古人考试

每年高考都会牵动无数考生和家长的心。其实古代无论是统治者还是读书人，对待考试也都十分谨慎和重视。和我们现代人有小升初、初升高、高升本的多次考试一样，古代科举考试也有阶段性，并且难度很高，类似游戏世界里的“打怪升级”，只有胜出者才有机会进到下一关卡。

漫漫升级路

对于读书人来说，第一步就是要参加童试。参加童试的考生叫作童生，童生通过县试、府试和院试层层选拔，通过院试录取者即可进入所在地、府、州、县学为生员，俗称“秀才”。生员分为廪生、增生、附生三等，经科试合格，即取得参加各省学政每三年组织的乡试的资格，称“科举生员”。考中举人，身份地位大为提高，也获得了前往京城参加会试的资格。

参加童试者，需过严格的资格审查。参考的考生必须由本地已取得生员资格的禀生担保，考生身世是否清白、是否假冒等都属于担保范围。除此之外，还需要提交亲供单，考生姓名、三代信息、住址、邻居、老师、担保人等详细情况都须认真在亲供单上填写。同时规定5位参考的童生之间互结，如其中一人弄虚作假，其他人都视为同罪。完成上述手续，考生才能获得考试资格。

乡试多在秋季举行，会试则选在春天举行，相应地乡试和会试也被称为“秋闱”和“春闱”。会试由礼部主要负责，考核难度大大增加，淘汰率非常高，能在考试中脱颖而出的士子们进阶为贡士。会试之后还要举行复试，通过复试的人取得进士资格。

但要真正获得进士名位，必须参加终极考试——殿试。从唐代武则天开始，殿试均由皇帝亲自主持，所谓天子门生，便由殿试产生。明代殿试的日期较为固定，为三月十五日。清代殿试的日期最初选在三四月之间，后来由钦天监根据皇帝指定的日期范围挑选吉日。例如，乾隆二十六年（1761），殿试的时间便定在四月二十一日。

经过殿试，才能确定三甲名次。三甲各三名，我们熟悉的状元、榜眼和探花就是头甲三名。宣布三甲名次，紫禁城太和殿要举行盛大的典礼，由皇帝亲自主持，并谕示天下，这一仪式被称为传胪。

考场不一般

明代时，紫禁城内的殿试在太和殿举行。清代初期，殿试考场设在天安门前，后来便改为在太和殿的东西阁阶下进行考试。若是碰上刮风阴雨天，考生们便到太和殿东西两庑参加考试。

雍正元年（1723）十月，考生来到紫禁城参加考试，适逢天气寒冷无比，皇帝特许考生到太和殿内两旁进行考试，并谕令宫内的总管太监在考场里多摆放火炉，保证殿内温暖。这就是在殿内考试的开端。

乾隆五十四年（1789），皇帝谕令考生以后就在保和殿内参加考试，同时允许考生自带考具，之后在保和殿内考试便成为定制。保和殿不仅是殿试的场所，也是元旦等节日皇帝宴请亲王、藩属的地方。

考试很辛苦

大家是不是觉得在紫禁城的宫殿里参加考试是一件特别幸福的事情呢？我们来看一下当时的考试情形，你就得出答案了。

据史料记载，考试时，在保和殿内东西摆放十数排考桌，因为殿内阴暗，光线不够充足，所以坐在后排参加考试的考生有时根本看不清试卷上的字迹，只能主动搬到殿廊进行考试。

考桌也十分奇特，桌子就像炕几一样，考生们只能盘膝趺坐。南方籍的考生就十分不习惯这种桌子，于是有些人就选择自己携带特制的考桌入场考试。

自带考桌考试也存在一个问题，那就是保和殿的殿基很高，有三层石阶，同时还需转行数十级才能到达丹墀。这让自带考桌的考生们叫苦不迭，还没等开始考试答题，就已经累得气喘吁吁了。再加上古时考试的时间很长，综合来看，完成殿试也不是一件轻松容易的事情。

江南贡院：最大的科举考场

江南贡院始建于宋乾道四年（1168），经历代修缮扩建，明清时期达到鼎盛。清同治年间，仅考试号舍就有20644间，可接纳2万多名考生同时考试，加上附属建筑数百间，占地超过30余万平方米。其规模之大、占地之广居中国各省贡院之冠，创中国古代科举考场之最。1905年，江南贡院结束历史使命。

考题难度大

殿试题目最初由内阁大学士提前数日拟定，为了便于皇帝选择，一般会准备多道题目。呈交皇帝后，由皇帝最终决定选取哪个题目。但这一方式存在弊端，经常出现殿试之前考题泄露问题。

后来便改为由读卷大臣在殿试前一天秘密拟定题目，呈交皇帝钦定后，立即刊刻印刷。刊印场所由护军看守，严防试题泄露。直至殿试当天凌晨，试卷才印刷完毕。“新鲜出炉”的试卷随后被拿到考场，分发给参加考试的各位考生。

试卷上的试题是一道策问，题目取自四书五经中的某句话。殿试考生要根据自己掌握的儒学经典，结合朝廷的实际情况和问题，采用八股文结构，用自己的观点来进行分析和论述。清代顺治皇帝时期，一篇八股文为550字；康熙皇帝时期，一篇八股文为650字；之后，又增至700字。殿试试题的字数和题目与现代考试的作文题十分类似；不同的是考试时间的长短，现代考试作文需要在较短时间内完成，殿试考试时间较长，规定在太阳落山前交卷即可。

交上来的试卷被迅速送往保和殿东侧的中左门，在那里有弥封官等待封装试卷。古时封装试卷也与现代考试封卷类似，要盖住考生的名字，之后将试卷装入固定的箱子里，护送至专门阅卷的场所——午门内朝房。在这里，等候多时的读卷大臣要花费两晚一天的时间来阅卷。读卷大臣由皇帝钦点，阅卷为全封闭式，阅卷人员不得出宫。

独占鳌头状元郎

阅卷大臣对殿试试卷进行等级评定，在诸多试卷中挑选出10份优秀试卷，并初步排列状元、榜眼和探花的名次。10份依旧弥封的优秀试卷和读卷大臣排列出的名次交由皇帝亲自审阅，并由皇帝最终钦定状元、榜眼和探花。

一般情况下，皇帝都认可阅卷大臣拟定的名次。皇帝钦定名次后，试卷得以拆开弥封。极为特殊的情况下，皇帝在拆开弥封后，可能进行名次更改。据史料记载，状元的名字十分重要，明成祖就曾因名字好坏更改状元人选。之后，明清两代历任皇帝都对状元的名字十分重视，如果考生名字的读音、字形等犯忌讳，或者不够雅致，或者入不了皇帝的“慧眼”等，都有可能与状元失之交臂。

传胪官高声唱读名字之后，状元、榜眼和探花在赞礼官的引领下前行来到太和殿殿阶之下。状元的位置要比榜眼和探花稍靠前一些，处于殿阶正中央。在状元面前是石阶中间的石刻，石刻图案为升龙和巨鳌，人们常说状元“独占鳌头”便来源于此。

正因考试如此不易，皇帝特别赐予在殿试中脱颖而出的状元、榜眼和探花一项特殊的待遇，即在太和殿宣布名次之后，这三人可以扬眉吐气地沿着紫禁城中轴线，从午门中间的门洞中走出。前有礼官抬着榜亭，三人紧随其后，这是一种连亲王和宰相都无缘获得的殊荣。

Every year, the college entrance examination affects the hearts of countless candidates and parents. In fact, in ancient times, both rulers and scholars were very cautious and attached importance to examinations. Just like many examinations in which we modern people have a small rise, a high rise and a high rise, the ancient imperial examinations also have stages and are very difficult, which is similar to the "strange upgrade" in the game world, and only the winner has a chance to enter the next level.

Long road to upgrading

For scholars, the first step is to take the children's test. Candidates who take the children's test are called Tong Sheng, and Tong Sheng is selected through the county test, the government test and the college test. Those who pass the college test can enter the local, government, state and county to study as students, commonly known as "scholar". Students are divided into three categories, namely, students who are born, proliferated, and attached. After passing the examination, they are qualified to participate in the township examination organized by the provincial government every three years, which is called "imperial examination students". Examined juren, greatly improve the status, also won the qualification to go to Beijing to participate in the examination.

Those who take the children's test need to pass strict qualification examination. Candidates for reference must be guaranteed by local students who have obtained the qualification of students, and whether the candidates' life experience is innocent or fake belongs to the scope of guarantee. In addition, it is necessary to submit a pro-supply form, and the candidates' names, information of the third generation, addresses, neighbors, teachers, guarantors and other details must be carefully filled in on the pro-supply form. At the same time, it is stipulated that the five reference children should be connected with each other. If one of them cheats, the others will be regarded as the same crime. Only by completing the above procedures can candidates obtain the examination qualification.

Hometown exams are mostly held in autumn, while meeting exams are held in spring. Accordingly, the township exams and meeting exams are also called "autumn" and "spring". The Ministry of Rites is mainly responsible for the examination, which greatly increases the difficulty of examination and has a very high elimination rate. Those who can stand out in the examination are advanced to Gong Shi. After the examination, a second interview will be held, and those who pass the second interview will obtain the qualification of Jinshi.

However, if you really want to get the prestigious position of Jinshi, you must take the final exam-palace examination. Since Wu Zetian in Tang Dynasty, palace examination was presided over by the emperor himself, and the so-called protege of the emperor was born by palace examination. The date of palace examination in Ming Dynasty is relatively fixed, which is March 15th. The date of palace examination in Qing Dynasty was originally chosen between March and April, and then Qin Tianjian chose auspicious days according to the date range specified by the emperor. For example, in the 26th year of Qianlong (1761), the time in palace examination was set on April 21st.

After palace examination, we can determine the ranking of the top three. There are three in the top three, and we are familiar with the top three in the top three. Announcing the top three places, the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City will hold a grand ceremony, which will be presided over by the emperor himself and announced to the whole world. This ceremony is called Chuanhua.

The examination room is unusual

In the Ming Dynasty, the palace examination in the Forbidden City was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In the early Qing Dynasty, the examination room in palace examination was located in front of Tiananmen Square, and later it was changed to take the examination under the east and west steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In case of windy and rainy days, the candidates will go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to take the exam.

In October of the first year of Yongzheng (1723), the examinee came to the Forbidden City to take the exam, which coincided with the extremely cold weather. The emperor chartered the examinee to take the exam on both sides of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and ordered the eunuch in charge of the palace to put more stoves in the examination room to ensure the warmth of the hall. This is the beginning of the exam in the temple.

In the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong (1789), the emperor ordered candidates to take the test in Baohe Hall, and allowed them to bring their own test tools, and then the test in Baohe Hall became customized. Baohe Temple is not only the place of palace examination, but also the place where emperors entertain princes and vassals on New Year's Day and other festivals.

The exam is very hard

Do you think it is a particularly happy thing to take the exam in the palace of the Forbidden City? Let's take a look at the exam at that time, and you can get the answer.

According to historical records, during the examination, there are more than ten rows of examination tables in Baohe Hall. Because the hall is dark and the light is not enough, the candidates sitting in the back row sometimes can't see the handwriting on the examination paper at all, so they can only take the initiative to move to the hall gallery to take the examination.

The examination table is also very strange. The table is just like Kang Ji. Candidates can only sit cross-legged. Candidates from the south are very unaccustomed to this kind of table, so some people choose to bring their own special table to enter the exam.

There is also a problem in the self-brought table exam, that is, the temple base of Baohe Temple is very high, with three stone steps, and it needs to be changed to dozens of steps to reach Danyong. This makes the candidates who bring their own test tables complain bitterly, and they are already tired and panting before they start the test. In addition, the examination took a long time in ancient times. On the whole, it is not easy to complete the palace examination.

Jiangnan Gongyuan: the largest imperial examination room

Jiangnan Gongyuan was built in Song Dynasty (1168), and it was repaired and expanded in generations, reaching its peak in Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the reign of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty, there were only 20,644 examination houses, which could accommodate more than 20,000 candidates to take examinations at the same time. In addition, there were hundreds of affiliated buildings, covering an area of over 300,000 square meters. Its scale and land occupation are the highest in the Gongyuan of all provinces in China, and the highest in ancient Chinese imperial examination rooms. In 1905, Jiangnan Gongyuan ended its historical mission.

The exam questions are difficult

The topic of palace examination was originally drawn up by the cabinet university several days in advance. In order to facilitate the emperor's choice, many topics were usually prepared. After submitting it to the emperor, the emperor finally decides which topic to choose. However, there are drawbacks in this method, and the problem of examination questions leaking before palace examination often occurs.

Later, the minister who read the papers secretly drafted the topic the day before in palace examination, submitted it to the emperor and then printed it immediately. The printing place is guarded by the guards to prevent the test questions from leaking. It was not until early morning in palace examination that the test paper was printed. The "freshly baked" papers were then taken to the examination room and distributed to all candidates who took the exam.

The question on the test paper is a policy question, and the topic is taken from a sentence in the Four Books and Five Classics. According to the Confucian classics mastered by palace examination candidates, combined with the actual situation and problems of the imperial court, the eight-part essay structure is adopted to analyze and discuss with their own views. During the Qing Dynasty in the emperor shunzhi, an eight-part essay was 550 words; During Emperor Kangxi's period, an eight-part essay was 650 words; After that, it increased to 700 words. The number of words and topics of palace examination test questions are very similar to those of modern test compositions; The difference is the length of examination time. Modern examination compositions need to be completed in a short time. palace examination has a long examination time, and it is required to hand in papers before sunset.

The papers handed in were quickly sent to the middle left gate on the east side of Baohe Hall, where the sealing officer was waiting to seal the papers. Encapsulating the examination papers in ancient times is similar to sealing the examination papers in modern times. The names of candidates should be covered, and then the examination papers should be packed in fixed boxes and escorted to the special marking place-the facing room in the meridian gate. Here, the minister who has been waiting for a long time has to spend two nights and one day marking papers. The reading minister was appointed by the emperor, and the marking was completely closed, and the marking personnel were not allowed to leave the palace.

Take the lead in champion Lang

The marking minister graded palace examination's papers, selected 10 excellent papers from many papers, and preliminarily ranked first, second and flower exploration. Ten outstanding papers that are still sealed and the rankings arranged by the ministers who read the papers are handed over to the emperor for personal review, and the emperor finally appoints the top scholar, the second place and the flower exploration.

Under normal circumstances, the emperor recognized the ranking proposed by the marking minister. After the emperor appointed the ranking, the examination paper was opened and sealed. Under very special circumstances, the emperor may change the ranking after opening the seal. According to historical records, the name of No.1 scholar is very important, and Ming Chengzu changed the candidate of No.1 scholar because of its good or bad name. After that, successive emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties attached great importance to the name of the top scholar. If the pronunciation and font of the examinee's name were taboo, or not elegant enough, or could not enter the emperor's "eye", they might miss the top scholar.

After the messenger sang loudly and read the names, the No.1 scholar, No.2 scholar and Tanhua moved forward to the lower steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony under the guidance of the tribute officer. The position of the top scholar is slightly ahead of the second place and flower exploration, and it is in the center of the temple steps. In front of the top scholar is the stone carving in the middle of the stone steps. The stone carving patterns are "Ascending Dragon" and "Giant Aojiang". It is often said that the top scholar "takes the lead" from this.

It is precisely because the exam is so difficult that the emperor gave special treatment to the top scholar, second place and flower exploration who stood out in the palace examination, that is, after the Hall of Supreme Harmony announced the ranking, these three people could proudly walk along the central axis of the Forbidden City and walk out of the doorway in the middle of the meridian gate. The former polite officer carried the pavilion, followed by three people, which was a privilege that even the prince and prime minister could not get.