The streets of Kaifeng Prefecture in Tokyo are full of handsome men, swaggering past.
But if you look closely, some scholars are different.
They sat stiffly on their horses, with various expressions on their faces that were difficult to describe in words.
And their direction is to gather towards the Imperial College.
The closer you get there, the more people there are.
Today is the results release day.
Outside the Imperial College, there was already a sea of people. The Shangyuan Lantern Festival was not so lively.
These people are not too early. When the rankings are released every year, there are scholars who come to sit guard at the beginning of the third watch.
Everyone wants to be the first to see their name.
Just imagine, what a spectacular scene it is with nearly five thousand scholars looking at it.
It's not just these people.
Another beautiful scenery is here to catch the son-in-law.
As I said before, the book has its own Yan Ruyu, and the book has its own golden house. The most realistic reaction is the one who caught the son-in-law under the list.
Whenever the provincial examination results are released, many wealthy families stay at the bottom of the list and look for new Jinshi scholars to be their sons-in-law.
Of course, these scholars cannot actually be called Jinshi because they have not passed the imperial examination.
It's just a matter of going through a procedure to determine a winner. The four hundred people on the provincial examination list are already destined to be rich and prosperous.
Huang Shang made an appointment with You Shixiong, who was in the same department. When he first arrived, he saw this.
"I hit it! I hit it!"
An old Juren with a gray beard and wrinkled face who looked like a 25-year-old programmer yelled three times and fell to the ground.
As a person from the capital city, people are not surprised by this. Some people even faint or go crazy.
And this was the opportunity. With a whoop, a group of strong men rushed forward and lifted up the old man. One of them spread his hands, spat two big mouthfuls of saliva into his palm, rubbed it, and pinched it at the middle of the person.
This move was like lightning, and Murong Fu was dumbfounded. The old Juren made a "cluck" sound, and he didn't know whether he was pinched or smoked, and he woke up.
The strong men hurriedly helped Lao Juren up and showed him his master, a wealthy businessman.
A smile appeared on the businessman's face, he bowed down respectfully, cupped his hands and said, "Guanren, are you in high school?"
Jinshi is equivalent to an official. This title of official made Lao Juren feel comfortable all over. He raised his hand tremblingly, pointed at the yellow list, and then pointed at himself: "Three hundred and eighty-seven...I...
I……"
The businessman was overjoyed and immediately asked: "Is the official married?"
The old man shook his head, breathless and speechless.
Don't be surprised, there are many scholars who don't marry unless they pass the exam.
Naturally, there are many scholars who will never pass the exam and remain bachelors for the rest of their lives.
"Okay! Okay! I have a daughter who is twenty-eight years old. She is dignified and virtuous. She is a good match. Please invite me soon!"
This was a great joy for the businessman. He immediately waved and a few tall men around him raised their arms and legs, and drove the old man away as if they were kidnapping him.
Looking at this momentum, I'm afraid I'm going to enter the bridal chamber that night.
Not to mention that Murong Fu, who was accompanying him to open the way, was dumbfounded. Huang Shang was a little stunned, but You Shixiong thought it was natural.
Catch your son-in-law!
Seeing is worth hearing a hundred times!
But this is Jinshi!
A Jinshi who could make the people of the Song Dynasty go crazy!
Everything is low-grade, except for good education. For wealthy businessmen, having a son-in-law who is a Jinshi will not only have someone in the court in the future, but also reduce the taxes and labor in the family.
These are real benefits, and it is inevitable that these businessmen with huge wealth but low status should not flock to them.
Of course, if you want a Jinshi to be your son-in-law, you can't just find a few strong men to drive him away.
A dowry is required.
Thousands of dollars in dowry!
The marriage customs of the Northern Song Dynasty were different from those of later generations. Basically, the woman paid for the marriage.
The man's betrothal gift is far less generous than the woman's dowry, but families with property dare not treat their daughters badly.
The first is the fear of suffering a loss if you marry someone else, and the second is the issue of face.
If a family marries a daughter without giving her a sufficient dowry, her husband's family will not look good on her. Domestic violence and scolding are still mild, and it is common practice to divorce her directly.
So gradually, people began to favor sons over daughters because they could not afford dowries because they had more daughters.
The north is better. When Huang Shang went to the south of the Yangtze River, he heard that the folk customs there were luxurious and the cost of weddings and funerals was higher.
Those families who did not want to go bankrupt for their daughter's dowry more than ten years later threw the baby girl into the water and drowned in the basin after giving birth.
This abnormal custom has harmed many children.
Nowadays, those who dare to catch sons-in-law under the Jinshi Ranking are not short of money. Each one is shouting for a higher dowry than the other, and they have all caught up with the bidding.
Of course, most of their targets are the younger and older newly promoted Jinshi.
It is impossible for a true young talent to look down upon a merchant. To capture him by force will only cause conflicts and get into big trouble.
Therefore, when Huang Shang came forward, the merchants who were eyeing him spontaneously avoided him.
"Huang Shengzhong!"
"It's really him!"
They were just merchants, but the scholars who were looking at the list saw it and talked in low voices, with looks of envy and jealousy on their faces, but they unconsciously moved their feet to both sides.
Just like that, Huang Shang walked forward, and the crowd spontaneously separated.
You Shixiong smiled slightly and followed behind him. When Murong Fu saw him, he was startled at first, then realized something and showed a look of ecstasy.
"Huang Shang!"
The people standing closest were also acquaintances, it was Han Zhongyan and his party.
Han Zhongyan is also in high school and ranked 74th.
This ranking is not bad. If he had not submitted the paper in advance, he could have been higher.
After all, the education received is different. For example, Huang Shang could only make a living by copying books at the beginning. All he learned was to borrow books from others, copy them all night, and then return them, which invisibly wasted a lot of time.
He didn't have any famous teachers to teach him, so he just studied hard.
Han Zhongyan has the resources of the Han family in Xiangzhou. Even if his reading talent is mediocre, his years of experience in the teachings of famous teachers are enough for him to pass the Jinshi examination.
Therefore, Han Zhongyan is one of the most calm people on the list.
Of course, everyone in high school was happy, and people around him were complimentary, but seeing the name at the top really made him unhappy.
The scholars who dared to criticize Huang Shang in the Zhuangyuan Tower also shut their mouths at this time.
It's one thing to say it behind the scenes, but if they dare to say anything more in public, they will immediately offend the examiners headed by Fan Zhen.
The name of provincial yuan cannot be questioned!
In the past, even Su Shi's talents were judged second because Ouyang Xiu admitted that he was the wrong disciple, and he missed out on being a disciple of Sheng Yuan.
In the scholar's view, provincial scholars are the most knowledgeable among today's scholars.
When it came to the imperial examination to select the top candidate, it was to see who would be more popular among officials.
Wen You first!
Huang Shang had actually seen it a long time ago.
The five large yellow lists were posted on the wall, with densely packed names and place of origin occupying most of the paper.
At first glance, it is indeed dazzling, but if you are in the first place, it will be clear at a glance.
That’s the name of the province!
That's your name!
Huang Shang smiled, feeling happy in his heart.
"Although provincial yuan is good, in the long run, it will create some obstacles for the number one scholar."
This is like winning an Oscar for Best Actor just now. If you want to be re-elected next time, it will be more than ten times more difficult.
However, because of this, if you can win three yuan in a row, your reputation will be completely different, which means that you can completely beat the same subject.
“Not bad!”
Huang Shang came to the bottom of the list, and Han Zhongyan had to abide by etiquette and step aside.
At this moment, no matter how much he is the prime minister's son, he is not as good as being the first to get glory.
There was a semicircle around him, and countless people looked up at him.
Under the spotlight, Huang Shang closed his eyes slightly.
It was as if he was the only one in the world.
In the Imperial Academy, the statue of Confucius shimmered with light, and a mighty literary spirit rose into the sky, pouring into his body like the Milky Way falling from the sky.
The second strengthening of the imperial examination begins!