Chapter 1131: Recruiting Scholars through the Imperial Examination (Part 2)
As the preparation bell rang, the examiner handed out the test paper and question cards, and the soldier handed out a long note and a little paste.
At this time, each candidate must first write his or her name and place of origin, and then use a piece of paper to cover the name column with paste.
You also need to write the number of the basket in the upper left corner. This is to collect the papers. When the time comes, the papers for the three days of examination will be gathered together.
These precautions are mentioned on each candidate's test ticket, and everyone is familiar with them.
Then the candidates can read the questions. There are a total of twenty questions on the question sheet. Each question only contains a few sentences before and after. There is a blank space in the middle. The candidate must write down the blank part silently on the test paper.
It seems simple, but it is actually very difficult. First of all, the number of questions is very large. Twenty questions total more than 7,000 words. They must be written within one day. No mistakes are allowed. Points will be deducted for any mistakes or corrections. One point will be deducted for writing, and half a point will be deducted for corrections and deletions.
Therefore, you must be very proficient and cannot pause for too long, otherwise there will not be enough time. You must also be fully focused and not distracted to prevent writing errors.
After a stick of incense, the bell rang for the official exam.
The whole examination room could only hear the rustling of pens. Everyone was concentrating on writing silently with their heads down.
The examination time is from 8 am to 5 pm, a full four and a half hours, and two quarters are allocated for lunch. It is a rare rest time, but many scholars would rather not eat, but also seize the time to check the answers to the questions in the morning, or to Fill in any omissions.
There is a sound of cloud board ringing, which reminds the candidates that there is still half an hour.
Su Hui and Guo Jun smiled and nodded, "Both are quite satisfied!"
"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!"
The invigilator starts to collect the papers. You can no longer write at this time. You must stop writing and sit down. Put the test papers and question cards neatly on the table. If the invigilator comes to the exam number and sees that you are still writing, he will go directly. , there is no chance to hand in the paper. This is the rule of the examination room over the years, not a new rule set by Li Ye. It has always been like this, and every candidate knows it very well.
Su Hui and Guo Jun were already waiting for him outside the gate. Although Guo Jun was in arithmetic, he was also required to take the subject of Classical Classics. This was the basis. Any scholar who had studied in the county school could answer it. He was proficient and The difference between being unskilled.
Some petty officials have not studied for more than a few days. If they want to take the arithmetic exam, there is really no way. This is also Li Ye's basic requirement. He recruits engineers, not craftsmen.
Generally, you have to go to the toilet and are accompanied by soldiers when you go to the toilet.
At noon, the examination room served a simple meal, two steamed buns with meat fillings and a bowl of soup.
In fact, there is another detail here. It takes a while for the ink to dry on the test paper. If the examiner does not come to your examination position and you are still writing, it is very likely that the ink will not be dry at the end and the paper will be contaminated after the paper is collected. Every year There is such a situation.
The time gradually came to evening.
"when--"
Wei Gao finally walked out of the examination room. The dazzling sunset still made it difficult for him to open his eyes.
At this time, some candidates panicked and speeded up their dictation, while others took their time and put down their pens to start checking. The difference in level was evident at the last moment.
The biggest difference between engineers and craftsmen is their different levels of education.
"How's it going?" The two men came forward and asked.
The bell rang continuously, and the invigilator shouted sternly: "All candidates should stop writing."
Wei Gao nodded, "It's not bad. I answered all the questions. I finished them two minutes ahead of schedule and checked them again. How about you?"
There is an invigilator and two soldiers in each alley. They do not patrol. If they ask for help, the candidates will stick out a flag in the examination number, and the soldiers will come forward to ask.
Wei Gao saw that most of the candidates who came out were smiling, and said: "This is the basics. I think most of them did well in the exam. The difficulty will be in the next two days. We don't need to review. Let's go find a place to have a drink!"
The three of them returned to the West Market and found a restaurant nearby. At this time, the entire restaurant in Chang'an was full of guests, mostly scholars who had finished the exam on the first day.
Wei Gao filled the two glasses of wine and asked Guo Jun with a smile: "What will be the math test tomorrow and the day after tomorrow?"
"The arithmetic test is tomorrow and the case test is the day after tomorrow."
"What is the case?" the two asked in confusion.
Guo Jun smiled and said: "The case is similar to your countermeasures. There are no questions because each candidate's expertise is different. Just write an article within the scope of their respective expertise. What things you encounter in daily life and what you find wrong? How do you plan to improve or increase efficiency, or do you plan to invent something."
Wei Gao's eyes lit up and he said with a smile: "What does Brother Guo want to do?"
Guo Jun looked to both sides and lowered his voice: "I want to make a new burning product, which is to purify shochu. I named it alcohol, and then it burned with a little fire. I made it into a lamp. It will be much brighter and can replace the current soybean oil lamp."
“Actually, you can also use candles!”
"Candles are so expensive! Ordinary people can't afford them. I use grain to make wine and then purify it. My grandfather told me how to purify it. It's very simple. Just use a copper steamer."
Wei Gao raised his wine glass and said with a smile: "This is actually a way to make money!"
Guo Jun shook his head, "I didn't think about that much!"
At this moment, someone behind him sneered, "What are you thinking about making money with an alcohol lamp?"
Guo Jun was like a lightning strike. He turned around suddenly, only to find that there was a person behind him. He didn't know when he came and was back to back with him. He had just looked to both sides to make sure that no one would tell his secret. He didn't expect that there was a person directly behind him. , he didn’t see it.
Why didn't these two guys remind themselves? Guo Jun suddenly felt dissatisfied.
But now Guo Jun couldn't care anymore, he quickly stood up and bowed to the person behind him, "Senior, this junior is polite!"
The man in front of me was about forty years old, thin and small, and looked a bit imposing. The man glanced at Guo Jun, grinned and said, "You want to ask about alcohol?"
Guo Jun didn't know what to say, so he could only murmur: "How does senior know?"
The middle-aged man said calmly: "The alcohol mentioned was developed by the Firearms Department five years ago. It is used by the military to treat wounds. It has not thought about making lamps, so it has not appeared on the market. You can use it in the exam, but don't think about using it. It makes money."
Guo Jun looked really ashamed. He had invented it seven years ago, and he thought it was the first of its kind.
"Excuse me, senior"
"I am Hu Jiuling from the Gunpowder and Firearms Department. We will meet again if we have the opportunity in the future!"
Hu Jiuling stood up, paid the bill, and walked away.
Guo Jun watched him walk away, sighed, and sat down.
Wei Gao comforted him: "Brother Guo, don't worry, didn't he say you can use it in the exam?"
"You guys. Why didn't you remind me that there was someone behind me just now?"
"We thought you saw it. Besides, he is not a scholar, so it doesn't matter if he heard it."
Guo Jun said with a face full of shame: "The Firearms Department invented it seven years ago. I only thought of it last year. It's really a bit embarrassing."
"What a shame!"
Su Hui comforted him and said: "You are not plagiarizing. Besides, he just said that they didn't think of using it to make lamps. So making alcohol lamps is your improvement! You can definitely write it!"
Guo Jun perked up. This was true. Hu Shuling also said just now that they had not considered making lamps. They were only used to rescue the wounded. Making alcohol lamps by yourself was at least an improvement.
They sat down and continued to eat. In fact, Hu Jiuling did not tell him the truth, for fear of damaging his confidence. At that time, the Firearms Department made alcohol lamps, but found that it was not cost-effective and stopped. The lamps did not burn much and most of the alcohol had evaporated. It's the truth.