The prefect Li Ruilin and Xuetai Li Tiaoyuan were sitting in the tribute courtyard, and the papers sent by Zhu Mingshanfang were all accompanied by standard answers, so they didn't need to read the papers one by one. The examiner's work is much lighter than in the past, and the two old friends who have been in Guangdong Province for a long time can also gossip.

In the former Qing Dynasty, Li Tiaoyuan was born in Hanlin, and he was born a head taller than Li Ruilin, but he couldn't stand Li Ruilin's thighs and hugged them really skillfully. A fellow acquaintance of Foshan was transferred to the prefect of Guangzhou in a blink of an eye, and it will not be a problem to appease any envoy all the way in the future.

Now that both of them have raised their hair, the blue top and green top have also become the sapphire hat and green jade hat on the head of the long-legged head, which are still a third grade and a fourth grade, but on the contrary, Li Tiaoyuan is a little restrained.

But I heard Li Ruilin sigh with emotion: "The scholars of the previous dynasties were different, and the people of the pre-Qin Dynasty won the official by lobbying, just because there was no scientific examination at that time, so the talents were used, and they had to lose their lips and puff out their tongues, or they had won the eyes of the princes, and they rose all the way." But in this way, there are many people who meet them, and there are few gentlemen and doctors, so Nanhua Zhenren made a fable of "appreciating the car" to laugh at this generation. The Tang people took poetry, the Song people took the strategy, and the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty took eight shares. The two saints of this dynasty, the abolition of eight shares, the study of reality, the Ming scriptures, the law, the Ming calculation, the object, the four subjects are all through, only a talent, so far it is more clever than the previous dynasties system, which shows that the saint will be granted tomorrow. ”

Li Tiaoyuan looked at the monks who were sitting in the examination room scratching their ears and cheeks, and just shook his head and said, "It's just that this monk and nun are a little too much." This generation of slaves is just borrowing the doctrine of Buddhism to get food and clothing, and there are such people who do not cultivate or weave in heaven and earth, as long as they abide by the law, why should they be exterminated?"

Li Ruilin laughed and said: "My brother is really a kind gentleman, but these thieves sit and receive offerings from the ten directions, breeding countless wanderers. When such people are gathered, there will be endless troubles in the future. It's better to take a look at Sha Tai, leave some monks who study the scriptures, and clear those monks who only know how to talk about Zen and chant toothache mantras to enrich their household registrations. Even if he came back to life, he had to praise the kindness of the dynasty and clean up the source for him, and there was no second word. ”

Li Tiaoyuan smiled dryly: "This is also right, but this time they can't pass the exam, next year they will retake the exam, they will have to pay one hundred taels of silver for the re-examination, but I am afraid that the famous temple in Guangdong Province will be sold out of poverty." ”

There must be a little bit of sarcasm in this, but Li Ruilin pretended not to know, and changed the topic and said: "What does this monk's family have to do with us? But the big exam is coming, I don't know how many Xiucai are willing to end, and how many Xiucai are willing to lose the ink scroll and start studying the knowledge of the dynasty from the beginning?"

Li Tiaoyuan was about to speak, but he heard someone in the examination room rolling to the ground, and he saw that an old monk was so anxious that he was foaming at the mouth, and he started a sheep epilepsy on the ground.

In this kind of examination room, Li Tiaoyuan has been studying politics for many years, and he has seen too much, and with just a wave of his hand, a small official stepped forward to pick up the old monk and dragged him out, and the doctor who was waiting for him to be treated with medicine.

This little episode did not hinder the conversation of this school station, and continued: "Although there is no need for eight shares, the old show who chooses ink rolls is missing a living. However, those book-engraving shops, how can they lack inputs? If they don't take the eight shares, they always have to test the scriptures, the law, and the calculations? The examination questions and books that several book-engraving shops have come up with from the Qinggeng Academy, all of them are all paid into Zizi, and they are called "New Qinggeng Examination Classics", and there are all kinds of subjects. In the imperial examination of the new dynasty, there are many subjects to be examined, and this "Examination Classic" is not as light as a few ink scrolls or a few "Four Books Daquan", which is much thicker than in the past!

Speaking of this, Li Tiaoyuan said with emotion: "Speaking of which, I have a child of the same year, only one daughter, who has been raised as a son since childhood. Although the scholarly family is not as small as the small family, but it is to teach some problems, undertake the topic, and start to speak, and boast all day long, "It's a pity that it's a daughter's family, if it's a son, it's ten champions who have also been examined". Since hearing that the national dynasty has abolished the eight shares, the father and daughter have been demented, and they actually have the idea of martyrdom. ”

Li Ruilin said disapprerovingly: "This is also a person who has not read well, the dynasty does not use eight shares, but it has not cut off the road of progress of my generation." It is these talented women, Daohai Zongyuan is also a Taoist, although it is a first-class female crown, but it is also not a wild pearl. Since you do a good job in Bagu, you are a smart and clever person, so why is it difficult to learn it again?"

Here the prefect Li talked endlessly, but he saw another room with a black face, a fat monk with a black face, his face was full of oil, and he didn't know whether it was hot or anxious, but he just jumped to his feet and shouted:

"Nan Wu Amitabha, Nan Wu Guanyin Bodhisattva, Nan Wu Dashi Zhi Bodhisattva, Nan Wu Confucian Tong Bodhisattva, Xu Poor Monk has passed this test, and he should come as a monk!"

jumped and shouted at the same time, and rushed out in a daze, and everyone couldn't even stop him.

Outside the Tribute Courtyard, a group of people from the British Mission were also standing outside the Tribute Courtyard, listening to the accompanying general explain the history and purpose of the Tribute Courtyard.

"What's going on?"

"What else can I do? Another crazy test, in the past, it was just a show to go crazy, but now even the monk is crazy!"

In the middle of these few answers, Barrow happened to squeeze to the side of the general and asked curiously, "What happened to this monk?"

"The test questions are too difficult, I can't be a monk anymore, and I was just delirious for a while. ”

There were also two Chinese priests who came out with Barrow, and when they saw the monk going crazy, they couldn't help but have mixed feelings in their hearts, but they smiled when they heard it: "If the two of you plan to stay in China to preach, you have to buy a few copies of the "Qinggeng Examination Classic" and go back to study. In addition to the monks and nuns, in the future, we will also open the Jingjiao and Huijiao courses, and the difficulty will only be high, not low!"

......

.........

Regardless of what Barrow had heard of the tribute, the Earl of Macartney and the deputy envoy Staunton were facing a note that had been sent back.

Immediately after the note that was sent back, there was also an official letter in both Chinese and English:

"I extend my best regards to the Earl of Macartney and his deputy, Mr. Staunton, for the Chinese translation of the note sent by your country to our country has been incorrectly worded and formatted. Your country has never concluded a suzerain-vassal relationship with our country, and you should not use a suzerain-vassal document. Please resubmit your note with a more detailed and accurate translation. ”

However, along with this official letter, there are other meaningful binding materials.

The first thing Macartney read was the "Ordinance on the Sale of Opium and the Establishment of Tobacco Houses in the Former Qing Xing" translated into English:

"The case of selling opium cigarettes and buying contraband is punished for one month, and the border guards are sent to fill the army. If you open a poppy smoke house privately and lure the children of a good family, you will be imprisoned according to the law of the cult to confuse the people, and you will be a hundred rods and three thousand miles. The boat households, the land guards, and the neighbors on the right side have a hundred rods for two years. For example, military servicemen and others need to ask for money, and they will be punished in accordance with the law. The local civil and military officials who fail to supervise the inspection, as well as the customs supervision that does not carry out supervision, are handed over to the ministry for strict punishment. ”