"Establish doctors of the Five Classics, open disciples, set up scientific and technological policies, and encourage people to be promoted to official positions." [Hanshu·Rulinzhuan]
When everyone in the hall heard the order, they all moved and began to walk up the steps in an orderly manner and into the bright hall.
Taixue Mingtang is built on the foundation of the ruins of the main hall of Mingguang Palace. With Mingtang as the center, there are thousands of study buildings radiating from all sides. Mingtang occupies a vast area, and its specifications and shape are licensed to be compared to the palaces of princes. It can accommodate thousands of people.
, is often used as a place to hold ceremonies. There were about a hundred people scattered around the Mingtang, but as soon as these four hundred students walked into the middle, it didn't seem crowded.
Tables and couches were placed at a certain distance in the middle of the hall. Everyone was guided to stand beside their seats and then saluted the four people sitting in the hall.
As usual, Pan Xu, the servant of the Imperial Academy, said some serious words about discipline, and waved his hands to ask the clerks to distribute pens, inks, paper and inkstones to everyone on the spot. After taking the public subjects the day before yesterday, these Imperial students all knew the rules.
When I was taking the exam, I consciously took off my robe that could easily carry things, and only wore a thin, narrow-sleeved singlet to take the exam. Fortunately, there were charcoal fires burning in the corners of the hall, and hundreds of candles were shining, so it didn’t matter.
Not too cold.
"Mr. Chen." Pan Xu politely said to one of the invigilators sitting next to him, Chen Gui, a Taizhong doctor from Xiapi, Xuzhou, "Can you show me the question and unseal it?"
Chen Gui had gray hair, raised eyebrows, and a few dark yellow spots on his forehead. He looked at the imperial student who was sitting upright in front of him, ready for orders, and then turned to look at Han Song, the minister of the Huangmen who was also the invigilator, and nodded.
He nodded and said to a middle-aged man with a clear appearance below him: "Then let's test the title first." After that, he smiled kindly and said: "This is also my first time to supervise the exam. I just did it early this morning.
Entering the palace, getting ready to be on duty as usual. Unexpectedly, the imperial decree was urgently announced and no delay was allowed. The old man hurriedly paid an audience with the country, and then came here with Han Shilang. Therefore, some of the rules are not yet clear. Although he is the chief examiner, he still
I have to let Pan Pushe give me some advice."
There are three people who are mainly responsible for invigilating the exam, Pan Xu, the servant of Taixue, Chen Gui, the doctor of Taizhong, and Han Song, the minister of Huangmen. These three people represent Taixue, the outer court and the inner court respectively. Pan Xu is the leader of Taixue.
, Chen Gui and Han Song were both recruited from the local government and transferred to Chang'an not long ago. They had no foundation in the court but had enough reputation, so they were appointed by the emperor to invigilate this examination. In the previous few times,
During the examination, the emperor also used a temporary decision method to select officials to invigilate the examination an hour in advance. This method of taking turns to invigilate the examination can be very effective in eliminating favoritism and malpractice.
"Mr. Chen, you're welcome. According to His Majesty's instructions, all we need to do is read more and talk less." Pan Xu nodded and smiled.
"To be selected by the emperor and to be tested by the eunuch, it is obvious that he is deeply trusted. Others like me are envious." The middle-aged man with a clear appearance said with a smile, and said from his arms.
He took out a key, opened the wooden box held by the attendant, and took out a bag from inside.
Han Song said: "Feng Lang escorted the students to prepare the exam, and the burden on his shoulders was not simple. Although he did not have the name of invigilating the exam, it was true."
This middle-aged man from the Qing Dynasty was none other than Shangshu Lang Feng Shuo, a native of Nanjun, Jingzhou. He smiled politely and said nothing more. After personally inspecting the bag, he handed it over to Chen Gui and three others.
The bag was sealed with lacquer and wax, and the rope was tied with a tight knot. From the outside, it looked intact. When they came out of the palace, Han Song and Chen Gui sat on a gondola with Feng Shuo, which was ventilated on all sides.
Any opportunity to open or replace it without authorization. Chen Gui, Han Song, and Pan Xu took turns to check and confirmed that it was correct. He also ordered someone to pick it up and display it in a circle among the Tai students so that everyone present could see it clearly. Finally, he asked Feng
Shuo removed the seal, cut off the knot, and took out the test questions inside.
"The imperial edict was issued to govern all the students of drama." After Feng Shuo read the title to Han Song and others, he read it aloud: "It is said that 'those who serve the country should enrich the people first.' If you try to defend a county,
How will we enrich the people?"
It is not difficult to write this question, but it is not easy to come up with an outstanding answer, especially since the emperor specially added a clause in order to prevent the answer from being superficial.
Feng Shuo continued to read: "Everyone has been sent to the counties, counties and villages to serve as officials, to learn political affairs, and to practice drama. Now they should have something to gain. When making decisions, you must use the place you go as an example, and use facts as a basis.
Generalities."
After he finished speaking, a scribe came over and copied the topic into ten copies and gave them to the students in the first row, so that they could copy them by themselves and pass them on in turn.
The nervous Zhang Ji, Jia Kui, Yan Xiang and others sighed in unison after seeing the test questions. As long as they worked hard and thought carefully during the internship, they would not be able to answer this kind of question.
Too bad. Compared with the previous problems of classics and meaning and legal problems in Mingjing and Mingfa subjects, the difficulty of the planning test is much smaller.
The whole morning was spent planning the exam, and in the afternoon, various types of learned knowledge were tested based on actual practice. After two hurried days, Zhang Ji and others finally finished the exam. When walking down the steps of the Mingtang, overlooking
From the houses and buildings of Taixue, to the shops and vendors in the school market in the distance, to the Guizhou Lu with earthen walls and earth tiles, and as far away as Xuanping where the rich gather, there are all kinds of things in the world, and the scenery of half of Chang'an is almost complete.
Looking around, there was almost a sense of pride in everyone's chest, as if from the moment they walked out, they were no longer ordinary imperial students, but future ministers of the imperial court. They were not going to the Mingtang of Taixue, but
It is the front hall where the courtiers of Weiyang Palace gather for meetings.
Outside the Mingtang gate, Ma Chao was wearing a rare green Confucian robe. He stretched his neck and looked outside the door. He finally saw Su Ze's figure and called out: "Master Wen! Master Wen!"
"Are you still afraid that he won't be able to see you?" Geng Ji looked away a little embarrassedly, as if speaking to the air: "Stop shouting."
Su Ze followed the sound and came over and saw the tall Ma Chao. After saying hello, he looked at Geng Ji and said, "Ji Xing, isn't your economic science and technology test tomorrow? Why are you here when you have time?"
"How can I not come to see you for such an important matter?" Geng Ji said with a smile, "How do you feel?"
"It's not difficult." Su Ze didn't mean to exchange questions, but simply said: "As long as you combine what you have learned and use our talents, it is not difficult to get a top rank."
"Those arithmetic questions give me the biggest headache. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to pass the exam." Geng Ji smiled bitterly, shook his head, and suddenly pointed at Ma Chao: "The Ming Jing subject is the first batch to take the exam, so why not be a liberal arts teacher?
Ask him how he did in the exam?"
Su Ze then looked over and heard Ma Chao say: "I forgot about it after I passed the exam. Now I only remember the questions for the "Poetry" exam, which seemed to be 'trembling with fear, like facing an abyss, like walking on thin ice'."
"It's not difficult. How did you answer it?" Geng Ji asked curiously, while Su watched from the side as if watching the fun and did not stop him.
"A general should face the enemy as if he is facing an abyss, and a soldier should go into battle as if he were walking on thin ice." Ma Chao was very satisfied with this article because Shan himself wrote it, so he remembered the general outline: "Only when you use your troops carefully can you defeat the enemy flawlessly."
.Do you think this is true?"
"Although it is completely different from common sense, it also coincides with the art of war." Su Ze avoided his weaknesses and exploited his strengths, picking up the good ones and said, "You really have the talent to be a general."
After the Qiang Rebellion, it was rare for the two to get back together. Now that Ma Chao returned to Taixue to take the imperial examination, it was just a false story. He had not thought about what kind of examination he would take. Anyway, he now has the official position of Sima of Xihai County. The Han family system has always been there.
Sima was established in the border counties, and Xihai County was deep and barren, with many Qiang and few Han people. From now on, Ma Chao would go to that bitter and cold place to defend, and he would face the more ferocious and uncivilized Tang Tuo and Qiang tribes all day long.
"Hey, look at that man." The three of them were about to leave. Ma Chao suddenly seemed to see something in the crowd. He pointed vaguely in the distance with his hand: "Does his face look like a donkey?"
"How can you wantonly comment and ridicule people behind their backs?" Su Ze said unhappily. Although the other person had become much calmer, his frivolous temperament seemed to have never changed.
Ma Chao smiled coquettishly and said nothing more. On the contrary, Geng Ji looked over there with interest and suddenly laughed: "Are you talking about him?"
"Who is it?" Ma Chao followed Geng Ji's gaze and looked over there, but the man had already walked away and no trace could be found.
Geng Ji saw Ma Chao's curious look and suddenly felt funny: "You, I'm talking about you..." He shook his head helplessly and said to Su Ze: "This person is in the drama department like you.
It's just that he came a year later than you. He seems to be from Qingzhou, and his name is Zhuge Jin... This man is well-known in Taixue, and there are many people around him... His second brother Zhuge Liang is the secretary to the emperor."
Su Ze didn't want to talk about others in private. After hearing that the other person's background was not simple, he simply said "oh" without commenting.
"Don't think that his second brother was not as good as his younger brother because he was called into the palace as a secretary. This man is quite talented and famous, and he will be the leader among our next generation of imperial students. Those who can be compared with him,
There are only Guo Huai from the same department, Sun Zi from the economics department, Sima Zhi from the Mingfa department and a few others." Geng Ji didn't care whether Su Zele was happy to hear it or not. He couldn't let go of what he had started and just took it as a message.
Ma Chao on the side listened.
Ma Chao heard a familiar name from Geng Ji's words and said incomprehensibly: "Sun Zi? I remember that he was older than us. He had entered the Imperial Academy several years ago. He was appreciated by others and almost could be appointed to the post.
County Magistrate, why are you still studying in Taixue?"
"He wasted his years in Taixue, not because he wanted to, but because he had no other way to become an official." Geng Ji shook his head, as if he felt pity for this person. Unlike Yan Xiang, who was aspiring to study, he was also older.
Sun Zi entered the Imperial Academy simply out of desperation: "The person who appreciated him was the former Prince Situ... Although the country did not say anything, who in the state and county would dare to recommend him? Fortunately, the Imperial Academy only selected officials based on their talents.
Virtue, regardless of other things, is an opportunity left to him."
"Eh." Su Ze sighed, and finally couldn't help but speak: "Between the monarch and his ministers, they work together on state affairs, so why should there be any gaps!"
"Master Literary." Geng Ji's face changed slightly, and he quickly pulled Su Ze aside and said in a low voice: "What happened back then will be judged thousands of years later. Why should we, the current people, say more? The Emperor is still the emperor.
Kindhearted, if Situ's contribution was not still remembered, the Chang'an Order would also take it seriously. It is said that he will be transferred to Luoyang in the near future. When the imperial court is established to govern the world, Luoyang and Henan will definitely be the top priority.
If the young prince is transferred here, he will be able to use his skills and make a difference far better than if he had lived in Chang'an for a long time!"
"Then who will take over the Chang'an order?" Due to the massacre at home, Su Ze was not as well informed as before, so he had to turn to Geng Ji or Ma Chao for help in this regard.
"Jingzhao Yin recommended Zuoling, his subordinate county chief." Ma Chao saw that everyone was about to leave, and said without concealment: "It is said that the imperial court has approved it. In this way, from Jingzhao to Jingzhao,
In Chang'an, everyone belongs to the Dong family."
"Current affairs are changing." Su Ze secretly thought that Wang Ling's transfer from Chang'an did not seem to have any other purpose, but more like a purpose to move people's positions. As for whether this is a good thing, it is a matter of opinion, and each party has its own opinions.
It makes sense.
After waiting for half a month, at the end of December, the results of the two batches of Taipei students finally had the final results based on the three results of internship, daily life, and planned examination. According to the ratio, there were forty people in each subject, and there were only a total of
Only two hundred people can get the "top" result. On the day when the results were released, Zhang Ji, Jia Kui and others gathered in the drama school. After learning that they were among the top, they couldn't help but cheer.
Except for the top students, the other students were awarded a number of official positions in turn. The 600 people who got the middle rank were appointed as county officials or chiefs of the county according to the subjects they studied. The students who got the lower rank were appointed as county officials.
Those who studied were appointed as rural officials such as Youzhi, Shifu, Likui, etc. according to the subjects they studied.
With the continuous strengthening of centralization and the continuous improvement of the civil service examination system, outstanding officials at the bottom will appear more and more frequently in people's field of vision. Although some people may complain at the moment, as long as a few reasons are established
The example of a stingy man promoting a county magistrate can quickly mobilize the vitality of the grassroots.
Once the grassroots level is under control and there is an influx of high-quality talents, the major policies implemented by the court will not be out of shape, and the productivity of the grassroots level will be easily mobilized.
A few days later, on the day before the Zhengdan court meeting in the fifth year of Jian'an, the gloomy sky was filled with auspicious snow like goose feathers. A group of Tai students, led by Zhang Ji, Jia Kui, Su Ze and others, who had achieved "top grade", were paying their respects.
Guided by Zhe Pushe Li Shen, he slowly walked into the front hall of Weiyang Palace.
"I bow to your majesty. May your majesty be happy forever!"
The emperor was sitting on the high seat, slightly swinging his sleeves. Seeing this, the regular attendants next to him shouted loudly:
"The edict says: Get up!"
The final palace examination is to select better talents, and the person who serves as the invigilator is naturally several levels higher than the imperial examination. In addition to the emperor's personal visit, there are Sikong on the left and right, Zhao Wen, Taichang Secretary, and Chen Ji, Taichang.
And the waiters and waiters.
The emperor did not speak first, but scanned the imperial students below from left to right one by one, looking for the corresponding position according to the roster on the table.
Starting from the left is the Ming Jing Department, headed by Yan Zhen and Xing Yong, who have the best grades; below that is the Ming Fa Department, headed by the slim and bright-eyed Sima Zhi; and then there is the Drama Department Zhang
That is, Jia Kui, Yan Xiang, Su Ze, Zhuge Jin, Puyang Xing, Guo Huai and others, as well as the subsequent businessmen You Chu, economics Geng Ji, Sun Zi and others.
These people are all outstanding and talented in history, and now they all prostrate themselves before the emperor.
Seeing this, the emperor finally understood why Tang Taizong said so happily and proudly, "All the heroes in the world are in my arms."