Chen Yaozi was a little stunned when he heard this, but Fan Zhongyan smiled bitterly and said nothing.
Why can't anyone who can pass the exam leave?
Because those who can pass the exam are basically included in the Kou Mansion.
Fan Zhongyan passed the examination of the scholars' knowledge in the name of accompanying them in reciting poems and composing poems.
He knew that those scholars were all top-notch heroes.
Those scholars who took the imperial examination were not aiming to become Jinshi, but aiming to be the top scholar.
To them, Jinshi is something in their pocket.
The top prize is their goal and pursuit.
It is not unreasonable for other scholars in Bianjing City to doubt the quota of Jinshi in Kou Ji's inner court.
Because once the scholars in the Kou Mansion took part in the imperial examination, as long as there were no accidents, they would almost always pass.
There is no need for Kou Ji to do anything inside.
But they were admitted to the Kou Mansion in advance, and Kou Ji was the chief examiner this time. They were all passed. Other scholars in Bianjing City had every reason to suspect that they had cheated.
Kou Ji did not commit fraud, but his behavior made people think that he was cheating.
Although Kou Ji gave Fan Zhongyan a good reason, Fan Zhongyan still felt that there was no need for Kou Ji to do this.
There are many ways to take care of those scholars, and it is not necessarily necessary to bring them all into the government to attract attention.
Fan Zhongyan was cursing in his heart, and Chen Yaozi came to his senses slightly. He probably understood the meaning of Kou Ji's words, and a wry smile appeared on his face.
The scholars in Kou Ji's house were not unknown people. Some of them had very famous reputations, and Chen Yaozi had heard of some of them.
He made some rough deductions and came to the same conclusion as Fan Zhongyan.
Kou Ji stood in front of the two of them, unaware that they had misinterpreted the meaning of his words.
Kou Ji bluntly said that none of the people who should take the exam would leave because he had confidence in those truly talented scholars.
As long as you have confidence in your own talent and feel that you can succeed, you will almost never be affected by rumors.
Faced with the accusations from thousands of people, Kou Ji looked on coldly, but some people couldn't stand it anymore.
in the crowd.
Liu Yong gritted his teeth, separated from the crowd, and squeezed to the front. After he saw Kou Ji, he saluted Kou Ji with a heavy face, "Sir..."
“Get in line!”
Kou Ji twitched the corner of his mouth and drank.
Liu Yong was startled.
When Kou Ji saw Liu Yong standing still, he gritted his teeth and said, "Do you want me to send someone to queue you up?"
Liu Yong hesitated again and again, but finally succumbed to Kou Ji's majesty and walked aside to line up in an orderly manner.
Kou Ji felt relieved when he saw Liu Yong waiting in line.
Many people were a little confused when they saw this scene. They didn't understand why Kou Ji dismissed Liu Yong before he opened his mouth.
Fan Zhongyan was thoughtful, and Chen Yaozi asked directly.
"Privy Councilor Kou, that gentleman just now..."
Kou Ji glanced at Chen Yaozi and said nonchalantly: "Maybe it's because everything in front of him is too noisy, so he is a little out of his mind."
Chen Yaozi didn't quite believe what Kou Ji said, but while they were talking, Fan Zhongyan figured out the reason for the scene just now.
Liu Yong probably couldn't stand the scholars criticizing Kou Ji, so he wanted to stand up and help Kou Ji.
But Kou Ji didn't want him to get involved, so he decisively dismissed him.
"The auspicious time has arrived..."
Just when Fan Zhongyan thought about it clearly, an official from the Ministry of Rites made an announcement.
Kou Ji led Fan Zhongyan and Chen Yaozi a few steps outside and stood in the most conspicuous position at the entrance of Gongyuan.
Kou Ji looked around at all the candidates and said loudly: "Students will enter the room in order. Anyone who dares to disturb the examination room will be removed from the examination, or be killed on the spot in the worst case!"
"Where are the guards in front of the hospital?"
"The humble position is here!"
Kou Ji shouted, and a group of soldiers appeared in front of Kou Ji, bowing and saluting.
Kou Ji snorted and ordered: "Keep an eye on it. If anyone disturbs the examination room, don't be polite."
"Here..."
The soldiers agreed and acted as if they were going to go to war over family matters.
When the scholars who made trouble saw this, they were a little frightened.
Kou Ji stopped paying attention to the troublemaking scholars, snorted coldly, and stepped into the Gongyuan.
What kind of trouble can a group of scholars who are afraid of soldiers cause?
Kou Ji felt that it was no longer interesting to see the scholars making trouble at the gate.
He wants to return to the Gongyuan to perform his duties.
Fan Zhongyan looked at the troublemaking scholars, sighed, and followed Kou Ji into the Gongyuan without saying anything else.
On the contrary, Chen Yaozi stood on the spot and said to the scholars who were making trouble: "You should go back to the trouble and don't delay your future."
Chen Yaozi also had good intentions and wanted to remind those scholars who were making trouble that their future was the most important thing.
It's just that the scholars didn't appreciate it at all.
When they saw Kou Ji and Fan Zhongyan leaving, Chen Yaozi looked very pushy, so they continued to make trouble.
"This scientific examination is unfair. Kou Ji controlled the scientific examination and predetermined the quota for Jinshi. We are not convinced. We want to stop the examination. We want to ask the officials to uphold justice!"
Someone took the lead and shouted, and others followed suit.
Chen Yaozi saw this and said no more.
He had risked being punished by Zhao Zhen and warned him aloud, but there was nothing he could do if those scholars insisted on seeking death.
"Scholars who are willing to take part in the scientific examination come forward..."
Chen Yaozi stood at the gate of Gongyuan where he was verifying the register and announced.
The scholars, who had been silent from beginning to end, slowly came forward one by one.
In accordance with the request of the government officials, they took out the registration book and documents issued by the local government office and handed them to Chen Yao at the door for inspection.
They also murmured in their hearts.
They also have doubts in their hearts.
But they did not choose to make trouble with others, but chose to participate in the scientific examination in a well-behaved manner.
Some of them thought that even if there was something fishy about this imperial examination, they would have to wait until the results were published before making a decision.
The current riots are, to put it mildly, to protect the fairness of the imperial examinations, but to put it badly, they have ulterior motives.
Before the list was released, everything was subject to change.
In case Kou Ji did anything behind his back, he would remove those scholars who were entrenched in Kou's mansion and recruit other scholars.
Once the list is published, how will the scholars who make trouble outside the Gongyuan deal with themselves?
If Kou Ji doesn't take the opportunity to deal with them, he won't be called Kou Ji.
All in all, no one knows where things in the court will develop until the dust settles.
So you have to find the right opportunity to cause trouble.
Instead of messing around.
The scholars who were willing to take part in the scientific examination had their books and other belongings inspected at the gate of Gongyuan, and were ushered into Gongyuan. There were people specifically searching the bodies in the front yard of Gongyuan.
When the scholars were being searched, they felt a little strange.
Many of them entered the palace for the second time and had experienced spring interrogation. However, although the spring interrogation in the past was strict, it was not harsh.
But this spring inspection was surprisingly harsh.
More importantly, the government officials turned a blind eye when they turned a blind eye to some of the money that the scholars had hidden in their examination boxes.
There is a saying that when something goes wrong, there must be a monster.
The greedy government officials are suddenly no longer greedy for money. There must be a lot of stories in it.
Full of doubts, the scholars entered the sage temple in the Gongyuan after an interrogation.
Kou Ji stood at the door of the temple. After the scholars gathered, Kou Ji, Fan Zhongyan, and Chen Yaozi led the scholars into the temple and paid homage to the sages.
After the worship.
Kou Ji led the scholars into the examination room.
Enter the exam number.
Everyone was stunned.
I saw a young man sitting directly in front of the examination courtyard, followed by three old men, and beside him was an old servant with a white face and a beardless face holding a government sign with the word "quiet" written on it.
"That's... Mr. Lu..."
"Prince..."
"Mr. Zhang..."
Among the scholars, some knew the three old men, and their identities were revealed instantly.
There seems to be only one person in the Song Dynasty who can make these three people willing to stand behind them as foils.
"Official?!"
The scholars guessed Zhao Zhen's identity, and they were all trembling with excitement.
They finally understood why Kou Ji looked calm when facing the troublemaking scholars outside Gongyuan.
They also understood why Kou Ji never stood up to help everyone solve their doubts from beginning to end.
Officials personally visited the Chunwei Scientific Examination Center and sat in person. If there was still injustice, then there would be no fair scientific examinations in the Song Dynasty.
While they were excited in their hearts, they also observed a moment of silence for the scholars outside Gongyuan.
Make a fuss!
Have fun!
The more fun you have, the faster you will die!
"Ahem..."
Before the scholars lost their minds with excitement, Kou Ji coughed and said: "The official's decree is to be quiet. You will salute the official together with me later. No noise is allowed."
When the scholars heard this, they bowed politely and said: "Here..."
Kou Ji straightened his clothes, led the scholars to Zhao Zhen, and bowed.
The scholars followed and bowed together.
No one spoke.
Because the Yamen card that Chen Lin is holding represents the "Silence", which is the will.
After Kou Ji and his entourage bowed, Zhao Zhen stood up slowly and said to the scholars: "I came to the examination room in person today mainly to see you all in advance. Some red tape can be avoided if possible.
After the course starts, I, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai, my three beloved friends, will work together to come up with the questions.
All the topics for this Spring Festival were answered on the spot by me and my three beloved ladies.
So there is no leakage of questions.”
Having said this, Zhao Zhen raised his hand slightly, and Kou Ji led the scholars to slowly straighten up.
Zhao Zhen slowly sat down and said, "Everyone, please take your seats."
The scholars thanked each other one after another, and then, under the guidance of the government officials in the examination room, they entered their respective examination numbers.
After the scholars entered their examination numbers, they all sat at the table in an orderly manner, waiting quietly for Zhao Zhen's instructions.
After the scholars sat down, Zhao Zhen asked Kou Ji, "Kou Aiqing, I just observed that there don't seem to be many scholars participating in the Spring Festival this time."
Before Kou Ji could speak, Lu Yijian, who was standing behind Zhao Zhen, spoke slowly.
"I made a rough estimate just now when I was saluting them. There were approximately more than 400 scholars..."
Zhao Zhen heard Lu Yijian's words and sighed slightly, saying: "Nearly three thousand people received their examination numbers at the Ministry of Rites, but only more than four hundred people finally entered the examination room.
There are more than two thousand people who cannot trust the imperial court or me."
Wang Zeng bowed slowly and said: "Guan family, this matter was caused by people with ulterior motives who deceived you. It is not the official family's fault."
Zhao Zhen glanced at his mouth and said, "These people with ulterior motives are really hateful."
Before Lu Yijian and the others could speak again, Zhao Zhen continued: "Prepare your pen and ink, and come up with a topic on the spot. Although this Spring Festival is the most unfair in the history of the Song Dynasty, we can't just perfunctory it."
Lu Yijian and the others heard Zhao Zhen's words and smiled bitterly.
Zhao Zhen was obviously not satisfied with the number of scholars entering the examination room.
Kou Ji ordered people to prepare pen and ink.
Zhao Zhen, Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng and Zhang Zhibai came up with the topic together.
Policy theory, the title of the poem, was written by Zhao Zhen.
The others were written by Lu Yijian and three others.
Zhao Zhen had the smallest amount of work, so he completed the question first.
Lu Yijian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai had the largest amount of work, so it took two hours to complete the question.
Since it took some time for them to write the questions, Zhao Zhen made a temporary decision to eliminate some very routine questions.
Some of the scripture fill-in-the-blank questions were checked out by Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen's holy heart is dictatorial, and Lu Yijian and others can't get a word in at all.
This spring, Kou Ji is the chief examiner.
But it didn't play much role in the middle.
Zhao Zhen controlled everything and was more like an examiner than Kou Ji.
After the questions were completed, they were quickly distributed.
After the scholars got the questions, they did not hesitate and started to do the questions on the spot.
Everything is going on in an orderly manner.
But halfway through the scientific examination, something went wrong.
There was actually the sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers outside the Gongyuan.
It was probably because the tribute courtyard was locked and Kou Ji and others could not get out, so the scholars outside relaxed their minds and started making trouble.
They beat gongs, drums, and fired cannons, affecting the entire examination room.
The moment the gongs and drums sounded, Zhao Zhen slapped the table and stood up, his face so gloomy that he could bleed.
"presumptuous!"
The expressions of Lu Yijian and the other three people changed drastically.
It doesn't matter if the scholars outside Gongyuan denounce Kou Ji, but their impact on the scientific examinations of the scholars inside Gongyuan by beating gongs and drums is a bit excessive.
When the firecrackers exploded loudest, Zhao Zhen ordered Chen Lin in a cold tone, "Go and support the Japanese army and bring me two battalions of troops."
Lu Yijian and the other three were shocked when they heard this.
What was Zhao Zhen doing to mobilize his troops at this time?
Of course he is a killer.
Obviously, the actions of the scholars outside Gongyuan angered Zhao Zhen and touched Zhao Zhen's inner bottom line.
Lu Yijian stopped in front of Zhao Zhen and exclaimed: "Officials, absolutely not allowed!"
Zhao Zhen said angrily: "What kind of place is Gongyuan? It is a place for scientific examinations and a place for selecting talents. In order to allow the scholars to take the exams with peace of mind, I warned everyone in Bianjing one month in advance that whenever there is a happy event or
For funerals, avoid these days.
I also ordered the inspection department to keep an eye on the road near Gongyuan and ask the passing carriages and horses to take a detour.
The purpose is to allow the scholars to take the exam with peace of mind.
After I arrived at Gongyuan, in order not to disturb the scholars, I had to sit in a polite manner.
What are they doing?
They ignored my decree.
They are destroying the imperial court's talent evaluation ceremony."
The king once warned: "It is the scholars who did the wrong thing in controlling the anger of the officials. But it is not appropriate to kill people for this reason."
Zhao Zhen said angrily: "Then what do you want me to do? Do you watch them destroy the imperial court's talent appraisal ceremony? Do you condone them destroying the imperial court's talent appraisal ceremony?"
Zhang Zhibai stood aside and said bravely: "It doesn't hurt to watch..."
Zhao Zhen's eyes widened in an instant.
Kou Ji hurriedly said from the side: "Mr. Zhang is right, but we can't help it. Let's just watch quietly in the tribute courtyard to see how far they can make trouble. When the time comes, the tribute courtyard will open and the officials will appear in front of them.
I would like to know how they will deal with themselves."
Kou Ji said this purely to help Zhang Zhibai.
Zhao Zhen is furious now.
If Zhang Zhibai was just killed because he said something wrong, that would be a bit unsightly.
Kou Ji was still waiting for Zhang Zhibai to help him teach Kou Tianci.
If Zhang Zhibai is dismissed, he may be sent to another place.
Kou Ji didn't want Kou Tianci to lose such a good gentleman.
After Zhao Zhen listened to Kou Ji's advice, he didn't roar anymore, but his face was still gloomy.
Seeing this, Kou Ji whispered: "The scholars taking the exam are all watching."
Zhao Zhen was slightly stunned when he heard this.
After looking around, Zhao Zhen felt most of his anger disappear when he saw the scholars sticking their heads out of their exam halls and looking here.
Those scholars will most likely be his ministers in the future.
He didn't want to leave a violent impression on them when they first met.
Zhao Zhen put away the anger in his heart, stared at Lu Yijian and the others and said: "There is a lot of noise outside the Gongyuan at the moment, and the scholars in the Gongyuan cannot take the exam with peace of mind. Please think of a proper way for me."
Lu Yijian and the other three looked at me and I looked at you, but they couldn't come up with any good ideas for a while.
Kou Ji thought for a moment and said: "There is a lot of commotion outside the Gongyuan, and the scholars can't take the written test in peace, so how about we just conduct an interview? There are only four hundred scholars. If we interview separately, three days will be enough."
"interview?"
Lu Yijian and the other three looked stunned.
Zhao Zhen asked with great interest: "How to interview?"
Kou Jidao: "In the face-to-face examination, the officials, myself, Lu Gong, Wang Gong, Zhang Gong, and Chen Zhifu will each take one exam, and Fan Shilang will assist from the side. I order all the subordinate officials to record it. The recorded words can be compiled into
The book is used as a test paper.
This move not only saved the scholars from the pain of making noise, but also saved us from the process of grading papers.
More importantly, if we take the exam in person, there will be no possibility of talented people being missed.
It also avoids the possibility of other marking officers getting in the way.
We can give the judgment during the school examination, and when the school examination is over, the six judgments will be gathered together, and it will be clear at a glance who will go and who will stay."
After hearing what Kou Ji said, Zhao Zhen felt a little moved.
Lu Yijian frowned and said, "Will the interview be a bit sloppy? Will it attract criticism?"
Kou Ji said solemnly: "Extraordinary times bring extraordinary solutions. If there was no need for interviews, it would be impossible for the scholars to show their true strength due to the interruption of the noise outside the Gongyuan.
More importantly, the official family, myself, Lu Gong, Wang Gong, and Zhang Gong jointly presided over a scientific examination.
If something happens about the re-examination, the five of us will lose face."
Lu Yijian and the others were still hesitating.
However, Zhao Zhen made a final decision: "That's it! Dear ladies, let's discuss who is responsible for which item."
Zhao Zhen made the decision, and Lu Yijian and the others had no other choice but to conduct interviews according to Kou Ji's suggestion.
Several people gathered together to discuss who was responsible for which item.
At the end of the discussion, Zhao Zhen was a little confused, because Kou Ji and others divided up the contents of the Chunwei exam. When it was his turn, there seemed to be nothing.
Seeing that the final qualification for poetry examination was about to fall on Chen Yaozi, Zhao Zhen hurriedly said: "Which item am I responsible for?"
Lu Yijian, Kou Ji and others were stunned when they heard this, looked at each other, and said in unison: "Test the appearance..."
Zhao Zhen was slightly stunned when he heard this.
Appearance assessment has actually always existed in the imperial examination, but it has never been announced to the public.
But don’t think that appearance plays a small role in the imperial examination.
In fact, appearance assessment occupies a large proportion in the imperial examination, far greater than other aspects.
Some people may think this statement is a bit exaggerated, but it is true.
It is recorded in the history books that a scholar who was extremely talented, surpassed all other scholars and won the position of Huiyuan, missed out on the position of No. 1 Scholar due to his ugly appearance during the palace examination.
There are also some people who, because of their appearance, can't even get into the imperial examination.
It can be seen that appearance is definitely a crucial part of the imperial examination.
Qin Opera's "Guillotine Beauty Case" mentioned that when Bao Zheng was admitted as a Jinshi, because the crescent moon on his forehead did not meet the aesthetic standards, Queen Liu E gave him a three-foot red caltrop to cover his forehead.
Although the drama cannot be taken seriously, some things in it can still reflect some normal conditions in ancient times.
In ancient times, when evaluating talent in the imperial examinations, appearance was really valued.
If you have to rate the appearance of the scholars, Zhao Zhen is naturally the most suitable candidate.
However, Zhao Zhen refused.
He decisively threw the scientific examination project of facial recognition to Kou Ji, and forcefully snatched the scientific examination project from Kou Ji.
Zhao Zhen probably felt that besides dealing with him, only Kou Ji was qualified to rate the appearance of those scholars.
After everything is discussed properly.
Zhao Zhen ordered people to tell the scholars about this unique assessment method.
After the scholars learned about this, they were dumbfounded, but no one objected.
One is because I don’t dare.
The second reason is that the noise outside Gongyuan really affected their composition.
The interview is far less strenuous than the written test.
More importantly, some things that cannot be written in the written examination can also be conveyed to the examiners in person.
Some ambitious people feel that the interview is an opportunity for them.
Because they can tell their ambitions in front of Zhao Zhen.
Once the interview started, it was very relaxed.
Except for Zhao Zhen, who was always holding it, the others had no airs. They treated the scholars as if they were their own juniors, and were very amiable and amiable.
When the scholars faced the smiling examiners, the pressure in their hearts was reduced by half.
Three days and six rounds of assessments.
Zhao Zhen and his six men touched more than 400 scholars one by one.
Three days passed.
Lu Yijian, Kou Ji and others, as well as a group of scholars, followed Zhao Zhen to the gate of Gongyuan.
The noise outside the Gongyuan continued for three days.
Zhao Zhen gave them countless opportunities to step back from the brink, but they didn't know how to cherish them.