Chapter 793: Abandoning Martial Arts and Pursuing Literature
Because of the military expedition, the palace examination that was supposed to be held in July was delayed for a month. On August 5, the candidates took a re-examination in Baohe Hall, and the real palace examination did not begin until August 6.
Seats were set up in the hall, the four treasures of the study were placed on the table, and the rice paper was spread out. After the students were examined, they sat down one by one.
The first exam was the Four Books and Five Classics, which were not difficult for the candidates present. The Four Books and Five Classics were the must-read papers for students. As long as they studied hard on weekdays, they would have a high chance of passing.
The eunuch received the order and shouted: "The exam begins!"
The candidates grinded their pens, picked up their pens and dipped them in ink, and began to write furiously.
The ministers stood quietly on both sides and watched the students answer. With so many eyes watching, it would be surprising if someone could cheat.
The first exam went smoothly and quietly, and nothing happened.
When an hour came, the candidates stopped writing together, and the officials in charge of collecting the papers came to collect the papers.
The eunuch announced a quarter-hour break, and the candidates could go to the toilet on their own.
The regent was efficient in his work, because the palace examination was the last stage of the imperial examination, and most of the candidates had been eliminated, so the test papers did not need to be closed. The regent appointed several officials on the spot to review the papers in the side hall, and Chu Hongyi and Xie Jin led several people to patrol and supervise in the side hall to prevent all forms of cheating.
The second exam was to write an article, and the regent personally set the questions.
Writing the article was improvisation, and no one knew what the regent would ask beforehand, not even the ministers. After the students finished writing the articles, the papers were also collected by a special person, and the regent reviewed them, and then several old cabinet ministers took turns to read them, and it was clear at a glance who wrote the best article.
Of course, if the regent wanted to test something else, he would also give the students a few couplets on the spot, or give the students a topic for improvisation. The topic could be about love, flowers, snow and moon, or about the great events of the country, or the echo of the seasons, or the way of the monarch and his ministers.
In addition to writing good essays, students also need to have flexible minds. They read a lot and have a wide range of knowledge. Naturally, they will not be too nervous in such occasions. They will respond calmly and show their talents.
"This batch of students are all well-educated." Rong Yu turned to look at the ministers, "What do you think?"
The ministers nodded one after another: "Everyone is strong, especially the top three, it is really hard to tell who is better."
From the comprehensive results of the previous day's re-examination and the previous autumn and spring examinations, the top three have been determined after the regent and the adults discussed, namely Chu Xuanyi of the Chu family, Mu Jinglin, a poor boy, and Mo Xuanwu, the son of the Mo family.
No one expected that the son of the Mo family would choose to give up martial arts and take the imperial examination, and what was even more unexpected was that he would enter the top three in one fell swoop, which was really beyond everyone's expectations.
It seems that this son of the Mo family, who does not show his strength, is not to be underestimated.
However, compared with Mu Jinglin's caution and Chu Xuanyi's modesty, Mo Xuanwu's article has a hidden edge. I wonder if it will displease the regent.
The ministers have their own thoughts.
Rong Yu sat on the wide royal chair and said indifferently: "Pass the papers of the three of them to other students to have a look."
"Yes."
No one spoke in front of the hall. Rong Yu lowered his eyes and drank a sip of tea. He picked up the pen and ticked the names of the candidates on the papers he liked. The circled papers were placed on the left, and the uncircled papers were placed on the right.
He marked the papers very quickly, almost reading ten lines at a glance. Whether the candidates' articles would satisfy him or not could be seen from the style of the articles. When he finished marking all the papers, the candidates present had almost passed all three papers around.
Chu Xuanyi read Mo Xuanwu and Mu Jinglin's papers, Mu Jinglin read Chu Xuanyi and Mo Xuanwu's papers, and Mo Xuanwu also read their papers.
So he had a general understanding of his own and his opponent's knowledge.
Chu Xuanyi originally thought that he could definitely take the first place and be named the champion, but after reading it, he was not sure anymore - the uncertainty was not because of knowledge, but courage.
In fact, he, Mo Xuanwu and Mu Jinglin should be equally talented in writing. The biggest difference between the three lies in their temperaments. Mu Jinglin was born in a poor family and came to Beijing for the palace examination for the first time. It was rare for him to see the king. Not only was he cautious and humble in etiquette, but he was also very careful in choosing words in his article. He did not dare to be disrespectful in the whole article.
Chu Xuanyi's writing style tends to be humble and gentle, not showing his edge - mainly because he had suffered a loss from the regent before, and now he has learned his lesson and learned to keep his head down and obey his orders.
But he never expected that Mo Xuanwu, the legitimate son of the Mo family who had been silent for four years since the Queen ascended the throne, would pass the palace examination with him, and surpass him in the edge of his article.