Chapter 212: Broken Jade

He got up early in the morning and had two hours left in the Yucai exam, so he was not in a hurry at all. Chen Ao went to find Chen Ji first. As his mentor, although Chen Ji lived in simplicity, he was very concerned about Chen Ao's news.

The so-called prosperity and loss are both prosperous, and loss and loss can be described as the relationship between Chen Ao and Chen Ji. When Chen Ao brought his recently written article to Chen Ji's residence, Chen Ji was quite satisfied with the questions he solved during the examination of the Chen Ao Jing and praised him: "You can solve that strange question and use words to express the meaning, which shows that your talent is extremely quick. With this, the articles of the classics will be better than others. In the future, you should pay attention to the words and comparisons. You must know that a good article is important, but to please others, the beauty of the article also needs to be tempered."

Chen Aohe nodded and said, "That was a problem that students had suddenly had a whim and inspiration. If they were asked to take the exam again, they might not be able to figure it out."

Chen Ji shook his head: "You don't have to belittle yourself. Your biggest advantage is that you have a quick thinking, a broad vision, and being able to think what others have never thought. This is the first step to doing a good job in the meaning of the scriptures. However, you should not be complacent about a test of the scriptures. You must know that in a true imperial examination, the strong are like a carp crossing the river, and there are countless meanings of the scriptures. The waves wash away the sand. With the meaning of the scriptures, whether you can win the score is a question, so you should practice more diligently. Don't waste your studies just because of the art exam."

Chen Ao quickly said yes.

Chen Ji raised his eyes, but looked at Chen Ao indifferently and deeply: "It is said that the chief examiner of this book exam is Cai Jing?"

Chen Ao nodded.

Chen Ji sighed: "Great wisdom is foolish. Cai Jing is the most wise person I have ever seen in my life. Do you know why he still recommends you as the first in the book test even though he knows your relationship with me?"

Chen Ao said: "Seeking fame and reputation to show your mind."

Chen Ji stroked his beard and smiled: "This is just one thing. After all, it is your reputation that protects you too much. Your talent is too famous, but who can he hide it? Even today, I have read your running script. The official family is immersed in calligraphy and painting. How could you not even distinguish between you and Cai Lun's running script? Now it is said that Cai Jing is about to recover again. At this time, how could he deliberately make things difficult for you because of his momentary intent?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Don't say that your running script is much more brilliant than Cai Lun, even if you are not as good as Cai Lun. With Cai Jing's current situation, he will only rank you behind Cai Lun. I'm afraid that Cai Lun deliberately hid a little bit in this book test. From the beginning, he never thought of competing with you in the book test."

Chen Ao suddenly realized that although he was smart, the intrigue between politics was not as far as Chen Ji thought. He couldn't help but think: "Yes, even if he was a ghost-painted talisman, if Cai Jing wanted to not criticize him, Cai Jing would definitely pick him up in the book exam. So from the beginning, the book exam was just a formality. The real good show should be in the palace exam. Then the emperor personally chose talents. Cai Lun first showed weakness to cooperate with Cai Jing to gain fame, and then showed all his strength in the palace exam. It is very likely that he wanted to suppress himself in the palace exam."

Chen Ao's heart was stern, and he thought, could Cai Lun have made great progress? His calligraphy had actually broken through the bottleneck before. Although his level was very clever, he had no characteristics because he always copied Cai Jing's calligraphy. For calligraphy, this bottleneck is almost insurmountable. Some people have stopped moving forward throughout their lives. Could it be that Cai Lun only broke through the bottleneck in just a few months, and actually integrated the Cai style and integrated his style into it?

If this is true, this guy is a terrible opponent. Not only is he very scheming, he shows weakness to himself first, but his level is not bad. If he is negligent for a moment, he might really have to lose his way.

At that time, who would say that Cai Jing would be vindictive? He would only say that he was broad-minded. But if Cai Lun defeated himself in the palace examination, at that time, he would be laughed at by the world. He could not only attack and gain fame, but also gain fame. This twists and turns of thought was really deep.

Chen Ao said seriously: "When students are prepared, they will definitely not lose to Cai Lun. Even if Cai Lun has the level of Cai Jing, students will have the strength to fight."

Chen Jihe nodded: "It is great if you are vigilant. Remember, when you arrive at the palace examination, you must use thunder means to perform at your best and defeat Cai Lun in one fell swoop. This is not avenge me, but for yourself."

Chen Ao said: "What's the reason?"

Chen Ji laughed and said, "Only in this way can everyone in the world know that you are the top scholar in the book exam on Cai Lun's shoulders. Everyone in the world knows that Cai Jing will not give up. People's words are terrifying, how can Cai Jing not know? Therefore, the more you embarrass Cai Lun, the more you can make Cai Jing be afraid of you and will not attack you easily."

Chen Ao understood and smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Xie's advice." He learned from it and understood in his heart that Cai Jing's current situation was very subtle. On the one hand, the emperor remembered him and was afraid that someone would criticize him. At this critical moment, Cai Jing would never find a handle on attack. The more he touched the tiger's butt, at least for the time being, it was safest for him. Anyway, he had offended the Cai family, and no matter how he showed weakness, Cai Jing would never let him go. When his status was consolidated, he would be in trouble, so he didn't need to be polite.

Chen Ao smiled and said, "If you say that trampling Cai Lun to death is the thing that students like to do the most, please listen to the good news from the students!"

This conversation was the most open-minded and honest time for the master and apprentice. Chen Ji and Shen Ao did not disguise, nor did they have any riddles. Chen Ao said goodbye and sighed in his heart. The teacher sealed himself in a small courtyard all day long, but he really felt that the scholar knew everything in the world without going out. Nothing in the outside world that was related to him was hidden from his ears.

From this we can see that Chen Ji was quite concerned about him, and Chen Ao felt warm in his heart. It would be worth it even if he turned against the old thief Cai Jing.

I hurried to the examination room. Today is a jade test. The test method is different from the previous few times. The rotation method is adopted. Each candidate enters the examination room and only two incense sticks to distinguish the authenticity of antiques, age, etc. If the authenticity is distinguished, it is qualified. If the age is determined, the comments are acceptable. If other details can be excelled, it is excellent.

Two incense sticks were broken, and the time was very rushing, which greatly tested the candidates' knowledge accumulation. Fortunately, there were not many people who could take the jade exam, and after counting, there were only a few more than thirty. After all, the jade exam had to take the classics first, and a large number had already been abandoned. Therefore, Chen Ao and these people sat in the Jingyi Pavilion of Taixue for a while. Each of them distributed a number. When the clerk came to call, they were called to take the exam and then entered the examination room, which was quite like applying for a job in later generations.

Chen Ao looked at many people in Jingyi Pavilion, but was thinking in his heart, who is the eldest prince?

He looked at him quietly. Among the people present, everyone was concentrating and sitting upright. People with broken jade were different from those who wrote calligraphy and painting. These people often had deeper personalities and were not good at speaking, but they made Chen Ao feel panicked and depressed for a while.

In fact, when it comes to meditation, Chen Ao and I are not bad at all. When he wanted to forge a work of art, he sat upright for a day and night, holding a small carving knife in his hand and carving it all night in the room.

But even though he was doing nothing, he wanted him to sit upright with a nervous look, which was difficult for him.

I was bored, Chen Ao bowed to the person sitting next to him and said, "Do you dare to ask me about my name in Taigao?"

This man is mediocre in appearance, his eyes are as light as water, and he is only about 30 years old. At first, Chen Ao guessed that this person is very likely to be the eldest prince, because although this person seems a little down and outdated, his hands are very white, and he must be pampered in normal times. However, Chen Ao finally gave up this idea. It should be noted that he is a person who has entered the palace to see the world, seen the third prince, and met two princesses. These are all excellent characters, the prince is dashing, romantic, the princess is fresh and refined, and the royal genes are extraordinary. Looking at this man, not only is he mediocre, but he can even be described as a little ugly. If he is the eldest prince, he must be the one who was kicked off by God when he was born and his face was first.

The man raised his head slightly and looked at Chen Ao: "I'm the king of the lower king."

He seemed indifferent when he spoke, obviously he didn't want to chat with Shen Ao. Chen Ao smiled: "My name is Chen Ao, ha, this jade test is really boring, and it's so anxious."

When Wang Fang heard Chen Ao’s name, a strange look flashed in his eyes, but he said, “Oh, I’ve heard of you.” Then he stopped talking.

Chen Ao saw that he ignored him, but he had no interest in talking anymore. After a while, a clerk finally called Chen Ao's exam number. Chen Ao was happy, glad that he had finally escaped from this sea of ​​suffering and entered the exam room excitedly.

The so-called examination room is a wing room, with no extra items in the wing room. Six or seven officials sat on both sides, and Chen Ao's position was surrounded by officials. Chen Ao sat down generously. An official holding a pen secretary raised his eyes: "Is Chen Ao the person coming?"

Chen Aoheshou: "It's the student."

The official immediately wrote Chen Ao's name and said seriously: "Let the incense." The smoke in the wing room was shrouded in the three-foot-long incense ignited, emitting a refreshing smell.

An official took out a jade bi and placed it in front of Chen Ao, saying, "Please make a decision."

Chen Ao's head, picked up this big jade and looked at its size and color. The jade is of a mixed quality, with flat and nearly round sides. The two sides are decorated with symmetrical Yin-line dragon patterns, with the head and tail connected, and the tail is contained in the mouth. It is bent in the shape of the "子" character, with the corners of the eyes hooked at the bottom, the ears are large, the long horns are covered with back, the claws are bent, and the body is decorated with scale patterns and cloud patterns.

Just by looking at the texture and style, you can see that it should be an antique from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. There are many impurities on the body of jade, which is exactly in line with the characteristics of Zhou jade, because during the Zhou Dynasty, due to the lag in production technology, although it was meticulously carved, the quality of jade was still not flawless for later generations.

In fact, the older the ancients, the harder it is to distinguish the authenticity. Because the age is, the fewer records are recorded. Only by the intuition of the jade cutter can one judge the authenticity. Chen Ao looked carefully at the subtle joints of the jade bi, put the jade bi down, and said: "This jade is Panlong jade, which is a burial weapon for sacrifices and burials in the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty. It is mostly used for nobles above the emperor. Moreover, the jade is made of ink jade. The origin should be in today's Jingzhou generation. If the students guessed correctly, this jade should be a burial weapon for kings and princes in Jingchu in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty."

He then smiled: "The largest vassal state in Jingchu is Chu, but the characteristics of Chu jade are different from this jade bi, so it should not be Chu jade."

Several examiners listened to Chen Ao's analysis and all nodded with a smile. One of them said: "Since it is not Chu Yu, then which vassal state should it be the burial weapon?"

Chen Ao smiled and said, "After King Wu of Zhou destroyed Shang, the two younger brothers of King Wen of Zhou were respectively named the king of Guo State, Guo Zhong was granted Dongguo and Guo Shu was granted Xiguo. The two Guos played the role of the east-west barrier between the Zhou royal family. In the late Western Zhou Dynasty, the early years of King Xuan of Zhou, Xiguo moved eastward and even the Jingchu area, so they were called the Southern Guo State by the world."

"This jade bi has obvious characteristics of the Central Plains craftsmanship. That is to say, although this jade bi is made of Jingchu, the craftsmanship is obviously more delicate than that of Jingchu. The only possibility is that this jade bi was cast by the people of Guo after moving eastward. The rocks they opened in Jingchu inherited the skills of the Central Plains, so that such jade bi can be cast."

Several examiners nodded, secretly admiring that Chen Ao was indeed extraordinary. His ancient history was so familiar. In fact, Guo State was just a few words in the classics and history. Most people would automatically ignore it, especially after the eastward migration, Guo State was even more insignificant. Soon after it was annexed by Wu and Chu, no one was very interested in it. However, Chen Ao said it beautifully, telling the rise and fall of Guo State in one sentence.

"So, is this jade bi real?" One of the examiners asked with interest.

Chen Ao smiled, but it was Kai Kai's hand and said depressedly: "The jade bi is imitated by the Panlong Ming jade of Guo State, but the student did not say it was genuine. This jade bi is fake."

"Fake?" The examiners looked at Chen Ao one after another, intoxicated. Chen Ao had a very good eloquence, and had a beautiful taste and a very wonderful analysis. It was an interesting thing to see him appraisal of treasures.

Chen Ao laughed and said, "Sir, there is no mineral intake between the gaps of this jade bi. Since it is a dark weapon, it should be buried deep in the ground, so why is there no trace of trace? Beautiful jade is most easily eroded by color. Not only will the color change, but clues can be seen at the small joints. No matter how you pick and clean the jade, it is impossible to be so flawless. Therefore, students concluded that this jade bi is a fake, but it is just a relatively clever fake."

The examiner at the head frowned and said, "Since you said it was a fake, why is its jade so simple? It is clearly a thing that has been passed down for thousands of years, isn't it a fake?"

Chen Ao smiled slightly, looked at the earnest gazes that everyone cast, and knew that he had guessed correctly, and was about to slowly uncover the mystery.
Chapter completed!