Chapter 1: The Prince’s belly is full of pigs and chickens

A courtyard with blue willows and red apricots peeking over the wall.

The clear light had long since filtered in between the bright-tiled, latticed wooden windows and spilled over an arched red damask quilt.

The bulging covers wriggled a few times, and out burrowed a half-dozen ragged heads, and white arms peeked out from underneath them, groping haphazardly at the head of the bed, and grasping a Western enamel-painted silver pocket watch.

The quiet room then resounded with the young man’s scream, “Aaah, overslept!”

Ruan Hong Banana, a famous prostitute in the capital, holding a copper basin, pushed the door in, “Prince don’t panic, look at the color of the sky is not past the hour, should be in time. Even if it is really late for a moment and a half, those soldiers at the door recognize the money but not the people, make some will go in.”

Su Yan hurriedly dressed while saying: “My good girl, you think this is a fair! Once every three years, the examination, the nation’s students gathered in the capital, the tribute to the important place of the examination, soldiers guarded at all levels, which is to spend a little money can go in.”

Ruan Hong Banana put down the basin, sat at the table, only hand resting on the cheeks, eat and laugh: “can not get in is good, son of the dragon chapter phoenix posture, full of pearls, if the examination in the three, I am afraid that the emperor chose to be the extra horse harnessed by a team of horse harnessed by the side of a team of horse, slaves can not afford to give up. The best test is not successful, stay in the capital and wait for three years, let the slave every day with you.”

Su Yan gathered her hair into a bun and put on a soft towel, casually wiped her face, and laughed and scolded, “Dare to curse the young master for failing the exam, come back to wring your crow’s mouth!” He picked up the package on the table and rushed out the door.

Ruan Hongjiao laughed delicately behind him, “Langjun go slowly, your slave’s mouth is waiting for you to come back and twist it.”

Out of the Rouge Hutong, Su Yan running feet windy, panting, heart funny and helpless: what full of pearls, full of pigs and chickens is more or less. How much ink does he have in his stomach? University mixed three years, but read a few books of ancient literature on ancient literature, strike hold up the package and run.

That little duchess froze before poking his back and calling, “What magnanimity, when did I let you go? Stop right there! Hey–“

Su Yan where still willing to stand still, just pretend not to hear. Fortunately, the Tribute Academy door is not far ahead, he is like a night bird throwing forest whoosh in.

The small gentleman looked at the broken porcelain broken tea cakes all over the ground, angry teeth itchy, fishing up the Western pocket watch to see, weights surface cracked into several petals, even the pointer is not moving, angrily: “This guy slipped fast, so I picked half a day are picking in vain!”

A follower came over and said, “Master rest his anger, or we go in and pull out the boy who doesn’t have eyes?”

The young gentleman was full of anger, but calmed down after hearing his words, saying, “The big event of the Chun Exam, the Ministry of Rites is inside to worship the Confucius Sage in the Heavenly Ground, and several Cabinet Ministers are also in the Tribute Courtyard, so it’s not good to make any loud noise.” His pair of black and white eyes turned, called, “Cheng Sheng.”

“The old slave is in.”

“You go to the Tribute Academy to find out who this kid’s last name is. You want to win the gold list? Master called your name down, gray roll baggage away!”

“The old slave will go and do it, don’t worry.”

The young gentleman grunted heavily, the remaining anger has not subsided, turned his head to see the ground on the birdcage’s tethered hook fell apart, the cage door is half-closed, half-open, just bought the big tiger parrot probing out its beak, and hastily pulling the voice of the duck to call out: “Hey, my parakeet son to run away, quickly give me to catch it– “

The parrot, startled by his squawk, stalked and fluttered its wings straight up into the clouds.

–

Su Yan sighed as he chewed on his pencil in his single exam room, Room No.

The so-called number room, in fact, with the cell no different, five feet long, four feet wide, eight feet high, the whole a matchbox, lying straight feet can not stretch.

Candidates are only allowed to bring stationery and lamps, each issued three candles, one by one, searched after entering the number of rooms, the big lock click on, into a dragon into a snake in this lonely lamp firefly fire between the square inches.

But this is not a big problem, the conditions are difficult a little bit of what, is not just another college entrance examination, bitter or not, think of the Long March 25,000, tired or not, learn from the Red Army old predecessors, so that Su Yan is really a headache but …… octet!

Eight shares, this in the contemporary view is simply synonymous with feudal pedantry, in the eyes of the people at that time, but the crystallization of the teachings of the sages of the ages, the knock on the door of promotion and wealth.

The Four Books and Five Classics over and over again on so many pages, the topic must be out of it, the question of the university professors can be said to be racking their brains, digging out the side door, pulling out corners, cramp cut out a sentence and a half to do the test.

For example, he penned this paper entitled, “He who hates to hold on to one is a thief of his way.”

Fortunately, he used to be a good student who listened attentively to the lectures, and he vaguely remembered that this sentence seemed to have come from “Mengzi? The chapter of the heart, seems to be Mencius on Yang Zi “for me” and Mozi “love” upset attack, seems to be the embodiment of the middle of the road thought of the middle ground and change.

But the problem is, this is not a contemporary argumentative essay, there are arguments arguments can be free to play, the format of the eight-legged essay stipulated more than handcuffs and shackles to death. Breaking the subject, to the subject, the beginning of the speech, the beginning of the hand, the beginning of the stock, in the stock, after the stock, the bundle of stock, in which the first few links are nonsense, but also provides for the beginning of the first word; the beginning of the stock, in the stock, the stock, after the stock, the bundle of the stock is the formal argument. In these four strands, each strand has two strands of contrasting text, also known as parallelism, so they are collectively known as the eight strands.

God pity, Su Yan even poems are not neat, where will write what parallelism, the pen is almost chewed, a word did not hold out.

Even though he didn’t have high expectations for his HKCEE, it was shameful for a college liberal arts student to go up there and hand in a blank paper just like that! Shameful! Shameful to the master and teacher ah!

After thinking hard, Su Yan had a flash of insight and came up with an idea that he didn’t know if it was a bad idea or not.

He decided to use the contemporary essay writing method to write this “thieves Road”, as long as the argument is clear, the argument is solid, the argument is good, appropriate quote quotes from famous people, with the literary style to write, it’s about right, if shelved in the college entrance examination paper, may still be a full marks it.

Su Yan heart calculations, spilling pen up, self-congratulation: good thing we have practiced calligraphy for a few years, writing is not a problem, fill the paper is good, the other does not care. As long as the right position, do not make political mistakes, did not write any shocking subversion of the feudal rule of speech, should not be pulled to beheading it?

–

“Fujian lifer Su Yan, epithet Qinghe ……”

Hanlin Academy’s Serving Lecture Bachelor and Zhanshi House’s Junior Zhanzheng Minister, Liu Wei Zhi, pulled out one of the papers from a large stack of examinees and carefully pinched it with his fingers and handed it over, “This is the one.”

Cheng Sheng smiled and sipped his tea, “Liu Bachelor, our family is a rough man, doo big words can not read a few, which the student wrote the article, or should you review, see if enough to get on the threshold of the Dragon Gate.”

Liu Weiji swept a glance, even a word shadow did not see clearly, then casually put aside on the table, said: “This volume of poor rhetoric, shallow intention, is the next volume. Duke don’t worry, the next official will be impartial, will not be such a poor academic scholar recorded as a tribute student.”

Cheng Sheng nodded with satisfaction, “Bachelor Liu’s work is rigorous, of course we are relieved, the young master is still waiting for a reply, we will leave first.”

Liu Weiji arched his hand and said, “Eunuch, take your time.” He watched Cheng Sheng stride out of the door with a duck-duke stride before he brushed his sleeves and secretly sighed.

Although he is the fourth grade young Zhanzheng, Hanlin Academy, the minister of lectures, weekdays to assist the Prince’s studies, but in Cheng Sheng this sixth grade eunuchs in front of the respect, do not dare to have half a bit of negligence. Why? People are the Prince’s side of the people, take care of the East Palace of food and drink, accompanied by the Prince to play, the degree of closeness is by no means comparable to his little preacher.

Today’s son of heaven love the Prince that is obvious to all, if this class of ministers have something to say in the Prince’s ear, the Prince and in front of the Emperor inadvertently mentioned, he not only the veil is not guaranteed, or perhaps have to drag a family exiled to the border.

District a lift only, not for him to defy the will of the Prince, Su Yan ah Su Yan, to blame your own, the Dragon Gate has not yet jumped into the Prince offended, you are to blame, can not blame this official. Liu Weizhi idea has been finalized, pen pointing the vermilion sand, ready to cross out the name on the booklet.

But I heard a high-pitched and clear singing salute outside the window, “The Emperor is driving to the Tribute Academy, all the ministers will receive him.”

After all, it is a violation of the operation, the heart has a guilty ah, Liu Weizhi hand shaking, the brush fell to the ground, in the brick surface point out a few clusters of virgin red like colorful traces to.

He held up his crown and hat, and out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the train of a bright yellow robe stepping into the door of the room, and hurriedly performed a great salute and knelt down, his forehead clasping his fingertips, saying, “I, Liu Weizhi, kowtowed to see the long life of our Emperor.”

Emperor Jinglong walked into the to the public hall, with his hands in the air and laughed: “Get up get up, this is not the palace, next to no speech officer, there is no need to be so formal.”

Liu Wei discussion rose and stood with his hands down, peeping to see the emperor this day is wearing a yellow plate collar and wide-sleeved suit, before and after and both shoulders are inlaid with gold weaving dragon filler, wearing a double-dragon grabbed the pearl winged good crown, between the brows and eyes colorful ShuLang, looks like in a good mood, the belly will first eat a pill.

Emperor Jinglong looked around and said, “Why is it empty, just you?”

Liu Weiji respectfully said, “Your Majesty, the Fang Bachelor in the pavilion in the scrolls, Zhao Bachelor heard that the number of rooms in the seepage of water went over to inspect the past, Lin Bachelor said that it is …… said that it is ……”

“Say what?”

“Said he had an upset stomach and went out of the house.”

Emperor Jinglong smiled, sitting on a yellow pear chi dragon circle chair, casually picking up a candidate’s paper from the table, “Bachelor Lin must have fallen into the lake inadvertently last night when he fought with someone over the painting boat, and suffered from the cold.”

He said carelessly, Liu Weiji back but cold sweat straight flow, in the single moistened.

Jin Yi Wei is really pervasive, creepy, his actions just now, will also fall in the eyes of those who see the needle? This idea flashed in the bottom of his heart, Liu Weiji’s body swayed, his legs and stomach cramped, as if he could not stand up steadily.

Luckily, the emperor was looking down at his scroll and didn’t notice his deathly white face, only a pair of slender sword eyebrows slowly raised.

“…… This is the test paper of this year’s candidates?” The Emperor’s face sank slightly as he slapped the edge of the table, “What a mess this is written!”

Liu Weizhi scared a jolt, busy probing his head to see, good dead precisely was he casually placed on the edge of the table Su Yan’s volume, suddenly silenced.

Emperor Jinglong exhaled and poked at the scroll with his fingertips, “This person can’t even figure out the eight-stud format, how did he pass the courtyard and township exams? And how did he become a lifer?”

He slammed the paper on the table: “I can not see, is the civil and military officials favoritism, disregard for the law! You see for yourself, is so full of paper ink plaque, also can all the way to the capital to test, in the end what people let him pass unimpeded!”

It’s a big crime, deceiving the king and ignoring his superiors, a big crime to lose one’s head!

Liu Weiji’s legs and feet instead stopped shaking.

There is a saying that when the jackal is in the way, how to ask the fox, there are these officials who have committed great crimes against the thunder, what is his little bit of hand and foot, hair and rain can not be stained.

At that moment, the heart of a great determination, echoed: “Your Majesty’s saintly, I just read the paper, see this Fujian scholar full of paper nonsense, defilement of the sages, the heart of the indignation, is ready to give him an assessment of the next volume.”

Emperor Jinglong said, “More than under, when expelled from the imperial court, never employed!”