The spring in Bianjing in February is extremely cold, especially in the morning and evening, with the strong north wind, which is bone-chilling. Examination in this environment is simply a double test of the body and spirit.
Wei Chen cleaned the dormitory, made some arrangements, and quickly lit a charcoal basin to keep warm. He also put a small copper stove on the charcoal fire to boil water.
After the water boiled, Wei Chen threw some ginger slices and red dates into it.
Ginger and jujube tea can not only dispel cold and dampness, but also nourish the spleen and stomach, which is very suitable for Wei Chen who can only eat more dry food and less hot food during the exam period.
Compared with most candidates, Wei Chen's exam-taking life is undoubtedly very comfortable.
There is a charcoal fire burning in the room, a furnace is placed under his feet, a small heater is carried in his arms, and knee pads and waist pads are all available, which can ensure that he will not suffer from the spring cold at all and can take the exam with peace of mind.
After his body and mind were adjusted to the best condition, Wei Chen took off the paper bag sent by the clerk not long ago from the wall, opened the test paper, and carefully reviewed the three and four questions at the end.
In the provincial examination, these first three questions were the foundation, and this is even more true now in the general examination, because the first three questions in the general examination were asked by the emperor himself, so the examiners naturally have to devote all their energy to them.
Come and try it soon.]
The three major questions come from "The Analects", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" respectively.
The reason why there is no "University" is because "The University" has less than 2,000 words in total, and the length is too short, so questions are rarely drawn from it.
The title of the Analects of Confucius is: "Zi Zai heard about Shao."
Mencius titled: "The trouble with people is to be a teacher."
The title of Zhongyong is: "A gentleman acts in his position and does not want to be outside of it."
Because it is a general examination, there is nothing surprising about the questions, and there will be no overlapping questions. They are just a sentence taken directly from the four books. As long as candidates are familiar with the books, it is easy to get started.
Wei Chen has practiced this kind of question countless times, and it can be said that it is not difficult at all for him.
But the topic is simple, and the article cannot be equally simple. Otherwise, how can we stand out among these three thousand people?
Wei Chen took a sip of ginger and jujube tea and looked at the first Analects question: "Zi Zai Qi Wen Shao".
The complete context is: "When Zi heard about Shao in Qi, he didn't know the taste of meat in March, and said: It is the ultimate pleasure not to think about it."
The saying "I don't know the taste of meat in three months" is so famous. Even if Wei Chen has no experience in this life, he knows that the meaning of this saying is related to learning.
Confucius admired the former saints and fell in love with Shao music. His purpose was to deeply understand Shun's thoughts contained in Shao music, and what he did was "learn it".
Therefore, the word "learn" is the thread that connects the topic and must be used throughout the entire text.
In this way, the problem will be solved.
Wei Chen dipped his pen in ink and wrote nine characters on the paper: "Learning for a long time makes you specialized, which is called the most beautiful thing."
This is the clear method among the six methods for solving problems. It is grand and upright, and the main idea is clearly stated from the beginning.
The following is a speech on behalf of the saint. Wei Chen takes up the pen and rubs the tip of the pen on the paper, like spring eating mulberry leaves, making a rustling sound.
Each square and neat font escaped from Wei Chen's pen and soon covered the scroll.
The Guange style used by Wei Chen is despised by many professional calligraphers, who think it is rigid and rigid and lacks artistry.
But during the imperial examination, Guange style was undoubtedly the best font.
The characters written by Wei Chen perfectly explain the advantages of the Guange style: black, square, regular, and as precise as a machine, which can be clearly understood by the markers.
This is the result of Wei Chen practicing calligraphy every day for five years. It cannot be called art, but it is definitely practical.
Wow!
When one paper was full, Wei Chen dried the ink and put it aside. Then he took the paperweight, pressed the next paper, and continued to write without scratching.
With his astonishing talent for photographic memory and the fact that he has never let go of the scrolls for the past five years, Wei Chen's knowledge reserve has already reached a level unimaginable by ordinary people.
When he was in the Shengjia School, Sheng Changbai once lamented that Wei Chen had "a hundred thousand volumes of books in his chest", and Zhuang Jun agreed.
With such a profound accumulation of knowledge, no matter what article, Wei Chen is confident and can pick it up at his fingertips.
The same is true in the dormitory at this moment. Although Wei Chen has completed every word in his pen, his literary thoughts are still flowing, and his pen is like a dragon, just to write an article that satisfies himself.
Looking at the Great Zhou Gongyuan at this moment, all the candidates are like Wei Chen, thinking hard, frowning and writing, expressing all they have learned in their lives on paper, but hoping that one day they will leap over the dragon's gate and fly straight up into the blue clouds!
Time flies by, and before you know it, it’s the afternoon of the second day. Wei Chen has already finished answering the first seven questions on the Four Books and Five Classics.
He calmly copied the article and read it carefully five times from beginning to end. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he stood up and handed in the paper.
The examiner came to Wei Chen holding an umbrella. When he saw the name on the paper, he looked at Wei Chen in surprise and nodded towards Wei Chen.
Wei Chen respectfully returned the gift.
When the candidates around him saw this, they were a little confused. Could it be that this young man was a famous big shot? Otherwise, why would the examiner treat him differently?
However, the examiner did not call out Wei Chen's name on the spot, and the candidates had no way of knowing it. They could only suppress their guesses and continue writing articles.
After handing in the papers, Wei Chen packed up the test box, held an umbrella and walked out of the dragon gate, breathing a sigh of relief.
After this test, the general examination has almost settled. The second and third tests are just a formality, and are less important than the second and third tests in the provincial examination.
However, no matter how important these two exams are, they are still part of the general examination. After all the difficulties, Wei Chen will not take it lightly.
In the second session of the examination, one test was conducted on the Five Classics, one test each on the imperial edict, the imperial edict, the imperial edict, the judgment, and the edict, and there was also a policy question.
Taking advantage of the convenience of Sheng Hong being an official in the court, Wei Chen read through all the imperial reports, edicts and proclamations in recent years.
Not only were these practical styles difficult for him, but they were also written in a colorful and lucid way, almost comparable to an old official who had been immersed in writing for many years.
After the second three-day exam, Wei Chen returned to the Zen monastery to rest for two days, and then came the third and final exam, which involved five questions.
The five policy questions examine the classics, history and current affairs. The first is to ask about the emperor's way of governing, the second is to ask about the meaning of the classics, the third is to ask about history, the fourth is to ask for advice, and the fifth is to ask about river workers.
Wei Chen wrote the first four questions very smoothly, with words flowing out of his chest, and he completed the four articles almost without adding any details.
The fifth question about river engineering is Wei Chen's forte. Digging through the memories of his past life, just writing down the principle of beaming water to attack sand is enough to show his far-reaching vision far beyond others.
Then it extends from water management to people management, several items are addressed simultaneously, and the words are meaningful. Even if he stayed in Hebian County and became a local official, he was not as high as Wei Chen's theoretical level.
It's a pity that no one will use the things on the exam paper for practical application even after the exam is over.
If Wei Chen's river management theory is to be put into practice, I'm afraid we have to wait until Wei Chen becomes an official in the court and do it himself.
But no matter what, Wei Chen finally finished all three exams in Tianyou's six years and is just waiting for the results to be released.