On April 13, a list of exams was posted in front of the Gongyuan gate, with Hongzi No. 6 and Chenzi No. 12 on the list. On the 14th, one hundred candidates who participated in the exams came on time, searched for inspection, entered the number, closed the door, and distributed the papers. After the answers began, there were people patrolling from time to time, which was a bit stricter than the regular exams.

The over-examination did not post the scriptures and ink meanings, and only one policy was tested. The policy theory was "Theory of Concentrated Agriculture", and the poem was named "Mountain Scenery", and the five-character "Rain" rhyme was significantly increased. The policy theory changed from cultivating one's own character to discussing current affairs policies to solve practical problems; the poem also had rhyme limit requirements.

Writing a poem is a side dish for Jiang Anyi. I took out a poem called "The stream is clear and the stones are coming out, the sky is cold and the leaves are sparse. The mountain road is full of rain, and the sky is green and wet. The clothes are wet." From the beginning, I felt at ease and peace of mind now, Jiang Anyi fell in love with the feeling of "Wen Copying Gong".

"Theory of Concentrated Agriculture" is an old topic of Taoism. It is easy to write the old topic but it is not easy to be brilliant. Jiang Anyi secretly was secretly happy. This Taoism he had just asked Master Yu for advice and got a lot of tips from Master Yu: Food is the most important thing for people, agricultural production is related to the stability of the country, economic prosperity, and worries of hunger are issues of great concern to rulers of all dynasties; the court issued the "Exhortation of Agriculture" every year. During the spring plowing, the emperor would go to the fields to cultivate. The court used the quality of agriculture and sericulture as the basis for evaluating officials, and encouraged production by reducing taxes and exempting labor service. These principles are the meaning of the article, and everyone will write them from these aspects.

Master Yu said that land annexation is very serious nowadays, and a few people occupy nearly half of the land. Take their own family as an example. In the normal year, the yield of rice per mu is about one stone and two dou of rice per mu, one is tax, four is rent, and one is planted, and only four stones are left. They are replaced with miscellaneous grains and mixed with wild vegetables, so they can barely make a living. Those people who have no land to cultivate farmland are even more unbearable. Once they encounter disasters, they can only be displaced and their families are destroyed. Land annexation is the fundamental part of the agricultural problem.

But this topic is too sensitive. He heard from Master Yu’s words that the reason why he returned to his hometown to visit relatives for more than half a year was because he was a member of the Tao "Please Heavy Land in the World", which was a jealous of aristocratic families and had to ask himself to return home and stay away from storms. Of course, Jiang Anyi would not touch anything that Master Yu could do. If he was involved, he would be afraid that he would not even find a scum.

He quickly summed up what Master Yu said and selected a draft of the topic: first write about the importance of agriculture, then write about the strategies of helping farmers, protecting farmers, and promoting agriculture. Finally, he emphasized that agriculture will be prosperous. Only by focusing on agriculture is to protect farmers, and only by helping farmers can we promote agriculture. Protecting farmers with light taxes and low service, so that they can get timely services, encourage land reclamation and let those who plough farmer have their own fields; helping farmers with many farmers, the government can select and breed good seeds and distribute them to farmers, rent oxen and iron plows, build canals, prevent floods and droughts, and live with farmers, and there is naturally hope of developing agriculture.

After thinking about it, Jiang Anyi wrote a poem to start with, "Food is the nature of the people, and the importance of farming can be seen." Then, "Iron tools are the great use of the people. If the tools are used conveniently, they will use less force and do more. The farmers will enjoy doing things and encourage their merits. If they are not used, the fields will be deserted and the grains will not grow." The third is to write "promote water conservancy, prevent floods and droughts, and get the right time and place to promote harmony among people"; the final conclusion is: "Therefore, food and clothing are the foundation of the people, and farming is the task of the people. When the two are cultivated, the country will be rich and the people will be safe."

The article was completed in one go, and Jiang Anyi read it from beginning to end, feeling that the article was like flowing water, and he felt good. He pulled the bell, handed in the paper, and left the tribute school. It was still early, but unexpectedly he found Guo Huaili waiting for him at the door.

Guo Huaili drooped his face, feeling that his whole body was about to sink. Jiang Anyi didn't dare to ask how he did the exam. After walking silently, Guo Huaili said in a deep voice: "Caiwen has been done in the past, and coach Ma had corrected it, and he should be able to deal with it. The key is poetry. The two poems you wrote to me were not correct, so I had to make a few mistakes, and I lost my style of "Guo Guihua". Alas, Xiao Jiang, why did you come out so early? It doesn't matter. With your talent, even if you don't win this time, you will definitely do it next time."

Guo Huaili lowered his head, frowned, and comforted Jiang Anyi in a self-talk. Jiang Anyi felt a little excited. Fatty Guo was not doing well in the exam and wanted to comfort himself. This is his real friend. Seeing that the fat man was in a bad mood, Jiang Anyi intended to make him happy and said with a smile: "After the exam, I won't think about it. Let's find a place to have a meal and I'll treat you."

When he heard about eating, Guo Huaili's face immediately turned from Yin to Qingqing, and he pulled Jiang Anyi to walk south, saying, "There is a small shop in the alley ahead. The fried mutton is made tender and fresh. My father took me to eat it once, and I will say it will be fine after you eat it."

The next day, Xieyi Hall was reviewing the papers. Governor Feng Shaojun walked in with two followers and came directly to Deng Shanchang and asked: "Brother Deng, have the papers of 'peaceful osmanthus falling' and 'Wild crossings and no one's boats crossing and leaping across' have been reviewed?"

"It has not yet been done, Deng Haonan asked someone to pick out Hongzi No. 6 and Chen No. 12 and send it to the front of Governor Feng.

The paper was sealed, and the Hongzi No. 6 was tearing apart. Feng frowned while reading the story. After reading the story, he read the poem and shook his head and sighed: "It's ordinary, I'm losing what I want. The poem is far from the 'people's idle osmanthus flowers fall'."

When I opened the test paper with Chen No. 12, I browed my eyebrows first when I saw the words, and praised it: "Good words." I read "Theory of Concentrated Agriculture" first, and saw the first sentence "Food is the most important thing for farmers, and the importance of agriculture can be seen." I couldn't help but lit up my eyes and praised it again: "The beginning of the chapter is clear, and the sentence is extraordinary."

Looking down, Governor Feng nodded repeatedly, and couldn't help but praise again: "Good article."

Deng Haonan put down his pen and said with a smile: "I changed it all morning and I was a little dizzy. Good articles and good wine. Brother Feng might as well read them and listen to them to help everyone relieve their fatigue."

"Food is the most important thing for the people,..." Brother Feng's mellow voice sounded in the Xieyi Hall. Everyone who scored the paper put down their pen and listened. After the conclusion, "Therefore, food and clothing are the foundation of the people, and farming is the task of the people. If the two are cultivated, the country will be rich and the people will be safe." After reading it, everyone applauded and cheered.

Deng Haonan nodded and said, "It is indeed a good article. This strategy is rigorous and has a meaningful statement. It hits the point. It encourages land reclamation, breeding of good seeds, building water conservancy, and improving equipment. Brother Feng is guarding Dezhou, so you might as well try it."

"I can read this statement with confidence and I will also benefit from it. Some things can be done according to this." Governor Feng stroked his black beard with a deep heart, feeling worried.

"How is this poem like this? Brother Feng read it together."

Governor Feng held Jiang Anyi's poem in his hand, and his eyes lit up before he could speak. He recited it silently over and over again, sighing: "This son's poem has a clear and spiritual spirit, and it is like reading it. It's so wonderful! I didn't expect that a poet appeared in this college exam."

Deng Haonan paused his feet repeatedly and urged: "Brother Feng, Governor Feng, enjoy the strange writing together, read it quickly."

Governor Feng smiled and recited loudly: "The stream is clear and the stones are coming out, the sky is cold and the red leaves are sparse. The mountain road is full of rain, and the sky is green and wet. The clothes are wet." The sound of "cats crying" in the Xieyi Hall is filled with a whole.

Deng Haonan twisted his beard with his hands, closed his eyes slightly, shook his head and savored, and exclaimed: "The scenery in the mountains is vividly displayed on the paper, and it is as colorful as a scroll. I love the sentence "Empty green wet clothes" the most, which reminds me of the scene of being wet with bamboo dew when I was a child. Alas, thirty years passed in a flash, and the bamboo forest was still green, but my beard was half white, and I was old."

Deng Shanchang was recalled by the poem, and he sighed in his words. Governor Feng hurriedly comforted him: "The master said, 'The dead are like this', and a gentleman should strive for self-improvement. Brother Deng is the chief of Zechang Academy and educates countless famous scholars, so why bother sighing when he is old?"

"As soon as this poem is published, who will compete with you, Brother Deng, how about using this son as the head of the case?"

"It should be like this." Deng Haonan nodded in agreement. Less than half of the judgment, the head of the case was decided.

"When I see who this son is for?" Feng Shaojun has been an official for many years and is very cunning. He is actually a little anxious by poetry. He opened Mi Feng and squinted his eyes and said, "Jiang Anyi, a native of Xinqi County. I remember that Lord Yu Zhijieyu is also from Xinqi County. There are successors in Xinqi County."

He opened Guo Huaili's Mi Feng and smiled and said, "I am actually from Xinqi County. I didn't expect that the literary style of Xinqi County is so prosperous. Forget it, I think of the 'people's idle osmanthus falling', so I took it at the end of the B list. This time, Xinqi County is full of all its heads and tails, which is also a good story. Hahaha."

On the 18th, just as the sky was dawn, figures in long gowns appeared in front of the gate of the Gongyuan. They were polite and chatting and laughing. From time to time, they looked at the Gongyuan closed the door and exposed their nervousness. It was already the middle of the hour when Jiang Anyi and Guo Huaili arrived at the Gongyuan. The rising sun shone in front of the Gongyuan, and the newly painted pink wall was snow-white, and the brightness was dazzling in the sun.

Some clever vendors were selling breakfast and fruits. Guo Huaili bought a bun of melon seeds and ate them under the shade of the tree. While eating, he was muttering the names of various gods and praying for blessings. Jiang Anyi rolled his eyes and thought to himself that this was the real thing that he would not burn incense and cram the Buddha at the moment.

"Here, come." At the moment, the door of the Gongyuan opened. Two minor officials walked out under the guards of the two privateers. The crowd immediately surrounded him and asked in a verbal manner. Some people were eager to bend down to take a look. The two minor officials were quick to get a quick look. The red list was quickly posted, and the sun shining on it, and each name was shining brightly.

The list was surrounded by people, and there were ecstatic calls such as "I was hit" from time to time, and there were also figures staggering out of the crowd and full of loss.

"Jiang Anyi, the head of the case is Jiang Anyi", "Who is Jiang Anyi? Have you come or not, let everyone see?" The crowd was noisy.

"Xiao Jiang, it's like calling your name. Could it be that you won? Hurry up and take a look." Guo Huaili threw the melon seeds in his hand and pulled Jiang Anyi to the list.

At the top of the list, there was a "First-ranked No. 1 Xinqi County Jiang Anyi" written on it. Seeing his name, Jiang Anyi was fascinated for a moment. He was happy, excited, relaxed, bitter, mixed with flavors, and suddenly came, frozen into tears at the corners of his eyes and a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"I'm hit, I'm hit." Guo Huaili shook Jiang Anyi's shoulders and woke him up from his intoxication. Fatty Guo was so excited that he was about to jump up like a ball, following Guo Huaili's finger direction. The end of the list was Guo Huaili's name.

The fat face was flushed red, Guo Huaili grabbed Jiang Anyi tightly and shouted: "Go to drink, go to drink."

"I finally got an explanation to my parents when I got home," Guo Huaili sniffed out a sip of alcohol and said with a smile: "I know it's not a material for studying, and I feel sleepy when I see books. But my father said that businessmen are bullied and that a scholar at home needs to be a storefront. I am the youngest at home. My parents are spoiled, lazy and unable to bear the hardships. My mother feels so sad that she asks me to study, but she doesn't know the hardships of studying. Her husband's bamboo board hits his hand and hurts..."

Listening to Guo Huaili's nagging, Jiang Anyi remembered the lonely lamp and cold night. His father was coughing while explaining the classics to himself. The twelve-year-old boy borrowed books from the county town and went home. His feet slipped and fell into the mud and water, and his body was covered in coldness. The rain and snow were flying, and his mother was looking anxiously in front of the bamboo fence gate. The flying snow dyed her hair white; my younger brother helped the servants for others, and his face was full of tears when he came back...

I felt my nose sore and my eyes were hot. I poured a glass of wine and Jiang Anyi drank it all. The spicy taste stirred in my lungs and washed the emotions accumulated in my chest. This glass of wine was for myself, for my father, for my family, for the Jiang family, and for all the scholars in the world who studied hard with dreams.
Chapter completed!