Jinyi champion

Chapter 500 Palace Exam
May [-]th, palace examination day.

Before dawn that morning, Zhu Hao entered Dong'an Gate and waited to enter the imperial palace from Donghua Gate to participate in the palace examination.

The Gongshi present can be said to be full of energy, all of them are waiting for the title of the gold list.

It has been more than a year since the end of the examination, and one of the winners has died, and one has returned to his hometown to guard the system. For everyone, it feels like times have changed.

At the end of Yin time, the sky and the earth were all gray, and people could not be seen clearly, so a group of tributes began to enter the palace.

Lead by the eunuchs in the palace, Hanlin scholars walked in front of the team, leading all the tributes into the Donghua Gate.

The Donghua Gate belongs to the southeast gate of the Imperial Palace, the Wenhua Gate is connected to the Wenhua Hall in the north, and the East Palace is located further north.

To the south is the cabinet house and Youguo Hall and other row houses. Right opposite is Zuoshun Gate, which is the place where it was renamed Huiji Gate [-] years after Jiajing.

Entering Zuoshun Gate, this place is already counted as the boundary of the imperial palace, but entering Fengtian Gate is not counted as a palace.

A group of people walked across the Jinshui Bridge. At this time, in front of the West Corner Gate, a desk has been set up. All candidates need to sit on the floor to participate in this palace examination.

"Emperor Ming Dynasty" contains: "...in May of the [-]th year of Zhengde, the court will test the Chinese-style juren... The Ministry of Rites will play the funeral of Emperor Wu Zong from the brief, go to the imperial west corner gate, and ask questions..."

The seats of the tributes are sorted according to the results of the examination, and Zhu Hao, as the leader of the examination, naturally sat in the leftmost position in the first row.

This position looks good, but it is still a little bit off to look up at the position of the emperor's throne.

But I'm so familiar with Zhu Si, it doesn't matter whether I look at it or not.

when the sun rises.

As the nominal examiner of the imperial examination, Zhu Si appeared at the examination site in person.

All the tributes did not need to kneel down, but they had to bow to salute the emperor. However, because all the tributes had not received the basic training of court etiquette, the scene was a bit chaotic and not neat at all.After the ceremony, all the tributes returned to their seats. Immediately after sitting on their knees, the servants handed out the examination papers to the examinees.

Compared with the general examination, the format of the examination papers of the Palace Examination is more regular. After each copy is printed, it will be checked in detail for errors and omissions, so as to ensure that there will be no defects in the examination papers of each candidate.

On the examination paper, Zhu Hao's imperial examination questions were listed:

"The emperor's system says: I am a human being, and I am the master of the billions of trillions. I must first live with salt and happiness, so that I can have my own desires, and then I will almost fulfill the duties of my parents and the people. I am not ashamed. The people who are safe and want what they want must first use clothing and food. If they have no clothes and food, they will inevitably suffer from starvation, death, displacement and hardship. How can husbands and bandits get food? How can silkworms be provided with clothing? Both of them are also what the king thinks and worries about.

"Nowadays, there are few tillers but many eaters, silkworms are scarce but those who wear clothes are many, and floods and droughts are plagued by locusts, idlers and idlers are harmful, there is smoke and dust around, and there are thieves inside. It is no wonder that the people suffer from it. The calamity is getting worse day by day. The solid foundation is not caused by ignorance. I can't participate in the adjustment of the machine, and I can't promote the governance at the bottom. I am really worried and ashamed. However, there are past and present, and power has flexibility. I don't know how to do it. What if there is a rainy season? Disasters do not happen, the people have enough food and clothing, work hard on farming and work on jobs, follow the Tao and return to transformation?

"My sons and gentlemen, when you understand reason and know your husband, it has been a long time since you have embraced yourself and have something to support you. You should state what you have seen and know, and prepare it in the article. I will see it personally. Don't be afraid or hide it. "

This was originally the imperial examination question for the [-]th year of Jiajing.

Zhu Hao took a coincidence and used the questions of the imperial examination twelve years later at this time, and such an examination question with a sense of compassion for the world and the people, let the candidates discuss the way of governing the country, which can be said to be very suitable for the new emperor today. After ascension to the throne, it was a situation of waiting for prosperity.

After the Ming Dynasty experienced the turmoil of the Zhengde Dynasty, the emperor asked such a question, which fully demonstrated his excellent quality of loving the people like a son and caring for the people of the world.

……

……

The palace examination does not require too many cumbersome etiquette.

The only purpose is to recruit scholars for the country.

Since all the tributes entered the palace, there was basically no extra noise. After the exam started, the candidates either meditated on the long exam, or wrote and drew on the draft paper to straighten out their thoughts.

The rules of the Daming Palace Examination are listed in the "Ming Huidian": "In the third year of the Hongwu Palace Examination, there is a policy for the palace examination, but there is a direct statement, with a limit of more than [-] words."

This is different from writing the scriptures of the Four Books. There is no need for stereotyped duality, but it is required to write a thousand words. Although the number of words is not the more the better, but basically if you want to rank high in the imperial examination, you have to go to two thousand words Even write up to [-] characters, and require no typos.

In the palace examination, in addition to examining the candidates' literary skills and military strategy, understanding the hardships and difficulties of the emperor's rule of the country, and offering advice and suggestions to pinpoint the current problems, it is also required to write good handwriting.

Because the palace examination papers are not transcribed, this means that the candidates’ examination papers will be directly seen by the palace examination examiners. Although the palace examinations of the Ming Dynasty have not yet reached the point of "repressing words and heavy characters" like the Qing Dynasty, the actual situation is not much different. If you want to be ranked first, you will be rejected for ugly handwriting.

Most of the candidates present need to think hard and think about how to solve the questions, but for Zhu Hao, what could be easier than this?

Slightly raised his head and glanced at Zhu Si who was sitting on the throne in the distance, and found that Zhu Si was also looking at him.

No way, among so many candidates present, besides Zhu Hao, he knew Zhang Cong, but he only met Zhang Cong once. At this time, Zhang Cong was buried in the crowd and was not conspicuous. Zhu Si only had a few conversations with each other. The old scholar of the sentence will not produce any deep impression.

In the past, Zhu Si was very envious of Zhu Hao taking the imperial examination, and he even won the top ranking. This time, he finally had the opportunity to witness Zhu Hao's imperial examination in person. He was also the chief examiner. Of course, he should pay more attention to the performance of this good friend who grew up together.

The cabinet masters and the Ministry of Rites are not in the examination room.

But at the end of the palace examination, they will fill the positions of the examiners. In addition to the cabinet masters, there are also Hanlin bachelors, ministers, Zhengqing, ministers, and Tongzheng envoys. The number of examiners in each palace examination is about Around thirteen or four people, at least ten people, the candidates will be announced on the day of the palace examination.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the palace examination was usually released on the second day after the palace examination. After the Xuande Dynasty, the list was usually released on the third day after the palace examination, and the Enrong Banquet was given on the fourth day.

……

……

It is said that the palace examination did not hand in the paper in advance.

After finishing writing, I waited there, and finally everyone left the palace together at sunset. After all, the examination room is in the palace, and it is impossible to send you out of the palace one by one. We all come and go together.

There is no meal at noon.

Although nominally presided over by the emperor, the emperor usually showed his face and left after sitting for a while.

But there will also be the situation that the emperor "misses the exam", that is, "not imperial palace". Before Jiajing, the emperor "not imperial palace" happened four times in total, in the eighth year of Tianshun and the sixth, ninth, and twelfth years of Zhengde.

In the eighth year of Tianshun, it was because Yingzong had just died and there was a change of imperial power, and Zhengde reigned three times... It was purely because Zhu Houzhao didn't want to go.

This shows how irregular the selection of talents by the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty was during the Zhengde Dynasty. Before this palace examination, the emperor did not come to the palace examination three times. Finally, after Zhu Si ascended the throne, the situation improved.

This time Zhu Si presided over the imperial examination, which seemed unprecedented. Even at noon, Zhu Si was not in a hurry to go back to eat, and even the court affairs seemed to be slack.

At this time, Zhu Hao had already finished answering the examination paper, and was sitting there waiting for the paper to be sealed.

Until the sun was setting to the west, a eunuch came to remind Zhu Si to pay attention to his body and go back to rest. Zhu Si got up before he left, and looked at Zhu Hao before leaving, with a smile on his brow.

After the emperor left.

The members of the Hanlin Academy who were in charge of monitoring the scene were a little more relaxed, but according to the rules, they were not allowed to approach the candidates and check the articles, so as not to be suspected of collusion.

Zhu Hao noticed that Yang Shen was also present.

The two had met before and had a brief conversation. Yang Shen didn't seem to pay much attention to Zhu Hao. He glanced over occasionally, and then turned his gaze to some candidates he knew, such as Yang Weicong and others who were born in Northern Zhili or Sichuan. Scholars, those are his accomplices.

……

……

At sunset, the papers were finally allowed to be handed in.

The eunuch came over to receive the examination papers and sealed them, and Zhu Hao's paper was sandwiched between them.

When the sun completely fell into the horizon, even the candidates who hadn’t finished their exams were required to hand in their exam papers... After all the exam papers were handed in, everyone got up, lined up in order, and followed the eunuchs and officials of the Imperial Academy to go out of the palace again.

After leaving the Donghua Gate, the "noise" was finally no longer restricted, and the candidates could chat freely.

"Master Zhu..."

Because there was no need to line up, when the crowd walked towards Dong'anmen, [-] to [-] percent of them were already whispering.

At this time, Zhang Cong quickly followed from behind and saluted Zhu Hao.

Zhu Hao was discussing the topic of the imperial examination with several candidates from Huguang who were listed in the front of the general examination. Hearing this, he looked back at Zhang Cong and nodded with a smile.

Before, I wanted to discuss with Zhang Cong about the ceremony, but I couldn't find anyone. Unexpectedly, after the palace examination, Zhang Cong took the initiative to come to see him.

Zhu Hao bid farewell to several candidates from Huguang, and then walked side by side with Zhang Cong, side by side.

"I noticed His Majesty earlier, and I have been staring at you..."

Zhang Cong made a point.

Zhu Hao couldn't help squinting.

This Zhang Cong is really good at digging camps. After all, the historian did not wrong you. If you hadn't made great contributions with great courtesy, you might have become Yan Song. Fortunately, you were already a little old man when you were admitted to Jinshi.

Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Brother Zhang, are you mistaken? With so many people present, how can you be sure that His Majesty is looking at me?"

Zhang Cong didn't bother with this topic, but instead said: "I have been studying behind closed doors before, and I have never visited. I wonder if Your Majesty has any worries that need to be forgiven?"

Zhu Hao said, "Brother Zhang, you should know, right?"

Zhang Cong nodded.

Before the palace examination, the court discussed the great ceremony for the first time, and it ended with the new emperor's complete failure. The new emperor's father is not a father, and his mother is not a mother. Zhang Cong, as the initiator of the great ceremony discussion in history, how can he not see that the emperor urgently needs a voice? Stand up for yourself?
But Zhang Cong probably also knows that he is a soft-spoken person and is not qualified to discuss big gifts.

"Looks like it's time to have a good talk with Brother Zhang, how about making an appointment? It's not early, and it's time to go back to rest..."

At this time, we have arrived in front of Dong'an Gate, what Zhu Hao means is, let's say goodbye at the gate.

But Zhang Cong seemed very eager: "It's better to hit the sun than to choose the day, it's better to let the subordinates be the host, and entertain Mr. Zhu... Please Mr. Zhu, please do respect."

(End of this chapter)