CH 63

“Hey, this phrase is well-deciphered!” Liu Zan lightly tapped on the file on the table and chanted in long tones, “To observe without overlooking and diligently toiling for the common people, it can take the place of the laws governing the realm…”

Liu Zan and Zhang tongzhi[1] were jinshi[2] who had landed on the two lists[3] and they knew the Four Books by heart.  Colonel Xie was the only one of military background. Thinking that the other was most likely not well-versed in the Four Books, Liu Zan slanted forward and leaned his elbows on the small table to explain to Colonel Xie:

“In ancient times, the Emperor toured the vassal states during spring plowing and autumn harvest, these two seasons. Upon going on the expedition, if a vassal state is fortunate enough, the Emperor will not forget to observe the common people to see if there are any inadequacies. After that, he will provide some subsidies to ease their sufferings. Since the Emperor’s oversight is not enough to inspect everything and he cannot possibly provide subsidies to everyone, the feudal princes will follow the example of the Emperor to make their own inspections in the fiefdom. With the intent to protect their territory, they must inspect the common people and notice any sufferings one is facing. They must not disturb or provoke the commoners for no reason. A proverb from a Xia Dynasty Emperor states, ‘One Imperial tour and expedition, serves to assess the feudal princes’. This proverb praises the Emperor’s amusement and recreational life, which is beneficial for the people. It serves as a pseudo-law that is sufficient enough to spur the feudal princes to conduct matters. To put this in the context of the present age, this is a governing principle that is sufficient to command the hundred of government officials in the whole of the dynasty.”

Zhang tongzhi could not refrain from echoing this principle, “The original prompt was ‘Inspecting spring plowing to supplement the insufficiencies’. In the first half of his opening, Cui Xie not only addresses the phrases ‘spring plowing’ and ‘supplement the insufficiencies’, but with the inclusion of the phrase ‘to observe’, this includes the responsibility of the Emperor to inspect the spring plowing and autumn harvest among the provinces. And then he employed the use of the word ‘diligence’ to contrast against ‘insufficiencies’ -—— In today’s world, the Emperor’s governance and rule is more than just subsidizing what the people are deficient in during spring plowing and autumn harvests! Only with the phrase ‘diligently toiling over the common people’ can one fully express the Emperor’s attitude of devoting himself to civil affairs. It is only then that such an attitude can be employed as a law in the realm.”

Imperial Censor Liu’s preaching spirit rose to its peak as he flew out of his chair and he offered another line of in-depth analysis: “Not only did the inclusion of ‘diligence’ address the ‘ supplement the insufficiencies’, but it also agrees implicitly with the entire chapter’s theme of ‘worrying about the people’s worries and rejoicing in the people’s joy’. To have the heart to love the people, and then to possess the intention to perform such diligent deeds, this is the premise for setting up a universal governance.”

Xie Ying was sandwiched between these two people and it was one line after another as they shook their heads and tirelessly pondered. It was as if Xie Ying was a student listening to two teachers lecture instead.

But he was patient and earnestly listened to them for a while. Nodding his head, he asked Liu Zan, “Da-ren, do you think that this article is well-written?”

Just as Imperial Censor Liu was about to say ‘Of course’, he remembered that he was here to pick out any faults. How could he just say yes after reading a sentence?

He at least needed to read the full article first!

The phrase ‘not bad’ flickered to the tip of his tongue and danced a few times, but then he changed it to: “The opening was not bad, but one must continue to see what is written underneath that.” As he spoke, he glanced at Cui Xie again: “Don’t be arrogant just because I complimented you once. I will continue to read your chengti, or amplification. If it is not well done, no matter how good your opening is, then this article is without any redeeming qualities.”

Cui Xie responded with a ‘Yes’ and then intently recalled the pdf in his mind and continued to recite, “In the spring, there is supplementation and in autumn, it becomes conducive. Without exception, for the sake of their people, former Emperors are willing to provide assistance. To be bestowed with a title of marquis or higher, is it possible not to have read and heard of the teachings of this ancient Xia proverb?”

One of the two jinshi nodded and the other one stroked his beard, as if they were rather pleased with the chengti.

Xie Ying took a quick look at Liu Zan, and the other consciously started to sway his head back and forth, “These couple of lines uses the method of a counter technique ——the opening is straightforwardly broken by addressing the Emperor’s diligence towards his people and such governance serves as a paradigm for the feudal princes; In the last sentence of the chengti, the article stopped discussing about how the feudal princes managed their respective fiefdoms in accordance to the principles of previous Emperors. Instead, it switched gears and implicitly brought up King Xuan of Qi. Although he was born a feudal prince, why did he not comply with that ancient Xia proverb of following the ancient Emperor’s act of subsidizing the people?”

Zhang tongzhi continued, “These two lines change the direction of analysis, and answers a question with a question. It introduces the entirety of this chapter’s theme and can be regarded as easing into the twists and turns.”

Imperial Censor nodded, “That’s right. The opening and amplification, one direct and the other contrary,  conform well to echo each other. The reasoning is flowing and circular, the words and sentences are graceful and lively to read. In the discussion, there is a deep feeling concealed underneath those words and it is an excellent beginning.”

With a sincere look, Xie Ying inquired, “It does not look like this article from the prefectural examination had just randomly responded to the topic correctly. For Cui Xie to have been able to write such an essay that is appreciated by the two jinshi, then the few essays from the county examinations is undoubtedly to be of his own work. Right?”

At this time, Liu Zan’s intentions to nitpick the essays had vanished and he simply praised Cui Xie seriously: “Xie da-ren is correct. Just by reading the first three sentences of the article, the examiner will be able to judge whether such work is to be rejected or not. Just based on the first four sentences of Cui Xie’s essays and observing the steady penmanship of the pavilion calligraphy style, as long as there are no taboo words below and the surface of the scroll is not contaminated with ink smears or stains, then becoming a shengyuan is guaranteed. If we want to go a step further, we can see whether the rest of the text can maintain such quality and reveal the gist of the prompt. Will it raise the essay to a higher level, or will the vigor of the strokes be exhausted up to this point?”

Liu Zan glanced down and Cui Xie did not wait for him to speak as he perceptively opened his mouth: “….He personally performed the ritual to pray for the abundance of grains, performing the sacrificial ceremony of the ancestors and rewarding those with merit, attaching great importance to the Spring and Autumn seasons; Wielding the amassed grain to bequeath upon survivors of a disaster, to give charity and assistance on one’s patrol, thus subsidizing in a timely manner. However, to inspect the spring plowing and the autumn harvest, they must be earnest…”

As they listened, the two jinshi continued to clarify, their words like an unceasing torrent as they explained to the Jinyiwei who had graduated from the military academy and had never taken an imperial examination just how finely and neatly Cui Xie had matched his antithetical sentence pairings and how each word contained an allusion to the classics.

As he continued to comment, Imperial Censor Liu suddenly awoke from his trance and roused his spirit, pointing at Cui Xie, exclaiming, “Your essays from the county examinations did not have so many classical allusions and quotes though? Those essays were far more rhetorical and merged, possessing an ancient style. How come this essay seems as if it was binded together with a rope, every word and sentence adheres strictly to the scriptures’ text and has been tastefully chosen in accordance to rhythm? It does not resemble that other essay, where one’s thoughts are unfettered and written by allowing feeling to dictate one’s thoughts?”

It is not that Cui Xie did not dare to relax and write freely. During the examinations, wasn’t it necessary to cater to the examiner’s preferences?

Cui Xie took a quick glimpse at the other’s face, seeming as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating to do so. After a moment’s reflection, he concluded that trying to fathom an examiner’s preferences could be considered a regular occurrence, so he directly explained, “This student has long known that the County Magistrate was partial to ancient prose, so upon writing it, it is deliberately concise and the text is dominated by spirit. It is rumored that Wang da-ren is fond of thoughtful and morally well-structured prose. Therefore, in the examination room, more emphasis was placed on refining the words and embedding the principles of the classics into the analysis.

Liu Zan inwardly sighed and felt that the examination room was unqualified that even a school student could figure out what the examiner’s preferences were. However, he and Zhang tongzhi had only made it this far by doing the same thing, so these words that were  harmful to others as well as himself could not be uttered.

Liu Zan remained silent and Cui Xie continued to recite that one direct and one contrary, one clear and one obscure, the four antithetical pillars of the eight-legged essay. Finally, the work concluded with this praise, “In this way, none is lacking for the people during these seasons. This is the so-called ‘the ruler is delighted by his people while the people rejoice in his reign’ ”.

Although Cui Xie had paid particular attention in sculpting his words and embedding his sentences with overly elaborate prose with quotes were littered everywhere, but, because there were numerous sincere lines of discussion, the essay did not appear pretentious or flashy. It is just that, this attitude of abandoning one’s own style in order to cater to the examiner was really not advisable! It was vital that one must correct his crooked ways before it is too late! 

Liu Zan commented: “When you use ancient prose, your writing is much more lively and when you write using the other style, your essay comes off as slightly restrained. Although this wasn’t really a problem for the prefectural examination, in the future when time came for the triennial provincial examinations and metropolitan examinations, the examiners for these rounds were to be appointed right before the start. A few days is not enough time for you to finish analyzing all of the examiner’s articles, so how is it possible for you to modify your style according to their preferences? From now on, simply write according to your own style. The principles and moral standards are all there, and the veins and spirit are all connected. Although the prose is somewhat simple, it can be regarded as unadorned and clean. Those who are familiar with reading essays will naturally know how to appreciate it.”

Cui Xie straightened his back and bowed his head to receive the instruction. He then also recited an essay based on the prompt 《Profound was King Wen, the red bows unbent》which was opened by “The Sage’s ultimate virtuousness and benevolence allows him to perform rites and music and go on punitive expeditions. “

This essay was also well written, but it adhered strictly to the rules, much like a carpenter’s straight line marker. But, the principles established were lofty, clean, righteous and was also considered to be a good article. Imperial Censor Liu had already said his admonishments and criticisms earlier, so upon getting to this point, he stopped picking at Cui Xie’s faults and just commented on a few good lines. Liu Zan would then pick a few lines and explain the classical allusions behind it to Colonel Xie.

For the discursive essay for the second round of examinations, it was only a small essay so the examiners did not attach too much importance to this question. As long as one’s writing was smooth, flowed well, contained one’s own thoughts and used the classics correctly, then this was considered to be enough. Imperial Censor Liu did not tarry too long on this essay, but rather, urged Cui Xie to recite the last exam question, the policy essay.

This time, the policy question was related to disaster relief.

At the beginning of the first month, a major earthquake rumbled through the capital. In the Yongping Prefecture, most of the counties within its borders were more or less somewhat affected by this calamity. Prefectural Magistrate Wang Wen was aware that this time, many of the students participating in the prefectural examinations had been impacted by the earthquake, and the students’ circumstances and conditions when preparing for the examinations had not been very good. Therefore, this policy question was to be graded leniently. As long as the examinee paid attention to their own county’s state of affairs, then there was something to write about in the essay.

Cui Xie had personally participated in the disaster relief efforts in Qian’an County. He not only described his viewpoint on the matter as a youth from the later generation, but he more so wrote in accordance with County Magistrate Qi’s conduct and way of handling matters. In this content, he described how to present a petition to the Imperial court to request disaster relief funds and the opening of granaries; how the county organized to provide critical care for the common people to treat those injured and tore down decrepit houses; how the county obtained donations from the rich families, distributed millet congee and cotton-padded clothes; how the county employed medicine and doctors to prevent plague; how the county housed those who had lost their homes in nursing homes, temples and other places….

Furthermore, there was reconstruction work after the catastrophe passed: there was work provided that helped relieve poverty and such labor concentrated on repairing collapsed buildings and roads; the county personally came forward to lend grain seeds and farm implements to the common people, so as not to delay the spring plowing; the local Chief presented a petition to the Imperial court requesting that the superiors exempt the county from the New Year’s corvée labor, summer taxes and payment of autumn grain crops, horses, grasses and other such tribute, to allow the people to rest.

This essay, compared to the one about water control, was much more detailed and reliable. The sentences had also undergone repeated revision and sculpting, so it flowed smoothly.

Imperial Censor Liu had silently listened this entire time and once the entire piece had been recited, his voice became a little heavy as he commented: “The capital, Yongping, and the Xuanfu and Datong garrisons sustained damage from the earthquake. You must have prepared for this kind of essay in advance.”

Cui Xie bolted upright and replied in an unflustered manner, “Yes, since such a big earthquake occurred this year, this student thought it would naturally be a topic on the examinations. Hence, I had prepared my own prompts and essays in advance.”

Liu Zan dipped his head up and down: “This essay is much better than the one discussing policy on water conservation. The words have substance and it lists countermeasures available for the Imperial court to employ.  Originally, I had suspected that this essay’s prompt had been figured out by the County Magistrate in advance and had instructed someone to write this essay for you. Now that I have seen your essays from the prefectural examinations, there is no reason for my suspicions anymore.”

He lifted himself out of the chair and strided over until he was directly in front of Cui Xie, pressing against the others’ shoulder to apologize, “This essay on policy and that essay on the classics have the same style of writing and style, if you had called for someone else to substitute for you, they would not have been able to emulate this tone. Even if the examination questions had been leaked beforehand, such an essay would not be as careful and meticulous as this one. I was wrong about you.”

Cui Xie wanted to stand up, but Imperial Censor Liu’s hand was pressing down rather hard, as if insisting on obstructing him.  

Cui Xie struggled a few times but still couldn’t get up, so he simply sat calmly and cupped his hands to reply, “This is also human nature. When this student first arrived in Qian’an, to be able to write an essay was an unthinkable task. This is something Colonel Xie also knew. Now that I have made my way to the prefectural examinations, even this student suspects that my achievement has emerged from dishonest bias.”

Only then did a smiling expression emerge from Liu Zan’s face. Liu Zan patted Cui Xie’s shoulder heavily and exclaimed, “What dishonesty, you deserve such a score! Let’s slowly talk about the prefectural examinations. When Dai xiong presides over the yuanshi, the last of the three entry-level examinations, if he does not make you a shengyuan, I will return to the capital to ask for an explanation!”

Cui Xie’s anxious heart was finally soothed and held steadfast. He was unable to stop a grin from appearing on his face as he lowered his head in gratitude, “Many thanks for da-ren’s praise, this student will return to study with a peace of mind and strive to render service to repay the Imperial court’s kindness one day.”

Child prodigy ah! Child prodigy indeed!

County Magistrate Qi had hit the nail on the head, Cui Xie’s talent was truly hard to come by. It is a pity that his studies was delayed in his earlier years, otherwise, if it only took him one year enough to land such a high marking as a shengyuan, if he had been able to study at home with peace of mind, wouldn’t he had been just like that famous child prodigy, Li Dongyang?

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