Xu Shijin, the prefect of Shaoxing, was sitting in the lobby. The professors of Shaoxing Fuxue and the county teachers of Shanyi County were sitting on both sides. There were several scholarly boys in the hall who were asking for interviews.
The Confucian scholar went to the right place. When he saw Zhang Yuan coming in, he ignored the few Confucian boys and called Zhang Yuan closer. He asked: "Zhang Yuan, you have a talent for talking. I thought you would be the first to submit the paper. Could it be that this time the question was asked?"
Difficult?"
Zhang Yuan bowed and said: "Students only concentrate on their composition and write carefully. They don't think about competing for the first place in the paper." He handed over the examination paper.
Xu Shijin nodded and looked at Zhang Yuan's article "Zhao Meng's Place" first. Zhang Yuan's small regular characters were not bad, and he read: "The body is valuable and forgets the low. It is the only way to survive as a human being."
one"
This is a break from the topic. Although the summary is precise, it is not astonishing. Xu Shijin remained silent. When he was about to continue reading, he heard a scholar interrupt: "Master Fu, the student has already spoken out a long sentence."
Only then did he succumb to taking shortcuts."
Xu Shijin said with a smile: "Great talent must be taken advantage of by shortcomings. Great things come late, but this pair has not yet been obtained." Then he wrote the word "ke" on the examination paper of the Confucian scholar and said: "I'll take it from you.
Everyone, please step back."
After the few Confucian boys retired, Xu Shijin continued to read the title of Zhang Yuan's article on craftsmanship: "Madam is noble but not noble. Don't wait for her to be humble." He turned around and looked at the professor of the government school and the two county school professors.
The three academic officers nodded in unison, feeling that the title was smooth and concise.
Xu Shijin thought again: "However, being able to be humble is like this, so a gentleman should not depend on others. Now, if we choose based on people's noble heart, then the two noble ones are not as valuable as the single noble ones, and the occasional noble ones are not as valuable as the constant noble ones."
: Being noble cannot make a person more humble, but it is far more noble than the original one. However, all expectations are based on external considerations, and achievements are based on reason. In today's world, the song of cutting down trees is unknown, and the emperor does not seek friends.
矣: The trick is to get rid of the chariot, and the princes do not worship the teacher. What is the most valuable thing in this world? Do you mean the powerful person of the minister? When he thought of this, Xu Shijin patted the table and praised: "Wonderful!"
Master Fu Zun said that it was wonderful, and the professor of Fu Xue and the two county students even praised it as "wonderful".
The Professor of Fu Studies commented: "It has a strong momentum, which was taken from the Qin and Han Dynasties; it is smooth and bright, and it is indeed a wise eye for the master Ou Su to recognize talents."
The governor and academic officials praised him, and Zhang Yuan listened humbly. Naturally, he felt secretly happy, feeling that his hard work was not in vain. The reason why he took so much trouble to write this eight-legged essay was because he deliberately used the richness of the Han Dynasty to describe it.
The writing is mixed with four or six pieces of prose in the category of eight-legged part. His composition is by no means reckless and unintentional, but targeted. Xu Shijin was a Jinshi in Yiweike in the 23rd year of Wanli. Zhang Yuan deliberately wrote a few days ago
I went to the bookstore to find the ink scroll of Yiweike from that year, and carefully read Xu Shijin's seven essays on craftsmanship. I found that Xu Shijin's eight-legged essay had a characteristic, that is, he liked four or six sentences, and his craftsmanship had a kind of sāo style, and he liked to show off his rhetoric.
, Zhang Rushuang, the great uncle of the family who was a Jinshi in the same ranking as Xu Shijin, also said that Xu Shijin liked Sima Xiangru's magnificent poems the most.
Doing well does not necessarily mean you will be appreciated by the examiner. Why? It is because of the difference in aesthetic style between the examiner and the examinee. Poems are not perfect. Although there are certain judging standards for eight-legged essays, the person who evaluates the essay is the general judge.
Affected by his preferences, an examiner who advocates concise writing certainly does not like articles with rich words. This is normal. Zhang Yuan wanted to consider all possible factors and try to find the most convenient and safest way to the imperial examination. So
Zhang Yuan liked Magistrate Xu, and this eight-legged essay also has a bit of a sāo fu style.
Magistrate Xu recited Zhang Yuan's eight-legged essay, and his voice became louder and louder as he read. It was obviously very resonant and enjoyable: "A husband's favored daughter does not cover the banquet, and his favored minister does not cover the pavilion. When he takes a nap, he loses his joy, but his heart is full of joy.
The uglier it gets, what’s more, it’s a bad sign when a matchmaker comes, and it’s hard to go through the same mountains and rivers on the road to officialdom? People who are frustrated in their way, change the mentality of powerful and noble people, and their feelings fade with each passing day. The courtesy is increased but the taboos are deepened.”
Xu Shijin read quickly and was a little out of breath. He paused, looked at Zhang Yuan and said: "The descendants are to be feared." Then he read: "...But in the past, he was very illustrious, but now he is in decline. A great scholar is picking peppers and orchids by the water:
In an elegant house, the music of the harp is played in the room. If there are descendants in the Yan and Huang dynasties, the righteousness is not thin: if you are kind and self-pleasant, then the dream of roosters will not scare you, if you are not heard by the autumn roar, and if you live in the temple, you will regret it forever.
, and Bai Juwei said that those who take action based on the situation are there, and those who are there are those who are trouble-free: those who take the merits due to their fate are in me, and those who are in me to cultivate their abilities are expected to be established."
After reading it in one breath, like drinking fine wine, Xu Shijin smiled with a smile on his face. He looked around and asked, "What do you think of this article? Can I get it?"
The three academic officials looked at Master Fu Zun's rosy face and said in unison: "Congratulations, Master Fu, on getting such an excellent disciple."
Xu Shijin laughed loudly and said to Zhang Yuan: "Zhang Yuan, when you come to see me from now on, you must act like a teacher and a student." This meaning is very clear. Zhang Yuan passed the examination.
Zhang Yuan said happily: "Thank you so much, master." He knelt down and saluted.
Xu Shijin twisted his beard and smiled and said: "It's rare that you have dabbled in the great Fu of the Han Dynasty at such a young age. Have you read through the "Selected Works of Zhaoming"?" Zhang Yuandao said: "Students have recently started reading the "Selected Works of Zhaoming". I like the great Fu of the Two Han Dynasties.
This chapter is a colorful one, so the craftsmanship is somewhat elaborate."
Xu Shijin said: "If it is well laid out, a young man's composition should be unrestrained and his talent will be revealed."
A clerk hurriedly came to the hall and reported: "Master, there is a candidate in Xun Hall suddenly foaming at the mouth and twitching. It is very scary. The clerk is worried."
Xu Shijin frowned and said, "Have someone carry him out and send him to a doctor for treatment."
The clerk hurried out, and Zhang Yuan also resigned. He carried the examination basket and walked towards the dragon gate. He saw two guards carrying a young scholar out of the Xun Hall examination shed. The young scholar no longer twitched.
, broke away and stood up, wiped the foam around his mouth with his sleeve, and said, "I haven't copied it yet." He ran towards the examination room again.
A clerk and two guards were stunned every day. They saw a dying man and then jumped to the exam again. Could it be that he would not die in peace before finishing the exam?
Zhang Yuan walked over and said, "It must be sheep leprosy. It attacks every now and then. Once it attacks, it's fine."
The clerk recognized Zhang Yuan, raised his hand and said, "Master Zhang is very knowledgeable, and I was really shocked just now." He also said, "Master Zhang will have to wait a while before he can leave the examination room."
The dozens of candidates who had handed in their papers earlier put their first cards out and went out. The gantry was closed again. It would take half an hour before the second cards were released. Zhang Yuan waited at the gantry for about two quarters when the military officer came to open the door and he left the examination room.
Then they saw Mu Jingyan, a tall and burly man with yellow beard. Next to Mu Jingyan was Mu Zhenzhen, who was wearing shabby but radiant clothes. Suddenly, two children ran over and shouted: "Uncle Jiezi, uncle Jiezi."
"But it was two little brothers, Lu Chun and Lu Jie.
Lu Chun and Lu Jie followed Wu Ling and the two maids who were looking after them in the afternoon to wait for Uncle Jie Zi to come out of the examination room. The children were anxious and kept asking, "Why doesn't Uncle Jie Zi come out?"
When the first card was played, a cannon was fired to open the door, and dozens of candidates rushed out. The two little brothers kept calling "Uncle Jiezi" without even seeing clearly, but they didn't see their uncle coming out. I was so disappointed. This was the second time the dragon gate opened.
Finally seeing Uncle Jiezi come out, he was overjoyed and jumped to greet him. The child's joy was so pure, and he was overjoyed even though it was not worthy of being overjoyed at all. Zhang Yuan was bending down to talk to his two little nephews, when he heard someone behind him ask: "Jiezi
Senior brother, did the scientific examination go well?"
Zhang Yuan quickly turned around and saw Wang Yingzi wearing a silk scarf and a Confucian shirt, shaking a folding fan and looking at him with a wide smile.
"Why is Brother Ying Wang Xian here?" Zhang Yuan asked in shock. Looking around, he saw a sedan chair with a curtain parked not far away, and a maidservant standing beside the sedan chair.
Wang Yingzi didn't answer, but asked eagerly: "Brother, did you use that article on craftsmanship?" She had already learned about the test questions from the candidates who had appeared before. At that moment, she couldn't hold back the joy in her heart, but she was also worried that Zhang Yuan would not use it.
Her eight-part essay.
Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Are you in such a hurry? Do you want to ask for retouching fees?"
When Wang Yingzi heard what Zhang Yuan said, she knew that Zhang Yuan had really copied it. Her eyes suddenly smiled even bigger and asked: "Then why didn't you show the first sign?"
Zhang Yuandao: "Of course I have to work hard to make the other one better, otherwise I would be ashamed."
Wang Yingzi said: "Senior brother, can you recite to me the article "Zhao Meng's Place"?"
Zhang Yuandao: "I'm going to see the teacher tomorrow to report the situation of the Ming Mansion Examination. I'll write it out for you then."
But at this moment, Zhang Yuan heard the voice of his sister Zhang Ruoxi: "Xiao Yuan, how did you do in the exam?"
Zhang Yuan looked back and saw that his sister Zhang Ruoxi also wore a turban and a Confucian shirt, just like Junior Sister Yingzi. Zhang Ruoxi liked to travel in men's clothing before she left the cabinet. Her father Zhang Ruiyang was not at home all year round, and her mother Lu had a good temper. Zhang Ruoxi would take her younger brother with her at that time.
Zhang Yuan went to Dashan Temple and Longshan City* Temple. After marrying in Qingpu, he restrained himself a lot. He is a good wife and mother. He occasionally travels with Lu Dao. This time he returned to his parents' home without leaving home. Today he met Lu Chun.
Lu Jie's two children had not come back after being away for so long. She was also concerned about her younger brother's scientific examination, so she put on her old Confucian shirt and asked Yi Ting to accompany her to the academy. However, she saw her younger brother Zhang Yuan talking to a young scholar.
Zhang Ruoxi was attentive and she was disguised as a man. She immediately discovered that the young scholar was a woman and was greatly surprised. Although she dressed as a man when she was a daughter, she never interacted with outsiders except with her younger brother Zhang Yuan and Zhou's mother.
Who is this woman who is speaking?
Wang Yingzi also looked at Zhang Ruoxi with some surprise. Zhang Yuan was a little embarrassed. Of course, it was not easy to introduce the two of them, so he just said to Zhang Ruoxi: "Sister, the master has seen my craftsmanship and asked me to call him teacher from now on."
.”
Zhang Ruoxi said happily: "That means you passed the government examination, great, great." As he spoke, he looked Wang Yingzi up and down. Wang Yingzi's face turned red, and he cupped his hands toward Zhang Yuan and said, "Brother, I'll go back first."
He bowed to Zhang Ruoxi, hurried back to the sedan chair, got on the sedan chair and left.!