“Hearing that someone in the town has already guessed the exam questions, it’s really strange!” Before the person arrived, the voice preceded them, a clear and bright voice gradually approaching from afar.
In the room, two people simultaneously looked up, and one of them had already laughed out loud, “Why has Fuchen come? Did you escape from official duties?”
“No such thing! Just came to search for someone in the courtyard and incidentally visit Brother Guo…” Zu Taizhi had already stepped into the hall with large strides. Seeing another person beside Guo Pu, he was slightly surprised and quickly saluted, “I didn’t know Brother Gan was also here, please forgive my disrespect.”
Seated next to Guo Pu was Gan Bao, who had entered Qiuzhi Academy just last year. His grandfather, Gan Tong, was General Wu Fenwu and Marquis of Du Ting, but his father had only served as a magistrate in Danyang, not belonging to any prestigious family. However, he was diligent in his studies from a young age, well-versed in a wide range of books, and had a good reputation. Thinking about taking a position such as a local official, he still had the potential.
Of course, this was the plan for peaceful times. Nowadays, with chaos everywhere, there was no time for gradual promotion. Gan Bao considered his hometown to be in great turmoil and hard to find stability. After hearing various rumors about the Book Hall in Bing County, he pondered for a long time and eventually came to Jinyang, becoming an academician.
The Qiuxian Academy was different from the Qiuzhi Academy. It was a place for selecting officials in a proper manner, and scholars who came and went were all eminent. The richness of its book collection was no less than that of the Taixue in Luoyang. According to reason, Gan Bao should have happily immersed himself in piles of books or discussed classics with his colleagues until one day he advanced to an official position.
Who would have thought that not long after, he would become good friends with Guo Pu, the “hermit” of the Qiuzhi Academy? Moreover, through Guo Pu, he established a profound friendship with Ge Hong. As for Zu Taizhi, the occasional military staff officer, they also exchanged pleasantries.
“General Zu, don’t be so polite.” Gan Bao spoke warmly, “I don’t know what was just mentioned about guessing the exam questions, what is it about?”
This sentence changed the atmosphere. Zu Taizhi was not a rigid person either; he smiled and took a seat beside the two, saying, “Isn’t it about the Imperial Examination? Someone has actually compiled the questions from the previous exams into a booklet, claiming to be able to infer the questions for this year. A copy costs over a thousand coins.”
With these words, Guo Pu and Gan Bao both laughed. The Imperial Examination has only been established for two years, with just three or four sessions so far. What could be summarized? Moreover, to them, geniuses who could memorize books without forgetting, the exam questions seemed like child’s play. It was ridiculous to guess such simple exams.
Guo Pu shook his head, “Afraid someone is going to be fooled.”
“Hard to say.” Zu Taizhi chuckled, “At least, you can still get some clues for the arithmetic part. Who hasn’t read ‘Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art’? It’s the other aspects that are crucial.”
Since the annotated version of “Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art” was published, it has become a must-read for arithmetic. When the Imperial Examination was just initiated, one could still rely on basic skills to distinguish oneself. Now, after such a long time, who dared to come and take the exam? For those who wanted to distinguish themselves, they could only rely on other questions.
“Reading a few books can help you pass the exam; that’s the flaw of the Imperial Examination.” Gan Bao sighed. For someone like him who had no interest in arithmetic, he had also read books like “Nine Chapters” and “Zhou Bi Suan Jing”. He had read countless histories and was disdainful of the Imperial Examination, which defined the scope of the exam.
“It’s just selecting officials; why bother about it?” Guo Pu understood this well. The truly learned individuals were still in the Qiuxian Academy and the Qiuzhi Academy, right? The Imperial Examination was not the only method for selecting talents; it was just a supplement.
“It may not necessarily be for officials. Many aristocratic families are participating in the exams this year. Who knows what it will be like in the future.” However, Zu Taizhi, being a military staff officer, and a key figure in the six Offices of the provincial governor’s office, had a deeper understanding of the local development.
No matter how it was emphasized, this matter had nothing to do with the two scholarly individuals in front of him. Guo Pu grinned, “Let’s not talk about mundane affairs. I just received an interesting letter from Zhichuan. Fuchen, take a look!”
Not minding the change of topic, Zu Taizhi accepted the letter handed over by Guo Pu and began reading. Ge Hong, who was currently in Ye City, could still be considered a high-ranking official in the region. However, he hadn’t abandoned his previous interests. The research on the Dao of Nature has always caught his attention, and the recent appearance of new dyes on the market was one of the successful results of this research.
However, this time, his letter spoke not of these matters but of some new discoveries in alchemy. Apart from the composition of medicines, he also detailed a method for extracting sulfur essence from minerals. Ge Hong’s writing was exquisite, beyond the reach of ordinary people, and the detailed description was truly captivating.
Zu Taizhi couldn’t help but praise, “Brother Ge’s alchemy has greatly advanced! Can this sulfur essence really be extracted from vitriol?”
This was a question out of his field. Although Guo Pu and Gan Bao were well-versed in the theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, they were not experts in alchemy.
“It might be worth visiting the Dao of Nature Hall?” Guo Pu suggested, “But this is just a minor matter. Zhichuan mentioned in the letter that he might create a pharmacopoeia similar to ‘Erya.'”
Guo Pu had been studying the ‘Erya’ for a long time. Although it was obscure, those who had seen his manuscripts praised them highly. Especially his method of illustrating named objects made everything clear at a glance.
Zu Taizhi was puzzled, “What use does this pharmacopoeia have?”
“Many medicinal plants have similar shapes, but their properties differ greatly. If used incorrectly, it could harm people’s lives. Zhichuan saw the ingenuity in my drawing method and thought of annotating medicines in a similar manner,” explained Guo Pu.
Only then did Zu Taizhi understand, nodding repeatedly, “Brother Ge’s actions will indeed benefit future generations!”
In the Imperial Examination of Bing County, there was a medical science section. Medicine had long become a deeply ingrained field of study. Moreover, who didn’t have parents or family members? Learning some medical skills would also be greatly beneficial. Ge Hong, enthusiastic about alchemy and knowledgeable about pharmacology, was naturally known to Zu Taizhi. He just didn’t expect him to have such plans. There were countless medicinal plants in the world, and annotating each one was not a simple task.
“If Brother Ge truly writes a pharmacopoeia, it may not be solely Zhichuan’s work.” Gan Bao interjected, “Why not gather more compilers, collaborate like historians, and the speed will increase a few notches.”
“This calls for a project proposal.” Guo Pu was an expert in such matters. “However, once the hospital staff becomes aware of this, they are sure to lend their strong support. After the compilation is complete, it might even be published and distributed nationwide.”
The woodblock printing technology in Bing County had matured considerably. However, the number of books that could be printed was still limited. This endeavor was indeed time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the financial resources of ordinary individuals were far from sufficient to support it. To obtain the support of the Provincial Governor’s Office, it was necessary to win the favor of Duke Liang. Medical science was strongly advocated by the Duke. If the selection of talents in this field could truly succeed, it might become a monumental work worth passing down through the ages.
Upon hearing this, Gan Bao’s eyes showed some envy. Whether it was the Qiuzhi Academy or the Qiuxian Academy, who wouldn’t hope that the books they authored could be widely circulated? Hand-copying was good, but it couldn’t compare to engraving. However, since he had been in Bing County for so long, he hadn’t yet determined what he wanted to delve into, certainly lagging behind Ge Hong or the present Guo Pu.
Zu Taizhi wasn’t cut out for scholarly pursuits and didn’t care whether Ge Hong had another opportunity to create a work that could be passed down through generations. Hearing this discussion, he recalled the purpose of his visit, “By the way, I heard that a batch of books has been sent from Luoyang. Guo, have you found any new books?”
After the burning of Luoyang Academy and the National Library, the loss of precious books amounted to tens of thousands. Therefore, after recapturing Luoyang, Liang Feng ordered the organization of the remaining books in Luoyang and transported them to Bing County. These books were treasures to many people, and the two academies of Qiuxian and Qiuzhi were bound to compete for them.
Taking advantage of his approved project and the project valued by the Governor’s Mansion, Guo Pu always managed to pick the best books ahead of others. He mostly selected miscellaneous books, which others might not be interested in. However, even if others lacked interest, Zu Taizhi was enthusiastic. Taking advantage of an opportunity when Guo Pu was out on official business, he came over.
Guo Pu laughed heartily, “Yes, there are some, including a few books about strange and supernatural phenomena. But Brother Xian came a bit late this time; you’ll have to wait for Lingsheng to finish reading them before we can discuss them.”
Zu Taizhi exclaimed, “Brother Gan also enjoys strange and supernatural tales?”
He thought that those who liked such things were mostly from the Qiuzhi Academy. Unexpectedly, Gan Bao from the Qiuxian Academy also enjoyed these miscellaneous books.
Gan Bao didn’t hide it, “Strange and supernatural tales are interesting and can also illustrate the truth of the divine way. I’ve even recorded a few.”
“Ah! Could you please let me have a look?” Zu Taizhi immediately became spirited. He knew that Gan Bao’s literary skills were far superior to his own, and he was curious about the content of the strange and supernatural tales.
Unexpectedly, the two of them shared an interest in this matter. Gan Bao was not stingy and readily agreed. After chatting happily for a while and leaving with new books, Zu Taizhi was satisfied.
※
“There are probably no less than thirty children of noble families participating in the imperial examination this year.” Treating it as a piece of interesting news, in the mouth of Fan Long, a priest and staff officer, it was not as simple as that, “Even the Guo family in Jinyang has several participants. Although they are all from minor branches, we shouldn’t underestimate them.”
The original purpose of the imperial examination was to balance the power between the poor and the rich, opening a path for the poor to enter officialdom. However, now, even the wealthy were lowering their posture and participating in the imperial examination. This impact was significant. Without proper teachers and lacking books, how could the commoners compare to the large and well-established aristocratic families? It might even be the case that after a few rounds of exams, the aristocracy would still secure qualification.
In this way, how was it different from the previous system of the Nine Ranks?
However, there was no surprise on Liang Feng’s face, “It’s a good thing if someone is willing to compromise. A rigid system would be more troublesome. With the flexible attitude of the nobility, this was entirely expected.” With the highly flexible approach of the aristocracy in dealing with the world, this was entirely foreseeable. However, Liang Feng was not afraid. What he wanted was not to completely suppress the aristocratic families but to dismantle the existing interest groups and make them work for his benefit.
In an era of extremely polarized educational capital, it was inevitable that there would be more talents among the aristocracy. As long as they could demonstrate their talents through the imperial examination and incorporate them into his new system, why worry about their background?
In fact, the more rebellious aristocrats there were, the weaker the cohesion of the aristocratic families became. Those aristocratic families who “voluntarily degraded” were bound to be rejected by another wave of people who maintained their status. This was the basis for him to expand the scope of the imperial examination, truly making it the standard for selecting officials.
With just a few words, Fan Long understood what the lord needed, and he sighed slightly in his heart. In this way, it would be even more difficult for the commoners to rise to prominence.
However, even if there was a psychological inclination, he also knew that things needed to be weighed. Nodding, he said, “I understand. However, with this approach, the number of candidates may increase every year. The Chongwen Academy may not be able to accommodate them all.”
This was also a significant issue. Currently, for the civil examination alone, there were no less than five hundred participants. Even if the three examinations were held on separate dates, the pressure on the examination hall and invigilators would be quite severe. Was it possible that in the future, every examination would require preparing an examination hall for over a thousand people?
Liang Feng shook his head, “Once the various states stabilize, we can conduct the local examinations first. Each state can designate one district, and the examination can take place in the spring. Those who pass the local examination can then come to Jinyang for the autumn examination.”
“That’s not a bad idea. However, in the local examinations, there may be more instances of cheating.” Fan Long, having served as the superintendent of the county school, had often encountered the phenomenon of cheating in examinations. If the authority to invigilate was delegated to the local level, would it be controlled by the aristocratic families again?
“Then let’s think of more preventive measures.” What else could Liang Feng do? Even in the future college entrance exams, there were cases of impersonation. Not to mention this wicked class society, “and the county schools can also be included in the scope of the local examinations. When the situation stabilizes, we should revive the county schools!”
Seeing the subtle implications, Fan Long immediately understood the meaning behind Liang Feng’s words. Was this an attempt to make county schools institutions where commoners could also enroll? If so, it might indeed be possible to delegate the authority of the local examinations. This also represented the lord’s emphasis on education. In the long run, how could virtuous and talented individuals not emerge?
However, these were just long-term goals. Despite the excitement, Fan Long didn’t linger on these matters and turned back to the topic of the imperial examination. It was a matter of great importance, and the details were not to be overlooked. After discussing each point in detail, he finally received the order to withdraw.
In two more days, the imperial examination would begin, and Liang Feng wondered how many capable individuals could be selected this time. There were still many positions vacant in the Si County region. Liang Feng rubbed his forehead, stood up, and walked towards the rear courtyard.
After a day of handling official affairs, it’s time to have a meal and take a break before discussing further.
However, as he stepped into the house, two individuals, one large and one small, were sitting facing each other, both looking up.
“Father!”
“Lord!”
Author’s note:
Uh, the previous chapter was about Wei Xiao.
Wei Xiao, a painter from the Western Jin Dynasty, studied under Cao Fuxing and was jointly acclaimed as a “painting saint” along with Zhang Mo. His meticulous line drawing was as fine as a spider’s web, displaying powerful strokes. While depicting figures, he dared not be overly explicit. Gu Kaizhi considered himself inferior, and Wei Xiao’s works, such as “Seven Buddhas” and “Women of Xia and Yin,” were passed down hand in hand with vivid depictions. “Poetry and Paintings of the Northern Wind” showed ingenuity in emotional expression and was highly regarded by contemporaries. Xie He, an art critic, commented on his paintings: “Ancient paintings were mostly sketchy, but Wei Xiao was the first to achieve precision. Among the Six Laws [of Chinese painting], he excelled in all.”
And then there’s Gan Bao, three characters, “In Search of the Supernatural.” However, his main job was historical research. He wrote the “History of Jin,” covering fifty-three years from Emperor Xuan to Emperor Min, in a concise and straightforward style, earning praise as a good historian.
The characters introduced in this chapter, with Zhu Taizhi having a collection of supernatural tales, Gan Bao with “In Search of the Supernatural,” and not to mention Guo Pu and Ge Hong, seem to share similar interests. How coincidental! XD
