Chapter 277: Zhao Yu's Son Grows Up

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From early morning until dusk, during which the Imperial Kitchen provided the candidates with a simple meal, all the candidates handed in their papers one after another.

The candidates' examination papers were written in red ink (called "vermilion scrolls"), and were later transcribed by designated scribes in black ink (called "ink scrolls"), to prevent examiners from identifying candidates through their handwriting.

After the candidates handed in their papers, they were first read and given preliminary rankings by the initial examiners, then sent to the review examiners for verification; when the two disagreed, the coordinating examiner would mediate.

After the reading was finished, the proposed rankings were presented to Zhao Ji for review.

Zhao Yu could make adjustments according to the situation (such as promoting or demoting), and ultimately determine the First, Second, and Third Tiers.

Contrary to Zhao Yu's expectations, the zhuangyuan recommended by the examiners was neither Zhao Ji nor Qin Hui, but the twenty-two-year-old Mo Chou.

Regarding Mo Chou, Zhao Yu knew him very well, knowing that during the Jingkang Shame, he was called "Swift-Footed Ghost" by the people of the capital.

The reason Mo Chou earned the nickname "Swift-Footed Ghost" was that in the second year of Jingkang, after Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan became prisoners of the Jurchens, the Northern Song court faced enormous upheaval. Mo Chou very quickly defected to the Jurchen state; when the Jurchens wished to enthrone Zhang Bangchang as "Emperor of Chu," he actively ran errands and labored for the Jurchens, leading Jurchen envoys to inspect the Northern Song court's storehouses, shuttling back and forth between the Northern Song court and the Jurchen camp, extremely zealously helping the Jurchens establish a puppet regime. This behavior of rushing after glory and serving as the tiger's accomplice aroused the extreme disgust and contempt of the capital's common people, so he was called "Swift-Footed Ghost," the intent being to mock how he served the enemy as swiftly and eagerly as a ghost.

Historically, Mo Chou had indeed placed first as zhuangyuan; he never expected that, in his own reign, these examiners would once again choose him, wanting him to serve as zhuangyuan.

What Zhao Yu read was not the ink scrolls, but the vermilion scrolls.

Zhao Yu picked up Mo Chou's vermilion scroll and took a look.

Hoo!

Setting aside Mo Chou's character, his policy essay could absolutely be called brilliant in literary talent.

Zhao Yu's gaze moved slowly across Mo Chou's vermilion scroll; the talent and insight revealed between his lines, even by the standards of this emperor's own eye, could not help but secretly astonish him.

The essay's opening already cited classics and drew widely from various sources, its analysis of the current situation profound and original, containing both deep reflection on past history and unique insight into the nation's future direction.

The strategic vision Mo Chou put forward in his essay—allying with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao, recovering the five prefectures of Yan and the three prefectures of Pingluan Camp to complete great unification—contained both a grand conception and concrete implementation steps, brimming between the lines with an eager zeal to serve the country, as if it could pierce through the paper and reach straight into the heart.

After reading it, Zhao Yu said only one sentence: "What a waste of such fine literary talent."

The moment these words left Zhao Yu's mouth, the examiners guessed that Mo Chou was most likely not going to become zhuangyuan.

The bangyan chosen by the examiners was Chen Jue.

This Chen Jue, Zhao Yu also knew; historically, he was magnanimous and tolerant, treated others with sincerity, indifferent to fame and profit, during his tenure strongly advocated resistance against the Jurchens, quelled three military uprisings, historically called "pacifying a region," a paragon incorruptible official through the ages.

Zhao Yu opened Chen Jue's policy essay and took a look; it too was of extraordinary literary talent, the brushstrokes revealing a steadiness and sagacity.

Chen Jue's essay was like an elder's earnest instruction, containing both a calm analysis of the current situation and a profound exposition of governing principles. He advocated strengthening central authority, reorganizing military preparedness, and at the same time encouraging farming and developing the economy to enhance the nation's comprehensive strength—cultivating internal governance, outwardly waiting and watching, waiting until the situation between Liao and Jurchens became clearer before deciding whether to ally with the Jurchens to destroy Liao, or ally with Liao to destroy the Jurchens—between the lines revealing a steadiness and composure unmoved by the times.

Zhao Yu savored Chen Jue's policy essay carefully, and could not help but secretly praise him in his heart. This man truly possessed the talent to govern the world; the depth of his insight and the thoroughness of his strategy were truly rare.

Even rarer was that, as emperor, in selecting and employing people, one must not only value talent and learning, but also weigh character and loyalty—and in this regard, Chen Jue was also quite satisfactory.

Zhao Yu was greatly pleased: "Chen Jue possesses the talent to govern the country and bring peace to the realm."

Hearing these words, how could the examiners fail to understand that Chen Jue was about to be heavily relied upon?

Zhao Yu then picked up the tanhua chosen by the examiners.

At a glance at the name, Zhao Yu was stunned dumb—it was actually Zhao Tang!!!

All the examiners had access to were only the ink scrolls; they could not possibly know who was zhuangyuan, who was bangyan, who was tanhua, and could only rank based on these candidates' true performance.

Moreover, even if these examiners wanted to curry favor, they should curry favor with Zhao Shou, after all Zhao Shou was the Crown Prince, backed by the Empress; Zhao Tang was currently just one among Zhao Yu's many sons, and as for his mother Zhang Chun, she was still far from having such influence.

That this Zhao Tang could still place third, Zhao Yu could not help but begin to have expectations for this son of his.

Zhao Yu picked up Zhao Tang's policy essay and looked, and saw written upon it:

The Jurchens are newly risen, the Liao dynasty's mandate is about to topple, a tripartite situation looms—this is a heaven-sent opportunity for our Great Song to achieve great unification and seize the treasure lands of the northeast.

Since Liao and our court concluded peace and alliance, for eight years the border has been without beacon fires. Now the Liao emperor is muddled and deaf, the Jurchen lord has repeatedly defeated his armies, his situation precarious, yet a centipede dies but does not stiffen—its tribal roots are not yet severed; if our Great Song supports them, they can still fight the Jurchens.

Some say Liao is weak and can be bullied, wishing to ally with the Jurchens to destroy them—this is a great error.

If Liao falls swiftly, the Jurchens will surely reach our northern frontier; what once stood between us and Liao will now press directly upon Dongjing Bianliang—this is removing a fence and inviting in tigers and wolves.

Therefore, though Liao is in decline, it is still our shield, and cannot be lightly spoken of as abandoned.

The Jurchens rose from the White Mountains, their arms sharp, victorious in every battle—truly a force of tigers and wolves. If they send envoys to seek friendship, proposing to jointly strike Liao, it is not out of admiration for our virtue and righteousness, but to borrow our strength to divide Liao's lands. Observe their conduct: take one city and occupy one city, capture one person and enslave one person—their greedy, vicious intent is plain as day. If we deeply ally with them and aid them in destroying Liao, once they have destroyed Liao, they will surely turn their spears southward; the wolf's cub ambition cannot but be guarded against.

For the present, there are three superior strategies:

First, secure the borders. Increase the garrisons of the Hebei, Hedong, Yunzhong, and Ningxia circuits, repair the city walls, train the soldiers, stockpile grain and prepare arms, making the northern frontier a wall of bronze and barrier of iron. When the Jurchens see we are prepared, they will not dare act rashly; when Liao sees our strength, they too will not dare slight us.