The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

Why hasn't it arrived yet?

In the main hall of the backyard, Chen Heng had a look of urgency on his face and looked at the door frequently. Today he is wearing a blue Confucian scholar's robe and a Dongpo scarf suitable for married men. Such an ordinary outfit with a hint of formality. Obviously, the person who is about to come to the door is a close and distinguished guest of the Chen family.

Daiyu also dressed up a little, putting a little pink on her pretty face. Although she didn't wear too many jewelry and hairpins, she could not hide her unparalleled elegance. Seeing her husband's anxiety and expectation, she comforted Chen Heng: Third brother has already gone to the city gate to wait in person. He should be there soon. Please be patient, sir.

Third brother is Daiyu’s name for Xinda. Chen Heng nodded and was about to reply to his wife. Pan You'an ran in from the front and shouted: Sir, madam. Manager Chen is back with the guests.

Finally the person has been waiting. The couple smiled at each other and hurriedly walked out the door hand in hand to show their respect for the guests. As soon as I walked to the courtyard, I saw a few blurry figures walking slowly under the low hanging spring branches.

Chen Heng held Daiyu's hand, quickened his pace slightly, and said excitedly: Brother Du.

His wife also shouted to the visitor, Sister Wei.

Sister Lin! Zhixing.

Du Yunjing and Wei Qijun came hand in hand as a couple, and they couldn't conceal their excitement when they reunited with old friends. The two pairs eagerly gathered together and started chatting directly in the courtyard.

I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it. Chen Heng held Du Yunjing's arm and laughed, Who would have thought that we would meet Brother Du again in Songjiang? What a great thing.

Hahaha, I guess this is a blessing in disguise. Du Yunjing smiled proudly, slightly dispelling the melancholy look on his brows. He is much older than Chen Heng, and his face is already showing signs of weathering. I don’t know whether it was because of the hard journey or because I was tired of my situation.

Chen Heng nodded calmly, then stretched out his hand to lead the way personally. The couple behind them exchanged handkerchiefs. From the moment they met, their hands were stuck in one place, and the topic had already spread all over the world.

The weather in Jiangnan is good for people. Wei Qijun's eyes have not moved away since he saw Daiyu. It has only been a few months since he saw her. Sister Lin's complexion is much better than when she was in Beijing.

Winter in the North is still too dry. Daiyu also smiled. After saying that, she leaned against Wei Qijun's ear and whispered something unknown.

It seems to be a coincidence and fate. The two couples have an excellent personal relationship. The couple grew up in love with each other, and the two men were classmates and old friends in the same school.

Chen Heng knew that Daiyu had a lot to say to Wei Qijun, so he apologized to Wei Qijun and said, As a convenience, Madam-in-law, please allow me to borrow my brother for a while. Let us talk to each other, okay?

When Wei Qijun heard this, there was no reason not to agree. She and Daiyu also needed time to be alone. Seeing him smiling and nodding in agreement, Chen Heng directly took Du Yunjing's hand and said happily: Let's go, brother Du, come with me to the study.

Seeing himself being dragged far away by his master, Du Yunjing took the time to turn around and nodded to his wife.

His original intention was to...

Wei Qijun didn't bother to care about his original intention, and choked directly: You guys are just talking about you, don't worry about me. I am more comfortable here with Sister Lin than you are.

Seeing how deeply in love the couple looked, Daiyu saw it and was happy that her sister was marrying the right person.

…………

…………

The four of them had two places to relax. In the study room, Chen Heng welcomed Du Yunjing to the couch. Neither of them cared about formalities. One half turned sideways, leaning on the cushions. A man was making tea with his legs crossed, as if he wanted to show off his new tea-making skills.

Du Yunjing looked around Chen Heng's study and saw Xue Biao's paintings and Chen Heng's calligraphy on the wall. On the bookshelf filled with books, there are small objects that Chen Heng and Daiyu bought from the streets. Things look ordinary, but there is warmth and comfort everywhere.

From this point of view, it would be better to serve as a local official.

Du Yunjing couldn't help but sigh when he thought of all his experiences in the capital.

The imperial palace newspaper for the first month has not yet been sent to Songjiang. Although Chen Heng didn't know why Lao Du was demoted from Beijing, considering what Li Zhi ordered him to do, it was not surprising that he would experience this. It's not that easy to check Xungui's account privately. Do you really think that people are meat on the chopping board, to be slaughtered by others?

Pushing the freshly brewed tea in front of his friend, Chen Heng said with a smile: When you get used to staying here, I'm afraid you won't want to go back to the capital even if I ask you.

Du Yunjing smiled, picked up the tea cup and took a sip. He is an aspiring scholar, and he also knows that being able to shine in the capital is definitely better than being able to influence things locally. The former's slight movement of his mouth may affect thousands of households. No matter how well you do at a local level, it will only benefit one county or one state.

Seeing that the guest still had something hidden in his mind, Chen Heng thought for a while and asked, Brother Du, what kind of position will he take when he comes to Songjiang this time?

He is the head of Songjiang Prefecture Maritime Safety Administration.

This answer made Chen Heng feel that it was subtle. This official position was easy to say. Like the head of the Criminal Department, he was from the sixth rank. Beijing officials are inherently half a rank higher than local officials, so it is not an exaggeration to say that they are ‘clearly demoted’. After all, the officials of the capital are always in front of His Majesty's eyes, and they may become famous.

Don't look at the director of the Maritime Safety Administration, he is only from the sixth grade. In terms of power, it is not small at all. This official office is specially designed for Songjiang Prefecture Port and is directly under the name of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Not only is he a seal official, but he is also out of the control system of the state government.

To put it bluntly, if Du Yunjing loses his temper in the future, the prefect of Songjiang will not have to lose his face. From this point of view, it is not an exaggeration to say that it has been promoted secretly. After such an encounter, why is Brother Du still depressed?

Chen Heng didn't understand the key for a while, so he comforted Du Yunjing: After all, it's just a palm print. In the future, I can be an official in the same city as Brother Du. I can not only serve the people, but also have friends to accompany me. I don't have to go to court every day. Not to mention the difficulties, as long as the official duties are properly handled, I can do whatever I want on weekdays by myself, wouldn’t it be wonderful?”

Du Yunjing wanted to laugh when he heard this. He changed his posture to half lying down and joked: Listening to Chi Xing's words, I'm afraid I won't miss Shu anymore.

Chen Heng nodded generously and admitted, and then asked about the results of Du Yunjing's affairs in the capital. There is nothing to hide. For at least half a month, once the imperial report arrives in Songjiang, Chen Heng himself can half read and guess half of many things.

I checked several families of the four princes and eight princes, and the accounts here are simply unsightly and too numerous to describe. Du Yunjing sighed that he had not done all the work, but he was still unwilling to say, It's a pity that your Majesty intends to let them go. Only a few people were killed. Instead, these leading nobles were given a year to settle the accounts.

This is normal. There will be a war at the border in April or May at most. At such a critical moment, how could it be possible to arbitrarily touch Dayong's nobles? Not to mention the political energy at their disposal, and the old disciples and friends they have in their hands. If they start to cause trouble, even Wei Yinghong will have a headache.

Thinking of this, Chen Heng couldn't help but asked, Didn't Master Wei persuade you? He didn't understand Du Yunjing's straightforward temper. Li Zhi didn't know, but Wei Yinghong must have understood. Why do you let Lao Du act like a fool who will never look back until he hits the wall?

Of course my father-in-law persuaded me. Du Yunjing smiled, It's just that I want to imitate Li Yishan and be a wanderer who insists on going his own way.

Yishan is Li Shangyin's character. When Chen Heng heard this, he hurriedly raised his hand and waved it gently in front of his nose, mockingly saying: You can save it. When it comes to poetic talent, even if we are both together, we can't even see Li Gong's back. Li Yishan insisted on it back then. Marrying the Wang family is a real act of love and infatuation...

Before he finished speaking, Du Yunjing had already rushed to answer: Then I wholeheartedly want to do things for the people and make decisions for the people. Isn't it considered a love affair?

Chen Heng laughed immediately, because according to Lao Du, it made sense. He could only shake his head and say no more. In fact, Chen Heng also admired Du Yunjing in his heart. Can regard wealth and honor as floating clouds, and can reject the kind advice of relatives and elders. Isn't it a happy thing to stick to your own beliefs and go to the end?

Seeing that the host's smile faded, Du Yunjing was worried that Chen Heng would say something comforting. He said hurriedly: Don't open your mouth to praise me. As soon as you open your mouth, I feel that you are also praising yourself. I only listen to half of your 100% intentions.

This... Chen Heng looked at the distinguished guest and then at his own situation. The laughter that had stopped came out again with a higher pitch.

Lao Du, you are much sharper than you were in Yangzhou.

Du Yunjing spread his hands and said, When I was in the academy, if I had this ability, I would have beaten Cui Youdao to the ground.

The three heroes of Leyi Academy at that time were in different situations. Chen Heng felt a little emotional and turned the topic elsewhere. Just five days later, Huating County will hold the county examination. He hurriedly took the matter out and told Du Yunjing.

Everyone is the best from this road. Suddenly hearing Chen Heng's words, Du Yunjing said it was impossible not to be interested. He hurriedly asked Chen Heng to come up with the questions he had prepared, preparing to see how Chen Heng made things difficult for the students under his care.

This is called not forgetting the man who dug the well when you are drinking water. Du Yunjing said very happily, Things that the county magistrate made difficult for me back then will have to be returned to others today.

Hahaha. Chen Heng was really amused by Du Yunjing's witty remarks today. He took his own test questions from the desk and gave them directly to the distinguished guest to look through.

The county examination is the first hurdle in a tall building, so there is no need to demand too much confidentiality. Firstly, the court will not care about it, and secondly, after passing the county examination and the government examination, you will be considered a child only if you pass both examinations. As for the difficulty of the county examination, if you want to give an analogy, it can be understood as the primary school diploma of later generations.

This thing is more of a qualification than a difficulty. It means that this person can read and write, and can answer official documents issued by the court in the countryside. It is better to continue on the road of imperial examination.

Du Yunjing unfolded the questions and took a look at them. When he saw the difficulty of the questions, he was very unhappy. He said hurriedly: Your two four-book questions are too simple.

He turned over the pages and complained again: Why did you even get out the scriptures?

Tie Jing is the fill-in-the-blank and dictation questions of later generations. Most of the candidates who can take the Boy Exam are young. This age is when memory is at its best. Asking this kind of question is almost the same as letting someone go.

Scroll down further and see the arithmetic problems written by Chen Heng. Du Yunjing did the math in his mind and found that the answer was completely different from the one written by Chen Heng. Then he smiled and said: This is good, this is good. This is how the question should be...

I don't know what Du Yunjing encountered in the county examination. Chen Heng shook his head when he heard it: You must never be an examiner in the future. I don't know how many candidates will criticize you later.

Du Yunjing smiled and said, It will be bitter first and then sweet. I don't know what to do with my behavior. As long as they pass my test, I will ensure that everything goes smoothly for them in the future.

When Chen Heng heard this, he wanted to calm down the other party's mood and said, That being the case, I still lack a question for rhymed poetry. Please help me think of a question.

Poetry does not account for a large proportion in the county examination. As long as it's neat and not out of place. Regardless of whether it is good or bad, the candidate is considered to have passed. After all, this thing requires too much talent. Some candidates have too much literary talent. If they just write a good poem, the examiner will not be able to comment on it. There is no way, I can't write it myself.

When Du Yunjing heard this, his interest became much higher. He was a second-ranked Jinshi in the first year of Jianping, and he was certainly not bad in terms of talent and learning. I saw Lao Du clasping his hands together and patting it, squinting his eyes and thinking for a while, and then said happily: Yes.

He suddenly jumped off the couch, ran to Chen Heng's desk, and splashed ink on the paper. Within a moment, he came up to me happily with the title in hand, and said as if offering a treasure: Come, come, old parents from Huating County, let's see what my brother's title is like.

Chen Heng took it and looked at it, and said with a smile: You, you, you are making things difficult for me again.

Hahaha, this is a way to choose the best among the best. You can't win unless you have both talent and learning.

Chen Heng nodded, this was not bad. Anyway, there are two county exams every three years. If you fail this one, you can still take the exam the year after.

…………

…………

It’s the tenth day of February, and the chill of early spring has not yet dissipated. The students in Fucheng were already getting ready and running towards Gongyuan and Lou County in the city. Between their brows, they each had the spirit of splashing ink, and they were preparing to try their skills in front of the magistrate.

Today Chen Heng got up early, dressed in official uniform and sat in the hall of Gongyuan. Such an experience is indeed rare. Thinking of the scene when he took the exam in his early years, he also felt a lot of emotion in his heart.

As the chants came from outside the door, Chen Heng immediately gathered his mood and started to inspect the examination room with his official belt in hand. Huating County is a large county, and the annual county examination is held in the Gongyuan of Fucheng.

Compared with it, Lou County, which is separated from Huating County, has much fewer candidates. One Lou County government office is enough for candidates to take the county examination.

The Gongyuan in Songjiang Prefecture is inferior to the Gongyuan in Yangzhou. Most of the buildings inside are handed down from the Song Dynasty. Along the way, I saw many houses that were dilapidated and dilapidated.

Chen Heng secretly remembered that there was no talk of protecting ancient buildings at this time. After hundreds of years, the house I lived in was also an antique. Who looks down on whom?

Entry begins at Yin Shi and lasts until the end of Yin Shi. More than 700 candidates were able to enter the venue. Director Xiao took out the portrait of the Master and hung it up, and then Chen Heng led the candidates to salute.

After this, the guards sounded the gong and the bell. The Huating County Examination in the fifth year of Jianping officially began.

When the blank papers for answering the questions were distributed, the sign holders were also walking around in the Gongyuan. After half an hour, there was only the sound of rustling writing in the examination room. Chen Heng was finally able to go down to the court and led the county officials to start their inspection.

The first game is the main game, the most important. Chen Heng carefully prepared two questions for these candidates. The difference is from The Analects of Confucius: Wealth can be sought after. Mencius: The virtue of a gentleman.

The questions in the county examination do not need to be difficult. The court will not pursue the practice of cutting and matching questions. Candidates will definitely poke themselves in the spine afterwards. Chen Heng wrote the questions directly and expected these candidates to write wonderful insights.

He walked around the Gongyuan and admired the candidates' vigorous writing. As I was walking to the hall, I happened to see a guard holding up a verse and writing it out.

The above is a difficult problem posed by Du Yunjing himself, which is: yellow flowers are like scattered gold.

This question is neither difficult nor difficult. It's so winding and winding because of the two characters Huang Hua (黄花). This is the title of the poem. If the candidate thinks that the yellow flowers refer to the golden chrysanthemums in autumn, it is a serious offence.

Rhythm poetry does not account for a large proportion, but if it goes off topic, there is no chance of passing it. In fact, yellow flowers refer to rapeseed flowers. As long as the candidates have read the poem The green strips are like green and the yellow flowers are like scattered gold, or they often travel and see the early spring scenery in the countryside, they should know this. In the spring fields, rapeseed flowers form a sea of ​​flowers, and when the wind blows, they look like scattered gold.

After all, the county examination is held in early spring, so this question is definitely not a side question. It only depends on whether the candidates have the ingenuity and dexterity. He signaled to the officer holding the billboard that he did not need to salute to avoid him. Chen Heng held his hands, looking forward to how many candidates would be able to answer this question correctly and how many would fail.

The main county examination only lasts for one day, and the papers will be collected at sunset. Before the end, Du Yunjing, who already served in the Maritime Safety Administration, walked into the Gongyuan wearing an official robe. He was invited by Chen Heng to serve as the marking officer. The help of multiple Jinshi could greatly speed up the marking process.

In a large county like Huating, the government office will also have to dedicate staff to help when necessary. This time there were only more than 700, which was a relatively small number. If Chen Heng had been stricter, he would have deliberately brushed off the next batch of candidates. When the county examination is held the year after next, more than a thousand people will participate.

Except for Chen and Du, anyone with a scholarly reputation or above in the county government can serve as a marking officer. This is to ensure that the official rankings can be issued as scheduled after three days.

…………

…………

At night, after the candidates leave.

Chen Heng led a group of people to sit in the tribute courtyard and began to correct papers. He would stay here for the next few days, and Daiyu had even prepared bedding and toiletries for him. There is nothing we can do about this. Candidates have free time, which is when they are busiest.

After burning the midnight oil all the way, Chen Heng discovered that indeed, many candidates answered the yellow flower questions incorrectly. This is an unexpected and reasonable result. If you don’t know enough and don’t go out often to gain experience, then you should go back and study hard again.

Lao Du helped correct the papers while drinking tea and dried fruits sent by Mrs. Chen. From time to time, he would hold Jiawen, a candidate in his arms, and come over to discuss the merits with Chen Heng.

It took me a day and a half to finally decide on the candidates. The remaining top ten will be decided by Chen Heng himself. This ranking will basically not change as long as no big mistakes are made in the future.

Chen Heng picked back and forth among the ten examination papers, and finally selected the one with the best literary talent. Once you decide on the number one spot, the rest of the rankings will be easy to rank. Just because the county case leader was guaranteed to pass the government examination, it was a bit casual. What is given is the reputation of a scholar, which can be said to be the Midas touch.

…………

…………

Three days later, the county and city released the league rankings. The ten people in the small circle are the top ten designated by Chen Heng. There are eighty people in the second circle, which together with the small circle are called the A list. There are still a hundred people in the outermost circle, which is counted as the second list.

These one hundred and eighty candidates can be counted as passing the county examination. The rest is a competition for ranking. Other candidates can decide whether to take subsequent exams.

This kind of admission number is the official number in Huating County. Neither more nor less. Some candidates thought that the magistrate of Huating County had just taken office and would be merciful and let more people go to add some cultural and educational achievements to themselves. After knowing the result, they all lamented: The disciple of the Number One Scholar is really not that easy to be.

Once the group rankings are out, the next three tests are the first test, the second test, and the final test. Several days passed, and Chen Heng's first county examination experience finally came to an end.

Compared with the rural examination, which mobilized troops and mobilized people, it made waves. The county examination was just an appetizer. Chen Heng was addicted to it, and his excitement did not stay for long. Only when meeting the top ten candidates, he tried his best to give pertinent comments and guidance. I hope these candidates can continue their efforts in the government examination.

…………

…………

Once the county trial was over, it was early March in the blink of an eye. The sudden interference in the Zhen Mansion's birthday banquet disrupted Chen Heng's original plan to inspect Chuansha Hall.

After all, it is a place where you can watch the excitement, so Chen Heng will naturally not leave Daiyu and go alone. After making some arrangements for the county government affairs, he set out for Jinling with Daiyu, Zijuan and Liu Xianglian.

It only takes two and a half days to go to Jinling from Songjiang Prefecture by water. There was no rush in going back and forth, and Chen Heng specifically ordered the boatman to slow down the boat slightly. Accompany Daiyu to explore the scenery on the river and enjoy the spring scenery.

After talking and playing like this, it took an extra day for Chen Heng and Daiyu to arrive at Jinling City. This is the couple's first time here. The thousand-year-old city and the ancient capital of six dynasties in front of them can be said to be: where is Jinling City, with dragons and tigers leaning to the east of the Yangtze River.

In March in Jinling, the atmosphere in the city was actually more lively than during the Chinese New Year. I don't know what tricks the Zhen family used, but half of the city was dressed in red and colorful, which was shocking.

Merry Christmas, brothers! ! ! I continue to work overtime, woo woo woo.