Song Xiu

Chapter 144 The Discussion on Going to Hua for the Imperial Examination
Sunlight shone on the bluestone steps outside the examination hall, illuminating the long queue that stretched out outside.

Among the long line of people, some were scions of wealthy families dressed in fine clothes, but the majority were poor people dressed in plain clothes.

Many figures in plain clothes, like new seedlings breaking through the soil in early spring, were crowding towards the registration area below the examination hall.

The yamen runners from Kaifeng Prefecture were already on site, maintaining order outside the examination hall.

In the eyes of many yamen runners, this year's examination hall was very different from previous years.

Many of the yamen runners were seeing a large number of simply dressed students outside the examination hall for the first time.

As far as I can remember, the examination halls in the past seemed to be mostly open only to the sons of officials.

What's even more unusual is that the sons of officials and nobles would incongruously gather together with the sons of commoners, all registering for the imperial examinations at the same time.

This is the energy brought about by the new imperial examination policy.

Since this is a special course, everyone should be treated equally.

Regardless of their background, as long as they have a clean record, the imperial court will grant them a chance to take the provincial examination.

Faced with this rare opportunity, let alone those from humble backgrounds, which scion of a prominent family wouldn't be tempted?

To obtain this opportunity, there is a prerequisite: everyone must personally register outside the examination hall.

Zhou Wei arrived at the examination hall relatively quickly, but he was still a step too late and found himself stuck in the middle of the long queue.

From Zhou Wei's perspective, the person standing in front of him was a well-dressed scion of a prominent family.

What Zhou Wei didn't know was that the scion of a prominent family standing before him, named Zhang Quhua, was quite influential.

Zhang Quhua, courtesy name Xinchen, was the son of the minister Zhang Yi.

Zhang Quhua studied diligently from a young age and was skilled in poetry and prose. During the Zhou Dynasty, he was appointed as a temple attendant through his father's influence.

When Emperor Shizong of Zhou pacified Huainan, Zhang Quhua presented "Ode to the Southern Expedition" and "On Governing the People," which won the emperor's appreciation. He was then appointed as the chief clerk of the Censorate. He was only eighteen years old that year.

However, Zhang Quhua felt that the position of registrar was too beneath him given his talents, so he resigned and returned to his hometown to study diligently behind closed doors.

After years of studying poetry and literature, Zhang Quhua heard that the Song Dynasty had been established, so he returned to the capital and used his writings to gain access to the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles. He was appreciated by the minister Li Fang and gradually became famous in the capital.

Zhang Quhua originally did not plan to enter officialdom this year; he wanted to spend some more time cultivating his reputation in Bianjing.

Zhang Quhua still harbored resentment over his former position as "registrar".

Zhang Quhua cultivated his reputation so that the imperial court would actively recruit him, thus proving his abilities.

However, the new agricultural policies of the imperial court this year forced Zhang Quhua to change his mind.

The Zhang family was a well-known local powerful clan in the capital region. Under the crackdown on "land census", the Zhang family suffered heavy losses.

For this reason, Zhang had no choice but to accept the olive branch extended by the imperial court.

As an important figure in the family, Zhang Quhua could no longer act willfully.

A simple comparison of the disparity in the early lives of Zhou Wei and Zhang Quhua is enough to give a glimpse into the vast difference between the poor and the aristocratic families of their time.

While walking in line, Zhang Quhua couldn't help but cover the tip of her nose with a handkerchief.

Because many of the team members come from impoverished backgrounds, those with poor living conditions tend to neglect personal hygiene.

The unpleasant odor emanating from the surroundings intensified Zhang Quhua's aversion, a feeling that stemmed from his privileged upbringing.

"This world is becoming more and more absurd."

Throughout history, when have we ever seen noble sons of officials and noble families living together with poor and uncultured children?

"The world is going to the dogs; I wonder when the virtuous rule of the Tang Dynasty will be restored."

When Zhang Quhua's father, Zhang Yi, was alive, he often spoke to the court with many high-ranking officials, urging the court to restore the "virtuous governance of the Tang Dynasty" as soon as possible.

The virtuous governance that this group of officials and their sons spoke of had nothing to do with anything else but that "the upper class has no poor scholars and the lower class has no noble families."

Even though he covered his nose with a beautiful handkerchief, the smell that Zhang Quhua found repulsive still wafted over from time to time.

The stench filled Zhang Quhua with disgust as he looked at the many people in plain clothes in front of and behind him.

Just as Zhang Quhua was about to lose his temper, he finally reached the registration desk.

As if granted a pardon, Zhang Quhua took out his household registration certificate from his sleeve and handed it to the Ministry of Rites official in charge of registration.

The household registration certificate was a form of identification issued by the government in that era. Anyone residing in Kaifeng was required to carry a household registration certificate issued by the government.

Because Zhang Quhua came from a powerful family in the capital region, his household registration information was quite extensive, so much so that officials from the Ministry of Rites could immediately tell that he was of extraordinary origin.

Upon learning Zhang Quhua's name, the official from the Ministry of Rites first pondered, then expressed surprise.

"So you are Zhang Xinchen, who has recently gained quite a reputation for talent in the city?"

When the official from the Ministry of Rites said this, his tone naturally carried a hint of flattery.

Zhang Quhua was quite pleased with the tone of the Ministry of Rites official.

Zhang Quhua regained his arrogant confidence from the flattery of the Ministry of Rites officials.

"It is indeed I who am unworthy."

Looking at the dignified Zhang Quhua, the official from the Ministry of Rites felt even more favorably disposed towards him. He quickly wrote out an "examination admission ticket" and handed it to Zhang Quhua.

"With Xinchen's talent and reputation, passing the imperial examination this year is a certainty."

According to regulations, before issuing "examination permits," officials from the Ministry of Rites were supposed to conduct some tests to prove that the students who came to register had a certain level of literary foundation.

However, given Zhang Quhua's reputation and status, this step of the examination was directly waived by the officials of the Ministry of Rites.

After receiving his "examination admission ticket" from the Ministry of Rites official, Zhang Quhua sensed the envy in the eyes of the poor students behind him.

This made Zhang Quhua even more proud, and he left the examination hall with his head held high.

After Zhang Quhua left, Zhou Wei stepped forward.

Upon seeing Zhou Wei's attire, the officials from the Ministry of Rites immediately stopped smiling.

"Household allowance".

The cold tone was directed at Zhou Wei.

However, Zhou Wei, who was used to being discriminated against, did not take it to heart.

Zhou Wei carefully took out the household registration certificate from his pocket and handed it to the official from the Ministry of Rites.

When the Ministry of Rites official saw the uninteresting information on the household registration notices, he lost interest. However, just as he was distributing the "examination admission tickets," a brief message on the notices caught his attention.

"You were originally from the Southern Han?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites spoke with a hint of doubt.

The majority of the students who registered today are originally from the Central Plains. After all, it is rare to see someone as good at traveling as Zhou Wei.

Seeing that the officials from the Ministry of Rites were suspicious, Zhou Wei quickly explained:
"I have admired the king's rule for many years and moved into the territory of the Great Song Dynasty."

Zhou Wei's explanation did not dispel the suspicions of the Ministry of Rites officials.

Just as the atmosphere in the room froze, a voice came from the side:
"Isn't Lingnan part of the Song Dynasty's territory?"

Upon hearing this, the officials from the Ministry of Rites immediately changed their expressions.

The one who said this was Xue Juzheng, who had just arrived at the venue.

Knowing how much Zhao Dexiu valued the new imperial examination policy, Xue Juzheng decided to take a look outside the examination hall after finishing his official duties.

When Xue Juzheng arrived, he saw officials within the ministry making things difficult for Zhou Wei.

On the surface, this official from the Ministry of Rites was worried that spies from enemy countries might infiltrate the imperial examinations, but in reality, this concern was completely unfounded.

To enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, one needed genuine knowledge and skills.

If one could serve in the Song Dynasty, why would one condescend to be a spy whose life hangs in the balance?
Besides, there are no spies; they've been mingling among the refugees for years.

Upon seeing that it was Xue Juzheng, the officials from the Ministry of Rites quickly stood up and bowed.

The King of Jin once said: "It is not that there are no talented people in the world, but who will be more lenient with them?"
"It seems you cannot understand this matter." After saying this, Xue Juzheng gestured for a trusted confidant behind him to step forward and replace the official.

After seeing that everything had been rearranged, Xue Juzheng turned and left with a look of relief on his face.

Fortunately, I was feeling unsettled today and came to this examination hall.

Otherwise, if his subordinates act unfairly, leading some students to beat the petition drum, his official career would basically be over.

Although Xue Juzheng has passed away, his words have been heard by many students.

"It's not that there aren't talented people in the world; who can be more lenient with them?"

Upon careful consideration of this sentence, the meaning of "who" in Zhou Wei's dialogue became clearer.

June of the second year of the Jianlong reign of the Great Song Dynasty.

Since the announcement of the new imperial examination policy, a surge of enthusiasm for registering for the exams has emerged in Kaifeng.

This surge of enthusiasm lasted for nearly a month in Kaifeng.

During this month, all the officials in the Ministry of Rites were extremely busy.

It is necessary to verify the identity of the applicants and at the same time conduct a basic assessment of their academic knowledge.

Fortunately, in this day and age, it is easy to tell whether a person is cultured or not.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to compile a preliminary list in a month.

When Xue Juzheng presented the newly compiled list to Zhao Dexiu, a troubled look appeared on his face again.

"Your Highness, there are nearly three thousand students participating in the provincial examination this time."

The students who participated in the provincial examination this year are mainly divided into two groups.

One group consists of people who originally possessed the certificate of release; over two years, this number has accumulated to approximately one thousand.

With nearly a hundred prefectures across the country, sending only a thousand students to the imperial court over two years sounds like a really small number.

However, this is common in chaotic times.

In the chaotic times, bandits roamed freely, and many students far from Bianjing, even if they had a letter of introduction, would find it difficult to reach Bianjing due to perilous objective reasons.

Aside from the factor of war, the standard that "business and miscellaneous categories" were not allowed to take the exams, and the local governments' bias towards powerful clans within their borders, also prevented many talented people from participating in the imperial examinations normally.

Therefore, when the imperial court relaxed the reference standards, nearly two thousand qualified students suddenly emerged in the capital region.

Xue Juzheng looked troubled, mainly because there were too many students participating in the provincial examination this time, and the examination hall could not accommodate them all.

Almost none of the emperors of the Five Dynasties period valued civil administration.

The examination hall in Kaifeng was not large; under normal circumstances, it could only accommodate a maximum of a thousand people taking the imperial examination at the same time.

The number of students taking the exams has tripled, which has greatly troubled Xue Juzheng.

Seeing Xue Juzheng's worried expression, Zhao Dexiu asked:

"Does Lord Xue, who is in charge of the Ministry of Rites, have no way to respond to the situation?"

Zhao Dexiu understood Xue Juzheng's predicament, but as an important official of the court, if Xue Juzheng was helpless when faced with a problem, it was time for him to retire.

When Zhao Dexiu inquired, Xue Juzheng cupped his hands and said:

"I do have a solution that can be used as a temporary measure."

As soon as Zhao Dexiu asked, Xue Juzheng said he had a solution, leaving Zhao Dexiu speechless.

But Zhao Dexiu quickly realized that Old Xue must have already planned a solution and was deliberately trying to make a scene by crying about his difficulties.

The principle that "a skilled warrior achieves no great feats" does not apply to politics.

After understanding Xue Juzheng's intention, Zhao Dexiu couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing—he was a shrewd official.

However, it is not necessarily a bad thing for a subject to have the desire to perform; it is better than slacking off.

"Feel free to speak your mind if you have any countermeasures."

If handled properly, I will remember your contribution.

Upon hearing Zhao Dexiu's words, the worry on Xue Juzheng's face immediately vanished.

"After reviewing historical records, I found that during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, there was a story of setting up an examination hall in the palace for nearly 10,000 candidates to take the imperial examination."

Although our dynasty's palaces are not as vast as those of the Tang Dynasty, with proper planning, accommodating three thousand scholars is not difficult.

Zhao Dexiu nodded in agreement with Xue Juzheng's suggestion.

This method is indeed good.

The Imperial Examination Hall of the Ministry of Rites was small in scale, but the area of ​​the Kaifeng Imperial City was quite large.

Zhao Dexiu also remembered that because Zhao Kuangyin's harem was not very prosperous, many palaces in the imperial city were empty for many years.

Since they're all empty anyway, why not use them to do something beneficial for the country?

It involves the imperial city, and this matter requires Zhao Kuangyin's approval.

"Lord Xue may submit a memorial to His Majesty for a wise decision."

This is the standard procedure.

Xue Juzheng deliberately brought up this matter in front of Zhao Dexiu to show that he was willing to use him.

Xue Juzheng had always had a good reputation, and since he was pragmatic, Zhao Dexiu was willing to befriend him.

After guiding Xue Juzheng to sit down, Zhao Dexiu asked:
"I know very little about the chief examiner, Mr. Zhang, and I hope Mr. Xue can enlighten me."

The "Zhang Gong" mentioned by Zhao Dexiu refers to Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao inherited his family's scholarly traditions from a young age and focused on the study of the classics, mastering the profound meanings of the Nine Classics at a young age.

Zhang Zhao first served under Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty, and later served as a Hanlin Academician, an official in charge of relocating the capital, and was responsible for compiling the history of the Later Tang Dynasty.

Later, during a series of dynastic changes, starting from the Zhou Dynasty, Zhang Zhao was promoted to Minister of War and enfeoffed as Duke of Shu.

Although Zhang Zhao's title of Duke of Shu was revoked after the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin still held this living fossil of the Five Dynasties in high esteem.

As soon as Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, he appointed Zhang Zhao as Minister of Personnel.

It should be noted that after Zhao Kuangyin became emperor, he never lightly appointed ministers. Currently, most of the ministers in the Six Ministries are actually vice ministers.

Only Zhang Zhao was the upright and honorable head of the Ministry of Personnel.

In Zhao Kuangyin's recent edict, Zhang Zhao was listed as the chief examiner for the first imperial examination of the Song Dynasty.

The chief examiner was directly related to the selection of talent in the first imperial examination of the Song Dynasty, which made Zhao Dexiu want to learn more about Zhang Zhao's character.

In official circles, Zhang Zhao was known as a man of high moral character and profound knowledge.

However, an official's image can be created and packaged.

Zhao Dexiu's question made Xue Juzheng ponder for a while.

After some thought, Xue Juzheng realized he couldn't use "official reputation" as an excuse.

Therefore, Xue Juzheng spoke up:
When the poor students in the city learned that it was Princess Zhang who was taking the exam, they were overjoyed and said, "The day when we pass the exam is not far away."

As the head of the Ministry of Rites, Xue Juzheng could easily find out what was going on among the students.

After explaining the thoughts of the students from poor families, Xue Juzheng then said:
“I have worked with Lord Zhang before. Lord Zhang is upright and incorruptible, and is by no means an unjust person.”

Xue Juzheng's words surprised Zhao Dexiu.

Knowing that every word Xue Juzheng uttered was crucial to his future impression of him, Xue Juzheng still dared to almost vouch for him.

It seems that Zhang Zhao's character is indeed impeccable.

With that in mind, Zhao Dexiu felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)