From the Sui Dynasty to the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the imperial examination brought many tears to scholars.
Gui Youguang, a great genius in Ming Dynasty and a representative writer of Tang and Song School, dared to challenge Wang Shizhen, a literary leader and fellow countryman at that time, at a young age. However, on the way to the imperial examination, Gui Youguang was miserable. He took nine exams in his life and finally won a scholar at the age of 60, but only six years later, he left this world. What luck? Life?
Gui Youguang's road to the imperial examination was full of flowers and applause at the beginning. As a gifted scholar, Gui Youguang was brilliant and unusual in his early years. You can write an article at the age of nine and a thousand words at the age of ten. At the age of fourteen, I began to take the imperial examination.
The most basic examination in the imperial examination system is called children's examination, which has three stages, namely, county examination, general examination and academy examination. Those who take these three exams are called Tong Sheng, and those who pass these three exams are called "scholars". Officially, they have obtained the qualification of "students" and can officially start the road of imperial examination. At the same time, if you become a scholar, you can enter the government-run school at that time for further study. Moreover, after becoming a scholar, even the most basic "fame" has been obtained, and he has entered the literati class. There are some privileges, such as avoiding corvee, not kneeling at the sight of county magistrate, and not being punished casually for making mistakes.
Scholars are divided into three grades, the highest grade is the best grade of children's exam results, which means that students are supported by the government on a monthly basis. In today's words, it is to start eating public meals. Secondly, the first class is called "multiplication", which is to expand the number of students. There is no "public grain". The second kind of students are called "additional test students", that is, all those who have passed the exam.
If compared with today, these three preparatory exams are equivalent to today's junior high school.
This preparatory examination is held twice every three years. Gui Youguang, who was brilliant at an early age, began to take the Tong Sheng exam at the age of 14, and probably didn't do well in the exam, but he finally got brilliant results. Six years later, when Gui Youguang was weak, I took part in the college entrance examination, won the first place, and was added as a student in Suzhou. At this time, Gui Youguang, who is studying in thousands of books, is full of confidence in the future. With the first place, I went to Nanjing that year to take part in the first level of the official imperial examination: the rural examination. However, Gui Youguang still has a long way to go.
After obtaining the provincial examination, the first pass of the official imperial examination is usually held in the provincial capitals. If this road passes, it is the so-called middle lift. Jin Fan, a famous scholar in The Scholars, took part in the provincial examination and was called the Master of Juren after the senior high school entrance examination. His father-in-law's attitude towards him 180 degree turn, and he will be called Wen Quxing in his next life.
After having obtained the provincial examination, it is held every three years in autumn (August), so it is also called Qiu Wei, and the examiner is sent by the emperor. Only those who have passed the college examination and obtained the qualification of students (scholars) can participate. A scholar who has passed the provincial examination is called a juren, and his first name is Xie Yuan.
In principle, all juren are eligible to be elected as officials. Even if there are no elected officials, they are local celebrities. When they meet the magistrate, the magistrate should also give them their seats. All juren can take the exam held in Beijing the following spring.
In the year of weak crown, Gui Youguang, who was full of ambition, rushed from Suzhou to Nanjing to take the provincial examination. At this time, fate gave Gui Youguang, who was determined to win, a loud slap in the face-he failed. And this slap in the face one after another is five in a row. After obtaining the rural examination, it will be held every three years. Every slap in the face is three years, and it is three years of hard work. It was not until I went to Nanjing for the sixth time that my fate changed. At this time, time has passed in a hurry 15 years, and Gui Youguang is 35 years old, from the weak crown who took the provincial examination for the first time to the middle age now.
I took the college entrance examination six times today. This 15 years, Gui Youguang must have had a hard time. From an ambitious young man to a middle-aged man who has just dabbled in vicissitudes of life, Gui Youguang's knowledge has undoubtedly improved greatly, but his heart is probably desolate and full of holes.
Fortunately, after a bumpy trial road of 15 years, fate smiled at Gui Youguang at this time. When he took part in the sixth provincial examination, he met his noble man, Zhang Zhi, the examiner at that time. Zhang Zhi appreciates Gui Youguang's articles very much, and thinks that Gui Youguang is a rare talent, saying that he is a famous Confucian Jia Zhongshu in Han Dynasty, and regards Gui Youguang as a national scholar. In the sixth provincial examination in Gui Youguang, Gui Youguang ranked second as a juren.
After a long journey of 15 years, Gui Youguang finally passed the provincial examination, became a juren, and obtained the qualification to take the exam. At this time, Gui Youguang, with his knowledge in the south of the Yangtze River, has long been well known, especially Gui Youguang's creation of ancient prose, which was regarded as one of the "three wonders of Kunshan" at that time. After the juren, Gui Youguang turned his attention to the distant capital. Fifteen years ago, the feeling of complacency sprouted in Gui Youguang's heart. He is full of confidence in the next stop on his way to serve the country through the imperial examination.
The imperial examination, the second pass of the official imperial examination road, was held in Beijing, and all the participants were high school candidates who had obtained the rural examination. After the provincial examination, candidates from all over the country will gather in Beijing from all directions to take part in the examination held in the spring of the second year after the provincial examination and show their skills.
The examination is also held every three years, in the spring after the provincial examination and in March of the following year, so compared with the provincial examination, it is called "Autumn Wei" and "Spring Wei". All the examinations were held in Beijing, presided over by the Ministry of Rites, and the emperor personally appointed two examiners, the examiner and the deputy examiner. About 300 people were admitted, including Gong, and the first one was Hui Yuan.
Gui Youguang, in the winter of high school after having obtained the provincial examination, packed his bags and went to Beijing to catch the exam. In my imagination, Gui Youguang should sail north along the Grand Canal. On the way to the north, Gui Youguang must be full of confidence, considering that he has been studying hard for so many years and thinking about Zhang Zhi's evaluation of himself after having obtained the provincial examination. He feels that fate has made him study hard for fifteen years, and he must have his own arrangements. The accumulation of these fifteen years is enough to serve the country. Gui Youguang, who listened to the sound of the Grand Canal all the way, would never have thought that there would be longer hardships and longer and longer waits, even equivalent to a lifetime of waiting. ...
Gui Youguang went to Beijing for the first time to take the exam, which ended in failure. It will be three years before he can show his talent again. After Gui Youguang, who was infamous in Sun Shan, returned to his hometown, he began to give lectures and prepare for the exam three years later. At that time, Gui Youguang had become a minor celebrity in Jiangnan, and bachelors from all directions came to attend classes in succession, with hundreds of people. Gui Youguang, who has read a lot of literature and history, talked about classics and said that his profound knowledge and grand exposition impressed the following bachelors deeply. Reading, giving lectures and talking make Gui Youguang more famous. Scholars at home and abroad all respect Gui Youguang as Mr. Zhenchuan.
Although Gui Youguang didn't succeed in the imperial examination, he was world-famous in reading and studying. Everyone who is famous all over the world will have a silent supporter behind him. Standing behind Gui Youguang is his wife Wang. During his lecture in Anting, Gui Youguang, Wang kept everything in order at home so that Gui Youguang could concentrate on his studies.
Perhaps, after opening the window of Gui Youguang's scholar, fate temporarily closed the window of the imperial examination. Gui Youguang, a famous scholar, has repeatedly failed in the triennial examination, but his articles just can't get into the examiner's eyes. Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's not that Gui Youguang's article is not good, but that he doesn't know the exam, or that although he does, the gentleman does something. Gui Youguang wants to knock on the door of the exam by his own knowledge, but there are too many people waiting at the door, so he can't do it.
After having obtained the provincial examination, Gui Youguang was ranked as the second, and regarded as the national scholar Zhang Zhi. Later, he went to Beijing to become prime minister. He has always been very concerned about Gui Youguang, and he was sorry to hear that Gui Youguang failed to stand out in the exam time and again. Zhang Zhi must be well aware of the rampant fraud in the Ming Dynasty. He must understand the reason why Gui Youguang has repeatedly fallen. There was a man in Gui Youguang who was kind enough to meet each other, but didn't want to visit him and go for a walk. According to relevant documents, Zhang Zhi heard that Gui Youguang had failed in several attempts. He wanted Gui Youguang to take a walk in Beijing, but Gui Youguang just wouldn't bow his head, and didn't want to adulterate his imperial examination with something he hadn't learned and poetry books. I would rather endure falling into Sun Shan again and again than bending my body full of poetry and knowledge.
It is said that the emperor was surrounded by a favored eunuch. After hearing Gui Youguang's name, he asked his nephew to go to Gui Youguang to study and study, and to learn from Gui Youguang. And invited Gui Youguang to Beijing several times, but Gui Youguang refused. On the road to becoming an official, Gui Youguang seems to be a neat freak. He blocked all the "shortcuts" himself. He must know how difficult the rest of the road is.
Gui Youguang thus embarked on the road of imperial examination. Although it is difficult, he has a clear conscience. Although it is bumpy, he can only move forward. This road has been going on for twenty-five years until you reach your age. During this period, Gui Youguang was 43 years old, and his favorite eldest son died unfortunately. Only one year later, he stood behind him silently supporting his hardworking wife Wang and left Gui Youguang. Gui Youguang had three wives in his life, and Wang was the second, who accompanied Gui Youguang for sixteen years. But unfortunately, the wife written by Gui Youguang in his masterpiece "Xuan Di" is not Wang. Gui Youguang's first wife, Wei Shi, married Gui Youguang at the age of 23 in Gui Youguang. From the description of Ji Xiang Xuanzhi, we can know that the relationship between Gui Youguang and Wei is very good, but it is also disappointing. Only six years later, Wechsler left Gui Youguang. In Ji Xiang Xuanzhi, Gui Youguang expressed his loyalty to his first wife, Wei Shi:
At the end of the sentence, he said, "There was a loquat tree in the courtyard, and my wife planted it in her hand when she died. Now it is as elegant as the cover! " Very touching.
Gui Youguang was about 32 years old when he wrote these words in Ji Xiang Xuanzhi. Gui Youguang married a second wife, Wang, three years after his first wife died. At that time, it was five years before Gui Youguang entered Nanjing High School. In those years when Gui Youguang failed in Beijing and gave lectures in his hometown, it was this Wang who kept housework and made Gui Youguang concentrate on his studies. After sixteen years of silently accompanying Gui Youguang, Wang also passed away. The second wife is so hard-working, Gui Youguang will be heartbroken at the thought of these two good wives after studying! More than ten years, that slim loquat tree must still be there. Looking at this tree, Gui Youguang must have remembered the day when he studied hard and lectured, and two wives took care of themselves with all their heart. Now, all the supporters standing behind him have gone, and the road ahead is still difficult and bumpy.
After eight failures, in the forty-fourth year of Jiajing (1565), Gui Youguang, who was nearly sixty-six, went to Beijing again and took the exam for the ninth time. The God of Destiny was finally moved by Gui Youguang's insistence and opened the long-closed window. Gui Youguang finally passed the exam, became Gong Shi, and finally could take the palace entrance examination presided over by the emperor.
From the age of fourteen, I began to take the imperial examination. At the age of twenty, I was a scholar, at the age of thirty-five, I was a scholar, and at the age of sixty, I was Gong Shi. Forty-six years later, Gui Youguang finally reached the highest point of this road-the entrance examination.
Court examination, also known as listening examination, is the highest level examination in the imperial examination system. It will be held two months (May) after the exam. Participants are 300 Gong's who passed the exam, and the location is above the court. Under normal circumstances, the emperor personally served as the examiner. Admission is divided into the top three, and A admits three people, giving them the title of "Jinshi Ji". Among them, the first place was the champion, edited by the Imperial Academy, the second place was the second place, the third place was Tan Hua, and the second and third places were edited by the Imperial Academy. Dimethyl admitted several students and was awarded the title of "Jinshi origin"; The top three also admitted a group of students and gave them the title of "fellow scholars". Second, the first name of the top three is Chuanchuan, and the first, second and third names are collectively referred to as Jinshi. Except for the champion, the second place, and the flower exploration, the rest of the Jinshi re-participated in the imperial examination and studied the poems written by the imperial edict. Jishi Shu was chosen as a person who was good at literature and calligraphy, and the others were awarded to the Master (the staff of various ministries) and the magistrate. In the actual operation process, if you want to get the position of principal and county magistrate, you have to go through candidates and candidates. If you are unlucky, you will never be an official. Jinshi list is called the list because it is written in yellow paper, so it is called Huang Jia Huang List, also called Jin List. In ancient times, the so-called nominated Jinshi list refers to the Jinshi who passed the exam.
Generally speaking, "Lianzhong Sanyuan" refers to winning the first place in the provincial examination, national examination and palace examination, that is, Xie Yuan, Huiyuan and Champion. There is a place called "Sanyuanfang" in Suzhou Ancient City, a famous city, in which "Sanyuan" is the ternary of three consecutive ternary. This place name is to commemorate a Suzhou native named Bai Qian, who won three yuan in the rural examination. Besides winning the big three yuan, Bai Qian also won the small three yuan, which is what we said at the beginning. County, government and college exams are the first, commonly known as small ternary. Big three yuan plus small three yuan, * * * six first place, known as the six-yuan champion. In the history of imperial examinations in China, two people won honors, one was Bai Qian in Suzhou in the Qing Dynasty, and the other was Huang Guan in the Ming Dynasty. This crown is stronger than Bai Qian. He won six yuan in a row, never stopping, and always came first. Bai Qian, on the other hand, failed many times in the exams of Xiao Sanyuan and Da Sanyuan. Huang Guan was the top student in high school at the age of 27, and Bai Qian was the top student at the age of 47.
Gui Youguang, after 40 years of imperial examinations, was finally able to take court examinations in his sixties. Finally, he won the top three places and was named the magistrate of a county in a remote place in Zhejiang. The first thing Gui Youguang did after taking office was to run a school to improve the local people's cultural level. The second thing is to punish bad officials and rehabilitate unjust imprisonment, which has offended many people. Gui Youguang is honest and does not flatter powerful people. If his boss's orders go against the people, he will be delayed. He has been a county magistrate for more than two years. At the age of 63, Gui Youguang was transferred to Shunde (now Xingtai, Hebei) as a judge to manage Ma Zheng. This transfer, nominally a promotion, is actually a crackdown on Gui Youguang. Gui Youguang was very indignant at this transfer, and sent two letters to ask for resignation, but both of them were withheld and could not be contacted, so he had no choice but to go to his post. After Gui Youguang arrived at his post, he built a mud house and hid in it all day to express his dissatisfaction. Judge Ma is an idle post. Gui Youguang, who has studied all his life, didn't waste this leisure time. During this period, he extensively read relevant historical books, personally interviewed some local anecdotes and compiled a complete Ma Zheng Zhi. ?
In the last two years of Gui Youguang's life, fate completely relaxed his harshness. Gui Youguang ushered in the climax of his life-he entered the cabinet and became a literary attendant. This is the most suitable location for Gui Youguang. At this time, Gui Youguang was very happy and hoped to take advantage of this opportunity to read more books, learn more things and do more things. But unfortunately, fate didn't leave him more time.
Gui Youguang has profound attainments in literature. When he was a juren, he dared to challenge Wang Shizhen, a literary leader and fellow villager at that time. He opposed Wang Shizhen's blindly restoring ancient ways and praised the ancient prose of eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties. He is a representative writer of "Tang and Song School" in Ming Dynasty. The greatest feature of his prose is that it is true, natural and unpretentious, which injected a fresh wind into the boring style of writing at that time. His "A Brief Account of the Past", "The Mystery of the Neck" and "The Burial of Cold Flowers" are all affectionate works that make people cry.