On this day, Hu Niu took Xiaotu and others to the north city wall to play, and was playing a game of throwing stones, when she suddenly saw a mighty team entering the city.

Then, a festive news quickly spread throughout Leizhou City, and the great master that all the scholars were waiting for was finally here, and this year's Leizhou Mansion Examination was about to kick off.

The newly appointed Guangdong scholar is called Li Guangzu, an official who is nearly fifty years old, although his hair is gray, but he is full of energy, and obviously has a kind of ambition to go up.

In the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, it is naturally the Hanlin official who has the greatest potential, but the promotion speed belongs to the speech official of the supervision of the hundred officials.

The Ming Dynasty's speech officials have strict selection criteria, in addition to measuring eloquence and heart, they also pay great attention to their background. Jinshi from a family like Lin Haoran can be selected, while a Jinshi from a wealthy businessman like Jiang Yuebai is destined to be lost, and the children of the scholar clan are excluded.

It's just that once he becomes a speech official, his status is suddenly raised. Don't say that it is the important monarch of the imperial court, even if it is a saint, he can condemn it in person, and he can also talk about political affairs and express his own opinions.

In addition, the official was also given the "right to refute" by Taizu, and the "sealed" emperor's inappropriate edict, and the "refuted" subordinates violated the rules, and they had extremely high power in the famous words.

The most important thing is that once the term of office of officials such as Shizhong and Yushi expires or is transferred, there are mainly three destinations: staying in the Supervision Yuan to serve as the imperial historian of the capital, serving as the secretary of the capital in Beijing, or being transferred to a local government to participate in politics.

No matter which promotion path it is, it can rise from the seventh grade to the fourth grade, which is a real big jump. For example, if you are transferred to a local government to participate in politics, you will be promoted from the seventh rank to the third grade, which is called "the seventh rank of the official".

It's just that everything has to be compared, and for these officials, this "official promotion to seven levels" corresponds to "a reduction of ten thousand points". The political envoy of a province may be an ornament, let alone a deputy?

is also the case, many officials do not want to be transferred to participate in politics from the third grade, but want to be "promoted to the sixth level". Even if he can't stay in the Supervision Yuan to serve as the fourth rank of the imperial history, he also hopes to stay in Beijing as the secretary of the capital.

Li Guangzu was undoubtedly lucky, although he was only promoted at the age of 46, and then went to Beijing to get the jinshi, but his official career was extremely smooth. At the beginning, it was the county, and then it was the imperial history, and now it is appointed to learn the imperial history in Guangdong.

From the imperial history to the study of the imperial history, it is not good or bad, after all, it is an opportunity to recruit protégés. Although among the students who have been personally ordered by him, I am afraid that there are few jinshi in the end, it can be regarded as a resource.

At the beginning of his tenure, Li Quang Zu had an idea in his heart. Although it is not expected that Guangdong can produce a literary gentleman like Lin Haoran, if a huiyuan or champion can be born, it will also allow him to be promoted at the end of his term of office.

In addition, he once staggered on the threshold of a student for 20 years, and did not achieve the fame of a student until he was 43 years old.

Whether it is for his own self-interest, or for someone as talented as him, it makes him responsible for choosing the truly talented, not the so-called relational.

Unlike the previous great masters, Li Guangzu's first stop was in western Guangdong, the first was held in Gaozhou Mansion, the second was held in Lianzhou Mansion, and the third was held in Leizhou Mansion.

Lin Haoran, as the prefect of Leizhou, naturally came forward to receive Li Guangzu.

If Li Guangzu is facing an ordinary prefect, he will naturally have the qualifications to put on a shelf, and put on a high posture of a provincial education. It's just that in front of Lin Haoran, that bit of confidence is also gone.

Three years later, not to mention that he is very likely to be sent to the local government to participate in politics, even if he can stay in Beijing as the secretary of state, but at that time, Lin Haoran had already served a term as the prefect, and he didn't know where he was high.

The most important thing is that not to mention that Lin Haoran's background in the Hanlin Academy is one level higher than his background in the Supervision Academy, but the age between the two is really the difference between the sunset and the rising sun.

The two sides sat down as guests of honor and had a very happy conversation.

On the day of the hospital examination, the incense was listed, and everything was carried out in an orderly manner.

Li Guangzu sat upright in the hall and conducted the hospital examination in an orderly manner. His piercing eyes patrolled every corner of the exam room to prevent cheaters from getting involved and swindling their fame.

At the end of the day, people came up one after another to hand in the papers, and the return number left.

An old childhood with a yellow face, thin muscles, gray hair, and a tattered linen cloth came up to hand in the papers.

Li Guangzu had already noticed this old and poor boy, as if he had seen his former self, his eyes were inadvertently gentle, he scanned the test paper, and then asked, "Are you Kang Wanrong?" ”

"Tong Sheng is exactly!" Kang Wanrong hurriedly replied.

Li Guangzu said again: "How old are you this year?" ”

"Forty-seven years old!" Kang Wanrong said ashamedly.

Li Guangzu frowned slightly, and asked again: "How many times have you taken the test?" ”

"It's the first time for Tong Sheng to take the college exam!" Kang Wanrong said even more ashamedly.

Li Guangzu raised his head in surprise, looked at him in disbelief, and was stunned for a while before he said, "You go out!" Your volume, Benti learns to scrutinize it! ”

Kang Wanrong thanked Li Guangzu, and then turned around and left in an orderly manner.

Li Guangzu undoubtedly sympathized with Kang Wanrong, as if he saw his former self, so he opened the test paper in a little anxious and read it carefully. Only halfway through the reading, he already had the urge to drop it directly.

At this time, another child came to hand in the papers, but it was Chen Zhixiao, a well-dressed young boy.

He knew about the boy. It is the son of the famous Chen family in Leizhou Mansion, the son of Chen Kaiping, a native of Enkeju the year before last, and it is said that he followed the prefect closer.

Chen Zhixiao's teeth were white and his lips were red, and he looked calm and saluted: "Student Chen Zhixiao has finished answering the questions, please ask the Grand Master for an interview!" ”

Li Guangzu immediately disliked it in his heart, and he didn't like this kind of talent and arrogance of the children of the scholar clan, but his face did not show it, and he refused lightly: "The article is good or bad, the official will carefully review it, you can go out!" ”

Chen Zhixiao had an idea, and confidently said: "Students are good at poetry, the great master can make questions, and students will be able to answer on the spot!" ”

"Presumptuous!" Li Guangzu suddenly changed color, raised his head and shouted angrily: "The Ming Dynasty takes the scholar's article, but he wants to push the Han and Tang Dynasties!" Ergui is a child, when he concentrates on making a fuss, what is the name of playing that miscellaneous school to be addicted? At such a young age, I don't know how to focus on business, and you can't wait for students! Left and right, drive out! ”

But he is worthy of being a speech official, he speaks without panting, and blasts people out with reason.

Chen Zhixiao did have the idea of showing off his talent, and wanted to add points with it, but he never expected that it would be self-defeating. Before he could react, he was taken out by two tall officials with his arms crossed, and then he was thrown heavily on the ground, which will undoubtedly become a talking point for the people of Leizhou Mansion.

Although Li Guangzu drove Chen Zhixiao out, his anger slowly subsided, knowing that he was impulsive. After some struggle, he still took Chen Zhixiao's test paper, but after a cursory reading, he sighed gloomily, this test paper is much better than Kang Wanrong.

As if unwilling, Li Guangzu carefully read Kang Wanrong's test paper again, but in the end he sighed.

On the day of the release of the list, Kang Wanrong was not seen, but Chen Zhixiao was in the top three.