The sun slowly rose from the east, and the warm morning rays shone on the bodies of a thousand Gongshi candidates who had their heads lowered. Even in the cold weather at the beginning of the month, the candidates were all trembling in cold sweat.

The first two questions alone made the candidates afraid to start writing and chose to start from the second question.

The first test question is a heuristic question. A concise translation of the above meaning means:

Five years ago, the flood in the southern border caused heavy casualties. Countless people were displaced and left their homes. They were starving and hungry. The imperial court sent an official named Zhang to carry food south to aid the victims. When Zhang passed through Xinyang County, Yangchang Prefecture, he found that there were many people affected by the disaster.

, the local government's warehouse opening for disaster relief could not last more than a few days, and the warehouse ran out of food. During his inspection, official Zhang accidentally discovered a woman giving porridge at the door of a grain store. Thousands of victims were queuing up to receive the porridge.

After Official Zhang watched in silence for a while, he walked over and said to the woman: "There are so many people affected by the disaster, you can't let everyone eat porridge." The woman said: "Sir, I understand what you said." Official Zhang asked again:

"Then why are you still giving out porridge?" The woman scooped a large spoonful of porridge from the bucket and put it into a bowl, then handed it to the victims in front of her, and then said to Officer Zhang: "Every time I give these poor people a bowl of porridge,

, it is possible for them to survive." The woman pointed to her porridge bucket, and then pointed to the grain shop behind her: "The porridge in the bucket is almost gone, but as long as there is still food in the shop, I will keep making porridge.

, these porridges may be life-saving food for the victims."

Ask what inspiration you got from the above story.

The six words in this test question made Ji Mian's eyes water.

Xinyang County, Yangchang Prefecture...

Ji Mian searched through the memory of the original person and found the memory of Zhou Nanlou distributing porridge at Ji's Grain Store to provide relief during the flood five years ago. At that time, the original person hid in his room and slept in due to the urgency of his studies.

Ji Mian raised her eyes and glanced vaguely at Wei Chenxin, who was sitting on the Grand Master's chair under the stairs. She was wearing an official robe and sitting there upright, calmly monitoring the thousand tribute candidates.

But when Ji Mian raised her eyes to look at Wei Chenxin, Wei Chenxin's gaze also happened to fall on Ji Mian's face. The two looked at each other and smiled at each other.

Is Wei Chenxin trying to raise her status?

This question is not difficult for Ji Mian. The answer is based on "cherishing life". Even if they are just refugees, their lives are still worthy of attention.

The fourth question talks about the fact that when winter comes in Beidi, they like to ride their tall horses and quickly go south to sneak attacks, plunder the food in the towns in the north, and then run away. The question is about politics, economy and military, how to solve this problem

.

The fifth question is an empty sentence, "Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce", "There are six or nine levels of people", "Princes, generals and Xiangning have their own kind", not even a question.

Ji Mian couldn't help but chuckle after reading all the questions. She now knew what Wei Chenxin's question was.

"Five ranks, please don't talk or laugh!" the supervisor of the Ministry of Etiquette scolded.

Ji Mian saw the "five" on the corner of the table, pressed the corner of her mouth, picked up the pen and filled the ink with neat handwriting. The examination papers for the palace examination only cover the names, not the records, so the handwriting must be neat and beautiful. As the saying goes, the handwriting is like the person. If the handwriting is too ugly, I'm afraid

It will be brushed off by the marking officer at the first glance.

From early morning to sunset, I was answering these five questions.

Like Ji Mian, all Gongshi candidates start from the first test question, leaving the first and second test questions aside and not daring to write easily.

The first and second questions are generally meant to criticize and condemn the empress and traitorous ministers. However, in these two questions, it is obvious that the empress and traitorous ministers intend to refer to the eldest princess of the dynasty, the regent Wei Chenxin. Most people do not dare to criticize and condemn. They are afraid of growing up.

After the exam, the princess will take the exam papers and go one by one to find out those who criticize the queen and traitorous ministers, and deal with them secretly.

Today's sun is particularly bright and warm, but there are still some weak and nervous candidates who regret to terminate the exam, and some candidates pretend to be sick and abandon the exam, just to not get involved in the grudge between the emperor and the eldest princess and to save their own lives.

Little life.

The speed of answering questions can vary from fast to slow. While other candidates are still hesitant to write, Ji Mian writes with great energy. He criticizes when he should criticize, condemns where he should condemn, and gives advice when he should give advice. He seems to be completely unaware of the emperor's allusion.

, purely based on the content of the topic.

It wasn't until the sky was turned into a warm yellow by the sunset that Ji Mian stopped writing and carefully checked whether his own opinions were included in his article.

After checking it carefully, Ji Mian nodded with satisfaction. She didn't know the situation of other candidates, but Ji Mian felt that the emperor who could not hold his breath would like his article.

When the last ray of light disappeared from the horizon, all the candidates heard the time official’s cry: “Time is up, stop writing——”

Ji Mian had already stopped writing. After the official called the time, she lined up while rubbing her wrist, holding her identity card and admission order, and followed the official from the Ministry of Etiquette who brought them in to leave the palace.

The Imperial Examination is no different from the Provincial Examination. For the General Examination, Gongshi candidates only need to take the exam with their identity cards and admission orders. Everything else is arranged by the Ministry of Rites.

Five days after the palace examination is the marking period. Logically speaking, the marking officers will first read the papers and select the ten that they think are the best. Then they will kneel down in the Qian'an Palace and read them to the emperor, who will hand-pick the rankings.

.

But because this time the two questions were set by the emperor himself, he was afraid that there was someone from Wei Chenxin among the examiners, so he asked that all the 1,000-point papers be read to him. But because the first two questions were given by him,

So as long as the first question didn't criticize and condemn the Queen, he would just wave and call the next one.

Wei Chenxin, on the other hand, had been sitting below the emperor, listening to the emperor's judgment with a calm expression.

Most of the test papers were not to the emperor's liking. Many of the test papers were changed to the next chapter before the first question was finished. Until one test paper satisfied the emperor.

The emperor gave the ranking on the spot: "First Class!"

The reader glanced vaguely at Wei Chenxin, who was sitting below, and saw that Wei Chenxin had a calm expression, neither anxious nor angry. He also smiled and congratulated the emperor on having another capable minister.

Ten days later, the emperor gave ten people first-class names. After everyone tore off the name papers, they were surprised to find that among the ten people who had been given first-class names, except for two whose names they had never heard of, the other eight people were

They are all royalists. After all, the candidates who dare to vigorously criticize and condemn the "Queen" and "treacherous ministers" are almost all the children and grandchildren of the royalists.

Most of the reviewers and court ministers who heard the news looked unhappy and were dissatisfied with the wayward emperor.

In this year's scientific examination, most of the people selected were for the emperor, which made those who followed the eldest princess very uncomfortable.

On the contrary, the eldest princess looked calm and allowed the emperor to do whatever he wanted. The crazier the emperor became and the more he provoked her, the calmer she became.

On the twelfth day of the lunar month, the emperor summoned the ten candidates who had been initially designated as first-class candidates to enter the palace to meet the saint, and appointed the final first-class candidates.

In the Qian'an Palace, the emperor quickly decided on a group of people, two children of the royalists, Zhou Zhengze and Qi Bingtong, and Ji Renjian, a boy from a poor family whose parents both died.

Looking at the famous candidate kneeling in front of the other seven candidates, the emperor was very confused.

He was confused about who was the top pick between Zhou Zhengze and Qi Ruitong. In his heart, Ji Renjian, who was born in a poor family, could only be ranked third no matter how he answered.

Seeing Wei Chenxin standing under the small stairs, the emperor raised his lips and asked, "What does the regent think of the ranking of this person?"

Wei Chenxin stood up, faced the emperor and saluted, and said: "Your Majesty, if I were asked to choose, it would really be very difficult for me."

The emperor smiled and said: "Hahahaha, what if I don't let you choose?"

Wei Chenxin smiled slightly: "I feel that if this candidate really had to choose, I would probably choose Ji Renjian as the top pick, Zhou Zhengze as the second pick, and Qi Bingtong as the third pick."

When the emperor heard this, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"

Wei Chenxin replied: "I just think Ji Renjian's answer is better. Of course, I believe that your Majesty has already made up his mind."

The emperor's eyes were dark, he looked at Wei Chenxin quietly, and suddenly burst into laughter: "Hehehehe, the regent is right, I have made up my mind a long time ago, and it's just right, just as the regent thought... Someone is here! Ling Ji Renjian is ranked first in the first-class rankings, Zhou Zhengze is second in the first-class rankings, and Qi Bingtong is ranked third in the first-class rankings. The other seven are all excellent, and I can't tell them apart, so from left to right, these are the top seven in the second-class rankings."

The ten candidates kneeling in the Qian'an Palace said nothing and kowtowed directly to express gratitude.

"Where is Ji Zhuangyuan?" the emperor, who was sitting on the dragon throne, asked.

Ji Mian responded: "Xiao Sheng is here."

As long as they have not been awarded an official title, candidates cannot call themselves ministers.

The emperor took out a test paper from the tray of the little eunuch beside him, unfolded it and said with a smile: "Ji Zhuangyuan, do you think this question looks familiar?"

Ji Mian's heart stopped for a moment, then she lowered her head and replied, "The young man is stupid."

The emperor smiled and said: "This question is an examination question given by the regent. The woman in it is your mother. Your mother took the initiative to provide food for disaster relief and solved many food problems for the government for the victims. I am very grateful. I have decided I give you a hundred taels of gold to thank your mother for your kind deeds at that time."

Ji Mian knelt down and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Hahahaha, you're welcome, just agree to my request."

Ji Mian replied: "Yes."

The emperor turned his fingers and asked with a smile: "Since the founding of the Wei Dynasty, it has been a habit to betroth a princess to the number one scholar. Since the number one scholar this year is a woman, come on, look up at the eldest princess and tell me that you are willing to marry my eldest daughter. Sister, are you the only eldest princess of the Wei Dynasty?"

Ji Mian knelt on the ground and stared at Wei Chenxin who was standing at the foot of the stairs. She lowered her eyes and looked calm, making it difficult to see her true feelings.

Ji Mian lowered his head: "Your Majesty, Xiaosheng is willing."

The emperor was silent for a moment and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha, Ji Zhuangyuan is willing. Sister Huang, are you willing? If you are not willing, the next marriage partner may not be as suitable as Ji Zhuangyuan. Already."

The entire Qian'an Hall echoed with the emperor's laughter.

Except for the emperor and Wei Chenxin, everyone in Qian'an Palace lowered their heads.

The emperor was really anxious and crazy. How could he easily give advice on the eldest princess's marriage? He still had this attitude.

Wei Chenxin lowered his eyes: "I obey your Majesty's arrangements."

The emperor narrowed his eyes: "Okay, okay! I have been feeling unwell recently, and I just want to see something festive... Eunuch Zhang, please inform the Tianzhi Department to plan a good day so that the eldest princess and Ji Zhuangyuan can get married as soon as possible."

Eunuch Zhang, the chief eunuch, knelt down and said, "Yes."
Chapter completed!