The four examiners worked non-stop to correct the papers on the spot. The papers of the five candidates had to be reviewed by the four examiners Wang Anshi and Yang Tian, who wrote comments at the back of the papers, and finally agreed on the grade.
There are five levels of academic performance.
According to the convention, first and second class are just fake. Anyway, as long as you are an individual, you can't pass the first and second class.
The actual grades of candidates are divided into third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade. The third grade and fourth grade are divided into upper and lower grades. For example, third grade, third grade, fourth grade, fourth grade and so on.
The worst is the fifth grade, and there is no upper or lower grade for the fifth grade.
As for the Secret Pavilion Examination, it is used to screen candidates for admission and determine the final candidates to participate in the Royal Examination.
To participate in the Royal Examination, one must be in the fourth grade or above. During the Jingyou period, it was changed to allow those who were in the fourth grade or above to participate in the Imperial Examination.
Therefore, to be able to take part in the Royal Examination, it was at least the fourth time, or even the third level.
How difficult is it to enter the third class?
Among the more than 30 people admitted to the system since the founding of the Song Dynasty, only Wu Yu, Shiqi Niang's uncle, was admitted to the third class. But Wu Yu was not the third class, but the third class.
So far, no one has achieved the third-class examination. If there is a title higher than the number one scholar in the examination, the only one who can achieve the third-class examination is the third-class examination.
Whether you can enter the third class in the end depends on the imperial examination Shangguan family's holy will.
Wang Anshi and other five examiners first determine whether the candidate can pass the exam (pass the six secret exams).
If you pass four or more of the six theories, you can pass the cabinet. After passing the cabinet, you will be at least the fifth level.
The fifth level seems to be in sight, but crossing the pavilion is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Although those who can participate in the Secret Pavilion Sixth Examination are all outstanding, the elite among the elites. Therefore, there are very few candidates who pass one, two, five or even all.
Most people are connected to three and four.
The examiners first looked at Wang Jie's paper. The marking rules were as follows. First, they looked at the source and whether the context was clearly explained. As for the text and words, they came second.
At the end of Wang Jie's paper, the five examiners unanimously gave the conclusion of passing the fourth grade. Passing the fourth grade means passing the cabinet. However, the language of the article was a bit poor.
In the end, Wang Jie was given a fifth-level evaluation, which meant that Wang Jie was not eligible for the imperial examination. However, Wang Anshi was very pleased for his old friend.
Next came Wang Kui's paper. Unfortunately, although all the examiners praised his writing and composition, he only had a pass three, so he was dismissed as unqualified.
But it was a pity that Wang Anshi was Wang Kui's Taoist, and he told everyone that if he were to pass the cabinet, Wang Kui's articles would be in the fourth class.
Everyone is also sorry, the rules are like this, if you can't be ranked, you can't be ranked.
Next, the examiners saw Su Che's paper.
Among the examiners, Wu Kui himself was a Jinshi in the fifth year of Tiansheng, and in the first year of Huangyou, he was a virtuous, upright, eloquent and fourth-level scholar. Among those present, Wu Kui was the only one who had passed the Jinshi and the system exams.
division.
Wu Kui himself also had a strong memory and was known as a person who could not read without reading. Therefore, in this examination, all the examiners chose him as the main one.
Wu Kui looked at Su Zhe's paper and smiled and said: "Nowadays, people in the world either respect the scriptures or slander the scriptures. Although Su Ziyou is young, he has great words."
Yang Tian smiled and said: "Mr. Wu, I heard that Su Zi was passed down by Zeng Yangong. The second biography of Gu is not enough, and the only one who governs the Spring and Autumn Period is the Zuo Zhuan."
Wu Kui said: "Gong, Gu Erzhuan does have the intention of passing on the truth, but after Sun Taishan, people nowadays treat many diseases based on assumptions in the Spring and Autumn Period, and use denigration of the classics as a way to do it. This person is justified by being demoted, and twenty years later the world will There must be a place for this person among those who govern the Spring and Autumn Period."
The other examiners also agreed with Wu Kui's words, but Wang Anshi said nothing.
Finally, everyone checked the article and found that in Su Che's theory that etiquette, righteousness, and trust are sufficient to achieve virtue, he did not explain that the source of the annotation was Bao Xian of the Han Dynasty, so he was judged as unreasonable.
All the examiners felt sorry for Su Zhe when they saw that there were so many. If there were only a few shortcomings, it would be a perfect pass.
In the last six chapters, Su Che passed the five passes and was initially assigned the fourth grade. Whether it was the fourth grade or not would have to go through the imperial examination before being awarded the final grade.
Then there are articles by Su Shi.
Su Shi was both talented and knowledgeable in physical education. Originally, the ten subjects of the system used different questions, but during the Jingyou and Baoyuan years, he was first able to speak out and give advice, and the two subjects, such as Mao Caiyi, used the same questions.
Afterwards, the four subjects of the four subjects, namely, the virtuous and upright people can speak out and give advice, the Botong tomb code is clear in education, the talents and knowledge are brilliant in physical application, and the talents are different.
In this way, these subjects have different names but the same reality. Therefore, Jinshi in these four subjects can claim to be of virtuous background to the outside world.
After seeing Su Shi's six essays, all the examiners unanimously praised it. Even Wang Anshi, who had criticized Su Che, made an exception and praised Su Shi.
The only fly in the ointment is that when the situation was not as good as the theory of virtue, all the examiners could see that Su Shi had some shortcomings in this article.
The first sentence, "The Biography" contains: "The weather is not as good as the favorable geographical location, and the favorable geographical conditions are not as good as the people." This sentence comes from Mencius, not the biography.
But the flaws do not hide the virtues.
In the end, Su Shi got Tong Wu.
When discussing the ranking, Wang Chou took the lead and said: "The meaning of each article is brilliant. Su Zizhan has to be in the third grade. The fourth grade is to surrender."
Yang Tian asked: "Is that the third level or the third level?"
Wang Chou said: "Of course it's the third level, not the third level."
You must know that although the first and second grades of the system are a fictitious thing, no one has ever been able to obtain the third grade, and it seems to be just a fictitious thing. When Wu Yu got the third grade, there was an uproar in the whole court.
"Jiefu, come and give me a word!" Wang Chou asked Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi said without hesitation: "Su Ziyou deserves it."
Wu Kui saw that Wang Anshi also supported Su Shi, and finally nodded and said: "I also think we deserve it. There has never been anyone in the third class in the system of subjects. Now it is judged that although we have a clear conscience for promoting talents for the country, we have a clear conscience." Are you afraid of outsiders’ comments?”
Wang Anshi spoke up and said: "Although Su Zizhan is young, he is already able to read extensively and speak deeply about the affairs of the world. This talent and willpower are indeed worthy of the third class. As long as we don't deceive our hearts, external comments are just that. Mr. Wu is really too worried."
Wu Kui stabbed Wang Anshi, feeling a little uncomfortable in his heart, but still calmly said: "Indeed, if after the imperial examination, one of Su's Kunzhongs will be promoted to the third class, and another will be promoted to the fourth class, it will really be called a prosperous age."
Several examiners listened and finally decided unanimously to set Su Shi's grade as third grade.
After writing it down, Wu Kui stroked his beard and said: "The third level of the system is unprecedented in this dynasty. I don't know if there will be others in the future."
Everyone shook their heads and said: "It's difficult, it's difficult."
Wang Chou said: "A talent like Su Zizhan only appears once every 100 years. How can there be another person?" As he said this, Wang Chou wrote his own testimonials on Su Shi's paper.
"This is the only one." Yang Tian also said.
Having said this, Wu Kui said: "In that case, let's go to the official house."
Yang Tian was the happiest among those present, because he and Ouyang Xiu recommended Su Shi and Su Che to participate in the system training, which means that he really knows how to recognize people.
Wang Chou said: "Wait a minute, there is another Zhang Duzhi."
Everyone suddenly realized that Su Shi's article was so good that they forgot about Zhang Yue for a moment. However, Zhang Yue was only seventeen years old. Even though his article was good, he was definitely not as good as the two Su brothers when it came to learning and memorizing.
Already.
What's more, Zhang Yue had just finished the Jinshi examination, but the Su brothers postponed even going to become officials in order to prepare for the examination, and spent a whole year preparing for the examination in their apartment.
One is prepared and the other is unprepared.
So all the examiners read the Zhang Yue examination papers together.
After one person has read it, pass it to the other person.
After reading it, Wu Kui said: "Let's talk about the incomprehensibility first! Which examiner saw it?"
But Yang Tian shook his head.
Then Wang Chou shook his head.
Wang Anshi also shook his head.
Wu Kui smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't see it either."
Wang Chou asked in surprise: "Is it true that you can't find any faults?"
The examiners searched for another half an hour.
All the examiners unanimously concluded that Zhang Yue had passed all six essays, which was unbelievable.
All access!
Even brothers Su Shi and Su Che couldn't do it.
"I heard that Zhang Du had mastered the Nine Classics at the age of twelve, and I thought it was just hearsay..." Wu Kui shook his head.
Wang Anshi, who is the most knowledgeable and memorized person, also said at this moment: "It's weird, it's weird, could it be that Zhang Duzhi copied the questions while facing the book? Otherwise..."
Yang Tian sighed with emotion: "It is not difficult to finish reading a house of origin, but it is really difficult to finish reading it and it is not good at all. Is this man's knowledge really so rich?"
"That's what happens when you're seventeen."
Wu Kui took Zhang Yue's paper and read it again, frowning and asked Wang Chou: "What did you think of Su Zizhan's paper just now?"
Wang Chou looked a little worried and said: "I remember that Zizhan was only a hundred years old... he came out every hundred years... and there is no second person."
Yang Tian was glad that he had just spoken and not put his opinions on the paper.
Wu Kuidao: "Everyone has said so much, how can I wait for you?"
Yang Tian smiled bitterly and said, "You can't give me another third-class one, right?"
All the examiners laughed after hearing this.
It has been more than 100 years since the establishment of the subject, and there is not a single third-class one. This does not happen once every 100 years, but only once every 200 years.
As a result, not only did I pass this subject, I actually passed two in one breath.
From the emperor down to the common people, everyone would ask invariably, are you serious?
"You have been debating for half a day, but you can't find fault. Why don't you force Zhang Du to be demoted?" Wang Anshi asked.
Wang Chou objected: "This is really unfair. Just because we read Su Zizhan's article first, we demoted Zhang Duzhi. I can't do this."
"Then we will demote Su Zizhan's ranking?" Wang Anshi asked again.
The other three examiners also objected.
"Jiefu has always been decisive, what do you think?"
Wang Anshi said: "Since we can't surrender, then I think it's better to just say that I don't deceive my heart."
"We don't deceive our hearts, but we are afraid that the world will think that we are bad candidates."
Yang Tian said: "In the Tang Dynasty, Jingzhou was well-dressed and well-dressed. Every year, people were given away to the public. Most of them were not famous, so they were called Tianhuangjie."
"When Liu Tuo's family arrived, he was escorted to Jingzhou. He passed the Jinshi examination and was named unprecedented. It can be seen that this unprecedented is not a bad thing, but a good thing!"
Wu Kui slapped his legs and laughed, "That's exactly it."
Yang Tian said: "It's unprecedented. If both of our sons become great talents in the future, the world will praise us for our ability to recognize people today. Besides, it doesn't count if we are all ranked third. In the end, after the imperial examination, the officials will have the final say."
.”
Wu Kui smiled slightly and said: "Then report it like this first."
After Wu Kui finally discussed with the examiners, he also wrote a third grade on Zhang Yue's paper, and finally reported it to the officials.
After learning that Zhang Yue and Su Shi both ranked third in the pavilion examination, the Chongwen Academy was collectively shocked, the Zhongshu Province was also shocked, and even the officials were shocked!