Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 434 Selection of Jinshi
After more than ten days of preparation, Enke's examination was held as scheduled in the Gongyuan.

The examination time for the general examination is three subjects, a total of nine days. During these nine days, these candidates who took part in the imperial examination had to stay in the cell whether they were eating, drinking or eating. As long as the paper is not handed in, even if there is a fire inside, the door of the cell will not be opened.

Zhao Mu, as the examiner, had also read the exam questions. For this general examination, one is the basic "Classics" and "Historical Books". These are basically not too difficult, and they are just the accumulation of basic knowledge for the test. As long as they can pass the provincial examination, there is no difficulty for these people.

The third test question that determines whether you can enter high school is the most important "Current Affairs Policy".

The quality of this article depends on the individual abilities of these writers. Or it may be to see if you can get the appreciation of the examiner.

This is also a disadvantage of the non-eight-legged essay system. Sometimes whether you can pass high school depends not only on your level, but also on your policy making level and whether your political appeal is consistent with the examiner's.

On the ninth day, people began to submit papers one after another.

After sealing the names on the examination papers with fire paint, the examiners of this examination also began to review the examination papers.

Because it was Enke, many scholars were unprepared. Therefore, not many people participated in this examination. Only a few thousand people.

This time, Zhezong gave Enke 300 Jinshi quotas.

When writing papers, those who have code words are basically close friends of the marking officers. They will specially select these papers and review them later.

After sifting through these, there will be some "code words". This is an unspoken rule in the imperial examination.

Although there were many examiners who reviewed the papers, they did not read all the papers. After all, if you read thousands of papers word for word, you don’t know when you will see them.

So these papers need to be selected.

The second thing is when writing, when faced with some words, it is necessary to avoid writing without writing. For example, the names of the emperors of the Song Dynasty. Either don’t write this word, or if you really have to write this word, you must be missing a pen to show respect. Also, you have to write some words smaller. Such as one's own name, or the self-proclaimed "subject" or "min".

After the examiners discuss and approve your paper, they will select your high school.

Although there are 300 places for Jinshi, it does not mean that these 300 people will definitely be filled, because whether you can become a Jinshi depends on the eyes of the examiners, their writing, talent, and even luck, and whether their attitude is sufficient. grid.

First of all, if the handwriting is ugly, or there are large stains on the paper, or the writing is not neat enough, then the paper is considered "dirty". There is no need to watch anymore. No matter how talented you are, your attitude towards the imperial examination is not correct. The examiners were not interested in reading either.

But it doesn't mean that if you write a code word and show that you are one of your own, you will definitely be able to go to high school. Examiners also need to evaluate together. Even review it several times.

While following the officials from the Ministry of Rites to review the papers, Zhao Mu's eyes were opened.

If your name or these self-proclaimed words are larger than the emperor's name, or larger than the country's name, or even written in the same size, then you are considered trespassing. Finished playing it directly.

There is this code word, just to give you more opportunities to criticize and grade your papers. Unlike others, as long as it does not meet the standards of the examiners, it will be invalidated directly.

After sifting away these, almost half of the paper was sifted out.

Then the examiners will start to actually mark the papers. Zhao Mu also followed the examiners and watched the strategies written by the candidates one by one.

Some Zhao Mu took it out and read it a few more times, then nodded repeatedly. Some of them took a direct look and he threw them aside. There were even some that were too disgraceful, so Zhao Mu directly used a large pen to dip two dots of ink on them. Then it was canceled directly for him.

This is because the title of this time's current affairs policy review is "Strategy of the Country," and most of the officials wrote nonsense such as "the military is responsible for the country's major affairs, and cannot be easily moved" and "although the country is large, those who are bellicose will perish."

Some even use the example of "militancy" in the Han and Tang dynasties, but this is just an example, and it doesn't get to the point.

Not only was it filled with the spirit of the capitulation faction, it even made people kneel down and kowtow to each other.

Some people also criticized Zhao Mu's northern expedition to the Liao Kingdom. Although the battle was won, they still had to show their intelligence, their uniqueness, their cynicism, and their "sobriety in the world."

Zhao Mu's behavior was given a large number of special criticisms. It is said that Zhao Mu destroyed the century-old stability of the Chanyuan Alliance.

There are also some who did not explicitly say what Zhao Mu was wrong about, but used the topic to make use of the topic, saying that the ministers had too much military power and wanted to repeat the mistakes of the Five Dynasties.

Zhao Mu didn't know whether he should praise these scholars for their talent, character, and lack of fear of power, or whether they were stupid.

Although the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty did not confine thoughts like the eight-legged essay, if the paper was not written to Zhao Mu's satisfaction, Zhao Mu would directly fail him.

However, there were also some papers from the "surrender faction" that caught Zhao Mu's eye. This is because they pointed directly at the crux of the problem, talked about the disadvantages of resorting to militarism, and then suggested solutions. Proposed rest and recuperation for the people and so on.

Although some of these papers were not to Zhao Mu's liking, Zhao Mu saw that their rhetoric was gorgeous, their handwriting was neat, and what they said made sense, so he "left a light" on them.

After several days of screening, Zhao Mu and Su Shi handed the "promising" papers to Zhe Zong.

In normal times, papers that are not imperial examinations do not need to be reviewed personally by the emperor. But this time the chief examiner Zhao Mu was a layman, and Su Shi was a deputy this time. He was also afraid of taking responsibility and did not dare to make decisions without authorization. So I can only present it to the emperor.

This time they screened out more than a hundred test papers that could be used to enter the Jinshi Department. Although it was far from the quota of 300 people specified by Zhezong, Zhao Mu carefully reviewed it again, and even read the papers that were canceled at first. Most people's policies were either created by trying to screw with Zhao Mu, or they were written as nonsense. In the end, only more than a hundred copies were accepted, which was still barely qualified.

After Su Shi finished reporting, Zhezong said: "I understand. Su Aiqing has worked hard. Go back and rest first. I will read these examination papers myself."

"Yes!" Su Shi immediately exited after hearing this.

After Zhao Mu saw Su Shi leaving, Zhao Mu asked: "Your Majesty, Mr. Su's talent is unparalleled in the world. If you take him away, Your Majesty and the ministers may have to watch him all night."

While reviewing the memorial, Zhezong said, "What are you talking about, uncle? You are the examiner of this imperial examination. This needs to be chosen by the emperor, not me."

"Ah?" Zhao Mu exclaimed, and said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen is really not very good at this. It was only Su Shi and the others who could screen them out before. Now let me make my own decision, I'm afraid. .”

(End of this chapter)