Chapter 127: Little Zhang Tanhua

Cai Jing, who knew there was a play, smiled in his heart:

He knew that the Emperor was moved, but he still needed a step.

So he leaned to Zhao Ji's ear and whispered a few words.

"Oh?

I didn't expect Cai Aiqing to have such a way to kill two birds with one stone.

This is very good, just do it!"

Sure enough, after listening to Cai Jing's words, Zhao Ji, who had just looked unhappy, immediately turned from cloudy to sunny,

and a trace of playfulness flashed in his eyes.

"Emperor, what about the ranking of Jinshi?"

Cai Jing, who was worthy of being an old fox who had stood in the court for many years,

had just conspired with Zhao Ji, and could discuss the next topic without changing his face in an instant.

"Hmm, Zhuangyuan, Bangyan..."

Zhao Ji chose two who were more in line with his wishes from the test papers as the first place in the first grade, Zhuangyuan, and the second place in the first grade, Bangyan.

"As for Tanhua..."

Zhao Ji pondered for a while and asked:

"Cai Aiqing, it is said that Zhang Renjie has a handsome face and is extraordinarily handsome?"

Well, when he went to the palace examination, he just walked through the scene,

showed his existence, and didn't look at the candidates properly at all.

For him, these Gongshi and Jinshi who were the pride of heaven outside,

were not as valuable as the green-haired turtles in the Jinshui River.

Although he had some guesses in his heart about why Zhao Ji asked this,

Cai Jing, who had seen Zhang Jie, told the truth honestly:

"Reporting to the Emperor, Zhang Renjie is indeed extraordinary in appearance and is a talent."

Speaking of which, he defended Zhang Jie so much, besides not wanting things like Zhang Yuan to happen again,

it was also because Zhang Jie's appearance was indeed pleasing to the eye.

A handsome, talented, gentle, and polite young man, who doesn't love him?

As for why he, a treacherous official who was scolded by the people and many scholars, was afraid of Zhang Jie imitating the story of Zhang Yuan?

He saw it very clearly; only if Great Song could persist, could his treacherous official career continue.

He still had decades to live, even if he wanted to drain the pond to catch all the fish, he had to do sustainable draining!

"Good, I will appoint him as Tanhua."

Zhao Ji, who was in a good mood, picked up the vermilion brush and ticked on Zhang Jie's test paper, which was considered to have set his fame.

Gao Qiu and Tongguan on the side were silent:

For Gao Qiu, he had already fulfilled his duty as a favorite minister to say what the Emperor couldn't say,

and how the Emperor decided was not something he could interfere with.

And for Tongguan, as long as Zhang Jie had no reason to defect to Western Xia or Great Liao,

and would not be for his ambition of being a different-surname king and leaving his name in history,

then he was too lazy to care whether Zhang Jie was a Zhuangyuan or Tanhua in the first grade,

or was granted a Tong Jinshi status in the third grade.

Crackle, crackle!

"Congratulations to Young Master Zhang Jie from Yanggu County for passing the Tanhua!"

Outside Daxiangguo Temple, an official and several yamen runners knocked on gongs and drums and said loudly.

"Tanhua Lang, Tanhua Lang!"

The people who came to watch the excitement shouted in unison, and the scene was very lively.

"Congratulations to the Young Master, congratulations to the Young Master!"

Wu Song and others were also full of joy.

Only Zhang Jie's face was embarrassed: Tanhua is actually me?

Because of some software in the 21st century that children cannot watch,

the meaning of the term Tanhua, like chrysanthemum and Wolong Fengchu, has changed.

In those years, chrysanthemum was still a flower, not an organ;

Wolong Fengchu was still a commendatory term, not a derogatory term.

And Tanhua was still the name of the third place in the first grade, not a synonym for seeking flowers and asking willows...

"Haha, Little Zhang Tanhua, congratulations."

Li Gang also congratulated Zhang Jie with joy.

Zhang Jie glanced at Li Gang, who didn't know the meaning of "Little Zhang Tanhua" in the 21st century, and said:

"Same joy, same joy."

Like him becoming Little Zhang Tanhua, Li Gang, who became a Gongshi, also successfully became a Jinshi.

However, because there were only three people in the first grade, Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua,

Li Gang was in the second echelon of Yi Ke Jinshi.

Even so, Li Gang was satisfied,

after all, there were many scholars who had taken the exam for a lifetime and couldn't even touch the shadow of Jinshi!

After congratulating Li Gang, Zhang Jie suddenly remembered the time he and Li Gang went to the Fan Tower to see Li Shishi:

'TOM, although it didn't succeed, I did go to a brothel, and almost whored.

That is to say, not only does the meaning of Tanhua in Great Song fit myself,

but the interpretation in the 21st century also fits myself!'

Zhang Jie spread his hands: I didn't expect that the Tanhua of Great Song and the 21st century were both myself~

"Tanhua Lang, Jinshi Li, please get on the horse."

After giving some rewards according to convention, the yamen runner led two tall horses.

Well, after announcing the list of those who passed the exam, it was naturally the horse-riding parade.

Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao's "After Passing the Exam",

"The past squalor is not worth boasting, today's indulgence is boundless.

Spring breeze is proud, horse hooves are fast, seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in one day", that's it.

However, it needs to be explained that the horse-riding parade did not originate in the Tang Dynasty, but started in Great Song.

Meng Jiao's poem is actually an abstract description,

describing the joy of seeing everything so fresh after passing the exam.

It is also possible that the rise of the horse-riding parade is related to this poem,

after all, it is too able to describe the joy of new Jinshi who have studied hard for ten years and jumped over the dragon gate in one day.

The horse-riding parade officially originated in the Song Zhenzong period, with Cai Qi as the first Zhuangyuan to receive this honor.

He was given an imperial horse by Song Zhenzong and rode a horse in the imperial street of Bianjing,

and the people along the way watched one after another, and later became a model for later generations to imitate.

And as time went on, this activity was not limited to Zhuangyuan, and all Jinshi who passed could participate.

"Thank you."

Zhang Jie took the reins from the yamen runner, jumped lightly, and turned over on the horse.

"What a handsome skill!"

"Tanhua Lang is both civil and martial!"

The people watching shouted one after another.

"Drive!"

Zhang Jie clamped the horse's belly, and the horse with a shoulder height of several feet and hair as smooth as silk immediately trotted.

"Renjie, wait for me!"

Li Gang, whose horsemanship could not keep up with Zhang Jie, chased behind on horseback.

All the way to Taihe Hall, most of the other Jinshi had already arrived.

"The horse-riding parade officially begins!"

Following the official in charge of this matter,

the Jinshi lined up according to the imperial examination ranking and officially began the horse-riding parade.

Zhang Jie, as Tanhua, walked in the front with Zhuangyuan and Bangyan.

Clang, clang!

Boom, boom, boom!

The musicians on both sides knocked on gongs and drums, played drums and blew sheng,

and other honor guards were also grand, and the scene was very lively.

"Here, here, the Jinshi are here!"

As soon as they reached the imperial street, the people watching became noisy.

"Zhuangyuan Gong, Tanhua Lang, look over here!"

The young girls dressed up in flowers and willows waved the group fans and handkerchiefs in their hands.

"Which one is Tanhua Lang?"

"The youngest, the most handsome one!"

'No wonder the imperial examination makes people crazy.'

Being cheered and sought after by so many people, even Zhang Jie was a bit floating.

Now he knew what it meant to be "spring breeze is proud, horse hooves are fast, seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in one day".

After the horse-riding parade, it was naturally the highest-standard literary banquet among the four imperial examination banquets,

symbolizing the peak of the official career, specially held for the new Jinshi of the palace examination,

grand in scale, and the Qionglin Banquet with a grand scene.

The process of this banquet was not much different from the Luming Banquet that Zhang Jie participated in in Jinan, Shandong,

only the location was changed to Bianliang, the dishes were more exquisite and numerous, and the status of the participants was higher.

"Prince Kang is here!"

Before the Qionglin Banquet officially started, following the high cry of a little eunuch,

a young man with a tall figure, handsome appearance, wearing a python robe,

the noble air of the royal family and the heroic spirit of martial arts intertwined,

making people believe in him unconsciously, walked out from outside the door.

"Prince Kang, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!"

The Jinshi present all stood up and saluted.

"You are all good talents of our Great Song, no need to be polite."

Prince Kang Zhao Gou raised his hand and said gently.

After sitting down in the main seat, Zhao Gou raised the wine cup and said loudly:

"I have received the imperial edict from the Emperor to entertain you here on his behalf.

You don't need to be restrained, drink!"

"Prince Kang, drink!"

The Jinshi also raised their wine cups.

"This Zhao Jiumei also had some heroic spirit when he was young!"

Looking at Prince Kang, who was talking and laughing, and had a demeanor in his behavior, Zhang Jie sighed in his heart. ===== CHAPTER 128 =====