The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Zhang Zhou entered the Gongyuan.

With Wang Mingshan, Liu Gui and a cook, there were actually not many people. In addition, the emperor specially asked several Jin Yiwei to follow him in to protect Zhang Zhou's safety.

In the Ming Dynasty, although there was no "horse feast" before the provincial examination, the examiners still had to meet each other as a courtesy before the examination, because the examiners at the Shuntian Prefecture examination room had long known that one of the examiners this time was the famous Zhang Zhou, so almost everyone was waiting for Zhang Zhou's arrival that day.

This also includes Yang Tinghe, who entered the Gongyuan two hours early.

Zhang Zhou arrived relatively late, but as long as he entered before dark, no one would say anything.

The examiners are mainly officials from Shuntian Prefecture, and they are all supervisory and promotion officials. The exam has not yet started, so there is no distinction between inner curtain officers and outer curtain officers. The meeting was like a party, and everyone was They all came to salute and greet Zhang Zhou.

"You're welcome, it's my first time to take the provincial examination. If there's anything I don't understand, I hope you can give me some advice."

Zhang Zhou had a smile on his face.

After entering the inner curtain, he settled in his place first, and then Yang Tinghe came to visit him alone.

Yang Tinghe is over forty years old. He is not tall, but looks very stable. The goatee on his face gives people a sense of calmness and self-power, but he looks very humble and cautious in front of Zhang Zhou.

When saluting, Yang Tinghe also expressed his gratitude to Zhang Zhou for prophesying for him about his old mother's illness.

Zhang Zhou said: "I just thought that something big might happen at Yang Hanlin's house. I wasn't sure what it was, so I mentioned it to His Majesty. Your Majesty specially asked you to go back to Shu. If you are allowed to serve the old lady for the last time, it is also Your Majesty is considerate of your subjects."

Yang Tinghe said: "Your Majesty's kindness should be remembered."

Zhang Zhou asked with a smile: "I wonder if Yang Hanlin has thought about what the topic will be?"

Yang Tinghe was startled, and then he seemed to understand something. He looked around and made sure that the partition wall had no ears, and then said: "I entered the palace yesterday and met with His Majesty. His Majesty said that everything should be done with Duke Cai Guo as the master. Make your own decision.”

"Really? We should let Yang Hanlin help more." Zhang Zhou did not agree immediately.

The emperor asked you to listen to me, so you just listen?

Your Yang Tinghe's reputation in history can be regarded as "iron-bone". Although your shining point is not in the Hongzhi Dynasty, your reputation as a Zhengchen is not fake, right?

"The topic can be used as a reference below. If there is anything wrong, Cai Guogong can also point out." Yang Tinghe did not argue at all.

Zhang Zhou said: "That's good. If one person comes up with the topic, if the news spreads, it will inevitably make people think that this topic is a bit biased. We should learn from each other's strengths. We will each draft a few topics tonight, and we will discuss and choose from them. What do you think of the test questions on the Four Books and Five Classics?"

"Good." Yang Tinghe nodded.

Creating questions together, summarizing them together, and then selecting topics from them can be considered a serious process.

The emperor asked Zhang Zhou to listen, and Yang Tinghe was also afraid that something would go wrong. Now Zhang Zhou had to follow the rules, which meant that he didn't have any problems.

……

……

There was originally a banquet for Zhang Zhou that night. It was not a banquet in name, but more like a banquet for him by his colleagues, but Zhang Zhou refused.

They all brought cooks in, so naturally they had to eat what they liked. Zhang Zhou had also been "losing weight" recently. Although he had been running around constantly since coming to Ming Dynasty, his body was still a little fatter. Zhang Zhou also made up his mind to go to the Gongyuan to eat. Nodding off.

Zhang Zhou formulated several questions.

The titles of the Four Books and the Five Classics are all excerpts from the Four Books and the Five Classics. Even a layman can come up with the questions as long as he can memorize the Four Books and the Five Classics.

But it is also a skill to ask profound questions, especially those that correspond to current events.

Liu Gui set up a shelf outside before dark. The shelf was used to dry clothes, because Zhang Zhou also brought his own clothes to the inner curtain, and there was also a private courtyard. This was also Zhang Zhou's small world, and then some arrangements were made. The main purpose is to make up for some security omissions.

"Tell him to stop being busy. There are people on the third and third floors here. Are there still people who want to assassinate me?" Zhang Zhou asked Wang Mingshan to go out and inform Liu Gui so that Liu Gui wouldn't bother.

When it was late at night, Zhang Zhou was already preparing to go to bed. Liu Gui was shouting outside to announce that Yang Tinghe was visiting.

Zhang Zhou met Yang Tinghe in the small courtyard where he lived.

After lighting the lamp, Yang Tinghe sat down. When he saw that Zhang Zhou had a separate courtyard and there were dedicated people waiting on him, Yang Tinghe inevitably showed some envious eyes.

A powerful person in the imperial court, who even came to be the examiner of a provincial examination, was treated differently from others.

"The topic has been drafted. I'm afraid there might be something inappropriate, so I came to discuss it with you in advance." Yang Tinghe did not regard himself as a senior of the Hanlin Academy at all.

It was also Yang Tinghe who knew that since he had not been in the Hanlin Academy for several years, the situation in the Hanlin Academy had changed a lot, and Yang Tinghe needed Zhang Zhou's strength to support him.

Even if he does not join the Zhang Party, he must at least have a stable relationship with Zhang Zhou, and this time the emperor asked him to cooperate with Zhang Zhou in selecting talents, which invisibly gave him an opportunity to establish a good relationship with Zhang Zhou.

Zhang Zhou said: "I also have a question here, so don't come today. Candidates will be admitted tomorrow night, and the exam will start early the day after tomorrow. The printing of questions must be stepped up, and there can be no delay."

The rules of the provincial examination also require that questions must be given before the examination, not in advance.

Moreover, the questions are given after the inner curtain is locked. The only transportation in the middle is to be sent directly from the inner curtain to the examination room and handed over to the candidates on the morning of the exam. The questions are not distributed on site, but have been printed on the On the paper.

This requires everything to be done well in advance.

Yang Tinghe asked: "I wonder if this time we want to select upright talents or talents who stick to the industry?"

"Huh?" Zhang Zhou looked at Yang Tinghe.

Yang Tinghe's way of asking questions was different from others.

Zhang Zhou thought about it for a while. The so-called Zhongzheng talents should be said to be able to be Zhongzheng officials in the future. They need to be impartial and able to make decisive decisions, which is relatively radical.

Officials who keep their jobs are more cautious and must fulfill their duties and do their jobs well.

One is more radical and the other is more conservative.

Zhang Zhou said: "Articles are based on talents. It is better not to set the tone first. As long as there is knowledge, all kinds of talents are indispensable."

In fact, Zhang Zhou didn't expect what kind of person he would choose to help him.

Besides, can you really select someone for your own use in just one provincial examination?

Hosting the provincial examination this time is more to pave the way for hosting the examination in the future. It also tells the world that he, Zhang Zhou, can exist as the examiner. In the future, the world's scholars will weigh whether he will be the examiner before scolding Zhang Zhou. It will be "offended" by Zhang Zhou.

If you take the provincial examination or the general examination in the future, and Zhang Zhou happens to be the examiner, do you think it will have an impact on your path to the imperial examination?

"Then the theme should be more about benevolence and filial piety." After Yang Tinghe finished speaking, he added, "I think about it, this is also your Majesty's wish."

Zhang Zhou said: "As long as the title is satisfactory, it doesn't matter what the title is. When choosing an article, don't choose an article that is too pandering. Yang Hanlin should know what I stand for in scholarship, right?"

Yang Tinghe nodded. He had obviously heard about Zhang Zhou's promotion of mind science.

If the candidates for the Shuntianfu Provincial Examination this time know that Zhang Zhou is a master of mental studies, it seems inevitable that they will deliberately add more content on mental studies in the exam to cater to Zhang Zhou.

In Zhang Zhou's opinion, he wants to be overly flattered. This kind of person is a villain who is good at flattering, so don't choose him.

Of course, if this group of candidates knows that I have any opinions or biases in scholarship and can cater to me... then that is your ability. Only in the general direction that everyone knows, if you cater to me, that is Look for failure.

…    …

Zhang Zhou and Yang Tinghe discussed the test questions until midnight before they separated.

The questions on the Four Books and Five Classics are decided first, followed by official application questions and policy questions. The questions for the second and third sessions can be postponed appropriately, but the questions for the first session need to be prepared first.

Just that night.

Sun Shangqi took Caihuang to the imperial prison and asked Caihuang to visit the head of the Huang family, Huang Yibei.

"Be careful what you say after entering. There will be someone listening next to you. If you do something inappropriate, you will be kicked away at any time." After all, Sun Shangqi is a veteran in the Jinyi Guard, and he is quite experienced in dealing with prison matters. of.

Caihuang quickly took out the money from the basket she was carrying.

Sun Shangqi said: "What do you think this is? Do you think it's the government office of the state capital?"

Caihuang said with a reserved expression, "We should still give the gentlemen some wine and tea."

"Forget it."

Sun Shangqi would not accept such a small amount of money.

Although the silver ingot looked like it was at least ten taels, his grandson Shangqi did not look down upon this amount of silver.

Caihuang made a mistake. She was afraid of being angered by the Jin Yiwei. She was followed by Sun Shangqi. She didn't even dare to breathe. Finally, she arrived in front of Huang Yibei's cell door. After Caihuang walked over, she immediately put down the basket and wanted to go to the old house. He walked over to his father.

"My lord, whatever you want to ask, I can answer it."

It was late at night when Jin Yiwei came suddenly. Huang Yibei thought it was Jin Yiwei's night interrogation, and he was almost scared to death.

"Father." Ms. Caihuang walked over and saw her old father's disheveled appearance. She couldn't help but hide her face and cry.

Only then did Huang Yibei see his daughter in front of him.

Caihuang is already around forty years old, and Huang Yibei is over sixty years old. It is inevitable for father and daughter to hug each other and cry when they meet.

In the end, Caihuang was calmer and said quickly: "This official is Sun Qianhu of Jinyiwei. He was ordered by Cai Guogong to have his son come to visit you. Is your father okay in prison recently?"

"This……"

Even if Huang Yibei could say something bad, he would not dare to say it.

"Stop gossiping, speak openly, and get things over with quickly." Sun Shangqi urged.

Huang Yibei asked: "Why... why are you here?"

Caihuang said: "It's my sister-in-law. Her distant relative is... Cai Guogong. I don't know where my sister-in-law is now?"

"Maybe they are being guarded nearby." Huang Yibei said with a look of regret, "The family is in trouble here. After we get out, no one will mention it again. My daughter, can our family... still be able to get out?"

"Cai Guogong said that as long as our family puts aside the relationship with the Zhao family, we can go out." Caihuang glanced at Sun Shangqi and found that the Jinyi guard in the prison was courting Sun Shangqi, so she walked over and said , "We must rely on someone from the Zhao family to get through. Only in this way can we get out of trouble."

"But... this is not good either."

Huang Yibei seems to have a bit of a scholar's backbone.

After all, the patriarchs of these big families have read books and know some etiquette, justice and integrity.

Caihuang asked: "Does father want the family to disappear like this, or does he want to maintain the status quo?"

"Ugh!"

Huang Yibei could only sigh, and then said, "Have you met your second uncle? Go meet him, he has ideas."

"I can't care less," Caihuang said. "It's hard to meet Cai Guogong in person, and Cai Guogong gave me this opportunity. But if it really helps the family get out of trouble, I can't give him a gift. It's hard to express gratitude for such a great kindness."

Huang Yibei asked: "Then my son, what can I do?"

Caihuang said: "My son is also thinking of a way. He originally wanted to visit his brother and the others, but he didn't give him the chance. He hopes that his father can put the family's great business first, but he can no longer be willful."

"Yeah." Huang Yibei nodded.

"There is some food here, as well as some broken silver and clothes. They are all sent to my father so that he can take care of himself in the prison." Caihuang said, "Father, don't worry, these are all approved by the Jinyiwei commander. They Let me bring you here."

"Commander of the Jinyi Guards? Son, you... how did you get involved with these big shots?"

Huang Yibei couldn't figure it out. His daughter was just a woman and a child. She was Cai Guogong and the commander of the Jinyi Guards. It was as if she could reach the sky.

"Father, there is no need to ask. I will just ask my father. Does it mean that the family will pay any price for the sake of the family and not care about it?" Caihuang also showed a bit of the attitude of a female head of the family at this moment.

Now that all the men named Huang are in prison, and only my married daughter can come out and move around, do you listen to me or not?

Huang Yibei said: "This is natural."

"Then I have to write a handwritten letter from my father, so that I can get out of trouble in the future. But don't let everyone blame me for what happened today."

Caihuang's family is not a vegetarian either.

Now, running around for family affairs, spending money is a trivial matter. If we really get out of trouble, the family will think that the sacrifice is too much now, saying that this is all caused by the Caihuang family, and they will be angry with the Caihuang family, or even the Caihuang family. With her husband's family, children, etc., Caihuang is asking for trouble.

"Son, I can really get out of trouble. From now on in the family... you will have a share no matter what."

Daughters originally had no inheritance rights.

But now Huang Yibei has agreed to give this married daughter a share of the family property.

"Whoever the father wants to give it to is his business. Now I need my father's handwriting so that my daughter can fully represent the Huang family. The connections, property, etc. of the Huang family will be used. Anyone, including the father, will also Only in this way can I have the confidence to mediate. This is the last chance for our Huang family. If my father doesn't agree...then we will probably have to leave it to fate."

Who wants that little bit of property?

I want to be a parent!

From now on, even if I am a member of the Cai family, I will still have to take care of the Huang family's affairs.

"You...okay! Father will write it for you right now."

Even if Huang Yibei knew his daughter's thoughts, in this case, only his daughter could see those big shots, so he had to do it.

It is a case of urgent illness and urgent medical treatment. (End of chapter)