Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 316 A Great Year for the Imperial Examinations
Wang Gui quickly took it with both hands and read it carefully.

At first, he still felt a little uneasy because of Ouyang Xiu's firm rejection of the Taixue style, but as soon as his eyes swept over the poem, he was quickly attracted by its content.

He read carefully, sometimes nodding, sometimes gazing intently.

After a long silence, Wang Gui raised his head, let out a long sigh, and exclaimed in admiration, "Lord Ouyang has such discerning eyes! This essay is indeed a rare masterpiece! The opening statement is grand and dignified, the exposition of principles is subtle and thorough, the structure is rigorous, and the writing is full of vigor. What is even more remarkable is that his concept of 'adaptability and change' is not merely empty talk, but connects with examples from ancient and modern times, making it practically applicable. In my opinion, the 'top-class' rating is well-deserved!"

Wang Gui's affirmation carried great weight, completely piquing the curiosity of the other examiners in the hall. This poem, which Ouyang Xiu personally established as a benchmark, circulated among the examiners.

As the examiner responsible for checking the exam papers, Mei Yaochen, who had the responsibility of "passing the final check," carefully read the papers upon receiving them.

He has always advocated that poetry and prose should "depict scenes that are difficult to describe as if they were right before one's eyes, and contain inexhaustible meanings beyond words," and his writing also emphasizes simplicity, clarity, and profound meaning.

After reading it, Mei Yaochen stroked his beard and praised it, saying, "This poem has no trace of danger, strangeness, or obscurity. It flows like clouds and water, with clear reasoning and fluent language. His argument that 'if changes are suitable for modern customs, what harm is there in being different from the ancients?' truly shows the style of a master."

"Yes, compared to this article, those who merely flaunt their 'Imperial Academy style' suddenly appear pretentious and empty."

"Reason prevails over rhetoric; this is the spirit that should be promoted in the imperial examination system!"

Praises rose and fell among the examiners.

This essay, with its profound and solid foundation in classical Chinese history, its clear and insightful reasoning, and its fluent and elegant writing style, completely won over these examiners who had read countless papers.

Under Ouyang Xiu's deliberate guidance, it was no longer just an excellent exam paper, but became a benchmark and a banner, clearly demonstrating what the new writing style of "plain and fluent, conveying reason and morality" that Ouyang Xiu wanted to advocate should look like.

"Now that you gentlemen have seen this gem, how can you bear to let the inferior pass by? Rejecting the 'Imperial Academy Style' is not my own willful decision, but a necessary step for the country to select talent and rectify the style of writing! As examiners, it is our duty to let such truly talented people stand out, and to expose those superficial, pretentious, and corrupting works!"

Ouyang Xiu looked around at everyone and, seeing that the time was ripe, said in a deep voice.
"My purpose in presiding over this examination is not to be unconventional, nor to antagonize the Imperial Academy. Rather, it is to use this grand selection ceremony to demonstrate to scholars across the land that the essence of literature lies in its clarity of reason and moral principles, its plain and fluent expression, and its substantial content, not in using obscure and eccentric language to pander to the masses. In short, I aim to use this examination to sweep away the decadent and pretentious trends in the current literary world! Despite any criticism or obstacles, I will shoulder them all! Heaven and earth bear witness to my heart and my will!"

Ouyang Xiu's resounding words echoed in the hall.

The charcoal fire crackled softly, its light illuminating the varied expressions on the faces of the examiners: some deeply convinced, some deep in thought, and others dismissive.

Looking at his old friend's resolute expression, Mei Yaochen sighed softly.

He was well aware of the significance of Ouyang Xiu's actions, and even more so of the sense of responsibility behind them—the courage to be a pioneer.

Mei Yaochen stood up, looked around, and then stated, "Gentlemen, as examiners, our purpose in judging these papers is to weed out the worthless and select the best for the country, not for anything else."

Since Ouyang Xiu had promised to take full responsibility, and the examiner Mei Yaochen had made his position clear, they couldn't say anything more and continued their arduous work of grading the papers.

Another twenty days or so passed, and during these days, the candlelight in the examination hall burned brightly day and night.

The more than two thousand transcribed papers gradually dwindled in size on the desks of the examiners.

On February 11th, the kitchen staff prepared a lot of good dishes for dinner to reward the examiners for their hard work over the past few days.

However, the conditions inside the examination hall were not as good as outside, so the individual dining system was not adopted; instead, people ate around a table.

Ouyang Xiu, Wang Gui, Mei Zhi, Mei Yaochen and others sat at one table, while the others sat around the table. During the meal, the examiners naturally discussed the results of this year's provincial examination by the Ministry of Rites.

The scores had just been copied, and the results were not yet fully released.

The method for ranking scores is similar to that of state exams: people take their completed scorecards and line up at a long table. When someone else finishes tying up their scorecard, they are placed in the corresponding position according to their scorecard. It's a primitive but effective method.

Therefore, although the examiners know that some candidates have a very high overall score, they do not yet know their specific names. However, the process from ranking the scores to announcing the rankings is actually very quick, usually within the next two days.

"This year's grading process has truly been a great test of quality. Those 'Imperial Academy style' essays from previous years, full of ornate and obscure language and allusions, are probably all doomed this time!"

"That's right. Liu Ji and others, who are the most famous in the Imperial Academy, are probably in grave danger. After all, no matter how well they answer the questions on the classics and the interpretation of the classics, they can't escape being directly graded as 'C-B' in poetry, prose, and essays!"

"I wonder what the final list will look like?"

During their conversations, their eyes would frequently drift towards Ouyang Xiu's table.

Someone clicked their tongue and said, "But I think even though the 'Imperial Academy style' has been rejected this time, there are still quite a few excellent papers." "You're right."

The person next to me picked up a piece of food, then put down his chopsticks and said, "This year does indeed feel like a 'big year for the imperial examinations.' From what I can tell, apart from the fact that the answers to the current affairs policy and essay questions were generally not very good, there were often some papers that were quite impressive in other sections. Overall, the level is significantly higher than in previous years."

"What are you saying? It snowed so heavily on the second night. After spending the night in a completely open examination room, people were so cold that they were numb on the third day. It was a miracle if they could even pick up a pen. How could you expect them to write anything good about current affairs and essays?"

"Too."

Another person changed the subject: "So what's the current top-ranked score in the overall evaluation?"

"The calligraphy is of the lowest rank, the ink is of the middle rank, the poetry is of the lowest rank, the prose is of the highest rank, the current affairs policy is of the middle rank, and the essay is of the middle rank."

"Is that the one whose poem was rated 'top-class' by Ouyang Xiu? Except for the poem, everything else is perfect."

"Yes, I don't know who it is, but the second and third place winners are also quite impressive overall. Both of them achieved top marks in calligraphy, calligraphy, poetry, prose, current affairs, and essays. Normally speaking, they would have perfect scores."

"The problem is that there's no top-tier rating. When calculating the overall score, a top-tier plus a lower-tier rating results in a slightly higher ranking than a middle-tier plus a middle-tier rating."

"Yes, but actually the most regrettable result is fourth place."

The person who had just put down his chopsticks said regretfully.

Not all examiners can see the rankings at the front, so everyone at the same table was very curious.

"Why?"

The man said, "The fourth place has two A-level scores."

"Then how did he get fourth place?"

Everyone was greatly surprised.

In the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, it is more difficult to rank fourth in the two top-ranked candidates than to rank first. How was this achieved?
"The Classic of Calligraphy (Class A, Part B), the Meaning of Ink (Class B), the Poems (Class A, Part B), the Rhapsodies (Class A, Part C), the Current Affairs Policy (Class B, Part B), and the Essays (Class A, Part C)."

"Isn't this way too extreme?"

"Who says it isn't? When I saw it, I thought it was copied wrong."

Everyone was amazed.

Then someone asked, "So who do you think will win the provincial prize?"

"Lin Xi from Fujian? I remember he transferred to Kaifeng and got first place in the Kaifeng Prefecture examination last year."

"Lin Xi is indeed quite good."

"However, in my opinion, Zeng Gong's writing from Jiangxi is profound, dignified, and rigorous in its rules, with a strong ancient style. His foundation seems to be more solid. He has been famous for many years, and this time it may be his turn to win the moon."

"Yes, I heard he's a disciple of Master Ouyang."

“I think Lu Beigu, who has recently gained a great reputation in Tokyo, also has a chance. His previous essay, ‘On Zhongda,’ surpassed Liu Ji’s, and his other essay, ‘On the Utmost Importance of Punishment and Reward,’ defeated Lin Xi.”

"It's possible, but the provincial examination is no ordinary literary gathering. Ultimately, the overall evaluation will determine who is superior and who is inferior. It's still too early to tell."

When everyone heard this, they all nodded in agreement.

With the recording made anonymously, everything is judged by actual performance; past reputation has become the most unreliable evidence.

While they can make some guesses about the candidates' papers based on their writing style, the final rankings will only be known after the rankings are completed and reviewed tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)