Chapter 830: One Year Has Passed and the Imperial Examination Is Held Again

"It's really cold in the morning. I don't know what questions will be asked this year."

On the morning of February 1st, many candidates were waiting to enter the Fanglin Gate of Fanglin Garden.

It was very cold in early spring, and there was frost on the tiles of the eaves.

The candidates felt their hands and faces were frozen, but their bodies and feet were not cold, so they changed into new shoes and clothes.

As last year, His Majesty provided them, and they took their old clothes and shoes with them after the exam.

Wang Xu put his hands in front of his mouth and breathed, trying to warm his hands with the temperature of his breath.

The three people who went to Liangpo Village to be village officials were around him, and they got along well.

"Come on, come on, one portion each, don't eat too much and go to sleep inside." The imperial convoy came out.

Stacks of ceramic bowls and bamboo chopsticks.

The big barrels were filled with stewed mutton and lean mutton, fearing that some students would have a stomachache after not eating oily food for several days.

Add tea eggs, cucumber pickles, and steamed buns.

Each person served half a bowl of mutton, a big steamed bun was placed on the soup, and tea eggs and small pickles were thrown into the soup.

There were many students this year, and those who failed the exam in previous years and became village officials had to take the exam.

There were also new candidates from various prefectures, crowded on the road.

"The court is getting richer and richer, and is willing to give out floor heating, clothes, and four treasures of the study. This year I must pass the exam and become a good official who serves the people."

Xia Hao said as he squatted beside Wang Xu while holding his stewed mutton soup.

Wang Xu looked at some people in front of him with envy, they were also candidates.

The difference was that they were good at being village officials, and they had been awarded the rank of unofficial official without waiting for the exam, either the first rank or the second rank.

Such people did not need to take the imperial examination, and there were places to arrange for them.

They came to take the exam because they wanted to be given a higher rank after passing the exam, from the ninth rank.

Those who passed the exam were promoted faster, and those who failed the exam could also enter the ninth rank after two years.

Like Wang Xu, after studying hard, the village gave him a better evaluation.

I have a status of a sixth-rank official, but I have no place to go unless I continue to be a village official.

The minor officials in the county are all above the third-rank official, and Jingzhao Prefecture has no shortage of officials.

In fact, all candidates who go to the countryside have an official position outside the official position, and the highest is the seventh-rank official position, which is a reward for their hard work.

At least they can read and write, which is countless times better than what ordinary people can find.

If they can't even get an official position outside the official position, how can they live?

"The officials of Lijiazhuang who passed the exam last year replaced the village officials I am waiting for. Do you think they will be disappointed?"

Someone was talking with an expectant look not far away.

Everyone knew what he meant. You passed the exam and were ranked first, but when you get to the village, you are not as good as us. What does it mean?

"Brother Donglai, who went to Liangpo Village? Will they do well?" Chai Baohong heard others say it and also talked to Wang Xu.

Wang Xu drank a mouthful of hot soup: "We are all people who have been to Lijiazhuangzi. How does Li Dongzhu teach people? Is there any need to say more?

If you want to see a joke, wait, those 220 students are not given for nothing.

The previous 40 students became county officials, and they overshadowed the county magistrate and county magistrate."

"That's right. Others who are born in Lijiazhuangzi will try their best to get promoted quickly, but they are not in a hurry." Zhu An expressed his admiration.

The most powerful of the 42 students is the top of the first grade. Others have real jobs, but Zhao Donglin does not.

Someone in the court said that when Zhao Donglin wants to be an official, he will be directly appointed as a military officer. If he waits a little longer, he will be appointed as a governor.

Zhao Donglin is responsible for 41 classmates and mobilizes 20 counties in the entire Jingzhao Prefecture.

Isn't this a governor? The governor is nothing more than a number of military matters.

Zhao Donglin was trained by Li Yi in Lijiazhuangzi alone. How could he not learn military affairs?

Others still stayed in the positions of chief clerk and county lieutenant and worked hard, and never mentioned the matter of promotion.

"It's a pity that I didn't catch up." Xia Hao said, lowering his head to eat pickled cucumbers.

He regretted that Lijiazhuangzi had given him two chances, but he refused them both. Since then, only a group of students living outside were left.

They will also participate in the imperial examination this year, and help the people to sue for free on weekdays.

After the baptism of village officials, those who have left the official position are not so arrogant.

The new candidates are different. They feel that they have a good grasp and are easy to pass. They are outstanding in the local area.

So they gathered together, looking relaxed, thinking that the imperial examination is a formality for them.

...

In Liangpo Village, which was mentioned by Wang Xu and others, a man in a military coat was recording the location of the toilet.

"Changyu, come and eat buns. The buns steamed by the aunt's family in the morning are stuffed with pickled cabbage and oil residue." A woman greeted Zhou Changyu.

Zhou Changyu was the first in the imperial examination last year and was arranged to be a village official in the village.

He didn't look like an official. If he hadn't stood straight, he would have looked like a farmer.

His face was weathered, and his hands were cracked.

He didn't use skin cream and hand cream.

When he arrived in the village, he first looked at the huts of each family, looking at the size, the terrain, and the surroundings.

He wrote and drew in a notebook, and smiled at every villager.

He didn't ask the village chief Chen Mo for the account book. He knew the limits. Could he just ask for the account?

"Auntie Chen, no, there were leftovers from last night. It won't go bad in the cold weather. We can heat them up when we get home."

Zhou Changyu smiled and waved his hand, refusing.

The woman came over, pulled his sleeve and left: "I'll heat up your food at noon, and eat buns in the morning. Auntie's family is rich, so we don't need a pair of chopsticks from you."

Zhou Changyu was taken to Aunt Chen's house. There was a son and daughter-in-law in the house, and two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was older, and the girl was still breastfeeding.

He greeted them one by one and chose a seat facing the daughter-in-law, who was breastfeeding.

"Xiao Zhou, you've been here for a while, and you look at other people's houses all day long... Why don't you give me some advice? You are from the Li family's manor."

The old man sat in the main seat, with a small bowl in front of him. There was rice wine in the bowl. He drank it early in the morning, and it would be less cold when he went out to work after drinking.

"Uncle Chen, it's almost done. After dinner, I will go to see Muramasa and discuss with Muramasa to see if the idea is right."

Zhou Changyu picked up a bun and gave it to the six-year-old boy in the family, and answered respectfully.

"What are you still discussing? You came from your manor. Others can't trust you, but you can trust Li Dongzhu?" The old man said carelessly.

"The owner said that we should discuss each matter separately, and we should not take it lightly. If we do it right, it is our duty, and if we do it wrong, the people will suffer." Zhou Changyu was still so respectful.

The old man nodded: "That's right. Li Dong is better than others in teaching people. The four kids who came last year thought they were capable, but they couldn't even cook."

"They are actually good. They are wholeheartedly thinking about the village, and their starting point is good." Zhou Changyu didn't criticize others.

"You kid..."

"Old man, eat." Aunt Chen grabbed two buns and put them on Zhou Changyu's plate.

"Eat, eat, after eating, I will go with you to find it." The old man said no more and picked up the bowl to drink.

Zhou Changyu was not polite either. Eat, this family is indeed rich. They have planted ten acres of greenhouses and hired two outsiders to work together.

After eating, he gently helped the old man to the village chief's house.