roccoschili Chapter 89 0087 [The Chief Censor of the Censorate Supervises the Imperial Academy's Annual Exa
Chapter 89 0087 [The Chief Censor of the Censorate Supervises the Imperial Academy's Annual Exa
Chapter 89 0087 [The Chief Censor of the Censorate Supervises the Imperial Academy's Annual Examination]
The manuscripts for "Mathematics" and "Geometry" are still being written.
That day, Xu Lai walked home from school with the Yu family uncle and nephew.
Although the school was close to home, the two young men from the Yu family still chose to take a taxi because of the bad weather and slippery roads.
The donkey cart slowly made its way through the wind and snow.
Yu Shuying whispered to Xu Lai, "Xingzhi, you'd better have as little contact with Lin Yi, who came to our house yesterday."
"Why?" Xu Lai asked curiously.
Yu Shuying asked, "Do you know who his father-in-law is?"
Xu Lai shook his head.
Yu Shuying said, "Back then, when Fan Zhongyan was demoted, Cai Xiang wrote the poem 'Four Worthies and One Unworthy One.' The four worthies were Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Mr. Henan (Yin Zhu), and my father."
"I know that," Xu Lai asked, "and who is this 'unworthy one'?"
Yu Sigong chuckled from the side, "That 'Unworthy One' is Lin Yi's father-in-law. Besides the nickname 'Unworthy One,' his father-in-law is also known as 'One Demon, One Scoundrel' along with Xia Song."
Good heavens, both an unfilial son and a monster, Lin Yi's father-in-law is completely dead.
Xu Lai inquired in detail and learned what had happened.
However, when Fan Zhongyan was demoted, Lin Yi's father-in-law, Gao Ruona, not only did not help him, but also made jokes and criticized Fan Zhongyan at a banquet.
In his youth, Ouyang Xiu was hot-tempered, so he wrote a letter fiercely criticizing Gao Ruona. Gao Ruona was enraged and delivered the letter to Emperor Renzong of Song. Emperor Renzong then promptly demoted Ouyang Xiu to the position of county magistrate.
Enraged, Cai Xiang wrote the poem "Four Worthies and One Unworthy Man".
This poem became known throughout the land, and Gao Ruona's reputation was ruined from then on.
Yu Shuying cautioned, "Everyone avoids Gao Ruona's relatives, not wanting to get involved with them. Lin Yi is his son-in-law; if you get too close to him, it will affect your future reputation."
Xu Lai said, "Thank you for the reminder, brother. But my friendship with Brother Lin is not about politics, but only about mathematics. Besides, his father-in-law is already dead."
"I was just mentioning it casually," Yu Shuying added, "If you discuss mathematics with him, you can find a restaurant for it later."
"Understood," Xu Lai replied with a smile.
This is because they felt Lin Yi's father-in-law had such a bad reputation that they wouldn't let Lin Yi set foot in the Yu family again.
Xu Lai could completely understand.
After all, of the "Four Worthies and One Unworthy One" of that time, Yu Jing belonged to the "Four Worthies" camp, while Lin Yi's father-in-law was the "Unworthy One".
Sigh, it seems I'll have to go somewhere else to have a proper chat about math and geometry.
Living under someone else's roof is ultimately inconvenient.
The donkey cart slowly came to a stop, and Xu Lai rushed to pay the fare.
As they entered, the old gatekeeper said, "Gentlemen, we have a private message. Today, a shipment of goods from the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Port is arriving in the capital, and the military officer escorting it has brought many letters."
The Bian River freezes over in winter, but transportation must not be interrupted.
In order to keep the waterways clear during the winter, a large-scale ice-breaking operation is organized every year, and many conscripted laborers die from freezing or disease.
The three of them went over to collect the letter.
The letters from Yu Shuying and Yu Sigong are few; most of them were written by Yu Jing, Madam Lin, and Pianpian.
Xu Lai's letter, however, was quite lengthy.
"Why do you believe so much?" Yu Sigong asked in surprise.
Xu Lai flipped through the signatures on the envelopes: "They are all letters from classmates at the state school."
The three went straight to the kitchen, where the Yu family uncle and nephew assisted, while Xu kneaded the dough and made noodles.
To be honest, Xu Lai was getting sick of eating noodles every day.
But rice was too expensive in Kaifeng, especially in winter. Xu Lai, being a southerner, had to eat noodles with tears in his eyes in order to save money.
After filling their stomachs, the three went back to their rooms to read and reply to their letters.
Xu Lai first opened Yu Jing's letter.
Yu Jing first encouraged Xu Lai to study hard, and then said that the dam construction on the upper reaches of Ganxi River had started and was expected to be completed by mid-February at the latest.
It is also said that abacuses with beads have become popular in Guangzhou, and some abacus masters have created their own hexadecimal formulas, which are used by officials and merchants alike.
Finally, Yu Jing said he would leave Guangzhou before the floodwaters rise next May and return to Beijing to report on his duties before July. Once he arrived in the capital, Xu Lai could write home and ask his parents to go to Shaozhou to propose marriage.
Xu Lai opened Pianpian's letter again.
The letter was short. Pianpian said that Ali was annoying; he caught a mouse and put it on her bed, and it kept meowing and showing off. She also said that she and Yu'er had done a fortune telling for Xu Lai a few days ago, and the result was that Xu Lai would have good luck next year.
Finally, Pianpian wrote a poem and asked Xu to help correct it.
As for the letters from Yang Shu and his classmates, they were basically the same. They first wrote about their recent experiences, all mentioning the news of the dam construction, and then made an appointment to take the imperial examination with Xu Lai.
By the light of the oil lamp, Xu Lai replied to each of their letters one by one.
He replied to everyone else's letters easily, but he had a bit of a headache with Pianpian's.
Pianpian wrote a poem, and Xu Lai had to reply with one. Moreover, it was written for his fiancée; he didn't want to plagiarize any famous work, but wanted to express his true skill and feelings.
Fortunately, in the last two months, Xu Lai has also started learning the ci (a type of classical Chinese poetry) patterns.
Reflecting on his current situation and recalling his experiences in Guangzhou, Xu Lai racked his brains and wrote until late at night, revising and rewriting until he finally produced a poem.
This is also the first original poem he has written since he traveled through time.
Partridge Sky - Sent from Afar in the Winter of the Eighth Year of the Jiayou Era
[The wind howls across Bian River, snow blankets the city; suddenly I recall the verdant grasses of the southern lands. In the western garden, I idly play backgammon, while a cat chases fireflies beneath the flowers. My quilt is cold, dreams are hard to form. I try to write on this rough paper, but tears fall before I can. If you ask when I'll return, ask about the plum blossoms; they will only appear when the moon shines over Luofu Mountain.]
If Pianpian received this poem, she would probably make a fuss about going to Mount Luofu to see the moon.
Xu Lai carefully collected the dozen or so replies. The next day, he went out to buy envelopes and, together with the Yu family uncle and nephew, went outside the city to deliver the replies to the escorting officer. He also paid a certain amount of delivery fee.
"Sigh, tomorrow is the provincial examination." Yu Sigong looked up at the sky with his sleeves tucked in.
Yu Shuying sighed, "The rules for this year's Imperial Academy annual examination have changed again. How could they change so quickly?"
In previous years, the Imperial Academy did not test poetry and prose in its annual examinations, but this year they are testing it again.
Moreover, everything was modeled after the regular imperial examinations, including the requirement to anonymize names and make copies.
Regardless of whether they were internal or external students, the exam questions were all the same. Those who achieved exceptionally high scores in the exam were granted an exemption from the provincial examination, meaning they could directly take the imperial examination without having to take the provincial examination.
The Imperial Academy was established by those famous officials of the Qingli era. In recent years, they have regained power and have begun to expand the academy at an unprecedented pace. The number of students in the Imperial Academy is approaching 2000, and the preferential treatment for those taking the imperial examinations is becoming increasingly generous.
The next day, Xu Lai wore his newly bought turban to the exam.
The lanfu is a type of robe and turban, which officials usually wore.
He had already used up a third of the gold leaves Yu Jing had given him. This was even with his extreme frugality, the fact that he didn't have to pay rent, and that he bought his own ingredients and cooked for himself.
Prices in Tokyo are so high!
In preparation for snowy weather, the Imperial Academy's annual examinations this year were held at the Ministry of Rites' examination hall.
After queuing for identity verification, Xu quickly ran into the examination hall and squeezed into a cell to escape the cold wind. He also bought some building materials, took out a hammer and nails, and repaired the cell.
It's fine if we don't repair it; we can just bear the wind and snow blowing in.
After a while, the chief examiner, Gong Dingchen, appeared.
This man was the head of both the Imperial Academy and the National University, as well as the head of the Censorate. Currently, there are three heads of the Censorate, with Gong Dingchen ranked first, followed by Sima Guang and Lü Hui.
The first exam, on history and theory, quickly revealed the topic: "The nation inherits the legacy of its ancestors, and the succeeding emperor, at the beginning of his reign, is watched with utmost devotion and attention—in the past, during the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, Huo Guang assisted in governing—in the past, Emperor Jingzong of Tang was a child and incompetent, indulging in excessive pleasures—"
As the exam questions were repeated time and time again, all the students were completely dumbfounded.
Gong Dingchen actually used Emperor Zhao of Han and Emperor Jingzong of Tang as examples, asking candidates to discuss how a new emperor should be "active" without "drastic" changes at the beginning of his reign, and how he should "maintain the status quo" without "following the old ways".
Wanting both is definitely beyond the scope of this question!
This is a problem that high-ranking officials and ministers should be considering, and even they are having a headache over it.
Therefore, Xu Lai first determined that there could not be a correct answer to this question.
Since there's no single right answer, the focus should be on analysis and discussion. Use relevant sources and examples to clearly explain the advantages and disadvantages, making even correct but meaningless statements sound plausible.
Yes, you can also throw out some surprising remarks or unique perspectives. That will get you a high score.
The first historical essay question has been completed.
The second round of policy questions was surprisingly related to the new emperor, with the topics being "how to accept advice from the new emperor" and "how to distinguish between true and false, loyal and treacherous advisors."
Xu Lai felt a chill run down his spine as he copied the questions. Had the political struggle actually extended to the Imperial Academy's examination hall?
Gong Dingchen is clearly using the analogy of Sima Guang and Lü Hui to create this question!
Xu Lai had no intention of being used as a pawn, so he tried to write something vague yet accurate, determined not to offend anyone. He was just a student; getting involved would be suicide.
The third exam was on poetry and prose.
Xu Lai had only one thought when he heard the question: You bastard, you're still coming?
Moreover, the poems and essays were related to the construction of the mausoleum and the excessive rewards, which was clearly directed at the famous ministers of the Qingli era.
Xu Lai was completely confused about which side Gong Dingchen was on.
Gong Dingchen actually used the Imperial Academy's annual examination to launch simultaneous attacks on two subtly hostile forces!
Damn it, with the examiner being so brave, what am I afraid of when I write this essay?
For example, today's essay topic asked candidates to take the construction of imperial mausoleums and the excessive bestowal of favors as lessons to discuss "frugality" and "love for the people".
Xu Lai's poem roughly means: The graves have been repaired and the rewards have been distributed, but the people have already suffered. What's the point of discussing frugality and caring for the people now? Let's think about how to strengthen the country and enrich the people!
The Imperial Academy's annual examination lasted three days.
They can go home every night instead of staying inside all the time; otherwise, several people would freeze to death.
As Xu Lai walked out of the examination hall, he ran into Lu Zhiyuan and Xu Anshi.
Fatty Xu asked with a smile, "Xingzhi—sigh, you're all Xingzhi. How did Brother Xu do on the exam?"
Xu Lai said, "In my essay 'Ode to Frugality and Love for Oneself,' the first few lines are: 'Those who discuss this today all speak of frugality. But the mausoleum is already completed, and the rewards have been distributed; where is the frugality then?'"
"Hahaha!"
Lu Zhiyuan and Xu Anshi burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Xu Lai's essay begins by directly criticizing the examiner for setting a completely nonsensical question.
He'd already figured out that the examiner was a troll, so he might as well write an article criticizing the examiner first. Who knows, maybe they'd find it appealing to the examiner's taste.
The transcription work was left to the students themselves.
After copying, cross-check the copies to prevent anyone from deliberately sabotaging the process.
It wasn't until after the Lunar New Year that the answer sheets were finally transcribed.
Gong Dingchen, the head of the Censorate, led several teachers to grade the papers. These teachers were all professors and lecturers from the Imperial Academy.
"Gong Jianyuan, there's a test paper here that I'm not sure about—" A teacher came over with a test paper that had been copied anonymously.
Gong Dingchen glanced at the first few sentences and his face immediately darkened.
But he patiently continued reading, and gradually his expression changed from gloomy to sunny.
The fault of the ruler lies not in excessive spending, but in insufficient levies—merchants suffer while national revenue does not increase, and farmland is barren while taxes remain unchanged. It is not that the ruler does not love the people, but rather that he does not know how to love them—if the people are to become wealthy themselves, why must they receive gifts from the ruler? If the nation is to prosper itself, why must it exploit its people?
All the students who wrote this poem were discussing how to get a smaller slice of the pie, but only Xu Lai was talking about making the pie bigger.
He also criticized the officials in the court, saying that they all knew they should love the people, but they didn't know how to love them. When it came down to it, all they could do was oppress and exploit the people.
Gong Dingchen thought to himself: Damn it, I want to say those words too!
He not only wanted to curse, but also decided that after the New Year, he would persuade the Empress Dowager to return the imperial seal and let the new emperor take over the reins of government as soon as possible.
What's the point of all this arguing? They do nothing but fight.
Gong Dingchen read this essay repeatedly, but unfortunately it was copied anonymously, so he couldn't tell whose paper it was.
He was now eager to know what kind of essays and policy proposals the student who wrote this poem would produce.
Gong Dingchen said, "Finish reviewing the papers quickly and open them within two days."
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