The school official called Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue said yes, shaking his clothes and climbing up the steps.

When Zhang Yue walked into the Sanjian Hall, he glanced at all the examiners who were either drinking tea or reading papers. A student on the side said loudly: "Taixue Yangzhengzhai Zhang Yue comes to see you."

But seeing that the examiners were looking at him after hearing this, Sima Guang stroked his beard and looked at him. Li Dalin, who was standing beside him, thought to himself, "This man is wearing a long robe, and he is undoubtedly a poor scholar, but his demeanor is extraordinary."

The officials from the Imperial College nearby were all familiar with each other.

The examiners glanced at Zhang Yue and didn't pay much attention.

Zhang Yue knew in his heart that face-to-face challenges were also a necessary skill in the future. For example, as an official, if you meet the Prime Minister Dao Zuo and he asks you a few questions, how would you answer?

What's more important is that your prelude is right.

The officials of the Song Dynasty were not like the emperors of the Ming Dynasty who had not been in court for decades.

It was still easy for officials in the Song Dynasty to meet with the emperor. They had to write a petition first, wait for the Emperor Zhongshu's approval, and then wait for the emperor's approval to meet, and then schedule the meeting.

Even if you are not active, officials are still willing to meet with officials. This vigilance is a lesson learned from the Tang Dynasty when the eunuchs and prime ministers were isolated from the inside and outside. Although the Northern Song Dynasty often had queen mothers as regents, in the end no emperor was free from power.

It's not a big deal if you're chosen for an exam, because you won't be able to meet Wang Anshi or Song Shenzong in the future. However, the examiner is Sima Guang, Wang Anshi's close friend and future mortal enemy.

After Zhang Yue saluted, the Imperial College directly stated Zhang Yue's resume in Imperial College to the examiner.

Born as a poor scholar, he was admitted to the county school at the age of twelve, admitted to the Imperial College at the age of fourteen, and became the chief of Yangzhengzhai at the age of fifteen.

This resume is quite impressive. In the end, the officials of the Imperial College gave Zhang Yue the word "outstanding and talented". As Lu Zhi said, the Imperial College gave Zhang Yue a very high evaluation.

The four examiners on the stage had taken this time to read Zhang Yue's family status, resume, and examination papers.

Then the examiner will ask Zhang Yue two questions.

Yang Huiben, the principal of Jixian School, was about to ask a question. At this time, Li Dalin coughed lightly and asked first: "Zhang Duzhi, I see that the poem "Shan Ruo Shui" on your examination paper is written in the poem "Shan Ruo Shui". This sentence refers to Lao Tzu, but you use Confucius.

Is it okay to watch the water flowing from the east flow to it?"

Zhang Yue saluted and said: "Reporting to the examiner, Confucius once asked Lao Tzu about Li, which was seen in Zhuangzi. A disciple asked Confucius, how is Lao Tzu? Confucius replied: "I know birds can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know

It can walk. As for the dragon, I don't know what it is? I have seen it, Lao Tzu, and it looks like a dragon?"

"Confucius must look at the big water when he is near it. He said that the water is diverted to all living beings without doing anything, which is virtue. When it flows, it flows down, and when the train is restrained, it must follow its principles. This is righteousness. When it flows, it does not bend to the end. This is the Tao.

If there is a decisive action, the answer is as loud as the sound. It is not afraid to go to the valley of Ren, which is brave. The master must be level, and it is the law. If there is excess, do not seek generality, it is right. The promise is small, and it is observed. It can be used.

Enter, it will be fresh and clean, and it will be transformed well. It will be eastward after all twists and turns, just like the ambition of a gentleman."

"Confucius said that water has virtue, righteousness, Tao, courage, Dharma, righteousness, observation, improvement, ambition, etc., and Laozi's words of 'the highest good' can also be mutually referenced. I also ask the examiner to comment."

After Zhang Yue finished his answer, the Imperial Academy members nearby were whispering to each other, either approving or chatting with their colleagues.

Among them, Lu Zhidao was even more sympathetic to Yourong, nodding his head frequently.

Li Dalin nodded and said: "This poem of yours has structure but little artistic conception. However, this poem quotes Lao Zhuang, Xunzi, Mencius, The Analects of Confucius, and Tao Te Ching. Although the writing is mediocre, it can be called a scholar."

Zhang Yue understood that Li Dalin's words pointed out his poetry, but the routine lacked sincerity.

I can't help but have so much talent in poetry. I can only achieve a neat structure and format, but the artistic conception...that really has nothing to do with the degree of hard work acquired.

This is really a height that a person cannot reach in his entire life, but some people are born with it.

The supreme kindness in this examination room is the limit of Zhang Yue's efforts.

After Yang Zhu heard Li Dalin's remarks, he looked Zhang Yue up and down.

Zhang Yue caught his gaze and couldn't help but feel a shiver in his heart.

At this time, Sima Guang spoke up.

Sima Guang said: "In Zhang Du's "Who is the first to know and do", you said, "Sincerity reaches the highest knowledge, and the highest knowledge is true and good" is similar to Mencius's theory, and Mencius' words are adopted throughout the discussion."

"However, Mencius mainly has good nature, while Xunzi mainly has evil nature. They both get the partiality and leave out the main body. People have both good and evil. Therefore, although sages cannot be without evil, even though evil people cannot be without good, it is like farming, rice beams and

Chenopodium and weeds grow together on the ground. Doing good and removing evil is like removing the grains and weeds to get rice."

"You use both Xunzi's words and Mencius' words, but the two theories are completely different. I don't know how to explain it?"

Zhang Yue thought to himself that you, Sima Guang, turned out to be Meng Hei. No wonder he later got involved with Wang Anshi, a Meng fan.

All the examiners were surprised. Normally, one examiner would ask about the topic of the article, while the other would ask about it in general terms, such as how to cultivate one's morality and how to serve the country?

But both questions raised questions about the document. Could it be that Sima Guang and Zhang Yue had some sort of feud?

But Zhang Yue said calmly: "The examiner's words have taught the students a lesson. It reminds them of what the sage said, 'Choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones.'"

"Mencius's discussion of good nature and Xunzi's discussion of evil nature seem to be like the pros and cons of a coin. They are either one or the other. However, in the eyes of students, the two are only different."

When the examiner Yang Zhu heard this, he first showed a look of surprise, while Sima Guang showed a look of deep thought.

"Just as the examiner mentioned rice and pigweed, in the eyes of the farmer, the rice is good and the pigweed is evil. However, if there is a bird that does not eat pigweed and hates rice, then in the bird's eyes, the farmer's behavior is good.

Evil? How can we eliminate evil and promote good?"

After Zhang Yue finished his answer, everyone present was speechless.

Yang Hui was so shocked that he dropped his pen and didn't know what to do.

Sima Guang stroked his beard and pondered, nodded and said: "I already know it. Are you Zhang Duzhi?"

Having said this, Sima Guang raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue cupped his hands and said: "Students are right, students' words are ridiculous."

Sima Guang said: "Contemporary scholars hold different opinions on the theory of good and evil. Although I do not agree with Mencius and Xun's theory, I can only test you by judging your talent."

"It's good that you can speak out without hiding anything."

Zhang Yuexi bowed and bowed, then left the hall.

Then the four examiners all wrote notes on Zhang Yue.

Yang Zhu and Li Dalin couldn't help but look at Sima Guang, but saw that Sima Guang wrote "Excellent" under Zhang Yue's name without stopping.

The other three examiners also wrote "Excellent" under Zhang Yue's name at the same time.

"Yangzhengzhai Huanglu!" the examiner said loudly.

Stepping out of Sanjiantang, Zhang Yue and Huang Lu met each other and nodded to each other to show encouragement.

As for Zhang Yue, he couldn't help but be sweating at the moment.

He found a pavilion and sat down, but in front of the Sanjian Hall, the candidates had not dispersed. It was almost time to release the results, and the candidates coming out of the Sanjian Hall were all talking happily.

Zhang Yue just sat like this, watching the dark clouds gathering in the sky, and it looked like a shower was about to begin.

After a while, all the candidates were interviewed.

All the candidates near Sanjian Hall were cleared, and the results were obviously finalized.

It was about to rain heavily, but none of the candidates left.

Zhang Yue saw Sun Guo in the crowd. Sun Guo's face was a little pale. Although he had not been challenged today, he still came to look at the rankings. He looked at the rankings not to see if he had won, but to make himself give up.

Zhang Yue secretly felt sorry for Sun Guo in his heart.

The rankings have not yet been announced, but the rain has finally fallen.

Zhang Yue watched the rain first become lighter and then become heavier, and the sound of rain could be heard in his ears. The candidates scattered from the field and ran to the eaves to take shelter from the rain, and some also ran to the pavilion.

The abundant autumn rain made the sky a little dark, and candles were lit in the Sanjian Hall.

Presumably the examiners in the hall were nervously filling out the exam papers, and the candidates on both sides were watching this scene.

In Sanjian Hall, it had taken half an hour to fill in the exams. At this moment, the examiner Yang Zhu was watching the heavy rain by the window, stroking his beard under the candlelight and meditating. After a while, the examiner Yang Zhu turned his head and said to the left and right:

"Let's make a list!"

At this time, the door of Sanjian Hall opened.

Several people shouted: "The list is released, the list is released."

All the candidates ignored the heavy rain and followed the results one after another. Zhang Yue also wanted to get up and go to see the results in the rain, but he found awkwardly that his legs were numb.

After sitting there for so long, Zhang Yue held his thigh with his right hand in the pavilion, jumped a few steps on one leg, and finally gave up his efforts.

Zhang Yue sat alone in the pavilion, looking at the screen wall where the Imperial Academy's announcements were displayed. There were people crowded in front of it. Nearly half of the people held umbrellas and looked at Wu Pengpeng.

In addition to the candidates, family members of the candidates also came to the Imperial College to see the results. Many people were afraid that they would not see the results clearly, so they picked lanterns in advance to see the results.

Zhang Yue sat quietly in the pavilion, with the aura of standing firm and motionless as he watched others vying for princes.

This sitting, at first glance, really seems to be like a wandering cloud and wild crane, and the mood is like seeing fame and fortune like floating clouds.

In fact, Zhang Yue looked calm on the outside, but deep down he was anxious, with beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. He just hated that his legs were not up to par.

"I won." A person in the distance clapped his hands and laughed.

"I got hit too, haha." Another person raised his head and laughed, throwing the umbrella aside.

Zhang Yue saw several people hugging each other, laughing and crying.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yue was both happy and deeply moved.

Wang Kui and He Qi pointed at the list, as if they were pointing out the country.
To be continued...