beggar prince

During the palace examination on the ninth day of August, Zhao Yuanjian kept Lin Heng in the mansion.He asked Lin Heng not to take off the white cloth on his head, because he and his sister Princess Yuanshan were twins, and they looked very similar, so they were afraid of being recognized.Lin Heng was used to wearing a white cloth, and he didn't like to take it off either.

Zhao Yuanjian got into the carriage and rushed to the Forbidden City.When he arrived in the palace, he opened the curtain of the carriage, and Eunuch Liu stood under the carriage and stretched out his hand to welcome him.Today, he is wearing a crane cloak, green shirt, and an emerald jade crown with hair tied on his head.There is a confident smile on the corner of the mouth, elegant and handsome, with a heroic appearance.He is confident and sure to get the top three in the exam.

He walked into the hall, where forty desks were placed, and dozens of candidates were sitting on couches, each of them was a talented person from a hundred miles away.

The empress dowager and the emperor were sitting on the golden palace, looking down at him.The Empress Dowager was dressed in a court gown with golden silk phoenix embroidered with a phoenix pattern, the willow hairs towering into her temples, her pair of red phoenix eyes exuded a majestic aura, and there was a slight smile on the corner of her mouth.The emperor was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe with nine chapters, and a five-color winter bead belt around his waist.Wearing the crown of the emperor on the head.

There was a slight movement in his heart. He thought that if Lin Heng wore this dragon robe and sat on this throne, how handsome and charming he would be. The official was so angry that he blew his beard and stared.He smiled brightly at the thought.

He walked to the center of the hall and knelt down: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live, and a thousand years for the queen mother!"

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Excuse me, Yuan Jian, why are you smiling so much? What happened?"

Zhao Yuanjian said: "Report to the Empress Dowager, I see that the Empress Dowager's aunt is beautiful and talented, and she is extremely beautiful, and I am amazed in my heart!"

The queen mother said with a smile: "Among my nephews, you are the only one who can make me happy. Sit down quickly, the discussion is about to begin."

"It's the Queen Mother!"

Eunuch Liu invited him to a seat, and there were paper, ink, pens and inkstones on the case table.Eunuch Liu went to the center again and shouted in the voice of a male duck: "The palace examination has officially begun.

The queen mother got up and walked down the steps. She personally asked the candidates questions. The questions she prepared were all famous lines from "Zuo Zhuan".She walked up to a short and thin young man, and she asked, "'Be prepared for danger in times of peace, and be prepared when you think about it.' Combined with the current government affairs, what do you think of this famous saying?"

The examinee was a little nervous, and he said: "When you are in a stable state, you must think about the dangers that will occur. If you are thoughtful, you will be prepared. If you are prepared, you can avoid disasters. This famous sentence complements the current government. Although the world is peaceful today, However, internal and external troubles are showing signs: internal governance is not organized, officials are not strict, and the people cannot be obeyed. I think that only by establishing majesty from the top can the people be subdued. The Xiongnu is an external trouble. I heard that the Xiongnu is fighting endlessly. After changing the Khan, I don’t know if we will maintain good relations with Wei. I have considered that we need to observe the movements of the Xiongnu in many ways and send more troops to the northern border. Only in this way can Wei be as stable as gold!”

The Queen Mother nodded in satisfaction, and she said, "Very good!"

The young man sat down after speaking, wiped his sweat, and smiled happily.

The queen mother walked up to Zhao Yuanjian, Zhao Yuanjian stood up and looked at the queen mother with a smile: "Please ask."

The Empress Dowager said: "What do you mean by saying that you don't abandon your enemies when you act outside, and you don't lose your relatives when you act internally?"

Zhao Yuanjian's voice was warm and clear, and he said steadily: "Recommend capable people, never give up your enemies who are both talented and virtuous, and never reject your talented relatives. Enmity is narrow-minded, and avoiding relatives is for the sake of integrity." I can't be regarded as a virtuous minister. If I were an official to recommend talents to the Great Wei, I would have no enmity and avoid relatives. As an official, I must act with a public heart, be impartial, impartial, and not exclude dissidents, and not avoid relatives In this way, all ministries, provinces and courts can work efficiently, serve the Great Wei, and benefit the common people."

The Queen Mother said: "Well said!"

The Empress Dowager walked up to another examinee. He was wearing a gray cloth shirt. Zhao Yuanjian thought he was a son of a poor family, and he looked familiar.He respectfully greeted the Queen Mother.

The Empress Dowager nodded to him with a pleasing expression, and asked, "What's the reason for breaking the tail if it's too big and not falling off if it's too big?"

He opened his mouth and said: "The subordinates are too powerful to be dispatched. Compared with the Great Wei, it means that the more power the emperor's courtiers hold, the courtiers will compete with the emperor for power, and it will be difficult to control them. And It can be said that Wei’s government organization was too large, and the emperor commanded his subordinates to control everywhere.”

The queen mother said loudly: "You dare to tell the truth, very good, I appreciate you!"

The queen mother questioned dozens of candidates one after another, some of them responded well, while others showed little talent and learning.After the end, the queen mother left twenty candidates.

At this time, the sun is high and it is noon.The eunuch carried the food box into the Golden Luan Hall, and all the candidates started to eat.At this time, Zhao Yuanjian saw the poor scholar who dared to tell the truth in the morning.He was dressed in a gray cloth shirt and wore old boots, but he looked dignified, serious and respectful, and he was eating vegetables slowly.Seeing that the scholar looked familiar, he asked, "Are you from Xunlu Academy?"

The scholar raised his head, looked at him, and said, "You are Mr. Zhao, and I have received favors from you. You once saw me as poor and gave me 30 taels of silver. I admire your talents and martial arts. I will definitely be yours in the future." You are a pillar of Wenzhi and martial arts, but you have as many scandals as snowflakes."

Zhao Yuanjian asked, "What's your name?"

He said, "Wang Zhihe."

Zhao Yuanjian thought for a long time, and he said: "I have an impression, your knowledge and character are not inferior to mine!"

Wang Zhihe said with a smile: "You and I are really destined, I will exchange your money sooner or later."

Zhao Yuanjian said: "You don't have to be polite, I will treat it as a friend, and you don't have to pay back the money."

Wang Zhihe started to eat again, he thought he must pay it back, Mr. Zhao is a very good character, and all the poor scholars in the academy have received his favor.

After dinner, the empress dowager and the emperor sat on the throne again.All the candidates went to the center of the hall and knelt down to them: "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, and the queen mother is a thousand years old."

The little emperor said numbly: "Everyone loves you. Take your seat."

They went back to the desk and sat down, preparing for the upcoming written test.The eunuchs brought the Four Books and Five Classics, which contained the content to be tested.

The examinees sighed softly after taking the books. These test questions are too difficult.Some frowned, while others bit their pen holders.Zhao Yuanjian took one, and he saw that it was Mencius. There was a page in the book that was annotated with a brush, and he looked carefully that it was an article on government affairs.

This article involved tax issues, and he considered it again and again before he wrote: "Taxation is the foundation of the prosperity of the country and the source of wealth for the people."

He dipped his pen and ink and wrote quickly: "The first chapter of Mencius's official administration has this issue: to relax the ban on tea and salt and to reduce business taxes. For the current plan, it is better to save the state first; if the state has more than enough, the constitution should be lenient in taxation; And then merchants. I think that since □□, the Great Wei followed the old system of the previous dynasty and implemented the rent adjustment method, spreading taxes on each household and each person, and even women were granted land rent. The taxes were too heavy, and the people suffered unspeakably , if the land tax can be reformed, and the treasury can be saved, it will benefit the people. First, the land tax, including tax and labor, the land is counted, and the silver is collected..."

He wrote down more than 600 characters in an eloquent manner and handed it over to Eunuch Liu, and other candidates also finished writing and handed it in.

The queen mother said: "The imperial examination is over. You have worked hard. I have arranged a palace banquet tonight, and I invite you to attend."

Candidates knelt down: "Thank you, Queen Mother!"

At this time, the civil servant who checked the papers walked into the hall and put away the candidates' papers.The examinees were a little tired and worried. They whispered about the test questions, some sighed, and some complained to each other.There are also some candidates whose hands have been shaking.

Wang Zhihe frowned, he felt that he was out of order.Zhao Yuanjian came over to comfort him, and they walked out of the Jinluan Palace together.Zhao Yuanjian said: "You don't have to be nervous, with your talent and learning, you can definitely enter the top three."

Wang Zhihe smiled wryly: "With your kind words, alas, this Forbidden City is truly an unrivaled spectacle!"

Zhao Yuanjian said: "Brother Wang, I will show you around."

At this moment, Eunuch Liu came over with his fly whisk, and he saluted Zhao Yuanjian: "Mr. Zhao, the Queen Mother welcomes you."

Zhao Yuanjian said: "Brother Wang, what a coincidence, let's have a chat when we get back to the academy."

Wang Zhihe said: "Young Master Zhao, go slowly."

Zhao Yuanjian followed Eunuch Liu into the Qianqing Palace, where bright yellow silk ribbons were hung all along the way.Zhao Yuanjian thought to himself: My aunt's ambition is too obvious, she is full of yellow.

He walked to the queen mother's dragon couch, and saw a petite woman who looked exactly like Lin Heng sitting beside the queen mother and beating her back.She combed her bun-style hair with two knots. She has a beautiful face and a charming appearance, and she is wearing a skirt with flowers dragging the floor.She blushed when she saw Zhao Yuanjian.Zhao Yuanjian was amazed by her.

She is much shorter than Lin Heng. Although she is exactly like Lin Heng, her facial features are one size smaller than Lin Heng's.Lin Hengbi has handsome features, a slender figure, flamboyantly hot, rebellious, wild like a little leopard, beautiful but not feminine.Zhao Yuanjian thought to himself: The prince is more beautiful and more exciting.

He saluted the princess: "I have seen Princess Yuanshan."

Princess Yuanshan sized him up shyly, and said, "Brother Zhao is still so handsome."

Zhao Yuanjian said with a smile: "The princess is as beautiful as a fairy, like a fairy descending to earth."

The queen mother smiled and sat up and she said: "You are still a child of the cardamom age, which is enviable. I married the late emperor at a young age, and the late emperor didn't love me. I never knew the wonderful taste of this kind of love."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanjian thought to himself, could the queen mother betroth the princess to me?

The queen mother didn't continue talking, she asked Eunuch Liu to bring a food box, and put sweet soups such as plum blossom and lotus seed soup, chicken feet and Xizi soup, and silver silk white ear soup on the table.The Empress Dowager said: "Drink some first, we will attend a palace banquet in the evening."

Zhao Yuanjian picked up the bowl and took a sip, thinking that it would be great if Lin Heng could come, so that he wouldn't be so greedy for that idiot.

Lin Heng was wearing a eunuch's robe and sitting on the beam of the emperor's Weiyang Palace, holding a gourd of wine, and took a sip.He felt sorry for the emaciated emperor under the beam.Zhao Yuanjian didn't allow him to follow, but he really wanted to come and play in the palace.He secretly hid in Zhao Yuanjian's carriage and followed all the way in.When he got to the palace, he lost Zhao Yuanjian. He had no choice but to sneak into a room. He saw a eunuch's robe and put it on.

He ran around in the palace, running around, and ran to Weiyang Palace.He drooled over the emperor's dragon chair, dragon bed, and even the pens, inks, papers and inkstones, all of which were of the highest quality.

Later, when he heard that someone had entered the house, he hurriedly jumped onto the roof girder.The emperor dismissed the eunuchs as soon as he entered the room. He untied his dragon robe, threw off his boots, and lay down on the bed.He thought angrily that he should have presided over the palace examination, but he sat like a fool all day.

The queen walked in, and she sat beside the emperor to comfort him. She brought a bowl of porridge with flowers, and she said, "Your majesty, don't make the dragon's body angry, eat some porridge."

emperor

Holding the Queen's hand, he said: "Queen, I am so useless as an emperor. I don't even have the chance to meet the ministers privately. I am under house arrest in Weiyang Palace all day long. I really want to go out and have a look outside. world. If I were a commoner, picking mulberries and farming with you would be a joy!"

The queen put down the porridge bowl, and she said: "It's fine if we are imprisoned for a lifetime, I'm afraid the queen mother will not tolerate us in the future."

The emperor sighed helplessly and became silent.The queen wiped the corner of his mouth for him, she said: "We will go to the banquet later, the emperor must not show sadness."

The emperor clenched his fists and endured again and again, he said softly: "He harassed me just now and blocked me in the imperial garden, and he actually kissed me..."

When the queen heard that she burst out crying, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She hugged the emperor heartbroken, and said, "I'll tell the queen mother!"

On the beam, Lin Heng thought that it was better to be happy and happy than being an emperor was so hard. Seeing the little emperor's sad face, he felt sorry for him.

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Some texts are excerpted from "Zuo Zhuan" and "Mencius", and Baidu's translation is also referred to.