To The Land of Nevernight

If you want to be a thousand miles away, go to the next level.

Qianli Building is located in the west of Shengjing City. When you go up to the fourth floor, you can see the endless Grand Canal like a silver belt from a distance.On the second day after the examination ended, Tang Shen and shopkeeper Lu came to Qianli Building. Shopkeeper Xing with a festive round face had been waiting for a long time.

Shopkeeper Xing looked at Tang Shen like he was up and down, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the young master to be so young, he is really young and talented."

Tang Shen bowed slightly: "Master Xing."

Shopkeeper Xing: "Our family's heir has not yet arrived, please move to the private room, young master, to rest for a while."

The three of them went upstairs together, Tang Shen entered the private room, shopkeeper Xing and shopkeeper Lu waited outside.

As soon as you enter the elegant room, you will see a screen of thousands of mountains.Looking to the left is a multi-treasure shelf, on which there are various treasures and antiques.Look to the right again, there are two closed windows.Tang Shen opened it and saw the city with the sound of cars and horses, Fangjie Avenue, and the scenery of Shengjing.

"When you go to the Si Tower, you will feel relaxed and happy. If you drink wine to the wind, you will be elated!"

Looking at the bustling and golden scenery of Shengjing, Tang Shen suddenly understood what Fan Zhongyan said.

"It's such a refreshing feeling, and the wine is in the wind. If this is the case, how can there be no wine."

Tang Shen hurriedly turned his head, only to see Prince Jing's son Zhao Qiong, who was wearing a brocade robe and a jade crown, had already walked in.The two met each other, and Zhao Qiong stood still, looking at him in surprise.After a while, Zhao Qiong said in surprise: "It turned out to be you!"

Tang Shen made a bow and said, "I have met King Jing's son."

If you think about some things for a while, you will understand the way.Zhao Qiong knew all of a sudden that Tang Shen probably did it on purpose when he posted a post to King Jing's Mansion to attend the Yuan Banquet at King Jing's Mansion.However, he didn't take such trivial matters to heart. On the contrary, he was even more pleased because behind the soap business was a famous scholar.

Zhao Qiong called to shopkeeper Xing: "Serve the food."

Shopkeeper Xing: "Yes."

Zhao Qiong looked at Tang Shen again: "You just finished the test yesterday, Mr. Tang, can you go?"

Tang Shen smiled and said, "Naturally."

"Okay, then let's not talk about those square-eyed things today, just talk about romance. Let's talk about everything after the results are released, okay?"

Tang Shen never thought that he would negotiate the soap and essential oil business at the first meeting. On the contrary, what Zhao Qiong said showed that he really wanted to cooperate with Tang Shen.After the trial, if Tang Shen wins Jinshi, Zhao Qiong's attitude may change even more.It would be good for Tang Shen and good for Zhao Qiong for the two sides to discuss cooperation again.

In this way, the two simply chatted about drinking.

Tang Shen was too young to drink, so Zhao Qiong didn't try to persuade him.

An hour later, the two had become friends.Tang Shen walked out of the private room, turned around and bowed to Zhao Qiong: "Don't send me off, my son."

Zhao Qiong said: "Then wait for the apricot list to come down, and I will celebrate it for Jing."

Tang Shen and Shopkeeper Lu left Qianli Building. Shopkeeper Lu said in surprise: "I thought Prince Jing's son was a relative of the emperor, so he might not be easy to get along with. I didn't expect him to be so close, and he didn't put on airs."

Tang Shen remembered one thing, he smiled and said, "Master Lu, what do you think King Jing's mansion is doing business with Qianlilou and Huatangqiu for?"

Shopkeeper Lu: "Everyone of the emperor's relatives in Shengjing has a different business in the capital. The business of Prince Jing's Mansion is very normal. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, there is nothing wrong with that, but the business of King Jing's Mansion is food, wine, jewelry and jade. King Jing is a rich prince and has no right in his hands. Those businesses that can really make a lot of money and make a lot of money, such as last year's canal construction, any If an official intervenes, it's a ten thousand taels of snowflake silver business, so he can't do it!"

The imperial court's construction of river channels is often one of the important ways for royal family members and important officials to earn silver.

This is not to say that nobles are corrupt or officials are corrupt, but that every purchase of building materials, which state and which prefecture the canal will be built to, has a lot of knowledge.You don't need to be greedy at all to make profits.It's just not as much as Tanmo, but it's still a lot of money.

King Jing can open the largest restaurant and jewelry store in Shengjing, but he can't take care of the court affairs.It can be seen that he is just a wealthy prince, famous but not powerful.

Some people will turn bad in this environment, and some people just don't want to leave.

Tang Shen thought for a while, and felt that Prince Jing's son didn't seem to be angry.After all, today's sage has done a good job in publicity, no one can say that he is a foolish emperor, just an emperor who likes to cultivate immortals and wants to live forever.In ancient times, there were so many kings who wanted to live forever, among them Zhao Fu could already be regarded as a wise king.

The emperor didn't treat his brother harshly, and King Jing was happy and quiet.

As for the twists and turns and the secrets of the royal family, it is not something Tang Shen can know now.

Shopkeeper Lu asked: "Little boss, when will the test be released? But it's the same as the rural test, it will be ready in ten days?"

Tang Shen suddenly laughed, and said helplessly, "It's not easy!"

The test is the last hurdle of the imperial examination.From then on, as long as you have tried it, you will not fail again, just wait for a Jinshi ranking in the palace examination.No matter how badly you do in the imperial examination, you will only get No. 1 from the bottom.

The general examination is so important, so in addition to the anonymous system, each candidate's paper must be copied again, and the copied version will be sent to the examiner for review.

There are more than 1 papers in the world, and the hired scholars copied them for three days, and they may not be able to finish them.

In fact, Tang Shen said three days, but it was still less.In mid-February, the test will end.But it was not until February [-]th that the examiners did not get the papers for this test.The names have been pasted on, and the handwriting is not written by the candidates themselves.The pavilions are all neat and tidy, and the examiners first paid homage to Confucius, and then locked themselves in the main room to concentrate on marking the examination papers.

After five days, [-] examiners found out the top ten papers in this exam.

Taking advantage of the absence of the chief examiner Li Dashi, one of the examiners sighed softly to his colleagues: "This time, the question is wrong and weird after all. Some candidates have written essays that are full of flowers, but they missed the question. Then It’s hard for me to tell the point of breaking the question. It’s really wrong. No matter what, I can’t select this kind of article into the top ten. "

When Li Dashi came, everyone reviewed the last ten papers together.

The general examination is the same as the township examination and the children's examination. The most important thing is the first examination.In the first exam, Li Dashi asked three questions, namely: Please see Yifeng Ren, and escape from ink must belong to Yang and Wuri.

The first question alone wiped out a lot of candidates.

Among the three assistant examiners who will take the exam, two are bachelors of the Imperial Academy, and one is a minister of the Ministry of Rites.One of them said: "This paper, I think, is Huiyuan's top choice. Please look at it, everyone. Please see Yifeng. He broke this question with the teaching of Confucius to teach the world. The two are more detailed, and the conclusion is even more Insightful."

Everyone read the paper and said, "Good!"

Another deputy examiner said: "Everyone, why not take a look at this article."

Everyone looked over again.

Li Dashi is old and not as good-sighted as other graders.He picked up the paper, put it in front of his eyes and read it carefully. "Three invitations to see the holy words, is to see the sage without knowing it... Oh, but I respect the sage Kong very much. I will read the second one." After reading it for a while, Li Dashi said: "The mediocrity The writing, the article is solid, the literary talent is brilliant, and it can solve the problem. Why, this is not bad in the top ten, how can it become a member?"

The examiner was stared at by Li Dashi, crying in his heart.This Li Dashi is an old pedant, known for his eccentric temper. From the fact that he made such a difficult question this time, it can be seen that he is not easy to get along with in the Imperial Academy.

The deputy examiner said: "Master Li, has he ever read the third article on crafting?"

Li Dashi lowered his head to read the third chapter. After a while, he was taken aback for a moment, then he put the paper close to his eyes, read it up and down several times carefully, and then suddenly said: "Okay! Good sentence 'If there is something, change it, if there is nothing, encourage it'. Wen Tong ancient and modern, just like the sacred voice of the sect." As he spoke, he couldn't help but read these eight words several times, and asked the other examiners in the main room to Read this article.

Li Daxun raised his eyebrows and praised: "The words are incisive and excellent, and it is indeed the first excellent work in this year's examination!"