Author: Potato Sweet Potato Pie

Nearing the end of August, the provincial examination finally came to an end. The three tests together lasted nine days and six nights. To be honest, Xia Yuan didn't know how he survived.

Thinking back on this experience carefully, he found that he seemed to be either sleeping or studying how to fall asleep.

But fortunately it's over.

Damn it, if I don’t pass the exam, I’ll never come again.

The list had to wait until September. The uncle and nephew went back to the inn to pick up their things, and then went downstairs to check out.

There were already many candidates staying in this inn, and now it was time to check out. They all gathered in front of the hall, chatting about the exam while waiting for their money to be refunded.

The interval between the three exams is less than one day. When an exam is over, everyone is busy resting and lying on the bed to stretch out. No one has time to talk about the exam. At this time, the exam is finally over, and it is a chance to chat.

Already.

You talked to each other, and the conversation was all about the eight-part essay topic in the first session. This one said it was a reference to the Analects of Confucius, that one said it was a reference to the Doctrine of the Mean, and some said it was taken from the university.

This kind of scene was really rare in the entire Ming Dynasty. In previous years' provincial examinations, even if everyone's articles were good or bad, they always reached a consensus on the origin of the questions.

How can it be like now, it is divided into several factions. These people are noisy and they all think that they are right. As for others who are different from them, it is all a sideshow.

There was a young scholar wearing a silk scarf. The more he listened, the more he felt unsure of himself. Isn't this Mencius whom no one would use?

He couldn't help but stand up and said: "Listen to me, everyone, we are all people who have read a lot of poetry and books. Of course, the indecent act comes from Mencius."

As he spoke, he shook his head and said: "The so-called inappropriate etiquette means unrighteousness."

"I am not your mother!" Before he could finish speaking, someone jumped to greet his father-in-law.

The young scholar hesitated, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Why am I scolding you? I want to beat you even though I'm a stepmother." After saying that, the man rolled up his arms and sleeves and said to the people around him: "You guys of the same age, please don't stop me and let me fight him to the death!"

"Don't tell me it's you, we also want to fight with you!"

"It is said that Mencius was cited. In the 130 years since our country's dynasty, has Mencius been cited in the imperial examination?" Another person stood up and sneered.

"That's right, that's right. Mencius is the most unlikely candidate to have ever been cited."

"Yes, it's definitely not Mencius!"

"you."

The young scholar's face turned red and white. He didn't expect that he only said one sentence that was in line with Mencius, but it actually made such a fuss that everyone seemed to want to skin him alive.

In fact, this situation is quite normal. These scholars and scholars are all familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics by heart. When they see the four words "indecent", the first thing that comes to mind is Mencius, and it is most likely that it comes from Mencius.

But at that time, no one dared to use the original sentence of Mencius to solve the question. Now that the exam is over, everyone thinks about it and feels that the question may really be Mencius, but they are also afraid that the question is really from Mencius.

Before I had time to relax, my nerves tightened instantly, and my heart felt as uneasy as beating a drum.

That's why he shouted loudly in front of the inn, trying to find a footnote for the source of his thesis, which was not suspected of emboldening himself.

And the young scholar's sentence, which alluded to Mencius, definitely stimulated the sensitive nerves of everyone present.

To step on a horse, just step on the horse and you use Mencius, right? We don’t dare to use it, but you dare to use it. What if it’s really Mencius?

"Humph, it's simply unreasonable!"

His lips trembled for a while, but the young scholar finally didn't dare to fire the map cannon. He flicked his sleeves, dropped a few words of prestige, and turned around to walk out without even asking for the remaining dozens of money for his study.

As soon as he walked out of the door of the inn, someone quickly ran over to follow him. He kicked him to the ground and said, "I'm going to fuck you."

Some people clapped and applauded, "Brother, you have such grace with your feet."

"Yes, I must have become a tiger general in the army."

"Haha, good point."

Suddenly, everyone started laughing, and the entire inn was filled with a happy atmosphere. Only the shopkeeper and the waiter huddled behind the counter and were extremely scared. They felt that these scholars were scary, but also felt that this scene was absurd.

You say you have no power to tie a chicken, you say you are useless, you are a scholar, how can you still fly up and kick people?

At this time, someone turned around and saw the uncle and nephew, and couldn't help but ask: "You two are of the same age. I wonder if you used the original sentence of that scripture to solve the question?"

"Of course it's Meng."

Xia Ru hesitated for a few seconds, but was ready to admit it. He didn't know what he was doing. He just wanted to fight with these people to embolden himself. Even if he got beaten up, it wouldn't matter.

But as soon as the word Meng was spoken, the expressions of the group of people immediately changed. Fortunately, Xia Yuan had quick eyesight and covered Xia Ru's mouth.

I call you uncle, but if you cheat on your nephew like this, aren't you asking for a beating when you say Mencius now?

It's not like you haven't seen how high that man flew with one kick, just like Liu Xiang, the flying man on horseback.

He covered Xia Ru's mouth tightly and laughed dryly at everyone present, "My uncle is talking about Meng Mengxi's Bi Tan. Yes, you know about Meng Xi's Bi Tan?"

"But it was written by Shen Kuo of the Northern Song Dynasty?"

"That's right, that's right." Xia Yuan nodded repeatedly and said, "Shen Kuo admires Confucius the most, so we both used questions based on the Analects of Confucius."

"It turns out to be the Analects of Confucius." At that moment, the expressions of everyone present relaxed instantly.

"That's right, it's the Analects of Confucius."

"But in the Analects of Confucius, don't see if it's not etiquette, don't hear if it's not etiquette, don't speak if it's not etiquette, don't do anything if it's not etiquette; what's better than not knowing but not knowing?" Someone asked hesitantly.

Hearing this, Xia Yuan instinctively thought about the source. Well, these two sentences are not next to each other at all, and they are not even in the same chapter. The previous one is not disrespectful in the Yan Yuan chapter. As for the latter one, knowing it but not doing it,

It comes from the Zhi Xing chapter.

"That's right, that's exactly what it said."

The man's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Unexpectedly, my little brother actually thought of me together."

"I also solved the problem with this sentence."

"Me too."

"So is a certain person."

At present, many people have found the organization, and the group of people who have found the organization are very relieved.

Everyone has a herd mentality.

Just like in later generations, students will always gather together to review the answers after taking exams. As soon as they find that everyone has the same answer, they instantly feel stable.

The same goes for these scholars of the Ming Dynasty. Look, so many people use this sentence. It seems that the source is here.

"Well, brothers, my uncle and I have something to do. If you are not in a hurry to check out, can you step aside and let us refund the rent first?"

Xia Yuan really couldn't wait any longer. His hand was still covering Xia Ru's mouth. He would be suffocating him to death in a while.

"You go first, you go first."

He paid ten taels of silver for the house, but now he has refunded more than two hundred cents in total. Xia Yuan didn't have time to count them, so he grabbed them and put them in his arms, and then pulled Xia Ru out of the inn.

After they left, some people in the inn realized that Shen Kuo, who wrote Mengxi Bi Tan, admired Confucius the most?

That's not right.

Which scholar in the world does not admire Confucius?
Chapter completed!