Jinting Han people

Chapter 53: Going to the Imperial Academy (4k, more updates)
After getting married, Liu Xian and his wife lived a very harmonious life.

Shang Rou, or rather Ah Luo, was more knowledgeable, sensible, and considerate than one might imagine. Every morning, when Liu Xian began his homework, Ah Luo would quietly prepare hot water for him to wash and a change of clothes. And when Liu Xian finished reading some books and looked back the next day, he would find that she had put everything in perfect order.

Moreover, A'Luo did not have the airs of a daughter born in a rich family. Perhaps it was because she was cute, or perhaps it was because she was well-versed in social relationships. In just two or three days, she became familiar with all the maids in the mansion. Everyone liked her very much, even Anle Gong Liu Xun, who would be polite to A'Luo when he saw her.

"The young lady is simply the reincarnation of the lady."

When Liu Xian heard this comment, he was a bit amused. Compared to her reserved mother, Ah Luo was actually much more lively. Perhaps because she was still young, she seemed to have endless energy and enthusiasm, far less tired than when Zhang Ximiao was alive. Also because of her youth, Ah Luo could sometimes be quite presumptuous and say shocking things.

One day, she suddenly asked Liu Xian, "What is your ambition, my husband?"

Liu Xian was copying the Nirvana Sutra at the time and answered absentmindedly, "It's for the great family."

Ah Luo then asked, "My husband will be a duke in the future, and he wants to bring glory to our family. Are you planning to restore the country?"

These words made Liu Xian shudder and almost jump up.

Then an idea struck him. He looked out the window, pointed at the sky, and said slowly, "The power of a single earthquake can reach this level!"

This was the story from the time when Cao Cao and Liu Bei discussed heroes over wine. As a descendant of Wei Wu, Ah Luo was naturally familiar with it. She immediately smiled and continued, "The only heroes in the world today are you and Cao Cao~~"

The couple both laughed.
Ah Luo brought a pot of fruit wine into the room, then leaned over the table to watch her husband copying the scriptures. She was determined to get to the bottom of it, "So, what are your plans for the future, my husband?"

Liu Xian knew that if he didn't answer properly today, he wouldn't satisfy his wife, so he put down his pen, turned to look at A'Luo, and answered seriously, "My current plan is to become a provincial governor before I turn thirty."

"Governor?" A'Luo's eyes showed confusion. To ordinary people, the Governor was certainly a very important official, but in the current court, the Governor's position was very embarrassing.

In the original system of the late Han Dynasty, the Inspector was the highest military and political chief in a state system. He had both personnel power and the power to lead troops. Compared with the later governors, there was only a difference in official rank, but no essential difference in power.

However, during the successive reforms of the Cao Wei Dynasty, the rank of Inspector was elevated, surpassing that of the governors and chancellors of prefectures and states. However, the most important military power was fragmented, falling to the governors and garrison commanders of military regions. Furthermore, the recent splitting of large provinces and the establishment of vassal states further limited the territory and power of the Inspectors.

Under these influences, the position of Inspector, which was once considered a high-ranking official in the Han Dynasty, had become a purely administrative position. As a result, many scholars preferred to serve as vassal officials rather than become Inspectors. At this time, Liu Xian's statement that he wanted to be an Inspector was undoubtedly inconsistent with the current trend of the gentry.

Liu Xian explained to his wife, "After all, my position is sensitive. I don't know how many eyes are watching me. If I'm not careful, I'll be suspected. Other suspicions are fine, but when it comes to war and military affairs, it's inevitable that people will think of treason. As the saying goes, a gentleman doesn't stay under a dangerous wall. Instead of fighting for power that could put my life at risk, it's better to think about becoming a bicycle governor first and build more connections. If I want to continue to climb up in the future, there will always be opportunities."

Ah Luo thought about it and felt that it was indeed a down-to-earth choice, but she still felt a little dissatisfied: she hoped her husband would be more magnanimous, like his great-grandfather, who swallowed up the sun and the moon. So she whispered, "It's a bit too stingy..."

Liu Xian laughed out loud when he heard this. He now had some understanding. The relationship between husband and wife is one of conqueror and conquered. Either you conquer her or she conquers you. In short, it should never be underestimated.

Although Liu Xian couldn't speak openly to his wife due to circumstances, he could still reveal some of his feelings. So he pondered for a moment, then used the story of King Zhuang of Chu's hibernation and chanted a poem:
"The virtue of Heaven is long and enduring, while human life is so short! In a short time, a hundred years have passed, and the wind blows out the candle.

It is difficult to meet a distinguished person, and it is difficult to express a lofty ambition. Once you open your heart, a rare bird will soar into the sky!

In the small study, with clear voices, poetry moved Cao Shangrou with an incredible power, capturing her heart.

Unconsciously, the idea of competing with her husband emerged in Luo's heart.

"His talent is ten times greater than mine." Her father, Duke Juancheng's words rang in her ears, and her whole body tensed up.

After reciting the poem, Liu Xian turned to look at his wife and said with a smile, "It's actually too early to talk about becoming a provincial governor now. Let's think about what happens after entering the Imperial College."

After getting married, he immediately entered the officialdom.

In today's era, there are two channels for scholars to enter officialdom:

One is the Nine-Rank System, which is well known to later generations. It determines the local rank after evaluation by local officials, and then reports to the court for granting of official positions.
The other is to follow the Han Dynasty's recommendation system, in which candidates are recommended by local administrative chiefs and tested. After passing, they are granted official positions and additional local ranks.

But this is not without cost, both ways of entering the government have thresholds:
How should local officials understand scholars? How should county and prefecture officials recommend scholars?

It is impossible for them to understand everyone one by one, so they need a platform to gather scholars and then spend some time to observe them.

This platform could be the county school or the government office in prefectures and counties, but in Luoyang, the political center of the country, it was undoubtedly the Imperial College.

The Imperial College, the nation's highest institution of learning, had been established since the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It was dedicated to cultivating talent for the nation, annually selecting the most accomplished scholars to serve as imperial officials. This system continued into the Wei and Jin dynasties, though the rise of the Nine-Rank System created a slightly different dynamic.

By the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Imperial College official system was a fixture. Every other year, the emperor would order all Imperial College students (often numbering tens of thousands) to take a "Shece" (shooting ceremony) exam. The top 100 students were chosen, with the top 40 designated "Class A" (a category) and appointed as palace officials. The middle 20, designated "Class B" (a category), were chosen as "Prince's Secretaries." The bottom 40, designated "Class C" (a category), were appointed as literary officials.

However, during the early years of the Cao Wei dynasty, the country was in ruins and in need of reconstruction. The Imperial Academy was struggling to recruit enough people to accept the exam, and the practice of the Shece (Shooting the Imperial Examination) was no longer a priority. As long as there were people, there would be no shortage of officials. This situation did not improve until the later years of Emperor Ming of Wei. However, the Shece (Shooting the Imperial Examination) system, with the introduction of the Nine-Rank System, became a purely official recommendation system.

After Sima Yi came to power, he reinstated the shooting system at the Imperial Academy to check and balance the gentry's power. However, he did not dare to suppress the gentry too much, and implemented a two-pronged selection strategy: talented people were promoted through the shooting system, while those with good family backgrounds were promoted through the Zhongzheng examination.

It was not until the second year of Xianning that the emperor issued an order to establish the Imperial College within the Imperial College, formally establishing two paths to officialdom:

The sons of noble families with official ranks of the fifth rank and above could all attend the Imperial Academy. They only needed to wait for a full year after coming of age and then they could enter the officialdom without having to take the imperial examination.

Ordinary scholars still entered the Imperial Academy and took the imperial examination according to the previous regulations, but the number of admissions was greatly reduced. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, one hundred people were selected each year, while in the Western Jin Dynasty, only about thirty people were selected each year.

Although the Anle Dukedom was ostracized by the aristocracy of the capital, it was at least nominally a first-rank dukedom. Liu Xian, seeking officialdom, naturally entered the Imperial Academy. After a full year there, he would receive the rank of Zhongzheng (a local rank) and enter the imperial court as an official. However, logically speaking, his Anle Dukedom background would inevitably be a burden. Liu Xian suspected that all this would not go as smoothly as he had anticipated...

A month after their marriage, on March 27, the eighth year of the Taikang reign, Liu Xian applied to the Imperial Academy to study. Two days later, he received a reply from Ji Shao, the Imperial Academy's chief academic officer, who gave him a jade tablet inscribed with his name and the inscription "cultivating talents and recruiting the virtuous." With this tablet, Liu Xian officially entered the Imperial Academy.

The next morning, Liu Xian wore plain Confucian robes, rode a horse, memorized a set of scriptures, called Xi An and Zhang Gu, and set out for the Imperial College.

The Imperial College was located south of Luoyang City, two miles outside Kaiyang Gate. For Liu Xian, it took him two and a half quarters of an hour on horseback. He set out from Anle Mansion, walked one mile west along Jianchun Street, turned south, and continued straight for another ten miles until the bustling Nanshi Street appeared before him.

March is late spring, the time of year when the weather is most comfortable. The grass is long by the river, flowers grow on the trees, warblers fly around, and the streets of South City are full of idle people.

Unlike other markets in Luoyang, such as West Market, Gold Market, and Horse Market, South Market lacked a distinctly mercenary atmosphere. Because it was frequented by Imperial College students, South Market sold everything from brushes, inkstones, and paper to teahouses and wine shops. Handwritten classics and the latest poetry collections were also available. Occasionally, fruit farmers would hawk peaches, plums, and mulberries, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Liu Xian and his two companions got off their horses and bought three meat-stuffed pancakes sprinkled with sesame seeds from a small stall. They ate while walking south. Soon, they arrived at the center of Nancheng City: an extremely spacious bluestone square came into view, with more than a hundred carriages parked in it in several rows. To the east of the square, a four-pillar white stone gate that was four meters wide and two meters high stood tall. On the plaque was engraved four characters in ancient and majestic seal script - "Know your roots and cultivate yourself."

Under the stone gate, there was a constant stream of Confucian scholars coming and going. Most of them were young and had smiles on their faces, because at this moment, they were in the cultural center of the entire empire.

"That's the Imperial Academy behind this." Liu Xian stopped in the center of the square, surveying the crowds passing by. A wave of emotion washed over him. He turned to his two friends and smiled, "I remember when we were five or six, we often passed by here. Almost ten years have passed, and we haven't even been inside. Time flies."

Xi An replied with a smile, "Why are you suddenly talking about this? Are you worried about your future?"

"Of course not. I'm just lamenting how short life is." Liu Xian looked up at the large characters on the stone gate and said, "But we still have to stride forward."

Going forward, there is another large bluestone square with a forest of steles on it. This is the famous Xiping Stone Classics in history.

One hundred years ago, in order to eliminate the differences in Confucian classics, the great scholars of the Han Dynasty gathered together to compile the Six Classics. After the approval of Emperor Ling of Han, Cai Yong, a great scholar, personally wrote the classics of up to 200,000 words, which were finally engraved on a stone tablet for students all over the world to read.

After that, the owner of Luoyang changed three times, including the Luoyang Fire, the Battle of Guandu, and the Gaopingling Incident, but these stone scriptures are still here, and you can even see traces of smoke from fire and sword cuts on the stone tablets.

Behind the Forest of Stone Scriptures and Steles is the huge campus complex of the Imperial College.

The Imperial College now covered an area of 60 mu (approximately 166 hectares), with 130 school buildings and 900 inner rooms, housing over 3,000 students. The Imperial College, on the other hand, was located in the northeastern corner of the Imperial College, occupying only about 20 school buildings and 100 inner rooms.

Although the Imperial College occupied a small area, it had all the necessary facilities. While the Imperial College had nineteen doctors, the Imperial College had only one Imperial College Master and one doctor, but it also had fifteen teaching assistants, a testament to the importance the Emperor attached to it.

It's worth mentioning that when Liu Xian walked in, he noticed a sudden drop in the number of students passing through. It's estimated that there were less than a hundred people inside the school building, but this is understandable. After all, there were only so many officials above the fifth rank, and entering the Imperial College was equivalent to being exempt from the exam. Almost all students could obtain an official position within a year, and with a new batch leaving every year, the number of people was naturally not that high.

Zhang Gu and Xi An were going to the Imperial Academy for further studies, while Liu Xian was going to report to Ji Shao, the chief academic officer of the Imperial Academy.

Ji Shao's room was right at the front of the Imperial College. When Liu Xian arrived, the door was wide open, and he could see a middle-aged Confucian scholar copying a book at a desk with a straight posture and a serious look. It was Ji Shao.

Liu Xian knocked on the door.

Ji Shao looked up at him, stopped writing, and said, "It's you, come in quickly."

Liu Xian stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, the chief priest."

The two were indeed acquaintances. Ji Shao had previously attended Liu Xian's coming-of-age ceremony and wedding ceremony for Ruan Xian's sake.

"Don't be so polite. You are a disciple of my uncle, Xiao Ruan Gong. According to seniority, I should call you brother, and you should call me brother."

Unlike his stern appearance, Ji Shao's words were very gentle and he was even in the mood to joke with Liu Xian.

Liu Xian said, "Master Jijiu, you must be joking. How dare this junior be compared to Xi Que today?"

"Today's Xique" was how his adoptive father, Shan Tao, described Ji Shao, suggesting he was as virtuous and talented as Xique, a high-ranking official in the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period. Faced with this bland flattery, Ji Shao smiled and, without further questioning Liu Xian, pulled out the roster and ticked Liu Xian's name with a red pen.

After finishing the drawing, Ji Shao put the list back to its original place and said again, "Whether you are worthy of the title or not is hard to say. I have talked with my uncle, and you are very talented. If you were in this class of the Imperial College, you would definitely be among the best."

Liu Xian was naturally very happy to hear Ji Shao praise him so much, but he tried to decline verbally, saying, "Master Ji, you are too kind."

Ji Shao smiled and waved his hand, saying, "But don't be too proud. The academic atmosphere at the Imperial Academy is weak right now. Even in the entire Imperial College, there are only a few people worthy of praise. This isn't because there's a lack of young geniuses, but rather because they're wasting their time and eventually becoming lost in the crowd. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I will definitely work hard." Liu Xian had also heard about the academic style of the Imperial Academy. Since they had no worries about their future, there were many students who disappeared after reporting to the academy, and were able to get the rank of Zhongzheng by sitting at home the following year.

Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, Ji Shao nodded and said, "Everyday here, you study on your own, there's no supervision. If you have any questions, you can ask the teaching assistants. However, with your level, you won't learn much at this Imperial Academy. So I won't make too many demands on you whether you come or not, but Dr. Xie Heng and I have lectures, a small one every five days and a large one every ten days, both in the afternoon. If you're interested, you can come and listen."

“Yes, the student has noted it.”

"Then just walk around the school building. I won't keep you here."

"I almost forgot something." Just as Liu Xian was about to leave, Ji Shao suddenly stopped him and said, "There are many children of nobles in this class of the Imperial Academy. You should be careful."

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(End of this chapter)