Chapter 1922: The village elders’ blessings, the grace examination begins
There are many things happening in the world. Although many things have happened during this period, for scholars, books are often a unified entity. Regardless of the age outside the window, there is only one thing that they care about the most, which is most likely to affect the internal organs and cause pain at every turn.
The most heart-wrenching thing is the exam.
Some people say that before the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty, there were no examinations, or that they could not be called imperial examinations. However, in fact, the earliest record of examinations in China is the legend of Yao selecting Shun as his successor in ancient times.
Yao was getting very old and wanted to choose a successor. Everyone spoke to Yao and said, "There is a man named Yu Shun among the people." Yao said, "Well, I heard about it. What is it like?" Yue said, "The son of a blind man. Father."
If the mother is stubborn and the younger brother is arrogant, if he can be harmonious and filial, and he can control him with care, he will not commit adultery." Yao said, "Let me try it."
This is the earliest exam, and the prize of the exam is the throne.
The first one to eat crabs always gets some preferential treatment...
The next ones to eat the crab legs were a group of people from the Zhou Dynasty. It is recorded in "Zhou Rites" that "this is the system of the emperor in ancient times. The princes presented tributes to the emperor every year, and the emperor tried to shoot the palace."
Its appearance is compared to etiquette, its style is compared to music, and those who have more of them can be compared to sacrifices."
Those who pass the exam can only accompany Emperor Zhou to attend the memorial ceremony. The salary seems to have dropped a lot, but you must know that those who can participate in the memorial ceremony beside Emperor Zhou can usually inherit the positions of some princes and ministers, so in general
Not bad at all.
In the Han Dynasty, there were also examinations. In the second and fifteenth years of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the "countermeasures" after twice commending the virtuous and upright were: "...the important points of the three ways for the officials are, and I will always be the one who is not moral, the officials are unfair, and the government is unfair."
If you don't declare it, the people will be restless, and the four problems will be broken. Tell your ambitions clearly and don't hide anything..." At that time, "there were more than a hundred people who took countermeasures, but they made the mistake of being high."
Dong Zhongshu's "Theory of Heaven and Man" was also directly handed over to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty through countermeasures during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Otherwise, how could such a thing be sent to the emperor through normal channels when Minister Huang was in control of the court?
The Han Dynasty has formed a relatively complete examination model, which starts with a written examination, that is, "countermeasures". The emperor's test questions are strategies, and the candidates' answers are correct. "Written in Pian", Pian, that is, bamboo slips. If there are additional oral examinations on the spot,
, that is, "Cewen".
So in fact, when Fei Qian came up with the examination method, it was not a ground-breaking initiative. Even Dong Zhongshu himself said: "The method of examination is to combine the title and salary, to rank, to accumulate the days, to show the facts, and to calculate the amount of work."
For sins, divide the less by the more, determine the reality by the name, and treat it internally first."
Of course, just listen to what happened about Yao and Shun, but there was indeed an examination in the Han Dynasty. However, although the Han Dynasty created the examination and specified the methods, the selection of talents in the Han Dynasty was not carried out according to the examination, but remained the same.
Use the inspection system.
Although the imperial examination system also has examinations after recommendation, such as the virtuous and upright subjects, the basic method of selection is recommendation, the main criterion is "morality", and the main targets are filial sons, honest officials, etc., and the examination is often a formality, even if the candidates are
There were some problems, but for the sake of the recommenders, they kept them secret, which resulted in the loss of the original purpose of the exam.
For those who want to take the exam, especially the students in Moriyama Academy, whether they can shake up or not depends on this jump. If they fail to pass the exam this time, they don’t know what they will do next time.
How long to wait, so no matter from which perspective, this is a very important thing.
It is the custom of Chinese people to eat at happy events, funerals, big events, and small events. Therefore, before Du Yuan's two children went to Chang'an to take the exam, they also held a banquet as a preparatory blessing for the two children.
Ichiban.
Du Yuan was also one of the first officials to sneak into the North with Fei. Although he said that he had the word "Wen Zheng" in his handwriting, in fact he didn't have much "Wen Zheng" in his belly, so he got mixed up with the county governor.
, that is to say, he knew his weight and did not dare to ask for anything further, so he put all his hopes on his two sons.
Du Yuan's son was a little too young in the past few gelding competitions, so he stayed in Shoushan Academy and did not take the exam. However, he is almost the same age this year, so he is naturally ready to give it a try.
Although he said it was just a wish, Du Yuan also set up a flowing banquet for the surrounding people to come and eat. The inner courtyard was full of guests, wishing the two sons of the Du family a good result in the exam in Chang'an.
.
Congratulations are of course wonderful, but Du Yuan knows something in his heart. He knows that among the two children, the eldest son may be okay, while the younger son is a little worse. This trip is probably just to gain experience, and he has to put his hope in it.
As for the eldest son, although he never expressed praise to his eldest son Du Yu, he actually still had a lot of expectations in his heart.
So for the first time, Du Yuan personally sent someone to Shoushan Academy to take his two sons home. After staying there for three or four days, he prepared to let the two of them go to Chang'an with some officials' children from Xihe.
At the banquet, after a few drinks, it was natural to reminisce about the past and look forward to the future. Du Yuan, perhaps because he was deeply touched, or perhaps because he was touched by the scene, said rather emotionally: "A certain Du family is also an heir of poetry and calligraphy, but why?"
The Qiang were in chaos, their homes were destroyed by war, and they fled south. The wall was shattered and it was difficult to recover. Now that they have gained the trust of their lord and are a shepherd and guardian, this life is enough. However, the scriptures are vast and the common things are complicated, so it is not possible to truly pass them on, which is a deep regret...
』
Speaking of the emotional part, Du Yuan's eyes filled with tears, and then he said some words of encouragement, such as taking the exam well, continuing the tradition, and carrying forward the glory of the ancestors.
Du Yuan, the eldest son of Du Yuan, also brought the Xihe students who were traveling with him to express his gratitude.
When we set off the next day, the scene was even more solemn. Although we had to set off as early as possible because of the short days in autumn, so it was just dawn when we set off, but the crowd of officials and officials in Xihe who had eaten and drank a lot yesterday,
He still got up early, put on formal clothes, and came to see Du Yu and others off. He told this and that along the way. If he couldn't leave his post without permission, he almost wanted to follow him all the way to Chang'an.
Most of the candidates were not very old, so they were somewhat at a loss when it came to such a thing. They were obedient and didn't know what to say or do. Only Du Yu, who was older, finally led all the candidates to thank the villagers.
Farewell also made Du Yuan Laohuai very happy.
After sending off again and again, but finally saying goodbye, the candidates embarked on their journey one after another, behind them were the sounds of blessings and exhortations from relatives and friends, and this voice, perhaps, is like this, year after year, year after year, generation after generation.
It was passed down, lingering around, and even thousands of years later, it still sounds from time to time.
In addition to students from Xihe, there are also students from other counties and counties. As long as they can make it, they will naturally arrive sooner or later, or they will familiarize themselves with the venue in advance, or they will only get there during the exam period. Anyway, it is Lu
One after another they all gathered in Chang'an.
Du Yu, for example, came relatively late this time.
The original examination venue in Chang'an was relatively simple. As more and more people took part in the exams, they couldn't be accommodated in an ordinary courtyard, so they simply set up a piece of land outside the city to take the exams. The conditions were naturally imaginable.
, even if some temporary examination tents are built, there are still many unsatisfactory things, such as the fragrance of the soil and the embrace of mosquitoes, not to mention those who pick their noses, feet, fart and leak urine, and some people have poor psychological quality.
, I was so nervous that I had vomiting and diarrhea...
Of course, there may be extreme reactions caused by acclimatization, panic, and great pressure, but as long as there are one or two, the surrounding candidates will be unlucky.
But this year is much better. After the completion of Qinglong Temple, there will be ample space and venue to accommodate a large number of candidates to take the exam. At the same time, it is better to at least have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, so as not to have to sit on the mud.
Struggled.
Finally, it was time for the exam. All the streets in Chang'an City were guarded by soldiers. The children of wealthy families took their own carriages to Longshouyuan. Students who had no money could also line up outside the city. There were special
Free vehicle pick-up and drop-off is available. Of course, the condition of the vehicle is average, it may be a horse-drawn carriage or an ox-cart. Anyway, when a vehicle is full, it will leave.
Nowadays, most of the people taking the hussar exam are the younger generation, but some older ones are gradually appearing. Of course, there is no situation like the imperial examination in later generations where sixty-year-olds were born and seventy-year-olds were born.
Naturally, the first wave is still about economics, and the vast majority of people refer to it. For arithmetic, we have to wait until the economics exam is completed and the list is announced before starting the exam. Because these days, those who specialize in scripture are still majoring in general arithmetic.
There are not many, so the levels are quite different. The two subjects are not at the same level.
When these candidates gradually gathered in the main square of Qinglong Temple, they were led by soldiers to line up and stand one by one. The candidates brought their own pen and ink, and the paper was provided by Hussar. Of course, if there was no
There are some pens and inks available in the examination room, but whether they are comfortable or easy to use cannot be too demanding.
Xun You wore a Jinxian crown on his head, a red and black court uniform, and a ribbon around his waist. He looked dignified, graceful, and luxurious. When the time was almost up, Xun You began to lecture. Basically, he just praised the hussar general and talked about the rules of the examination room.
, there is nothing special, and then the candidates will be arranged to enter.
At this time, no specific rules for eight-legged essay writing had been formed, so it was Fei Qian who had the final say on how to take the test. This time, the test was divided into three sessions, divided into "main test", and then "supplementary test" the next day, and finally
"Revisit" the next day.
As long as you pass the main exam, you don't need to take the second supplement and just wait for the interview on the last day. However, if you fail the first test, you can still take the second supplement.
Give these candidates, who are either nervous and did not perform well, or who got stuck on the spot, some chance again.
Of course, if you fail in both exams and don’t get the chance to get the final interview, you can’t blame others, or blame the pen for being too hard or too soft, the seat for being too soft or too stiff, or the voice being too loud or too loud.
It’s so small, I can only wait for the next exam opportunity...
Because there are no memorization and dictation questions in the test, but questions set by Fei Qian temporarily, so there is no point in cheat sheets. Of course, it is also possible to guess the questions, and then write and memorize them in advance, but once you come to inspect
To be strict, there were soldiers in the outer circle, and there were patrol examiners in the field; secondly, even in later generations, it was indispensable to guess questions before the exam and a few people got it right, so there was no strip search like in later generations.
Because Du Yu was more or less within the system, he received some preferential treatment and was ranked relatively high. Naturally, he entered the examination room earlier, that is, in the main hall. Ordinary candidates were arranged in
The side hall, and even worse, is in the cloister. Although it is ventilated, it is somewhat protected from the sun and rain.
The biggest advantage of going to the examination room first is that you can choose a seat you like.
After Du Yu and Du Zi entered the hall one after another, some people from before had already chosen their seats and sat down, nodding slightly to each other. Du Yu looked around and motioned to Du Zi behind him to follow him closer.
Sit down at the table by the window of the main hall.
After all, if you are too close to the doors and windows, you will inevitably be exposed to direct light. Not only will you be exposed to the sun, but it will also make you feel hot and uncomfortable, so you can just go closer to it, and it will not lack light and will not be directly exposed to the sun.
One after another, just like guests arriving at the table in a hotel, it seemed empty at first, but at meal time it was full in the blink of an eye. After everyone was seated, a waiter brought bamboo paper and handed it to the guests.
Start distributing to each person and table.
Although bamboo paper is yellowed and has thick fibers, it is naturally much easier to write on than the previous bamboo slips and wooden slips. Moreover, this is also a disguised requirement that candidates must have a more complete answer before they can write. After all, bamboo paper
Unlike bamboo slips and wooden slips, which can be scraped with a knife, every correction is just a ball of black ink. If there is too much black ink, even the examiner will not bother to look at it.
Repeated revisions represent unclear thinking and hesitation. Even if such a person writes well, he has no definite rules for doing things and is naturally unusable...
Before the exam questions are announced, you must first write your name, place of origin, etc. on the edge of your bamboo paper as a way of identification.
After all the candidates had basically finished their preparations, Xun You took out the sealed test questions. It was very simple. There were only two questions, but it was not simple either, because one of the questions was "Xijing Fu" and the second question was "Salt"
Iron again'!
As soon as the test questions came out, there was a huge inhalation sound in the originally silent examination room of Qinglong Temple, which seemed to shake the air twice. Because they saw the questions almost at the same time, they inhaled in unison, causing Huitong to arrive.
Together, a resonance effect is formed.
Both "Xijing Fu" and "Salt and Iron Theory" have beauty first, and many people are very familiar with it. Therefore, it cannot be simpler, but we must introduce the old and bring out the new, we must jump out of the old framework and find new ideas.
and direction, it’s not that simple...
Du Yu was also shocked. The first question was obviously a test of literary talent, with some discussion of current affairs, while the latter question was a test of civil affairs, with some discussion of law. If the previous question only knew how to show off literary talent and pile up words, it would be nothing more than a person.
Average. If the second article doesn't talk about law at all and only talks about civil affairs and commerce, it will probably not get good reviews.
I have long heard that the questions asked by Hussar are very tricky, and this time I have experienced them.
Du Yu cursed a few words, and then began to frown and think deeply. This was not only about writing, but also related to the "reply" in the third scene. Due to the limitations of writing, many things cannot be stated in detail. When the time comes for the interview, it will be revealed.
If the article is well-written but the details are confusing and out of order, it will be regarded as an "old work". Although it will not be punished as cheating, don't expect to gain anything.
Great position.
For an article, the most important thing is to solve the topic and establish the idea. Otherwise, if you go astray along the way, you will never be able to get it back. Du Yu looked at Du Zi beside him. It was obvious that Du Zi had not thought about the topic clearly, and his face was wrinkled.
Like taking a big sip of Shanxi mature vinegar, Du Yu could only cheer Du Zi secretly and then immerse himself in his own thoughts.
Xun You looked around slowly along the way. In fact, when he first got these two questions, Xun You also studied it a little. In fact, this question is roughly divided into three levels. If he can see the first level and write it well,
It's probably about the middle, lower, or right, and then you can see the second level, and if you write it well, you can at least get the upper middle. If you can see the third level...
After all, reaching the third level basically involves discussing the political environment, which is beyond the scope of what most people can consider.
In the examination room, there are some who are bowing their heads in deep thought, some are scratching their heads, some are writing like a god, there are all kinds of things.
Du Yu, the son of Du Yuan, was quite good. After solving the problem, he followed his own ideas and began to think about it secretly. Then he wrote the manuscript on the manuscript paper. After finishing writing, he checked whether it was neat. For some sentences and words,
Or the structure has been fine-tuned, and some words have been added or deleted to make the overall idea of the article smoother and the language expression more pure.
After finishing writing, I read it silently from the beginning again until I was sure that the tone was harmonious and catchy, and then I carefully copied it onto another piece of bamboo paper.
Although the hussar examination system has only been carried out a few times, some people have already summarized the best examination method, and it has been circulated among the students of the academy as a small circle of exchanges.
After walking down according to the best steps, Du Yu could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He turned his head slightly and looked at his younger brother Du Zi. He still looked bitter and resentful. He could only shake his head with a wry smile. After all, Du Zi was older than him.
Four years younger, and his father Du Yuan did not expect Du Zi to pass the exam in one go. This time it was mainly Du Yu himself, and Du Zi was probably just accumulating experience.
Changes in writing tools also caused the Chinese characters to begin to change. From swords and pens, bamboo and wood, to pens, inks, paper and inkstones, the cumbersome and complex seal script was gradually eliminated by the children of the gentry. Although they could understand it, they did not use it much, and the simple script
Yixue is more suitable for official script written with a brush on a flat surface. This writing method was originally a lowly writing method in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but now it has become the basic writing mode in the Han Dynasty.
Times are changing all the time. Maybe what was considered beautiful before became ugly later, and what was considered inferior before became popular later. The same is true for exams, but this time, for Du Yu, the exam is still
It was relatively smooth, but during the second "Supplement", something unexpected happened...
