The whole discussion was about who should be responsible for the losses in Tianzhu Mountain, and there was no mention of how to commend them.

Yang Congyi was at peace with the encounter before, and he didn't care about these things, but the situation in Tianzhu Mountain and his party was already very different, and of course he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to be rewarded.

After the Huaining officials finished discussing the aftermath of the trip to Tianzhu Mountain, they all dispersed, and only Chen Zhijun and Yang Congyi were left in the conference hall.

Chen Zhijun said with a smile: "Yang Zhutou, you did a good job this time, and you still managed to capture most of the fugitives under so many difficulties, and resolved the crisis in Tianzhu Mountain this time, and the situation in Anqing gradually calmed down, and you have made a great contribution." What kind of commendation do you want yourself? ”

Yang Congyi had actually thought about it a long time ago, and as soon as Lord Chen asked, he said directly: "My lord, I don't need a special award, I heard that my lord is a scholar and a first, and I just want to get a little bit of advice from my lord to be able to participate in the imperial examination smoothly." ”

When Chen Zhijun heard this, he was slightly stunned, a head catcher wants to participate in the imperial examination, which is a brain problem.

"Yang Zhutou wants to participate in the imperial examination, this is naturally no problem, I was twenty-five years old and ranked second in the first class, and I have a lot of experience to teach you. It's just that it is not easy to participate in the imperial examination, I studied at the age of five, and I have never stopped for more than 20 years, and I have visited many Ming Confucians, so I tried to win the examination. And one of my elder brothers, who has studied hard for more than 40 years, has taken the exam I don't know how many times, but he just failed until he was 50 years old. The imperial examination is quite difficult, without great perseverance, on a whim, it will eventually delay the years. ”

Yang Congyi said: "Don't hide it from adults, I have read some books since I was a child, and I still have some potential for reading." ”

Chen Zhijun had seen Yang Congyi's words as early as Taihu County, which was just a new literacy, and there was still a gap of 108,000 miles from participating in the imperial examination. But it was not good to hit him too much, so he asked, "Why do you want to participate in the imperial examination?" ”

Yang Congyi replied: "Naturally, I want to be like an adult one day, with the title of the gold list, become an official, and glorify my hometown." ”

Chen Zhijun smiled and said: "Yang Zhutou has ambition, which is a good thing, but he must also do what he can." Although it is a shortcut to enter the official examination by the imperial examination, but the imperial examination does not seem to be easy to go at present, after the Nandu, every subject is opened, the number of admitted people is three or four hundred, but only a small number of people can really embark on the official career, and the vast majority of people are still at home to be selected, waiting for the opportunity. After the southern crossing, the jurisdiction of the Great Song Dynasty became smaller, but the northern scholars and officials all came to the south, whether it was the imperial examination or waiting for the official award after the middle examination, it became more difficult. It's better to consider other ways out. ”

Yang Congyi said: "I also understand what the adults said, but how do I know if I don't try it?" Don't consider other ways out for the time being. ”

Chen Zhijun said: "Since you are determined to participate in the imperial examination and want to take the official career, then I will give you a suggestion to take the path of martial arts." Got some news before, just right now for you. At the beginning of March this year, the imperial court ordered the reopening of martial arts, recruiting students, recommended by the locality, passing the examination can be enrolled, once you enter the martial arts, you can be awarded an official, enter the official career, and it is easy to participate in the martial arts. Although martial arts students can only be selected from the children of official eunuchs, but this trip to Tianzhu Mountain, you have a lot of credit, I can give you a joint letter of recommendation, let you go to Lin'an to take the martial arts student exam. ”

These words were said suddenly, Yang Congyi never thought of being a military attaché, the military attache of the Song Dynasty had a low status, like Yue Feidu, who was the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, and he still didn't say that he would kill him. The civil officials are different, no matter how big the crime is, at most they will end up in the management, and the court will be able to reinstate the officials after two years. Although the military attache is lucky, he can rise to the top, like Yue Fei, who has been promoted from a small soldier to a lieutenant in ten years, reaching the top of the military attaché, but what can he do? It's not that he has to be cautious everywhere, and what he wants to do, it is difficult to do it as a military attaché.

So Yang Congyi replied, "Lord Xie is kind, entering martial arts is not what I want, I want to be like adults, take the liberal arts and scholars, and be able to dominate the government in the future." ”

Chen Zhijun saw Yang Congyi's refusal, and he was not angry, but persuaded again, "Don't be busy refusing first, listen to me first." If you don't take advantage of the good years to earn a foundation, how can you shade the future generations and benefit future generations? When the imperial examination is no longer a way out, the dignitaries and dignitaries monopolize the official career, when the people in power are about to retire, there are dozens of people, more than hundreds of thousands, and even more than one person retreats to make up for more than 4,000 people, they do not need to pass the imperial examination to fill the vacant official position, but those children of the poor family have studied hard for decades, even if they are lucky, the imperial examination high school, there is no official position to serve, after all, they are still idle at home, exhausting their talents, Taihu County Chengxi Wang Yuan is an example. I'm not afraid to tell you, although I am the countermeasure of the Golden Palace, hand-picked by the emperor, and ranked first, but if it weren't for the fact that my family is a wealthy family of the Jiangnan Shi clan, and I still have some connections in the court, I'm afraid I won't even be able to do a small county. In today's Great Song Dynasty, there are countless people with official qualifications such as carp crossing the river, with limited positions, and countless people are looking for ways to compete for the position of the county chief book. In the past 20 years, there has been no way out of the cold window and hard work. ”

Yang Congyi listened quietly, he only thought of the high status of civil officials before, but he never thought that the Jin people in the north ruled and the situation was chaotic, countless scholars, as well as officials from all over the country, flocked to the south, the land of the Southern Song Dynasty was so small, and there were so many scholars in the north, so it was really difficult to be an official. Mr. Chen is a top performer in high school, has been an official for more than ten years, not long ago he was still a small county, Huang County is imposing, majestic, and he is also a Jinshi, he is still a county in his thirties, and he can only do it when he has the opportunity, and if he is unlucky, the county will come to an end.

Thinking about it this way, this imperial examination road is not necessarily able to become an official and embark on a career as an official, study hard for a few years, it should not be difficult to pass the Jinshi examination, but to be in the top three of the first class and directly awarded the official, then don't think about it at all, Yang Congyi also knows how many catties and taels he has.

Chen Zhijun paused for a moment, saw that Yang Congyi listened carefully, and his heart was very clear, and he continued, "Since Taizu, the imperial court has emphasized literature and light on military force, so that first the Liao State forcibly occupied the sixteen states of Yanyun, and then the Jin State went south to the Yellow River and approached the Yangtze River. However, less than five years after the peace talks between the two countries, at the end of the first month of this year, the Jin State ceded the land and wooed the Western Xia, so as not to worry about the future, in a vain attempt to raise troops to the south to destroy the Great Song Dynasty, the ambition of the wolf son is known to everyone, and some people in the court can see it clearly, and many people suggest that the imperial court rebuild the martial arts that have been interrupted for decades, reserve military talents, and make early preparations in case the Jin State does not keep its promises and goes south again.

This dynasty since the Taizu will emphasize the text and not the martial arts, although there is a martial arts, but few people care, after the recommendation to enter the school is mostly from a wealthy family idle children, into the martial arts but do not understand the military, a hundred years of martial arts in name only. Today's saints are deeply suffering from Jingkang, and now the Jin country is pressing step by step, lest the calamity will come again, the so-called civil and military way can not be abandoned, and the Song Dynasty will not retreat sooner or later without emphasizing force, and the current saint naturally understands this truth, so he ordered the restoration of martial arts in early March to cultivate military talents. A few years ago, many famous marshals will be dismissed, everyone in the martial arts is in danger, martial arts just no one cares about the way, there are few contenders, this is a rare opportunity, with your martial arts, and strategy, into the martial arts, embark on a career, stick to the heart, do not go beyond the rules, you will inevitably be able to break out of a career, make a meritorious career, and shade future generations. ”

Yang Congyi had a dream of joining the army when he was young, but since he was not admitted to the military academy, this dream has gradually faded away. Now that Chen Zhijun mentions this matter again, although time has passed, it has also caused ripples in his heart, and the young military dream is beating in his mind again, and the blood is rolling in his chest. It's just a military journey, and it's not easy to think about it, so I just heard him ask: "My lord, what is the chance that if I go to take the martial arts exam, what is the chance of obtaining the qualification of a student?" ”

Seeing that Yang Congyi was interested in martial arts, Chen Zhijun smiled and said, "It depends on how many books you have read." According to the convention, admission is generally subject to examinations, and martial arts, like Taixue, belong to Guozijian, so it is necessary to take articles and defend military training. In addition, it is the art of bow and horse martial arts. I know that you have martial arts and can shoot with a bow, but I don't know how your article is, maybe it is written? ”

Most of the imperial examinations write argumentative essays, and Yang Congyi certainly knows some, so he replied: "It should be possible to write a few hundred words." ”

Chen Zhixian was overjoyed, and said again and again, and then said: "Then there is no problem, the world likes to work hard, this time the people who recommend the martial arts examination are the children of the official eunuchs, and those who can read and read among the children of the official eunuchs will let them participate in the imperial examination, seek an official and a half-job, and recommend the children of martial arts to recognize hundreds of words. If this entrance exam is fair, there will definitely be no problem in entering the martial arts. ”

Yang Congyi asked again: "I don't know how to participate in martial arts when I enter martial arts, how many times a year?" ”

Chen Zhijun said: "It should be the same as the economic examination, once every three years, if there is a shortage of generals, it is also possible once a year, it depends on the arrangement of the imperial court." ”

Yang Congyi asked again: "Can a military attache be turned into a civilian official in the future?" "It's better to figure this out and plan ahead.

Chen Zhijun nodded and said: "Yes, there is a precedent, but you have to remove the military position before you can become a civil official." ”

The doubts have been solved, Yang Congyi suddenly said: "I don't know if the adults have any military books to borrow me to see?" I am shy in my pocket, and I don't have money to buy books. "Most of the awards this time are a joint letter of recommendation, and when I go to the prosperous place of Lin'an, how can I do it without money. In desperation, he could only complain by the way to see if there was any monetary reward?

Who knew that Chen Zhijun said: "Okay, well, prepare early, if you are so careful, you will definitely be able to enter martial arts and pass the martial arts examination." I like to read, and I also have a collection of military books, and I occasionally read them. Come with me, and you can move them all. After speaking, he got up, completely ignoring the focus of Yang Congyi's speech, "shyness".

Yang Congyi was stunned for a moment, thousands of years ago, thousands of years later, are awards all a piece of paper? Go to Lin'an to drink the southeast wind.

Lord Chen left first, although Yang Congyi was slightly slandered, he couldn't pull his face, and directly asked for a silver reward, which was too cheesy. I had to hurry up and keep up, but don't return the borrowed books.

Yang Congyi thought too much, how could there be no reward that should be given. When he borrowed the military book to read hard, An Qingjun's reward came, and soon after, Huaixi Shuaisi's reward also came, and he was rewarded with a lot of money, grain, and cloth, and he didn't know how much it was worth. Yang Congyi exempted the Anqing military disaster in one fell swoop, and saved how much grain in Huaixi? Naturally, this reward will not be less.

Since it was decided to take the entrance examination to enter the martial arts, it is necessary to ensure that you can enter the entrance examination, the entrance examination bow and horse martial arts, Yang Congyi is only not good at riding, ancient riding and archery is extremely important, this project will definitely be examined, you need to prepare early, so Yang Congyi took advantage of the time to borrow the horse of the yamen to practice riding and archery.

A few days later, in early August, Mr. Chen's letter of recommendation for Yang Congyi's entrance examination had been signed by Huaixi Shuaisi, and the Huaining Mansion had also issued an identity document.

By the time everything is ready, time is running out.

At the beginning of August, Lord Chen sent Yang Congyi all the way out of Huaining and repeatedly warned him that he must report to the military headquarters before September 15.

Yang Congyi was grateful to Master Chen, and after sending ten miles, he was moved and resolutely refused to send it again.

Master Chen stopped at this time and advised: "This is a long way to Lin'an, you need to be careful all the way, don't be reckless on the road, miss the travel date." ”

Yang Congyi thanked: "Thank you, my lord, I will definitely keep it in mind." ”

Master Chen said: "Lin'an is different from Taihu Lake Anqing, you must be very careful when you go here, and you can't talk nonsense." If you have any questions, you can write to them. ”

Yang Congyi gave a deep salute to Lord Chen and thanked: "I know, my lord cherishes it!" With that, he waved his hand, turned around and strode away.

I don't know what it will be like when I go to Lin'an, but since I have made up my mind, the road ahead is long, and I can only go alone.

Lord Chen stood outside the Shili Pavilion, looking at the back of the distance, the departing young man was more like himself twenty years ago, high-spirited, fearless, raising his feet and stepping, as if there was all in front of him, the road was smooth!

Until Yang Congyi's back disappeared, I only heard Lord Chen casually chanting:

The grain ears are heavy in August, and the ten-mile pavilion sends the teenagers.

Go to the Taihu Lake Hall to the people, and once you enter the river, you will be closer to the sky.

Gently wave your hand to say goodbye, don't be at a loss.

Once took advantage of the situation to take advantage of the trend, when recalling Tianzhu Mountain that year.