Song Xiu

Chapter 145 Dragon Tour Examination Hall: Praise and Acclaim (Bonus Chapter!)
On the 20th day of the sixth month of the second year of the Jianlong era of the Great Song Dynasty, according to the fortune teller in the city, today is an auspicious day!
As dawn broke, a magnificent scene unfolded along the palace road outside the Chuigong Hall.

Three thousand students, arranged in ten rows according to the number plates issued by the Ministry of Rites, stood neatly and quietly on both sides of the palace road, waiting to enter the palace gate.

About thirty paces outside the palace gate, several officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue held up a roster containing information on the students participating in the imperial examination that day.

At the top of the three thousand students was the "Jiezi," who participated in the scientific expedition according to the normal procedures.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the thousand or so people at the forefront were mostly sons of noble families dressed in fine clothes, their faces radiating arrogance, a stark contrast to the many commoners behind them.

The stark difference in clothing acted as a dividing line, clearly separating the children of noble families from those from humble backgrounds.

After a Ministry of Rites official struck a gong, the students at the front stepped forward one by one to match their petitions with the roster.

Only after the officials of the Ministry of Rites confirmed each student's information with vermilion ink could the students continue walking forward.

At the palace gate, there was a troop of burly imperial guards.

After the students arrived at the palace gate, each of them had to remove their outer garments and belts, and then be personally searched by elite imperial guards.

This hurdle took many students by surprise.

During the Five Dynasties period, the rites and music system collapsed, and many dynasties did not take a serious attitude towards searching for candidates for the imperial examinations.

In the past, some students were even able to enter the examination room without being searched.

At this checkpoint, many of the guards found notes hidden on the bodies of the clerks.

When the note appeared in the hands of the Imperial Guards, some of the offending guards cried, some were terrified, and some even shouted.

Regardless of their actions, the imperial guards, under the strict orders of the Prince of Jin, would show no mercy.

The Imperial Guards slapped the illegal escorts unconscious, and the escorts, lying on the ground like rag dolls, were dragged by the Imperial Guards to the Ministry of Justice office nearby.

Zhao Dexiu, acting on the emperor's orders, was given full authority over the imperial examinations of the new dynasty.

Under Zhao Dexiu's arrangement, most of the heads of the six ministries are present today.

Faced with Jie Zi who dared to cheat, Zhao Dexiu focused on timely punishment.

Once the unlawful prisoners were dragged to the Ministry of Justice's office, a senior official from the Ministry of Justice immediately struck the gavel and sternly announced their punishment:
"This will be recorded, he will be banned from taking the exam for life, and will be given ten lashes."

Most of the Jiezi, who came from aristocratic families, were so frightened by the punishment that they burst into tears.

Compared to the punishment of flogging, the punishment of being banned from taking exams for life was much harder for them to accept.

The cries and pleas for mercy reached the palace gates, serving as a warning to many students. As for those with guilty consciences, they directly cried out and confessed their crimes.

At this moment, the scions of noble families no longer possessed much of their former arrogance.

But that's not all that awaits the cheating sons of noble families.

After the Ministry of Justice official made the punishment, the Imperial Censor stepped forward and began to inquire about the corruption and dereliction of duty by officials outside the palace.

Before the three thousand students entered Xuande Gate, the first checkpoint was set up outside the palace.

If there were no corrupt officials, how could these aristocratic scions have managed to bring the notes into the palace?
The Imperial Censor's question meant that countless officials would be thrown into prison the next day.

Zhou Wei followed the main group forward. After successfully passing through the palace gates, listening to the commotion coming from afar, he thought disdainfully:
"Having already entered the Dragon Gate, how dare I cheat!"

As soon as the thousands of students stepped into the palace gates, they saw that the area inside and outside the palace had been divided into sections.

Thousands of desks were neatly arranged in their respective areas, quietly awaiting the arrival of the students.

Fortunately, Zhou Wei was assigned to a position inside the palace.

Led by officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Zhou Wei walked towards the west side of the hall.

On each table on the west side of the Chuigong Hall, characters are engraved in the order of the Thousand Character Classic.

The characters on the desk corresponded one by one to the wooden plaques issued to the students by the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

After respectfully taking the wooden plaque, Zhou Wei searched for his place.

Almost simultaneously with Zhou Wei sat down, Zhang Quhua began to survey everything in the hall.

Each important location inside the palace was guarded by a member of the Imperial Guard who had served in battle.

The Imperial Guards, imbued with a bloodthirsty aura, not only bear the responsibility of protection but also serve to intimidate the examinees.

The fear of warriors among intellectuals is an instinct developed over many years.

Thanks to the orderly command of the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, it did not take long for all the students to enter the hall and take their seats.

After the students were seated, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices read aloud:

"Anyone who dares to whisper or look around will be punished for the crime of great disrespect!"

Compared to the examination hall, the candidates inside and outside the hall could not be directly separated.

However, the imperial examination was subject to a "nine clans supervision law".

Upon hearing the announcement from the official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, every examinee shuddered. The bloodthirsty aura filling the hall made them dare not make the slightest move.

After intimidating the candidates, officials from the Ministry of Rites entered the room carrying the examination papers, which were then distributed to the students one by one.

However, without the order to "open the book," not a single student dared to make a move.

After all the exam papers were distributed, a few heavy chimes rang out, and the order to start writing was given to each candidate.

For a moment, thousands of students inside and outside the hall bowed their heads simultaneously.

The sound of thousands of sleeves brushing against the table brought a smile to Zhao Dexiu's face as he stood high up in the hall.

Today, Zhao Dexiu was not wearing his magnificent royal robes.

He regarded himself as an ordinary official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, hiding among the other examination officials.

Seeing all the students bowing their heads in unison, Zhao Dexiu couldn't help but think of herself in her previous life when she participated in the college entrance examination.

At that time, he was filled with excitement and trepidation.

Compared to students of later generations, the excitement in the hearts of students of today must be even more intense.

Because those who performed well in the imperial examinations could directly enter officialdom.

Zhao Dexiu scanned the hall with his eyes and noticed that many students did not immediately start writing after seeing the exam questions, as if they were surprised.

It's natural that there will be surprises.

According to the common practice of the imperial examinations at that time, the Jinshi degree was mainly tested on poetry and prose.

Since Zhao Dexiu had the power to control the imperial examinations, he would not allow this practice to continue in the examinations.

What's the use of writing the best poems, lyrics, and songs?
The new policies are sweeping across the country, and everything is in need of rebuilding. What the nation needs are capable people with genuine insight and wisdom.

As for art students who excel in certain subjects but are weak in others, it's not too late to consider admitting them at a later time.

Today's test questions were personally determined by Zhao Dexiu.

Zhou Wei's face showed surprise as soon as he saw the test questions.

Some commentators today say: The laws of the previous dynasty were not necessarily perfect; they should be reformed if possible, and not be followed blindly.

The question is: Does this new policy benefit the country? Does it benefit the people? Should it be abolished or implemented? What is the rationale behind it?

The first imperial examination of the year actually tested candidates' knowledge of current affairs.

Furthermore, the exam questions directly used the new policies being implemented by the imperial court as a starting point, hoping that students would express their views.

Recalling the information he had learned before, Zhou Wei instantly guessed that the questions for this year's imperial examination were likely personally set by the Prince of Jin.

Many students shared the same conjecture as Zhou Wei.

However, guessing this point is useless; the key is to figure out how to start writing and create a masterpiece.

After thinking for a while, Zhou Wei picked up the brush on the table and began to write.

Some say: "The previous dynasty is not a good model to follow, and public opinion is not worth heeding."

Unlike Zhou Wei, Zhang Quhua, who was always exceptionally talented, held his brush but hesitated to write the first character.

The fact that the first imperial examination of the new dynasty focused on current affairs is enough to demonstrate the court's commitment to governing the country.

The key point is that Zhang Quhua himself was one of the victims of the new policy. Given that his interests were harmed, how could Zhang Quhua possibly wholeheartedly support the new policy?
Gradually, Zhang Quhua developed a different perspective from Zhou Wei.

The court is now testing the students of the world with new policies. Could it be that His Highness Prince Jin has no confidence in the implementation of these new policies?
Zhang Quhua enjoys reading history books, which show that many reforms failed to materialize due to the lack of resolve among those in power.

Realizing that it was possible to guide the Song Dynasty back to the right path, Zhang Quhua made a plan.

With his brush dipped in ink, Zhang Quhua penned an opening piece praising virtuous governance:

The Book of Documents states, "The essence of governance lies in nourishing the people, taking from them with moderation, and using them with restraint."

As time went on, more and more students began to write.

The process of proctoring the exam was quite boring.

Unable to contain himself, Zhao Dexiu, like a proctor in his previous life, began to survey the hall with his hands behind his back.

Whenever Zhao Dexiu passed by a desk, he would inadvertently glance at the students' answer sheets beneath him.

The students were so engrossed in answering the questions that no one noticed Zhao Dexiu.

As for the officials inside the palace, they all knew Zhao Dexiu's identity and simply pretended not to see his "idleness".

If it weren't for the inappropriateness of being directly among the students, Zhao Dexiu, itching to participate, would have even considered disguising himself as a student and joining the imperial examination that day.

The He family were descendants of He Zhizhang, a famous calligrapher and politician of the Tang Dynasty, who was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the previous dynasty.

Zhao Dexiu felt that with his family's scholarly background, he might also have some talent to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

A slight regret in her heart made Zhao Dexiu take the students' exam papers even more seriously.

Before she knew it, Zhao Dexiu had walked up to Zhang Quhua's side.

After seeing Zhang Quhua's name on the exam paper, Zhao Dexiu thought of someone—Li Fang.

Li Fang was a renowned Confucian scholar of the time and one of the deputy examiners for this imperial examination.

Zhao Dexiu had heard Li Fang praise Zhang Quhua for his extraordinary literary talent, calling him a leading figure among the younger generation.

Even Zhang Zhao, Xue Juzheng, and others held Zhang Quhua in high regard.

With so many people praising him, Zhao Dexiu paid even more attention to Zhang Quhua's exam paper.

"The current court ignores the suffering of the people, readily believes the words of treacherous officials, and hastily changes the system that has been in place for a hundred years. This is not the behavior of a true ruler."

Cruel officials, flattered by the emperor, exploit the people to gain merit; such officials are not true ministers.

"Conflict between superiors and inferiors, unrest both domestically and internationally, is likely not a blessing for the nation."

As soon as he looked, Zhao Dexiu saw this passage.

What kind of nonsense is this?

If this were in the military, Zhao Dexiu would have kicked him right away.

After suppressing the urge to stretch out her leg, Zhao Dexiu calmed herself down, pretended nothing had happened, and continued walking forward.

Whenever the court implements reforms, those who have already benefited from the system inevitably face criticism.

As Zhao Dexiu continued walking forward, his gaze swept over many more students' exam papers.

Most were unremarkable, except for one person:
It is said that the policies of the former kings "adapted to the times but did not deviate from the norm."

The Xia dynasty valued loyalty, the Shang dynasty valued respect, and the Zhou dynasty valued literature. This was not a departure from what came before, but rather an adaptation to the times.

I humbly request that the court understand the reasons for the changes, solidify the new will, strictly govern officials to enforce the law, and ease the burden on the people to ensure the stability of the country.

Within a few years, the treasury will be full, the people will be prosperous, scholars will be knowledgeable in classics, and the army will be strong in battle; then, a peaceful and prosperous era can be expected.

Upon seeing this passage, Zhao Dexiu's eyes lit up.

Along the way, there were indeed supporters of the new policies among the students in the palace.

However, the previous support from students was rather subtle, and only this one person has clearly and firmly expressed support for the new policy.

Moreover, judging from this person's choice of words and sentence structure, his writing skills are not bad.

Although a short passage cannot represent the entire article as being of excellent quality.

But Zhao Dexiu still kept this person's name in her heart—Zhou Wei.

To prevent the use of her power from affecting the impartiality of the grading process, Zhao Dexiu will not participate in the grading process.

However, if Zhou Wei's essay fails to win the favor of the examiners, Zhao Dexiu will recruit Zhou Wei as an official in the Prince's Palace.

When students participated in the imperial examinations during the Tang Dynasty, they usually had to bring their own cooking utensils and bedding.

As this was the first imperial examination of the dynasty, and given its special status, Zhao Dexiu generously took charge of providing meals for thousands of students.

The food wasn't all gourmet, but it ensured that every student had enough to eat and drink.

Zhao Dexiu's kindness is remembered by many students.

As night fell, the once crowded Chuigong Hall became deserted.

Normally, the imperial examination for the Jinshi degree usually lasts for three days and also includes tests on poetry, prose, and classical texts.

However, there were too many candidates taking the exam this time, and Zhao Kuangyin did not want to increase the workload of the examiners, so he specially issued an imperial decree that this imperial examination would only test the theory of current affairs.

If only policy theory is tested, one day is enough.

After thousands of students left the palace, the sealing and copying of the documents officially began.

To prevent officials from the Ministry of Rites from secretly causing trouble, these two matters were temporarily handed over to officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with an Imperial Censor supervising the process.

While the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were organizing the examination papers, Zhang Zhao, the chief examiner, summoned all the deputy examiners to the inner hall of the Chuigong Hall.

In front of the several deputy examiners, Zhang Zhao said:
"His Highness Prince Jin has ordered that our grading work be carried out in the inner palace."

From this moment until all the examination papers have been reviewed, no one may leave the inner palace without permission.

Imperial guards were stationed at all four sides of the palace gates.

Before all the exam papers have been reviewed, no one except the palace maids who deliver meals will enter the inner palace.

His Highness Prince Jin sets a good example; if His Highness does so, I hope that my colleagues present will not be confused in this moment.”

As he said this, Zhang Zhao scanned the entire room with a solemn look.

Zhang Zhao was known as "He would remonstrate with the ruler if he disagreed with him".

Few emperors of the Five Dynasties period escaped his criticism; he dared to criticize even the emperor, let alone his colleagues.
Zhang Zhao's words disappointed the deputy examiners.

In the past, many aristocratic families sent them money and gifts, hoping that they would be lenient when grading their papers.

Now it seems impossible.

Several days later, the rewritten and sealed exam papers were delivered to the examiners.

Unable to harbor any selfish motives, the examiners did their best to review the exam papers fairly.

Xue Juzheng, one of the examiners, was quite pleased with one of the exam papers he saw.

But despite liking it, he was also very hesitant.

Torn between his thoughts, Xue Juzheng brought the article to Zhang Zhao.

After reading the examination paper presented by Xue Juzheng, Zhang Zhao understood why Xue Juzheng was in a difficult position.

In terms of writing style and word choice, this exam paper is of excellent quality. The problem is that the content of this exam paper is a critique of the new policies.

Under Xue Juzheng's conflicted gaze, Zhang Zhao openly stated:
"The key to policy discussion lies in the discussion itself."

"As long as the exam paper is logical and well-written, one should be awarded the honor of being a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)."

The vermilion pen in our hands determines a person's future; do not harbor any thoughts of favoritism or servility.

Zhang Zhao's key points immediately accelerated the examiners' grading progress.

It shouldn't be long before the first batch of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of the Song Dynasty are announced.

(End of this chapter)