jdhmnovel Chapter 425 We're all scared by the way you're all like this!
Chapter 425 We're all scared by the way you're all like this!
The fourth year of Hongwu, the second day of the fourth month of spring.
As the first imperial examination during the Hongwu era, and also the first imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty, the county examination, prefectural examination, and academy examination were all held in the third year of Hongwu, while the provincial examination, metropolitan examination, and palace examination were squeezed into the first half of the fourth year of Hongwu.
Moreover, this change will not be limited to the imperial examination system.
In fact, the imperial examination system, examination time, and examination procedures would all be modified.
However, Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, the Minister of Rites, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and others had not lost enough hair, so for the time being, the original imperial examination process had to be followed.
The palace examination was held on the second day of the fourth lunar month.
The first reaction of the candidates who participated in the palace examination after seeing the questions was to want to cry.
None of my family members understand; the examiner in charge of setting the questions this time is definitely not a normal person.
Take a look at the questions for the palace examination.
Question 1: Please describe the prefectures and counties you passed through on your journey to the capital to take the imperial examination, and what the living standards of the farmers and common people in those prefectures and counties were like. (This question is not worth points)
No, I'm here to take the imperial examination in Beijing, not to observe the living standards of farmers along the way!
Question 2: Please describe the specific situation of your prefecture/county, such as the name of the official in charge, his reputation, the number of clerks and servants in the county, the number of villages and communities, the state of agriculture and sericulture, and the state of commerce and industry. (This question is not worth points)
No, it's easy to answer if you ask what the official's name is, but if you ask what the official's reputation is like, isn't that obviously digging a pit?
Also, Lao Tzu is a damn scholar!
You educated bastard, don't you understand anything?!
Lao Tzu was reading the Four Books and Five Classics, which are profound and subtle. Who the hell cares how many villages and communities there are in a prefecture or county, or about the farming situation, you bastard!
Even if you want to show concern, you should at least wait until I become an official before saying anything, right?
Besides, isn't this also offending people?
Question 3: After traveling from the provinces to the capital, what areas do you think the Ming Dynasty still needs to strengthen?
Is this question asking us scholars to offer suggestions to the imperial court?
Then this question will be very easy to answer.
At the very least, shouldn't you solve the problem of food and lodging for us test takers on our way to the exam?
Question 4: Recently, many rumors have been circulating in Jiangnan. One of them is that I am tyrannical and have arrested nearly a thousand county and prefectural officials because they had time to print books on money and grain. Question: Are these officials innocent?
Very well, so this is the problem you, Emperor Zhu, came up with, isn't it?
You're such a great emperor!
Can you put yourself in the shoes of us test takers and consider things from our perspective?
Whether the officials are guilty or innocent is up to us, the test takers.
Even if I say they are innocent, will you, Emperor Zhu, release them?
And you yourself said it's a rumor.
In other words, you believe these officials are guilty.
Now that such a flawed question is being presented, isn't this asking us scholars to lie against our conscience?
Now let's look at the fifth question: If the officials are guilty, yet rumors spread that we are tyrannical, what is the explanation?
I don't want to answer this question.
I even wish I could add fuel to the fire of these rumors!
This is absolutely infuriating for me, the test taker!
And they even said this question doesn't count as a point?
No, why did you bring up a question that doesn't count towards the marks?
I'm just writing whatever comes to mind now, what if it doesn't match the actual situation?
What if a candidate writes about a county or prefecture along the way where the people live extremely well, but in reality they are suffering? If the officials of that county or prefecture later fall from grace, will the candidate also fall from grace?
If I had known that the first imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty would be this disgusting, I should have just become an official back then!
Even if things had gone terribly wrong, I should have followed His Majesty the Iron Pot to the grasslands to serve my country back then!
In any case, it's better than taking the imperial examination this time!
Seeing the various expressions on the faces of the examinees, Zhu Chongba, who was sitting on the dragon throne, stood up with a smile and walked down the steps.
As Zhu Chongba paced around the many examinees, he said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, it doesn't matter whether you write it correctly or incorrectly."
"You are all talented individuals who have passed the provincial and metropolitan examinations. This palace examination is merely a ranking test."
"If you really don't know how to answer the question, you can leave it blank for now."
As Emperor Zhu finished speaking, the suicidal thoughts of the many examinees in the hall grew even stronger.
What does it mean to leave the questions blank first?
If I don't answer the first two questions, will others be able to answer them?
If this candidate writes something haphazardly, will the other candidates write something properly?
If a candidate leaves two questions blank while other candidates answer them, will those two questions have absolutely no impact on the ranking?
You idiot, do you, Emperor Zhu, even believe such nonsense?
Just as the candidates were secretly complaining, a rustling sound suddenly rang out in the hall.
All the candidates and Emperor Zhu looked in the direction of the sound and saw that one of the candidates had already begun to answer.
Curious, Emperor Zhu strolled over to the candidates who were answering the questions.
After just one glance, Emperor Zhu didn't really want to look any further.
Damn it, what's so interesting about the candidates from Ningyang County?
The first and second questions were basically free points for the students from Ningyang County!
While pondering the question haphazardly, Emperor Zhu waited quietly for the examinee to answer the third question.
Then, Emperor Zhu completely lost interest in continuing to read.
Which family's best candidates would write about dilapidated roads and broken bridges during the palace examination?
What kind of good candidate would write during the palace examination that the Ministry of Works should organize the road repairs, and that the road should be ten zhang wide?
No, can't your Ningyang County produce a decent student?
We're all scared by the way you're all acting!
Emperor Zhu was internally ranting and raving, while the candidates in the main hall were getting anxious.
Those students who lived near Ningyang County were especially anxious.
This exam is different from previous ones.
In the past, the emperor would give the questions, and the candidates would answer them on special papers that had been prepared in advance.
This time, however, the exam consisted of a long sheet of questions, with five questions written on it and a large blank space between each question.
In other words, both the questions and answers are completed on a single sheet of paper.
And looking at where that Ningyang County examinee wrote his words, it seems to be the very first question!
Exams are just like this.
Don't worry, nobody knows how.
I'm afraid someone will be the first to pick up a pen and answer.
When the examinee from Ningyang County started writing the first question, the examinees not far from him immediately became anxious and started writing the first question as well.
Then, all the candidates in the hall began answering the questions.
Offend?
Screw it.
At most, answering the questions would only offend a few local officials.
Not answering the question would offend the emperor!
Given the choice between offending future colleagues and offending the emperor, even a fool would know which to choose!
However, just as the candidates were frantically answering the questions, Zhu Biao stepped down from the imperial steps and said with a smile, "You all should answer the questions well. After all, you have reached the palace examination. In the future, people will say that you are the emperor's disciples, and bringing glory to your ancestors is just around the corner."