Good luck with koi carp

Chapter 152

After the examination, no one left Kyoto, everyone was waiting for the results to be released.

If you pass, you have to take the palace examination immediately. If you fail, you need to make other plans.

Chili and her father have moved to another inn that is closer to the outer circle of the Imperial City. The environment here is not bad, and there are many places selling food outside. Life is more convenient, and the most important thing is that the price is affordable, which is much better than the one near Gongyuan where they originally lived. An inn is three times cheaper for a night.

Long-term renting would be more favorable, so the father and daughter moved here with their four servants.

There are still four rooms reserved. On Chi Li's side, Fu Lu and Wang's mother will take turns staying overnight, while on Chi Xiucai's side, one person will live in one room, and the two guards will share one room.

This inn does provide food, but occasionally when I get tired of it, Chili still likes to take Fulv out to look for any delicious restaurants or stalls selling food, and occasionally find the taste. If it’s good, you’ll be pleasantly surprised and feel like you’ve found a treasure.

Chi Xiucai also let his daughter go out to play.

Now that the general examination has passed, even if Li'er is lucky enough to participate in the palace examination, it will basically be just a formality.

The most important thing in the palace examination is not to lose etiquette in front of the emperor, so as not to offend the emperor. There is nothing else. Even the questions in the palace examination are not more difficult than those in the general examination. Since they can pass the general examination, they can naturally pass the palace examination, so There is no need to deal with it so nervously.

Now, while waiting for the test results to be released, I can relax for a while.

Even so, Chi Li also knew that the foot of the imperial city was a place where a dropped plaque could hit nine officials, so even if she went out to play, she was careful not to stray too far from the inn where she was staying.

The area around this area is where ordinary people in the city live, so there is no need to worry about accidentally attracting some big shot that they can't afford to offend.

Compared with the relaxation of the candidates after finishing the exam, the examiners who were locked up in Gongyuan to correct the papers were more stressed than the last. Many of them had acne on their faces due to staying up too late, and the dark circles under their eyes were extremely thick. Look, he looks haggard.

In this state, not only do they not dare to freely incorporate their personal emotions when marking papers, but they also become more cautious and patient.

Because at this stage, in fact, basically every candidate has some real materials, and the articles they write are not said to be of great literary talent, but they are also meaningful. If they mark papers randomly, any talented person will be harmed. If a candidate fails the exam and is later caught by the examiner randomly checking the pile of waste papers, he will be accused of practicing favoritism and cheating, and the nine tribes will be exterminated.

Who dares to gamble with his own life and that of his family?

In particular, this examination is the first examination for selecting Jinshi after the Empress ascended the throne. In other words, this examination is also an important opportunity for the Empress to select the talents of her future team. It is much more special than the ordinary examination. Supervision and spot checks on all aspects of the paper will only become more stringent.

Even every examiner who can sit here now is the result of careful selection after a political game between the empress and the courtiers, so even if they are each for the master behind them, these examiners will still fight 12 Treat every paper with utmost concentration.

Here, there is no difference between male and female candidates.

In order to prevent the examiners from identifying the candidates through their handwriting, all the papers for the general examination will be copied by a special person and then sent to the examiners for correction. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to identify which paper was written by which candidate. , which also ensures the possibility of the examiner helping the examinee to practice favoritism to the greatest extent possible.

Naturally, things like the previous county examination, where examinees differentiated men and women based on different fonts, leading to differential treatment, would not happen again.

Each candidate who participates in three exams will naturally have three papers. The examiners can choose which paper to review first according to their own preferences and habits. Some like to read the questions from the Four Books and Five Classics first, and then mark the first paper first. Some like to review the papers first. After reading the judgment, the paper for the second session will be marked first. Some people like to read the policy argument first, and then mark the paper for the third session first.

There are no regulations and restrictions in this regard. Anyway, it is enough to ensure strict approval in the end.

"What a wonderful sentence!"

An examiner accidentally saw a paper with particularly skillful writing of judgments and couldn't help but sigh in a low voice.

The judgments in this paper are not only reasonable and accurate in determining the difficult questions, but also can accurately find the corresponding laws as the basis for interpretation. Looking at the other judgments written by it, they are all equally skillful and accurate. Those who don’t know may think that the candidates themselves have rich trial experience.

Of course, the examiner who reviewed this judgment is himself an official who is good at judging. He can still see some immaturity in it, but as long as he is given more experience, maybe over time, they can have one more member of Dali Temple. general.

I don’t know who this candidate is. If he/she can finally pass the Jinshi examination, he/she can apply to His Majesty to attract him/her to their Dali Temple for duty.

This was not just a small episode in the process of marking papers. It passed quickly. When the marking process, which lasted for half a month, was over, the admission list was finally compiled and announced.

On the day when the list was released, there was almost no place to stand on the streets outside the list. Looking down from a high place, one could only see densely packed heads, which were still surging towards the list. If it weren't for the imperial court, Soldiers were specially mobilized to help maintain order. This environment could easily cause accidents, and even the wooden fence with the list of successful candidates in the examination would have to be washed away.

With so many people, Chi Li would definitely not let her father squeeze in, and she would not allow the family members to join in the fun.

In her words: "Anyway, others will naturally leave after reading the list. We just wait until others finish reading before going to see it. We are not in a hurry. Safety is the most important thing."

It’s just a list of things to look at, morning and night. The list is there, and you won’t be able to run any longer. Now that so many people are crowding in, are they afraid that a stampede won’t happen?

Even though he was very anxious in his heart, Chi Xiucai couldn't squeeze in to look at the list because his daughter kept stopping him. He could only wait anxiously far away, watching other people's lives.

Those who were successful were overjoyed, those who were unsuccessful were devastated, and there were even those who went crazy on the spot. This shows how much an examination can shake people's hearts.

Not to mention others, even Chi Li is actually looking forward to her own results. She wishes she could get over there early to see clearly whether she is winning or losing. However, it is indeed not safe in the past, and they may not be able to squeeze in. All we can do is be patient and wait.

Finally, while waiting for the sky to get dark, the crowd gathered in front of the list dispersed.

Chi Xiucai and the people of the Chi family all looked at Chi Li eagerly. Chi Li was silent, but still smiled helplessly and said, "Let's go and look at the list together."

As soon as the words fell, everyone was like a fierce horse that had taken off its reins. They galloped over, pulled away the few people who were still gathered in front of the list, and looked up at the list in the dimming skylight.

They are all literate, at least they know how to write Chili's name, so in order to improve efficiency, everyone has a clear division of labor. Some people look from front to back, some people look from back to front, and some people look from the middle to both sides.

Before Chili could walk in, she was grabbed by her shoulders by her father who suddenly rushed over in excitement and shook her wildly: "Li'er, Li'er, hahahahahaha, I've tried my best in Li'er, I My daughter has passed the high school entrance examination, I am so happy to be a father hahaha..."

Chi Li was caught off guard by her crazy biological father, who shook her head so much that she almost fainted. Fortunately, her mother Wang, who was equally excited, still had some sense. When she saw the uncomfortable look on her young lady's face, she hurriedly ran over to save her. Rescued from the master.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"It's okay. Dad is too happy for me, so just let him have fun." Chi Li held on to Wang's mother's arm and stood still. Seeing that her father was jumping up and down and randomly pulling a passerby to dance, Chili also felt nervous again. Funny and helpless.

It seemed that her parents looked like this every time she passed the exam. Now her mother is not here, otherwise it would be the couple dancing together at this moment.

The passerby who was suddenly pulled into dancing was a little confused at first, but when he heard that it was his daughter who had passed the high school entrance examination, he couldn't help but congratulate him with admiration: "Congratulations to this old man, for your daughter has won the Jinshi."

"thanks, thanks."

Chi Xiucai also lost his temper when he went crazy for a while. After calming down for a while, he realized how rude his behavior was. He hurriedly thanked the passers-by for being tolerant and considerate of him, and took out one or two taels from his wallet. If you give money to someone else, you should get good luck.

The passerby was also surprised by this unexpected fortune. Even if it was not much, it was quite satisfying.

He took the money and left happily, and Chi Xiucai happily turned to look for his daughter who was standing in front of the list looking for his name.

"Li'er, hasn't my father already read it for you? You won, and my father checked it several times. I will tell you after he confirms it is correct." The implication is that he tells his daughter not to read it again.

Chi Li stared at the names on the list while replying to her father: "Dad only said that my daughter won, not to mention where she was ranked. My daughter is curious about her ranking, so shouldn't she have to come and see for herself?"

As he said that, Chi Li also saw his name among the pile of names, and it happened to be ranked eighth.

A position that is close to the front but not very forward.

All I can say is that it sounds auspicious.

Chi Li is still very satisfied with this ranking. She has calculated everything. She has only studied for three years from formal enrollment to now. Even with her golden finger, the actual study time will be doubled. But it’s only about six or seven years.

Compared with those who have been studying for more than 20, 8, or even longer years since they were unable to walk steadily, her study time is still a bit short after all. In such a short period of time, she was able to become No. [-] in the National Examination. [-]. In fact, he is already a genius that can make countless people look up and marvel, so there is no need to expect more.

Furthermore, in fact, this is not the final ranking.

Only after passing the palace examination can the dust be settled. At this time, the ranking will continue to change after the palace examination. Some people may rise and some may fall. However, generally the top ten will not fall as long as they do not commit suicide temporarily. Out of the top two.

As long as you don't fall into the top three, it won't be a big problem.

The palace examination is scheduled to start on March [-]th, immediately after the results of the general examination are released.

On the fourteenth day, officials from the Ministry of Etiquette dispatched by the imperial court will first gather those who have passed the examination, such as Chili, and teach them the etiquette of entering the palace together, so as to prevent anyone who does not understand the etiquette and makes a joke, and the candidates who will be punished will not be punished. , and they are the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette, so they teach very carefully and strictly, and strive to make no mistakes in every step.

When she was taught etiquette, positions were arranged according to rank. Chili No. 8 was standing near the front. She glanced forward and found that she was the only woman in the top ten.

However, she was not the only woman taking the exam. Including her, there were five people in total, but the other four were located at the back and could not line up with her.

This is already very impressive. Five of the dozen or so female candidates who took part in the examination were successful, and one of them was still in the top ten. The success rate can be said to be one-third, which is incredibly high.It also proves from the side that women who can stand out in this era are not simple people.

Perhaps because of this, as the only female student who made it into the top ten, Chi Li received a lot of attention from the audience, but she ignored them all.

At the moment, she is studying etiquette strictly from the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette. How can she have time to care about what others think of her?

This teaching lasted a whole day. After it was repeatedly confirmed that every student could do it without making any mistakes, they were dismissed and let go.

Before leaving, Chi Li noticed that someone seemed to want to get closer and talk to her, but in the end, it might be because it was getting late and the palace examination was tomorrow, so she thought it was not a good time to talk to her, so she didn't come forward.

And she had already followed her father who came to pick her up back to the inn.

On the day of the palace examination, Chili put on the tribute uniform distributed by the court in advance, followed the troops arranged by rank yesterday, and walked into the palace with the large troops to the specially arranged palace examination venue.

Here, they need to complete the palace examination questions under the personal supervision of Her Majesty the Empress and wait for the final judgment.

The imperial examination papers will be jointly reviewed by the empress, the cabinet bachelor and other important officials in the court, and will eventually be ranked first, second and third.

Chili was a little nervous before entering the palace, but after entering the palace, she felt like a fish in water. She actually wanted to restrain herself, but the dragon energy in the palace was so strong that she almost couldn't control it.

As a koi carp, even if Chili does not follow the path of building a path like a fish leaping over the dragon's gate, she still has an irresistible yearning for things related to dragons in her instincts, and this dragon energy is a great tonic for her. Just by bathing in this place with abundant dragon energy, she felt that her soul was extremely comfortable, and even her body had received some benefits. Her face looked much rosier than before she came in.

It's like soaking in a fairy spring pool.

Fortunately, her sanity was not lost. Instead, she became clearer after being bathed in dragon energy. When she knelt down with many students to worship the empress on the highest throne, Chili did it meticulously and made no mistakes.

"Students have met His Majesty. Long live His Majesty. Long live His Majesty."

Every student who participates in the palace examination can be called a disciple of the emperor. To the empress, they naturally call themselves students. After passing the palace examination, they will enter various parts of the imperial court and gradually become the mainstay of the country, helping the empress to manage the country and become other members of the imperial family. His right-hand man.

Of course, not many of them could climb to high positions in the end, but as the first batch of Jinshi after the empress came to the throne, their status is also quite special.

Especially Chili, the five female students among many male students. As beings who are urgently needed by the current empress, their future is foreseeable and bright, so much so that when they came in, the palace maids and eunuchs who led the way were His attitude towards them is slightly different than others.

Chi Li noticed it, and others naturally noticed it. Before the palace examination officially started, someone was already casting envious glances.

As I said before, the questions in the imperial examination are not difficult, and the number of questions is much smaller than that in the general examination, and this is indeed the case.

Chi Li glanced at the paper when she got it, and saw that there were only three questions on it, one of which asked about the court's previous views on the reform of the army.

As early as when the current emperor was still the eldest princess, the army of the Sui Dynasty was not only dominated by male soldiers, but also included female soldiers. And to this day, the two sides have become able to compete with each other and contain each other.

Men and women are physically different and each has their own advantages. In fact, they do not have to be put together to compare with each other.

After all, the army still prefers to rely on strength to determine victory or defeat. Therefore, compared with the serious opposition to women's imperial examinations among the literati, the male and female soldiers in the army get along surprisingly harmoniously.

However, the question that the palace examiner is asking today is not about this aspect, but about the system of farming and raising troops proposed by Her Majesty the Empress the year before last.

To put it simply, the army is allowed to organize soldiers to cultivate fields and grow food in their free time to feed themselves, so as to reduce the financial burden on the court.

After all, the current Sui Dynasty is generally peaceful, and there are no major wars outside. Although there are civil strife, they are usually suppressed by Her Majesty the Empress with thunder as soon as they start, and there is no big disturbance at all, so many armies are The idle tax is there, and it cannot be disbanded, so that the military salary lost every year is quite large, and it will also be a burden on the national treasury over time.

That's why the empress came up with this method.

In this regard, some people in the DPRK feel that it is inappropriate. Raising troops in the fields will give the army the ability to support itself. If one day they become rebellious, it will cause turmoil and division in the country.

Some people agree that although it involves certain risks, it also has its advantages. As long as the number of farmland is stipulated and controlled within a certain range, this is not unfeasible and can also reduce the burden of raising troops on the court.

Unlike others, Chili saw some clues in it.

The current empress does not seem to be a peacemaker, right?
Even the other party has ambitions that are beyond the reach of ordinary people. It can be seen from various previous details that what Her Majesty the Empress pursues after becoming emperor is not only the highest authority to control the entire Sui Dynasty, she seems to have the ability to continue to expand externally. meaning.

It's just that she has only been in power for a short time now, so even if she has any intentions, she can't express them too hastily. She can only accumulate power bit by bit first, and then implement it when the time is right.

Reforming the army is one of them, and strengthening her own power by allowing women to take the imperial examination is also one of them. She may have made many plans that Chili can't see.

However, these are things for the future and have little to do with Chili now.

She calmed down her scattered thoughts and began to concentrate on answering the questions. Regarding the system of farming and raising troops advocated by the empress, Chili agreed, but did not completely agree. The advantages and disadvantages of this system are quite obvious. It can be used for temporary emergencies, but it cannot be used for a long time. Otherwise, it is indeed very likely to develop into what the opposition insists on, causing division and turmoil within the country.

It would be fine if the person in power was as decisive and skillful as the current empress, but if any emperor could not suppress the growing and uncontrolled army, then this double-edged sword would surely fly away in many years. Come back and attack them hard, and then the situation will be out of control.

Therefore, while implementing the system of fielding and raising troops, the country's economy can also be developed in addition. After the suspended national treasury gradually becomes abundant, the fields hoarded by the army will be taken back and the old practice of supporting the army from the national treasury will be restored. This will ensure that the court's The control of the army will not weaken, and the national treasury will be prevented from being gradually overwhelmed by the army. At the same time, the court will have a large amount of land. No matter how these fields are disposed of, it will eventually add an income to the court.


Chili's proposal was insidious. It seemed that she was thinking from the perspective of a superior, but in fact she was trying to avoid bigger problems in the future.


In fact, she is eliminating hidden dangers at the beginning, so in the end, she is still considering the safety of more people.


Because no matter how the country rises or falls, it is the people who suffer. Only by ensuring that it continues in a relatively stable state can the people continue to live peacefully.


Except for military reform, the other two questions asked about more conventional people's livelihood and economy.


The two are actually inseparable. However, as two separate questions, they have different focuses. The candidates need to consider their own angles to answer.


When Chi Li was immersed in answering the questions, she could feel a majestic and appraising gaze above her head falling on her. If she were a person with a weak heart, she would be a little panicked at this time, but she is not actually affected by the mortal emperor. This kind of powerful influence, so there is not much reaction.


In terms of power, her previous owner was the strongest person she had ever seen.


No, the other party is a god, not a human being.


The Imperial Examination only lasts one day, but on this day, many people still feel more tired after the exam than on the nine-day exam. This may be because the exam environment is too serious, and there is also a future boss who can control their life and death. I was personally invigilating the exam, so I guess it put a lot of pressure on everyone.


"There is really no need to take another exam this time."


As soon as he walked out of the palace gate and saw his father who had been waiting for him for who knows how long, Chili smiled tiredly.


Chi Xiucai just patted his daughter on the shoulder, said nothing, and led her all the way back to the inn.


A few days later, the students who participated in the palace examination were once again ordered to enter the palace. They lined up neatly in a square formation, knelt down under the attention of the civil and military officials of the court, and waited for the empress to announce the final result.


"Xuan: Chi Li, Meng Zhengqing, Yao Yongzhi, come forward to see me."


After receiving the signal from His Majesty's eyes, the chief eunuch turned around and pointed out three of the many students in a high-pitched voice.


The three people whose names were called were among the top ten in the general examination. Among them, Meng Ziqing was second in the general examination, Yao Yongzhi was fifth in the general examination, and Chi Li was eighth in the general examination.


No matter how many places they had passed in the examination before, when they were picked out from a bunch of people, their identities were clearly announced to everyone, the top three!

The only difference is who is the role model and the third overall pick.


Everyone has their own guesses, but in the end it all depends on the Queen's wishes, so everyone holds their breath and waits for His Majesty's final decision.


Empress Si Zhaoling had actually already decided, or in other words, when Chi Li's name appeared in the top ten of the examination, everything was already doomed.


So she didn't bother to whet her appetite, and directly gave the cabinet bachelor a look. The other party understood, unfolded the edict that had been drafted in her hand, and read out in a solemn voice: "By God's blessing... Chi Li, a student of Nanhuai Prefecture, will be given the title of No. [-] with a salary retroactive for three years." The number one scholar will be awarded the title of Jinshi, and he will also be awarded the title of editor and editor from the Sixth Grade Hanlin Academy...Meng Zhengqing will be ranked second in the first grade, and will be awarded the title of Jinshi, and will be awarded the title of editor and editor of the seventh grade Hanlin Academy. Secondly, I am also bestowed with the title of Editor and Editor of the Seventh Rank Hanlin Academy. I admire this."


"I thank the Emperor for his kindness. Long live the Emperor. Long live the Emperor."


Chili and the three of them knelt down together and saluted the empress. Then they were taken away by an official from the Ministry of Etiquette to change into Jinshi uniforms, wear hairpins on their heads, and ride on horseback through the streets.

When riding a tall horse out of the gate of the imperial city, Chili could vaguely hear Chuan Lu, who was originally the first in the imperial examination and now the fourth in the imperial examination, loudly announcing the ranking of each Jinshi.

From the second place to the bottom of the top three, there are more than 300 names in total. After shouting these names, you will definitely be dumb for several days.

Chi Li could tell that this No. 1 might have offended the Empress. She didn't know if it was because the Empress was dissatisfied with his answers during the palace examination, or if there were other reasons.

(End of this chapter)