Bachelor

Chapter 347
Sun Dan saw that the eunuch from Dongchang had cups and lamps, and he brought a small stove with him. After tinkering for a long time, he brought over a teacup the size of a bull's eye, feeling a little dazed.

As for the top-quality Tieguanyin he mentioned, he didn't feel anything special when he drank it. He only felt that the fragrance was very strong and had a burnt smell.

Sun Dan is used to green tea and is not sensitive to this semi-fermented tea.

After drinking the cup of tea in one gulp, Sun Dan laughed: "Go back and thank Bi Gong." Then he jumped into the carriage and waved to the students and family members of the Neishutang: "Go back, don't send it off. .”

"Respectfully send off, Mr.!" Everyone in Neishutang bowed to the ground at the same time.

But Zhi Niang and Ting Lan stood at the gate and waved their hands frequently. Sun Dan kept watching them until the carriage was out of the alley and there were no more people in sight. Then he retracted his head into the carriage.An indescribable warmth rose from his heart. He knew that these two women would be waiting for him at home for the next nine days.

It feels so good to be expected, to be waited upon!
The carriage traveled through the city of Beijing at dawn. At this time, there were no people in the city, and there were people from the East Factory clearing the way. They walked quite fast all the way, and arrived at the examination room in a short while.

The examination room of the present subject examination is still in Shuntianfu Xuedao Yamen. Sun Dan is no stranger to this place. This is the second time he has come here. The last time was the provincial examination, but it was a provincial examination. It is a national exam.

In the last provincial examination, Sun Dan lived up to everyone's expectations and won the honor of juren, not to mention becoming an official civil servant, and also won the No. 1 Jieyuan.The so-called Lianzhong Sanyuan refers to the No.1 Jieyuan in the provincial examination, the No.1 Huiyuan in the meeting division and the No.1 champion in the palace examination.Obtaining Xieyuan was just the first step. Sun Dan was not satisfied with winning a Jinshi, but wanted to win three yuan.

Only when you win three yuan in succession can you justifiably enter the Imperial Academy, and you can justifiably join the cabinet as a prime minister in the future.Otherwise, if you work through the qualifications little by little, you don't know when you will be able to achieve the position of cabinet minister.In the selection of officials in the Ming Dynasty, there was an almost strict requirement on the background and qualifications of the officials. Everything had to be based on the ranking and results of the imperial examination.

When they arrived at the small square in front of the examination room, Sun Dan hurriedly yelled "Stop", jumped off the carriage, and said to several Dongchang fans: "You guys go back too."

A lot of people had gathered in front of the small square, at least a thousand people.

It is not yet mao time, and the examination room has not opened the gate to let people in.All the candidates stood in the square and whispered, with various accents, and there were people from all over the place.Among them, Jiangxi accent is the majority.This is also understandable. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Jiangxi has had a prosperous style of writing and has produced the most Jinshi.

Among the more than 1000 people, some have passed the exam for many years, and there are many who have lived in the capital for more than ten years and are waiting for the exam.

Beijing is at the foot of the emperor, the first good area.Although there are many scholars, the circle is not big.Many people often organize literary conferences to discuss and exchange knowledge. After so many years, most of them are true.This time I came to take the big exam, many people knew each other, and they got together and chatted quietly.

There are really not many candidates like Sun Dan who don't have much contact with scholars. First, Sun Dan is busy with affairs, and he doesn't have so much free time to recite poems and fight with others. Second, he feels that maintaining the necessary sense of mystery is of great benefit to his reputation. benefit.

Therefore, among so many people in the square, he didn't know any of them.

Seeing that Sun Dan jumped down before entering the square, the leader was a little puzzled, and said, "Mr. Sun, the factory bus is on behalf, and you must see you enter the Longmen with your own eyes. Besides, if the chaos here is like this, if you Mister, you have three ups and downs, and I have to go to jump into the Jinshui River."

Sun Dan smiled: "No, no, really no, there are people from the Ministry of Rites here to maintain the scene, and it is the emperor's Enke, how could there be any mistakes. Besides, the candidates here are all famous scholars, there will not be any It’s a problem. You stay here, but you give someone who cares about it.”

Then the fan suddenly realized: "That's right, if I send you into the examination room, sir, if you are suspected of cheating, why don't you give it to others. Forget it, I'll step down after this, and wish you success immediately."

After speaking, he left quietly with his men.

After watching the people from the East Factory leave, Sun Dan didn't say anything, and walked quietly towards the crowd in the small square alone with the test basket.

Just before he could take two steps, a mandarin with a Zhejiang accent suddenly came from his ear: "Jingyuan, Jingyuan, ah, it's really you!"

Sun Dan was startled when he heard someone calling his name, and the voice was still familiar. He turned his head quickly, but saw an old acquaintance whom he hadn't seen for a long time standing in the crowd, looking at him with a smile.

This person is Zhang Duan, the county magistrate of Zouping, and Zhang Cong stands beside him.

Although Zhang Cong, the number one think tank of Concubine Zhang's system, is the same political enemy as Sun Dan, he still looks normal, and even has a kind smile, which surprises Sun Dan.

Speaking of which, Zhang Zhixian was very kind to Sun Dan, and he was considered Sun Dan's mentor in name in the past.If he hadn't named Sun Dan in the county test, Sun Dan would still be a little gardener now.

Sun Dan was still very grateful to Zhang Zhi County.

Sun Dan is a person who attaches great importance to grievances, and anyone who has bullied him will naturally have to get them back ten times.And those who are kind to themselves will repay each other with springs.

He hurriedly bowed to the ground: "It turns out that the teacher is here. The student Sun Dan has seen the teacher."

Zhang Duan hurriedly helped Sun Dan up: "Master Sun, you are now a seventh-rank official and serve the court with me. You and I are of the same rank. Now that we are a Jinshi, we are peers. What about students and teachers? Don’t mention it again later.”

In the official circles of the Ming Dynasty, there was such a rule that once a student was equivalent to a teacher, they could no longer be called teachers and students, and there was no need to salute.If the student's fame and position are higher than that of the previous teacher, the teacher will pay homage to the previous student in turn.

Otherwise, if the student has great prospects in the future, if he becomes the governor of a province, or even joins the cabinet as a prime minister, if he meets the teacher from when he was in elementary school.It would be unseemly for a dignified official of the second rank to visit a small scholar in turn, and would lose the face of the imperial court.

The Ming Dynasty attached great importance to the hierarchical system of heaven, earth, monarch, relatives and teachers. The teacher ranked last, and the official positions of the officials were conferred by the emperor, representing the monarch, and the order could not be disordered.This is the ethical basis for governing a country, and there are many considerations.

Sun Dan shook his head: "A teacher for one day, a father for the rest of his life, even if Sun Dan will be promising in the future, isn't it because you, the teacher, favored the students back then?"

"Inappropriate, inappropriate." Zhang Duan was also very moved, and said with a straight face: "The country's ethics are normal, and the court's system cannot be changed. Mr. Sun, Zhang Duan understands your intentions. However, let's talk about each other as equals." , I am older than you, you might as well call me Brother Zhang in the future."

Sun Dan called out embarrassedly: "Sun Dan met Brother Zhang."

Then Zhang Duan and Zhang Cong laughed.

Sun Dan felt a little strange: "Brother Zhang, why did you come to Beijing, and why did you come to the examination room?" As far as he knew, Zhang Duan was born as a Jinshi and also had an official position.It's not like he is a county magistrate who was born in Juren, and he can't come here for the sake of his future.

And there is no need for him, the magistrate of Zhang County, to come here to take the exam again.

Zhang Duan replied with a smile: "I came to the capital. First, my three-year term as magistrate has expired and I have to report back to the Ministry of Officials. Second, my brother Zhang Cong is going to participate in this year's Spring Festival again. I came here specially to send him into the examination room." , by the way, let me reminisce about what it was like when I took the exam."

While talking, he shook his head again and again: "The nine days and eight nights back then were really unbearable to look back on. Now, I often dream about those nine days, and I often wake up from my dreams."

Sun Dan was amused by Zhang Duan's terrified expression. This is a standard college entrance examination syndrome.Not to mention the fiercely competitive ancient imperial examinations, even the modern college entrance examinations.Those who have been working for more than ten years after graduating from college often dream about that terrible July exam room.

Sun Dan smiled wryly and said: "Thousands of troops and horses crossed the single-plank bridge. Although Brother Zhang still has lingering fears when he thinks about it now, but sometimes when he thinks about it, there is no lingering aftertaste worth aftertaste. The so-called one inch of adventure, one inch of scenery, where do you go if you don't experience wind and rain? See the rainbow?"

Zhang Duan chuckled: "Brother Sun is really right. Sometimes when I think about it, it's not a little bit of pride for my brother to be able to win the toad palace in such a situation."

Sun Dan: "By the way, Brother Zhang went to the Ministry of Officials to report this time. I don't know if he will change anything?"

Zhang Duan replied, "I'm tired of being an elder brother after these few appointments, but I intend to go back to my hometown to take over the academy run by my elder brother and teach and educate people for a few years."

Although Sun Dan felt that it was a pity, he immediately thought that it was enough for Zhang Zhixian to be an official for so many years.He is also in his 40s now, and with his talent, there is no possibility of being promoted in this life.Even if he continued to hang around in this officialdom, it would be nothing more than being a county magistrate in another place.If you are a county magistrate in a place like Zhili in the south of the Yangtze River, it will be considered a fat job.But if you are unlucky and sent to the smoky place in the extreme south, or the bitter cold in the northwest, it doesn't mean much.He is rich and famous now, and he doesn't want to toss about in the officialdom anymore.His hometown has a pleasant climate and affluent life, so it is a good place to retire.

Sun Dan: "Brother Zhang is going home to retire. Here, Sun Dan congratulates you in advance."

Zhang Duan smiled: "After my brother finishes the exam, I will go to the Ministry of Officials to sue for my job, and then I will return to the south by boat. My brother has been in the exam for so many years, so this year should pass."

Sun Dan was a little unhappy because he made trouble with Zhang Cong before, so he ignored him just now.But now when Zhang Zhixian mentioned him, Sun Dan took it for his sake and said, "You don't have to worry about Zhang Zhixian. With Mr. Luo Feng's talents, he will definitely pass this subject."

(End of this chapter)