Chapter 148 Fish Leaps over the Dragon Gate

In fact, Qin Hao always felt that Hua Lan was the most suitable candidate for a wife, gentle, virtuous, and dignified in character, but it was a pity that she was passed over by the Yuan family.

Minglan is pretty good, but it's hard to get along with her. In the original drama, Gu Tingye did so many things for Minglan, but Minglan only regarded him as a marquis, as if she was a part-time worker and Gu Tingye was her boss.

Forget it about Mo Lan. She has the same personality as Lin Xiaoniang. She can be raised as a concubine, but a real wife cannot handle it.

Rulan?

"Sir, go to bed, the bed is already warm."

Just when Qin Hao was lost in thought, Qingmei peeked out her little head from the bed and looked at him with charming eyes.

Qin Hao shook his head secretly. Everything else about this girl Ru Lan was okay, but she was too unruly and had too strong a concept of concubines. It would be difficult to expect her to be kind to the children born from concubines in the future. For Qin Hao, as long as they were his Children, basic treatment should be the same.

"Master?"

Under Qingmei's puzzled gaze, Qin Hao took off his coat and got into bed. Qingmei immediately covered his cold feet on her belly.

In the darkness, Qin Hao's hand had climbed up the trembling mountain.

A night of silence.

The few days of New Year's holidays passed quickly, and Qin Hao, Qi Heng, and Gu Tingye returned to Sheng Mansion for classes on the sixth day of the lunar new year.

But when they arrived at the school, they found that none of the three girls from the Sheng family were missing, and even their seats had been removed.

At the end of get out of class at noon, they learned from Sheng Changbai that it was Mrs. Sheng who invited a nun from the palace to teach them the rules.

"Moreover, the classes we are taking now are all policy theory classes, and they can't understand them. There is no need to waste time here." Sheng Changbai explained.

Qin Hao and Gu Tingye didn't take it seriously, but Qi Heng's eyes were filled with disappointment.

"Don't forget, the most important thing first is the scientific examination. If you fail, just give up on this idea completely, so as not to upset Minglan's heart." Qin Hao reminded secretly.

Qi Heng's eyes flashed with determination and he nodded solemnly.

After the beginning of spring, students from all over the country came to Bianjing to take exams. The prices of inns and restaurants in Bianjing also began to increase. Students who had not booked a room before had to stay in private accommodation. Many people rented out their houses to generate income.

The large number of students also caused a lot of troubles. There was a mixed crowd in Bianjing City, and many gangsters also targeted some powerless students from other places. Thefts and robberies occurred from time to time. Kaifeng Mansion and the Forbidden Army both sent additional troops. There are manned patrols, but crimes still happen from time to time.

Time flew by and it was the eighth day of the second lunar month, and the test would be held one day later. The academicians at Tianzhuang did not attend class this day, but taught them some techniques for the test, which was considered special training.

There are three general examinations in total. The imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty was very complete. Not only was there a strict confidentiality system, the examiner and anyone who had access to the examination questions had to be quarantined two months in advance, and the examination papers would also be anonymous. Transcription means preventing cheating.

Through these two methods, the examiner cannot identify the candidate through his or her name and handwriting, which largely eliminates the possibility of cheating.

After listening to what Zhuang Xuexue said, Qin Hao also felt that he had benefited a lot. In the past, he only learned about the imperial examination from some materials, which was naturally not as profound as the accounts of those who actually experienced it.

In the afternoon, Xiao Tao, the maid next to Ming Lan, ran over and gave everyone knee pads.

Qin Hao was delighted when he saw it. Sheng Changbai's knee pads were embroidered with a vigorous pine and cypress, Qi Heng's knee pads were embroidered with a large ingot, and his knee pads were embroidered with three waves.

"When I thank you Miss Jiaming, just say, I like it very much." Qi Heng couldn't put it down, and by the way, he told Xiaotao to take his feelings back.

Xiao Tao nodded blankly, seemingly not understanding the meaning of Dao Qiheng's words.

Qin Hao put the kneepads on his knees. Not to mention they were quite soft. Making such a pair of kneepads was also time-consuming and laborious. Minglan had to go to class during the day and often had to complete the "homework" given by Ru Lan. From time to time, she would show off a handkerchief or something. Yes, I'm afraid I have to start embroidering last year before I can finish it.

Look at Ru Lan and Mo Lan again, there is no harm if there is no comparison.

"Xiao Tao, tell your lady, for the sake of this knee pad, if your lady has any difficulties in the future, you can come to me for help."

Xiaotao blinked, remembered it, and then ran away quickly.

Xuexue Zhuang took a look at the sky: "Okay, let's stop here today. Tomorrow we will try it. The dragon gate is there waiting for you to jump. Go ahead, go ahead."

"I will live up to your teachings." Qin Hao and others saluted in unison.

Returning to Dongchang Hou Mansion, outside Qin Hao's small courtyard, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. This was also ordered by Qin Liu. In order to avoid disturbing Qin Hao's participation in the examination tomorrow, no one was allowed to come and disturb him.

Even Qingmei was called away by Qin Liu. According to her idea, it would be better to save her energy and not have sex.

This night, Qin Hao had a rare insomnia. Just like Zhuang Xuexue said, the examination is like a dragon gate. If you jump over it, you will have a great journey. If you don't jump over, it will be three years wasted. Moreover, a fifteen-year-old Jinshi and an eighteen-year-old Jinshi is not a heavyweight at all.

It is necessary to become famous as early as possible. Qin Hao does not want to waste another three years. Moreover, the Yanwang Rebellion is about to happen. The Dongchang Hou Mansion may not be spared. It must be prepared early. If he does not have the status of Jinshi, his father Qin Junye may not be able to do so. Dare to put the lives of hundreds of people in the Dongchang Hou Mansion into Qin Hao's hands.

Amidst the turmoil of thoughts, Qin Hao gradually fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already daylight, and Qingmei was already standing pretty beside the bed, waiting for him to change clothes.

"I wish the young master to be named on the gold medal list and win the title of Toad Palace."

The moment Qin Hao walked out of the room, the servants serving in the small courtyard, including Qingmei, all saluted and sang congratulations.

I got on the carriage of the Marquis of Dongchang and headed all the way to Gongyuan. The streets were very lively. In addition to the students who went to Gongyuan to take exams, there were also many people watching the excitement. For a feudal society like the Song Dynasty where the illiteracy rate was 80%, scholars themselves meant He was superior to others, not to mention that the people who came to participate in the examination were all Juren from all over the country. Juren in a more remote place would already be a great scholar.

Some parents walked up and down the street with their children on the way to Gongyuan, implying that they would become literate, as if this would enable their children to be included in the gold list.

The examination is an important day for selecting candidates for the country. In order to avoid traffic jams, the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Forbidden Army will send people to patrol back and forth. Street stalls that exceed the scope of the shops are not allowed to be set up, which is a bit like the urban management came later.

Qin Hao's carriage and horses moved very slowly, mainly because there were too many cars on the road. Fortunately, it was not far from Gongyuan, and it took about half an hour to arrive.

Arriving at the gate of Gongyuan, Qin Hao bowed slightly to Qin Junye and Qin Liu: "Father, mother, the child is gone."

"Go, go, today is the time for you to leap over the dragon's gate." Qin Junye said calmly, but in fact he was very nervous. It was rare that he did not spend the night at his concubine's room last night.

Mrs. Qin Liu was almost in tears, but she could only hold it back because she was afraid that it would be unlucky and would have a bad influence on her son.

There is a soldier's handle at the gate of Gongyuan. You have to verify your identity and search to make sure that no one is involved before you can enter. Therefore, the idea of ​​a woman dressing up as a man and passing the first prize can only appear in the drama, and she will not be able to pass the body search alone.

"Young Master, I'm offended, please." The old official in charge of the inspection bowed respectfully.

Qin Hao packed up his things and walked into the Gongyuan. He came to the examination room with a number on it. It was said to be an examination room, but it was actually a small cubicle with three walls made of bricks. After the examinee entered, he could not come out except to use the toilet. , and everything to eat and drink is inside.

Qin Hao was lucky enough not to be assigned to the toilet. He couldn't help but mourn for the students who were assigned to the "stinky number". Basically, they had nothing to do with them this year. They were next to the toilet for three days in a row. Being smoked out is already a sign of strong willpower.

The first exam was about classics and meaning.

That is to say, intercept a passage from the Four Books and Five Classics, and then use this passage to write a reading comprehension article. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, eight-legged essays gradually formed, and only the thoughts of saints could be used to answer. However, there were no strict regulations in the Song Dynasty. Candidates can use his questions to express their own theories, and there are even those who completely ignore the Four Books and Five Classics and the words of sages and rely on their own opinions. As long as what you say makes sense, you can still have a chance to pass the exam, as long as the examiner is bold enough.

Of course, Qin Hao did not have any new ideas. He read and understood the test questions strictly, and at the same time added some of his own ideas. The imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty were relatively open. They did not just follow what the sages said, but also had to have their own understanding. Otherwise it will be difficult to get good grades.

After the classics and meanings, there are poems and poems titled: Plum Blossoms.

Qin Hao thought for a while and could only say in his heart: "I'm sorry, Mr. Gao Qi."

Then write it on the paper.

"Qiongzi is only in Yaotai, who will fall everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River?

The noble man lies in the snow-covered mountains, and the beauties come under the moonlit forest.

In the cold, the sparse shadows are scattered on bamboos, and in spring, the lingering fragrance is covered by moss.

Since I left, there has been no good song, and the east wind has been sad and silent for a few times. "

After that, there are the most important subjects of the imperial examination: policy and argument. These two subjects are actually separate. Argument is mainly about comments and debates, while the requirements for policy are relatively high. Candidates are required to give their opinions on some practical issues in national affairs. Strategic suggestions, the main focus of the subsequent imperial examinations will also be strategies.

The topic of the discussion was okay, it was a relatively conventional question. Qin Hao typed up the draft and started writing furiously.

But when it came to the policy, even Qin Hao frowned a little. This question was too biased.

"The land of the Emperor of Zhou is thousands of miles wide, and it is called ten thousand chariots. There are horses for ten thousand chariots, and there are twelve idle horses. And the three hundred and sixty officials of the six ministers must all have their own chariots and horses. Aren't there too many chariots and horses?" How many fields can there be in a land of thousands of miles, and how many fields can be used for grazing, but how many horses can be accommodated? How many fields can there be in a land of thousands of miles? What about the method of horses? Today's world is vast, and there is often a problem without horses. Is it possible that people who were good at raising horses in ancient times are not so good now? There should be some explanation to correct this."

The shortage of horses in the Song Dynasty has always been a long-standing problem. If you want to answer this question, you must first understand the current horse politics of the Song Dynasty, and at the same time master certain knowledge of animal husbandry and mathematics.

Fortunately, the Dongchang Hou Mansion, as a noble general, has its own ranch. When Qin Hao first learned riding skills, he also stayed at the ranch for a while.

However, when faced with this question, Qin Hao did not dare to say how well he could answer it. After all, it was not an in-depth understanding. He could only use some later knowledge about animal husbandry and mix it into the article, hoping to arouse the examiner's attention. Take it seriously.

Three days later, the street at the gate of Gongyuan was noisy and crowded with people. Some of them came to take the candidates home, and many of them came to watch the excitement. In an era where cultural products were poor like the feudal society, people like the three-person examination were This annual event naturally attracts people to watch.

Perhaps the Chinese people's love for watching the excitement was inherited from this ancient man.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted: "The gate of Gongyuan is open!"

People looked around, and sure enough, the Gongyuan door had slowly opened, and a group of candidates came out with pale faces.

In order to prevent people from cheating, during these three days everyone ate, drank and had sex in the Gongyuan. The three days of hard work were a huge test of energy and physical strength.

Some people couldn't survive outside the gate of Gongyuan, and fell to the ground and fainted. When their family members saw this, they hurriedly lifted the person up and went home to recuperate.

In the carriage of Duke Qi's mansion, Princess Pingning lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out. Normally she would not do this, but today she couldn't hold her breath anymore.

Qi Guogong said directly to the servants: "Look quickly to see if anyone has come out!"

Because there were so many people, Qi Guogong could not find Qi Heng in the crowd for a while.

On the other side, the same was true in the carriage of Dongchang Hou Mansion. Qin Liu stood directly on the carriage, looking for Qin Hao.

Finally, among the crowd of candidates, Qin Hao and Qi Heng walked out together. They were not assigned to the same examination room, but met outside. Gu Tingye and Sheng Changbai were nowhere to be seen. It was not known whether they had gone out early or were in the exam room. Didn't come out.

Qi Heng's steps were sloppy, Qin Hao kept supporting him. Seeing this, Qi Guogong quickly led his servants to fight their way through the crowd and picked them up.

At this time, Qin Junye also came with his servants to meet him. The Duke of Qi raised his hand to Qin Hao and said, "I have a good nephew."

Qin Hao's face also looked a little unsightly, and he waved his hand: "This place is too messy, and this is not the place to talk. Duke Guo should take Yuan Ruo home to recuperate first, and we can get together later."

Duke Qi nodded: "Zihan is more thoughtful, so we will go back first."

Qi Heng also struggled to raise his hands to Qin Hao and Qin Junye, and was helped into the carriage by Princess Pingning. As the servants of the Duke of Qi opened the way in front, the carriage squeezed a passage through the crowd and left slowly.

Qin Junye also helped Qin Hao get on the carriage and followed behind.

After returning home, Mrs. Qin Liu quickly asked someone to prepare hot water without saying anything.

Qingmei helped Qin Hao take off his clothes, and after entering the barrel, she fell asleep not long after.

In the end, Qingmei woke him up when he saw that the water was getting cold.

After Qingmei wiped him dry and put him into pajamas, Qin Hao directly dragged Qingmei onto the bed, hugged him tightly, and fell asleep.

It was a dark sleep, and it was already the next morning when Qin Hao woke up again.

"Sir, let me wait for you to get up. You haven't eaten for ten hours. It won't be good if you're hungry."

Qingmei said as she was about to get out of Qin Hao's arms.

Qin Hao grabbed her slender waist and spoke lazily into her ear.

"There's no morning practice today."

Qingmei's face turned red all of a sudden, some inappropriate images kept appearing in her mind, and her clothes on her chest were already lifted.

"Sir, please say goodbye. The eldest lady has just sent someone to ask questions. The eldest lady is waiting for the young master to have dinner in the front hall."

When Qin Hao heard this, he no longer forced himself and withdrew his hand: "Okay, I will spare you for today. When we come back in the evening, we will fight for another 800 rounds."

Listening to Qin Hao's joking tone, Qingmei buried her face in the quilt. Somehow, she seemed to be getting stronger and stronger in dealing with such things.

After washing up, Qin Hao came to the front hall. Qin Liu quickly said to the servants: "They are all dead. Why don't you bring the food up quickly?"

Soon a sumptuous meal was placed in front of him, and Qin Hao also moved his index finger.

Finally, when Qin Hao had finished eating and drinking, and put down his chopsticks, Qin Junye cleared his throat and asked.

"Brother Hao, how do you feel about trying it this time?"

Qin Hao sighed: "The test questions this time are a bit biased. To be honest, I'm not sure."

Qin Junye couldn't help but have a look of disappointment on his face. Qin Liu quickly poked him secretly with her finger and then comforted him.

"Brother Hao, don't be anxious. You're still young anyway. If you really can't do it, you can just take the exam again in three years. It doesn't matter."

Qin Junye also reacted: "Yes, there are very few people who can pass the Jinshi examination at the age of fifteen, so don't worry about it."

Qin Hao smiled and did not explain any more.

Little did they know that the outside world had already been in turmoil. The last policy question was too biased and stumped countless students. There was already a commotion in the Imperial College, and some people even wrote to the current officials asking for a re-examination.

There are also many students who blame the person who set the questions, believing that such questions are beyond the normal range, and that even if they are not retaken, their proportion in the examination results should be reduced.

There was an uproar in the city for a while, and the examiner Kong Fang, the Minister of Rites, was also under great pressure. There were many people outside who scolded him, and some people in the court wrote memorials demanding that he be punished.

But in fact, he was just taking the blame for others, but he couldn't defend himself because it was the current officials who asked this question.

The point is, despite taking such a big risk, I didn’t see any good articles in this exam paper. How can I deal with the emperor?

"How about it? Do you have any good strategies?" Kong Fang asked.

The other examiners shook their heads.

There was only one young examiner who kept holding a paper and turned a blind eye to Kong Fang's questions.

Kong Fang curiously walked behind him to take a look, and was immediately attracted by the content of the article.

"Wonderful, if this method is really effective, the Song Dynasty's army and horses may be able to relieve temporary worries."

The young examiner was startled, and the paper in his hand had been taken away by Kong Fang.

Kong Fang passed the paper to other examiners for circulation, and they all received unanimous praise.

"If there are no more amazing test papers later, will this point be worth it?" Kong Fang asked with a smile, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. With this paper, he finally had an explanation to the officials.

"Well, this son's poems, poems, and scriptures are also the best choice. He can be a Hui Yuan!"

The examiners unanimously agreed.