Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

In the Song Dynasty, there was an eunuch institution called the Royal Medicine Court, which specialized in collecting medicinal materials and prescriptions to serve the emperor's daily meals.

Gradually, the emperor's daily wear was also responsible for them.

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

The eunuchs of the Imperial Medicine Court had powers involving politics, diplomacy, economics, military, and imperial examinations, and were often even responsible for drafting the emperor's decrees.

This department is very similar to the Li Jian of the Ming Dynasty. It is a tool for the emperor to fight for power with civil servants!

There have also been some strong men, such as Li Xian, the coach of Xihe Kaibian, who was a eunuch in the Royal Medicine Academy.

By the time of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, although the Imperial Medicine Institute was large in scale, it could not meet the emperor's needs. In the second year of Xining, the Imperial Medicine Academy was reformed and changed to a higher-level unit. The emperor's clothing was handed over to the Shangyi Bureau.

Nowadays, reforms are taking place. The Shang Pharmacy Bureau and the Royal Pharmacy Institute are decentralizing their powers. The Royal Pharmacy Institute is no longer the only one.

During the reform, the eunuch Yang Qiu who often imitated the emperor's handwriting and illegally promulgated edicts... disappeared.

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 extremely lucky, so they don't have to worry about cheating in the imperial examination.

Because, the Shang Pharmacy Bureau and the Royal Pharmacy Institute have just decentralized their powers. The eunuchs were busy trying to undermine each other, and they all stared at each other. No one dared to leak the questions when printing the test papers, and no one dared to collude with the marking officer when sealing the test papers.

…

Six hundred and seventy-one tributes came to wait outside Jiying Hall early.

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

Suddenly, the guard seemed to be shouting something.

The tributes in the front row filed in, and Ju Ming, standing at the end, followed everyone inside.

The seats for the palace examination were randomly arranged, and Ju Ming found his seat at the east back of the palace.

The sky was slightly bright, the emperor ascended to the palace, and ritual music was played.

All the scholars congratulate you.

Ju Ming was too far away from Song Huizong to see clearly what this guy looked like.

Immediately afterwards, the eunuch distributed the test papers.

The imperial examination paper was printed with engravings and had more than 500 words in the title.

When the candidates got the test papers, they were instantly confused. This year they were actually taking the "Book of Changes" test!

Obviously, this is an examination question set by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty himself, and has nothing to do with the question-setting officer of the Ministry of Rites.

The next palace examination was equally outrageous. The test was on the "Huangdi Neijing", which was about the five movements and six qi. That is to say, the theory of luck led to an upsurge in studying luck in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

Bai Chongyan looked around. He had not read "The Book of Changes".

Qin Hui also has a head as big as a bucket. How the hell should he answer the question?

Although this situation is uncommon, it is not the first time.

Zhao Guangyi once personally set the questions, and the candidates "looked at each other in fear" and "didn't dare to put down their pens". Even the No. 1 and No. 2 candidates couldn't figure out the origin of the test questions, and they relied solely on literary talent and blind imagination to get to the top.

It's pretty good now, and I also tell you that the test questions are from "The Book of Changes".

The book "Zhou Yi Shen Tong Qi" mainly talks about tripods, medicines, fire conditions, and Taoism.

No matter how absurd Song Huizong was, he did not dare to directly test the elixir. Instead, he chose a more serious one: The head of the imperial government, reform and reform. Guan Kuo Wei Mi, open Shubu Bao. It is important to have the leading handle and unify the key link. The lines move internally, good and bad luck arise externally, the five latitudes move in the wrong direction, and the movements are timely...

There were more than 500 words in the test question, but Bai Chongyan could only understand the first 24 words.

After much thought, I bit the bullet and wrote about the benefits of the reform to the imperial government. He was really half-deceived. In any case, it was somehow related to the test questions, which was in line with the political correctness of Cai Jing's reform.

In fact, the test questions not only included alchemy content, but were even explained by Taoist priests as dual cultivation of tonic and tonic. It's just that it's very obscure. People who don't understand Taoism can't understand it at all and think that the whole article is about the governance of kings and ministers.

Ju Ming had read "Zhou Yi Shen Tong Qi" before traveling through time, and was deceived by Xue Daoguang in various ways. He had a different understanding of this book (the outer alchemy method was explained as the inner alchemy method).

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

Do you want to give the emperor a complete paper on inner alchemy cultivation?

Forget it, it’s a loss.

Ju Ming sat there thinking, and it was not until Song Huizong left that he wrote down the title: A policy for cultivating oneself, harmonizing the family and governing the country.

The imperial examination strategy in the late Northern Song Dynasty was limited to 1,200 words, but more than a certain number of words was allowed.

Ju Ming was so bold that he even promoted his "Tao Yong" school of thought in his imperial examination articles.

The book begins with a quote from the Book of Changes, explaining how common people's daily use is the Tao. Quoting the "Book of Rites" again, he also said that they are connected, talking about the common points of self-cultivation, family management and country governance.

The method of self-cultivation is the integration of Confucianism and Taoism, both internally and externally.

He also compared "refining essence to transform Qi, refining Qi to transform spirit, refining spirit to return void, and refining void to combine with Tao" to various steps of Qi family and governing the country.

Jing is all the people in the world.

Qi is the wealth produced by all peoples.

God is the order in which the country's court operates.

Lianxuhedao is the perfect integration of essence, 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, energy and spirit. This is not good for cultivating one’s health, nor is it good for governing the country.

In the end, it is completely consistent with the surface and inner meaning of "The Book of Changes". It compares governing the country to refining elixir, and it can only be completed if it has both essence and spirit. If you don't treat people well, the golden elixir you refine will be defective.

The theory of "Daoyongpai" is mixed throughout.

I kept writing until dark. After revising it repeatedly, I copied it onto a blank answer sheet.

After handing in the papers, the palace officials lit lanterns and sent the scholars off.

Everyone did not dare to make any noise, and only started chattering after leaving the palace gate.

Qin Hui said distressedly: "How can I take the test of "The Book of Changes"? My answer is how kings and ministers govern the country."

Bai Chongyan said: "What I wrote was about reform."

Lin Xun came up and said, "I also wrote about reforms, but I tended to worship rituals and restore ancient times."

Most of the scholars looked miserable. Who would read the Taoist scriptures if nothing happened?

The topic of this palace examination spread widely, causing scholars all over the world to study the "Book of Changes". No one expected that the next time they would take a test on the "Huangdi Neijing", they would specifically take a test on the theory of luck in it.

"What did you write about success?" Bai Chongyan asked.

Ju Ming said: "Cultivate yourself, harmonize your family and govern the country."

Everyone discussed it over and over again, all speculating on the emperor's thoughts when asking the question, and they continued to talk after they left the city and returned to the inn.

There were also scholars who secretly rejoiced.

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. He likes to read Buddhist scriptures and Taoism, and has studied "Zhou Yi Shen Tong Qi" to death.

In history, He Su was the number one scholar in Jinke. He later impeached and brought down Wang Fu and other traitorous officials. During the Jingkang period, he was also responsible for negotiating with the Jin soldiers.

At first it was the main war faction, but gradually it became a war-promoting peace faction.

Because he believed in Taoism, he also took the lead in the "Liujia Divine Soldiers Defending the City" incident. At this point, he was so comatose that he was urgently ill and sought medical treatment.

After making a big mistake, He Su and Zhang Shuye led troops to fight in the streets, and the Jin soldiers agreed to peace talks. The Jin people asked Song Qinzong to go out of the city to negotiate in person, and also asked He Su to go back and deliver the message, and then... nothing more happened.

He Su's behavior during the Jingkang period was sometimes correct and sometimes confused. He could think of such a stupid trick as letting the Liujia magic soldiers participate in the battle, but he also had the damn courage to organize street battles. When we went to the Jinbing camp, although we were so frightened that we were weak, we still maintained our decency and tried our best to reduce the losses in negotiations for the Song Dynasty.

In the end, he died on hunger strike. He was a complex person who is difficult to evaluate.

…

The eunuchs of Shang Yao Bureau and Imperial Pharmacy Hospital were hostile and competitive with each other, always keeping an eye on each other's mistakes.

When the answers to the palace examination were revealed, no one cheated, let alone colluded with foreign ministers.

This year is the first imperial examination after decentralization, and they have not yet decided a winner.

The test-setting officials of the Ministry of Rites didn't even know what the test questions were, because Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty temporarily changed the questions of the imperial examination after he locked up the palace.

The imperial examination articles in the late Northern Song Dynasty were also transcribed into red scrolls. Even the handwriting could not be recognized clearly without removing the names.

There are 10 primary examiners in total, and Chen Xun, the Imperial College Secretary, is one of them.

After Chen Xun read Ju Ming's test paper, he already guessed whose paper it was from the "Tao Yong" theory mixed in it, and directly commented: "I don't know what to say about weird theories."

After the preliminary examiners write down their comments, they must be submitted to the review examiner for review.

After reading Zhu Ming's paper, the reviewing examiner Qiang Yuanming gave the completely opposite comment: he was quick in thinking, clear in reasoning, and an upright person in his arguments.

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

But now he has stepped out of the Five Elements and no longer gets involved in political struggles. He can peacefully serve as an imperial party and take charge of the prince's education.

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

The first few hundred words of Ju Ming's article are all about spiritual practice. The emperor must have liked it after reading it, and Qiang Yuanming would certainly give it a favorable review. As for the admonishment content of the next few hundred words, it is also in line with Confucian political correctness.

There are also those truly upright ministers who frowned after reading the article and were confused about Ju Ming's position.

The first half talks about self-cultivation, and talks about refining energy and refining qi. It's sheer nonsense. It's obvious that he is obsessed with cultivating Taoism, and he is probably using Taoism to flatter the emperor.

The second half of the chapter talks about governing the country, and also strictly implements the words of advice, admonishing the emperor to treat the people well.

Is this person evil?

As a result, these upright reviewers rated Ju Ming's paper as average or lower. First, he refuted his admixture of Taoism and Confucianism, and then affirmed Ju Ming's advice.

Final assessment.

The eunuchs of the Shang Yao Bureau and the Royal Yao Academy don't care about the candidates' essays, and their general evaluation of Taoism is superior.

Soon they started to quarrel with the ministers. At this time, the eunuchs were not as powerful as they were in the Southern Song Dynasty, so they could not quarrel with the civil servants.

In the end, both parties compromised. Among the top ten, the first nine were decided by the civil officials, and the tenth place was decided by the eunuchs.

However, the eunuch still has the power to send papers!

Ten papers were supposed to be delivered to the emperor, but the eunuchs delivered sixteen. There are three copies from Shang Yao Bureau and three copies from Imperial Medicine Institute. They are all articles related to spiritual practice, just to make the emperor happy.

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

He Su's answer sheet contained a vague discussion of Taoism, and was written with great literary grace, which could be liked by the emperor, eunuchs and civil servants. The undisputed number one pick!

After reading the thirteenth volume, Song Huizong's eyes lit up: "Refining essence to transform Qi, refining Qi to transform into spirit, refining spirit to return to the void, refining the void to combine with the Tao? This is a master of Taoism! It is even rarer to know both Confucianism and Taoism, and to quote scriptures. He is truly a pillar of the country.”