Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 218 A Great Confucian Scholar's Interpretation! The Second Question of the Imperial Examination: Reducing the Power of the Feudal States?
On the golden palace.

The courtiers held their breath, and the three hundred tribute students remained silent.

At the very front of the hall, one could see Hui Yuanjiang sitting upright on a prayer mat, his back like a pine tree, his calligraphy flowing like dragons and snakes!

With a flourish of his purple brush, a magnificent and astonishing article leaped onto the paper:
"[The collections of Yan and Zhao, the management of Han and Wei, the elites of Qi and Chu, over generations and years, have been plundered from their people, piling up like mountains.]"

A moment later, the brushstroke suddenly shifted, like a thunderclap:
"Alas! It was the six states themselves that destroyed the six states, not Qin! It was Qin itself that destroyed Qin, not the world!"

The people of Qin had no time to mourn for themselves, but later generations mourned for them.

If later generations lament but do not learn from their mistakes, they will only cause future generations to lament again!

The entire poem consists of 514 characters, each word a gem and each sentence breathtaking!
Below the steps, Nangong Wan'er's cheeks flushed, her infatuated eyes fixed on that tall, upright figure wielding his brush.

Throughout history, only Jiang Zhenguo has ever written a poem of such caliber that it has been passed down through the ages during the imperial examinations.

Inside the Palace of Los Angeles.

Wenhua is like a waterfall.

The great Confucian scholar Lu Mingde, with his wide sleeves hanging down, joined other Grand Secretaries and Hanlin scholars to step forward and stand around the table where the boatman on the Yuanjiang River was sailing.

They surrounded that brilliant article, like stars around the moon, and began to interpret it.

"How strange!"

Lu Mingde's excited fingertips swept across the paper, and every word seemed to shine.

"Your Majesty! This 'Ode to the Epang Palace' has become a literary masterpiece spanning three hundred miles, renowned throughout the world."

The 514 characters are like 514 golden pillars, and the 24 lines are like 24 layers of flying eaves, capable of unleashing numerous literary techniques.

"Your Majesty! This literary domain contains five [World-Class] level literary arts!"
[National-level] literary arts, fifteen in total!
[Mingzhou] level literary skills, thirty in total!

[Dafu] level literary works, 115 in total!

But then, fifteen golden rays of light that guarded the nation, thirty rays of rosy clouds that illuminated the city, and one hundred and fifteen auspicious omens that reached the capital burst forth from the scroll, making the star map on the palace ceiling dazzlingly bright.

"Your Majesty! This...this is absolutely stunning! Unbelievable, unbelievable!"

"Your Majesty! This [World-Renowned] Epang Palace literary domain is worthy of being ranked among the top ten literary domains in the world!"

The elders trembled with fear.

The great scholar Lu Mingde stroked his beard with excitement, his hands trembling.

He originally came to support his disciple Cao Jin, but unexpectedly witnessed the condensation of a thousand years of literary fortune here.

His hands trembled as he stroked the precious document, "[Passing Down the World]," before him.

Even for a renowned Confucian scholar like him, such an article that could be "spread throughout the world" was something he longed for.

The bronze crane incense burner at the corner of the hall suddenly resounded, as if echoing this magnificent chapter.

In the Jinluan Palace.

The Nine Dragon Throne shimmered with dazzling light.

The Empress was overjoyed. She raised her phoenix eyes slightly and parted her red lips: "Quickly present this article to me for my perusal!"

Wang Dequan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, strode down the jade steps, his crimson official robes flashing across the white marble floor.

When he walked to Jiang Xingzhou's desk, his hands, which had served the emperor for thirty years, trembled uncontrollably—the scroll of "The Rhapsody on the Epang Palace" on the desk was exuding a rich purple aura of talent, making the desk appear as if it were made of glass.

"We respectfully request Your Majesty's judgment."

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies presented it with trembling hands.

As the Empress gracefully unfurled her wide sleeves, the gilded armor brushed against the scroll, and a clear, melodious phoenix cry suddenly resounded throughout the Xuanzheng Hall.

On the Xuan paper scroll, snow waves and clouds rise and fall, and a majestic palace can be faintly seen rising from the ground from the talent.

The palace walls stretch for three hundred miles, reflecting the Wei and Jing rivers. Every five steps there is a building with a bright moon hanging from it, and every ten steps there is a pavilion with a crystal curtain hanging down.

The corridors wind and turn, the eaves soar high. Each building embraces its own terrain, interlocking and vying for prominence.

Where the covered walkway soars through the air, a black bird formed from characters hovers, carrying inscriptions of "[Dafu]" and "[Mingzhou]"; between the flying eaves and the inverted roof, golden runes of "[Zhenguo]" shine brightly at the intersection of the brackets.

Once activated, this scroll of inscription can instantly transform into a magnificent palace barrier, covering three hundred miles and exerting its power over all directions.

"Excellent! Wonderful!"

The Empress's eyes gleamed with a strange light, as if a river of stars were flowing within them, and she exclaimed in admiration.

Empress Wu Mingyue lightly turned her wrist, and the vermilion brush moved like a dragon and a snake, writing eight large, powerful characters on the gilded Xuan paper as a judgment: "[His poem is renowned throughout the world, first in class.]"

Then, she picked up the Imperial Seal of the State and stamped it with the national seal.

After thinking for a moment, she took out her personal seal and stamped it on the file with the inscription "[Bright Moon in the Sky]".

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became heated!
The moment the imperial seal was affixed, the golden dragon pillars of the entire Xuanzheng Hall simultaneously emitted a clear and melodious dragon roar.

Nine golden dragons, symbolizing good fortune, spiraled down from the top of the hall, illuminating the crimson annotation "[A Poem Spread Throughout the World]" as brightly as the sun.

"Great article!"

The Empress gave her approval, her phoenix eyes sparkling with rare joy.

A hint of a smile played on his usually dignified lips as his fingertips lightly traced the still-damp seal on the artifact.

"Wan'er, hang this poem beside the dragon bed in the Zichen Palace. I will study it day and night to comprehend its true meaning!"

She paused slightly, her gilded armor brushing past the words "covering over three hundred miles" on the scroll, and the Empress's voice took on a deeper meaning.

"Your Majesty, take the order."

Nangong Wan'er gently raised her hand, her wide sleeves billowing as if flowing clouds were passing by, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

The scroll, which carried the literary spirit of "spreading throughout the world," was tucked into her sleeve, and a hazy purple hue appeared on her sleeve.

The examination papers from previous imperial examinations would be sent to the Hanlin Academy, where they would remain sealed away for the rest of their lives in the Hanlin Academy's archives.

But Jiang Xingzhou's masterpiece, which has been passed down through the ages, will probably have to accompany the Emperor from now on!

At the summit of Dongsheng Shenzhou.

Purple vapors rise, and the sea of ​​clouds swirls wildly.

A solitary peak, like a sword, pierces the heavens, its summit perpetually shrouded in boundless wisdom, golden clouds swirling, its literary brilliance soaring to the heavens.

here--

The ancestral temple of the human race!

Purple mist swirls above the cloud platform.

One sub-sage and ten half-sages sat cross-legged on the sacred throne, all with moved expressions, silently gazing at the scene of the imperial examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This assessment, which has been passed down through the ages, was not made by a sage!

Even a near-saint or semi-saint can only adjudicate articles below the level of [national guardian].

The term "[镇国]" means to pacify a nation!
[The World] has already spread its influence far and wide throughout the entire Eastern Continent, with its enormous influence reaching hundreds of countries of all sizes, causing all the barbarian demons in the world to tremble.

Once one reaches the level of "spreading the word throughout the world," then heaven and earth will testify to their path, and one will only be judged by their talent and extraordinary phenomena.

Even if a sage were to personally visit, he could only admire it, but could not determine its rank.

This article's level of understanding has surpassed the authority of even sages!

Heaven and earth bear witness, literary talent and wisdom will naturally manifest themselves!
Reaching this level of literary and moral attainment, which spreads throughout the world, one has already touched upon the path of sainthood.

The path to sainthood is self-affirmation, not external confirmation.

Above the cloud platform, the purple aura suddenly became chaotic.

The hearts of all eleven Venerable Literary Masters trembled at this moment!

The purple-robed half-saint's fingers trembled slightly within his sleeves, his eyes flashing with divine light: "This 'Ode to the Epang Palace' is truly a masterpiece that will shake the ages!"

A thin crack appeared on the jade tablet in his hand with a "crack," and golden characters emanated from his sleeve—his Dao heart had failed, and he could no longer suppress his natal script treasure.

"This child will surely attain sainthood within a hundred years!"

The white-bearded sage's righteous aura flickered, stirring up a myriad of rays of light amidst the sea of ​​clouds.

How difficult it must be for him to become a demigod!
Having endured countless hardships throughout his life, he finally became a half-saint in his old age! He subconsciously reached out to stroke his long beard, but accidentally tore off three strands of his literary saintly beard. He couldn't help but clap his hands and sigh, his literary energy surging like a tide: "This child will surely attain sainthood within fifty years! Our Eastern Continent will once again produce a young saint! The literary fortune of the human race will rise like the morning sun!"

The Moon Goddess unconsciously clenched the jade slip in her slender hand, and the jade bricks beneath her feet silently turned to dust.

Her bright eyes, which could see through the writings of ages, now showed a rare tremor.

However, she had to admit it.

Jiang Xingzhou's "Ode to the Epang Palace" has reached the pinnacle of literary achievement; it is truly unparalleled.

This sixteen-year-old youth, who had achieved the highest rank in the provincial examination, actually wrote a masterpiece that would be passed down throughout the world during the palace examination.

Given time, with such talent, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he could not only ascend to the ancestral temple of Confucianism but also be on par with the sages!

"clang--"

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies rang out a long, resounding bell that echoed throughout the heavens: "The first question of the palace examination is now sealed!"

In the main hall,
Three hundred jade tables simultaneously lit up with the light of their protective seals.

Their works in the "Dafu" section shone like crimson clouds, and their articles in the "Mingzhou" section soared like azure clouds—any one of them would have been enough to garner praise from the court officials on ordinary days.

But today, these extraordinary signs of talent have faded as soon as they appeared, as if suppressed by an invisible divine force.

The candidates performed far better than in previous imperial examinations, but they were pale and showed no joy.

They had originally hoped that Jiang Xingzhou would make a mistake in the palace examination, revealing his weaknesses and causing him to miss out on the top scholar title.

It seems it was all just wishful thinking!
Jiang Xingzhou has virtually no weaknesses in the field of literature!

"Winding!"

Female officials in purple robes carried gilded trays through the hall, their presence causing the brilliance of the palace to fade away.

One of the scholars smiled bitterly, then suddenly vomited blood, his essay trembling violently on the tray.

All the scholars in the hall looked in unison toward His Majesty's desk—the scroll [Transmitting the World], still exhaling purple mist, was illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.

All three hundred files were presented by Nangong Wan'er to the rosewood table in front of Empress Wu Mingyue.

Then, Nangong Wan'er bowed and stepped aside.

Empress Wu Mingyue picked up the vermilion brush, her fingertips moving across the pages.

She reviewed the papers extremely quickly, the vermilion ink spreading across the Xuan paper, resembling spots of blood seeping into the paper.

There was a hint of laziness and nonchalance.

Occasionally, the imperial brush would hang in mid-air, hesitant to fall.

It seemed that her mind was still immersed in Jiang Xingzhou's [World-Broadcasting] document, unable to extricate herself.

These three hundred tribute students had already undergone countless trials and tribulations, having fought their way from the county, prefecture, and circuit levels all the way to the metropolitan examination and even the palace examination.

The article itself is not problematic and will not commit any grave offense against the emperor!

It's just a matter of talent; judging them is quite simple.

Hanlin Academician Zhao Mingcheng's face suddenly turned deathly pale. He staggered back half a step, his fingers unconsciously clenching his robe in his sleeve.

Now that Jiang Xingzhou's "Ode to the Epang Palace" has been "spread throughout the world," his position as the top scholar in the imperial examination is no longer in doubt.

Six yuan and the third place!

Since the inception of the imperial examination system a thousand years ago, this is the first person to achieve the extraordinary feat of passing all six levels of the imperial examinations!

Not to mention the eleven "national defense" essays and one "world-renowned" essay, which already surpassed the fame of Chen Shaoqing, the Grand Secretary in his prime.

The political landscape of the Great Zhou Dynasty is about to change drastically.

Countless opportunists, both within and outside the government, will secretly propose an alliance to Jiang Xingzhou.

The Grand Secretary Chen Shaoqing closed his eyes slightly, his body swayed almost imperceptibly, and then returned to normal.

He slowly exhaled, suppressing the turmoil surging in his chest.

Such favor from His Majesty is truly rare.

Since things have come to this point, and since we cannot stop Jiang Xingzhou's rise in the court, the only option is to make room for him in one of the three provinces and six ministries.

The palace examination continued.

The Empress has already written down the second policy question.

The moment the vermilion brush was put down,
The high-pitched voice of the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs pierced the hall: "The second question of the palace examination: Mencius said, 'A territory of a hundred li is sufficient to make one a king'—how can a feudal lord with vast territories threaten the central government?"

The three hundred tribute students were all taken aback.

The brush tip hangs above the inkstone, and the ink drips down like thunder.

Is this... a policy to weaken the power of the feudal lords?!

Jiang Xingzhou's pupils suddenly contracted.

He glanced at the beaded curtain on the side of the hall—the figures of ten princes in python robes and jade belts were faintly visible; they had come to observe the ceremony.

He originally thought that Tang Xiujin, the chief examiner and Minister of War, was already very bold in writing about eliminating powerful clans in his essay for the imperial examination!
Unexpectedly, the Empress, in front of all the vassal kings, posed the question: "[The vassal kings have established numerous cities, how can they endanger the central government?]".

Isn't this clearly an attempt to get the scholars to offer suggestions on weakening the power of the feudal lords?
Below the steps, a scholar, his face filled with fear, trembled and accidentally knocked over his inkstone.

The ink spread across the rice paper, resembling a map of the Great Zhou Dynasty about to be stained with blood.

Upon hearing this, the ten princes behind the beaded curtain turned deathly pale.

The proposal to reduce the power of regional military governors!

This test question was clearly a sharp blade hanging over their heads.

Several elderly princes gripped their jade belts tightly, their knuckles turning white;
The young prince clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

In the end, they looked at each other, but neither dared to utter a sound—they even swallowed back a soft cough.

Of course, they were not afraid of the court arresting them directly—before they arrived, they had already appointed their eldest son as regent in their own fiefdom.

If the imperial court really wanted to kill them, dozens of vassal states of the Great Zhou would immediately rise up in rebellion and overturn the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Jiang Xingzhou observed with a detached eye, understanding the situation perfectly.

This is yet another tacitly understood conspiracy within the Great Zhou court.

Since the Empress ascended the throne, she has continuously implemented various policies to weaken the power of the vassal states, including reducing their authority, the number of counties and prefectures, and their military power.

The dozens of vassal kings of today have long been severely suppressed and are filled with resentment.

Despite their immense resentment, they could only remain silent before the emperor, just as they were today.

Unless they are driven to the brink of despair, they cannot make up their minds to rebel—if the rebellion fails, their entire family will be executed, which requires immense courage!

Li Yuankui, the top scholar from Longyou, turned pale, and his hand holding the pen trembled slightly.

He vividly recalled the scenes of Langya King Li Chong repeatedly trying to win him over, drinking and chatting happily, although he never agreed to serve Langya King.

However, the Li family of Longyou had intricate connections with the Prince of Langya.

This policy of weakening the power of the vassal states?

To write or not to write?

By writing this, he had completely offended the King of Langya and all the other feudal lords.

Not writing?

So, does he still want to be ranked first or second in the imperial examination?

Decades of hard work have gone to waste!
He suddenly understood the emperor's thoughts—

Your Majesty, this is clearly forcing the three hundred tribute students to express their opinions on the spot, and even to write them into their answer sheets for record-keeping, so that they will never dare to have any contact with the feudal lords and princes again.

They even forced three hundred of their scholars to engage in a magical contest with dozens of vassal kings of the Great Zhou!

How do I write this?
He suddenly heard his own rapid breathing—it sounded terrifying in the deathly silent palace.

Looking up, he saw Jiang Xingzhou's straight back in front of him, his blue robe standing firm as a rock amidst the bewildered expressions of the assembled scholars.

How will this prodigy, who achieved the highest score in the imperial examinations, put pen to paper?
Is it to write a flowery but empty article, feigning to cater to the emperor's wishes?
I'll write another manifesto.
Declaring war on dozens of vassal kings of the Great Zhou?
(End of this chapter)