Since Le Chengdi wanted to read it in advance, Chen Zhengmin naturally presented it to him respectfully.
In this imperial examination, if one could write well, then even if the content was not as good, he would still score better than someone who wrote poorly. After all, when the examiners read the papers, the first thing they looked at was the quality of the writing. Only if the writing was good would they be in the mood to continue reading. As long as the content was not too bad, there was still hope. On the other hand, if the writing was bad, the examiners would not want to look at it a second time and would probably reject it directly. Thus, no matter how good the writing was, the examiners would not even look at it. What else could one hope for?
Le Chengdi had already read Chen Zhengmin's writing. Naturally, it was not bad. In the beginning, he was rather nonchalant. He shared the same opinion as most of the courtiers. In such a short period of time, even if Chen Zhengmin went down and carefully pondered over it, he would not have improved that much. However, gradually, Le Chengdi's expression became serious. He could not help but sit up straighter.
Seeing Le Chengdi's reaction, the courtiers looked at each other. It seemed to be a little unexpected. Then, many people looked at Chen Zhengmin again. He was sitting upright with his eyebrows lowered. He was not happy that Le Chengdi was the first one to read it, nor was he nervous. He was even unmoved by favor or humiliation. At such a young age, was there going to be a second Sun Yilin?
Compared to when he read Sun Yilin's essay, Le Chengdi's reading speed was slower. It seemed that he was still thinking about some parts. Could it be that he wrote better than Sun Yilin? If that was the case, then it was really amazing.
Although Le Chengdi took a longer time, he did not show any joy. It was hard to tell.
"My dear courtiers, please take a look." Le Chengdi asked the chamberlain to take the essays to the courtiers again.
The Court Examination was the same as the previous examinations. There was a time limit. As time passed, more and more people finished. Naturally, there were also those who were affected by the lack of mental fortitude. The more flustered they were, the worse they would be, and the worse they would be. It seemed like they would end up at the bottom of the list.
Sun Yilin's and Chen Zhengmin's essays had been passed around by the courtiers.
Le Chengdi ordered his men to collect a few more articles. Of course, the closer the article was to the front, the higher the chance of being selected.
Le Chengdi couldn't help but nod at some of them.
"Luo Aiqing, did Chen Zhengmin ask you about this question?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, I haven't."
Chen Zhengmin had gotten this question from Sun Yilin. Moreover, after learning that Sun Yilin liked his fiancée and wanted to snatch her away, Chen Zhengmin didn't bring this question to Luo Peishan, probably because of his competitive nature.
Le Chengdi nodded. "Speaking of which, Luo Aiqing's taste is indeed very good. Dear ministers, what do you think after seeing it? Dear Minister Ruan, tell me about it first. "
Ruan Ruizhong stroked his beard. "Although some parts are still immature, there are many original points. Sun Bingbi's previous articles were full of vigor, but some parts were indeed a little too radical. The current article is obviously a supplement to the previous article. Combining the two, there is stability in the advancement, and progress in the stability. It is truly rare. As for Chen Gongsheng's previous articles, I do not know. Just based on this article alone, it is a combination of novelty and wonder. There is one point that is similar to Sun Bingbi's, and that is, there is no lack of youth's vigor.
Le Chengdi listened to the opinions of others, naturally he also listened to the opinions of his sons. In fact, for him, the opinions of his sons were even more important than the opinions of his ministers. Li Hongming's comments were reasonable, but he seemed to be biased towards Sun Yilin. Li Hongming's comments could be regarded as impartial, but he had his own opinions. Not bad. The Gong Prince was more outstanding in military affairs, but in terms of knowledge, he was a far cry from Li Hongyi. The sickly Fifth was lying in bed again. Behind Li Hongyuan, the one ranked seventh had no interest in these things. The one ranked eighth had followed the second to become brothers in the netherworld. The two ranked last had only been involved in politics for a short time, so their answers were more or less "seconded". The ones ranked last were not qualified to appear here for the time being.
"Old Sixth, what do you think?" Le Chengdi thought he would skip over someone, but he didn't expect that in the end, Le Chengdi still chose "Evil Abyss". Look at his worst sitting posture, he was so lazy and bored that he looked like he was about to fall asleep.
Li Hongyuan raised his eyelids and slowly stood up. "Father Emperor, are you sure you want to listen to this son?"
Le Chengdi choked, he really was looking for trouble. He waved his hand, telling him to quickly sit down, don't make a fool of yourself.
Li Hongyuan's face had long been comparable to the city walls, and the ministers had long been used to it, so they didn't have the slightest reaction. Even those who secretly belonged to him had long been used to his two completely different styles.
In fact, Li Hongyuan thought that if his father really wanted him to say something, he would be prepared to say a few words seriously. Now, whether it was Chen Zhengmin or Sun Yilin, in his eyes, they were all young brats. To tell the truth, if it didn't involve Wan Wan, these two people might be able to get his attention in another ten years. Their views and opinions were still far from enough.
Le Chengdi did not rashly decide on Chen Zhengmin's ranking. Instead, he asked the courtiers to quickly look through the other candidates. These candidates were all in the top 20. A few of them were popular candidates for the first rank.
When the time was up, all the papers were collected.
Although the emperor was personally present, no emperor would read hundreds of papers one by one. It was already good enough if he liked twenty papers, and those who needed to be selected by him were usually the top three.
Le Chengdi asked a few people based on the papers he had read, and then he had a rough idea.
"In this court examination, the tribute student Chen Zhengmin is the best, but because he solved this question before, he will be demoted. He will be given the third place in the first grade, and will enter the Hanlin Academy as an editor. The tribute student Xie Renxun, although his essay is slightly inferior, it is fair and upright, and has won my favor. He will be given the first place in the first grade, and will enter the Hanlin Academy as an editor. The tribute student Jiang Wei, whose essay is also of the highest quality, will be given the second place in the first grade, and will enter the Hanlin Academy as an editor. The rest of the papers will be handed over to the Ministry of Personnel for evaluation and ranking as soon as possible. "
Top scorer Xie Renxun, third place in the general examination.
Second place Jiang Wei, second place in the general examination.
Third place Chen Zhengmin, fifth place in the general examination.
Chen Zhengmin's result was unexpected, but his final ranking was expected. After all, he was the youngest and most handsome among the top ten in the general examination. It was said that the third place was not only judged by one's knowledge, but also by one's appearance. It was said that after every court examination, the most popular person was not the top scorer or the second place, but the third place.
Of course, to be able to enter the imperial court as an official, the most basic requirement was to have good facial features. In other words, the officials basically did not have ugly melons and cracked dates. Although the local officials did not have such strict requirements, if they really looked unsightly, it was absolutely not possible. Even if they relied on a solid background and could mix well in a region, they would not be able to become an official in the capital in their lifetime.
The court examination was basically over.
"Great reward for Great Elder Princess's birthday. Is there anyone among you who has the purse?"
Among the 300 people, there was indeed one person who had a purse. He was sitting in the middle and slightly in the front. He walked out of his original seat with excitement. "I'm lucky to have one."
"Come forward." When the young man walked to the front, Le Chengdi asked casually. Then he took the purse from the young man's hand, opened it, and looked at the reward written on the note. "Go and get all the rewards prepared. Then ask the holders of the other nine purses to come to the palace immediately." Le Chengdi looked at the young man who tried to hide his joy but could not stop himself. He laughed in his heart. Sure enough, there were few people like Sun Yilin. "Take out his paper. If he can get the second place, put him in the top ten. If he can only get the third place, then let him do whatever he wants."
In the final ranking of the court examination, as long as one did not offend anyone, the higher the ranking, the better the job, no matter if one stayed in the capital or was sent to other places. Moreover, there were about 120 people in the second place of the Qi Yuan Dynasty. The scholars of the Hanlin Academy were usually selected from the top 50 people, unless one had a special relationship. If one was out of the top 50 people, he or she would not be qualified to enter the Hanlin Academy.
"Those who are not from the Hanlin Academy cannot enter the Cabinet." Although this was not necessarily the case in the Qiyuan Dynasty, after all, there were Cabinet Elders who were not from the Hanlin Academy. In Li Hongyuan's previous life, Sun Yilin was in this situation. However, this was generally a special case. As long as those who passed the Jinshi examination, there were not many who did not want to enter the Hanlin Academy.
Le Chengdi put him in the top ten. In addition, it was a reward from the emperor, so basically no one would make trouble. Therefore, it was almost certain that he would enter the Hanlin Academy. Even if he did not want to go to the Hanlin Academy and chose to go to other places, he had more priority than others. The young man was so excited that he clenched his fists. Many people were envious.
Fortunately, among these people, only one had a purse. If there were more, Le Chengdi would not dare to do this. After all, if there were more people, they would occupy more places for the outstanding ones. Who knew if other talents would be squeezed out by them?
Of course, the premise was that the young man could enter the second place.
The opportunity had been given. Whether or not he could seize it depended on his own ability. Although the reward could be given to others, if the person was really an idiot, it would be good enough to give the reward in the purse to him. There was no need to think about other benefits. If the idiot was really an idiot and offended Le Chengdi, he might be punished.
The young man's essay was found and read by the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. The old Minister had read many essays before. There were good ones and bad ones. It was not the first time that he had invigilated the general examination and judged the court examination. Therefore, he had a rough estimate of all the essays this time. "Your Majesty, this man's essay can enter the second place."
This time, he was really beaming with joy and was very excited.
Perhaps there were some who couldn't understand this feeling, but the adults who had been through this step could understand it very well. To them, a single opportunity was sometimes really important. A single opportunity might be able to change the fate of a lifetime.
The other nine people soon entered the palace. This had nothing to do with the examinees. They could only watch with envy. Some people with a good attitude just regarded it as watching a fun show.
Le Chengdi asked the eunuch to check the notes in the purse and distribute the rewards one by one.
Of course, each of the ten things was precious. Of course, the more important value of these things was that they were rewarded by the emperor. They had to take good care of them when they took them back. This was their real meaning. Someone like Li Hongyuan, who was so used to bestowing rewards that his hands went soft, should not be mentioned in the same breath as him.
Le Chengdi was not in a hurry to give out other rewards. After all, it really depended on Le Chengdi's mood. "Who has the purse taken by Lord Lingluo (the eldest legitimate daughter of Great Elder Princess)?" Sure enough, Le Chengdi would not watch his sister be bullied for nothing.
"Your Majesty, it's me." A young man wearing a scholarly robe walked out. He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old and was even younger than Chen Zhengmin. He had a fair and clean appearance. It was unknown whether it was because he knew the origin of the pouch or because he was ashamed and angry. His cheeks were crimson red and were even redder than a girl who had put on rouge. There was also a trace of stubbornness in his eyes.
This person was out of Le Chengdi's expectation. Le Chengdi originally thought that the fat man with big ears who looked like a playboy was the one who got Lord Lingluo's purse. Le Chengdi's first impression of him changed, and his previous bad feeling disappeared a lot. Le Chengdi asked him some basic information. He was the grandson of Lord Lingluo's mother's sister. This relationship was really distant. Then he asked, "What are you good at?"
The teenager pursed his lips and said, "Your Majesty, I grew up in the countryside with my grandmother since I was a child. I know all the farming …"
His words almost made everyone burst into laughter. Le Chengdi also laughed, but he did not laugh at him. He just felt that this kid was as straightforward and simple as one of his sons. Seeing that the teenager's face was about to bleed, Le Chengdi coughed and then stopped laughing. "Go on."
The teenager calmed down and continued, "I know that the villagers have a hard time using water. And I know that there is a thing called a waterwheel in the south, so I wonder if it can be used in the north. After many efforts, I found the blueprint. After making the waterwheel, it was not satisfactory. So I modified it, and the waterwheel is quite good …"
"Boy, are you serious?" Before Le Chengdi reacted, Mr. Zhong, the minister of the Ministry of Works, became excited.
The teenager nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not talk nonsense. I asked a carpenter to make a small one imitating the waterwheel, and I happened to bring it into the palace. "
"Go get it and let me have a look."
Le Chengdi didn't say anything when he saw his beloved official acting on her own initiative. As the saying goes, there are experts in every field.
The small waterwheel was not big, only about a foot tall. But after the teenager explained how it worked, Mr. Zhong's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty, this child can enter the Ministry of Works."
Even if Le Chengdi did not know much about it, he knew that this was something that would benefit the country and the people. "Good."
The teenager could not help but look happy.
As long as there was no problem with his family background and he was valued by the minister of the Ministry of Works, his future would not be bad. However, from his actions, it was clear that he had made preparations in advance.
"In the eyes of ordinary people, the things you do and know are not elegant. How did you think of showing them?" Li Hongyuan's voice suddenly sounded.
It would have been better if he did not ask. Now that he did, the others also had the same doubts.
"This commoner's ancestors were also from a scholarly family, but it started to decline from my grandfather's bad luck. This commoner's studies were also disappointing, but my grandmother had high hopes for me, hoping that our family could rise again. Not long ago, my grandaunt sent this pouch. This commoner thought that I was incompetent and originally wanted to return the pouch, but an old uncle came to my home and told me to do so. "
When everyone heard this, how could they not understand? He had received advice from someone.
Li Hongyuan rubbed his chin and said, "This prince is more curious. What are the others proficient in? Did they also receive advice from someone?"
Le Chengdi's curiosity was also piqued. After asking, he found out that half of the eight people had received advice from someone, and none of them walked the "right path".
That fat-headed and big-eared young man looked like a good-for-nothing. He really was good-for-nothing. Moreover, he was a money-grubber. However, this person had a special characteristic. He was especially good at reading account books. As long as he knew some basic things, he would be able to find out the slightest mistake in the account book. Moreover, he was also very good at arithmetic. As long as you read out a string of numbers, he would be able to give you the answer immediately. It was accurate and fast. He was simply born to enter the Ministry of Revenue.
There was another person who did not look like a teenager at all. In fact, he was not a teenager. He was already in his early thirties. In his early years, he did not have any other hobbies but liked to travel. This time, he had almost traveled all over the country of the Qi Yuan Dynasty and even many places around it. He basically remembered all the places he had been to. What county, what prefecture, what county, what village, whatever place he had been to, he could tell you where it was. Moreover, as long as he personally set foot in a place, he could clearly remember the characteristics and terrain of that place.
"A living map." Li Hongyuan could not help but mutter after hearing this. There was no need to worry about getting lost when marching and fighting.
Of course, such a talent was not only used for this. He could be used in many other places.
One of them had slightly blue eyes, and the bridge of his nose was higher than the average person. At first glance, one could tell that he had foreign blood. However, the Qi Yuan Dynasty didn't care much about this, but it was relatively rare. In the aristocratic families, this was a taboo. If such a child appeared, he would not be welcomed. This person was from the same clan as the top scorer this time. He was also Xie Renxun's cousin. His name was Xie Renhui. Originally, the purse did not fall into his hands. It was given to another member of the Xie family. He had a good relationship with Xie Renhui. That member of the Xie family was favored by the Xie family, but in fact, he did not have any special characteristics. The person who approached the Xie family suggested to give the purse to Xie Renhui. Xie Renhui's special characteristic was his talent in languages. He could speak many different languages around the Qi Yuan Dynasty. He could even speak and understand more than six foreign languages. Not to mention those who could speak or read. Even the most powerful person in the Honglu Temple would not be able to compare with him.
The last person was born and grew up by the sea because his father was an official in a place near the sea. Later on, he even went to the sea. What was his special characteristic or what he was good at? "This commoner has gone to the sea more than thirty times. Everyone more or less fell sick, but this commoner has never fallen sick."
Healthy body, what does this mean?
After being an official in a place near the sea, this young man was definitely not simple.
Li Hongyuan narrowed his eyes. In his previous life, he had sent people to the sea. The first time was the most tragic. Almost all of them were wiped out. Although the situation was much better later on, there were more or less problems. Those who went to the sea several times in a row would fall sick at least once or twice. Although he could not rule out the possibility that this young man went to the sea not far away, it was definitely not a coincidence that he went to the sea more than thirty times.
After summarizing, he found that these people did not think that they were bad at first. Only Xie Renhui did not have a chance. Now that he had a chance, he was enlightened by someone. They were all really talented, great talents.
The other people who were not enlightened were all people who relied on reading. They were not very outstanding. Before the characteristics of people who walked the "crooked path" were discovered and were not valued, the scholars seemed to despise the "crooked path". But now, those scholars showed their mediocrity. They did not have the good luck of that scholar. At most, they were in front of Le Chengdi in name and waited for the imperial examination in the future. But at least three years later, would Le Chengdi still remember who they were? Maybe there would be a new person on the throne.
"Who is the person who enlightened you?" As the saying goes, a horse of a thousand miles is common, but a Bo Le is not common. It was a pity that such a Bo Le was buried in the dark.
Not only Le Chengdi wanted to know this question, but other people also wanted to know this question.
"Your Majesty, although this commoner is not sure, this commoner has a guess." The chubby young man said.
"Tell me quickly."
"This commoner was curious at that time. After asking and getting no answer, I sent someone to secretly follow that person, and that person finally entered the mansion of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Lord Luo."
Luo Peishan, who was waiting for the answer with interest like others, did not expect that it would fall on his head. While Luo Peishan was still a little stunned, almost everyone's eyes fell on him. "Minister Luo …"
"Your Majesty, it was not me." Luo Peishan did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Your Majesty, it was the Third Miss of the Luo Family who proposed the ten rewards, so was the person who gave the suggestion also sent by the Third Miss of the Luo Family? When the Third Miss of the Luo Family made the suggestion, she was not selfish at all. After all, with her status, she probably just gave the suggestion to Great Elder Princess and did not expect to be agreed. She just did not expect that Great Elder Princess would agree. "Xie Renhui lowered his head slightly and said," Even so, she thought more than others and was more selfless. Is there any reason to believe that she thought more after the event, more than others could think of? "
Hearing this, many courtiers nodded. It should be noted that all the important courtiers present had attended the birthday banquet of Great Elder Princess, so they definitely had a deep impression of the Third Miss of the Luo Family.
"Oh? Minister Luo, you don't know anything about this matter? "
"Your Majesty, I really don't know anything about it." Luo Peishan now wanted to scold Jingwan even more. "My dear granddaughter, you have made a big noise, and a large group of people have been watching you. Can't you stop? Do you really want me to be surrounded by a pack of wolves?" Well, in fact, it was already surrounded by a pack of wolves.
In fact, it was really Jingwan who did this. It was just ten pouches. Because they had to find the Emperor to receive the reward, the range of the reward would not exceed the scope of the capital. It was not difficult to know who the ten pouches ended up in. Spending some effort to find out the situation of these people, as well as the situation of the people around them, was not difficult.
However, it was difficult to know the specific situation of those who were promoted in this way, compared with those who were not very outstanding. So, it was not appropriate for Jingwan, a girl of the boudoir, to inquire about the situation of a group of men. Even if her intention was good, if it was spread out, she would definitely be criticized. In addition, she did not want to let others know, so she naturally acted carefully.
First, she listed the situations of these people one by one. Those who did not need to do anything, those who could be privately persuaded to give it to others, and those who probably did not realize that their abilities were actually very useful. There were five of the first situation, one of the second situation, and four of the last situation. It could be said that it was very tiring.
Then, she asked Nanny Gong to arrange for trustworthy and inconspicuous people to visit them one by one without attracting the attention of others and analyze the situation for them.
It could be said that it was tiring both mentally and physically, and she also had to bear the risk of damaging her reputation.
It was a typical case of doing good deeds without leaving a name. Nanny Gong also asked her why she did this.
"It's probably because she wanted to finish what she started. Her original intention was to give some people a chance. Since this opportunity really exists, naturally, she should not waste it. Moreover, isn't it good to let the country have more talents?"
Good, of course, it was good! In Li Hongyuan's previous life, he knew that Wan Wan was a righteous person. If given a chance, she would do a lot of things for the Qi Yuan Dynasty, and she would definitely not do worse than any man. In other words, women were better than men!
She quietly did not seek fame or benefits, but how could Li Hongyuan agree?
If it was just Nanny Gong who inquired about it, naturally, she would not get accurate information so quickly. However, he handed this matter over to the secret guards and directly handed it over to Nanny Gong, and did not report it to him. Therefore, without him knowing, Wan Wan really dug out a few talents. It seemed that small people could not be ignored and must be valued in the future.
As for her reputation, as long as Le Chengdi said "well done", who would dare to criticize her?
If Li Hongyuan wanted to raise her to the highest position, naturally, he would not just let her have an empty title. He wanted the whole country to really respect and admire her, both inside and outside the court. It was not only because she could subdue Li Hongyuan.
In fact, he did not need to fabricate anything for her. As long as he gave her a chance to show off and let the world know what she had done, then when the time came, she would naturally be able to sit on the throne.
"Luo Aiqing, when will you let me see your granddaughter?"
"Your Majesty, you can see her at any time." However, since the Emperor had personally summoned her, she could not stop.
"Good, very good." Le Chengdi was very happy. "Luo Aiqing, I remember you said that you dealt with your granddaughter's purse. Who did you give it to in the end?"
Luo Peishan glanced at the nine people, and one of the "scholars" stood up. "Your Majesty, it was this commoner who did it."
Le Chengdi looked at him, and then looked at Luo Peishan. "Luo Aiqing, your eyes are far inferior to your granddaughter's."
Luo Peishan apologized again and again. Originally, he wanted to give a "mediocre" person a chance. If he had known that his granddaughter would find another way, he would have specially looked for such a "strange talent". This person was the child of one of his younger brother's favorite disciples. When he first came to the capital, he asked him to take care of him. However, this child was really mediocre. It was not easy to get such a chance, but it was a bit self-defeating.
But could he blame Jingwan? Of course not. In the end, she did not choose the owner of the purse. She just chose a fine horse among the horses that others did not think highly of. If it was not the owner of the fine horse, how could you blame Bo Le? However, if there was no fine horse, everyone would have an equal chance. They would either advance or retreat together. Now, there were six people advancing and four retreating. On second thought, if it was not for Jingwan's initial proposal, they would not even have the chance to appear.
In the end, it was up to them whether they felt resentful or grateful.
And the person who received the Luo Family's purse was also very ashamed. His face was red.
"It is a waste of Miss Luo's good intentions to let you go back like this. The four of you are all scholars. One of you failed this year, and the other three did not take the exam. How about this, I will allow you to study in the Imperial College for three years. After three years, it will all depend on you."
Originally, they thought that there was no hope. They did not expect to be surprised at the moment of despair.
There were three kinds of students in the Imperial College of the Qi Yuan Dynasty. The first was the children of officials of the fourth rank and above. From the fourth rank to the third rank, the family could send one person. For those of the second rank and above, the family could send two people. The second was the children of nobles. The so-called so-called students who relied on their father's title to obtain the opportunity to enter the Imperial College could send one to five people. The third was a group of outstanding scholars in the capital. There was a limit to the number of places.
Although the first two places could be given as a gift, how many people would give such precious places to ordinary people? After all, there were many children in every family. It could be imagined how difficult it was to enter the Imperial College.
The Imperial College was naturally the highest educational institution in the Qi Yuan Dynasty. Whether it was the quality of the teachers or other aspects, it was absolutely top-notch. It could not be compared to the Imperial College. If they could enter the Imperial College for three years, they would definitely gain a lot.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"There is no need to thank me. You know who you should thank in your hearts. Alright, let's stop here. "
The next highlight of the show was naturally the parade of the three people who passed the First Rank Imperial Scholar.
Because it was much later than the previous years, the designated parade streets were already crowded. Everyone stretched their necks, waiting to see the glory of this year's Imperial College.
Was the top scholar tall and handsome? Was the second place scholar with a white beard like three years ago? As for the third place scholar, it was said that the third place scholar was the most handsome. The one from three years ago was not very satisfactory.
----- Digression —
I have something to do today, so I will try to write less and strive to write more tomorrow.
It's a new month, so don't be stingy with your monthly tickets.
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