[Red Chamber] Come for a hexagram?

【Text Beginning】

The general examination lasted for a full ten days, from welcoming the examinees on the first day to closing the exam on the last day, and Wang Ren was also suffocated in the examination room for a full ten days, his irritable expression seemed to be even more broken than the examinees .

The environment during the exam was harsh, and many candidates fainted due to poor health and excessive pressure.In order to avoid any loss of life, Wang Ren patrolled thoughtfully back and forth, and if he saw someone fainted and unable to scream, he would be taken out of the examination room and sent away.This time, but there will be a next time, but once you lose your life, this life is over.

After the exam, candidates can go home and wait for the results to be released, but Wang Ren, the proctor, has not been able to relax. Perhaps it should be said that his real hard work is coming, and that is... marking the papers.

In the Qing Dynasty, tens of thousands of people applied for the imperial examination every year. Even if the examinations were done layer by layer, the three-year general examination could still receive thousands of candidates from all over the country.And each candidate has to hand in three test papers. When the number of candidates is small, it is [-]. If the number of candidates is too large... tens of thousands of test papers are also available.

Fortunately, the invigilator does not need to judge the papers, he only needs to read the reviewed papers and check that they are correct...

Yes, just watch it once.All, read it again.

……

Yes, just watch it once.All, read it again.

Sealing, transcribing, proofreading, grading papers, filling in the list, etc. during the exam are all done by different people, but as the chief and deputy examiner, each item must be carefully watched.Marking such an important matter naturally needs to be checked carefully, so as to avoid any marking officer who is too biased towards his own preferences.

It's going crazy, isn't it!

Especially the examiner is getting old, and he can't read the words clearly when the light is dim, so the examiner only works during the day, and he will rest immediately after the sun goes down.But Wang Ren needs to check the papers day and night.There is a time for releasing the list, and he must urge everyone to read the papers and fill in the list before releasing the list.

The number of Jinshi admitted in each session is also completely different, basically 200 people, as for the specific number, if the emperor does not require it, then the examiner has to figure out how many people are appropriate.Perhaps the examiner saw that he was getting old and was about to retire, and he didn't bother to intervene in this kind of matter, so he asked Wang Ren to decide for himself, as much as he said, anyway, it doesn't matter if there are more than ten people or less.

Wang Ren did the math, and based on the total number of people and the overall level of the current examination papers, he set a number of 120.Of course, if there are too many excellent talents, we can add a few; if there are not enough, we can have a few less.

It took more than a dozen examiners three days to rank the list alone, and the list was only able to be drawn up two days before the list was released.Wang Ren got the list and glanced at it hastily.Then he suddenly found that both Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan's names were on the list, but Jia Lan's name was higher on the list, in the top [-].But Jia Baoyu's name is in the last thirty, worthy of entering the list.

Seeing that there was no problem, Wang Ren handed it over to the chief examiner, and the chief examiner had no objection after a cursory look, so he showed it to the emperor the next day.Kangxi didn't care about who was on the list at all, he just glanced at the number of Jinshi on the list, and when he saw that there were 136 people on the last page, he paused for a moment and asked, "Aiqing, is the number right?" Is it too little?"

Not enough to chop, is it?

Perhaps it was because too many officials had been dragged down recently, Wang Ren had such an idea in his mind.The chief examiner stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, this is the amount negotiated by the old minister and Lord Wang."

Kangxi looked at Wang Ren.

Wang Ren also came out, saluted Kangxi and said: "Your Majesty, there are not many candidates for reference this time, only 980 people. And these nearly 2000 people fainted during the nine days, and [-] people were carried away. , the rest of the candidates are also good and bad, most of them are good at lyrics and poems, but have no talent in governing the country. Your Majesty, now is the time to employ people. Forgive me bluntly, if a foreign enemy invades, poetry, songs and fu may retreat from the enemy? What a natural disaster* *, Poetry and Gefu can solve it? If you encounter something that worries His Majesty, Poetry and Gefu may help you to share your worries?"

There was silence in the court hall. After a while, Kangxi said with a smile on the corner of his mouth: "Weixian is right. These poems and songs are fine for expressing feelings in free time, but in this court hall, poems and songs are of no use." Kangxi list Handed it to Li Yu, who handed it to the chief examiner.

"Let's post the list today." Kangxi said, "On April [-]th, let all the tributes come to attend the imperial examination." After speaking, he stood up and left.Following the shout of the eunuch beside him, he retreated today.

Wang Ren followed all the ministers out of the court, and walked directly to the house. When he got home, he called Wu Mei: "Prepare me hot water, I want to take a bath! Sleep!"

During the ten days of invigilation in the Gongyuan, what I ate basically was steamed buns with vinegar and cucumbers. I went to bed late at night and woke up early in the day. I didn’t even have time to go to bed, let alone take a bath.

"Wumei?" After shouting, Wumei didn't respond. Wang Ren looked around, and a girl in light blue clothes ran over immediately, and said in a low voice, "Wumei has gone to Sifujin."

Wang Ren was confused for a while, and then realized that Si Fujin must be thinking about that girl again.Recently, Sifujin's health is not very good, and he is a little weak.Wang Ren met her once and looked at her face by the way. She was short-lived, counting her days in the past two years.Thinking of this, Wang Ren ignored it, and asked the maid to boil water, and walked into the house by himself.

As soon as he walked to the door, he heard the sound of chairs being smashed inside, his brother's roar and... that's all, let's not mention it.

That Hongshi was obviously pushed by the fourth master to Shisan's side, relying on his own house and Shisan's house next to each other, he always ran here when he had nothing to do.Fortunately, there is someone watching the little emperor's grandson, so he is not afraid of losing it.Wang Ren yawned, told the servant girl not to boil the water, turned her head and walked out the door, going to Shisanjia.

"Brother!" came the younger brother's shout from behind.

Wang Ren looked back, his younger brother was holding Hongshi in his arms, his other hand was tightly covering the child's mouth, and he looked at Wang Ren nervously: "Are we too noisy?"

"It's okay." Wang Ren waved his hand, "I just happened to have something to do with Shisan, so you...you can play with Hongshi first." The age difference between the two children is not very big, and they play well.So he planned to let them continue to cultivate their relationship, so he went to sleep with Shisan to cultivate their relationship with Shisan.

Is there something wrong?Forget it... It's important to take a shower and sleep.

Wang Yi choked, and looked down at Hongshi, Hongshi's innocent eyes blinked at Wang Yi again and again.

Wang Yi: No, I really want to beat him up!

Abandoning the frenzy behind him, Wang Ren turned around and went to the Shisanjia, and asked the servants of the Shisanjia to boil a bucket of hot water for himself.After taking a shower and getting dressed, Wang Ren walked towards Shisan's bedroom.Unexpectedly, when I came to the courtyard, I saw a figure coming out from the study room. The man was also taken aback when he saw Wang Ren, his eyes widened at Wang Ren's wet hair, and he came back to face Wang Ren after a long while. He clasped his fists and saluted, then left immediately.

Wang Ren was also a little stunned. He originally thought that Shisan should be in the Ministry of Punishment at this time. Was he at home?And that person just now...

"Your hair hasn't been dried." Shisan frowned and stepped forward, picked up a towel and wiped Wang Ren a few times, then led him to the bedroom: "I didn't say in advance when I came. This time I came out with wet hair. Are you going to come out naked next time?"

"How is it possible!" Wang Ren was a little embarrassed when he was seen by outsiders just now. He wrapped his hair and head with a dry towel, and then recovered from the embarrassment and asked, "What is he here for?"

"Come here for refuge." Thirteen said, "He sent a letter before, but we didn't respond back then."

"So are you planning to respond now?" Wang Ren said.

"I don't believe him, but the fourth brother is willing to take a gamble." Thirteen stuffed him into the quilt and said, "Longkodo is indeed as ambitious and cunning as you said. But it is because of his ambition that he can Available."

Only those who are willing to help them seize the throne are pure and loyal people like Li Wei, and only such ambitious people can do it.

"Sleep when you're sleepy." Thirteen said softly.

"Well... remember I woke up... to eat..."

"What to eat?"

"As long as it's not... vinegary cucumbers... anything... will do..."

Thirteen laughed, and waited for Wang Ren to fall asleep before leaving with peace of mind.He went back to the study and continued to read, but he couldn't concentrate anyway. He began to slowly think of what Longkodo said today.Today Longkodo boldly analyzed the situation of several princes.The fourth elder brother was raised by Empress Xiaoyiren after the full moon, but in fact, Kangxi personally taught him to grow up, although he was not as close to Kangxi as the prince.But this is also a minority among princes.However, among these few, Brother Fourteen is also one of them.Even after the fourteenth elder brother got married, Kangxi still let him live in the palace with Fujin, instead of living in a separate mansion like ordinary princes.The thirteenth elder brother's mansion has already been built, and the fourteenth elder brother's mansion has been completed at the end of last year, and he can move in on a good day this year, but he has not mentioned to the emperor to leave the palace, and the emperor has never Bring up the topic.Therefore, after the eighth elder brother lost the imperial favor, the rumors that the fourteenth elder brother became the next heir spread like wildfire.Especially after Kangxi sent the fourteenth elder brother as the general of Fuyuan to go west, the rumors became even worse.Because Emperor Kangxi usually chooses the person he trusts the most and thinks the most capable person as the general.Therefore, everyone thinks that the emperor's heart is on the fourteenth elder brother.

But it is a pity that everyone has forgotten one thing, the elder brother was also a general.

Kangxi really believed and believed that Big Brother was capable.But this trust is trusting that his son will not collude with the barbarians, thinking that his ability is also the ability of a general, and even if he is a general, it does not mean that all military power is in the hands of the general.

Some courtiers may not be able to see through these, but Longkodo can.Not only did he see that Kangxi was not completely interested in the fourteenth elder brother, but he also saw that the fourth master was not as harmless as everyone saw. There was no prince among the princes, and the most vicious wolf was the fourth master.Just when many courtiers thought that the fourteenth elder brother would become the crown prince, the fourth elder brother, the thirteenth elder brother, Wang Ren, Lin Jing, Li Wei, etc., were actually quite a few powerful officials who really devoted themselves to the fourth prince's party. Go has already mastered one-third of the real power of the court.I don't know how much better than the eighth elder brother who apparently controlled one-third of the court but actually had no real power.More importantly, fourth master knew how to hide his edge.In this point, no elder brother can compare, especially the fourteenth elder brother, who has always shown emotions of anger and anger, which is his biggest shortcoming.It is precisely because of this that he is doomed to have a shallow relationship with the throne.Especially in the case of Zhang Mingde, the fourteenth elder brother ignored the emperor's anger and bluntly resisted for the eighth elder brother.As a result, he was banned for a while.

Long Kedo said a lot, and Thirteen listened to them one by one. People with high positions and high ambitions are smart. He is one of the few people who can see the situation in the court. Thirteen likes and is smart. people talk.Although there is another person besides him who is outside the court hall, he knows everything about the court hall like Zhuge.Clever, but because of his ambiguity with Wang Ren, Shisan hates him so much.

However, Longkodo's last sentence made Shisan somewhat unacceptable: If the emperor did not choose the fourth elder brother after all, he could also tell the world that the emperor chose the fourth elder brother.

Shisan immediately understood what this meant.But he was panicked. If so, is he really going to take this step?