Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

The scientific expedition has officially begun.

The examiners Wang Wan, Li Si, Feng Quji, and Meng Yi did not hold back this time. Instead, they followed the Qin tradition of respecting the law and presented increasingly difficult questions, ranging from people's livelihood to laws and governance.

The first question tests your understanding of the classic text, specifically the chapter on agriculture and warfare in the Book of Lord Shang: In light of the current policies, discuss whether the ideas of agriculture and warfare are still applicable in today's world and how they should be adapted.

"..."

The second policy proposal directly presented a real case: In a certain area, at the border of two counties, displaced people fought over water, resulting in a brawl that killed and injured several people. The old clans took the opportunity to incite others, and the local officials were helpless.

Question to candidates: If you were the prefect, how would you handle this situation?

"..."

Many candidates in the audience were already sweating profusely.

Shao Jingyu gripped her pen, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.

Moreover, there were ten proctors this time, all of whom were high-ranking officials of the imperial court, creating an incredibly oppressive atmosphere.

The current prime minister Wang Wan, the court official Li Si, the imperial censor Feng Quji, and the senior minister Meng Yi each sat on one side.

The other six examiners were all prominent figures in the court, each sitting upright with piercing eyes.

Nobody can cheat!

The examination room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even the occasional sound of someone flipping through exam papers seemed particularly jarring.

If seeing the earlier questions only made test takers sweat, then seeing the final, most challenging question made them completely break down.

"??????"

Many people stared blankly at this final question for a moment.

Only one question was on my mind: How do I answer this? And how should I answer it?

topic:

The heavens foretell a future of great harmony, where everyone contributes their best and receives what they need, free from the suffering of powerful tyrants annexing their territories.

Throughout history, land and wealth have mostly ended up in the hands of powerful and wealthy families.

Please discuss: How can we ensure the well-being of all people by curbing annexation and maintaining peace among the common people, without weakening the nation or inciting unrest? Please share your thoughts.

"??????"

The test takers: ...we are exhausted.

What kind of question is this?!

This is hardly a scientific exam question.

This is to ask the candidates to offer advice and strategies to the imperial court!

When the concept of a utopian world was introduced, many people's first reaction was: Is this a misinterpretation of the test?

Those images in the sky are scenes from later times. What do they have to do with the Qin Dynasty?

But upon closer inspection, it doesn't make sense.

The essence of this question lies not in achieving universal harmony, but in suppressing annexation and ensuring the well-being of the people.

Land annexation has been a persistent problem throughout history.

Powerful clans occupy thousands of acres of land, while the common people have no place to stand. This is the problem that Qin is currently facing.

As a future Qin official, what solutions do you have for this problem?

But the problem is... how do I answer that?!

Too light a touch is useless, too heavy a touch might incite unrest.

We must neither weaken the nation nor allow the people to live in peace.

This is an age-old problem.

...

Exams from morning till night, in a truly meaningful way.

By the time the candidates left the examination hall, it was already dusk.

The setting sun dyed the stone path in front of the official school orange-red.

Everyone's eyes were dull, lifeless, and numb.

Some people were still muttering "three thousand registered households and eight hundred migrants," some were counting taxes on their fingers as they walked, and some were sitting on the steps in a daze, staring blankly into the distance, as if their souls had already drifted away.

Song stood at the entrance of the examination hall, smiling as he saw off the candidates, seemingly unaware that there was anything wrong with the final question he had set.

She even nodded to a few students who could walk, saying, "Go back and get some rest. See you in math tomorrow."

The test takers: "......."

Why do they feel like crying?

......

The next day, we took a math test.

Numerology, arithmetic.

Calculation, weights and measures, statistics, calendar, land surveying, and accounting of money and grain.

Measuring land, calculating taxes, counting population, planning projects, and inventorying warehouses—these are all essential for governing a local area.

The first question Song posed wasn't difficult, but it wasn't easy either:

There is a county with 3,000 hectares of farmland, of which 1,000 hectares are of superior quality, 1,500 hectares are of medium quality, and 500 hectares are of inferior quality.

The best fields yield three shi per mu, the medium fields yield two shi per mu, and the worst fields yield one shi per mu.

The imperial court levied one-tenth of the taxes.

Q: How much tax grain should the county collect in a year?

If a disaster year occurs, the lower-grade fields will be reduced by half, the middle-grade fields by 30%, and the upper-grade fields will be unharmed. How much should be harvested then?

Sounds simple, right?

The second question is: You are given a hand-drawn map of a county, on which seven rivers, three mountains, and two lakes are marked.

Finally, you are tasked with planning a cement road from the county seat to the border, requiring the shortest route, the least amount of materials, and coverage of the three largest villages along the way.

Please draw a route map and estimate the amount of lime, sand, and labor required.

"..."

The test takers stared at the map, their abacuses practically steaming as they worked.

......

The third day is for testing etiquette and ritual systems.

The regulations of the imperial court, the hierarchy between the emperor and his subjects, sacrificial ceremonies, the principles of etiquette and social norms, the customs of folk interactions, as well as laws and the order of rank.

Simply put, it refers to systems, etiquette, and rules of conduct. Officials must understand these, as they are useful in both the imperial court and governing the people.

This subject isn't as brain-intensive, but it's extremely tedious.

From where to stand and what etiquette to perform during court assemblies, to the scale of banquets for receiving foreign envoys, and even the etiquette regulations for weddings and funerals in the common people, everything was meticulously planned.

Many test takers breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that they could finally catch their breath.

Then they discovered that even those in the Ministry of Rites were required to write policy essays?!

The topic is: Now there are barbarian tribes in the border regions who have submitted to the Central Plains, and their customs and etiquette are different from those of the Central Plains.

If you were the governor of that prefecture, how would you persuade them to submit to the local customs without causing resentment?

"..."

This is yet another question without a standard answer.

.....

The fourth day was for testing knowledge of writing and documents.

Literacy, writing, reading comprehension, drafting official documents, recording archives, and recognizing character forms.

In the context of scientific research, this translates to reading, writing, and drafting documents.

This subject tests basic skills.

Most students have been literate since childhood, so they are unlikely to submit a blank paper.

However, Song also added a practical document requirement, which is to give you a real case file and ask you to compile a complete official document within half an hour, with the correct format, accurate wording, and clear logic.

"..."

The test takers' hands cramped from writing.

......

The fifth day will be for music exams, including music and dance, and music theory.

Music, poetry, and dance.

In ancient times, music was believed to educate people and harmonize customs, and music was used to accompany sacrifices and court assemblies.

Music is not just about listening to songs and dancing; it is also a means of educating and cultivating people's sentiments.

Fortunately, Song showed mercy at this moment.

The question is: Please discuss the role of music education in local governance, and provide examples from previous dynasties to illustrate your point.

At least you don't have to play the piano on the spot.

......

The sixth day is the test of driving, which is driving a chariot and riding a horse.

The skill of driving a horse-drawn carriage.

In ancient times, chariots were a core fighting force. Officials and generals had to be able to drive chariots, including the skills of controlling horses, dealing with road conditions, and driving chariots on the battlefield.

If Xiang Yu were here, he would probably feel that this was an insult.

......

On the seventh day, the archery test will be conducted.

Archery skills are not only about accuracy, but also about posture, temperament, and etiquette.

It is both a combat skill and a means of self-cultivation for gentlemen, representing military preparedness.

The archery targets were lined up in a row on the training ground.

Some people missed the target with all three arrows, while others barely hit the target with one arrow but almost hit the examinee in the next examination lane.

However, this subject is relatively less important.

After all, not everyone has to go to the battlefield, but basic military skills are still necessary.

On this final day, all the candidates were like monkeys that had been released into the wild.

When the exam time arrived, a deafening cheer erupted on the school grounds.

Finally...finally...finally it's over!!!

Some people threw their calligraphy brushes into the air, some lay on the ground and rolled around, and some hugged each other, crying and laughing at the same time.

His mental state is remarkably advanced.

Wang Ben, the proctor: ...? (Lost in deep thought.jpg)

The seven-day scientific expedition has now come to an end.

Next comes the grading.