Chapter 8 Yijiazike Jiangnan Rural Examination was finally held normally

When Jiangning City was in disrepair, Zeng Guofan suppressed the construction of Liangjiang Governor’s Yamen, Jiangning Governor’s Yamen, Jiangning Governor’s Yamen and other government offices, and spent funds on two constructions: one is to fill the city, and the other is Jiangnan Gongyuan .The purpose of restoring Mancheng is to win the favor of the imperial court, and the purpose of restoring Jiangnan Gongyuan is to win over the hearts of scholars in Liangjiang. It doesn't matter if the construction of the whole city is slow, but the construction of the Gongyuan cannot be delayed for a moment.This year is the year of Jiazi, which is a routine year of big competitions. All other provinces ended the autumn period in mid-August according to the prescribed time limit, except for Anhui and Jiangsu.Anhui and Jiangsu provinces were still one province before the sixth year of Kangxi, named Jiangnan Province (it is under the jurisdiction of the same governor as Jiangxi Province, the so-called Liangjiang is the abbreviation of Jiangnan and Jiangxi), and the provincial capital is Jiangning.Later, although it was divided into two provinces, the rural examination was not separated.Scholars from Anhui Province still come to Jiangning to take the provincial examination every year of the Dabi.Since the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom established the capital here at the end of the second year of Xianfeng, the rural examinations in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces have been suspended.In the eleventh year of Xianfeng, Zeng Guofan wanted to set up a Shangjiang examination shed in Anqing to test Anhui scholars, but because northern Anhui was still in the hands of the Taiping Army, it failed.In this way, in more than twelve years, scholars in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces lost three chances to make a fortune.As soon as Jiangning was back in the hands of the court, the call for an immediate admission to obtain a scholar thundered into Zeng Guofan's ears.

Zeng Guofan himself was no less anxious than these scholars.In his proclamation to the world on the eve of leaving the army that year, he tried his best to condemn the Taiping Army’s behavior of “taking China’s thousands of years of etiquette, morality, ethics, and poetry and books, and once they are wiped out,” he called on all literate people to stand up and defend Confucius and Mencius. Famous teacher.Over the years, he has indeed won the support and support of most scholars with the slogan of "defending the way", which is one of the main reasons why he became the winner.Now, it's time for him to reward these scholars.What's more, as the supreme host of the rural examination that has been suspended for twelve years, history will record it in what dazzling language!Every time Zeng Guofan thought of this, he became very excited.This peasant boy from Heyetang, who got his status today by relying on government examinations, rural examinations, and general examinations, deeply understands the painstaking efforts of poor scholars to get ahead, and also deeply feels the incomparable honor of being in charge of Wenheng.He would visit the Jiangnan Gongyuan construction site every few days, urging them to complete the construction by the end of October, and never delay the Jiazike Township Examination scheduled for the eighth day of November.A few days ago, the Jiangnan Tribute Court was finally completed on schedule, and Zeng Guofan and all the officials from Jiangsu and Anhui felt a lot easier on their shoulders.

In recent days, 20,000 scholars from the Jianghuai land, southern Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu have poured into Jiangning City in an endless stream, bringing a fresh interest to the thousand-year-old capital that is being rebuilt from ruins.Among these scholars, there are gray-haired old men, young men who are not as good as weak crowns, rich children with fat horses and light fur, who call slaves and servants, and poor scholars who carry bookcases and old clothes alone.They walked on the street, went in and out of the Nilv restaurant, each with long braids on their heads, and their mouths were full of poetry, which made the old people in Jinling really feel like seeing the majesty of the Han officials again!

The Jiangnan Township Examination has always attracted the attention of the whole country. Not only is the number of admissions second only to Zhili, but also because of the large number of first-class candidates in the palace examination, it is the envy of all provinces.In the Qing Dynasty, there were ninety-one subjects in total from Bingxu, the third year of Shunzhi, to Jinling, which fell into the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom after Renzike in the second year of Xianfeng. There were 50 champions, 32 second places, and 42 Tanhuas in the south of the Yangtze River. , ranking first in the country, far above other provinces.Such an important place is also the first department after the recovery of Jinling. The scholars are asking each other who the chief examiner will release.The vast majority of people don't know about it, only a very few people who have relatives who are high officials in Beijing know it, but they don't talk about it.Dozens of chief and deputy examiners have been guessed, and everyone is not sure. The only thing that is certain is: the chief examiner of Jinke Jiangnan Rural Examination must be a senior Hanyuan senior with high morals and talents.

This point was really guessed. Ten days before the exam, the governor of Liangjiang, Zeng Guofan, received the Ministry of Communication, and learned that Liu Kun was released by the chief examiner, and Ping Buqing was released by the deputy chief examiner.Liu Kun's name is Yukun, his name is Yunzhai, and he was named Hanlin in the 21st year of Daoguang.In the first year of Xianfeng, he was edited by the Imperial Academy and transferred to Hunan Xuezheng. In the fourth year of Xianfeng, he moved to the cabinet as a bachelor, and soon moved to the right minister of the Ministry of Industry.In the 11th year of Xianfeng, he was dismissed due to demerits. Two years later, he was reinstated as Shaoqing of Honglu Temple. Earlier this year, he was promoted to Shaoqing of Taipu Temple.Now he is presiding over the Jiangnan provincial examination as a majestic Jiuqing, which has added a lot to the scholars who participated in the Shike provincial examination.Ping Bu Qing Zi Jingsun, thirty-two years old this year, was an editor for Han Yuan at that time, and he was a handsome and talented man with good official luck.It was said that Shen Zheng could arrive in Jinling today. At the beginning of Shen, Zeng Guofan took Li Hongzhang, governor of Jiangsu, Yi Zhenfu of Xuezheng, Qiao Songnian, governor of Anhui, Zhu Lan of Xuezheng, Wan Qichen, governor of Jiangning feudal clan, and other senior officials to Xiaguan to meet him in person. The official hall welcomes you.

During the dismantling process, the Hunan Army received an edict: For long-term considerations, it is not necessary to completely abolish it, and about 30,000 troops can be retained.Zeng Guofan was worried about this matter, and this edict came out of nowhere, which made him very happy. He immediately decided that the Yangtze River Navy would not move for the time being. Thousands of people, the rest of Zhang Yunlan's old Hunan camp, Xiao Qijiang's Guozi camp, Zhengzi camp, and Li Xuyi's old troops were all abolished, and the three navy divisions of Huaiyang, Ningguo, and Taihu Lake each retained 1,000 people, and the rest also returned to their original places.During this period, Xiaguan wharf was full of people and goods day and night. The abolished officials and brave men of Jiziying were carrying the gold, silver, treasures, beauties and young slaves they robbed from Jinling City, and boarded the westbound ship, carrying All kinds of ideas, dreaming all kinds of dreams, changing boats from the Yangtze River to Dongting Lake, from Dongting Lake to Yuanli, Xiangzi, and then changing boats to small rivers and small ports, or changing mules and carriages to step on the roads and enter the original Closing the borders of poor valleys.They, and the hundreds of thousands of Xiangyong who were later withdrawn from various military camps, took the money to buy houses and fields, send their children to study, do business and go to big wharves, meet friends when they go out, and open up a new generation in Hunan. Since then, the Sanxiang and Four Rivers in the land of Sanxiang and Sishui have opened their horizons, the atmosphere has changed greatly, talents have emerged in large numbers, and they are as brilliant as stars. They have become the most famous and influential provinces in modern China.

Those who had to go had almost gone, and those who remained followed Zeng Guofan's order, all the army withdrew outside the city, and all the ships of the Yangtze River Navy were moored above Dashengguan to wait for processing.In this way, the war atmosphere in Jiangning City was greatly eliminated, and the psychological pressure of the common people was also reduced a lot. The Xiaguan Wharf in front of them looked calm, just like Zeng Guofan's mood recently. This is his rare peace in many years.The large-scale abolishment of the Hunan Army earned him the honor of the Queen Mother and the Emperor.Prince Gong was reinstated again, but his backer did not fail.

Hong Tianguifu did not take him to the capital to offer prisoners. This is undoubtedly the court's indifference to Shen Baozhen and face to their brothers.Zeng Guofan was very grateful, but he was even more grateful for the court's tolerance for the reimbursement of military expenses. When Jinling had just been recovered and all the officers and men were immersed in the joy of victory, Zeng Guofan, who had served as the Minister of the Ministry of War, had already thought about how to reimburse the Ministry of War for military expenses in the future.This is a very important and difficult matter, especially when there are rumors about the whereabouts of Jinling's property, he is even more worried about it.

Since the third year of Xianfeng's recruitment of bravery, Zeng Guofan has been meticulous about the exchange of money, and all expenses have been clearly recorded.When he left Hengzhou as a teacher, he specially established two money offices inside and outside, and all incoming and outgoing money had detailed accounts.He put forward the slogan "Don't be afraid of death, don't love money" to educate the officers of the Hunan Army to be brave, and he set an example by himself, never privately using a penny of military funds.In the first few years of the establishment of the Hunan Army, the accounts were clear, and it was not difficult to reimburse military expenses.Later, the personnel of the Hunan Army greatly expanded. First, Hu Linyi and his troops became independent. Later, Luo Zenan, Li Xubin, and Li Xuyi brothers also became independent, and then the old Xiangying, Jiziying, Zhenziying, Pingjiangyong, and the navy division Neihuwaijiang , plus Zuo Zongtang's Chu army, they are all independent, and they can still obey the unified deployment when fighting. As for the money expenditure, Zeng Guofan is unable to control it, and does not want to control it anymore.Most of the expenditures of these independent Hunan troops are a messy account.The imperial court paid very little money, and they all raised it themselves, or even plundered it.These commanders never thought that after the battle, they would report their expenses to the Ministry of War.When Zeng Guofan conveyed the order to them after the ministry document was issued, they still didn't take it seriously, and Zeng Guofan had nothing to do with them.If you don't report it, you can't explain it to the court, and if you report it, it will arouse the generals' resentment. If you don't do it well, you may be afraid of accidents.When he was in a state of desperation, he was rescued by an edict: "For all cases of unreimbursed military affairs handled in various places before June of the third year of Tongzhi, the brigadier general will issue a concise list of the total amount of income and expenditure by year, and record it clearly. It will be exempted from making a book and reimbursement." It's really holy and magnanimous!

Zeng Guofan thought that all of these may be the empress dowager's reward for the abolition of the Hunan Army.He is grateful for his steady and restrained attitude to get through the difficulties smoothly. "Shaoquan, you are the master of Jiangnan Township Examination, and Yunzhai and Jingsun have come all the way, how do you plan to entertain them?" Zeng Guofan smiled and said to Li Hongzhang who was sitting beside him.As usual, the governors of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces took turns acting as supervisors for the Jiangnan Township Examination, and it was the turn of the governor of Jiazi Division to supervise.

"The mansion of the two chief examiners, the disciples are arranged in Miaoxiang Nunnery outside the Hanxi Gate. Half a month ago, the interior and exterior of the nunnery have been repainted, and the bedroom, study room, and living room have been replaced with a full set of Western-style furnishings. People who have seen it say it is very good , presumably the two examiners will be satisfied." Li Hongzhang replied. In the past few years, once Li Hongzhang washed away his bad luck in his hometown, his situation went smoothly.The Huai army captured Suzhou, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang several famous cities one after another.Li Hongzhang, commander-in-chief of the Huai Army, knew that the secret lies in the guns and bullets of foreigners.Li Hongzhang made full use of the favorable conditions of Shanghai's wealth and wealth, and exchanged a lot of gold and silver for arms and equipment of foreigners.At that time, the short burst guns that made the generals of the Hunan Army and the Green Battalion jealous were very common in the Huai Army, even the sentry commanders and sentry officers.They hang the long black shiny new British short guns on their buttocks with wide leather belts, and they appear in the market and restaurants with a high spirit, making the people fear the gods.The officers of the Huai Army wiped their mouths and left after eating and drinking; when they saw good goods, they opened their mouths and said "bring it" to the guards. Outside, nodding and bowing, thank you for your appreciation.After he couldn't see his back, he spit out a mouthful of sputum and cursed fiercely: "Bandit! Bandit!" Li Hongzhang, who was recently honored as an earl, understood the importance of the Huai Army to him. When his mentor was trying to dismantle the Hunan Army, his Huai Army did not move except for dismissing the old, weak, sick and disabled, and secretly ordered the battalion officers. Collect those officials and brave officers who have been abolished and fierce and capable of fighting in the Hunan Army.The strength of the Huai army has become stronger and stronger.The ambitious and talented Li Hongzhang, relying on his power and meritorious service, no longer paid attention to the people of the time. His only mentor, Zeng Guofan, still had three points of respect and seven points of fear. "Shaoquan, I think you are going to be Westernized recently. The Western-style furnishings in Miaoxiang Nunnery, Jingsun is young, maybe he pursues fashion, Yunzhai is an old man, so he may not like it." Zeng Guofan was still smiling, and used his hands to slowly comb his long gray beard. Although he didn't agree with Li Hongzhang's arrangement, his tone was not meant to be accusatory.He is basically satisfied with this disciple he cultivated by himself.In particular, he has clearly seen the decline of the Hunan Army and the prosperity of the Huai Army. On the one hand, he is deeply pleased with his decision-making back then, and on the other hand, he has 70% high hopes and 30% reliance on this extraordinary disciple. "Foreigners are the most ingenious, and the things they create are all satisfactory. I think Mr. Kun will definitely like them." Li Hongzhang said confidently. "Have you prepared any good special treats?" Zeng Guofan didn't want to continue arguing about this matter, so he changed the topic to a lighter topic. "Wu Xia has a lot of delicious food. The disciples specially brought a few famous chefs from Suzhou, and asked them to change their tricks and let the two examiners taste Wu Xia's delicious dishes, especially asking them to cook Wu Xia's three best dishes. The famous dish is ready." Li Hongzhang said quite complacently. "The most famous! Which three dishes?" Peng Shouyi was most interested in eating.Since Xianfeng followed Zeng Guofan for four years, he has never eaten any unusual dishes in the shogunate. Zeng Guofan lived a frugal life, and the diet of his staff was not much different from that of ordinary people. He himself ate with everyone every day. Although his staff had opinions, they were embarrassed to mention them.I remember that year when Wang Kaiyun came all the way to Qimen, the kitchen dinner was served with minced meat and bean curd soup in addition to the usual cold dishes. When Zeng Guofan saw him, he shook his head and said, "Why is it so extravagant!" Not anymore.This time, he was so excited to be able to take the honor of the chief examiner and eat Wu Xia's famous dishes prepared by famous chefs in Suzhou. "Huifu is from Yanghu, he knows it well, you can ask him!" Li Hongzhang wanted to show off. "Li Zhongcheng, aren't you trying to make things difficult for me! I don't know what's going on in your stomach!" Zhao Liewen scratched his head, thought for a while, and said, "Is it wild rice, water shield soup, or sea bass?" "Exactly, exactly! Huifu is worthy of being a talented scholar under Wu." Li Hongzhang laughed happily. "Shaoquan, it's the time when the west wind is chilling. Are you bringing out these dishes to drive us all back to our hometown?" As soon as Zeng Guofan's words came out of his mouth, there was a burst of laughter in the reception hall, but he himself did not laugh, and continued to comb his beard slowly.Those sitting here are all well-educated people who know the allusions he said.In the Jin Dynasty, Zhang Han of Wujun was recruited by Qi Wang Sima Jiong as Da Sima Dong Caoyu.Zhang Han saw that the political situation was chaotic, and in order to avoid misfortune, he excused the autumn wind and missed his hometown of wild rice, water shield soup, and perch, so he resigned and returned to Wu.Since then, these three foods have become famous dishes that Wu people are proud of. "It's so beautiful! The ancients said that Songjiang perch is golden and jade. It seems that in the future, you can enjoy the honor of the examiner and taste the delicacies of the southeast." Peng Shouyi couldn't help showing an unbearable desire. "Shaoquan, I heard that Songjiang perch is famous for its four gills. Is this true?" Although Zeng Guofan has always liked to eat fish, he has been busy and worried in Jinling these past few months, and he has not thought of tasting the famous four gills. Songjiang perch. "It is indeed four gills." Li Hongzhang replied in an expert tone.He knows how to live better than the teacher, he wants both career and enjoyment. "It's just that there are two big gills and two small gills. Tomorrow, the disciple will ask someone to send a few to the yamen, and the teacher can have a look with his own eyes." "If you want, send a few more fishes tomorrow, so that all the masters in the yamen can taste it." Zeng Guofan, who has never received gifts, rarely has such a refreshing time, "However, Li Zhongcheng, I heard that the Songjiang perch is going to be delicious. You have to rely on Sichuan ginger. Have you prepared Sichuan ginger?" Zhao Liewen challenged Li Hongzhang. "I don't understand this. I don't know if the cook has prepared it. If there is no Shujiang, please forgive me and don't point it out in front of the two examiners!" Li Hongzhang's words caused another laugh. "Shaoquan, how old is the oldest scholar in the Jinke Township Examination?" After laughing, Zeng Guofan asked. "Among the 19,869 scholars, the oldest is Lu Guangxi from Rugao, Jiangsu, who is seventy-eight years old this year." Li Hongzhang replied. Everyone applauded. "It's rare! At such an advanced age, you can still take the exam on the spot." Zeng Guofan remembered that he was only fifty-four years old, his eyes were blurred, and he was almost old. He couldn't help expressing his sincere admiration for this old scholar. "After three games, we all went to see him to encourage him. If he really wins, let him wear a big red flower, accept everyone's congratulations in the downtown area, and show off the glory of decades of hard study and old age. " Everyone nodded in agreement. Wan Qichen said: "Seventy-eight years old to take the township examination is really rare, but it is not the oldest. Qianlong Bingchen Ke, Liu Qizhen was seventy-nine middle school, and eighty entered Hanyuan. Jiaqing Bingchen Ke, Wang Yanba The Sixteenth High School’s rural exams died before the next year’s examination. This is a scholarly talk.” Zhao Liewen said: "What you said is not too old. Qianlong didn't have a science, and Wang Jianhan in Panyu, Guangdong was ninety-nine years old and still passed the provincial examination. He could write with a pen and write freely. Weng Fanggang once recorded it in poems." Everyone was amazed. "Then, how old is the youngest?" Zeng Guofan asked again. "The youngest is seventeen years old." Li Hongzhang replied. "Oh." Zeng Guofan nodded, and said, "It is said that Mr. Zhu Wenzheng is also a seventeen-year-old magistrate. Mr. A Wenqin, the teacher, praised him for his courage despite his young age." Wan Qichen said: "Have you heard clearly? Prime Minister Jue just used the word 'also'. This is a good omen. The little guy will definitely win the exam. Li Zhongcheng, do you remember his name?" "His name is Lu Yu'an." Li Hongzhang said, "Because it's our town, so I remember it." Everyone said: "Okay, we've all remembered it. Pay attention when the results are announced. Lu Yu'an is sure to pass the test." Zeng Guofan said happily: "Whatever you say, it counts!" Zeng Guofan remembered that when he decided to build the Gongyuan a few months ago, an old man Li said that he would take his son, grandson, and three generations to take the exam together, so he asked Li Hongzhang: "Are there any fathers, sons, grandparents and grandchildren?" "Yes." Li Hongzhang replied, "Father and son came together, there are more than two hundred families, and three generations of grandparents, there are also eight families. The Lu Guangxi mentioned just now came with three generations of grandparents and grandchildren, and there are more than 20 grandsons." Years old. "Good!" Zeng Guofan said happily: "This is really a rare scene since ancient times. Shaoquan, your prison is very honorable! " "It's not all thanks to your mentor!" Li Hongzhang laughed heartily, and everyone laughed too. While everyone was chatting with great interest, a gorgeous official ship slowly sailed from the lower reaches, and on board were Liu Kun, the main examiner of Jiangnan Township Examination of Jiazike, and Ping Buqing, the deputy examiner. "It's been a hard journey, Mr. Kun!" As soon as Liu Kun stepped out of the cabin door, Zeng Guofan took Li Hongzhang and his group on the gangway to greet him, and Ping Buqing, who stood behind Liu Kun, also accepted everyone with a smile A warm welcome to him. "The middle hall welcomes you with the respected relatives of the noble minister, so how can this old man feel at ease!" Liu Kun's fame was a year later than Zeng Guofan's, but his age was a few years older than Zeng Guofan's. His beard and hair were white and translucent, and he was in good spirits.That year, when he was serving as a Xuezheng in Hunan, he had a fight with Zeng Guofan for a while about killing Lin Mingguang.Now that Zeng Guofan is famous all over the world, far above Liu Kun, and Li Hongzhang is the supervisor of the township examination, Zeng Guofan does not have to come to greet him at all.He ignored past suspicions and condescended, which really moved Liu Kun who had been in officialdom for half his life.When crossing the springboard, Liu Kun must let Zeng Guofan walk in the front.Zeng Guofan was reluctant, saying that he was the examiner appointed by the emperor, and he should be in the front.After giving way for a while, Liu Kun was finally overwhelmed and was the first to get on the springboard. Zeng Guofan wants to push Ping Buqing to take second place again.Although Ping Buqing is youthful and energetic, he dare not overstep, and refuses to do so. Liu Kun said: "Your Majesty, don't make things difficult for him anymore. Although he is ordered by the emperor, but he is a junior, I will make my own decision and let him take the third place!" So, Liu Kun came first, Zeng Guofan came second, Ping Buqing was third, Li Hongzhang was fourth, and Qiao Songnian was fifth. The reception hall with colorful lights. In the middle of the reception hall, a dragon pavilion was temporarily erected.Zeng Guofan led the crowd and knelt down to the tablet in the Dragon Pavilion to pray for Shengan: "I wish the empress dowager and the emperor a good health, long live long live!" Liu Kun replied respectfully from the side: "The empress dowager and the emperor are in good health, everyone please." Then everyone got on the big sedan chair that had been prepared one by one.A group of more than 20 green and blue sedan chairs escorted the two examiners to Miaoxiang Nunnery outside Hanxi Gate with great momentum. Li Hongzhang's talent has been verified again.The full set of western-style furnishings not only made Ping Buqing scratch his head with joy, but even the old man Liu Kun was also very satisfied.In the afternoon, at the sumptuous welcome banquet, the guests were full of praise for Wuxia’s famous dishes, especially wild rice wild rice, water shield soup, and four-gill Songjiang perch. Even Zeng Guofan thought it tasted good. Two large wooden signs were inserted outside the gate of Miaoxiang Nunnery, and each sign was written with two big characters: "Avoid".Except for an ear door in the East Wing, all the doors are pasted with two crossed seals on the left and right, with a big purple flower seal of "Imperial Order Jiangnan Rural Examination Examiner" impressively stamped on it.Liu Kun and Ping Buqing rested quietly in Miaoxiang Nunnery for two days. On the morning of the third day, the seals on the doors of Miaoxiang Nunnery were torn. Liu Kun, the chief examiner, wore court clothes in a bright sedan chair, and Ping Buqing, the deputy chief examiner, left the nunnery in an ordinary blue sedan chair and entered the city from Hanxi Gate. The bright sedan chair is also named Xianyu, and there is no fence around it. Inside is a large throne, covered with tiger skin, with wooden lions on the left and right. The sedan chair pole is wrapped in colorful silk, and it is carried by eight people. Looking down at the onlookers unobstructed is the most majestic.This kind of bright sedan chair was never used, and in the year of the big competition, it was only used by the chief examiner alone, in order to highlight its majesty. The bright sedan chair was carried all the way into the Yamen of Jiangning Mansion located on the East Street of Chengnan Mansion.Here, the magistrate of Jiangning has come forward and set up fifteen tables for a horse banquet under the curtain.After Liu Kun and Pingbu Qingwangbei knelt down and kowtowed to thank the emperor for their grace and sat upright, the examiners, supervisors, promotions, supervisors and other deacons took their seats one by one.Although this kind of curtain-mounting banquet is a banquet, it is actually mainly a ceremony.The food and wine are not rich, and everyone just tastes it.During the banquet, a cup of tea is offered every half hour and an excerpt is sung.There are three courses of tea in a row, three excerpts, and the full performance of the content of the imperial examinations, such as the three yuan and the first in the Shang Dynasty, Liang Hao's eighty-eight-year-old number one scholar and so on. After the third play, Liu Kun got up, and everyone got up, walked outside the door and got on the sedan chair, and went straight to the Gongyuan to enter.As soon as the people who went to the banquet left the gate, the people who had been watching outside the gate for a long time broke in and swarmed in, snatched away the cups, plates, fruits and vegetables on the banquet, and then overturned the tables and stools, and then walked out happily.The servants of the Yamen did not interfere, they all stood aside and watched.Most of the people who come to snatch food are not because of hunger. There is a name for this, which is called grabbing a feast, to grab auspicious luck in the imperial examination for themselves or for relatives and friends. When Liu Kun brought more than a hundred officials from Weizhong into the Jiangnan Gongyuan on the Qinhuai River, more than 3,000 Huai troops came in immediately.There are 2,000 people who enter Weizhong, called Haojun, who are responsible for distributing test papers, delivering food and water, switching and cleaning the number rooms, and all service matters for nearly 20,000 candidates.There are more than a thousand people outside, responsible for guarding, patrolling and other tasks.From this moment on, the Gongyuan, which could be visited at will in the past, immediately became heavily guarded.All the people in Jinling, including scholars, farmers, businessmen, are talking about this extraordinary event: the Jiangnan Rural Examination, which has been interrupted for twelve years, has finally resumed! On the eighth day of November in the third year of Tongzhi, the clouds were densely covered early in the morning, and the air was very cold. The northwest wind blew all night last night, and the temperature dropped suddenly. Jinling City has entered the midwinter season ahead of schedule, and nearly 20,000 scholars will all be called in today. The township examination is scheduled to be held in August, with the ninth day of August as the first test, the 12th as the second test, and the 15th as the third test.The first day (8th, 11th, and 14th) roll call to enter the venue, and the next day (10th, 13th, and 16th Lunar New Year) hand in papers and exit.One or two games will not be held until the time comes, but the third game will be released in advance on the afternoon of the 15th. Those who are talented or quick-witted, or who don't pay much attention to fame, will turn in their papers and appear at this time, so that they can be rewarded on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. moon.Every Yinzheng roll call ends at sunset.Because Jiazike Jiangnan Township Examination was postponed for three full months, it was already winter, and the dawn was late, so the roll call time was delayed by an hour.At the moment of maozheng, the Daping outside the Gongyuan was crowded with people. Scholars carried their quilts and exam baskets, and stood at the gates of each province and county according to the "Guidelines for Seating Numbers of the Gongyuan" issued by Xiantian, waiting to enter. Jiangnan Gongyuan has two gates, east and west.On the Dongyuanmen archway are written the four characters "Mingjing Qushi", and on the Xiyuanmen archway are written the four characters "Seek talents for the country".Scholars from Anhui are divided into Dongyuanmen, while scholars from Jiangsu are divided into Xiyuanmen.There are two smaller doors on the left and right of each gate.In this way, there are ten entrance doors in total.Although there are many gates, there are nearly 20,000 scholars, and there are still nearly 2,000 people around each gate.After each count of 50 people, the guards will hold the tall cards and guide them, and the scholars will follow the cards and enter the room one by one.Because it takes a lot of time to check the names one by one, the entry speed is very slow. It was fairly quiet at first.Although the weather was cold, the scholars waited patiently because they had already prepared.At the beginning of the year, it began to rain suddenly, with snow particles mixed in the rain.This made the scholars standing in the open-air lawn miserable.Although there are umbrellas and bamboo hats, they can't stop the rain and snow for a long time.Not long after, their bodies were covered with snow particles, and their shoulders, cuffs, and trousers were gradually wet.It is especially pitiful for those old, weak and poorly clothed people. They are shivering from the cold, shivering and standing outside the gate. Scholars seem to be a group of criminals who are being punished. The crowd was confused.Those who cursed the Lord of Heaven, those who yelled to roll the roll, and those who slapped each other's snow particles, all kinds of voices were so noisy that they could not even hear the roll call, and the speed of entering the house was getting slower and slower.Suddenly, there was a heart-piercing scream from outside the Xiyuan gate: "Daddy, you are always awake, you are always awake!" "Grandpa, grandpa!" People surrounded him.I saw an old scholar, who was getting older, lying upright on the mud floor, with his eyes closed, his face pale, and he had been frozen to death.The two scholars next to him knelt and cried bitterly.The kind-hearted scholars came to take care of and comfort them, and the scholars who were in a hurry to do justice hurriedly called patrol soldiers.There are whispers all around: "Who is this old man, who came to take the test at this age?" "It is said that he is from Rugao. He is almost eighty, and beside him are his son and grandson. The son is in his fifties, and his grandson is in his twenties." "The old man has been ill for a few days, and his children and grandchildren persuaded him not to enter the room. He insisted on entering, saying that he had to wait for more than ten years, and that he would die in the No. 1 room. This sentence should be fulfilled!" "Where should I go? I haven't entered the room yet!" "He died of freezing. This goddamn lord! Examiner, please do me a favor and don't call names." "How can there be such a good thing!" While speaking, two soldiers came over and carried away the old man's body, followed by his son and grandson crying.Looking at the tragic scene, the scholars shook their heads and sighed: "Poor, poor! The guest died in a foreign land, and his son and grandson couldn't enter the examination room. The three generations of the family have waited for more than ten years in vain." Zeng Guofan woke up as soon as the northwest wind blew up last night, worried about the sudden cold weather.He is a person who has gone through one provincial examination and three general examinations, and spent four to ninety-six days in the number room, and he knows the hardships of being in the middle of nowhere.Today's provincial examination is very different from the general ones. The weather is so unbeautiful, it's so depressing.Unexpectedly, there was sleet and sleet later, and he complained a lot for the scholars.For most of the day, I had no intention of doing business or reading, and kept sending people outside the gate of the Gongyuan to inquire about the situation. "My lord, Lu Guangxi, a scholar from Rugao, froze to death outside the Xiyuan Gate." Zhao Liewen, who was ordered to understand the situation, came in to report. "Ah!" Zeng Guofan, who was staring blankly at the rain and snow outside the window, was taken aback.He turned around and asked, "Is that the seventy-eight-year-old old man?" "Exactly. Now the body has been sent to Qingliang Temple. His son and grandson came to take the exam with him, and two Huai army soldiers helped them take care of the funeral." "What a pity!" After a long time, Zeng Guofan uttered two words.This news made him very unhappy.At the age of seventy-eight, he brought his children and grandchildren to the rural examination, which is unique since the founding of the Qing Dynasty.After listening to Li Hongzhang's report that day, he thought about writing a series of good articles around this topic.First of all, we should report to the empress dowager and the emperor: the old man took the exam with his children and grandchildren. This is the embodiment of the empress dowager and the emperor's holiness, a vivid illustration of the popularity of Confucius, Mencius and Confucianism, and an auspicious sign of the country's rejuvenation after the death of long hair.He wants to use this to set an example for scholars in the two rivers and three provinces, encourage young people to work hard, and encourage the elderly to study hard.He also thought that the government and the public would talk about this rare event extensively, and both the official history and the unofficial history would record it with interest. extraordinary.But now everything is turned upside down: light will be turned into shadow, and good talk will be turned into a laughing stock! "Huifu, you go to Qingliang Temple to see Lu Guangxi's son and grandson on my behalf, and take out forty taels of silver from the storeroom and give them to them, and tell them to buy a coffin, put the old man in the coffin early, and escort him back home. Don't stay too long in the city." "Okay, I'll go." Zhao Liewen agreed, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "My lord, it's raining and snowing, and the weather is very cold. Scholars are standing in the open-air lawn. Many people can't stand it. I hope I don't call names. Let them in first, after all, you can avoid the wind and rain in the number room." Entering the room without roll call is something that has never happened before in the township examination. If the examination room is messed up because of this, who will be responsible for it in the future? "My lord, the scholars are all shivering in the rain and snow, and there are one or two hundred elderly people over the age of sixty. If there are a few more people like Lu Guangxi, it will not end well." Seeing Zeng Guofan gloomy Without making a sound, Zhao Liewen added another sentence.It really worked. "Huifu, you haven't gone to Qingliang Temple yet. Immediately take my famous thorn and go to see Mr. Liu, and ask him to stop the roll call. Let them all enter the number first, and then call the roll call officer to check the number one by one. It is found that there are rogues. Those who enter the field will be punished with a hundred sticks and driven out of the Gongyuan. In the future, if the court pursues it, I will bear all the responsibilities! " Liu Kun, who was worrying about the slow progress of the roll call due to the rain, snow and cold, after hearing Zhao Liewen's message, consulted with Bu Qingyi, and immediately ordered that the door be opened wide, and no roll call was required. Entry number.As soon as this order was conveyed, the more than 10,000 scholars who were still waiting outside the gate were all grateful and shouted: "Thank you, Lord Examiner, for your kindness!" After the scholars entered the arena, Zeng Guofan was still worried.He himself came from a humble background, and he knew that there were quite a few poor mechanics among the scholars. Their families were poor, and their clothes must not be thick. After the rain and snow, they would definitely get wet.It was as cold as an ice cave in the No. 1 room, and you had to think hard to make a fuss, how could you bear it; if a few more died of freezing, how would you explain to the emperor!He called Peng Yuju and Liu Lianjie and asked them to immediately borrow five thousand pieces of clothes from the Hunan Army's grain platform, either cotton or single, and send them to the Gongyuan as soon as possible, so that the thinly clad scholars can change their wet clothes .He also ordered the kitchen in Weizhong to boil ginger soup quickly, and each scholar distributed a large bowl to relieve cold and dampness.In the evening, Zeng Guofan came to the Gongyuan in a sedan chair again. Accompanied by Liu Kun, he walked along the narrow alley and checked some of the numbered rooms.Seeing that all the scholars have begun to take the exam with peace of mind, and those who are sick are taken care of by the Haojun alone, everything is peaceful, so I feel relieved.