Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 31 Spring Begins

In the early morning of the next day, the moon was high in the sky and the stars were twinkling.

There were already crowds of people outside the Imperial Examination Hall. Nearly ten thousand candidates were lined up waiting, winding along the long street like a long dragon.

At this moment, the vermilion lacquered gate of the Imperial Examination Hall has not yet been opened. Two stone lions stand majestically in front of the gate, and the copper nail door knocker shines with a cold and hard luster in the moonlight.

After Pinlan's repeated requests, Sheng Wei finally agreed to take her with him to send Zhao Han to the examination room. Of course, Shulan also went with them.

Mother Hu, who lived far away in Yangzhou, specially brought a group of maids and servants with her after dinner today to pay homage to Emperor Wenchang, the Red-robed God, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Confucius at home.

Even Sheng Hong bowed again and again before the statue of the god in his home, silently praying that Zhao Han would be on the list and rank among the top, so that he would not be in vain for betting his eldest daughter's life on it.

Hualan paced back and forth at home, and her almond-shaped eyes, which used to be bright and lively, now showed a bit of anxiety and worry.

"Big sister, can you please stop for a moment? You're making me dizzy."

Rulan frowned and looked up at Hualan.

"Shut up! If you keep nagging me, I'll have Dad check your homework!"

Hearing this, Rulan immediately lowered her head.

He carefully sneaked to Wei Xiaoniang's courtyard with his maid Xi Que to play the date grinding game with Minglan.

Outside the Imperial Examination Hall, it was four o'clock in the morning.

There was a sudden commotion not far away. Changqing, holding the exam basket, stood on tiptoe to look forward.

The gate of the Imperial Examination Hall slowly opened with a creak, and the officers in official uniforms held a list and called out the names loudly.

"Brother, the door is open. Let's go forward and don't miss the time."

"it is good!"

After Zhao Han responded, he took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

If I say I'm not nervous, I'm definitely bluffing.

After three years of hard study, success or failure depends on this one move!
Sheng Wei looked around and saw that the crowd was already surging forward.

He took a step forward, leaned close to Zhao Han's ear, and whispered, "Don't worry, nephew. I've already asked someone to arrange for you to be assigned an excellent room."

Hearing this, Zhao Han couldn't help but feel warm in his heart.

Just as he was about to say thank you, he saw Sheng Wei had already taken half a step back without leaving a trace.

He straightened his clothes and immediately regained the dignified demeanor of an elder.

Pinlan had specially put on new clothes today. With a smile on her face, she said crisply, "I wish Brother Zhao success in the imperial examinations, ideally becoming the top scorer! Then we can play polo and hammer ball together!"

Shulan stood quietly by the side, wearing a lilac-colored cross-collared skirt and a white cloak tied around her shoulders, fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

I saw the corners of her eyes drooping slightly, revealing a hint of gentleness and timidity. She pursed her lips and said, "I wish Brother Zhao will leap over the dragon gate and ascend to the throne."

"Thank you, Second Miss, Fourth Miss!" Zhao Han bowed and strode forward with Changqing.

However, before he had taken a few steps, Yu Guangzhong happened to see the figures of Gu Tingye and Shitou.

I saw the two of them pushing through the crowd and walking quickly towards me.

"Luckily we made it in time. Just now the intersection was so crowded with carriages that I was really anxious."

"I ran all the way here with the stone. Fortunately, Brother Zhao, you haven't entered the tribute hall yet!"

Gu Tingye gasped for breath, and after calming down for a moment, he bowed solemnly and said, "Brother Zhao, you will definitely win the first prize in this examination. In the future, we will work together to achieve great things, one in literature and one in martial arts."

"A word is settled!"

Zhao Han raised his hand and patted his shoulder, keeping this friendship firmly in his heart.

Only after his figure completely disappeared into the vermilion lacquer gate did Gu Tingye, Changqing, Sheng Wei and others leave.

After entering the Imperial Examination Hall, many candidates were faced with the following procedures: identity verification, undressing and inspection, and receiving their papers.

Thanks to Sheng Wei's financial resources, Zhao Han was indeed assigned a relatively spacious and clean cell, far from the outhouse. After putting down his exam basket and tidying it up briefly, he quietly waited for the examiner to release the questions.

The Spring Examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty consisted of three sessions lasting three days.

The first round tests the interpretation of classics, the second round tests poetry and prose, and the third round tests policy essays.

It was not until dawn that the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall slowly closed.

Accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums, the examiner finally began to give the questions, and the candidates had to finish answering the questions and hand in the papers before sunset.

When I opened the test paper, a question about the meaning of classics caught my eye: "The people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least important" from "Mencius".

These short thirteen words reveal the fundamental principles of governing a country.

Throughout history, all prosperous times have prioritized people's livelihood. The reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing were characterized by light taxes and levies, the reign of Emperor Zhenguan used copper as mirrors, the reign of Emperor Hongwu enforced strict administration of officials, and the reigns of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong saw a surge in population.

Those dynasties that treated their people like grass eventually capsized under the law that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Zhao Han took a deep breath, made a rough draft in his mind, then picked up the brush, and with his wrist lightly suspended, he wrote in a dragon-like manner, and his exquisite official script poured out on the paper like flowing clouds and water.

The Book of Documents says: The people are the foundation of the country; if the foundation is solid, the country will be peaceful.

……

"Zuo Zhuan" says: When a country is about to rise, it listens to the people; when it is about to perish, it listens to the gods.

……

I wrote for a long time and it was almost noon.

Zhao Han put down his pen, rubbed his sore wrist, opened the exam basket, and took out a food box carefully wrapped in thick cotton cloth.

The food box is divided into three layers. The first layer is soft steamed buns, which are still slightly steaming.

The second layer is a few slices of shiny ham, accompanied by some refreshing side dishes.

The bottom layer is glutinous rice porridge, which has the effect of warming the stomach and strengthening the spleen.

After taking a short rest after eating and drinking, he looked down at the bamboo green sachet tied around his waist and continued to write furiously.

Mencius said: If one can win the support of the people, he can become the emperor.

……

The Book of Changes says: When Heaven and Earth interact, there will be peace.

At the end, he did not forget to flatter the current government, and wrote: Today's holy government works hard to govern the country and puts the people first, which is in line with the heart of the ancient sage kings!

At noon, the sound of evening drums could be heard faintly from outside the Zigong Courtyard.

The examiner collected the papers on time. Some students were scratching their heads and had not finished answering, while others were confident, calm and composed as they sorted out their pens and inkstones.

At night, the cool night wind blew in through the gaps in the cell. After Zhao Han made the wooden bed, he did not forget to put on the knee pads given by Wei Xiaoniang.

At dawn the next day, after the sound of gongs and drums, the examiner gave out the questions again.

This test of poetry and prose covered a wide range of topics, which was not difficult for Zhao Han. Besides, everyone had their own preferences, so it could not reflect one's true talent and knowledge.

The title is: Write a poem on the theme of bamboo.

After pondering for a moment, he calmly picked up his pen and wrote: "Bamboo and Rock"

Hold on to the green mountains and never let go, roots are planted in the broken rocks. No matter how many times you are beaten, you will still be strong, no matter which direction the wind blows.

The third round of policy discussion is the most important one. Whether you can make the list depends on it.

The question is: Today, the Khitan and Xixia invade the northwest. The imperial court annually grants gold and silk, but the border troubles remain unresolved. To strengthen the borders and ease national expenditures, what strategy should be prioritized?
When Zhao Han saw the question, his eyes lit up and he felt that the person who set the question was really ingenious.

This is clearly forcing candidates to weigh the pros and cons between fighting and defending, which can not only test their knowledge but also select real talents.

　Please vote for me, please read it~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)