Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 153 0148 [Team Examination "Alchemy"]

In the Song Dynasty, there was an eunuch organization named Yuyaoyuan, which specialized in collecting medicinal materials and prescriptions and serving the emperor's daily meals.

Gradually, the emperor's daily wear was also in charge of them.

Then he participated in the palace examination, responsible for printing the examination papers, sealing the examination papers, announcing the palace examination regulations, participating in the palace examination affairs throughout the whole process, and assisting in the drafting of the first grade of Jinshi.

The eunuchs of the Royal Medicine Academy have powers related to politics, diplomacy, economy, military, and imperial examinations, and are often responsible for drafting the emperor's imperial edict.

This department is very similar to the inspector of ceremonies in the Ming Dynasty, and it is a tool for the emperor to fight for power with civil officials!
There have also been some fierce people, such as Li Xian, the coach of Xihe Kaibian, who was born as a eunuch in the Imperial Medicine Academy.

At the time of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, although the scale of the Royal Medicine Academy was large, it was difficult to meet the needs of the emperor.The Royal Medicine Institute was reformed in the second year of Xining, and a higher-level unit was changed, and the emperor's clothing was handed over to the Shangyi Bureau.

Now it is undergoing reform again, Shangyao Bureau and Yuyaoyuan are separated, and Yuyaoyuan is no longer the only one.

During the reform, Yang Qiu, the eunuch who often imitated the emperor's handwriting and illegally promulgated the imperial decree...is missing.

In the past two years, Song Huizong finally realized that something was wrong. While dividing Cai Jing's party members, he was also dividing the increasingly arrogant eunuch group.

This year's scientific examination scholars are really lucky, so don't worry about cheating too much in the imperial examination.

Because, Shangyao Bureau and Yuyaoyuan just separated power.The eunuchs were busy dismantling each other, staring at each other, no one dared to leak the questions when printing the test papers, and no one dared to collude with the examiners when sealing the test papers.

……

In 670, a tribute came to wait outside the Jiying Hall early.

In the dark, Zhu Ming stood for a while, yawning from sleepiness.

Suddenly, the guard seemed to be shouting something.

Gong Shi in the front row filed in, and Zhu Ming, who stood at the end, followed the crowd.

The seats in the hall test were randomized, and Zhu Ming found his own seat, which was at the east end of the hall.

The sky was dimly bright, the emperor was ascended to the palace, and ceremonies and music were played.

Congratulations from all the scholars.

Zhu Ming was too far away from Song Huizong, so he couldn't see what this guy looked like.

Immediately afterwards, the eunuch distributed the test papers.

The palace test paper, engraved and printed, has more than 500 characters in the title.

Candidates were stunned when they got the test papers. This year, they actually took the "Book of Changes Can Tong Qi" exam!
Obviously, this is an exam question that Song Huizong personally posed, and has nothing to do with the official of the Ministry of Rites.

The next palace exam is also outrageous, and the test is about the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic", which is about the five yun and six qi.That is to say, the theory of luck led to an upsurge in the study of luck in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

Bai Chongyan looked left and right, he had never read "Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi".

Qin Hui also has a head as big as a bucket, so how should he answer the question?

This situation, while not common, is not the first time.

Zhao Guangyi once wrote the question himself, and the examinees were "frightened and apprehensive" and "did not dare to write words".Even the number one scholar and the second place in the list couldn't figure out the source of the test questions, and they ranked among the best purely by literary talent and ignorance.

It's pretty good now, and I also told you that the test questions are from "Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi".

The book "Zhouyi Cantongqi" mainly talks about tripods, medicines, heat, and Taoism.

No matter how absurd Song Huizong was, he did not dare to test alchemy directly, but chose a more serious one: the head of the imperial government, reform and reform.Guan Kuo Wei Mi, Kai Shu Bu Bao.The key points are the key handles, and the key points are unified.Yaoxiang moves inside, good and bad rises outside, the five latitudes are staggered, and they are moved in time...

There are a total of more than 500 words in the test questions, but Bai Chongyan only understands the first 24 words.

After thinking about it, I bit the bullet and wrote about the benefits of the reform to Yuzheng.It really made him half right. Anyway, at least it has something to do with the test questions, and it is also in line with the political correctness of Cai Jing's reform.

In fact, the exam questions not only include alchemy content, but even Taoist priests interpret it as both cultivation and supplementation.It's just very obscure, people who don't know Taoism can't understand it at all, and think that the whole article is about the governance of the monarch and his ministers.

Zhu Ming had read "Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi" before traveling, and was fooled by Xue Daoguang in various ways, so he had a different understanding of this book (the method of outer alchemy was explained as the method of inner alchemy).

While studying ink and observing, Zhu Ming looked at Song Huizong from a distance.

Do you want to write a paper on inner alchemy cultivation for the emperor?

Forget it, lose your share.

Zhu Ming sat there thinking, until Song Huizong left, he took up a pen and wrote the topic: Self-cultivation, family governance and national governance.

The policy theory of the palace examination in the late Northern Song Dynasty was limited to 1200 characters, but it was also allowed to exceed some characters.

Zhu Ming was so bold that he even promoted his "Tao Yong" school of thought in the palace examination essay.

The opening chapter quotes "Book of Changes" to tell the truth that people's daily use is Tao.Citing the "Book of Rites" again, it is said that they are interlinked, and talk about the commonality of self-cultivation, family regulation and state governance.

The method of self-cultivation is the unity of Confucianism and Taoism, both internal and external.

He also compared "refinement into Qi, refinement of Qi into spirit, refinement of spirit to return emptiness, refinement of emptiness to harmonize Tao" as the various steps of Qi family governance.

Essence is the people of the world.

Qi is the wealth produced by all peoples.

God is the operating order of the national court.

Refining the virtual and combining the Tao is to perfectly integrate the spirit, energy and spirit to achieve the harmony and unity of the country, wealth and people.

In the first few hundred words, he catered to Song Huizong's obsession with Taoism.In the next few hundred words, he advised Song Huizong not to exploit too much, otherwise it would destroy the harmony of spirit and spirit.This is not good for cultivating Taoism and keeping in good health, and it is also not good for governing the country.

In the end, it fully fits the superficial and inner meaning of "Zhouyi Cantongqi", comparing governing the country to alchemy, only with both energy and spirit can it be complete.If the people are not treated well, the refined golden elixir will have flaws.

The theory of "Tao Yong School" is mixed in the whole process.

I kept writing until dark, and after repeated revisions, I copied it on the blank answer sheet.

After handing in the papers, the palace servants lit lanterns and sent the scholars away.

Everyone didn't dare to make noise, and only chattered when they left the palace gate.

Qin Hui said distressedly: "How can I test "Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi"? My answer is how the monarch and ministers govern the country."

Bai Chongyan said: "What I wrote is reform."

Lin Xun leaned forward: "I also wrote about reforms, but I tend to respect rituals and go back to the old."

Most of the scholars seemed to be in great pain, who would go to the Taoist scriptures if they had nothing to do?

The topic of this palace examination was spread, causing scholars all over the world to study "Zhouyi Cantong Qi" one after another.No one expected that the next time they would take the "Huangdi Neijing" exam, they would specialize in the theory of luck in it.

"What did you successfully write?" Bai Chongyan asked.

Zhu Ming said: "Cultivate one's self and govern one's family."

Everyone discussed repeatedly, all guessing the emperor's thoughts on the topic, and they continued to talk all the way out of the city and back to the inn.

There are also scholars secretly delighted.

For example, the three brothers He Su, He Tang, and He Ju from central Sichuan all passed the Jinshi examination this year.Moreover, he is a disciple of Shu School, and he usually likes to read Buddhist scriptures and Taoist books, and he has thoroughly studied "Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi".

He Su in history was the number one scholar in the current department, and later impeached and brought down treacherous officials such as Wang Fu, and was also responsible for negotiating with Jin Bing during the Jingkang period.

At the beginning, they were the main combat faction, and gradually turned into promoting peace through war.

Because of his advocacy of Taoism, he also led the event of "Liujia Shenbing defending the city".At this point, he was in a hurry and went to the doctor in a hurry.

After making a big mistake, He Su and Zhang Shuye led the army to fight in the street, and the golden soldiers agreed to peace talks.The Jin people asked Song Qinzong to go out of the city to negotiate in person, and he also asked He Su to go back and spread the word, and then... there was no more.

He Su's behavior during the Jingkang period was sometimes correct, and sometimes confused. He not only figured out the stupid trick of letting Liujia soldiers participate in the battle, but also had the fucking courage to organize street fighting.When I went to the Jinbing camp, although I was so frightened that I became weak all over, I still kept my dignity and tried my best to reduce the loss of negotiations for Da Song.

In the end, he died of a hunger strike. He is a complex character that is difficult to evaluate.

……

The eunuchs of Shangyao Bureau and Yuyaoyuan are hostile and competitive with each other, always watching each other's mistakes and omissions.

When the answer sheets of the palace examination were vague, no one cheated, let alone colluded with foreign ministers.

This year is the first imperial examination after decentralization, and they haven't won yet.

And the officials of the Ministry of Rites didn't even know what the exam questions were, because after Song Huizong locked the courtyard, he temporarily changed the palace exam questions.

The palace examination articles in the late Northern Song Dynasty were also transcribed into Zhujuan, and the handwriting could not be recognized without removing the name.

There are 10 preliminary examiners, and Chen Xun, the son of the country, is one of them.

After reading Ju Ming's test paper, Chen Xun had already guessed whose paper it was from the theory of "Taoism" mixed in it, and directly commented: "Hey talk, weird talk, I don't know what it means."

After the first-time examiners wrote their comments, they had to hand them over to the re-examiners for review.

Examiner Qiang Yuanming read Zhu Ming's papers and gave completely opposite comments: he is quick-witted, clear-cut, and full of advice. He is also a man of integrity.

Qiang Yuanming is Cai Jing's old buddy, a veteran of the Cai party.

But now he has jumped out of the five elements and no longer gets involved in political struggles. He is an imperial party with peace of mind and is responsible for the prince's education by the way.

Since he is an imperial party, he naturally knows how to figure out the holy will.

Zhu Ming's article, the first few hundred words are all about cultivation, the emperor must like it after reading it, and Qiang Yuanming must give it a good review.As for the content of the admonition in the next few hundred words, it is also in line with the political correctness of Confucianism.

There was also the truly upright minister who frowned after reading the article, not knowing Ju Ming's position.

In the first half, he talked about self-cultivation, and talked about refining and transforming qi. It was a piece of nonsense. He was obviously a person who indulged in Taoism, and he was likely to flatter the emperor with Taoism.

In the second half, it talks about governing the country, and it is strictly implementing the words of advice, admonishing the emperor to treat the people well.

Is this person right or wrong?

Ever since, these honest examiners rated Ju Ming's paper as low-to-medium.First, it refuted his mixing Taoism with Confucianism, and then affirmed Zhu Ming's words of advice.

The final rating is A.

The eunuchs of Shangyao Bureau and Yuyaoyuan don't care about the examinee's essays, and they talk about Taoism in general.

He soon quarreled with the ministers. The eunuchs at this time did not have as much power as in the Southern Song Dynasty, so they couldn't quarrel with those civil officials.

In the end, the two sides reached a compromise. Among the top ten, the top nine were according to the wishes of the civil servants, and No. 10 was decided by the eunuch.

However, eunuchs still have the power to send papers!
Originally, ten papers were supposed to be delivered to the emperor, but the eunuchs sent a full sixteen.Three copies from Shangyao Bureau and three copies from Yuyaoyuan, all of which are related to Taoism, just to make the emperor happy.

Sixteen papers were placed in front of Huizong of Song Dynasty. After listening to two papers carefully, he felt that the speed was too slow, so he decided to read them by himself.

He Su's answer sheet contained an eloquent discussion of Taoism, and was written in such a brilliant way that the emperor, eunuchs, and civil officials all liked it.The undisputed number one pick!
After reading the No. 13 papers, Song Huizong's eyes lit up: "Refining essence to transform qi, refining qi to transform gods, refining gods to return emptiness, refining emptiness to harmonize Taoism? This is also a master of Taoism! It's even rarer to know both Confucianism and Taoism, citing scriptures, Truly a pillar of the country."

(End of this chapter)