Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The fifteenth year of Jiazhao, the second day of April.

The Rongguo Mansion held a birthday banquet for Jia Cong's dancing elephant. The young men of noble families from the outer courtyard toasted and chatted, while in the inner courtyard, Lady Jia and Lady Wang wanted to take advantage of the east wind and set up a stage to perform a play.

However, Lady Jia's scheme was discovered by Lady Chengyang Xu, who used her witty words to instantly eliminate it.

In order to clear Baoyu from the marriage of their children, Xu, Marquis of Chengyang, and Zhang, Marquis of Jingyang, came up with the idea of ​​choosing Wenhualang as a son-in-law.

It also made the topic of conversation among the ladies at the banquet turn to the imperial examination that was attracting worldwide attention...

At the same time, a few miles away from Rongguo Mansion, the Shenjing Imperial Examination Hall and the Da Zhou Ministry of Rites, two government agencies closely related to the Spring Examination, were extremely busy.

Since the end of the Spring Examination on March 27, the grand and meticulous ceremony of examination paper marking is being carried out in full swing.

On the evening after the joint examination, the processes of paper compilation, sealing, copying, preliminary screening and elimination began in an orderly and ruthless manner.

Among them, hundreds of candidates became the first batch of candidates who failed before their answers were even evaluated because of reasons such as taboo language, inconsistent word count, and self-description of their backgrounds in their test papers.

Among the candidates who successfully entered the stage of copying the examination papers with red ink, the vast majority of them were destined to a disastrous fate.

After the test papers were copied with red ink, the original papers were sealed and stored in the document library of the Imperial Examination Hall. The copied papers were escorted by the imperial guards throughout the journey according to the order, and were transported from the Imperial Examination Hall to the Ministry of Rites in a continuous stream.

The reason why the original papers and the copied papers are stored in two places for review is to prevent cheating by replacing papers due to differences in procedures.

The copied examination papers will be transported out of the Imperial Examination Hall and directly delivered to the examination hall of the Ministry of Rites, where three examiners from the Spring Examination will be in charge and eighteen co-examiners will be in separate rooms to examine the papers.

In addition, each examiner room was also equipped with examiners, who were officials of the sixth rank or below in various government offices, and were all outstanding candidates in the imperial examination that year.

In addition, there are clerks who are responsible for copying and organizing documents, and servants who are responsible for running errands in the lobby.

More than 200 people gathered in the examination hall of the Ministry of Rites. Although the momentum was huge, because it involved the selection of outstanding talents from all over the world, there was little other noise except the sound of people reciting articles in a low voice.

The entire review hall of the Ministry of Rites was surrounded and guarded by hundreds of elite soldiers mobilized from the five military camps. Even the Minister of Rites, who was not the chief examiner, could not enter the review hall without permission.

All the officials and servants involved in marking the papers, even the chief examiner himself, were strictly checked when entering and leaving the marking hall to make sure that they did not have any hidden items.

Because similar situations have occurred in all dynasties, after leaving the Imperial Examination Hall, the candidates would immediately write down their answers.

Then, through key connections and in exchange for large sums of money, the dictated answer sheets are passed to grassroots examiners, or even to co-examiners or the chief examiner.

Officials who received secret deliveries could identify people based on the text and commit fraud even if they were faced with a transcript with only numbers but no names.

Therefore, in order to take precautionary measures, the entry and exit checks on the examiners were no less stringent than those on the candidates entering the Imperial Examination Hall.

The Han Dynasty had implemented the imperial examination system since the Tang Dynasty, which had lasted for a thousand years. In order to gain a foothold in the imperial court, candidates resorted to various risky and cheating practices, one after another, without fear of life and death.

The imperial examination process over thousands of years has always been a bloody battle between cheaters and anti-cheators. Many people have managed to pass the exam by chance, and countless others have died and lost their reputations as a result...

……

The examination hall of the Ministry of Rites faced three rooms from north to south, where the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination sat, to show that they were selecting talents from all over the world on behalf of the emperor.

There are nine side rooms in two rows on the left and right sides of the hall, which house the eighteen examiners who are responsible for marking the papers.

In the middle of the examination hall, there are densely packed desks arranged in an orderly manner. The examiners and grassroots clerks in each room sit separately, reading and sorting the copied papers that are continuously transported into the hall.

The eighteen examiners divided the papers into different rooms according to the candidates' expertise in the Five Classics, namely, the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Although candidates only have seven questions in the first part of the imperial examination, the examination actually provides more than seven questions. Candidates choose questions based on their expertise in the classics.

Among the Five Classics, the number of candidates who specialized in "Book of Songs", "Book of Changes" and "Book of History" was far greater than that of "Book of Rites" and "Spring and Autumn Annals".

Because the number of words and difficulty of the latter two scriptures are much higher than the first three, studying them is more time-consuming and laborious.

Especially the profound meaning of "Spring and Autumn Annals" often makes students give up studying it because of the difficulty.

Therefore, among the 18 examiners, the majority specialized in reviewing "Book of Songs", "Book of Changes" and "Book of History", while the minority specialized in reviewing "Book of Rites" and "Spring and Autumn Annals".

There were more than 3,000 students taking the examination this year, except for those who were left out during the examination paper copying stage.

In principle, each examiner in the room needs to review more than 200 examination papers, totaling more than 600 answer sheets.

However, the examiners under each examiner room would screen out those who had poor writing skills and confused the principles and ideas in the first book classics test during the initial review of the test papers.

If students cannot even get above the middle level in the first round of the basic eight-legged essay on classics, then given the huge number of candidates, they will naturally not be eligible to continue to strive for a place on the list.

……

The second day of April was the first day for marking the first examination on classics.

The first Shujing test was to examine the candidates' talent and learning foundation. The eight-part essays used in the Shujing test not only had to be logically coherent, but also had to follow strict writing standards.

The requirements for the candidates' attainment in literature, logical thinking, and writing skills are extremely high.

Therefore, for the examiners and graders, marking and grading the Shujing examination was more laborious than the two examinations after the joint examination.

Similarly, for candidates taking the exam, whether they pass the first book test determines whether they can enter the next two rounds of marking.

The marking of the first Shujing test lasted only half a day, but the examiners and examiners in each room had already embezzled more than 80 test papers.

These candidates were all rated as having poor writing skills, but this poor grade was only relative to the level of the metropolitan examination. Perhaps such answers could easily make the list in the provincial examination.

The Spring Examination is at the top of the imperial examination pyramid and has always been a place where the best of the best are selected. As the process of marking papers progresses, such corruption will become more and more common.

Although some candidates failed miserably in the first round of examination, there were also many candidates whose essays stood out.

When examiners see outstanding essays, they often can't help but recite them aloud and enjoy the experience. They even recite them to each other for discussion and comparison.

Such scenes will make the solemn and depressing examination hall occasionally reveal a lively academic atmosphere.

……

In the crowded and orderly examination hall, a dignified-looking official was strolling around with a leisurely manner and a solemn expression.

From time to time, he checked on the examiners in each room while they were marking the papers, and sometimes he would chat with the examiners in the side rooms.

At this time, as the number of papers to be reviewed continued to increase, outstanding eight-part essays continued to emerge, and the low chanting sounds in the reviewing hall became intermittent.

"The teachings of the Five Classics, handed down by the saints and sages, penetrate heaven and man, and maintain the changes of the world. They are extremely detailed and inexhaustible..."

"The classics are used to convey the truth, and history is used to guide the classics. They nourish the aspirations of ordinary people, and can help them cultivate themselves and their families in the near future, and can also help them govern the country and bring peace to the world in the long run..."

"Everything that Yi does is done with his own strength, and the concentration of his spirit is the result of his knowledge..."

This official who was strolling in the examination hall heard the sounds of reciting in the hall. A smile appeared on his face, or he was lost in thought, as if he was immersed in these beautiful words.

This person is one of the chief examiners of this spring's imperial examination, Wang Shilun, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Wang Shilun was also the person who set the questions for the first Shujing examination, so he attached great importance to the marking of the Shujing examination.

It was only the first day of the first examination, and before the examination papers had even had time to pass the screening of the other examiners and be delivered to his desk, he had already gone down to inspect the examination papers himself.

At this moment, when he accidentally passed by a desk, the examiner's soft chanting voice once again faintly reached his ears.

“…Then, the nature of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom is not innate to man, and the spirit of hardness, softness, good and evil is not gifted by heaven.

When the sky is vast and clear, the sun, moon and stars revolve around it; when the earth is broad and open, the grass, trees, mountains and rivers flourish.

How can scholars gather the three honors of being entrusted with one's life, entrusting one's life to someone, and being of great integrity?

There is no other reason, it comes from the hard study of classics, the teachings of the sages, the examples of the heroes, and the hard work of the years..."

If Wang Shilun had just heard those contemporary prose recitations, although there were some outstanding pieces, the language was clear and the structure was symmetrical, they were good but not amazing.

But although the sound of this chant was soft, it was like the lingering sound of a chime, making people feel suddenly enlightened. He couldn't help but stop.
Silently chant: "The sky is vast and clear, so the sun, moon and stars follow it; the earth is broad and open, so the grass, trees, mountains and rivers flourish...

The thought of the Book of Changes is used to describe the thoughts of heaven and earth. It has profound implications and is very bold! "

……

Wang Shilun stopped, turned around and walked back a few steps, returning to the examiner's desk.

The examiner seemed to be attracted by the literary talent of the paper in his hand and did not notice that someone was standing beside the desk.

He still shook his head and chanted in a low voice:

"Book of Documents, passed down by our ancestors, the books are covered in dust, hanging high, not for decayed words, passed down for thousands of years, soaked in blood and fire, confirming life and death, illuminating loyalty and treachery, are elegant words, but also swords!" "Blue shirt Confucianism and law, the book of Documents melts the heart, do not thank the courage of entrusting the life to the orphan, do not abandon the great justice of life and death."

"I will guide the prosperity of the country and protect the righteous path through vicissitudes. I can bear the wind and rain alone and dare to follow the example of the beheading Xingtian..."

When Wang Shilun heard the last few sentences, his scalp went numb and he felt awe in his heart!

At this time, the examiner finished reading the copied paper in his hand, with a look of admiration on his face, and suddenly noticed someone next to him.

He looked up and was shocked to see that the person behind him was the examiner Wang Shilun.

He quickly stood up and saluted: "My humble servant is rude. I was reading the papers just now and didn't notice you were beside me. Please forgive me, Lord Wang."

Wang Shilun kept a straight face. He glanced at the red-ink copy on the desk and saw the number Yi Hai 97 written on the corner.

He smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm just passing by. Please concentrate on reading the papers so as not to miss any pearls."

After Wang Shilun finished speaking, he turned and left, and the examiner breathed a sigh of relief.

The examiner looked at the copied paper on the desk again and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Whether you are a grassroots examiner or a higher-level examiner, it is a great fortune to be able to mark a copy of an excellent essay.

Although there were more than 3,000 candidates taking part in the imperial examination, only a very small number of them were extremely talented.

The candidate whose paper he was holding had an astonishingly powerful essay, and was indeed such an outstanding student.

Being able to stand out so well in the first examination of calligraphy and classics papers, he has gained a great advantage over other candidates.

A candidate with such talent will almost certainly be on the list as long as he does not make any mistakes in the second round of reviewing imperial edicts and imperial edicts, and the third round of reviewing policy essays.

Although the candidates' papers that were submitted by the examiners were eventually admitted, ordinary examiners could not win the reputation of being the candidates' teachers like the chief examiner.

However, once the results are announced, the initial screening and selection by the examiners is a real favor to the candidates, and the connection and friendship formed between the two sides is unquestionable.

These close connections in the imperial examinations will become a solid guardian force in officialdom and the biggest gain for officials selected as officials in the Spring Examinations.

Therefore, the fact that this examiner could encounter such a high-quality copy of the paper indicated that his duty as an official in the spring imperial examination was worthwhile.

He read the manuscript carefully twice more, feeling more and more satisfied. After thinking carefully for a moment, he picked up his pen and wrote down his comments solemnly.

No matter they are examiners or fellow examiners, whenever they encounter a paper that they particularly like, they will use high words in their comments and strongly recommend it. Once a candidate is admitted, they will also feel grateful to them.

For ordinary transcribed papers, the grassroots examiners usually only wrote comments of more than ten words, but this transcribed paper made the examiner write a comment of more than thirty words before he finally put down his pen.

……

The chief examiner Wang Shilun left the examiner's desk and returned to his own room. He felt uneasy and kept thinking about the passage from the contemporary essay.

It can prove life and death, illuminate loyalty and treachery, and is both a refined word and a sword...

I will not thank you for your courage in entrusting my life to you, nor will I abandon the great principles of life and death...

I will guide the prosperity of the country, protect the righteous path through vicissitudes, and stand alone against the wind and rain, and dare to imitate the beheading Xingtian...

Wang Shilun's thoughts were in turmoil. Every word of the candidate seemed to have a strange power that struck his heart and reminded him of many ups and downs in the past.

It is really rare for a weak Confucian and Legalist scholar to write articles based on the principles of sages, with clear and upright words and a broad mind, yet reveal a heroic spirit that looks down on the world.

Wang Shilun silently recited the number of the copied paper in his mind: Yi Hai No. 97.

Just now, he remained calm in front of the examiner and did not show any importance to the copied paper.

This is not only about not wanting to affect the examiner's judgment because of one's own attitude.

Moreover, the marking process is the key link in the Spring Examination and also the most dangerous link. There are more than 200 people bustling about in the marking hall of the Ministry of Rites. Who knows how many spies there are among them.

If he had shown his liking for the copied paper just now, he would have given himself room for criticism and might even have harmed this talented candidate.

Wang Shilun became famous at a young age, and was listed as a cabinet minister when he was forty, reaching the pinnacle of the civil service. His shrewdness was incomparable to that of ordinary people, so he naturally would not make such a low-level mistake.

He would rather watch from the sidelines and see how the transcribed paper No. 97 of Yi Hai would be ranked by his fellow examiners...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Jia Cong's birthday banquet for the dancing elephant was noisy for half a day before it ended. The nobles, relatives and guests from various families said goodbye and left one after another.

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang were in low spirits and sat in the hall, feeling depressed.

Grandmother Jia looked at the empty main room and thought about the time not long ago when the room was full of noble ladies and beautiful girls. The present moment seemed even more desolate.

Grandmother Jia said angrily: "The old saying is true, people change their minds according to the wind, climb up to the high and trample on the low, the world is fickle.

If my Baoyu hadn't had that incident at the clan house, they would still be like this and would be eager to marry into my family.

They are all descendants of generals, and they all fought on the battlefield. Just ask their children, how many of them can read all the Four Books and Five Classics.

Now in front of us, they keep talking about studying for the imperial examinations, which is really hilarious.

Well, the families of nobles and high-ranking officials have always had a lot of rules, and the girls raised in these families are much more picky and particular than those from ordinary families.

Baoyu is an honest child. If he really marries a lady from such a family, he will not be able to live a happy life with his undisciplined personality. I am afraid there will be more troubles in the future.

It's better to marry into a family of ordinary status. Girls from such families know how to be content. Marrying into a family like ours would be marrying up, and your life will be much smoother in the future."

……

Mrs. Wang's mood at this moment was ten times worse than that of Lady Jia.

Originally, she did not care as much about family background and respectability as Lady Jia did about her son Baoyu's marriage.

She had always been thinking of a practical and simple marriage for her son, so that she could hold on to the power of the Rong State for a long time. Otherwise, why would she be so determined to marry her niece Baochai as her daughter-in-law?

But now that the first wife, Jia Cong, has inherited the title of Rong State, the second wife has become an absolute concubine. How can she control the power of Rong State?

Lady Wang was also very moved by Lady Jia's plan for Baoyu. Given the current situation of the Second House, it would be a great thing to be able to marry into a wealthy and powerful family.

But today at the banquet in the hall, the words and expressions of the ladies from various families made Mrs. Wang feel disheartened and humiliated once again.

She just felt that ever since the second branch moved into the East Courtyard, everything had been going wrong and things were getting worse. It was all because of that kid from the East Mansion. God really knew how to mistreat people.

Now, after hearing what Lady Jia said, she knew that the old lady had given up her original idea.

He said: "What the old lady said makes sense. The Jia family is a duke family. How can Baoyu's marriage be decided by others' feelings?

What the old lady said about the family background being simple and easy to understand is indeed true. The last time I mentioned the matter of the girl from the Xia family to you..."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "Speaking of the Guihua Xia family, although they are not an official family, they are not an ordinary family either. They have an only daughter and are extremely wealthy, which is considered very rare among such families.

But he is a fatherless man, which is somewhat unlucky. But look at the world nowadays, there is no such thing as perfect. So let's not take it seriously.

However, the girl from the Xia family is outstanding in appearance and character. She is the only child in the family and has been living a life of luxury since childhood. She is no worse than the girl from our family and her vision must be high.

Even if the two families want to discuss marriage, you should test the waters and make sure the mother and daughter are willing. Otherwise, if you speak rashly and get rejected, Baoyu will be too embarrassed. "

After listening to what Lady Jia said, Mrs. Wang felt that there was some truth in it. Although she and the Xia mother and daughter interacted frequently, every time they mentioned Baoyu, they only said polite words to each other.

I really can't see what Mrs. Xia is thinking in this regard. The young lady from the Xia family is also a very polite person.

Although she had met Baoyu twice, she was extremely particular about etiquette between men and women each time. She was not very close to Baoyu and was even somewhat deliberately distant from him. It was pleasing to see how well-mannered and prudent she was.

Since Grandmother Jia has loosened her stance, Mrs. Wang is thinking of finding an opportunity to handle this matter. Maybe Baoyu will have his birthday next month, and then she can use the excuse to invite Mrs. Xia to test the waters...

Grandmother Jia suddenly asked, "Last time you talked about the eldest girl's situation in the palace. Mrs. Xia used her family connections to make her the royal selection. What's the situation now?"

Madam Wang said, “Last time, Madam Xia did say that now that the Nine Borders are at war with the remnant Mongols, His Majesty is worried about state affairs, so the selection of concubines has been delayed.

But it will take about two months before we get the news."

Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "It would be best if this could be accomplished. If it really can't be accomplished, it is the eldest girl's fate. When the ten-year period is up next year, let her go home neatly.

Such a big family can't support a girl like her. While I can still move, I want her to stay with me for a few more years..." (End of this chapter)