Autumn goes and winter comes, summer goes and autumn comes. In a blink of an eye, October of the following year, on the first day of October, the imperial court officially changed the year name to Chonghe. At this time, there were still five months before the imperial examination, but the atmosphere of the imperial examination in the capital gradually became stronger. At this time of year, juren from all over the world came to Beijing to prepare for the exam. Generally, the number of people participating in the imperial examination is 50,000 to 60,000. If there is a entitlement test in the middle, the number will be slightly larger. Just the autumn of the previous year, the number of people was launched. Experienced officials predicted that the number of people participating in the imperial examination will reach 80,000 next year.

The inn business in Beijing began to improve, and many private houses also launched temporary rental signs, restaurants, teahouses, brothels, education houses, bookstores and other industries began to look forward to the arrival of the golden age.

The scholars who participated in the provincial examination and imperial examination were generally juren from each state, and students of Taishu could also register. In addition, each state could also recommend several outstanding scholars from the states to go to Beijing to participate in the provincial examination. This is also a kind of compensation for the states after the court revoked the right to answer the test and set the questions.

The registration time is generally around December. After December, almost all scholars will enter Beijing to register. Except for some scholars near Bianjing who will return to their hometowns to review, most scholars will stay in the capital and wait for the imperial examination to begin two months later.

However, October still has an important exam for Li Yanqing, and that is the annual annual exam for Taixue.

The Imperial Academy Annual Examination is usually held in early August, and this year it is postponed to October for some reason, two months later than in previous years.

Although Taixue adopts the points system, and its usual scores are also considered scores, such as attendance, homework, ten-day exams, and monthly exams, this is only for the first two years of sacrificing students and sacrificing students in the outside world. The annual exam is indeed not important. As long as you have enough points in the daily exam, there is no problem even if you don’t take the annual exam.

However, for students facing further studies, the annual exam is a test of life and death, such as state school going to Taixue, exaggerating students outside to the inner sacrificial school, exaggerating students inside to the upper sacrificial school, and exaggerating students above to the upper sacrificial school, and so on.

The above four situations are extremely important for the academic year exam. The exam determines destiny. Of course, if the grades are excellent in normal times, the Taixue will give you a chance to retake the exam next year as appropriate, but if you fail the exam in the second year, you will have to drop out.

Li Yanqing belongs to the fourth situation. He went to Yunzhou in August last year but did not take the annual exam. In October this year, he will face the exam for junior high school students to junior high school students. This is the special feature of senior high school students. Once you take the junior high school students, you can be regarded as a provincial exam. You are given the same Jinshi and you can be qualified to teach in various prefectures.

After breakfast, Li Yanqing hurried to Qinxue Building to listen to the Shaozhai and the Minister of the Secretariat Yu Shen explaining current affairs and political comments. Teaching to Tai students is an obligation of a senior official in the court. Almost every month, a senior official comes to Taixue to give lectures for one day, but the prime minister does not come to give lectures much. Cai Jing came to Taixue to give lectures once in December last year, talking about new ideas for tax reform.

"Brother Li Xian!"

Someone called him later, but Li Yanqing turned around, but he was a fellow villager Wu Bangchang. Wu Bangchang was one level higher than Li Yanqing. He did not pass the middle school entrance exam last year, but because he usually had good grades, he still had another chance this year. If he failed the exam, he would have to drop out.

"It turns out to be Brother Wu, long time no see."

"I guess I'll meet you today, but it really happened."

"Does Brother Wu have something to ask me for?"

"Actually, there is nothing big. I just want to talk to you about the imperial examination next year. I have some news, and you may be more interested."

Li Yanqing was immediately overjoyed and asked quickly: "Brother Wu, please tell me!"

"Do you know if the imperial examination will be added to the poetry exam next year?"

Li Yanqing nodded. The poetry of the imperial examination was abolished after Wang Anshi's reform, and the poetry of poetry was reinstated after Sima Guang took power, and the poetry was abolished again after Zhao Ji ascended the throne. However, the poetry examination was resumed the year before yesterday. This is a signal that means that the poetry examination will also be taken in the next provincial examination. Everyone is mentally prepared, and the exam has indeed been added.

"Where is the law to be tested?"

Wu Bangchang shook his head, "There is no news for the time being, but if you want to take the exam, you should have notified it long ago. There will be no news yet. I guess the provincial examination will not take the law next year, and it will be hard to say next time."

"Is there any other news?"

"There is also the fact that the transcription will continue to be cancelled next year, which has been clarified."

The transcription is to copy the test papers by a special person to prevent the examiner from recognizing the candidates from his handwriting. It was implemented since the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the number of opponents is increasing, mainly because the candidates cannot distinguish the calligraphy of the candidates and whether the candidates correct the test papers. In addition, candidates can fully agree on the marks in the content of the test papers, and even if the transcription is made, they will still cheat.

Therefore, after Cai Jing took power, he basically canceled the transcription and directly pasted the name on the paper.

However, rumors at the beginning of the year that it will be re-transmitted starting next year have made many candidates hope, so that even if there are dirty papers, they can escape by chance.

Wu Bangchang has received clear news that the transcription will continue to be cancelled next year.

"The next day I will be the New Year exam. Brother Wu is almost ready, right?"

Wu Bangchang shook his head, "I'll tell you the truth. I'm not preparing for the annual exam at all. I'm focusing all my energy on the imperial examination next year. So what if I pass the annual exam? The so-called "granted to be a Jinshi, to put it nicely, I'm not going to be a county school or a state school to be an assistant teacher. How can I get you an official?

Now there are a large number of officials, and there are at least five or six people in a county who are actually missing. We are too students who are not only competitive in the imperial examinations, and not to mention that there are hundreds of powerful and noble children waiting in line for the official position. My brother, it is not the beginning of the founding of the country. There are many monks, and you can become a magistrate if you are from the same Jinshi. Now that you have passed the Jinshi exam, you have to wait in line for the official position, unless you are a Jinshi, you have to be a magistrate!

Wu Bangchang complained, but Li Yanqing grabbed the point and asked anxiously: "Is there any difference between the annual exam and the imperial examination?"

"Of course, different. The imperial examination has a designated range, including the three classics, classics, policy discussions, and poetry. The examinations of the Imperial Academy will be extensive. Various schools of thought, poetry, songs and essays may be obtained. From the county school to the inner chamber of the Imperial Academy, as long as you have learned, I heard that I also got the couplets last year, which is interesting!"

Li Yanqing was a little embarrassed. He completely misunderstood. He always thought that the Taixue school entrance examination was similar to the imperial examination. Until now, he realized that it was different. He had never attended state school before, nor had he experienced the stages of sacrificing his life or sacrificing his life in the outside world. What should I do?

Wu Bangchang saw his embarrassment, so he patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "It's okay, in fact, it's mainly based on the new meaning of the Three Classics. As long as you get the score of the Three Classics, you can pass the other weak points. Besides, your poems are well written, I don't think you have a big problem."

The two of them spoke and walked, and soon entered the Qinxue Building. When they entered the lobby, they were startled. There were already a crowd of people inside, hundreds of seats had already been full, and the aisles on both sides and behind were full of people, with at least two thousand people.

Li Yanqing only later learned that there were 3,600 formal registered students in the Imperial Academy, but in fact, there were at least 13,400 scholars studying in the Imperial Academy. In addition to formal students, there were also a huge number of listeners. For example, when the great scholar Sun Fu was giving lectures, there were 5,000 students who came to listen to the lectures. The seats in the hall were far from enough, and there were black people outside the aisle, window, and doors.

Except for the lack of subsidies and accommodation, these students are no different from those of Taishi students, and do not require extra fees. The gates of Taishi are free to enter and exit. Most of the listeners are those who fail the exams. In order to pass the Jinshi exam, they are willing to sell their land and houses to linger in the capital for many years.

These students mainly listen to the class of "The Unexpected Students". The course of "The Unexpected Students" is closest to the imperial examination, and "The Unexpected Students" teach in Piyong outside the city, so Li Yanqing didn't have much interaction with them. It was by chance at the beginning of the year that there were so many students.

"There is no seat, let's go!" Wu Bangchang was very depressed.

"Yu Xiangguo's voice is very small, and he can't hear him even when sitting in the back row, let alone standing outside. Let's not waste our time."

Li Yanqing was also quite regretful. Over the past year, he turned a blind eye to the affairs outside the window and studied day and night in the dormitory. He knew very little about the affairs of the court. He wanted to listen to the current affairs comments of the prime minister, but he came one step late.

Li Yanqing had to leave Qinxue Building and return to the dormitory. The New Year exam the day after tomorrow, and he needs to make up for it.

Li Yanqing had just walked back to the yard, but saw Wang Gui coming out of the living room. This made Li Yanqing stunned. What happened?

Wang Gui said with a sad expression: "Fifth Brother asked me to tell you that Master Yao is critically ill and is no longer able to do it. Do you want to go back?"

Li Yanqing was stunned, an indescribable sadness poured into his heart, and tears poured into his eyes unconsciously. Last year, I saw Zhou Tong away. Should I see Master Yao away again this year?

He quickly wiped away his tears and asked, "When will you leave?"

"Fifth brother is going back today. Lao Tang and I will ask you, if you want to go back, then let's go together."

Li Yanqing sighed, "I will take the exam the next year, from morning to dusk, after the exam, I will rush back overnight. If you are anxious, go back first!"

Wang Gui shook his head, "Of course we will go with you!"

Li Yanqing then came to Baoyanzhai on Imperial Street. After more than a year of development, Baoyanzhai is no longer only the number one rouge shop in Bianjing, but also the number one rouge brand in the Song Dynasty.

Its reputation is well-known all over the world. Ladies from all prefectures and counties are proud of using Baoyanzhai's rouge and other cosmetics. The wife of the prefect celebrates her birthday. A box of Baoyanzhai's rouge box is the most outstanding gift.

Even Li Ji Rouge Shop, which is taking the mid- and low-end route, has entered the top ten rouge brands in Bianjing, ranking eighth. Its biggest feature is its quality and is deeply loved by middle and lower-class women in Bianjing.

In more than a year, Baoyanzhai has opened fourteen branches in various states in the world, all of which have recovered their capital and made a lot of money. Li Daqi has been recognized as one of the top ten merchants in Bianjing. In addition, he has the title of Wu Delang, and the people in Bianjing call him Li Daguanwai.

However, Li Yanqing has not been involved in Baoyanzhai for the past year. He only had a meal with his father by chance. In Li Yanqing's memory, it was Xia Tian's last time he saw his father.

"Oh! The young master is here."

As soon as Li Yanqing walked to the door, Mrs. Sun, the second shopkeeper who was greeting the guests at the door, came over with a smile, "What a coincidence, your father mentioned you just now!"
Chapter completed!