[Comprehensive History] Clothes are all over the world

In March of Yangchun, although most of the northern regions are still frozen, but in Yingtianfu, which is located south of the Yangtze River, it is already the season when the grass grows and the warblers fly.

In the 16th year of Hongwu, on the first day of March, the second imperial examination in the 16 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty officially kicked off.

Because there have been no imperial examinations for many years, not only the examinees and officials of the Ministry of Rites, but also the residents of Yingtianfu are very concerned about it.Even though they were blocked outside the human wall made up of small officials, these residents braved the cold wind very enthusiastically, cheering for the reference students at the gate of Yingtianfu Official School where this exam was held.

Uh... It's just that the cheering words are a little subtle.

Mu Bai, who has excellent hearing ability, can clearly hear the local residents in the crowd sharing with each other with gusto—which young handsome guys are promising to marry their daughters, which ones must have wives at home, and which ones seem to be able to go to high school. For the future, hurry up and grab him as a son-in-law before he gets his title on the gold list...

Don't look at these people who haven't passed the exam, but since they can refer to them, they are already the best in the local area.

Ah this...

Mu Bai, who was not noticed due to his short stature, looked up at his friends who knew nothing about him. They were a little happy because of the support from the residents of Yingtianfu, so he decided not to tell them the truth. up.

"Junior Brother Xiaobai, do you still have martial arts exams to take?" A student suddenly asked.This sentence attracted several candidates who were waiting in line to turn around and look at Mu Bai.

Many of the candidates who arrived at the entrance of Yingtianfu School early in the morning lived with Mu Bai and the others in the warehouse. They lived together for three months. Bai is a reference student for both civil and military subjects.

Some of the things I didn’t know were popularized by my friends, and I immediately looked at Mu Bai with weird eyes.

It's not that they made a fuss, the main reason is that they took part in both civil and military subjects at the same time and passed both. This move has never been done since the civil and military examinations were introduced, right?

It feels inexplicably handsome!

oops!Why didn't I think of it myself?Some examinees who thought they had some skills couldn't help feeling a little bit regretful, but when they were educated about the martial arts exam questions by the students next to them, they didn't dare to think about anything.

The subject of martial arts is too difficult!With such a difficult subject, it is unbelievable that a child like Mu Bai, who has only reached their chests, can pass the provincial examination in events such as lifting a stone hammer and archery.

Most people think so, but some people think differently.

"Is this kid as heavy as a stone hammer? And he's so short, won't he lose his balance when he lifts the stone hammer?" A student murmured to his classmates next to him, "By the way, he's a candidate from Yunnan. Did you say that some of them..."

As he spoke, he still winked, and the unfinished words were obviously not so friendly.

I can hear you.

Mu Bai looked over sadly: "Weightlifting has nothing to do with weight, but this senior brother looks a little thin, and he doesn't look as heavy as a stone hammer. Do you want me to lift it up and see..."

The rest of Mu Bai's words were covered in his mouth, and Wang Shen, who was a senior brother, hugged the younger brother to his side, and persuaded him in a low voice: "Forget it, forget it, the New Year's Eve... ah, no, for the imperial examination, this When you raise people, what should you do if your hands are sore when you write later? It’s not worth it or not.”

Mu Bai smacked his lips, and after casting a not-so-friendly look, the boy turned his head, a little annoyed.

You can attack my age, but you can't attack my height!

For the monster who didn't spend too long in making utensils, especially compared to the later utensils with similar prototypes, the height is definitely a dead spot, whoever pokes whoever.

And what happened to being short?Is there a relationship between body size and combat effectiveness?Even though he is short, he is the strongest magic weapon of his kind.

"Junior brother, calm down." Wang Shen held down the imposing little junior brother, squinted his eyes for a while and then said softly, "You know the ability of senior brother to recognize people. That person is a little strange, and he has never appeared in Xiangshan. Near the bookstore."

In the few months since the establishment of Xiangshan Bookstore, most of the students who came to Beijing to take the exam have visited Xiangshan Bookstore. These people either because someone recommended it, or they heard about it themselves, and some were simply out of curiosity.

Some candidates who are not short of money are also infected by the learning atmosphere there, and feel that staying here can effectively supervise their own studies, so they simply moved in.

And the only one who didn't appear near Xiangshan Bookstore from the beginning to the end... Thinking of this, Mu Bai's eyes flashed, and when he looked over, he saw that the color of the clothes on that person was low-key, which at first glance was similar to that of the surrounding people. The two students are no different, but if you look carefully, you can find that the material is top-grade, and the luster of the cloth is at least several degrees brighter than the coarse cloth they are wearing.

In this way, the identity of the other party is already obvious - those Jiangdong students who are not bad for money but wicked!

But the question is, why provoke him?

Is he good looking to bully?

"You are the youngest and easily lose your temper. If you lose your temper because of a sudden outburst, it is in accordance with his wishes." Jian Rong also leaned over, using her body to block Mu Bai's view of the past, "Of course Well, if they are more unscrupulous and make you angry and hit people, the effect will be even better. If you lose your manners before the exam, if you do something wrong, your current reputation will be taken away."

The boy twitched the corners of his mouth when he heard the words, instead of being angry, he smiled and said, "Do I look so stupid? And who would beat someone before the exam! Of course a real man will beat the other party in the thing he is most proud of." !"

A raging fire ignited behind him: "It's not rude to come here, but you must give them a good look!"

"Calm down, calm down." Wang Shen hurriedly loosened his small fists, "You must be calm when answering the paper. If you are too excited, you may make mistakes in the review or answer aggressively, both of which will be disliked by the examiners. Junior brother, You must not be influenced by others."

Mu Bai turned back and patted his hand to show his understanding.He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, his composure had recovered, and the young man bowed to the friends beside him: "Don't worry, everyone, I will be cautious when answering the questions."

"That's good." Everyone was still a little worried, but seeing that some officials in the distance had opened the door to ring the bell, they could only pat Mu Bai on the shoulder to show encouragement and support.

Before everyone had finished patting Mu Bai's shoulder, the bronze bell at the entrance of the examination room was rang.In the aftermath of the bell, the nine-day Spring Festival officially opened.

The imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty was inherited from the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was the same as the Song Dynasty, which had the most perfect imperial examination system. The examination time was also three days, a total of three.

However, what is more humane than that of later generations is that the small room for the exam at this time is much wider than that of later generations, and each person has a small stove for heating.

The most important thing is that the meeting at this time still includes meals.Therefore, Mu Bai did not encounter the situation that an anonymous senior complained in the forum that he had to cook in the examination room, which caused the examinees to attack him.

Of course, Mu Bai felt that with his own skills, even if he was given the opportunity to display himself, he might still be the one who drools at the smell of other people's food.

The standard meal for the exam is two big white steamed buns with pickled mustard.

In order to keep the candidates from starving, the steamed buns are as big as an adult's fist.However, due to reasons such as transportation and precautions against cheating, when Mu Bai got it, the steamed buns were already cold, and they were all squashed, which looked particularly unpalatable.

If it was Mu Wen who saw this steamed bun, he probably would have frowned, but to Mu Bai, this is nothing at all!

Mu Xiaobai, who has rich life experience, did not hesitate to stick the steamed buns with chopsticks and put them on the charcoal fire to bake.The heat emitted by the stove to keep them warm is completely inferior to that of the stove, but steamed buns happen to be a kind of food that is particularly easy to be scorched, and the small stove reduces the difficulty of cooking.

After a while, brown scorched marks appeared on the surface of the cold and hard steamed buns, and it exuded a more intense aroma of pasta than steamed buns.

Amino acids in grains will react with reducing sugars at high temperatures to form aldehydes, ketones and other substances, and these chemical components are the main source of aroma and flavor of food, plus the visual stimulation of brown marks and human DNA engraved in the baked food The favorability of baked buns is much more attractive than steamed buns.

Of course, the most important point of baking steamed buns is to master the baking technique. The outer layer is crispy and the inner layer is soft and hot is the most important soul.

Then, while the soft inner core is still hot, quickly cut open and stuff the cold mustard, as long as the mustard is about to be warmed but still maintains a crisp taste, quickly stuff it into the mouth.

The crispy mantou coat, the refreshing and salty pickled mustard and the soft inner core can bring people a triple gourmet enjoyment.

ah!It's nice to be human.

Mu Bai covered his mouth and sighed contentedly.

The steamed buns are obviously made of freshly harvested white flour, and the wheat flavor is very strong. The pickled mustard may be a bit salty in consideration of people's taste in winter and spring, but it goes well with rice together.

Under the shocked eyes of the invigilators, Mu Bai stuffed the two steamed buns into his belly, and proudly expressed that he was not afraid of them being proud of the food in the examination room.

The reason why he was able to bake steamed buns leisurely was because the first round of exam questions was not too difficult. Obviously, the examiner didn't intend to let the students who came from afar have a mental breakdown on the first day of the exam.

The types of questions in the general examination and the provincial examination are the same. In the first examination, the examiner will draw three questions from the "Four Books" and four questions from the "Five Classics" to allow candidates to do reading comprehension.

Even though there are only seven questions, and each question only requires three or four hundred words, three days are given, which seems to be ample time, but it will cost the examinee just to read the question stems and select relevant passages from the books full of books. A lot of time, some candidates read a little more extensively, and there may be memory confusion.

Once the direction of breaking the question is wrong, the follow-up writing will be irreversible. Therefore, for most candidates, they need to complete each question on the manuscript paper first, and then check again and again whether they have made a mistake in breaking the question, revise it, and then transcribe it. Copying, the workload is not something that can be done with a few hundred words.

Therefore, there are often students who do not have time to complete all the questions during the scientific examination.And one of the seven questions is actually an additional question, the one that gives extra points for correct answers and no deductions for non-answers.

But solving problems is Mu Bai's strong point. The paper in his hometown is precious, and there is not enough paper for homework. Sometimes he needs to dictate, let alone draft. Therefore, he usually does not use manuscript paper at all for solving problems.

Anyone who has experience in memorization knows that the pressure of memorizing to a teacher is much greater than that of dictation, and the brain speed is not at the same level at all.Therefore, in this growing environment, Mu Bai has long developed the habit of solving problems accurately and writing without regret.

However, his husband also reminded him of this point, if there is no draft at all, it is easy to be suspected of cheating or being too arrogant.Considering that his age is easy to attract attention, Mu Bai still wrote a little content on the manuscript paper, corrected a few controversial words, and copied it on the scroll.

It took him a whole day to write all the seven questions, and he can eat, eat and sleep in the rest of the time!

Just when Mu Bai roasted the steamed buns until they bloomed, the first exam was finally over, Mu Bai stretched his waist and waited for someone to collect the papers.For some reason, he always felt that the officials of the Ministry of Rites who collected the papers looked at him strangely.

And after he left the examination room, he would know why.

"I don't know who it is? Baking steamed buns during the exam! The oven... Bah, was the stove issued to him for his use?!" Shen Er, who was imprisoned for three days, said indignantly, "It's so difficult. The topic is to bake steamed buns leisurely, do you know that this is very difficult to do, don't let me know who it is, or I will beat him up."

"However, baked steamed buns are really delicious... I also tried to bake them, but the technique is not good, and it is a bit bitter after being burnt."

"Damn it, did you bake it too? Is it you that I smell?"

"No, no, no, I'm downwind from you. You shouldn't be able to smell the smell of my steamed buns, and I'm just following my example. By the way, have you ever smelled someone baking steamed buns at night?"

"I can smell it. That person is the most disgusting. This must be an outside trick, deliberately trying to make people sleep badly. I didn't sleep well in the middle of the night, and the smell made me restless when I was half asleep and half awake."

"But in the final analysis, the original person is the most hateful, he is the source of all evil!"

Mu Bai: ...Thank you?

Obviously, Shen San and the others were not the only students who were stimulated by the baked buns.

Three days later, in the second round of the exam, a lot of strange bottles and jars were added to the reference student test basket.The most outrageous thing is that a person brought honey directly. When waiting for the test, this person said that after brushing the honey water on the steamed buns, it would be more delicious after roasting, and tried to recommend this method to other candidates.

It's a pity that the exam is just around the corner, and no one dared to accept other people's food, and everyone declined. This examinee can only regret that he will invite everyone to try again during the teacher appreciation banquet.

This time, some candidates joked with a smile: "If you still want to touch the steamed buns after eating the nine-day baked buns, we can accompany you."

However, the examiner obviously felt that it is not authentic to ask candidates to eat steamed buns for three consecutive days. Of course, it may also be to put an end to the unhealthy atmosphere of barbecue in the examination room. The meals provided by the examiner this time were rice cakes made of rice and polished rice.

This rice cake is made of rice flour, and it tastes soft and glutinous when eaten hot.But if there is any food that is not suitable for baking, rice products can definitely be regarded as one.

Rice products have a high starch content and are extremely viscous after being heated, but the surface is smooth and easy to burn when exposed to fire, and it is particularly brittle, crisp and sticky after the test, which is an extreme challenge to the limit of human teeth.

"Ah!" Obviously, this is a victim.

The hard-working examinee was the one who brought the honey. He made an empirical mistake. Not only did his teeth get hit hard, but he also had to cover his mouth and groan in the face of the invigilator's stern stare.

On purpose... The examiner must have done it on purpose!

Wasn't it intentional!Who told you candidates to use the examination room as a barbecue place?You also brought honey and brushes, what do you think you are here for?Outing?

The officials of the Ministry of Etiquette on patrol looked at the examinees who put rice cakes on the charcoal fire without any expression on their faces, but they were happily waiting to see the excitement in their hearts.

But among the candidates, there was a different kind of fireworks.

The child who was the first to bake steamed buns did not act this time. He put the rice cakes aside and answered the questions seriously.After wandering around for two rounds, the examiner realized that he had put down his pen to close the paper and had plans to eat.

But why did he tear off a face towel to wipe the stove?

This unusual move immediately attracted the invigilator's attention.Of course, before the stoves were sent to each candidate, they also checked whether there was entrainment, and in order to avoid the furnace ash or lettering on the pickled place, all of these stoves were brand new, even if the candidates had any cleanliness, there was no need to dip them in water Go wipe it?

wipe!

Immediately, the invigilator suddenly thought of something and couldn't help cursing secretly.

Of course, the stove does not need to be wiped for heating, but it is necessary to use it as a tableware.After the boy cleaned the outside of the stove and heated it for a while, he dipped the cooled rice cakes in water, and a burst of steam burst out of the hot outer wall.

After sticking a small stick of incense, the heated rice cake exudes the unique aroma of rice products.

Mu Bai unhurriedly tore off the rice cake stuck to the stove, turned over and continued to stick it, the side of the rice cake close to the stove was now a soft burnt brown, it looked...

It actually looks delicious!

The invigilator obviously saw that the candidates around him began to sniff, and the candidate sitting opposite Mu Bai was also dumbfounded the whole time, and couldn't even hold his pen.

When he saw Mu Bai finished baking the rice cakes and eating them deliciously, the examinee followed suit with a serious face, and wiped the stove carefully.

Invigilator: "..."

Are you students poisonous?Do you think the exam is too easy or the questions are too easy?

After the pathogen Mu Xiaobai burped, he reopened the test paper amidst the scent of rice spreading.

If the first test is about literary literacy, then the second test is about the level of being an official. The style of the test is the official style that officials need to use. The [-]-character "trial" and optional "Decree, imperial edict, chapter, table internal medicine".Many of the examination questions were newly created in this dynasty, which better suited the needs of Emperor Hongwu to recruit hard-working officials.

And this question can basically determine which department the candidate will belong to after being hired. Candidates who are good at writing imperial edicts will definitely be assigned to the emperor's secretariat, while those who are good at writing chapters and forms will most likely be assigned to the practical department or the Ministry of Rites This type of place requires the drafting of a large number of foreign documents.

Of course, this is only a preliminary employment intention. How the future official career will depend on the candidate's own strength.

Of course, Mu Bai's target was the department with more chances to go outside, so he chose the table without hesitation.

The topic of Hongwu 16 years is relatively loose. You can choose a subject and write it yourself. This thing is used to make a statement. Of course, it can also be understood as flattery, but how to flatter is also an art.

As a literati, of course, you can't just kneel and lick. How to include private goods in the admiration of true feelings is the essence of the style of [Table].

For example, the king of the list, "Teacher's List" is a model of it. If you say he is flattering, he also filmed it, but the amount of information in it is extremely huge. The flowers are full of sincerity, and he has clearly stated his demands and ambitions. Anyone who reads it will be moved by the sincerity.

And Mu Bai happened to have an excellent point of flattering, he is a candidate from Yunnan.

Among the hundreds of candidates present, only he and Atu were qualified to write this material, so of course it was not in vain.

What?Will it be a bit old-fashioned to write this way?of course not!As the only two Yunnan candidates, their dynamics can be said to be a display of the work results of Emperor Hongwu's busy half a year last year. If they don't write, this will be troublesome.

Mu Bai eloquently wrote a bunch of heroic deeds of Ming Dynasty's liberation of Yunnan. He spent a lot of time writing how much the Yunnan people who had been devastated by the ruined Yuan Dynasty thanked the Ming army, and wrote how many students who study Chinese, such as himself. I'm glad to see the imperial examination held in Ming Dynasty, but it's a pity that many talented students didn't have time to take the examination, and there will definitely be more students in the future.

He wrote about what he had seen and heard all the way to the north, and at the end he came up with a colorful paragraph praising the family of the officials and the people of the Ming Dynasty. The respect and love that the people of the Ming Dynasty have for the officials must have come from His Majesty's love for the people and the wise leadership.

At the end of the article, Mu Bai sublimated his feelings, saying that he would also be a good official who loves the people like a son and handles practical things under the guidance of His Majesty.

Naturally, he also brought some private goods with him.Mu Bai implicitly expressed that he knew the situation in Yunnan very well. If possible, he would be willing to bring the customs and advanced knowledge of the Central Plains back to Yunnan. Send more talents from Yunnan to Daming.

Of course, as a quasi-civil servant, all his jobs still have to obey the arrangement of the imperial court. He will definitely go to the place where Daming needs it most, and he will never complain, but no matter where he goes, he will remember that he is the first one in Yunnan to pass the exam. students, and set an example for those who come after.

It can be said that there is sincerity in the rainbow fart, and simple love in the sincerity. It is a very good composite rainbow fart from the recruited personnel.

After finishing writing, Mu Bai cheerfully killed three rice cakes, toast to the rice cooker!

The author has something to say: Emperor Hongwu: ...

Zhu Biao: ...

Grandma: Why is the grandson still thinking about going back to Yunnan?What's the matter with you two?

From then on, the imperial examinations in Ming Dynasty no longer included meals. (error)

An excellent rice cooker can cook simple ingredients deliciously.

——BY unknown forum friend left a message