On the tenth day of August, the autumn air was crisp and clear. The previous turmoil in the Kansai affair had already been gradually diluted by an invisible force. Even if it had not been diluted, today would be destined to be overshadowed by the large-scale palace examination.
Although the imperial court was in a panic and Tokyo was no longer what it used to be, the various rituals and systems of that year were destined to be difficult to reproduce, and this time the selection of scholars by Enke was also a grafting of the so-called Sanshe method (county school, state school, Taixue) and the previous admission of scholars.
, considered nondescript.
But early in the morning, hundreds of Tai students poured into the tall and spectacular Xuande Gate, then walked right through the majestic Daqing Hall inside the palace wall, turned left at Changqing Gate, walked around Chongwen Academy, and passed through Zuoyin
Taimen, after turning west again, this group of young imperial elites could not help but feel in a trance.
After all, not to mention the majestic Xuande Tower and the grandeur of the Daqing Hall, just in front is where the Jiying Hall is. Today, after the test of the Jiying Hall, go straight out and head west, which is the Poster Singing Hall.
The famous Xihuamen.
At this moment, the cultural rituals of the Song Dynasty for more than a hundred years, as well as the political tradition of favoring scholars behind them, have brought a huge sense of shock and impact to these young imperial elites.
No matter who he is, no matter what school he studied under, or what political views he holds, when he thinks of Kou Zhun, Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, San Su, even Lu Yijian, Bao Zheng, Fu Bi, Pang Ji, Wen Yan
Everyone who is familiar with it, such as Bo, etc., has walked on this road, then entered the Jiying Hall and turned out of the Xihua Gate... everyone can't help but feel excited.
That sense of awe and eagerness to try, actually merged together without any conflict.
And this mentality reached an extreme as they began to slowly and orderly pour into Jiying Hall.
However, as the saying goes, you walk on the road and enjoy the scenery, but others regard you on the road as the scenery... When countless Tai students walked through the wide path between the East and West Huamen and slowly turned into Jiying Hall, they did not know that the same
At that time, Zhao Guan's family had already led a large group of people to stand at the Huangyi Gate of Huangyi Palace next to Jiying Palace for a long time... Moreover, this guy actually came specifically to see this scenery.
Even these imperial students, who were basically coming to the palace for the first time, didn't know that in the past, when they actually wanted to be admitted as Jinshi, they usually just entered and exited directly from the Xihua Gate. There was no need to walk in front of the spectacular Xuande Tower and Daqing Hall.
It was only because Zhao Guan's family had specially ordered it today that they did this specially.
In other words, these imperial students simply spared such a large circle just to satisfy Zhao Guan's family and watch this scene at the Huangyi Gate.
In this regard, neither the ministers nor Zhu Shengfei, the Minister of Rites, who presided over today's ceremony, had anything to say.
After all, when you first arrive, the palace is now deserted, Daqing Palace, and Chongwen Academy are not in use at all, so there is nothing wrong with going there;
Secondly, the reason given by Zhao Guan's family is also reasonable. It is said that Tokyo is no longer prosperous, so the main building and the main hall should be used to show the integrity of this selection of scholars;
Third, the officials were also watching the excitement at the Imperial Ceremony Gate.
Returning to the front, the carved railings on the Huangyi Gate tower blocked the way. Dozens of officials from Zhao Guan's family were looking down on them. They saw hundreds of Tai students walking hurriedly on the road below. There was quite a lot of movement, but no words were spoken, which made people feel a little sad.
So many people were eager to speak...On this occasion, the officials did not speak out, and it was not good for everyone to be the first to speak out, so as not to attract the attention of the students below.
After watching for a while, Zhao Guanjia couldn't hold it back anymore, and then turned around and laughed in front of everyone: "I originally wanted to imitate Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and say, 'All the heroes in the world come into my hands', but I couldn't help but seem a little complacent..."
The palace was spacious and silent, so as soon as this statement came out, it immediately attracted the attention of the students below, attracting many people who kept walking to look secretly, and even caused many people upstairs to laugh together.
After laughing, Zhang Rong, the commander of the Imperial Navy Navy, who was wearing ill-fitting official uniforms and looking a little cautious, was the first to couldn't help but wonder: "Guan family, how many people are there this time?"
"Six hundred!" Zhao Jiu blurted out.
"Are they all Jinshi?" Zhang Rong became more and more stunned.
"Yes." Zhao Jiu said frankly.
"It should be like this." Zhang Rong thought thoughtfully. "I haven't been a Jinshi scholar for many years, so it's time to win a big one."
"That's not what I meant." Zhao Jiu was still honest. "At present, there are not as many official vacancies in the Central Plains as this. What's more, money and food are still tight, and the officials are also on half-salary... In fact, I am recruiting more scholars this time, intentionally.
How about serving in the Imperial Army? Can Taiwei Zhang want some Jinshi to serve in your navy to obey your orders?"
Zhang Rong was stunned for a moment and hesitated to speak. Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, Yue Fei, Li Yanxian, Wang Yan and other military envoys who came with him were also stunned. The chief and deputy commanders of the two imperial camps,
That is to say, Wang Yuan and Qu Duan also lost their composure.
In comparison, the accompanying civil servants, from Lu Haowen on down, including three prime ministers, one Yushi Zhongcheng, plus six chief officials, several Hanlin bachelors, and several Zhongshusheren, were speechless.
...that is, a few of them frowned slightly.
Obviously, this group of people should have known about this arrangement for a long time.
However, the reason why such an arrangement, which goes against the tradition of emphasizing civility and military affairs over politics, was able to pass smoothly, naturally has a secret - specifically, it is directly related to a recent influential figure in Tokyo.
And this person was Hu Yin's biological father, the famous Taoist Huan Guo.
In other words, when Huan Guo came to court that day, there was definitely not as much drama as those imperial students imagined; nor was it as if Huan Guo himself had downplayed it and looked like a failure... At least from the perspective of Zhao Guan's family, he and Huan Guo were actually chatting and laughing that day.
, plus a peaceful breakup.
First of all, Huan Guo is not a corrupt scholar.
The opinions he put forward, such as putting military first, sticking to the old capital, etc., are actually consistent with the current governing philosophy of the Zhao Guan family and even the central government. Not only that, as a person who had been awarded a Jinshi before and went back to live in seclusion, Hu
Anguo's meeting with the Holy Spirit actually revealed many key issues that were destined to be difficult for those in power to touch.
For example, the great scholar directly pointed out in public that officials within the imperial court had a tendency to form cliques. Important ministers from Southeast, Bashu, Jingxiang and other places had their own wings in the central government, and they often opposed the emperor's ministers for local interests...
...causing Li Guang, Zhu Shengfei, Liu Ziyu and others to panic.
For another example, Huan Guo publicly proposed that "military power cannot be faked by others." He was the first to praise the Zhao family and the governing officials for establishing the zhazi system. He also believed that this was not enough, and that the government should further try to combine the emperor and the central government.
The authority penetrates deeper into the military.
It was precisely through these two sensitive issues that were suddenly raised in public at that time that the Zhao Guan family was able to push forward and formally approve the entry of Jinshi into the army, which had been strongly opposed by Vice Prime Minister Xu Jingheng and Yushi Zhongcheng Li Guang.
In fact, by that time, Zhao Guan's family had already become somewhat fond of this famous Taoist. He really felt that Hu Yin's father seemed to be more useful than Hu Yin... Da Hu could only be used for war and peace issues.
Anchoring, but this old Mr. Hu can play an anchoring role in many government affairs.
However, everyone knows the final result.
Huan Guo, who has extremely high qualifications, great reputation, and a decent background, still failed to become an important minister in the central government. He only received a post and a favor, but was essentially idle.
The reason is quite clear.
First of all, the performance of Mr. Hu aroused the vigilance of the ministers and other important ministers. Such an idealistic scholar was placed in front of such a Zhao official who always liked to cause trouble. The two of them together may not be as powerful as Lu Lu at that time.
Is it easier to deal with Yi Hao and the Guan family together?
Who dares to keep him?
The other one is naturally the theory of ‘nourishing qi’ which has caused huge controversy.
To be fair, Zhao Guan's family didn't have much objection to this 'qi'.
Even though Huan Guo specifically emphasized that his "qi" is not a metaphor, but a real combination of the origin of the universe and morality, Zhao Jiu still did not find it ridiculous... The reason is very simple, it depends on the person.
From the perspective of an era.
You, Zhao Jiu, know about oxygen when you are in your twenties, and Huan Guo, who has a big beard, knows how to 'nourish qi'. That's because you are special, not because he is not good at it... Because the mainstream philosophical thought these days is to treat morality as a
This ethereal thing is connected with the ultimate principle of all things in the universe.
Moreover, this connection must also follow the guidance of Confucian classics.
However, even though he understood in his heart, Zhao Jiu still gave up the idea of letting Mr. Hu stay by his side as an important minister, because he had to stick to the new learning that was more utilitarian, and according to what Zhao Guanjia had done recently with all his engineering skills
After careful research, I have long discovered that the new study has two huge problems!
First of all, it was naturally Cai Jing and the Supreme Taoist Emperor who insisted on Xinxue, but because their own family was too dirty, they ruined Xinxue's political reputation... This must be done slowly, there is no way.
Secondly, in its own theoretical system, Xinxue does not have a systematic and effective explanation of the universe, everything in it.
You don’t care how Mr. Hu’s “qi” is so unconventional these days, and how it makes some pragmatic Tai students feel a little ridiculous, but the new students don’t even have this “qi”!
But now, Zhao Jiu has no time to study Confucian classics and help Xinxue improve this "Qi" in order to go public... So there is no other way but to let Mr. Hu, who is good at cultivating "Qi", idle first.
Came down.
This was the real reason why the two parties had no choice but to break up when Huan Guo came to the imperial court that day.
But no matter what, Zhao Jiu had to thank him just for sending Jinshi to the army.
Turning back, the surrounding military officials were all surprised. Zhang Rong thought for a long time but did not dare to agree. Over there, as many imperial students poured into the Jiying Hall, Zhao Guan's family could not say much, but they held on to the gold belt and wore a big red robe.
Wearing a hard-winged futou, he led dozens of civil and military officials from the side door of Huangyi Palace to Jiying Palace.
When they came up to the palace, Zhao Guanjia was sitting on the throne, with civil and military officials standing on the left and right at the foot of the steps. The six hundred imperial students below bowed to each other beside the slightly crowded tables, and then went to the official's house to meet Lan Gui, the chief escort officer.
He stood up amidst the noise and returned to the desk behind him.
So far, Zhao Jiu's face is still as usual, and the six hundred people below who are about to become Jinshi have different expressions... What's interesting is that among the important ministers, Prime Minister Lu Haowen is on the left, and the Minister of War, Kaifeng Prefecture Yin Chen Gui,
Actually, like the handsome ministers on the right, their faces had a different color.
Lu Hao asked about Enyin's background, and Chen Guiming came from an economics background and had regrets in the imperial examination.
And those handsome ministers, no doubt because of hundreds of years of customs, had different thoughts... Of course, among them, Zhang Rong, who was specially invited by the official family to watch the ceremony, and who was of the lowest origin, was the most
Gaffe.
The etiquette continued, and soon Zhu Shengfei, the Minister of Rites, led the servants forward and asked the officials to write the title in public.
Of course, there is no need to mention this kind of superficiality. The Zhao Guan family had already thought about the topic. They even talked to the three prime ministers, Lu Haowen, Wang Boyan, and Xu Jingheng, and confirmed that they had no objections.
But for some reason, they saw the official suddenly stop writing in the middle of writing on the imperial case. The three prime ministers, who knew that the official was going to make another mistake, had no reaction at all... or even the opposite.
Instead, these three people felt as if a stone had fallen to the ground.
Because what is supposed to come must come.
"Ms. Lu, I remember that this time, some outstanding local officials and young men with knowledge of military achievements took part in the examination... right?" In the quiet Jiying Hall, the six hundred prospective Jinshi who were sitting at attention suddenly heard the news.
There came a clear and unmistakable official voice.
"Reporting to your Majesty, that is exactly what happened."
An older voice responded immediately. He was obviously the current Prime Minister. Many people thought that Lu Hao, whose merits were not inferior to those of Li Gang and Zong Ze, asked Xianggong Lu.
"That's good." Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed, but without putting down the brush in his hand, he pointed it directly at an unexpected person and blurted out as if he was chatting. "Pengju, you have both military merit and age.
Isn’t it in line with the rules to be extremely light and well-informed? I asked Senior Officer Lan to add a case, and you can take the test too!"
ps: Sorry, I feel a little weak today, that’s it for this chapter.