Chapter 488: Across the River, Still Singing the Back Garden Flower

A carriage carrying everyone was speeding towards Jiankang.

There were many young people sitting in the carriage.

These young men looked at each other, at least there was still some politeness towards each other on their faces.

“Mr. Shi, you will definitely become famous in front of me this time. Your future is limitless!”

“If you become rich and powerful, please don’t forget us old friends from the same county.”

Several young people surrounded a shy young man and started praising him. At their age, it was not easy to recognize and praise a peer so much.

The young man hurriedly bowed to everyone, “I dare not, I dare not, fellow sages, I will follow your example in the future and serve the country together!”

Everyone laughed.

Everyone was in a good mood and was particularly looking forward to this trip to Jiankang.

The emperor issued an edict to set up a school to train officials, and at the same time he was preparing to appoint a large number of capable officials of humble origins and grant them official positions.

This kind of opportunity is rare, and the emperor also imposed restrictions on them. They must come from a humble background, cannot be too old, must have some ability, and must be recommended by people from all over the country.

He also stipulated that if the person recommended by the local government did not meet the requirements of the family background, the recommender would be guilty of deceiving the emperor; if the person recommended by the local government failed to pass the court’s assessment, that would also be a crime of deceiving the emperor.

This is all to prevent local authorities from acting recklessly and arranging some incompetent cronies to take up positions.

These young people are the capable officials recommended by the counties this time.

They were going to Jiankang to take part in the assessment and then meet the king.

For a minor official of humble origin, this was something he could not even dream of.

Shi Wenqing, who had just been praised, sat among the crowd and secretly clenched his fists.

Although he is young, he is quite talented, deeply loved by the local chief officer, and has a certain reputation in Wuxing. Compared with others, his chances of winning are still very great.

After all, they wanted to recruit capable officials from all over the country, and there were quite a few vacancies. All the people on the bus were Shi Wenqing’s fellow villagers, so they were not too jealous of him.

Shi Wenqing believed that he would be able to achieve good results this time, and he was even confident that he could take the first place.

Upon hearing that this assessment was directly handled by the imperial court and presided over by Minister Yuan Xian himself, Shi Wenqing felt indescribably excited at the thought of meeting such an important figure.

I must perform well, be valued by noble people, and then realize my ambitions, serve the country, achieve fame, and leave my name in history.
As he was having some unrealistic fantasies, a smile appeared on Shi Wenqing’s face.

Jiankang Palace.

“His Majesty!!”

Yuan Xian stood in front of Chen Xu with a stunned look on his face, and asked anxiously, “We clearly agreed on this before, who is it that is spreading rumors before your Majesty?”

“How could I be unfair? How could I seek personal gain?”

Yuan Xian probably felt humiliated, his face turned red and he even started stuttering.

Chen Xu was sitting in the upper seat. Seeing Yuan Xian so excited, he spoke quickly.

“Yuan Qing, you worry too much! Yuan Qing, you worry too much!”

“How could I possibly doubt Yuan Qing’s character?”

Yuan Xian looked at Chen Xu and said, “Your Majesty, if you have no doubts, why do you want to dismiss me from my position as Chief Examiner? Your Majesty is most concerned about the administration of officials. Why…”

“I want the prince to handle this matter.”

Yuan Xian’s words were suddenly stuck in his mouth and he stood there in a daze.

Chen Xu looked at him and sighed, “Yuan Qing, I am no longer young.”

“The prince likes to read books but doesn’t like to do practical things. He spends all day drinking and writing poems with others. I have to let him do something. While we can still take care of him, let him do something big and treat it as a training. If I am gone, how can he stop Liu Taozi?”

The anger on Yuan Xian’s face dissipated, “Your Majesty, please don’t speak like that. Your Majesty is strong and healthy.”

“The Zhou Kingdom was so powerful that it would be scattered like ashes once Yuwen Yong died. I am much older than Yuwen Yong, so how could I not be prepared?”

“Mr. Yuan, I have thought about this matter. Let the Crown Prince handle it. Promoting capable officials is only the most insignificant of our many major matters. To be honest, promoting a few capable officials is just to set an example for the world, not enough to decide major matters.”

“And if the prince goes, then the example will be even greater.”

“Among all the things, the most important thing is the schools in various places. This is what Yuan Qing should do.”

Yuan Xian shook his head and said, “Your Majesty, it is not impossible to let the Crown Prince take charge of state affairs, no matter how big or small. But we need to send an old minister to assist him, and he must perform his duties conscientiously and not be underestimated.”

“Don’t worry, Yuan Qing. Let’s talk about the study room.”

Yuan Xian had no choice but to talk about his considerations regarding the study room.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuan Xian finally left.

Chen Shubao followed closely and appeared in front of Chen Xu.

Chen Shubao was normal outside, but when he stood in front of his father, he became timid, lowered his head, and dared not say a word.

Seeing how cowardly he was, Chen Xu became even more anxious.

With his son’s character, let alone fighting against Liu Taozi in the future, it would be a problem whether he could control the country stably.

These ministers in the country have always been disobedient, and even I have to work hard to control them.

As for the silly son in front of him.

Chen Xu looked at Chen Shubao again, and then sighed.

“The court has issued an order to promote capable officials from various places and grant them official positions. Do you know about this or not?”

Chen Shubao quickly replied: “I know, I know.”

“That’s good to know. I plan to let you be the chief examiner and be responsible for this assessment, and then grant you an official position.”

Chen Shubao’s eyes flashed with displeasure. He raised his head and said, “Father, I am still young. How can I handle such a big thing? It is better to let the court take charge.”

“Idiot!!”

Chen Xu was furious.

“If you can’t even do this, how are you going to do other things in the future?”

“Do you want to stay in your shabby house for the rest of your life, drinking and having fun, taking off your clothes and running around naked?”

“This is to set an example for the world. As the crown prince, you promote capable officials. Do you know how grateful these people will be to you? These are outstanding young people recommended by the local governments. They are of humble origins and not from wealthy families. Aren’t these important officials prepared for you to govern the country?!”

“A brave general must be in the army, and a prime minister must come from a prefecture. These young and capable officials are yours if you promote them. I won’t object if you want to keep a few of them. When you inherit the throne, you can rely on them to govern the country. Don’t you know this truth?”

Chen Xu questioned him angrily, and Chen Shubao was frightened and trembled continuously.

However, he had long been accustomed to his father’s anger.

After all, this is a common thing. After Chen Xu vented his anger, he said quietly: “Your Majesty, I understand. I will do a good job on this matter.”

“You must do it well and never underestimate them. Those talented people around you can do nothing but write poetry and drink. Although they are not from high-class families, they are very successful in their local areas. Among them, there are many prime ministers who can govern. You must select them carefully. Do you understand?”

“only”

“I will send an old minister to assist you. Let the Minister of Rites help you with this.”

“This is the responsibility of the Minister of Rites. You should interact more with the old officials and listen to their advice.”

“only”

Chen Shubao’s weak appearance once again angered Chen Xu, but he did not get angry again. He was already extremely tired. He just waved his hand helplessly, asking Chen Shubao to leave quickly, and at the same time made harsh words to intimidate him.

“If you can’t handle this matter well, I will abolish your position as crown prince.”

Chen Shubao took the order and turned to leave.

When he walked out of the hall, his eyes were full of sorrow. He really didn’t like doing these chores at all. But now that he had the emperor’s order, he dared not disobey.

He had no choice but to bid farewell to his friends temporarily, got in the car, left the palace and headed to the place of the assessment.

Taichang Qing Jiang Zong, had already learned the news that the prince would be in charge, and had been waiting for him for a long time.

The location of this assessment was arranged in the western suburbs. In order to deal with this matter, the Minister of Rites built a high platform and houses here, and arranged for scholars to come and debate, just to liven up the atmosphere.

When Chen Shubao got out of the car, General Jiang led everyone to rush over to greet him.

Taichang Qing Jiang Zong, this is an old minister.

He was already over sixty years old. When he was young, he was valued by Emperor Wu of Liang and embarked on an official career. During the Hou Jing Rebellion, he successfully escaped and was not caught. He only resumed his official duties when Emperor Wen came to power.

Mr. Jiang is extremely talented and has a special gift in the field of literature.

Originally Chen Shubao still looked unhappy and depressed, but when he got off the car, he found that the person who came to greet him was actually General Jiang. He was shocked and hurried to salute, but General Jiang was frightened by him.

“How dare! How dare!”

“Oh, if I had known that Lord Jiang was here, I would have come to see you myself without your command!”

“In Mr. Jiang’s previous “Grief in the Boudoir”, by the quiet brothel avenue, in front of the window, white snow falls, the mandarin ducks on the pond are not alone, and the Suhe in the tent is still empty!”

“It’s so well written! Just a few words touched my heart!”

Chen Shubao’s appearance had changed at this moment, his eyes were burning, as if he had seen his idol.

General Jiang had not expected that the prince thought so highly of him, and he also started to flatter each other. The two of them walked into the courtyard, flattering each other. There were many literati gathered here, and Chen Shubao knew many of them. He danced with joy and bowed to them one by one.

Afterwards, everyone became familiar with each other. The prince sat in the upper seat, General Jiang sat next to him, and the others sat on both sides.

Chen Shubao recited one poem after another by Jiang Zong.

“In your “Song of a Sick Woman”, I like the lines ‘The graceful woman is in her chaste room, the romantic woman plays the zither, she only lies on a horn pillow, crying and putting on makeup for a long time.’ These lines are so well written, so well written! Do you have any wine?”

President Jiang stroked his beard and said, “Thank you, Your Highness. I have heard that your writing is good. Today, I see that it is indeed true. Come on, bring the wine!”

The officials’ eyes lit up, and probably knowing the prince’s hobby, they hurriedly began to present poems.

Chen Shubao listened carefully. If it was the kind of frontier poems that Zu Ting was good at, Chen Shubao could only nod and smile. If it was a poem about the beautiful rivers and mountains, he would just clap his hands. But if it was about a wife missing her husband, the sorrow of an unmarried woman, the pain of a widow, or the regret of a virgin, then Chen Shubao would definitely stand up and shake hands.

This has nothing to do with women. Women are just a metaphor for them. They use women’s complaints to express their own inner complaints. Missing her husband means she feels that her talent is not appreciated and she longs for a confidant. Being unmarried means she feels that she is not valued and her talent is not known. Being beaten by her husband means she is bullied by the emperor. The death of her husband means that the king who appreciates her is gone. As for having nothing inside, it means she cannot be an official.

This type of poetry is often gaudy and gorgeous, with poor content and a sense of whining, and was not highly regarded in later times.

Chen Shubao liked this kind of food.

Everyone talked about poetry for a long time. Chen Shubao met many of his idols and was in a good mood. He drank with them and discussed the next creative direction.

President Jiang racked his brains to start “updating the poem” and tried his best to please the prince.

At this point, some normal officials finally couldn’t sit still anymore and stood up to remind him, “Mr. Jiang, we haven’t done anything about the assessment yet…”

Before Jiang Zong could reply, Chen Shubao angrily reprimanded him, “We are discussing elegant matters, why bother disturbing the peace by bringing up these mundane matters?”

“It’s just a small matter, just let anyone do it.”

“What does Mr. Jiang think?”

President Jiang smiled and nodded, “The writing is more important than anything else, the rest are just small matters, just find a few capable people to do it, and we will come forward when it’s done. Don’t disturb your highness’s leisure these few days!”

“only”

The recommended officials arrived here.

But they did not get to meet Yuan Xian. When they heard that the examiner had changed from Yuan Xian to the prince, they were all stunned. They were even more looking forward to what was to come and were eager to try.

But until the examination began, the prince never showed up. The officials only said that those who performed well could meet the prince.

Shi Wenqing was sitting among the crowd. He took a deep breath and then began to take the test.

The difficulty of this exam was much lower than Shi Wenqing had imagined. It consisted of only some practical questions on law, mathematics, etc.

Shi Wenqing was quite good at this field. He started writing seriously, and after finishing as quickly as possible, he checked again and again to make sure that he had not made any mistakes. He did this for a long time before handing in the test paper.

The other officials were worried when they came out. They all felt that the difficulty was a bit too great. Once this practical problem was magnified to the counties and states, it would be a bit beyond their capabilities.

They have solved practical problems in the county, but they have little experience in higher levels. Why would they ask such test questions?
Shi Wenqing looked at the anxious crowd and felt secretly happy.

He can do it!!!
However, he didn’t dare show it. When others asked him about it, he just shook his head regretfully and said it was too difficult.

After three days, the winners were finally announced in batches.

There is no score for the civil service examination, as long as you can answer the questions roughly correctly, but this time the examination is much stricter and there will be people to mark the questions.

The official in charge of these assessments was also very young, had a rude look on his face, and was not friendly to anyone.

After waiting for a long time, the results finally came out, but Shi Wenqing was shocked by the outcome.

Among the more than 230 people who were recommended, Shi Wenqing’s score was among the lowest.

Shi Wenqing was stunned and couldn’t believe the result.

After his inquiries, his fellow villager finally told him the secret.

“Mr. Shi, why are you so slow? Mr. Shen, who is in charge of the assessment, is a greedy person. Many people have given him things in private. Could it be that you didn’t give him anything?”

Shi Wenqing was very surprised. “For such an important assessment, is it possible to do something like this?”

“This is normal. Wasn’t it the same when we were in the countryside? Everyone is like this. Without money, how can you get a rank?”

Shi Wenqing comes from a poor family and has no money on him, but this time is another opportunity that can change his life.

He hesitated for a long time, borrowed some money from a friend, and then spent the whole night drinking.

The next day, Shi Wenqing gritted his teeth and found the official in charge of the assessment, Shen Keqing.

After meeting Shen Keqing, Shi Wenqing directly expressed his thoughts.

“Mr. Shen! I want to borrow some money from you!”

This beginning confused Shen Keqing.

“I usually take a lot from others, but this is the first time someone wants to take money from me. What is your intention?”

“Mr. Shen! His Highness is in charge of the assessment this time. You can assist. If you can produce results, you will definitely be valued by His Highness and become his trusted minister in the future. It is not impossible for you to become the prime minister with your merits in following the emperor!”

“I heard that Your Highness is good at poetry. I am not talented, but I can write some poems. If I can come to Your Highness, I will definitely make Your Highness very happy. If you don’t believe me, you can give me any topic and let me write a poem!”

Shen Keqing snorted coldly, “There are many people who can write poems, why should we use you?”

“Except for me, those people have bribed you with money. If they are valued by Your Highness, they will not be grateful to you, but will only resent you. After they become successful, they may even take revenge! Your Majesty let the prince be responsible for the assessment, knowing that he wants Your Highness to support his trusted forces. Those who pass the assessment will have a bright future in the future!”

“But I am different. My family is poor and I don’t have any confidants. If Lord Shen can help me and send me to Your Highness, I will definitely not forget your kindness and am willing to serve you and help you achieve success!”

“I hope Mr. Shen will help me!!”

Seeing Shi Wenqing bowing, Shen Keqing smiled and squinted his eyes, “You are right, but the list has already been published. How can we modify it now?”

“Why modify it?”

“You only need to say one sentence for me, that is, if you meet someone who is only good at poetry and prose, and attract their attention, then it is true that you can be valued by a noble person. As for this rank, what does it matter?”

Shen Keqing laughed loudly, “Just for your courage, I promised you. If you become rich, don’t break your promise in the future!”

In the backyard of the examination room, Chen Shubao was already drunk.

“In fact, I wanted to write a poem a long time ago, but I never had the chance to finish it. I only wrote the beginning.”

“It’s called ‘Flowers in the Backyard of Jade Trees’.”

(End of this chapter)