Chapter 1921 Village elder wishes, kindness test starts
There are many disturbances and the world is impermanent. Although many things have happened during this period of time, for scholars, the book is often self-contained. Regardless of his age outside the window, there is only one thing that he cares about the most. It is the most likely to affect the internal organs and cause pain. The heart is open, that is the exam.
Some people say that before the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty, there were no examinations, or they could not be called imperial examinations, but in fact, the earliest record of examinations in China is the legend of Yao choosing Shun as his successor in ancient times.
Yao was old and wanted to choose a successor. Everyone said to Yao: "The people who have pride are called Yu Shun." ’ Yao said: ‘Of course, I heard about it. how is it Yue said: "Son of the blind." The father is stubborn, the mother is arrogant, and the younger brother is arrogant. If you can make peace with filial piety, you can govern with prosperity and avoid adultery. ’ Yao said: ‘I’ll try it. 』
This is the earliest exam, and the prize for the exam is the throne.
The first one to eat crabs, there is always some preferential treatment...
The next ones to eat the crab legs are a group of people from the Zhou Dynasty. There is a record in "Zhou Li", "It is the system of the emperor in ancient times. The feudal lords offer sacrifices every year, and the tributes are given to the emperor, and the emperor tries them in the She Palace." Its tolerance is compared to rituals, its integrity is compared to music, and those who are more moderate can be given to sacrifices. 』
Those who passed the exam can only attend the memorial ceremony with Emperor Zhou. The salary seems to have dropped a lot, but you must know that those who can participate in the memorial ceremony with Emperor Zhou are generally able to inherit the positions of some princes and ministers, so generally It''s not too bad either.
In the Han Dynasty, there were also examinations. In the second and fifteenth years of Emperor Wenwen of the Han Dynasty, the "countermeasures" after the two promotion of virtuous founders, "...doctors should focus on the three principles, and Yongwei''s immorality, injustice in officials, and injustice in government. Xuan, the restlessness of the people, the lack of the four, learn about Chen Qizhi, don''t hide anything..." At that time, "the countermeasures were more than a hundred people, but the mistake was Gao Di."
Dong Zhongshu''s "Theory of Heaven and Man" was also in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. After countermeasures, it was directly sent to the hands of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Otherwise, how could this kind of thing be sent through normal channels when the old minister Huang was in charge of the court?
In the Han Dynasty, a relatively complete examination mode has been formed. The written examination is the "countermeasure". The emperor''s test questions are strategies, and the candidates'' answers are correct. "Written in articles", articles, that is, bamboo slips. If there is an additional on-the-spot oral test, it is called "Policy Question".
So in fact, when Fei Qian came up with the examination method, it was not a pioneering work. Even Dong Zhongshu himself said: "The method of examination is based on its rank and rank. For crimes, the more is used to eliminate the less, and the name is used to determine the reality. 』
Of course, about Yao and Shun, just listen to it, but the Han Dynasty did have examinations. It''s just that although the Han Dynasty created the examination and specified the methods and methods, the selection of talents in the Han Dynasty did not follow the examination, but still used the examination system.
Although there are examinations after the recommendation, such as the virtuous Fangzheng Division, the basic method of selection is recommendation, the main criterion is "morality", and the main objects are filial sons, honest officials, etc. For the sake of the referrer''s sake, he didn''t say anything about it, and as a result, he lost the original purpose of the exam.
For those who are going to take the exam, especially the students in the Shoushan Academy, whether they can shake up or not depends on this jump. How long to wait, so no matter from which point of view, this is a very important thing.
It is the habit of the Chinese people, of course, to eat at happy events, at funerals, at big events, and at small things. Therefore, before Du Yuan''s two children went to Chang''an to take the exam, they also set up a banquet, which was regarded as a blessing for the two children. some.
Du Yuan was also one of the first batch of officials who followed Fei Qian to the Northland. Although he said that there was the word "Wenzheng" in his handwriting, he actually didn''t have much "Wenzheng" in his stomach, so he mixed up with the governor of a place. , That is to say, knowing the weight of oneself, not daring to go further in extravagant demands, so he put all his hopes on his two sons.
Du Yuan''s son was a little younger in the previous Hussar competitions, so he stayed in the Shoushan Academy and did not take the exam, but this year he is almost the same age, so he is naturally going to have a try.
Although it was just a wish, but Du Yuan also set up a water table for the people around to eat whatever they wanted, and the inner courtyard was full of guests, wishing the second son of the Du family a good grade in the exam in Chang''an .
Congratulations are of course wonderful, but Du Yuan knows well in his heart. He knows that among the two children, the eldest son may be okay, while the youngest son is somewhat worse. Regarding the eldest son, although he never praised the eldest son Du Yu, he still had a lot of expectations in his heart.
So Du Yuan personally sent someone to Shoushan Academy to pick up his two sons and went home for three or four days. Then he planned to let them go to Chang''an with some officials'' children from Xihe.
At the banquet, after a few drinks, it is natural to recall the past and look forward to the future. Du Yuan may be deeply touched, or may be hurt by the scene, so he said with some emotion: "A certain Du family is also a heir to poetry and calligraphy, but what can I do?" The Qiang was in chaos, the war burned their homes, and they fled to the south on their way to perish. Now Tim has the lord’s trust, shepherds and guards one side, this life is enough, but the scriptures are vast, and the common things are complicated, so it can’t be true, and I feel deeply regretful...』
When it came to the emotional part, Du Yuan''s eyes were somewhat filled with tears, and then he said some encouraging words, such as taking the exam well, continuing the tradition, and carrying forward the glory of the ancestors and so on.
Du Yuan''s eldest son, Du Yu, also brought Xihe students who were traveling with him, to thank him.
When we set off the next day, the scene was even more grand. Although it is said that because of the short days in autumn, it is necessary to set off as early as possible, so it was just dawn when we set off, but the officials and officials in Xihe who had eaten and drank yesterday still got up early and put on formal clothes. Clothes, came to see Du Yu and others off, told this and that along the way, if he couldn''t leave his post without authorization, he just wished he could follow him all the way to Chang''an.
Most of the candidates are not very old, so they are somewhat at a loss for such a thing. They are obedient and don''t know what to say or do. Only Du Yu is older, and finally leads all the candidates to kowtow to the village elders Farewell, also made Du Yuan Laohuai a lot relieved.
Sending off and sending off again, but there must be a farewell at the end. Candidates embark on the journey one after another, and behind them are the voices of blessings and exhortations from relatives and friends, and this voice may be like this, year after year, year after year, generation after generation Passed down, Yingying lingered, until a thousand years later, it still sounded from time to time.
In addition to the students from Xihe, there are also students from other counties and counties. As long as they can catch up, it will naturally be sooner or later. They all gathered in Chang''an one after another.
Like Du Yu''s wave, they all went relatively late.
The original test site in Chang''an was relatively simple, because there were more and more people taking reference, so the general courtyard couldn''t fit in it, so a piece of land outside the city was simply set up for the test, and the conditions can be imagined , even if some temporary test booths are built, there are still many unsatisfactory places, such as the fragrance of the soil and the embrace of mosquitoes, and those who pick their noses and feet, fart and leak urine, and some people have poor psychological quality , so nervous that I vomited and had diarrhea...
Of course, it is also possible that the climate is not acclimatized, coupled with panic on the spot, and the pressure is high, which will lead to extreme reactions, but as long as there are one or two, then the surrounding candidates will be considered to be unlucky.
But this year is much better. After the Qinglong Temple is completed, there will be plenty of space and venues, which can accommodate a large number of candidates to take the exam. struggling.
Finally, it was time for the exam, and all the streets in Chang''an City were guarded by soldiers. The children of rich families would go to Longshouyuan on their own carriages, and students without money could also line up outside the city. Free vehicles to pick up and drop off. Of course, the conditions of the vehicles are average, either horse-drawn carriages or ox carts. Anyway, a car will leave when it is full.
Nowadays, most of the people who take the hussars examination are the younger generation, but gradually there are some older ones. Of course, there is no such situation as in the later generations of the imperial examination.
The first wave is naturally still economics, and the vast majority of people refer to it. As for counting subjects, you have to wait until the end of the Jingke examination and the announcement of the list before starting the examination. Because there are not many who specialize in scriptures these days or mainly master arithmetic, so there is a lot of difference in level, and the two subjects are not at the same level.
When these candidates gradually gathered in the big square of Qinglong Temple, they were led by soldiers to line up and stand up one by one. Candidates bring pens and inks by themselves, and paper is provided by Huqi. Of course, if they don’t bring pens and inks, there are some in the examination room, but whether they are easy to use or not, there are no too many requirements.
Xun You was wearing a Jinxian crown on his head, a red and black court dress, and a ribbon around his waist. He looked dignified, graceful and luxurious. When the time came, Xun You began to give lectures, generally nothing more than praising General Hussars and talking about discipline in the examination room. Yes, there is nothing special, and then arrange for candidates to enter.
At this time, there are no specific stereotyped rules, so Fei Qian has the final say on how to take the test. This time, the test consists of three rounds, which are divided into "main test", then "addendum" every other day, and finally again. "Face to face" the next day.
As long as you pass the test in the main test, you don’t need to take the second supplementary, you can just wait for the interview on the last day, but if you fail the first test, you can still participate in the second supplementary, which is considered Give these candidates, who were either nervous and did not perform well, or got stuck on the spot, more or less another chance.
Of course, if you fail the exams in both exams and you don’t have the chance to get the final "face-to-face interview", then you can’t blame others, or you can blame the pen for being too hard or too soft, the seat too soft or tight, or the voice too loud. Little or something, I can only obediently wait for the next exam opportunity...
Because there is no test for memorizing the questions written by dictation, but the questions that Fei Qian decided temporarily, so the cheat sheet is meaningless at all. Of course, it is also possible to guess the questions and write them down in advance, but when you come to inspect It is strict, there are soldiers in the outer circle, and there are examiners in the field; secondly, even in the later generations, it is inevitable to guess the questions before the exam and then there are a few of them, so there is no need to strip search or something like the later generations.
Because Du Yu is more or less within the system, he also has some preferential treatment. He is ranked relatively high, so he naturally entered the examination room earlier, that is, the main hall. The general candidates are arranged in the side hall, and the worse ones are placed in the corridor, although it is ventilated, it is more or less protected from the sun and rain.
The biggest advantage of the advanced examination room is that you can choose a location you like.
After Du Yu and Du Zi entered the main hall one after another, some of the previous people had already chosen seats and sat down, and nodded slightly to each other. Du Yu looked left and right, then signaled Du Zi behind him to follow him to the table near the window of the main hall and sit down.
After all, the ones that are too close to the doors and windows will inevitably be exposed to direct light, not to mention the severe sun, and it is easy to feel hot and uncomfortable, so the ones that are close to each other are fine, without lack of light, and will not be exposed to direct sunlight.
One after another, it’s like a table table in a restaurant. At first, it seemed to be empty, but it was full in a blink of an eye when it was time for dinner. After everyone was seated, an attendant brought bamboo paper and distributed it to each table.
Although the bamboo paper is yellow and the fibers are thick, it is naturally much easier to write than the previous bamboo slips and wooden tablets, and this is also a disguised requirement that candidates must have a more complete answer before they can write. After all, bamboo paper Unlike bamboo slips and wooden slips, which can be scraped with a knife, a single revision is a ball of black ink, and if there is more black ink, even the examiner doesn''t even bother to read it.
Repeated revisions represent unclear thinking and hesitation. Even if such a person writes a good article, he does not have any qualitative rules in doing things, so it is naturally unusable...
Before the exam questions are announced, you must first write your name, hometown, etc. on the edge of your own bamboo paper for identification.
After all the candidates basically finished their preparations, Xun You took out the sealed exam questions. It was very simple, there were only two questions, but it was not easy, because one of the questions was "Xijing Fu" and the second question was "Salt Let’s talk about iron again”!
As soon as the test questions came out, there was a huge sound of inhalation in the originally silent examination room of Qinglong Temple, and it seemed that even the air shook twice. Because they saw the topic almost at the same time, they inhaled together at the same time, leading to converging together, forming a resonance effect.
Xijing fu, salt and iron theory, both have the beauty first, and many people are very familiar with it, so it cannot be simpler, but we must innovate, jump out of the old framework, and find new ideas And direction, it''s not that simple...
Du Yu''s heart also trembled. The first question is obviously a test of literary talent, with some current affairs mixed in, and the latter question is with civil affairs, with a little law. If the first question only knows how to show off literary talent and pile up words, it will be mediocre at most, and if the latter is fundamental If you don''t talk about the law, but only talk about civil affairs, business and trade, you probably won''t get good reviews.
I have long heard that Huqi''s questions are very crappy, and this time I have seen it.
Du Yu slandered a few words, then began to frown and meditate. This is not only about writing, but also related to the "face-to-face interview" in the third session. Due to the limitations of the text, many things cannot be expressed in detail. When the interview time comes, we will ask questions based on the article. If the article is well written, As a result, when talking about specific matters, it was chaotic and out of order, so it was regarded as an "old work". Although it would not be punished as cheating, it would not be possible to get a good job.
For an article, the most important thing is to break the topic and make a point, otherwise it will go astray all the way, and it will never come back. Du Yu looked at Du Zi at the side, obviously Du Zi hadn''t thought about the topic clearly, his face was wrinkled as if he had drunk a big mouthful of Shanxi vinegar, Du Yu could only secretly cheer for Du Zi, and then immersed himself in the in one''s own thoughts.
Xun You patrolled slowly all the way. In fact, when he first got these two topics, Xun You also studied a little bit. In fact, this topic is probably divided into three levels. You can see the first level and write it well. It''s probably the middle, lower, left, and right, and then you can see the second level, and if you write it well, you can at least get the upper middle. If you can see the third level...
After all, to reach the third level, it basically involves discussing the political environment, which is beyond the scope of ordinary people''s consideration.
In the examination room, there were those who lowered their heads in thought, scratched their heads, or wrote like a god, anyway, there were all kinds of things.
Du Yuan''s son, Du Yu, was pretty good. After solving the problem, he began to deliberate in secret according to his own thinking, and then wrote the manuscript on the manuscript paper. After finishing writing, he checked whether it was neat. For some sentences and words, Or the structure has been fine-tuned, and some words have been added or removed to make the overall idea of ??the article smoother and the language expression more pure and dense.
After finishing writing, I read it silently from the beginning again until I was sure that the tone was harmonious and catchy, and then I carefully copied it onto another piece of bamboo paper.
Although it is said that the hussars examination system has only been carried out a few times, someone has already summed up the best examination method, and as a small circle of communication, it has been circulated among the school children of the official family.
Walking down according to the best steps, Du Yu couldn''t help but heaved a sigh of relief, and turned his head slightly to look at his younger brother Du Zi, still looking bitter and bitter, so he could only shake his head with a wry smile. After all, Du Zi was four years younger than him, and his father, Du Yuan, did not expect Du Zi to be able to pass the exam in one go. This time, it was mainly Du Yu himself who came here, and Du Zi was probably just accumulating experience.
Changes in writing tools have also led to the transformation of Chinese characters. From knives, pens, bamboo and wood to pens, inks, paper and inkstones, the cumbersome and complicated seal script is gradually eliminated by the children of the gentry. Although it can be understood, it is not used much. Yi Xue is more suitable for official script written on a flat surface with a brush. Originally, this writing method was lowly in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, but now it has become the basic writing mode in the Han Dynasty.
Times are always changing. Maybe what was considered beautiful before became ugly, what was considered inferior before became popular. The same is true for the exam, but this time the exam was relatively smooth for Du Yu, but in the second "Addendum", some unexpected things broke out...
(end of this chapter)