng Yu: "Don't read the scriptures first, and I'll test you later." He took out two letters from his sleeve and asked the scribe to hand them to the prefect of Yuanzhou, and said: "The old man gave this son a chance to make up for the exam, but because Mr. Lu Rude, the former head of the Nanjing Hanlin Academy, wrote a letter of recommendation for Zeng Yu and called him talented, and the other was a letter written by Zeng Yu to the old man, and several adults took a look." ”

The prefect of Yuanzhou said: "You don't have to look at it, you don't have to look at it, the old man's reputation is unknown." ”

Huang Tixue said: "Let's take a look, the rumors are terrifying." ”

When the prefect of Yuanzhou saw Huang Tixue say this, he couldn't read it, so he read both letters at the moment, and nodded again and again: "Its feelings are pitiful, and its talent is enough to admit people exceptionally. He also looked at Zeng Yu and said: "Calligraphy is also good." ”

Zeng Yu hurriedly thanked Lord Fuzun for his praise, at this time, there were candidates who came to hand in the papers and asked the grandmaster for an interview, Huang Tixue originally wanted to let several officials and instructors in Yuanzhou Prefecture and County face to face to test Zeng Yu, but now there are more and more candidates, it is inconvenient to take the test again, Huang Tixue has a clear conscience, Zeng Yu can enter the school with this "Lixian no way", no need to explain more to others, so he said: "Zeng Yu, you go down first." ”

Zeng Yu took the exam basket and walked out of the lobby, and a scribe caught up from behind and said: "Zeng Rutong, Huang Tixue asked you to come to the examination booth early the next morning to see you when you put the list, remember." ”

The two jealous candidates who had just listened to Zeng Yu reciting the eight-strand text in the hall heard the scribe's words to Zeng Yu, and the two glanced at each other, and secretly sneered together, believing that there was no doubt that there was fraud.

Fired the cannon to open the dragon gate, Zeng Yu out of the examination shed, the sun was dazzling, the hand on the awning looked around, there were not many people in the square outside the dragon gate at this time, I didn't see Sixi, this little Xi should be staying in the inn, so I went to buy a small jar of Yichun's unique black glutinous rice wine, he has always had a good amount of alcohol, he was under control and did not dare to drink, today the exam is over, I have tried my best, as for the final result, I don't think about it for the time being, tonight and indulge in a drunk.

Strode out of the north gate, back to the small inn by the pier of Zhuangyuanzhou, Sixi has been sitting in the guest room, did not eat lunch, saw that Zeng Yu came back from the exam early, Daxi, and hurriedly asked: "Young master, how did you do in the exam?" ”

Zeng Yu took out the small wine jar in the examination basket and put it on the table, and said with a smile: "The test is very good, and the wine is celebrated." ”

Sixi jumped up happily and asked, "What does the young master want, I'll go and tell the store." ”

Zeng Yu said: "Steamed pork, fried fish, and three or two side dishes." ”

"Okay." Sixi went away, and now he knows that he is hungry.

Zeng Yu wiped his sweat with a face towel, walked all the way back under the red sun, did not wear a sunshade hat, his face was red and sweaty, the front chest and back of the long shirt and the two armpits were all wet, at this time he was not in a hurry to change his clothes, patted open the wine jar and sealed the mud, poured out a bowl of black glutinous rice wine, sniffed a few times first, and then drank it all, sweet and sour, mellow and sweet, it was really pleasant to drink a bowl of this wine in the summer.

Sixi ran back: "Young master, the dish will be cooked quickly, Xiao Er asked where to eat it, is it in the guest room or the small dining room?" ”

Zeng Yu looked at the Zhuangyuanzhou Wharf outside the window, there is a small island in the middle of the river, that is Zhuangyuanzhou, according to legend, there was a pleasant Lu Zhao in the Tang Dynasty who had studied hard in this continent, and then he was admitted to the champion, this continent is called Lu Zhou, also known as Zhuangyuanzhou——

"Let Xiao Er use a food box to serve the wine and food, and let's go to the river to drink, well, watch the sun."

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