The so-called "knowledge official seal knot" can be simply understood as an admission ticket, but it is relatively complicated.

Because there were no image recognition tools such as ID cards and photos in ancient times, and the military personnel who guarded the gates and inspections could not know what all the candidates looked like. In order to prevent someone from writing for the exam, this anti-cheating method was derived.

The "Seal of the Identification Officer" is an administrative document. When Shen Yichen applied for the exam and filled in the information in the county's ceremony room, the identification officer next to him would fill in this administrative document. It also had Shen Yichen's basic information and was stamped with it. Shangguan seal.

What's more important is that this administrative document will also have the signature of the recognition officer himself.

If there is any suspicion that a candidate has a problem, the identification officer will come out to identify the signature and handwriting to determine whether the admission ticket is forged.

This method is equivalent to adding an official insurance in addition to the guarantee, which is to ensure that the imperial examination is as fair and just as possible.

It was impossible for Shen Yichen to hire someone to write for the exam. If he had this idea, he wouldn't have been a schoolboy for so many years. In addition, he had prepared food and clothing, and he knew what the taboos were, so the search was quickly allowed.

After entering the examination shed, the first thing you see is not the examination room, but a two-story main building called Duzhi Building. This is where the examiner and deacon officials will be on guard and give orders throughout the county examination.

After each candidate enters the examination room, he must first go to the main hall of the building and meet with the examiner to verify his identity. Then the clerk will receive his own dormitory and issue test papers.

Shen Yichen was very familiar with the terrain here and strode into the main hall of Duzhi Building. However, he seemed to have forgotten one thing, and that was today's examiner, who could barely be called an "old acquaintance."

Jiangning County Magistrate Zhou Shun sat upright in the middle of the hall, with the county magistrate and the edict on the left and right.

Today's county examination is the first one that Zhou Shun has presided over since he became the magistrate of Jiangning County. Although the county examination is not like the general examination in that the examiner has the title of teacher, in any case, it is to attract talents for the emperor. This honor The feeling can be described as awesome.

But as time went by, Zhou Shun felt that his back was sore after sitting in a majestic posture for a long time. The sense of honor that he felt at the beginning had long since disappeared, and he was looking forward to the students coming in quickly, so that the visit could end as soon as possible and the exams would officially begin.

The last student had just left, and another student was about to come in outside the hall. Zhou Shun was already numb to the scene today. He didn't even have the time to see carefully who the visitor was, so he was ready to go through the process.

"Jiangning student Shen Yichen pays homage to his parents."

"Well, I hope Toad Palace will win the title, so go down."

"Students resign."

Shen Yichen said goodbye and was about to follow the officials to the dormitory, but then he suddenly heard a voice from the hall: "Wait a minute!"

"What else can you do besides being a parent?"

Shen Yichen lowered his head and asked.

But it was useless no matter how much he lowered his head at this time. Zhou Shun looked at him with a very strange expression on his face and said, "Young friend Shen, we meet again."

When the name Shen Xiaoyou came out, the county magistrates and magistrates on both sides of Zhou Shun looked at him with strange eyes. He was just a schoolboy who had not yet entered school, and the magistrate of Jiangning called him Xiaoyou?

Could it be that the young master from some aristocratic family has greeted Zhou Zhixian and needs special care?

Even so, as long as everyone understands the unspoken rules, don't engage in secret operations so openly. It seems that the new county magistrate still doesn't understand the way of being an official.

Unlike other officials in the hall, when Shen Yichen heard the name Shen Xiaoyou, he knew that Zhou Shun had remembered the past incident that he had deceived.

The reason why he lowered his head and wanted to pay a quick visit was because he was afraid that Zhou Shun would be petty and vengeful. What if Zhou Shun gave him small shoes?

You must know that there are good and bad things like horn houses. The newly built horn houses are all brick wall structures. In the cold spring of February, they can be less exposed to the cold wind. And the second-class horn houses may not even have one. There is no roof, so if it is windy or rainy, it will be like a drowned rat.

Forget it if you get caught in the rain. If the test paper is soaked in the rain and the ink is dizzy, then you will have to compete again next year for this county examination.

So this is not a secret operation, it is obviously out of fear of retaliation!

"Hey, parents are too polite, but students can't bear it."

Shen Yichen smiled awkwardly and called himself "little friend" in front of everyone. It seemed that the person who came here was unkind.

In fact, Shen Yichen really misunderstood Zhou Zhixian. He called him "little friend". He didn't mean to take revenge, so he deliberately teased her. He just didn't react and called him a subconscious name.

At the family banquet of Duke Chengguo's house that day, although Shen Yichen deceived him into accepting him as a student, the magistrate of Zhou County did not hold a grudge against such a small issue of etiquette.

On the contrary, if Shen Yichen had not been there that day, he would have been the lowest-status official at the table. Facing a group of big shots and senior officials, he would have been extremely restrained and humble.

The existence of Shen Yichen gave Zhou Shun a sense of "similarity" in a sense, allowing him to talk and chat easily regardless of status and red tape.

Not to mention the talent shown by Shen Yichen in the follow-up, which made Zhou Shun admire him so much that it was not too much to call him "little friend".

Of course, now that I am in the county examination room and I am the examiner, it is not appropriate to call me "little friend." It can easily be considered as showing favoritism.

So when Zhou Shun found out about this problem, he immediately became serious and replied expressionlessly: "Well, let's go into the examination room."

It was Zhou Shun's reaction that made Shen Yichen even more unsure!

Damn it, even Zhou Zhixian is scornful of me. It seems that this time the shoes are worn. If I had known, I would have informed the schoolchildren at the family dinner. I had to hide my acquiescence due to face and lower the seniority of Zhou Zhixian. Now It's too late to regret...

With a heavy heart, Shen Yichen took the test paper from the clerk and walked out of the main hall.

As I walked, I thought to myself, don't worry about the quality of the roof, I'm afraid I'll be placed next to the "stinky number". The next few days will probably feel like years.

The so-called "stinky dormitory" refers to the dormitory next to the toilet. A row of sixty or seventy people share this toilet. You can imagine the smell when sitting next to it.

It's better to be cold when the weather is cold, but in autumn the temperature is relatively high, just like a poison gas bomb. If you are unlucky and encounter two people with diarrhea, you will have a hard time understanding what it means to be tortured and born. Better to die!

With this anxiety, Shen Yichen was brought to the "Yu" font house. The numbers of the huts in the Xiajiang Examination Shed are arranged according to the order of the thousand-character script. "Yu" font belongs to the old one, and it happens to be in the Place in the middle position.

You must know that in ancient times, the middle of the ancient dormitory was a prime location. You did not have to worry about wind and rain, and you could also avoid the "stinky horn" at the end, the "fire horn" for cooking, and the walkway, which would be patrolled by corvee workers. The "previous number" that interrupts the train of thought.

"Master Shen, please wish me a happy high school as soon as possible."

With a flattering smile on his face, the official retired after saying this, leaving Shen Yichen who was still a little confused.

What's going on?

Shen Yichen vaguely remembered his previous county exams. The officials dragged him as hard as 25,000 to 80,000 yuan. After taking him to the dormitory, he waved his hands and left.

How can I be like today, not only greeting people with a smile, but also giving blessings?

In addition, as for the location of this residence, Shen Yichen knew very well that such a prime location would be assigned in advance by the children of high-ranking officials and nobles.

Fraud in the imperial examination is a serious crime. There is no problem in choosing a dormitory position, so under normal circumstances, there is no way that I would be brought here. Could it be that my character has exploded?

Shen Yichen didn't understand why, but the officials knew very well, because when leaving the main hall, Zhou Zhixian gave him a look.

This look was the secret code for the county examination. Once someone came in with a relationship that they had greeted, they would be assigned to the best dormitory. This kind of walking around to find a convenient relationship was unavoidable even in that dynasty.

Regardless of the reason, it is better to sit in a good seat than in a bad seat. So Shen Yichen quickly put these doubts behind him, walked into the Yuzihao Room, laid out pens, inks, paper, inkstones and other examination tools, and waited It's time for the exam to start.

Perhaps because of the large number of people, Shen Yichen waited for almost an hour before hearing the sound of gongs indicating the start of the exam. At this moment, the entire exam room suddenly became quiet, and only those who opened the exam papers were left. Rustling sound.

Naturally, Shen Yichen was not idle. He spread out the test paper and pressed it with a paperweight to prevent it from being blown by the wind. After doing all this, he calmly waited for the military serviceman who held up the sign to release the test questions.

There are a total of three questions in the first session of the county examination, one is to test two essays in four scripts, and one is to test a poem in five characters and six rhymes. Among them, the first two essays in four scripts are particularly important, and the following poems are not so critical. .

In addition, the county examination does not require filling in the name, so there is no traditional method of writing the name first. However, there is a number on the upper left corner of each examination paper, and the examiner uses this to determine which candidate wrote it.

Even when you hand in the paper, you can chat with the examiner for a few words, and the conversation may be a good one.

Of course, only the first few papers you submit will have this opportunity. If you submit papers in a rush later, even if the examiner wants to chat with you, he won't have the time and opportunity.

This is why Cheng Guogong Zhu Yong held a family banquet before leaving Nanjing, in order to let the students of the family school leave a good impression in front of the examiners at all levels.

It may be this chance encounter that determines whether you can go to high school or not!

Shen Yichen didn't wait long, and soon a soldier holding a wooden sign came towards him. On the wooden sign was a piece of white paper with the questions for the county examination written on it.

The first of the four books is titled: The common people are sufficient, and who is the ruler and insufficient?

The title of the second Four Books is: A ruthless person cannot use up his words, and he is afraid of the will of the people. This is called knowing the origin.

The third question, a five-character and six-rhyme poem, has no requirements and candidates can express themselves freely.

However, this free play is only for the content, not for the format. It must follow the rules of five characters and six rhymes, and it must be based on ancient poems or idioms, so it is called a trial poem.

After Shen Yichen saw these two Four Books questions, he immediately copied them down on the draft paper. Otherwise, he would forget the questions later and have to wait for the military service to raise the sign and then walk around again.
Chapter completed!