Re-embroidering life

As the tribute scholars wrote furiously, the emperor, sitting on the high platform, also looked down at his new batch of "disciples". His eyes naturally fell on the person who was in the front and the most eye-catching.

Although he was wearing the same tribute scholar's uniform, he was elegant and calm, with an imposing demeanor. He managed to wear ordinary clothes to look like a young master from a noble family with a tall hat and a wide belt.

The elegant young man in front of him seemed to overlap with another person who was like a beautiful jade sculpture. That person also sat in the position of Huiyuan in the past, answered the questions calmly, and then made a stunning debut and was selected by him as the top scholar.

Unfortunately, the beautiful story between the emperor and his ministers has become a thing of the past forever.

The emperor cheered up and shook off the melancholy in his heart. It was no big deal. Outstanding talents emerge every three years, and the new generation replaces the old generation. He is the emperor, and all the heroes in the world will be within his grasp!

Ji Zimo felt the emperor's gaze, he sat still, his mind focused on answering the questions.

He looked up the history. In the past, Oujiang River did not often have floods. However, in the hundred years since the establishment of this dynasty, disasters have occurred frequently. Once the floods were raging and the waves were rushing, at least 4,000 households were submerged, and at most more than 10,000 households were submerged. Why? The first major event after Emperor Chengzu of this dynasty seized the throne was to move the capital, build a palace, and build a palace. There is a rumor among the people that this palace has "9,999 and a half rooms". At that time, the court frequently sent people to the upper reaches of Oujiang River to supervise logging. In just one year, 24,610 pieces of wood were cut. Over the years, the forest was destroyed and soil erosion occurred. It became increasingly difficult to store water and prevent floods in the upper reaches, and it was even more difficult to block silt.

Naturally, Ji Zimo did not dare to write these directly in his policy essay.

Floods were related to the safety of the dynasty, and the court expended enormous manpower and material resources to deal with the disaster. However, measures such as disaster relief and tax exemption only treated the symptoms and not the root cause. Faced with the winding middle section of the Oujiang River, especially in Qianzhou and Jiangxia areas, the court was almost helpless.

"Planting trees in the upper reaches of the Oujiang River to stabilize sand will benefit the present and future generations."

"There is no other clever trick to control a river, except to keep the water flowing back to its channel. There is also no other clever trick to keep the water flowing, except to build strong embankments."

"Build flood diversion areas on the tributaries of the Oujiang River to prevent excessive floods from destroying dams and flooding fertile fields."

One strategy after another for flood control appeared in Ji Zimo's writings. He wrote without pause or thought, and completed them in one go like mercury pouring out on the ground.

When he put down his pen, most of the candidates were still writing hard. After checking once and making sure everything was correct, he handed in his paper and left the palace.

For Ji Zimo, the palace examination was already behind him, and he went to spend time with his wife and daughter. But for the examiner, the work had just begun.

The examiners of this year's examinations were personally appointed by the emperor and came from various backgrounds, including grand secretaries, bachelors, bachelors of imperial studies, attendants, ministers of various ministries, and vice ministers.

The first person to read Ji Zimo's test paper was Minister Ying of the Ministry of Works. His first impression of the paper was "good handwriting"! It was a standard official script, with moderate thickness and appropriate size. "This handwriting is elegant and pleasing to the eye." Minister Ying nodded repeatedly.

When I read the main text, I found that the language was beautiful, the writing was fluent, the logic was rigorous, and it was well cited. I have already listed it as a top-notch volume in my mind.

When I read his strategy for river management, I couldn't help but stand up, as I not only had a deep understanding of the current problems, but also had a unique and practical approach to dealing with them.

"What a great three-pronged plan for river management: planting trees to fix sand, concentrating water back into the channel, and deliberately diverting floodwaters. Great! Great!" Minister Ying forgot for a moment that he was reviewing papers and happily turned around in the hall.

The other examiners disagreed: "Minister Ying, what kind of excellent paper is it that makes you so excited?"

"Hahaha!" Minister Ying laughed and said, "For the top-notch scroll, this person must come to my Ministry of Works, and no one is allowed to snatch it away!"

Minister Ying sat down, drew a red circle without hesitation, and used the most lavish words of praise in his comments, such as "the idea is lofty, the strategy is exquisite, and it is indeed a masterpiece."

The paper continued to be circulated, and every officer who received it wondered if his colleague was exaggerating too much. But after reading it, they were all impressed by the gorgeous writing and unique insights, and gave another high score.

After reading the papers, the comprehensive score of this test paper ranked first.

The chief examiner, Zhu Daxueshi, had another candidate in mind, but this paper was unanimously recognized by the examiners, and he could not make his selfish motives public. He could only submit the top ten papers to the emperor for his review, and the emperor would select the top candidate.

"You mean, this Ji Zimo is from Jiangxia Prefecture?" After listening to the report from Zhu Daxueshi, the emperor pondered for a moment. He did not ask about his essays, but asked about his hometown out of the blue.

Without having time to think, Grand Secretary Zhu answered immediately, "Yes, last year in the autumn examination, Ji Zimo was the first place winner in Jiangxia Prefecture."

The emperor opened Ji Zimo's test paper, read it through and then read it again from the beginning. The emperor had been on the throne for many years and his emotions were invisible. Zhu Daxueshi could not tell from his expression what he thought of Ji Zimo, nor did he dare to speculate.

"Has this person won the first and second place in the imperial examinations?" the emperor asked again.

After receiving a positive answer, the emperor smiled, which was rare for him: "Since the founding of my dynasty, there have been only two people who have won the top three places in the imperial examinations. It seems that under my rule, another great talent will appear."

Zhu Daxueshi understood what the emperor meant, and was secretly shocked. He was glad that he had not tampered with the paper and honestly presented Ji Zimo's paper. He bowed and saluted: "It is because of your majesty's civil and military achievements that this prosperous era has come, the people live in peace, and many talented people have emerged. If you pass the imperial examination, it will be a great story in this dynasty!"

The emperor laughed loudly, as if he was very happy. "Ji Zimo's three strategies for river management are good. I will ask the Ministry of Works to review and approve them." After saying this, he waved his red pen and named Ji Zimo as the top scorer of this year's exam.

Three days later, the ceremony of announcing the succession of imperial examinations was held.

"First class, first place, Ji Zimo!"

When he heard his name being called, Ji Zimo was not as excited as he had expected. He had been looking forward to this day for too long, and he was extremely certain that he would be the first place.

He put on the top scholar robe, put on the double-winged hat, and rode on horseback in high spirits. The imperial road was packed with people, and the windows of teahouses and restaurants were all opened, with ladies and young ladies sitting in the back to watch the fun. Scented sachets, handkerchiefs, flower petals and fruits were thrown to the top scholar in waves.

"That's the top scholar who won three first prizes in a row this year? He is really handsome and extraordinary." Behind a window, a woman smiled at the man riding on a white horse. "How old is he this year?"

"Twenty-nine years old, not yet thirty." A servant answered in a low voice.

"Good age." The woman smiled with satisfaction.

Ji Zimo was completely unaware, he was dodging the scented flowers that fell from the sky, while looking up to search for something. Suddenly, a gentle face peeked out from behind the second-floor window, followed by a bunch of furry little heads, all with double buns.

Ji Zimo laughed heartily, his eyes like spring water becoming more gentle. His smile made the heaven and earth pale in comparison, people on the street cried out in amazement, and the handkerchiefs and sachets were thrown even harder.

"It turns out that he is her husband." The woman from before looked at all this and her face darkened.