Chapter 13 of 100

Chapter 13: Whose Talent Can Match the World's?

13 min read3,355 wordsMature

Placing Han Gang's breakfast on the table, Han A-li looked at the books spread out on the table and felt a bit puzzled. Her third son used to write poems and lyrics, accumulating over a hundred by the time he was fifteen or sixteen. Why, after being sick for so many days, did he only focus on reading and practicing archery, and not write any more poems?

"Third Brother, why have you only been reading and practicing archery these days, and not writing any poems?" Han A-li asked.

Han Gang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "In the past, my studies were not profound, so I didn't realize how poor my poetry was. But after I joined Mr. Zhang's school, I realized I was like a frog at the bottom of a well. Compared to my classmates, my poetic talent is far inferior."

"Oh..." Han A-li's voice carried a hint of disappointment. Third Brother had always been her favorite son, a source of pride she could boast about to neighbors and relatives, and she had hoped he would bring glory to the family. She never expected that after two years of studying outside, he would come back and say he was far inferior to others.

Seeing her reaction, Han Gang quickly explained, "However, when it comes to the principles of the classics, I am still quite good, and Mr. Zhang has praised me many times. The study of the classics is the most serious and important, surpassing poetry and lyrics."

Hearing this, Han A-li's face lit up with joy. "Mr. Zhang is a star from heaven; what he says is never wrong! Third Brother, you must listen to Mr. Zhang, study hard, and pass the imperial exams to bring glory to the family."

Han Gang acknowledged her advice and watched as Han A-li left the room with a smile. This was the heart of a parent. Hearing their child praise themselves would only bring joy, without a hint of doubt. However, what Han A-li said was also the wish of his original body for over a decade. His predecessor had focused entirely on studying and becoming an official, and this influence might have affected him. But more likely, it was the deep-seated desire for power and wealth that the current Han Gang felt. Inheriting the academic common knowledge of this era and possessing knowledge from a thousand years later, Han Gang was more confident and ambitious than his predecessor.

Even with the knowledge of two eras, passing the imperial exams was still like fishing for the moon in the water. The imperial exams mainly tested poetry and lyrics, along with a bit of policy and classics. Han Gang was very self-aware; his predecessor's poetic talent was already unbearable, and after inheriting it, it became even worse. Trying to pass the imperial exams was completely unrealistic, and even passing the preliminary exams at the prefectural level would be difficult.

Moreover, according to Han Gang's knowledge, those who passed the preliminary exams were called tribute students or candidates. Unlike the candidates of later times, this was not a lifelong qualification but a one-time eligibility. If you passed the preliminary exams and failed the imperial exams in the capital, you would have to retake the preliminary exams three years later to regain the qualification to go to the capital.

Unless the court changed the examination system from poetry and lyrics to classics and policy, Han Gang had no hope of becoming an imperial scholar. Despite this, Han Gang never considered plagiarizing poems from the future. Without a solid foundation, don't deceive others. You can deceive for a while, but not forever. Poetry and lyrics are not just about copying a few lines of bad poetry.

Even if he gained some fame with a couple of poems, what would he do if someone invited him to a banquet? At banquets, poems are often composed to add to the festivities. Could a plagiarist compose a fitting poem on the spot?

The social activities of literati in this era mainly involved poetry gatherings. Han Gang's memory included several such experiences. At poetry gatherings, poems are composed with specific rhymes and themes. The poems must fit the context and cannot be random. Han Gang did not believe he could compose a good poem under such constraints. There were also joint compositions where participants took turns to compose lines of a long poem, a practice mentioned in ancient novels like "Dream of the Red Chamber."

If most of his poems were mediocre and only a few were good, his performance at poetry gatherings would be embarrassing. Such a stark contrast would raise suspicions. If someone who usually scored 80 suddenly got a perfect score, it could be seen as improvement. But if someone who usually scored 20 suddenly got a perfect score, who would believe it?

Han Gang's predecessor's memory included many famous literary collections, with detailed directories. Poems and lyrics were only a small part; there were also memorials, essays, biographies, and other literary forms. To pass as a literary master, one must be proficient in various styles. It's not enough to just compose a few poems; one must also write memorials, biographies, and other documents.

You can find an excuse to stop writing poems, but when people ask you to write memorials, epitaphs, or records, you can't refuse, especially from family and friends. How could you deceive them? In fact, without real talent, who could deceive for decades?

People are devious, and literati are even more so. Jiang Yan was mocked for his declining talent. If one's poetic talent fluctuates, and only a few good poems are produced, could it be avoided that people would suspect plagiarism?

Moreover, being good at poetry does not mean being good at governance. Few high-ranking officials in history were known for their literary talent. Li Bai and Du Fu lived in poverty all their lives; why add his name to the list? Besides, there are many paths to becoming an official, not just the imperial exams. Shaanxi has always had few imperial scholars, but many officials, so it's not necessary to pass the imperial exams.

In addition to the imperial exams, the court also held other examinations, such as the Mingjing (Mingjing) exams, to select talent. Han Gang's knowledge of the classics was good, and the Mingjing exams were not difficult. There was a saying, "Thirty is old for the Mingjing, fifty is young for the Jinshi." At thirty, passing the Mingjing was considered old, but at fifty, passing the Jinshi was still young. With the foundation left by his predecessor, Han Gang believed that with a few years of hard work, passing the Mingjing would be much easier than the Jinshi.

Even if he didn't want to take the exams, Han Gang had another path to an official position through recommendations, which was also a source of his confidence. The northwest was frequently at war, and the demand for talent was much higher than in other regions. Han Gang was practicing archery to gain a reputation. As long as he had more literary talent than a warrior and more martial skills than a literatus, and with his intelligence and eloquence, getting a position would not be difficult.

More than twenty years ago, Li Yuanhao raised the banner of rebellion against the Song, and the Tangut cavalry rampaged through the northwest without restraint. At that time, the Northern Song had not heard the sound of war for over thirty years, and there was no one in the court to use. Famous ministers like Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi successively came to the northwest and stabilized the situation in Shaanxi. During this period, many talented people from Guanzhong gained recommendations and entered the court. Many low-ranking soldiers also rose to prominence.

Han Gang's teacher, Zhang Zai, could have been one of them. Zhang Zai once submitted a memorial to Fan Zhongyan, planning to recapture Qingtang Tibet as a flank to attack the Tanguts. Later, due to Fan Zhongyan's advice, Zhang Zai abandoned military pursuits and took the imperial exams, beginning to teach and lecture. However, he never forgot to teach his disciples military strategy, and among the various Confucian schools in the Song Dynasty, Zhang Zai's Guanzhong school placed the greatest emphasis on military strategy.

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