At noon, Chao Qing and the others were still sitting in front of the window on the second floor drinking in Tianranju Restaurant. Today it was Su Ce's treat. All three of them liked Tianranju's sake and had become regular customers.
"This time I only take three exams in name, but in fact I take four exams!"
Chao Qing held the wine glass and said proudly: "You have to believe in my wisdom. Poetry and Fu account for 20% each, strategies account for 50%, and calligraphy accounts for 10%. The exam reminder specifically emphasizes that you must use block letters or running script to answer questions. This reveals
Points will be given for calligraphy, otherwise it will be clearly stipulated that only block letters are allowed."
Su Ce curled his lips disdainfully, "Is this also called discovery? Which imperial examination in the Song Dynasty did not include calligraphy? Calligraphy is a basic skill, right?"
Chao Qing quickly moved reinforcements, "You want to support me?"
"I can't help it, I'm so short-tongued! If I don't say anything, you guys will fight to a draw."
Chao Qing glared at him, "You're not a coward. I didn't see you being short-tempered when you ate my food yesterday. Okay! Let's talk serious, if we all pass the exam, will you stay and become officials?"
This is a choice that all scholars must face. If they are admitted, will they stay or continue to Lin'an to take the imperial examination next year?
"I'm definitely staying!"
Zhong Huan said with a smile: "You can't defeat Xixia anywhere else!"
"You don't count. You are inheriting the ancestral business. What about you, Xiao Su?"
Su Ce pondered for a moment and said: "My father wants me to stay, saying that there is a better future in Sichuan and Shaanxi. I will basically stay, but if Jingzhao Taixue admits me, I will not stay."
Chao Qing didn't wait for them to ask, and took the initiative to steal the topic, "I will definitely stay, and I would be a fool if I didn't."
"What's the meaning?"
"Our group is all in vacancy. If I pass the Lin'an exam, I don't know how many years I will have to sit on the bench, and I don't know how much money I will have to spend to have a chance."
Su Ce asked: "You said they are all officials who are in vacancy. Do you have any evidence?"
Chao Qing lowered his voice and said: "Before I came, I specifically inquired about the details of the negotiations between the imperial court and Chen Xuanfu, and I found one of them. Above the county magistrate, the imperial court directly appoints the officials.
, that is, the three official positions of County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, and Chief Registrar are recommended by the Xuanfu Envoy Office. There are hundreds of counties in Bashu, and the Xuanfu Envoy will definitely replace them with his own people step by step. This is our opportunity."
"Are we considered our own?" Su Ce asked with a smile.
Chao Qing glanced at Zhong Huan and said with a smile: "Someone must have figured it out, but we don't necessarily think so. It's just that this is not how the matter was handled. The officials from Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road must have been transferred to Bashu, and the vacant seats were taken by us.
Come fill it in."
"What should we do with the county magistrates and lieutenants in Bashu?" Su Ce asked one more question.
Zhong Huan said coldly: "There are not many officials in Bashu who have clean butts. Isn't it easy to get rid of them?"
Speaking of this, Zhong Huan was suddenly stunned. He once again saw the two people coming out of the room yesterday, still holding hands.
"Why are they again?" Chao Qing turned around and saw the two of them.
"That's the one who calls himself Chen Qing's brother-in-law."
Su Ce also smiled and said, "That tall and thin guy should be his good friend!"
"You guys sit down for a moment and I'll be back as soon as I can."
Zhong Huan stood up and followed him quietly. Zhong Huan has been practicing martial arts since he was a child. He has the ability to judge people by their appearance more than ordinary scholars. Martial arts practitioners all believe that the good and evil in people's hearts will be expressed through their appearance. This tall and thin man
With his sinister eyes, pointed nose and thin lips, he looked like a man with evil intentions. It might not be a good thing for him to be mixed up with Chen Qing's brother-in-law.
Zhong Huan stopped in front of the gate and did not follow him out. He practiced observing the incense and the fire at night, and also practiced listening to the wind and distinguishing arrows. His eyesight and eyesight were different from ordinary people. Lin Jianqing said two words when he and Li Toutuo broke up.
Hear it clearly.
"Don't forget, tomorrow at noon, outside the South City Gate."
"Brother Li, don't worry! I'll be there on time."
grain midge
Zhong Huan watched the two people walking away from a distance, shook his head, and went upstairs again.
"How's it going? Did you find anything unusual?" Zhong Huan returned to his seat, and both Chao Qing and Su Ce asked jokingly.
"It's nothing. I'm just overthinking it. I heard that you can go to the examination room in the afternoon. Do you want to go and have a look?"
Su Ce shook his head, "What's interesting in the examination room? I don't want to cheat, so I hide a note or something."
"I heard that this is a tent-type examination room. It's my first experience, so I'd better go and have a look! Otherwise, I'll be blinded."
Chao Qing hesitated and said: "I'm going to visit a relative in the afternoon, you go and visit!"
Zhong Huan and Su Ce looked at each other and said in unison: "Do you have any relatives in Jingzhao?"
"She's my aunt's daughter. She should be considered my cousin. We haven't seen each other for ten years. Now that we're here, I'd better go and take a look."
"Okay, go ahead! Xiao Su and I will go to the examination room and draw a picture for you when we come back."
.........
This year's imperial examination examination room is located outside Beicheng, which is the military's Beida Camp. Since the expansion of the military camp in Baqiao, Beida Camp has been empty and is planned to be converted into a new military camp later.
Generally, there are examination halls for imperial examinations, and Jingzhao City is no exception. However, the examination halls only have a maximum of 3,000 rooms, and this time there are 18,000 people. Even if it is expanded, it is too late, so we can only use the Peking University Camp to arrange this time.
take an exam.
In the afternoon, Chen Qing also came to inspect the examination room. The examination room was very large, surrounded by fences, and the inside was divided into various areas by fences.
"We are divided into ten districts. Each district has 1,800 candidates and more than 60 tents. On average, there are thirty people per tent. Each tent has one proctor and two auxiliary soldiers."
Zhao Fusheng, the department commander, took Chen Qing into the first area. Chen Qing walked into a large tent. The tent was very spacious, with thirty sets of tables and chairs neatly arranged inside.
Chen Qingxiao asked: "How to prevent cheating?"
Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly and said: "Cheating only occurs during silent exams, but this time we don't need to cheat in the three subjects of the exam. There is no point in bringing in notes.
However, although there is no cheating, there may be fraud, such as taking the exam for a substitute, so we have established a reporting system. Once an admitted scholar is reported, we have to review it, mainly by silently reciting the poems and poems written during the exam.
Then compare the handwriting, and if you find something wrong, you will have to take the exam again separately. If it is really confirmed that you cheated on the exam, the consequences will be serious, and your merit will be revoked and you will be banned from taking the exam for life."
"Test for two days?" Chen Qing asked again.
"Yes! The poems will be tested on the first day, and the countermeasures will be tested on the second day. Each session lasts three hours, which should be enough time."
At this time, many candidates are coming to the examination room one after another. At present, they can only know which area and which tent it is. They don’t know the specific seats yet because they haven’t been labeled yet.”
"Old Zhong, I'm in the seventh examination room. I'll go there first. Meet you at the door later."
"By the way, take a look at Chao Qing's examination room. He is also the seventh examination room."
"I see."
Chen Qing happened to overhear the conversation between two scholars. Among them, the scholar with the same surname caught Chen Qing's attention. Chen Qing could tell at a glance, from his walking posture, his eyes, and the calluses on his fingers, that this gentleman had practiced riding for at least ten years.
Shoot, he has a surname. This is a relatively rare surname. Could it be that he is a member of the Zhong family?
Chen Qing whispered a few instructions to a soldier, who nodded and followed immediately.
Not long after, the soldier came back and said: "I saw his examination ticket. His name is Zhong Huan, candidate No. 33 of District 5."
Chen Qing then asked Zhang Xuan: "Keep an eye on this candidate for me. I want to know his family background."