As we all know, the Fujian Road State Military Examination has an admission ratio of one out of 100 for each subject, which can be called cruel.
It’s just that the number of students admitted is small, but it’s also rich in students who take the exams and excel in academics.
For example, the Xinghua Army on Fujian Road was only a mere five miles away. In the eight-year imperial examination in Shaoxing, 14 people were named on the gold medal list. What's more terrible is that the number one and second place were respectively Huang Gongdu and Chen Junqing, who were members of the Xinghua Army.
Jin Diance, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, asked Huang Gongdu and Chen Junqing, how could your Xinghua Army be ranked number two in a place as big as your palm? It was really beyond my expectation. Then he asked them what local specialties there are in your hometown.
Chen Junqing replied: "The land is thin and pines and cypresses are planted, and the poor family is studying!"
There is no other reason. Because the place is poor, there are many scholars and highly motivated people.
With Zhang Xu's talents, even if he can defeat Pucheng County, people he met such as Chen Xiang, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Youzhi all praised him and said that he would definitely be named on the gold list in the future.
No one can guarantee that Zhang Xuneng will pass the state military examination on Fujian Road, and you will be able to fight your way through thousands of troops.
So what if you are lucky enough to get the solution from Fujian Road? There is also the provincial examination. The provincial examination is called the Shangshu Provincial Examination. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was called the Huixi Examination. The first place in the provincial examination was called Shengyuan. That was when people from all walks of life took the exam together.
The difficulty of the first test is self-evident.
In the end, the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty were also about screening people.
Zhang Yuan, the Prime Minister of Xixia, passed the provincial examination and provincial examination, but failed in the palace examination. In anger, he defected to Li Yuanhao and became a traitor.
If you fail the provincial examination and fail the palace examination, you will have to go back to Fujian Road and take the exam again.
To be able to break out of the death group twice is simply a lucky child, and he can compete with Liu Xiu.
In comparison, the chance of winning in the CAO test for the children of officials' families is much higher. Last year, the Fujian Road CAO test took 3 out of 10 people. Historically, it was not until the third year of Jiayou's reign that it was changed to 15 out of 100 people.
Zhang Xu's talents were well-known in the clan, and as Zhang Xu's clan father and uncle, Zhang Yu lived in Pucheng for several years before he became an official.
Zhang Zaijun's fifth son, Zhang Renche, is from the same family as Zhang Yu, and is the great-grandfather of Zhang's father. Counting Zhang Yue's generation, he has not yet appeared in the fifth server.
But it was said that Zhang Xu’s second aunt had no children for many years after her marriage. At that time, there was talk of Zhang Xu being adopted by Zhang Yu. However, later Zhang Yu won the Jinshi. Four years later, Zhang Yu’s father Zhang Quan won the Jinshi again, and the two families gradually became a family.
Gao Luo and Zhang Yu's concubine gave birth to a son for him, so the two families gave up their plans.
After that, the second aunt moved her family to Suzhou, and the two sides gradually lost contact. However, when she was young and fostered, the second aunt always regarded Zhang Xu as her own and cared about her a lot. Zhang Yu also heard that Zhang Xu was talented and famous at a young age.
At an early age, he showed his talent for reading, so he had the idea to let Zhang Xu go to Suzhou to join his officialdom.
Although Suzhou is also a difficult place for imperial examinations and has buried many talents since ancient times, the civil examination is much easier than the state military examination. With the talent of the second brother, he is definitely on the list of candidates in Suzhou.
After Zhang's mother passed away, her second aunt came from Suzhou to Pucheng to express her condolences and proposed this proposal, but Zhang's father and Zhang Shi objected.
They all believed that with Zhang Xu's talent, it would be a matter of time before he was named on the gold medal list. The Cao Examination and the State Military Examination were all the same to Zhang Xu. Yes, they were all the same.
Zhang Yue didn't remember much at that time. He only remembered that his second aunt left Zhang's house in tears, but his second brother never said a word about it from beginning to end.
However, no one in the family paid much attention to this matter at that time. Because of this matter, Zhang's father's family had a quarrel with his second aunt, but Zhang Shi kept telling Zhang Yue that his second brother didn't like the Yang family's snobbery, so the two families broke off contact.
If he hadn't suddenly mentioned this matter, Zhang Yue would have always thought that it was the second brother's own idea to break off the relationship between the two families!
Zhang Shi loved his second brother very much, but he only focused on creating conditions for studying and ignored the rest.
Now the second brother is in Suzhou with official status and will soon go to Beijing for a test...
"So, I...my second brother went to Suzhou to change his nationality with my uncle?"
Zhang Heng frowned when he heard this and said, "Uncle? He's my cousin, right?"
Zhang Yue smiled bitterly, this relationship is a bit messy.
"Thank you very much, Chief, for informing me, but I don't know where the Chief heard about it? Second brother can't write to the Chief, right?" Zhang Yue asked Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng smiled slightly and said: "Sanlang doesn't know something. I am from Hangzhou and have been to Suzhou many times. This is what my uncle Zhang Zhifu said in the letter..."
"Pride? Is it a cousin?"
Zhang Heng nodded and said: "My courtesy name is Zhifu, my name is Jie, and I live in Suzhou."
If nothing else goes wrong, this man will be called "the best in the West" by later generations. His side skills are enough to put Xia Song, Han Qi, Fan Zhongyan and other big men to shame, and he is one of the "two chapters" to quarrel with his husband.
When he was guarding the northwest, he presided over the Battle of Pingxia City, which was the greatest victory since the Northern Song Dynasty fought against Xixia. The Song Dynasty fully occupied the Hengshan and Tiandu Mountains that were only imaginable but unattainable in the past.
After the Battle of Pingxia City, Xixia was in a state of semi-annihilation. Finally, the Liao Kingdom intervened and threatened the Song Dynasty with war to prevent the Song Dynasty from destroying Xia. The Song Dynasty was forced to negotiate peace with Xixia.
The meaning of "楶" is bracket, which is the square wood that supports the beam. Zhang Kai can be said to live up to his name, and he is truly a pillar of the country.
"Speaking of which, Zhang Zhifu and you haven't even been on the fifth server yet."
Zhang Yue smiled. The Zhang family's descendants have multiplied a lot. They say they haven't even come out of the fifth server, but in fact they are far away.
However, the Zhang family can be said to be famous ministers and good generals.
The majestic name of Pingxia City is enough to wash away the shame of Sanchuankou and Haoshuichuan. But now the Song Dynasty is still giving annual coins to Xixia and Liao to buy peace.
"Sanlang, what do you think?"
Zhang Yue said bitterly: "If my brother knows the whereabouts of my second brother, he will break his legs."
Zhang Yue felt that he could not finish vomiting the bitterness he had gone through for six months. From beginning to end, it was an internal problem within the family. No matter how much my second brother had any objections to the family, I was innocent and could be said to have been shot even while I was lying down.
"Yes, Chu Ming's escape from marriage, no matter what reason he has, is an unreasonable move..."
Zhang Yue thought to himself, if you scold me, you are scolding me. Why do you, an outsider, scold you? Well, they can be considered brothers of the same race.
Zhang Yue said: "But there is something I don't understand, Chief. Isn't it true that my second brother went to Suzhou to get the explanation? Isn't it true that he has false nationality? Wouldn't such an explanation cause controversy?"
Zhang Heng smiled and said: "That's right, but this example only applies to the state military examination, not to the cauldron examination. Officials within the fifth service can be appointed as official.
If you, your brother from the Ru tribe, hostage your husband, you will receive the title of supervisor of the craftsmen from your tribe's uncle, Gongyin Guan."
That's right, my clan brother Zhang Kai is now an official, and he is the official under the influence of his clan father Zhang Dexiang.
Zhang Yue still said seriously: "But my uncle is the prime minister."
Zhang Heng said with a smile: "You don't know what the Cao Examination is! Officials can recommend a retainer to take the Cao Examination, not to mention the children of the fifth server who change their nationality to take the exam, as long as they don't pass the test. Your cousin's uncle, his uncle's family
But for these two Jinshi, the court's pursuit of false citizenship is only for the state military examination."
Zhang Yue thought to himself, no wonder that in the Song Dynasty, the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats shared the world. But sharing the world with the scholar-bureaucrats meant not sharing the world with the common people.
It turns out that being an official can be so satisfying. But it is so difficult for me to come from a poor family. If I want to change my life, I can only become a book boy or take the path of my second brother.
"That's it. Thank you, Chief Zhai, for telling me." Zhang Yue said.
Zhang Heng said lightly: "I'm just telling you to avoid looking bad when I see your second brother in the future. So you don't need to thank me."
"Okay! Since the chief is unwilling to accept this sentiment, I don't dare to thank you indiscriminately, so I wish the chief to go to Bianjing..."
Zhang Heng raised his hands to the sky and said: "I have heard the words of the names on the gold list..."
"Be the best in the world!"
Zhang Heng smiled slightly, his words were quite new. Others wished him a place on the gold medal list, but this person wished him the best.
The allusion of "Dakui Tianxia" is also new. Song Qi, a scholar in the Hanlin Dynasty, happened to be ranked first in the Jinshi examination, and he actually won the title of "Dakui". This metaphor is a good fortune.
“But what does it mean to be on top?”
Zhang Heng thought to himself, isn't it? This allusion didn't exist at this time? No, it comes from the Yuan Dynasty, so it must have been quoted in the Song Dynasty, but it may not have been widely extended.
So Zhang Yue said: "I heard that there is a turtle relief on the steps in front of the palace, and the new champion must stand on it to salute the emperor. Therefore, I hope that the chief of the restaurant will be the best."
Sure enough, Zhang Heng laughed loudly and said: "You are really a bit crooked. Thank you for your kind words."
Zhang Yue smiled and said, "It's not that easy to win the top prize. I'll do the opposite. Anyway, you can't blame me even if you don't win."
Immediately, Zhang Heng commented on Zhang Yue's words "to be the best" and left.
A few days later, he set off with Lin Xi and all his disciples.
There was nothing going on in the academy, so Zhang Yue and Guo Lin went down the mountain to go home early.
Talking about the chief of the stall, Zhang Heng, Guo Linhu said: "Junior brother, I think the chief of the stall is a kind person."
"How can senior brother say this?"
Guo Lindao: "Junior brother, you were dissatisfied that the chief of staff hired you in the servant letter, so you felt that he would be harsh on you afterwards. But you are indeed not good at writing. If the chief of the chief had taken pity on you and hired you, wouldn't there be another one?
People from poorer backgrounds who can write better than you will not be hired. You may say that he is unfair, but he is not biased towards me. It is only because of your bad handwriting."
"Today, he doesn't have to tell you anything about your second brother, but he still told you, and you still agree with him on this matter."
Zhang Yue listened to Guo Lin's words and thought about it carefully. Even though he was reluctant to turn around for a moment, in all fairness, Guo Lin's words were still right.
So Zhang Yue followed Guo Lin and nodded slowly: "What the senior brother taught me is that I was wrong."
Guo Lin smiled when he heard this and said: "Hey, junior brother, don't take what he said to your heart. You are already better than many people in terms of knowing that mistakes can be corrected."
Zhang Yue smiled secretly, his senior brother still thought too highly of himself. He had always accepted criticism with an open mind and would not change it.
Zhang Yue suddenly pointed to a mountain peak and said: "Brother, we have never been to this mountain before when we returned home. It's still early today, why don't we explore it!"
"Okay, junior brother, if you have such an elegant spirit, I will definitely accompany you!"
"Brother, let's compete over who can climb this mountain! I'll take the first step!" Zhang Yue was already running up as he spoke.
"Junior brother, you are cheating again." Guo Lin shook his head helplessly and followed quickly.
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin were hiking up and down the mountain here, and saw strange rocks and towering pines along the way.
The two brothers competed to climb the mountain at first, but later they were attracted by the wonderful scenery and unknowingly walked slowly. When they climbed to the top of the mountain, they saw a strong wind and a sea of clouds coming from the bottom of the mountain.
This scene can really be described as "Look at the strong pines in the vast dusk, and still calmly fly through the chaotic clouds!" Zhang Yue couldn't help but thought, and then he and Guo Lin stood still and looked north.
But under the twilight, the distant mountains are a strange scene covered with red clouds.
This is Xianxia Ridge, the main road into Fujian.
Zhang Yue shouted from the top of the mountain until he was hoarse, and there were empty and lonely echoes from all directions.
"Senior brother, one day I will be like Ziping and my second brother and leave Fujian!" Zhang Yue panted and said to Guo Lin while looking at the red clouds in his eyes.
