Chapter 569: Palace Examination Proposed Questions

West of Shenyang City, Chunhua Pavilion.

In the private room on the second floor, a red-clay tea stove sat on the table, alongside several delicate candied fruits and platters of freshly sliced seasonal melons and fruits.

Lin Zhaohe sat alone, pouring tea for himself, clearly enjoying the quiet pleasure.

That day, after being arranged by his cousin Lin Lin Zhaorong, he moved into his cousin's villa in Shenyang, far more convenient than staying at an inn.

Daily needs were tended to, sparing him the hassle of going out for meals, allowing him to focus entirely on reading and preparing for the exam.

After five or so days of such study, he felt his understanding had deepened further than in the noisy inn, and he was deeply content.

Today he recalled that when leaving the inn, he had planned to invite his fellow lodgers Wu Liang and Zhou Yan to pay respects to high officials, but had just been moving out, so the plan fell through.

Originally, Wu Liang and Zhou Yan had eagerly seen him off, and he had promised to host them in return.

After days of intense study, he now wished to step out for a change and fulfill his earlier promise, so he sent one of his cousin's retainers to the inn to invite the two to a small gathering at Chunhua Pavilion.

Lin Zhaohe chose Chunhua Pavilion because the western district of Shenyang was packed with inns, housing many examination candidates from across the land.

Chunhua Pavilion was a time-honored restaurant in the western district, offering affordable, delicious food, and was the usual haunt for examination candidates to dine and gather.

Wu Liang had once hosted a banquet there, so Lin Zhaohe picked the place for convenience and ease of finding it.

…

After idly sitting for half a meal's time, the door to the private room opened, and Lin Zhaohe saw Wu Liang's plump, smiling face—but only he had come; Zhou Yan was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Zhaohe smiled and asked, "Why is it only Xiwén? Hasn't Brother Bao Kun come?"

Wu Liang chuckled, "Originally, Yíchún was to host, so Brother Bao Kun would surely have come—but something came up suddenly. He has distant relatives in Shenyang who somehow got word and invited him to a banquet."

"It's said to be a long-lost family member—he had to go first, and asked me to apologize to Yíchún, promising to host again later to make amends."

Lin Zhaohe didn't mind. Anyone who reached the capital for the spring examination was among the elite of scholars, and relatives and neighbors all took pride in them.

Once examination candidates arrived in Shenyang, any distant kin or old acquaintances who heard the news would invite them to banquets and accommodations, considering it an honor.

Lin Zhaohe himself had only recently arrived in the capital—wasn't he found by his long-lost cousin and invited into his home as an honored guest?

Wu Liang gave a wry, envious smile: "From what I see, Brother Bao Kun will soon follow Yíchún's path—within days he'll move out of the inn, leaving me alone as a lonely ghost."

Lin Zhaohe laughed heartily: "That's fine—then you'll have more peace and quiet, perfect for focused study."

Wu Liang smiled: "I know you've moved into your noble relative's villa and will surely shut yourself away to study harder—you probably don't even know what's been happening outside these past few days."

With the spring examination drawing near, the imperial edict naming the chief examiners, following tradition, is imminent, and the city has grown even more lively."

On the streets, speculation about this year's examination themes is rampant; every esteemed scholar holds a different view, and many brilliant proposed questions have emerged.

You, Yíchún, shut yourself away daily to read—you must be unaware of all this."

Back at the academy, our master repeatedly taught us: poetry and prose cannot be confined to one school of thought; one must learn broadly and absorb widely."

You shouldn't ignore the world outside, and read only the sages' books…"

Wu Liang pulled a stack of papers from his sleeve and smiled: "These past days, while visiting high officials and attending banquets with fellow candidates, I've collected many of the current popular examination proposals."

Of course, there are other brilliant proposals out there, but my circle of acquaintances is limited, so I can't know them all."

Whenever I receive a new proposal, I write an essay on it and then consult senior scholars—I often gain real insights; this is far more practical than blindly memorizing the classics.

Today I've organized them and brought them for you to see—perhaps they'll spark some inspiration."

…

Lin Zhaohe listened to Wu Liang's enthusiastic talk without finding it strange—his classmate had always been clever and resourceful, possessing talent but prone to clever tricks and competitiveness.

That was common among the young, neither good nor bad.

But his classmate's character was genuinely good—warm-hearted and generous, he remembered to bring these proposals to share with him.

Lin Zhaohe took the transcribed proposals and carefully reviewed them; seeing some of the questions, he found their structure and perspective excellent, and nodded inwardly.

Seeing Lin Zhaohe's intense focus, Wu Liang felt a quiet pride—he knew his classmate's abilities, having won the title of Yongzhou Jieyuan of Hangzhou Prefecture, his talent was extraordinary.

If these proposals could earn such close attention from him, the Yongzhou Jieyuan, they must carry real weight and merit.

Wu Liang recalled how much insight he'd gained from studying and composing essays on these proposals—clearly, his efforts were not in vain.

After finishing the transcribed proposals, Lin Zhaohe mused: "Many of these proposals have clever intentions and grand perspectives—they must come from esteemed scholars."

Others are pedestrian, outdated in phrasing—their authors clearly lack talent."

Some are novel and dazzling, yet lack substance, appearing obscure and questionable."

For example, the policy question proposed by Minister Xu Xu Liangxiong falls into this category…"

Wu Liang chuckled: "Minister Xu has many original ideas. When we visited his mansion and dined there, he greatly admired Liu Ying's 'Record of Reflection' from the previous dynasty, finding deep meaning in it."

His proposed question likely stems from that—though it's merely a playful exercise…"

Wu Liang always admired Lin Zhaohe's insight and talent; seeing him casually critique these proposals with such precision, he humbly sought his opinion.

As they talked and sipped tea, the conversation grew lively and enjoyable.

…

Wu Liang smiled again: "Some of these proposals came from visits to high officials and noble houses—those are the ones you just praised."

Others were gathered from banquets with fellow candidates, with varied origins—not all fully verified."

Some may be mere fabrications by commoners, invented to attract attention and make money from students."

Earlier, a blue-covered booklet appeared on the market, and everyone knew that officials would be involved in this year's spring examination."

Though every candidate hoped to use it to gain access, the thresholds of these officials' households weren't easily crossed—many lacked the family connections or influence."

I suspect that's why some have taken advantage, privately creating fake proposals, falsely claiming they're from famous scholars or high officials, selling them among candidates for profit—not surprising at all."

Now, whenever candidates gather, they all talk about the spring examination, and the topic always turns to these new, novel proposals."

Everyone tries to produce a few to impress others; those without access to noble houses resort to buying street-market items to fill the gap—naturally, the quality is mixed, good and bad together—just as you'd expect, ha."

…

Lin Zhaohe listened to Wu Liang's amusing tale and couldn't help but smile wryly.

Passing the examination was the lifelong dream of countless scholars; ten years of cold windows, no one noticed, yet they devoted themselves entirely to the sages' books—none of that was unusual.

On the path of the examination hall, to win the glory of success, people would resort to any means—it was all perfectly ordinary.

Before the spring examination, all kinds of strange proposals were a perennial topic—no matter how bizarre or absurd, no one found them strange anymore.

But Lin Zhaohe was naturally steady and meticulous; unlike Wu Liang, he didn't treat these things as mere curiosities to be eagerly enjoyed.

He thought one step further: this year, before the spring examination, whether the trend of visiting high officials had surged or these proposals had spread everywhere,

All these slightly odd circumstances felt different from the anecdotes he'd heard about past spring examinations…

After discussing Wu Liang's compiled proposals, Lin Zhaohe ordered the waiter to bring wine and dishes; they exchanged cups, and Wu Liang, ever talkative, recounted amusing stories of his visits to noble households.

Wu Liang had wanted the waiter to bring ink and brush to copy the proposals so Lin Zhaohe could take them home to study.

Lin Zhaohe politely declined, saying he'd seen them already and didn't need a copy—Wu Liang, knowing his classmate's exceptional talent, didn't mind.

After three rounds of wine, both were half-drunk; Lin Zhaohe said: "Xiwén, collecting these proposals to hone your writing and spark ideas has some merit."

But don't become obsessed—after all, proposals are only proposals; can they become the real examination questions?"

With only a few days left before the examination, in my view, you should spend less time visiting and banqueting, and focus entirely on the classics, refining your thoughts—that's the true path."

Wu Liang, drunk and grinning, said: "Yíchún, you're right—among these proposals, some are indeed brilliant, but there are always sharper minds."

Who in the world, in terms of scholarly depth and mastery of examination methods, could rival Master Jing'an, the former Minister of Rites, known as the Sage of Letters?"

The whole realm whispers that since his retirement fifteen years ago, he has taught his descendants at home, making the Liu family produce seven Rank Jinshi in a row—a marvel unmatched since."

Wait—I made a mistake: a few years ago, Master Jing'an's eldest grandson, Liu Bi, passed the examination in the twelfth year of Emperor Jia Zhao—now the Liu family has eight Rank Jinshi!"

Lin Zhaohe smiled: "Xiwén, you're still wrong—Lord Lord Weiyuan Weiyuan Bo Jia Cong is Master Liu's private disciple; with his Yongzhou Jieyuan talent from Yongzhou, he will surely pass this year."

Then the Liu family will have nine Rank Jinshi in one lineage."

Wu Liang looked suddenly enlightened: "Yíchún, you're absolutely right—I'd forgotten about this Lord Lord Weiyuan Bo. Since arriving in Shenyang, I've heard many say they wanted to visit Master Jing'an, but his threshold is even higher than that of the Lord Lord Weiyuan Bo's mansion."

Many who enter Kecang Mountain can't even find the Liu family's gate…"

As Wu Liang spoke, he suddenly realized something, his eyes filled with envy.

He said: "Yíchún, Master Jing'an is called the Sage of Letters—do you think he'd give Jia Cong proposed questions to practice? They'd be far superior to anything we have."

Lin Zhaohe smiled: "You can't envy that—he was blessed with a world-class teacher."

That's why I told you not to obsess over these proposals—just as you said, there are always sharper minds; in the end, they're of limited use—better to focus more on the books…"

…

Bo Jue Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

In the study, afternoon sunlight streamed in, casting the pattern of carved window lattices onto the jujube-wood floor; the concentrated beams clearly revealed the dust dancing in the air.

Jia Cong sat upright before his desk, calm and focused, writing swiftly—he was practicing the spring examination proposals compiled by Liu Jing'an.

As he wrote, his gaze often drifted to a notebook placed to his left, upon which Yilian had placed an Sun Xiuyu paperweight.

The notebook recorded the content of this practice proposal.

It read:

Bearing heavy responsibility, I toil day and night, honoring maternal grace—my feelings are profound. After fifteen years of governance, my authority has not increased, yet my benevolence has broadened.

Yet the state has not achieved the great vision I envisioned—was the failure due to inadequate moral education, or because the sovereign's edicts have not been fully embraced? …

Wu Liang, who delighted in discussing examination proposals, envied Jia Cong's teacher, the Sage of Letters, and wondered what kind of proposals Master Jing'an would give his private disciple to practice.

Had he seen the proposal Jia Cong was now writing, he would have been stunned—because the proposal Liu Jing'an gave Jia Cong was far beyond the scope of a spring examination question.

For the proposal Jia Cong was practicing was not a spring examination question at all—it was a question fit only for the palace examination.

It was crafted by Liu Jing'an based on Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's governing psychology, posing the question: after fifteen years of rule, why had the administration failed to realize the sovereign's grand vision?

This proposal asked, from the sovereign's perspective, for the essentials of governing and pacifying the realm—its scope and vision were unmatched in the known world…

Occasionally, palace examination proposals appeared among spring examination speculation, and the court never regarded them as overstepping or disrespectful—merely as scholarly discussion.

But it was exceedingly rare for a great scholar to issue such palace examination questions, for the palace questions were nominally issued by the sovereign—how could a commoner possibly fathom the emperor's mind?

Moreover, compiling palace examination proposals before the spring examination would usually become a laughingstock.

For candidates, passing the metropolitan examination is already an immense challenge.

Even if one is exceptionally talented and a provincial top scorer, no one dares claim they can pass the metropolitan examination with near certainty.

Moreover, under the Great Zhou examination system, passing the metropolitan examination grants one the status of Rank Jinshi; the palace examination merely ranks candidates—it is not a Taotai exam.

Thus, preparing mock palace examination questions is entirely superfluous, and though the court does not forbid compiling such questions, it remains somewhat sensitive.

Therefore, before each metropolitan examination, very few great scholars or eminent sages would undertake such a thankless task.

Perhaps Liu Jing'an believed his disciple possessed innate wisdom and extraordinary talent and composure, making passage of the metropolitan examination unquestionable, so he directly crafted mock questions touching on the palace examination…

He intended to use these broad-minded questions to expand his beloved disciple's thinking and insight, refining and consolidating practical abilities grounded in scholarly application.

Or perhaps this was merely a pure exercise and exploration of classical texts between master and disciple.

In any case, Jia Cong routinely practiced Liu Jing'an's mock questions within this study; after completing some, once he fully grasped them, he would casually burn them.

The study was utterly silent, with Zhen Ying Lady Lian attending nearby; whenever Jia Cong read or wrote, Zhi Shao would send word ahead, ensuring even the corridor outside the study saw little foot traffic, to avoid disturbance.

Jia Cong focused his mind and wrote:

The power of moral instruction lies not merely in words or commands, nor does authority rely solely on coercion.

Loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and fraternal duty form the teacher's way for rulers; propriety, reverence, and humility define the conduct of ministers…

…

Lady Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's courtyard.

Afternoon sunlight shone brightly; the courtyard was empty, utterly quiet, save for Feng'er sitting beneath the veranda, sewing a pair of tiger-head children's shoes.

Inside the main house, Wang Wang Xifeng chatted idly with Ping'er and Wu'er about daily affairs in the Western Courtyard, when suddenly footsteps sounded outside.

Hearing Feng'er call out "Lin Lin Meimei," Wang Wang Xifeng and the others knew Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife had arrived.

The curtain was lifted, revealing Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife smiling broadly as she entered, followed by two old maids carrying several bolts of shimmering brocade.

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife bowed to Wang Wang Xifeng, then also greeted Wu'er and Ping'er warmly.

She was a long-time servant in the household, well-versed in the affairs of both mansions; though Wu'er and Ping'er were currently maids, they would one day become concubines in Cong Sanye's quarters.

They would be more honored than even the current Second Madam, and this was no exaggeration—Cong Sanye held the Lady Rongguo hereditary title, which could be inherited regardless of legitimacy.

If either of these two women were blessed with great fortune and bore sons who inherited the Lady Rongguo title, they would no longer be ordinary concubines—they could easily earn a noble title.

Thus, someone as astute and worldly as Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife, even when others were still lowly, would never neglect proper courtesies; she would warm the cold hearth before it was needed.

She smiled: "Second Madam, days ago you instructed me to purchase high-quality patterned fabrics—I've kept it firmly in mind.

This morning I had free time, went out for half a day, and just happened to acquire everything."

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife gestured for the two maids to bring forward the brocades for Wang Wang Xifeng to examine closely.

Four bolts were presented: vivid in color, radiant yet refined, unmistakably top-grade brocade.

One was crimson with gold-threaded floral patterns; one was vermilion with gold-threaded lotus motifs; one was moon-white with silver-threaded bamboo designs; one was treasure-blue with round brocade patterns.

Wang Wang Xifeng examined them carefully, then lightly touched the fabric, smiling: "Indeed top-grade material—you have excellent taste; you've chosen perfectly.

The other day in Rongqing Hall, Grandma told me that April 15 is Jia Baoyu's fifteenth birthday, and I must remember to make him two new robes.

I thought, next month the 21st is Third Brother's birthday; if Jia Baoyu gets new clothes, Third Brother cannot be left out.

I've chosen the moon-white and treasure-blue for Third Brother—I'm certain he'll look splendid. Wu'er, Ping'er, take a look too—if you think it's unsuitable, we'll buy more."

…

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife naturally understood Wang Wang Xifeng's implication: by proper protocol, Jia Baoyu's fabric purchases should no longer come from the Western Courtyard's public funds, but from the Eastern Courtyard's allotted stipend.

No one knew whether Grandma was confused, or simply accustomed to old habits—she had directly assigned Wang Wang Xifeng to handle the purchase.

Even so, both were her grandsons, born in the same year; she remembered Jia Baoyu's birthday but forgot to mention Jia Cong's, which fell in the adjacent month.

When Du Du Jinniang gave birth to Jia Cong in the Eastern Courtyard, the household suffered one death after another, even Lady Rongguo Duke Jia Jia Daishan seemed cursed to death.

Thus, Jia Mu harbored deep estrangement toward Jia Cong's birth; for the first ten years of his life, Jia Cong grew up in the Eastern Courtyard, and Jia Mu had barely seen him.

She probably couldn't even recall clearly what day Jia Cong was born…

But while Jia Mu might be forgetful, Wang Wang Xifeng now managed Jia Cong's affairs—she could not afford the slightest lapse.

To others, this was trivial; to Wang Wang Xifeng, it was a matter of major household status—she could not afford even a hint of error, lest others speculate.

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "Second Madam's thinking is sound. But privately, I feel merely making birthday robes for Cong Sanye isn't enough—next month he will sit for the spring metropolitan examination.

Everyone outside says Cong Sanye's talent surpasses all others; he may well return as zhuangyuan. Such a glorious occasion demands several new robes for the exam hall—otherwise, it would seem too plain."

Wang Wang Xifeng's smile brightened; she found Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife exceedingly skillful in speech and conduct.

She laughed: "You're older and wiser than I am—this is exactly how it should be done. In the coming days, when you have time, go pick out a few more fine bolts for Third Brother."

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife promptly agreed with a smile.

Wang Wang Xifeng ordered Wu'er and Ping'er to each take one bolt—the moon-white with silver-threaded bamboo and the treasure-blue with round brocade—and deliver them to Jia Cong for his approval.

She added casually: "These fabrics look like top-tier Su Zhou embroidery—surely not cheap. How much did you pay per bolt?"

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "Though fine, the price was very reasonable—eight taels per bolt."

Wang Wang Xifeng was surprised: "Ordinarily, such fabric costs at least ten taels; during festivals, twelve taels is standard. How did you get it so cheap?"

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife's smile turned mysterious: "These bolts, if traced to their source, all came from Second Madam's dowry shops…" (End of Chapter)