Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 19
The Enke Examination in Shuntianfu is coming to an end.The chief examiner, Yang Mingshi, and the deputy chief examiner, E Shan, both breathed a sigh of relief.Historically, scientific expeditions have been chosen in spring and autumn, which is nominally "Confucius wrote the spring and autumn", but in fact, because these two seasons are neither hot nor cold, the people from the north and the south can adapt to it.But the season at the turn of spring and summer is the most likely to spread the epidemic. When three or four thousand candidates gather together, often a single illness will cause a large number of people, which will directly affect the level of admission.Since Yang Mingshi and E Shan entered Thorn City at the beginning of April, this was the most worrying thing.The two men, one Han and one Man, are both upright officials, but they have different styles in terms of epidemic prevention. Yang Mingshi bought large and small bags of licorice, reed root, honeysuckle, and mung beans, and made pots and soups in the east of the Gongyuan. The field is provided free of charge every day.Eshan believed in the gods, offered sacrifices to the god of plague, burned paper money, and specially invited the Taoist priests of Baiyun Temple to perform sacrifices in the transcription office. Vinegar charcoal was fired in the shed at No. [-] in the [-]th district, making the courtyard full of cigarettes and vinegar aroma.In short, whatever method has been used.Fortunately, no one was infected with the disease.Seeing that the room will be released tomorrow, both of them let go of their high hearts.At afternoon application time, the two went hand in hand to inspect the test area, then went to the [-]th room to check the official room, and returned to the Zhigong Hall located in the northernmost district, couldn't help laughing.E Shanyin was thinking when he saw Yang Ming, and asked: "Mr. Yang, what are you thinking at this moment?" It’s all cleared. What I’m worried about is that the test will fail, and I will have to go through the review again. It’s not easy for each house to be recommended, and it’s not good if it’s wronged.” E Shan smiled disapprovingly: “I’ve tried it several times, but it’s not this time. The mission must be done in a down-to-earth manner. I am afraid that no one will be able to do it if we are unyielding. We have done our best and have not accepted bribes. This is called being worthy of the emperor's favor and worthy of the scholars." He got up and took a stack from the desk. Mo Juan glanced at it, and said with a smile: "This kind of thing is really neither good nor bad, but it's unbelievable that you can't be an official if you pass this test!"

Yang Mingshi got up and paced around, and sighed with a smile: "This is to the point. But as far as I know, stereotyped essays are not useless at all. Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui from the Ming Dynasty, Xiong Cilu, Fan Wencheng, Xu Yuanmeng, Lu Longqi since the Qing Dynasty They are all famous ministers and officials who got out of stereotypes, and they are also in the annals of meritorious service!" E Shan was about to answer, when he heard a loud noise from the supervision hall outside, he frowned and told Geshha: "Go, Call the supervisory examination hall to inspect it!" Before the words finished, the supervisory examination inspector had strode in, and Yang Mingshi asked: "This is the holy place for the national talent ceremony. Who is acting wild outside?"

"Back to the examiner, there is a case who broke into the court!"

"What is he going to do?"

"He invited the two chief examiners for an interview!"

Yang Mingshi and E Shan looked at each other, they had never seen such a bold and reckless person.Yang Mingshi said coldly: "Tell him to come in." The patrol inspector brought in a young scholar, bowed to the two examiners and said: "The late student Li Shiyao pays his respects to the teacher!"

Yang Mingshi asked, "Do you know you're messing around?"

"A late student asks to see the chief examiner as an examinee, what is nonsense?"

"I didn't say that your 'asking for an interview' is nonsense. You are unconventional and ask for an interview alone. If everyone is like you, where is the legal system of the country and the court system?—Come on!"

"exist!"

"Drag it to the supervisory hall, and blame the forty board!"

"tie!"

Several Goshhas rushed forward, and when they saw Li Shiyao standing still, they were stunned.Li Shiyao laughed loudly, pointed at Yang Mingshi and E Shan and said, "It's not a corporal! Why are you delaying, where is the supervision hall? I'll go by myself!" Saying that, he wobbled and followed Goshha.E Shan looked at his back with disgust, and said, "This man looks like a lunatic!"

"He's a crazy student." Yang Mingshi said, while flipping through the ink scrolls recommended by the examiners in each room, as expected, there was no one from Li Shiyao, and he laughed: "I must be thinking that I will lose my name to Sun Shan again. I'm in a hurry, so I just made a fuss out of my own way. "Just as he was talking, a eunuch came running out of breath from the Mingyuan building in the Longmen, E Shan said: "Gao Wuyong is here, I'm afraid there is a purpose."

The two walked out of the courtroom together.Just as Yang Mingshi was about to ask, Gao Wuyong said: "The emperor is here! He has already arrived outside the Dragon Gate. Hurry up, open the main gate to welcome you!" Yang Mingshi was shocked and asked:

"What did you say? Say it again!"

"The emperor has arrived at the Gongyuan!"

Yang Mingshi and E Shandeng were so excited that their faces turned red, and they turned back to the court to take their big hats and put them on, and came out to order: "The examiners in each room will inform the candidates that they must not leave the examination booth without permission, otherwise they will be expelled--fire the cannon. Open the middle door to welcome Shengjia!"

In a short time, Emperor Qianlong disembarked from the Chengyu outside the city of Ji, accompanied by Zhang Tingyu, Ertai and Neqin, three military ministers.Yang Mingshi and E Shan hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed on the mountain.

"Get up!"

Qianlong seemed very happy, holding a Xiangfei plain paper fan and looking forward as he walked.In front of the hall of Mingyuan Building, look up at the double eaves and bucket arches with peeling paint, and say, "When was this building built?"

"It was built in the second year of Wanli in the former Ming Dynasty." Ertai looked at Yang Mingshi and Eshan anxiously when he saw Yang Mingshi. The grandfather changed the palace examination to the Hall of Supreme Harmony; this place is useless." Qianlong pointed his fan at the small building to the west of Mingyuan Building, and asked, "What is that building for?" "That's the watchtower." Yang Mingshi Accompanying him, he hurriedly explained: "It's not to prevent thieves, for fear of being carried inside and outside, but it's just to express strict security." Qianlong laughed when he heard it.Yang Mingshi was very interested when he saw him, and he walked all the way to give pointers. It was the 17th district of Dongxihaoshe, the east side of the supervision and examination hall, the three places for sealing, accepting papers, and providing, and the two places for reading and transcribing. Yan Xitang and so on.

Qianlong nodded and smiled as he listened, and sighed: "It's too old. It's not as good as the Nanjing Gongyuan! Hengchen, ask the Ministry of Rites to check how much money it will cost for all repairs. If you don't want to save it, you can't do it. Luocha Kingdom, Hongmao Kingdom Tribute The court tribute visited me last month and wanted to admire the civilized and scholar-selecting system of the celestial dynasty. I did not allow it, so it is so dilapidated that it is unsightly. I have been here in the past. This is a place where the imperial court faces. If your face is dirty, you must wash it quickly. Isn’t it?” Zhang Tingyu hurriedly said: “It’s a great concern!” Qianlong turned to E and Yang, the chief examiners, and said, “This subject was selected in summer, and you will come here safely without any illness or disaster. Have you found out about entrainment and transfer fraud?"

"This is unavoidable in any subject." Seeing Qianlong looking at him, E Shan hurriedly bowed and smiled, "Three thousand and eight hundred and sixty seven took the exam for filial piety, and it is inevitable that good and bad are mixed. A total of 860 fraudsters who were entrained, replaced, and passed on were found out. , There are still five people who fell ill halfway, and those who quit before the end of the exam, there are still 42 candidates in the exam hall." Yang Mingshi laughed and said: "There is another one who roared in the court and asked for an interview, and will be expelled from the exam hall." Then he told about Li Shiyao's uproar in the court just now.

Qianlong had stepped into the courtroom with one foot. Hearing this, he felt fresh and said, "This Xiaolian is quite courageous. Call me to have a look." He didn't just sit down, stood in front of the case, and looked at the ink scroll. All the ministers stand on the right side of the tablet of Confucius.Qianlong picked up an ink scroll and looked at it, and asked, "Is this recommended?" E Shan saw that he had read it by himself, and hurriedly said: "Yes. I don't know which room in the western district, it's about 'yuan' The person who raised the brand name. It hasn’t been opened, and the servant doesn’t know who it is.” Qianlong looked at it intently, and the title was "Zi said that Yan Yuan said to use it, carry it out and store it."The characters are well-written, round and correct, and they are very beautiful. I actually noticed them, and picked up a pen to change the word "思" in the text into the word "Serving" before putting it down. Then I asked, "Where is the scroll?" Yang Mingshi hurriedly pointed to the east side of the hall. A large cabinet slipped against the wall, leading Qianlong over.The fallen volumes are stored according to the eighteen provinces, prefectures, counties, and prefectures. Each volume is marked with an ink label, and the stacks are neatly organized.He was a caring person, but he pretended to be careless, took out a copy to have a look and put it back.When I came to the column of Taikang County in Xinyang Prefecture, there were only two copies in the grid, Qianlong took them out, looked at them, and actually removed the seal.The first one was the paper of "Wang Zhenzhong of Hemiao, Taikang Town", so I took it.I went to the bright place in front of the window and looked at it, and felt that the writing was not bad, but there was a wrong font in one place.Qianlong also didn't send it back to the original place, and before returning to the case, he put it on the stack of scrolls that Yang Mingshi picked up, and then sat down.Seeing that Li Shiyao was already kneeling outside the Zhigong Hall, he asked:

"You are Li Shiyao? What ability do you have, dare to roar in this court?"

When Li Shiyao saw Qianlong checking the papers, dozens of officials, big and small, stood there holding their breath, thinking of Tianwei's power so close, he couldn't help feeling flustered.After Qianlong spoke, he calmed down a little, kowtowed again and again and said: "Go back to the words of the Longevity Lord: Xiaolian can compose poems, as well as stereotyped essays. But he was not satisfied in the three exams, and for some reason, he asked for an interview. , did not dare to roar."

"The emperor now emphasizes articles, so why should Er Cao discuss the Han and Tang Dynasties." Qianlong said to Yang Mingshi with a calm face, "Find out his ink scrolls and show me--the country's selection of scholars has always been based on contemporary art, and they can make up a few crooked poems. You are so arrogant? The two main examiners are very fair. But you want to interview, and you meet me again, and you are also lucky. I don’t test your poetry or your essay. You boast that you are talented, and you are proud of yourself , let me ask you, how many places in the "Four Books" are written "Yangyang"?"

Li Shiyao kowtowed on the ground, staring at his eyes for a while, although the question was tricky, but it did not fall within the scope of the four books, saying "I don't know" was absolutely impossible, so he had to search his stomach and ponder, and replied: "Yes..." Shi Zhi" Zhang Ye'; there is a "Chapter Ye of "The Doctrine of the Mean?

"Is there still 'Yangyang'?"

"……few."

Qianlong smiled and said: "It's hard for you. There's another place that happens to be 'Small is eloquent'!" At this time, Yang Mingshi had found Li Shiyao's ink scroll.Qianlong saw that it was a thin gold calligraphy, which was straight and steep, and only the meaning of the brush was weak, so he couldn't help laughing and said: "The lack of energy in the middle must be manifested on the outside. It can be said that the calligraphy is like a person." Looking at it again, he asked: "Li Shiyao, I would like to ask you what is "Zhongweng" in your paper, "Like Zhongweng standing upright tomb passage"?"

Li Shiyao thought he was talented, and was discouraged by Qianlong's test in person, so he hurriedly said: "'Zhong Weng' is the stone statue standing on both sides of the tomb." "'Zhong Weng' is the 'Second Grandpa'!" Qianlong sprayed With a big smile, "Do you know that it's called 'Weng Zhong' and not 'Zhong Weng'?" As he spoke, he quickly wrote on Li Shiyao's paper.E Shan was close, and when he squinted, it turned out to be a poem:

How does Weng Zhong become Zhong Weng?Erzhi's article owes my husband work.

Now he is not allowed to be Lin Han, and he will be sent to Shanxi as a punishment!
After writing, he got up and said to Yang Mingshi: "I'm gone, you have to cook for a few days, then hand over the sign and talk."

(End of this chapter)