After entering the palace, they all waited in one place and arranged their order to go to the palace. There were more than a hundred people in total. They all had to take the palace examination today and they would leave the palace together after it was over.
There was the emperor and important ministers in the main hall, and they were asked a variety of questions.
Improper manners, unclear articulation, lack of composure, faulty etiquette, or even too ugly appearance may ruin your future.
In contrast, what questions will be asked is not what everyone is most worried about.
Chen Zhongqian and the four of them had different dates for the palace examination. He had to wait until the afternoon, while the other three people had to go to the palace in the morning.
"Don't be nervous. When asked, just think about how to answer it in your mind. You don't need to be too sharp in your words, but you should also explain your thoughts clearly."
Liu Zhaofei and Chen Zhongda nodded. They were relatively nervous. Yue Ye always had an indifferent attitude. Anyway, he just wanted to ensure that he would not be beheaded.
The three of them went together, ten of them at a time. Liu Zhaofei and Yue were also together, and Chen Zhongda went to the temple a little later than them.
While waiting in the side hall, I could hear some voices in the main hall, and I felt even more nervous.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and an official in court uniform appeared next to him.
"Just think that the person sitting on it is a portrait, and the emperor is not a savage beast or a cannibal. Just calmly say what you want in your heart."
Chen Zhongda hurriedly greeted me and said, "Thank you for your advice, sir."
The man smiled and said, "I will watch your performance in the main hall later. Don't let me down."
After saying that, he left. Chen Zhongda didn't even have time to ask the other party's identity, but with such a word of comfort, he felt much relieved.
After waiting for a long time, he arrived and asked questions about farming and mulberry farming. After the war, the population gradually decreased and there was not so much labor, resulting in a lot of wasteland and insufficient food.
Chen Zhongda answered according to his own ideas and proposed that taxes should be appropriately reduced or reduced. He had hesitated before saying this. After all, the front line needed military pay and taxes had been raised several times.
He said in front of the emperor that he wanted to reduce taxes. Wasn't that a slap in the face of the court?
But he thought, he wanted to be an official and make decisions for the people, but he didn't dare to say what he thought for the sake of ranking in this hall, so what's the point?
However, he also put it very tactfully, suggesting that people should be encouraged to reclaim wasteland. No land tax will be charged on newly opened wasteland. As more cultivated land increases, the population will gradually increase, and only in this way can the country prosper.
This was not novel, but it was practical. The emperor nodded, obviously satisfied with his answer.
Chen Zhongda's legs were weak after he went out. He just finished his answer. At this moment, he didn't care about the result. He only knew that he had finished it and nothing went wrong.
After answering the questions, they had to wait in another place, so they could not go back to see Chen Zhongqian. The three of them got together and began to worry about Chen Zhongqian.
The further you go to the back, the worse the disadvantage becomes. Even if you are asked the same type of questions, all the answers that need to be answered have already been answered by the candidates in front of you, and mediocre answers will only make people feel that they are not novel enough.
"I don't know what kind of questions eldest brother will be asked." Chen Zhongda was a little worried. He hoped that all four of them could do well in the exam.
Yue Ye said, "I believe Zhong Qian, no matter what the question is, he can answer it well."
This is what Chen Zhongda is worried about. What if he asks about taxes or war?
With Chen Zhongqian's character, he must tell what is on his mind. Whether the emperor is satisfied or not is another matter.
Chen Zhongqian entered the palace quite late, and the emperor was very tired at this time. There were some excellent candidates, and some were irritating. Naturally, he was not in a good mood.
When it was his turn, the emperor asked casually, "Nowadays, there is little cultivated land and a small population. How do you think the current predicament should be changed?"
Many people have this same problem, which is enough to show that this is a major issue concerning the survival of the country at present.
Chen Zhongqian said very calmly, "Encourage the people to reclaim wasteland and appropriately reduce or exempt land taxes. In addition, the reasons for population decline should be thoroughly investigated."
The emperor asked, "Years of war have reduced the number of young workers, and the cultivated land has naturally decreased. There is not enough food supply, and the population cannot grow. What other reasons are there?"
Chen Zhongqian said, "Then if we are far away from the war-torn place, the population is still decreasing year by year, the young and strong have not gone to the battlefield, and the husband and wife are unable to have children, then why?"
The emperor thought carefully and said, "After all, there are other reasons."
"Students dare to ask Your Majesty, what should the people do if they discover the key?"
The emperor said directly, "If the people find out about such matters that are related to the country's national affairs, they should immediately report it to the government. Regardless of the reason, the government should report it to the court for thorough investigation."
Chen Zhongqian nodded, "If we can do this, the country's population will grow sooner or later."
He did not say what his hometown was like. He had already mentioned it in the main hall. These officials in the court naturally knew it and there was no need to specify it.
If there is still hope, someone will naturally go to verify it. If they don't care at all, then it is useless to mention it here.
The emperor was quite impressed by him. After reading his article, he asked about his teacher intentionally or unintentionally.
Chen Zhongqian knew that Mr. Xianyun lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, so he naturally would not mention it to outsiders, only saying that he was a student of Yueshan Academy.
The emperor asked several other questions, and he answered them very well and concisely, and quickly told the key points that the emperor wanted to hear.
The emperor still wants to ask, but there are still candidates behind him, so he cannot stay here for too long.
When Chen Zhongqian finally went to meet the other three people, the sun was almost setting, and there were not many candidates behind him. When those few people finished their palace examination, they could leave the palace together.
When Chen Zhongda saw that Chen Zhongqian had come out well, he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. Exams were secondary, and safety was the most important.
After leaving the palace and returning to the inn, it was getting dark, and everyone who had participated in the palace examination went back to the house to rest. This frightening day was much more tiring than a day of hard work.
The results of the palace examination will be announced in two or three days, and they will be paraded through the streets, followed by a banquet hosted by the emperor himself.
After all this is over, they can go home first. The dispatch of officials will not be so quick, so they can just wait for the results at home.
Chen Zhongqian wished that life would go by faster. It took too long to go out this time, and it would be late March when he got home.
As for how he did in the exam, he wasn't really worried. He answered all the emperor's questions very well. As long as he was fair, his ranking wouldn't be too bad.
But if it's unfair, I don't know what will happen.
There's nothing he can do about it if it's unfair, so there's no need to worry.
What made him happiest was that he finally raised the issue that Joy had always cared about in front of the emperor.
What is the reason why the population of Yonghe Town is getting smaller and smaller? Will the court investigate this time?