prosperous age

Chapter 179 Chapter 178

Today, Emperor Jiajing's practice was interrupted because of the Xinke Jinshi's surrounding the yamen of the Ministry of Rites. Now he did not meditate as usual, but looked at Wei Guangde's two provincial examinations and examination results from the Imperial Academy before the case. The paper that will be tested this time.

After a while, Emperor Jiajing threw the paper aside, closed his eyes slightly and remained silent.

Huang Jin, who was waiting on the side, didn't dare to pack up the papers, so he could only stay there with a low eyebrow, waiting for Emperor Jiajing to finish thinking.

After an unknown amount of time, it was completely dark outside the window, and the little eunuch brought in a few more candles to re-illuminate the already dark palace.

I don't know how much time passed, Emperor Jiajing slowly opened his eyes, and what caught his eyes were those papers of Wei Guangde.

Turning his head slightly, Emperor Jiajing said, "Huang Jin, have you read Wei Guangde's paper?"

"Yes."

Hearing the emperor's question, Huang Jin immediately bowed his head and answered.

"What's your opinion?"

Emperor Jiajing continued to ask.

"The level of stereotyped essays is average, with a little knowledge, and can come up with some effective solutions when encountering problems."

Huang Jin replied.

"That's right, the imperial court is already overwhelmed by the rapidly increasing expenditures for the suppression of Japanese in the south. Yan Song also mentioned last time that Hu Zongxian has written many times to ask for a new army to be used for the suppression of Japanese. "

Emperor Jiajing said leisurely.

"Yes, I did see Governor Hu's memorandum, but the cabinet ordered that there was no money to do it."

Huang Jin then said: "However, Governor Hu proposed to levy [-] cent and [-] cents per mu of land in the south to be used for the suppression of Japanese. He also proposed to increase the commercial tax to be used for the suppression of Japanese. Several discussions on this matter have come to nothing.”

"Wei Guangde's paper should have been made in August last year. It mentioned that taxation in the south could be considered for the suppression of Japanese. It seems to be earlier than that of Hu Zongxian."

Emperor Jiajing said lightly.

"This may have been discussed in the southern official circles before. Wei Guangde is in the family of the guard, so it is not surprising to hear about it, and it makes sense to write it in the paper."

Huang Jin expressed his understanding, and at the same time stole a glance at Emperor Jiajing.

"You will go to the house in a while and tell the cabinet to deal with a few things as soon as possible.

First, the matter of suppressing the Japanese and increasing taxes should be listed as soon as possible, and this matter cannot be delayed.

Second, Wei Guangde mentioned in the paper that Japan has always refused to accept Wang Hua. The envoys from neighboring countries who established the country of Taizu have all come, but they are missing. Let me ask the Ministry of Rites to check. I want to know exactly what happened. "

At this point, Emperor Jiajing paused for a moment. Huang Jin thought that the emperor's order had been finished, so he immediately bowed to accept the order, but before he straightened up, he heard Emperor Jiajing say again: "Kang Siqian, who was promoted to the editor of the Imperial Academy Promoted the school for the deputy envoy of the Henan Inspection Department.

Tomorrow's Jinshi Rong En Banquet will be presided over by Cheng Guogong Zhu Xizhong. The examiner, Xunchen and Dashi Shangshu, Du Yushi and Jinyiwei will sit on the right. After that, you come down and tell him to give me a good look at this Wei Guangde. "

"According to the order."

Huang Jin replied respectfully after listening to Emperor Jiajing's will.

At this time, Wei Guangde was supported by Zhang Ji, walked out of the restaurant staggeringly, and got into Li San's carriage.

It was so late, so it was difficult to find another carriage. Lao Kan, Xia Kefan, and Zhang Ke were all helped onto the carriage, and the four Jinshi could only squeeze together.

Li San carefully drove the carriage back to the Jiujiang Guild Hall, and the shopkeeper came out to greet him. He already knew the news that Wei Guangde had become the test passer of the Jinke Palace. Those who are officials in the capital are naturally courteous.

How did the Jiujiang Guild Hall come about? It was not established by the Jiujiang officials who were officials in Beijing, and raised funds with businessmen to facilitate the connection between the fellow villagers in the capital and their hometowns.

Wei Guangde and Lao Kan stayed in the capital as officials in the capital, so they will naturally take care of them in the future.

Seeing that Wei Guangde who got out of the car was still a little unsteady in walking, the shopkeeper hurriedly called the strong waiter to help Wei Guangde, and arranged for three people to help Lao Kan, Xia Kefan and Zhang Ke back to the room.

"Zhang Ji, Lao Qiang, I have ordered the hot water to be boiled and sent to your master's room immediately. Do you need me to find someone to take a bath for your master?"

The shopkeeper stopped Zhang Ji and Lao Kan's followers and asked.

Zhang Ji shook his head hastily, "My master washes it by himself, so don't make any trouble for me."

Lao Kan's long follower also shook his head.

"Well, I see, you go and take care of your master."

Seeing the two of them follow in and help their master into the courtyard, the shopkeeper returned to the shop.

After getting up early the next morning to wash up, Wei Guangde went to the lobby of the front yard to have breakfast.

When the shopkeeper saw it, he hurried up to greet him, "Master Wei, if you want to eat, say hello, and I'll ask someone to bring it in right away."

"It's not that particular. I like to eat outside and eat in the bedroom. I really don't have this habit."

Wei Guangde waved his hands and said, intending to find an empty table in the lobby to sit down. Along the way, he met many familiar people, so it was natural to be polite again.

Wei Guangde didn't look down on anyone just because he became a biography, he bowed his hands to them as usual.

"Guangde, Wei Chuanlu, here."

At this moment, Mr. Zhu Shilong, who failed the ranking for the second time, was also having breakfast outside. When he saw Wei Guangde coming in, he waved and shouted.

Walking over, he bowed to them again, Zhu Shilong, Shen Liangdong and others at the table all got up to return the salute, Wei Guangde then pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Envy, I saw Wei Chuanlu's demeanor outside on Chang'an Street yesterday, it was a long time ago that I couldn't calm down."

Zhu Shilong joked.

When Wei Guangde and the others came back yesterday, Zhu Shilong and his group of failed candidates were still getting drunk outside, so they didn't see them.

"Following a horse's butt and eating ashes all the way, how charming is it?"

Wei Guangde shook his head and smiled.

"First, I heard that your Jinshi went to the yamen of the Ministry of Rites yesterday. What happened? Is it really a matter of disaster relief in Shanshan?"

Shen Liangdong asked.

"Who did you hear?"

Wei Guangde asked curiously, this story is really true.

"Don't care who said it, is there such a thing?"

Shen Liangdong continued to ask.

"Yes."

Regarding this matter, Wei Guangde naturally had nothing to hide, and it was not a shady affair, so he immediately told Zhu Shilong, Shen Liangdong and the others what happened yesterday, and after a while, the people at the two tables next to him moved their chairs and sat down. Come over here to listen.

Well, the candidates have failed the rankings at this moment, but they haven't left yet. Most of them plan to wait a few more days. In fact, they are all for the praise of officials in Yujie yesterday, to see the demeanor of Jinshi Jinshi, so as to encourage themselves to continue. The road to imperial examinations.
Today is March [-]th. For Jinshi Jinshi, they will continue to enjoy the honor of becoming a Jinshi, that is, to participate in the Rong En Banquet.

The Rong En Banquet is held in the Ministry of Rites. For the yamen of the Ministry of Rites, it is very familiar to Jinshi of Jinke. We had a gathering here yesterday.

It's just that this time when Jinshi entered the yamen of the Ministry of Rites, sensitive people noticed that although the low-level yamen servants in the Ministry of Rites smiled at them, they seemed to be unhappy with them no matter how they looked at them.

In fact, the reason is very simple. Originally, they could have arranged the lobby of the Ministry of Rites during the day to prepare for today's honor banquet, but because of their disturbance, they had to clean it up all night, not to mention that it almost cost them nothing. , Naturally, this group of Jinshi is not pleasing to the eye.

The Rong En Banquet was not downgraded because of what happened yesterday, it was still extremely grand.

Early in the morning of the second day after Rong Enyan came back, Wei Guangde was invited to the front by the waiter of the shop, together with Lao Kan, Xia Kefan and Zhang Ke, all members of Xinke Jinshi, naturally it was the follow-up procedures of the palace examination.

At this time, the lobby of the Jiujiang Guild Hall had been cleaned up, and a young eunuch was waiting there accompanied by several captains. He got up when he saw Wei Guangde and the others coming in, holding a blue and yellow imperial edict in his hand.

After Wei Guangde and others bowed down, the little eunuch announced the decree: "Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said"

This imperial decree is also a routine matter. The royal family will reward the new Jinshi every day after the Rong En Banquet, but the rewards are a bit out of the table.

Wei Guangde and the others accepted the decree to thank them, this was just a formality, the imperial decree would not be handed over to them, but the rewards would be considered as the end of the matter.

He gave the little eunuch who passed the decree a silver coin for them to drink tea, and after seeing them off, Wei Guangde was a little dazed looking at the reward he got in his hand.

Five pieces of paper, to be precise, are five guan banknotes, which is equivalent to five taels of silver awarded by the emperor to Xinke Scholars, but this was the case during the Hongwu Dynasty. How much money to change.

Wei Guangde's family also has quite a few of these things, and every year the military pay from above must be a lot of them.

Looking at the treasure banknote in his hand, it is still very new, and he can even smell a faint fragrance of ink, which is obviously a product that has just been printed.

"Today is a day off, and tomorrow I will go to Honglu Temple to learn etiquette."

At this time, Zhang Ke said.

"The number one scholar has court clothes, should we send them out? If not, I'll have to ask later where I can get two suits."

Lao Kan said with a smile.

"Go together."

Wei Guangde said.

As for the royal conferment on Jinshi, only the number one scholar has a crown and court clothes, and other Jinshi can only make it themselves.

As for the Jinshi uniforms they are wearing now, I'm sorry, they have to be sent back to the Imperial College before the super-examination.

In the Honglu Temple, the officials of the Honglu Temple instructed the court etiquette. For most Jinshi, mainly the top three, the etiquette learned at this time may not be used, but they are still very serious. I am learning, who knows what will happen in the future.

Three days later, Zhu Dashou, the number one scholar in the current department, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the three hundred new scholars.

Don't underestimate this Thanksgiving Ceremony. According to the requirements of the "Da Ming Hui Dian", which is the tone set by Zhu Yuanzhang, it is still extremely grand.

On this day, all civil and military personnel in Beijing must wear court clothes and perform rituals according to the usual etiquette.

The officials of Honglu Temple introduced the number one scholar and the Jinshi to enter the class in order, but at this time, the first three people have official positions. People don't have a position yet, and they have to wait until all the ceremonies are completed and take the super-examination to determine their final whereabouts.

All the people bowed four times to the emperor, and the number one scholar led the Jinshi to express their gratitude to the emperor for his kindness. Then, the officials of the Ministry of Rites knelt down to announce the list. After the announcement, the number one scholar and all the Jinshi made four bows. Get off the car, and the ceremony of giving thanks is over.

The next day, Zhu Dashou, the number one scholar, led all the new scholars to the Guozijian to "visit the temple of the first teacher and perform the ceremony of explaining dishes".

"The first teacher", that is, Confucius, "visited the first teacher's temple and performed the ceremony of explaining dishes", which is intended to remind the champion and all Jinshi that in their future official careers, Confucianism must be used as the way to assist the emperor and govern.

The term "paying respect to the ancestors" is actually easy to understand. It means paying homage to Confucius. After all, scholars all claim to be disciples of Confucius, and the ceremony of explaining vegetables is actually not complicated. It means offering sacrifices.

Wei Guangde and the others followed the requirements of the "Da Ming Hui Dian". Before the teacher seated, there were various offerings in abundance, such as fish, plums, and chestnuts in a row; A row of 醢, fish 醢, etc.; a row of spleen analysis, pork belly, etc., beside the bean sacrificial vessel, there should also be a left sheep and a right hog (pig) and a middle cow. It also specifically stipulated that three live rabbits and three bottles of wine should be used.

Well, in fact, the Ministry of Rituals has prepared and set up the sacrifices, and the Xinke Scholars can just worship.

After completing this procedure, all the ceremonies of the entire palace examination will be considered complete.

The reason why it is said that after the palace examination, the ceremony of passing on the coffin, the royal street praise to the honor banquet, the table of thanks, and the "visiting the temple of the ancestors, and the ceremony of explaining dishes" is a complete process. In fact, it is because they all started from the palace examination, but it is After the imperial examination, the tasks that the Jinshi must do are indispensable.

On the second day, Wei Guangde, Lao Kan and others folded the Jinshi uniforms that they had taken off and sent them to the Imperial College. For Jinshi like them, all the ceremonies are over, and the next step is to welcome the last step that will determine their future destiny Off obstacles, super exam.

The super-examination is the most important exam to determine the whereabouts of the second and third-class Jinshi. Among them, the top scorers will naturally enter the Imperial Academy as Shujishi. Although there is no official position, it is also the position that every Jinshi dreams of.

Shu Jishi, who is exclusively attached to the Imperial Academy, selects Jinshi who is good at literature and calligraphy, and ranks at the top of the imperial examination Jinshi. official position.

Like the palace examination, in fact, most of the super examination is just a formality, and the final ranking will not be much different from the palace examination.

For Wei Guangde, the status of Chuanlu seems to guarantee that he can successfully become a concubine.

But at this time, Wei Guangde already knew how he came to be this Chuanlu, it was hand-picked by Emperor Jiajing, otherwise his best ranking would only be the fourth in the top three.

As for the source of the news, it was naturally Yan Fu.

It took a lot of effort for Yan Song to push Wei Guangde from the bottom of the top three to the top of the top three. Let Wei Guangde's papers have a chance to be seen by the emperor, and if they are lucky enough to be selected, the Yan family will naturally not do good deeds without leaving their names. .

Well, after knowing the whole story, Wei Guangde was a little worried about whether this lucky man was safe or not.

(End of this chapter)