The warship was still drifting in the sea.
Something big had happened in Yangzhou. It was the first examination of Yangzhou Academy. It was also the graduation examination. The scholars who graduated from Yangzhou Academy were going to enter the government service. These scholars who entered Yangzhou Academy were originally very talented people. However, Yangzhou's experience was different. Some of them were still young, so they were still studying in the academy.
Now, after more than a year of studying, these scholars could finally leave the academy and enter the government service.
There were also those foreign scholars. If you want to enter the six departments of Yangzhou, you can, but you have to take the examination.
Of course, Liu Mang would not directly give them a high position. If they want an official position, they can take the examination. If they can pass the examination, then they can enter the government service. If they can't pass the examination, then they can continue to study in the academy or go to the county to be a small official for a few years. When they have experience, they will naturally be promoted.
"Brother Chen, how did you do in the examination?" A scholar came out of the examination room and asked another scholar beside him. These two people were not from Yangzhou Academy. They came from Jiangdong. They heard that Yangzhou's examination was for officials. As long as you have the ability to pass the examination, then you can enter the government service. It was not based on your family background.
These scholars were not willing to admit that they were not as good as others. Most of them had a feeling that they were the best in the world. It was not that they could not be a high official, but they had the ability. However, the government was muddle-headed and could not see their talent. It was also because of those aristocratic families that obviously did not have the ability, but because of their family background, they occupied the government service, which made it impossible for them to enter the government service.
However, Yangzhou was different. It actually relied on examinations. Examinations were not strange. In China, there were examinations for five thousand years. However, after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it became a real large-scale examination. Other times, when the elders saw the younger generation, they would kindly smile and say, "Little kid, I will test you." Or when a few scholars gathered together, they would test each other's knowledge.
Liu Mang's Yangzhou was just a matter of hundreds of years later.
"I answered the first six questions. However, I really did not understand the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth questions." Brother Chen shook his head and said. The seventh question: 999 copper coins, one thousand seasonal pears. Nine pears for 111 wen, seven fruits for four wen. How much was the pear fruit worth?
Even if Brother Chen wanted to die, he wouldn't be able to figure it out. However, he did manage to answer the first few questions. For example, in the army, each square formation has a hundred people. There are a total of twelve square formations. Brother Chen thought for a long time and came up with a total of 1,200 people.
He couldn't answer the seventh question.
"Yes! I don't understand anything after the seventh question. I wasn't able to answer many questions before that! "Another scholar shook his head.
In addition to the seventh question above, there was also the eighth question. Looking at the seventh floor of the towering pagoda from afar, the red dots multiplied. A total of 381 lamps. May I ask how many lamps are at the tip? "
Question 9: The number of chickens and rabbits in the same cage is unknown. Thirty-six animals are exposed in the cage. Counting the number of feet, there were fifty pairs of chickens and rabbits in each pair.
For the tenth question, the bamboo is ten feet high, and the end is bent to the ground. How much higher is the bamboo?
These questions were like heavenly books to this bunch of scholars. There was no place for them to put their pen to paper.
While these scholars were discussing, a few carriages arrived outside Shouchun. The word "Qiao" was written on the carriages, indicating that these were the carriages of the Qiao family.
"Master, we have arrived at Shouchun!" A coachman outside the carriage shouted to the master inside.
"Yes!" The master inside the carriage replied, indicating his approval.
Shouchun was a boiling cauldron of voices. The people coming and going were all commoners and scholars. Compared to a few years ago, there was no sign of human habitation. The entire city had changed. The huge city walls had changed from stone to concrete and iron pillars. The height of the city had also increased from ten meters to twenty meters. It could be said that an ordinary ladder could not even touch the edge of the city. If Liu Bei attacked Shouchun again, Shouchun wouldn't even need to retaliate and would just close the city gates. In that case, Liu Bei would be caught off guard. So high, so high!
"Master, we need to alight!" The coachman continued.
"Alight?" The old man inside the carriage frowned and said in an unhappy tone, "We haven't even reached the entrance of the mansion. Why do we need to alight? Could it be that Shouchun is different from other places? "
"Master, in the past, we naturally didn't need to alight. But these days, it is different!" The coachman patiently explained to the old man inside the carriage. This was because the person inside the carriage had a noble status.
"What's the difference?" The old man had a trace of interest.
"These days, it is the examination in Yangzhou. Carriages are not allowed to travel in Shouchun to avoid colliding with the students. Therefore, all the carriages have to go through the north gate. You either have to lead them or leave them outside the city!" The coachman said to the master inside the carriage. Just like the college entrance exam in his previous life, Liu Mang also gave preferential treatment to the students who came to Yangzhou to participate in the exam. That is, as long as you obtain the qualifications to participate in the exam, then you can live in the same house in Shouchun. Food will also be sent to you by special people. The main thing was to take the examination well. Of course, the main place was naturally the dormitory. The food there was also a big pot of rice. These were prepared for the students of poor families. Because some of them were really poor, they might run out of money by the time they arrived in Shouchun. You couldn't let them sleep in the wilderness with an empty stomach.
If you didn't like the big pot of rice and the dormitory, you could live in a good hotel if you had money. There were all kinds of expenses. As long as you could afford it, you could even find two beautiful women to sing and dance for you every day.
"Yangzhou's examination?" The old man asked doubtfully.
"Yes! This is the benevolence of our King of Shu. He is giving everyone a chance. As long as you have the ability, you can go and take the exam. If you pass, you will naturally fly to the branch and become an official! " This carriage was filled with envy. In the past, when the position of an official was fixed, it was the children of nobles. If your father was a prefect, then you would be a county magistrate. When your father died, then you would be promoted to prefect. This continued for generations to come. However, since Liu Mang came to Yangzhou, it was not the same.
If your father was a prefect, if you were more knowledgeable than your father, then it would not be a problem to let you enter the Six Ministries as an assistant minister. If you were not knowledgeable, then even if your father was the current Minister, it would not be enough.
"Our family's Da Tou, when we go back this time, I will let that kid go to school to study. Not for anything else, but for him to be a worker!" Liu Mang changed the name of the small officials. They were called workers to serve the common people. When the common people saw them, they did not need to bow. Therefore, these small officials were also called non-bowing officials.
"There are no restrictions? Anyone can take the examination? " The old man frowned. Such a small coachman actually wanted his son to be an official. If this was in the past, it was simply impossible. Every class had their own thoughts. It was just like those poor commoners. If they wanted to be an emperor, they would want to eat a big flatbread filled with fat meat soup. Moreover, they wanted to eat as much as they wanted at one time.
How could an emperor eat flatbread? Unless the dynasty was about to collapse and the emperor was worthless. Otherwise, which emperor did not have a table full of good food? The Manchu Han Imperial Banquet was extravagant.
But now, a coachman, who clearly belonged to the lower class of commoners, actually wanted to be an official. This made the old man frown.
"Yes! As long as you study well and are old enough, you will have the opportunity to take the examination! " The coachman nodded. Liu Mang had set a limit for the students. As long as they were 18 years old, they could take the examination. Liu Mang would not use child labor for those under 18 years old.
"Nonsense!" After the old man got a positive answer, he could not help but snort coldly.
"Master, I will go and call a pampered child for you!" The coachman said to the old man. Liu Mang had restricted the carriage for the past few days. Naturally, he would also consider that some people who had difficulty moving might be inconvenient. Therefore, there was a pampered child who could sit in the city.
"No need!" The old man shook his head. "I am not that old. Isn't it just two steps?" The old man said as he got off the carriage and stepped into Yangzhou's number one city, Shouchun.
The degree of prosperity in Shouchun really made the old man nod. Those shops, the people coming and going, and the smiles on their faces did not seem fake. This kid seemed to have some ability. The old man had come to Shouchun more than once. This was because his hometown was originally in Lujiang, which was very close to Shouchun. In the past, when Shouchun was at its peak, it was not as lively as this. Not to mention, it later became like that. It was really not easy to build such a bustling city from the ruins. The old man couldn't help but nod again.
After walking for a long time, the old man heard a few students who had just taken the examination come out and chat. He stopped and listened to these students chat.
"The bamboo is ten feet high, and the end is bent to the ground. How much higher is the bamboo?" The old man thought of this question. Someone actually came up with an answer. It was about four feet and five feet. This was because the old man had used this kind of bamboo to make a triangle. However, the old man really did not know the other questions.
"I say, Brother Chen, could it be that these questions were made up by His Highness the King Of Shu in order to fool us poor students?" Some people questioned. This was because a group of students from Jiangdong had discussed with each other. Basically, no one was able to solve the latter questions. Even if there were a few smart people who took a bamboo and a ruler and directly made a triangle to measure the length of the bamboo, the other questions were really at a loss.
"It can't be!" Brother Chen said in a doubtful tone. This was because they were poor students from Jiangdong. There were many talented people among these poor students. However, they also could not solve the questions. Originally, everyone was holding an attitude of trying to solve the so-called examination of His Highness the King Of Shu, Liu Mang. Everyone's view was still stuck at the stage of nobles becoming officials. Could it be that His Highness the King Of Shu was playing with them?
The old man at the side also had the same thought. Could it be that His Highness the King Of Shu was just a person who only knew how to talk? The old man was more and more disgusted with the King Of Shu, Liu Mang.
While these students were chattering non-stop, there were even people who proposed to go to the King Of Shu to protest and fool these poor students.
However, they were interrupted by a mocking laughter from a white robed scholar sitting at a nearby table.
"This brother, what are you laughing at!" These poor students could still hear what was a malicious laughter and what was a mocking laughter. In addition, this white-robed scholar was wearing fine silk clothes. He should be a descendant of a noble family, the so-called second generation of an official. Naturally, these ordinary people would oppose these second generation officials.
"Me! I am not laughing at anything! "The white robed scholar did not want to offend people for no reason. Just now, he could not help but laugh. However, since it was better to avoid trouble, the white robed scholar did not want to cause trouble.
"Humph! If you laugh, then laugh. How can you quibble? In my opinion, this person is as hypocritical as the King Of Shu, Liu Mang. They are like a nest of snakes and rats, deceiving us poor students. " A poor student at the side who did not answer many questions knew that he had no hope of becoming an official. He could not help but directly roar.
"Brother Zhang, be careful with your words! This is Yangzhou! " Someone at the side reminded Brother Zhang. After all, this is the home of the King Of Shu. If you scold the King Of Shu, you are courting death.
"I!" This Brother Zhang was flustered at first, but when he saw that the other poor children were looking at him, he was afraid of losing face. If he was scared at this time, then he would lose face. People might say that he was afraid of the rich and powerful. One must know that although these poor children were not born in a good family, they still had their pride. "What are you afraid of? The King Of Shu is a liar! "
"You are not allowed to talk about the King Of Shu!" The white robed scholar was also angry. If this poor student insulted him, he would not care. However, when it came to that person, the white robed scholar became angry.
"What's wrong? Did I hit a sore spot?" The poor student became more and more proud. "You noble families and the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, are in cahoots. If you don't want us to become an official, then so be it. Why do you have to deceive us?" Brother Zhang suddenly became the representative of the noble families.
"Yes! If you don't want us to become an official, then don't let us become an official. Why do you have to deceive us? "
"Haha, who said that the King Of Shu does not want the poor students to become an official? Who is the Internal Minister of Yangzhou? Do you know? "The white robed scholar sneered and looked at the group of Jiangdong students.
They naturally knew who the Internal Minister of Yangzhou was. It was Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi.
"Then you should know that Internal Minister Xu used to be a Ranger. Because he knew the benefits of learning, he became the disciple of Lu Men Academy's Pang Degong. After he finished his apprenticeship, he became the Internal Minister of Yangzhou." The white robed scholar said.
Xu Shu was a Ranger in ancient times, but in modern times, he was just a hooligan. Ancient Rangers were righteous, but nowadays, hooligans were also righteous. How could a hooligan be a noble? Those bastards of noble families were called debauchees, and they were not the same concept as your so-called Rangers.
Xu Shu was the head of the civil officials in Yangzhou. When such an example was given, everyone was speechless. They were even nodding their heads.
"So what if he is Internal Minister Xu? Maybe he is an exception. That Internal Minister Xu is Pang Degong's disciple. Maybe the King Of Shu, Liu Mang let Xu Shu become the Internal Minister because of Pang Degong's face. We are not Pang Degong's disciples and we are not from a famous sect. We are not so lucky! "Brother Zhang said. Xu Shu had a good teacher, but they did not.
"I think you can't eat the grapes and say that the grapes are sour!" The white robed scholar sneered. It was okay to be envious of others. But if envy turned into jealousy, then it was a sin.
"You want to say that the questions of the examination were deliberately made difficult by His Highness the King Of Shu? Well, then I will answer it for you. What if I tell you the answer? " The white robed scholar sneered and said to everyone. He even walked in front of Brother Zhang.
"It's her? No, it's impossible. Isn't she dead? It's not her! It's him! "The white robed scholar did not notice that there was an old man outside looking at the white robed scholar's face. He was stunned. He looked at the white robed scholar in disbelief." How can there be such a similar face in the world? Impossible, impossible! "
"If you can tell me the answer, then I will hang myself here to apologize to His Highness the King Of Shu!" This Brother Zhang was also ruthless.
"Haha, you don't need to hang yourself. You just need to kneel down on the road and kowtow three times in the direction of His Highness the King Of Shu's mansion. Then you can loudly say that you were wrong!" The white robed scholar shook his head. He came out to play, not to see someone die.
"Okay!" Brother Zhang agreed quickly. He believed that those questions were made difficult by the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, in order to dispel their thoughts of entering the official career and gain a good reputation.
"You said that you can't answer questions seven, eight, and nine, right? I will start with the simplest question, the ninth!" The white robed scholar stood up. "The question is' Chickens and Rabbits in a Cage Can't Tell How Many Chickens and Rabbits? ' There are fifty pairs of feet. How many chickens and rabbits are there? Is that right? " “
The students from Jiangdong nodded in agreement.
"Then listen carefully. The answer to this question is: There are fourteen rabbits and twenty-two chickens!" Seeing the white robed scholar give the answer so quickly, the people over there were stunned. Could it be that there was really an answer?
"You are lying. You just casually said a number and that is the answer?" Brother Zhang shouted loudly over there.
Yes! The people on the side nodded. Maybe this white robed scholar didn't know how to answer. He just said a number and no one could verify it.
"Haha, I think you won't give up until you reach the Yellow River. Fine, then I will let you die knowing!" The white robed scholar was really angry. "For this question, let's first use a hypothetical method. Assuming that there are rabbits, there should be 36 * 4 = 144 feet. Now there are only 100 feet. So we need to remove the rabbits. Remove one rabbit and replace it with a chicken. Then we need to reduce two feet. Now we need to reduce 44 feet. So we need to change 442 = 22 rabbits into chickens. So there are 22 chickens and 12 rabbits."
The white robed scholar said a bunch of numbers, causing the poor students below to be at a loss.
"What hypothetical method? You are still fooling people!" Brother Zhang shouted again. They didn't know how to answer the question, so he was a liar.
"I know you don't understand!" The white robed scholar was already prepared. "Then I will give you a simple one! All the chickens stand on one leg, and all the rabbits raise their two front legs, so there are 50 feet on the ground. Among the feet on the ground, each rabbit has 2, which is one more than the number of heads. Each chicken has only one foot on the ground, so there are 36 heads. If each head has one foot on the ground, then there are 36 feet on the ground. Now there are 50 feet on the ground, and only the rabbits have more than the heads. Moreover, each rabbit has one more foot on the ground, so there are 14 rabbits, so there are 22 chickens. "
The people below were still at a loss.
"You still don't understand! Then listen. Talking to you is really tiring. You all still want to be an official. You don't even know the basics. " The white robed scholar became more and more disdainful. The people below began to believe him even though they still didn't understand. But even if you made up all the numbers, being able to make two numbers the same was also a skill.
"Does anyone here have a hunter?" The white-robed scholar shouted at the crowd of onlookers below.
"Yes, there is!" In the Shouchun exam, in addition to food, there was also a need for some game meat. Therefore, hunters were also supplying goods to the restaurants in the city. Naturally, there were hunters present.
"Good! This big brother, let me ask you. There are 36 heads. If you cut off two of the four legs of the rabbits, how many legs would there be? "
"Thirty-six, one, two, three, four, five, six." The hunter counted with his fingers for a long time, then said to the white-robed scholar with a simple and honest smile, "A total of seventy-two feet!"
"That's right! There are seventy-two legs in total, but now there are a hundred legs, which means that we have hidden twenty-eight legs. These twenty-eight legs are the two legs of the rabbits that we cut off. If we cut off two legs of a rabbit, then there are twenty-eight legs in total. If we cut off the rabbit's legs, then there are forty-four legs left. If the chicken has two legs, then there are twenty-two legs! "
The white-robed scholar didn't say a word, but Brother Zhang's face turned pale. He knew that he was going to lose for sure.
"As for the other questions, the pear seller uses the two-yuan method. The number of pears is X, and the number of fruits is Y. According to Shiyi, the price of each pear is 119 copper coins, and the price of each fruit is 47 copper coins. The price of each pear is 119 X + 47 Y = 999X + Y = 1000. The total price of each pear is 119 X 657 = 803 copper coins, and the total price of each fruit is 47 X 343 = 197 copper coins. "
"The height of the bamboo is 4.55 feet using the Pythagorean theorem."
The commoners and the nobles had their eyes opened. They had never heard of such things as eating two Yuanxiao in one go or the dogbone theorem.
"4.55 feet!" The old man was also thinking. He originally thought that it was 4.5 feet. Although the difference wasn't big, it was still the wrong answer. He didn't expect that he, Qiao Xuan, would be educated by others.
But was this' he 'her? Or was it not her? The old man looked at the white robed scholar on the stage and couldn't help but look kind.
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