Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 213 The Millennium Imperial Examination Ranking! The Second Question of the Provincial Examination: Suppressing Powerful Clans!

"The first question of the Spring Imperial Examination, papers are collected!"

Tang Xiujin's gaze lingered in the direction of Jiang Xingzhou's examination room.

With the dripping of the water clock, the first session of the two-hour imperial examination had come to an end.

His fingertips trembled slightly, a hint of reluctance rising within him—such a brilliant and exquisite piece of writing deserved to be enjoyed for a few more hours.

Jiang Xingzhou's ten poems and essays on "Protecting the Nation" are all masterpieces, each word a gem and each piece exquisite.

Tang Xiujin felt as if he had experienced several days of literary immersion, and those powerful poems still resonated in his mind, leaving a lingering impression that made him want to applaud and admire them.

"Boom boom boom——"

"First session of the imperial examination, time to collect the papers!"
Students, please stop writing!

The sound of gongs echoed throughout the examination hall, and the head constable loudly announced the collection of papers.

Zhao Wen, the Vice Minister of Rites, personally moved to the examination room in Jiangnan where Jiang Xingzhou was located. His expression was solemn, and he respectfully held up the ten [National Defense] examination papers with both hands.

Each one is imbued with literary spirit and understated brilliance, truly a national treasure!

He walked steadily and personally escorted her back to the examination room.

The imperial examination hall, a testament to the nation's strength!
According to past practice, such an article will surely be the champion of this competition, the first in the top tier!

Meanwhile, the other officials of the Ministry of Rites also set out to collect examination papers from the examination halls that were showing signs of success, such as those in Mingzhou and Dafu.

The answers from these candidates were all exceptionally insightful.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will surely have a place on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations and become a tribute student—that is, a Jinshi!

As for those mediocre documents that only reached the level of "leaving the county" or lower, the minor officials would collect them, stack them neatly, and send them to the document review room.

Will they be able to pass the imperial examination with flying colors?

We can only leave it to fate!

If there are still vacancies among the 300 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), then a few lucky individuals with the potential to become Jinshi will be selected from the essays submitted after leaving the county.

Such opportunities are rare, so we can only leave it to fate.

Zhao Wen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, straightened his clothes and led his subordinates into the examination room in single file.

After the clerks finished counting the grades of the examination papers, he stepped forward three times, and the two high-ranking officials in the court bowed deeply to him.
"Reporting to Lord Tang and Lord Wei!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire examination room fell silent.

Zhao Wen held the list of names in his hands, his voice trembling uncontrollably:
"In this imperial examination, a total of ten works that can be considered masterpieces were selected!"

"Fifty-eight articles from Mingzhou!"

"Nine hundred and seventy-two chapters from Dafu!"

"More than 5,700 articles were published outside the county!"

He paused briefly, his Adam's apple bobbing, and continued, "The remaining four thousand or so pieces, even the worst of them, are still above [Kouzhen]."

"What?"

Minister of War Tang Xiujin's eyes widened, and his teacup clattered onto the table, splashing the emerald green tea onto his crimson official robe.

"This, how is this possible?"

Minister of Rites Wei Shili stood up abruptly, the rosewood chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

The two senior ministers looked at each other and saw an unbelievable shock in each other's eyes.

The stack of exam papers on the desk, radiating the brilliance of talent, now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds—

It's not just ten articles that can protect the nation; it's more than ten times the number of previous years!
Even more alarming is that there are over 58 works in Mingzhou, over 970 in Dafu, and even over 5,700 articles in Chuxian.

The level of the examination was so high that it was almost five times higher than that of previous spring examinations!
Such a grand occasion is unprecedented in our dynasty, and it has not been recorded even after searching through all the historical records.

"May Heaven bless literature and talent."

Minister of Rites Wei Shili's voice trembled, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead beneath his white hair.

As a veteran minister who had been in charge of the Ministry of Rites for twenty years, he understood better than anyone what this meant—it was an unprecedented sign of great prosperity in literature and culture in the Great Zhou Dynasty!

"It must be the effect of those ten national-protecting articles!"

The examiner, Tang Xiujin, spoke in a hoarse voice, pointing to the night sky outside the window, which was tinged with blue by the reflection of talent.

The creation of ten national treasures is far more than simply the birth of ten literary treasures!
The literary fortune above the examination hall has materialized, and the talent, like a waterfall and a tide, surges between the examination rooms, soaking through thousands of cells.

Those damp walls were not dew from the night, but rather the crystallization of talent to its most intense form.

The scholars, immersed in this experience, found their parched inspiration refreshed, and even though they were deeply moved by Jiang Xingzhou's ten essays on national defense, their writing still flowed with brilliance.

Don't be fooled by their wailing and crying in the examination room, threatening to give up writing.

But in reality, a sudden inspiration flashed through my mind, and I quickly grabbed the pen and began to write with lightning speed.

They didn't actually spend much time writing poetry; most of their time was spent conceiving and brainstorming, racking their brains for inspiration.

Once a flash of inspiration strikes, a poem can be composed in just a few dozen breaths.

"He did this almost entirely by himself."

Wei Shili looked towards a certain spot deep within the examination hall, where a vast amount of talent was being unleashed. "It has nurtured the entire examination hall for the spring examinations; the literary fortune of the imperial examinations has exploded!"
This is probably the strongest Dragon and Tiger Ranking in a thousand years!

No previous imperial examinations could compare!
It's unlikely that any future spring imperial examination will surpass this one!

"Begin grading!"

Chief examiner Tang Xiujin took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, sat back down in the rosewood chair, and gave the order in a deep voice.

Although the grade of an examination paper—from a prefecture-level city to a state-level city—can be glimpsed from celestial phenomena, this only represents the literary level of the essay, not the whole picture.

Even the best articles must follow the rules!

If the exam question is about "spring grass," but the examinee writes at length about "summer insects," even if the writing is brilliant and reaches the level of [Mingzhou], it is still considered off-topic and must be rejected!

For example, if an article contains satire or allusions to the government, or if the language is too extreme or violates the principles of sages, even if the author is exceptionally talented and of extremely high literary quality, the author should be dismissed without hesitation!

Only works that are logically sound, relevant to the topic, and balanced and moderate can truly pass the examination and qualify for the list of successful candidates!

Chief examiner Tang Xiujin held his pen attentively and personally reviewed more than a thousand examination papers from the [Dazhou] and above.

Eliminate all substandard products!
With the cinnabar-tipped brush hovering over the paper, each stroke was made with utmost care—after all, these writings, with a little deliberation, would become the pillars of the future imperial court.

Minister of Rites Wei Shili, along with Vice Ministers Xu Shiheng and Zhao Wen, buried themselves in the mountain of documents related to leaving the county.

Their task was to "sift through the sand for gold" from the vast sea of ​​mediocre articles—if a gem was found hidden in the dust, how could they miss it?

As for those mediocre works that only reach the level of [Kouzhen], they have long been casually piled up in a corner and ignored by everyone.

Xu Shiheng picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, but was distracted.

He stared at the stacks of files on his desk, his gaze wandering.

This year's Spring Examination,
There are over a thousand works in the [Dafu] collection alone, which is more than enough to select three hundred Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

This means that those thousands of poems and essays [that left the county] are destined to become mere background elements, not even deserving a second glance.

What's the difference between sentencing and not sentencing?
"The position of the top scholar in this conference, which governs the nation with ten chapters, is undoubtedly Jiang Xingzhou's!"

Xu Shiheng's knuckles turned white as he gripped the vermilion pen tightly, oblivious to the ink dripping onto the paper.

His heart was in turmoil, his thoughts racing—it was too late!

It's too late!

Ten national treasures have emerged out of nowhere, and their literary fortunes are soaring to the heavens. Let alone tampering with them, even the slightest hint of injustice will likely result in a backlash from the literary world!

Moreover, the chief examiner, Tang Xiujin, is Jiang Xingzhou's mentor and directly judges Jiang Xingzhou's case file. At this moment, he is probably protecting those ten articles like the apple of his eye. Who would dare to make the slightest move?
The title of top scholar in the provincial examination is already in my grasp.

The subsequent palace examination was even attended by the emperor himself. Although the emperor's heart is unpredictable and his moods are ever-changing, it is impossible to fathom his thoughts.

But with Jiang Xingzhou's extraordinary talent, becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination was almost a certainty!
"The Zhao family of Jiangzhou."

Xu Shiheng felt a bitter taste in his throat.

When Jiang Xingzhou searched and confiscated the Zhao family mansion, did he ever think that the daughter of Zhao Huai, whose house was being searched, was Xu Shiheng's most beloved third concubine?
Every year, the Zhao family would pay a million taels of silver to the Xu family in exchange for their protection and control over the Jiangzhou canal transport.

Although he had no apparent enmity with Jiang Xingzhou, this rift meant that they could never form an alliance!

It's unknown how many bribery records Zhao's family had given Jiang Xingzhou.

The dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a key official of the Three Departments and Six Ministries
Xu Shiheng suddenly felt that the cloud and goose patch on his official robe was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Faced with this tumultuous wave sweeping the literary world, he was as powerless as an ant, utterly helpless in the face of Jiang Xingzhou's powerlessness.

Are we really going to just stand by and watch this potential political rival rise to power so quickly?!
His face showed bitterness.

That's it!

Let's see if there's a chance later!

Tang Xiujin stared at the exam paper in her hand, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Snapped!"

The vermilion brush was slammed heavily on the table, and the ink splattered like blood.

"[Her dark hair, like tassels, is freshly dewy; the tall locust tree reigns supreme in the spring sky.]"

At first glance, these two lines of poetry seem to be about cicadas, but upon closer inspection, every word is barbed!

“緌” refers to the tassels of an official's hat, and “饮露” signifies a noble and aloof attitude—clearly an insult to the officials who are “wearing hats like monkeys and pretending to be noble and aloof”!
The second sentence is even more insidious.

The locust tree has been a symbol of high-ranking officials since ancient times.

"Occupying all the spring in the nine heavens" is an indictment of the powerful and wealthy who monopolize the government!

"It's that Huang Dynasty again!"

Minister Tang sneered, a flash of blue light appeared at his fingertips, and the scroll that should have been published in [Mingzhou] was directly rejected.

"Does Keke really think I can't see through his hidden meaning?"

The answer sheet vaguely revealed the two characters "Huang Chao" as if carved with a knife and axe—this was the third time this person had been dismissed for "excessive satire"!
a long time.

"it is good!"

Chief examiner Tang Xiujin put down his vermilion pen, stroked his beard, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The more than a thousand examination papers from the [Dafu] level and above that had piled up on his desk had now all been graded.

His gaze swept over the final rankings, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes—this year's candidates were truly outstanding!

This will make him, the chief examiner, look good!
The exam question was personally drafted by him: "Using the ten routes of the Great Zhou Dynasty as the theme, write about the scenery and customs of your hometown."

This question seems simple, but it actually contains a hidden mystery.

Candidates could write about the famous mountains and rivers, local customs and people of their own region, or they could write about the scenic spots of the other nine regions—as long as their writing was substantial and their talent was impressive, they would be considered qualified.

With such a broad scope, it's hard to go off-topic!
Write about landscapes? Sure!
Describing folk customs? Sure!
Singing about local specialties? That's fine too!

As long as one doesn't act recklessly, violate taboos, insert personal agendas, or make irresponsible remarks about politics, these exquisite articles are all practical and useful pieces of writing!

Tang Xiujin smiled as he looked at the examination paper, and said to Wei Shili, the deputy examiner and Minister of Rites, "Lord Wei, this examination is destined to be recorded in history."

"Indeed! This is truly a millennium-old ranking of dragons and tigers, unheard of before!"

Minister of Rites Wei Shili nodded with a smile as he graded the papers.

In the first round, only three thousand candidates remained to continue the second round of assessment.

The seven thousand rejected candidates reluctantly left the examination hall.

The vermilion gates of the examination hall slammed shut once more, shutting out the seven thousand unsuccessful candidates.

Those figures in blue robes lingered in the scorching sun, reluctant to leave—this parting meant three years of hard study before starting all over again.

Chief examiner Tang Xiujin sat before the Minglun Hall, his wolf-hair brush hovering over the yellow silk for a long time before finally writing:

The powerful own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand—what does this mean?

The hall fell silent instantly.

Minister of Rites Wei Shili's pupils suddenly contracted, and the breathing of several vice ministers suddenly became heavy—this question was like dancing on the edge of a knife!

"This"

An official's Adam's apple bobbed, but he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

The officials in scarlet robes all lowered their eyes in unison, as if they had suddenly become very interested in the floor tiles.

Some things are better to be seen than spoken.

Saying it is wrong!

Soon, the gong sounded, and the officials, holding up their plaques, filed out one after another.

Their boots trod across the examination halls, spreading the incredibly difficult spring examination question word for word throughout the three thousand examination rooms.

How would they formulate their strategies and solutions when faced with such a difficult exam question?
Jiang Xingzhou was momentarily stunned when he stared at the exam question.

Even so, he could write ten national treasures.

Unexpectedly, the examiner, Tang Xiujin, was so "bold" as to ask such a question: "The powerful own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand. What is the answer?"

The exam questions openly challenged candidates to devise strategies for dealing with powerful figures!
But who is Haoqiang?
Isn't this going against the entire court of powerful officials?
Which of the powerful figures in the current government doesn't have the shadow of aristocratic families and powerful clans behind them? Those powerful figures with vast tracts of land might just be relatives or old friends of today's examiners!
"Master, why did you set such a question? Is there a trap in this question?"

Jiang Xingzhou took a deep breath and closed his eyes to meditate.

wrong!

He suddenly realized something—criticizing powerful clans should be the politically correct thing for the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Just like the fight against corruption—even if officials throughout the court are secretly embezzling, who would dare to say a word of "no" openly?

This is political correctness!
same,

Suppressing powerful clans was the politically correct approach that dynasties throughout history had consistently upheld!

Even though many officials outwardly comply but inwardly defy the rules, and annex land everywhere to become new powerful clans, they would never dare to stand up and utter a word of dissent.

Therefore, this policy question itself is absolutely correct—no official would voluntarily stand up and say that the question is wrong!

There are no tricks in this question; it's simply a matter of asking candidates to propose strategies to combat powerful clans!
It's even a ladder to heaven for underprivileged students everywhere!

After all, only scholars from humble backgrounds would wholeheartedly devise strategies and try every means to strike at the powerful and wealthy!

As for the scions of powerful and aristocratic families, even when they answered questions, they mostly gave perfunctory and irrelevant answers.

After all, which scion of a powerful clan would offer a solution to eliminate their own clan's powerful families and seize their land?
(End of this chapter)