It was pitch black outside the window. The moment before dawn was the darkest, darkest and coldest. The students and scholars who usually slept soundly in the inn now packed up, took their belongings and went out.
It's like a moth to a flame
Or Phoenix Nirvana
This is the day that determines everyone's future destiny. The county examination in February of the Ming Dynasty has begun. The students and scholars who walked out of the inn are either anxious or full of confidence. Of course, there are also those who are expressionless and calm.
Zhu Ping'an also went out at this time, bringing a lot of things with him, as if he was moving: there was a liningless rabbit skin blanket and a thin mattress in his bag; he carried a large bamboo basket full of food and drinks, including preserved fruits, cakes, cooked food, braised meat, water cups, etc.; of course, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone were also indispensable.
After all, Zhu Ping'an was only thirteen years old and not very tall. With so many things on, he was almost invisible, like a clumsy turtle carrying its shell.
When other students and scholars who were going out saw Zhu Ping'an, they all laughed at him for carrying too many things. Most of them carried light things, and some of them also carried a lot of things, but none of them carried as much as Zhu Ping'an.
Zhu Ping'an turned a deaf ear to the ridicule from his fellow students.
When passing by the lobby, Zhu Ping'an was somewhat surprised to find that his uncle Zhu Shouren and several other students were leisurely ordering a table of delicious food and wine and enjoying it, with no intention of leaving at all. The other students and scholars in the group were looking at them enviously, and his uncle Zhu Shouren and his friends were also enjoying the attention and envy of everyone.
"Zhi'er, don't be nervous. It doesn't matter if you fail this time. You can learn from your experience. There is still a long way to go."
Uncle Zhu Shouren, who was enjoying the envy of everyone, saw his nephew Zhu Ping'an carrying a lot of things. His face became even more proud and he lectured him in the tone of an elder.
The exam hasn't even started yet, why are you saying you failed and want to gain experience? Zhu Ping'an looked at his uncle Zhu Shouren, who acted like an elder and was preaching to him with good intentions, and a thousand horses were galloping through his heart.
"Why hasn't uncle left yet?" Zhu Ping'an asked in a calm voice.
Hearing Zhu Ping'an's doubts, Uncle Zhu Shouren seemed to have drunk three bowls of liquor in one breath and was about to float. His face was red with excitement, but he pretended to be nothing.
"My uncle is already a student. He doesn't need to take the county or prefectural examinations anymore. He only needs to take the imperial examinations."
Uncle Zhu Shouren stroked his beard, his face full of pride, waiting to see Zhu Ping'an's envy and jealousy.
"Oh, then Zhu'er goes first." Zhu Ping'an didn't care about his uncle's pride at all. He replied lightly, then carried his bag and went out with everyone.
Just say "oh"...
Zhu Ping'an's uncle, who was waiting for him with envy and jealousy, looked at Zhu Ping'an's departing back with a confused look on his face.
Zhu Ping'an followed the others to the county examination site, which was located in a market not far from the county government office. During the examination, the market was closed and cleaned up, and a huge examination room was set up, facing north and south. There were two east and west gates on the south side of the examination room, and wooden fences were built around the gates. The examination room was set up as a large courtyard, and there was also a main gate, which is what people often call the Dragon Gate. This large courtyard is the examination room for the candidates to take the exam. The examination room is divided into two parts. The front part is for the candidates to wait, and the back part has several rows of tables and chairs for the candidates to answer the papers. The examiner sits on the west side, and the candidates line up here waiting for the examiner to call their names. Only after the roll call can the candidates go to answer the papers.
There were five teams of yamen runners at the main entrance of the examination hall, checking the students' certificates and the gifts they brought with them. The inspection was very thorough: the bedding could not have lining, the socks had to be single-layered, the clothes had to have seams, the inkstones could not be too thick, and the cakes had to be cut... ...
The yamen runners checked so carefully because they were afraid of cheating, so as to avoid being held accountable in the future.
There were many candidates who brought unqualified materials, but fortunately they were not caught cheating. As long as they were not cheating materials, if they were unqualified, the materials could be left and the candidates could enter.
The imperial examination has been held for so many years, and the punishment for cheating is very severe. At least Zhu Ping'an was not found to have brought any cheating items while he was waiting in line.
The search by the yamen runners was like a modern security check. All the things Zhu Ping'an brought with him were opened and checked, and the cooked food and dried fruits were cut by the yamen runners into pieces that were just edible.
There was not a single thing unqualified in such a large pile of things. Not only were the students who were waiting to see the joke surprised, but even the yamen runners who were checking were a little surprised.
After entering the main gate, a clerk who was slightly literate checked Zhu Ping'an's identity and resume, and then led him to an open space, where four scholars in their twenties were already waiting. These should be the four candidates that Master Sun had guaranteed. These four people were very self-important, and none of them paid any attention to Zhu Ping'an. They all knew that Zhu Ping'an was brought in by Master Sun to make up the numbers.
Zhu Ping'an saw the performance of several people, and his original idea of saying hello disappeared. He just stood there waiting stupidly.
When it was almost dawn, the county magistrate arrived in his official robes. The students and fellow students who were waiting for him became agitated, making it difficult for the yamen runners who were trying to maintain order.
There were too many people, and Zhu Ping'an was young and short, so he couldn't see clearly what the county magistrate looked like.
Through communication with people around him, Zhu Ping'an learned that the county magistrate generally gave some words of encouragement, and then talked about the exam, saying that there would be four exams in this county exam, and so on. In fact, the county exam could be four or five, as it was decided by the county magistrate. Zhu Ping'an was also happy to see that there would be four exams this time.
Then the county magistrate left, and the officials began to call the roll. Several yamen runners loudly repeated the county magistrate's words for all the students to hear.
It took Zhu Ping'an a long time to hear his name, and he walked in with several scholars who were guaranteed by Master Sun.
There was a paper sign in the courtyard, making it easy to see. Zhu Ping'an followed a few people into the atrium lobby and bowed to the person in front who looked like the examiner.
"Li Lanshan from Shanghe Village is guaranteed by Sun Hongzhi, a student on government academy scholarship." One of the four stepped forward, took an exam paper and sang the guarantee loudly.
Then Zhu Pingan heard the voice of Master Sun, "The student Sun Hongzhi is here."
Zhu Ping'an looked up and saw Master Sun sitting in a corner of the lobby, with several other people sitting with him.
After hearing Master Sun's confirmation, the examiner nodded, and then a clerk led Li Lanshan to the examination room to take the test.
Zhu Ping'an was the last one among the five to sing a swearing-in. After Master Sun accepted the swearing-in, Zhu Ping'an didn't even have a chance to make eye contact with Master Sun before he was led by the clerk to the examination room to take the exam.
It is understandable that so many candidates and students on government stipend have to go through this process, and the time is very tight.
There was a seat number on the cover of the scroll in Zhu Ping'an's hand: Ding Chou. This was arranged according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, but Zhu Ping'an, who was used to seeing Arabic numerals, was still confused. Fortunately, a clerk reminded him of the seat, otherwise it would have been a hassle to find a seat.
There were ten rows of simple seats, a long table, and a chair, and that was it.
Zhu Ping'an sat in his seat, arranged the pen, ink, paper and inkstone one by one, and then opened the test paper.
The test paper has red horizontal and vertical grids, with a total of more than ten pages, twelve lines on each page with twenty words per line, and two additional sheets of white paper for drafting.
However, he did not see the test questions. Zhu Ping'an was a little confused. When he was about to raise his hand to ask the examiner, he saw several yamen runners patrolling the venue with sign lights. Two of them were holding up a large wooden board and showing it around. The test questions were posted on this large board.
So that's what it is. Zhu Ping'an suddenly realized.