My life skills in Daming Liver

The anti-cheating system of the Southeast Imperial Examination was completely copied from that of the Ming Dynasty, and the papers also had to go through steps such as anonymity and copying. The marking officer did not know the names of the candidates.

Since the last big question that Su Ze asked in person was a new question type, Shen Shixing specifically ordered that papers that the marking officer could not decide should be sent to him in person for judgment.

The marking officer took the paper and sent it to Shen Shixing.

Imperial examination papers are cross-reviewed by multiple markers, and each examiner must write an evaluation of the paper on the paper, classifying it as "pass" or "fail."

Shen Shixing was the number one scholar in the Ming Dynasty and read extremely fast, so he requested that as long as there was a marking officer who judged "pass" papers, they should be sent to him to judge the papers personally.

At this time, Shen Shixing was leaning on the Taishi chair, flipping through a paper casually.

"It's quite satisfactory. It can only be regarded as an appetizer. It can be judged."

As long as Shen Shixing passes the "pass" paper, he will be entered into the shortlist for this tribute examination.

There are a total of 400 Jinshi quotas for this year's imperial examination, and Shen Shixing will screen out 600 papers for the next round.

These papers will be sent to the cabinet, and under the supervision of the imperial censors in charge of supervising the Ministry of Rites, another four hundred papers will be selected.

These four hundred people are the Jinshi of the undergraduate program.

These four hundred papers will be sorted according to their level. Next, these papers will be sent to the Governor's Mansion, and Su Ze will decide the 100 people who will be the first-class Jinshi and the 300 people who will be the second-class Jinshi.

Although it is said that the Southeastern Imperial Examination has abolished the Shujishi, and the 100 first-class people all have the same starting point after entering the official career, scholars have always paid attention to a ranking. In the imperial examination competition, the rankings must still be distinguished. of.

As long as rankings exist, these rankings will always become a reference factor for others' evaluations after these Jinshis enter various ministries and yamen.

Just like the college students before Su Ze's time travel, when he first entered the workplace, he would still be asked about the university he graduated from. Graduates from good universities would also be looked down upon by their colleagues.

Therefore, Su Ze finally agreed to retain the titles of No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 among the Three Tripods. This can also be regarded as the honorary reward for the top three in the competition.

After reading one paper, the assistant put it away and handed over another paper.

This time Shen Shixing sat up slightly and said with satisfaction after reading it: "Although this article has an ordinary intention, it is majestic and majestic. It is a rare and heroic article that can be paired with wine!"

"It can be judged!"

Shen Shixing's assistant drew a red circle on the paper and handed over another paper.

This time Shen Shixing sat upright after reading a line and said with satisfaction:

"With far-reaching intentions, he is the best among the scholars of this generation. He can serve as dinner and judge the truth!"

After Shen Shixing read it, the marking officer handed over the paper in his hand.

This paper is the one after Tang Xianzu. Tang Xianzu's paper is not controversial and will be sent to Shen Shixing soon. In Shen Shixing's opinion, he will definitely pass it.

But this paper is different. Many of the arguments above cannot be understood by the marking officer himself, so he can only give it to Shen Shixing for decision-making.

Shen Shixing took the paper. He had just finished reading the first line and immediately stood up and said:

"Burn incense!"

The marking officer looked at Shen Shixing in surprise and heard him say:

"This is a masterpiece. You must burn incense and straighten your mind to appreciate the true meaning!"

Shen Shixing's assistant was not surprised by this. Everyone knew that the number one scholar in the Ming Dynasty and the Minister of Education in the Southeast was a very talented person.

When Shen Shixing was the prefect of Songjiang, he was famous for his tendency to support and support the younger ones.

When he encounters an article he likes, he will read it without sleep and food, and even forget to eat or drink.

The most famous story about Shen Shixing when he was the prefect of Songjiang is that when he read Shen Guanyi's article published in "Jingshi Xinbao", it happened to be dinner time.

His newlywed wife couldn't bear to disturb Shen Shixing from reading the newspaper, so she made Shen Shixing's favorite snack, Min Cake.

This Suzhou specialty pastry is a bit too bland to eat directly, so Shen Shixing's wife paired it with osmanthus sugar for Shen Shixing to dip it in.

Unexpectedly, Shen Shixing was so fascinated by the newspaper and articles that he dipped the min cake in the ink on the desk and ate it.

When Shen Shixing's wife came in to collect the dishes, she saw that her husband's mouth was full of ink, and even his teeth were stained black. He laughed regardless of the etiquette of a lady.

This incident was rumored to be a good story when Shen Shixing was the prefect of Songjiang. At that time, scholars in Songjiang Prefecture often sent articles they wrote to Shen Shixing's house. No matter how busy Shen Shixing was with his official duties, he would always find time to read these gifts. Coming article.

The marking officer did not expect that Shen Shixing would rate this article so highly. After the incense was lit, Shen Shixing sat upright and read the article carefully.

After waiting for a long time, Shen Shixing sighed and said:

"It is true that 'talented people have emerged from generation to generation, and each has led the way for hundreds of years.' With this article, I have a successor to the southeastern cultural heritage."

Then Shen Shixing ordered his assistant: "Put this article first. I think the Governor will definitely like this article."

The marking officer then asked: "Sir Shen, I am really stupid. I can't understand many parts of this article. That's why I bother you to judge it."

Shen Shixing said indifferently: "This article explains and extends the New Meaning of the Three Classics by the Governor. It's normal that you can't understand it."

The marking officer felt a little guilty. Although he studied Su Ze's theory day and night, academics depended on talent.

Especially when it comes to the level of governance theory, it cannot be improved by studying.

Shen Shixing said: "This article is good because it addresses one issue correctly, 'nation'."

"nationality?"

Shen Shixing said: "Why did Ming Chengzu conquer Annan and then be forced to withdraw?"

The reviewer thought of Tang Xianzu's article and said: "Because the cost was too high, garrisoning troops in Annan had to deal with the resistance of the Annan natives, and establishing counties required the dispatch of officials and soldiers. However, the taxes the Ming court could extract from Annan were minimal. In the end, Ming Chengzu was Abandoned Annan."

Shen Shixing nodded and said: "From a financial point of view, it is already good for you to have this understanding. If you take part in this imperial examination, you can also get second place."

The marking officer was a little ashamed because he had used Tang Xianzu's conclusion, but he still accepted Shen Shixing's praise.

"But why is this? Since Annan is the homeland of China, why did it resist so fiercely?"

The marking officer was unable to answer this question.

"This is the role of nation, because during the long-term confrontation with China, Annan developed his own national consciousness and united to resist the occupation of the Central Plains. This increased the cost of Ming Chengzu's rule."

"For the Ming court at that time, the occupation of Annan was just one of the achievements of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty in his southern and northern campaigns. However, ordinary people were required to undertake military service thousands of miles away, and officials were required to go thousands of miles away to take office, and endured the glare and resistance of the Annan people. Naturally, the military and civilian officials at the time proposed abandoning Annan."

"This article puts it well, 'Ming Chengzu's conquest of Annan actually contributed to the formation of its national consciousness. Under the banner of resisting the Ming court's occupation, Annan began a long-term de-Sinicization process after the Ming court withdrew its troops.' "

Shen Shixing praised and said: "If you can realize this, you are no ordinary talent."

The marking officer still didn't understand and asked: "De-Chinese?"

Shen Shixing said: "Before the Yongle year, the language and characters used in Annan were all Chinese characters. Although the Chinese characters used in Annan have some minor differences from those in the Central Plains, they have the same root and origin."

"After the Ming army withdrew, Annan's rulers began to promote a writing system called 'Nan'. This writing system has gradually replaced Chinese characters and become the official and common language of Annan. "

"This is Annan shaping his own national identity. Once this identity is deeply rooted, the Central Plains will no longer be able to occupy Annan."

"Even if Annan was captured at that time, the people of Annan would not recognize themselves as neutron citizens and would not be able to establish effective rule. They would continue to resist and raise the cost of rule, and they would eventually be driven out of Annan."

The marking officer broke out in a cold sweat. This was what he couldn't understand. He didn't expect that there was such a smart person in Annan. This was almost a conspiracy.

Shen Shixing said: "If I only wrote this step, although it would be no problem to be selected into the top three, it would not be considered a top-notch article."

“The beauty of this article is that it discusses where ‘nation’ comes from.”

Shen Shixing stood up, but did not directly answer the question. Instead, he asked an unrelated question:

"Why did all the surrounding countries, including the barbarians in the West, choose monarchy in the end?"

The examiner was stunned for a moment. It was almost natural for any country to have a monarch. However, when Shen Shixing asked this question, it seemed not so natural.

Shen Shixing said: "The monarch is the lowest level of national consensus and the lowest level of national identity."

“This is how ‘the whole world is the land of the king’. With the monarch, the civil servants and generals have someone to be loyal to, and the people naturally support the monarch.”

"But this kind of recognition is fragile. Just like when Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty attacked Annan, he accomplished his personal achievements and satisfied his selfish desire to expand the territory. But for the officials, soldiers and people of the Ming Dynasty, occupying the capital of Annan There is no benefit, and they have to spend more manpower and financial resources to support and occupy Annan, so they will naturally oppose the occupation of Annan."

"Because the identity maintained through the monarch is very fragile, the Eastern Han Dynasty finally gave up the Western Regions, and even considered giving up Hehuang. By the Song Dynasty, it even gave up Yanyun, Nanzhao, Xixia, and finally the entire north. "

"Although there were people with lofty ideals who wanted to go to the Northern Expedition, the Southern Song Dynasty court was not active, and it was precisely for this reason."

"The whole world belongs to the emperor. If it is conquered, it will only be the emperor's land. What does it have to do with ordinary people? Just like a tenant will not be anxious because the owner has lost something, nor will he be happy because the owner has bought new clothes. "

"But the Grand Governor proposed that sovereignty rests with the people, so that's different."

"Sovereignty belongs to the people, and the entire country belongs to everyone. Even the land as far away as Annan cannot be given up, because it is our own!"

“The identity established through ‘nation’ is far more centripetal than the identity of the monarch whose power is given by heaven.”

"The good thing about this article is that it predicts the future world."

"As long as our southeastern people-centered ideas spread, it will inevitably promote ideological changes in surrounding countries and even the world, and break the status of the monarchy."

"Once 'national identity' replaces 'monarchical identity' and Annan forms its own 'national consciousness,' then we will never be able to regain Annan."

"This article predicts that the last chance to regain and assimilate Annan will be within the next 100 years."

Shen Shixing said with emotion: "Similar to this theory, the Grand Governor once told us. The Grand Governor also believed that now is the last chance, so he wanted to deal with the Annan issue before the north and the south were unified."

"Our enemy is not the Annan and Northern Dynasties fighting on the Annan Peninsula, but the rise of the independent national consciousness of Annan as a whole."

"If our generation cannot solve the Annan problem, there will be no chance again."

The marking officer listened to Shen Shixing's words with sincerity.

Shen Shixing said: "If this paper is temporarily ranked first, the Governor will definitely like this article."

After five days of intense marking, the final 600 papers were selected.

Next, the cabinet ministers personally reviewed and, under the supervision of the Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, selected four hundred papers again. This paper still ranked first, and Tang Xianzu's paper ranked second.

After reading the paper that ranked first, Su Ze also praised it greatly and ranked this paper as the first.

When he opened the paper, Su Ze saw the name of the number one scholar he had chosen, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

This candidate has a very auspicious name for the current Southeast—Gu Xiancheng of Wuxi, South Zhili.

In a blink of an eye, it’s time to release the results.