Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Huangji Hall.

As the bells and chimes signaling the start of the palace examination rang out, their melodious and deep sound echoed throughout the entire hall.

All candidates took their seats at the examination desks and began to answer questions for the palace examination, some writing down their answers, others pondering deeply.

When the imperial examinations were first held, each candidate had an independent room. If their thoughts were flowing, they could just write. If they were stuck, they could just lie down or sleep. There were no restrictions.

The examiners of the imperial examination will never interfere or care whether the candidates behave properly in the examination rooms, as long as the candidates hand in their papers on time.

But the palace examination is completely different. Candidates take the exam in the Huangji Hall, which is the inner palace of the emperor, where the emperor rules the world. Any slight disrespect will bring serious disaster.

Therefore, these candidates, no matter what state they were in, all sat upright and did not dare to lose their manners. More than 300 people sat at their desks, all of them straight, and the atmosphere was quite serious and depressing.

The topics of the palace examination were determined by the emperor. Emperor Jiazhao formulated topics that were extremely close to actual politics, and they were definitely not intended to test whether the candidates had literary talent.

He was just looking for some useful suggestions through this channel regarding the hidden concerns in the Great Zhou.

Because these three hundred tribute scholars are the best among the thousands of scholars in the world in terms of knowledge, character, and wisdom.

Compared with the civil and military officials who were tamed by the rules of officialdom, these tribute scholars were mostly common students. Their thoughts were more dynamic, and their analysis and suggestions on practical affairs were bolder and more simple.

Therefore, they wrote articles according to the topic, offered advice and suggestions, without the taboos and barriers of officials in the court, which allowed the king who was high above to get a glimpse of some new ideas.

For a pragmatic monarch like Emperor Jiazhao, all he had to do was focus on the big issues and let go of the small ones. He would certainly select the top three people in the palace examination with caution if they had appeal to the scholars.

Apart from that, he did not care or pay attention to other candidates who ranked second or third.

The palace examination, which is held high in the minds of scholars, is more of a good channel for the emperor to listen to fresh suggestions from his perspective of ruling the country.

……

The ten candidates sitting in the first row are the top ten candidates in this examination and are the most eye-catching in the entire examination room.

The palace examination only tests students' practical policy essays, unlike the three examinations of the metropolitan examination which are more comprehensive and meticulous. The marking time for the palace examination is also tighter, only two to three days.

This marking time is mainly used to judge whether the candidates' essays are relevant to current affairs and whether they are meaningful. As for whether the language is pure and elegant and whether the allusions are well-cited, these are secondary.

It is common sense that with such a short marking time, there is a lack of sufficient evaluation and comparison of candidates' answers.

However, because the students are subjected to rigorous testing in the imperial examinations and the marking of the examination papers takes nearly a month, the candidates' knowledge and talents have been screened and assessed in great detail.

Therefore, the final ranking of the palace examination is largely based on the ranking of the joint examination.

Although there were differences in talents among the candidates who were able to enter the palace examination, the gaps between them were very close.

After the palace examination, the same eighteen examiners will give priority to reviewing the papers of the top eighteen candidates in the joint examination.

As long as there are no obvious mistakes in their answers to the palace examination, the answers of these eighteen people will be presented to the emperor first.

Unless during the marking process, someone outside the top 18 has a policy essay for the palace examination that is truly brilliant and is included in the first batch of submissions as an exception.

Under normal circumstances, the three top candidates in the palace examination are selected from the top eighteen in the joint examination.

The ten people sitting in the first row of the examination hall have the greatest chance of being ranked first.

They are also the most ambitious among the three hundred tribute scholars, and also the most cautious when facing the palace examination.

Because, for the other candidates who ranked lower in the first list, or ranked in the second list or the last list, the palace examination was just a formality for them, and the honor of being the first class had basically nothing to do with them.

……

Jia Cong, who was sitting on the left seat of the first row of examination tables, seemed to take the palace examination questions with more ease than many other candidates.

Because of his accurate grasp of the purpose of the palace examination questions, few candidates present could surpass him.

The various political affairs implicitly mentioned in the policy questions are all phenomena that cannot be ignored in the Great Zhou in recent years, and many of them were even experienced by Jia Cong himself.

But he was not naive enough to think that Emperor Jia Zhao formulated such a topic to make it easier for him to answer it. If his guess was correct, the emperor did not want him to be at the top of the list.

The reason why Emperor Jia Zhao proposed such a policy topic was that in recent years, the situation in the court and the country of the Great Zhou had been turbulent and gloomy, which made this emperor, who was always full of suspicion, feel unusually vigilant...

The question that Jia Cong needs to consider is what kind of response strategy to come up with that will be in line with the emperor's inclinations and wishes.

He only thought for a moment and then wrote out an outline on the manuscript paper to prepare for the formal answer.

As the top scorer in this year's exam, he was destined to be the focus of attention. While many other candidates were still pondering, he had already started writing. This move attracted a lot of attention.

Among the candidates in the first row, several of them glanced at him from the corner of their eyes. Some were surprised, some were in awe, and some were jealous and worried...

In fact, Jia Cong knew something about the ten candidates who were first in the examination.

Since the announcement of the examination results, Jia Cong, Cai Xiaoyu and Liu Xiaoping had paid a visit to the chief examiner and co-examiners.

During this period, he met many fellow candidates of the same year. They exchanged some pleasantries and learned that besides him, there were two other top scorers in the provincial examination among the top ten in the metropolitan examination.

One of them was the top scorer in Qingzhou, and the other was the top scorer in Hangzhou and ranked third on the list. Jia Cong even remembered that this person's name was Lin Zhaohe.

Because this person had visited the mansion and handed him a visiting card, but Jia Cong closed the door and refused visitors on the grounds of being in deep mourning, so the two of them did not meet.

……

At this time, a rumbling drum sound was heard outside the Huangji Hall. This was the time-telling drum set up for the palace examination, and the time had already reached the Si hour.

Compared with the imperial examination which lasted for nine days, the palace examination was very short, starting at noon and ending at sunset.

In order to remind the candidates to keep track of time, the drum outside the Huangji Hall would be struck once every hour.

At this time, not much time had passed since the palace examination officially started, and most of the candidates were still trying to figure out the meaning of the questions. Many of them had no idea, and only a few started writing drafts.

The dull and rapid drumbeats, with an unspeakable sense of oppression, lingered around the Imperial Palace, causing many candidates taking the examination to tense up instantly...

For Jia Cong, facing the palace examination was even easier than the metropolitan examination, because he would take the next spring examination only to obtain the qualification of Jinshi.

Being able to get the first place in the imperial examination is already a great surprise. The goal of passing the imperial examination has also been achieved. At this moment, I feel somewhat indifferent.

Compared to the top ten Jinshi sitting in the front row, each of whom had a burning ambition to win the first place in the world, Jia Cong's mentality for taking the exam was unusually relaxed.

Perhaps it was this open-minded mood that made his writing more sharp and fluent. He only spent a little time to make an outline and sort out his thoughts before he began to write his reply.

I replied: I have heard that when an emperor rules the world and his benevolent government benefits the whole world, he must have the foundation for governing and the key to his policy.

One must be careful in employing people, the administration of officials must be clear, and the laws must be enforced. If these three are achieved, then governing the world will be a great success.

What is the basis of government? The ruler's single-mindedness. What is the key to government? The ruler's single-mindedness in practicing benevolence.

What is a benevolent person? It is the spirit of righteousness, the feelings of loyalty and uprightness, the actions of strictness and prudence, the courage to decline fame and leave behind fame, and the heart to support the world. Do not be as kind as a woman, and do not be as patient as a mediocre person.

Therefore, if one is benevolent in selecting virtuous people and cherishing talented people, then the effectiveness of employing people will be achieved. If one is benevolent in selecting officials and clarifies the administration of officials, then the atmosphere of honesty and integrity will be established.

If one administers justice with benevolence, soothes the people, and deters evil, then there will be an image of abundance and the wish of national peace will be fulfilled.

The prosperity of the three dynasties of Yao, Shun and Yu was due to which all government affairs were well managed, people's livelihood was well-being, and they ascended to the status of sage rulers. This was the way to achieve this.

Therefore, those who are good at governing the world do not rely on the skills to control the world, but rely on the way to govern our hearts. It is not enough to have the virtue of being diligent and diligent in governing the country, but it is important to have the heart to forget personal feelings and benefit the world.

From this point on, the great achievements of the three dynasties of Yao, Shun and Yu can be easily seen in your Majesty’s reign…

……

Jia Cong picked up his pen and started answering the questions on the draft. At the beginning, he was considering the words and writing at a leisurely and slow pace.

After writing a few paragraphs, my thoughts gradually became clearer, my hesitation in writing disappeared, and my writing became more decisive and swift, often giving me the feeling that I had completed the whole process in one go.

When the noon drum sounded outside the palace, many candidates became even more nervous. Many of them had just written a rough outline and had not yet started to write their answers. After hearing the bell, Jia Cong temporarily put down his pen and ink, took out the dry food prepared by Wu Er from his examination box, chewed it slowly, and filled his stomach.

Although Jia Cong was just eating normally, he still attracted the attention of the candidates around him. Some of them sighed with envy, some looked disdainful, and some were panicked...

Although the palace examination was held in the most honorable place in the world, the royal family did not prepare food for the candidates.

Since the palace examination only lasted one day, hundreds of candidates were still cooking in the palace, which seemed a bit disrespectful...

Therefore, when the tribute candidates entered the palace for the examination, they were allowed to bring a small amount of dry food and water. Although the Jinwu Guards would check them when entering the palace, the focus of the check was whether the people entering the palace had any dangerous items.

For general dry food and water, the Jinwu Guards would just check them and that was it. There would be no checking of clerks like in the imperial examinations to prevent candidates from cheating by smuggling them in their food.

The candidates who were able to pass the imperial examination were all people with profound knowledge, and the palace examination was never a failure. It was nonsense to say that the candidates would cheat in the palace examination.

Although candidates had to bring dry food and water with them when they entered the palace for the examination, only a few of them would take out the food and enjoy it leisurely like Jia Cong.

One reason is that the palace examination lasts for a short time, and the candidates have limited time to take the exam. They would like to use all their time to figure out the questions and write their answers, and they would save as much time as possible on eating.

Second, there were inhumane regulations during the palace examinations, and candidates were not allowed to use the toilet.

The palace examination was short, and hundreds of candidates had to eat and drink in the palace, which really undermined the royal dignity.

Fortunately, the palace examination did not last long, and as long as the candidates controlled their diet, they could endure it in a few hours.

Even if some people were really hungry and thirsty, most of them would be like Jia Cong, drinking water to moisten their mouths, eating a few mouthfuls of dry food, and then hastily retreating.

Otherwise, if one eats too much, it will cause the desire to worship the five internal organs, which will not only make one look bad, but also ruin the life of the tribute scholar...

……

After eating some dry food, Jia Cong prepared to continue answering questions. Even though he was confident, he did not dare to delay too much because the time for the palace examination was tight.

After finishing the draft, I have to copy the final version, and I cannot afford any mistakes, so there is never enough time.

He thought for a moment, then continued writing:
I have read the imperial edict which says: The court should appoint virtuous and capable people to help govern the country. How should their talents be used and how should their positions be filled?

The Book of Songs says: "I am the one who sings the green and beautiful things, among the people." This is the way to nurture talents.

Select virtuous and capable people and transfer them to the old government offices, observe their talents, measure their moral conduct, and gauge their diligence.

Those who are capable and have few selfish desires will be promoted, and those who have no unfinished cases will be promoted. Those who have made contributions in the old office will be promoted, and those who have made no contributions in the past will be retained...

I have read the imperial edict which says: There are corrupt and treacherous officials, and their greed never ceases. They punish and extort money from lower officials to please their superiors, and corruption ensues. This has led to unworthy officials, who have brought disaster to the people and caused them to suffer from daily hardships. How can we put an end to these evils?
The suffering of the common people today is due to the exploitation of the officials. The suffering of the petty officials today is due to the punishment and extortion of the higher officials.

In my opinion, the laws to prohibit evil and punish corruption must be strict. It is better to punish the big officials than to punish the small ones.

The evil of a high-ranking official, the higher his position, the greater the harm he causes. The greater the harm, the more people dare not speak out. Some people avoid him and run away, while others are forced to follow him for selfish desires. This is the beginning of the corruption of officialdom.

He only appointed ministers who were not afraid of powerful rulers, set up refined and dedicated departments, worked hard to eliminate them, and implemented the laws of the Han Dynasty to punish corruption and the system of the Song Dynasty to imprison corrupt officials. What else did he do?
Eliminate corrupt officials, remove harm to the people, kill one or two people, and all people in the world will live. This is the greatest benevolence in the world.

I therefore say: If officials are selected with benevolence, the administration of officials will be clarified and an atmosphere of honesty and integrity will be fostered. This is...

I am young and ignorant, a new comer who knows no taboos. I have only a sincere heart to give advice, and I am extremely afraid to dare to challenge Your Majesty. I will respond respectfully.

……

In the magnificent Huangji Palace, the three hundred tribute candidates racked their brains and put all their efforts into writing their essays to perfection.

However, only a part of them are adept at it, while most people are still unable to do so and their words and strategies are mediocre.

Although the topic of this essay was about official administration, it also implicitly referred to the political affairs of the court and the hidden thoughts of the emperor, which were difficult for ordinary candidates to fully understand.

When Jia Cong finished writing the draft, the drums outside the hall rumbled again, which was really devastating.
He read the draft carefully, made necessary revisions, then began to spread out the main volume, concentrated his mind for a moment, and began to copy.

At this time, many candidates had not finished half of their drafts. When they heard the continuous roar of the drum outside the hall, they could not help but sweat on their foreheads. Under the heavy pressure, they racked their brains and wrote furiously.

However, under such circumstances, it would be difficult to write a magnificent article.

However, some candidates have almost finished their drafts, and they estimate that they still have some time to spare before the palace examination ends. Naturally, they are more confident and write more calmly...

The dull and solemn drumbeats outside the hall added pressure to the hearts of many candidates taking the exams, causing them to feel restless and bored.

But the rapid and continuous drumbeats did not sound harsh to Jia Cong's ears.

Instead, he felt that the drumbeats were majestic and sonorous, the melody was solemn and orderly, and inspiring, just like the war drums on a battlefield, inspiring thousands of horses to charge.

His calligraphy was already outstanding, and people said he had become a master of his own school. At this moment, he was concentrating on copying the manuscript. The strength of his brush seemed to be infected by the sound of drums, and his iron strokes and silver hooks secretly matched the rhythm, becoming more mature and rounded.

After Jia Cong finished copying the original paper and checked it carefully to make sure there were no problems, he heaved a sigh of relief and placed the test paper on the examination table.

At this time, the urgent sound of drums was heard again outside the Huangji Palace. The Shen hour was about to end, and there was only one hour left in the palace examination of the 15th year of Jiazhao.

At this point, even those candidates who had not yet completed their draft answers began transcribing their papers...

When the night watch drum sounded at the end of the You hour, dozens of palace examination stewards, accompanied by a dozen eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department, began to walk around the examination hall, collecting the essay papers of all the candidates.

For the three hundred candidates who took the palace examination, no matter if they performed well in the exam or were stuck in answering questions, their career path ended there.

The Spring Examination, which began on March 18th of the 15th year of Jiazhao, came to an end in the afterglow of the setting sun in the Huangji Palace.

……

Under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites, all the candidates for the palace examination were rearranged according to their ranking in the joint examination. Under the protection of two hundred Han generals, they walked out of the Huangji Hall and left the palace along the same way they came.

At this time, almost all the candidates, regardless of whether they had passed the palace examination successfully or not, were excited, because their career path had come to a perfect end.

The moment they walked out of the deep palace, they had already become Jinshi and members of the official class of this vast empire. After years of hard study, they finally got what they wanted.

At this moment, they could not hide their excitement. When they entered the palace, they had been admonished by the Ministry of Rites: no noise was allowed in the imperial palace.

But in the long queue, many tribute students could not help whispering. In the queue of hundreds of people, the suppressed voices went back and forth like waves.

The two hundred escorting generals seemed oblivious to this violation of rules. Perhaps they had received some warnings beforehand and seemed accustomed to such scenes.

The official from the Ministry of Rites who led the team and several accompanying palace examination deacons also turned a deaf ear to this, and many of them had knowing smiles on their faces.

They were all people who had passed the palace examination, and they probably understood the feelings of the candidates at this moment.

As long as it is not too noisy and does not cause any harm, they will just ignore it.

……

At this time, Jia Cong, who was walking at the head of the team, suddenly heard a voice coming from behind him. The voice was gentle and calm, and quite remarkable.

"I am Lin Zhaohe, the governor of Hangzhou. I have long heard of the name of the Earl of Weiyuan and have visited his residence to pay my respects, but regrettably I have not been able to meet him in person."

"Today's palace examination questions are difficult. The talent of the Earl of Weiyuan will surely write a brilliant essay. I will ask for your advice when I have time."

Jia Cong looked back and saw that the man who was speaking was about twenty years old, with an elegant appearance, a calm expression and a warm smile.

It was the third person ranked behind him. According to this person's ranking, Jia Cong could guess who he was.

He had seen the visiting card, but did not recognize the person, Lin Zhaohe, the top scholar in Hangzhou Prefecture...

Jia Cong knew that there were more than ten top scorers from various states who took part in the imperial examination, but including himself, there were only three people who made it into the top ten.

Lin Zhaohe ranked third in the high school list, just below himself. His talent was amazing and he deserved the honor.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have received Brother Lin's invitation, but I am in great mourning and cannot see guests. I hope you will forgive me.

The title of Huiyuan is just a fluke. Brother Lin also passed the exam this year. I don’t deserve your advice. If I have time, I will definitely invite you to drink and reminisce about our friendship…” (End of this chapter)