Chapter 121 Provincial Examination
Chapter 121 Provincial Examination
As time went by, more and more scholars from various prefectures flocked into Tianjing City.
In addition, there were many candidates taking the college entrance examination. For a time, the literary atmosphere in Yingtian Prefecture was at its peak, the most in a hundred years.
The influx of so many scholars, coupled with the servants and maids brought by some wealthy families, caused the housing prices in Tianjing City to skyrocket.
At this time, Fushe became famous in Yingtian Prefecture.
It turned out that the Fushe had made preparations early on. After obtaining approval from the government, it found a very remote open space in the city, built simple sheds, and provided food and accommodation for poor scholars.
Because the accommodation and food were simple, and in order to live here, one had to be randomly selected to recite the Four Books and Five Classics and other screening measures. With this simple and clear screening mechanism, those who could live here, although not 100% were poor scholars, at least it guaranteed that most of the poor scholars had a place to live.
The students of Fushe often went to the countryside in Jiangning Prefecture to communicate and train with others. They had very good organizational and executive abilities. Even though they were a little hesitant at the beginning, because detailed rules and regulations had been prepared in advance and Xu Qing had reviewed them to find out any omissions, they could generally find regulations to follow.
Moreover, some members of the Red Flower Society were hiding among this group of poor scholars, guiding them.
Although some minor troubles were inevitable, due to a bit of luck, no major trouble occurred.
In addition, Xu Qing also attacked Wu Dinghou and eunuch Zhao. Although they were an action organization of Fushe, they were actually shouting for the emperor's grace.
He also incited public opinion among these scholars, saying that if there was any trouble, it must be the local officials, gentry and powerful people who were doing evil and trying to rebel against the central government.
Taking the opportunity, he also promoted the Jiangning Prefecture's policy of "changing rice to mulberry", and looked for people to debate with every day as a pastime for everyone after dinner.
The more you argue, the clearer the truth becomes.
After a series of actions, the trend of "changing rice to mulberry" among the lower-class scholars in Southern Zhili has at least changed slightly.
When these people returned to their hometowns, they naturally had neighbors around them, which naturally laid the groundwork for the policy of replacing rice with mulberry trees in Southern Zhili in the future.
The actions of the Fushe attracted considerable attention in the officialdom of Southern Zhili.
Many people who are interested can see how brilliant Xu Qing's unconventional approach is.
We are all smart people, so naturally there will be smart people who learn and imitate.
This is a double-edged sword. Xu Qing can use this method to help the central government implement decrees, but local forces can also use it to fight against the court.
In fact, similar things have happened in various places, but this is the first time that an organized and disciplined community like Xu Qing has taken the lead in taking action.
There is no shortage of societies organized by scholars in Nanzhili, which used to focus on researching articles and expanding personal networks.
Now Xu Qing has shown them a new way of playing. Even many gentry and powerful people whose interests have been damaged by the "conversion from rice to mulberry" have to thank Xu Qing!
On the other hand, as the college examination was over, the provincial examination also began to count down.
Some ordinary scholars from more remote prefectures actually did not fully understand the content and format of the provincial examinations.
Members of Fushe, such as Yan Shan, have also been answering questions and resolving doubts for everyone in the past few days.
In fact, usually there are vendors near Gongyuan selling these contents, but the explanations here at Fushe are free.
Moreover, this year's Enke County Examination is different from previous years.
Although there are a total of three exams this year, the time is shorter than in previous years.
It used to be a three-day event.
This year it's a two-day event, so time will be much tighter.
This is also the result of central consultation.
Because the candidates selected this year, the central government hopes that they will be capable and agile. The shortening of the time is to test them in this regard.
Of course, the content of the exam remains the same as usual.
The first test consists of three questions on the meaning of the Four Books, each with more than 200 words. Four questions on the meaning of the Five Classics, each with more than 300 words. If you cannot finish answering them, you are allowed to drop one question, but don't expect to get a good ranking.
The second test is an essay of more than 300 words. There are five judgments, one on imperial edicts, one on memorials, one on internal affairs, and one on science.
The third test consists of five questions on classics, history and policy, each of which is over 300 words. Those who fail the test can reduce two questions.
The first test, the Four Books and Five Classics, was designed to test the students’ familiarity and knowledge of Confucian classics. The second test was designed to test the students’ ability to distinguish right from wrong and write various official documents and administrative documents. The third test was designed to test the students’ knowledge of ancient and modern political affairs.
These are the routines that have gradually been explored and formed since the emergence of the imperial examination system.
If all of them were implemented seriously, the imperial examinations of the Dayu Dynasty could actually select practical talents.
But there will be problems in actual implementation.
One of the very important reasons is that the marking time for the provincial examination is extremely short.
The short time is essentially to reduce the possibility of cheating in the provincial examination.
After all, the longer the marking time, the more prepared the cheating is.
But the chief examiner, deputy examiner and co-examiners who mark the papers are all human beings.
In particular, the examiners from each room are responsible for the first level of review, and only those papers they think are good will be handed over to the chief examiner and deputy examiner.
As a result, the workload is heavy, and there are only a few examiners in a room, and some rooms even have only one.
After the examination papers are reviewed and the rankings are announced, the papers of the admitted candidates will be handed over to the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy for review by these noble officials.
These people usually have nothing to do, and there are quite a lot of them. So in order to kill time, they usually carefully review each test paper, checking whether the examiner cheated during the marking process or whether there were any mistakes or omissions in the marking process...
If the examiners made mistakes during the examination, the court would impose severe punishments once they were discovered. According to the regulations, if the examiners did not read the whole paper correctly, they would be demoted to a lower level; if the examiners read the paper incorrectly, they would be fined one year's salary. In serious cases, they would be demoted several levels and their salary would be confiscated for several years. Some examiners in remote provinces were even minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank.
If the punishment really comes, I simply can't bear it.
Moreover, those Beijing officials feel no pressure at all to bully the petty officials from these poor provinces.
If you really have a strong background, can you go to these places?
The result is that in order to be lazy, examiners often judge the candidates' performance based on the level of their eight-legged essays, and basically ignore other examination contents.
Because the format of eight-part essay is the most standard and rigorous, it does not require a lot of effort to review like other content, and it is also prone to errors.
Gradually, it developed into a situation where the provincial examination only focused on the performance of the first eight-legged essay, while the contents of the other two were just formalities.
Since the provincial examinations were like this, the imperial examinations naturally gradually became like this.
It can be said that the eight-legged essay, because of its strict standards, became a relatively fair means of examination and selection in that era.
Moreover, the examination papers for the provincial and metropolitan examinations would be transcribed by other special people, so even if some of the handwriting was not good, it would not affect the final results.
As for why scholars had to learn the official style, it was because it was very necessary after entering officialdom, especially when starting to write official documents.
Beautiful official script is often more likely to attract the attention of superiors.
The popularity of the official style of exercise is also due to its strict standards and the fact that it does not look tiring.
In daily life, scholars and officials promote art; in official duties, they are honest and put efficiency first.
This way you can have more free time for your private life.
After all, when handling official business, most of the time, they are just emotionless work machines. Only when they are not handling official business, they are real masters.
Not to mention the literati, even the emperor could not stand the hard work of paperwork, which is why the Dayu Dynasty had the Silijian and the Cabinet.
In this way, the emperor can be freed and truly exercise his power and enjoy the honor and wealth of an emperor, and develop his personal hobbies.
For example, those who make alchemy go to make alchemy, those who fight crickets go to fight crickets, those who do carpentry go to do carpentry, those who go abroad to study go to study...
...
...
Soon, it was the day before the special provincial examination.
In previous years, the provincial examination was held in early August. This year, because it was an honorary examination, the date was pushed back by more than half a month and was scheduled to start on the first day of September.
Feng Wu had an experience before, and he carefully prepared various items needed for the exam for Xu Qing.
In fact, it is mainly a variety of snacks.
"Anyway, you should finish eating it on the first day. The taste will go bad if left for too long." Feng Wu reminded.
Xu Qing nodded. He had already trained his organs for six days, so he could just endure it. It would be okay not to eat for the next five days, as it would be a good time for fasting.
However, the female master still prepared pills for Xu Qing to replenish his blood and physical strength, and even prepared a few ginseng roots.
This was a gift received by Old Feng. He couldn't bear to eat it himself, so he gave it to his daughter to nourish her body. Then Feng Wu gave it to Xu Qing.
Seeing that she had prepared all kinds of things, Xu Qing did not refuse even though he was now immune to all diseases and cold or heat.
It is a blessing to have someone who truly cares about you while living in this world.
He did not consider whether Feng Wu would fall in love with him if he did not have the abilities he has now, because Xu Qing would not be able to do so if he were in Feng Wu's shoes.
If you can't do it yourself, why ask others to do it?
After a night, Feng Wu changed into men's clothes and sent Xu Qing to the provincial examination hall.
She watched Xu Qing pass through the search and enter the examination room, thinking:
"If you fail to pass the Five Classics exam, then I will travel the world with you, which will also fulfill my wish to see the vast world outside. As for Dad, he has his own future, and it may not be a bad thing if he doesn't have me as a burden."
"Well, you'd better pass the exam. Your personality and ability make you perfect for being a rebel. If I follow you, I'm afraid I'll get into trouble with my father. If I don't follow you, I'll be too bored..."
...
...
Xu Qing entered the examination hall for the provincial examination. Inside the examination hall, there were sculptures of Confucian saints.
His ability to make his spirit visible, coupled with the fact that the holy images here are extremely different, has led to worships by people of all dynasties, including emperors, monarchs, and princes who rule a certain region.
Xu Qing could feel that they had a great and powerful aura that was different from the dynasty's destiny.
Under the pressure of this aura, even Xu Qing's soul would find it difficult to leave the body.
"This aura will not change with the rise and fall of a dynasty like the fortune of a dynasty. It will last forever. It is even more masculine than the energy and blood of martial arts." Xu Qing was secretly shocked.
He could even feel the presence of a powerful spirit inside the statue, but it did not have any thoughts of its own and was instead restrained by a breath of "reason".
It is neither a god nor a soul as strong as that of an infant like the old paulownia tree.
There is not even any supernatural power. And they will not accept the worship of burning incense.
Because their "reason" is born for all the people in the world, it is a mighty masculine force born out of the vision of a better life for hundreds of millions of people.
It is the backbone of generations of people with lofty ideals.
Be indomitable and have the courage to fight.
"There must be similar holy statues in other provincial examination halls. Even if they don't have such tremendous power, they can prevent ordinary Taoist masters from entering the examination hall and cheating." Xu Qing thought to himself.
After the routine ceremony, Xu Qing came to his examination room, opened the test paper bag and took out the test paper.
The three questions from the Four Books and the four questions from the I Ching from the first exam are all included.
Because before registering for the provincial examination, one must record the information in advance and submit the sutra of one's choice.
There are seven questions in total, and you need to do seven articles in total.
"In the provincial examination, the first part is the most important, and the first part focuses on the three questions from the Four Books. As for the four questions from the Five Classics, their greater function is to classify the papers. Of course, when the essays are of high quality and it is difficult to distinguish the high and low, the level of the Five Classics questions can play a key role. In particular, the examiner's personal inclination towards the Five Classics will also affect the ranking."
"There are so many talented people in this provincial examination. It is definitely difficult to distinguish the essays of the top five classics in the Four Books. The final place to distinguish the winners will naturally be the Five Classics. I chose the Book of Changes, which gives me an advantage."
Xu Qing already knew the ins and outs of the provincial examination very well, but he was not careless.
He first looked at the three questions from the Four Books, but did not look at the final four questions from the Five Classics that would determine the outcome.
Because the level of the questions in the Four Books determines whether his article can be submitted to the examiner.
With his level, he is naturally not worried about making mistakes, but it is best to strive for perfection.
Xu Qing is like a lion fighting a rabbit, and he uses all his strength.
I first ate some snacks and some pills to replenish my physical strength and blood. After digesting them, I waited until my physical and mental state reached the best before I started to do the questions.
The biggest difference between the questions in the provincial examination and those in the examination for students of higher learning is that many of the questions in the examination for students of higher learning are irrelevant and unconventional, while the questions in the provincial examination are straightforward, with even the source paragraphs written out, which will not cause the examinees to misunderstand and fail to solve the questions.
Avenue to Jane.
Such simple and straightforward topics are often the most challenging for the students' writing skills.
Xu Qing entered a state of absolute concentration, first thinking about the answer until he was confident, and then began to answer the questions.
From the first sentence of the opening, Xu Qing's writing does not have the force of "a common man who can be a teacher for generations", but is full of the ancient simplicity of pre-Qin writing.
A heavy sword has no edge, and a heavy sword has no skill.
This principle can be applied not only in martial arts, but also in writing.
A piece of writing that is full of flowers and flourishes is not necessarily a good one. What matters most is that the sages write articles in a way that can accurately express what they want to explain in plain words, making it unforgettable and easy to understand.
The writings of the pre-Qin philosophers are often like this.
The words are concise and to the point, directly pointing to the essence of the discussion.
Xu Qing wrote out three questions from the Four Books in one go.
Everything that the pen touches upon is pleasing to the eye, without any novelty or cunningness; the language is plain, yet fits perfectly with the title of the article, and there is not a single word that could be changed.
Even if you show it to some educated people, they will think it is an article written by ancient sages and will never imagine that it is actually the work of a modern person.
However, the structure of the article conforms to the principles of eight-legged essay.
This is like a warrior wearing extremely heavy shackles, performing boxing with strict rules and the artistic conception of superior martial arts, without any inappropriateness at all.
After finishing the three questions on the Four Books, Xu Qing read them over and couldn't help but be lost in thought.
Is this really an article you wrote?
It was even more like the moral articles written by the saints in the Imperial Examination Hall through his hands.
"Yes, I sensed the great and strong spirit of the holy image, and felt the saint's 'principle'. Naturally, my writing style was also affected, and the words contained the spirit of their previous writings."
He read his own articles over and over again, and even his soul benefited from it, with a hint of greatness and strength added to his aura.
"My last provincial examination essay was so impressive that it should be even more impressive this time. However, the image of the emperor in the Imperial Examination Hall seems to have not changed at all."
"Does it have to be read out in front of everyone like in the provincial examination?"
A strange thought came to Xu Qing's mind.
However, the main purpose of the provincial examination is to be upright and dignified. To try to create a gimmick of "astonishing the emperor with one's writing" is to approach the gods, which is not necessarily a good thing.
At least, the taste is wrong.
There is nothing to criticize in his article.
"To criticize me is to criticize saints." Xu Qing didn't believe that the examiners would have the courage to do so after reading the article.
Because the person who can write such an article is already at the level of a great scholar of the time. Even if he is not, there is a big academy behind him, and he is trained as the most important core by the academy.
Under the provincial examination system, the examiners who graded the papers could not see the information of the people who took the test papers at all.
What's more, the titles of his essays on the Four Books were written in an upright manner, without any hidden connections in the text.
After finishing the Four Books, Xu Qing was still full of energy.
However, he did not take advantage of this energy to continue answering questions on the Five Classics.
Xu Qing closed his eyes and rested, gradually forgetting the words he had written for the Four Books.
If the questions on the Four Books are solved with a heavy sword, then the questions on the Five Classics need to be solved with a sharp sword.
Xu Qing didn't start working on the Five Classics questions until the next afternoon.
He still closed his eyes and thought, formulating something in his mind.
Only after he had a good draft in mind did Xu Qing start writing.
He finished four questions on the Five Classics in one go without any censorship.
After he finished writing, he looked back at his own essay. It could be said that the style of the essay was unrestrained and tortuous. The complexity of the techniques and the flourish of the essay would be a rare masterpiece even in the imperial examination.
"For these Five Classics questions, I based my writing style on the experience of the chief examiner Shen Mo in studying the Book of Changes. Under the same topic, my writing is more skillful than his. Besides, the techniques are complicated, but the whole article is extremely profound and logical, and there is not a single flaw to be found."
This article by Xu Qing seems to have been written with Shen Mo's pen and style, but he has created an article that is better and more impeccable than what he wrote back then.
The four book titles above have already demonstrated Xu Qing's own style of heavy sword writing.
The five classics questions that follow show that Xu Qing used the sharp sword style of writing, which he was not good at, to achieve better results than Shen Mo's previous self.
Others may not understand the importance of this, but Shen Mo, as the examiner, must have seen it very clearly.
"To deny my Pentateuch questions is to deny your past self."
"If you think my level is not good enough, then your level in the provincial and imperial examinations was even lower."
After Xu Qing finished writing seven articles, he couldn't help feeling very satisfied.
"I hope I'm not fighting wits and courage into the air." Xu Qing looked relaxed and at ease.
He has already done his part, let others worry about the rest.
After he reviewed his answers to the Five Classics questions, the first exam was soon over.
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...
After the first round of examination, the test papers were collected by the examiner, and after a rigorous process, the re-transcribed test papers were finally sent to the place where the examiners would mark the papers.
After receiving the test papers, the chief examiner Shen Mo asked the other examiners to draw lots, and then take their own bundle of papers based on the results.
These papers are all about the Four Books and do not need to be classified according to the Five Classics Room.
Therefore, even if you know the teacher of the Five Classics Room in advance, the level of your writing on the Four Books must still reach a certain level before you have a chance to enter the subsequent screening.
Unless all the examiners have been connected in advance and know the joint words they need to choose, then this step of the drawing process cannot prevent the examiners from cheating.
But this kind of thing is often very difficult to happen.
Because the more people involved, the higher the risk of trouble.
The examiners all reviewed the papers in the lobby, without any private rooms. There were also internal supervisors and supervisors who sat next to the examiners and watched the entire marking process...
The examiners will only "recommend" the papers when they come across an essay that they feel is of admission quality. After providing reasons for the recommendation according to the procedures, they will submit the papers they believe to be qualified to the chief examiner and deputy chief examiner for review.
The first person to review it is the deputy examiner. If he approves it, he will write the word "accepted", and then write the reasons according to the process before handing it over to the chief examiner.
If the examiner also approves, he will write "pass". After following the procedure and writing down the reasons for being passed, you will basically have passed the exam. Only then will the ranking be a matter of course.
Generally speaking, the chief examiner will not select an essay if the deputy examiner objects to it.
However, this time the deputy examiner was appointed by the court out of balance considerations and was appointed by the Minister of Rites of Tianjing City. His surname was Wang and he had reached retirement age. He came to Tianjing City to serve as the Minister of Rites purely for retirement.
Naturally, he would not offend anyone at this time. Anyway, as long as the papers submitted by the fellow examiners were written with "passed", whether they were passed or not would depend on the wishes of the chief examiner Shen Mo.
Seeing how cooperative he was, Shen Mo didn't know what to say.
Just a little harder.
The advantage of being the chief examiner is that the articles submitted are of a certain level and will not be boring.
He read through the articles one after another and didn't feel very tired.
However, during the long review process, it is inevitable that I feel a little less interested.
Until he saw a certain article, his eyes lit up, and after reading it, he felt like drinking the wine of immortality:
"It is truly a beautiful article, every word is a gem."
At this time, he had already guessed who the owner of the test paper was, and secretly praised: "What a great Xie Wenyuan."
"Your writing skills have reached such a high level, so Xu Qing may not be able to surpass you."
Shen Mo secretly thought it was a pity.
(End of this chapter)