Jinting Han people

The day was ordinary, with a little sunshine in the early morning, but it was quickly covered by layers of clouds. The autumn wind was neither cold nor hot, and the birdsong was intermittent, but the dew on the willow branches and the withered look in the yellow reeds were already foreshadowing the arrival of winter.

This should have been a leisurely day, suitable for scholars to go on outings and feasts. But on this day, the area outside Yi'an City was practically deserted. When the unsuspecting farmers got up to water their fields, they were inevitably surprised to find that the fields were eerily quiet, as if the capital of the Han Dynasty had been completely moved away overnight. But the farmers who had heard the news would begin to discuss what a lively scene the Imperial Academy would be like today.

In truth, Yi'an is not as bustling as it was last year. Last year, Liu Xian rebuilt Yi'an City and constructed a long dike on the south bank, conscripting tens of thousands of laborers. Combined with the nearly 100,000 troops stationed around the city, Yi'an's population once reached over 200,000. But this year, the laborers have mostly been dismissed, and the majority of the troops guarding Yi'an have dispersed to various prefectures. Merchants have also decreased, causing Yi'an's population to quickly drop to less than 70,000, making the city seem rather empty. People inevitably miss the good old days of last year.

This time, the Imperial Academy's archery competition finally brought some life back to Yi'an City, giving people something to talk about. But what most people didn't know was that, in fact, none of the major events since the capital was established in Yi'an could compare to the significance of this archery competition.

At dawn that day, all the registered scholars had arrived. Liu Xian then led the officials from the four provinces to first carry out a grand sacrificial ceremony. In the square of the Imperial Academy, they publicly worshipped the ancient sages such as Confucius, Mencius, Yan Hui, and Zengzi. After performing the grand ceremony, he gave a long speech of more than a thousand words to the scholars who were taking the exam.

In short, this selection of officials through the imperial examination is not only to choose virtuous and talented individuals, but also to promote the fundamental principles and suppress extravagance, correct corruption and filth, so as to benefit the people. The state will not be stingy with rewards, but if anyone seeks promotion and wealth by exploiting the people, the court will not tolerate it as it did in previous dynasties. If they are severely punished and their families are implicated, they will regret it.

After the conversation ended, Liu Xian and a group of officials rested at the highest platform, Baoyue Terrace, north of the Imperial Academy. The examination of essays then officially began. The officials of the Ministry of Personnel took charge of maintaining order, calling out names from the list. Then, each scholar began to prepare for the first round of essay examinations according to the number on the official document issued by the court.

Zhou Yi and Lu Ye were the main organizers of this archery competition. They planned to spend eight days completing it, with one subject being tested every two days. Today's exam was the "Integrity Scholar" subject, which was the first scheduled exam and tested riding and archery, two of the Six Arts of a Gentleman.

Looking down from the platform, Liu Xian could clearly see that the central horse field of the Imperial Academy was now crowded with thousands of people, including the old and the young, the poor and the rich, but the proud and independent spirit of the scholars among them could not be concealed.

Seeing this scene, Liu Xian couldn't help but sigh to those around him, "Today's scene really reminds me of Luoyang. How many talented people there were in Luoyang back then! It wasn't just the thousands of people in the Imperial Academy. From the palace to the princes' mansions, there were scholars everywhere who were frustrated and unable to serve their country. They had no way to serve their country and their great ambitions could not be realized. Then the War of the Eight Princes happened. I hope we will not follow the old path of the Jin Dynasty."

“Yes, Your Majesty is right.” Hearing Liu Xian’s words, Jiang Tong also agreed: “When Emperor Wu of Jin was in power, he often thought that there were few talented people in the court. The mere Tuoba Shu Jineng Rebellion resulted in the killing of three governors. But was there really no talent? A man of such talent as Ma Long was only a Sima Du in the Imperial Guard. It was simply that the court lacked discerning judges and could not recognize talent, which turned a small disaster into a big one.”

Lu Zhize laughed and said, "I often read the 'Dongguan Hanji' and heard that during the reign of Emperor Zhi, there were more than 30,000 students in the Imperial Academy and Confucianism flourished. When Your Majesty can see such a scene one day, the world will be at peace."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was naturally delighted. He said to everyone, "More than 30,000 people, that is indeed a long and arduous task. I don't know if I will be able to see it in my lifetime. I encourage you all."

Having said that, he changed into ordinary clothes, disguised himself as an ordinary official, and went to inspect the various halls of the Imperial Academy. One reason was to supervise the order during the examination, and the other was to review the scholars in advance to see if there were any outstanding young talents among those participating in the examination.

After all, this time the imperial examination was different from the past, and it might not be the same in the future. The Southern Han Dynasty had not yet established a true system of imperial academies that penetrated into the prefectures and counties. In other words, apart from the imperial academy students already in the Bashu region, the other scholars who came to take the imperial examination were either exiles from the north, sons of prominent families who had moved from Shouchun, or descendants of meritorious officials who had followed Liu Xian in his campaigns. They had not encountered a normal path to officialdom for a long time, and finally had this opportunity.

After this round of archery competitions ends, it will probably take the Imperial Academy seven or eight years to gather so many people again.

However, although Liu Xian had set the standards for riding and archery very leniently, allowing even last-minute cramming for ten days or so to pass, he still underestimated the weakness of the scholars of today. Archery was relatively easy, but riding was a major challenge. As soon as Liu Xian approached the riding arena, he could see candidates frequently falling off their horses. Often, out of ten or so candidates in a group, five or six would fall to the ground, clutching their waists and legs, grimacing in pain, which drew snickers from the candidates who hadn't yet mounted their horses.

The reason is not hard to understand. Horses are precious animals, and ordinary poor families simply cannot afford to keep them. Wealthy families, on the other hand, can travel by carriage and have no need for horses. Only some young men from northern regions like Guanzhong, Shuofang, Youyan, and Liaodong, where hunting is a tradition, learn to ride horses from a young age. Since Liu Xian has now established his capital in Jiangnan, the scholars who came here are simply trying to cram at the last minute, and they can't find enough horses to practice on in a short time. Therefore, their embarrassing situation today was inevitable.

Just then, a scholar, while mounting his horse, lost his footing and accidentally pulled on the reins. The horse, in pain, neighed and then broke away from the group, galloping wildly. The onlookers, seeing this, retreated in panic like a receding tide, fearing they would be trampled by the horse.

Just as chaos was about to break out, the soldiers maintaining order were about to intervene when a young scholar rode up from behind. He easily rode alongside the frightened horse, then caught the scholar who was about to fall with one hand, and took the reins. With just a quick tightening and loosening, the frightened horse slowed down and then obediently stopped, as docile as if it had met its master.

Those around him were all amazed by the young man's horse-taming skills, and then cheered him on. Liu Xian was also quite satisfied. However, he felt that the young man looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this was Lu Zhi's eldest son, Lu Chen. Liu Xian had arranged for him to serve as the Palace Attendant in the Imperial Guard, so why was he here?

He immediately turned to ask Lu Zhi, who calmly replied, "His Majesty has stated that anyone can sign up for this archery contest, regardless of their status. Although Zi Liang is the Palace Attendant, there is nothing wrong with that."

These words left Liu Xian speechless. He quickly guessed Lu Zhi's thoughts: During the last eastern expedition, Lu Zhi, in order to preside over the new policies and avoid arousing suspicion, volunteered to have Liu Xian bring his eldest son along to show his loyalty. Although Liu Xian brought Lu Chen, he proved to be of little use. Now it seemed that Lu Zhi was using the same trick again, trying to demonstrate the impartiality of his reforms.

Liu Xian said no more and left the horse farm in the blink of an eye, heading to the shooting range to observe the other scholars. He was soon drawn to a young man. The reason was simple: the man was exceptionally handsome. He had a long head and high cheekbones, white teeth like jade, and a tall and imposing figure. Even among the scholars, he stood out like a jade tree, truly deserving of the description "exceptionally beautiful."

Once he reached the archery range, he stood with his feet slightly apart, then calmly drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed, and shot it with a whoosh, hitting the center of the target fifty paces away, drawing cheers and applause from the onlookers. This was considered the most difficult shot in the archery assessment. After the young man left, Liu Xian sent a messenger to find the examiner to inquire about his name and age. He quickly received a reply: "Wen Qiao of Taiyuan, Wen Taizhen, twenty-three years old." Liu Xian had heard of him before and shook his head, exclaiming, "Yue Shi has a fine nephew!"

He then observed for a while longer and noted down the names of the scholars who had performed well.

Judging from the first day alone, those who came to participate in the shooting competition and performed outstandingly clearly fell into two categories.

First, there were the scholars from the north. As mentioned earlier, horsemanship and archery were the specialties of scholars from the north, and these people were willing to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to come here, clearly showing their confidence in their talents and their determination to succeed. Liu Xian ordered his followers to summarize among them, and soon discovered nearly a hundred people, including Zhi Zhan from Jingzhao, Wei Zao from Hedong, Deng You from Pingyang, Wang Shen from Gaoping, Sun Zuan from Taiyuan, and Xu Gui from Gaoyang.

Secondly, there were scholars who had been preparing for the examination since the time of Bashu. They were well aware of the emperor's preferences and had been waiting for this examination. More than a hundred people, including Liu Sheng, grandson of Liu Yin; Sima Zhi, grandson of Sima Sheng; Ren Di, grandson of Ren Xi; Xue Tao, son of Xue Xing; and Chen Jie, nephew of Chen Shou, also performed admirably.

Of course, the first day's assessment was just a bonus; the second day was the real test. When it came to the actual questioning, those who performed well today might find themselves speechless tomorrow—Liu Xian was well aware of this. He was here today simply to observe the young people's skill in strategizing, partly to reminisce about his own youth, and partly to witness the vigor of the next generation. After all, in the future, the fate of the nation would ultimately be in the hands of the younger generation.

However, those participating in this strategy competition weren't just young people; there were also many middle-aged men from impoverished backgrounds who hadn't yet achieved success, and even some over fifty years old. But to Liu Xian, these people weren't considered old anymore, only about ten years older than him. Thinking of this, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis and urgency, believing he needed to act more quickly.

With this in mind, Liu Xian decided not to stay at the Imperial Academy to observe any longer, but to return to the palace to handle government affairs. However, before leaving, he asked Zhou Yi, "Bo Ren, do you have any trusted elders for this archery competition?"

This was meant as a joke, but Zhou Yi responded with a smile: "Your Majesty, I don't know about others, but there is indeed an old man among the candidates for good generals, and Your Majesty must give him an important position."

"Oh?" Judging from Zhou Yi's tone, Liu Xian asked curiously, "Who is Bo Ren talking about? Do I know him?"

"Of course, after hearing the news of the archery contest, Tao Shiheng, the governor of Zhijiang, resigned from his post and rushed to Yi'an overnight to participate in the contest. Does Your Majesty not intend to give him an important position?"

Liu Xian was taken aback upon hearing this, and first asked in surprise, "Tao Kan also wants to shoot strategies?" But he quickly realized what was going on and laughed, "I remember he's already fifty-two, and he still has this idea. He's old in years but young at heart!"

Since the Battle of Yi'an two years ago, due to Wang Dun's betrayal and schemes, Tao Kan and Zhou Fang were forced to surrender without a fight. However, as famous generals in Jiangnan, Tao and Zhou had a great influence in the Jin army and harbored resentment. Therefore, although Liu Xian appreciated the two, he had to leave them idle for the sake of stability in the army. Now they were just county governors with no hope of promotion.

If it were anyone else, at the age of fifty, they would probably have simply ended their lives without further thought. But Tao Kan, upon learning of the archery contest, actually wanted to participate—truly a strange occurrence.

This is akin to starting over. For a fifty-year-old to start over is entirely different from a young person's experience. Not only does it require far greater effort than the average person, but it also inevitably involves facing criticism and exclusion from others. However, this undoubtedly represents a firm statement: Tao Kan is not arrogant about his past achievements but is willing to serve the new dynasty anew. If Liu Xian were to employ Tao Kan because of this, it would undoubtedly be a celebrated story.

Therefore, Liu Xian was initially incredulous at Tao Kan's participation in the archery competition, followed by concern. He asked Zhou Yi, "At Tao Shiheng's age, can he pass the archery competition, especially when shooting arrows while wearing armor?" After all, while horseback archery could be a formality in other examinations, the assessment for the "Good General" examination was quite rigorous, requiring candidates to be proficient in both horseback archery and armor, a task difficult for ordinary people. Liu Xian couldn't afford to relax his standards just because Tao Kan was involved; otherwise, he would surely face criticism.

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Even though Tao Shiheng is retired in Zhijiang, he often exercises to keep fit. It is said that every morning he would carry a hundred blue bricks to the outside of his study, then read ten books, and in the evening he would carry the blue bricks back to his study. He also said that he was preparing to recover the Central Plains for the court. It is just a matter of wearing armor. I think he will definitely be able to pass."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian exclaimed with heartfelt emotion, "An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles!"

Even someone like Tao Kan participated in this imperial examination, so Liu Xian was naturally full of confidence in this selection of officials. He thought to himself: If I have three or four years to complete this first round of reforms, then advancing north into the Central Plains will be a piece of cake.

However, for now, we still need to gradually solidify our foundation and accumulate strength.

Eight days passed in the blink of an eye, and all four subjects of the imperial examination had been completed. Liu Xian ordered Zhou Yi, Lu Ye, and others to review the essays at the Imperial Academy first, and then transfer the essays and materials to the Ministry of Personnel for review by the Minister of Personnel and the Left and Right Vice Ministers, before submitting them to Liu Xian for review. This three-stage review was to maintain fairness as much as possible.

By the time of Gengwu in October, nearly five hundred case files were piled up on Liu Xian's desk, resembling several small mountains. Seeing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel dizzy and somewhat apprehensive. However, this was precisely his own request. Once these officials were employed, they would be sent to various regions across the country to serve as county magistrates. They would directly represent the image of the imperial court and would determine the success or failure of the entire new policy; Liu Xian should have complete control over them.

"The deer cry 'yoyo,' as they graze on the wild apples. I have guests, so I play the zither and the flute." Having composed himself, Liu Xian picked up a scroll and slowly unrolled it, then smiled and muttered to himself, "Alright, let me see just how many guests I have today?" (End of Chapter)