In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 941 Six Yuan and the First
The next morning,

The morning light in Yingtian still carried a hint of coolness.

Outside the imperial city, the imperial road paved with bluestone was already crowded with people.

Today is an extremely special day—the Imperial Examination!
The Imperial Guards, clad in silver-white armor and with long swords at their waists, watched every passerby with piercing eyes.

Even candidates participating in the palace examination had to undergo three checks of their waist tokens and verification of their names on the roster before they were allowed to enter the palace.

The tense and somber atmosphere that once permeated the palace due to its strict restrictions has been replaced by a sense of solemnity.

Even the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and paper.

The candidates, dressed in blue scholar's robes and carrying small book boxes, filed in one after another.

Most people looked tense, their fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of their clothes.

Only the person walking in the middle stood tall and calm, completely out of place amidst the surrounding commotion.

Xu Guan!

He had won five top honors in the imperial examinations, from the first-level student to the second-level scholar, then to the third-level scholar, and finally to the top scholar in the metropolitan examination.

If I can win first place in the palace examination today, I will be the first genius in history to achieve the highest honors in all six examinations.

"That must be Xu Guan, right?"
I heard he never lost a single exam!

"Last year, Scholar Liu personally graded the examination papers and said that his policy essays showed the talent to govern the world, far surpassing those of pedantic scholars!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Once you're inside the Fengtian Hall, don't say anything out of line!"

Quiet whispers spread among the candidates, and all eyes fell on Xu Guan.

He seemed oblivious, steadily moving forward, his gaze sweeping over the eaves and roof ornaments of the Fengtian Hall.

The glazed tiles gleamed with a bright yellow luster in the morning light.

The bronze lions standing majestically in front of the palace gate inspire awe.

At exactly 7:00 AM, the bell tolled from the bell tower, its deep sound resounding throughout the imperial city.

The candidates quickly stood before His Majesty, bowing and waiting.

Before long, a bright yellow ceremonial guard arrived from behind the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang, dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a winged crown, slowly walked up to the platform of Fengtian Hall, surrounded by a group of dukes, marquises and ministers.

His expression remained somewhat somber.

But the weariness in his eyes had faded somewhat.
Today is the palace examination, which is crucial for the selection of talents for the Ming Dynasty. There is no room for the slightest negligence.

"Your Majesty is here!"

The eunuch drew out his voice, and the hall fell silent instantly.

Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the examinees below, and slowly began to speak:
"Today's palace examination will not focus on poetry or prose, but only on practical matters."

Since the founding of the nation, the northern borders have never been peaceful, with the Tatars and Oirats eyeing us and Goryeo frequently making unrest.

You are all the most talented people in the world; you should advise me.
How can we safeguard the territory of the Ming Dynasty, ensure the people's peaceful and prosperous lives, and guarantee the safety of the borders?

As soon as he finished speaking, an official from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and led the candidates into the main hall, where they took their seats in turn.

Xu Guan walked at the very front.

His seat was near the front, and before he even sat down, he saw a sheet of Xuan paper on the table that smelled of books.

This must be today's test question.

Unlike other candidates, Xu Guan did not hastily flip through the documents.
Instead, he sat upright and slowly regulated his breathing.

May is almost here, and Yingtian is getting especially warm. I was still a little tired walking from my residence to Fengtian Hall.

As the candidates prepared,

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, strolled up to the dragon throne, sat down slowly, and gently waved his hand.

At this moment, the chief eunuch, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward and tried to soften his voice:
"Gentlemen of the God of Literature, we may begin."

Only then did Xu Guan raise his hands, unfold the Xuan paper, and look at the exam questions.

[In the past, the successive sages unified the world and governed it. They established principles and rules, and made rites and music clear. They should have governed with ease. Why were they not at peace?]

Young and vigorous, they devoted themselves to the cause, stirring up trouble within China and defending the eight directions.

The foals of mares are raised in the ranks, and banners are displayed year after year on the frontier. Is this truly a case of a fondness for killing?

Is it because the barbarians want to spy on us?

Looking back on the past, it was indeed very difficult!

Now we want to stop, take the opportunity to send troops to distant borders, and govern with ease. But I fear that the barbarian population will grow too large and become a problem for China in a few decades!
At this juncture, it seems that missing this opportune moment would be a fatal mistake.

The outcome of this event is still uncertain. As for whether to seize the opportunity and cut off the supply, who is right and who is not?
You scholars should discuss this matter in a way that is appropriate both internally and externally; I will personally review it.
Xu Guan only glanced at it once before understanding His Majesty's thoughts; the question was also extremely simple.

It explains why, despite having unified China and established corresponding systems, the Ming Dynasty could not govern as easily as its predecessors.

Instead, due to the border wars, all able-bodied men in the country had to be conscripted.

Internally, it disrupted the lives of the people in the Central Plains.

They also have to guard the borders in all directions.

Furthermore, the question indicates that this was not due to the court's belligerence, but rather because of the invasion of foreign tribes on the border, which forced them to take such measures.

Now the imperial court wants to stop the war, take the opportunity to cut off the long-term border garrisons, and achieve a policy of governance that is done by doing nothing.

However, there are concerns about the proliferation of foreign populations on the border regions.

It will become a scourge to the Central Plains in a few decades.

If we miss this opportunity to potentially stop guarding the border, we may regret it in the future.

But if we really stop guarding the border now, we fear it will leave future troubles.

The decision on whether to "continue border defense" or "stop border defense" has not yet been made.

Is it feasible or not to "take the opportunity to cut off distant garrisons"?

We need to get these students to consider both internal and external stability in their arguments and to propose appropriate solutions.

At this moment, the students in the hall were somewhat surprised by this question.

Because the Ming army had wiped out the enemies on the border, there were few decent opponents left.

Moreover, the border commanderies are making great strides, and the situation is very promising.

Judging from the title,

His Majesty still has many concerns about the border situation.

This made many students frown; the questions they had previously guessed...

Most of them are about domestic recuperation and development.
Military service is not their forte these days.

Even so, the soft rustling sound of ink being ground soon filled the Fengtian Hall.

The rustling sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper gradually filled the Fengtian Hall.

Xu Guan held the pen, but did not rush to write.

Instead, he closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.

What he wanted to write was not an empty talk about building cities and fortresses, but a specific strategy for "stationing troops on the frontier, cultivating the land and defending the territory."

Garrisons were established in Daning and Liaodong, with soldiers serving half the border and half the land reclamation.

They recruited refugees to the border, provided them with land and farming tools to make it a barrier for the frontier, and built official roads to facilitate trade, so that the army and the people could live in peace.

Once his thoughts were clear, Xu Guan picked up his pen and began to write quickly.

His handwriting reflects his personality: square and powerful, yet fluent.

"The dangers in the northern border lie not only in the enemy, but also in the lack of supplies and the separation of the army and the people."

If we rely solely on inland transport for grain, even with supplies delivered from afar, the soldiers will be hungry.

If we rely solely on soldiers to defend the border, their strength will eventually be exhausted.

Your servant believes that we should station troops on the frontier, cultivating the land while defending it. Daming is strategically located at the crossroads of Liaodong and Inner Mongolia, so we should build more fortresses and order the soldiers to cultivate the wasteland.

Liaodong has many fertile fields, which can attract displaced people to settle down and teach them how to farm.

When they came, the soldiers resisted them, using the fortified positions as a barrier.

If they leave, the soldiers and civilians will cultivate the land and prepare grain.

In this way, China will be free from disturbances, the borders will be secure, and Your Majesty can sleep soundly.

The Fengtian Hall was eerily quiet.

Even the sound of Zhu Yuanzhang's footsteps as he got up and paced around was deliberately slowed down.

He walked up to the examinee's desk.

He would occasionally pause to look at the exam papers, his brow always furrowed.

When he reached Xu Guan's desk, he stopped, his gaze falling on the paper, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

After reading Xu Guan's account of "Introducing Sweet Potatoes and Repairing Official Roads",

He nodded slightly but said nothing, then turned and continued pacing.

Time passed slowly as the examinees answered their questions inside the Fengtian Hall.

The officials of the Six Ministries waited in the side hall, awaiting the review of the documents.

This period is when these students are at their most spirited and energetic.

High-ranking officials, rarely seen on ordinary days, vied to appear, engaging in amiable conversations with them and even sharing drinks and meals. This gave many students a misconception...
High-ranking officials in the imperial court are nothing special.

However, after today, the imperial examinations will end, and everything will return to its original course.

The high-ranking officials of the imperial court remained in the capital and did not show their faces for a long time.

And the students will also be leaving the sheltered environment they have always been in.
He truly entered the cutthroat world of Ming Dynasty officialdom.

Inside the side hall, Hanlin Academician Liu Sanwu remained calm and composed.

The other scholars also smiled broadly.

The six ministers and the vice ministers looked grave, lost in thought.

A light and heavy atmosphere coexisted.

Just like Beijing today.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's already late afternoon.

The candidates handed in their papers one after another, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites sorted them out.

It was first presented to the chief examiner Liu Sanwu and the Minister of Rites Li Yuanming for review.

After confirming that the answer sheet and answers are correct,

They were then distributed to the ministers of the six ministries and the grand secretaries.
The answer sheets are graded as “Excellent”, “Good”, “Average”, and “Poor”, and marked with “○”, “△”, “□”, and “×”.

Then all the ministers gathered to discuss, summarize the scores, and rank them in order of total score.

In the rear hall, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the windows of the side hall, casting dappled shadows on the mountain of examination papers.

Minister of Rites Li Yuanming placed the last stack of examination papers on the table and let out a long sigh:
"I'm getting old, and I couldn't stand waiting for even one day."

After speaking, he looked at the assembled adults and said in a deep voice:
"Gentlemen, we need to grade these two hundred-plus exam papers today, and present them to His Majesty first thing tomorrow morning. We must hurry."

Four long tables were set up in the side hall.

Liu Sanwu sat at the same table with three Grand Secretaries, He Zicheng and Qian Youjin, to examine the arguments and literary style of the policy proposals.

Li Yuanming and Zhan Hui sat together to examine the allusions and formats.

Ministers Qin Kui and Shen Jin examined the practical details, especially the statements concerning military affairs.

Zhao Mian sat alone in a corner, with a map of the north spread out in front of him, clearly intending to compare it with the examination paper.

The candles were lit one by one, and the crackling sound was particularly clear in the Silent Hall.

The eunuchs and servants slowly withdrew and locked the house with a large lock. Guo Zhen, the commander of the Imperial Guards, also stood in front of the door.

Inside the room, Liu Sanwu picked up the top exam paper, and frowned after reading only two lines:
"The entire text is filled with classical allusions, yet it doesn't utter a single word about practical border defense matters. How can such pedantic Confucianism be considered for a top-tier position?"

He casually pushed the exam papers into the pile of average-scoring papers.

He picked up the next one, which was Xu Guan's exam paper.

After reading only a few lines, Liu Sanwu's fingers stopped.

He Zicheng, who was standing nearby, leaned over, glanced at the man casually, and nodded.

"This argument is quite practical, unlike others who just talk about governing by doing nothing."

Qian Youjin also leaned over, his gaze falling on the sentence, "Daning guards the strategic pass between Liaodong and Inner Mongolia; fortifications can be built, and soldiers can be ordered to cultivate the wasteland," and he said softly:

"He investigated the affairs of the Da Ning Commandery very thoroughly, even knowing about the soldiers' land reclamation."

Liu Sanwu didn't speak, but continued reading until he saw "introducing sweet potatoes and repairing official roads," at which point he stroked his beard and chuckled.

"The Crown Prince promoted the cultivation of sweet potatoes in Shanxi, while Lu Yunyi repaired the official road in Daning."
He was able to connect these two events into his policy essay, which shows he wasn't just a bookworm.

He placed the exam paper in front of him, with a paperweight placed on top, clearly indicating that it was among the best.

On the other side, Qin Kui also picked up the only exam paper that was classified as excellent and looked at it carefully.

He was recently very upset about the delays in the delivery of ordnance and was particularly sensitive to practical matters, so he said:

"This man knows a bit about engineering; he knows that fortifications must be combined with land reclamation. Otherwise, if we only build fortifications, what will the soldiers eat?"

Shen Jin leaned closer, looked at it, and nodded:
“Reject those who come, and cultivate the land when they leave. This method is more economical and reliable than simply increasing the number of troops. He is someone who understands military affairs.”

When Zhao Mian picked up Xu Guan's exam paper, his expression darkened.

He looked at the map, which stated, "Liaodong has many fertile fields, suitable for attracting displaced people to settle down," tapped the location of Liaodong on the map with his finger, and said coldly:

"Resettling displaced people is not that easy."
"Grain, farm tools, household registration—which of these doesn't cost money? You make it sound so easy."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Hui looked up and put down his pen:
"Lord Zhao's words are biased. A policy essay is about discussing strategies, not writing detailed rules."

This student's ability to think of resettling refugees on the border already puts him far ahead of others.

Zhao Mian glanced at him, but did not refute him again. However, he still put the exam paper back on the table and hesitated to classify it as "excellent".

As night deepened, a thick layer of candle wax accumulated, and the hall was filled with an intense, almost overwhelming, fragrance of ink.

Li Yuanming rubbed his sore eyes, looked at the four piles of exam papers on the table divided into "Excellent," "Good," "Average," and "Poor," and said in a deep voice:

"There are about twenty excellent papers. We need to select three papers for the top grade and seven papers for the second grade. Everyone, tell me, which ones are the most outstanding?"

"The contribution from the relocation of villages must be counted."

Liu Sanwu spoke first, pushing the exam paper, which was being held down by the paperweight, to the center:

"His arguments are sound, his solutions are detailed, and he understands the practicalities of the North. He is far superior to others."

Shen Jin immediately echoed:

"It's already quite remarkable that someone who has never been to the frontier could write like this."

Qin Kui nodded without saying a word.

Zhao Mian slowly spoke:
"Don't you all think his policy proposal is too biased towards the North?"
"Now that the court is debating moving the capital, he keeps talking about Daming and Liaodong; I'm afraid he has ulterior motives."

He Zicheng frowned:

"Lord Zhao, the policy essay is about border defense, not about moving the capital. How can you say there are ulterior motives? Is it wrong to mention the north?"

Zhan Hui also said:

"Exactly, the test takers only consider the 'appropriateness inside and outside' in the question."
Xu Guan's strategy could both defend the border and keep the people at ease, which was exactly what the topic required.

To dismiss his claims simply because he mentioned the North would be far-fetched.

Seeing that everyone objected, Zhao Mian stopped talking, but simply picked up the cold teacup and took a sip, his expression still indifferent.

For the next few hours, the ministers discussed the "excellent" exam papers repeatedly.

It wasn't until the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), when the sky outside the window began to lighten, that the final decision was made.

The top three scholars were Xu Guan, followed by Wu Bozong, who discussed "clarifying officialdom," and Zhou Heng, who discussed "agriculture, sericulture, and water conservancy."

The top seven in the second tier mostly excel in practical skills or writing, but not as much as the top three.

Liu Sanwu compiled the ten sets of exam papers into a booklet, wrapped it with yellow silk, and handed it to the clerk beside him:

"Keep it safe and present it to His Majesty first thing tomorrow morning."

The clerk quickly agreed and carefully carried the booklet out.

At the entrance, several senior eunuchs were waiting. Upon seeing this, they quickly went to greet the examinee, took the exam paper, and left.

The officials inside the hall rose to their feet.
Everyone looked exhausted after a sleepless night.

The next morning, before the candles in the Wuying Hall had gone out, Zhu Yuanzhang was already sitting behind his desk, with the ten examination papers in front of him.

He was dressed in casual clothes, his hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and his expression was more relaxed than when he took the palace examination yesterday, but he still exuded an air of majesty.

Liu Sanwu stood by his side, holding a teacup, waiting for His Majesty to ask him a question.

Zhu Yuanzhang first picked up the topmost examination paper, the cover of which had the words "Xu Guan" written on it.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Liu Sanwu:
"Is this Xu Guan, the one who passed the imperial examination five times in a row?"

Liu Sanwu bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. He has consistently ranked first from the lowest level of the imperial examinations to the highest level of the metropolitan examinations, and he also won first place in the policy essay this time."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't speak, but opened the exam paper and looked at it carefully.

He read very slowly; the only sound in the hall was the rustling of the papers turning. Liu Sanwu stood to the side, his expression indifferent.

Only after reading the last page did Zhu Yuanzhang put down the examination paper, lean back in his chair, and chuckle at Liu Sanwu:
"Tantan Weng, do you want to give him a push and make him a genius who wins the imperial examination six times in a row?"

Liu Sanwu bowed quickly, but his tone was firm:

"Your Majesty, I dare not show favoritism."
Xu Guan's policy essays truly deserve to be ranked first.

He didn't speak empty words; when discussing border defense, he knew that soldiers needed to cultivate land to ensure they had enough food.

Regarding the pacification of the people, it is known that only by securing the borders can the refugees be free from internal troubles.

They even thoroughly investigated the realities of Daning and Liaodong; they weren't just armchair strategists.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then picked up Xu Guan's exam paper and flipped through it.
"Since you have all seen it, let's decide on this: Xu Guan will be the top scholar and appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy."

"Send him to the palace tomorrow; I want to see him."

Liu Sanwu bowed and replied:
"The minister obeys the order!"

Before long, officials came to collect the examination papers, intending to have them copied at the Ministry of Rites and made public.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched the clerk leave with the exam papers, then picked up Xu Guan's exam paper, gently stroking the cover. A rare smile finally appeared on his lips:

"Winning six times in a row is quite a joyous occasion!"

Seeing the Emperor's expression, Liu Sanwu smiled as well.

(End of this chapter)