Top Scholar

Chapter 338 The Imperial Examination Was More Than Just Testing the Eight-Legged Essay

The second question is: In the past, the governance of the border areas of Sichuan Province involved establishing prefectures and counties, appointing local chieftains, or stationing troops for defense. What lessons can be learned from their successes and failures?
Su Lu replied: "The prefecture-county system is good because it clarifies laws and regulations and governs the territory. It is bad because the administration of officials in remote areas is inadequate and the reach is too far. We should learn from this and implement it in key areas near the border, and strictly select honest officials to govern."
The Tusi system was successful in conforming to the customs of the barbarians and saving on supplies, but it was also unwieldy and prone to separatism. As a lesson, the Tusi system was preserved for the distant barbarians and remote areas, and their power was controlled to prevent them from becoming too powerful.
The success of the garrison system lay in the integration of soldiers and farmers, and the availability of sufficient food to strengthen the army. Its failures lay in the neglect of the garrisons and the abandonment of the farmland. The lesson to be learned is to strengthen key passes and strategic locations, and to rectify the garrison system to secure a stable source of soldiers.

The three strategies should combine firmness and flexibility, and be used according to the situation, in order to secure the border.

The third question is: what are the key points of Sichuan Province's border defense and southwest defense?
Su Lu replied that the core principle lies in "strengthening the foundation and securing the interior, and joint defense and mutual assistance".

To consolidate the foundation, we must take the hearts of the people as our root, reduce taxes and levies, promote education to solidify the bond between the Han and the barbarians, and enforce clear laws and discipline to deter the unruly. To maintain internal stability, we must focus on good governance and adequate supplies, select honest and capable officials to guard the borders, repair plank roads, and resume land reclamation to ensure a strong army and sufficient funds.

The joint defense is centered on Sichuan Province, linking Yunnan, Guizhou, and Tibet for mutual support. Internal security ensures border stability, while joint defense provides external defense; a balance of both is the long-term strategy for the defense of Southwest China.

Then combine these three answers into a well-written and clear essay, and the policy essay is complete.

In fact, these answers may not be what Su Lu was thinking. For example, the policies he admired, such as "replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials" and "Sinicization and modernization," were too sensational to be put into writing.

He had to consider the examiners' level of acceptance; scaring away a conservative Hanlin scholar like Xiao Tixue wouldn't do him any good...

~~
An hour later, Xiao Tixue announced the second task—to draft an edict on the rectification of salt tax and land reclamation tax in Sichuan.

It means drafting an imperial edict for the emperor in the capacity of a subject, with the subject being:
"Sichuan's well salt and military farms are essential for national revenue and border defense. In recent years, officials have been oppressive, salt taxes have been chaotic and excessively levied, military farms have been abandoned, and people have lost their livelihoods. To ensure the people's livelihood and strengthen the foundation of the nation, this edict is hereby issued."

To answer this question well, one must first be well-versed in the writing conventions of imperial edicts, grasp the emperor's tone, and use solemn and authoritative language.

At the same time, it is also necessary to understand how to rectify the salt tax, reclaim land and restore agriculture, ensure people's livelihood and consolidate the foundation of the country, so that the edict can be meaningful and play its due role.

Most students are quite weak in this area. Who spends all their time at home drafting imperial edicts? If their family saw it, they'd think they were crazy; if outsiders saw it, they'd report it to the authorities…

Only the top students from Yangjiang Society would deliberately practice repeatedly to target their weaknesses and strive for perfection.

Su Lu pondered the official system and responsibilities in Sichuan.

By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
Salt wells and military farms are essential for national revenue and border defense. In recent years, however, officials have neglected the people's hardships, resulting in disordered salt tax quotas and excessive additional levies. As a result, abandoned farmland is becoming increasingly common, farmers are displaced, public resentment is growing, and the government is struggling to make ends meet.

This imperial edict is hereby issued, ordering the Governor of Sichuan to take overall command of this matter, promptly review the salt tax collection throughout the province, clarify the old regulations, clearly define the tax rules, and publish them to the people. Officials are strictly prohibited from creating pretexts to extort money; those who violate this order will be punished for corruption. Officials of all prefectures, counties, and districts are strictly instructed to personally go to the fields to persuade farmers to reclaim wasteland. All farmers who reclaim wasteland will be exempt from taxes for three years, and the government will provide them with oxen and seeds as subsidies, ensuring that no land is left uncultivated and that the people have a stable livelihood.

The Imperial Censor is hereby appointed to oversee and supervise the investigation. Anyone who neglects their duties or feigns compliance will be impeached by name and severely punished. You shall all obey my command, diligently perform your duties, ensure the well-being of the people and the stability of the nation, and live up to the heavy responsibility I place on you.

Announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it.

So be it.

~~
After completing the 'Imperial Edict', the next task is the 'Imperial Proclamation'.

Both are types of imperial edicts, but the difference lies in the fact that an imperial edict is issued to all subjects and is a general document used to announce important events; while a decree is issued to an individual and is a special document used to confer official titles, praise merits, or give admonitions.

The exam question was titled "A General Bannerman Posthumously Granted the Title of Martyr for Suppressing the Rebellion and Martyring the Country, and Tested the Title of Centurion."

Su Lu was so angry he laughed when he saw the question. The malice of the civil officials made by the dog towards the military was boundless. Even if it was just a test question that had no effect, they couldn't be generous at all. The man had sacrificed his life for the country, and they only gave him the title of trial centurion. They wouldn't even give him a centurion!

Despite my anger, I still need to do the job well. To write this imperial edict well, I need to be familiar with the format of imperial edicts and posthumous titles of the dynasty, master the special formats and wording of 'granting privileges to sons, establishing ancestral halls, and providing preferential treatment', and fully cover the elements of posthumous conferment, commendation, relief, and encouragement to subjects.

Su Lu was a military household member, so he was very familiar with such official titles and could write them down immediately.

~~
After lunch, the Grand Master presented the fourth question—'Memorial', a literary form in which a subject submits a petition to the emperor.

The subject is as follows: This year, several prefectures including Baoning and Shunqing were hit by torrential rains, causing rivers to overflow, fields to be flooded, houses to be destroyed, and people to be displaced and left without a livelihood. This petition, written in the style of the Governor of Sichuan, earnestly requests His Majesty's grace to exempt the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties from this year's taxes and levies.

This question requires candidates to be familiar with the style of official reports and memorials of the Qing Dynasty, mastering the specific formats and wording. They must also understand the systems of tax exemption and disaster relief, as well as the powers of the governor, and possess clear political logic to ensure that their demands are compliant and reasonable.

The old scholar had explained to Su Lu that such a memorial should first state the difficulties, then present the core demands, and finally state one's responsibilities. One must never try to deflect responsibility upwards; the final point must be to reassure the leader.

Therefore, Su Lu, following his studies, drafted a memorial entitled "A Petition Requesting Exemption from Taxes and Fees for the Floods in Baoning, Shunqing, and Other Prefectures," in the style of the Sichuan governor. The memorial stated:
Your subject respectfully reports:
In the summer of this year, Baoning, Shunqing and other prefectures experienced torrential rains for ten consecutive days. The Jialing River and the Fujiang River swelled, the dikes were breached, tens of thousands of hectares of farmland were flooded, thousands of houses were destroyed, and the people were displaced, suffering from hunger and cold, and their livelihoods were almost wiped out.

As I govern Sichuan, I have witnessed the plight of the disaster-stricken people who have no means of farming. If taxes and levies are still imposed as before, the people will be unable to sustain themselves, and the number of refugees will surely increase. Therefore, I humbly beg Your Majesty's grace to exempt the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties from this year's summer taxes and autumn grain rations, so as to alleviate the people's suffering.

Your Majesty, I will certainly lead the relevant officials to proclaim Your Majesty's virtues and encourage the people to rebuild their livelihoods and replant autumn crops. I have failed to take preventative measures in advance, deeply failing Your Majesty's trust, and I am filled with trepidation.

Your Majesty, mindful of the people's hardships and bound by your benevolent grace, urges us to issue an edict swiftly to reassure the people. Your humble servant respectfully submits this memorial and awaits Your Majesty's decision.

Your humble servant bows respectfully in submission.

~~
At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the Grand Master released the final question of the day—a 'judgment,' a type of official judicial document used to adjudicate specific cases. The question was: Zhang, a resident of Luzhou, and Li, a resident of Luzhou, jointly cultivated fields along the Tuojiang River, sharing a single irrigation canal. This spring, during a drought, Zhang, wanting to prioritize irrigating his own rice, illegally blocked the canal, diverting water. Li, unable to resolve the issue through negotiation, angrily destroyed three feet of the canal embankment, leaving three households downstream without water. Both parties presented their own versions of events and petitioned the prefect for a judgment.

This question is relevant to common water disputes in rural areas, and focuses on testing candidates' ability to apply laws and regulations, make practical judgments, and grasp the format of judgments.

Mr. Liu of Heshan Academy, a legal expert, repeatedly instructed Su Lu that such judgments must strictly adhere to the law while also taking into account local customs and common sense. One must never mechanically apply legal provisions.

The judgment should be concise, rigorous, and decisive, without any redundant embellishments.

Su Lu, having assumed the position of prefect, carefully considered the process of 'stating the facts, citing the law, making a judgment, and explaining the reasoning', following Mr. Liu's instructions.

Finally, combining the relevant provisions of the "Land, Housing and Water Conservancy" section of the Great Ming Code with the established customs of the countryside, the judgment was written as follows:

"Zhang illegally blocked a shared weir to divert water, and Li angrily destroyed three feet of the weir embankment, affecting the irrigation of three households downstream. The two parties filed lawsuits in the prefecture."

According to the "Laws of the Ming Dynasty on Households and Land," those who illegally divert water to obstruct others' access are punished with forty strokes of the cane, and those who damage dikes and water conservancy facilities are punished with sixty strokes of the cane. Both men violated the law and harmed the people, and each bears their own responsibility. However, Li was provoked by Zhang's water diversion and acted recklessly in anger; according to the law, his sentence can be reduced accordingly.

Therefore, the ruling is as follows:

Zhang and Li were each given forty strokes of the cane as a warning to others.

The two parties must work together to repair the embankment within three days, with costs to be split equally; failure to do so will result in severe penalties.

From then on, Zhang, Li, and the three households downstream would draw water in order of the amount of land they owned, taking turns each day, with the village agreement supervising their implementation.

Considering the busy farming season, the two men's caning punishment was postponed until after spring planting. If they behaved well and behaved properly during this period, their punishment could be reduced; if they caused trouble again, the caning punishment would be doubled.

The shared use of dikes and embankments is a local regulation and national law; any unauthorized digging or destruction of dikes and embankments harms the livelihood of the people. This judgment is to resolve disputes and all parties should abide by it. Anyone who dares to cause trouble again will be punished more severely.

A certain prefect of Luzhou.

~~
After carefully checking and confirming that everything was correct, Su Lu copied the judgment onto the exam paper, then put down his brush and let out a long sigh of relief.

He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. This was his first time writing policy essays and commenting on imperial edicts in a formal examination. Although he felt that he had no problem with it and that it was not difficult, he really couldn't be sure whether it would meet the examiners' expectations.

After waiting for more than an hour, the sound of the clapperboard signaling the submission of papers finally rang out.

The officials collecting the papers then began to collect them row by row, and Su Lu was naturally the last to hand in his paper.

Once the officials carried the examination papers back to the Minglun Hall, the gong sounded to signal the end of the examination, marking the conclusion of the Dingmao year's imperial examination.

The test takers stood up one after another, stretching their muscles and bones, and many of them couldn't wait to pee.

Su Lu's seat was the most convenient for going to the toilet, and since he was upwind, he wouldn't be bothered by the fumes. That's the value of a prime location.

"How did the exam go?" His older brother, who was not far from him, had already packed up his exam basket and came over.

"We've all finished, but it's our first time taking the test, so we don't know how it went." Su Lu also packed up his test basket and waited for the others to come and join him.

"Although it's undeniable that the imperial examination is crucial, according to regulations, those who excel in the later stages but have mixed results in the earlier stages will be admitted selectively. Those who are good in the earlier stages but lack depth in the later stages will not necessarily pass." His elder brother strictly instructed him:

"So if you want to pass the imperial examination, or even become the top scholar, you must excel in all three sections."

"Yes, brother." Su Lu nodded and said, "I will intensify my practice for the second and third matches."

"Brother, you need to practice more," Su Danbai, Yunshan, and the others arrived one after another, and upon hearing this, they teased and laughed, "It seems you have no choice but to become the top scholar in the provincial examination?"

"Don't ruin my reputation. Let's pass the imperial examination first," Su Lu said helplessly.

"Let's go, let's go. My sister and the others are still waiting for us at the entrance of Xuegong Street." Zhu Zihe, who was the furthest away, also came over and called to everyone, "Let's go relax for a bit."

"Let's go!" The group carried their exam baskets and left the academy, chatting and laughing.

P.S. Imperial edicts and memorials were required questions for both the provincial and metropolitan examinations, so I wanted to let everyone know what they looked like. Don't worry, I'll just mention them briefly from now on...

There are 1000 words left in the next chapter.

(End of this chapter)