Tang riddles

In the autumn of the eighth year of Shenhuang, on the ninth day of September, the sky is high and the air is clear. It is a good time to climb high to worship ancestors, appreciate osmanthus and chrysanthemums.

Outside the city of Chang'an, everyone planted cornel everywhere, but inside the city, it was still lively.Not long after the Qianqiu Festival of the Empress on August [-]th, the heat in the city has not completely faded away, and the annual women's science examination and palace examination are just now coming up again, and there are many female candidates in the city who have broken through the rural examinations from all over the country. They are almost full.

Compared with men's subjects, the selection frequency of women's subjects is more dense. From the lowest county examination to the highest two capital examinations, all are taken once a year. Only after obtaining the title can one take the next level of examination .The women's department exams began in the fifth year of Shenhuang, marked by the canonization of the current Queen, and it is exactly the fourth year now.The first batch of women's jinshi was selected in a short period of half a year, taking part in the county examination and the township examination. In the end, all of them were sent to Chang'an by chariots and horses sent by the imperial court to participate in the general examination and palace examination.It can be said that the first batch of female Jinshi passed the most difficult exam, and they are all the elites among the elites.

Among them, Yao Xun, the first champion in women's subjects, was the most outstanding.She stood out from the many tests, and in the final palace test, she attracted the favor of the empress with her excellent calligraphy and a wonderful strategy theory in one go, and won the first place.He was sent to a local county magistrate for two years, and had outstanding political achievements, so he was promoted to Beijing. Within a year, he was quickly promoted to the position of a maidservant in the Huangmen, and became a close minister of the Empress.This year's women's exam, the empress specially appointed Yao Xun as the chief examiner, which can be said to be a holy family.

This Yao Xun is said to be from a famous family, she is the granddaughter of Yao Chong, the famous prime minister in the early years of the late emperor, she is very talented at a young age, and she was only twenty years old when she was the number one scholar in high school.She is also a strange person. Generally, women of this age are married, take care of their husbands and children, and enjoy family life.However, she reconciled with her husband in order to participate in the women's department.Fortunately, there is no child between her and her husband. This is an in-law marriage, and she has always resented it. Now that she finds an opportunity, she really simply abandons this marriage and devotes herself wholeheartedly to the study department. In the exam.

Behind her back, many people poked her back, saying that she was not a woman, which really discredited the Yao family.However, some people think that she is a strange woman in the world, a Wenqu star born in response to the advent of the queen's era.In today's era, women can already enter private schools to study, and it is no longer an era where they have to care for their husbands and teach their children, and live in a boudoir to read some books such as "The Commandments of Women".Women have the right to choose the occupation they want to pursue, and they can also choose who they want to marry.

The world has really changed, and the daughters feel that their time has come.Seeing that more and more female compatriots began to enter private schools to study, obtain fame, and gain fame and status.More and more families have also begun to change their concepts and gradually send their daughters to study.Women's private schools are now all government-run, with special funds allocated from the imperial treasury to operate, and they don't charge a penny for tuition fees from the common people.After graduation, the private school can also arrange for students to earn a living. Even if they can't get fame, they can work in the local government and get the imperial salary.Such a good thing, many ordinary families are already overwhelmed and want to send their daughters to women's private schools.On the contrary, it is some aristocratic families who uphold the old ideas.

With the success of the women's department for three consecutive years, there are now many more female officials in the imperial court.Whether it is going to court or discussing politics, there are always female officials around, and the male officials in the past are always a little unaccustomed.However, the appearance of female officials also brought a new atmosphere to the once stagnant government.The way of thinking of women is completely different from that of men.In addition, the textbooks these female officials read and the test questions were carefully compiled by Li Jinyue, focusing on practical applications, rather than those great Confucian civil servants in the past, who had a set of principles, and they really couldn't do it if they really wanted to practice it.In the court, female officials can often bring a new perspective on a problem, which is more in line with the empress's wishes. Once they come and go, the men and women in the court are divided into two factions.

This is also a question that the empress has been thinking about recently. She is thinking about how to balance and integrate the contradictions between men and women.

The empress was having a headache, but there was a person who came all the way to enjoy the autumn, riding horses and flowers from Jinling.When entering Chang'an City from Chunming Gate, it was just at dusk.

This man was dressed as a quack, with a large lapel collar, a sash belt, and a large black horizontal knife.Wearing a drooping gauze hat, her long hair is loose, only half of it is simply rolled up behind her head, and tied tightly with a jade hairpin.Looking at her figure, she looks like a woman, but her movements are chic and awe-inspiring, and her heroic appearance is very eye-catching.

She seemed to be very familiar with the streets of Chang'an City, and she turned to Zhang's residence in Liquanfang after a short while, got off her horse and came to the door.

When Men Yan saw her, he couldn't help coming up and asking:

"My lady, where did you come from? Why are you looking for my Zhang residence?"

The woman took off the veiled hat on her head, revealing a young smiling face, but she instantly looked dumbfounded at that man.Men Yan has also worked in the Zhang Mansion for more than ten years, and has never seen such a beautiful woman visit.He has no words to describe this kind of beauty, he just thinks it is as thin as smoke, as elegant as a lotus, with a smile, which easily makes people's hearts ripple.

"Uncle, please pass on a message, tell me grandpa, second grandpa, uncle, uncle, and say that Huang'er has come to see them."

"Huang...Could it be...Could it be that you are..." Men Yan was completely shocked. Seeing Huang'er making a silent gesture to her, he immediately shut up and hurried back to the house to report.

The young woman stood alone at the gate of the Zhang residence, looking at the lintel.The sun was on the west side, and the western light spread densely on her side face. The delicate skin of [-] years old, as if dyed with a layer of gold powder, gave off a radiant brilliance under the rays of the setting sun, and it was so beautiful.Passers-by who passed by Zhang's mansion involuntarily stopped to look at her, the woman realized that, remembering her mother's advice, she put on the veiled bamboo hat again.

Just at this time, Men Yan came again and immediately invited her in, and she finally got rid of those obsessed eyes.

"Huang'er!" In front of the main hall, a white-haired old man tremblingly greeted her with a cane. The woman hurriedly took off her bamboo hat, knelt down in front of the old man with a plop, supported him and said:

"Grandpa, Huang'er came to see you, how are you doing after not seeing you for two years?"

"Okay, okay, let grandpa see. Our Huang'er is getting more and more handsome..." Zhang Jiuling fondled Huang'er's hair and helped her up.

Two years ago, Zhang Jiuling was too old to bear the heavy responsibility of prime minister. Now he has stepped down from the position of prime minister, and only arranges his spare time as an academician of Jixian Academy, writing books and speaking at home to support his life.His daughter married far away in Jinling, and he held an important position, so he couldn't do without Chang'an.Therefore, the daughter and son-in-law's family would go to Chang'an every two or three years to visit him.The most recent time was two years ago, when Zhang Jiuling just took office, his daughter and son-in-law and his family came to attend his official ceremony. At that time, Huang'er was more than 13 years old, and she was already slim and beautiful.Now that Huang'er has turned sixteen, her color is becoming more and more beautiful.Her granddaughter, who has inherited all the advantages of her daughter and son-in-law, is Zhang Jiuling's most beloved junior.It's a pity that we can't see each other often, but the grandparents and grandsons have been writing and writing to each other, which has never been cut off.

Huang'er met Zhang Jiuzhang, Zhang Zheng and other family members one by one, and the family entered the main hall to continue talking.

This time, Huang'er is here to participate in the forthcoming fourth women's department. A year ago, Huang'er easily won the Runzhou Prefecture Examination and obtained the qualification for juren. At the same time, she also applied for the martial arts exam and also won the Juren's title.It was unprecedented for a woman to take part in martial arts. The Governor of Runzhou Mansion reported this matter all the way to Daming Palace in Chang'an. Huang'er was specially approved by the empress to take the exam with a man, and she was able to win the first place, which shows her ability.

"Huang'er, do you have confidence in this test?" Zhang Jiuling was not worried about Huang'er's martial arts, but he was a little worried about this test.

"Grandpa, please don't worry, Huang'er has made all the preparations. After ten years of hard work, we will see the outcome this time." The child spoke loudly, but she didn't feel arrogant when she said it, because she really had a plan in mind.

"Okay!" Zhang Jiuling smiled and patted her on the shoulder. The granddaughter of the chancellor of the Divine Phoenix should have such courage, but he changed the subject, "However, you have to be careful about the chief examiner this time."

"You mean, Yao Xun, the maid of the Huang family?" Huang'er asked.

"Exactly, this female doll is not simple. She often behaves unexpectedly and unpredictablely, but there is always her reason. As the chief examiner, the test questions she set may be unexpected."

Huang'er bent her lips and smiled, and said: "Grandson's ten-year cold window is not in vain, and he still has the ability to adapt on the spot."

"You child, hahaha..." Zhang Jiuling nodded her nose and smiled happily.

On the side, Zhang Zheng's wife, Jiang Shi, opened her mouth and said:

"Huang'er, do you have a good family to look for?"

Huang'er was speechless for a while, and smiled after a while: "Auntie, my son has been studying hard all these years, and I haven't looked for anyone."

"That's right, what are you asking? We Huang'er will show off our ambitions and talents in the future, so there is no rush to find someone." Zhang Zheng pressed the back of his wife's hand and said.

"Uncle, if the child does not marry a man in the future, but marry a woman back home, what will you do?" Huang'er pursed her lips and smiled, but she kept paying attention to Zhang Jiuling's reaction from the corner of her eyes.

Zhang Zheng was at a loss for words for a moment, not knowing how to answer.In recent years, there has been a lot of rumors about the shocking relationship between the Empress and Empress Yang.The female emperor resisted all opinions and insisted on making Yang Yuhuan the Queen. She was furious for this and sent all the Confucians who strongly opposed her to prison, and they have not been released yet.And controlled the public opinion up and down with ferocious means, showing her supreme authority as an emperor.Since Empress Yang was promoted to the post, she has indeed demonstrated the excellent quality of motherhood, and she can be compared to the eldest grandson empress in Taizong's period.Over time, the speech faded away, and everyone got used to it.

But... After all, this is not an ordinary thing. People who should marry their daughters still have to marry their daughters. When the common people let their daughters marry their wives, what's the matter with men?So what if it thrives?Although Zhang Zheng was born in a scholarly family, he was also a man who learned the ways of Confucius and Mencius and became a talent. He somewhat did not understand the matter of women marrying wives.If Huang'er wants to marry a wife, he really has no space and doesn't know what to do.

Just when Zhang Zheng was at a loss for words, Zhang Jiuling suddenly smiled, stroked his long beard and said, "Huang'er will marry if she likes, and marry if she likes, and grandpa supports it."

Huang'er's eyes lit up, she burst into laughter immediately, threw herself in front of Zhang Jiuling, kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Get up."

Looking at her grandfather's old face, Huang'er had other thoughts in her mind.Two years ago, when my grandfather became an official, my mother and mother took her all the way back to Chang'an for a banquet.That day, my mother was drunk and was playing with her mother in the house. She didn't pay attention for a while, and forgot that this was not the Jinling family house but Chang'an Zhang's mansion. On the side of the bed, I made out with my mother.Grandpa didn't say anything at the time, but just withdrew.Afterwards, my mother was worried and wrote many letters to test her, but she was blocked by my grandfather's unsalty reply.

This time in Beijing, Huang'er has a mission to find out whether Grandpa knows about the identity of her mother's daughter.Now Huang'er probably figured it out, grandpa probably knew it, and he had noticed it a long time ago, but he never found out.He has long accepted the union of his mother and mother.

"Little girl, you, concentrate on preparing for the exam, don't turn your mind on other things, and be careful not to stumble." Zhang Jiuling pointed out.

Huang'er stuck out her tongue and said obediently: "Yes."

……

The men's department in Chunwei, the women's department in Qiuwei, and the women's Jinshi department started this autumn.

The exam is held over three days.On the first day, Mo Yi posted the scriptures.On the second day, discuss current affairs.On the third day, there are two poems and Fu.The exams in the first two days are full-day exams. Candidates bring their own dry food into the exam room, and lunch must be settled in the exam room.On the third day, only half a day in the morning is tested.

The exams in the first two days passed smoothly and without incident.Although the examinees were talking about the weird and tricky exam questions this year, Huang'er felt that answering the questions was very easy and there were not many obstacles.This test question was inexplicably in line with some of her own views on the current situation. The examiner miraculously tickled her itch, so the answer to the question was smooth and smooth.

The exam on the third day was two poems and Fu.Candidates are required to write a poem and a poem according to the prescribed metric according to the given theme.

Today, Yao Xun, the chief examiner and maid from Huangmen, came to inspect the examination in person.Accompanied by two assistant examiners, she patrolled slowly westward from the east end of the examination room.

In the middle of the inspection, she passed an examination room, but stopped suddenly because she realized that she had stepped on something.Looking down, it turned out to be a very weird soft thing.

"What is this?" Yao Xun was very surprised, picked up the thing and held it in front of his eyes.

"Ah, that's my eraser, I accidentally dropped it." The candidate in the examination room on the side suddenly said.

"What do you say...what is this?" Yao Xun turned to look at the examinee, but was suddenly stunned.

beautiful woman...

"Eraser is something made from a certain plant juice from the southern sea island, which can remove carbon dust." The examinee explained calmly, then opened his hand, looked at Yao Xun and said.

"Mr. Yao, can you return this thing to me?"

Yao Xun met her eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.She secretly thought that she was very strange, so she collected herself and put the "rubber" into the examinee's hand.His eyes naturally fell on the examination paper in front of her, which...she knew it.

There was a candidate whose first two papers were outstanding, and it was almost certain that he was the first one.Her rolled noodles are very distinctive. It seems that some kind of carbon ash is used as the base. The rolled noodles are planned in advance. After the article is written and the handwriting dries, there are traces of wiping on the paper. Among the more than 100 candidates, only this person's paper is like this, which is highly recognizable.

Could it be... is she...

She stared at Huang'er, and Huang'er was naturally looking at the examiner as well.The official uniform of the maid from the Yellow Gate is still easy to recognize. Moreover, this female examiner has a beautiful face, elegant temperament, a pair of extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes, and the corners of the eyebrows and eyes are full of romance, but the dark eyes are deep and cold, but let the One cannot read her emotions.The contrast formed by this gave her a very peculiar temperament.Fascinating but not bewitching, clear but not bland, standing with hands behind your back, like a green pine on a cold mountain, it is unspeakably noble.

If I were in high school, wouldn't I become this person's student?I hope this man has some real talents.Thinking in Huang'er's mind.

A few days later, the announcement day.As expected, Huang'er has passed high school, and the top student in Jinshi is Huiyuan.When participating in the palace examination, walking in the front of the team is the most eye-catching.

It's just that Huang'er is not unusual, anyway, she has seen the emperor's aunt many times, so there is nothing unusual about it.

On the day of high school, Yao Xun came to see her alone.She didn't wear an official uniform, but a simple and elegant skirt in the past. She was still very young in her early twenties, she concealed her official prestige in the past, and showed a bit of a daughter's softness.

Yao Xun came to tell Huang'er some etiquette requirements for the palace examination, but Huang'er felt strange, why should she say this on such an occasion?In two days, there will be an etiquette officer in the palace to teach them.

"Mr. Yao, I don't know why you are here today? Could it be that you are really here to teach the students the etiquette of entering the palace?" Huang'er's character is fearless, and she will not hold back what should be asked.

Yao Xun hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether he should speak, and sighed after a while: "Shen Shan'an, I'm here to entrust you with something."

"Me?" Huang'er was surprised, she was a candidate, what would the chief examiner entrust her with?

"The palace examination paper was stolen, can you assist me in the investigation." She asked.

Test paper stolen?Huang'er was also a little confused.

"Why me?"

"I heard from Zishougong that your father has the name Xuedao Mingjuan. I believe you are not bad. Would you like to help me? The palace test will be held in three days. At present, apart from you and me, only Zishougong Knowing this with His Majesty, I hope this matter can be carried out in secret without making any noise."

Huang'er's eyes were bright, and she slowly smiled:

"interesting!"

———End of the full text———

The author has something to say: Sorry, this chapter is late.So far, the riddle is over.The following is a summary.

It has been a year and a half since Tang Mi was completed in February last year.This journey has been very difficult, and I have thought about it a lot. Finally, I will write it down and summarize it in three points.

[-]. The core - the appeal of the idea of ​​equal rights

I have been writing articles for 6 years. Since "The Ugly Duckling Doesn't Cry", almost every article after that has its own central theme. "The Ugly Duckling Don't Cry" is about saying goodbye to the wounds of youth, "Snow Wolf Ballad" is about the long-lasting love that overcomes time and space, "Food and Storage House" is about the warm daily life of eating and drinking, and "Broken Cocoon" is about The book is about the painful struggle of comrades and same wives under social oppression, and "The Knife of Lebyron" is about the oppression and resistance under the fate of the great age.When it comes to "Tang Mysteries", what I want to write is the appeal of equal rights.

The central contradiction in Tang Mi is actually the contradiction between patriarchy and feminism.There are two main contradictions, one is the contradiction between Yin Yuyue and Luanhuang Yin, and the other is the contradiction between him and his daughter caused by Li Longji's suppression of women's rights in the post-Wu Zetian era.Shen Sui investigates the fire at Princess Taiping's mansion and the tragic death of his mother, and finds out Yin Yuyue for revenge.Assisting Jin Princess Li Jinyue to ascend to the throne and creating the Queen's Era basically resolved these two contradictions and brought about equal rights.This is exactly what I want to express most.Because even after more than 500 years, modern society still cannot talk about equal rights between men and women.As modern people, living in today, we have more or less experienced unequal treatment.As a writer, while supporting equal rights, I also hope to express my thoughts through a wonderful story.Therefore, I borrowed the most enlightened, open and inclusive era in history, which is also my favorite era. Taking the opportunity of reversing the Anshi Rebellion, I hope to create an extremely brilliant Tang Dynasty in my writing world and make up for my regrets about history. .

Another point is about why I want to arrange the female birth setting of the Luanhuang bloodline.Many people complain about this, saying that it destroys the feeling of realistic history.I admit, it does.But arranging for women to give birth is because I hope to express a symbol of women's reproductive freedom.When women are no longer kidnapped by marriage and childbirth, the era of equal rights will truly come.I don't want to give up expressing this point, so I forcibly blended in. If I can't accept it, I can only say that there are differences in our concepts and there is nothing we can do about it.

[-]. Responsibility - Spread Chinese traditional culture. (Blush subheading)

I have been writing essays for many years, and the ones I have been most afraid of touching are essays with ancient themes.Because it is too difficult to write, it not only has extremely high requirements for knowledge reserve, but also requires excellent writing to polish and shape.I have always had no confidence in my writing style. After five years of honing and five years of accumulation, I dared to write about Datang.During the period, I read countless materials and dared not slack off.Some people may think that I am exaggerating, but I am really a person who is crazy about history, and I often delve into the details with awe.Even so, I still feel that there are many places in the text that I am not satisfied with. I deeply feel that my ability is limited and I still need to continue to hone it.

History is a vast ocean. Swimming in it can cleanse your body and mind, and you can also measure your own weight. Chinese culture is especially profound and charming. A small "tang riddle" shows just a water molecule in the vast ocean. Even so, I can feel the weight of this water molecule.This is about responsibility, and it is a cultural gene that the sons and daughters of China cannot get rid of.

Three, gains and losses - the contest of words.

I may not be modest enough to say that since writing Tang riddles, I have gained a lot, and I can feel that my writing has finally undergone a qualitative change.Some fragments in the article have been widely praised, and I am also a little bit proud.

However, criticisms still exist, and there are also one or two comments asking me to learn from other people's articles.As far as I know, there is no first thing in literature and no second in martial arts. Unless there is a huge gap, we can only talk about preferences but not advantages and disadvantages.The alarm bells are ringing, there are many authors who are much better than me.I'm not very scared, so I can only work hard, work day and night, burn ointment and continue the sundial, see the virtuous and think together, so as to make more readers like it.

But the premise is that I have to have fun writing. (laugh)

Writing is a process of competing with yourself and with words.I understand that I have to work hard to continue to struggle with myself. One day I can't write anymore, and I will probably bid farewell to this world.

Mencius said it well: Is it more enjoyable to be alone than to be with others?It's not like being with people.Joy with the few, Joy with the crowd, who is the joy?Not like the crowd.

The road is long and difficult.

New Books from Little Books:

The new book "The Wheel of Chronos" will be updated in mid-September.The computer party directly clicks on the title of the book, and friends who use the mobile app can directly search for the title, or enter the author's column of the small book, and then they can see the book.Collect it if you are interested.