The front of the hall was already full of tributes, and a scholar from the Hanlin Academy was calling his name. Not far away, Huang Jian nodded to Duan Ling and said, "You are here!"
"You're here too." Duan Ling understood, nodded, and pressed his thumbprint on the paper.
Huang Jian asked again, "Where's Master?"
Yesterday was busy, and my mind was not on it. I didn't ask how my classmates did in the exam. Everyone was so busy that their feet didn't touch the ground, but Mu Kuangda didn't return all night. Duan Ling told Huang Jian that the two walked aside to talk, and after a while, two more people came towards Huang Jian and smiled at Duan Ling.
"My junior brother." Huang Jian introduced Duan Ling to the other two, and Duan Ling hurriedly stepped back and saluted.
The two also saluted Duan Ling. Huang Jian raised his hand and introduced Duan Ling: "Qin Xuguang, Zeng Yongnuo."
The person who called Qin Xuguang was in his thirties, while Zeng Yongnuo was not there. Qin Xuguang was the eldest of the four. Everyone called him "Brother Qin". Be kind.
Huang Jian's father was the imperial censor of salt inspection. When Duan Ling's grandfather was in power, Huang's father was a high-ranking official of Da Chen. Studying in Jiangzhou. After ten years of cold window, he actually came to the hall test field.
Qin Xuguang is the son of the prefect of Huizhou. His parents are still alive, and he hopes to enter the Beijing examination to become an official. Only Zeng Yongnuo was born in a family of salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River. He is barely equal to Duan Ling, the "son of a medicine merchant". After everyone exchanged a few words, Huang Jian asked Duan Ling, "I heard that someone came into the city from the border gate yesterday?"
"Yes." Duan Ling was so upset by this incident that his brows hadn't been stretched since last night, and he couldn't help laughing and laughing when he thought about it. He was full of civil and military affairs. event.
Duan Ling told Huang Jian about the situation, and the three nodded.
Duan Ling asked Huang Jian, "What do you think of Senior Brother Huang?"
Huang Jian replied, "Master definitely has an idea on this matter, and he should have an opinion today."
Duan Ling knew that in front of everyone, Huang Jian naturally wouldn't express too many opinions, lest he would be labeled as a "sage counselor" before he took the palace exam.
"Find me after the test." Huang Jian said, "Tell me something."
"After the palace test, everyone has to get close and close." Zeng Yongnuo laughed.
"That's natural." Duan Ling smiled, thinking that it's really cheap for you.
Qin Xuguang said: "I heard that there is a noodle restaurant in Jiangzhou City called 'the best stall in the world'. It's a big one. Why don't you try it at night and book a private room."
Duan Ling thought to himself that you can't make an appointment, so don't be delusional... As soon as he heard the bell ringing inside, he responded a few words, and was ready to talk about it later, so he followed the crowd to the Yinghe Hall.
There were a total of 112 tributes, all of them moved, and the momentum was magnificent, crowding the outside of the palace, it is reasonable to say that today should be bathed in meditation, burning incense and praying, before entering the palace. However, in extraordinary times, it is expedient to act, and all red tape is avoided.
When it was early summer, everyone was hot and stuffy, and it was very uncomfortable.
While queuing, Zheng Yan came out from the side door, whistled, and said to Duan Ling, "Go this way!"
Duan Ling: "..."
"Hurry up." Zheng Yan said, "His Majesty will find out later, and I will be scolded again."
Duan Ling had no choice but to bite the bullet and walked towards Zheng Yan in the midst of all the attention. He led him and took a shortcut.
As soon as he entered, he saw Wu Du waiting behind the pillar. Duan Ling smiled and was about to speak, but Wu Du made a "shush" gesture, pointing to one of the cases, indicating that he should take a seat.
Hundreds of cases were lined up in the hall, which was truly spectacular. Duan Ling sighed and sat down. After a while, there was another person in the hall who came through the back door. It was Mu Qing.
"Oh." Mu Qing said, "I asked them to take you into the palace first, so as not to line up, why did you come at this time?"
"I sent him away." Wu Du replied, "Let him sleep more."
Duan Ling asked Mu Qing, "You didn't go back last night?"
"No." Mu Qing said, "I was bringing some snacks for you to eat, and my aunt said that I had eaten the champion of the exam."
Duan Ling laughed, and Mu Qing handed over a paper bag with a fish-shaped peach cake in it, which means "carp leaping over the dragon's gate". Eat the rest.
"I don't need the champion." Duan Ling smiled, "Just be the second place."
Mu Qing and Duan Ling smiled at each other, and while they were laughing, Duan Ling suddenly saw another person coming, but it was Lang Junxia.
Holding the unsheathed Qingfeng in his hand, Lang Junxia walked into the hall test arena, and both of them were silent. However, he saw Lang Junxia walk behind one of the pillars, stood silently, cast a glance at Duan Ling, and moved his gaze to Duan Ling's left hand.
Duan Ling pulled down his sleeves to block the red bean bracelet that Wu Du gave him.
Lang Junxia's expression did not change at all, he just looked at Duan Ling quietly, then turned his eyes and stopped looking at him.
At that moment, Duan Ling could almost feel what Lang Junxia was thinking.
He was looking for the string of beads that was given to him, but Duan Ling had hardly worn it since he got it.
"Where's Changliu-kun?" Zheng Yan asked.
"I just passed the imperial study room." Lang Junxia replied, "Seeing that he is still inside, I shouldn't be able to make it."
The rear of the hall rang the bell for the second time to notify the invigilator to be present. A gust of wind entered the hall, and it was the black and masked Changliu-Jun.
Wu Dudao: "It's not easy to come here."
"Accompany the test." Changliu-jun replied, "Take the test well."
The four assassins each stood in front of a pillar and supervised the examination room from the four corners. Only then did Duan Ling know that they were actually the invigilators today.
The third time the bell rang, the door of the hall opened, and the tribute students filed in. They each found their own case and sat down. Zheng Yan and Chang Liujun watched every move of the candidates to prevent anyone from cheating. Lang Junxia seemed to be absent-minded, staring at Duan Ling the whole time.
Wu Du also looked at Duan Ling, and occasionally at Lang Junxia. The two stood in two corners and looked at each other from a distance. Lang Junxia had to turn his eyes away.
After a short while, the main door opened, and the morning sun shined brightly in.
Someone from behind sang: "The Son of Heaven is here! Courtesy!"
The candidates got up in a hurry, knelt down on the ground, and said in unison, "Long live Your Majesty!"
Li Yanqiu's imperial robe fluttered, and he walked through it, carrying a gust of wind, and ascended to the dragon seat in the hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty—"
Only then did the candidates get up and sit behind the desk.
Li Yanqiu swept his gaze across the examination room, and finally landed on Duan Ling's face, and said casually, "The examination begins."
The cabinet scholar unfolded a piece of paper and recited in public:
"I have heard that the world is governed by Tao and by virtue..."
There was silence in the hall, and all the candidates listened with bated breath.
"...But, there are dangers in the halls, there are starvation in the wild, and there are swords in the borders..."
Duan Ling raised a heart in his throat in an instant, and suddenly understood Li Yanqiu's mood. His grief was on the verge of coming out of the exam questions in this hall.
"...I hear it, tell it all, don't make it a taboo, and respect it."
Needles falling in the hall could be heard, and the eunuch sang again: "Respectfully send the emperor—"
The candidates stood up again, knelt down, and proclaimed long live, Li Yanqiu left, and the senior scholar of the cabinet let people die, and all sentient beings began to answer the questions.
Li Yanqiu's title means, now that there are internal and external troubles, I have done my best, but I don't know where the problem is, the wind and rain are swaying, the temple is going to collapse, the faces of the people in the world are disheartened, and there are frequent attacks from the North, who can save me ? Who can save Da Chen? You must try your best to answer.
After the great scholar left, as if someone wanted to speak, someone in the hall suddenly spoke, but it was Zheng Yan.
"Everyone is the mainstay of my big Chen's future." Zheng Yan said sincerely, "Please don't talk about it when answering the paper, otherwise blood will be splashed five steps on the spot in the palace exam, and we won't be able to explain it to Your Majesty."
Duan Ling let out a laugh, took a piece of paper, dipped a pen in ink, began to answer, and wrote the first line of words—under the whole world, could it be the king soil;
Da Chen's problem, in the final analysis, is a national land problem and a land problem. The Alliance of Shangzi has been humiliated for many years, and the Hu people in the north have frequently attacked, almost hollowing out Dachen. The abuses in the south are already old, the people have lost their land, they are displaced, classes are divided, the rich and the poor are disparate, and the land must be redistributed.
Time passed quickly. At first, Duan Ling thought that he would retell his first answer sheet during the test. Later, after thinking about it seriously, he started from the battle of Shangjing two years ago.
Why did the father die? who killed him
If the late emperor was still there, what would be the situation today
In the past two years, Duan Ling has learned a lot, and even the arguments of his father's opponents can be regarded as normal. After so many years of fighting, the army has been sent to the north to fight foreigners. Liao, came to Yuan again, he saw his father's great achievements, and his admiration for him did not change in the slightest.
But he also saw the famine of the people in the Central Plains, the depletion of Xichuan's national strength, and the attitude of the gentry in Jiangzhou.
Da Chen needs someone like his father, and another person, to maintain the carriage that has been in disrepair, so that it will not fall apart under any impact.
Duan Ling began to understand the expectations Li Jianhong had placed on him back then. He called himself "Your Majesty", not a joke. He was a light in his darkness, the ship he crossed the vast river. Father can only fight in this life, that is his duty and his destiny, and it will not end until he dies.
And their responsibilities, right here, on paper.
"What do you always look at him?" Wu Du's voice suddenly sounded from the northwest corner.
All the examinees were stunned, Duan Ling was stunned, no one answered, and he didn't know who Wu Du was talking about.
"Look at him again." Wu Du's voice echoed in the silent hall, "Don't blame me for drawing my sword."
Everyone's heart was beating wildly. I wonder if the "five steps of blood splashing" in Zheng Yan's mouth would actually appear. After waiting for a while, Wu Du stopped talking, and everyone continued to answer the papers.