Chapter 197: Provincial Examination

Cao Tingshou is a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. If you only look at his face and sturdy figure, it is more appropriate to say that he is the assistant minister of the Ministry of War. Who would have thought that such a vigorous man would be a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.

Oh, he is from Shandong, that's fine.

Cao Tingshou, who is eight feet tall, walked in front of a group of officials in Yangzhou with a majestic momentum of a tiger entering a flock of sheep. It also made Yao Ziran, who followed behind him, feel relaxed.

The chief and deputy examiners came together, and Lin Ruhai naturally had to come out to receive them. What's more, Cao Tingshou's official rank was higher than Lin Ruhai. The accompanying palace guards were not people who didn't understand human feelings. It's hard to say, and they also hoped that Cao Tingshou would take the opportunity to relax.

Unfortunately, Cao Tingshou was a silent and serious person. After seeing Lin Ruhai, he said "school brother" and only exchanged a few words on the way to the Imperial Examination Hall. When he arrived at the place, he directly left everyone behind, led the imperial guards and government officials, and officially took over all the affairs of the Imperial Academy.

Lin Ruhai didn't care either. He just shrugged in front of his subordinates, laughed casually, and asked the prefect Zhang Shangxian to lead everyone to the banquet. He understood Cao Tingshou's temper and knew that this Shandong man was not arrogant.

It's just that the concept of official affairs between a local official and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy is different after all. The former focuses on practical affairs and is inevitably flexible in dealing with people and things. The latter is rooted in the sea of ​​books, and his style of doing things is naturally more bookish.

There is no difference between the two, and both belong to the new party of your majesty, so they will not have a rift over such trivial matters. Lin Ruhai got a sense of freedom and was happy to spend more time at home with his wife and daughter. It's still a long time for Lin Jue to participate in the provincial examination. The atmosphere in the Lin family is naturally much more relaxed.

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But the old Chen family was different. Since Cao Ting was appointed on the third day of August, the Chen family's pre-exam syndrome has started to occur again.

When Chen Qingyue passed the provincial examination in April, the family wanted to celebrate. But thinking that his eldest brother was about to take the provincial examination, the old Chen family also gave up the idea of ​​a big celebration. They only had a good meal after the child came home.

Chen Gaishan and others still had a vague concept of the provincial examination. They only often heard the saying of "gold Juren and silver Jinshi", and felt that the provincial examination was very important. When they heard that the former Taixing County Magistrate was also a Juren. They suddenly felt that Juren was amazing.

It turned out that the person who had been in charge of our family for so many years had only passed the exam that Heng'er was going to take this time. Under Chen Qingyue's narration, the family began to gradually understand the extraordinaryness of the provincial examination.

But now the old Chen family is getting better and better, and everyone is no longer silent, but trying to look relaxed in front of Chen Heng. In his words, it means that our family is doing well. Don't feel pressured this time. If you really fail the exam, the next time will be the same.

Ha, Chen Heng was not expecting such a change. He could only nod his head with a smile and said "yeah". His ability to withstand pressure is much stronger than that of ordinary people. He will not be nervous because of his family's anxiety, nor will he indulge himself because of his family's relaxation.

A journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. No one can stop him. With a firm belief, Chen Heng waited at home until the ninth day of August.

It was not yet three o'clock in the morning, and Xinda, who had not slept all night, had already checked Chen Heng's exam equipment. The sound of his packing was soft and slight, as if he was afraid of waking up the people who were still sleeping.

Chen Heng went to bed early last night. He would not sleep for more than four hours a day. He would wake up on time. Seeing Xinda's self-blaming look, his brother smiled and said, "Don't think too much, I just slept enough."

"Okay." Xinda nodded, and brought the oilcloth bag to Chen Heng again, "Second brother, take a look yourself."

"Yeah."

This is a big deal, and it's not too much to check it a few more times. After confirming that there is no problem, Chen Heng took the things and went downstairs. The food at home is still the same old three things, no need to mention it.

Before leaving, Chen Heng put three taels of silver in his pocket. This is to prevent accidents, so that he can buy pens in the examination room.

Yes, you can buy pens in the examination room. It's just that paper will not be sold to avoid the risk of cheating. The brushes sold in the examination room are naturally plucked of the hair cap, and they have been personally checked by the chief examiner.

Before leaving, Chen Qingyue encouraged his elder brother who was traveling far away, "I wish you this trip..." Chen Qingyue bowed and bowed, "Your name will be on the gold list, and your voice will be heard in the autumn boudoir."

When it comes to the provincial examination, the term "name on the gold list" can already be used. Looking around the world, many counties may not even have a scholar except for an official.

If the scholar is the carp that sees the Dragon Gate in the long river, then the Juren is the golden carp that jumps over the gate, whose body has transformed and whose spirit has gathered wind and clouds. Just waiting for the good time and beautiful scenery, soaring into the sky.

"Okay." Chen Heng nodded to his brother, with a confident and relaxed look on his face. From the time he started studying at the age of five to the present ten years, he has been studying day and night, cold and hot, and all turned into the confidence of strategizing, "When I pass the exam, the two of us brothers will celebrate together."

"Yes." Chen Qingyue was overjoyed and pulled Chen Yin to see his brother off, "Wait for good news from big brother."

Chen Heng said no more, and hurriedly set off with Xinda. He had long been told by his family that he did not need to be accompanied when he went to take the exam. Although the Imperial Examination Hall was a bit far away, Chen Heng still wanted to walk there.

Stepping on the memories of past studies, the ambitious young man walked to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, which was already crowded. Xue Ke and others were also standing here, but until now, he and Jiang Yuanbai were holding the tutorial book written by Chen Heng and reading it desperately.

"I thought you wouldn't be nervous." Chen Heng glanced at Xue Ke and Jiang Yuanbai, and couldn't help but smile at his friend. He also said hello to Qian Dayou, who looked nervous, "Brother Dayou, don't you want to take a look?"

Being joked by his friend, Qian Dayou relaxed, "I have memorized everything you wrote." Speaking of studying hard, Qian Dayou also became confident, "Now I will be nervous when I look at it again."

Chen Heng nodded and glanced at Xue Ke and others. What he wrote will be handed over to these people in April. Xue Ke and Jiang Yuanbai heard the conversation between Chen and Qian, and they also smiled and said, "Sharpening the spear before the battle, it will be bright even if it is not bright."

"Be prepared." Chen Heng reassured his friend, "At this time, just let go and don't lose your composure."

There are more people participating in the provincial examination this time than last time. When Chen Heng undressed and passed the inspection of the inspection officer, it was almost dawn.

After successfully entering the Imperial Examination Hall, Chen Heng walked into the number room according to the number plate. Just as the person sat down, before he even had time to hang up the oilcloth bag, there was a "click" sound behind him, and the invigilator had already locked the lock of the low door of the cell from the outside. The strictness of the provincial examination was indeed different from before.

Chen Heng had good luck in the exam, and his cell was not the smelly one that everyone was afraid of. The smelly one was the exam room near the dry toilet. Just imagine being locked in the cell for three days and having to answer questions while smelling the stench, how sour it was.

It was still early before the papers were distributed, so Chen Heng began to simply clean up the cell. He was now seven feet tall, and the cell that was comfortable the first two times was now inconvenient to move. He certainly couldn't lie down, and being able to curl up and sleep against the wall for a night was a great thing.

The exam basket and food basket were hung on the wall. The snacks prepared by the Chen family were all dry food, among which the meat jerky was prepared by Baoqin, and the fruits were sent by Lin Daiyu. There was also a pair of knee pads, which were made by Zhen Yinglian herself and sent by her second sister.

Lin Meimei also helped to prepare the waterproof tarpaulin, mosquito repellent sachets and other items. They are still in the tarpaulin bag and can be taken out when needed.

The first round of the provincial examination began when the gong sounded.

It was already dawn, and Chen Heng was grinding ink again and again, waiting for the invigilator to give the questions.

The first round was still the main round, with three questions from the Four Books. Four questions from the Five Classics. There were several other small questions. If you want to answer all of them within three days, you have to answer them well. What is tested is the candidates' mastery and understanding of knowledge.

When the question-giving officer walked past him holding the question board, Chen Heng quickly picked up the pen and copied it on the paper.

First: in front and behind.

Second: strength is not looking forward.

Third: do not harm each other.

These three questions are from "The Analects of Confucius·Zi Han Chapter", "Mencius·Gongsun Chou" and "The Doctrine of the Mean".

Gongsun Chou again, Chen Heng muttered in his heart. The officials of the Great Yong Dynasty really like to set questions in Gongsun Chou of Mencius.

After copying the questions, he began to think about them in his mind. If you want to solve the questions, you must first know the questions. The most difficult of these three questions is the first one.

Candidates who do not have enough knowledge may have to recite the Analects in their minds just to think about whether it is in front or behind.

Chen Heng is quick-witted. He knew the original words and text of this question as soon as he thought about it. It is the sentence "Look ahead, suddenly behind" in the Analects.

This question is a cut-and-joint question. It is composed of the end of the sentence. It is a bit difficult, but not too high. It is also in line with the convention of the big questions in the Yong Dynasty's provincial examinations, taking a steady path.

Cao Tingshou did not rely on his profound talents to embarrass the minds of the Yangzhou scholars. If he can't even figure out this question, it doesn't matter if he fails this provincial examination.

The vernacular of this sentence is: It seems to be in front, and suddenly it seems to be behind. It sounds a bit difficult to understand, but it is easy to understand when you connect it to the context.

The original words were said by Yan Yuan, the leader of the 72 sages of Confucius, or Yan Hui: The higher you look, the higher it is; the harder you drill, the harder it is. Look ahead, and suddenly it is behind. The Master is patient and good at persuading people, and he has enriched me with literature.

It is about the admiration of Confucius' knowledge and morality. The more I learn, the more difficult it becomes. Look, it seems to be in front, and it seems to be behind.

This should be one of the points to solve the problem. Chen Heng has already realized it in his heart, so he wrote it down on paper. Thinking about the two sentences in the original text, "The phoenix does not come, and the river does not produce the map." "Sell it, sell it! I am waiting for the merchant."

The first sentence can be understood as the desire to seek talents, and the latter is more interesting. Zigong asked Confucius: I have a piece of beautiful jade here. Should I hide it in the cabinet? Or should I seek those merchants who know the goods to sell it?

Confucius said: Sell it, sell it! I will wait for those who know the goods, those who really recognize the beautiful jade to sell it.

Combined with the current Jianping reign, Chen Heng has completely understood the solution to the problem. He knows that the meaning of this question is that His Majesty has a desire to make great achievements, and it also shows His Majesty's eagerness to seek talents.

When his mind is open, his thoughts flow like a spring. Chen Heng picked up a pen and splashed ink on the draft paper. At the beginning, he wanted to point out the importance of talent and morality, which is the original meaning of the sentence. The second and third meanings are solved by "planting a phoenix tree to attract the phoenix", which can be said to be clever.

After one question, look at the second one. This question is the simplest of the three questions. The original words are clear at a glance, "Those who conquer others by force are not convinced by force, and they are not strong enough to look forward. Those who conquer others by virtue are happy and sincere."

This sentence is also easy to understand. It is about the common cognition of people today, harmony is precious, and people are conquered by virtue. The meaning of the barbarians in all directions is to submit.

That's the truth, but Chen Heng has the experience of later generations after all. He knows that apart from interests, there are few examples of winning people over with virtue between countries. Compared with the great truths spoken, people are more willing to believe in the deterrence of fists.

But Chen Heng has lived two lives and learned two sets of textbooks. Now he understands more clearly that blindly using force will only lead to his own destruction. Blindly believing in the role of moral rules is also a way to death.

Whether it is hegemony or kingly way. They are inseparable from the way. What is the way between countries? The sword in hand is the way. There are famous generals like clouds and warriors like rain in hand. They win in battle and conquer in attack.

This is the backing for scholars to display their talents. It is the true meaning of the kingly way of having a sword in hand but not using it. To put it simply, I don't hit you, not because I don't have a weapon in my hand, but because I am afraid that I will kill you with one punch, and I will sweat.

Chen Heng wanted to understand this and brought up the third question. This question comes from the Doctrine of the Mean, which says: All things grow together without harming each other, and the ways run parallel without contradicting each other.

This is a simple and interesting statement, and the original meaning of the sentence is direct and clear. Chen Heng thought about it for a while, and then solved the two questions together. He is a man of great talent and courage. He has studied until now, and he does not need to figure out the examiner's mind like he did when he first participated in the county exam.

Whether it is a mountain of swords or a sea of ​​fire, let it come.

With a thought in his mind, Chen Heng picked up the pen without stopping. Like the white-clothed general on Changban Slope, he used the pen as a spear and galloped freely on the white paper. After the two articles were completed in one go, Chen Heng felt some sweat on his forehead.

Now the sun is bright, and the heat of the Mid-Autumn Festival warms the room. But at night, the autumn wind passes through, and it is cold again. The first day is when his energy is the best. Chen Heng thinks it is better to leave the revision and polishing to the second day, so he devotes all his energy to solving the questions on the first day.

After the Four Books, it was the Five Classics. Chen Heng's main classic was the Spring and Autumn Annals. According to the rules, he had to write four articles. For this article, he only needed to follow the principle of "the big topic is the crown" and write the broad topic into the article.

Each person has different options for the Five Classics, and there are fewer competitors than the Four Books. There is no need to be outstanding, just use the big sound and the right fit.

When the four questions of the Spring and Autumn Annals were finished, Chen Heng looked at the sun and found that it was past lunch time. Wait a little longer, and you can have dinner.

In the room opposite, the scholar who had just finished cooking was nervously packing up the utensils. As soon as he saw his movements, Chen Heng knew that the other party was taking the exam for the first time. In a hurry, he accidentally spilled the soup on the paper.

Fortunately, when the scholar was about to shout, he covered his mouth. If the examination room was noisy, he could be expelled directly from the examination room. Seeing his peers packing up with sad faces, Chen Heng simply closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

Before the third day, he was not going to make a fire and cook. He was only going to rely on some dry food, meat, and fruits to fill his stomach. There was no other reason, he didn't want to be distracted too much.

The sky gradually darkened, and the first day of the provincial examination ended quietly in the night. But in the Imperial Examination Hall, there were many candidates who studied late at night, and the invigilators would also hang lanterns on the eaves of each room.

It was the rising of the moon, and Chen Heng looked at the rows of lanterns in front of him, and saw that the ground was like frost. He couldn't help thinking in his mind that if he looked down from a high place, the scenery in the Imperial Examination Hall must be very interesting.

It can be said that "the stars in the sky are shining like the bull, and the light shines on the nine states. Who knows that the place where I climb today is only the first-class in the world."

That night, Chen Heng wrapped himself in a sheet, leaned against the wall, and slept all night with his legs curled up.

But the sleep in the room was not so good. There was snoring all around, needless to say. There were also mosquitoes disturbing him, and Chen Heng could not help even if he took out the sachet.

Seeing that the red envelopes in his hand were getting more and more, he could only laugh at himself: Later generations often say that mosquitoes only bite smart people. I hope I can get what I want.

After sleeping for a night, Chen Heng woke up the next day. Although he was tired, he was still in good spirits compared to others. He answered questions quickly, was confident, and did not put his precious energy on cooking. He was really smart.

What he had to do on this day was to revise and polish. It was inevitable to control the number of words, and he had to take into account the main idea of ​​the article and the fluency of the sentences. It was a laborious thing to revise, and it was even more mentally exhausting.

But there was no way. When writing an article, it could be done in one go. But when it really came to handing it in, and it was such an important provincial examination, it was inevitable that he would have some gains and losses in his heart.

Thinking about whether the allusions used in the sentences were appropriate and whether the words were appropriate. At the same time, we must take into account the taboo words. Although Dayong is not like the previous Ming Dynasty, where the words "Zhu" and "Yuan" are prohibited in the papers, some invisible taboos must be avoided.

After such corrections, one day passed. On the third day, it was the real copying. Chen Heng's handwriting is naturally needless to say. His three mentors have always mentioned that the way of calligraphy is to practice and be strict.

In addition to taking time to imitate famous works, he must also be strict in his daily letters. Only habits accumulated over time can bring about a glorious bloom.

Strive to make every word neat and tidy, and ensure that there are no mistakes in every line. This matter can only be slow, not hurried. If you copy a wrong word or miss a word, you will regret it later.

After doing this, it was Youshi, and the first round of the provincial examination officially ended.

Enter the examination on the 9th and hand in the paper on the 11th. Even Chen Heng's body could not bear the three-day and two-night examination. In order to prepare for the exam with all his heart, he tried his best to eat small meals frequently these days and even seldom went to the toilet.

After the three examiners collected the papers and handed them over to the sealing officer, the students' personal information was folded and covered with white paper. After covering them tightly, the number was written.

There were temporary supervisors to supervise the whole process. They would not touch the papers themselves, but only add their own seals at the end to ensure their joint liability.

Only then was the papers considered to be submitted. The candidates could leave.

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When Chen Heng came out, he was in good spirits. Outside the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, carriages from various families and mansions were parked, and family members who accompanied the candidates were guarding everywhere. There were many candidates coming out. Chen Heng stood on a high place and could only vaguely recognize his own carriage and the Xue family's carriage.

But now is not the time to talk. I will go back to sleep today and take the second exam tomorrow. Chen Heng did not look for Xue Ke and others, but ran straight to his own carriage.

Halfway, he met Xinda who squeezed out of the crowd and ran towards him. Chen Heng got on the carriage with the help of the other party.

"Brother, we have prepared food at home. You take a rest first, we will be home soon." Seeing his brother's tired face, Xinda was also anxious. While talking, he was already waving the whip and driving the carriage away slowly.

"Yeah."

Chen Heng didn't want to say much either, and took every opportunity to rest. He was still okay. This time, the candidates ranged from thirteen to fifty or sixty years old. Many weak ones collapsed as soon as they walked out of the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, and were still carried down by their families.

After returning home, Chen Heng ate a little hastily and prepared to go to bed. It was still three o'clock tomorrow, and he had to set off immediately to continue preparing for the exam.

"Don't wait for the papers to be posted at night."

Before going to bed, Chen Heng thought of something and reminded Xinda.

The so-called posting of papers means that the chief examiner and the examiners will roughly review the papers, select the papers that do not meet the rules, and post them on the wall of the Imperial Examination Hall.

Candidates who have won this honor do not need to participate in the second round, and can go home and rest in peace.

Chen Heng still has this confidence.

"Okay."

Xinda waited outside the door, and only walked out quietly after hearing his brother's snoring. Today, even Chen Qingyue tried his best to ensure that he spoke less, hoping to create the best environment for his eldest brother.

After a good night's rest at home, he replenished some food and supplies. Chen Heng woke up at three o'clock and rushed to the Imperial Examination Hall again. This time, he didn't want to walk, so he sat in the carriage directly to have more time to rest.

Hahahaha, please give me a monthly ticket, please give me a monthly ticket.