Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 540 Imperial Decree
The article is powerful and vigorous, with every word and sentence advocating for an immediate northern expedition. It is full of the unique vigor and enthusiasm of young people.

"His writing is brilliant and his presence is captivating." The Emperor nodded slightly, but his eyes held a hint of caution. "However, the art of war concerns the fate of the nation; how can it be treated lightly?"

"The pain of Emperor Zhenzong's capture in the north is still fresh in our minds. If we rashly raise troops again, it may not be a blessing for the country."

After thinking for a moment, he slowly put down the scroll in his hand. As the successor who had experienced the turmoil of the Zhenzong era and ultimately turned the tide, the Emperor understood the advantages and disadvantages of military force better than anyone else.

"This young man has commendable vigor, but he lacks composure and needs more experience."

Next, he took Sheng Changquan's scroll, which was listed second.

As soon as the scroll was unfolded, the familiar handwriting caused a barely perceptible hint of admiration to flash in his eyes—this was the handwriting he had secretly obtained through the Imperial City Guard and had carefully copied!
"The writing is vigorous and powerful, and the style is profound and majestic." The Emperor commented softly, "Under the heavy pressure of the palace examination, he not only did not panic, but also showed more composure and grandeur, and has already shown signs of developing his own unique style."

"It seems that this young man's calligraphy skills have improved even further than before!"

The official first carefully examined the handwriting, appreciating the nuances of the brushstrokes, and then smiled faintly, saying, "Hehe!"

"With such excellent handwriting alone, this boy is qualified to enter the Hanlin Academy!"

After a long pause, the emperor finally turned back and carefully read the article again, from its opening statement and analysis of the current situation to the core strategy of "appearing defensively, strengthening the army internally, promoting trade to weaken the enemy, and accumulating strength to wait for the right time."
The more the official read it, the more he appreciated it.

"Exquisite and unparalleled."

He put down the scroll and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "This young man is not only outstanding in calligraphy, but also has extraordinary insight and vision. He understands my desire to avenge our humiliation, but he does not blindly advocate war. He also considers the current state of the nation's strength and has proposed practical and feasible countermeasures."

The emperor closed his eyes and concentrated, then opened them again to carefully read through the incisive arguments.

"'Strengthen border defenses, fill granaries, build up national strength, and await the opportune moment'—this is truly the wise and prudent advice for governing the country."

However, suddenly, the official remembered the information he had investigated—Sheng Changquan was only fourteen years old.

This inevitably caused the officials to have some concerns, even while they praised the emperor.

"Only fourteen years old." The official stroked his beard, lost in thought. "If he were to be selected as the top scholar, wouldn't he be too young?"

"A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind. Although I admire talent, I must also consider its long-term prospects."

He recalled the information reported by the Imperial City Guard—this boy was the grandson of the late third-ranked scholar Sheng Xu. He came from a family with a long tradition of learning and was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, yet he never flaunted his talents. It was truly rare for someone to maintain such a calm and composed demeanor while growing up in such a complex environment as the Sheng family.

To be on the safe side, he carefully reviewed the remaining eight exam papers and even randomly checked a few of the papers from the second-class level.

Just then, his gaze was drawn to another special paper—that of Chen Jingshen from Yangzhou Prefecture in Huainan Circuit, whom he had specially promoted from outside the top ten during the review process.

"The people are the foundation of the state, and food is the people's heaven."

The emperor read the opening lines softly, his eyes revealing deep thought.

This paper is completely different from others; every word and sentence is based on the realities of people's lives, closely linking border defense policies with people's livelihoods.

"If war breaks out, 30% of a shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain will be lost en route from Jiangnan to the northern frontier, and these losses will ultimately be passed on to the people."

Upon reading this, the emperor couldn't help but ponder.

Although Chen Jingshen's essay was somewhat limited in its overall perspective, his profound understanding of the hardships faced by ordinary people was unmatched by other candidates.

"This boy comes from a humble background, yet he managed to stand out by ranking second in the provincial examination. He is indeed exceptional."

The emperor recalled the information reported by the Imperial City Guard: Chen Jingshen lost his father at a young age and relied on his mother's weaving to support his studies. He traveled twenty miles of mountain road every day to study, and even in the dead of winter, he persisted in his studies.

This experience gave him a profound understanding of the hardships faced by ordinary people.

Next, the emperor unfolded Yuan Shen's examination paper.

This was a decree he issued specifically before the palace examination, ordering the Yuan family, a once-powerful clan that had been dormant for many years, to send their sons to participate in the imperial examination.

The Yuan family was once prominent in the previous dynasty. In this dynasty, they were forced to submit to the traitor during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong and requested to be confined for sixty years. Now, they are making an exception and allowing Yuan Shanjian to serve in office. The profound meaning behind this is something that all discerning people in the court can understand.

"The article is beautiful and full of classical allusions, truly befitting a distinguished family."

The emperor carefully read Yuan Shen's policy essay and found it to be comprehensive, covering both border defense and people's livelihood. The essay was elegant in style and rigorous in logic, demonstrating a profound family education.

"However," the official frowned slightly, "too much pursuit of perfection has made us lose our edge."

"This boy is probably deliberately hiding his true abilities."

The official initially looked displeased, but then, thinking of the Yuan family's trip, he couldn't help but smile and say softly, "The Yuan family is indeed very cautious."

However, he could understand the Yuan family's concerns; they were simply forced into officialdom and preferred to maintain the status quo rather than take the lead. "Very well," the Emperor sighed softly, "but sometimes, you can't avoid it just because you want to."

After reviewing the remaining papers, the Emperor laid out the four papers side by side and fell into deep thought—Wang Youchen was ambitious and enterprising, Sheng Changquan was steady and thorough, Chen Jingshen was concerned about the people's livelihood, and Yuan Shen had the demeanor of a noble family. Each of the four had their own strengths and represented different voices in the court...

a long time.

The emperor's gaze fell on Sheng Changquan's paper again. When he saw the words "Sheng Changquan, age fourteen," he couldn't help but feel appreciative, but also had some concerns.

"In terms of insight and vision, this young man is indeed the best," the Emperor said, still weighing his options. "But at his age, wouldn't it be more prudent to let him gain a few more years of experience?"

Just as the Emperor was deliberating, a faint tinkling sound of jade pendants came from outside the Imperial Study.

"Ok?"

The Emperor looked up and suddenly saw a eunuch bowing and reporting, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong heard that Your Majesty has been working hard until late at night, so she specially prepared ginseng soup to come and inquire after your well-being."

"Consort Rong."

At that moment, the Emperor was feeling exhausted, so he simply granted permission: "Summon."

Consort Rong, Rong Zhixian, dressed in a lotus-colored palace gown, walked in gracefully. She gently placed the ginseng soup on the table and said softly, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health and do not overwork yourself."

His gaze, however, inadvertently swept over the examination papers spread out on the imperial desk.

"This is?"

Upon seeing the four scrolls on the desk, Rong Zhixian was taken aback.

"My beloved concubine has arrived just in time!"

At that moment, the Emperor was looking to relax, so he casually said, "I'm troubled by something. What do you think of this young talent's calligraphy? Is it pleasing to the eye?"

He pointed to Sheng Changquan's exam paper, deliberately avoiding the content and only talking about the calligraphy.

Consort Rong had long recognized one of the pieces as being in the handwriting of Sheng Changquan—her sister, Rong Feiyan, had shown off this young master Sheng's calligraphy to her countless times.

She pretended to examine it carefully and exclaimed, "What beautiful calligraphy! It possesses an inner strength and vigorous strokes. Although I don't understand calligraphy, I still find it pleasing to the eye. Could this be the work of some senior scholar?"

The official shook his head and laughed, "No, that's the name of a fourteen-year-old boy."

"Fourteen years old?" Consort Rong feigned surprise at just the right moment. "This is truly a child prodigy!"

"I remember there was a scholar in the previous dynasty who passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, which was a legendary story. I never thought that our dynasty would have such a person."

She paused, then added seemingly unintentionally, "My younger sister told me the other day that everyone in the capital is saying that there is a young prodigy in this year's imperial examination, whose calligraphy and writing are both superb. They say he is the reincarnation of the God of Literature."

"If that is true, wouldn't it be an auspicious sign for our dynasty? Your Majesty's diligent governance has led to the acquisition of such a talented individual; this is a lucky omen sent by Heaven."

These words were spoken with great tact, neither touching upon court politics nor failing to subtly stir the emperor's emotions.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's gaze once again fell upon the scroll with its astonishingly skillful handwriting.

Consort Rong's words reminded him of the famous stories of young people who achieved fame throughout history, and of his original aspiration to govern diligently and seek out talented people.

"Yes," the Emperor thought to himself, "I have always advocated appointing people based on their talents. How can we dismiss great talents simply because of their age?"

"Moreover, this young man is the grandson of Sheng Xu, with a family tradition of learning and a pure and virtuous character. His status as a young top scholar perfectly demonstrates my thirst for talent and will become a celebrated story."

Once the decision was made, the official suddenly felt enlightened.

"Hahaha!"

He laughed loudly, no longer hesitated, picked up the vermilion brush, and solemnly wrote the three characters "Sheng Changquan" in the first place on the imperial list!
With a flourish of their pen, Wang Youchen was named the second-place scholar, while Chen Jingshen was named the third-place scholar because of his concern for the people's livelihood.

As for Yuan Shen, he ranked first in the second class, just as the Yuan family had wished.

Subsequently, the emperor reviewed the remaining seven examination papers one by one and slightly adjusted the order of the top seven candidates in the second rank.

Putting down his vermilion brush, the official breathed a long sigh of relief, his gaze falling once more on the top scholar's examination paper, a satisfied and expectant smile appearing on his face.

"By imperial decree, the notice shall be posted promptly at 5:00 AM three days from now."

The eunuch took the order and left.

……