Three Kingdoms

After the first exam, the candidates left Longshouyuan Qinglong Temple and returned to Chang'an City and the five surrounding tombs to settle down one after another.

Students from all over the country flocked to Chang'an. In Chang'an, the house prices of inns and hotels almost doubled. Just like during the Golden Week in later generations, not only were accommodation and meals not discounted, but they also had to pay extra. , Anyway, the fat sheep can be slaughtered one after another, and the livelihood of the year depends on these few days.

Even so, there are still many candidates who do not have suitable accommodation and can only temporarily live in private houses. Of course, the price is even more astonishing...

According to the law, foreigners are not allowed to stay in private houses, such as inns or other private houses. However, money is so exciting that people use it in various names, such as distant cousins ​​and the abandoned Daming Lake. For reasons like this, at the same time, the villagers within the community accepted the filial piety and turned a blind eye.

At this time, the streets of Chang'an were full of silk scarves. If you open your mouth and don't say a few words, "That's right," you will be embarrassed to say hello to others. Suddenly, the whole city will be filled with comments and a sour smell, as if Shanxi vinegar has been spilled all over the street.

The more literati there are, the more literary societies there will be. Of course, the focus of the cultural gathering at this time is not on eating, drinking, playing with big buns and little feet, but on letting some "seniors" who have achieved high rankings teach some tips about taking the exam, from how to prepare for the exam to The test-taking experience is naturally a popular topic among candidates.

Naturally, Wang Chang can be regarded as an "old-timer". When he left the academy, countless students in the academy were in tears. Without him, the top student at the top of the list has finally left, and he can finally count on moving forward. One or two...

At the beginning, many students were the second in class, and I was generally ranked third. They didn't look down on the literary gathering held by the so-called young Wang Chang, so at first no one attended. But later, the cultural gathering held by Wang Chang was packed with people. Everyone hoped to learn some secrets and the like from Wang Chang, and then their skills would be instantly improved for thirty-five years.

Therefore, in Wang Chang's literary meeting, discussing the content of the examination is naturally the top priority of the literary meeting. Compared with the recommendation system before the Han Dynasty, which used examinations to select talents, the original so-called connections and reputations could not be shown on paper. Therefore, many of the candidates who had just participated could not adapt, and it was inevitable that they would feel a little uncomfortable. Physical and mental collapse.

Especially those who feel that they failed the first test. Although there is an "addendum" for tomorrow's second test, many people still feel that they are out of luck, like a drowning person, wanting to pull everything they see into their arms. middle.

Human nature always hopes that one can work less and get more. Although it is said that getting something for nothing is not good, if there is an old man or something, or the system beeps, I am afraid that I will be so happy that I will almost go crazy. These candidates who did not do well in the first test naturally hope so. They wish that they can immediately jump into the dragon gate in the next test after listening to Wang Chang's experience.

"The most important thing in the examination room is the time..." On the one hand, Wang Chang wanted to gather people's attention, but on the other hand, he sincerely wanted to help these junior students, so he spoke very sincerely. The third reason, of course, was It is not mentioned in a vague way, "In the past, writing could 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 but howl, which also caused several others to have red eyes. In the past, when I was writing an article at home, I would habitually procrastinate, just like the pigeons and pigs in later generations who were urged by editors. They would not finish writing until the last moment. Then naturally they did not finish the article in the examination room and were dismissed. A blow to the head hurts my heart.

What else can I do if I haven’t finished writing? Naturally, don't expect any good rankings.

"Secondly, don't use the wrong words when using simple words..." Wang Chang continued.

It is better to choose a simple one than to use the wrong allusion or make typos. This is quite taboo. Once it is discovered that there are typos or allusions used incorrectly, it means that the candidate is not familiar enough with the scriptures and is suspected of sensationalism. Therefore, it is natural not to think that borrowing a few beautiful sentences can improve the ranking. On the contrary, it is easy Self-defeating. Of course, there are those that can be used very well, but most people should seek stability rather than surprise.

"Third, use what is right without discrepancy..."

A line of scripture may have multiple interpretations, and during the more than a hundred years of the dominance of modern classics, many sentences were far-fetched, and then derived many strange meanings, and even some mysterious prophecies were mixed in. These Nothing is useful in the examination room.

In other words, in General Hussar, none of these derived things can appear as the original intention. After all, the "seeking truth and seeking truth" was only preached in the Qinglong Temple lecture some time ago. Therefore, if the article uses "prophecy" "Attachment" to gain rank, wouldn't it mean to seclude oneself from the world?

Wang Chang talks about it one by one, which either makes people suddenly realize or make them cry. Of course, these points are indeed very important, but compared with the more demanding standards of later generations, they are already too simplified.

There was a buzz of discussion in the venue. Wang Chang nodded and answered a few students' questions. Then he walked down the platform and sat down. Other students came closer or spoke. , or asking if it was so lively for a while...

The reason why the imperial examinations in later generations evolved into the eight-part essay model was not because the emperor inherently liked to use the eight-part essay to "imprison" the thinking patterns of the literati, but because of the need to take the exam, it unknowingly became that way.

The imperial examination system developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. Everything was inferior, but studying well was not just talk. The whole country really pursued studying, and more and more people took the exam. If the examiners can strictly treat the test papers and comprehensively examine the candidates' situation, then there is no doubt that most of the candidates selected will be educated, knowledgeable and capable administrative talents.

In order to avoid selecting those with only literary talent, the Ming Dynasty also canceled the "Poetry Examination" that was highly valued by both the Tang and Song Dynasties, and made it clear that only practical essays would be tested in the examination, not poems and songs. It can be seen that at the beginning, the Ming Dynasty also wanted to Focusing 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 at the moment. If it were like the Ming Dynasty, there were three exams in one exam, three articles, each of about two thousand to three thousand words, well, why does this number of words give a special sense of familiarity, and then after three exams, , an article of nearly 10,000 words, multiplied by the number of candidates, for example, in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Ming Dynasty's perennial reference students can reach 3,000 to 5,000, then it is 30 million to 50 million words, and only a dozen The famous examiner must read and correct everything within a short period of time...

In order to prevent people from looking around, the Ming Dynasty specified detailed marking rules and a review system. That is to say, the successful examination papers from various places were sent to the Hanlin Academy in Kyoto, so that the officials in the Hanlin Academy who had been idle all year round could one by one. "Mind the survey", if you find the slightest mistake, then wait for impeachment!

The Chinese people are obviously very smart. The time is short and the tasks are heavy, and they cannot make mistakes. Many contradictions come together in one place, and the eight-part essay makes its debut...

After all, there are so many test papers, time is so tight, and there are so few markers. If you make a little mistake, you will be impeached. The penalty for demotion is so small that you may lose your hat. At the same time, the content of the exam is so It is complex, involves so many styles of writing, and the articles are written by thousands of different people, with varying degrees of subtleness, reality, complexity, and simplicity. Even if the examiners are all at the level of gods, it is impossible for them to read all the test papers on time with high quality and quantity.

Therefore, in the final analysis, it was the irrationality of the system that led to the birth of the Eight-Part Essay, not because the ruling class was thinking about destroying and imprisoning literati from the beginning...

Du Yu and Du Zi also participated in this literary meeting specially prepared by Wang Chang for the students who participated in the second supplement.

Du Yu himself felt that it was okay, so he was not going to take the second exam, but was going to prepare for the third one. However, Du Zi was a little uneasy and said that he had not finished writing at all, so it was definitely out of the question, but he had no idea whether to take it or not. Participating in the second game, after all, I was young and didn’t have much confidence in my heart. But after listening to Wang Chang’s story, I seemed to feel that... I had even less confidence...

Wang Chang didn't talk much, but it wasn't too little. Specifically, he talked about his daily foundation, and then he could use it better if he had the skills.

Du Yu and Du Zi were sitting aside. Suddenly someone came over and started chatting in a familiar manner. Then they asked Du Yu and Du Zi about their exam status. Although Du Yu was a little confident, he was naturally modest. Some said they didn’t do well in the exam...

Then he asked about where he lived in a normal way, and said some polite words about getting together after the exam. This person who appeared out of nowhere left and moved to another place.

Because the first qualified list will be released around the time of application, most people, after listening to Wang Chang’s literary lecture, saw that the sun was starting to set, and gradually lost the intention to continue gathering, and went their separate ways. They dispersed and waited for the news. After all, even if they knew it was unlikely, they still had a "what if" in mind, just like entering a lottery shop in future generations.

"Brother...if..." Du Zi asked hesitantly, "Are you still going tomorrow?" 』

Du Yu smiled and said: "If so-and-so is not on the list today, I will definitely go tomorrow!" 』

Du Zi nodded, seeming to have a little more courage, and clenched his fists, "The same goes for my little brother!" 』

After taking another two steps, Du Zi couldn't help but ask again: "Brother, can what Wang Shuzuo said be relied upon?" 』

Du Yu replied in a low voice: "What he said is the golden mean..."

"Medium?" ” Du Zi frowned his little eyebrows and his little face, “Brother, what do you mean, Wang Shuzuo’s words are a little inappropriate? 』

"There's nothing wrong with it..." Du Yu shook his head, "I tried my best, but it's just in the middle. If I want to go above and beyond, there must be some unfinished words..."

Du Zi stared at Du Yu, holding the corner of Du Yu's clothes, trying to be cute and pass the test, "I don't understand...brother, can you explain in detail?" 』

"If you don't understand, just think for yourself..." Du Yu smiled and did not spoil his younger brother, but said, "What Wang Shuzuo said is his, what I said is mine... Only what you think of can is yours……"

"Oh..." Du Zi frowned, but did not continue to beg or anything, and returned to the accommodation without saying anything.

Time passed in a state of anxiety or leisure. Around Shen Shi, the servant who had been sent out early rushed back from outside with a happy face. When he saw Du Yu, he loudly reported: "Congratulations, little master! Congratulations, little master!" The little master is on the list! Ranked fifty-seven! 』

Even though Du Yu felt that he should have done well in the exam, after hearing that he was on the list, he finally felt relieved and asked, "How many people are there in total on the list?" 』

"This... I don't have a detailed number..." The servant was stunned for a moment, and then said, "But I heard that there are less than two hundred people..."

"Two hundred people..." Du Yu repeated. The number of candidates for reference that day was probably close to a thousand or two hundred. This is one out of five...

Before Du Yu could finish his emotion, Du Zi pointed at his nose eagerly and asked, "What about me?" Did I win? ” His expression was like holding a lottery ticket and checking the numbers. Although he knew that there was a high probability that there would be no chance, he still somewhat hoped to be hit by the goddess of luck.

"Uh..." The servant's face showed a bit of embarrassment, "Little... little... I didn't see the second young master... maybe I missed it... I'd better go and take a look..." ...』

Du Zi was not too stupid. How could he have missed this kind of thing? So he waved his hand and said boldly: "No need!" I just went back to my room to prepare for the exam tomorrow! ” Then he bowed to Du Yu and returned to the room. After closing the door, his face fell instantly, he sniffed silently, and then silently sat down at the table.

Du Yu, who was in the hall outside the door, ordered: "That's it... I'll send him the preserved meat to his room when the time comes..."

The servant nodded quickly and retreated. However, it was not yet time to breastfeed, and the servant came back again, then handed over an unsigned letter and reported to Du Yu in a low voice: "My young master... I found someone surrendering at the gate of the courtyard." This thing came in, and when the younger one went out to check, no one was seen..."

Du Yu didn't know why, so he opened the famous tattoo and almost jumped up because there was a small note and a small strip of colorful silk inside the famous tattoo, which said: "Five hundred gold, addendum in the package" Tomorrow, at the Yin hour of the east gate, tie this silk on the examination basket, and it will have its own connection. 』

Five hundred gold naturally refers to five hundred Zhengxi gold coins, which is not a small amount.

Du Yu was stunned, "Five hundred gold!" Is this crazy..." But after a moment, Du Yu suddenly felt that this matter was somewhat interesting. Because those who can afford five hundred gold often don't care about five hundred gold, and those who can't afford five hundred gold naturally think that this amount is too high, so they won't pay attention.

Because Du Yu is the son of Du Yuan, he is naturally in the spotlight of the Hexi Prefect. There is a small separate courtyard in the Chang'an Post House. Similarly, most of the people staying temporarily 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 one out of five is not very high. At the same time, children from official families , and there are too many distracting things.

It is precisely because the post houses are all the same children of officials, so Du Yu feels that there is a half chance that this matter is a liar, and the other half is true...

Du Yu subconsciously looked back at his second brother's closed door...

……(⊙＿⊙;)……

That night, the lights in the yamen of General Hussar's mansion were brightly lit.

"After all, it was missed here..." Fei Qian couldn't help but shake his head. No wonder the Mohist probes in Chang'an were unable to obtain any effective information before the rumors of locusts spread. It was because the scope of these probes did not involve inns and inns!

After all, most of these Mohist people are ordinary people. Naturally, they do not have much penetration power into the post houses where most of the contacts are official people, so it is normal for mistakes to occur.

So, are these guys in the post house pigs, dogs, or just chickens?

Wang Chang nodded and said: "Reporting to my lord, according to some investigation, someone saw someone teaching nursery rhymes around the post house. However, it was a long time ago and I 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 held a literary conference, which 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 post house, and from Wang Chang Judging from the results heard by Chang, it also proved Fei Qian's guess.

These candidates who came from other places arrived early, had free time, had manpower, and were outside the normal market management, so they naturally had sufficient conditions to carry out this matter.

Of course, there is only this condition, but whether it is really these people who did it remains to be discussed.

Because the locusts are a natural disaster and something that these guys couldn't control before they came to Chang'an, most of the people who spread the rumors did it on a temporary basis and took advantage of the chaos...

All the people in China, not just China, have some innate habits of being noisy, so when the locusts come, it is naturally the biggest hot topic in the entire Sanfu area, and rumors naturally take advantage of the situation, without even requiring special effort. If you push it, it can spread quickly.

It seems like this is really troublesome.

As an important administrative, economic and cultural center, Chang'an has five smaller post stations, three outside the city, and two in the tombs. There are also five post houses, two in Chang'an city, and three others. In Lingyi, there is not only students who come to take exams, but also some ordinary officials who pass things back and forth. There is a large flow of personnel.

Moreover, those who teach children rumors around the post house may not really live in the post house. Perhaps they are just taking advantage of Fei Qian's negligence about the post house, so this is just what Wang Chang heard about. It is obviously unrealistic to arrest all the inns and inns with just a few hairy claws.

Although the origin of the previous locust rumors has been generally found, the specific person who spread the rumors still has no clue. However, at this point, something more serious broke out...