Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 14 Locks in the Asian Element!

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin stopped in his tracks, stunned.

Has the first piece of fu (a type of classical Chinese prose) already been published?
But this is only the first morning of grading.

Could there be some kind of cheating or shady dealings involved?
Confused, Prince Jin walked from behind the screen to the Hengjian Hall.

Upon seeing the Prince of Jin, all six people in the hall stood up simultaneously.

Gu Yixin led the way in bowing and saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to the Prince of Jin."

"Gentlemen, please rise." Prince Jin walked over, then helped Gu Yixin to his feet and led him to the grand master's chair. "Master Gu, please sit down."

Gu Yixin was the tutor of the Prince of Jin.

Although he was not the Crown Prince's tutor, his status was already close to that of the Crown Prince.

The heir apparent of the Prince of Jin is currently studying under the guidance of an ancient teacher.

Without a doubt, he is the leading figure in the literary world today.

"Your Highness, please."

Gu Yixin also took the initiative to invite the Prince of Jin.

Then, the two of them sat in the seats of honor, while the remaining people, including Zhang Zhaoluo, sat on either side.

"These are the first-class poems and essays we have assessed so far. Please take a look, Prince Jin." Sun Kang, the chief examiner of the poems and essays, stood up and picked up the examination papers.

“No need, Master Sun,” Prince Jin said, gesturing with his hand. “His Majesty ordered me to come and accompany you on official business. All of you teachers can focus on reviewing the papers; you may decide the grading yourselves.”

After saying this, Sun Kang smiled and sat down.

Gu Yixin glanced at Prince Jin, then turned back, his expression somewhat subtle.

This prince was actually quite proper, and his demeanor was also acceptable.

However, they lack some wisdom and responsibility.

As the supervisor of the imperial examination, he specifically emphasized that he was ordered by His Majesty.

It's as if the implication is that even if it puts pressure on the Grand Secretaries, it's still the Emperor's request.

He is irresponsible.

Since he had said so, the grading and classification continued.

"The first piece of prose-poetry has already been published?" Zhang Zhao had just heard it too, so he asked in confusion.

I was only gone for about a quarter of an hour, and the first-class evaluation was already out?

My vote doesn't count, right?

"Is it really that good?" someone asked.

"I am not exaggerating at all."

Holding the exam paper with his name sewn on thick paper, Sun Kang looked around at everyone and said with particular admiration, "In fact, this essay could be classified as a work of classical literature without any incongruity!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions turned serious.

What is a sage or human being?
Those are the classic works left by the sages.

In today's world, the study of sages is the study of governing a country.

This evaluation undoubtedly elevated this poem to the highest level.

The reason we can say this is because scholarship during this period was based on pragmatism. Although the mainstream scholarship was Confucianism, it did not completely elevate sages to a divine pedestal, making them inviolable.

A good article is simply a good article.

"Your Highness, everyone."

After Sun Kang stood up, he took a few steps back, faced everyone, and as a Grand Secretary, began to personally recite the text: "Exhortation to Learning. A gentleman says, learning should never cease."

Upon hearing the book title and the first paragraph, some people nodded in approval.

"He immediately grasped the essence of writing a treatise on the topic of 'books.' Books are learning, and learning is an ongoing process." Zhang Zhaoye's assessment was quite apt.

They did this not because someone said it was the first article, so they were just bragging to their colleagues.

As someone on the front lines of education, or rather, a seasoned exam marker.

When reading an essay, you can be 50% sure of its quality just by looking at the title and the first paragraph.

The topic of 'books' in this discussion is learning.

In fact, it is essentially the same as "Exhortation to Learning".

"The show gets even more exciting from here on out."

Sun Kang raised his finger and continued excitedly, "Indigo is extracted from the indigo plant, yet it is bluer than the plant itself; ice is made from water, yet it is colder than water. A straight piece of wood can be bent into a wheel, its curve perfectly conforming to a compass. Even if it is dried and exposed to the sun..."

As he read aloud, these metaphors immediately drew everyone's attention, and they sat up straight.

"Speak louder, I'm hard of hearing."

Even a scholar reminded them that these were all old fogies and that they should raise their voices.

Sun Kang continued his emotional recitation.

Whenever I read a part I liked, I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh.

The other old men, too, seemed completely absorbed, as if drinking fine liquor. Good writing, something that objectively exists, generally doesn't attract much disagreement.

Of course, some of these shows are not good because they appeal to a wider audience, but many people still enjoy watching them.

But which of these scholars wasn't a top scholar or second-place graduate in the imperial examinations?
People whose aesthetic sense has reached that level will be more excited when they see a good article than when they see a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful."

A scholar tapped his fingers on the armrest and sighed sincerely.

The Prince of Jin, who was always considered moderate, also recognized the quality of this article.

The first paragraph describes a student surpassing their teacher.

In the second paragraph, I have tried to stand on tiptoe and look, but it is not as good as climbing high to see a wider view.

The third paragraph states, "Therefore, without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles..."

This article is brimming with excellent quotes... no, famous quotes.

After reading it, Sun Kang stopped and observed everyone with a smile on his face.

It's like recommending a great anime and waiting for people to praise it.

"show me."

Gu Yixin raised his hand.

Immediately, a young scholar took the exam paper from Sun Kang's hand, presented it with both hands, and handed it to Gu Yixin.

"The writing is simple, yet the language is vivid. More importantly, the reasoning is practical. Each paragraph leads to a deeper level of understanding."

Even Zhang Zhao, who wasn't particularly skilled in poetry and prose and served as the chief examiner for the policy essays, couldn't help but comment: "Each paragraph is a progression of reasoning. Why read books, the purpose of reading, and how to read. Moreover, the language is extremely apt... It's like he's choking my dull-witted apprentice, admonishing him word by word."

“That’s the essence,” someone interjected. “Modern scholars only know that the purpose of studying is to pass the imperial examinations and gain fame. But they don’t understand what studying has actually changed about them.”

"The last part, 'Perseverance can be as hard as stone,' that line... wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

"This student is very good at studying."

Zhang Zhaoyue thought about it and felt it was more and more remarkable: "This article, even if it were placed in the imperial examination paper, would definitely get the first-class grade, absolutely."

"Among the candidates for the imperial examination, there is actually someone with such profound insights?"

"Could it be the young master of the Sun family?" someone speculated.

This imperial examination had more than 7,000 participants from all over the country, including some young geniuses, and one of them was a hot favorite to become the top scholar.

That is Sun Qian, the son of Minister Sun.

What made him different was that he participated in the imperial examinations very late.

Before the age of sixteen, he had not even taken the preliminary examination for the imperial examinations and had been focusing on his studies.

Then at the age of sixteen, he took the imperial examination for children and won the gold medal with the highest score in all subjects.

By then, his knowledge and wisdom had already surpassed those of ordinary scholars.

At the age of eighteen, he took the imperial examination again.

Everyone knew that Sun Situ had only one purpose in making his son take the imperial examination so late: to set a record that no one had ever achieved since the establishment of the imperial examination system—passing all three levels of the examination with top honors.

The top scholar in the preliminary examination, the top scholar in the provincial examination, and the top scholar in the metropolitan examination.

The reasons for inviting students to birthday celebrations are either to marry off daughters or to show off one's children.

"It's somewhat similar, yet not quite..." someone said. "I've read Sun Qian's 'Ode to the Red River,' and the writing is extremely ornate and beautiful. This 'Exhortation to Learning' is also naturally vividly written, demonstrating profound skill. But there's a clear sense that..."

Zhang Zhaodao said, "I don't want to exert myself."

Correct.

What constitutes superior writing style?
That is, any sentence in my articles can be used as a famous quote.

But as you read through the whole thing, you get the feeling that the language is quite concise.

"This article is of paramount importance in serving as a warning to young scholars across the country."

In the end, Gu Yixin interrupted everyone's gossipy mood of 'guessing who it was' and gave this assessment.

These words were too harsh.

For example, the Three Character Classic is a required subject for elementary school students to memorize.

Sun Kang chimed in, "Furthermore, all the scholars at the Imperial Academy, those self-important brats, should be able to recite the entire text."

The Prince of Jin, standing to the side, was extremely nervous.

Although he thought the article was good, he really didn't expect it to be this good...

His deep-seated fear of teachers prevented him from making eye contact with Gu Yixin.

"Grade A, without a doubt."

After Sun Kang finished speaking, he added somewhat contradictorily, "But, as I said before, if the strategy is not good, it's impossible to win the second-place prize..."

"They've even written 'Exhortation to Learning'."

Gu Yixin, who was always stern and rigid, held the essay and for the first time showed a smile on his face: "Even if the essay is blank, you should still be qualified as a sub-governor."

(End of this chapter)