10 years later
The spring breeze blew the fragrance of sophora flowers, and the city was filled with pleasant spring sceneries. It was the most beautiful season of may this year in the capital.
It was warm and windy
today. The officials in the imperial court were very happy. It was not only
because of the pleasant climate, but also because the emperor finally agreed to
reopen the jingyan* under the remonstration of many officials.
The jingyan is a special imperial lecture set up for emperors to learn and discuss classics and history. It began in the Han and Tang Dynasties and has continued to this day. It is a major event in the imperial court to give lectures for the emperor to open his mind and inspire his spirit. If he is a diligent master, the jingyan will be held and he will gain knowledge constantly every day.
However, the current emperor used slight illness, summer heat, and bitter cold as excuses to refuse to hold the jingyan. Sometimes it's rare to hold it three or four times a year. The court councilors were extremely dissatisfied and wrote repeatedly to admonish Emperor Zhaowu for being lazy and loathes studying, which was against the emperor's principle. The emperor was perhaps annoyed and finally agreed to reopen the jingyan, but no one knew how long it would last this time.
After the morning
court, the officials moved to Wenhua Hall. To reopen the jingyan, a ceremony
was bound to be held. The Grand Herald* had already prepared
everything. In the audience hall, the official documents were ready, and the
scene was solemn.
Hundreds of officials
were standing below the hall and discussing in a low voice.
"Have you heard
who the speaker is today?"
"It's said that
they are two young members of Hanlin*. They are both jinshis* who
just graduated last year and were personally chosen by elder official Yan."
"It's of great
significance for the emperor to reopen the jingyan one year later. Why did he
choose the two young members of Hanlin?"
"There are things which you don’t know. The emperor said......" Liu An, the Minister of Appointments, leaned over, sighed and whispered, "said...... 'I don't want to look at those old faces anymore'."
The officials could
only smile bitterly.
"SILENCE!!" The eunuch cleared his throat in front of the emperor, "Welcome His Majesty to Wenhua Hall."
All the officials
kneeled in unison, "Welcome, Your Majesty."
Surrounded by his
attendants, Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Zhao, stepped into Wenhua Hall and sat on the
throne slowly and proudly: “You may rise.”
As soon as the
officials got up, they saw Emperor Zhaowu covered half of his face with his
sleeves and yawned.
Yan Zilian, the
senior grand secretary, took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said,
"Your Majesty's coming back to the jingyan is actually an act of virtue
and propriety. We are very pleased that you have set an example to the world."
Emperor Zhaowu
laughed twice, but unhappiness was clearly written on his face: "Now, can
my dear subject*
let me off?"
Yan Zilian said respectfully, "The top priority of the emperor’s moral conduct is lectures, and the jingyan is the most important place to give a lecture. If the jingyan isn’t abolished for one day, then one day's progress of learning and virtue will be achieved. If the jingyan isn’t abolished for one month, then... "
"Alright,
alright." Emperor Zhaowu waved his hand impatiently, "Let’s get
started."
Yu Ji, the eunuch,
said in a loud voice, “Please invite today’s lecturer, Hanlin Academy’s
historian, Shen Hexuan."
They saw a thin man walk in solemnly. He was wearing a red lecturing uniform and was holding a ceremonial tablet* in both hands. He was 30 years old, handsome and elegant. There was a sense of righteousness flowing between his eyebrows. At a glance, people would feel that he was a broad-minded person.
This person was last year's xinke zhuangyuan*, and he was not an ordinary zhuangyuan. He was the second outstanding talent who consecutively scored first place in the three levels of civil service examinations* in nearly 300 years of Dasheng’s history. Imperial examination was carried out in all dynasties. For thousands of years, no more than ten people had been able to consecutively score first in the three levels of civil service examinations.
As an insignificant
historian, other than the palace examination and the zhuangyuan ceremony, Shen
Hexuan should not have the opportunity to see the emperor again. However, his
face was extremely calm. He was neither flattered by his ability to lecture for
the emperor nor frightened by the sight of the emperor’s face. He just knelt
and saluted without being servile nor overbearing.
Emperor Zhaowu became interested. Not only did he lean forward, but he also lifted the jade tassels*
in front of him, wanting to take a closer look at Shen Hexuan: "Isn’t my dear subject that rare talent who consecutively scored first in the three levels of civil service examinations?"
Shen Hexuan cupped
his hand and said solemnly: "As a sovereign, how can you lose your dignified posture?*?"
Emperor Zhaowu was
stunned. He probably did not expect a small historian to be so straightforward.
He made a fool of himself, so he put down the jade tassels, corrected his
sitting posture, and looked impatiently at Shen Hexuan.
The court councilors
were quietly discussing below. Some praised Shen Hexuan for having the courage
to speak bluntly and not disgracing the spirit of lecturing, while others said
that he was inflexible and would suffer losses sooner or later.
Shen Hexuan could
hear the whispers on both sides, but he did not blink. He kept waiting, but the
emperor didn’t tell him to rise. Only then did he frown, not because he was
worried about being punished, but because the current development was not in
line with the etiquette.
Yu Ji quietly glanced
at the emperor before Emperor Zhaowu said reluctantly, "Get up and speak."
Only then did Shen Hexuan get up and walk to the lecture table. If one is a distinguished lecturer, the emperor must give a seat to him, but a minor official like Shen Hexuan can only stand and speak. He is holding the files. Today, he is talking about the gentleman's way of the ‘Doctrine of the Mean’, "Climbing must start from a low place, and a long journey must start from a near place*."
He lectured with
intonation and had a voice of jade*. Not only did he understand
ancient principles, but he also connected them with modern theory, and there
was no shortage of his unique opinions. All officials were convinced of his
talent and knowledge.
However, Emperor
Zhaowu apparently didn’t seem to know. He sat on the throne and yawned
repeatedly. No matter how well Shen Hexuan lectured, it sounded boring to him.
After Shen Hexuan
finished his lecture, Emperor Zhaowu perfunctorily praised him with a few
words. With disappointment on his face, he saluted and retreated.
Yu Ji's voice echoed
in the audience hall: "Please invite today’s lecturer, Hanlin Academy’s
editor, Yan Sikong."
Most of the court councillors had not heard of this person, so they began to wonder how he could have obtained such an honor if he had not even entered the top three and was a new jinshi.
It should be known that people who gave lectures at the jingyan were either those who were already in important positions and had an encyclopedic mind, or those who had been selected by the senior grand secretary to lecture the emperor or the crown prince. It was understandable that Shen Hexuan, who consecutively scored first in the three levels of civil service examinations, got this opportunity, so how could this person have the morality and capability?
The only explanation was that this person was probably appreciated by Yan Zilian. After all, the emperor did not come to the palace examination last year. Yan Zilian came instead, so all the jinshis of this year were considered his students.
A few moments later, they saw a tall man walk in. He wore the same dark red court uniform with both hands holding the ceremonial tablet, but he didn’t walk as awkwardly as Shen Hexuan. Instead, there was some naturality and confidence.
The officials were
curious and turned their heads to see. They were surprised.
That man was in his early twenties. Unexpectedly, he had a beautiful face and was incomparably handsome. His white skin seemed to be glowing in contrast with his red clothes. Between the glistening light waves, he had a bearing of a gallant young scholar.
Emperor Zhaowu got
curious again, but when he thought of Shen Hexuan who had just reproached his
sitting posture in public, he merely gave a light cough.
Yan Sikong kneeled to
perform a three-kowtows salute and said aloud, "I, Yan Sikong, greet Your
Majesty."
This was actually the
first time Yan Sikong met Emperor Zhaowu. Yan Zilian was the one who took
charge of the palace examination, and he did not go to the zhuangyuan ceremony
because he claimed to be sick.
"My dear
subject, you may rise."
Yan Sikong stood up.
"My dear
subject, raise your head."
Yan Sikong raised his
head as he was told. He looked at the emperor sitting properly in the gorgeous
hall. Even if he was wrapped in an elegant yellow robe, those turbid eyes,
weary face, and bloated body couldn’t hide the degeneration and confusion.
Yan Sikong’s hands, which were holding the ceremonial tablet, secretly tightened, and a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes.
Emperor Zhaowu was
unaware of it, and he gasped in admiration: "My dear subject has the looks of Pan An*."
Yan Sikong said
respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I dare not to use my appearance to
do things."
"What is your
rank as a jinshi?"
"Back to Your
Majesty, the ninth."
"My dear subject
is really talented and beautiful. Are you married to anyone?"
Yan Zilian forcefully
cleared his throat.
Emperor Zhaowu
twitched his mouth, "Alright, let's start the lecture."
Yan Sikong walked to the lecture table and opened the prepared files. Today, he is also talking about ‘Doctrine of the Mean’, about The Path is not far from man*. "‘In hewing an ax handle, in hewing an ax handle, the pattern is not far off.’ We grasp one ax handle to hew the other; and yet, if we look askance from the one to the other, we may consider them as apart.*"
Yan Sikong spoke
clearly and slowly. Although his voice was not as solemn as Shen Hexuan's, it
was also a quotation from the classics that passed through ancient and modern
times, and sometimes, he had to add a few interesting words. Slowly and
surprisingly, Emperor Zhaowu listened.
"A gentleman's way of governing the country is pure. The inner and outer presentations are completely consistent with each other, thus one can observe the sky with his head up and observe geographical features of a place with his head down. It's better to be strict with yourself than to demand others excessively. If you want to be considerate to others, you have to achieve what you're not willing to accept and not impose it on others.*" At this point, he added another amusing literary quotation, which made Emperor Zhaowu laugh and gave him a seat.
When Yan Sikong
finished speaking, Emperor Zhaowu praised him repeatedly, "That is very
interesting, my dear subject. Where did you hear all these classical stories?
Are they real?”
Yan Sikong smiled and said, "I am not talented. I like to read some popular legends and essays, so Your Majesty can just treat it as a joke. However, I dare not say anything wrong about the meaning of lectures and the doctrine of Confucius and Mencius."
"Haha, good.
You’ve lectured well." Emperor Zhaowu pointed at Yan Sikong and said to
Yan Zilian, "My dear subject Yan, is he your student?"
Yan Zilian bowed and
said, "He is my student."
"It's good that
you chose this person today."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is a great pleasure for me to make Your Majesty feel the delight of the lecture. I hereby earnestly request Your Majesty to resume the jingyan to......once every three days."
Emperor Zhaowu did
not buy it: "Let's discuss this matter later."
Yan Zilian, however,
was not discouraged and wanted to say something else, but Yu Ji received
Emperor Zhaowu's meaningful glance and announced in a loud voice: "Today's
jingyan shall end here. The lunch banquet has been set up. Everyone, please
attend."
Yan Sikong silently
followed the officials to retreat from the Wenhua Hall. He walked a few steps,
suddenly turned back quietly, and glanced at the emperor who was leaving. He
was looking over his shoulder constantly like a wolf*
, and his eyes
were extremely keen.
----
After getting praise from the emperor at the jingyan, Yan Sikong is finally in the limelight. The officials who intended to associate with him inevitably exchange pleasantries with him on the way. He smiled and responded respectfully and cleverly.
Everyone is seated according to rank at the lunch banquet. Those who were able to attend the jingyan are at least third and fourth rank officials. Naturally, the lowest ranking officials here are Yan Sikong and Shen Hexuan.
The two of them sat
at a table farthest away from the throne.
After settling down,
Yan Sikong cupped his hand and said, "What Brother Shen lectured today has
given me new ideas. I've benefited a lot."
Shen Hexuan returned
the salute and said lightly, "My dear brother has overpraised. What you
lectured today was quoting classics and full of delight. I admit that I’m not
as good as you."
The two only
exchanged a few pleasantries when they were seated and hardly spoke again
during the lunch banquet.
Yan Sikong had been
laughing and drinking with Yang Yue, the Left Deputy Minister of the Ministry
of Rites, while Shen Hexuan was drinking wine and eating food by himself.
In fact, Yan Sikong
knew in his heart that Shen Hexuan disliked him. It had nothing to do with the
ranking of jinshi. What Shen Hexuan didn’t like was his clever talk and
ingratiating manner. He envied Shen Hexuan very much. Shen Hexuan was pure
and upright. Holding a righteous spirit that had not been tarnished and
bursting into this chaotic officialdom, he didn’t know whether Shen Hexuan was
lucky or unlucky.
"Hey, have you
heard that King of Jingyuan’s Shizi is returning to the capital?"
Yan Sikong was
stunned. He turned his head and asked Yang Yue, who was chatting with his
colleagues, "Lord Yang, what did you just say?"
"Oh, I heard
that King of Jingyuan’s Shizi is returning to the capital."
"Is that the
rumored 'Little Wolf King', Feng Ye? This son is really outstanding......"
Yan Sikong gripped
his wine goblet tightly, and his brain went numb.
Feng Ye......
A name was as distant and vivid as the nightmare that haunted him throughout his life.
----
PS: from bombarding myself with military books to government books *cries to death*. Anyway, this wiki is very useful in providing details of the Imperial Exams, rankings etc. I’ve also included it in my Table of Contents. Oh, and Feng Ye is cominggggg~~~
PPS: I still need to work on the extracts from the Doctrine of the Mean, but I'll just publish this chapter first. Next chapter is fking long btw
jingyan*[经筵]--- place
where the emperor listened to lectures (refer to pic 1 below)
Grand Herald*[鸿胪寺]---or 大鸿胪 is
one of the Nine Ministers
Hanlin*[翰林]---members from the Imperial
Hanlin Academy
jinshi*[进士]--- or
‘advance scholar’, is a graduate who passed the triennial court exam. Alternative link
dear subject*[爱卿]--- my
close/dear subject (of an emperor). Sometimes these words also mean my darling/
my beloved wife
ceremonial
tablet*[笏]--- a tablet held before the chest by officials
when received in audience by the emperor (refer to pic 2 below)
xinke zhuangyuan*[新科状元]--- 新科 (xinke)
means a person who has just been elected as zhuangyuan. 状元 (zhuangyuan)
is the top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial
examination system). Second place is called榜眼 (bangyan)
and third place is called探花
(tanhua).
three levels of
civil service examinations*[三元]--- the three levels are: provincial (解元) metropolitan(会元) and palace(状元)
jade tassels*[玉旒]---the dangling stuff on the emperor's hat (refer to pic 3 below)
As a sovereign,
how can you lose your dignified posture? *[为人君者，可不敬哉？] --- If the emperor accidentally lost his
dignified posture and put one leg on top of the other, the lecturer would stop
lecturing and recite loudly: "As a sovereign, how can you lose your
dignified posture?" This kind of censure is repeated constantly, and there
is no leniency until the sovereign suddenly finds out his improper posture, corrects
it, and restores his upright posture.
Climbing must start from a low place, and a long journey must start from a near place*[辟如行远必自迩，辟如登高必自卑]---from Li Ji’s ‘Doctrine of the Mean’
voice of jade*[玉石之声]---means a male’s voice sounds very pleasant
looks of Pan An*[潘安之貌]--- Pan
An (247-300), also known as Pan Anren, was a writer during China's Western Jin
Dynasty. He’s known for his good looks, so 潘安之貌 is
used to describe any men who has good looks.
The Path is not far from man*[道不远人]--- from Li Ji’s ‘Doctrine of the Mean’
‘In hewing an ax handle, in hewing an ax handle, the pattern is not far off.’ We grasp one ax handle to hew the other; and yet, if we look askance from the one to the other, we may consider them as apart.*[ ‘伐柯伐柯，其则不远’，执柯以伐柯，睨而视之，犹以为远]---- from Li Ji’s ‘Doctrine of the Mean’
looking over his shoulder constantly like a wolf*[狼顾之相]---describes a person who’s cautious, suspicious and harbor ill intentions.
Edited on 23 July 21 (Emzie)
Hmmm, nice beggining of second volume!
ReplyDelete