Chapter 675: The Qionglin Banquet

West of Kaifeng, Jinming Pool.

The beautiful scene of the third lunar month always brings delight. Over the years, with continuous refinement—especially the expansion undertaken during the reconstruction of Kaifeng—a full-scale imperial garden has risen up beside Jinming Pool.

Pavilions and waterside terraces are layered throughout, mostly built over the water. Only this spring did Liu Chengyou issue an edict that no further expansion would ever be made, and he named the garden the "Qionglin Park."

A warm sun hangs overhead, the light is bright, spring breezes blow gently, and clear waves ripple. A naval force is still stationed on Jinming Pool, but its scale is far smaller than before. Originally, Jinming Pool was dug specifically to train the navy for the campaign against the Southern Tang.

But in practice, it was proven that on an inland river or a placid lake, elite troops cannot be trained without facing real storms. During the southern campaign, the navy seemed to perform well enough, but that was because the Tang army performed so poorly, while the Han army's land forces were too strong—the navy merely handled auxiliary tasks like transporting men and equipment, guarding supply lines, and protecting ferry crossings.

Because they suffered defeat after defeat on land, the Tang navy never had much chance to distinguish itself. In the few naval engagements that did occur, they never lost the upper hand against the Great Han's Jingjiang Army; their defeats were all influenced by the land battles. The two most notable examples were the Battle of Wokou and the Battle of Shanyang, where the Tang navy was defeated without ever being beaten on the water.

There were even many occasions when the Tang army held the advantage—especially the Sizhou navy that Guo Tingwei assembled. While holding a single city, even as the Han army won victory after victory on both the eastern and western fronts, for a long stretch they kept firm control of the Huai River for several hundred li around Xuyi, causing the Han army tremendous trouble, to the point where the Han army dared not take the initiative to engage them head-on.

After the great victory in Huainan, Liu Chengyou acquired a large number of warships, but more importantly, he gained many naval talents led by Guo Tingwei, and the shortage of naval recruits was also alleviated.

Liu Chengyou knew the score in his heart—opening Jinming Pool to train the navy had only been to quench an immediate thirst, with no grand purpose in mind. After all, even the chief commander had been chosen in a pinch, with Xiang Xun thrust into the role.

After returning to court, following an investigation to confirm that Guo Tingwei harbored no disloyal intentions, Liu Chengyou promoted him to Chief Commander of the Jingjiang Army, moved the navy to Mizhou, and allocated funds and grain from both the central government and local authorities to build larger warships and conduct drills in the bay.

By now, the Great Han's various naval forces total twenty thousand men, mainly stationed in four locations. The main force is naturally at Mizhou, with one force each at Yangzhou and Ruxu Pass—though their numbers are kept small to avoid alarming the Southern Tang. The remaining force is at Dengzhou. In fact, the Dengzhou navy is the one Liu Chengyou values most, since a cross-sea attack on Liao seems like a sound strategy—though for now it must remain hidden.

With the main force transferred away, the navy on Jinming Pool is now just for show. Still, throughout the four seasons, whenever he visits the imperial garden, he takes the opportunity to observe naval exercises—though he can never quite make out what's going on...

Liu Chengyou has entertained the idea of following the model of the Fengchen Camp, using Jinming Pool as a base to establish a new "Hengjiang Camp" for training naval officers. But it remains just an idea—given the nation's circumstances, the navy ultimately cannot receive the same attention as infantry and cavalry.

By now, after several years of development, the Fengchen Camp has become more like an officer academy. Many of the new batch of young officers come from there, and Liu Chengyou has specially selected veteran generals and soldiers to teach tactics, strategy, and training. Meanwhile, a new "Fengchen Faction" has risen within the military.

Initially, Liu Chengyou had intended to forge the Fengchen Camp into a "special forces" unit, with extremely high selection standards, but later discovered it wasn't cost-effective. In subsequent development, the "academy" function was gradually expanded. Liu Chengyou directed a shift in its development focus, selecting promising talents from the younger generation for cultivation.

On the twenty-second day of the third month of the eighth year of Qianyou, the Han Emperor visited Qionglin Park—the first visit since the garden's formal completion and naming. This time, besides the customary review of naval exercises, the Emperor would host a grand banquet for the newly passed jinshi scholars, to celebrate the occasion.

Since it was the first such event, the officials in charge were unsure of the proper scale. It was only after Liu Chengyou issued an edict that it was to be held lavishly, at state banquet standards. The food, ceremonial music, song, and dance were prepared on an extraordinarily grand scale. Empresses and consorts, ministers of the third rank and above, and the several princes who could still run around all attended the feast—truly an unprecedented occasion.

Before the banquet formally began, several dozen jinshi from various subjects accompanied the Emperor to observe naval exercises, after which they were tested on horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, and the like. Of course, some of this was mere formality, but Liu Chengyou was conveying a message: let scholars not bury their heads in books. For the sake of the Great Han's literati developing comprehensively in "virtue, wisdom, physique, aesthetics, and labor," he was putting in real effort.

The sun was setting in the west, and the sky was covered with layers of clouds and rosy glow, stacked upon each other in brilliant splendor. Before the sun dipped below the horizon, the light it released seemed even brighter against the twilight.

Within Qionglin Park, the gentle evening breeze carried moisture from Jinming Pool, cool and refreshing. Standing on the waterside terrace, one could feel the pool's ripples. With lanterns blazing, the liveliness was just beginning.

Accompanied by soothing ceremonial music, the atmosphere was harmonious. For the ministers and high officials, such scenes were long familiar, and they chatted and laughed among themselves. It was the several dozen jinshi fortunate enough to attend who seemed ill at ease. Back in their localities, they had all participated in the Luming Banquet, but this first-ever "jinshi banquet" in the dynasty's history—they happened to be the ones to experience it. That counted as a stroke of luck.

Scanning the varied faces seated below, Li Tao clinked cups with Fan Zhi and remarked with some emotion: "The Great Han's current vitality grows ever more pleasing by the day!"

Fan Zhi nodded, his usual stern expression softened, and said: "Holding examinations to select talent for the state is a great national matter. That His Majesty places such importance on it is both a blessing for all scholars under heaven and a blessing for the Great Han!"

Fan Zhi was himself a jinshi graduate, so naturally he valued the examination system. As it happened, the chief examiner for his year had been He Ning, who was also this year's chief examiner. Back then, He Ning had already recognized Fan Zhi's extraordinary potential, saying he had the makings of a chancellor.

And after Fan Zhi became a chancellor of the Great Han, this matter gained an extra layer of legend, becoming a celebrated tale. Now, although Fan Zhi's rank and power exceeded He Ning's, he still observed the rites of a disciple toward his teacher.

Perhaps noticing that the jinshi were somewhat tense, Liu Chengyou raised his wine cup and slowly walked to the center of the red carpet, drawing everyone's gaze. Though the voices fell silent, the ceremonial music continued. Accompanied by the background music, Liu Chengyou spoke unhurriedly:

"Today's Qionglin Banquet is the first since the founding of the dynasty, and I have held it specially for you jinshi. Not just this year—from now on, every metropolitan examination will be followed by such a banquet. I want to tell every scholar under heaven that the court honors the worthy, respects the worthy, and employs the worthy.

The Great Han was founded less than a decade ago. Since I ascended the throne, the state has been beset by difficulties, and I have not dared slacken for a single day. Up to this year, I consider that I have made some modest achievements. However, the realm is not yet pacified, the borders are not yet secure, the old territories are not yet recovered, and all the circuits and prefectures across the nation still await reconstruction—they need restoration, development, and governance.

I may be an emperor who came to power on horseback, but I know deep in my heart that while conquering the realm requires martial might, governing it requires literary talent. Governance, managing the people, farmland, taxation—all such matters require those with literary talent to bear them."

"..."

This speech of Liu Chengyou's was the first time he had so affirmatively acknowledged the role of civil officials in a formal setting, articulating his philosophy of employing both civil and martial means. His words were plain and straightforward, but for these jinshi who had not yet formally entered officialdom, they were an immense blessing. Naturally, their hearts surged with excitement and their faces flushed with emotion.

After the Emperor's speech concluded, the atmosphere naturally grew even more heated. The jinshi began to display their talents. Liu Chengyou took the jade pendant from his waist as a prize and ordered them to compose a poem on the theme of the Jinming Pool navy, with the assembled ministers judging; the best would receive the reward.

While the jinshi performed, Liu Chengyou walked over to He Ning, who had grown quite aged, and said to him with a serene expression: "Minister He, you have labored hard during this metropolitan examination—thank you for your efforts!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Facing the Emperor's personal toast, He Ning's aged face blossomed into a smile as he replied: "This old minister is fortunate to be able to select talent for the state—it is also a blessing!"

He Ning was one of the great literary talents of the age. His age was actually not that advanced—he was not yet sixty—but he looked haggard and decrepit. His personality carried some of the pedantic air of a scholar, but his administrative ability was quite good, especially his experience in examination affairs.

For the past three examination cycles, he had served as chief examiner. Precisely because of this, the old man no longer intended to serve as chief examiner again—it was easy to incur resentment. Not to mention anything else, on the other side, the envy in the eyes of Zhao Shangjiao and Tao Gu of the Pacification Commission was practically dripping out.

Moreover, if too many jinshi came from under his tutelage, he could not bear the burden. Though the scholars were nominally disciples of the Son of Heaven, taking that too literally would be quite foolish.