Water Margin people

"The sun shines on the world, and blessings come to all corners of the world! Discuss the conflict between local customs and culture and the central government's new policies!"

“Isn’t it a pleasure to learn and practice from time to time? Is it not a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? Is it not a gentleman to not be angry when people don’t know you? Let’s discuss how the young people of the new era can grow into the pillars of the country through learning, communication and self-cultivation.”

"The new trend of Qi State, try to analyze the new trend of Qi State in recent years."

……

Sun Lei felt a headache when he looked at the densely packed questions on the memorial. It would be a headache for him to answer them. Fortunately, he was the chief examiner and only needed to watch others answer.

"Your Majesty, just choose three questions from the middle!"

Wen Huanzhang looked at Sun Lei and said that these questions were just listed by him, and Sun Lei would have to select them in the end. Of course, the papers would be sealed after the selection, and only a few people would know about it.

"Let me add one more question!"

After Sun Lei checked three questions, he thought for a while and spoke again.

"Your Majesty, if you want to add a question, of course you can."

Wen Huanzhang said.

"All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are his subjects. Analyze the relationship between national expansion and the spread of the kingly way!"

Sun Lei picked up a pen and wrote this question on the paper. The purpose of asking this question was very simple. The State of Qi was constantly waging foreign wars. Although it won, it also caused a lot of criticism, such as the constant calls for warmongering.

The State of Qi does not restrict speech, so Sun Lei wants to test it in this way.

"Anyway, these people will have to cater to me during the imperial examination! Give them a heads up!"

Sun Lei thought to himself that the emperor would be the final examiner of the imperial examination papers, and the essays would inevitably contain flattery. This is human nature and no one can prevent it.

But flattery should be treated differently. Just flattering is useless. You must make your words meaningful, express your views clearly, have unique insights and opinions, and make your superiors feel comfortable. This is the manifestation of ability.

"Just this one question."

Sun Lei handed the question and the memorial to Wen Huanzhang and then said.

Wen Huanzhang understood the emperor's meaning after taking a look at the title. He put away the title and the memorial, bowed and left.

Preparations for the Spring Examination are being made in full swing. This year has the largest number of students taking the examination and it is also the last one. Starting next year, the selection for the Spring Examination will be more rigorous and the number of people taking the examination will be strictly controlled. Therefore, the students this time are particularly serious and they do not want to miss this opportunity.

With the influx of students, Liangshan City became particularly lively, and hotels and inns all hung up signs saying "Welcome new students."

Some places even offer handicaps for people to bet on who will be the top scorer this year.

This kind of gambling is very metaphysical. There are famous students in every place, and each student is good at different subjects. No one knows the test questions, and when a bunch of variables are put together, gambling becomes a real guess.

"There are so many names, which one should I buy?"

Sun Lei sighed as he looked at the densely packed wooden signs tied with red silk on the wall of a restaurant. He was in a good mood today and wanted to come and see the grand scene of the Spring Examination, and his first stop was the gambling house.

"Sir, are you also a student of New Science?"

A servant stepped forward with a smile and asked.

"That's about right. Why don't I see my name?"

Sun Lei pointed at the wooden sign on the wall and spoke.

"Young Master, you have just arrived in Liangshan City!"

The servant took a look at Sun Lei, who was dressed in silk and satin and had the unique aura of a superior. He immediately determined that the man in front of him was the son of a wealthy family.

“Yes, I’m from Quanzhou!”

Sun Lei said with a smile.

"Quanzhou? Your accent doesn't sound like it, sir?"

The servant was suspicious.

"My father was sent to Fujian to serve as an official a few years ago, and I followed him there, so my school record was left in Quanzhou."

Sun Lei laughed and said that Quanzhou has developed well in recent years and the imperial court has also sent many capable officials there.

"So that's how it is. Sir, you don't know that the nameplate above was not hung by the store, but by me!"

The servant spoke.

"Hang it yourself? Hang it randomly?"

Sun Lei asked in surprise. "Sir, you are joking. How can we hang names randomly? There are more than 15,000 people taking the imperial examination this year. If we hang names randomly, the bell and drum tower will be full. There are two requirements for hanging names. You must be the top three at the prefecture or road level, or the best in the team!"

The servant spoke.

"I'm ranked 70th or 80th, so I can only play in pairs?"

Sun Lei said with a smile.

"Please forgive me, sir. This is not only the rule of our shop, but also the rule of all gambling houses and restaurants."

The servant smiled and bowed, he did not look down on the man in front of him at all just because he said he was ranked 70 or 80.

A prefecture ranked in the 70s or 80s would definitely have no chance coming to Liangshan City, but the person in front of him was the son of an official, and it was obvious that his family held a high official position.

Such candidates will naturally get extra points, even if they are not as knowledgeable as others, but their insights and knowledge of the Taoist tradition of being an official are beyond the reach of ordinary families.

"Is this the rule for all gambling houses?"

Sun Lei asked.

"Sir, this is Liangshan City. We do business with integrity. Since we have opened the odds, we must be unified. We have discussed the odds together, and we will pay together when the time comes!"

The servant spoke.

"Is there such a good thing? Sure, take me to see that absolute thing! I am still very interested in reciting poems and composing couplets."

Sun Lei said with a smile.

"May I ask your name, sir?"

The servant asked enthusiastically.

"stone!"

Sun Lei made up a random surname.

"Master Wang Shi from Quanzhou, please come to the second floor!"

The servant immediately sang loudly, and the other servants in other places also echoed him, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

"No wonder the business is so good. Scholars have never seen such a scene before. Now that the show is going on, why not show off your real talents and knowledge?"

Sun Lei thought to himself that a common problem among scholars is that they love to show off.

"Everyone is thinking about their family, their country and their society."

As soon as Sun Lei went upstairs, he saw a couplet. There was only the upper couplet but no lower couplet. Obviously, this was the so-called absolute.

"Please look, Master Wang. This is the absolute skill that Master Shi from Qingzhou, Shandong, has shown. No one has been able to match it for two days."

The servant pointed at the couplet and laughed.

"Who said no one can match him? Bring me some paper!"

A student in cloth clothes said in a cold voice, he seemed to care a lot about what the servant said.

Soon someone brought a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and the commoner student wrote quickly and completed a couplet.

In the restaurant, the other students who were drinking and chatting also looked over, waiting for the final judgment.

"Thank you, God, and the king."

The couplet was hung up.

"Okay!"

"Wonderful!"

"Brother Huichu is indeed the best among Zhejiang students!"

"This couple is absolutely amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"Brother's name should be on the list!"

……

The other students were very impressed with the second line of the couplet and applauded it one by one.

Seeing that all the students praised it, the shopkeeper immediately smiled and asked someone to hang up the couplet, and asked the servant to inform other hotels and gambling houses that the couplet was also accepted. (End of this chapter)