Chapter 141 140 Examiners
We arrived at Nanchang Prefecture more than half a month in advance. At this time, many candidates from various prefectures and counties were still on the way. Such a large group of candidates from Jiujiang Prefecture entered Nanchang Prefecture in a mighty manner, which became a small anecdote that quickly spread among the people.
Thanks to the help of Zhu Shilong, Master Zhu, after learning that the candidates from Jiujiang Prefecture came to participate in the provincial examination, those with good memory naturally thought of Wei Guangde, the filial son who had once caused a sensation in Nanchang City.
Soon, without Wei Guangde knowing anything, his name became a household name in Nanchang City again.
After resting in the inn for a night, when Zeng Yuanshu came to the inn to find them the next afternoon, Wei Guangde learned about this from Zeng Yuanshu.
I have become the focus.
After Wei Guangde knew about it, he was helpless at first, and then a little surprised.
Although he became famous inexplicably, it was a good reputation. Wei Guangde still remembered that Zhu Shilong, Master Zhu, spent a lot of money to treat him to a meal in order to spread his fame.
Zhu Shilong's previous experience made Wei Guangde inevitably feel a little bit lucky at this time.
Well, in fact, he now feels that he has only a 50% chance of passing the provincial examination, but after knowing that his name has spread, Wei Guangde feels that his chances are a little bit higher.
At this time, the examiners of the provincial examination must not have entered the tribute academy yet. They are at home. Although they are not exposed to rumors in the market on weekdays, the gossips of the servants at home may remind them of themselves.
After Zhu Shilong and Li Ke returned to Jiujiang Prefecture the year before last, Wei Guangde knew what happened at the Luming Banquet. Even almost all the examiners, including the chief examiner, personally read his papers. Many people were very interested in the anti-drought strategy he wrote.
Therefore, when the news came from the capital two years ago that officials in the two capitals were fiercely discussing whether to establish an agricultural supervision, Wei Guangde was not surprised at all.
Yes, some Jiangxi officials were inspired by Wei Guangde's anti-drought strategy. In addition, the empire has indeed suffered frequent natural disasters in recent years, but the court has no way to deal with it.
In the past, various sacrificial activities to heaven and earth have also been taken more seriously. Whether it is the ceremony of praying for a good harvest in the first month of spring, offering sacrifices to heaven in the winter solstice, or praying for rain and snow, the court has treated them very seriously in recent years, but the disaster situation has not shown any signs of easing.
Is it really necessary for the emperor to issue an edict that "all the people are guilty and the crime lies with me", or to bring down a few court officials?
Impossible.
So after reading Wei Guangde's anti-drought strategy, some officials simply did something suspected of usurpation after discussion, and directly handed in Wei Guangde's test paper.
This is also a helpless method. All the previous tricks have been used up. This time, Wei Guangde's test paper proposed something refreshing.
In the past, in order to avoid cheating in the provincial examinations, the imperial court sent the list of admitted candidates to the capital for the emperor to preview after the provincial examinations in each province, and the test papers of the successful candidates were also sent to the Hanlin Academy for verification and preservation.
The test papers sent were those of successful candidates, and who would care about failed candidates like Wei Guangde.
It was just that at the Luming Banquet, Wei Guangde's test paper was flipped through, and some officials came down to discuss privately. If Wei Guangde's opinion was adopted and reported, whether Wei Guangde should be rejected or not was a big problem.
It is known that there are many officials and candidates who have seen Wei Guangde's test paper. Once the memorial to establish a new supervisor to specialize in agricultural seedling cultivation is accepted by the upper level, what will be the result?
Well, some examiners still had a little trick in their hearts. After all, it was just a memorial, and even if it was rejected, it was not a big deal.
However, the key problem is that the things that want to be reported were written by the candidates, and this candidate has not passed the provincial examination yet.
No one wanted to be known as the next cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest. Finally, after careful consideration, they simply wrote a joint petition to request the establishment of an agricultural supervision department to cultivate drought-resistant seedlings, and at the same time sent Wei Guangde's failed test paper to show the selflessness and openness of this Jiangxi provincial examination.
Of course, after fierce controversy in the court, this memorial was finally abandoned.
The reason was that the court had no money to invest in agricultural seedling selection and cultivation.
This was the news that Wei Guangde had inquired about. Although it was not necessarily accurate, it was also credible.
The court was short of funds and it was impossible to build a new government office.
Moreover, once a new government office was built, a large amount of silver and money would inevitably be invested in the future. In the current situation where the court's income and expenditure were not enough to make ends meet, it could only be abandoned in the end.
In fact, after failing the provincial examination, the development of the situation was completely beyond Wei Guangde's imagination, let alone control. He did not expect Zhu Shilong to praise him at the Luming Banquet.
Wei Guangde actually didn't suffer any loss in the whole incident, and his name was known to the ruling class of this era, which was a good thing.
Wei Guangde only stayed in the inn for a few days, and then he was constantly visited by students from all over the country who came to Nanchang Prefecture and had no time to rest.
At this time, Wei Guangde had to greet them with a smile.
Just kidding, many of the people who came were those Wei Guangde had visited in the name of visiting friends in the past two years, and his purpose was not simple.
Since they were good friends, Wei Guangde naturally had to be the host.
The ten thousand taels of silver given to Wei Guangde by Wei Laodi were released last year. Now Wei Guangde still has a thousand taels in his hand. As for the missing silver, it was naturally spent during the travels in the past two years.
When you are away from home, money is indeed a little out of control. The main reason is that after arriving in Jiujiang Prefecture, Wei Guangde has always been very well-off, so he has developed the habit of spending money lavishly.
During the visit to friends, Wei Guangde's generous side was deeply rooted in people's hearts.
Whenever he arrived at a place, he would ask his friends to invite scholars from the surrounding area to a banquet, and he would choose a good restaurant to treat them.
The money was spent, and the effect was also very good.
As the provincial examination was approaching, while Wei Guangde continued to entertain friends from all sides, the inner curtain examiners of this provincial examination had already rushed to Nanchang City from the surrounding provincial capitals, preparing to enter the Imperial Examination Hall to welcome the provincial examination.
These inner curtain officials were jointly selected by the Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Provincial Inspection Commission and the Jiangxi Provincial Inspector Censor in accordance with the rules, and they had already sent their appointment letters and coins.
The examiners had to arrive in Nanchang City before the provincial examination and enter the Nanchang Imperial Examination Hall to show the fairness of the imperial examination.
According to the rules, after the examiners entered the Imperial Examination Hall, they could not leave the Imperial Examination Hall until the provincial examination results were announced.
Today is also the day when the various government offices in Nanchang City jointly hosted a banquet for the examiners on behalf of the local area. Starting tomorrow, they will officially enter the Imperial Examination Hall until the end of the provincial examination.
The atmosphere of the banquet was very good as people were toasting and drinking, and complimenting each other.
They were all officials. The provincial examinations were not like those in the Hongwu Dynasty. The examiners of the provincial examinations would be selected from the people with high moral character and great Confucianism.
For the invitation of the Jiangxi government to preside over this provincial examination, whether it was the chief examiner, the deputy chief examiner, or the co-chief examiner, they all came happily.
Everyone knew that the Jiangxi candidates were of high quality, and their results in the joint examinations and palace examinations were always good. It was possible that one of the candidates he selected would be on the list of successful candidates. If he thought about it, it would be a great honor to tell others that the champion was from his own school.