Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 113 The Reform of the Imperial Examination System

Chapter 113 The Reform of the Imperial Examination System

After a long while, Zhao Kuangyin finally came to his senses. His voice was hoarse and bewildered as he asked, word by word, "What does it mean to share the world with the people?"

"The emperor has the responsibilities of an emperor, and the people have the duties of a people. If the emperor wants to share the world with the people, he should take the lead in assuming responsibility."

Meeting his father's gaze, Zhao Dezhao spoke firmly and slowly: "Since the founding of our Great Song Dynasty, all the people of the land have been watching closely: What will this new dynasty be?"

"Is it for the sake of enjoying comfort and ease? Or for the sake of rebuilding China?"

"The vast majority of our people are suspicious and dare not approach the court, much less risk their lives for it. This is the greatest hidden danger facing our Great Song Dynasty at present!"

"If we want the world to understand that our Great Song Dynasty has the ambition to bring peace and stability to the land, we must demonstrate the responsibility of an emperor! Only then can we win the hearts of the people!"

"When the emperor wins the hearts of the people, all the citizens of the land will willingly offer their loyalty and enthusiasm, even lining the streets for miles just to bid farewell to their hero!"

"What are the responsibilities of an emperor? If you ask me, there are only two points."

"The emperor guards the nation's gates; the monarch dies for the state! This is the emperor's responsibility!"

"Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures!"

"This is the responsibility of an emperor!"

"Father! Scholars and officials can assist in governance, and military generals can govern the borders, but the people are the most solid foundation of this great prosperity. With the support of all the people under heaven, why worry about a decline in talent? Why worry about a lack of good generals? Why worry about not having a truly peaceful year!"

As Zhao Dezhao finished speaking, the attic fell into a deathly silence, with only the crackling of the flickering candlelight and the flickering shadows on the walls casting long, long shadows of the father and son.

Zhao Kuangyin fell silent, completely silent.

He stared blankly at Zhao Dezhao, the astonishment in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex and unfathomable expression.

There was confusion, struggle, disbelief, and a sense of helplessness after having one's understanding overturned.

Because in the hearts of all emperors under the "family rule" system, although the common people were important, in the end, they were nothing more than their own servants, tools of rule, and beings used to support the royal family's rule.

The so-called people-oriented ideology is nothing more than "shepherding the people," keeping them law-abiding and preventing them from rebelling; that is already considered benevolent governance.

But now, Zhao Dezhao is telling him that to share the world with these "house slaves," he must place the common people on an equal footing with the royal family and the scholar-officials.

It even requires the emperor to shoulder the immense burden for the people, to take the hearts of the people as his own, and to take the wishes of the people as his own.

Anyone would think that Zhao Dezhao was talking nonsense, that he was young and arrogant and didn't know his own limitations.

Zhao Kuangyin's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, to refute, to rebuke Zhao Dezhao's absurdity, but the words stuck in his throat.

He suddenly remembered the chaotic Five Dynasties period, a time of cannibalism and complete collapse of social order and ethics.

He suddenly remembered the look in the eyes of the people in Kaifeng on the day he returned from his mutiny, a look that was a mixture of unease, fear, and a barely perceptible expectation.

He suddenly recalled that when he climbed to the top of the city wall, gazing upon the devastated landscape, he had uttered the words, "For the rest of my life—"

Our grand ambition is to make this country even more prosperous!

For the first time, cracks appeared in his preconceived notions!

Are the common people truly slaves?

Zhao Kuangyin stood silently before the oath monument, his back looking particularly lost and heavy.

What you're saying is too vague, too vague.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Kuangyin slowly shook his head, turned around, and stared intently at Zhao Dezhao with a gaze so intense it was almost unbearable to look directly at him: "I need to know the specific measures, the feasible methods!"

Zhao Dezhao took a deep breath, took out the memorial that Lu Duoxun had already written, and presented it to Zhao Kuangyin. He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is wise. As Your Majesty said, it is not something that can be accomplished overnight to win the hearts of all people under heaven to our Great Song. I humbly believe that perhaps we can start with the imperial examination system to break the deadlock and begin anew."

Zhao Kuangyin accepted the memorial without comment, his gaze slowly falling to the ground.

At first, his expression was relatively calm, but the more he looked, the more gloomy his face became, and anger rose in his eyes. In the end, he couldn't help but shout, "Outrageous!"

"I reopened the imperial examinations to recruit talented individuals, intending to revitalize the nation through literature and appease scholars across the land. Yet Tao Gu, as the chief examiner, has committed such acts of fraud and favoritism! How dare so many officials in the court be so audacious and abuse their power for personal gain!"

As he said this, a chilling glint flashed in his eyes, along with a hint of barely concealed fear.

As the Minister of Rites, Tao Gu held a high position and great power. Those who could befriend him were all important officials in the court or noble families. Yet, these officials, whom he considered to be scholar-officials, had actually committed such despicable acts behind his back.

He dared not think too deeply about what the world would become if he truly shared the world with these scholar-officials.

"Father, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on Tao Gu alone."

Zhao Dezhao shook his head and reported the truth: "The corruption of the imperial examination system is not the fault of one person alone. Since the establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this system has been controlled by powerful families. The practice of public recommendation is prevalent. The sons of the powerful and wealthy can easily enter officialdom by virtue of their family background. This has long been an unspoken rule in the hearts of the powerful and wealthy."

As he spoke, he told Zhao Kuangyin in detail about the data on cheating in the imperial examinations that Lu Duoxun had told him, as well as the old case of cheating when Qian Hui, the Vice Minister of Rites, presided over the imperial examinations in the first year of the Changqing era of the Tang Dynasty.

After a pause, Zhao Dezhao's expression grew even more solemn, and he continued, "In my opinion, the original intention of the imperial examination system was to give the people hope, to give them hope of serving the court and changing their destiny through their own talents."

"Let all the talented people in the land serve the emperor, rather than becoming tools for powerful families, high-ranking officials, and nobles to pursue their own interests!"

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should use the imperial examination system to restore justice to the people of the land and let them know the responsibility of the Emperor of our Great Song Dynasty!"

Zhao Kuangyin remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand to summon Zhang Dejun and ordered him to bring two stools.

After the father and son sat down, Zhao Kuangyin rubbed his sore legs, his expression softening somewhat, before slowly speaking, his tone filled with expectation and solemnity: "Tell me your thoughts in detail, I am listening."

Zhao Dezhao sat upright opposite his father, the flickering candlelight casting a glow on his face. By candlelight, the two sat down for a long talk before the oath monument: "Your subject intends to implement a sealed and transcribed system for this year's imperial examinations to prevent cheating."

Zhao Dezhao spoke slowly and clearly, explaining, "All information on each exam paper, including the candidate's name, place of origin, age, etc., should be sealed off and no examiner should be allowed to access it."

"The Ministry of Rites should have designated personnel responsible for transcribing all the candidates' exam papers. After the papers have been transcribed, they will be sent to the examiners for review."

"In addition, a system of recusal should be implemented for the imperial examinations. Anyone with an old or familial relationship with a candidate should not serve as an examiner, and examiners should not meet with any candidate privately."

"In addition, it is necessary to strictly enforce examination discipline, add more invigilators, and strictly investigate any cheating. Once it is found, the candidate will be disqualified, and the examiner will be dismissed and investigated, so as to set an example for others."

"These measures are not difficult to implement." Zhao Kuangyin nodded slightly, a hint of surprise and approval flashing in his eyes.

These methods seem simple, yet they hit the nail on the head. It is already quite remarkable that one could come up with them.

His son had only just taken over the imperial examinations, so it was quite unexpected that he could come up with these ideas.

With these measures in place, truly talented individuals can indeed be selected.

But then he frowned, pondering as he pressed on, "But if that's all there is, I'm afraid it's not enough to call it 'sharing the world with the people,' is it?"

These are just the basics.

Zhao Dezhao shook his head slightly, his expression suddenly becoming extremely solemn, and he looked intently at Zhao Kuangyin: "Your subject has two more ideas, but they require Your Majesty's support."

Seeing Zhao Dezhao's serious demeanor, Zhao Kuangyin felt a chill run down his spine and nodded, saying, "Speak freely."

"Firstly, abolish the public recommendation system. The sons of officials of the fourth rank or above shall not be allowed to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations; they may only have one son admitted to officialdom through the hereditary system!"

Even so, one still needs to undergo a simple assessment before starting as a low-ranking official.

As soon as Zhao Dezhao finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin's expression changed drastically!