Chapter 1159: First Place in the Palace Examination, Jiang Li’s Thoughts

The eighth day of April.

The Chang'an Prefecture Examination begins.

Ugly moments.

Xiren, Qingwen and several maids had already gotten up and started to help check items such as pens, ink, paper and inkstone in an orderly manner.

Two quarters of an hour at Yin.

It was still quite dark.

However, Su Mingzhe and Li Gui had already arrived in front of the Confucian Temple.

"Second Master, there are so many people ahead!"

Li Gui was stunned when he saw the long queues. With such long queues, how long would it take for his master to wait in line?

Although Su Mingzhe was surprised, he had no other emotions, he just sighed:

"It is true that 'Don't say you are early, there are others who are even earlier than you!'"

The examiner next to him was enlightened and asked:
"Excuse me, brother, may I ask where the line 'Don't say you are early, there are others who are even earlier' comes from?"

Su Mingzhe returned the greeting politely and replied:

"This sentence comes from the Song Dynasty's Jingde Chuandeng Lu!"

Although the publishing industry was well developed during the Ming and Qing dynasties, most scholars could only read the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as books related to the eight-legged essay.

Ordinary people simply cannot afford the widely circulated "extracurricular books" such as "Jingde Chuandeng Lu".

With people to talk to, waiting in line becomes less boring.

Half an hour later.

Su Mingzhe finally passed the body search and arrived in front of the official hall, standing with thousands of candidates.

The Yin hour has passed and the Dragon Gate is closed.

Candidates who are late will never be allowed to enter.

Led by Chang'an prefect Jiang Li, nearly four thousand candidates lined up and began to worship the sages in the Confucian Temple.

After the worship, the number plates began to be distributed.

Just like in the previous county examination, Su Mingzhe's number plate was in a good location, close to the official office and far away from the toilet.

The sky was getting light and the sun was rising.

The examiners began to distribute the test papers.

Like the county examination, in order to encourage learning, the prefectural examination papers in Daqing were also divided into two types: adults and minors.

Su Mingzhe was only thirteen years old, so naturally he was answering the test paper for minors.

The test paper for minors is much easier than that for adults.

Before noon, Su Mingzhe had already answered the question.

Check, copy, and complete the entire process.

It was already the end of noon.

After Su Mingzhe confirmed that everything was correct, he raised his hand to indicate that he was handing in the paper.

It's already late at this time.

Those candidates with quick wits have already left in several batches.

As the chief examiner of the provincial examination, Jiang Li saw Su Mingzhe handing in his paper and accepted it expressionlessly, as if the two did not know each other and had never met before.

As a candidate, Su Mingzhe had to bow respectfully before he could turn around and wait to leave at the dragon gate.

After Su Mingzhe left, several invigilators who were standing in the distance came over.

Several people, including Jiang Li, looked at Su Mingzhe's test paper and couldn't help but exclaimed:

"I heard that this second young master is a heavy drinker and a womanizer, but it seems that these are all rumors! If he is really a heavy drinker and a womanizer, how could he write such beautiful Taige style!"

"This article is also well written, and there is also this poem about plum blossoms."

"'Beauty does not compete for spring, but only announces the arrival of spring!' Just this sentence alone can be rated as first-class!"

"What a pity that such a talent is the son of a noble family!"

Several people were discussing among themselves, but their eyes were all looking at the examiner Jiang Li.

When Su Mingzhe took part in the county examination, the county magistrate made him lose the first place in order to avoid suspicion. This was not an uncommon thing in Chang'an City.

These examiners looked at Jiang Li, wanting to know whether this confidant of Emperor Longqing would follow the example of the Chang'an County Magistrate and continue to avoid suspicion.

Under everyone's gaze, Jiang Li picked up Su Mingzhe's test paper, looked at it again and again, suddenly took a deep breath, drew a circle on the test paper, and said loudly:

"If nothing unexpected happens, this paper will be the first in the case!"

Seeing this, the other people also dipped their ink in their brushes and drew a circle on the places they thought were noteworthy.

Soon, the entire paper was circled with seven or eight circles.

Not even three moments later.

When Su Mingzhe returned to Rongguo Mansion, he learned that Jia Zheng was waiting for him in Rongxi Hall, so he had to go and meet his father first.

As he did before, Jia Zheng asked his son to write down the test questions and answers from memory.

This time, Jia Yucun was not there to help check.

Jia Zheng and the four guests read through it and felt that Su Mingzhe's answer was good, but they were not sure about the details. However, the last poem praising plum blossoms really amazed several people.

Zhan Guang was the first to congratulate:
"Old Master, just based on this poem about plum blossoms, the Second Young Master has secured the title of Scholar!"

"Brother Zhan is right!"

Seeing several people constantly commenting on Taizu's "Ode to the Plum Blossom", Su Mingzhe quietly left Rong Xi Tang.

Plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are the four gentlemen among flowers.

Among them, the most common poems are about plum blossoms.

After Su Mingzhe entered the examination room, he thought over and over again and still felt that Taizu's poem about plum blossoms best suited his feelings, so he copied it down immediately.

I believe that with this poem "Ode to the Plum Blossom", even if I can't get the first place, I can still pass the exam!

Unless this time, Chang'an Prefecture Governor Jiang Li wants to avoid suspicion like the Chang'an County Magistrate and deliberately belittle himself.

After Su Mingzhe returned to his residence, the maids did not dare to disturb him and only left the pretty Qingwen to sleep with him for a while.

Two days passed in a flash.

On the third day, the results of the first provincial examination were announced.

Su Mingzhe ranked first in the imperial examination. When the news reached Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia happily took out her own pocket money and directly rewarded everyone in the mansion with two taels of silver per person.

Everyone in Su Mingzhe's courtyard, regardless of their status, was rewarded with five taels of silver.

After Ningguo Mansion learned the news, Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, Youshi, and Qin Keqing also came to congratulate.

The re-examination of the provincial examination began the next day.

The questions in the re-examination were basically the same as those in the first exam, except that the last poem was changed to "Praise the Lotus".

Su Mingzhe did not show up again, but just sang a random song.

So, the government tried it.

Su Mingzhe won the first place in the provincial examination and made a great splash at the Lu Ming Banquet.

Not to mention how the Rong and Ning mansions celebrated.

When Jiang Li reported the results of the provincial examination, a palace servant immediately summoned him to the palace for an audience.

It’s still the Daming Palace.

This time, the place where Emperor Longqing summoned the emperor was changed to the Imperial Study.

After Jiang Li arrived at the imperial study, he knelt at the door and waited for half an hour. Xia Shouzhong then walked out expressionlessly and said:
"Sir Jiang, His Majesty has summoned you to an audience. Please come in!"

"Thank you, father-in-law!"

Jiang Li stood up carefully, endured the pain in his knees, and entered the imperial study.

Emperor Longqing did not hide his pettiness at all, and he immediately poked Jiang Li's lungs and asked:
"Jiang Li, did you accept bribes from Rongguo Mansion? Even the magistrate of Chang'an County didn't dare to give Jia Ying the first place in the case. Your head is bigger than his, isn't it?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I know I am guilty! But please take a look at Jia Ying's test paper!"

As the confidant of Emperor Longqing, how could Jiang Li not know that the Rong and Ning mansions had offended Emperor Longqing long ago.

As soon as the retired emperor passes away, Emperor Longqing will settle the score and make trouble for the four kings and eight dukes.

And he actually gave Su Mingzhe the first place in the provincial examination. In the eyes of Emperor Longqing, this was a blatant betrayal.

Emperor Longqing did not have many elite soldiers and generals under his command, and Jiang Li was considered his most trusted confidant. He was summoned to the palace this time to give him a chance to defend himself.

Jiang Li had expected this, which was why he brought Su Mingzhe's test paper with him when he entered the palace.

Xia Shouzhong quickly took it and presented it to the imperial desk.

Although Emperor Longqing punished Jiang Li by making him kneel for half an hour and still appeared angry, in fact, this was a reckoning and his anger had already largely subsided.

When he finished reading Su Mingzhe's test paper, his anger dissipated a lot again:

"This Jia Ying has a very good handwriting!"

“The article is well written!”

"Once this poem about plum blossoms is published... I'm afraid it will be hard to surpass it in the next hundred years!"

After reading the test paper, Emperor Longqing was silent for a moment, then he looked at Jiang Li and asked:

"Jiang Li, did you choose him as the first candidate because you value his talent?"

"Although I cherish talents, I dare not go against your will!"

Jiang Li heard that Emperor Longqing was not so angry anymore, but he did not dare to let down his guard. Instead, he continued to explain:
"Your Majesty, please continue to look at Jia Ying's solution!"

Emperor Longqing was reminded and took another look:

"The way of the great Dao is to make the world a common good, to select the virtuous and capable, to uphold trust and cultivate harmony..."

"Choose the virtuous and capable, be trustworthy and build friendship!"

After thinking it over for a few times, Emperor Longqing could not help but sigh:

"Although Jia Ying is from a noble family, he is also fair-minded. You gave him a good first place."

"It's just that it's hard to tell whether he said this just to pass the imperial examination or he really meant it!"

Seeing that Emperor Longqing no longer pursued him, Jiang Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and reminded with a smile:
"Your Majesty, whether he is sincere or not, he wrote this test paper anyway. He is just 'trampling his own cocoon'!"

When Emperor Longqing heard this, he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

With Jiang Li, I can worry less!
(End of this chapter)