Rise From the Humble

  Chapter 346 Palace Examination (1)

  The gate of the palace was wide open, and the small yellow gate came out in a file, and the decree was announced to all the tributes waiting outside to enter the Xiyuan. Zhu Pingan and other tributes followed the lead of the small yellow gate, divided into two rows, and filed in excitedly and nervously, not daring to breathe.

  Xiyuan is like a fairyland. Except once entering Xiyuan, Zhu Pingan almost had the illusion that he had come to Penglai fairyland. The first thing I saw was Jinhai in Xiyuan. Zhu Ping’an has been famous for a long time in modern times.

At this moment, the blue waves of the Golden Sea are rippling, and the water mist shrouds the islands in the Golden Sea and the towering peaks on the opposite bank in the mist. From time to time, there are several cranes, exotic flowers and grasses are everywhere on the shore, and the palace in the distance is looming. Like a wonderland on earth.

  Zhu Pingan and other tributes, under the guidance of Xiaohuangmen, entered the hinterland of Xiyuan through the Jinaoyudong Bridge between Zhonghai and Beihai.

  The emperor's own army is fully equipped to guard the main roads in Xiyuan. According to the armor style, it is roughly divided into Jinwu Guard, Habayashi Guard, Fujun Guard, and Huben Guard. They are scattered throughout Xiyuan to protect the safety of the Xiyuan Palace.

After entering the hinterland of Xiyuan, the small yellow gate did not lead Zhu Pingan and others directly to the palace examination room, but led Zhu Pingan and others to a slightly low palace. There was a plaque on the palace, and on the plaque were four A big character, "Zhenkun Dao Temple".

  At first, Zhu Ping'an and the others were still wondering what the little yellow gatekeeper was doing to bring everyone here, but soon they understood.

   Shower and change clothes!

  Although the main hall is low, it is large enough. There are several separate bath barrels with rippling steam, covered by curtains, and all the students file in to bathe and change clothes.

There are two purposes of bathing this time, bathing and changing clothes to show respect to the emperor, Emperor Jiajing is on the verge of cultivating immortality and alchemy, and cannot be bumped by ordinary people like Zhu Pingan; Go into the bath naked, and we will search your clothes and belongings outside. The contraband should be temporarily left in the Zhenkun Dao Hall, and will be returned after your palace test.

After bathing and changing clothes, Zhu Pingan found that the pen, ink and inkstone he was carrying were temporarily left in the hall. As for the ginseng that Li Shu asked Baozi's little maid to send, it was kept because it was not a contraband but a food category. Zhu Pingan was allowed to take it with him. palace test.

  After bathing and changing clothes, Xiao Huangmen took Zhu Pingan and others to the south again, and there was a row of straight huts near the south gate of Xiyuan. In front of the huts, more than ten officials stood there in official robes.

   Probably the officials of the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple.

  Xiao Huang's gatekeeper Zhu Ping'an and others led them to the front and back of these officials from the Ministry of Rites, whispered something to the frontmost officials, and left with a whisk.

  The rest of the matter is the matter of the Ministry of Rites. It took about half an hour to roll the roll, emphasize discipline, and mobilize. Then Zhu Pingan and others followed the officials of the Ministry of Rites to the examination room of the imperial examination—Taisu Hall.

  Tai Su Hall is located on the north side of Xiyuan, close to Beihai.

  By the time Zhu Pingan and others arrived at the Taisu Hall with the officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple, the sun had already risen in the east.

   "Xuan Jiajing and Xinhai Enke Gong Shi have an audience." The announcement came from the palace one after another.

   Soon, officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple led Zhu Ping'an and others to line up and enter the Taisu Hall following the inner guard who announced the decree.

   There are already many officials in the Taisu Hall, dressed in crimson, cyan, and green official robes, embroidered with birds and animals, and inspecting the four hundred tributes with the eyes of the younger generation.

   "The ministers pay homage to the Holy Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live, long live"

Zhu Pingan, along with officials from the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple, and all the tributes, saluted Emperor Jiajing sitting on the dragon chair—five prostrations and three kowtows. It is to bow your head to your hands five times, and then kowtow to the ground three times.

   "Let's get down." A dignified voice came from the hall.

   This was the voice of Emperor Jiajing. After hearing it, many Gongsheng trembled with excitement. After being pushed a few times, they hurriedly got up and stood respectfully in the hall.

Zhu Pingan took the opportunity to look at Emperor Jiajing when he got up. Emperor Jiajing was sitting on the dragon chair, a little thin, but his majestic aura was extremely strong. Wearing a dragon robe, he looked like a real dragon coiled on the dragon chair. Don't dare to look directly.

"It's the age of Enke, and Bairui is here to show you that you will not disappoint me!" Emperor Jiajing said a few hadiths after the tributes were finished. You must obey the sky and respond to the people, and don't disappoint my expectations.

After Emperor Jiajing finished speaking, he nodded to Huang Jin standing beside him, and then Huang Jin held the apricot-yellow cloth scroll in front of the imperial case with both hands, walked down the hall and handed it to a middle-aged official. The official was the Minister of Honglu Temple, who knelt down to salute Jiajing after receiving the inscription on the apricot yellow cloth.

  He, Honglu Temple Minister, is the examiner for this palace examination.

  After he got the test questions and saluted, he put the test questions on the east side of the emperor's case in front of the cabinet members and others, opened the test questions under the supervision of the cabinet members, and placed them on the emperor's case.

   After that, there was a burst of drumming and the sound of whips.

  Zhu Ping'an followed everyone in the hall to salute Emperor Jiajing sitting on the dragon chair again, this time knocking three times and prostrating nine times.

After everyone saluted, Emperor Jiajing slowly left the Taisu Hall. He still had a furnace of good alchemy to make, and he didn't have time to stare at it all the time. The matter of the palace examination was left to the courtiers. Otherwise, why did he send so much salary to them.

  After the emperor left, a group of ministers in the palace also left. More than a dozen officials including Yan Song stayed, and Xu Jie didn't stay either. None of the examiners this time, probably to avoid suspicion.

After the emperor left, the officials of the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple divided Zhu Ping'an and others into two rows according to the rankings in the test, and sat on the east and west sides of the Taisu Hall. Those with even numbers sit on the west side of the main hall.

  Tables and chairs have been placed on the east and west sides of the main hall for the Gongshi palace examination. Zhu Ping'an and Ouyang Zishi ranked first on the east and west sides, facing each other far away.

  Zhu Ping'an was very bad. After so many kneeling and tossing, Zhu Pingan, who was already exhausted and haggard, almost couldn't stand up, and his haggard and tired state was even more serious. Ouyang Zishi, who has been silently paying attention to Zhu Ping'an, saw Zhu Ping'an's crumbling figure, and silently raised the corners of his mouth, what are you fighting with me for?

   "It's the palace exam, one breakfast, one lunch, and two rounds of tea are provided. The palace exam has its own rules. You should do it yourself, and don't let your majesty live up to your expectations!"

  After all the Gong Shilie sat down, the officials of the Ministry of Rites finished their brief lectures, and then began to distribute the test papers for this palace examination.

  After Zhu Pingan received the test paper, he slightly rubbed his tired and dizzy forehead, and slowly opened the test question in his hand.

  The test paper is made of snow-white rice paper, the workmanship is extremely fine, with a touch of sandalwood, the font of the test questions is excellent, and the test questions slowly appear in Zhu Ping'an's eyes.

  (end of this chapter)