Although I had already taken the policy theory test in the college and provincial examinations before, and I had also studied the textbooks and topics from the Imperial College in the past few days, I have a relatively clear understanding of policy theory and historical theory, and I pride myself on writing some
There is nothing wrong with ordinary policy discussions, but when he saw this topic, he still frowned.
There are many policy questions, and candidates can choose one to answer. The first question is to discuss the pros and cons of today's salt policy and how to change it.
The title only has a few words, but this topic involves the salt policy, a major matter that is almost related to the foundation of the country. Even if there is no limit to the direction and just asks the candidates to talk about the pros and cons, it is still a test of the candidates' ability.
Let’s look at the second question, which is about agricultural taxation, and it’s Datang’s own agricultural tax, asking candidates to analyze the pros and cons of Datang’s current agricultural tax. Damn, it’s another matter involving national politics. Now in Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi, even
Everyone in other places knows that the tax policy of the Tang Dynasty was simple and crude. There were no messy exorbitant taxes and no Dingkou silver. It only collected an agricultural tax, but the tax rate of this agricultural tax was higher than that of previous dynasties.
On the higher side, if it is ordinary grain, the tax rate is about 20%.
If it is some cash crops, the tax rate will be higher.
In other dynasties, the land tax was often only 10%, or even 5%, or even 2%.
So many people outside say that the agricultural taxes in the Tang Dynasty were so high that people under the Tang Dynasty had no way to make a living.
The first question is about salt policy, the second question is about agricultural taxes, and the next three questions are also big questions that make people dizzy. For example, what is the priority between industry and commerce and agriculture, how to balance development, and make the people rich and the country strong.
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Any topic is related to national affairs. This kind of topic is difficult for even those ministers and senior scholars to analyze and answer in detail, let alone traditional scholars like Huang Zhiyuan who devote themselves to studying the books of sages.
After Huang Zhiyuan examined these questions, he hesitated for a moment and decided to take the agricultural tax question because he was born in a farmer's family. Although he had been studying for many years and had never worked in the fields, what he had seen over the years had given him a certain understanding of the truth.
The rural tax system of the Tang Dynasty was deeply felt, and the agricultural tax system of the Tang Dynasty was also deeply felt.
After choosing the topic, he just wrote a long article eloquently. As for whether the writing was good or not, he himself couldn't tell.
After finishing the exam, he felt bad. However, after looking around, he found that he was not the only one who was dejected, but most people were like that.
This also proves that the policy questions in the first imperial examination of the Tang Dynasty sound very simple, but it is actually very difficult to make them meaningful.
You definitely can't write about some clichéd things. These things have been written about before, so you have to come up with new ideas.
You can't write anything that's mediocre, because it means being average and won't impress the examiner.
What's more important is that this kind of policy discussion is to some extent a question from the court, so you can't answer blindly. You have to put forward practical solutions based on reality. It won't work if you just say a few words casually.
After policy theory, there is historical theory. As for historical theory, its nature is similar to policy theory, but it talks about ancient issues. For example, the Qin Dynasty, Shang Yang's method was strong, and the Song Dynasty King Anshi's reform method was ruined. Please elaborate on it.
Since everyone basically knew before the examination, in order to recruit scholars in the new dynasty, not only the eight-part essay must be good, but also the policy analysis and historical analysis must be good.
So everyone, like Huang Zhiyuan, attaches great importance to these two exams. However, judging from everyone's expressions after the exam, it is obvious that few people think they did well in the exam.
In fact, their answers were indeed not very good. After reviewing the answer sheets of most of the new imperial examination candidates and a few candidates from the Ming Dynasty era, they finally selected the examination papers of 180 candidates, and then they discussed them again.
The fifteen best among them were handed over to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan read every one of them. Well, in addition to the Four Books and Five Classics, he also carefully read the answers to other policies, history, arithmetic, and miscellaneous studies. He spent more than half an hour on this.
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After reading it, he was left with a basic impression: empty and empty.
Especially for policy theory questions, they basically talk about the general direction, but there is not much practical content at all.
The articles were beautifully written, and their writing skills surpassed those of later generations of scholars. Even the senior officials of the Tang Dynasty, such as Wang Wenhua, who was known to be the most prolific and most prolific among the senior cabinet officials, saw these articles.
Sometimes I have to lower my proud head.
There is nothing I can do about it, everyone is a good judge, let alone other abilities, but they are all good at writing articles.
If someone who can write eight-part essays and other articles well can write an ordinary article, it will be simple but not too easy.
But the article was so poorly written that Li Xuan simply didn't see what he wanted to see: putting forward feasible solutions in a meaningful way.
Even if you cannot propose a detailed solution, you must at least provide a new executable idea. However, the answers given by these students are all sage words.
Damn it, if Confucius was so awesome, would he travel around the world in search of important positions?
Who wouldn’t be able to brag without having to pay taxes?
So after reading the follow-up test papers, Li Xuan was too lazy to personally arrange the detailed rankings of the top students, and directly passed the task to the Department of Etiquette, the department responsible for this Dengji Enke.
Of course, the Ministry of Rites will not be arbitrary, but will discuss with the big bosses of various cabinet ministries, and finally arrange the detailed rankings, and quickly post the imperial list in the palace.
Although Li Xuan was very dissatisfied with the level of this group of scholars, he still had to do enough work. After all, this imperial examination was originally a political propaganda event, and Li Xuan had never expected to get real results from it.
Talent.
Although the level of these students is not that good, it is enough to be a mid- to low-level official. At least they know how to read and write. But to be an official, you only need to be able to read and write. You don't need to be special.
talent.
So on the day the results were released, a large group of students crowded to see the results, but many people still couldn't squeeze in and could only listen to the people in front singing the results.
The singer started singing from the 180th person, but Huang Zhiyuan, who was outside the crowd, heard more than 80 people in a row but still couldn't hear his name.
His friend Xu Hanshi, who came to see the list with him, also looked forward to it, because until now, Xu Hanshi's name had not been read either.
However, not long after, Huang Zhiyuan heard a voice: "Forty-eight, Master Huang Zhiyuan of Xunzhou Prefecture!"
After hearing this, Huang Zhiyuan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, so much so that he even stopped breathing. There was only one thought left in his mind: Hit, hit!
He even turned red while holding his breath, and it took him a long time to react!
At the same time, he also heard the congratulations from his friend Xu Hanshi: "Congratulations to Brother Huang for high school!"
Huang Zhiyuan took several deep breaths in succession, and soon returned to normal. Although there was an obvious look of joy on his face, his expression was no longer as dull as before.
Immediately he said: "I'm so happy, it's time to pronounce Brother Xu's name later!"
It was a pity that Xu Hanshi's name still did not appear until the emperor's list was finished. Later, the two of them refused to give up and waited for the crowd to disperse a little. After the crowd dispersed a little, they squeezed in to see it in person. They read the 180 names over and over again, and finally
Still couldn't find Xu Hanshi's name.
Xu Hanshi's face didn't look good at this time, and Huang Zhiyuan didn't know what to say. There was no need for such comfort. We were all decent scholars. How could a gentleman be as nagging as a woman in a relationship.
Xu Hanshi immediately said: "Let's go, we won't come back until we get drunk today to celebrate Brother Huang's high school!"
Huang Zhiyuan immediately nodded slightly and said: "Forget it, Brother Xu, don't worry too much, there will be a spring exam next year, all the time..." Before he finished speaking, he paused, and then he pointed at the imperial list.
A red list next to it said: "Look, what's on it? Where's your name, Brother Xu?"
When Xu Hanshi heard this, he looked in the direction he pointed. Sure enough, there was a red list next to the big imperial list, but the red list was slightly smaller, and it only had the names of fifteen people on it, and there were also a few lines of large characters.
After taking two steps forward and looking at it, I saw that it read: The Holy Spirit sympathizes with the difficulties of all the scholars in studying and is eager to serve the country. He has specially selected fifteen erudite people, awarded them tributes, and promised to participate in the palace examination!
Erudite talents are awarded tributes and can participate in the palace examination? This is equivalent to passing the examination? But how many names does this count?
Xu Hanshi, who is famous on the list, can’t figure it out himself!
Not to mention them, even the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette themselves are confused, because according to the standard procedure, Enke will recruit 180 soldiers this time.
These 180 tributes will participate in the subsequent palace examination. According to tradition, generally no one will fail in the palace examination. Everyone has a share, but they will be divided into detailed rankings, that is, first-class, second-class, and third-class. respectively.
Granting the rank of Jinshi, Jinshi origin, and Jinshi origin.
But after Li Xuan read the top fifteen papers, he was quite dissatisfied, and then he directly asked people to find the papers of the unsuccessful candidates, and then looked them up personally, but what he read was not policy papers or anything like that, because these
Everyone has seen that the reason why the losers were lost was indeed because of their poor knowledge.
So Li Xuan looked at the two subjects of arithmetic and miscellaneous studies. After looking at it, he found that these ancient literati were also partial to subjects. Among those who were poor at writing policy papers, several of them were quite good in arithmetic and miscellaneous studies.
In line with the basic principle of not letting go of any talent, he specially added fifteen people. Of course, in order to respect the tradition and etiquette, he still did not add them to the 180-person Jinshi Department. The subsequent imperial examination
They will not be allowed to participate in the palace examination ranking of 180 people. Even the palace examination questions will be different from others. Their examination is called the liberal arts examination, which is completely different from the Jinshi examination.
Then Li Xuan planned to give them another title: Erudite Jinshi, referred to as "Doctor". For the time being, because of the small number of people, they will not be divided into first, second, third and third grades. Those who win will be awarded the sixth rank official. When the number becomes larger in the future, they will be directly compared to Jinshi.
It is divided into first, second and third grades, and the ranking is compared with the Jinshi department.