Chapter 16

"Little Master, don't laugh," Zhu Qing said.

Wang Ju looked at these two people, thinking that this employer really had some forward-thinking ideas. He tentatively said to Zhu Jun, "My family is very poor."

"I'm not afraid of hardship."

Wang Ju was at a loss, not afraid of hardship, well, then let you taste some hardship.

"Is that so? Follow me."

Wang Ju led Zhu Jun to the riverbank.

"Our dynasty, though weak in martial prowess, has had four successive rulers who can be considered capable. Looking through history, such a situation is extremely rare. Most dynasties can only maintain their rule for the first three generations, and it's even rarer to have a ruler who can revive the dynasty, like Emperor Xuan of Han, who could start and finish well. Rulers are like this, and so are the wealthy and powerful. Why is that?"

"I know this. In the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong of Tang asked his ministers whether it was harder to start a business or to maintain it. Fang Xuanling said that in the early days, one had to compete with many heroes to subdue them, so starting a business was hard. Wei Zheng said that all emperors in history have gained their thrones through hardship but lost them through ease, so maintaining it is hard. They lost it through ease."

A bookworm, his knowledge wouldn't be bad, Zhu Jun immediately used a historical reference to answer.

"Why do they lose it through ease?"

Zhu Jun was speechless.

"Those who start a business build their foundation from nothing, so they know how to cherish it. But the successors easily inherit the foundation, so they don't know how to cherish it. This is what Wei Zheng meant. My father died early in battle, and life was hard. To survive, we had to resort to any means. Therefore, the employer sees this and wants you to learn some flexibility by following me, to help you inherit the family business in the future. But Second Master, I am several years younger than you, so how can I know the principles of life and learning? Look at this field of crops, they are about to be harvested, and they are what I planted."

This field had beans, sorghum, and some yams, about ten acres in total.

In the spring, Wang Ju, with the help of his second uncle and other villagers, roughly plowed the land and sowed the seeds. Occasionally, he would come to water, fertilize, or weed, but due to his lack of strength, it was almost like slash-and-burn farming, relying mostly on the heavens for a good harvest.

So they didn't grow very well.

However, if all were harvested, they could yield about a thousand pounds of grain, enough to feed a family of three.

"Getting it easily cannot be changed."

Zhu Qing couldn't help but laugh.

This was a fact. Could the employer donate his property and let the two young masters start from scratch?

Zhu Jun's lips curled involuntarily. Although he had become a bookworm, he was not willing to be taught by a young boy, but he had to come to this hard place out of fear of his father's authority.

"It's not without a solution. Why did Emperor Xuan of Han become the only true reviver of his dynasty?"

Emperor Renzong of Song did well in civil governance, but he was too weak in the northwest, and he was not as good as the young Emperor Huizong. In his later years, due to health issues and the lack of an heir, he gradually lost interest in state affairs. Under the governance of the good-natured Fu Bi and the power-hungry Han Qi, the Song Dynasty gradually accumulated significant hidden dangers. Therefore, in Wang Ju's mind, Emperor Renzong could not be considered a reviver.

"Emperor Xuan of Han grew up among the common people, knew their hardships, and was taught by the famous minister Huo Guang, so he became a reviver." Zhu Jun answered disdainfully.

"Yes, this experience of growing up among the common people is very important. The employer sent you to my home, not for your studies. In terms of studies, I probably need to learn from you. It's also not about how to behave, as I am just a child, what do I know about behavior? The employer's intention is to let you taste some hardship. By tasting hardship, you will understand how difficult others' lives are. I plan to harvest these crops in the next day or two. You will also participate in the harvest. If you can't do it, staying at my home will be of no use."

Wang Ju could see that this Second Master was mostly a bookworm, so the "employer" had made up his mind. But what could this bookworm teach him?

If he could teach him well, Zhu Huan would have done it long ago.

Since he couldn't teach him anything, he would let him taste hardship.

This was the true principle of life and learning, Zhu Qing thought to himself.

"Alright," Zhu Jun replied.

Alright, you won't be able to do it, Wang Ju thought. But this is good, at least there will be a half-laborer at home, and he was worried about how to harvest the crops...

"The employer asked me to ask you, do you want to take the imperial exams in the future?"

After Wang Ju returned, Zhu Qing invited him to Yan Prefecture, but Wang Ju refused. Zhu Qing then asked about Zhao Nianu, and Wang Ju evaded the question. Then Zhu Qing saw Wang Ju often reading books diligently, which led to this question.

"Yes," Wang Ju said.

"The employer asked me to tell you that if you have confidence, he is willing to recommend you to enter the prefectural school."

"The prefectural school," Wang Ju's eyes lit up. To take the imperial exams, one must study for several hundred days in the prefectural or county school. To enter the prefectural or county school, one needs three candidates to vouch for them, and there are other rules, which were part of Fan Zhongyan's reform of the imperial exams.

Of course, entering the prefectural or county school would be very helpful for Wang Ju.

Don't think the imperial exams are that simple.

For example, the "Tiejing Mo Yi" (fill-in-the-blank and explanation questions) requires one to be extremely familiar with the "Analects," "Spring and Autumn Annals," and "Book of Rites" to avoid mistakes.

There is a story about Su Dongpo, who wrote "On the Utmost Loyalty and Generosity in Punishment and Reward" in his exam, using the example of Yao and Gao Yao restraining each other in the law. Ouyang Xiu didn't know the source, so he asked Su Dongpo when he met him. Su Dongpo replied, "It's just a reasonable assumption."

People might laugh it off.

But Ouyang Xiu, without a large reference library, saw the lack of a source and questioned it, showing his familiarity with various books, not unlike a simplified version of Baidu.

This kind of rote memorization allowed Xin Qiji to cram countless references into his short poem "Yongyu Le."

But "Tiejing Mo Yi" is just the first step. The rest includes poetry, essays, and policy discussions. Not only must the writing be good, but the ideas must also align with the examiner's taste to pass.

So talent is one part, and luck is another. In the imperial exams of the second year of Jiayou, future reformers like Deng Wan, Lu Huiqing, Lin Xi, and Zeng Bu, the versatile Wang Shao and Zhang Dun, the literary master Zeng Gong, the Confucian scholars Zhang Zai, Lu Dajun, and Cheng Hao, and the illustrious Su brothers... how could someone like Zhang Heng, who is unknown in history, have a chance?

For example, Sun Fu, the foremost of the Three Masters of Mount Tai, was known for his mastery of the Six Classics but failed four times in the imperial exams, so he retired to Mount Tai to teach. Another famous scholar, Hu Yuan, was said to be skilled in writing at seven and proficient in the Five Classics by fifteen, more impressive than the young prodigy Fang Zhongyong, but he failed seven times.

This is luck...

But before lamenting luck, one must have the ability to fill one's mind with knowledge.

Wang Ju was determined to take the imperial exams because he was a top student in his previous life. What is a top student? Someone who may not be useful in society but excels in exams.

But his knowledge and science were clearly different.

To use an analogy, one is a famous Peking Opera performer, and the other is a pop singer. The former is more difficult, but the latter might not be able to sing pop songs well.

Similarly, there is a learning process.

This learning process requires not only self-study but also interaction.

But what can one learn at the Yan Prefecture school? It hasn't produced a Jinshi (imperial scholar) in a hundred years!

Moreover, he has a younger brother and sister. Living in the village is cheap, but in the city, everything costs money. How can he support a family of three?

"Thank the employer for his kindness, but I need to study for a few more years..."

This was not an excuse.

If it were about understanding, he could learn quickly on his own. But it's not just about understanding; it's also about rote memorization.

For example, if the topic is "the beginning of the wind," one must have read the "Mao Shi" to know how to write about it.

Having read and memorized the "Mao Shi" and its commentary, one would know, "The beginning of the wind is to educate the people and correct the relationship between husband and wife, so it is used among the people and in the state. The beginning of the wind refers to the fifteen states' songs, which are the teachings of the feudal lords... The commentary says: The sequence of the 'Mao Shi' states that the virtue of the Empress is the beginning of the cultural influence of King Wen. King Wen's influence started with his wife, so this is the beginning of the cultural teachings, to educate the people and correct the relationship between husband and wife."

Based on this commentary, one can form ideas and write essays and poems.

"That's fine. If... you can succeed, I will persuade the employer to help you. If you work harder, once you enter the prefectural school, I will ensure you pass the provincial exams."

Don't think that because Yan Prefecture's education is backward, it's easy to pass the provincial exams.

The number of slots is allocated based on the situation, and the state must provide a significant amount of money and silk to cover the travel and living expenses of the candidates. Developed regions get more slots, while backward regions get fewer.

In Yan Prefecture, which focuses on military preparedness, only a few slots are given for the provincial exams.

Moreover, to prevent sudden invasions by the Western Xia, the provincial exams are often overseen by vice officials like the Censor or the Assistant Magistrate, leading to more corruption.

Unless one has exceptional talent that the examiner cannot ignore, it's hard for poor candidates to pass.

Even with exceptional talent, the examiner might not have the eye to recognize it.

If the Zhu family helps, Wang Ju will have a better chance of passing the first stage of the imperial exams. But that would require a lot of money to bribe officials.

It's said that in the second year of Xianping, a candidate named Ren Yi spent 300 taels of silver to buy a Jinshi title from Wang Qinruo, and the case was exposed in the fifth year of Xianping. Although the talented Hong Zhan became a scapegoat for Wang Qinruo, the case led to stricter examination rules, and over 61 years, the value of a Jinshi title increased. If one could buy a Jinshi title now, even if it were exposed, it would cost at least 10,000 strings of cash. Even for a provincial candidate, it would cost at least 1,000 strings of cash.

In Yan Prefecture, it's really hard to take the right path, even for a provincial candidate.

In short, the Zhu family is trying to do a favor, and you have to accept it.

PS: For more on how Fan Zhongyan's reforms affected the imperial exams, see the related content. One more update, please support with favorites and recommendations.

Steel, steel, steel

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