Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The drumbeats continued, and Jiang Zhao was deeply moved.

In a single spring imperial examination, over 100,000 candidates were selected from 400,000, and then 300 to 400 were chosen as Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination). The first class consisted of three people, the second class typically consisted of fifty or sixty people, and the third class consisted of around three hundred people.

Four hundred thousand applicants, only three or four hundred will be admitted!

One in a thousand? No, not at all!

In reality, the goal is to be in the top 0.1%.

These are two levels of difficulty.

As the cannons roared at the Dragon Gate, the candidates slowly walked into the examination hall. The initial enthusiasm they had been carrying had already cooled considerably, replaced by a sense of apprehension about the unknown and the fear of failure.

Scientific expeditions are held every three years; how many three-year periods does one have in a lifetime?

"Let's go!"

Jiang Zhao looked towards the scholars from Huaizuo.

The group nodded and stepped forward to queue.

Verify identity, conduct searches to prevent fraud, issue numbers and draw lots, and call out names to enter the examination hall.

Having undergone thousands of years of imperial examinations, the process has become quite smooth. In less than two incense sticks' time, Jiang Zhao had already entered the examination hall.

He was lucky; his quarters were relatively clean.

The imperial examination in spring lasted for nine days and consisted of three sessions. The first session tested candidates' knowledge of classical texts and calligraphy; the second session tested their ability to answer questions about current affairs; and the third session tested their ability to write essays, judgments, imperial edicts, proclamations, and memorials.

Nine days was plenty of time, so Jiang Zhao wasn't in a hurry. He cleaned the house carefully, lit a charcoal brazier, put on his knee pads, and cooked a bowl of soup.

It was early February, and the temperature was still low. A cup of soup warmed me up immediately.

A nine-day scientific expedition is destined to be a protracted battle. Eating and drinking well will help maintain the condition of the expedition.

After a while, Jiang Zhao opened the exam paper. The first question was about the interpretation of classics.

It tests not only the understanding of the teachings of the sages, but also the students' ability to solve and answer questions.

The Book of Documents, in the chapter "Hong Fan", says: "The emperor establishes his ultimate standard."

Just one sentence.

The requirement is that participants must cite the three classics, namely, "Hong Fan," "Zhong Yong," and "Mencius," and answer the questions freely.

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows.

The phrase “皇建其有极” is incomplete. The truly complete version should be: “皇建其有极，敛时五福，用敷锡厥庶民”.

A classic example of the way of a monarch!

This saying means that a ruler should be impartial, upright, and moderate. Once he establishes his own supreme principles and governs the world, the common people will also follow the ruler's principles.

That is, the monarch is the main body of governance, and the five blessings are gathered for the common people.

Solving the problem is not difficult.

According to the commentaries of the Han and Tang dynasties, Kong Yingda said: "Greatly moderate and perfectly upright."

This statement emphasizes impartiality and non-partisanship, which is the key to solving the problem.

Focusing on the two characters "建极" (Jianji), which means the general principle of governance.

The characters “敛” and “敷” should be distinguished. “敛” means to gather the virtue of heaven, while “敷” means to implement education.

Of course, there are other approaches besides these few words, though they may be narrower.

This question isn't difficult to answer in theory, but it's difficult to answer it well and with depth.

After pondering for a while, Jiang Zhao happily picked up his pen: "I have heard that the 'Hong Fan' has nine categories, with the Imperial Standard being the fifth, which is the pivotal point through which the sage bestows blessings upon the common people."

In short, it is grand and righteous, clearly stating the main point.

"The establishment of a supreme ruler does not merely mean sitting idly by doing nothing."

Mencius said: "The Way of Yao and Shun."

"Now that Your Majesty has inherited the throne and is in power, if you wish to follow the ways of the Three Dynasties, you should emulate the admonition in the *Hong Fan* (Great Plan) to refrain from creating blessings. In the past, Emperor Guangwu..."

"Your humble servant is newly appointed and unaware of any taboos, yet dares to offer my humble advice."

After swallowing a bowl of soup, Jiang Zhao felt as if he were divinely inspired, and his literary talent soared.

Before long, an article written in the beautiful official script was completed.

Jiang Zhao paused, then silently pondered the matter.

An already excellent article was revised several times, becoming even more outstanding.

Three days later, the second exam, namely the policy question on current affairs, will begin.

This was the most important exam for both officials and examiners.

A person's ability to formulate policies often reveals whether they have the capacity to govern.

The candidates selected through the imperial examinations were all talented individuals destined for government service, making this examination naturally highly valued.

It is said that the questions for this competition were always set by the emperor or the prime minister.

The Guanzi states: "When granaries are full, people know etiquette." However, today, the Yangtze and Huai rivers are frequently flooded, and the number of displaced people is increasing daily; the border markets in the northwest are desolate, and border supplies are insufficient. What is the explanation?

Jiang Zhao was greatly encouraged.

This is an interesting question.

It requires both a broad perspective and practical feasibility.

It is practically feasible, but for the vast majority of test takers, this is completely unknown.

How can one govern a country if one has never observed it?

That's why Jiang Zhao likes it very much.

The more difficult it is, the easier it is for him to widen the gap between himself and others.

Otherwise, wouldn't five years of observing politics be a waste of time?

"Your subject replied: I have heard that the people are the foundation of the state, and when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace; weapons are the instruments of the state, and when the instruments are sharp, the state is powerful."

Now, the Yangtze and Huai rivers are flooded, and the roads are filled with starving corpses; in the northwest, war is raging, and the soldiers stationed there are not enough warm clothes. These two problems arise simultaneously. If we build dikes to block the rivers, the water will overflow and burst; if we cut flesh to heal a wound, the wound will only deepen. Your subject has carefully consulted ancient precedents and considered the current situation, and hereby presents three solutions in response.

Firstly, to ensure the people's well-being, the congestion in the Yangtze and Huai River basins can be relieved. (Following Geng Xu's suggestion.)

Second, cast Jiayou’s Longping.

Thirdly, border defenses in the northwest.

If the people's suffering is not alleviated, the foundation of the nation will be shaken even if border conflicts are quelled; if military preparedness is neglected, foreign aggression will still occur even if granaries are full. If the three policies of Ever-Normal Granaries, Military Farms, and Market Exchanges are implemented, the displaced people of the Yangtze and Huai River regions will be registered as residents, and the soldiers stationed in the Northwest will become elite warriors; furthermore, with central government coordination and censorate supervision as the link…

The sound of whistling echoed, but only the rustling of the wind answered.

After completing the exam paper, Jiang Zhao blew on the ink to dry it and let out a long sigh of relief.

He touched his forehead and found it was already drenched in sweat.

Compared to other candidates, his answer was good because it was practical and feasible, which was also an advantage of observing politics for five years.

Those candidates who have never actually governed tend to idealize things too easily, without exception!

This is also why there is hardly a significant difference in the strategies and arguments.

In previous years, examiners would pick and choose, reluctantly selecting some essays that were not so idealistic but still had a broad perspective to rank at the top.

Jiang Zhao carefully considered his words once again, revising them two or three times before answering the question.

The following day at noon, Jiang Zhao handed in his paper at a leisurely pace.

With the second round over, the scientific expedition was almost completely finished.

The essays, judgments, edicts, proclamations, and memorials in the third round were not even as valuable as the calligraphic works and interpretations in the first round.

Therefore, this examination was often just a formality.

Of course, even knowing that the third match was not very competitive, Jiang Zhao did not relax in the slightest.

This is a matter of attitude.

These kinds of questions are almost impossible to differentiate, so Jiang Zhao answered them in a standard and conventional way.

Thus, after nine days and six nights, the triennial imperial examination came to an end.

After the candidates finished their exams, the papers were collected, sealed, copied, and compared. The papers were then escorted to the inner court, marking the official start of the examiners' work.

There are many intricacies involved in the subsequent grading process.

This time, there were seventeen examiners: two from the Hanlin Academy, two from the Censorate, and thirteen from the Six Ministries.

These examiners were almost all top scholars or junior scholars, possessing profound knowledge and being quite extraordinary.

This time, the chief and deputy examiners are even more impressive.

The chief examiner, Ouyang Xiu, was appointed Minister of Justice and Grand Master of the Palace, a high-ranking official of the second rank.

In addition, Ouyang Xiu was a leading figure in the literary world of his generation, and enjoyed great prestige among officials.

Generally speaking, the chief examiner and deputy chief examiner of the imperial examinations were a pair of officials of the second rank and the third rank.

This time, because Han Zhang, the Minister of Rites, had not yet arrived in the capital, he recommended Wang Yaochen, the Left Vice Minister of Rites who had recently returned to his post after completing his mourning period, as the deputy chief examiner. The Emperor gladly agreed.

Wang Yaochen, the deputy chief examiner, was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Purple Ribbon, and a high-ranking official of the third rank.

Both Ouyang Xiu and Wang Yaochen were highly respected figures in official circles.

February 10th is an auspicious day.

The seventeen examiners, led by chief examiner Ouyang Xiu and deputy chief examiner Wang Yaochen, burned incense and performed the grand ceremony of three kowtows and nine prostrations before the statue of Confucius.

Afterwards, they swore an oath: The selection of candidates will be based solely on the quality of their writings, without any favoritism. Whether from humble or noble families, the examination papers will be sealed, and all will be chosen based on merit. During the period of seclusion, no correspondence will be exchanged, no private visits will be made, and all requests for favors will be strictly prohibited. If anyone fails to fulfill this sacred trust, or engages in favoritism or corruption, they will willingly suffer divine retribution. If they break this oath, may they be punished by both gods and men, and may their descendants not prosper.

These are all old rules. Ouyang Xiu and Wang Yaochen are both seasoned veterans of officialdom. Even though neither of them had ever presided over the imperial examinations before, it did not prevent them from being familiar with the process.

After completing the required procedures, the chief examiner, Ouyang Xiu, began to discuss the requirements for selecting officials and what kind of examination papers he would place relatively high importance on.

This is not surprising, as almost every examiner has their own preferences, which lead to a relative bias in the ranking.

Without exception, they cannot be too pretentious or empty.

These examination papers had to be submitted to the officials for inspection. If the officials found that the quality of the selected candidates was not high, then the papers would have to be re-graded, and the examiners would also be punished.

Therefore, regardless of the examiners' relative preferences, the overall quality of the paper cannot be poor.

Ouyang Xiu emphasized several points: the words should be substantial, the handwriting concise, the writing practical and applicable to the world, and the expression should be succinct and to the point.

In other words, one should get straight to the point; one should oppose ornate prose and prefer concise and simple writing; one should value practical knowledge, and the policy discussion section should be combined with current affairs to propose feasible countermeasures; and one should not write too wordy.

Ouyang Xiu had said most of what he wanted to say, but Wang Yaochen added some more requirements, mainly focusing on some common taboos, especially the names of sages. If anyone offended someone, no matter how good the article was, it would not be accepted.

Every year, some people who don't pay attention to details fail because of this.

Thus, the grading process officially began.

Chapter 20: Strategy Discussion (Part 1)

More than 10,000 candidates took the exam, each taking three sessions, which meant nearly 30,000 papers. Because each paper had to be reviewed by several examiners, the workload was significantly increased.

The grading process takes about fifteen days. The papers must be graded well and ranked in order of quality.

This is a tough battle!

The chief and deputy examiners do not participate in grading the papers. They are mainly responsible for coordinating the examination affairs, supervising the process, and adjudicating disputed papers. Their core responsibilities are review and final judgment, and determining the final ranking.

Therefore, the two examiners will focus on the papers recommended by the examiners below, that is, the recommended papers.

A test paper must be reviewed by at least two examiners. If both examiners deem it acceptable, then the paper can be selected and added to the "recommended paper" list.

Generally, each examiner has thirty slots for recommending papers, which are divided into main papers and backup papers, and are submitted together to the two chief and deputy examiners.

There are fifteen examiners grading the papers. Each session has 450 papers submitted. The two chief and deputy examiners will slowly select the papers, make an initial ranking for each session, and eliminate some papers that they deem unqualified, leaving only about 400 papers.

In this way, after eliminating some unqualified papers in all three sessions, a total of more than 1,200 papers were left.