The breeze blows in early August, which has made people feel a little cool.

At this time, there were more than tens of thousands of tables neatly placed on the square in front of Shenwu Gate of the Great Zhou imperial court, with all the pens, inks and papers on them. Today is the first day of the imperial examination, and all the scholars gathered on the Zhuque Street in front of Shenwu Gate to wait for the examination.

Hundreds of examiners, led by the cabinet chief Changsun Wuji, stood in front of Shenwu Gate, standing in a serious manner. Changsun Wuji glanced sharply at the scholars who could hardly see the boundless eyes, and then stepped forward and said aloud:

"Today, our cabinet will receive the imperial edict of the Emperor of Great Zhou! It will be scheduled to be held on August 23rd! The imperial examination will be selected! Now, the cabinet will be responsible for the imperial examination regulations!"

Xu Jin took a step forward, solemnly opened the imperial edict held in his hand and said: "Sacred metaphor!"

Whether the invigilator or the chasing scholars and the people watching the fun knelt on the ground, their heads touching the ground,

"I respectfully ask the Holy Lord! Long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long live long

"The emperor has an order. In the third year of Shenwu, he will be selected for the imperial examination and the scholars... The first game is to take the classics and history exams! Six thousand people were won, and the rest were eliminated! The second game is to take the current affairs exam, and six hundred people were selected from six thousand people! The third game is to take the policy argument! Seventy-two people were selected from six hundred people...

"There are three exams in total!"

"The exam time is three days!"

"During the examination, you must not bring your own personal belongings, and the pen, ink, paper and inkstone used will be provided by the court. This official reiterates that anyone who colludes with fraud will be shackled for one month once it is verified, and will not be allowed to take another exam for life!"

"These tens of thousands of people...only seventy-two people"

"this……"

The poor scholars who were referring to each other looked at each other and felt unbelievable. This was even more difficult than crossing a single-plank bridge with thousands of troops! It was equivalent to only one of the hundreds of people who passed the exam, but for those poor scholars, it was better than not having a chance. At worst, if you miss the exam this time, you will be able to pass the exam next time, and you will always be able to pass the exam one day!

The children of the aristocratic families were not much better. They never thought that the exam was so strict and it was so difficult to get one into a thousand. It was hard to stand out.

After Xu Jin read the imperial edict, a sound of gongs rang out, making everyone present look at the stage quietly. At this time, Changsun Wuji stepped forward and said loudly:

"This cabinet now announces that the third year of Shenwu exam will begin now! The scholars will enter the venue in an orderly manner!"

After hearing this, the students lined up more than a dozen long rows according to the instructions of the guards. The guards checked whether there were any entrainments before entering the venue.

The scholars entered the examination room one after another when they were busy. Changsun Wuji stopped and drank the tea handed over by the servant, moistened his hoarse voice, and walked into the examination room. During this imperial examination, the invigilator was Changsun Wuji, Kou Zhun, Chunyu Yan and Xu Jin to assist.

At this time, the examiners sat down one after another, and the Qianniu Guards distributed the test papers to their tables. The test papers were compiled in advance by Ma Jin and Changsun Wuji and others, and Chunyu Yan and others didn't know the content.

The scholars took a look at the test paper and then asked for answering questions.

A classic and history contains an extremely wide range of classics, history, and literature. If you are not familiar with poetry and books, you will not be able to answer it. Those aristocratic families are fine, and there are many books in their families. Although many questions are relatively remote, they can still answer them. However, there are not many books that poor families can come into contact with, and many people have never heard of them. Many poor families are so anxious that they scratch their ears and faces and don’t know where to start.

At this time, many scholars who took the exam had sweat and frown on their heads. The questions were too difficult!

Seeing the noise in the examination room was in chaos, the examiner frowned and shouted in a low voice:

"Quiet! You dare to make noise again, expel the examination room and disqualify the examination!" Then he reluctantly extinguished the voice.

...

Early the next morning, the first exam list was posted, and all the scholars came to watch it. Seeing that the scholars who were not on the list were disappointed and dejected. The scholars on the list were ecstatic and shouted, "I won...I won..." and it made people envious.

Soon the second exam also kicked off, taking current affairs exams.

Compared with the current affairs exam, the classics and history exam is simply not too simple. It just tells the benefits and disadvantages of some of the court's policies over the years and the trends of neighboring countries. Of course, the horses that should be photographed should still be photographed, and the criticism should not be too fierce. The benefits and disadvantages must be written clearly. This is the soul of the exam.

Ma Jin prepared this question, which was actually the same as a political exam. As long as it was reasonable, he could give it as appropriate.

...

Three days passed without realizing it.

The examiner announced the end of the exam, and took the public to collect the papers one by one, sealed their names, and then deposited them in a sealed envelope. In front of the Shenwu Gate, there were a row of Qianniu guards wearing heavy armor and covered in evil spirits, waiting to escort these test papers to the Wude Hall and review them for the adults in the cabinet.

At dusk, in the warm pavilions of Wude Hall, the sound of paper turning around was like the sound of a breeze blowing through the forest, making a clamor.

The reviewers who review the papers are all cabinet members and officials of the Ministry of Rites. At this time, they are all busy reviewing the papers, responsible for selecting some excellent papers and then handing them over to the cabinet leaders for review and review.

There are 600 papers, and more than ten people correct them. Each person has to read them and write comments to distinguish them from excellent, medium and inferior.

In fact, scholars who can get to the exam today cannot be underestimated. Each has its own advantages. At this time, we can only compare the evaluations of all examiners to give the best one hundred papers to the adults in the cabinet, and they will finally determine the admission of the seventy-two people.

"This paper is really literary. Even in a place where people are brilliant in humanities, such as Song State, it is a rare good article. Unfortunately, the words are too extreme and the methods are too radical... Just give it a medium..." A paper marking officer murmured to himself, then picked up a pen and wrote a small Chinese character on the top of the paper, which was passed to the next paper marking officer.

"I think his answer is very good, reasonable and well-founded. Not only is his literary talent, but his opinions are very consistent with current affairs. He also said it very well. He should do extraordinary means in extraordinary times... I will give him excellent grades!"

It was passed to the next examiner, and after reading it for a while, he frowned, "What's the point of writing this? I took it for granted. I thought it was a house-playing house. It was simply bullshit! Inferior!"

A hundred people have a hundred views on a paper. Different angles of looking at problems, and naturally different angles of thinking about problems.

Every examiner who reviews the paper has his own opinions and opinions. If he can get to their eyes, he will naturally be superior, and if he does not match their wishes, he will be inferior.

"These hundred test papers are the best batch of test papers I have found tonight..." An examiner said with a smile, stroking his beard and looking at the book box containing a hundred test papers on the desk.

"From now on, most of the people in this box are our future colleagues. Why did we not catch up with the good times back then? Imagine our past days... Alas! It's hard to describe it! Who could have thought that we could become officials as long as we take the exam?" An examiner also sighed.

"You can't say that. If we really take the exam, we may not be able to pass the exam. Look at how difficult it is to admit no more than 10,000 people in these ten thousand people. Luck, talent, and mind are indispensable..."

"Yes, yes, this is really a one-plank bridge that can pass the exam. Those who can pass the exam are not ordinary people. I can't guarantee that the emperor will be favored to rise to the top one day, and we will never be able to compare..."

"No need to delay. Since the correction has been completed, we will quickly send the test papers to the Prime Minister and several political-students!"

"Okay..." The examiner sighed again and looked at the box.

In the warm cabinet, Changsun Wuji, Kou Zhun and other senior officials were reading the memorials. At this time, several reviewers came in one after another with red painted wooden boxes.

"It seems that the reviewers have finished reading all the papers." Changsun Wuji put down his pen and stood up, looking at the reviewers and smiled.

The cabinet political participants put down their work and came over after hearing the words...

…………

In the Hall of Health, Ma just finished dinner this year and was waiting for the cabinet to select excellent papers.

Just then, I heard a report from an eunuch outside that Changsun Wuji was coming.

Ma Jin asked Changsun Wuji: "Have the tests been selected?"

Changsun Wuji replied: "Your Majesty, the examination paper has been selected."

"Does anyone discover great talent?"

Changsun Wuji paused and replied, "If you want to say that there are really many great talents, I am here to ask Your Majesty for the order to win all the selected hundreds of people."

"Oh?" Ma Jin stared at Changsun Wuji with interest and saw what he said. The people who could be favored by Changsun Wuji naturally had their standards.

"I have just read the hundred test papers. They all speak well, have great literary talent, and have their own opinions on the current affairs of the court. For a while, it is difficult for me to distinguish them. It is better to admit them together. It is just that the court lacks many staff members at this time, so I am not afraid of having no positions." Changsun Wuji bowed and said seriously.

When Ma Jin thought that what Changsun Wuji said was not without reason, he nodded and agreed:

"Then let's do what you mean by my dear! My dear, how many poor families are there among these hundred people?"

"Your Majesty's poor family only accounts for 30% of them..." I saw Changsun Wuji say unnaturally.

When Ma Jin heard this, he was furious and thought that someone was blatantly committing personal fraud and was about to speak, but he was stunned. He took it for granted. How could the poor family compare with the aristocratic families? It would be great if 30% of them were selected. After all, the gap is there,

Ma Jin thought for a while and calmed down and said:

"I have great use to these 30% of poor people! Do you understand what I mean?" Ma Jin stared at Changsun Wuji and said word by word.

"I understand, please rest assured Your Majesty! I will do it properly!" Changsun Wuji naturally understood what Ma Jin meant and hurriedly said with promises.

After the two of them had a remark, Ma Jin asked curiously:

"My dear, are there any top-notch people among these hundred people?"

"Report to Your Majesty, I think Chen Xingzhi, Wuhu County, Gaoyang County, Youzhou, Tieyang County, Yuxiu, Yecheng, Yuzhou, Fangping Guobei County, Ningyude, and Yangzhou, Jiangning, Jinling County, Yu Shichen, said the most," Changsun Wuji, who was familiar with it.

Ma Jin couldn't help but pause, "Guobei County?"

"Is there a Lanruo Temple in Guobei County?"

Changsun Wuji was stunned. He didn't know what Ma Jin asked, but he still replied:

"Report to Your Majesty, there is indeed Lanruo Temple in Guobei County, and it is quite famous and extremely prosperous. It is one of the nine temples of the Great Zhou Zen Dao. The current deputy envoy of the Gangsi-Secretary of the Imperial Heaven Supervisor of the Imperial Heaven Supervisor, Zen Master Jiudao, is the former host of Lanruo Temple."

Hearing Changsun Wuji's words, Ma Jin's mind was a little confused for a moment. Could it be that he traveled to the world of Liaozhai? That's not right. Liaozhai talks about things like chaotic times, but look at the current Great Zhou Dynasty? No demons came out to make trouble? Maybe it's just the same name...
Chapter completed!