To The Land of Nevernight

The ancients had to go through the four major difficulties of the children's examination, the township examination, the general examination and the palace examination in order to participate in the imperial examination.

Among them, children's examinations are divided into county examinations, government examinations and college examinations.What Tang Shen had to face in three months was the county exam.

There are five county examinations, the first one is the most important, known as the main county examination, to write two Zhiyi and a five-character six-rhyme test post poem.Ever since he made a bet with Tang Yun and decided to take the county exam, Tang Shen began to write two stereotyped essays and a test poem every day.

This is much more difficult to write than the composition of later generations.Zhiyi has strict antithesis requirements and structural models, and the test post poems are even more perfect. Even the number of words, tones and rhymes of each sentence are arranged neatly, and it is impossible to make a single word wrong.

Liang Song read the two articles on Zhiyi, stroked his beard, and said with a smile: "I don't understand a single word!"

Tang Shen: "..."

"Sir, it's better than half a month ago!"

"That's all you have! Let me ask you, there are only three months left in the county exam, do you really want to get into the Tongsheng exam, and then go to the exam room when the government exam comes?"

Tang Shen's face turned green: "Don't go!" It's enough to suffer this kind of suffering once in this life, and definitely don't do it a second time!

Liang Chan said: "Then let's look at the first question 'it is Qi'. You also know that this sentence comes from "Mencius Gongsun Chou". How can you solve the question?" Before Tang Shen could answer, Liang Song asked and answered by himself. : "You break the question - it is Qi, the heaven and the earth have righteousness, mixed with manifolds."

Tang Shen: "Could it be that this problem is not well solved?"

Liang Songqi smiled: "Okay, that's great! But what are you writing below? It's no problem to borrow other people's ideas when making art, break through the topic and inherit the topic. Nine out of ten candidates will use it like this. But you have to write Show the three-point charm of others. Let me ask you, a little rascal, who can write the sentence "Heaven and earth have righteousness, mixed with manifolds", which can be regarded as a quatrain through the ages, why the next sentence will blow a thousand miles!"

Tang Shen was speechless.

He can't say, let alone a thousand miles, 1 of them can't compare with a great Wen Tianxiang, and he can't write a stereotyped essay worthy of "Song of Righteousness".

Liang Song: "Your breaking question is astonishing, and any examiner will be amazed when they read it. Looking at the rest of your article, it is considered diligent, careful and correct. Normally, it can be rated as a C. But it is different from this breaking question. Compared with a single line of poetry, it is worthless. What Zhiyi needs is the echo from the beginning to the end, and the passage of the article..."

Tang Shen accepts the teaching with an open mind.

At the beginning when he wrote Zhiyi, Liang Song felt that his sentences were not smooth and flat.After writing ten articles, Liang Song began to formally teach him the art style.Up to now, Tang Shen has made rapid progress. According to Liang Song, he has passed the county examination.It's just that if you want to win the first place, you must work harder on solving the problem.That's how Tang Shen borrowed "Song of Righteous Qi" to solve the problem today.

In online novels, it is always written that the main character came to ancient times, showed great power, copied the poems and songs of the ancients casually, and became famous in literature.Not to mention the county exam, they don't even pay attention to the palace exam.

However, after Tang Shen crossed over, he could only wipe away bitter tears.

Fiction is full of lies!

Copying poems can only become a romantic talent, not the imperial examination!

That's right, the imperial examination is to test poetry, but even if they write poetry, what they write is test post poems, which are "composition poems".Not to mention stereotyped essays.Tang Shen has lived for more than 20 years, and he has never read a single stereotyped essay when he got his Ph.D. He didn't have to copy even if he wanted to.What's more, the examiner will not give you exactly the same questions!

While listening to Liang Chan's teaching, Tang Shen took out his small pen and recorded Liang Chan's words.

There was a pause in the voice, and Liang Song asked, "What are you writing?"

Xiao Tanglang replied honestly: "Sir, although the boy has a photographic memory, but you speak quickly, I am afraid that some words will not be remembered for a while, so I will write them down." Taking notes is an essential skill for future generations of students.

Liang Song was stunned for a long time, and said with relief: "Oh, you boy, go back and write two more articles!"

Tang Shen's face collapsed.

However, after a short time, he escaped from the sea of ​​suffering.Xu Hui hurried into the study, took a letter and handed it to Liang Song.Liang Song opened it, his complexion changed drastically, and he said to Tang Shen, "You go back first, you don't need to come tomorrow."

Tang Shen felt strange, but he didn't ask, but said, "When will the students come again?"

Liang Song thought for a while: "The teacher will ask the housekeeper to call you one day in advance."

Tang Shen took the order and left.

Tang Shen didn't expect that the separation between him and Liang Song would come to the new year.

At the beginning of the first lunar month, Tang Shen got up before dawn to celebrate the New Year with Tang Juan, Yao San, and Aunt Yao.

"happy New Year!"

"happy New Year!"

Tang Shen and Tang Juan were both young, and they were supposed to watch the year, but Aunt Yao told them to go to bed first, and she kept watch.The next day, the four of them posted Spring Festival couplets and paid homage to the gods of heaven and earth.Tang Shen brought Tang Juan to the memorial tablet of Tang Xiucai and his mother, and worshiped together again.

In the afternoon, Lin accountant came to check the accounts.

"Little boss, happy new year!"

"Why are you in such a hurry, it's okay to come back in two days."

"A year ago, I checked the accounts at Zhenbao Pavilion, and the soap and essential oils were selling very well. I couldn't help but want to come and tell the little boss earlier."

Although Lin accountant is old, he can calculate the accounts clearly.Mrs. Tang didn't deliberately hide the account book. Accountant Lin got the account book of Zhenbao Pavilion for this quarter years ago. He calculated carefully for a day and calculated last year's harvest.

"Soap is the best seller, and I made a lot of money. Essential oils are also the best seller, but they are too expensive, and there are still few people who buy them." Lin accountant said, "Mrs. Tang said that last year's bonus will be brought to you today." .”

Before he could finish speaking, people from the Tang residence arrived, including Tang Steward and Mrs. Tang's close maid, Haitang.The two paid New Year's greetings to Tang Shen and Tang Juan, gave New Year's goods, and gave Tang Shen the bonus they earned last year.

The housekeeper said: "Young master, Madam has already found out some signs of what happened a month ago. Madam said that when the county examination results are released, she will definitely catch someone's stolen goods and get them. There are so many people at home during the Chinese New Year, Madam can't come in person, she asked You and Miss can go home for dinner tonight."

Tang Shen had long forgotten about this matter, and only after recalling it did she realize that it was about Tang Yun coming to smash things, and Mrs. Tang felt that someone was instigating behind it. "No, we have something to eat."

The butler didn't say anything, and left with Haitang.

The New Year's atmosphere in Gusu Mansion is very strong. Until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, people from all over the place drop by to pay New Year's greetings.

Tang Shen got the money in his hand, thinking about whether to sell something.But he did some on-the-spot investigation and found that although Gusu Mansion is rich, it is also because it is so rich that it lacks almost everything!Can sell soap and essential oils because they are "luxury goods".At least essential oils are a luxury, and soap is a light luxury.Tang Shen knew in his heart that selling soaps and essential oils would not be easy without the support of the Tang family's strong financial resources.

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, there were fewer people visiting Tang Ju's house, so Tang Shen brought Tang Juan to visit.Mrs. Tang personally received the brothers and sisters.Mrs. Tang didn't ask Tang Shen what he planned to do with the soap and essential oil dividends, but said, "I want to sell soap in the future, nephew, what do you think?"

Tang Shen: "My aunt and I think the same, it's time, and it's not good to delay."

Mrs. Tang: "Okay, then I'll prepare it. I hope it will sell as well as you said."

Essential oils are luxury items that ordinary people cannot afford.Soap is a light luxury product, and there are many people who buy it, but it is also limited.

From beginning to end, Tang Shen's real trump card was soap.

He went to the workshop on the outskirts of the city again. The workers had all gone home for the Chinese New Year. He and Yao San made a pot of soap together.Tang Shen calculated the cost of making soap, and checked with the owner of the workshop he hired to confirm that the cost of soap had reached the limit.

Yao Sandao: "Little boss, this soap is too cheap. It is really a loss for us to set such a low price, why not set it a little higher."

Before Tang Shen explained, he heard the little girl beside him say crisply: "Brother Yao, this is still cheap? It's two copper coins more expensive than soap!"

Yao San was taken aback: "Ah, I'm talking about soap, how did Ah Huang get involved with Jianzi?"

Tang Juan shook his head, with a look of hating iron but not steel, very much like Tang Shen half a year ago: "Brother Yao, you have used soap before, isn't it similar to soap?"

"Yes. But our soap cleans better than soap, and washes things much better!"

"You're right, but soap is very similar to soap after all. Our soap is not intended to be sold to a few people, but to the majority of people, with small profits but quick turnover. If it is much more expensive than soap, the Gusu Mansion People here are not fools, why don't they buy soap."

Yao San thought for a while, and suddenly realized: "It turns out to be like this."

Tang Juan imitated the appearance of a rotten Confucian studying, shook his head and said: "You can teach a child."

Tang Shen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and patted her forehead: "What a child! Where did you hear these words?"

"As the accountant Lin said, children can be taught. Tang Shen, you are bullying me again!"

Tang Shen corrected his expression slightly: "Whoever told you that children can be taught, what I ask you is, who told you that our soap is intended to be sold to the majority of people, with small profits but quick turnover."

Don Juan rolled his eyes: "I guess!"

"Guess what!" Tang Shen picked up the little girl's collar, "Don't try to run away, tell me clearly, when did you hear these things?"

Tang Juan covered his eyes: "You are bullying people, you are bullying little girls, Tang Shen is not human!"

Tang Shen: "..."

What a wonderful family!

Halfway through the first month, before Liang Song returned to Gusu Mansion, Ziyang Academy had already started classes again.

On the first day of school, Tang Juan and Aunt Yao prepared a food basket for Tang Shen.Tang Shen wanted to slap Don Juan on the forehead, but she deftly dodged it.

Tang Juan: "Tang Shen wants to bully me again, villain!"

Tang Shen sneered: "When I come back at night, you have to tell me what you do in that Treasure Pavilion every day!"

The little girl made a face.

Aunt Yao took another thick cotton coat from the house: "Young master, you should wear more. I didn't expect the weather to suddenly turn cold after the new year. I heard that there was a lot of snow in the south, and the water froze , the road was also closed."

Tang Shen also felt a little cold, so he took the cotton coat and put it on.

Yao San came out of the house: "It's really strange. We used to see such a heavy snowfall in Shanxi. We have never heard of such a heavy snowfall in the south of the Yangtze River." He said with emotion, "Let's go!" Young master, I will take you to the academy."

During the month of Chinese New Year, Aunt Yao took advantage of Tang Shen's stay at home to feed him vigorously and fed him frantically. Finally, Tang Shen gained some weight, but he was still very thin.He was wearing two thick cotton coats, he looked a bit bloated, and from the back he looked very much like a young man from a rich family.However, when he arrived at Ziyang Academy and saw Sun Yue, Tang Shen burst out laughing.

Fatty Sun wrapped himself into a ball, and when he saw Tang Shen, he sneezed big.

Tang Shen: "Hey, don't catch me if you catch the wind and cold. It's all the wind and cold, and you still come to school? I'm not afraid that Master Zheng will drive you back."

Sun Yue had a bitter face: "Cold? I hope I catch a cold, so I don't need to study."

After the class, Tang Shen realized that nearly half of the people in the class were missing.

Tang Shen: "What's the matter?"

Sun Yue rubbed his hands that were frozen red: "What can I do, they really caught the cold."

Tang Shen smiled and said, "You wear more clothes than I do, why are your hands so cold? Didn't you say that fat people are not afraid of the cold?"

Sun Yue stared straight: "Who told you such nonsense, we fat people shouldn't be afraid of the cold! Obviously you are a freak, you didn't see those people outside the city, those are the real skinny people, they are fast Frozen to death, okay?"

Tang Shen was stunned suddenly: "Who is outside the city?"

Sun Yue rubbed his hands, as if thinking of something, his tone was low: "Who else can it be, refugees from the south. Yesterday my mother and I went to the porridge shop outside the city. There were a lot of people... really a lot People, I can’t see clearly, I can’t see them all, and it’s snowing heavily, all of them are people.”