Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Lu Ci first stuffed Liu Qilang's mouth with a spoonful of double-humped horns, then went out temporarily with a blank face, hired a donkey cart, and called the neighbor Zhong Yuan as soon as he turned around, making him sob and cry Da Da's Liu Qilang was put on the shelf.

He sent the alcoholic who was so drunk that he still didn't forget to chant all the way to the boat, and then returned with peace of mind.

As a result, as soon as he entered the door, he saw that Zhu Yue, who was only slightly drunk, had completely copied the Yu Linling that Liu Qi had chanted just now, and was concentrating on appreciating the taste.

"..."

Lu Ci supported his forehead, and later realized that Zhu Shuo had always admired the other party's poems, and when he heard a good poem, he couldn't help but write it down for Liu Qi who was already drunk, and it was only natural.

And when he went out to call a car for a while, Liu Qilang might have already slapped him in the stomach, and he couldn't stop him at all.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he said directly: "It's getting late, you have to leave tomorrow, go to rest early."

Zhu said that he responded with all his mouth, carefully held the paper that was not completely dry, and went back to the room obediently.

In his opinion, Liu Qilang, who always hangs around Huajie Liuxiang, Chuguan Qinlou, and composes lyrics for singing girls and prostitutes, is willing to seriously write lyrics for parting friends. up.

Although Zhu Shuo was sent back to his room, Lu Ci was tossing and turning that night, always feeling uneasy.

Liu Qilang was okay, he was being tossed about so carelessly, and he couldn't feel sad when he thought of meeting again during the provincial exam.

Zhu said it was the person he had been inseparable for more than two years, and he had always taken care of him like his own little brother. Lu Ci couldn't help but feel uneasy when he suddenly left for more than ten days and went to the dragon's pond and tiger's lair.

He tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, and Zhu said that he was also full of dismay, tossing and turning.

Early the next morning, both of them had similar bluish-black under their eyelids.

Lu Ci silently went to the street to scan a dozen of Zhu Yue's favorite snacks, and prepared some dried fruits that were easy to store, so that Zhu Yue would not be hungry on the road.

Zhu said that he was also extremely depressed, and he ate his breakfast in an unprecedentedly slow manner. Every time he took a few bites, he would raise his head and secretly glance at Lu Ci.

Lu's mother was also very sad, and she could not stop sighing.

It's not that she is reluctant to let go of Zhu Shuo who will be back in more than ten days, but she is deeply aware that the family is missing Liu Qilang, who is always eloquent and can always make her mature and stable son look like a young man, and is also extremely handsome and lovable. leave.

More or less, there is always something unaccustomed to it.

Lu Ci silently saw the rare melancholy look of his mother, who has been addicted to making money since opening the shop, and even learned to settle accounts spontaneously from him, and couldn't help but sigh Liu Qi's lethality as a female killer It was so big that he secretly became vigilant again.

Just holding the hand of such an old man last night, he could open his eyes and talk nonsense, making nasty phrases like "holding hands and looking at teary eyes, but choking speechlessly".

If I stay at home again...

Wouldn't it be easy for him to be his adoptive father on a whim?

Even though it is clear that Liu Qilang is not so unscrupulous, Lu Ci shudders when he thinks that his request for beautiful women can be regarded as a conniving attitude that will never be rejected.

Although he didn't object to his mother's remarriage at all, he had to personally check the selection of this person.

After breakfast, Lu Ci rode that old donkey, went to the market in person, rented a carriage from a man who knew everything, and watched the hardworking coolie Zhong Yuan carry the small amount of luggage that Zhu said, and couldn't help sighing. He took a deep breath and followed up silently.

Even though Zhu said that while holding back his tears, he insisted that Lu Ci not waste his time to deliver, Lu Ci still rode a donkey to keep up.

Thousands of miles away, there will be a farewell.

All the way to the Luoyun Pavilion outside the city, there was a final farewell, Lu Ci stopped, and finally said to Zhu: "Although it is only a short ten days, you should be careful in everything. The most important thing is to take care of your health. Remember to keep the green hills, don't be afraid of lack of firewood, and think twice when you meet someone who wants to help, don't act impulsively, and remember that anyone with a disability is not allowed to apply; don't take it lightly Listen to some monks and demons to confuse them, in case someone who does not understand their way, once he becomes a monk, even if he returns to the vulgar, he will not be able to apply for the exam; if you have nothing to do during the journey, you should memorize more, and don't go gambling with others. The imperial court has repeatedly banned this, but once caught, according to the law, it is also forbidden to apply..."

Zhu said that at first, he was very sad and moved, and tears gradually came to his eyes.

As a result, the further to the back, the more I can't laugh or cry.

"Brother Lu," he couldn't bear it any longer, and gently reminded, "I'm only half a year younger than you..."

"Of course half a year old is not too little." Lu Ci retorted without hesitation, confidently, "When I was a toddler, you were not born yet!"

Zhu said that he was speechless for a moment.

When Lu Ci finally felt that he had confessed enough and was willing to let Zhu Shuo go, Zhu Shuo was full of parting melancholy, and it disappeared unconsciously.

When he returned to the carriage, his back actually looked like he was running away.

Lu Ci watched the carriage go away lovingly, until it was completely out of sight, then slowly turned the donkey's head and returned home.

Now that he knew the exact time to start the exam, he naturally couldn't be idle.

The first thing to be solved is to choose the most suitable one among the several public documents prepared by Master Yang, and then make some fillings and embellishments.

It's easy to think about it, but when he actually opened the pile of old works, Lu Ci couldn't help but face difficulties.

It's not because he thinks there are too many favorites to choose from, and he is reluctant to discard any of them, but it's purely... In his eyes, these are clearly written in a very mediocre way, and it is impossible to pick out a slightly brilliant one to muddle through.

There are so many public papers that the examiner has to review, and after one day, they are completely numb.

Summarized in the public volumes that will be browsed, it is impossible to leave a special impression without something outstanding and stand out.

Lu Ci rubbed his eyebrows.

He never expected to impress the chief examiner with the public papers. He only hoped that he would not delay too much, and that Cheng Wen would not make any mistakes in the official exam, and that he would be able to pass the test in a well-regulated manner.

He has never been able to understand how the masters, who clearly have Zhu Shuo, Yi Shu and others' jewels in front of them, are full of praise for his clumsy work that they can't bear to look at directly, and despite his own efforts to persuade, he posted it in front of the academy. The one on the list for public execution?

After thinking about it, it can only be explained if they have preconceived ideas and eccentrically put them in their armpits.

Unlike Lu Ci, who was clearly suffering from pre-exam anxiety, Master Yang and the others had full confidence in their favorite student.

After careful selection, Yang Fuzi selected dozens of excellent works that were unanimously praised by everyone, and put them into public volumes for Lu Ci to choose again.

And Lu Ci, who has memorized countless masterpieces of predecessors in later generations, felt that he was contrasted with such a good intention, and it was like retribution.

Thinking of revisiting his unbearable clumsy works, even if Lu Ci had done the mental construction to choose a public paper, he still couldn't do it for a long time.

Every time he finished reading a copy, he had to recite the Analects of Confucius with a straight face, in order to calm his mind and calm his shame.

... I really don't know how Liu Kai, who was a scholar and rank more than 30 years ago, managed to amaze the examiners with his feat of "thinking that the unicycle can hold thousands of public scrolls".

There are only a few examiners, but they have to read tens of thousands of public papers. How can they really be careful?

Lu Ci secretly made up his mind that one day, no matter he, Liu Qi, or Zhu Shuo high school, as long as they become high-ranking officials, they will have to forcefully admonish the officials no matter what, and ask Gong Ju to "make a choice between Cheng Wen's decision" and put this The cumbersome public record system was abolished.

The original intention of the public volume is that "those who embrace the art will not lose their money, and those who are impetuous will not be able to fake it." It is easy to change the text by mediocre scholars, and there is no proof for the school after arriving in the province.

Moreover, since seven years ago, the Fengmi system has been implemented in various places. How can the effect of "observing their basic skills" be achieved when the names of candidates are not even visible?

In the end, it only increases the examiner's burden of reading papers and wastes the students' time.

Lu Ci became more and more annoyed—this kind of broken rule should have been abolished long ago!

God knows, he didn't know how much willpower he had to use to stop his evil thoughts of stealing Zhu Shuo's old works that were easily available to him.

It took a full two hours before Lu Ci selected a few articles that could still be read, one copy of ancient law poetry and prose and one copy of literary theory, copied them neatly, compiled them into a public volume, and threw them away impatiently On the sidelines, wait until the day when the petition is submitted.

As for the test paper and the family certificate, Lu Ci had already prepared them, so there was no need to bother.

Mrs. Li, who had promised to find a guarantor for Lu Ci before, was also vigorous and resolute, and he found someone three days before the return date that Zhu said he had agreed with Lu Ci.

If he really wanted to say, he didn't know that person, but because he and his father had been candidates for the same year, they had some friendship and some appreciation for his personality.

Coincidentally, because the other party was appointed as an examiner, his son was naturally unable to apply for the exam in Luoyang, Henan Province, where his hometown is, but was sent by the Transit Department to take part in another exam.

What's more, it was not Mizhou that was sent to other places.

The other party was also worried about his beloved son traveling far away and couldn't take care of it. As soon as Mr. Li took the initiative to speak up, the two hit it off and settled the matter.

Everything went well, Mr. Li was in a good mood, and immediately summoned Lu Ci. After some earnest advice, he pretended to think of it suddenly and suggested: "Although you are still far away from the age of the crown, since you are about to apply for the exam, you don't have to worry too much about it." It is too rigid to follow, for the convenience of communication, it is better to have a word."

Lu Ci heard the strings and knew the elegant meaning, and he followed the good words: "What you say is reasonable, if you don't give up, please give me the words."

Master Li, who succeeded in taking the lead, stroked his sparse long beard contentedly, and blurted out the two words he had already pondered over: "If you don't hear it, it's called 'Xi', if you hear it, it's called 'Wen', I give it to you." What do you think of the word Xiwen?"

"..."

Lu Ci's smile froze at the corner of his mouth.

This, I'm afraid.

Not so good.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. Separate test: If the applicant has relatives in Honshu Island, or serves as a dispatch officer, the transfer department will select an officer for another examination.The solution amount shall be established separately and shall not occupy the state army's solution amount.However, this regulation was determined in Song Renzong 1044, and it has not been clearly determined at this moment, but there are indeed such behaviors.

2. The disadvantages of the public volume system are as mentioned in the article, and it was abolished in 1041, among which Fan Zhongyan contributed the most.

Liu Kai, the master who made countless public papers, was complained by Shen Kuo later...

3. The behaviors listed by Lu Ci will lead to permanent disqualification of application qualifications.

4. Shuangxia hump slot, snacks, from "Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty"

5. Fengmi: the system of ambiguous names, which began in 1007