The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Today, Zhu Houzhao was delighted when he saw Yan Chengjin: "The master of Zhan Shifu said that the most important thing for people to get to know each other is to know each other, and the most important thing for people to know each other is to know each other's hearts. Lao Gao, I know that you are about to take the imperial examination, and you need some advice. Risking it." I risk being beaten to death by my father and leaving the palace to give you a big gift. How can you thank me?"

Zhu Houzhao handed over something, which was a notebook that looked like a memorial.

Yan Chengjin looked suspicious and didn't dare to take it: "What is this?"

Zhu Houzhao was very happy: "Today, I went to pay my respects to my father. I found that there was an edict on the imperial case, which turned out to be the questions for the palace examination given by my father. I took the book and copied it. I came out of the palace to give it to you. Come on, take a look."

Yan Chengjin pinched Zhu Houzhao's neck and suddenly changed his expression: "What kind of hatred does the student have between the student and His Highness? Your Highness wants to harm the student like this."

Zhu Houzhao was a little out of breath: "I think, don't you have a gold medal to avoid death? It will be fine if my father knows about it."

A death-defying thing!

Is this how the death-free gold medal is used?

Yan Chengjin calmed down and said, "Your Highness, please send this memorial back quickly. Your Highness has never been here before, and the students don't know what the imperial examination questions are. We can learn from heaven and earth. Wait, your Highness will go over it a hundred times before leaving."

Zhu Houzhao was a little embarrassed: "But... I copied it on the book Master Li gave to my father."

Your Majesty will definitely read Li Dongyang’s excerpts!

Yan Chengjin was speechless and choked.

In March, the sun rises lazily, but the scholars in the capital are very diligent.

Today, the palace examination begins. The candidates need to enter the palace before dawn. Hundreds of scholars follow the examiners from the Ministry of Rites to lead them to the Wenhua Palace.

When Yan Chengjin passed the Meridian Gate, the sky was just getting brighter.

The scholar walking beside him whispered to him: "My surname is Li, my single name is Kang, and my last name is Kangle. I wonder what I call these brothers?"

"Bu Cai Yang Jingxin, named Dachuan, is from Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture." Another scholar walking in parallel said.

Yan Chengjin was very humble: "My surname is Yan, my courtesy name is Laogao. I am from Shuntian Prefecture. I am very happy to meet you."

The last scholar who walked in parallel said: "I am Wang Shouren, whose courtesy name is Bo'an. He is from Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. It seems that he and Brother Dachuan are from the same hometown."

"Really? If we are both officials in the capital in the future, we should move around more." The scholar named Yang Jingxin invited him warmly.

Yan Chengjin's heart skipped a beat, he took a deep breath and turned his head slightly. He saw that the last scholar was thin, but his eyes were very bright.

Recently, I was hanging out with Zhu Houzhao, and I actually forgot that Wang Shouren was also going to take part in the palace examination.

Wang Shouren muttered: "Brother Gao, why are you looking at me like this?"

"I'm just curious because I heard that Brother Wang and Brother Yang are from the same hometown." Yan Chengjin pretended not to care.

We arrived at the Guangting outside the Cultural Hall.

Under the sky, outside the door of Wenhua Palace, hundreds of bookcases are arranged neatly.

Yan Chengjin saw Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang. Before the exam started, the candidates needed to pay homage and salute.

The examiner from the Ministry of Etiquette read out the names, and the candidates took their seats one by one.

On the top of the steps is the emperor and Li Dongyang, with a clear view. It is almost impossible to cheat.

However, the air is much fresher than the room in Gongyuan.

After all the processes were completed, Emperor Hongzhi nodded, indicating that it was time to curl the hair.

In view of the fact that the traitor Zhu Houzhao copied the test questions, whether for fun or for other reasons, Emperor Hongzhi temporarily changed the test questions again.

Therefore, there is no possibility of any trouble this time.

The examiner handed down the test paper. Yan Chengjin took a look at the policy statement and saw only two words written on it.

Meng Mu?

Looking at this question, Yan Chengjin knew that it was definitely written by Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi had not enjoyed much maternal love since he was a child. He had been growing up under the care of palace maids and eunuchs. His childhood was very rough, so it is understandable that he would ask such a question.

Meng's mother moved three times and chose her neighbors to live in!

This is the most widely circulated allusion of Meng Mu, but Yan Chengjin knew that as a test question for selecting scholars, Emperor Hongzhi must have more meaning.

It’s not right to just answer Meng’s mother’s love and care for her son!

Mencius's mother's love and care for her son is certainly not wrong, but this is the imperial court's policy of recruiting scholars. Of course, you must think about the imperial court and the official position.

In just a short moment, the candidates scratched their heads and looked left and right.

Yan Chengjin figured it out.

The profound meaning of Emperor Hongzhi is to choose your neighbors!

As an official in the imperial court, it is inevitable that there will be all kinds of official colleagues. What kind of people should be associated with and what kind of people should be kept away from. This is the profound meaning of Emperor Hongzhi!

Yan Chengjin was so happy that Li Dongyang came to remind him to stay away from Wang Yue, which actually gave him a lot of inspiration!

Sycophants like Wang Yue are the kind of people who should not be friends with.

Thinking to himself, Yan Chengjin quickly started writing, and after finishing his answer, he checked it again and again.

Li Dongyang twirled his beautiful beard with his hand and glanced around. He saw Yan Chengjin writing furiously for a while and then put down his pen. He couldn't help but wonder, did he finish the answer so quickly?

The examiner took away the test questions and handed out another one. Yan Chengjin looked at the question again. This time, there was no twists and turns. There were only four words: rectify river problems.

The terrain in the Huanglinggang area is steep, and the water rushes through the embankments, flooding Zhang Qiu every time, threatening water transportation.

The method of water control in the previous life had already controlled the river water perfectly, so Yan Chengjin quickly started writing.

However, according to the level of the Ming Dynasty, only the low-end version of the plan can be used:

To control river disasters, we must make the best use of the situation.

Dredge where it is necessary to dredge, and block where it is necessary to block. When dredging, build new branches to disperse and divert the river water, drain it into the sea, and when blocking, build embankments to prevent the river water from flowing out, and strengthen the embankments to prevent the danger of flooding.

He also listed Zhengzhou, Yingze and Fengyang Prefecture, where some places should build rivers and embankments.

This time, Li Dongyang's regular script was used again. He had used it once last time. I believe Li Dongyang will know that it is his paper when he sees it.

When checking it for the 98th time.

Suddenly, there was a noise.

A gust of wind blew from nowhere, and Wang Shouren's half-written paper was blown up to the sky. Wang Shouren stared blankly, but the paper did not fall down.

What bad luck!

After writing most of it, the time was almost up, and the paper was blown away.

The scholars sighed inwardly. Wang Shouren was also anxious. He looked at the test paper in the sky at a loss, and then looked at Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang.

Li Dongyang hurriedly ordered: "Quick, give that candidate another essay!"

Wang Shouren sat down again.

Wang Shouren passed the second-class Jinshi exam. I don't know what these fools are laughing at. Yan Chengjin checked it twice silently. Finally, he checked it a hundred times, and then he was relieved.

The palace exam only lasted one day, from dawn to dusk. When Yan Chengjin came out of Wenhua Hall, his butt was sore from sitting.

He left the palace under the guidance of the officials of the Ministry of Rites. The examination papers were marked very quickly. The results would be announced the next day. There were many people who cried loudly after leaving the palace, perhaps because they were crying with joy, or perhaps because they did not finish answering.

"It's hard to go back tonight, so why not go to a teahouse and listen to a story? The storyteller is from my hometown. He is the best at telling stories about war and peace. I have some silver to pay for the tea. What do you think?"

Many failed scholars became storytellers in teahouses and restaurants.

Yang Dachuan looked at Yan Chengjin and Wang Shouren and said, "Brothers?"

Yan Chengjin: "I have something important to do. I will definitely come next time!"

Wang Shouren was obviously not interested: "I have been staying at home in the capital these days. I have some uncles to visit, so I won't go with you two."