Chapter 1922 Tricks of the examination room, suspicious clouds in the posthouse
After the first exam, the reference students left Qinglong Temple in Longshou, and returned to Chang''an City and the five surrounding mausoleums one after another.
Students from various prefectures poured into Chang''an. In Chang''an, the house prices of all inns and hotels almost doubled, just like the golden week in later generations. Not only are there no discounts for accommodation and meals, but also extra money Anyway, fat sheep can be slaughtered one after another, and their livelihood for a year depends on these few days.
Even so, there are still quite a few candidates who don’t have a suitable place to live, so they can only live in private houses temporarily. Of course, the price is even more astonishing...
According to the law, in private houses, not inns or other private houses, foreigners are not allowed to stay overnight, but the money is so exciting, they use various names, such as distant cousins, Daming Lake left behind At the same time, Fangjiafang Ding in Minfang received filial piety, so he turned a blind eye.
At this time, on the streets of Chang''an, there are scarves everywhere. If you open your mouth and don''t say a few words "Zhihuzheye", you will feel embarrassed to greet people, and you will be full of words all over the city for a while, and the sour smell will be like pouring Shanxi mature vinegar all over the street.
When there are more literati, there will be more literary clubs. Of course, the focus of the literary meeting at this time is not about eating, drinking, playing with big buns and little feet, but to let some "senior" who have achieved high rankings to teach some tips about taking the exam, from how to prepare for the exam, to The experience and experience during the test are naturally popular topics among candidates.
Naturally, Wang Chang can be regarded as an "old senior". When he left the academy, there were no students from the mathematics palace who shed tears on his clothes. Without him, the top student at the top of the list finally left, and he could finally count on moving forward one two...
At the beginning, many students were the second child, and I was generally the third. I didn’t like the so-called young Wang Chang’s literary conference at all, so no one listened to it at first. But then, the Wenhui held by Wang Chang was full of people. Everyone hoped that they could learn some cheats from Wang Chang, and then improve their skills for thirty to fifty years in an instant.
Therefore, in Wang Chang''s essay meeting, talking about the discussion on the content of the exam is naturally the top priority of the essay meeting. Compared with the recommendation system before the Han Dynasty, which used examinations to select talents, the original so-called connections and reputation could not be shown on paper. Therefore, many of the candidates who had just finished taking part could not adapt to it, and it was inevitable that they would feel a little bit uncomfortable. Physical and mental breakdown.
Especially those who feel that they failed the first test. Although there is an "addendum" for the second test tomorrow, many people still feel that they are useless. Like a drowning person, they want to hold everything in their arms middle.
It is human nature to always hope that you can work less and get more. Although it is said that getting something for nothing is not a good thing, but if there is really a grandfather or something, or the system beeps, I am afraid that I will almost go crazy with joy. Those candidates who did not pass the exam in the first round naturally hoped so, hoping that after listening to Wang Chang''s experience, they could jump into the next round immediately.
"The most important thing in the examination room is the time..." On the one hand, Wang Chang is gathering people''s attention, and on the other hand, he really wants to help these elementary school students, so he speaks very sincerely, and the third reason is naturally cryptic. Not to mention, "Writing in the past can be completed in ten months, but in the examination room, time is like a white horse, if you are not careful, you will not be able to complete it..."
Immediately, one student couldn''t help crying, which also caused the eyes of the others to turn red. In the past, when I wrote an article at home, I would habitually procrastinate, just like the pigeons and pigs urged by the editors in later generations, and they would not start writing until the last moment. The blow to the head was painful.
What else can I do if I haven’t finished writing? Of course, don''t expect any good rankings.
『Secondly, don’t make mistakes when using simple...』Wang Chang continued.
I would rather choose a simple one, and don’t use the wrong allusion, or write a typo, which is quite taboo. Once it is found that there are typos or allusions are used incorrectly, it means that the examinee is not familiar with the scriptures and is suspected of sensationalism, so it is natural not to think about borrowing a few beautiful sentences to improve the ranking, but it is easy Self-defeating. Of course, there are also those that can be used very well, but most people should seek stability, not curiosity.
『Thirdly, whether you use the positive or the negative...』
A sentence of scriptures may have multiple interpretations, and in the more than a hundred years of Jinwen Confucianism, many sentences have been far-fetched, and then derived many strange meanings, and even some mysterious prophecies are mixed in, and these Things are useless in the examination room.
In other words, for General Hushi, none of these derived things can be used as the original intention. After all, "seeking the truth and seeking truth" was only preached in the Qinglong Temple some time ago, so if the article uses "prophecy" Wouldn''t it be self-defeating to win the ranking in the "affiliated meeting"?
Wang Chang said one by one, or people suddenly realized, or made people cry. Of course, these points are indeed very important, but compared with the more stringent standards of later generations, they have been simplified too much.
There was a buzz of discussion in the venue, Wang Chang nodded, and answered a few students'' questions, then walked off the high platform, sat in one place, and other students came close to him, or talked about it. , or ask, how lively is it for a while...
The reason why the imperial examinations of later generations evolved into the eight-legged essay model was not because the emperor naturally liked to use the eight-legged essay to "imprison" the thinking mode of the literati, but because of the needs of the exam, it became that way unconsciously.
The imperial examination system developed in the Tang and Song dynasties, and reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. Everything is inferior, but high-level reading is not just talking. It is true that the whole country is pursuing reading, and more and more people are taking the exam. If the examiners can strictly treat the test papers and comprehensively inspect the candidates, then there is no doubt that most of the candidates selected will be educated, knowledgeable, and capable administrative personnel.
In order to avoid the selection of those with only literary talents, the Ming Dynasty also canceled the "Test Post Poetry" that Tang and Song Dynasties attached great importance to. Focused on selecting real practical talents for the country...
However, it is a pity that during the marking process, due to the huge number of candidates, it is impossible to make an effective selection.
Like Fei Qian, it’s okay to say at the moment, if it’s like the Ming Dynasty, there are three exams in one exam, three articles, each about 2,000 to 3,000 words, um, why does this number of words have a special sense of familiarity, and then after three exams , nearly 10,000 words of articles, and then multiplied by the number of candidates. For example, in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, the number of students who refer to the Ming Dynasty can reach 3,000 to 5,000, then it is 30 million to 50 million words, and only a dozen The famous examiner has to read and correct all of them in a short period of time...
In order to prevent idleness, the Ming Dynasty specified detailed marking rules, and also had a re-examination system, that is, the selected examination papers from all over the country were sent to the Imperial Academy in Kyoto, so that those officials in the Imperial Academy who had nothing to do all the year round could go one by one. Grinding", if you find even the slightest mistake, just wait for impeachment!
Huaxia people are obviously very smart, time is short and tasks are heavy, and they can’t make mistakes. Many contradictions gather in one place, and stereotyped essays make their debut...
After all, there are so many test papers, time is so tight, and there are so few grading papers, even if there is a slight mistake, they will be impeached, the penalty for demotion is small, and the black hat may be lost. At the same time, the content of the exam is so It''s complicated, it involves so many styles, and the articles are thousands of people, with different shades of plain, fictional, complex, simple, and light. Even if the examiners are all at the level of gods, it is impossible to read all the test papers on time with quality and quantity.
Therefore, in the final analysis, it is the irrationality of the system that caused the birth of stereotyped essays, not because the ruling class thought about destroying and imprisoning literati from the beginning...
Du Yu and Du Zi also participated in this essay meeting specially prepared by Wang Chang for the students who participated in the second addendum.
Du Yu himself thought it was okay, so he didn''t plan to take the second exam, but to prepare for the third exam, but Du Zi was a little apprehensive, saying that he hadn''t finished writing it at all, so he must be out of the game, but he didn''t know whether he should take the exam or not. Participating in the second round, after all, I was young and didn''t have much confidence in my heart, but after listening to Wang Chang''s narration, I seemed to feel... even less confident...
Wang Chang didn''t talk much, but it wasn''t too little either. Specifically, he talked about his daily background, and then he could use it better if he had skills.
Du Yu and Du Zi were sitting at the side, when someone came over suddenly, they seemed to be very familiar and chatted, and then asked about Du Yu and Du Zi''s exam situation, although Du Yu was a little sure in his heart, he was naturally modest I said I didn''t do very well in the exam...
Then he asked about the place of residence as usual, and said some polite words about getting together after the exam. The person who appeared suddenly left and went to another place.
Because the first qualified list will be released around the time of application, so after listening to Wang Chang''s literary lecture, most people see that the sun is starting to turn, and they gradually lose the desire to continue gathering. Disperse and wait for the news. After all, even if you know the possibility is unlikely, you will inevitably have a "what if" in your heart, just like entering a lottery shop in the future.
"Brother... If..." Du Zi asked hesitantly, "Are you still going tomorrow?" 』
Du Yu smiled and said: "If a certain person is not listed on the list today, brother will definitely go tomorrow!" 』
Du Zi nodded, seemed to have a little more courage, clenched his fists, "The same goes for my brother!" 』
Taking another two steps, Du Zi couldn''t help but asked again: "Brother, what Wang Shuzuo said can be regarded as relying on?" 』
Du Yu replied in a low voice: "His words are the golden mean..."
『The mean? ”Du Zi frowned his small eyebrows, and also frowned his small face, “Brother, what Wang Shuzuo said is slightly inappropriate? 』
『There’s nothing wrong with it…』 Du Yu shook his head, 『It’s all about what it wants, but it’s just about the middle.
Du Zi stared at Du Yu, held Du Yu by the corner of his clothes, trying to pass the test cutely, "I don''t understand...can you explain in detail, brother?" 』
"If you don''t understand, think for yourself..." Du Yu smiled, and instead of spoiling his younger brother, he said, "What Wang Shuzuo said belongs to him, what I say belongs to me... Only what you think of is yours." of…"
『Oh...』 Du Zi pouted, but didn''t continue to beg and beg, and returned to the accommodation without saying a word.
Time passed in a state of anxiety or leisure. Around Shen time, the servants who had been dispatched early ran back from the outside with joyful expressions on their faces. When they saw Du Yu, they reported loudly: "Congratulations, young master, congratulations, young master!" The little master is on the list! Ranked fifty-seventh! 』
Even though Du Yu felt that he should have done well in the exam, after hearing that he was on the list, he was finally relieved and asked: "How many people are there in total?" 』
『I don’t know how small this is…』 The servant was stunned for a moment, and then said, 「But it is said that there are less than 200 people...」
"Two hundred people..." Du Yu repeated. The number of candidates who took reference that day was probably close to a thousand, or two hundred. This is one out of five...
Before Du Yu finished expressing his emotions, Du Zi eagerly pointed to his nose and asked, "What about me?" Did I hit it? 』The expression is like holding a lottery ticket to check the numbers. Although I know that there is a high probability that it will be useless, I still hope that I will be hit by the fat lady of luck.
『Uh…』The servant showed a bit of embarrassment on his face,『Small... small...I didn’t see the second son... Maybe the small one missed it...Why don’t you go and see...」
Du Zi is not too stupid, how could this kind of thing be overlooked, so he waved his hand, pretending to be heroic and said: "No need! A certain person went back to his room to prepare for tomorrow''s exam! 』Then bowed to Du Yu, and then returned to the room first. After closing the door, his little face collapsed instantly, sniffed silently, and then sat silently by the desk.
Du Yu in the hall outside the door ordered: "Let''s do it... Take the meat to his room when the time comes..."
The servant nodded quickly and stepped back. However, before it was too late, the servant came back again, handed over an unsigned letter, and reported to Du Yu in a low voice: "My lord... I found someone who voted for this at the gate of the courtyard." Things come in, wait for the little one to go out to check, but no one is seen...』
Du Yu didn''t know why, so he opened the name thorn and looked, almost jumping up, because there was a small note and a small strip of colorful silk in the name thorn, which read: "Five hundred gold, addendum in the bag , Tomorrow, at the time of Yin at the East Gate, tie this silk on the examination basket, and there will be contact. 』
Five hundred gold naturally refers to five hundred levies of gold coins, which is not a small amount.
Du Yu was taken aback for a moment, "Five hundred gold!" Is this crazy..." But after a while, Du Yu suddenly felt that this matter was interesting. Because those who can get 500 gold often don''t care about 500 gold, and those who can''t get 500 gold naturally feel that the amount is too high, so they don''t pay attention.
Because Du Yu is the son of Du Yuan, he naturally has the honor of the prefect of Hexi. There is a separate small courtyard in the Chang''an post house. Similarly, most of the people who are temporarily staying in the post house are They are the reference children of officials from all walks of life. Some of them may have passed the first round like Du Yu, but there are still many who have not yet made the list. After all, the ratio of five to one is not very high. , and there are too many distracting things.
It is precisely because the post house is full of the same officials and eunuchs, so Du Yu thinks that this matter is half of the possibility of being a liar, and the other half is true...
Du Yu subconsciously looked back at the closed door of his second brother...
...(⊙_⊙;)...
That night, the hussar general''s office was brightly lit.
『Thousands of calculations, it turned out to be missed here...』 Fei Qian couldn''t help shaking his head. No wonder the Mohist probes in Chang''an hadn''t been able to get any effective information before the locust rumors, because the scope of these probes did not involve the post station!
After all, most of these Mohist people are ordinary people. It is natural that there is not much infiltration power for post stations where most of the contacts are official people, so it is normal for mistakes to occur.
So, these guys in the post house, are they pigs, dogs, or just chickens?
Wang Chang nodded and said: "Reporting to my lord, according to a certain investigation, someone saw a nursery rhyme teacher around the posthouse, but it was a long time ago, and he didn''t pay special attention to it, so I don''t remember the appearance of the person who spread the rumors at that time..."
On the surface, Wang Chang’s essay meeting seemed to be Wang Chang’s personal behavior, but in fact, he also received a task from Fei Qian, to see if he could get some information among the candidates living in the posthouse, and from Wang Chang’s Judging from the results that Chang heard, it also proved Fei Qian''s conjecture.
These candidates who came from other places came early, and they were free, manned, and outside of the general market management, they naturally had sufficient conditions to carry out this matter.
Of course, there is only this condition, but it is still open to debate whether these people really did it.
Because the matter of locusts is a natural disaster, and it was beyond the control of these guys before they came to Chang''an, so most of these rumormongers did it temporarily, taking advantage of the chaos...
Huaxia, not just Huaxia, all the people have a habit of making fun, so when the locusts come, it is naturally the biggest hot topic in the entire Sansuke area, and the rumors naturally take advantage of the momentum, and they don''t even need to use special force Push it, and it can spread quickly.
From this point of view, it is really troublesome.
As an important administrative, economic and cultural center in Chang''an, there are five smaller post houses, three outside the city, and two in the mausoleum. There are also five post houses, two in Chang''an City, and the other three are in the In Lingyi, not only the students who came to take the exam, but also some ordinary officials who communicated matters, the turnover of personnel was very large.
Moreover, those who teach children''s rumors around the posthouse may not necessarily actually live in the posthouse. Maybe they just took advantage of Fei Qian''s negligence of the posthouse, so it was only the information that Wang Chang heard. It is obviously unrealistic to arrest all post stations and post houses with just a few fluffy claws.
Although the source of the locust rumors was generally found, the specific people who spread the rumors still had no clue. However, at this point, something more serious broke out...
(end of this chapter)