Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 140

The scholar, who had been speaking so eloquently, looked somewhat embarrassed, but he had no choice but to tell the truth: "Actually, it was Du Zunsu who mentioned it the other day..."

Li Guayan looked around: "Where is Zunsu? I can't find him today..."

"He's riding high on his success, why would he bother coming to Falun Temple to linger with us?" the scholar who exposed his companion's boasting replied, "The other day he went to the Prince of Fenyang's residence to submit his examination papers, and today the prince even sent someone to invite him for drinks..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji immediately realized something was wrong!

It turns out that the person who fabricated that story, while perhaps not a very accurate analysis of the situation in Hebei, was nonetheless quite insightful. It wasn't the person before me, but a scholar named "Du Zunsu." Li Ji had already implicitly intended to recruit Du Zunsu, but then he heard that Guo Ziyi had summoned him for a banquet… Good heavens, a mere scholar who hadn't even passed the imperial examinations, and he'd actually caught the eye of Minister Guo! Was he planning to bring him into the Shuofang army, or was he recruiting the self-proclaimed but incompetent Dan Yan from Fufang? I was caught off guard, and I was a step too late!

He quickly reached out and nudged Li Guayan in the back with his finger. Li Guayan understood, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then got up and left the two scholars. Once they were alone, Li Ji asked him who Du Zunsu was. Li Guayan introduced him:

"His name was Du Huangshang, courtesy name Zunsu. He was a scholar from Wannian County and the son of Du Wan, the registrar of the Jingzhao Prefecture..."

A quick calculation revealed – “Oh, he’s a year older than Changwei.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's desire intensified—he's only a year older than me, that's twenty-six! A twenty-six-year-old scholar with such insight—given time, his talent is limitless! No way, I have to get my hands on this person no matter what!

"Does Sixth Brother know where this person lives?"

Since Du Huangshang's father was an official in the Jingzhao Prefecture, he naturally had a home in Chang'an City and would not have stayed at the Falun Temple—his home was next to the Zijing Nunnery in Yongle Ward.

That afternoon, Du Huangshang left the residence of the Prince of Fenyang and rode a nag slowly back to his home. Just as he reached the street corner, he heard someone beside him ask, "May I ask if you are Mr. Du Zunsu?"

Du Huangshang turned his head to look and saw that the person speaking was dressed in white linen clothes and a cloth turban, the attire of an ordinary scholar; but he was quite burly, with a round face and a thick beard. Although he bowed and spoke respectfully, he vaguely revealed the manner of an official.

He hurriedly dismounted and returned the greeting, saying, "I am indeed Du Huangshang. May I ask who you are...?"

"Li Ji, Li Changwei".

Upon hearing his name, Du Huangshang was greatly surprised and hurriedly bowed, changing his cupped hands to crossed hands: "So it is Commander Li—I, Huangshang, failed to dismount and pay my respects first, please forgive me, Commander."

As soon as Li Ji found out where Du Huangshang lived, he hurriedly left Falun Temple and rushed over. He waited at the street corner to intercept Du Huangshang. Of course, he could no longer dress up as a servant—he wasn't afraid that Du Huangshang would judge him by his appearance, but he was afraid that Du Huangshang would hide his true intentions upon first meeting him and not show his sincerity. As soon as he left the temple, he instructed his men: "Quickly go back to the mansion and fetch a set of my usual clothes."

Cui Cuo understood her husband well. Although he wasn't entirely unsophisticated, he was often too bold and daring, relying on his superior skills to insist on taking the lead in trouble—his previous exposure of the Shence Army's treachery was a prime example. This might be one thing in other places, but in Chang'an, where high-ranking officials filled the streets, and he was on the rise, she didn't want him to cause any more trouble. Therefore, she often sent two or three of her skilled martial artists to secretly follow Li Ji.

It was said that he was following secretly, but in reality, he was just hiding his presence and not interfering with the young master's daily interactions with others. This matter was not kept from Li Ji himself.

Li Ji didn't take offense and expressed complete understanding—actually, he had the wrong idea. He thought to himself, "I invite people to Lu Miaozhen's house for drinks every day. It would be strange if my wife didn't send someone to keep an eye on me!"

And this time, the people who were keeping watch came in handy. Li Ji sent one of them home to get a change of clothes, and the other to go to the vicinity of the Prince of Fenyang's residence to observe the white-robed scholars coming and going, and to find out which one was Du Huangshang. He himself returned to Falun Temple, asked a monk to fetch a basin of water, and washed his face to disguise himself...

Then he ran to Yonglefang and waited for less than half an hour. Sure enough, a rider came galloping in. Having already inquired beforehand, his subordinate, who had rushed back, pointed and said, "This is Du Huangshang."

Li Ji nodded and ordered the man to step back, while he stepped forward alone to greet Du Huangshang.

This Mr. Du Zunsu was indeed a handsome man, with a face like jade, red lips and white teeth, and two thin mustaches on his lips—his only flaw was that, despite his young age, he had deep nasolabial folds, and the corners of his mouth turned down, making him seem unapproachable. Moreover, his cheeks were flushed, indicating that he had probably drunk quite a bit of wine.

Upon receiving Li Ji's greeting, Du Huangshang was somewhat surprised and secretly became wary—I have never had any dealings with this new military governor of Weibo, so why is he coming here incognito to find me? This man is a favorite of the current emperor and the Prince of Yong, and everyone below the prime minister can treat him with respect. I must not offend him.

He hurriedly returned the greeting and inquired about the purpose of the visit. Li Ji smiled and said, "This is not the place to talk. May I ask Mr. Du to move to the tavern on the east side of the street for a while? What do you say?"

He had already observed that there was a small tavern at the east end of the street, which was said to be owned by Zijing Nunnery. It usually only served vegetarian wine and vegetarian food, so the storefront was deserted—besides, it was already past lunchtime.

Du Huangshang dared not refuse, so he followed Li Ji into the tavern and found a seat. Li Ji invited him to sit down, but Du Huangshang repeatedly said he dared not and firmly refused. In the end, they had no choice but to sit down as host and guest.

Li Ji ordered the innkeeper to bring up some food and wine, then asked Du Huangshang, "Mr. Du, have you just returned from a banquet at the Prince of Fenyang's residence? I didn't expect Minister Guo to value you so highly..."

Du Huangshang understood.

He noticed that Li Ji's attitude towards him was unusually respectful—in truth, Li Ji was usually very approachable, even squatting and eating alongside common soldiers, let alone entertaining a scholar—but it was clear he meant no harm. When Li Ji inquired about the banquet at the Prince of Fenyang's residence, he refused to feign concern for his status and immediately waved his hand to explain:

"General, you misunderstand. I am just a commoner, not a warrior on the battlefield. How could I possibly catch the eye of Minister Guo? Actually, I went to present my scroll to Senior Lu Rangjin the other day and gained his appreciation. Today is the birthday banquet for the Third Young Master Guo, and Senior Lu invited me to attend. I just wanted to freeload a meal."

Lu Rangjin, whose given name was Geng, was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era. As soon as the results were announced, Guo Ziyi ordered someone to seize him as a son-in-law—marrying him to Ziyi's eldest daughter. As the saying goes, "It is not appropriate for a man of such high status to marry into such a family," and since he had married into such a noble family, Lu Geng stayed by his father-in-law's side from then on, which was somewhat like a son-in-law living with his wife's family—so he lived in the Prince of Fenyang's mansion.

As a former top scholar, Du Huangshang naturally went to visit him, presented his old essays, and asked Lu Geng for guidance. Lu Geng valued Du Huangshang highly and promised that if he passed the imperial examination this year, he would recommend him to his father-in-law so that Du Huangshang could serve as an official in the Shuofang Army or the Fuyan Army, thus gaining experience and prestige, which would be better than waiting for selection in the Ministry of Personnel.

Otherwise, today would be Guo Xi's birthday—Guo Ziyi had eight sons, the eldest son Guo Yao was already forty years old, the youngest son Guo Ying was still an infant, and Guo Xi was his third son's thirtieth birthday. The mansion was holding a banquet to celebrate, and not many guests were invited. Lu Geng would not have thought of asking Du Huangshang to go and make a fuss, just to get to know everyone.

Du Huangshang naturally wouldn't reveal the specifics to Li Ji, but he implied in his words that he hadn't gained Guo Ziyi's personal favor. Li Ji thought to himself, "Thank goodness. Lu Geng, though renowned for his literary talent, has been unlucky. By the time he passed the imperial examination, An Lushan had already declared himself emperor in Luoyang... Thus, he's remained a lowly eighth-rank official in his father-in-law's staff. As for Guo Xi... even his elder brother, Guo Yao, is far less prominent than me now."

As long as it's not Guo Ziyi himself who takes a liking to Du Huangshang, then I still have a chance!

He smiled and waited for the food and wine to be served. He personally filled Du Huangshang's cup with wine before slowly asking, "Today I met several scholars from the capital and heard a saying, 'Surrounded by wolves.' I specially invited Mr. Du here to learn from him in person..."

Chapter Fourteen, Hoping to Achieve a Middle Rank

When Li Ji mentioned the phrase "surrounded by wolves," Du Huangshang immediately understood what he meant—after all, he had only mentioned this phrase to a friend when he was drunk, less than five days ago, yet he still remembered it.

Then, with his hands clasped, he said, "It was my drunken ramblings; General Li, please forgive me..."

Li Ji interrupted the other party and said solemnly, "How can this be considered nonsense? With just these four words, Mr. Du has a clear understanding of the situation in Weibo. That is why I have come here to humbly listen to your teachings."

Du Huangshang waved his hands repeatedly: "I am but a scholar talking about war on paper in a thatched hut. I am not worthy of General Li's praise." After a pause, he said: "In fact, although we are surrounded by wolves, if there were dragons among them instead of tigers and leopards, we might not be unable to break the deadlock."

"Oh, may I ask how to break this deadlock?"

Du Huangshang smiled slightly: "General Li's words are like asking a blind man for directions. I am merely a commoner scholar from Jingzhao. Although I love reading and aspire to serve the country, I have no experience in current affairs. I have only heard my father talk about the daily trivialities of the government office, hence my tendency to speak boastfully. As for the situation in Hebei, how could I, being thousands of miles away, know anything? It is only because my father has guests from Hebei who have spoken of the mountains and rivers, as well as the imperial edict appointing him to govern, that I have made some connections in my spare time from studying."

"The surrendered generals of Yan and Zhao are not to be trusted; the generals of Pinglu and Ziqing are not to be trusted either. Everyone knows this, not just me. But how to break this deadlock? I have not been to those places, nor have I been involved in their affairs. How dare I speak presumptuously and devise a plan for Commander Li?"

Li Ji insisted, "I'm just saying this to add to the enjoyment of the wine; it's nothing serious."

Du Huangshang thought for a moment and replied, “Wei is a powerful prefecture in Hebei, with abundant land and a large population. It is quite self-sufficient in food. Its local tribute consists of cotton, cotton, silk, brocade, and purple grass, indicating that it also has sufficient textiles. Bozhou was originally separated from Weizhou in the fourth year of Wude. Its customs are the same, but its land is slightly lacking. Its local tribute consists of silk and brocade.”

"This is what the government has recorded. I do not yet know the exact situation after the chaos of war, but I suppose much of the land has been abandoned and it is no longer possible to supply the army. Insufficient food will make the army weak, and a weak army will be at the mercy of others—especially since it is a flat plain with no natural defenses. Fortunately, the other towns in Hebei are probably in the same situation, so in two or three years, public support will accumulate and there will be no sudden outbreak of war."

"In that case, it will be a matter of which family can resume production and return to the state before the war. In the twenty-ninth year of Kaiyuan, Lu Hui, the governor of Weizhou, moved the Tongji Canal, diverting water from Shihuike to the west of the city, and built more than a hundred buildings along the canal to store goods from the Jianghuai region. If Commander Li can restore its former glory and exchange its silk products with goods from the Jianghuai region, he will surely profit and become rich, and the rich will be able to strengthen the army."

"However, the Tongji Canal enters the Yellow River at Ji County, which belongs to Weizhou, and its waters flow through Xiangzhou... Wei and Xiang are the remnants of Henan and the throat of Hebei. The court should not grant them to surrendered generals. In my opinion, it is better to lose Wei and Bo than to lose Wei and Xiang!"

"If Commander Li wants to amass wealth, he must generously bribe the Zhaoyi Army. He can only be friends with Minister Xue (Xue Song), not enemies. If Minister Xue harbors rebellious intentions, he can easily rally the people of Yan and Zhao; if he does not rebel, Yan and Zhao will be controlled by him..."

His throat was parched from talking so much that he couldn't help but pick up his wine cup and drink it all in one gulp. Then Du Huangshang thought to himself, "I do seem to have had a few too many drinks at the Prince of Fenyang's residence today. How could I not stop talking like that?" He quickly put an end to his long speech: "Such matters are easier said than done. Although I dare not say that General Li's journey is as perilous as a pile of eggs, he must be prepared for battle at any moment and be extremely careful."

Li Ji waited a while, but seeing that Du Huangshang had nothing more to say, he couldn't help but think to himself, "Is that all? You've really messed this up! You're practically ready to disappear into thin air!" Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "It's all up to human effort. Besides, if it weren't difficult, would it be a place for men like us to strive? We could just go home and take care of our children... As long as we have enough to eat and wear, have a beautiful wife, and raise children, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Looking at Du Huangshang, I asked, "I, Li, am willing to go to places of great difficulty and danger for the sake of the country. I wonder what you think, Mr. Du?"

Du Huangshang thought to himself, "Here we go, finally we've gotten to the point."

He did indeed intend to serve as a staff officer outside the capital for several years, accumulating sufficient merit and reputation before returning to the central government; otherwise, he wouldn't have hinted to Lu Geng to recommend him to Guo Ziyi. After much deliberation, he roughly divided the various prefectures and towns of the empire into three major regions: the borderlands, the heartland, and the Jianghuai region—only these three places were suitable for him.

As for the surrendered generals in Hebei, Du Huangshang was naturally unwilling to help them; he also politely declined to go to the malarial and malaria-ridden areas of Qianzhong and Lingnan.

The situation on the border is not optimistic. The Tibetans are pressing forward relentlessly, the Qiang and Hu tribes are causing trouble, and the Nanzhao Kingdom is also showing signs of instability, having previously been involved in many battles... Although Du Huangshang is a scholar, he is not afraid of fighting, but he has no interest in battles with little chance of victory. Therefore, the only viable option on the border is Shuofang, because Shuofang has a strong and well-equipped army, is located on the flank of the Tibetan bandits, and can request aid from the Uyghurs at any time, making it relatively safe and offering a greater chance of victory.

The Jianghuai region is prosperous, and the imperial court has relied heavily on it for tax revenue in recent years. Therefore, serving as an inspector in Huainan, Liangzhe, and Xuanshe would certainly be the most comfortable and carefree person there. However, in peaceful places, there is often no opportunity to make a name for oneself. If one simply accumulates seniority, it would be a waste of Du Zunsu's vast knowledge and talent.

In comparison, the best options are the prefectures in the heartland, from Binning, Fufang, and Shanguo around Chang'an, all the way to Hezhong and Luze near Luoyang, as well as the eastern and western routes of Shannan. The armies of Yicheng and Xuanwu were not considered; Du Huangshang neither trusted nor was willing to befriend those former An Lushan generals.

During this period, Weibo Town was naturally considered. As Li Ji said, the more dangerous the place, the better for men to set their sights on revenge. The key is that Hebei has just been pacified. Even if those surrendered generals still want to cause trouble, they will have to lie low and accumulate strength for several years before a major war breaks out. And stabilizing the local area and stockpiling money and grain are precisely the skills that scholars like us are good at. Unlike Shuofang, which is vast and sparsely populated, where money and grain must be supplied by the court, even if we want to develop production, we are afraid that we will not be able to find a place to start.

However, he had absolutely no connection with Li Ji, the newly appointed military governor of Weibo... He hadn't considered that Li Guayan was acquainted with Li Ji, otherwise he would most likely have directly told Li Guayan that "surrounded by wolves" story.

Of course, it's highly likely that he was misled, and Li Guayan let it go in one ear and out the other, never even considering recommending Du Huangshang to Li Ji.

Therefore, Li Ji's inquiry about Weibo today was exactly what Du Huangshang wanted; moreover, the attitude of this Commander Li was quite respectful, reminiscent of Liu Bei's three visits to Zhuge Liang, which gave Du Huangshang an opportunity to make his mark. Thus, Li Ji asked, "What about you, Mr. Du?" Du Huangshang was already seven-tenths willing, but he still needed to discuss the conditions first—

"Does Commander Li perhaps intend to recruit servants into his inner circle?"

"Would you be so kind as to grant my request, sir?"

"What about the remuneration?" After all, we're going to travel all the way to Hebei, and we'll need money for that, so we need to finalize the salary first.

Li Ji smiled bitterly and said, "I have not yet taken office, and I know nothing about whether the two prefectures are prosperous or poor, or whether the treasury is real or fake..." He paused for a moment and then said simply, "If you join my staff, you should help me check the money and grain and estimate the amount. You may ask for it yourself, and I will not refuse."

On the one hand, if you're asked to state your own salary, you wouldn't dare to ask for an exorbitant amount, would you? If the treasury is full, it's fine for you to take a higher salary; but if the treasury is not full, and you still dare to ask for a high salary, I can simply ask you to leave after the three-month probation period—I don't want overly greedy people!

Du Huangshang naturally understood Li Ji's intentions and couldn't help but smile and say, "Since General Li has agreed despite his refusal, you should go into business..." He then realized that his words were not very respectful—because in these days, merchants were not considered upper-class people—and quickly changed his words, saying, "I will seek the business and receive the reward. I wonder what position the General would grant me if I joined his staff?"

Li Ji said, "You may choose between the positions of judge or clerk." Anyway, I have almost no one under my command right now. You are the first one to come, so you can choose whatever position you want.

Du Huangshang slowly said, "Since Commander Li is concurrently serving as the Prefect of Weizhou, may I request a position in the prefecture?"

"It's impossible."

"Could you serve as Prefect or Chief Secretary?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji paused for a moment, then smiled wryly: "Sir, you're putting me in a difficult position. These are all important posts appointed by the court; how can I decide them with just a few words?"

Actually, the key issue isn't that the Prefectural Governor and the Chief Clerk are subordinates of the Prefect, not members of the staff, and therefore shouldn't be appointed by the court. According to previous edicts, even the Prefect could independently recommend officials from among the surrendered generals in Hebei, and the court mostly agreed. While Li Ji wouldn't be as shameless as those surrendered generals, disregarding the court's authority, if he made a recommendation, with Li Bi and Li Shi intervening, he could most likely secure an official position.

The problem is that only prefectures and above could appoint a deputy prefect, a fourth-rank official, while a chief clerk was a fifth-rank official. These positions were equivalent to wearing red robes and becoming high-ranking bureaucrats. No matter how capable Du Huangshang was, he had yet to achieve any merit. How could he possibly advance to the fifth rank immediately after being appointed? Frankly speaking, the government could hire its own staff and offer them stipends, but given Du Huangshang's situation, he could only hope for a high eighth-rank position at first—the seventh rank was a hurdle—he would need to accumulate seniority and achieve some merit before he could possibly change his official rank from blue to green.

Du Huangshang could become an official in the prefecture, but at most he could only be a military advisor without any specific position. Even the seven departments of merit, granary, household, land, military, law, and civil service would be difficult for him to hold – because they were all of the lowest rank of the seventh grade – let alone the position of deputy governor or chief clerk.

Li Ji expressed his reluctance, and Du Huangshang couldn't help but laugh and say, "It's just a joke, Commander Li, you don't need to take it seriously..." He actually wanted to test Li Ji, to see if he would just walk away after hearing his exorbitant demands, or if he would pretend to agree and trick him into going to Hebei first; but Li Ji's reluctance actually showed his sincerity.

Finally, Li Ji asked Du Huangshang, "Sir, are you willing to join my staff?"

Du Huangshang said solemnly, "Let's see about the spring imperial examination. If I pass this year, I will go to Weibo with Commander Li; but if I fail, I will stay in Chang'an to study and wait until next spring. Please forgive me for not being able to go with you."

Li Ji nodded. This was understandable—these scholars valued the imperial examinations most. If they couldn't pass and become Jinshi, they would follow him to Hebei. On the one hand, their future career advancement would be difficult, and on the other hand, they might not have another chance to return to the capital to take the exams in the short term. As for becoming a Jinshi, the earlier one passed, the greater one's prestige. If one only caught the last train and passed the exam in their fifties, then it wouldn't be worth much.

They swore an oath with a high five and parted ways. Early the next morning, Li Ji went to the Ministry of Rites again to request an audience with Xue Yong. Xue Yong said, "Didn't I already promise to copy down the successful candidates' papers for you as soon as the results were announced? Why are you coming to see me again?"

Li Ji asked, "Does Gonghe know Du Huangshang, the Prefect of Jingzhao?" Xue Yong thought for a moment and replied, "I seem to have some recollection of him..."

Is it possible to get it?

Xue Yong flicked his sleeve and said, "How can I say for sure? We must see the man's resume to know."

Li Ji said, enunciating each word clearly, "I hope we can get it."

Xue Yong smiled and slowly replied, "I hope it can be as Changwei wishes."

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Afterwards, Li Ji disguised himself again and followed Li Guayan into Falun Temple a second time, but he still couldn't find anyone suitable. Thinking about it, it makes sense; as the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together," and most of the people Li Guayan, a bookworm, knew were also bookworms with little practical ability—didn't Li Guayan know Du Huangshang? But if he hadn't personally overheard the words "surrounded by wolves," he would never have thought to recommend Du to him.

Fine materials and beautiful jade are not something everyone can recognize at a glance, like Bian He.

So he wrote a letter and sent it to the Du residence, asking Du Huangshang to recommend a few more capable people to go to Weibo together. Du Huangshang agreed.

Although Li Ji was worried that since Du Huangshang was the first to enter the shogunate, and all the later recruits were recommended by Du Huangshang, they might form a faction and gradually sideline him... But at present, he was short of money and had almost no one to use, so he had no choice but to take the risk.

Before long, the imperial examinations began. The papers were submitted to the Ministry of Rites, and officials like Xue Yong stayed up all night to determine whether candidates were admitted or rejected, and roughly ranked them. This year, the number of candidates was higher than in previous years, reaching over 2,300, but after consulting with the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites ultimately determined that fewer than 30 could be selected.

It was common practice to select ten to twenty people for each subject. Of course, there were exceptions. For example, in the second year of the Zhide era, because the two capitals were still in the hands of the rebels, the selection of scholars was carried out in different regions: twenty-two from Fengxiang, six from Jianghuai, sixteen from Chengdu Prefecture, and seven from Jiangdong, totaling fifty-one people. Even more terrifying was the second year of the Xiantian era, when seventy-one people were selected first, and then six more were recommended, resulting in an unprecedented seventy-seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) that year!

Meanwhile, the officials presented their report to Xiao Xin, the Vice Minister of Rites. As Xiao Xin reviewed the examination papers, he asked, "Who will be selected as the top scholar?"

“Ancient wonders.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xin frowned slightly: "Where is Hong Yuan located?"

"fourth."

“In that case, he can be promoted to the top rank.” After saying this, Xiao Xin raised his head, looked at the officials, and explained, “This is the Prime Minister’s intention.”

Everyone listened and dared not object, nodding in agreement. Then Xiao Xin flipped through the papers again and slowly asked, "So, this year twenty-six were selected… are there any outstanding candidates who were overlooked?"

Xue Yong stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, “Du Huangshang of Jingzhao has done a good job in the policy questions and the classical texts, but his miscellaneous essays (poems and prose) are slightly lacking. I humbly request that he be placed at the bottom of the list.”

“Du Huangshang?” Xiao Xin glanced at Xue Yong. “Bring him here so I can see him.”

Xue Yong quickly presented the three exam papers he had prepared for Du Huangshang with both hands. Xiao Xin glanced at them, shook his head slightly, and said, "Unfortunately, the essays are flat and straightforward, lacking any flair..." He then looked at Xue Yong again and asked directly, "Who asked you to do this?"

Chapter Fifteen, The Two Heroes Enter the Curtain

The imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty differed from that in Li Ji's original timeline. The admission, rejection, and ranking of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were not solely determined by the examination papers, but also by public reputation and even social connections.

This gave rise to the saying "seeking favors," where scholars would submit their poems and essays to the homes of renowned figures or powerful officials, hoping that these officials, out of appreciation for their talent—but more often than not, out of a desire to form cliques—would speak on their behalf to the examiners. A common saying goes: top-ranking candidates seek favors with the powerful, average candidates seek fame through their writings, only bottom-ranking candidates spend their lives diligently studying and preparing for the exams…

Yang Wan was deeply dissatisfied with this trend and submitted several memorials demanding reform of the imperial examination system. His proposals included two points: first, abolishing the poetry and prose portion of the Jinshi examination and making Confucian classics the primary focus; and second, ensuring that candidates were recommended directly from their prefectures and counties, and that the process of entering the provincial examination (the Ministry of Personnel's provincial examination) was free from the practice of "self-recommendation" and lobbying by powerful officials. Unfortunately, each memorial was met with complete silence, failing to make any impact whatsoever.

Of course, while the Tang Dynasty government tacitly acknowledged the existence of seeking patronage and lobbying, it also had to limit their negative impact and prevent them from opening the door to widespread corruption. In other words, the words of powerful figures or famous scholars could only serve as icing on the cake, giving the candidates a slight advantage, but could never be the primary criterion for admission.

While it is difficult to completely eliminate those who disregard the candidates' exam scores and only rely on influential people and events for favors, fortunately, Xiao Xin, the current examiner, is not such a person.

Xiao Xin came from a distinguished family, being a seventh-generation descendant of Xiao Hui, the Prince of Poyang of the Southern Liang Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination at a young age, becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). He was the first to pass the erudite and eloquent examination, becoming a close friend of Zhang Hao and the recommender of Lai Zhen. His reputation in officialdom was always excellent—otherwise, he wouldn't have held the important position of Vice Minister of Rites and been in charge of the imperial examinations. Therefore, he valued his reputation and didn't want to be criticized behind his back by the other candidates after the results were announced, or even have them report to the emperor for suspected cheating.

Prime Minister Yuan Zai had already spoken to Xiao Xin, saying that there was a man named Hong Yuan among the candidates in this year's imperial examinations, and that he was quite optimistic about him and hoped that he could be appointed as the top scholar. Xiao Xin then said, "Since it is Prime Minister Yuan's order, I will pay attention." Although Yuan Zai was extremely powerful, Xiao Xin did not have to be subservient to him in everything, and naturally he could not make any definitive statements. He had to see the examination papers first before making a decision.

Logically speaking, Yuan Zai should have some pride and wouldn't recommend a candidate with mediocre or even poor academic performance. But who knows what might happen in the examination hall? What if Hong Yuan is in a bad year and happens to encounter the most unfavorable questions, or even if he's unwell and can't perform at even 30% of his full potential? Does Xiao Xin really have to choose him as the top candidate?

Then I believe there's no need for the candidates to make a fuss; their own subordinates who are the examiners will probably take the initiative to file a complaint!

Therefore, when the officials presented the preliminary list today, Xiao Xin asked, "Where does Hong Yuan rank?" If he were ranked below tenth, he could at most use his influence to help raise him by one or two places, just to give Yuan Zai an explanation. But when he heard that Hong Yuan not only passed but ranked fourth, he was quite pleased with himself.

The saying goes, "In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second." I just like this person's style and temperament. What can you do about it? If you're not satisfied, why don't you try to become a scholar next time? Anyway, this year's examination has to be conducted according to my taste.

Then Xiao Xin asked, "Are there any overlooked gems?" Because there were several examiners, each with different preferences, it was possible that a few papers might be favored by one or two examiners, but a consensus could not be reached. Ultimately, it was up to him, the examiner in charge of the imperial examinations, to make the final selection. Although there were fewer official positions and more clerks than available posts, and many successful candidates often had to wait a long time for selection before being officially appointed, forced to first gain experience in prefectures and provincial offices, it wouldn't matter if one or two more were overlooked. It was the examiner's duty to select the best talent for the court.