[Red House] Ban'er's Road to Imperial Examination

The front yard of the ceremony room is the examination room, which occupies most of the room, and only a small courtyard at the back is left as a place for the examiners to rest and mark papers.

At this moment, Song Pingzhang was sitting in the lobby drinking tea. Although he looked leisurely on the surface, he couldn't relax in his heart.

In fact, although the magistrate is the highest officer in a region, under the magistrate, the imperial court also has officials such as Tongzhi and Tongjuan to assist the magistrate in handling official affairs, including food tax, salt tax, river and sea defense, water conservancy, etc., and is responsible for supervising the prefect .

It can be said that he seems to be the chief executive of a government, but his power is restricted everywhere, but Fu Shi, the general judge under Song Pingzhang, does not agree with him everywhere, and wants to trouble him all the time.

The prefect of Shuntian Prefecture is a fire pit. Song Pingzhang doesn't want his bright future to be compromised in this position. Naturally, he doesn't want to make meritorious service all the time, and then escape from this position.

But Fu Shi kept making trouble for him, so he didn't dare to act rashly.But the imperial examination was an opportunity for him.

He is the chief examiner, but Fu Shi is just an ordinary examiner, this time he has no chance to restrain himself.

So Song Pingzhang was afraid that something would happen in the imperial examination this time, which would add trouble to his great achievements.

As the saying goes, if you are afraid of anything, Song Pingzhang is still praying silently in his heart, hoping that the exam will go well, but he never thought that as soon as he put down the teacup in his hand, he would hear a loud noise from outside. He immediately stood up and sternly Asked: "What's the matter? What's going on outside?"

The servant who followed him in to serve hurriedly stood up and said, "Don't worry, my lord, I'll go and have a look."

"Don't hurry up!"

The servants ran out quickly, Song Pingzhang paced back and forth in the room, looked outside from time to time, but refused to go out to look around himself, for fear that he would show panic when he went out, which would not only embarrass himself, but also make him feel embarrassed. The examiner subordinates below also panicked.

He waited anxiously for a while, and the servant hurried in and said, "Reporting to my lord, it's nothing serious. A candidate wanted to light a fire to cook, but unfortunately the fire didn't rise and thick smoke came out, which caused people to patrol outside. Some of the adults and the yamen servants went to check, and then there was a commotion, but it was actually nothing serious."

Only then did Song Pingzhang feel relieved, his face returned to normal, and he said, "It's good that there's nothing wrong. These are all future talents of the imperial court, so don't let anything happen to me."

"Adults care about students, and they are really a role model for me." An examiner walked in with a smile and flattered Song Pingzhang, and then said: "Master, it's noon now, and it's time for candidates to eat. I'm afraid it's not just the examinee who wants to start a fire to cook later, if they... I think it's better for your lord to order and prohibit them from making a fire."

Hearing this, Song Pingzhang quickly waved his hands and said, "No way! No way! I don't dare to issue this order. If I don't let them live and cook, wouldn't I force the candidates to drink cold water and eat cold food? Therefore, delaying the exam or causing them to fall ill is not the crime of this official, I dare not!"

"But if there is no order, what if this kind of thing happens again? This time it is God's blessing, but there is thick smoke, no fire, and no one is injured. So how lucky? Now that the examination room has been closed and chains are put on everywhere, if there is a fire, and there is wind today, and the fire moves with the wind, I am afraid that no one in the examination room will be able to escape at that time."

Song Pingzhang nodded in agreement with these words, this is indeed a very serious problem, "Master Li is thinking that this matter really has to be guarded against. But it can't prevent the candidates from having a hot meal because of this. In a cold day, if you can't have a hot meal at noon, it's a real pain."

"This..." The examiner who was called Mr. Li also sighed and said, "This is really a dilemma for us examiners!"

"Who said no?"

While the two of them were talking, other examiners came back from inspection. When they heard the embarrassment of the two, everyone began to rack their brains to find a solution. This is not the time to shirk responsibility. If something happens, these examiners Everyone is responsible.

What's more, if it really catches fire, the fire will not spare anyone because of the size of the official position.

"I don't think it's better than this," an examiner suggested: "I remember that hot water is always burning in the kitchen at the back. Why don't you give each candidate a pot of hot water? Most of the dry food they bring in is pancakes or snacks." If you wash the pasta with water, you can eat it as a paste. Although it is a bit crude, but for the exam, it is natural to save as much as you can, and please bear with me, after all, it is for the safety of the candidates."

"That's a good idea!" Everyone thought about it for a while, and they all felt that this idea was very good. Song Pingzhang also nodded in praise of this idea, and said, "Master Hu is still smart. When the exam is successfully completed, I will remember you."

"I don't dare to take it seriously. It's just a matter of one sentence. How can I take it seriously."

Everyone praised him, "It's worth it, it's worth it!", and then said that just let a large pot of water be boiled in the kitchen. Most of the candidates have kettles and clay pots, so just share a pot with them.

After everyone discussed it and decided, they sent someone to call the person in charge of the kitchen, and the kitchen staff nodded when they heard the idea. There is a well in the ceremony room, and there is plenty of water, and the wood has been prepared long before the exam begins. Of course, it is enough, but it will take a while. This is for everyone's safety, and it can also please the favor of the superior. Of course, the person in charge is not unwilling.

The water boiled very quickly, and it only took more than an hour. Several large pots of water were already boiled, and the kitchen staff poured the water into the wooden barrels, and sent people to call the yamen servants to carry the barrels out.

Several examiners here heard that the water has been boiled, and they are very satisfied with the efficiency of the kitchen, but Zhou Xuan, who was sitting on the sidelines and thinking about how to trouble others, also thought of a good idea at this time, so he stood up with a smile He got up and said, "I'm afraid the water is going to be divided outside, my lord, why don't we all go and have a look, I'm afraid some candidates will take advantage of the chaos and cheat."

As soon as they heard the word cheating, several examiners couldn't sit still. The word cheating was the most feared thing in the examination room. Once it was related to these two words, not only the examinees would suffer, but also the examiners would suffer.

Everyone didn't care about hiding in the backyard to avoid the wind, they all hurriedly got up and cupped their hands and said, "My lord, let's go out and inspect it."

Song Pingzhang also stood up and said, "I'll go out with you."

Song Tianzhang himself came from the imperial examination road. He knew that the lifelong hope for many candidates was to be nominated on the list. For this, they hung their heads and stabbed their buttocks, studied hard, and even went astray.

What Zhou Xuan just said is very likely to happen. Once the yamen servants start to divide the water for the candidates, there will be some chaos on the playground, and those candidates will probably take risks and fish in troubled waters.

Waiting for him in the back is not at ease, it is more at ease to have him, the chief examiner, follow and watch in person.

Several examiners walked out of the back hall together with the chief examiner, and the examination room became lively as Zhou Xuan expected. Seeing this scene, the examiners couldn't calm down any longer, and quickly apologized to the chief examiner, and went down to inspect.

Under their piercing eyes, a few candidates with malicious intentions were indeed caught. Once those candidates were caught cheating, they would be dragged out mercilessly. The young examinee immediately subconsciously took back his cheating tool, and sat obediently in his seat, not daring to move.

Even those candidates who were confident in their knowledge and refused to cheat were frightened by the thunderous actions of the examiners, and the examination room suddenly became quiet for a while, except for the occasional sounds of the yamen servants dividing the water.

Seeing that all the examiners were paying attention to the examinees, Zhou Xuan took advantage of the fact that everyone was not paying attention, and walked to the yamen servant of Fenshui unconsciously. He was about to ask questions, but suddenly heard an annoying voice behind him It sounded: "Master Zhou, what are you doing?"

Hearing this voice, Zhou Xuan couldn't help frowning, suppressing the irritability in his heart, he turned his head and bowed his hands, "Master Fu, why are you here?"

"I should be the one who asked Mr. Zhou. If Mr. Zhou doesn't inspect the examination room properly, what are you doing here?"

"It's nothing, I'm just worried that the yamen servants will be fussy, so I just came here to give some instructions."

"Master Zhou really respects his duties! It's strange that Master Song usually values ​​you so much. Master Song's eyes are as bright as a torch, which is not comparable to those of us who are subordinates."

Zhou Xuan humbly said a few words in a low voice, but cursed secretly in his heart, why is this person staring at him so hard, it seems that this time he has no chance.I can only find a chance next time.

Zhou Xuan was about to give up, but suddenly heard another noisy voice coming from the front, he wanted to take the opportunity to leave, and hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "I don't know what happened in front, my lord, let's go and have a look."

Fu Shi took a look at the yamen servant who had gone away, and made sure that Zhou Xuan had no chance to do anything, so he nodded and said, "Master Zhou, let's go!"

Zhou Xuan was about to leave when he suddenly saw an examiner who usually has a good relationship with Fu Shi running over in front of him. While running, the examiner raised his head to look for Fu Shi. Seeing Fu Shi was here, he hurried to their side He came running, and shouted while running: "Master Fu, go over and have a look, that examinee's test paper was wet by water."

Hearing this, Fu Shi's heart tightened, and he gave Zhou Xuan a hard look, damn it!I was clearly staring at Zhou Xuan closely, why did he still have the opportunity to do tricks!

The author has something to say: My brother is really a very awkward person. Today I was cooking eggplant fish in the kitchen. He brought a chicken foot and asked me, sister, do you eat chicken feet?I said I don't eat what you have eaten, and if you get me another one, he ran away angrily, and complained that I wouldn't give it to you, making you still despise me.After a few minutes, he came back with the chicken feet. Seeing me looking at him, he angrily stuffed the chicken feet into my mother's hand, saying, Mom, eat it, don't give it to my sister!My mother stuffed the chicken paws to me very speechlessly, saying that I don't want to eat them, so why give them to me!He ran away angrily.After a while, he came over with grapes and asked me, sister, do you eat grapes?

When cooking, after chopping the green onions, the cutting board is no longer needed. I told him to brush the kitchen knife and the cutting board for me and put them away. He complained that he couldn’t do the work by himself. You see, you are too lazy every day. Then help me finish the sentence.It's really awkward!