A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 256 The Change of Fish and Dragons, and it was at this moment that...

Before Song Xuan could answer, Cao Liyong continued speaking to himself:
"Could it be that Uncle Yan Tong told you?"

Yan Shu was always able to give the late emperor ideas that suited his tastes.

Moreover, he placed great importance on secrecy.

Yan Shu knew many things that Cao Liyong did not.

But Cao Yong then shook his head, feeling it was unrealistic.

Although Yan Shu valued Song Twelve, he would not reveal the secret he had been keeping to Song Xuan.

If I were to tell Song Xuan, it wouldn't be in line with Yan Shu's character.

Especially this kind of royal secret history.

Finally, Cao Yong looked at Song Xuan, only to see his son-in-law smile and say:

"What secrets does the Song Dynasty imperial palace hold?"

Cao Yong sighed softly.

Some secrets are known to everyone except the emperor.

Some secrets are unknown to everyone except the emperor.

How many people in this world can know all the secrets?
Song Xuan then waved his hand and said:
"A little analysis reveals the deeper meaning behind some things. Emperor Zhenzong may not have had the desire to wage war against foreign powers, but that doesn't mean he lacked the means of an emperor. Otherwise, why would he have launched the Heavenly Book Movement?"

Song Xuan's two sentences left Cao Liyong speechless.

The son-in-law in front of me had a much deeper mindset than I had imagined.

I wonder who taught him that?

Could it be that he is truly a child prodigy like Yan Shu?

Otherwise, Yan Shu wouldn't have treated Song Xuan differently!
Although Yan Shu liked to recommend talented people, not just anyone could easily catch his eye.

Cao Yongli stared blankly at Song Xuan.

Could he also know about that secret in the palace?

However, for the sake of both the father-in-law and son-in-law's future, there are some things that should not be said at this time.

Cao Yongli didn't want Song Xuan to be distracted before the exam because of some trivial matter.

Therefore, I didn't ask what was on my mind in time.

Cao Liyong paused for a moment before speaking:

"I believe the Emperor is capable of handling today's events."

Song Xuan nodded slightly.

People say that Emperor Renzong of Song was good at nothing but being an emperor.

He gave many famous officials room to demonstrate their abilities.

Therefore, factional strife in the Song Dynasty was fierce, with each faction fighting to the death, which was extremely cruel.

Everyone wanted the other to completely follow their ideas and reform the Song Dynasty.

In short.

Listening to me is the best thing for the Song Dynasty.

If you don't listen to me, then you are endangering the Song Dynasty's rule.

We had to bring you down. By the late Northern Song Dynasty, it wasn't enough to just bring you down; we had to kill you!

"Whether it's the Empress Dowager or those prime ministers, they are all unhappy that His Majesty made this decision without consulting them today."

Cao Liyong could see that.

But in today's matter, he didn't pretend to be a nice guy.

Instead, they firmly stood on the emperor's side.

"Today, His Majesty has already begun to show his prowess," Cao Liyong said excitedly.
"As the Emperor grows a few years older, the Empress Dowager will eventually grow old and her energy will not be able to keep up."

Song Xuan understood.

Under the current circumstances, no emperor wants to be a puppet!
Zhao Zhen's current actions are not much different from those of his father, Emperor Zhenzong.

Which emperor didn't want to seize power?
"Not everyone has the ability to become Wu Zetian, and the Song Dynasty court didn't have the resources to do so."

Cao Liyong was taken aback.

He realized that Song Xuan hadn't always been open with him; he kept many things to himself.

However, Cao Yong then smiled and said that this was the only way to survive in officialdom for a long time.

In court intrigues, it's easy to dodge open attacks, but hard to guard against hidden arrows.

You offend people without even knowing why.

Or maybe they're just after your bottom and want to take you down.

Someone like one's own son-in-law might not be easily schemed against.

"Father-in-law, I'll go back and rest now. I need to get up early tomorrow to go to the examination hall."

"it is good."

Cao Yong did not linger with Song Xuan any longer, personally seeing him to the door and reminding him not to put too much pressure on himself for tomorrow's exam.

Song Xuan bowed and took his leave, then departed immediately.

Inside the palace.

Zhao Zhen leaned back in his chair for a short rest.

Today he stands alone on a high place.

There was no mother to make decisions for him.

There were no direct instructions from prime ministers.

When he announced an imperial edict, he was praised by thousands of candidates.

Zhao Zhen could feel the enthusiasm the candidates brought him.

As for the reprimands from his mother and the prime ministers afterward, Zhao Zhen listened to them on the surface, but he didn't take them to heart.

I am the true emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!

When young people reach a certain age, their hearts are often filled with rebellious thoughts.

This has nothing to do with his identity.

Moreover, as the emperor, Zhao Zhen also had his own strong ideas.

A short while later, someone from the Imperial City Guard brought over news about Song Xuan that day.

Zhao Zhen raised an eyebrow and immediately perked up.

For the past few days, my twelfth brother has been studying at home. In order to prepare for the imperial examination, he has only been able to go out to register at the Ministry of Rites with the other students who were recommended for the same exam.

I'm feeling a bit bored.

Zhao Zhen opened the booklet, which recorded some of Song Xuan's outings.

I basically made a lot of friends and we ate and drank together.

Zhao Zhen greatly admired Song Xuan's demeanor.

In terms of making friends, I am no match for my twelfth brother.

He can make new friends wherever he goes.

Unlike himself, who only had one person who had accompanied him from childhood to adulthood, he still thought that Zong always hinted that he wanted to become a high-ranking official.

Out of consideration for his feelings, Zhao Zhen pretended not to understand, and also had his mother as a shield.

Especially since he hasn't achieved anything yet, does Cai Boxi also want to become a favored minister like "Privy Councilor Zhang Qi"?
In this respect, Zhao Zhen had absolutely no intention of following in his father's footsteps.

Then look at my twelfth brother. Although he has known me for a long time, he can be described as a child prodigy.

But weren't they still diligently working hard to take the imperial examinations?
In the future, we will have to start from the grassroots level.

Even Zhang Qi was quite skilled in archery and made meritorious contributions in the war against Liao, which is why his father bestowed honors upon him.

Furthermore, since Song Xuan was not an official, Zhao Zhen considered him a talented person to have made some suggestions.

Unlike Cai Boxi, who has been by my side for so long, he has never thought of doing anything for the court or the people.

Instead, they kept asking me for high-ranking official positions and generous salaries.

Zhao Zhen naturally looked down on Cai Boxi, the child prodigy who had grown up with him.

It's true that emperors need friendships, but they need people who are useful to them even more!
Zhao Zhen continued reading, and it turned out that rumors were spreading in the capital that Song Xuan was the top contender for the title of champion.

Zhao Zhen was somewhat pleased to see this.

If it were true that Twelfth Brother could achieve the highest honors in all three imperial examinations.

How magnificent that would be!

He will certainly be much better than Song Xiang, the top scholar chosen by the Empress Dowager.

Zhao Zhen heard that they were related by blood.

Since the Empress Dowager has chosen the two Song brothers, then I will choose the twelfth brother.

One after another, people achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations!
Then Song Qi will be considered as an extra gift from me to the Empress Dowager.

Especially since most people were unaware of this relationship between them.

The future competition will only take place between the two Song dynasties.

The young emperor longed to hold some power in his own hands!

Finally, Song Xuan also visited Cao Liyong, the Privy Councilor. Zhao Zhen knew that the house where Song Xuan was able to stay at Zhang Qi's residence was arranged by Cao Liyong.

Zhao Zhen, of course, had no idea what the two of them had talked about in the study.

However, the Imperial City Guard reported that after Song Xuan left, the family of the Privy Councilor Cao went to various gambling dens in the capital to place bets on Song Xuan's chances of winning the imperial examination.

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up; he truly hadn't expected his twelfth brother to be so confident.

Among more than seven thousand top students and test takers, how confident is Twelfth Brother in getting first place!
See here.

Zhao Zhen was actually getting restless!
Should I get involved too?

In any case, it's better to earn this money myself than let others earn it.

With this in mind, Zhao Zhen immediately ordered his trusted aide to summon Gao Zunfu.

It's completely unrealistic to expect your eunuchs to handle such a matter.

It's easy for someone to spot it right away.

It is not conducive to operation.

On the contrary, Gao Zunfu was from a military family, so it was normal for him to make some money.

Gao Zunfu was somewhat bewildered after hearing this.

After all, when he was in Yingtian Prefecture, he didn't spend much money on Song Xuan's ticket to become the top scholar in the provincial examination; he just considered it a wishful thought.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuan actually passed the imperial examination with top honors, which was a pleasant surprise.

Because of the excessive losses, Ping An Gambling House, the largest gambling den in Songcheng, tried to default on its debts. However, Song Xuan directly "killed and burned" the gambling den, causing it to disappear.

After making an example of Song Xuan, the other gambling dens readily paid out the winnings to those who had bet on Song Xuan to become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Gao Zunfu did not report the matter.

After all, at the official level, Song Xuan had no involvement whatsoever.

He never expected that today, upon arriving in the capital city of Tokyo, even His Majesty would want to buy the title of the 12th top scholar in the imperial examinations.

Gao Zunfu felt it wasn't impossible, but he still explained it to Zhao Zhen.

This is a common tactic used by gambling dens: deliberately casting someone who seems to have a high chance of winning to lure more people into betting!
But in reality, the probability of this person winning is very low.

"So that's it."

Zhao Zhen smiled, then looked at Gao Zunfu and said with a smile:
"When Twelfth Brother took the imperial examination, did you bet on him to become the top scholar?"

"I dare not deceive Your Majesty; I did indeed purchase it at the time," Gao Zunfu replied with a smile.
"Shierlang failed the imperial examination the first time he took it. The second time, his payout ratio was extremely high. I didn't buy too much; I just offered my heartfelt blessings."

"What a heartfelt blessing."

Zhao Zhen looked at his trusted eunuch Zhang Maoze:
How much money do I have?

"Your Majesty, there are quite a lot."

Zhang Maoze always felt that the emperor couldn't possibly use all the money in the treasury.

Even though Emperor Zhenzong spent a lot of the treasury funds accumulated by the previous two emperors in their efforts to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, there was still a surplus.

"Since there are people behind the gambling dens in the city, it's my turn to earn some money. I'll start with 10,000 strings of cash."

Gao Zunfu raised an eyebrow slightly, "What a grand gesture!"

Zhang Maoze breathed a sigh of relief; there was no need to use those treasures, as they were sufficient.

"Fifty thousand strings of cash, I suppose."

Zhao Zhen looked at Gao Zunfu and smiled, "You can help me bet on several of the largest gambling houses in the capital city, betting that Twelfth Brother can pass the imperial examination!"

"Your Majesty, the treasury does not have that many copper coins, and transporting them out will require a number of carriages. In addition, it is already late, so it may not be convenient to open the palace gates."

Zhang Maoze hesitated.

"I remember there are exchange shops around the gambling den. Why don't you take your gold and silver there and exchange them? You might win back several times your initial investment."

Gao Zunfu was just about to advise the emperor to think twice before acting!
After all, the imperial examination system had been reformed, and Song Xuan was no longer at an advantage.

The reason those gambling dens are so high-profile in promoting Song Xuan is to lure most people to buy his name, betting that Song Xuan will not win, and ultimately making a fortune.

Gao Zunfu believed that His Majesty would never leak the exam questions, because the emperor usually could not meet the person who set the exam questions.

There was no direct communication between His Majesty and Song Xuan.

So Your Majesty is extremely confident that Song Xuan will become the top scholar in the imperial examination?
But before he could finish speaking, Gao Zunfu bowed and said:

"Your subject obeys the oral instruction."

With some confusion, Gao Zunfu went to handle the matter that very night.

In any case, there was no curfew in the capital city of Bianjing (Kaifeng) during the Song Dynasty, and the night was a lively time.

Gao Zunfu's generosity caught the eye of the gambling den's staff, who were naturally very fond of this kind of high-roller.

They dared to spread this so widely because they were certain that Song Xuan had a low probability of passing the imperial examination with top honors.

The buyer is never as shrewd as the seller!

An innocent victim comes knocking.

Both sides felt they had gotten a good deal.

It was still dark the next day.

Jiao Ming woke everyone up to prepare, not only making sure they had a good breakfast, but also preparing lunch.

The weather is still a bit cold.

Song Xuan washed his face with hot water, and after eating, he carefully inspected the examination baskets and stationery he had bought from the Ministry of Rites.

He had already packed his own set of writing implements into the container, and the court's measures were intended to prevent anyone from smuggling them in.

The seating chart for everyone was recorded yesterday.

After tidying up, Song Xuan looked at the group and smiled:

"I hope everyone gets good results. This is the first time we've expanded enrollment this year, and we might not be so lucky next time."

"Hahaha." Lü Lejian immediately burst into laughter:

"Brother Fan, you still need to prepare well."

“I’ve been preparing for the provincial exam for over a year longer than you.”

Fan Xiang was also full of confidence at this moment.

The first time he and Han Qi passed the test, they naturally had more time to prepare than Song Xuan and his group.

"Unfortunately, it is no longer mainly about poetry and prose."

Wang Tai also sighed softly.

The provincial and ministerial examinations for the Jinshi degree consisted of six parts: poetry, prose, essays, policy questions, calligraphy, and calligraphy, with poetry and prose being the primary subjects for selecting officials.

Therefore, when Fan Zhongyan was in charge of the Yingtian Prefectural School, he focused on guiding students to practice writing regulated fu (a type of classical Chinese prose-poetry) for the imperial examinations, and even compiled a book called "Fu Lin Heng Jian" for this purpose.

Old Fan meticulously compiled this extraordinary book, which clarifies the confusion surrounding the rules of rhymed prose and provides guidance on its application.

Unlike typical Fugra books, which cater solely to the needs of candidates seeking quick success in the imperial examinations.

Instead, it aims to teach most students how to apply theory to practice, using poetry and prose to discuss and debate politics.

From Zhang Fangping to Ouyang Xiu, and then to Su Shi, they all clearly inherited Fan Zhongyan's ideas on regulated verse and prose, and even went further in this direction!
It can be said that the first beneficiaries of this book compiled by Fan Zhongyan were the students of Yingtian Academy.

Sima Guang, in recording Fan Zhongyan's teaching, said that scholars from all directions flocked to him, and later, many of the Song people who gained fame for their literary talents in the imperial examinations and the court were his students!

Especially during the reign of Emperor Renzong, it led the development of Song Dynasty regulated verse.

"It's alright, at least we won't be a burden when it comes to poetry."

Song Xuan patted Fan Xiang on the shoulder, indicating that he didn't need to worry about it.

Having spent so much time together, Fan Xiang was well aware of Lü Lejian's foul mouth, and didn't care much about it at the moment.

On the contrary, Wang Tai, who usually criticizes Lü Lejian, remained silent, as if learning from Han Qi.

"Alright, everyone, stop being so serious."

Song Xuan looked at everyone and smiled:

"Just you wait and see me pass the imperial examination with top honors."

"Hahaha."

The group chuckled, spurred on by Song Xuan's words.

"I, Wang Tai, am perfectly willing to accept such an honor as the top scholar!"

"And I."

Even the usually silent Han Qi was inspired to fight:
"Just you wait and see what I do."

Bao Zheng looked at his slightly younger classmates and couldn't help but shake his head and smile before getting on the donkey cart.

He felt that passing the provincial exam smoothly was a great victory.

As for something as difficult as becoming the top scholar in the imperial examinations, with so many outstanding students around him, Bao Zheng wouldn't even consider such an unrealistic thing.

There are still some differences in learning ability between people.

So the three donkey carts headed straight for the examination hall.

"Oh, and one last thing: regardless of how well or poorly you do on the test, don't check the answers for the next three days. Otherwise, you'll panic and affect your performance on the test."

Song Xuan then told the other passengers a few more things.

The others also expressed their understanding.

At this time, a large number of people had already gathered outside the examination hall.

Most of them came from the suburbs outside the city, or from places even further away from the examination hall.

At this time, many soldiers were maintaining order outside the examination hall, and the torches illuminated the entire surrounding area.

The weather was still somewhat cold at this time.

Song Xuan lifted the curtain of the donkey cart and looked out. He could feel the chill that hit him, which immediately chased away his last bit of drowsiness.

Many candidates were stamping their feet and huddling together for warmth, waiting for the soldiers to check them at the door.

To prevent people from smuggling in things they shouldn't be carrying.

However, many of the candidates were very excited.

Because the Song Dynasty was different from the Tang Dynasty, the winners of the imperial examinations in the Sui and Tang Dynasties were only candidates and supplements for national management talents, not the main source.

Only those who serve powerful families can become officials.

The imperial examination system was established during the Song Dynasty.

The system truly determined whether a person could become an official and govern the country through rigorous examinations, and civil officials who passed the imperial examinations were the primary source of the country's administrators.

From then on, the monopoly of the aristocratic bureaucratic class over politics, culture, and education was broken.

External factors such as bloodline and social status are no longer so important.

Many children from impoverished families have a real chance to succeed in the imperial examinations and change their destiny if they are willing to study hard.

The transformation from fish to dragon occurs at this moment!
Moreover, unlike the Tang Dynasty, as long as you pass the imperial examination, you can immediately become an official without having to wait.

Ninety-nine percent were assigned to grassroots positions, starting as assistants to the county magistrate (section-level cadres). They typically held one of two positions: either a registrar or a county constable.

The candidates who have now reached the provincial examination stage do not feel bitter; instead, they are more excited than ever before.

In addition, His Majesty has offered a "big pie" (a metaphor for a tempting offer)!
If you pass the provincial examination, the number of candidates for the palace examination this year has increased by half, greatly increasing your chances of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

If you don't seize such a great opportunity, won't you regret it for the rest of your life?

Therefore, although it was cold and bitter at this time, it was still bearable.

Looking at the faces of the many students illuminated by the firelight, Song Xuan lowered the curtain:
"I'm not in a hurry. I'll sit for a while longer. I see there are still quite a few people queuing up ahead of me. Even if I get in, I'll just be sitting here freezing."

"Ah."

Zhang Fangping seemed quite relaxed.

He felt that his strategy was performed quite well under the influence of his twelfth brother, and it didn't have any negative impact.

Although Dean Fan has compiled books on poetry and prose, this is still his weak point.

Everyone else thought that neither Twelfth Brother nor he himself was good at strategy.

This provincial examination will definitely teach them a lesson!

"Our first test is on copying ancient texts, right?"

Fan Xiang asked some questions, seemingly just to make conversation.

After all that he had just said, he still became very nervous when he arrived at the scene, even though he was the last one there.

“Examining the meaning of the classics.”

Han Qi noticed his deskmate starting to shake his leg nervously again, and he understood the fear in his heart.

Han Qi knew that Fan Xiangtai longed for success.

Because he doesn't have the financial resources to start over, he's afraid of failure.

After all, it had been a long time since he last participated in the deciphering test.

Even when he participated in the mock exams organized by Song Xuan, he still couldn't adjust his mindset in time.

"So it's a test on the meaning of the classics!"

This exam involves interpreting the Five Classics. It extracts sentences or paragraphs from the original texts of Confucian classics as topics, requiring candidates to write essays elaborating on the principles and meanings contained within.

Once you remember it, it's extremely simple; there are usually seventeen questions.

Don't worry too much.

Song Xuan immediately picked up his exam basket and smiled:

"Why don't we go down and wait? Staying in a warm place all the time makes it easy to overthink things."

"it is good."

Fan Xiang was very grateful.

Sure enough, once outside the donkey cart, all that remained was shivering and trying to stay warm.

Fan Xiang will never think about tense things again.

A large number of candidates entered the examination hall one after another. There were more than 7,000 candidates from all over the country, and Song Xuan got to know some of them from the same prefecture.

I didn't see many of the people I knew in Luoyang.

As for Wen Yanbo's name, it was only heard from Ouyang Xiu, because he was also on the list and was a strong contender for the top score in the imperial examination.

Some of the other candidates, being the most interested, were still discussing the rankings of the successful candidates listed by the gambling den.

Then he started complaining about how he didn't make the list and how he would crush Song Xuan under his feet.

This caused a burst of laughter from those around them.

The gambling dens in Tokyo still have some connections, unless you didn't do well in the preliminary examination but suddenly shine in the provincial examination.

Song Xuan listened to the noise but didn't say anything, instead patiently waiting in line.

At this moment, his mind was not on these candidates at all. After this examination, at least 6,000 of the more than 7,000 candidates would be dismissed.

This was still Zhao Zhen's announcement of expansion, unlike before when more than a thousand people participated in the palace examination, and usually two-thirds of them would be dismissed.

Song Xuan discovered that there were many officials involved in the provincial examinations, with a wide range of responsibilities.

It seems that the imperial examination system was highly professional, at least much more so than the local examinations.

This group of people work for three days or half a month every three years.

The Imperial Examination Hall was further divided into several subordinate agencies according to its functions.

Such as the Fengmi Academy (School), Xianglu Academy (School), Duidu Academy, Bianpai Academy, Bieshi Academy, Guoluo Office, etc.

The workload of these students copying the exam papers alone would be quite substantial.

After Song Xuan's identity was verified before entering the examination hall, he was led by the gatekeeper of the examination hall to his examination room and took his assigned seat.

They were searched again to see if they were bringing any books into the venue, and were not allowed to bring their own tea sets, etc.

This is also to prevent accidents from soiling the exam paper, so that it can be marked.

Of course, those who took the imperial examination for the highest degree would receive better treatment in the examination hall than those who took other degrees.

When the Ministry of Rites held the imperial examinations, an incense table was set up in front of the steps for the examiners to bow to each other, and tea was provided in the examination rooms.

If you are thirsty, you can tell the examiner that you would like a cup of tea.

If the paper gets water stains again, then the whole paper has to be rewritten.

Anyway, see if you have enough time!
Like the other subjects, they all drank water from the inkstone when they were thirsty.

Now there's no need to leave it overnight, preventing people from smuggling notes into the candles.

Looking around, Song Xuan saw that most of the other candidates in the same examination room seemed very excited, as if they couldn't wait to start working on the exam as soon as the papers were handed out.

Some people nervously asked if they could go to the restroom.

"Twelfth Brother!" Zhang Yuan ran over and said happily, "You're sitting so close to the front, I'm just saying hello under the pretense of going to the toilet."

Song Xuan was also quite surprised and laughed twice:
"When I came in, it was still dark, so I didn't look back."

Zhang Yuan casually pointed, and Song Xuan saw that it was diagonally behind him.

The exam hasn't started yet, and the examiner hasn't reprimanded anyone.

However, Zhang Yuan didn't dare to linger and waved his hand before leaving.

Song Xuan poured out some hot water, took out the ink and began grinding, making preparations.

When the time was almost up, the presiding official signaled for everyone to stand up and bow to each other.

After the ceremony, an incense stick was lit.

The chief examiner began to announce the examination rules: anyone found cheating would be immediately expelled and permanently banned from taking the imperial examinations.

If you have connections, you can start over even if you change your ancestors' ways.

With the sound of a gong, a person carrying a plaque appeared, displaying the exam content.

(The locked examination hall system: Once the examiners were selected, they were immediately locked inside the examination hall, cut off from all contact with the outside world, to prevent the questions from being leaked and to avoid bribery.)
Currently, this model hasn't encountered any major problems. However, in the late Northern Song Dynasty, when the sons of prime ministers took the imperial examinations, and in the Southern Song Dynasty, when Qin Hui's son took the exams, there were instances where people deliberately leaked the exam questions.

Song Xuan glanced at it and thought, "Good heavens, the first question is about Duke Zheng of Zheng defeating Duan at Yan in the Spring and Autumn Period."

The other candidates also frowned.

This question is way too obscure.

Zhang Yuan frowned, first copying down the question, then washing it off and thinking about it later.

In the imperial examinations of the Northern Song Dynasty, although the interpretation and elaboration of the Confucian classics were the explanations and elaborations of the profound meanings of the Confucian classics, the core was to use the words of sages to answer real-world problems.

One must not only be well-versed in the meaning of the scriptures, but also have literary talent in expressing them; both are essential.

Zhao Zhen is no longer Empress Dowager Liu's biological son, nor does he have any brothers.

Zhao Heng had two sons. Zhao Zhen was the sixth son, as his five older brothers all died young.

Song Xuan then copied the question onto the draft paper. Even if you don't know how to write this kind of question, you still have to follow the format.

Blank spaces are not allowed; your attitude is not good.

After thinking for a moment, Song Xuan realized that it was a matter concerning the imperial clan!

Perhaps the recent incident where Song Xuan said on the street that you are not worthy of the surname Zhao influenced the question setter's thinking.

These officials didn't think their salaries were high; instead, they were eyeing the excessively generous treatment of the imperial family members and wanted to cut their benefits.

However, Song Xuan didn't care. It was just an exam anyway, and as long as the goal was achieved, that was enough.

Following his teacher's instructions, Song Xuan wrote down the meaning of this passage and extended it to the management of the imperial clan and political ethics.

After wandering around for a couple more times, the second question was about Duke Huan of Qi's conquest of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Song Xuan couldn't immediately guess whether it was a strategy between the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty.

The Book of Rites, in its section on learning, emphasizes the importance of teaching and the role of the chief minister in managing state affairs.

And the very basic Guan Ju, the virtue of the empress, is the beginning of the wind, so that it influences the world and corrects the relationship between husband and wife.

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

These scholars have so many personal agendas.

Even if this poem were placed in front of Liu E, she would think it was about birds courting on the riverbank.

But the real meaning was the education and guidance within the imperial harem.

In short, none of the officials of the Song Dynasty wanted Empress Dowager Liu to follow the example of Empress Wu Zetian.

Song Xuan looked at these questions, from the Empress Dowager to the imperial family, the prime minister, and finally the students, leaving no one out. As for the Tai hexagram in the Book of Changes, the third line, "There is no flat land without a slope."

Such a difficult question.

Song Xuan even suspected that the group of question setters also had separate A and B versions.

As soon as the emperor said he wanted to expand the number of students admitted, he immediately pulled out the most difficult exam and tried to eliminate a sufficient number of candidates in the provincial exams.

In short.

The first exam of the spring imperial examination in the fifth year of the Tiansheng era gave many students a real challenge.

Extremely difficult.

Song Xuan didn't think it was a big deal. He had taken the exam many times, had a solid foundation, and had encountered these kinds of questions before.

Anyway, the Five Classics only contain that much content.

The longest version of the Book of Rites did not exceed 100,000 characters. After Wang Anshi's reforms, the number of added annotations increased to 150,000 characters.

The Spring and Autumn Annals only has about ten thousand characters, so it doesn't take long to read.

However, Song Xuan still wrote his exam paper carefully and did not submit it early.

From his position, he couldn't observe the others, but the candidates on his left and right looked quite uncomfortable.

The waters in Tokyo are too deep; we still need to be careful.

Song Xuan finally wrote down his exam number and, along with the crowd, dropped it into the box. Someone would then cover the names to ensure the examiners couldn't see the candidates' information.

Then, a large-scale transcription process is carried out, in which all the answer sheets are rewritten and copied. After going through three procedures—reading, transcribing, and proofreading—to ensure that the transcribed papers are consistent with the candidates' original answers, they are then sent for evaluation.

For all three exam papers, candidates must ensure that the exam paper number they write is consistent.

The examination papers written by the successful candidates themselves were called genuine papers and were sent to the official in charge of sealing and storing them.
The copied scroll is called a draft scroll.

The examiners look at the draft papers, and the final result must correspond to the real papers.

Those who passed the assessment and were deemed qualified had to be reviewed by the emperor before their names were finally posted in the Ministry of Personnel.

While waiting to leave, Zhang Yuan shook his head and sighed, saying:

"Twelfth Brother, this is too difficult."

"It's really difficult."

Song Xuan also sighed:

"Perhaps it was because the government suddenly wanted to expand the number of candidates, so the examiners changed the difficulty of the exam papers at the last minute in an attempt to eliminate more candidates."

After listening to Song Xuan's analysis, Zhang Yuan also felt that it made sense.

The emperor is still young, and many things are done by the empress dowager.

Presumably, the emperor did not consult with his prime ministers before making this decision on his own.

The scholar-official class also wanted to gain more influence in the imperial court.

After all, the Song Dynasty ruled the country together with the scholar-officials!

However, the real beginning of governing the country together with the scholar-officials started with Emperors Zhenzong and Renzong.

Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong mostly talked the talk.

They certainly don't want a powerful minister to emerge.

Even if it's Zhao Pu, that kind of person won't do!
Emperor Zhenzong delegated power to ministers such as Li Hang, Wang Dan, Lü Duan, and Kou Zhun, allowing them to govern the country with full autonomy.

These people did not disappoint Emperor Zhenzong's expectations. The scholar-officials created the Xianping Era, which not only restored the vitality of the Song Dynasty, but also made the Song Dynasty's strength advance by leaps and bounds.

During Emperor Zhenzong's reign, the population of the Northern Song Dynasty doubled, and the commercial economy flourished further.

However, Emperor Zhenzong was different from his son, Emperor Renzong.

That's nothing compared to the great ones.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, the power of the scholar-official class was pushed to an unprecedented and unparalleled peak.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong, the frequency of droughts, floods, and plagues was the highest in the entire Northern Song Dynasty.

At the same time, the Western Xia, led by Li Yuanhao, emerged as an external threat, constantly threatening to kill the Song Dynasty.

In this situation, Emperor Renzong of Song further delegated power to the scholar-officials, and the emperor and his ministers worked together to overcome the crisis.

The number of famous officials during the reign of Emperor Renzong was the highest in both the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties.

"How did Twelfth Brother answer?"

"Just fill in the blanks, I usually don't leave any questions blank anyway, I'll write them all down."

Song Xuan chuckled: "What if I guess right? It's better than not writing anything at all!"

"Hahaha."

Zhang Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud. He actually thought Song Xuan wasn't lying; he had done the same thing.

Zhang Yuan's laughter, however, attracted the attention of the other candidates.

Faced with this difficult question, none of them managed to answer it well.

Some candidates with poor mental resilience even burst into tears during the examination.

Young scholars like Song Xuan were few and far between; most were in their twenties or thirties before they were confident enough to take the imperial examination.

Thirty? An old scholar who has passed the imperial examinations; fifty a young scholar who has passed the highest level of the imperial examinations.

Passing the Mingjing examination at thirty is considered relatively old, while passing the Jinshi examination at fifty is considered quite young.

Among these candidates, there were quite a few who were about the same age as Song Xuan's father.

Not everyone knows when to advance and when to retreat.

Many people devoted themselves to the imperial examinations, only to find themselves hopeless throughout their lives!

Zhang Yuan immediately shut up. Knowing the difficulty of this exam, he took the initiative to say goodbye to Song Xuan after leaving the examination hall.

He needed to rush back and rest for a while; he was simply too tired today.

I have to get up early here again tomorrow morning.

Song Xuan nodded to Wang Gui before getting into the donkey cart.

Wang Gui stayed at his uncle's house for a while, and naturally boasted about it quite a bit.

After all, he had lived with the famous Song Twelve, who was renowned throughout the three capitals, and that's how he achieved his current status.

Wang Gui's uncle even suggested that he follow Song Xuan and not join the Imperial Guard.

Since the Song Dynasty is currently engaged in no major wars, even if one joins the Imperial Guard, there is no opportunity to make meritorious contributions.

It would be better to serve Song Xuan well; there will be a bright future and wealth ahead of you.

To be honest, Wang Gui was also very tempted, but deep down he still longed to be a member of the Imperial Guard.

Otherwise, all his skills would be useless.

Those hooligans are completely untouchable; they only know how to use dirty tricks.

But Wang Gui also learned them all.

He simply told his uncle to protect Song Xuan until he finished the exam before discussing anything else.

Wang Gui didn't say much; after the provincial examination, there was still the palace examination.

He never doubted that Song Xuan would fail the imperial examinations; he just secretly wondered whether he could become the top scholar in the provincial examination and the top scholar in the imperial examination, achieving the feat of winning all three.

This time, he also brought his uncle and others to the gambling dens in Tokyo to bet on Song Xuan's chances of winning the imperial examination.

"Twelfth Brother?"

Zhang Fangping was already waiting inside the donkey cart.

These were no challenge at all for Zhang Fangping, a genius with a photographic memory.

If it weren't for Song Xuan's influence, Zhang Fangping, who was the mentor of the Three Su's, would have had to take the imperial examination in his twenties, unlike him who took the examination at such a young age.

However, he only got fourth place. Unconvinced, he took the exam again and got fourth place again. Only then did he obediently go and become an official.

What made Su Shi famous again was that he ranked third in the imperial examination.

The first two ranks were considered honorary and were never recorded. This was the first time in a hundred years that someone had been named in the Northern Song Dynasty, breaking the previous record.

From Zhao Kuangyin's ascension to the throne to Su Shi's examination in the sixth year of the Jiayou era, only two people achieved the third rank in the imperial examination.

One was Wu Yu from the first year of the Jingyou era, and the other was Su Shi.

However, Wu Yu was only third-rate, not as good as Su Shi.

Both Su Shi and other famous figures of the time praised Su Shi highly for his performance in this examination.

Moreover, Wang Anshi, one of the six examiners at the time, already disliked Su Xun, but was still impressed by Su Shi's talent.

When Su Shi encountered the Wutai Poetry Case and no one dared to plead for him, Zhang Fangping, who was already retired at home, immediately wrote a letter, but no one dared to deliver it to the emperor.

So Lao Zhang sent his son to Tokyo to submit a memorial, but his son was too timid and hesitated in front of the Dengwen Drum for several hours before submitting it.

There was no one else around, so Song Xuan gave him a look.

it is more than words.

Zhang Fangping smiled slightly; he knew this kind of question wouldn't stump Twelfth Brother at all.

He didn't really understand what was so difficult about this kind of question.

Every candidate who came out of the examination hall was loudly saying things like, "This is too difficult."

Zhang Fangping couldn't tell whether it was true or false.

Once everyone had arrived, the donkey cart slowly made its way home.

Sitting in the exam room all day, it's cold and you can't move around much. If you make even the slightest movement, the proctor will remind you not to make any mistakes.

I was extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

During the meal, Lü Lejian wanted to speak several times, but given the previous agreement, he couldn't say anything more.

After eating, I went straight to sleep.

Song Xuan, on the other hand, chose to take a bath without washing his hair before going to sleep.

Meanwhile, the officials at the examination hall had already begun their work, and to ensure fairness, they had to complete all their tasks in a short period of time.

At least enough time should be given to the examiners, who are also under pressure and have heavy workloads.

In short, no one should be careless about such an important matter concerning the future of candidates.

If you make a mistake, you will be implicated.

With Wang Qinruo absent, the provincial examination was overseen by Prime Minister Wang Zeng.

He spent the entire day touring the field and supervising the officials' work, repeatedly reminding them not to be careless or negligent.

With the prime minister by their side, the officials in the examination hall had no chance to slack off.

Lu Yijian, however, remarked with considerable emotion, "This is my first time participating in the provincial examination for administrative management."

Wang Zeng had worked with Wang Qinruo for two years during the Tiansheng era, serving as his deputy, before Lü Yijian joined the party.

Wang Zeng had long understood Lü Yijian's thoughts, but he pretended not to know:
"It's alright. Perhaps after working for a while longer, you'll be in charge."

(End of this chapter)