The township test is also known as another name, when the candidate enters the examination booth of the examination room, the door must be locked, which is called the "lock the courtyard tribute test". The periphery of the tribute courtyard is surrounded by thorns, so it is also called "lock thorn tribute test".

Entering the Degong Temple, turn the black stone screen carved with "Confucius Lecture Map", you can see five gates, called "Dragon Gate", there is the meaning of carp jumping over the Dragon Gate.

There are horizontal plaques on the middle three gates, the middle door is inscribed "Tiankai Wenyun", the east gate is inscribed "Ming Jing takes scholars", and the west gate is inscribed "seeking talents for the country".

On the east and west sides are the low examination sheds, also called "number sheds", there are tens of thousands of rooms, and there are watchtowers at the four corners of the tribute courtyard.

Lin Jun took Song Yu and Huzi into Donggong Courtyard, led the two to the rest room at the east gate, changed into clean clothes, and left in a hurry.

In the Donggong courtyard, Song Yu looked at the tiger squatting in the corner, and the goods were looking around, as if they had done a great loss.

Song Yu frowned and walked over, "Huzi, they have all gone to visit the master, why don't you go?"

The township test is a grand event of the Tang Empire, and each township test will hire the most respected masters from each township to write questions for the township test.

The master of Shiyan Township is called Zhou Fuzi, no one knows his real name, only that he became the master for a longer time than the reign of the Tang Emperor, the master is the meaning of a well-educated person, which shows that people respect Zhou Fuzi, and even the neighboring villagers will have people who come to ask for advice.

When the Master faced the problem of seeking advice, he knew everything and said everything, and such a noble character was impressive.

Zhou Fuzi has been the proposition of the township test for many years, it can be said that Zhou Fuzi is the Gongyuan, the Gongyuan is the Zhou Fuzi, the Gongyuan is the embodiment of the spiritual culture of Shiyan Township, and the Zhou Fuzi embodies the spiritual culture of Shiyan Township.

After Huzi looked around, his expression became mysterious, and Song Yu also became nervous, only to see Huzi whispering: "You fancy the door, haven't you noticed any changes?"

The layout of the middle gate of the Gongyuan is rigorous, symmetrical on the left and right, and the three gates are carved with exquisite patterns, but the coloring is black, which does not look bells and whistles, but gives people a feeling of heaviness. The weight of the building is supported by stone pillars, which are made of solid granite, but there is only one stone pillar, which is very strange to look at.

Song Yu looked at the lonely stone pillar in front of the middle gate, and looked at Huzi in surprise, "What about another stone pillar?

Huzi nodded very honestly, "If you don't have dazzle, then I should take it." ”

Song Yu felt that Huzi was really powerful, and Song Yu had wondered where Huzi had found a stone pillar before!

Song Yu suddenly realized, "No wonder you don't dare to go in to visit Master Zhou, it's a load-bearing column, no joke, why don't you return it when you run out?"

Huzi looked at Song Yu with Brother Yu'er's smartest eyes, that meaning is self-evident, Brother Yu, you help me think of a way!

At this time, an old voice came from Song Yu and Huzi, but the tone was sonorous and powerful, "That's right, why don't you return it after you run out?"

The two hurriedly looked back, only to see a crane-haired and childish old man looking at them, the old man was wearing short clothes and coarse cloth, his hair stood on end, even if he was dressed plainly, it was difficult to hide his otherworldly temperament, as if he was standing in the air, and he became one with the air.

Song Yu thought to himself that Lao Suo should be the master, but why did he appear here? It stands to reason that he should be in the middle gate?

Huzi jumped up like a cat that had been stepped on by its tail, and before Huzi stole ... Take... I saw Master Zhou when I was following the stone pillar, and now I saw the main owner coming to the door, I felt that I was at a loss, and stammered: "You... You... You're not asking me to compensate you for the stone pillars, are you? Now that the doors are locked, I can't get out, why don't I get you back after the township test?"

Song Yu raised his hand to support his forehead, he really treated Zhou Fuzi as a small person in the market to ask for accounts, Huzi! You are so intelligent!

Zhou Fuzi stroked his gray beard, looked at Huzi with a smile on his face, "I'm just joking, don't take it seriously." Then he looked at Song Yu again, "I'm here to see my life-saving benefactor, there is no other meaning, you don't have to be nervous, you have a chivalrous heart at a young age, I hope you have a good performance in the township test, and you can be used by the country in the future." ”

Huzi rolled his eyes, hugged Master Zhou, and hesitated: "Old man, don't you really need me to compensate you for the stone pillar?"

How could the identity of Master Zhou be able to hook Huzi's shoulders and back, Song Yu was about to remind Huzi, but Master Zhou waved his hand to Song Yu, he didn't seem to mind Huzi's actions.

Huzi thought that Zhou Fuzi waved his hand to him, and he was happy, "Shizhu really doesn't need to be accompanied, it's great." ”

Zhou Fuzi walked to Song Yu's side, his cloudy eyes became bright, and he seemed to sigh a little, and touched Song Yu's head.

"Child, you should learn from your brother, he is the real free person, you don't have to learn too much, just a little. ”

A line of egrets went up to the blue sky, bringing the fragrance of rice in the distance, and it was the autumn harvest season, and a cool wind blew in the air, blowing the hair in front of Song Yu's forehead, covering Song Yu's eyes and even Song Yu's thoughts.

Song Yu raised his head to look at Master Zhou, then at Huzi, and shook his head gently.

Master Zhou sighed and left.

Song Yu looked at the egret in the sky, where the egret is going has nothing to do with me after all, but since when has I stopped being the naughty boy in Yuqiao Village? I also have to learn to look at others? Guess what other people think?

Huzi stared at Song Yu's slightly thin figure, Song Yu is still Song Yu, buddy is still buddy, but he can't see through him.

Although Huzi hadn't understood Song Yu at all, the feeling at this time was different, he thought about it and said slowly: "Brother Yu'er, why don't we go back to Yuqiao Village?"

Song Yu patted Huzi on the shoulder, shook his head and said, "I can't go back!" Song Yu thought very clearly, now that he has come to the rivers and lakes, that is, he has joined the WTO, and this change is inevitable.

Huzi was silent for a long time, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, "At first, I thought that Shiyan Township was the same as Yuqiao Village, and Shiyan Township welcomed us, but later I realized that Shiyan Township is Shiyan Township, and Yuqiao Village is Yuqiao Village, and they are different."

Shiyan Township is too big to accommodate us, and I don't like Shiyan Township. The streets here are too wide and the hearts of people are too narrow. The house is too big, and the person's vision is too small. I really want to go back to Yuqiao Village with Brother Yu'er, but Brother Yu doesn't want to go back, and I don't want to go back, my current strength is too small to change anything, but I will definitely change something. ”

Song Yu didn't expect Huzi to have such delicate feelings, before Huzi hid all the delicacy under his honest face, in fact, he knew everything, Song Yu wanted to persuade Huzi to give up, but when the words came to his mouth, there was only one sentence.

"It's going to be hard. ”

Huzi looked at the sky, the white clouds couldn't block the sun, Huzi said confidently: "I know, but just like Brother Yu'er is unwilling to return to Yuqiao Village, I also have reasons why I don't want to return to Yuqiao Village." ”

"Then you have to come on!"

"You too!"

Because Song Yu and Huzi had seen Zhou Fuzi, they didn't go to visit Zhou Fuzi again, and the two went to find their own examination sheds, Song Yu and Huzi's examination booths were on the east and west sides respectively, and the two had to look for them separately.

There are tens of thousands of examination sheds on the east and west sides of Donggong Academy, fortunately, there are external curtain officials responsible for guidance, and it is not troublesome to find, Song Yu came to his examination shed, and the examination shed in front of him is really a shed, built with wooden planks and reed mats, barely able to shelter from the rain, as for whether it can block the wind, it is unknown.

Fortunately, I brought a futon, otherwise the temperature difference between day and night will change greatly, and I will definitely catch a cold, so I will definitely not be able to stick to the local test.

There are also subtle differences in the examination shed, some are under the tree, which is a good place, and some are by the latrine, which is called "stinky" by the candidates.

Of course, there is no need to say much about the doorway in the distribution of the examination shed, maybe it was Song Yu who saved Donggong Academy, so the examination shed that Song Yu was assigned was not good or bad. In this regard, Song Yu is still very happy, and no one wants to get a "stinky number".

Song Yu walked into the examination room, the furnishings in the shed were simple, a table, a chair, a bed, a candle, a carbon basin and a pot overnight, and Song Yu laid out the futon.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon, Song Yu casually ate some dry food, thinking that he was a little tired today, so he didn't go to Huzi again, the first day of the township test was not examined, Song Yu planned to sleep and recuperate.

Song Yu walked to the door and was about to close the door, but instead saw an acquaintance.

Shi stood next to Song Yu's examination shed, pacing back and forth, the expression on his face was full of guilt, and finally walked towards Song Yu's examination shed as if he had made up his mind, but he was about to enter and retracted his steps. Song Yu happened to walk to the door and saw the stone, Song Yu's expression was a little surprised, and so was the expression of the stone.

The stone reacted, and his head gradually drooped, "I'm sorry, I didn't stand up, I'm afraid of death." ”

If it was a stone to explain a lot, Song Yu didn't like it, but the stone's sincere attitude was also unexpected by Song Yu. In fact, Song Yu doesn't blame the stone for not standing up like Huzi, this is not Shishi's obligation, even Huzi is the same.

At that moment, Song Yu said: "You are not wrong, we are still friends, I still owe you a life-saving grace!"

The stone's eyes were gloomy, like a fallen planet in the Milky Way that had lost its brilliance, and the whole person was like a balloon that had been emptied, and he reluctantly smiled: "What kind of life-saving grace is that, it was all you who woke up by yourself, I didn't do anything, okay, you are also tired today, I won't bother you." ”

The stone walked slowly, Song Yu wanted to shout the stone, but his mouth was like being sealed by a wooden bar, he shook his head, stretched out his hand to close the door, and the door shaft turned to make a "squeak" sound, even in the deep noisy examination room, it was as clear as if it was heard.

The next day, when the sky was slightly bright, all the candidates were called to the open space outside the middle gate, and Master Zhou would take the officials and candidates who presided over the township examination to worship Confucius. The examination will then be officially opened, and the Outer Curtain Officer will search the booth for any non-compliant items.

The sound of firecrackers exploded, and the candidates entered the examination booth and handed out the test papers, during which the candidates were not allowed to leave the examination booth.

Finally, there is the sealing of the door, but the sealing of the door is only a symbolic hanging lock on the door, and it is not locked, and there is a reason for this.

Since ancient times, the fire in the Gongyuan has often occurred, as for the cause of the fire, it may be that the brazier has been knocked over, resulting in the wooden shed on fire, if it cannot be extinguished in time, the examination shed is next to the examination shed, the fire spreads, and it is too late to put out the fire.

Emperor Shenhuang three years, Yunluo Township held a township examination, the examination shed was on fire, this time the fire was particularly large, the candidates locked in the examination shed were burned to death, the Tang Emperor gave each of the deceased a coffin, buried in the open space outside Yunluo Township, and set up a monument "the tomb of the world's talents", people called "scholar mound".

Since then, all the townships have learned a lesson, and most of them will not lock the examination shed, but just make a show, so that they can escape from the fire and not cause such a big loss.

Song Yu sat in the examination room, looking at the exam papers on the table, and did not rush to answer the papers, the township test was divided into three sessions, the first "Five Classics" in any one scripture, answer all four questions, and write more than 300 words of eight strands.

Song Yu finally chose "Zhou Yi", which is the result of Song Yu's careful consideration.

Zhou Yi is an ancient philosophical book, also known as the Book of Changes, or "Yi" for short.

Zhou Yi uses the highly abstract 64 hexagrams to represent the various changes that can occur in the prevailing bilateral relationship, with a brief explanation of the hexagrams.

The content of Zhou Yi is mysterious and obscure, and many candidates will not choose Zhou Yi, but Song Yu thinks that Zhou Yi is the simplest, because every time he reads "Zhou Yi", he will have an inexplicable sense of closeness.

"Whew!"

Song Yu's pen is like a dragon, in one go, only four hours to complete four eight-strand essays, although the eight-strand essay has many limitations, but Song Yu writes very happily, very comfortable.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the outer curtain official came to collect the papers, and sent the second examination papers, the first papers will be sent to the middle gate to the officials who presided over the township examination for review, each official bears a part, and finally Zhou Fuzi will read all the papers together, this is hard work, but also mental work.

The second scene, composition, title: The sage is well-informed, and he treats things with virtue, so as to make three thousand words of eight strands, Song Yu has a bitter face when he sees the title, this is completely a model essay that gives a point of view, it is not that he can't write it, but it is very wasteful to make up 3,000 words of nonsense, but he can't write it indiscriminately.

It wasn't until it was getting late that Song Yu finished writing.

Song Yu could vaguely see the candlelight of other examination booths through the gap in the examination shed, thinking that there were many guys who were more distressed than himself, and three thousand words were really not so easy to make.

Song Yu felt that his head was groggy, and he should have used his brain too much, so after eating something casually, he fell asleep on the bed.

On the third day, the last day of the township test, the third session was the theory of economic and historical affairs, which paid more attention to real-time and theoretical, and this time it was the battle of the East China Sea, in which the Japanese people won and the Tang officers and soldiers were defeated.

"It seems like a lot of off-the-beaten-the-box, but I have a lot to say, and that's great. ”

Song Yu nodded, then closed his eyes, and didn't start writing until the afternoon, and the writing was not fast, but the words were square and powerful, strange and handsome, and the individual looked plain and unremarkable, and the whole looked like a magic pen, wonderful, wonderful.

In the middle gate of Donggong Courtyard, in front of Zhou Fuzi's case, there are the papers of Song Yu's first two exams.

Zhou Fuzi put aside the papers of the second field, picked up the papers of the first field, and said: "The papers that the officials in charge of the township examination can't understand should be very interesting, I'll take a look." ”