Chapter 131 Single-handedly boosting admission scores...
The last time Su Shi secretly followed the Crown Prince all the way to Yunzhou without his father's knowledge, he was severely beaten by his father, and his buttocks still ached slightly. Learning from this experience, Su Shi was more obedient. After making up his mind, he went to Su Xun and told him.
"no."
Su Xun coldly and ruthlessly refused.
"Why?" Su Shi immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "But I want to go! It's much more fun and freer than being an official in the court!"
"Did you enter officialdom just for fun?" Su Xun retorted first. "Besides, Yunzhou is on the border of three kingdoms, and the Liao and Xia armies can march south at any time. The fun and freedom you speak of, do you mean that when the enemy is at the gates, you can 'disobey orders from the general in the field'? Freedom?"
Su Shi fell silent.
But how could a father not understand his son? The moment Su Xun saw Su Shi's big eyes darting around, he knew what the boy was up to. He was probably reverting to his old ways, thinking of acting first and informing the father later.
When the time comes, once the imperial court issues a decree, even I, as his father, will be powerless to stop him.
Su Xun sneered: "You'd better give up that idea now. If you insist on going, your father will also sign up. The court will not allow fathers and sons to serve in the same office."
Su Shi opened his mouth in astonishment: How come there's such a move?
He suddenly thought of another possibility: "What if, what if the court doesn't hire me, but hires you instead, Father?"
“Then let’s follow the court’s arrangements, pack our bags and head to Yunzhou,” Su Xun said coolly.
This won't do!
The words he had just repeated a hundred times—the bitter cold of Yunzhou, the Liao army's southward advance—all rushed to Su Shi's lips. He opened his mouth to offer advice, but suddenly realized that offering advice would be a slap in his own face.
Su Shi scratched his face awkwardly, unsure how to stop Su Xun or how to overcome the obstacle. Just then, a gentle tugging came from his side. It was his elder sister, Su Zhen, tugging at his sleeve.
The moment the siblings locked eyes, Su Zhen gently shook his head at Su Shi and mouthed, "Let me do it."
His elder sister was definitely on his side. Su Shi readily gave up his seat. He was very curious about what kind of persuasive words his sister had prepared to give him the confidence to convince his unyielding and ruthless father.
Su Zhenying spoke, her first words a bombshell: "In my humble opinion, although Yunzhou is currently on the Song-Liao border, at the forefront of the battle line, it will soon cease to be so."
Su Shi and Su Xun were taken aback at first, but after carefully considering the meaning behind her words, they both fell silent: It really is true! Yunzhou was recovered so easily; the imperial court will definitely press on with its momentum. The surrounding Shuozhou, Yingzhou, and Wuzhou could all become the next targets.
By then, Yunzhou would no longer be at the forefront of the battle, and the danger level would be greatly reduced.
Su Xun's biggest premise for stopping Su Shi was that Yunzhou was dangerous. Without it, everything else was just a minor problem: "If you say Yunzhou is bitterly cold, my brother went there himself and was lively and energetic, and he didn't seem to have any discomfort."
They might even get a good beating!
If he is really sick, how could Father bear to do it?
"Actually, I did suffer a little," Su Shi interjected. "But fortunately, the honeycomb briquettes in Yunzhou were inexhaustible, and I felt warmer than in Bianjing during winter."
"No wonder, that would be perfect."
The siblings argued back and forth, and Su Xun's face gradually turned ashen. But that was the Su family's tradition: whoever won the debate had the right to speak. Su Xun knew clearly that his daughter had inadvertently caught him off guard, and he was completely at a disadvantage.
He waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't let people think you're riding on the coattails of His Highness the Crown Prince."
Su Shi cheered: This means he agrees! Father, don't worry, when it comes to exams, I, Su Zizhan, have never been afraid of anyone since I was a child!
He walked out of the study overjoyed, thanking Su Zhen repeatedly along the way: "It's all thanks to you, elder sister! You even managed to persuade Father. Hehe, I can finally go to Yunzhou again!"
Su Zhen smiled and said, "Congratulations, little brother, on achieving your wish. You must do your best in the exam."
"But is Yunzhou... really that beautiful? That you still can't stop thinking about it after you returned to Bianjing?"
“Of course,” Su Shi replied immediately. However, he suddenly realized that Su Zhen’s question was not really about the local customs and culture of Yunzhou: “Once I pass the exam and establish myself in Yunzhou, I will immediately write back to the capital to bring you here, elder sister. You must see it for yourself then!”
——
Similar conversations also took place at the Prince Pu's residence.
Prince Pu looked at Zhao Zongshi, who was bowing, with a serious expression: "Thirteenth Prince, are you really going?"
Zhao Zongshi maintained his bowed posture, his voice full of energy: "Yes, son's mind is made up."
The princess looked conflicted: "But Thirteenth Prince, as a member of the imperial family, you already hold an official title."
"His Highness the Crown Prince has already said that anyone of the appropriate rank, whether holding an official position or not, can register to take the exam. He did not say that members of the imperial family cannot participate."
This is tantamount to exploiting a loophole in the rules. However, Zhao Zongshi's approach was extremely cunning. It's like having a family that has connections to secure an official position, but refusing to take it and insisting on taking the imperial examination himself—it's not the way an ordinary person thinks.
"That's not what I meant," the princess raised her voice. She was worried about Zhao Zongshi's thought process: "You are your father's child, and you were classmates with His Highness the Crown Prince. No one will shortchange you in the future. Why go to Yunzhou to starve?"
Five years ago, however, he was just an unknown student at Zishantang, with no official status or status. The officials didn't care, and his biological parents thought he was dead, a figure like a shadow.
Zhao Zongshi would never forget that day when he accidentally bumped into His Highness the Crown Prince while borrowing books in the library of Zishan Hall. His Highness immediately recognized the Crown Prince's identity and was filled with anxiety, fearing that he, the fake prince, would be blamed.
Even though His Highness the Crown Prince had clearly guessed his identity, he said nothing and simply asked him with a smile what his name was. Later, he not only pleaded with the Emperor to allow him to officially become the Crown Prince's study companion, but also personally escorted him back to the Prince of Pu's residence.
From that day on, Zhao Zongshi finally had a name in this vast palace.
Prince Zhao Yunrang looked at his son's resolute half-face and seemed to understand something. He pretended to stop the princess: "Zongshi, you should answer your father first. You studied at Zishan Hall and later at the Imperial Academy. The only thing you did that could be considered as dealing with the court was reading the 'Seeking Knowledge Report' to the Imperial Guards."
"How can you guarantee that when you go to Yunzhou, you will be repaying His Highness the Crown Prince's kindness, and not causing him trouble?"
Zhao Zongshi's face fell. This was also what he was most worried about.
"That's why I've come to ask you two to grant me permission to take the exam. If my results are poor, it means His Highness the Crown Prince thinks I'm not qualified. I will have no regrets."
"If His Highness the Crown Prince finds me useful, I will accept any position, whether it be a junior official or a supervisory official."
“Not bad.” Prince Pu’s tense expression relaxed slightly: “I originally thought that you, Zongshi, had begged me to come here so that I could use my connections to help you take a shortcut. You did the right thing. Being down-to-earth is the proper way to repay a debt of gratitude.”
“Father has given his permission, so go ahead and do it.” He patted Zhao Zongshi on the shoulder.
Prince Pu served as the head of the Imperial Clan for five years, becoming a highly influential figure within the clan. However, he knew full well that this was the Emperor's compensation for having lent him his son. He was certain that the next generation might not enjoy the same wealth and status.
But Zhao Zongshi, the son who had been abandoned by the Prince of Pu since childhood, gave him hope for continuing the family line. Of course, members of the imperial family could live a life of idleness and complacency, but only those who were virtuous, capable, and committed to practical matters, like the Eighth Prince, could ensure the wealth and status of their family members.
"Prepare well for the exam, Zongshi," he sincerely wished.
——
"Huh? Why is Zhao Zongshi here too?"
When Fusu was screening the list of applicants, he was quite surprised to see this person's name. After looking through it carefully, he found that Zhao Zongshi had checked all the boxes in the column for his preferred positions.
In other words, no matter which one he was randomly selected for, he would be transferred to Yunzhou, even if it was just a minor official post.
Fusu was initially quite surprised, but considering his attitude towards him when they met by chance at the Imperial Guard camp, it didn't seem too strange.
"That's good. Let's see how he did on the exam and see if there are any suitable positions for him."
The newly appointed HR manager of Yunzhou said this.
If outsiders were to hear this, they would likely accuse Fusu of nepotism. But there was nothing he could do; nearly half of the people who signed up this time were people he knew—both in a practical and historical sense.
Wang Anshi, Fan Chunren, Su Shi, Fan Chunren, Zhao Zongshi, Zeng Gong, Lü Gongzhuo...
We can't just eliminate all these future prominent officials just to avoid suspicion, can we?
Fusu continued to stare intently: Zeng Gong, Li Guanlan, Lü Gongzhe... uh, Zhang Yaozuo?
When he saw the name "Zhang Yaozuo," he couldn't help but laugh out loud. *Ahem*, Fusu assured him it wasn't due to personal grudges. It was simply too humorous to have this name suddenly appear among so many prominent officials and ministers.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that among his desired positions, only "Governor of Yunzhou" was listed, indicating that he was aiming for a third-rank official position.
In recent years, Consort Zhang and her relatives by marriage have fallen out of favor with the emperor and have been almost marginalized. Zhang Yaozuo had no other choice but to set his sights on selecting officials in Yunzhou.
However, Fusu felt that Zhang Yaozuo's ability to pacify Yunzhou was far from sufficient; to say he could barely manage would be an overstatement. But since he himself had already recommended candidates without regard to kinship, he might as well recommend candidates without regard to personal grudges, and let the exam results speak for themselves.
The examination was held in the Jiying Hall, and Fusu was the undisputed first question setter. The remaining questions were answered by Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and others. The examination was presided over by the Emperor, and after some thought, Fusu decided to join him in the fun.
He stood on the Jiying Hall for the second time, but this time as an examiner. Standing on the high steps and looking down, Fusu felt a sense of "standing on the summit, looking down at all the mountains below."
"You really can see everything."
"Otherwise what?" The Emperor's voice was tinged with amusement: "Su'er, do you think that on the day of your imperial examination, I was able to spot you at a glance and walk right up to you?"
Back then, Su'er was still a tiny little thing, blending into the crowd of adults. She was much more noticeable than she is now. Even a casual glance from the emperor wouldn't be enough to spot her.
Fusu: "..."
Suddenly exposed, he retorted defiantly, "It's my skill to keep it a secret until Father finds out during the palace examination!"
"Okay, okay," the official replied with a smile.
They chatted and laughed easily, but those below were extremely anxious. They had only heard of the imperial examination system for selecting officials, but never of having to take an exam after becoming an official. In particular, many people thought that the selection criteria for officials were so strict that not many people would be willing to apply.
Upon arriving at the Hall of Heroes, he looked around and found his competitors to be formidable. Fan Chunren, Zeng Gong, Su Shi… especially Su Shi, who smiled so easily and confidently, clearly in control. Had His Highness the Crown Prince secretly given him a hint about the exam questions?
Damn it, this is going to be bad!
Su Shi, who was inexplicably glared at again: "?"
He looked around but couldn't find anyone staring at him, so he rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. What's wrong with me lately? Even a smile gets me glared at; I'm so fragile.
But when the exam papers were handed out, his smile vanished. In fact, no one could smile anymore.
Why are all these questions the same?!
They prepared a lot of material for the exam, including the Analects and the Book of Rites, because once they arrived in Yunzhou, they would surely promote education and win back the hearts of the people to the Chinese nation.
I also read "Song Criminal Code" and "Tiansheng Decree" many times because I heard that the people of Yunzhou were different from those in the Central Plains, and were particularly fierce. Therefore, I thought that criminal law should be used as a deterrent to bring peace and order back to the region.
But neither the Analects nor the Tiansheng Decree tells them how to answer this question.
"Imagine you are the magistrate of a county in Yunzhou. One day, your constables arrest a case of smuggling honeycomb briquettes. Someone is smuggling honeycomb briquettes produced in Yunzhou to neighboring Wuzhou. The perpetrators are a family of five, the youngest of whom is still an infant. As the magistrate, how would you deal with the criminals and explain your reasons?"
"Imagine you are the Tongpan (assistant magistrate) of Yunzhou, and you have obtained evidence that your superior, the prefect of Yunzhou, is colluding with the Liao Kingdom to pass secrets. The whistleblower is the prefect's newly acquired concubine. She hopes you will report the prefect and release her. How would you handle this situation, and explain your reasons?"
"Imagine you are the transport commissioner of a certain place in Yunzhou. While you are transporting money and grain back to the capital, the front line suddenly goes to war with the Liao Kingdom. The local county magistrate, who is the same age as you, writes to you requesting that you share half of the money and grain with him to help resist the enemy. The scouts you sent have learned that more than half of the front line has fallen and is in imminent danger. Would you choose to transport the grain or not? And explain your reasons."
"Suppose you are the magistrate of Yunzhou...a woman in the county has entered into a transnational marriage with a man from Wuzhou...what would you do..."
Su Shi stared in disbelief.
He wanted to question the person who set the question: "I'm twelve years old, and I'm not even engaged yet. Why should I be thinking about someone else's transnational marriage? And you, Zhao Xiaolang! You're only eight years old. Why are you thinking about marriage? That's so strange!"
He scratched his head and cheeks, finding the answering of the questions extremely painful.
Even Su Shi, who was quick-witted and full of ideas, was like this, not to mention others.
What makes it most difficult for test takers is that they have no idea what the question setters are thinking. Take that smuggling question, for example. Do the Emperor and His Highness want us to use harsh laws and strictly adhere to the law?
But if that were to happen, what would happen to the woman who had just given birth and her infant child in that family of five?
They felt increasingly sorry for the position of county magistrate. It seemed that when faced with problems, nothing could be solved with books! They were at a loss, and no matter which way they went, it was a dead end.
Fusu: That's to make you consider both sides!
Take the question "A family of five smuggling honeycomb briquettes" for example. The only ones who truly resonated with Fusu were Wang Anshi, who had bought horses at the border, and Su Shi, who had personally visited Yunzhou.
Others, upon seeing the words "unauthorized sale," immediately assumed it was a serious crime, a grave taboo. They never considered another possibility—perhaps the officials were trying to extort money from the family, which was why they had been arrested?
Ultimately, by selling honeycomb briquettes to the northern prefectures, the people of Yunzhou gained silver, the neighboring prefectures gained usable coal, and the imperial court gained tax revenue. Who could possibly be dissatisfied?
Then why ban it?
Aside from Wang Anshi and Su Shi, who wrote "release all innocent people and encourage them to continue their efforts," the other answers, while off-topic, were not without merit. For example, Fan Chunren and Zhao Zongshi both suggested taking care of the women, children, and elderly members of their families of five.
Zhao Zongshi also specifically suggested that he could visit the family in his capacity as county magistrate, so that others would not dare to bully women and children at will.
It's hard for Fusu not to think that he was thinking of his past self.
Besides the familiar names, he also saw several unfamiliar names who had answered well. So he put their papers together with those of Wang Anshi and Fan Chunren.
Finally, he saw Zhang Yaozuo's.
“Arrest all five members of this family and throw them into prison for severe torture.”
"puff----"
Fusu spat out the water he had half-drunk. He stared wide-eyed, checking repeatedly, finally confirming that he hadn't misread it. Zhang Yaozuo had written about imprisoning the entire family, including the infant in swaddling clothes.
Fusu found it unbelievable.
Even if someone is outrageous in private, they'll always put on a respectable facade, right? What does Zhang Yaozuo mean by writing this answer on the exam paper? Does he expect me to praise him?
Fusu touched his head; thank goodness, he was still there. He really couldn't understand Zhang Yaozuo's thought process.
He refused to believe it, so he put down his cup, ignored everyone else's papers, and decided to enjoy Zhang Yaozuo's paper first. He laughed even harder and harder until he finally clutched his stomach and slumped onto the table to catch his breath.
The Emperor, Fan Zhongyan, and two others pushed open the door and entered, only to be greeted by this scene. They were terrified, thinking that Fusu was unwell, and hurriedly tried to summon the imperial physician.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Upon seeing this, Fusu hurriedly sat up in shock, explaining, "I just saw it, pfft—"
The thought of it made him unable to resist again.
"What is it that makes His Highness unable to suppress his laughter?" asked Ouyang Xiu. He was the one among them who had the least private interaction with Fusu, and rarely saw Fusu in such a down-to-earth manner.
I was extremely surprised when I saw it today.
So His Highness the Crown Prince can laugh so happily?
Ouyang Xiu became increasingly curious about the things that made him laugh.
Fusu waved the answer sheet in his hand: "This is it."
The group, including the official, all crowded around to take a look, their expressions somewhat subtle.
Zhang Yaozuo?
To give a brief recap, Zhang Yaozuo was the uncle of Consort Zhang, who had been the wife of two empresses in her previous life—a typical family of imperial relatives. He was also one of the main figures in the impeachment of the Qingli Reforms. Both publicly and privately, Fan Zhongyan and his associates did not particularly like him.
The Emperor's predicament stemmed from the fact that this outrageous person was someone he had personally promoted. However, ever since this person instigated the still top-ranking scholar Su'er and "His Highness the Crown Prince" in court, Emperor Renzong felt that he harbored malicious intentions or was detrimental to the Crown Prince, and gradually distanced himself from him.
But the Emperor's benevolent nature dictates that while he distanced himself, he didn't force the man out of the court. Otherwise, this man wouldn't have had the chance to dart onto Fusu's desk.
Therefore, when Zhang Yaozuo made a fool of himself, Emperor Renzong felt even more ashamed: How could I have been so blind back then?
Fusu hadn't thought that far ahead, or rather, Zhang Yaozuo's absurdity had surpassed all these convoluted details. He felt he'd be missing out if he didn't share.
The concubine of the prefect accuses him of treason. What should the prefect do?
A normal person would quietly investigate whether the news is true and what kind of dispute exists between the boss and the concubine. If the news is true, what should be done; if it's false, what should be done? These are separate issues to consider.
Zhang Yaozuo didn't care about any of that.
He wrote down a reply in a daze, with "treason" appearing very few times and "concubine" appearing far more often. In the final classification discussion, regardless of the situation, the concubine's whereabouts were all in his backyard.
As the Transport Commissioner of Yunzhou, with the battle raging at the front and the imperial orders delayed, a county magistrate on the front, with whom you have a personal relationship, has asked you to send money and provisions to support the front. What should you do?
In Fusu's opinion, the best course of action is to disregard everything and simply join the tour group first.
At worst, when it comes to settling scores later, we can share the responsibility with our peers. And if we win, we won't even have to bear any real responsibility; at most, we'll get a verbal reprimand.
If, due to my own conservative selfishness, the front lines are lost, Yunzhou falls, and vast territories are lost, will the money and grain transported back to the Song Dynasty still be enough to redeem the land from the enemy?
It's impossible to even think about it.
Of all the people, only Wang Anshi and Su Shi answered "immediately change course and use all money and grain for the war effort." The others, such as Zeng Gong, Fan Chunren, and Zhao Zongshi, also agreed to send money to support the front lines, but the proportion each person left for the front lines and for the court differed.
Some followed the magistrate's instructions and sent half, while others only sent a quarter or a fraction of the amount...
A few others, perhaps more cautious in nature, suggested waiting for news from the imperial court and listening to its decision on whether or not to provide support.
While a safe approach was sound, it was undeniably conservative and not well-suited to the ever-changing landscape of Yunzhou. However, Zhang Yaozuo's answer still made Fusu more accepting of them.
Zhang Yaozuo replied that he tore up the letter immediately after receiving it from his classmate, pretending he hadn't heard it. How dare they instigate me to embezzle the court's funds? Their intentions are sinister! My loyalty to the court is as clear as day; I will not shortchange you by a single penny!
Fusu: ...So, you took the condition that the front line is still fighting into account?
With Wang Anshi and Su Shi's brilliant answers preceding them, the others were either too conservative or too naive, making them seem somewhat inadequate. However, with Zhang Yaozuo's contrast, those less-than-perfect answers all became clear and impressive.
Record, you can record anything!
From then on, in the martial arts world—or rather, in the imperial court—Zhang Yaozuo was referred to as the man who single-handedly boosted the admission rate.
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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
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