Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 234 The Demeanor of a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)
Shortly after, Song Xiang's footsteps sounded at the door.

Lu Beigu quickly stood up and bowed.

Song Xiang waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the carefully read official gazette on the desk: "You saw it all?"

"Yes."

"The deceased are gone, and the posthumous honors they receive are but a drop in the ocean for them."

Song Xiang said, “This edict is indeed like a spring thunder awakening the insects. It can inspire people’s hearts and also warn the villains. Your Majesty’s intention is profound.”

He didn't delve any further, but instead asked, "Having observed these matters, have you gained any insights into the provincial examination's policy essays?"

Lu Beigu pondered for a moment before cautiously replying, "In my opinion, these events can be seen as the harbinger of a change in the court. The dismissal of Privy Councilor Wang signifies a transition between the old and the new; the combined use of Jia and Han suggests a desire for balance and stability; and the reinstatement of Yin and Su further demonstrates the government's intention to rectify the situation and revitalize the scholarly atmosphere. If the policy discussion touches upon governance, the successes and failures of the new policies, and even the future direction of governance, these events provide strong evidence and entry points."

"That's good. Being able to observe the big picture and see the big picture from small details is an improvement."

Song Xiang nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, and then drafted today's essay topic.

"The Emperor has approved the request of the Three Departments and allocated 100,000 taels of silver, 200,000 bolts of silk, and 100,000 strings of cash from the Imperial Treasury. These funds will be promptly delivered to the Hebei Circuit Transport Commissioner's Office for the purpose of purchasing goods for the market and supplying military provisions. Your task for today is to write a policy essay on the topic of 'New Measures for Purchasing Goods for the Market and Supplying Military Provisions along the Hebei Border.'"

"Buying military supplies through the market?"

Lu Beigu was no stranger to this term, but such a huge and urgent allocation was obviously extraordinary.

“Exactly,” Song Xiang explained. “This is in accordance with the proposal of Xue Xiang, the supervisor of grain procurement. The importance of defense for the eleven prefectures along the Hebei border is well known. Their annual needs are 1.8 million shi of millet, equivalent to about 1.6 million strings of cash; 650,000 shi of beans; and 3.7 million wei of fodder. However, due to the breach of the Liuta River, Hebei is unable to meet its own needs for millet, beans, and fodder this year. The remaining shortfall will have to rely on merchants to ‘enter the central government.’”

Lu Beigu pondered for a moment and began writing today's policy proposal.

After this period of training, his already strong ability in current affairs strategy improved further under Song Xiang's special guidance, so he wrote it down in no time.

After Lu Beigu finished writing, Song Xiang took a look and nodded in satisfaction: "It's mostly correct. I'll give you four more tips."

"First, we need to understand its purpose. The core of this strategy is to attract customers with high cash value while saving money and securing the borders. This is the essence."

"Secondly, we need to analyze the advantages and disadvantages. The 'advantages' you mentioned in your current affairs policy can be further refined and expanded, and we should focus more on analyzing the 'disadvantages.' If the capital suddenly gathers such a huge amount of funds and recruits merchants, or if the price of grain in Hebei rises due to the government's large-scale market purchase, how should we respond?"

"Thirdly, we must focus on fundamental suggestions. As for the subsidy standard for 'increasing its value,' how can it be determined to be fair and reasonable, so as not to hinder merchants or waste national funds? The distances to the military camps in different prefectures vary, and the subsidy calculation is complicated. If officials manipulate the process and create further problems, what should we do? Can the officials in charge of purchasing goods in Hebei maintain impartiality and not take the opportunity to suppress prices, exploit the people, and line their own pockets? These are all issues that need to be thoroughly addressed and cannot be discussed in generalities."

"Fourth, your writing must be measured." Song Xiang emphasized in the end, "This is a new policy being promoted by the court, approved by the emperor, and strongly advocated by the three departments. You must affirm the goodness of its intention, conceal its sharpness in meticulous analysis, and embed your suggestions within a sense of crisis. Your policy proposals must be guided by 'reason,' supported by 'principle,' and measured by 'measure.'"

Lu Beigu quickly wrote down the main points Song Xiang had made.

"The student will keep in mind the teachings of Lord Song."

"Ah."

Seeing his serious expression, Song Xiang softened his tone and gave him a rare clear affirmation: "Your policy on current affairs has indeed improved a lot since you first came to Kaifeng. Now, in terms of this alone, you already have the air of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)."

Lu Beigu was somewhat excited, but he knew that 99% of his progress was due to his teacher. Song Xiang not only provided a constant stream of current affairs reports as practice questions, but also, with his decades of experience in the central government, he dissected and explained the underlying mechanisms, key points, interests, and public sentiment behind every new policy and old system, and every political event in the court.

This kind of vision, this ability to look down on the big picture from the center of power, and this wisdom to understand the ways of the world, is something that those professors in the Imperial Academy who spend their lives studying can never teach.

"The teaching can no longer focus on current affairs, as the Ministry of Rites provincial examination is imminent, with only eighty-odd days left, and time is very tight."

Lu Beigu's expression hardened.

“The focus needs to shift to the topic,” Song Xiang set the tone. “The topic emphasizes the exposition of principles, the citation of classics, and the refinement of language, which is different from your strength in current affairs policy.”

"However, we cannot completely abandon the strategy of adapting to the times, lest we become rusty when the time comes. We must proceed in parallel without contradiction."

After a moment's thought, Song Xiang picked up his brush and wrote a few lines on a plain sheet of paper, the ink dripping freely.

After writing, he handed the paper to Lu Beigu.

"The Imperial Academy has recently appointed a new assistant instructor for the four subjects, named Song Tang, who is also from Shu like you."

Song Xiang introduced him, saying, “This man is an expert in current affairs and has authored dozens of chapters of ‘Meng Shu’, as well as books such as ‘New Interpretations of the Spring and Autumn Annals,’ ‘Seven Vermin,’ and ‘Northwest Folk Sayings.’ He is highly regarded among the scholars of Kaifeng. This time, Hanlin Academician Zhao Gai and I jointly recommended him, and the Emperor specially appointed him. Although he is a commoner, he has been able to teach at the Imperial Academy.”

Lu Beigu looked at the information on the paper, and a thought struck him.

The Imperial Academy? He had heard of that place before. Most of the students there were not focused on their studies, and the academic atmosphere was lax. It was said that there were often more professors and teaching assistants giving lectures than students attending, making it a "spectacle" of the imperial court's system of training scholars.

“If you have nothing else to do every morning, go to the Imperial Academy to listen to his lectures.”

Song Xiang instructed, "It will not only allow you to review current affairs policies, but also broaden your horizons. The Imperial Academy's library can also be put to good use."

"Being able to legitimately 'sit in' classes at the Imperial Academy is a good opportunity," Lu Beigu thought to himself.

He immediately recalled that a few days ago at the Qingsong Society gathering, Cheng Hao had warmly invited him to go to the Imperial Academy to visit Zhou Dunyi, who was famous for his essay "On the Love of Lotus" and was now a Doctor of the Imperial Academy.

I'll take this opportunity to visit them as well.

Lu Beigu was quite looking forward to meeting this senior who was highly praised by Cheng Hao, and who was both learned and of noble character.

"All right."

Song Xiang said no more, his gaze falling on the classics on the bookshelf: "Now, I will explain to you in detail how to approach this provincial examination topic, how to establish the theme, how to draw citations, how to write the essay, and how to stand out here."

He randomly turned to a page, which was "Mencius: Gongsun Chou Part 1".

Let's begin with this 'righteous spirit'.

Inside the study, Lu Beigu embarked on a new journey. Although the provincial examination was drawing ever closer, his abilities, which had been at a new bottleneck after the prefectural examination, were beginning to show signs of explosive breakthrough under Song Xiang's constant guidance.

(End of this chapter)