Chang'an City Zhuque Street West Fourth Street, North Dangcheng Guo Jingyao Gate, East Street from the North First Eye Xiude Fang, a secluded temple in the north corner of the square, the name Hongfu Temple.

It is during the selection period in February, most of the candidates from other places live in the guest rooms of the temples in Chang'an City, and there are a total of 64 monasteries in Kyoto, and they are divided into three classes according to their scale. Hongfu Temple because there is Fanglin Gate in the south and Yeting Palace in the east, and it is listed as a place where the yin qi is slightly more prosperous by many literati and scholars, so the students who live in this temple are mostly poor and helpless.

The Lu Zhi brothers arrived in Chang'an City on the afternoon of the 11th, and a candidate surnamed Ji Mingde in Qingyang County rented a horse, and he was twenty-one years old. Because he has participated in two selection examinations, Ji Yiyan is also an experienced person, and explained some difficulties in the scientific examination procedures to Lu Zhi along the way.

Ji De's family is more prosperous than Lu Zhi's, but in the end, they are all from poor families, so under his suggestion, the three of them did not look for much to live in, and lived directly in the Hongfu Temple in Xiude Fang.

This temple covers an area of only dozens of acres, although there is no treasure temple place to burn incense such as Yuntun, the state of the banner cover Shanshan, but also really quiet and simple, the pine and cypress in the courtyard reflect the green, the hall hangs silk articles, the ears hear the sound of the Buddha, the tip of the nose is around the morning dew and the fragrance.

The three of them stayed in the guest room in the temple, and the next day they went to the household department to hand over the Qingyang County general examination documents, and received the papers, just waiting for the visit to the Ministry of Rites Sigong to get the letter of recommendation.

Those who are recommended can go to the household department to register in the register, which is to raise people, regardless of the level of scholars, farmers, industries, and merchants, they can be scholars, and this is a way for the township tribute to enter the imperial examination.

In addition, those selected by various prefectures and counties and the Beijing Normal School can avoid the tribute section of the Ministry of Worship and go straight to the spring festival, which is a way for students to enter the imperial examination.

Sanyou Guozijian students, who are the children and grandchildren of Kyoto officials, have studied for four years, and can be exempted from the spring festival after the graduation examination, and directly enter the Ministry of Officials for the record.

The first two - lifters, apprentices, April spring to enter the test, after the test to take a hundred people in each subject, can enter the Ministry of Officials for the record, and select the best ten people each, into the palace test.

Another person who is under the age of 16 can be selected by the Ministry of Rites to be sent to the four schools under the Guozijian to further his studies with the children and grandchildren of officials.

In addition, ten of the best people in each section of the country (including those who enter the school) are selected by the saint himself.

The three elements are personally selected by the current saint and given the honors of champion, list eye, and flower exploration.

***

Chongxue Department full-time annual scientific examination recommendation, there are 28 Si Gong, with their merit grading, the low can be cited 50, the high can be 200, a total of 1,360 people, every year the township tribute into Beijing, need to prepare an original paper of the subject of the examination, on the book articles and poems can be, for the Sigong selection.

If you don't pass the recommendation of the Chongxue Division, the student can also take the paper and go to the virtuous non-commissioned officer doctor of the dynasty to recommend himself, but one or two out of a thousand can get what he wants.

On the morning of the 13th, Lu Zhijide took his respective scrolls to the Chongxue Department of the Ministry of Rites, and after handing them over together with the name post, he only had to wait for the news in the borrowed monastery, and five days later, with or without it, he could find out.

After submitting the papers, Ji De invited Lu Zhi to meet the friends he met during last year's scientific expedition, and Lu Zhi was not embarrassed to refuse, and left on his own.

Lu Zhi and Lu Jun returned to Hongfu Temple, and when they arrived at the guest room where they temporarily lived, one was reading in the house, and the other was boxing in the courtyard, but before half an hour, one of them couldn't hold back first.

"Alas, boring, boring! Big brother, just now Brother Ji invited us to visit friends together, why did you refuse. Lu Jun complained as he walked into the room from outside the courtyard and came to Lu Zhi's desk.

Lu Zhi was not annoyed that he interrupted his reading, only raised his eyes and glanced at him, and said, "You can't tell the kind words, you might as well be as good as Xiaoyu." ”

"Huh? He said kind words, I really didn't hear it! ”

"Even if it's not a kind word, go to visit friends with him, it is inevitable to encounter a meal, wine and tea party, are you embarrassed to follow the food and drink for nothing, it is fun, it costs money, although the mother gives us enough plates, but there is not much left at home, if you want to play, think about how your mother and Xiaoyu make money."

After Lu Zhi finished speaking, he ignored him, turned the yellowed pages in his hand lightly, and continued to read aloud. Although Lu Jun has a straight temperament, he also knows how to rely on it, listening to his eldest brother's explanation, and remembering Lu's explanation before leaving, he suddenly stopped thinking about running outside.

Leaving aside the two brothers for the time being, in the afternoon of the same day, several Sigong gathered together to study several papers, among which the most controversial one was the article of Jinshike, which talked about the selection system of officials in the current dynasty, and the situation of the children of officials and poor students.

"It's very well written! It's just that the article is gibberish. ”

"A bunch of nonsense, a bunch of nonsense!"

"Exactly! A few adults, please see, this student has just turned fourteen, and it is clearly the rampant words of Huangkou children! ”

"Ahem!" A heavy cough sounded, interrupting a few Si Gong who were about to be angry and tearing up the case, and everyone saw an old man with slightly convex cheekbones walking in from the door, all of them hurriedly got up, turned to the low desk and stood up, and bowed respectfully to the old man.

"Lord Zheng."

"Well, what are you discussing, the old man has heard your argument five feet away from the door." This Lord Zheng is the oldest and most virtuous person in the Chongxue Division, but because of his advanced age, the current emperor specially allows him to go to the department to work after applying for time every day.

"My lord, there is a student article here, what he said is really suspected of disturbing the rules of the imperial court, and we are making trouble about this matter, so I lost my attitude."

"Bring it, old man read it."

Si Gong, who opened his mouth to explain, turned around and took the page of the article, stepped forward and respectfully handed it to Zheng Sigong.

Zheng Sigong first glanced at this article that was less than a few hundred words long, and then he disappeared the stern look on his face, and some gentle words comforted the few people in front of him, "A few adults don't need to be angry, it's really not what we should do for a student who doesn't know why, Lord Zhang, I found the name of the student who wrote this article and the old man, and I went to the Institute to resign, so as not to worry about it again in the future." ”

As soon as his voice fell, Sigong, surnamed Zhang, took two samples and handed them over, Zheng Sigong took them one by one, and said to a few people: "The old man needs to go elsewhere to see, and the adults should continue." ”

A few people behind him bowed down again, and Master Zheng left with some slow steps.

***

That night, in a high-walled mansion in Chang'an City, two old men in regular clothes in the owner's study were sitting side by side in front of a case with jade and tiger stripes, pointing to the paper scroll in one person's hand while talking in a low voice.

“...... It's a pity, it's a pity, how did such an article go to your Chongxue Division. ”

"Yikes! You old puppet, I made a special trip to show you this good thing, but you mocked our Chongxue Division. ”

"Haha, Lu Gongxiu is annoyed, it's just a joke, I'm not angry, if that student votes for me, he will definitely be recommended directly to him, but if he is sent to you, I'm afraid he can be angry to death a few old old-fashioned."

"Ahem, don't talk too far, I'll ask you, do you want this student?"

"Yes! How not! But—are you willing? ”

"Alas, it's not that you don't know that Chongxue Si is not as good as before, although I said a few words, but not the other two worked, if you insist on keeping this student's son, I'm afraid it will bring him trouble."

"I said a long time ago, let you change places, you don't listen, if you didn't push the will of the saint several times, how could you annoy him."

"At the beginning, I also thought that I could do more for those poor students, but now I know that I can't do it alone......"

"Okay, don't think about it, this matter is over, and I will get him in."

"Thank you very much."

"Thank you, thank you for robbing you of a good student, hahaha!"

"You old thing, alas, aw, aw, awe......"

Two former classmates, on this spring night, under a detailed conversation, opened another path for a poor student who was almost blocked from his career.