Chapter 396 Getting what you want

The examination started on the ninth day, the list was filled in on the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth, and the results were announced on the twenty-ninth. It seemed that enough time was reserved for filling in the list, but in fact it was very rushed.

People like Ou Zanghua who don't like partying very much, had to attend a banquet every other day during this period. He would either entertain students from Huguang, Jiangxi, and Henan at his own home, or be invited to attend some "question-setting banquet", "curtain banquet", "volume-collecting banquet", etc.

There were innumerable banquets of all kinds, and only because Ou Zanghua had a high enough status could he decline most of them. Otherwise, he would have been able to sleep outside every day.

Of course, there are many benefits. Every time Ou Zanghua attends a banquet, he can gain some good talents.

During the Ming Dynasty, the relationship between the master and his disciples was relatively stable. It was not until the time of Zhang Juzheng that the disciples and the master began to break up.

Ou Zanghua was able to become the chief examiner purely thanks to the support of his teammates.

Since Liu Jin's downfall, there have been fewer and fewer officials in the court who speak for Emperor Zhengde.

The key point is that those court officials clearly knew that the emperor would never close the imperial farm store or hand over the imperial farm.

But they were still pushing the reform of the imperial farm with all their might, with an attitude of "I won't get up unless you agree to my decision", which really made Emperor Zhengde laugh.

The one who jumped the most was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Jiang Mian. When Emperor Zhengde was thinking about how to deal with this guy, the Minister of Revenue Fei Hong noticed that Yang Tinghe intended to bring Jiang Mian into the cabinet, so he added fuel to the fire and recommended Jiang Mian as the chief examiner of the joint examination.

After seeing this letter of recommendation, Emperor Zhengde, who had been trying not to get angry, felt that the people below had become wild and had no regard for decency at all, and dared to speak so arrogantly.

So, he didn't hide it and directly wrote Ou Zanghua's name on it.

At another banquet, Ou Zanghua finally met Zhu Zhishan, one of the four great talents in Jiangnan.

Let’s not talk about appearance.

"I am Zhu Yunming, a student, and I am here to greet you, sir." Zhu Zhishan has branching fingers on his right hand, and his bow looks slightly different from that of ordinary people.

There was an unusual complexity in his expression. As he recalled the past, the scene of participating in the imperial examination with Ou Zanghua three years ago was still vivid in his mind.

Now, time flies, and three years have pushed the two people onto completely different destinies.

Now he is a third-rank official and has become his own teacher, but he has still achieved nothing.

Looking at Ou Zanghua, who was still as charming as ever, Zhu Zhishan couldn't help but feel an indescribable feeling in his heart, a complex emotion mixed with envy, jealousy and a hint of sadness.

At this moment, a line of poem suddenly popped up in Zhu Zhishan’s mind: Why bother asking about the world’s fleeting affairs? It’s better to lie down and have a good meal.

perhaps
It's time to give up!

Ou Zanghua did not have as many thoughts as Zhu Zhishan. He bowed and said in return, "Brother Xizhe, I also fully agree with your advocacy of elegance and elimination of vulgarity in calligraphy!"

When talking about calligraphy, Zhu Zhishan swept away his decadent tendencies and began to talk incessantly, especially the cursive and regular scripts that he was good at, from which even Ou Zanghua benefited greatly.

When the banquet was over, Zhu Zhishan gave Ou Zanghua his calligraphy work "Praise of the Humble House".

Ou Zanghua gladly accepted it. He had previously collected Xu Zhenqing's calligraphy "The Book of Songs: Taoyao" and now he has Zhu Zhishan's "Humble House Inscription". Next time, he will find a chance to get Wen Zhengming's calligraphy and Tang Bohu's paintings. Then he will have a complete collection of the works of the four great talents of Jiangnan.

Thinking of the other two unlucky guys, Ou Zanghua asked about their recent situation. After hearing this, Zhu Zhishan looked a little strange, and then told Ou Zanghua that Wen Zhengming took part in the Yingtian County Examination for the sixth time last year and failed.
As for Tang Bohu.
Before he set out, someone drew a picture for the magistrate He Yu in Wu County.

After listening to this, Ou Zanghua also looked a little strange, as if his idol halo had been shattered.

On February 26th, examiners from each department and the chief examiner gathered together to start filling out the B list.

On February 27th, the A-list, also known as the main list, was filled in.

The results will be announced at 7:00 am on February 28th.

For a time, there were some families in the capital who were sad and some who were happy. Some were overjoyed, while others were gloomy.

At the Zuo family in Beijing, Zuo Ting and Zhao Hongxiu got up early in the morning. When the couple walked out of the room and came to the yard, they saw that Zhao Pengshan had already gotten up.

The couple smiled at each other, then stayed by Zhao Pengshan's side, comforting him and waiting.

As the sounds of gongs and drums and laughter passed by the yard, Zhao Pengshan's heart also rose and fell.

It was not until noon that the good news for him finally came.

Zhao Pengshan jumped up in surprise, and after hugging Zuo Ting tightly, he regained his senses. However, he couldn't stop smiling.

Zhu Zhishan on the other side was also waiting, although he had secretly made a vow in his heart that if he failed in this examination, he would put down this burden and no longer embark on the road of imperial examination.

But when I recalled the laughter and joy with Ou Zanghua at the banquet a few days ago, the long-hidden expectation surged like an undercurrent, difficult to calm down.

At this moment, his servant boy was beaming with joy, and he jumped into the door with brisk steps, his eyes gleaming with uncontrollable joy, and he shouted loudly: "Master, I got it! I got it!"

This sudden good news was like a spring thunder, which instantly froze Zhu Zhishan's expression. All the sounds around him seemed to be swallowed up by this great joy, leaving only the deafening echo in his heart.

When he came to his senses, his face was already covered in tears.
After years of hard study, Zhu Zhishan finally got what he wanted today. He even felt that even if he died at this moment, it would be worth it.

After Ouyang Xuan learned that he was admitted to high school, he immediately went to the Ou Mansion to express his gratitude.

He had already met Madam Ouyang before, so he didn't have to wait like other students. Instead, he went straight into the hall under the guidance of Hua An.

When he saw Madam Ouyang and Liu Qing, Ouyang Xuan immediately bowed and said, "I am Ouyang Xuan, the younger generation, and I am honored to meet you, Grandmother and Aunt. Today, I am blessed by our ancestors and have the honor to win the first prize in the imperial examination and be listed among the tribute scholars. I have come here to report this good news to you, Grandmother and Aunt."

“good good”

After hearing this, Madam Ouyang was genuinely delighted: "The Ouyang family has finally produced a Jinshi, this is a great thing that brings honor to the family! Have you arranged for the Xiaoxuan? If not, why not stay at home for a meal, just as your grandmother is celebrating for you."

Ouyang Xuan was overjoyed when he heard this. He smiled and said, "Grandma, you are too kind. I am very grateful. I have nothing else to do today. I am very lucky to be invited by you. If I have been careless, I hope you and aunt will forgive me."

"What a good child!" Madam Ouyang smiled lovingly and reminded him, "By the way, don't forget to write a letter to your grandfather and tell him the good news."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)