I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 277 The Imperial Banquet: Zhao Ji's Top Scholar Experience Card

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March 17th of the twelfth year of the Hongwu reign was the day the results of the spring imperial examinations were announced, which was also the day the results of the palace examinations were announced.

The palace examination did not eliminate candidates, but only determined their rankings, which were divided into three grades. Those who passed the examination were collectively called "Jinshi". The top three in the first grade were Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua, and were awarded the title of "Jinshi Jidi". Several people in the second grade were awarded the title of "Jinshi Chushen" and several people in the third grade were awarded the title of "Tong Jinshi Chushen".

The morning light of Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital, had just spilled over the roof ornaments of Xuande Gate, and the white jade railings outside Chongzheng Hall were still covered with morning dew. The bluestone ground beneath the red steps was already densely covered with the shadows of people.

The list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, wrapped in yellow silk, had just been brought out by the eunuchs and had not yet been hung with a vermilion plaque. People in the front row were already standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, their breath, hot against the spring chill, condensing into a thin white mist in mid-air.

"Reveal it! Reveal it!"

Someone shouted, and the yellow silk slid down, revealing the two characters "状元" (top scholar) written in ink.

There was a sudden moment of silence in the crowd, followed by a gasp of breath.

The name was neither Mo Chou from Cili, Lizhou, who had been the subject of much discussion last month, nor Chen Jue, the top student at the Imperial Academy.

The discussions below the steps suddenly froze, like a lake surface frozen by a cold wind. Someone pointed to the square characters "Zhao Ji" at the top of the list and suddenly remembered the widely circulated story of Zhao Ji giving up his royal title to take the exam as a commoner. At the time, some people mocked Zhao Ji, some supported him, and some said that Zhao Ji was frivolous and too reckless.

No one expected that the top scholar of this imperial examination would be Zhao Ji.

"How could it be him?!"

"Does Prince Duan truly possess the talent of a top scholar?!"

"A prince has voluntarily relinquished his title to compete alongside scholars from humble backgrounds—this is unprecedented in history. Whether it is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen!"

Before the words were even finished, the names of the second and third place winners were revealed.

When the name of Chen Jue, the second-place scholar, was revealed, there was only a faint ripple in the crowd. Some familiar scholars nodded and said, "That's how it should be."

Chen Jue was known for his meticulous essays at the Imperial Academy. His provincial examination paper was copied and circulated by the academic officials before the new year. His writing was full of solid and methodical arguments. Now, he has won second place in the undergraduate exam, which is well-deserved.

Chen Jue squeezed into the crowd and, seeing that he had ranked second, simply breathed a sigh of relief and raised his hand to straighten the slightly disheveled hem of his robe. He had never dared to hope for the top spot, and being second was already the best reward for his ten years of hard study. His face showed little elation, only a calm sense of relief.

The name of the third-ranked scholar, Mo Chou, followed closely behind, which surprised no one. This talented scholar from Lizhou was known for his talent, especially his poetry. Before the exam, many people bet that he would become the top scholar. Now that he had come in third, although there were some regrets, no one was surprised.

A fellow candidate on his way to the imperial examination congratulated Mo Chou: "Brother, you're going to be the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination; you'll probably be painted in the 'Qionglin Banquet' painting! Congratulations!"

Mo Chou forced a smile and returned the greeting, saying modestly, "Congratulations to you both! You also passed the second-class examination. We should support each other in our official careers."

After exchanging a few polite words, Mo Chou stopped smiling and frowned slightly as he looked at "Zhao Ji" at the top of the list.

He performed very well this time, and he felt that his strategy was correct. The Song Dynasty was already so powerful, while the Liao Dynasty was being defeated by a small tribe with less than 100,000 households. This was a golden opportunity for the Song Dynasty to recover the five prefectures of Yan, pacify the three prefectures of Luan and Ying, and the passes under its jurisdiction to complete the unification.

As long as the direction is correct, he should be the top scorer.

You should know that a few days ago, by chance, he heard about the Jin envoy coming to Bianliang (Kaifeng) to request investiture from the Song Dynasty.

At that moment, he had a sudden inspiration and guessed that Zhao Yu might ask about the relationship between Liao and Jin. So he went to a merchant who knew the details of the two countries and asked him about the current state of affairs of both nations.

As a result, this last-minute cramming led him to win the grand prize.

Therefore, when answering his questions in the palace examination, he deliberately combined the situation between the Liao and Jin dynasties with his own governing philosophy, eloquently expounding his views on strengthening border defenses, reorganizing military equipment, and using diplomatic means to unite with the Jin to destroy the Liao, ultimately achieving the unification of the country. Every word and sentence embodied his hard work day and night and his deep concern for the country. He believed that such an answer would be enough to impress Zhao Yu, who would then appoint him as the top scholar, bringing glory to his ancestors and making him famous.

However, reality gave him a cold shower. The top scholar title was won by Prince Duan, who was known for his frivolous and unconventional ways.

Mo Chou felt a mix of emotions, including resentment and confusion. He couldn't help but wonder what extraordinary qualities Zhao Ji possessed that enabled him to defeat him, overwhelm all others, and win the emperor's favor.

At this moment, a poor student, upon seeing that he had passed the second-class examination, danced with joy and shouted, "I passed! I passed the second-class examination!"

To prepare for the exam, this poor student sold two acres of his family's ancestral land, a desperate gamble. Now, seeing his name prominently listed among the second-best candidates, he squatted on the ground and sobbed. His tears, mixed with the dirt on his face, were more touching than any smile.

Several other students who had also passed the second-class examination congratulated each other and invited each other to a restaurant for a drink to celebrate their success. The noise was filled with a sense of triumph and joy.

But further down, when you reach the Sanjia area, the air becomes much heavier.

There was an old scholar wearing a square scarf, his hair all white. He ran his fingers through the list of "successful candidates in the imperial examination" for a long time before finally finding his own name. His lips moved, but he didn't make a sound.

The servant following behind him wanted to offer his congratulations, but seeing him turn his back and stare blankly at the cracks in the palace wall, he swallowed his words. When he was young, he made a grand vow: if he didn't pass the imperial examination with top honors, he would not get married. But he had taken the exam five times in a row and still couldn't achieve his wish. Did he have to take the sixth exam and wait until he was seventy years old to finally achieve his goal?

There was even a young scholar, who was considered a child prodigy by his neighbors and was very proud of his talent. When he saw that he had fallen to the bottom of the top three, he blushed and smashed his folding fan on the ground: "What difference is there between this ranking and failing the exam? I am so ashamed!"

Someone nearby advised, "He's still a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he'll have opportunities in the future..."

He ignored them, flicked his sleeves, and squeezed out of the crowd without looking back, his back view filled with youthful arrogance and dejection.

As the sun slowly climbed higher, the number of people in front of the list thinned out. Those who ranked second walked arm in arm toward the restaurant, their laughter carried far on the wind; most of those who ranked third remained silent, some wandering alone, others leaving in groups, their steps somewhat heavy.

Only the names on the vermilion plaque still stand quietly in the wind. The gold-stamped characters of the first-ranked scholar are dazzling, the ink marks of the second-ranked scholar are clear, and the small characters of the third-ranked scholar are also neat and tidy. Whether happy or disappointed, this piece of yellow hemp paper has finally drawn a period, whether dark or light, on countless days and nights of hard study.

As time went on, some details of the selection process for official positions were revealed.

For example, the original list of candidates recommended Mo Chou as the top scholar, Chen Jue as the second-best, and Zhao Cheng as the third-best, with Zhao Ji only ranking fourth. However, for some unknown reason, Zhao Yu only said, "What a pity for such good writing skills," which caused Mo Chou to miss out on the top scholar position.

Many people analyzed that Mo Chou's policy proposal was biased and did not meet Zhao Yu's expectations.

Strangely, Zhao Yu did not appoint Chen Jue as the top scholar, but instead appointed Zhao Ji, who was not qualified to enter the first class, as the top scholar.

Many people suspect that Zhao Yu's decision to appoint his elder brother as the top scholar was a favoritism and corruption. After all, Zhao Ji's act of giving up his royal title and voluntarily taking the exam was already shocking. If he failed to win the top spot, he would become a laughing stock. How could this not make people think?
But while people may be discussing it, the emperor's intentions are unpredictable, and no one dares to speculate.

This outcome, however, undoubtedly threw a shocking stone into the hearts of people both inside and outside the government, stirring up waves of discussion.

Of course, because Zhao Yu canceled the results of all three of his sons and did not occupy any quota in this examination, it brought a lot of persuasiveness to Zhao Yu's fairness and impartiality and to the fact that princes and members of the royal family did not compete with the common people for profit.

Therefore, although there was much discussion both inside and outside the court about Zhao Ji's achievement of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination, many people praised Zhao Yu for his fairness and impartiality. People privately talked about the various unusual phenomena of this imperial examination, especially Zhao Ji's sudden emergence, which became a popular topic of conversation.

Soon after, Zhao Yu held the "Qionglin Banquet" at Qionglin Garden to entertain the newly appointed scholars, as a sign of his favor.

Perhaps having heard the rumors circulating outside, at the banquet, Zhao Yu specially had the examination papers for this imperial examination brought out, and pointed to the examination paper of Zhao Ji, whom he had personally selected as the top scholar, saying in an attempt to cover up the truth: "The calligraphy of Prince Duan alone is worth two top scholars. What do you think, my dear ministers?"

It must be said that Zhao Ji's Slender Gold style calligraphy is truly beautiful. With Mi Fu and Huang Tingjian now deceased, perhaps only Cai Jing's calligraphy can rival Zhao Ji's in the world today.

Among the newly appointed scholars present were many calligraphy masters, who could naturally see that Zhao Yu was right.

Therefore, most of those present echoed Zhao Yu and praised Zhao Ji's calligraphy.

The problem is that the imperial examination tested policy essays, opinions on the current situation, and theories of governance, not calligraphy.

Soon, it was discovered that Zhao Ji's views were exactly the same as Mo Chou's, but Mo Chou's substantial and meaningful policy arguments were definitely superior to Zhao Ji's empty and grandiose ones.

In other words, without considering the so-called calligraphy, Zhao Ji certainly wouldn't have been able to become the top scholar.

After seeing Mo Chou's vermilion scroll, Zhao Ji felt extremely guilty and secretly glanced at Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu indicated to Zhao Ji that there was no need to worry.

Then, Zhao Yu said loudly, "Although Prince Duan has the talent of a top scholar, the imperial clan cannot do without him. Moreover, if I were to ask Prince Duan to give up his title, I would have no face to answer to the late emperor. Therefore, I strip Prince Duan of his title of top scholar and restore his title..."

When Zhao Yu took away Zhao Ji's title of top scholar, those who had previously thought Zhao Yu had abused his power for personal gain immediately stopped thinking that way.

Zhao Yu canceled the results of his three sons who had come to cause trouble, and also took away the title of the top scholar from his elder brother who had already become the top scholar. He returned the imperial examination to the scholars who had studied hard for years. Is there any emperor more fair and just than Zhao Yu?
As for why Zhao Yu took off his pants and farted, it was a pointless and unnecessary act.
Everyone present was shrewd; they understood immediately after a little thought.

First, let's talk about Zhao Yu's sons. They were just like children, coming to take the imperial examinations to prove themselves. You could also consider it just childish nonsense.

This is understandable; children all want to show off, so they come to play without telling their parents.

Children are ignorant, so how could Zhao Yu, an adult, be ignorant?

Zhao Yu only wanted his three sons to experience the atmosphere of the imperial examination; he would never allow them to disrupt the sacred imperial examination system.
Therefore, Zhao Yu never agreed to his son participating in the imperial examinations, and made it clear from the beginning that his son's examination results would not be counted.

But Zhao Yu could ruin his sons' grades with just a word, and since they were just kids, they wouldn't feel ashamed.

But Zhao Ji was different. He was an adult and Zhao Yu's elder brother. If Zhao Yu treated Zhao Ji like his own son and simply ruined his achievements, it would not only be a slap in the face to Zhao Ji, but also make it seem like Zhao Yu didn't care about family ties.

Many people even think that Zhao Yu did not want Zhao Ji to give up his royal title and compete with scholars who had studied hard for years for the position of Jinshi in the first place. To this end, Zhao Yu specially set a threshold, that is, princes and members of the royal family who wanted to take the imperial examination had to give up their titles. His original intention was to make Zhao Ji give up the difficulty.

Who would have thought that even though Zhao Yu had given such obvious hints, Zhao Ji still foolishly gave up his royal title and came to participate in the imperial examination.

To save face and maintain Zhao Ji's dignity, Zhao Yu had no choice but to let Zhao Ji try out the "top scholar" experience card. Otherwise, it would be a joke if he gave up his royal title to participate in the imperial examination.
Now, Zhao Ji had finally achieved his goal of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination. Having had his fill of playing around, Zhao Yu could no longer allow Zhao Ji to continue his foolish ways. Therefore, he returned the title of top scholar to the scholars, thus correcting Zhao Ji's misbehavior.

In this matter, Zhao Yu acted like a parent, upholding the fairness and impartiality of the imperial examination while cleverly protecting the face and dignity of the foolish Zhao Ji. His skillful handling of the situation was truly admirable.

As everyone present gazed upon Zhao Yu, who sat high on the dragon throne, a sense of awe arose in their hearts. This wise and decisive emperor, with his intelligence and decisiveness, not only quelled the numerous criticisms from both inside and outside the court regarding the imperial examination, but also, in an almost artistic way, demonstrated his commitment to family ties and his adherence to the greater good of the nation.

Zhao Ji inevitably gets labeled as foolish, absurd, frivolous, reckless, and selfish. Otherwise, how could a prince who is almost thirty years old have done something like giving up his title and causing a ruckus at the imperial examination like three eleven or twelve-year-old children, and in the end, the emperor had to personally clean up the mess for him?

Some people recalled that when Zhao Ji was young, he missed out on the throne because he frequented prostitutes.

Looking back now, it seems that Heaven was incredibly kind to the Song Dynasty. If Zhao Ji had become the emperor of the Song Dynasty, things would have been terrible.

Just as Mo Chou was full of expectations that Zhao Yu would take Zhao Ji's place as the top scholar and appoint him as the top scholar, Zhao Yu said: "In this imperial examination, the rankings will be progressive, and Chen Jue will be the top scholar of this examination."

Upon hearing Zhao Yu's words, everyone except Mo Chou cheered with joy, and all the successful candidates offered their congratulations to Chen Jue.

Then, all the newly appointed scholars drank to celebrate.

After having a few drinks with the newly appointed scholars, Zhao Yu got up and left, handing the banquet over to them so they could drink and socialize freely.

Before long, Liang Shicheng approached Zhao Ji, who had been drinking heavily and was feeling melancholy, and whispered to him, "His Majesty has summoned the Prince to an audience..."

……

(End of this chapter)