Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Although Lu Ci didn't understand how the emperor who lived in the deep palace knew about this little man, but since the imperial decree had been issued and it was in front of countless people, there was no need to pursue the reason up.

In the eyes of others, this is an even more important event - Lu Xingyuan is probably the No.

After receiving the decree, Lu Ci resolutely left Rendian under the eyes of everyone, and returned to the courtyard.

After closing the heavy wooden door tightly, he regained his tranquility.

Anyway, the imperial examination is approaching, and he is not planning to go out in the next few days.

After writing a letter to inform his mother of the good news of being on the list, Lu Ci sorted out the study materials he had compiled.

Compared with the provincial examination, the content of the palace examination is much simpler. The scriptures, ink meanings and strategies are directly removed, and only three questions on poetry and prose are left, and they are all combined in one day.

Although the scope of the test has been greatly narrowed, it is not beneficial to Lu Ci, who is good at strategy and theory.

As we all know, the provincial examination is determined by poetry and prose, but it is determined by policy theory.

It is precisely because he is good at strategy and theory that he was able to meet a dead mouse when a blind cat met a dead mouse, and won unexpected provincial dollars.

At the step of the palace examination, the strategy is no longer tried, only the theory is left, and it is still ranked behind the poems.

Having to give up his strengths and make use of his weaknesses, he naturally felt as uncomfortable as if his arm had been severed.

And this time, for no reason, he received too much attention... If he performed abnormally and fell to the ground, he would not only lose face, but also the officials who favored him extra.

To make the officials lose face doesn't mean that his official career has come to an end before it even started.

Then contacted Shengyuan to give him preferential treatment for promotion, Lu Ci conservatively estimated that if he had no miscellaneous criminals, he would definitely not be deposed.

Even if they fall to the fifth place at the bottom, they can be promoted to the fourth place.

If you are lucky, you might be promoted from fourth to third.

Although the victory was right in front of his eyes, Lu Ci was even more cautious, and even when he was reading the most disliked poems and prose collections in the past, he was unprecedentedly focused.

However, working behind closed doors is not enough, whenever he encounters something puzzling, he knocks on Liu Qi's door without hesitation.

At this moment, Liu Qi’s heart was still preoccupied with the fifth-ranked matter, and he was absent-mindedly flipping the pages of the book. When he heard the knock on the door, he calmed down, opened the door, and asked with a smile: “Here you are! ——A feather?”

Seeing that it was Lu Ci who rarely came to his room, Liu Qi couldn't help being a little surprised: "It's rare to see Yu Yu come."

Lu Ci glanced at his untouched pen and ink, raised his eyebrows, and teased: "Brother Liu hasn't been writing for a long time, didn't you expect me to come?"

Liu Qi subconsciously blocked it, and soon realized that what he did was trying to cover up, so he hurriedly said haha, and changed the subject: "Why did Yu Yu come here?"

Lu Ci stopped laughing and started discussing with him in a serious manner.

No matter how unprincipled Liu Qi usually was, when the little Taotie came to his room for the first time, and asked about his best poems and prose, he was flattered, but still very stable.

After answering with all his heart, he watched the little Taotie quietly and earnestly recording the beautiful profile of the conversation just now, and coughed uncomfortably, feeling a little ashamed in his heart.

Even Lu Ci, who is so talented that he won two yuan easily in the first test, is so dedicated to his studies. He is not proud and complacent, and relaxes for a while. He is a mediocre person who only ranks in the top five in the second test. , just lazy?

Lu Ci didn't know that Liu Qi's heart had been floating for a while, but he was infected and quickly calmed down.

After he made sure to write down everything, before leaving, he asked patiently: "About the topic, do you have anything to ask me, brother Liu?"

Liu Qi said awkwardly: "Not yet."

He just sat there for a long time, but he didn't actually read a single word. What could be wrong?

Lu Ci gave a casual "hmm" and went straight back to his room without staying any longer.

After he left, Liu Qi felt the invisible pressure around him gradually dissipate.

At such a young age, and with a beautiful appearance, where did such a strong sense of oppression come from?

Liu Qibai couldn't figure it out.

He rubbed his chest, sat down obediently, no longer thinking about the joy of being ranked fifth, and started to study calmly.

After Lu Ci returned to his room, he repeatedly savored the little tricks and experiences Liu Qi had just dictated to him, and he realized something.

Although he is not used to using "beauty" as a metaphor in almost every sentence like Liu Yong, the spokesperson of the graceful school, other small skills are still worth learning.

Just at this time, he suddenly remembered that he still owed Carpenter Lu, who ordered the test chair for them for free, an advertisement, so he simply used this as the title to write a practice song.

"The wonderful hand Cui'e abandoned the embroidered blanket, and the little guest did not want to live on the rattan bed. When it is shaken, it is like clouds, waves and seas, and when it is still, it is like a coil of wood that takes root. There are thousands of carpenters in Bianjing, and only the Lu family carves with heart."

When he put down the last stroke, Zhu Shuo just came in.

He came to tell Lu Ci that Zhong Yuan and Yi Shu had just been together, and they went outside quietly, not even taking their health servant with them, and they probably went for a stroll.

To Zhu who came to make a small report with a serious face, Lu Ci suppressed a smile in his heart, and only nodded forgivingly on his face: "After all, it's just Xiao Langjun. He didn't make it to the list this time. It's better to go out and relax."

Even though they had seen the matter of failing the exam, they stayed in the room all the time, and the other four were concentrating on their revisions. They were doing nothing, so they inevitably looked out of place and very embarrassing.

Simply take advantage of the short time before returning home, and spend more time in Bianjing, a city that is rarely visited.

Zhu said, however, that he was very disappointed. After hesitating for a moment, he still expressed his inner thoughts: "A gentleman will die after hearing the experience, and then be brave after realizing his shame. It is understandable to fail in the first test, but if you don't come to your senses, you are ashamed of it." Studying hard, going out to have fun... Now that brother Yu Yu is urging me, let’s just say this, how can I make progress if I only have myself to rely on in the future?"

He has always been strict with himself, seeing Zhong Yuan and others become so careless after failing the ranking, he was naturally unhappy.

Besides, brother Yu Yu has already received two yuan, although he has not entered the imperial examination yet, regardless of his ranking, it is basically a certainty that he will be admitted to the imperial examination by roll call.

This means that the six people who are intimate at this time will work in different places in the future. After separation, it will be difficult to get together again.

Whenever he thinks about this point, Zhu said that the joy of being on the list in the provincial examination is diluted by overflowing reluctance.

Lu Ci smiled slightly and comforted him: "Brother Zhu also needs to know that there are few people in the world who are as self-disciplined as you. Besides, they are in a depressed mood at this time. It is not beautiful to force them to study for fear of backfire. "

Seeing that Zhu said that he was still frowning slightly, he changed his mind, and suddenly said: "Brother Zhu, do you know that when the roll call reaches the end of the second one, you can eat inside?"

Zhu said that his attention was attracted as expected, and he replied honestly: "I don't know, I would like to hear more about it."

Lu Ci said quietly: "I've only heard about the specifics—the Tao said that Jinshi will be given three kinds of food, which are two red burnt meat pies, two small flower cakes and a bowl of mutton rice."

In usual terms, when the word smallpox was mentioned, Lu Ci would only think of disease, not food.

What would the smallpox cake taste like?Since it is an imperial meal, it is obviously impossible to simply sprinkle frosting sugar on the cake.

You have to try it to know.

What made Lu Ci curious was the red charred meat pie.

Judging from the name alone, the method is self-evident, but it is not clear what kind of meat it is.

It would be great if it was beef that I haven't tasted for a long time.

Zhu said: "..."

Seeing that brother Yu Yu is actually the most concerned about the matter of giving food, at this time, he looks leisurely and fascinated, and he also knows the dishes very well...

Zhu said that he was very skeptical, even if it was just to find out the content of this meal, brother Yu Yu would do his best to rank among the top two.

Zhong Yuan and Yi Shu, who were out to relax while they were fighting at night and studying hard, were also attracted by the dazzling array of delicacies on the street.

Coupled with the eloquence of each of the small economics, they couldn't help but buy and buy, until they couldn't lift their hands, and then gradually stopped.

The two of them were about to turn back and give these extra snacks to the four of them as a supper, when Zhong Yuan suddenly saw a familiar snack on a shop mat, and couldn't help but take a few more glances.

The shopkeeper immediately noticed his extra attention, and hurriedly greeted him warmly: "Your lord, do you want to try this provincial elbow?"

"..." Zhong Yuan suspected that he had heard it wrong, and couldn't help repeating: "What, you call this provincial elbow?"

The storekeeper was about to speak when a group of people on horseback who passed by his store, the one in the official uniform of vermilion, reined in his horse and said with a smile: "That's a good name. Give me a copy too." Yuan Elbow, let's get some talent."

"okay!"

Seeing such a shout, a good deal of business came. The shopkeeper was so happy that he couldn't see his teeth, so he quickly wrapped the hot elbow and handed it over graciously.

The man on the horse accepted it with a smile, sniffed the aroma, and nodded in satisfaction.

Another casual glance at Zhong Yuan Yishu, Fang patted his horse and left.

Zhong Yuan was stunned for a while before he asked, "Why is it called Shengyuan Elbow?"

"You don't understand," the shopkeeper said convincingly: "The cook who works at Lu Shengyuan's house is a distant relative of mine. He kept telling me that Lu Shengyuan taught him how to make this elbow. It tastes very good. Same. Since it was made by Lu Xingyuanjiao, what's wrong with calling it Xingyuan's elbow?"

Speaking of this, he also looked at Zhong Yuan from head to toe, and silently marked him with a 'stunned head', and said with a smile: "Mr. It doesn't matter if you are talented or happy, just taste the taste, it's not bad!"

Being fooled by this hot store, Zhong Yuan paid for a copy without knowing it.

And when Zhong Yuan was fooled into buying things indiscriminately, there was a knock on Lu Ci's door.

After he raised his voice to invite someone to come in, he unexpectedly saw that it was Teng Zongliang.

Lu Ci was slightly surprised: "Brother Teng, what is your business?"

"nothing."

Teng Zongliang coughed lightly, put a folded piece of paper on his desk, and left silently.

Lu Ci unfolded it puzzledly, and saw that it was a new poem called "He Yuyu won the first prize in the provincial examination".

He read it through, and he could see the intentions in it, and he couldn't help but be extremely moved.

After a while, as if by appointment, Zhu Shuo also came.

He also put down a folded piece of paper, and before Lu Ci could ask a few more questions, he slipped out shyly.

Lu Ci's eyelids twitched, and he had a premonition.

When I opened it, it was really another song "Brother He Yuyu won the first prize in the provincial examination".

The handwriting is very beautiful, the diction is exquisite, and the reading is comfortable and smooth. It is a masterpiece full of sincerity.

But although Lu Ci was also moved, it was a little more subtle.

Not long after, Liu Qi came in swaggeringly, and when he put down a piece of paper with a smile on his face, Lu Ci could guess the title on the paper even if he hadn't spread it out.

Sure enough, it was another song "Brother He Yuyu won the first prize in the provincial examination".

Lu Ci stared blankly at the three congratulatory poems with identical titles. The initial emotion was gone now.

——These three must have made an appointment, let's take him in the ring.

The author has something to say:

Notes:

1. "Give Jinshi three grades of food, two pieces of red burnt meat pie, two pieces of smallpox cake, and a bowl of mutton rice" - "Qiantang Legacy" Volume [-] "Instructions for Going to the Province to Enroll in the Five Honors · Choosing a Day to Sing Brothers"

2. The content of the palace examination is only poetry and prose theory. ("General History of China's Imperial Examination System - Song Dynasty Volume")

3. Provincial yuan and the top ten can be promoted to Jia ("Changbian" volume [-])