Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 438 Palace Examination Question "On the Offensive and Defensive Changes of the Han and Hungarian Dynasties"

The announcement of the results for the general examination lasted for a long time, and many people who failed to win the exam also left angrily.

The high school students were also among the crowd's congratulations. They went to teahouses, wine shops, music studios, and Gou Lan to entertain their high school classmates and comfort their friends from the same hometown who had not yet succeeded.

After all, after this meal, even if they were classmates and friends, their fates were completely different.

However, Zhao Mu came here to watch the excitement, but he also missed his "apprenticeship ceremony". According to the rules of the imperial examination, Zhao Mu, as the examiner of this examination, the candidates he selected will be regarded as his disciples from now on.

But Zhao Mu hid out deliberately. The reason was very simple, that is, he didn't want to have much to do with these people. First of all, it was his age. As a young man in his twenties, he couldn't bear to be a teacher for a group of old scholars in their forties and fifties.

Besides, if they entered the Jiying Hall and took part in the palace examination three days later, they would be considered disciples of the emperor. And he is still the one presiding over the palace examination this time, and it will not be too late to let these people see him when the time comes.

Although Zhao Mu did not receive his disciples, someone still sent gifts of thanks to Zhao Mu's house.

The people who gave the gifts were naturally the officials' children who were specially cared for by Zhao Mu. However, they did not send it directly. Instead, they entrusted Duke Xin and Prince Deng to send people to see him off. He also handed over his greeting card and wanted to come and meet Zhao Mu.

However, Zhao Mu did not give them these opportunities. Before Zhao Mulin went out, he had already ordered the Conglong Guards at the door. As long as it was a gift, unless it was a gift from the emperor, he would not accept any of it. Just send it away. Besides, given his status, it would be too worthless if he could meet everyone.

Zhenzong's signing of the Chanyuan Alliance with the Liao Kingdom was a national humiliation, just like the Han Dynasty's bottomless peace policy towards the Xiongnu.

After all, the imperial examination is a major matter for the country and is not something to be trifled with. The emperor was ill at this time. If he didn't send someone to appear, or even postponed the exam, it might become the biggest joke in the history of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Mu saw the profound meaning of Zhe Zong's palace examination questions. Zhe Zong was just using the past to describe the present. The Song Dynasty today is exactly the same as the Han Dynasty back then.

During the final discussion between the monarch and his ministers, Zhao Mu changed the question. The test question was finally revised to "On the offensive and defensive changes of Han and Hungarians."

Just one day before the palace examination began, Zhezong summoned Zhao Mu again to discuss the questions for the palace examination.

This time, the scope of the palace examination questions proposed by Zhezong was history.

And Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Wei Huo to attack the Xiongnu in the north, just like today when Zhao Mu led his army to defeat the Liao Kingdom and regain the two states.

The test is about the change of Han Dynasty's strategy against the Xiongnu, from making peace to using force. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed the Han Dynasty's fraternal policy and attacked the Huns from the north, expanded the territory, and recovered the countries in the Western Region. Is it right or wrong? and its influence on the Han regime in later generations.

Although the officials were in an uproar, Zhezong's move caught them off guard by killing him first and then showing off. After all, it was time for the palace examination tomorrow, and he was off the hook at this time. The others did not prepare any words and could only agree with Zhe Zong's decision.

It is really appropriate to use this as a question in the imperial examination.

After deciding on the final palace examination questions, Zhezong announced in public that he was unwell and appointed King Qi to preside over this palace examination.

The final test of the imperial examination, the imperial examination, finally began.

All the candidates taking the palace examination were already waiting outside the palace gate at that time. They lined up outside the Meridian Gate to be inspected by the guards. This time, except for the admission number plate issued by the Ministry of Etiquette, they did not need to bring anything else. The necessary pens, inks, paper and inkstones have been prepared for them in Jiying Palace. After the bell rang at Mao hour, everyone entered the imperial city through the Meridian Gate one after another.

However, after entering the door, the exam does not start immediately. After they sat down according to their numbers in the Jiying Hall, the eunuchs served each of the candidates who came to participate in the palace examination a plate of snacks and a bowl of porridge. But even though this thing is served, there is not much to eat.

In order to prevent themselves from eating too much and needing to go to the toilet, these poor people lose the time to think about every word, which is very bad. Therefore, it is enough to make up for the things in the examination room a little, and do not be greedy and ruin things.

At Chen hour, Zhao Mu, who was responsible for presiding over the palace examination, appeared.

Zhao Mu was dressed quite gorgeously today. He was wearing a python robe that Zhe Zong ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make for Zhao Mu. The python robe and golden crown are quite majestic.

However, although Zhao Mu was presiding over the Enke palace examination on behalf of Zhe Zong, he could not sit on Zhe Zong's dragon chair in the main hall. The imperial examination has always been presided over by the emperor. Although Zhao Mu was a subordinate, he was also an imperial envoy of a prince. Sitting in the position of a subordinate minister also somewhat lost the dignity of the emperor.

So Zhezong compromised and placed Zhao Mu's position under the throne of Jiying Hall. Just like the etiquette of a prince coming to court.

In this way, after Zhao Mu said a few words, he ordered the chief of the Ministry of Rites to hang up the examination questions, and the palace examination began immediately.

The palace examination was held during the day, starting from Chen hour and ending at the first hour of You hour in the evening. During this period, the candidates for the palace examination are not allowed to move around at will. Even if they go to the toilet, they must be escorted by two imperial guards. The imperial dining room in the middle will serve them some snacks to satisfy their hunger.

The same goes for Zhao Mu. He stayed with them all day at Jiying Palace. From time to time, Zhao Mu would walk among the candidates and look at their answers.

Most people's answers made Zhao Mu feel a little unsatisfactory.

This is because the evaluation criteria of most candidates are to evaluate Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty from the perspective of historical records and the history between Han and Hungary. and those historical figures.

And most of them are excerpts from Sima Qian's works.

The conversion of offense and defense between Han and Huns was only written in a one-sided way. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty abolished the peace policy, and then developed cavalry and used famous generals such as Wei Huo to defeat the Huns and drove the Huns back to Mobei Yunyun. The key points of the transformation have also been written down. It is the accumulation of Wen and Jing's rule that supported Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's military aggression.

Most of the candidates criticized Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty for his various shortcomings, while describing very little of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's achievements, and even briefly mentioning most of them.

As for the evaluations of Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and Li Guang who fought against the Huns, they all copied Sima Qian's evaluations.

He said that Wei Qing and Huo Qubing's achievements in resisting the Huns were worthy of recognition, but then the conversation changed and he used Sima Qian's tone to say that the two Wei and Huo "brought peace and harmony to themselves." The implication is that these two people relied on women's nepotism to reach high positions, and did not rely on their own efforts to climb to high positions. They became the murderous weapons of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Although they contributed to the country, they also drained Wenjing's ability to govern the country. , one of the accomplices to the decline of people's livelihood.

Then it was still Sima Qian's theory, who praised and criticized Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and then praised Li Guang, the "lost prince". And he also cleared up the scandal of Li Ling surrendering to the Huns regardless of his shame.

If this was not the palace examination of the Song Dynasty and Zhao Mu was not presiding over it on behalf of the emperor, Zhao Mu would most likely tear up his examination paper.

However, not everyone is like this. Some people still have their own thinking. They ignore Sima Qian's evaluation and instead use their own feelings to positively discuss and affirm these things, and also criticize the mistakes of the people's poor livelihood.

However, one of them aroused Zhao Mu's interest. Zhao Mu looked next to him for a long time, with a rather appreciative look in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)