Chapter 38 (Seeking Follow-up Reads) The Palace Examination Begins

On the fifteenth day of the third month, the east wind thawed the frost, and the breath of spring grew stronger by the day.

It was the day of the Palace Examination. Just as the sky broke at dawn, the morning light pierced through the thin morning mist.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, officials of the third rank and above wore purple, those of the fifth rank and above wore crimson, those of the seventh rank and above wore green, and those of the ninth rank and above wore cyan.

Pristine white symbolized the untarnished status of the tribute scholars before they were officially appointed to office.

Therefore, all the successful tribute scholars of this cohort wore pristine white robes. Led by palace attendants, they marched in formation through layer after layer of palace gates, heading toward the Jiying Hall to pay their respects to the Emperor.

As the top-ranking scholar of the metropolitan examination, Zhao Han naturally took his place at the very front of the scholars. On both sides of the imperial pathway, the imperial guards stood with halberds in hand, solemn and majestic.

"Announce—the tribute scholars of this cohort enter the hall!"

The melodious proclamation echoed through the palace walls.

Zhao Han straightened his attire, took a deep breath, and led more than three hundred tribute scholars in a slow walk into the hall.

Inside the Jiying Hall, imperial incense curled upward in wisps. The Emperor sat loftily upon the dragon throne, his tawny-yellow dragon robe rippling with a faint golden radiance, the jade beads of his imperial crown hanging down to obscure his gaze, exuding a natural majesty that commanded awe without anger.

Several ministers in crimson and purple robes stood solemnly on both sides holding white jade tablets, maintaining a precise measure of reverence and dignity from beginning to end.

"Kneel—" chanted the master of ceremonies in a clear voice.

At the sound, the tribute scholars moved as one, kneeling and prostrating in unison.

"Bow—"

"Rise—"

"Prostrate once more—"

After completing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, the Emperor, nearing fifty years of age, narrowed his eyes and slowly swept his gaze across the tribute scholars within the hall. His look was as tranquil as an ancient well, yet his supreme majesty filled the entire space.

Upon closer inspection, however, a hint of sorrow and weariness could be detected on his face.

"My lords, rise."

Holding their breath and steadying their minds, the tribute scholars rose one after another and stood firmly in their respective places.

"When I examine scholars before the throne today, it is not to admire the ornate literary flourish of your essays. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have yet to return to our fold, and the agricultural tax falls short of even thirty percent of the founding dynasty."

"What I require are pragmatic talents capable of rescuing the common people from their upside-down perils."

The Emperor's gentle voice carried an unquestionable majesty, causing many of the scholars and officials to involuntarily straighten their spines.

Presently, the deep-seated ills of the Great Zhou were profound, and the scourge of redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and redundant expenditures clung like bone-deep rot.

The Emperor was acutely aware of every single one of these problems.

The moment his voice fell, palace attendants filed in carrying wooden desks, upon which writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, and inkstones were fully prepared.

"Tribute scholars, take your desks—"

At the command of the master of ceremonies, hundreds of tribute scholars orderly found their assigned places and seated themselves.

Before long, the examination papers were distributed. The palace examination consisted solely of a single policy essay.

"I hold that the way to achieve good governance must first begin with the selection of officials. If officials are fit for their posts, the people will be at peace and the country will be prosperous; if officials are unfit, the people will suffer and the country will be in peril. Today, both the capital and the provinces are overflowing with redundant officials, and prefectures and counties are plagued by corruption. Wherein lies this malady? And among the methods to rectify it, which should be prioritized?"

"You scholars, learned in both ancient and modern lore, elaborate on this in detail, and I shall personally review your answers."

Most policy essay topics for the annual palace examination corresponded to the current dilemmas facing the imperial court; this was the method by which successive dynasties selected worthy talents.

Gazing at the prompt, the tribute scholars concentrated deeply in thought, while some had already begun to grind their ink and moisten their brushes.

Zhao Han furrowed his brow, earnestly analyzing the problem.

The malady of redundant officials in the Great Zhou stemmed from three primary causes.

First, the privilege of hereditary protection was too widespread, with the sons of nobles and officials indiscriminately granted official posts, making the number of officials entering this way second only to the imperial examinations.

Second, the appraisal of officials was flawed; the Ministry of Personnel evaluated them based solely on seniority, rarely inquiring into their actual competence.

Third, the creation of supplementary positions was unchecked, with various supervisory offices, prefectures, and county yamens arbitrarily establishing idle sinecures.

...

A moment later, Zhao Han slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. His gaze grew resolute, and dipping his brush in ink, his strokes fell upon the paper like a blade.

He wrote: "Your subject has heard that governing a country is like treating an illness; one must first diagnose the root cause. Today, the malady of redundant officials and corruption is not the cold of a single day, but a chronic ailment accumulated over years. To rectify this malady, one must act like a skilled physician administering medicine—requiring both potent formulas to purge the stubborn affliction and restorative tonics to strengthen the foundation..."

An essay characterized by clear organization and solid argumentation—supported by historical precedents from previous dynasties and corroborated by examples from the current reign—gradually sprang to life on the paper.

Han Zhang, the Minister of Rites, kept his gaze fixed upon the tribute scholars. Seeing them all furiously writing and sweeping their brushes across the paper, a trace of gratification inevitably crossed his face.

However, when his attention drifted to Zhao Han in the first row on the eastern side—

That pair of eyes, usually devoid of ripples, suddenly constricted, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the sleeve of his official robe.

"Too alike, far too alike. How could there be someone so strikingly similar in this world..."

Han Zhang stroked his grayish-white beard, murmuring to himself in quiet astonishment.

Zhang Mozhe, the palace attendant who had stood steadfastly by the Emperor's side all along, had locked his gaze onto Zhao Han from the moment the young scholar entered the hall.

Though his expression remained calm, tumultuous waves were already crashing within his heart.

In his youth, because his father fell afoul of the law, his family property was confiscated. Left with no other way out, he entered the palace as a eunuch, and at the age of seven, began serving the Emperor. Decades had slipped away in the blink of an eye, and he understood the Emperor with profound intimacy.

The slight furrow of the brow, the high bridge of the nose, and even the posture of holding the writing brush of this top-ranking scholar before him were identical to those of the current Emperor in his youth.

A terrifying thought suddenly surged into Zhang Mozhe's mind!

When the palace examination concluded, Zhao Han handed in his examination paper and departed the imperial palace along with the other scholars, quietly awaiting the news.

Meanwhile, in the side hall, Grand Secretary Shen Shiqi, Junior Grand Secretary Yu Yan, Minister of Rites Han Zhang, Vice Minister of Works Hai Yanping, and other senior pillars of the court were gathered there to participate in the grading of the papers.

Over three hundred examination papers would be reviewed within a single day at the fastest, and no more than five days at the latest.

"Let this old man take a look at the caliber of this cohort's tribute scholars."

As Yu Yan spoke, he chuckled and accepted a stack of examination papers from the master of ceremonies, casually opening the topmost one and sweeping his piercing gaze across the pages.

A moment later, he sighed lightly. "Stacked with ornate phrasing and lacking substance, knowing only how to cite historical allusions without offering any personal insight. Ultimately, he will amount to nothing grand!"

"In consideration of his fine handwriting, grant him a second tier and send him out to the provinces to be tempered for a few years."

He reviewed four or five more papers in succession, shaking his head and sighing from time to time. In the end, not a single paper emerged that could make his eyes light up.

"Either bogged down in cliché or indulging in empty rhetoric, not a single one can pierce the pressing issues of the times or offer practical strategies to benefit the state and pacify the people."

"Truly, each generation is inferior to the last!" Yu Yan set down his vermilion brush with a displeased expression, causing the cinnabar in the inkstone to ripple slightly.

Grand Secretary Shen Shiqi stroked his beard and said, "Lord Yu has always been strict. It seems these tribute scholars are in for a hard time."

Hearing this, Han Zhang laughed heartily, the image of Zhao Han suddenly flashing through his mind.

Because the papers for the palace examination did not require the masking of candidates' names, he deliberately pulled Zhao Han's examination paper from the stack, narrowing his eyes to read it carefully.

After a moment, Han Zhang's chest rose and fell in agitation. "Everyone, come quickly and look at this top scholar's examination paper!"

"I have no mood to look!" Yu Yan refused decisively.

On the contrary, Shen Shiqi and Hai Yanping approached with considerable interest, leaning forward to inspect it closely.

"To bluntly criticize the court's malfeasance right in the opening passage—what extraordinary daring..."

"Reforming the system of hereditary protection... altering the methods of official appraisal... intensifying the penalties for corruption..." The more Shen Shiqi read, the brighter his eyes shone, until he could not help but shower praise repeatedly.

Yu Yan stretched out his neck, gave two light coughs, and asked with feigned casualness.

"Well? Could it possibly be any better than those few papers I looked at just now?"

A trace of a smile flashed in Han Zhang's eyes, and he deliberately pushed the examination paper toward Yu Yan.

After two successive days, through the repeated deliberation of senior ministers such as Shen Shiqi and Han Zhang, the top ten highest-ranking examination papers were finally finalized and presented before the Emperor's desk.