I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

In front of the hall, the official personally broke the seal on the wooden box, took out three volumes of exam questions, and handed them to the clerk.

The clerk opened the first volume and was about to begin reading the titles.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the students held their breath, their hands gripping their pens tightening unconsciously.

"Question 1: On the benefits of the Shaosheng land reclamation program and the methods of evaluating officials."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft exhalation echoed in the hall.

Many people have relaxed.

As this topic was expected, given that land reclamation has been a hot topic in recent court discussions, many people were prepared.

However, some candidates frowned because the practical questions were the most difficult to answer; it's easy to talk the talk but hard to walk the walk.

Zhao Mingcheng remained expressionless; he had guessed the answer.

The clerk unfolds the second volume:

"Question 2: On the similarities between the governance of the Three Dynasties and the new laws of today."

Another murmur rippled through the room.

This question still revolves around the "new law," but it elevates the theme.

Many students looked delighted. Generally speaking, this type of question is called a "praise question." As long as you can quote scriptures and sing praises, you can always write something decent.

Zhao Mingcheng picked up his pen and quickly wrote the words "well-field system, equal distribution, market exchange" on the draft paper, and then added "the Zhou Li Quan Fu and Guan Zi Qing Zhong".

These are the key points he found to solve the problem.

The clerk unfolded the third volume.

His voice was clearer and more solemn than the previous two times:

"Additional Question: Refute the 'Expanding Borders and Depleting the Nation' Argument."

"boom--"

The room erupted as if in a commotion, which was quickly suppressed, but everyone felt the commotion in that instant.

In the past, policy essay questions usually only had two questions.

Let's skip the extra questions this time.

Why are the questions still the same?

Everyone present knew what the "theory of opening up borders and depleting the country" was.

This was the signature argument of the old party, which was repeatedly used for nine years during the Yuan You era, from Sima Guang to Wen Yanbo, from Su Zhe to Fan Chunren.

When Emperor Shenzong of Song expanded the Xihe region and waged war against the Western Xia, the old faction argued that it "wasted national resources and brought no benefit to the people."

Even now, with Emperor Zhezong resuming border affairs, the echoes of the old faction still linger.

Zhao Mingcheng guessed the first two questions with a 90% success rate, and he was equally confident about the additional questions, knowing that solving them would be a piece of cake.

The other students in the hall were not so relaxed; their reactions varied.

Several people in the front row, dressed in fine clothes, already had smiles on their faces.

These are clearly children of the New Party, and there's no doubt that their families might be high-ranking officials. Perhaps they had already heard the news, or perhaps they received guidance from their elders, which is why they are so confident now.

Most of the students looked bewildered, anxious, or fearful.

They may be aware of the "expanding borders and depleting the country" argument, but how do they refute it? What evidence do they cite? What stance do they take?

What if I say something wrong... tsk tsk.

In the back corner, several people, their faces pale, stared at their exam papers, motionless for a long time.

Those were mostly children of the old faction, and these children made up a minority in the Imperial Academy.

For them, this question was not just a test, but also a matter of taking sides.

The most fortunate of these people was Li Jiong, who was glad that he had talked to Zhao Mingcheng about this.

……

Ye Zuqia and Gong Yuan dared to set this question because they must have received instructions from above.

This additional question demonstrates that Emperor Zhao Xu still holds the same view of the old party.

This was not just a test of academic knowledge, but also a political screening—to see how many people in the Imperial Academy still sided with the old party and how many were the government's "own people".

In Zhao Mingcheng's mind, thoughts were already flashing by rapidly.

The first question requires a solid approach and practical suggestions.

The second question connects the past and present, praising the sage without deviating from the meaning of the classics.

The third question is where you really get a chance to shine.

To refute the "opening up the borders depletes the country" argument, one cannot simply resort to empty criticism of the old party; that would appear superficial.

If you're going to refute something, you have to get to the root of it.

Didn't the old party say that opening up the borders would deplete the country's resources?

Then I'll do the economic, political, and long-term calculations with you.

Use data, examples, and historical facts.

Finally, we must elevate the tone: opening up the borders is not for fighting wars, but for long-term peace and stability; it is not about draining the country's resources, but about using war to sustain war and using border benefits to supplement the country's expenses.

This is a classic approach based on dialectical materialism, with a clear strategy and sound reasoning.

Zhao Mingcheng, with a clear mind, picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

The only sounds in the hall were the rustling of turning exam papers, the occasional soft sound of grinding ink, or a suppressed cough.

Zhao Mingcheng's first problem-solving approach was brilliant.

"The benefits of military-agricultural colonies lie not only in the number of acres reclaimed, but also in ensuring the well-being of the people and the fullness of granaries. Currently, officials are often evaluated based on the number of acres of land reclaimed, which easily leads to false reporting..."

He writes quickly and his thoughts are clear.

The difficulties of land reclamation, the drawbacks of official assessment, and specific suggestions for improvement were listed one by one, without empty talk, and each point was related to practical matters.

Interspersed throughout are the “Equalization of Land” from the “Rites of Zhou” and the “Teaching of Land Advantage” from the “Guanzi”, as well as the old practice of garrisoning in the Tang Dynasty, and finally it comes to “this is to carry out the legacy of Emperor Shenzong and to secure the border and keep the people safe.”

Half an hour had passed since he finished the first question. He put down his pen, stretched his wrists to catch his breath, and glanced around.

All walks of life.

The young members of the New Party in the front row were writing with great enthusiasm and skill, their pens flying across the paper, clearly overflowing with inspiration.

Most of the people in the middle had furrowed brows, writing intermittently, some biting their pens and staring blankly, while others simply went to sleep.

The few former party members in the back row were still stuck on the extra test questions, but Li Jiong was an exception among them.

Someone struggled with the words, but finally seemed to make up his mind, picked up his pen and wrote, "Opening up borders depletes the country, as the ancients wisely said..." But the pen tip trembled, and the ink smudged.

Zhao Mingcheng turned his gaze back to the second question.

"The key to the good governance of the three dynasties lay in equality. The equal distribution of land through the well-field system and the equal distribution of goods through the market system were the foundation of the benevolent rule of the sage kings..."

This question is both easy and difficult to answer.

It's easy to write because it has a high tone, which can be achieved by quoting classics; it's difficult to write because it's easy to become vague and empty.

He chose to start with the word "equal" and linked together the well-field system, the market exchange system, the equal transport system, and the green seedling system, saying that these were all manifestations of the idea of ​​"equalization" and "retro to benefit the present".

Interspersed with sentences from the Book of Documents and the Rites of Zhou, the text concludes by stating, "The current emperor continues the legacy of Emperor Shenzong, truly inheriting the will of the three dynasties."

By the time I finished the second question, it was nearly noon.

Most of the students in the hall had completed the first two questions, but now they were all stuck on the extra questions.

Some people scratched their heads in frustration, some stared blankly, and some simply gave up and wrote long passages on their exam papers denouncing the old party as "pedantic" and "misleading the country," but their arguments were weak and all they had was emotion.

The emperor wanted to refute the old party, but he certainly didn't want to see such a shrewish, street-fighting rebuttal.

Zhao Mingcheng untied the water pouch, took a sip of water, calmed himself down, and began writing the additional test questions.

Instead of refuting it directly, he first wrote:

"Expanding borders depletes the nation's resources; such words may sound loyal. However, military campaigns inevitably lead to financial ruin, and prolonged warfare exhausts the people—this is only natural..."

First, acknowledge some of the opposing viewpoints' merits, demonstrating a dialectical approach. Then, shift the focus:

"However, governing a country is like holding a scepter; one cannot only consider the expenditures of the moment, but must also calculate the long-term revenues. How much military expenditure was incurred annually during the Xihe Campaign in the reign of Emperor Shenzong?"

"However, after the recapture of Xihe, how much will the profits from tea and horses, and the taxes from salt and iron increase annually? Now that Huangzhou has just fallen, if we abandon it, we will save 200,000 strings of cash in military expenses annually, but we will lose 300,000 strings of cash in profits from the salt lakes, and we will also leave behind border troubles. If the Qiang people rebel again in the future, the cost of suppressing and pacifying them will probably be more than a million..."

A series of numbers drawn by Zhao Mingcheng.

Some of it was research from his previous life, some was talked about by the Imperial Academy professors, and some was mentioned by his father.

The numbers may not all be accurate, but they serve as sufficient examples.

Next comes the citation of historical examples.

"The Han dynasty established the Protectorate of the Western Regions, which cost a fortune annually. However, the Silk Road was open, and merchants from the Central Asian countries flocked there. The profits from the maritime trade in Chang'an were ten times the military expenditure. The Tang dynasty established the Four Garrisons of Anxi. Initially, it was also said that it would drain the country, but once the trade routes were opened, Hexi and Longyou became the richest places in the world..."

Finally, it's time to elevate the theme.

Whether you are writing a policy essay or a written application essay, this step is essential.

Zhao Mingcheng's writing is divinely inspired.

"Therefore, opening up the borders is not for the purpose of expanding territory, but rather for the purpose of sustaining war through war and supplementing the national treasury with the benefits of the borders. Those who govern the borders well will turn border administration into a source of national wealth. The current emperor continues the legacy of his predecessors, securing the borders and bringing peace to the people. This is precisely the practice of the benevolent governance of the three dynasties—to ensure that the people are free from suffering, that the nation is prosperous, and that the world enjoys lasting peace."

After writing the last word, he put down his pen and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the hall.

These are the footsteps of the instructors.

While the exam was in progress, the examiner had already been walking slowly around the exam room with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over each and every exam paper.

He nodded slightly as he passed the children of the New Party; he frowned slightly when he saw those who made empty accusations against the Old Party; he paused for a moment in front of the desks of the children of the Old Party, his eyes deep.

Finally, the scholar stopped in front of Zhao Mingcheng's desk.

Zhao Mingcheng sat upright with his eyes lowered, letting him look at him.

The examiner's gaze lingered on the exam paper longer than elsewhere.

He looked at the pages of extra test questions over and over again, his fingers fidgeting slightly inside his sleeve.

Finally, he walked away without saying anything.

……

At the beginning of the Shen hour, the clerk rang the bronze bell.

"Time's up—all students, please stop writing—"

A chorus of sighs, sighs of relief, and the sounds of tidying up paper and pens filled the hall.

The students stood up one after another and handed in their exam papers to the front desk.

Some were beaming, feeling they had done well on the exam; others were dejected, clearly having failed; and many more looked dazed, still immersed in the intense writing they had just done.

Zhao Mingcheng was the last to hand in his paper.

He straightened the three exam papers and presented them to the student record clerk with both hands.

The examiner glanced at him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, before taking the exam paper and putting it into the box.

Stepping out of the Zhigong Hall, the afternoon sun was a bit too bright.

Zhao Mingcheng narrowed his eyes, hearing a familiar voice behind him.

"Brother Mingcheng!"

Li Jiong followed.

He quickly caught up, his forehead still sweaty, but his eyes shining.

"How did the exam go?"

"Not bad," Zhao Mingcheng smiled. "And Brother Li?"

"The first two questions went fairly smoothly, but the extra questions..." Li Jiong lowered his voice, "I mainly refuted them, neither completely refuting nor completely agreeing with them. I don't know if that's right."

Li Jiong's line of thinking has a dialectical feel to it.

"If your approach is right, it won't be bad." Zhao Mingcheng patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go eat. We've been hungry all morning."

The two walked side by side toward the dining hall.

I met many classmates on the way, and they were gathered in twos and threes discussing the exam questions.

Some people excitedly gestured, "I quoted from 'Discourses on Salt and Iron'!" while others looked worried, "I have absolutely no clue about the extra questions."

Some people also said, "I heard that Wang Yuan's hands were shaking so badly during the exam that he couldn't write, and the whole audience was stunned."

Zhao Mingcheng pretended not to hear this.

The Imperial Academy's dining hall was bustling with noise.

After the two got their food, they found a corner to sit down, and Li Jiong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, the exam is over, Brother Mingcheng. Those extra questions... were really tough."

"This is a test, and also a test of who's on which side." Zhao Mingcheng picked up a piece of mutton. "After this test, it will be clear to the higher-ups which students in the Imperial Academy are the new faction's seed and which students still cling to the old faction."

Li Jiong said in a low voice.

"When I was writing, I kept thinking about my uncle... If he saw me refuting the 'opening up the borders and depleting the country' theory, he would probably be so angry that he would disown me as his nephew."

"Didn't you write one too?" Zhao Mingcheng asked, looking at him.

"I wrote it." Li Jiong smiled wryly. "You're right, answering a question is one thing, taking a stance is another. I was refuting the 'argument,' not my uncle as a person."

Zhao Mingcheng thought to himself that his brother-in-law had improved a lot and wasn't as simple-minded as when they first met.

"That's right. A scholar should have a sense of right and wrong. He should know what is good for the country and what is good for the people. As for family matters... we can discuss them slowly."

Li Jiong put down his chopsticks and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Zhao Mingcheng.

"I must thank Brother Mingcheng for his previous guidance. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Zhao Mingcheng responded with a smile.

"Brother Li, if you keep being so polite with me, I'm afraid you'll starve at the Imperial Academy before you even get home and get scolded by your uncle. Eating is the most important thing right now."

"Hahahaha... Brother Mingcheng is right."

Li Jiong also started eating heartily.