Piaotian Literature Chapter 257 The Prince of Ryukyu
The boat is floating on the water, and the water is flowing slowly. There is a small ebony case on the bow. There are three celadon cups on the table. The tea has just been filled. The moon in the cup is gently swaying. Zhang Dai, Zhang E, and Zhang Yuan are sitting on the banquet.
When we stood up together, the bow of the ship sank slightly, and the moon in the cup shook first -
Under the moonlight, the girl at the head of the boat held a round bamboo basket in her hands. The fruits in the basket were shining brightly under the moonlight. They were round, small, and light in color, just like a handful of pearls. The girl's voice was extremely delicate and crisp.
: "This basket of wax-skinned peaches is for the three gentlemen to taste——"
The boy with disheveled hair next to the girl handed over another basket and said, "This is Taomen jujube. My girl will give it to the three husbands to try."
Zhang E took the basket of wax-skinned peaches, and Zhang Yuan took the Taomen dates. Zhang E smiled and said, "I'm ashamed. I said Cao Cao was here. Miss Xiuwei is really like a fox fairy. She appeared without anyone noticing."
."
The girl king smiled and said: "The little girl longs for the three husbands. She is really looking forward to seeing her and is full of resentment. Seeing that the three husbands are not coming, she shyly sends fruits to show her goodwill. Do the three husbands understand the little girl's feelings?"
Now Zhang E had nothing to say. Zhang Yuan and his eldest brother Zhang Dai looked at each other and thought, "I was teased by this girl in front of my face."
Zhang Dai said: "Miss Xiuwei, please come on the boat here, drink tea, admire the moon, and discuss poetry, how about it?"
The three-row boat was much taller than the small boat. The girl had an upturned face, a simple bun, a broad forehead, slender eyebrows, red lips and white teeth. She said with a smile: "Don't dare to disturb me. The three gentlemen will take the exam tomorrow. The little girl is sending me a gift."
I’d like to bring you some fresh fruits from Jinling to express my feelings. I’ll go back now and wish all three ministers success in their studies.”
The boat swung its oars. Although it was going against the current, it was traveling at a slow pace. It soon disappeared on the Qinhuai River under the bright moon, but there was the faint sound of the cave flute coming from the water. The moonlight melted, the water flow was heavy, and the sound of the cave flute gradually disappeared.
Inaudible——
Even the impatient Zhang E waited until he could no longer hear the sound of the flute before asking: "Is this flute played by Wang Wei?"
No one answered, so I'm not sure.
Zhang Dai said leisurely and fascinated: "On a moonlit night at the Twenty-Four Bridge, where can a beautiful woman teach me how to play the flute?"
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "This girl is teasing us again——"
Zhang E said: "Meson feels itchy?"
Zhang Yuan smiled "hey" and picked up a wax-skinned peach. This kind of peach has a light yellow skin and is very sweet in the mouth. He praised: "It's so sweet." Let Mu Zhenzhen, Xiao Wu and others come and taste it.
He also asked Laifu, how was the search for Xiao Wu’s renting a house?
Laifu said: "There is a clean and spacious courtyard near Jiming Temple. There are bamboos, flowers and trees in the courtyard. It is about two acres in size. But the owner refuses to rent it for half a year. If he wants to rent it, he will rent it for one year. The rent is one
Thirty taels of silver a year is really too expensive. If I visit more tomorrow, I will find a cheap and good-quality house."
Twenty taels of silver can ensure that a family of five has enough food and clothing for a year. Renting a house costs thirty taels a year, which is certainly too expensive in Laifu's opinion.
Zhang Yuan said to Zhang E: "Tomorrow, the three brothers will go to Jiming Temple to look at the house. It's a good place to live. So I won't fight for the few taels of silver. I'll pay him eighteen taels for half a year. I'll always be willing to rent it. When signing the contract, you have to find the nearby security chief or
Chief A will be your guarantee to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Zhang E doesn't have to take a test tomorrow and will enroll directly the day after tomorrow.
…
Early in the morning of June 18th, after eating Jinling wontons, Zhang Yuan, his eldest brother Zhang Dai, Wu Ling, Mingyan and several servants rushed to Nanjing Gongyuan. The entrance examination for the new Imperial College students was held in Gongyuan. It was held by Nanjing Minister of Rites and Imperial College.
Co-hosting the wine ceremony——
Zhang E asked Laifu to take him to see the houses near Jiming Temple. As expected, it was quiet and elegant, with flowers planted in the front yard and bamboo art in the backyard. In the middle were three small buildings arranged in a "Chinese" shape. Zhang E was quite satisfied. It was just right.
The three brothers each lived in a house, and they were about to negotiate a contract with the owner of the house. The owner's surname was Xu. They saw that a supervisor came to rent the house. He seemed to be from a wealthy family. He was willing to pay eighteen taels for half a year's rent. What else could there be?
Then he said: "The rent for half a year must be paid at once."
Zhang E said: "Whoever has the patience to discuss the rent with you month by month, it doesn't matter if you pay it half a year, but you have to find a li Jia as a guarantee, otherwise who knows whether this house is yours or not. If you take my money and run away, what will happen to me?"
It’s not an injustice.”
The owner surnamed Xu repeatedly said, "That's unreasonable," but then added: "It's right to ask for a guarantor when signing a deed, but no one will be willing to be a guarantor if the guarantor doesn't have any monetary or material benefits. A gift of five coins is always required. These five coins are
You have to pay for the money."
Zhang E was too lazy to talk to the house owner and agreed to pay the five coins. The house owner surnamed Xu took him to the local security chief to sign a bond. He signed a contract, paid the rent, and each of the three parties signed a bond and each kept one.
As a result, the small courtyard at the foot of Jiming Mountain was the temporary residence of the Zhang brothers. Zhang He ordered Nengzhu and other servants to clean and sweep the excrement, and he rushed to the Gongyuan to see if Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan had passed the exam.
…
Nanjing Gongyuan was the place for rural examinations and general examinations during the Hongwu period. After Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, it was only used for the rural examinations in South Zhili. The scale of the Gongyuan was larger than that of the Gongyuan in other provinces. At the beginning of the hour, Zhang Yuan and his eldest brother Zhang Dai followed
When entering the Longmen of Nanjing Gongyuan, there are two lanes on the left and right, which are respectively "Selecting Scholars for the Ming Dynasty" and "Seeking Talents for the Country". Because the officials have not arrived yet, these supervisors who are waiting for the examination are standing on both sides of the Mingyuan Downstairs, waiting for Nanjing
Li Weizhen, the Minister of Rites, and Gu Qiyuan, the Nanjing Imperial College, came to offer wine. The new eunuchs were arranged in two rows, including the annual tribute, the selected tribute, the promotion eunuch, and the shadow eunuch. There were about two hundred people. Although the Nanjing Imperial College was not as prosperous as before, it was
The number of prison students studying in the prison all year round is still around 3,000, which is far from what a government school or a county school can compare with——
Mingyuan Building has three floors and is six feet high. It is for the examiners to monitor the candidates in each dormitory from a high position. It is of course unobstructed on all sides. Although it is morning, the hot June sun is very uncomfortable. I waited for about two days.
At that moment, I saw a group of officials entering the Gongyuan under the escort of official envoys. Li Shangshu looked about seventy years old. He was slightly fat and had a smile on his face. He was about fifty years old, of medium height and had good eyesight.
There are some depressions, and the expression is more serious——
Passing down Mingyuan Downstairs, in front is the "Zhigong Hall". Li Shangshu, Gu Jijiu and other officials went to sit down in the hall. The newly admitted supervisors stood at the bottom of the hall. Li Shangshu didn't want to be verbose and let the scribes go first.
After receiving everyone's admission license, he said: "Today is the entrance exam. There is only one question on the meaning of the Four Books. As long as your craftsmanship and calligraphy are not too bad, you will not be dismissed. But those who are good at craftsmanship can enter Chongzhi Hall, Guangye
The next best thing is to study at the Justice Hall—”
At this time, I suddenly saw a Gongyuan official coming to the court to report: "My lord, Prince Shangfeng of Ryukyu has requested to take part in today's exam. Please give me your permission."
Tomorrow night, the official title will be called Dean. Dean Li said to Gu Qiyuan: "Didn't this Prince of Ryukyu arrive at the beginning of the year? He has been studying for many days. Why does he ask to take the exam now?"
Gu Qiyuan said: "Shangfeng is the second son of the Ryukyu King. He is considered to be studious and motivated. He was not allowed to take the exam when he first entered school. He must have wanted to pass the entrance exam and enter prison like other Gongsheng students."
Li Weizhen nodded and said: "It is rare for a barbarian to have such ambition. Let him come in."
Zhang Yuan, the official in the hall, heard clearly what he was saying. He was secretly surprised and thought to himself: "Did the Prince of Ryukyu also come to Nanjian to study? I remember that Ryukyu was controlled by a Japanese island vassal in the late Ming Dynasty. It should not be the case now."
Well, otherwise the prince of Ryukyu would not come to Nanjing to study." He thought: "Even if Ryukyu is not controlled by the Japanese island lord now, it will only be in the next few years. Ryukyu is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and it is governed by the Ming Dynasty Zhengshuo.
Ryukyu was invaded, but the Ming Dynasty was unable to save it, which is a pity."
After a while, the Gongyuan official led three people in. They were wearing lacquered turbans, jade-colored silk cloth, wide sleeves with soap edges, and waistbands tied with soap. They were the uniform attire of Imperial College students. The appearance of the three people was exactly the same as that of the Han people. One person in the middle
He is about twenty-four or five years old, with an unusual height of five feet, fair skin, high forehead, high nose bridge, and a rather resolute expression. This man should be Shotoyo, the second son of the Ryukyu King. The two people on the left and right deliberately keep half a step away from him.
You can tell from the distance that its status is high——
Li Shangshu called Shang Feng and the others to the court to give a few words of praise, and then asked the officials to lead the candidates into the dormitory to start the examination. They were required to submit papers before noon without any delay.
The dormitory in Nanjing Gongyuan is very different from the examination booth where Zhang Yuan took the county and government examinations. This dormitory is for single people and single rooms. It is ordered by the thousand-character text "Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang, and the Universe". Zhang Yuan's dormitory
The name is "Su". There is pen and ink paper in the dormitory. The letterhead of the paper is printed with the words "Nanjing Gongyuan" and the imprint of "Su". Of course, the Imperial College entrance examination is not as strict as the provincial examination. The gate is not closed, and there is no search when entering the Longmen.
——
Zhang Yuan was polishing his ink when he heard the official application question. It was the question "Fan Chi asked about knowledge" from the Four Books, which comes from "The Analects of Confucius? Yong Ye". It is about knowledge and benevolence. This kind of question is not difficult for Zhang Yuan, so he immediately
Slowly grinding the ink, and after the ink was thickened with an inkstone, he had already typed a 400-word essay with four book questions and eight parts. He did not rush to write it out, but first got to know the dormitory. He regarded this Imperial College Entrance Examination as a preview.
Next August he will take the rural examination in Gongyuan, Hangzhou. The regulations for the dormitory in Gongyuan are similar. This dormitory is about six feet high, three feet wide and four feet deep. If you are fat, you may not be able to squeeze into this dormitory.
There are no tables and chairs in the dormitory. There are only two wooden boards with stacked bricks as support. The top one is used as a table and the bottom one is used as a stool. It is very simple to prevent cheating in exams——
The dormitory is short and closed, and it is very stuffy inside in this hot weather. Fortunately, the provincial examination is in August. If he takes the exam for three days in the hot summer of June, he will definitely suffer from heat stroke. There are many mosquitoes in this place. Zhang Yuan only sat for this long
Yes, I was bitten with a few red blisters on my calf——
This is not a place to stay for a long time. Zhang Yuan took up his pen and wrote the eight-part essay "Fan Chi asked for knowledge" in regular script on the Gongyuan examination paper. After checking that it was correct, he opened the wooden board and walked out of the dormitory with the examination paper.
There were rows of houses, with a narrow alley in the middle. The official guard asked Zhang Yuan to go to the "Zhigong Hall" to hand in the papers. When Zhang Yuan walked past the "Shuang" house, he saw his elder brother Zhang Dai also coming out with the papers, and he chuckled.
Said: "Brother, it's so comfortable. I'm in the frost room, but I'm in the summer room. The heat is unbearable."
The two brothers joked in a low voice and walked towards the "Zhiguangtang". They saw that Ryukyu Prince Shangfeng had also passed the exam. As they walked, they were looking at their papers and smiling. It was obvious that they were quite proud of their eight-legged essay.