When they talked about their disappointment, both of them fell silent.
After a while, Yan Zhenqing said with a smile: "Let's not talk about it anymore. Anyway, we have worked hard for nine points. The remaining one point depends on God's will."
Zheng Guan also laughed: "Then it depends on God's will."
~~
Southeast of the capital, Gongyuan.
Under the supervision of many soldiers from the Military and Horse Division, Cai Jing and other examiners moved in with their belongings.
Since then, the inside and outside have been isolated, and the examiners are no longer allowed to have contact with the outside world. Even delivering meals has special personnel.
Of course, don't think that their lives are hard. In the Gongyuan, they eat and drink with public funds. They have a small banquet every three days and a big banquet every five days. If you stay in the Gongyuan for a month, you can gain five kilograms.
However, although some people are in Gongyuan, they are concerned about the overall situation of the capital.
In the largest official residence in Gongyuan, north of Feihong Bridge, Cai Jing was looking intently at Chang Sui in front of him.
When examiners enter the Tribute Courtyard, they naturally bring their servants in with them.
Make the bed and fold the quilt, serve tea and water, do laundry and get meals...
You can't let noble officials do these chores by themselves, right? Each examiner is allowed to bring one servant with him to the tribute courtyard, and they have to be locked up for more than a month.
"Master, there's another letter from home." The round-faced man carefully handed over a note.
Although the inside and outside are now isolated, it is nothing to those with connections.
Not to mention anything else, just putting some letters in the food delivered every day can break the rules of isolation between inside and outside.
Taking this opportunity, Cai Jing can influence the overall situation of the DPRK even if he is in the Gongyuan.
Cai Jing took the small note and was silent for a moment after reading it, then nodded: "I understand."
The servant bowed and retreated.
Cai Jing sighed and threw the small note into the charcoal basin aside. He saw it being swallowed up by the flames, turned into ashes, and then scattered in the wind.
The examiner looked at the scenery, but it was actually a tiring job.
Especially for him, Cai Jing, it was even more tiring.
Having a wide network of contacts is a benefit at other times, but now it is a trouble.
He was still locked in the Gongyuan. If he were still in the house, he would have been busy long ago.
"That's all, that's all, I just can't escape."
Cai Jing shook his head and sighed, stood up and walked a few steps with his hands behind his hands. This family has a nephew to take care of, and that family has two juniors coming to try...
Either I handed over the article and wanted Cai Jing to familiarize myself with the style of writing so that he could take care of me when the time comes, or he could ask for some test questions and then go back and write a few incomprehensible sentences to add to the article so that he could easily recognize them later.
After wandering around the room for a long time, Cai Jing sighed heavily again.
Suddenly, a voice came from the window: "Mr. Cai, food is coming from the south again. Today it's the banquet from Huabao Tower!"
Speaking of the latter part, he lowered his voice specially: "I heard that there is also a black pointed-headed blackbird that is almost four feet tall, or a blackbird with a straight head..."
When Cai Jing heard that this was Han Mulu's voice, he also smiled and said to the outside: "Okay, I'll come right away."
Pointed-headed fish generally refers to barracuda, but the black-pointed fish here is not barracuda. In fact, barracuda is not worthy of adults' concern. The black-pointed fish here refers to mullet, black mullet.
The mullet was a tribute from the palace.
Only the black mullet fished out before the Winter Solstice can be called Zhengtouwu. It is the fattest fish and has the most delicious taste. If it is caught after the Winter Solstice, it is called Huitouwu, which is thin and tastes worse.
It's four feet fast and it's a straight-headed crow. This is almost a tribute-level fish, so the officials can't blatantly say it, but order it to be named, and everyone can understand it tacitly.
Anyway, there is no proof that this thing will die if eaten in the stomach, and there will be no consequences.
Cai Jing left the official residence, chatted and laughed with Han Mulu and walked to the dining hall.
"Sir, our questions have been prepared and the Ministry of Etiquette will take them to the palace tomorrow."
Cai Jing squinted his eyes and nodded: "After taking the test questions, send them back to the house and let Xianmin, Ju An and the others discuss it."
Before entering the palace, he told Cai You that at this time, he should just act according to the rules.
"Sir, I understand."
Han Mulu nodded quickly with a smile, and the two of them continued walking towards the dining hall...
The next day, Ziwei Hall.
Li Qian looked at Song Qiaonian in front of him and was a little surprised: "Song Shilang, why are you here today? Why isn't Wang Zongbo here?"
Song Qiaonian slightly arched his hands and explained: "Your Majesty, the eldest uncle is about to take office as Zhi Gongju and is busy handling the affairs of the meeting."
This is the excuse on the surface, but the real reason is known to everyone and is tacitly understood.
Li Qian nodded uncertainly and didn't care about it any more.
Song Qiaonian took out a document from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, these are the test questions prepared by the two examiners for this year's examination."
Li Qian opened the document and took a look. Sure enough, he had prepared three questions. He only needed to choose one of them. This question would become the exam question for the monks.
Of course, the examination does not only test one question. There are three tests in nine days. The first test tests the meanings of the "Four Books" and the "Five Classics". The second test tests one essay, five judgments, and edicts. , one imperial edict, one imperial edict, and five imperial examinations in the third session.
The question Li Qian chose today will become the first four-book question in the first exam.
The first section of the imperial examination is the most important. Among the seven questions in the first section, the first four-book question should be the most important.
The examiners basically base their judgment on whether candidates have passed the exam and their ranking based on this question. As long as there are no major flaws in the remaining six articles and there is no politically incorrect content, whoever does the first question well will win.
Li Gan looked at the three questions given by Cai Jing and Han Mulu. After thinking carefully for a moment, he drew a red circle on the third question with a red pen.
"That's it."
Song Qiaonian quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that His Majesty the Emperor would make some trouble. He didn't choose any of the three questions and just asked another question himself. But he didn't expect that the result turned out to be so smooth.
He hurriedly took the document from the old eunuch's hand without looking at it. He bowed directly and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the title. The Ministry of Rites will accept the order."
After saying that, he bowed and left.
Li Qian watched Song Qiaonian go away, closed his eyes, and thought about the topic he had just chosen: "So government depends on people, take people with their bodies, cultivate their bodies with the Tao, and cultivate the Tao with benevolence."
~~
Song Qiaonian returned to the Ministry of Rites with the test questions selected by His Majesty the Emperor.
From now on, this thing has become the highest secret of the imperial court.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites sealed the test questions and then sent them to Gongyuan.
At the same time, Song Qiaonian also arrived at Cai Jing's house in a sedan.
"My son-in-law has met Master Taishan."
Although Song Chaonian came every day, Cai You meticulously saluted his father-in-law every time.
"Haha, just get up quickly."
Song Qiaonian stroked his beard and smiled as he looked at Cai You: "Ju An, you and I, your father-in-law and son-in-law, don't need to be so polite."
While smiling, he took out a thin piece of plain bamboo paper from his sleeve and handed it to Cai You: "These are the test questions for this year's general examination."