Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 150 Who is the Goddess?

All the Grand Secretaries collectively became obedient.

Just as "Exhortation to Learning" was undoubtedly the best and no one could compare to it, this "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" also made this imperial examination a foregone conclusion.

If "Ode to the Mountains and Rivers of Dayu" is 9.5 points, then "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" is 100 points.

Originally, the intention was to create convenience for Sun Qian and tailor the best for him, but unexpectedly, it led to the creation of such a timeless masterpiece.

The Prince of Jin even privately asked Gu Yixin if the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" was truly incomparable.

He was still daydreaming.

In terms of visual appeal, he felt that "Ode to the Mountains and Rivers of Dayu" was equally good.

It originates from the mysterious garden of Kunlun, and pours forth the precious waters of the stars.

It splits the Qilian Mountains and opens up a huge ravine; it pierces through Qin and Long and descends the Dragon Gate.

The winding path nurtures the spiritual veins, while countless ravines rush forth to conceal the dark fish.

These descriptions are probably not much worse than "graceful as a startled swan, lithe as a swimming dragon," are they?
Laymen would really think that way.

But Gu Yixin immediately pointed out the essential difference between the two.

Sun Qian's poem is like that of a twenty-year-old student who has read ten thousand books in his mind, knows all the historical allusions, and can read books thoroughly and write them off at will. All the great scholars would be proud to have such a disciple.

His writings are like a banished immortal personally visiting the divine realm, generously recounting his encounters and observations to mortals.

To put it more simply.

"From Kunlun, flowing with stars, nurturing spiritual veins, and subduing the mysterious scales" is an allusion to pay tribute to the ancient sages.

But who has ever used such descriptions before, such as "graceful as a startled swan, lithe as a swimming dragon," or "like a light cloud veiling the moon, drifting like swirling snow in a flowing wind"?
The plagiarism rate of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" is 0%!
This is where the perspective of a high-ranking scholar differs from that of an ordinary person.

When reading an article, you should not only look at the article itself, but also whether it is innovative and original.

Don't say things like "the younger generation surpasses the older generation."

In any field, the first to release is always the coolest.

No matter how excellent a fan work is, it is still just a derivative work.

Those who merely borrow ideas are never qualified to tread upon the original ones.

This led to everyone's attention being focused on that one piece of writing that would surely be passed down through generations during the third day of policy essay revisions.

A literary leader, without a doubt.

Moreover, the person who writes this kind of article may not necessarily want to be a leader in the literary world.

Song Shi'an is destined to make all scholars of this era pale in comparison.

"Master Gu, do you think the Goddess of the Luo River has a real-life counterpart?" someone asked.

“Then there must be a prototype.” Before Gu Yixin could speak, Sun Kang said with great certainty, “It is obvious that there is a real person whom Song Shi’an admires and longs for day and night, which is why he poured so much emotion into her and wrote such a goddess in a smooth and flowing style.”

“Yes.” Gu Yixin also agreed with this statement. “In reality, there should be a noble and beautiful woman who corresponds to the soul maiden described by Song Shi’an in his ‘Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River’.”

"Isn't Song Shi'an's hobby listening to music in brothels and seeing courtesans?" someone wondered. "Could he be a woman of the night?"

"To attribute this poem to a prostitute, how could you even think of that!" one person said, raising a finger in displeasure and harshly criticizing and cursing.

The person felt embarrassed and didn't say anything back.

"How many women has he seen in his early twenties?" Sun Kang speculated. "The most beautiful one should be the young lady of the Situ family whom he met at the Situ residence, right?"

"Noble, beautiful, and divine, it is indeed quite fitting."

"Yes, it's true that all the beauties in the world come from Jiangnan, and it's entirely possible that Miss Sun is the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan."

"Perhaps, it's also a way of showing goodwill?"

"I'll propose again."

"But how do you explain this 'spirit woman'?"

"Po, soul, and then disappearing at the end, could it be referring to a wandering spirit?"

"That explanation makes a lot of sense... Does Song Shi'an have such a tragic past at such a young age?"

"What else does '魄' mean? '糟魄' is a derogatory term."

Just as everyone was speculating, Gu Yixin slowly said, "The place where the moon is without light is called the Soul."

After he said that, everyone seemed to think that there was some truth to it.

Like the soul, this is also a reasonable explanation.

"So, who is the woman Song Shi'an likes?"

But everyone was still confused and looked at Gu Yixin.

The old man was speechless for a moment, and asked in return, "How would I know the woman someone likes?"

.........

The scholars at the Imperial Academy were working diligently to review policy essays, with each person writing nearly a hundred a day. Their eyes were getting tired, and their fingers were practically smoking from turning the pages.

Policy essays differ from literary compositions; they directly test an official's ability to "talk the talk" on paper.

But don't underestimate this "armchair strategist." The reason Zhao Kuo was given the title of "armchair strategist" is precisely because it affirmed his ability in a certain aspect—his level of "armchair strategist" was particularly high.

Being able to explain military strategy thoroughly and make others feel that you are knowledgeable is a very high level of skill.

Therefore, the difference in standards is quite significant.

In addition to demonstrating depth of thought, good writing skills are also required.

That's right, policy essays also need to be written beautifully.

For a time, the "essay writing style" became popular online, and many talented writers emerged, their ability to write essays with profound insight being the highest praise. Those who attempted to imitate this style were easily spotted for their poor quality. This demonstrates that genuine official writing is not something just anyone can do.

Those who possess depth, literary skill, and high-level calligraphy are extremely rare, with only one in ten worthy of being ranked in the top two hundred of the second tier.

Of course, there is another prerequisite—the paper must be neat and tidy.

However, needless to say, for the imperial examination papers, this is not a bonus point, but a mandatory point.

So when the examiners saw the smeared black blobs, they immediately showed their disgust... Fortunately, the handwriting was still neat.

"The Wealth of Nations"... What an arrogant title, but it's really captivating.

One of the examiners was immediately captivated and began reading attentively.

As you read on, you can feel the ruthlessness within.

These are all excellent strategies for governing a country!

The Grand Secretaries all said that for this exam, we shouldn't worry about anything else; as long as the essay is well-written and can generate revenue for the court, that's good enough.

This "The Wealth of Nations" is entirely about making money for the emperor.

A great article, absolutely a great article.

The black lumps are no longer very important.

After reading it, without thinking, he wrote "Grade A" in the suggestion rating section.

Another scholar who read this volume had the exact same thought process as him: he was initially angered by the arrogant black blob, but as he read on, he became satisfied.

Similarly, it is Grade A.

After reading it, the scholar browsed through it again and confirmed a fact.

Isn't this the same guy who wrote "The Strategy of Military Colonization"?
.........

The morning before the results of the scientific expedition were released.

The better rooms at the student hostel were almost all occupied.

After all, these weren't poor scholars taking the exam; most were candidates for official positions, or promising young scholars who had passed the imperial examinations and were qualified for key government departments. Everyone here was quite wealthy.

After arriving in Beijing and forming groups, the small circle was basically based on geographical location.

Some are from the same county.

Some counties produce fewer offspring, even if they are from the same prefecture.

Being from the same place and having passed the imperial examinations at the same time, they were practically brothers and naturally inseparable.

By the window on the second floor, Fan Wuji and Gao Yunyi sat together, chatting while watching the bustling city life.

"Brother Fan, do you think we might be fellow graduates of the imperial examinations in the same year?" Gao Yunyi asked.

“I do hope so,” Fan Wuji said.

"Are there any descendants of military generals who passed the imperial examinations?" Gao Yunyi asked.

“Isn’t that a bit too much? But it’s not that many,” Fan Wuji said. “If one can come out of each year, that’s about right.”

"Brother Fan, are you still going to join the army?"

"You're already thinking about what will happen after you pass the imperial examination?"

"Of course I'll think about that." Gao Yunyi smiled and then whispered, "If we're both Jinshi graduates from the same court, how about we stick together?"

Fan Wuji turned his head and slowly looked at him.

Their eyes met briefly before they looked away from each other.

"what do you think?"

Fan Wuji asked.

“Your Majesty has defeated the Shuofeng, and land reform is imperative,” Gao Yunyi said. “Since it is a reform, it is naturally impossible to use old bureaucrats.”

"The time of power transition is also the time for fish to leap over the dragon gate," Fan Wuji said.

"You think so too?" Gao Yunyi said.

“But we shouldn’t act rashly with the Song faction,” Fan Wuji said. “They act recklessly, which is too dangerous.”

"Now is the best time to join the Song faction," Gao Yunyi reminded him.

Fan Wuji also reminded him: "His Majesty needs people, and so does the King of Wu."

The two people are considering the risks.

Power arises from struggle.

But the vortex of struggle is also fraught with danger; one wrong step and the whole family is doomed.

Their family backgrounds are not bad, so there is no need for them to fight for the merit of following the emperor.

But joining the King of Wu to participate in the 'succession struggle' seems like a good option.

After all, investing now is considered slow, and you won't get to the forefront. If you lose and get liquidated, how can you blame the second or even third tier?

No wonder they're timid.

In fact, being able to make a decision is brave.

At least among Wu and Jin, it's a choice between two, isn't it?

Just then, a group of young noblemen got out of several cars on the road below and walked together.

"A group of people from Yangzhou," Gao Yunyi introduced. "They're being hosted by Sun Qian and are strolling around Sheng'an."

"Han Zhongchen, a native of Sizhou, is also mixed in."

Fan Wuji felt disgusted when he saw the "Master of Traitors".

“Throughout Yangzhou, all the sons of prominent families who took the imperial examinations were received by Minister Sun,” Gao Yunyi said. “All their expenses in the capital were covered by the Minister’s residence.”

"That's quite a high-profile move," Fan Wuji thought, feeling that Madam Sun had gone a bit too far.

"If Sun Qian were to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, wouldn't that be amazing?" Gao Yunyi said with a teasing smile. "These people would also be proud of him."

"It doesn't seem like a simple reception," Fan Wuji murmured.

"If I were... cough cough."

After manually silencing the keywords, Gao Yunyi said with some force, "Except for Sun Qian, all the rest of these Yangzhou people will fail the exam."

(End of this chapter)