Madam, protect me!

Song Mansion.

Li Nuo has forgotten what happened just now and is completely immersed in the book.

The experience during this period has made him realize one thing deeply.

He must take the imperial examination.

Prolonging life is his main goal, and cultivation is just a by-product.

If you want to live longer, you still have to be an official.

Secretive and evasive judgments will only give others a handle.

There is no place to complain after being banned.

Although there are many things that people criticize about the laws of Daxia, it must be said that the court is really governing the country according to the law.

After all, Daxia is the birthplace of the Legalists and is the country that is most deeply influenced by the Legalists.

Redemption of punishment, official positions, and titles, although unfair, are indeed clearly written in the laws of Daxia.

Even as the father of the Dali Temple, he cannot change it, at least he cannot openly violate the law.

Li Nuo did not pass the imperial examination and did not have an official position, but was banned by the court, which is reasonable and legal.

But if he passed the imperial examination, even if he was just a small county magistrate, as long as he was upright, the higher-ups would have no way to deal with him.

Of course, not everyone could do that.

County Magistrate Pei was also a county magistrate, and the highest-ranking county magistrate in Daxia. But even if he was incorruptible and fulfilled his duties, the higher-ups would still find countless reasons to deal with him.

Who made his father not called Li Xuanjing?

So, Li Nuo must participate in the next imperial examination.

Not only must he participate, but he must also obtain an official title.

The question now is, how to obtain an official title?

The book in Li Nuo's hand records Daxia's imperial examination system in detail, including the historical changes of the imperial examination and the latest current system.

Since the founding of Daxia, the imperial examination has tested the six arts of Confucianism, which has not changed for hundreds of years.

However, in the early days, the six subjects were completely separate.

At that time, candidates did not have to know everything, and could choose any one of the six subjects to take the exam.

Any subject that was top-notch could pass the imperial examination.

Depending on the subjects chosen, the Jinshi of each subject will be arranged in different positions.

Mathematics is the most widely used, and the top talents will be assigned to the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Works, etc. The second-rate ones will also enter other government offices to do some clerical work such as calculations.

Most of the Jinshi of the Imperial Examination and Archery Examination entered the Ministry of War, the Imperial Household Department, etc.

Jinshi of the Rites and Music Examination will be absorbed by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department to be responsible for rituals and sacrifices.

These five subjects are all considered specialized talents.

The Book Examination is the most diverse, including literature, economics, system, law, political theory..., and has the widest employment. The orthodox civil servants of Daxia basically come from the Book Examination. At this moment, the competition is also the most intense, and it is really a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

Li Nuo thinks this is good, according to the specialties, special people for special purposes, scientific and reasonable.

Later, the imperial examinations gradually merged the six subjects, changing from admitting specialized talents to admitting all-round talents.

Such measures seem fair, but in fact they are unfair.

Book and mathematics are two popular subjects.

Although compared with the children of the rich and powerful, poor students have to endure more hardships and take more detours to acquire knowledge in these two subjects, but they can also make up for it with hard work.

But how to make up for the other subjects?

If you want to study the imperial examination, you must have a horse and a carriage.

Most poor students, even if they sell all their money, can't afford a carriage.

For the archery and music subjects, they also need to be taught by famous teachers and practice from a young age to achieve success.

The silver spent on this is often more than a thousand taels of silver.

For the ritual subject, you can just read the book. The various etiquette procedures will be recorded in detail in the book, and you can just follow the steps.

But what is written in the book is one thing, and the actual operation is another.

Even if a poor student can recite all the "Five Rites" by heart, how can he compare with Song Yu, who has a father who is a member of the Ministry of Rites?

Even the book subject has undergone a huge reform over the years.

In the past, calligraphy and painting were not tested in the literature subject. It is difficult to figure out these two skills by yourself, and you also need the guidance of a famous teacher.

Although the threshold is lower than that of riding and shooting, it also requires money to pave the way, especially painting.

Ink painting is okay, but the pigments used in color ink painting are extremely expensive, and ordinary families can't afford it at all.

The original imperial examination was a popular examination, but with the continuous reform, the imperial examination became more and more high-end, and gradually became an exclusive game for the powerful and wealthy.

Although it is not clearly written in the book, everything is very obvious.

Since the reform of the imperial examination, poor students have almost completely lost the channel for promotion, which can be seen from the number of imperial examinations.

Twenty years ago, the number of imperial examinations in each session was more than 500,000.

But in these two sessions, there were only about 100,000.

The increasingly high threshold has blocked 80% of students from the imperial examination.

Although major academies will also admit some talented poor children every year and provide them with the conditions to learn the six arts.

But with almost no foundation, it is undoubtedly difficult to catch up with others' accumulation of more than ten years in a few years.

Li Nuo should be thankful that he was born in a powerful family.

Otherwise, even if he wanted to take the imperial examination, his family would not have the financial resources to provide him with the conditions to learn the six arts.

Before officially participating in the imperial examination, he had to do one more thing.

He had to enter a certain academy.

Only students in academies registered with the court were eligible to participate in the imperial examination.

Every major academy holds public examinations every year to recruit a group of students.

This year's admissions exam has passed, and the next one will be after the imperial examination.

But this is not a problem for Li Nuo.

Li Nuo closed the book in his hand and walked to the classroom prepared for Muer Ning'er in Song Mansion.

The four old masters of Qingfeng Academy are already waiting here.

There is no need to trouble his father for this matter, as he has his own connections in the academy.

After finishing today's mathematics course, Li Nuo mentioned it to them by the way.

Mr. Chen showed a happy expression and asked happily: "Mr. Li agreed to teach mathematics at Qingfeng Academy?"

Li Nuo shook his head and corrected: "Not to teach mathematics, but to be a student."

"Ah?"

The four old masters were extremely stunned when they heard this.

All the mathematics teachers in Qingfeng Academy are his disciples and grandchildren, and they have all listened to his classes in Song Mansion. Who has the ability to teach him, who dares to teach him?

He dares to listen, but they may not dare to speak.

Li Nuo explained: "I want to participate in the next imperial examination. If Qingfeng Academy is not convenient, I will go to other academies to ask."

"Convenient, convenient!"

"It is an honor for Qingfeng Academy to have Mr. Li come to Qingfeng Academy."

"It is not inconvenient. If Tang Xian dares to disagree, I will write to the court and remove him from the post of president!"

...

Several old gentlemen came to their senses and agreed without thinking.

Mr. Li selflessly dedicated himself to passing on his mathematical understanding to them without reservation, without asking for anything in return.

If they could not even agree to this small request, how could they be worthy of listening to his class?

However, he actually wanted to participate in the imperial examination?

The four of them were just about to suggest to the court to make a small reform of the mathematics subject, keep the original "Nine Numbers" question type unchanged, and add some new mathematics learned from Mr. Li, so as to select more excellent mathematics talents for the court.

Of course, this reform should be consulted with Mr. Li.

They all planned to let him review the questions to be asked in the mathematics subject in advance.

But in this case, wouldn't he be both a candidate and an examiner, setting questions for himself?

This seems... a bit bad.

Going to Qingfeng Academy was decided.

After the four old gentlemen left, a figure walked into the classroom.

Ever since Li Nuo inspired her interest in mathematics, Song Jiaren would listen to his lectures every time.

Like before, she pointed to the two lines of equations on the wooden board and asked, "How do you get from here to here?"

In the past, Li Nuo would explain it to her very patiently until she understood it thoroughly.

But today is different.

Li Nuo didn't even look at her and said, "I'm tired today, let's talk about it next time..."

...

Li Nuo didn't sleep very well last night.

Because his wife wasn't around.

She went to sleep with Mu'er last night.

Li Nuo knew that this was because he didn't explain the questions to her.

Let her sleep alone, and let her do something else, it's harmless.

But on matters of principle, he won't give in.

He gave in this time, and he will have to give in next time. He did nothing wrong. Why should he suffer this injustice?

Last time, he almost broke his wrist while drawing for her. When he saw something beautiful outside, he wanted to bring it back to her as soon as possible, but what he got in return was her distrust...

I am tired.

Li Nuo no longer thought about this matter. After getting up, he finished his breakfast alone and began to make plans for the imperial examination six months later.

He divided the six subjects of the imperial examination into two parts.

Books, mathematics, and etiquette.

Music, charioteering, and archery.

Among them, the first three subjects are considered liberal arts. You only need to master the knowledge in the books to get good grades, which can be improved in a short period of time.

The last three require a lot of practice over many years, and it is almost impossible to learn quickly. He has to think of other ways.

Specifically, he will look for target people who are good at these subjects, search for evidence of their crimes, and then send them to jail. Even if it is only for a few days, as long as the portrait is lit up on the code.

Among the first three subjects, the math subject is mathematics. If he doesn't get full marks in this subject, he will be embarrassed in another world.

The problem with the etiquette subject is not big either. This subject mainly tests the etiquette process in various occasions. As long as you memorize the five books of "Auspicious Etiquette", "Unlucky Etiquette", "Military Etiquette", "Bin Etiquette" and "Good Etiquette", there will generally be no big problems.

If you really feel unsafe, find a reason to send your second uncle Song Lian in for two days.

He is the deputy minister of the Ministry of Rites, and he happens to be an official who does practical things in the Ministry of Rites. No one in the entire Ministry of Rites, or the entire court, knows etiquette better than him.

Li Nuo is familiar with the "Official System Law". The court has detailed rules for the management of officials.

Officials who are late or leave early, or who are not dressed properly in court, will be punished to a certain extent.

It's just that the court is not strict in this regard, so the officials are naturally more relaxed. If they really take it seriously, there are legal reasons to send him in for two or three days.

But Li Nuo is still in the title state, and when the time comes, he will have to ask his father for help.

The mathematics and ritual subjects are basically done, and the calligraphy subject is a little more complicated.

This subject accounts for the largest proportion of the six arts, and can be further divided into calligraphy, painting, law, and writing.

There is a portrait of Gu Yanran in calligraphy. When the time comes, you can exchange her calligraphy ability for one day of life. Her graceful and elegant hairpin flower small regular script is unmatched by few people in Daxia.

Although the style of writing is a bit too girly, there is no rule against using it in the imperial examination.

If that doesn't work, just arrest a few more calligraphy masters.

As for painting, it shouldn’t be a big problem to light up Han Zhuo’s portrait.

Law was Li Nuo's strong point. He looked at the test questions of previous imperial examinations and found that as long as he was familiar with Daxia Law, the possibility of problems in this subject was very small.

The last item is the article.

In this small subject, the candidates will be asked to write a proposition poem at the beginning. This is not a problem, and you can copy it even if you don't know how to write.

But poetry only accounts for a small part of the article, and the political commentary that follows is the most important.

Political commentaries involve current affairs, economy, military, history... and test candidates' ability to govern the country. They are required to not only have comprehensive knowledge, but also to put it on paper and write colorful articles.

This is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Needless to say, he will definitely have to use the Code.

After all, he is just an ordinary person and does not have as dazzling talents as others.

Fortunately, he has a plug-in.

No matter whose talent it is, as long as they break the law, it is their talent.

In the six subjects of the imperial examination, you can not be the first in each subject, but you can't have obvious weaknesses.

Even though the number of candidates for the imperial examination has been greatly reduced in recent years, there are still 100,000 people participating. No matter which subject is too weak, there is a possibility of being squeezed off the single-plank bridge...

Li Nuo thought about it for a while.

If you want to be sure, you have to ask your father-in-law for help.

He had to ask him for a list of Jinshi candidates from the previous imperial examination.

The officials of the recent imperial examination high school must all be masters of the six arts. It is possible that just one person can master the six skills.

The further forward a Jinshi is, the greater the chance of wasting the Six Arts.

After all, the six arts are only required in the imperial examination. If you pass the imperial examination, you will no longer need these things.

Very few officials still practice the Six Arts after passing the exam.

It's like asking college graduates to take the college entrance examination questions. I'm afraid very few of them will pass.

Go find your father-in-law, preferably with your wife.

However, he and his wife are still in a cold war, and she will definitely not pay attention to him.

If that doesn't work, he can go alone.

While Li Nuo was hesitating, there was another courtyard in the Song Mansion.

Song Muer asked worriedly: "Sister Jiaren, did you and brother Li Nuo have a fight?"

Being with two people every day, she clearly noticed that something was not quite right between them in the past day.

Sister Jiaren slept with me yesterday.

There must be some reason for this.

Song Jiaren shook her head and said, "No."

Mu'er is only a six-year-old child. There are some things that she doesn't understand even if you tell her.

Song Muer thought for a while, seemed to understand something, and asked, "Did the two beautiful sisters come to see Brother Li Nuo yesterday, and you were angry?"

Song Jiaren glanced at Mu'er and shook her head slightly.

Song Muer's face showed a look of determination and she said, "You are just angry!"

She took Song Jiaren's hand and persuaded her earnestly: "How can you believe those people outside? Brother Li Nuo is so good to you. He draws pictures for you, Mr. Trick makes you angry, and you see beautiful girls outside." I will also bring the flowers back to you. If you doubt him so much, brother Li Nuo will be sad. Husband and wife must trust each other..."

Song Jiaren lowered her head, recalling what Mu'er said, she felt a little regretful in her heart.

She subconsciously asked: "Then what should I do?"

After Song Muer thought for a moment, she said: "You do this first, then you do this..."

…

Li Nuo is practicing the health-preserving exercises in the yard.

Riding and shooting require not only skills but also physical strength.

With his weak body and no skills, he couldn't display his due strength.

In the past six months, he has to strengthen his training, and at least improve his physical fitness and strength.

Even though he has acquired superb archery skills, he can't even draw the bow string, which is a big joke.

Although he has no martial arts talent, practicing this set of exercises several times a day can strengthen his body, and the effect is better than any training method in later generations.

While Li Nuo was practicing, a figure walked in from outside.

Song Jiaren walked up to Li Nuo, opened his clenched fist, and said: "This is a palm, not a fist. Also, exhale when you move your palm, and inhale when you close your palm. This is the correct way to exhale. , the breathing method is wrong, no matter how long you practice, it will not be effective..."

Li Nuo said in a daze: "Oh..."

Aren't the two still in a cold war?

What does she mean?

Could it be that she guessed wrong, she wasn't actually angry, she was really tired yesterday?

You slept with Mu'er last night, wasn't it aimed at him?

A trace of shame appeared on Li Nuo's face. A dignified man should judge a gentleman's heart with a villain's heart. It really shouldn't be done...

When he was practicing, Song Jiaren was there to help him correct his mistakes in movements and breathing. After Li Nuo practiced the exercises in the correct way, he really felt different.

Although my whole body was soaked with sweat, I felt more powerful.

After taking a shower and changing clothes, it was lunch time.

Except for the Song family dinner, Li Nuo always ate with his wife and Mu'er in the past.

Before eating, Li Nuo explained yesterday's question to her.

While eating, he peeled a few shrimps and put them in a jade bowl in front of the lady.

Because they often eat together, Li Nuo has long observed that she likes stir-fried shrimp with green beans or walnuts.

But if it is boiled shrimp, she will not move her chopsticks.

It is not difficult to guess that she likes to eat shrimp, but she does not like to peel the shell.

Song Jiaren picked up a white and tender shrimp that was peeled by Li Nuo from the jade bowl, but did not eat it herself, but put it in Li Nuo's bowl.

The second shrimp, she picked up for Song Muer.

Then it was herself.

Song Muer sat between the two of them, looked at brother Li Nuo, and then looked at sister Jiaren, and finally let go of her heart.

God bless, they really reconciled...

Sister Jiaren and brother Li Nuo are really, they are so grown up, but they are still like children, and they ignore each other when they are angry.

What if this family does not have her...