The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 339 The world returns to its heart
"I heard that more than ten people handed in blank papers for the Imperial Examination for Gongsheng?"

"It is true. The tribute students are saying that this year's essay topics are too difficult, and many scholars are racking their brains but still can't find a place to start."

Qiao Yiqi patted Qian Qianyi on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"Kaiyuan is in great need of a literary master like Minister Qian, who can help the Duke of Huguo identify talents, recommend them, and select talented people for the imperial court."

Liu Zhaosun looked at Qiao Yiqi and Qian Qianyi and said solemnly:

"General Qiao is right. What's most important to the Ming Dynasty today? Talent! Kaiyuan is booming and needs a large number of young talents to join us. So, Mr. Mu Zhai should work harder..."

In the first year of the Tianqi reign, Qian Qianyi followed Ping Liaohou to Beijing to quell the rebellion. He shined in the verbal battle with the Donglin Party and was soon promoted to the Minister of Rites. This year, he was appointed as the chief examiner of the palace examination.

Historically, Qian Qianyi was a complex person.

The water is too cold is just a joke. The historical community has not reached a consensus on the evaluation of Qian Qianyi.

He has some of the extravagant habits of the late Ming scholars, but he also shows a serious attitude in upholding traditional morality.

He considered himself a "clean official", but he was obsessed with fame and fortune, and repeatedly got caught up in political whirlpools, leaving behind the stigma of being a flatterer of the eunuch party and a loser of integrity.

He was not obsessed with the concept of loyalty to the emperor (the poem "The Taoism of Lu Xuangong's Tomb" says: "There is an end to life of loyalty and flattery, but how can one prolong his life?"), but after surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, he secretly engaged in anti-Qing activities, funded Zheng Chenggong and others, and adhered to traditional moral values.

However, judging solely from the perspective of cultural influence, Qian Qianyi can be regarded as a literary giant in the late Ming Dynasty.

Sun Chuanting and Yuan Chonghuan, both Jinshi graduates, praised this senior:

He was knowledgeable and skilled in writing poetry, had a rich and profound literary talent, was well versed in court etiquette, and was especially good at poetry.

Since the last "water is too hot" incident, Liu Zhaosun did not alienate Qian Qianyi, but instead intended to promote him to his core team.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

After entering the Pass to support the king, Liu Zhaosun had given up his pursuit of becoming a sage.

I will not demand perfection from others as I did in the past.

~~~~~~~
On the evening of May 15th, the second year of the Tianqi reign, the Wenhua Hall was brightly lit.

Three hundred and forty-one examination papers of tribute students were handed over to the sealing official, who stamped the papers with the sealing seal and then sent them to the paper-holding official.

Due to the tight schedule, the black papers of the palace examination did not need to be transcribed into red papers. They were sent directly to the examiner in the East Pavilion and waited for reading on the morning of the 16th.

At the hour of Mao on May 16, 17 examiners headed by Qian Qianyi entered the East Pavilion and began to review the examination papers.

Qian Qianyi walked on thin ice and read every test paper carefully.

The Duke of Protectorate repeatedly reminded him last night that Minister Qian should have a keen eye for talent and select capable people for the country.

Qian Qianyi was not a fool, so he naturally knew the deep meaning behind these words.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that this palace examination in the second year of the Tianqi reign is of extraordinary significance to the Duke of Protectorate.

That's why Liu Zhaosun personally presided over the exam, set the questions, and supervised the examination.

I was worried about these tribute students, fearing that they would pass the exam easily and get their names on the list of successful candidates.

Qian Qianyi inferred that the Duke of Huguo had at least two purposes in talking to him:

First, send a signal to the Confucian scholars that the Duke of Protector of the Country has the right to decide the life and death, honor and disgrace of scholars all over the world.

2. If you want a high position and a bright future, you must agree with the established path of the Duke of Protector of the Country.

What is the route of the Protector of the Country?

Qian Qianyi said he didn't know either.

Never mind all that.

As long as you don't slander Grand Tutor Liu in your policy essay, it will be fine.

Anyone who disrespects the Kaiyuan system will be directly eliminated.

In fact, Qian Qianyi had an inexplicable fear of imperial examinations.

In the first year of the Chongzhen reign, Qian Qianyi was appointed chief examiner for the Zhejiang provincial examination. That year, a scandal erupted in Zhejiang province, and under the attack of the Donglin Party, he was inexplicably implicated. He was eventually fined six months' salary and beaten with a cane in the imperial court.

This incident left a deep impression on Qian Muzhai, who was just starting his official career.

It was also from this time that he began to be ambivalent towards the imperial court.

Until finally the water being too cold happened to him.

~～～～

According to convention, the palace examination only takes one day to mark the papers.

It is almost impossible to carefully read more than 300 articles and rank them in such a short time.

However, at the request of the Duke of Protectorate, starting this year, the marking time for the palace examination was increased from one day to three days.

In this way, the examiners can examine the papers more calmly, thus avoiding the unspoken rule of the previous palace examination - the top three in the first class are directly selected from the top ten in the joint examination.

At noon on May 17, the Duke of Huguo arrived at the Wenhua Hall on behalf of the emperor to preside over the examination. Qian Qianyi led several examiners to Liu Zhaosun and met him with the courtesy of an emperor and his subjects.

Then start reading the test paper aloud.

After Qian Qianyi finished reading, the eunuch Wang Chengen of the Imperial Household Department took the paper and placed it on the imperial desk, and then the next reader read the next test paper aloud.

In order, the first three test papers read were the ones that Qian Qianyi had previously graded as A.

After reading the three volumes, the Duke of Huguo appointed the first, second, and third place winners of the first class of the second year of the Tianqi Palace Examination as follows:
Yu Huang, Hua Qifang, Wu Kongjia
After the imperial decision was made, Qian Qianyi led the examiners to collect the test papers, and the Duke of Huguo returned to his residence.

Then, Qian Qianyi immediately rushed back to the East Pavilion, filled out the yellow list before dusk, and then handed it to the Shangbao Division to stamp the list with the emperor's seal.

The official in the Imperial Edict Office wrote the announcement of the imperial edicts, which was then given to the Minister of Rites. The announcement of the imperial edicts was then given to the Minister of the Honglu Temple to prepare for the ceremony of announcing the imperial edicts early the next morning.

May 18th.

At the hour of Chen, all civil and military officials of the capital attended the triennial ceremony of announcing the imperial edicts in the Huangji Hall.

Needless to say, Emperor Tianqi Zhu Youjian missed all activities today again due to a sudden cold and poor health.

The emperor presided over the ceremony of announcing the imperial edicts and was replaced by the Duke of Protectorate.

At the Ji hour, in front of the Huangji Hall Square, all civil and military officials stood on both sides of the Danchi according to their civil and military ranks, and the newly-appointed Jinshi stood in two rows behind them.

After everyone was in their seats, the Jiaofangsi played ritual music, and the Cabinet Grand Secretary Qiao Yiqi placed the yellow list on the yellow list table.

The Duke of Protector's carriage arrived at the Jinshui Bridge. Surrounded by a group of guards, Liu Zhaosun, fully armored, appeared before the civil and military officials.

Pei Dahu, Lin Yu and Wu Xiao stood around him, each holding a sharp knife in their hands.

After the Duke of Huguo took his seat, everyone performed the five bows and three kowtows ceremony, and then Sen Ti, an official from the Honglu Temple, began to read the imperial edict:
On May 18th, the second year of the Tianqi reign, the imperial examination was held. The first-place candidates were awarded the title of Jinshi (Ji Di), the second-place candidates were awarded the title of Jinshi (Chuan Chuan), and the third-place candidates were awarded the title of Tong Jinshi (Tong Jinshi)."

Afterwards, Qian Qianyi opened the scroll in public and sang:
"Yu Huang, first place in the first class!"

Under the scent of osmanthus, the top scholar Yu Huang immediately stepped forward and was led by the instructor under Sen Ti into the hall to thank the Duke of Huguo.

Next, the names of the first and second place winners are announced, and the Kaiyuan instructor leads the second place winner out of the class. Then, the names of the third place winners are announced.

The top three students expressed their gratitude for the emperor's grace in front of the palace. Since the emperor was not here today, everyone had no choice but to kowtow to thank the Duke of Protectorate.

The Duke of Protectorate waved his hand towards Wang Chengen, and the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department immediately stepped forward. Liu Zhaosun whispered something to him, and Wang Chengen immediately asked the two eunuchs on duty to invite the number one scholar Yu Huang to come forward and obey.

Yu Huang, whose courtesy name was Wuzhen, was a native of Kuaiji, Zhejiang. In the original history, he was the first in the imperial examination in the fifth year of the Tianqi reign and was appointed as an editor of the Hanlin Academy. However, because he was arrogant because of his talent, he was bullied by the Donglin faction and was cast into the eunuch party.

During Wei Zhongxian's reign, this man disobeyed Wei Yan many times and almost lost his life.

After Chongzhen ascended the throne, he resigned from his official position and returned home.

Later, like Qian Qianyi, he was appointed as Zuo Zhongyun and You Shuzi, but he was arrogant by nature and was not tolerated by his colleagues.

After the Jiashen Rebellion, Yu Huang persisted in resisting the Qing Dynasty and later died a martyr for his country in Shaoxing.

Liu Zhaosun didn't know much about this man, he only knew that he had a bad temper and was the same type as Shi Kefa.

He has high moral integrity, which is fine for him to be a clean official, but it is not acceptable for him to be entrusted with state affairs.

"I have read Mr. Wu Zhen's theory of trade. It is penetrating and thought-provoking. Eunuch Wang, please give me some wine!"

Liu Zhaosun was talking nonsense, he had never read the top scorer's test paper. Wang Chengen immediately brought three cups of imperial wine and handed them to Yu Huang.

Yu Huang was a fellow townsman and good friend of Yuan Yingtai, and he had heard of Liu Zhaosun's whereabouts a long time ago.

Yu Huang was also aware of the "seventeen crimes punishable by death" that Yuan Yingtai had charged Liu with.

If he had not wanted to present his talents to the imperial family, he would never have entrusted Xu Snake to entertain this illiterate warrior.

Yu Huang drank three cups in a row and his drunkenness wore off.

"Your Excellency, the Lord Protector of the Country, is too much praise. This is not my drunken rant. If we were to pick out verses, I might not be as good as the second or third place winners. However, this is a fashionable and practical study. If I don't publish it, it's fine. But if I do, it will bring peace and prosperity to the world..."

Liu Zhaosun laughed loudly.

"Okay, it's Kuangsheng indeed. He's drunk. Eunuch Wang, help him down."

Then, the officials of the Ministry of Rites held the notice, supported by a cloud plate, and led by umbrellas, drums and music, and went out of Fengtian Gate and Wumen Gate. All the Jinshi, princes and officials followed the notice out and hung it outside the left gate of Chang'an.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Rites held a banquet.

On the 20th, the newly-appointed Jinshi would enter the palace again, express gratitude, and accept the court robes, crowns, and Jinshi treasure notes awarded by the court.

On the 21st, he went to the Imperial College to pay homage to the Confucius Temple and inscribed his name on a stele.

At this point, the triennial palace examination finally came to an end.

Liu Zhaosun presided over the palace examination for the first time and successfully obtained a group of civil servant elites he wanted and accepted them as "disciples of the Grand Tutor."

It can be said that the whole world is united.

(End of this chapter)