Qing Jiaqing seven years of Renxu autumn.

The streets of the capital are full of people, the hustle and bustle of cars and horses, the busy pace and the tidal crowd make up the unique landscape of the city.

Vendors in the streets and alleys shout all kinds of goods, and the variety of goods is dizzying.

Nourished by the cool night all night, the morning dew on the begonia petals has not yet dissipated, the time comes, the sky is dusk, most of the people are still in the dream, but the Forbidden City is still solemn, the high palace gate slowly opens, and the ministers who are waiting here rush in, to the Taihe Palace to discuss politics.

This high-level building Taihe Hall was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held ceremonies. The emperor ascended the throne, the emperor got married, and the empress was canonized; New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and Longevity. The highest level of the imperial examination, the grand ceremony of the expedition, etc., are all held here. Thinking back hundreds of years ago, on the day of the ceremony, the huge ceremonial guard outside the Taihe Palace, the Dan Majesty Great Music, and the ethereal Zhonghe Shao Music, you can see the grandeur of the scene.

The imperial examination was highly valued by the emperor and gradually became the only way to select talents, and many children of poor families could use this way to soar, obtain official positions and improve their social status.

For this reason, the number of people participating in the imperial examination is increasing, and the palace examination, as the final link of the imperial examination, is also one of the most important links in the scientific examination.

The emperor is the main examiner of the palace examination, and every procedure of the palace examination is very strict, with a special system, and the emperor personally interviews the people who participate in the palace examination, which shows the emperor's importance to the imperial examination and his preference for talents.

After passing the examination, all the tributes must participate in the temple examination. The time to participate in the palace examination was set by the emperor, and before that, all the tributes had to go to the Ministry of Rites to learn the etiquette of the court.

Although the etiquette of meeting the emperor is not cumbersome, it is not simple, and Li Yumei and other tributes have studied for several days in a row before they can be proficient.

The time for the palace test has finally been set, and Li Yumei has been preparing carefully in recent days to prepare for his final battle.

This is the longest part of the world's scholars' dreams, and the scholars with the title of the gold list walked out of the Forbidden City and applied the tradition of governing the country with literature to the world.

He put on the clothes and crown sent by the Ministry of Rites, cleaned up his spirits, and rode to the palace in a carriage.

In front of the Shenwu Gate, everyone entered the palace gate in turn according to their ranks, under the leadership of the inner prison army.

Then, when they walked outside the main hall, they saw an inner supervisor holding a whip in his hand, and he threw out a long whip suddenly, "Bang, Bang, Bang" three times in a row.

Then he shouted: "Nonxu Kegongshi, enter the Hajj to see you."

Then, hundreds of people dressed in special tribute court uniforms marched forward.

On both sides were soldiers in armor, holding spears in a row, and the end was majestic.

Li Yumei and the others walked through it, and they could only peek a few times carefully.

The inner warden led the people to the main hall and stood in the arranged positions according to their ranks. On the table in front of him, the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone were ready, just waiting for the emperor to come to the question.

After a while, the inner eunuch shouted again: "The emperor has arrived, kneel!" ”。 His Highness bowed down in unison.

His Royal Highness shouted in unison: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live."

The corners of his lips flashed an imperceptible smile, faintly like a water mark across the bluestone pavement, with a cool, cold meaning, revealing a faint sense of alienation, rejecting people thousands of miles away.

The emperor sat on the throne and said, "Flat."

His Highness shouted in unison again: "Thank you, Your Majesty! ”。

At this time, Li Yumei, who was standing in the crowd, raised her eyes slightly and peeked at the emperor sitting on the dragon chair.

I sat a little back, but I could probably see what the emperor looked like.

Seeing that the emperor was just standing, wearing a five-clawed dragon robe, Wang Song only glanced at it and immediately lowered his head.

was caught peeking at the holy face like this, but the crime of dereliction of honor is not a trivial matter, ranging from deposing his fame to being used in the army.

He ventured to watch Long Yan in order to plan in his heart, and this matter will be on the table.

When Li Yumei unfolded the exam paper, it was written: "Minister's words: The way of the holy king!" ”

Everyone never thought that the exam questions of the palace examination would be confused even after Wang Song opened the book, and the articles he had been reading hard these days were useless?

At this moment, Li Yumei vaguely felt that the emperor on the dragon chair was smiling at herself, I don't know if it was an illusion.

Li Yumei was grinding ink and thinking about the topic, he couldn't help but wonder in his heart, did the emperor want everyone to praise him? Or is there another purpose?

In addition to grinding ink, Li Yumei secretly thought about the merits made by the emperor since he ascended the throne, and the major events that have occurred in recent years. After much thought.

First of all, he used flowery rhetoric to praise the emperor's plan, which he immediately denied.

Today's emperor is only forty years old, and since he ascended the throne, he has been diligent in serving the people, rectifying the rule of officials internally, and even tougher externally.

Emperor Jiaqing sat on the dragon chair in the palace, his posture was tall and majestic, and his yellow robe set off his dignity. Although his face was a little old, it still revealed a majesty and wisdom. His eyes were deep and bright, as if he could see everything.

Beside the emperor stood a group of scholars in official uniforms, who were the elite who had stood out through the imperial examinations. They looked at the emperor respectfully with solemn faces, waiting for his instructions.

The emperor smiled slightly and said, "Jiangshan Sheji is the foundation of our dynasty, and it is also the matter that I am most concerned about. Today, I would like to gather all of you to hear your views on national affairs. ”

A scholar stepped forward and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the minister believes that the prosperity and stability of the country cannot be separated from good governance and wise rule. Your Majesty, your wisdom and wisdom have enabled the Qing Dynasty to prosper under your leadership. ”

The emperor nodded slightly and said encouragingly, "You are right. Governing a country does require wisdom and wisdom. However, I would like to hear your specific advice on how to govern the country. ”

The scholar was slightly stunned, and then replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the governance of the country needs to rely on capable people. Your Majesty, you can select talents through the imperial examinations, and let those who are talented and capable work for the country. ”

The Emperor smiled and nodded, and said approvingly, "You are quite right. The imperial examination is an important way to select talents, and it is also a tradition of our dynasty. Only by passing a fair and just exam can those who are talented get the opportunities they deserve. ”

Another scholar stepped forward and said modestly: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the governance of the country still needs to rely on the due diligence of officials at all levels. Only those officials who are sincere and diligent in their work for the people can bring real well-being to the country. ”

The emperor smiled and nodded, and said approvingly, "You have a point. The due diligence of officials is the key to governing the country. I will continue to strengthen the training and supervision of officials to ensure that they can make more contributions to the country and the people. ”

The scholars present expressed their approval, and they deeply admired the wisdom and wisdom of the emperor. They expressed their willingness to contribute their talents and wisdom to the prosperity and stability of the country.

The emperor looked at these scholars with a smile, and his heart was full of relief. He knew that only with the support and efforts of scholars who were interested in the country and the nation could the Qing Dynasty become more prosperous.