Chapter 238: Things Have Changed (V)
Gao Pangzhen had never had so much money before, and when he learned that he could visit his teacher the next afternoon, he immediately prepared a set of gifts for the teacher according to the standards of a middle-class family, and felt that he still had a lot of money left in his pocket.
At the appointed time, someone was hired to carry the gifts to the teacher's door. At this time, there was no one at the door. The servant who opened the door saw Gao Pang and immediately led him in and took him to the living room.
The people in the living room were all teachers from several academies. Seeing Mr. Banshan pointed to a corner, Gao Pang walked over there and sat down to listen to the teachers' conversation.
In the first ten minutes, Gao Pang couldn't help but want to interrupt several times. Every time he held back and didn't speak, he saw Mr. Banshan's eyes looking over at him. After this back and forth, Gao Pang suddenly understood something. In the past, he just didn't know when to stop talking.
After reflecting on it, Gao Pang also noticed the difference. He could listen obediently at this moment only because he could understand. These gentlemen were all people whom Gao Pang looked up to. However, he could immediately understand 70% to 80% of their words by using the logic analysis that Huo Chong taught him.
Facing the past scholars from an almost condescending angle, Gao Pang indulged in it. He wanted to interrupt several times, because the analysis of the Han regime by these scholars was too outrageous. The proposition form only cared about whether it was correct. Gao Pang was completely well-intentioned and did not want their analysis to be based on such an outrageous foundation.
The more he listened, the more he felt that it was indeed a stupid move for him to interrupt. After only hearing half of it, Gao Pang realized that what these people were concerned about was not the fundamental changes in the world, but how to make full use of this special examination so that more students could become officials in the court.
After the meeting, Mr. Chen Mingtai rubbed his nose and called Gao Pang over. The other gentlemen had already left, and the living room was empty. Chen Mingtai asked the servant to make another pot of light tea, and praised tiredly: "You have made progress."
Gao Pang thanked him sincerely, "Thank you for your teachings, sir. I finally understand a little bit. Thinking back to the past Meng Lang, I really feel that I was too ignorant back then."
"Oh?" Chen Mingtai was a little surprised, "You actually understand all this?"
Gao Pang was overjoyed when he felt the teacher's praise. However, after a moment of excitement, he calmed down in a moment. Gao Pang had always longed for such praise, but he didn't expect that when he really felt it, this feeling of being touched was actually very empty.
Gao Pang had the gift delivered. He was finally able to honor the teacher he had always respected. This satisfaction and joy was his true feeling. It was warm and expectant, and it made him happy physically and mentally.
The teacher was very satisfied, but had no interest in the contents of the gift. "Ban Yue, you have been traveling for so long. Have you forgotten your homework?"
"Teacher, I will read the Four Books and Five Classics again after a while."
"I will test you."
"Can you let me go back and study for a few more days? I've forgotten a lot of things."
"It's better to forget. The Four Books and Five Classics are so complicated. It's enough if you can really remember half of them." After Chen Mingtai said this, he randomly asked Gao Pang to answer a few questions.
The difficulty of the questions was the same as before, but Gao Pang no longer had the difficult choice situation as before. The eight-part essay examination was a very standardized structure.
First, find the possible origins of each word in a seemingly inexplicable sentence, then connect these origins to determine a general internal logical idea.
If you are sure that it is a certain idea, then use this idea to determine which sentence each word comes from, and then make a statement.
In the past, the teachers were dissatisfied with Gao Pang not because he lacked knowledge. The teachers were dissatisfied with the fact that Gao Pang always used his own ideas to explain the cognition in every sentence.
Gao Pang is now able to use logical thinking to think about the meaning of every sentence, and he doesn't care how the Qing Dynasty interprets these words.
Anyway, judging from what Huo Chong taught, it was meaningless to explain these words. Since they were meaningless, it would be easier to explain them the way others said them.
After solving three questions in a row, Gao Pang thought that the teacher's test would be over. Unexpectedly, the teacher became more excited and asked Gao Pang several more questions before giving him several more papers.
By the time Gao Pang finished what was equivalent to three imperial examinations, it was already evening. Teacher Chen Mingtai carefully graded Gao Pang's papers. Tired but happy, he said, "Yueban, you followed that teacher on this trip. This teacher is incredible, as he can turn a stubborn person like you around."
Gao Pang wanted to say that he was studying with Huo Chong, the biggest traitor at the time, but he felt that even if he told him , the teacher would not believe him. He could only laugh dryly and not respond. Then he heard the teacher say, "Your registered residence is in Zhenjiang. I recommend you to take the autumn exam this year. Prepare well. There are only a few days left."
Gao Pang felt his heart beating like a little rabbit, and asked anxiously, "Sir, can I... do it?"
"With such a difficult test, it would be strange if you fail. This time, we will also add an autumn test. If you pass, you can go to the capital to take the test next spring."
The timetable for this special exam was very tight. Gao Pang made up his mind and just sent someone to send a letter to Huo Chong. He then started preparing for the exam. In this era, exams also require various certificates. With the help of Chen Mingtai, Gao Pang finally got a full set of certificates including household registration and origin two days before the end of registration.
A few days later, Gao Pang entered the examination room. After the exam was over, Gao Pang wrote down the test paper from the questions to the answers to his teacher Chen Mingtai. Chen Mingtai smiled when he read half of it, and when he finished reading it, he said confidently: "I will definitely pass this time."
A few days later, Gao Pang was preparing to have a reunion with his classmates in the inn where he was staying when he heard the sound of a gong outside. This was the instrument that the officials had to ring when they went to the residence of the local successful candidates.
Even though he knew that he was not taking the exam for fame, but just wanted to prove that he had studied so hard for so long, Gao Pang still felt dry in the mouth and his heartbeat accelerated.
The gong stopped in front of the inn, and someone outside shouted, "Is Master Gao Pang here? Congratulations to Master Gao for being the tenth place in the imperial examination!"
Gao Pang's body went limp and he fell into a chair. He felt extremely mocked by all the mixed feelings. When Gao Pang followed this group of great scholars to learn, he almost got kicked out of the school.
I followed the big rebel and learned things that had nothing to do with Confucianism, but I understood how to read and use those Confucian books. Then I passed the imperial examination and became a juren. If I hadn't experienced it myself, no one would believe it.
Before Gao Pang could recover, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door. It was the shopkeeper who came happily and knocked on Gao Pang's door. At the same time, he shouted outside: " Master Gao, congratulations! Master Gao, congratulations! Congratulations to Master Gao for being the tenth person in the imperial examination."
Gao Pang struggled to stand up and open the door. Just as his hand was on the door bolt, an explanation popped up in his mind. A person who is extremely treacherous and evil must be extremely wise and courageous.
