9sovs
The fourth day of the eleventh month, mid-winter, is the Huangzhong note.
At dawn, the north wind was biting, silver-gray clouds were galloping across the sky, and cold currents were rolling, brewing a heavy snow.
It was extremely cold in Yingtian in November, and the Qinhuai River had lost its usual liveliness and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
On this day, the Enke County Examination officially kicked off. The county examination is divided into three sessions, each lasting three days and two nights, for a total of nine days and six nights. This is a comprehensive game of intelligence, physical strength, and physical fitness. For the candidates, this game has already begun before entering the door. All candidates who participated in the county examination in Nanzhili had to take the examination in Jiangnan Gongyuan. There were more than 10,000 candidates, and it was often impossible to roll call and enter the examination room early in the morning. Therefore, many candidates came to line up last night, striving to be in the front and enter the examination room earlier.
When there are too many people, chaos is likely to occur. Even with the help of yamen runners and fully armed soldiers to suppress the riot, there was still chaos and crowding outside the Imperial Examination Hall. The exam hadn't even started yet, but last night more than a dozen candidates were injured in the crowd, with bloody heads.
Zhu Pingan and the fat man Xue Chi came to line up around midnight. After arriving, the two of them lined up separately. When the crowd was not yet serious, Zhu Pingan decisively ran to a corner to hide. After the reinforcements suppressed the crowd, he ran back to the team to line up.
The weather was very cold, and Zhu Ping'an was wearing thicker clothes, which were made of rabbit fur by his mother Chen. Compared with other students, Zhu Ping'an was much warmer. In addition to clothes, Zhu Ping'an also brought two rabbit fur blankets, which were used for sleeping in the examination room, one for sleeping and one for covering. Of course, other things such as food and examination supplies were also brought one by one, and the food was very rich.
Around three o'clock in the morning, a drum sounded from the Mingyuan Tower of the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, and the soldiers began to check the candidates' entry.
It was around six o'clock before Zhu Ping'an came to the queue. Zhu Ping'an brought a lot of things, and the yamen soldiers in charge of checking took a long time to check. The people in the queue behind him were very dissatisfied, thinking that Zhu Ping'an brought too many things, including two felt blankets, which the yamen soldiers had to feel and check for a long time. In addition, he brought too much food, and the yamen soldiers became chefs, making a lot of noise. The waist knife was only used to cut cakes, meat jerky, etc. for him.
There are so many complaints like this that Zhu Ping'an has become somewhat used to it.
It took about fifteen or sixteen minutes to check all of Zhu Ping'an's belongings, and then the yamen runners let Zhu Ping'an in.
However, something went wrong when entering.
At the door, an examiner named Hu, who was in charge of checking the candidates, stopped Zhu Ping'an. This examiner was serious about his work and might be better off using a robot. When invigilating, he checked the candidates' age and appearance according to the list and was very strict.
"It is recorded that you are short and slightly fat, with a silly face and no beard. But from what I have seen of you today, how can you be considered slightly fat? Are you taking the exam for someone else?" Supervisor Hu stopped Zhu Ping'an and asked him sternly.
Well
To be honest, Zhu Pingan had not foreseen this accident. This kind of problem had never occurred in the county examination, prefectural examination, and academy examination before. However, despite the suddenness, Zhu Pingan was not panicked at all.
"No, I am Zhu Ping'an. After the college entrance examination, I studied day and night and lost weight. Zhu Zi also explained the meaning of "nothing", so a slightly fat person is not fat. Please understand, sir." Zhu Ping'an was calm and answered calmly. After all, he was Zhu Ping'an, so he could not be wrong about this.
"Well, that makes sense, but does he look stupid?" The examiner named Hu looked at Zhu Ping'an and nodded, but then asked another question.
Zhu Ping'an had no choice but to put on his signature silly smile.
"Yes." The examiner nodded and allowed entry.
Finally, Zhu Ping'an entered the arena without any danger. He was led by a guard into a cell. This was a relatively good cell, far away from the "stinky cell" or toilet, and was a superior cell.
After putting all the things in the room, Zhu Pingan looked around. Just like the last college entrance examination, the room was very narrow, with only two wooden boards, the upper one was used as a table for writing answers, and the lower one was used as a chair. At night, the two boards were put together as a bed. The difference was that there was now a pot of charcoal fire and two candles in the room. The charcoal fire could be used for heating and cooking. Candidates were isolated from the outside world during the exam and had to solve the problem of eating by themselves. The invigilator only cared about cheating in the exam. As for other actions of the candidates in the room, the invigilator did not ask anything.
For the next three days and two nights, I would spend all my eating, drinking, defecating, urinating and sleeping in this small compartment.
Around nine o'clock, all the candidates outside had finally entered the examination hall. While waiting for the exam, Zhu Ping'an heard from several yamen runners that seven or eight candidates had been found to have cheated in, and five more candidates who had taken the exam for others were also caught and imprisoned in a small cell in the Imperial Examination Hall, awaiting their fate by the relevant authorities.
Unexpectedly, there are actually people who cheat. These guys will have no chance of taking the imperial examinations in the future, and they might even be exiled.
Thinking about the scene at the gate now, Zhu Pingan felt a little sweaty on his back. If it weren't for his quick wit, it would be hard to say. He is Zhu Pingan, this cannot be denied, it can be proved, but if he proves it, he might miss the exam.
After all the candidates enter the examination hall at 9 o'clock, the gate will be locked and will not be opened until the end of the examination, even if there is a fire or flood in the examination hall.
There were many people on the Mingyuan Building, including two chief examiners, four co-examinees, one supervisor, and other officials responsible for receiving the papers, sealing them, transcribing them, reading them, patrolling the gates, and searching for possession of stolen items. The older chief examiner signaled the start of the exam with a drum, and then the other officials performed their duties in an orderly manner, all looking at the examinees below with a sense of nostalgia, just like the sophomores and juniors watching their juniors’ military training at the beginning of the semester.
After the drum sounded, the yamen runners and clerks began to distribute the test papers and draft papers one after another.
Then, the test questions will be announced.
Today is the first session of the Enke Provincial Examination. According to convention, the number of questions in this session is: three questions on the meaning of the Four Books and four questions on the meaning of the classics.
When the bailiff holding the test papers came over, Zhu Ping'an quickly and neatly copied the questions onto the draft paper.
This year, as in previous years, there are three questions on the meaning of the Four Books and four questions on the meaning of the classics. The meaning of the classics is a subject in the imperial examination. The topic is the text of the classics, and the examinee has to write an essay to explain the meaning of the text. Of course, you have to use the eight-part essay style. These questions must be answered in three days and two nights. No matter how you answer or how you arrange your time, as long as you don't cheat, you can do whatever you want.
Zhu Ping'an had not eaten anything since early morning, so after copying the test papers, he cleaned up his things, spread a cloth on the table, and then grilled the food he brought over the charcoal fire and started eating.
After eating and drinking, Zhu Ping'an cleaned up the table, laid out the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and officially began his journey to the provincial examination. (To be continued...)
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