Chapter 210: Grand Literary Method Shocks the World

The 13th Year of Emperor Jia Zhao, the 14th of the fifth month.

Qingzhi Studio, Wu'er was organizing the clothes Jia Cong changed out of last night.

Today was the third session of the Grace Examination, and Jia Cong returned to the manor for one night, and returned to the Examination Hall early in the morning to take the exam.

Returning last night, Zhi Shao, Wu'er, and others asked, and Jia Cong said that both of his sessions were smooth, and as long as he played normally in the third session, he would likely have gains this time.

Thinking of the confidence and calmness on his face, Wu'er would always feel moved and couldn't help but show a smile.

At this time, Qingwen was coming back from outside, and the expression on her face was a bit strange.

Seeing Wu'er, she whispered in her ear: "Wu'er, I just went to help Sister Yuanyang with needlework and heard her say that Young Master Rong of the Eastern Prefecture is going to hold a wedding on the 2nd of next month."

Wu'er whispered: "I heard my mother say it when I went home the day before yesterday. It is said that Master Zhen of the Eastern Prefecture went to the Xuanzhen Temple, and the Grand Master Jing, who was practicing in the temple, personally divined the date."

Qingwen hurriedly asked: "You were on night duty last night. I heard the Cong Sanye say a lot of things to you. You didn't tell the Cong Sanye about this, did you!"

Qingwen breathed a sigh of relief and said: "It's good that you didn't say it, so as not to let the Cong Sanye seek trouble for himself and ruin his fame. In fact, it will be like this sooner or later. Although the Cong Sanye never says it, he knows it in his heart."

In the selection of scholars by imperial examination, more attention is paid to practical talents, and there is a strong aversion to students who only read classics, do not recognize the suffering of the people, and talk without roots.

Wu'er replied: "How could I be so confused? Today the Cong Sanye is taking the third session of the exam. Telling him this would disturb his mind. How could he take the exam? Nothing is more important than the Cong Sanye's future."

In the first and second sessions of the classics exam, if a student's performance is poor, but if there are highlights in the third session's policy papers, there will still be a great possibility of passing the exam.

Conversely, if one is familiar with the classics, and the eight-legged essay is written meticulously without omissions, but the policy paper is empty and has no content, one will fail the exam.

And these four questions involve maritime administration, land governance, river defense, taxation, etc. Jia Cong had personal experience in Jin Ling and had thought about it early.

Today is the first day of the third session of the Grace Examination. After the washing of the first two sessions, the students participating in the exam have different tastes in their hearts because of their different performances.

These days, the Cong Sanye has been taking the exam in the Examination Hall and only returned for one night every three days. The Master is afraid of disturbing him and never calls him over to ask questions.

Therefore, the importance of practical policy papers in the Autumn and Spring Examinations has been continuously raised in the Emperor Jia Zhao Dynasty and has become an important consideration for whether to pass the exam.

As long as students do not read books to death, have attention, thinking, and insights into the surrounding practical affairs, they can basically answer the questions smoothly. The difference is only in personal angle and depth, which is also the way to win.

Even the young ladies don't come to the door, for fear of distracting him. Otherwise, if there were more movements, even if I didn't say it, the Cong Sanye might know. Now it is better to survive the three sessions and not be afraid."

And in the daily teaching and conversation between master and apprentice, Liu Jing'an involved the above practical affairs, especially land annexation in Jiangnan, field and salt taxes, people's livelihood and chaos, etc., all of which had deep expositions.

Since Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ascended the throne, his style has been to value practical application, advocate practical results, and oppose empty learning, studying classics until old age, and empty talk about state affairs.

Some of them are discussed in detail in the book list listed by Liu Jing'an.

In the Examination Hall, the three drums were knocked, and the Examination Hall runners held high the exam cards, on which the exam questions for the third session of policy papers were written, walking back and forth in front of each row of exam sheds.

Some are full of ambition, as if passing the exam is in front of their eyes; some are uneasy, pinning their hopes on the last fight of the third session; some are indifferent, perhaps confident.

The third session of the provincial examination tests practical policy papers, with a total of five policy paper questions, four sub-questions, and one main question.

Therefore, the third session of practical policy papers is crucial for all students. Whether one can step into the vermilion gate in one morning is almost determined by a policy paper.

The angle of the questions is not difficult. After all, the Autumn Examination is only the midpoint of the imperial examination, examining the students' ability to perceive current politics, and there will be no requirements for deep and difficult attacks on the question surface.

Jia Cong saw five policy paper questions on the question card, four of which were current affairs policies, involving practical matters such as maritime administration, land governance, river defense, and taxation.

Of course, some views are not convenient to write on the provincial examination answer sheet, but as long as you choose the key points, it is enough to cut into the key points of these exam questions.

Therefore, the first four questions were not too difficult for Jia Cong.

Whenever this time comes, Jia Cong feels sincerely fortunate to have worshiped such a famous teacher as Liu Jing'an, which makes him almost take a big step ahead of others at the starting line.

No wonder Cai Xiaoyu and others would find it hard to hide their envy when talking about him having such a teacher as Liu Jing'an.

When Jia Cong saw the last big policy paper question, he couldn't help but be stunned, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

"Scholars of today master the classics and seek official salaries, yet the manifestation of virtue is not flourishing. What is the reason for this malaise of muddling along? How can one rectify it?"

I don't know what the examiner was thinking, but he actually came up with such a cold and sharp question.

Letting students participating in the imperial examination do such policy paper questions is too harsh, and it really has the suspicion of slapping in the face.

People who read books and take imperial examinations are nothing more than seeking official positions and salaries, getting rid of the identity of the common people, becoming the official and scholar-official class, and striving for better interests and the right to speak for themselves.

Out of a hundred students, it is estimated that one cannot be found who reads for the sake of the sage's way and investigates the truth of heaven and earth.

Most students, although they have high-sounding arguments, are just seeking official positions and salaries in their hearts.

Especially for poor students, entering the officialdom, if they don't have the hunger for food and clothing, perhaps they will have the ambition to establish a career, which is just human nature.

This is the so-called "Today's scholars are proficient in classics and seek official positions, but their virtue is not vibrant."

It is a bit demanding and sharp, but it cannot be said that it makes no sense. This strict style and spirit reminded Jia Cong of the Nine-Five Supreme who was as deep as the sea.

The examiner would come up with such a question, which seems to have the meaning of listening to the holy heart.

Everyone knows that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was just an ordinary prince before he ascended the throne, but after he took the throne, he was dazzling. He is the most particular about economic practicality and hates the hypocrisy and muddling of officials.

For example, when officials memorialize, they use four-six parallel prose, the language is beautiful, but there is only one or two out of ten that are substantial, and there are often sharp and sarcastic words, criticizing the loss of the ambition of studying and investigating things and clarifying virtue.

So much so that the old scholars in the court have complaints, saying that the current Emperor has the flaw of lacking literature.

The examiner would come up with such a policy paper question, mostly to welcome the holy will and support the Emperor's practical theory.

Perhaps such a policy paper question is the original intention of the holy heart.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao has always had a style of borrowing power to maneuver to the extreme. Since he opened the Grace Examination, he must have attracted the attention of scholars all over the world. This Emperor is estimated not to miss this opportunity to show the holy heart.

Through the imperial examination questions, correcting the students' vision, reforming the state of mediocrity in reading, and promoting the theory of practical application, it is not known.

Jia Cong looked at this strange policy paper question again, remembered many past events, pondered for a long time in his heart, gradually realized, his thoughts surged, added pride, dipped in ink and concentrated, and picked up his brush to draft:

"The sages of ancient times first established their ambitions, and then sought to study hard in the mountains and seas, so their virtue of learning did not advance for a moment."

"Today's so-called scholars steal the gold and jade of the sages, rob the ambition of clarifying virtue, and are ashamed compared to the ancient sages."

"Scholars use classics to seek official positions, fall into the ambition of merit and salary, and abandon the teachings of the sages."

"After years of serving as an official, the language is sophisticated, the smile is turbid, and the desires are flowing. Compared with the beginning of entering school, they are self-evident as Confucian scholars, and they are already very different."

"Speaking without substance, using without method; sinking into the theory of decay and corruption, and talking about it with relish; losing the method of investigating things and clarifying truth, but not realizing it."

"Studying classics until old age, viewing the suffering of the people as fire on the other side; empty talk and empty assignments, abandoning the ancient sages' ambition to help the world like grass and shoes."

"This is called learning without ambition, acting without reason, losing the root of the heart, and the evil of muddling along."

"Therefore, observe the law of heaven and earth, examine the source of all things, and investigate the subtlety of the scholar's ambition to rectify it."

"When the ambition is raised, establish the heart for heaven and earth, establish life for the people, inherit the unique learning for the past sages, and open peace for all generations!"

At this time, the thunder rumbled, and a heavy rain fell without warning. A vast momentum between heaven and earth rushed to the face.

The senior in the opposite exam shed suddenly felt something, raised his head and looked at the opposite side.

Seeing the youth in the opposite exam shed, writing rapidly, his style like jade, his expression solemn, his rhyme meaning, hard to look at, he couldn't help but be slightly surprised.

Why does everyone only look at the last four sentences? The previous ones are the results of brain cells, wasting a lot of my feelings.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 211 =====