A few days before the exam, Chen Xiliang took a leave of absence, took the three Chen Ke brothers and Song Duanping to burn incense four times. The first time was at home, and he prayed towards Sichuan in the southwest to pray for green smoke from the ancestral graves;
The second time, I went to the Wenchang Emperor's Temple to burn incense and asked the god in charge of literary fortune to bless me for passing the exam. Then I went to the Confucius Temple to burn incense, hoping that the Holy Master could help... These two places were so crowded that I couldn't get in.
, all of whom came to pray for the exams and their families.
Even if we are people a thousand years later, during the college entrance examination, the parents of the candidates are extremely superstitious, let alone in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, although Chen Ke did not believe in these, he did not object. Anyway, he could go wherever Chen Xiliang asked him to go, and he would do whatever he asked.
How to worship.
After visiting the Confucius Temple, it was already past noon, and Chen Ke said, let’s go have a meal.
Chen Xiliang shook his head and said: "There is another temple...",
"That's almost enough..." Chen Ke said with a grimace: "It's just a test, why bother worshiping all the gods in Bianjing City?"
"I must worship this one." Chen Xiliang said mysteriously, "It's particularly effective."
"Then why do you still need to pay homage to the first two?" Wulang said in a low voice.
"No one can be neglected. Anyone who is unhappy will be in trouble." Chen Xiliang sighed. He took them to the Erxiang Gong Temple on the west side of the inner city. As expected, the mountains are not high, and there are immortals and spirits.
The inconspicuous temples are full of bustling houses and filled with cigarette smoke.
Chen Xiliang led them to queue up to burn incense and donate money for the incense. Only then did they get to the highlight of the trip, asking for autographs.
Chen Xiliang asked Song Duanping to ask first. This guy was usually very carefree, but at this moment he was extremely nervous. He held the shiny black lotus tube and shook it for a long time before shaking out a lotus. He quickly picked it up as if he had found a treasure.
It says, "The yellow umbrella stands in the sky, the sky is red, and the phoenix sheath is singing." I feel that the literal meaning is quite good, but I don't know how to interpret it.
Shiro also asked for one, and got a signature saying, "I have obtained new news, and it is said that I will dominate the class."
Next is Wulang. The sign he asked for is "Be born in the world of Yao and Shun, and the good wind will depend on your strength."
Chen Ke looked at these signatures and thought, "Why are they all the same?" He couldn't help but think of the fortune-telling that the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple gave Di Qing. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself and said: "Monks are indeed cunning and cunning." Under Chen Xiliang's urging
, he also drew a lot and said: "If you get the King of Flowers with one throw, the spring breeze will be fragrant."
"Wow," Song Duanping picked up his lottery ticket and said, "Doesn't this mean you are going to win the top prize?"
"Then you still want to be the consort." Chen Ke spat.
"After drawing lots, hurry out and people are still queuing up behind you." The scholars behind protested.
Chen Ke and others quickly went out with the signatures and went to the old monk outside to get the signatures. Song Duanping handed over his signatures. The old monk looked at them and said, "Are you together?"
Seeing the four people nodding, the old monk said: "Bring it together.
After collecting all the lottery tickets and reading them one by one, the old monk closed his eyes and pondered in silence. Chen Ke and the others couldn't wait any longer and asked urgently: "How many of us can pass the exam?"
"..." The old monk slowly opened his eyes, stroking his beard with a thoughtful look on his face, and then stretched out a finger.
"What kind of favor?" The mood of several people dropped to the bottom: "Can we only win one?"
The old monk smiled and said nothing: "Don't say it, don't say it." Then he said to the person behind him: "The next person..."
After coming out of the temple, the originally cheerful atmosphere became much duller. Wulang sighed and said: "It seems that I have no chance this time." He studied hard and was not smart... at least among this group of people.
This is the case.
Chen Ke laughed loudly and said, "Idiot, that old monk is a big liar."
"How do you say this?" Everyone asked in wonder.
"If you think about it, he raised a finger. In addition to being able to interpret it as 'one person passed the exam,' it can also be translated as 'a group of people all passed the exam' or 'no one passed the exam' or only one person failed the exam, or even
If half of the people pass the exam, it can explain all the possibilities." Chen Ke said with a smile: "The old monk said 'it cannot be said' because if you put it plainly, it will not be so bright."
"That's right, how can it be possible for only one to win?" Song Duanping said with a smile: "The three of us take part in the lock-in test, and we will win three out of ten!" He looked at Shiro and said, "Even if Shiro takes part in the main test, there are still ten.
If you take a ratio of one, you will definitely pass the exam."
"Okay, I'm asking for the signature just for peace of mind." Chen Xiliang also said with a smile: "If you want to pass the exam, you have to look at your ability." He said with a smile: "Let's go, let's go to dinner."
"Where to go?"
"Chengnan!"
"so far?"
"The hotel has a lucky draw, it's called Kuixing Tower!" Chen Xiliang was ready to become superstitious to the end.
"Go on your own!" Everyone rebelled completely...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~·
After paying homage to all the gods, there were still three full days before going to the examination room. Chen Xiliang ordered them not to do anything but sleep. This is the experience of those who have experienced it. Three days of examinations can turn people into ghosts.
It's impossible to have a good night's sleep during the day, so you need to get enough sleep in advance to reserve plenty of energy.
In addition, in the past few days, Zhao Zongji sent the cooks from the palace to prepare their meals. Chen Ke and the others ate well and slept well, living like pigs. It was the eve of the exam without any feeling.
After the unitary hour of the day, the four Chen Kes were called up. After freshening up, they came to the front hall. They saw Chen Xiliang and the Cao family were there, as well as Cao Ping, Di Yong, Yang Huaiyu, and the young prince Zhao Zongji were also there."... For the Song Dynasty
For scholars, the imperial examination is a more important event than getting married, so it is customary for close relatives and friends to take the examination.
There were four tables in the hall, and each table was filled with dozens of objects. Chen Xiliang said: "Take a look, I have an idea in my mind. If there is nothing missing, I will pack it into boxes."
After the four of them greeted the guests, they went to the table with their names written on them and started checking according to the list. There were many things to bring with them for the three-day exam. In addition to the necessities for the exam: pens, ink, inkstones, and writing circles,
Bring food, tableware, etc. Because it is August and the weather is still relatively hot, you can only bring some non-perishable foods such as moon cakes, salted duck, bacon, orange cake, lotus rice and so on.
There are also elixirs to aid digestion and prevent headaches, bedrolls for sleeping, and paper bags for holding test papers...all of them are ready.
After the four people counted everything correctly, they tied up the four maids and put all these things into the examination box in front of them... The examination box was produced by the most famous Hu's Woodware Store in Bianjing City, with exquisite materials and design.
It is also quite exquisite. It is divided into three layers. In addition to a large drawer at the top and bottom, the middle layer is also designed with two small drawers to facilitate candidates to store items in categories.
And it also has the advantage that it is strong enough. If candidates need to rest while waiting for the exam, it can be used as a sleeping bag, which saves the need to bring an exam stool.
After packing up their belongings, everyone moved to their seats to practice for the four heroes who were about to step into the examination room...
The same behavior happened everywhere in the city.
In the guest room of the temple, Su Tao packed his luggage for his two sons, with a look on his face: "Only success is allowed here, no failure!"
"Father, relax." Su Shi felt that the old man was too nervous and said with a smile: "It's just a provincial examination... Oops..." Before he could finish his words, he received a heavy blow on the head. Su Xun blew his beard and glared:
"How many times have I told you, you have to go all out and don't be careless! This is Bianjing City, where there are people and heaven! If you are not careful, I will break your legs..." What followed was a full half hour.
Barabara.
Su Shi was sprayed with saliva all over his face, but he didn't dare to talk anymore.
Su Zhe looked at his brother helplessly, thinking to himself, didn't your child bring this upon himself?
The Fujian Guild Hall in the west of the city is also brightly lit at the moment. Five brothers, Lu Huiqing, live here. At this moment, they are sitting on chairs meditating, and no one speaks.
A simple house in the south of the city is where the Zeng brothers live. At this moment, they are sitting around a table for dinner. Zeng Gong is sitting at the head. He swallows the rice in his mouth and asks Zeng Bu and others: "Have everything been packed?"
The brothers all nodded, Zeng Gong said nothing.
Tonight, Bianjing is destined to have no sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
Not long after the drums started ringing at the fourth watch, there was movement on the street. The sound of carriages, horses and footsteps sounded from all corners of the capital, heading in the same direction to the Imperial College! In this era, there was no Gongyuan specifically used for examinations, so the Imperial College became
examination room.
The Chen family is very close to the Imperial College, and you can walk there.
Chen Xiliang naturally wanted to send them to the examination room. As he walked on the road, he took the trouble to remind them what they should pay attention to when entering the examination room, and never contradict the soldiers who patrolled the examination...
Chen Ke was carrying the examination box and holding a lantern, and Zhao Zongji was carrying his bedroll for him. The two of them walked behind, listening to Brother Xiaoliang's chatter. Zhao Zongji chuckled and said, "Uncle Chen is a native of the court, but he is famous for being a gangster."
It’s so hard, I didn’t expect it to have such a side.”
"For more than ten years, I have been a father and a mother at the same time, but I have fallen into trouble." Chen Ke smiled and said, "Don't you think it is also a kind of happiness to have someone nagging you?"
"Hey..." Zhao Zongji didn't expect him to say that. He looked at Chen Ke carefully and said, "I found that you have changed?"
"How has it changed?"
"It has become peaceful," Zhao Zongji said with a smile, "It is not as sharp as before."
"As soon as I entered the world, I became old." Chen Ke said in an old-fashioned way.
"Fuck you!" Zhao Zongji laughed and scolded: "People who haven't gotten married yet say that they are old. How can I be embarrassed when I become a father?" After that, he hit Chen Ke with a bedroll and said: "Seriously, you didn't
Question?"
"Although Shiwen is not my specialty," Chen Ke thought about it and said, "But failing the exam is even harder than passing the exam..."
I checked the imperial examination information of the Song Dynasty for a day and found out the differences between it and the Ming Dynasty one by one. Anyone who wants to write a paper on this subject can ask me for information. (To be continued)