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

Jiang Zhao nodded.

"Let's go to Imperial Street."

Shi Lin often said: Of the hundred streets in the capital, the five streets are the best.

The so-called Five Streets refer to the five most prominent streets in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Imperial Street, Quyuan Street, Donghuamen Street, Junyiqiao Street, and Jinliangqiao Street.

The most prominent street is the Imperial Street, which stretches from Xuande Gate in the south to Zhuque Gate in the north. It is one of the most central areas of the capital, and it takes only a quarter of an hour to walk to the palace. The emperor's carriage often passed through this area.

The permanent residents of this place are all high-ranking officials, such as cabinet ministers, ministers of the six ministries, dukes with real power, and marquises.

This street is never short of power.

Besides Yujie Street, Quyuan Street is the most outstanding.

This place is beautiful and quiet, and it is very popular among scholars and literati. It is often the residence of officials of the second or third rank, such as vice ministers of the six ministries, academicians of the Hanlin Academy, and ministers of the Nine Ministers. Before they were appointed to high positions, people like Fan Zhongyan and Yan Shu lived on Quyuan Street.

Jiang Zhao's great-grandfather Jiang Yuan and grandfather Jiang Zhi were both officials of the fourth and third rank, respectively. Only with these two generations could they afford to buy a house on Quyuan Street.

Besides Yujie and Quyuanjie, Donghuamenjie, Junyiqiaojie, and Jinliangqiaojie also have many powerful figures, but compared to the former two, the latter three do not have a very high level of power.

Donghuamen Street is lined with shops, its lights stay on all night, and it is bustling with people.

However, while it's nice to stroll around such a bustling street occasionally, living there all the time would be too uncomfortable.

Apart from the once-every-three-years name-calling ceremony outside Donghua Gate, the rest of the time it is rather noisy.

The powerful and wealthy people who regularly reside here are almost all impoverished earls and marquises, or minor officials of the fifth or sixth rank, who also do some business to make money. They are noble but powerless, and have no choice but to use money to maintain their status. Any powerful and influential person would never stay here permanently.

The residents of Junyiqiao Street were often relatives of the emperor and nobles, which goes without saying.

However, few members of the imperial family held official positions; while they were noble, they had no real power.

Jinliangqiao Street was a gathering place for military officers and nobles, and some impoverished earls, marquises, and dukes often resided here.

However, military officers and nobles are born with the opportunity to wield military power. If they were truly capable, they would have already seized military power and used it to move to the Imperial Street to demonstrate their status and favor.

Therefore, Jinliangqiao Street was inhabited by impoverished nobles without exception.

They not only lack power, but are often not wealthy either.

Of course, even if they have no power or wealth, these people still have titles to inherit. If their offspring are successful, it is not impossible for one or two to suddenly emerge as figures in charge of military power.

The so-called downfall is only relative to the top group of people.

For the vast majority of ordinary people and officials, these people remain unattainable figures.

Han Zhang once held the official position of Grand Academician of Zhaowen Hall. He was granted a residence by the emperor, which was located on the Imperial Street, the most prominent of the five streets.

Generally speaking, houses on the Imperial Street are not for sale; they can only be acquired by imperial decree.

The gifts bestowed by the emperor were often granted for life, and the imperial residence would only be taken back if the recipient had passed away or if the family had been exterminated.

Therefore, even though Han Zhang was demoted, his residence on Yujie Street remained unchanged.

In recent years, Han Jiayan, a compiler of books in the Hanlin Academy, has been living here.

When Jiang Zhao first arrived in Beijing, he had made a special trip to visit Han Jiayan, so he was familiar with the route.

Quyuan Street and Yujie Street are not far apart. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Jiang Zhao had already arrived at the main gate of the Han residence.

"Knock knock knock!" Hesheng stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"coming!"

A servant in gray rushed over and pushed open the door. At first glance, he saw a gentle and refined young man with a long black robe and handsome features. His every move exuded a scholarly air, a quality built from poetry and books. His faint smile contained a hint of seriousness, and his calm gaze radiated a touch of authority.

The gray-clad servant dared not be negligent and quickly bowed, asking, "May I ask if you have come to see the master, young master?"

This is the steward that Han Jiayan brought from Xiangzhou to the capital to serve his daily needs. He had met Jiang Zhao once before.

As he spoke, the gray-clad servant stepped aside to make way for him.

Jiang Zhao nodded slightly, and just as he was about to speak, a scholar happened to walk by in the courtyard.

The man glanced at it habitually, then stopped in his tracks: "Zichuan?"

"Brother Shimao," Jiang Zhao greeted with a cupped-hand salute.

That scholar was none other than Han Jiayan, who had been in the capital for six years.

"Oh!" Han Jiayan quickly approached and extended his hand, saying, "Please come in quickly."

Jiang Zhao smiled faintly and strode in: "If I remember correctly, Brother Shimao is about to be transferred to a post outside the capital, right? I wonder where you will be serving as an official?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, he should be appointed as the prefectural magistrate of a prefecture." Han Jiayan said with his hands behind his back, looking very composed.

Jiang Zhao understood and nodded slightly.

Han Jiayan passed the imperial examination with the rank of Second Class, and later became a probationary official. Three years ago, he passed the final examination and officially joined the Hanlin Academy.

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, candidates who entered the Hanlin Academy were appointed as officials of the seventh rank (from the lower rank), those of the second rank (from the upper rank) were appointed as officials of the seventh rank (from the middle rank), and those of the first rank (from the lower rank) were appointed as officials of the sixth rank (from the lower rank). This is also the extraordinary significance of the Spring Examination for officials who came from the Hanlin Academy.

Even if someone from the third rank passed the examination to become a probationary official and passed the final examination, the starting rank of a Hanlin scholar would still be difficult to compare with that of someone from the first or second rank.

Han Jiayan was a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Three years ago, after passing the final examination, he was granted the official position of Hanlin scholar, a seventh-rank official.

He has now served as a Hanlin official for three years.

If nothing unexpected happens, Han Jiayan will definitely be promoted again before being sent to a post outside the capital, becoming a sixth-rank official in the capital.

Furthermore, due to the promotion of officials from the capital to those transferred to other regions, his position as a sixth-rank official was destined to be a transitional one, and his actual official position would be a sixth-rank official transferred to another region.

That is, jumping two levels at once.

In prefectures and counties, a sixth-rank official position was essentially the third-in-command of the area, the Tongpan.

"Which month?" Jiang Zhao asked again.

“May,” Han Jiayan said.

After the provincial examination, the next two examinations are the palace examination and the examination for probationary officials in early March. After these two examinations, there will be a three-month vacation for the newly appointed scholars to handle their personal affairs.

During this period, the previous batch of junior scholars who entered the Hanlin Academy for further study will also undergo the final examination, and will be selected and eliminated again. Those who pass the examination will be granted official positions in the Hanlin Academy.

The saying goes, "Three years to become a full-fledged official, three years to become a Hanlin scholar."

Three years ago, the Shujishi (庶吉士) faced the issue of becoming official members of the Hanlin Academy. Only by passing the final examination could they be considered as having entered the Hanlin Academy and be granted the official position.

The so-called "three-year Hanlin Academy" refers to the group of people who entered the Hanlin Academy six years ago, namely Han Jiayan and his group.

These people had passed the examination for official appointment and served as officials in the Hanlin Academy for three years. Their hard times were over, and they could leave the Hanlin Academy to accumulate experience in governance.

At the same time, it also makes room for the junior scholars to take the imperial examination this spring.

"What a pity, I'm afraid I won't have time to attend Zichuan's wedding banquet." Han Jiayan shook his head with a regretful expression. "It's really a loss if I can't attend the wedding banquet but still have to give a wedding gift!"

"Haha!" Jiang Zhao clapped his hands and laughed, "Then I'll charge you a little less."

Before the words were even finished, the two had already entered the study.

"Zhao'er."

Upon hearing his disciple's voice, Han Zhang couldn't help but look towards the two of them.

"teacher."

Jiang Zhao bowed respectfully and presented the sandalwood box.

"Congratulations, teacher, on your career resurgence."

Han Zhang stroked his beard and smiled, then shook his head: "What's there to celebrate?"

"Oh dear, the things have already been delivered, you can't expect me to take them back, can you?" Jiang Zhao said with a smile.

"Oh?" Han Zhang curiously opened the sandalwood box and spread out the brocade.

A Poem Presented to My Respected Teacher Han Zhang Upon His Return to the Capital (Spring Examination)

"Poems?" Han Zhang was somewhat surprised, and picked them up to read them carefully.

"Of all professions, only studying is noble."

"A timely rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a foreign land; the wedding night, the day of passing the imperial examination."

Han Zhang read it softly, his eyes lighting up.

These two lines alone make this poem of excellent quality.

In just a few words, he described almost all the great joys of life.

"A peasant in the morning, a courtier in the evening." Han Zhang snorted and repeated it several times.

This line of poetry isn't particularly striking, but it possesses a mysterious allure, a sense of returning to simplicity that compels one to pay attention.

Han Jiayan had already gone to the bookshelf to get a book, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but walk over.

Upon seeing it, I was immediately startled: "Is this the new masterpiece that Zichuan wrote yesterday when he was drunk?"

"Huh?" This time it was Jiang Zhao's turn to be surprised. He was somewhat taken aback: "What, Brother Shimao, you've actually read this poem?"

Did we not see Han Jiayan yesterday?

"I've seen the poem at the Hanlin Academy, but I'm only getting to see the original text now," Han Jiayan said.

"The Hanlin Academy?" Jiang Zhao exclaimed in surprise, "The news spread so fast?"

"That is!"

Han Jiayan explained, "Zichuan is new to Bianjing and may not know what Fanlou is. You should know that Fanlou can accommodate two or three thousand people for banquets at the same time. During the spring imperial examinations, how lively it must have been!"

"That place can probably accommodate 10,000 guests in one night."

“You are already a famous figure, and now you are the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination. If you are in the mood to write a poem, the onlookers can simply say, ‘The newly appointed top scholar Jiang Zichuan is writing a poem,’ and it will attract crowds of people.”

"With so many scholars, they could surely piece together the entire poem; it's already been widely circulated. When I was on duty at the Hanlin Academy this morning, many people praised your literary talent!"

"In particular, the saying 'Of all professions, only studying is noble' has won praise from many Hanlin officials."

"Once this is over, you'll probably become the most talked-about person in Bianjing."

Han Jiayan said, his face full of envy.

Reputation is something that is universally applicable; it can be cultivated in childhood and used in old age.

However, it takes a specific amount of time to cultivate a reputation.

This poem about passing the imperial examination must undoubtedly be cultivated at a specific time.

Once it spreads widely enough and becomes a classic story, it will be praised for hundreds of years.

After all, it's held every three years, and there are always candidates taking the exam!

Jiang Zhao was startled.

He knew that this poem would eventually become famous.

After all, this poem can not only benefit from the popularity of poems encouraging learning and poems about passing the imperial examinations, but also from the era's dividends of praising scholars and the flourishing of literary style.

However, he really didn't expect the news to spread so quickly, reaching the point where even officials in the Hanlin Academy knew about it in less than a day.

Is this the capital city?

If you do something at night, it will spread the news the next day.

"That's thoughtful!" Han Zhang read the poem aloud from beginning to end.

The widespread dissemination of this poem indeed brought him many benefits.

In fact, reputation can be very easily converted into prestige.

Right now, he desperately needs fame, and a famous poem about passing the imperial examination can solve his immediate problem.

Even if Jiang Zhao, as the original author, receives more than 90% of the fame of the poem, as the teacher, he only needs to receive 10% to regain his fame throughout the capital.

At that time, appeasing the people within the party will be much easier.

Jiang Zhaoping smiled and said, "What I mean is to stir up the story of 'Han Men Li Xue' again, to bolster Master's reputation."

Han Zhang pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I'll have someone do it."

As dusk approached, the three of them had a family dinner together, after which Jiang Zhao took his leave.

As the newly appointed president, he is destined to be very busy during this period.

Firstly, he needed to pay his respects to the chief examiner Ouyang Xiu and the deputy chief examiner Wang Yaochen to express his gratitude for their support.