Zhu Pingan went back to the inn, then began the closed reading life, other candidates generally will also participate in some poetry, poetry clubs, rallies, etc. to make a name for themselves, Zhu Pingan did not participate in any of this.
In addition to the occasional visits of Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen, Zhu Pingan has always been in the inn room closed reading.
Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen several visits are to take Zhu Pingan tour of the capital, focusing on the southwest of the capital to the Tribute Academy, strolling the pen tube alley, carp alley and donkey hoof alley. Pen pipe hutong, as the name suggests, is a street selling pens and paper; carp hutong and donkey hoof hutong are places for candidates to stay.
Carp Hutong was originally a small hutong, first called ‘old man hutong’. Candidates into the capital of the rich most of the donkey ride into the capital to live in the donkey’s hooves Hutong, according to legend, there is a poor candidate for the test because there is no money, because of the poverty of the family, with two legs step by step, day and night to catch up with the test. Because he came late, all overcrowded accommodation, an old man living in the old man’s hutong near the gongyuan took him in. Three days before the imperial examination, it suddenly started to rain. A thunderbolt startled, followed by a golden white carp from the clouds leaped out, fell on the street where the candidates live temporarily in Henan; a moment of thunder again, the carp rose up in the air, and flew straight towards the Tribute College will be examined within the examination hall …… So an old man said, this is ‘Carp Jump Dragon Gate ‘.
Three days after the examination, the poor candidates really high school. This candidate is very conscientious, the first thing after the release of the list went to visit the old man who helped him, and for the old man set up a large plaque. From then on, the carp hutong reputation far and wide, each time during the examination period, all over the country will be gathered in the carp hutong, in order to get a good luck.
Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen is living in the carp hutong, the two rented a single house, of course, spend quite a lot, each also brought two maids and a servant boy to wait.
As the examination period is approaching, Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen came less and less often. Especially inspired by Zhu Pingan’s closed-door study, the two men also slowly put off the poetry meetings, and concentrated on the preparation and revision before the examination.
Zhu Pingan looked like he had returned to the era of the college entrance examination. He was not able to leave his home, he studied with all his heart, and his three meals a day were delivered by the shopkeeper, who had taken the initiative to ask for them. The three meals a day are supplied with great care, on time and on point, with excellent meat and vegetable combinations.
On this day, Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen once again joined forces and invited Zhu Pingan to go to the government office to register his identity. Zhu Pingan’s closed-door reading life only lasted for half a month before it had to come to an end, as the examination was about to begin. Zhu Pingan had wrongly estimated the time of the examination. In the Ming Dynasty, the examination was held in February, and the March date was the changed date of the examination in the Qing Dynasty.
The test is hosted by the Ministry of Rites, with the countryside test is almost the same process, first go to register identity, equivalent to the modern examination registration, and then participate in the examination. After all, the test is to focus on the whole country to participate in the examination, do not go to register, people do not know exactly how many people to participate in not.
“I heard about it, this will test Enke is said to record 400 people, than in previous years full more than nearly a hundred people it.”
On the way to the registration identity. Zhang Siwei suddenly said to Zhu Pingan and Wang Shizhen with a mysterious and excited face.
“Ziwei, really well-informed.” Zhu Pingan sniffed and could not help but exclaim in admiration.
Zhang Siwei’s family is a salt merchant family, Pozhou magnate, his uncle is Wang Chonggu, Jiajing 20 years of the jinshi, is also a fierce man, now should be in a certain place as a governor. It is true that there are people in the dynasty who are good officials, and they can even inquire about the admission quota for this kind of examination.
In previous years, the test admission is greater than about three hundred people. If this year’s test is really four hundred people, then they have a few more points of certainty.
For this news, Zhu Pingan is still quite happy to see.
“Well, yes. I have also heard about it. This change, to you and I, this is a fortunate event. The three of us, you and I, passing through the same list, is it not a great joy.”
Wang Shizhen had long heard about this news, but hearing it again, he still felt excited. Especially the thought. If he and Zhang Siwei and Zhu Pingan passed the exam together, he was even more excited. Interests are similar, get acquainted before the examination, and win the examination together, wouldn’t it be a pleasure.
“Wensheng this exam, I am assured, Taicang Wang’s, clothes, poetry and books A world, Wensheng is the best of Wang’s, this exam, will certainly be a hit in the first; ZiHou this exam is not a big problem, ZiHou, although young, but the talent of the world, rare, and my dynasty practice, will be divided into north and south, south six north four, this time the number of places and more, ZiHou live in the south list, this exam, is also Will certainly have a great success.”
Zhang Siwei pointed to Wang Shizhen, and looked at Zhu Pingan, the two this test are holding great hope.
However, when he said this, Zhang Siwei turned his voice, and pointed to himself, said with a bitter smile, “My words, I’m afraid I have to pull your hind legs.”
“Zi Wei is joking again, if others don’t know, how could Zi Hou and I not know. Ziwei you article, calligraphy both excellent, erudite and informed, Puzhou famous ‘true museum gentleman’, especially to the eight stocks composition known, poetry and literature I am good at, but eight stocks but inferior to you for a long time. Zi Hou, you don’t believe his nonsense, Zi Wei is a dashing man who loves to joke.”
Wang Shizhen shook his head, pointed at Zhang Siwei, and laughed at Zhu Pingan.
“Wensheng, you don’t come to comfort me.” Zhang Siwei laughed bitterly.
“When I say that the two of you will surely top the high school list this time in the Congress Examination, believe me or not?” Zhu Pingan looked at the two of them and said with the corner of his lips hooked.
“Zi Hou, you come to joke too.”
“That’s right, don’t look at Zi Hou’s long and simple face, and he’s young, but according to me, Zi Hou is more than Zi Wei, and his chances are even better.”
“That’s, because people are blinded by ZiHou’s simple face and lost their vigilance, I really hate my parents for giving birth to this handsome face, huh.”
Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen both sniffed and unanimously dropped their words, targeting Zhu Pingan and joking.
“Ten taels of grain silver, betting that the two of you will definitely make the list.” Zhu Pingan hooked the corners of his lips and laughed with a confident expression.
“Where did you get that confidence?” Wang Shizhen looked at Zhu Pingan and asked.
“It’s not confidence, it’s faith in you guys.” Zhu Pingan smiled blandly.
“Good, just for Zi Hou’s words, if I win the rank, I will give you a hundred taels. However, if I fall short, I will definitely eat you poor.” Zhang Siwei laughed.
“Seconded.” Wang Shizhen followed and seconded.
Both of them were from famous families, so this amount of money was really not in their eyes.
“That’s a good feeling.” Zhu Pingan followed and laughed, jokingly, brother but knows the history, you two this time is a sure winner.
“Zi Hou, you just talk about us, why don’t you talk about you.” Wang Shizhen asked.
“If Zi Hou doesn’t say it, it’s a sure thing.” Zhang Siwei smiled and answered for Zhu Pingan.
The three of them thus joked and laughed all the way to the registration, and after the registration, they went back to their respective homes and prepared for the meeting examination.
