Huangming

Chapter 167 The Imperial Ceremony at the Imperial Palace, the Purple Steed Soaring Through the Frost

On the seventh day of the second month of the first year of the Tianqi reign, which was the day before the imperial examination.

In the northeast corner of the inner city of Beijing, in the Chongjiaofang neighborhood, a crowd gathered in front of a temple with flying eaves and bracket sets next to Andingmen.

Those who came and went were all dressed in Confucian robes and wore square caps; they were all well-read scholars.

Above the vermilion-lacquered mountain gate hangs a plaque made of golden nanmu wood, with five gilded characters personally inscribed by the emperor: "Temple of the Supreme Sage Teacher".

Hundreds of scholars dressed in traditional robes stood in order in front of the Temple of Confucius, holding incense sticks.

Amidst wisps of smoke, the crowd recited the first chapter of "The Great Learning" in unison, their voices like the rustling of pine trees.

Among the crowd, three people lined up and took turns offering incense.

The leader was a young man named Lu Xiang-sheng, who came from Yixing County, Changzhou Prefecture, Southern Zhili.

Lu Xiang-sheng stood tall and straight, his brows revealing a youthful vigor. Holding incense sticks, he bowed three times respectfully, silently reciting the way of the sages, not seeking fame or fortune.

This was his first imperial examination, and he was arrogant and determined to win first place.

Beside him, Cheung Chau's Wen Zhenmeng, with his temples slightly frosted, was composed, yet his eyes still burned like torches. He was reciting the Analects in a low voice, as if conversing with the ancient sages.

This is Wen Zhenmeng's tenth attempt at the imperial examination. He is now forty-seven years old and has not yet become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), yet his temples are already gray.

He didn't pray for winning the championship; he only hoped that he wouldn't fail this time.

If I don't become an official soon, I'll really be too old.

Huang Daozhou, a native of Zhangpu County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, looked solemn as he lightly stroked the draft of his self-written policy essay in his sleeve, as if he were asking Confucius for an opportunity to write a profound essay.

Incense smoke swirled inside the hall, and the flickering flames in the bronze incense burner illuminated the plaques bearing the names of scholars who had passed the imperial examinations throughout history.

After paying homage to Confucius, Wen Zhenmeng stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before suddenly speaking: "Tomorrow is the imperial examination. If we can submit our poems and essays to Grand Secretaries Fang Congzhe, Liu Yizhu, and Zhu Guozuo today, we might gain some reputation in advance, which will be beneficial both inside and outside the examination hall. Would you all like to join us?"

Wen Zhenmeng himself couldn't afford to delay any longer. As long as he could pass the imperial examination, he was willing to use any amount of underhanded tactics.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiang-sheng frowned and immediately shook his head, saying, "The selection of officials through the imperial examinations should be based on their true talents and learning, not on currying favor with the powerful and wealthy. Although I am young, I disdain such a path!"

His tone was resolute, and his gaze was piercing; he was clearly unwilling to humble himself and beg for help.

Looking at Lu Xiangsheng, Wen Zhenmeng felt as if he were looking at himself more than 20 years ago.

He was just as arrogant back then, but what was the result?
His repeated failures had worn down his edges.

Hopefully, this younger generation will not follow in his footsteps.

Huang Daozhou pondered for a long time before finally nodding slowly: "What Brother Wen said is not entirely without reason. Although submitting papers is not the right way, if one can get some guidance, one may avoid taking detours."

He still looked hesitant, but ultimately decided to give it a try.

Seeing this, Wen Zhenmeng smiled slightly and said, "In that case, Jian Dou can compete based on his talent. Youxuan and I will go and give it a try."

After saying this, the two bowed and said goodbye. Lu Xiang-sheng turned and left alone, his back straight as a pine tree, clearly indicating that his mind was made up.

After leaving the Confucius Temple, Lu Xiang-sheng passed by the Imperial College and saw a newsboy selling newspapers on the street, so he bought a copy of the newly published Huangming Daily, issue number twenty-one.

Back at the clubhouse, he pushed open the door, brushed the dust off his robes, sat down at the wooden table, and began to read the newspaper carefully.

Seeing his focused expression, Ma Shiqi, a fellow scholar in the same dormitory, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Lu, are there any interesting stories in today's newspaper?"

Both were candidates from Southern Zhili, and their accents were similar, so they hit it off immediately. Now that they were in the same room, they felt even closer.

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled slightly, moved the newspaper to the center, and said, "Brother Ma, take a look. There are a few articles in this issue that are quite worth reading."

Lu Xiang-sheng and Ma Shi-qi leaned closer to examine it, and saw that the front page of the *Huangming Daily* prominently featured the headline: "His Majesty's spring hunt at Mulan was a display of unparalleled divine might. In a single day, he shot and killed 310 wild boars, 10 tigers, and 30 jackals, not to mention countless deer. His bow was drawn like a full moon, and his arrows flew like shooting stars. Truly, he is the greatest archer of our Great Ming!"

Ma Shiqi clapped his hands in amazement: "Your Majesty is so valiant, he rivals the heroic spirit of Emperor Chengzu's northern expedition!"

Lu Xiang-sheng naturally admired the emperor's demeanor and wished he could personally meet the legendary emperor.

Lu Xiang-sheng bought and read every issue of the Huangming Daily after he arrived in the capital.

The articles he read often broadened his horizons. The two continued reading the *Huangming Daily*, and the second article read: "During His Majesty's spring hunt, he happened to be at the hunting grounds and saw refugees along the way, their faces sallow and emaciated, their clothes barely covering their bodies. His Majesty was moved and immediately ordered his accompanying eunuchs to distribute provisions and money. Upon returning to the capital, His Majesty even cancelled the spring hunt celebrations and ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate grain to relieve the disaster victims in Jibei Zhili. Truly, he is a ruler like Yao and Shun."

After reading it, Ma Shiqi's eyes reddened slightly, and he clapped his hands in praise: "Your Majesty's ability to reflect on your own actions when you see the suffering of the people is truly a blessing for all!"

Lu Xiang-sheng nodded and said, "Having such a wise ruler is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty, but if the disaster relief funds are not deducted at every level and reach the hands of the disaster victims directly, then it will be a true sage government."

Both men knew that the bureaucracy was riddled with problems, and that even with a wise and benevolent ruler, things would inevitably be distorted and deformed after passing through layers of officials.

But Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes shone brightly as he said to Ma Shi-qi with great conviction, "It is precisely because the administration is corrupt that upright officials are needed to stand firm in the midst of the storm! Since His Majesty cares for the people, we should use integrity as our sword to sweep away the treacherous officials for the Emperor!"

Lu Xiang-sheng read through the next few articles, and when he came across the military report about Liaodong, the dim light in the room illuminated the heroic spirit emanating from his brows: "Brother Ma, it seems that we must not only rectify the officialdom, but also build a new Great Wall for the Ming Dynasty! The mere Jurchens, I, Lu Xiang-sheng, will also clean them up for His Majesty after I pass the imperial examination."

Upon hearing this, Ma Shiqi couldn't help but joke, "Brother Lu, you've made some bold remarks. Don't fail this time, or I'll laugh at you for the rest of your life."

Lu Xiang-sheng raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly, "Brother Ma, don't worry. I will definitely not let you have your way in this imperial examination! If you fail, I will gladly accept three cups of punishment wine from you; if you pass, Brother Ma, you must prepare a congratulatory gift and treat me to a hearty drink!"

"It's easy to talk about."

The two exchanged a smile and continued reading the Huangming Daily.

After a long time.

Lu Xiang-sheng closed the "Huangming Daily," his heart pounding with turmoil. He tapped his knuckles on the table and said, "If we have such a wise ruler, what does it matter if we die a martyr's death!"

Clearly, Lu Xiang-sheng was energized by the content of the Huangming Daily.

Ma Shiqi frowned and pondered: "If Your Majesty is a sage ruler, why do the memorials of the Donglin scholars repeatedly mention the phrase 'eunuchs obscuring the sage'? The lectures of the Fushe Society even subtly criticized Your Majesty for not being virtuous and accomplished despite being in your prime?"
"Ah!"

Lu Xiang-sheng sneered and slammed his teacup down, saying, "It's nothing more than those officials seeing His Majesty's absolute power and feeling they've lost their opportunity to abuse it!"

He pointed to the disaster relief edict in the Huangming Daily on the table and said, "Look at this decree that exempts people from taxes and levies, how many people's pockets have been touched?"

"Let's look at today's imperial edict in the Huangming Daily:"

Since I received the Mandate of Heaven and ascended the throne, I have been diligent and cautious day and night, wearing no more than eight sets of clothes daily, and reducing my annual provisions by more than half. Recently, I heard that refugees lined the roads in the capital region, and the dead starved to death were everywhere. This is all because of my lack of virtue, my inability to meet the will of Heaven above and comfort the hopes of the people below. Thinking of this in the middle of the night, I am drenched in sweat. I hereby order the relevant officials to immediately distribute 100,000 shi of grain from the Imperial Granary for relief, and also order the Nine Ministers to each report on the shortcomings of the current administration, which I will personally review.”

The more Lu Xiang-sheng read, the more moved he became.

"His Majesty is such a wise and benevolent ruler, but aren't all those Grand Secretaries and Ministers just reading the classics while engaging in corrupt practices? This Ming Dynasty's officialdom needs our reform!"

The two engaged in heated political debate, oblivious to the passage of time.

Finally, Ma Shiqi, his mouth dry, looked up at the deepening twilight outside the window, his brow furrowing. He hurriedly tugged at Lu Xiang-sheng's sleeve and said, "Brother Lu! The search for entry will begin at 3:45 AM. If we continue this discussion, we might miss the submission time!"

Lu Xiang-sheng then realized that the stars outside the window were setting in the west, and the faint sound of a night watchman's clapper could be heard coming from the direction of Chongjiaofang.

He quickly closed the Huangming Daily and said with a wry smile, "Brother Ma is right. If we miss the exam because of discussing politics, wouldn't we be letting down the three sticks of incense burned in front of the Temple of Confucius?"

"Conserve your energy and recharge so you can truly shine in the examination hall. Let's see who comes out on top tomorrow!"

The two then blew out the candles and went to bed.

At 1:15 AM, the capital was still shrouded in the chill of the approaching dawn.

Ma Shiqi's eyes were dark and bluish. He scooped up a handful of cold well water and splashed it on his face, trying to clear his head.

He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, his mind filled with classical texts and his ambitions for fame and fortune.

Although Lu Xiang-sheng slept a little more soundly, he still looked somewhat tired from their deep conversation the night before.

After silently washing up, the two carefully packed their writing brushes, inkstones, dry food, and water into their examination baskets.

When the wooden door of the guild hall was pushed open, the sky in the direction of the examination hall was already tinged with a crab-shell blue.

Lu Xiang-sheng unconsciously clenched his fist, his knuckles turning slightly white in the lamplight.

He was determined to pass the imperial examination with flying colors for the first time in his life!

He wants to be the top scholar!
(End of this chapter)