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I couldn't help but laugh at this reasoning, but I still explained to the princess: "Princess, the quality of a minister cannot be judged by the number of times you recite his texts, nor can a person's goodness or evil be determined by just one or two things. Besides, a wicked person may do a few good deeds in their life, and a good person may also do something foolish that harms others. Wang Gongchen is diligent and honest, which are his strengths. He has had some commendable achievements in the past, such as resigning from his position as the top scholar and bringing the emperor's robe to remonstrate, which have even become legendary tales. However, his attacks on the new faction of ministers, especially the matter of the Imperial Academy, went too far. It was both a factional struggle and an act of venting personal grievances, which harmed a large number of scholars in the academy. Now and in the future, many people will criticize him for this."

The princess asked me curiously, "I've heard people talk about the Jinzou Academy from time to time, but I still don't know what exactly happened. How did Wang Gongchen harm Su Shunqin and the others?"

“When I served in the former provincial government, I often heard the civil officials discussing this matter, and I am very clear about the ins and outs of it!” Zhang Chengzhao said excitedly to the princess before I could answer.

The princess then instructed him, "Then speak."

Zhang Chengzhao then began his narration: "Back then, Prime Minister Fan gathered many talented people in the imperial academy... Does the princess know what the imperial academy was used for?"

The princess said, "The Imperial Academy is the History Museum, the Zhaowen Academy, the Jixian Academy, and the Secret Pavilion. The people who work there are responsible for compiling history, compiling books, and managing books and documents. Sometimes they also explain the meaning of the classics to Father."

“Moreover,” Zhang Chengzhao explained, “the Imperial Academy also served as a training ground for students, a place where the court could cultivate and promote talent. Those who held positions in the Academy could often rise to high positions within a few years, becoming drafters of imperial edicts, secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat, or academicians of the Hanlin Academy. Further advancement could lead to positions in the two highest government offices, such as prime minister or privy councilor. Precisely because of this, it was extremely difficult to enter the Imperial Academy. Usually, the top five Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were sent to serve as officials in other provinces for a few years. The top three would return after one term, while the fourth and fifth would serve two terms. Upon returning to the capital, they would be recommended by high-ranking officials and then summoned by imperial decree for another examination. Only those who passed this examination could enter the Imperial Academy. Of course, there were also those who received years of service and those who were granted special privileges to be dismissed. However, this dynasty favored scholars, and the emperor placed great importance on the imperial examinations. Nowadays, only those who had passed the Jinshi examination could obtain a high-ranking position. Therefore, people in the Imperial Academy were also divided into different ranks. Those who had passed the Jinshi examination and were summoned for another examination had a very high opinion of themselves and were often more arrogant and dissolute than those who were granted special privileges to be dismissed.”

The princess smiled and said, "Su Shunqin and his group must have passed the imperial examination and become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination)?"

Zhang Chengzhao nodded and continued, "That's right. Su Shunqin came from a family of high-ranking officials. His grandfather, Su Yijian, was the top scholar in the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and rose to the position of Vice Minister of State Affairs. His father, Su Qi, was a Vice Minister of Works. He originally obtained a county magistrate position through his father's influence, but he disdained such a lowly post and resigned to participate in the imperial examinations, passing with flying colors. Later, recommended by Fan Zhongyan, he was summoned to take the examinations and obtained a position in the Imperial Academy, serving as a compiler in the Jixian Academy and supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat. After entering the Imperial Academy, most of the friends he made were like him who had entered through the examinations." These were all men of talent and reputation. They all supported Prime Minister Fan's policies. Although they were all gentlemen, they were habitually arrogant and unrestrained, pointing fingers at the country and looking down on the powerful. They also frequently mocked the Censorate officials for their incompetence, further enraging Wang Gongchen, who was already at odds with Prime Minister Fan and Prime Minister Du. Moreover, the Imperial Academy was a place for cultivating talent, and those who opposed him now were likely to become important officials in the future. Therefore, he had always wanted to expel the renowned scholars from the Academy from the capital, but he struggled to find a solution until later when the Autumn Festival of Divine Worship was held at the Imperial Memorial Hall…”

"Is it the kind of religious festival that people in the capital hold every spring and autumn?" the princess asked.

Zhang Chengzhao said, "Yes. It is a custom for people in the capital to hold banquets and gatherings. Su Shunqin sold a batch of old papers according to the practice of the Imperial Academy, and also spent 10,000 coins to prepare a banquet for his friends who were famous scholars in the imperial academy..."

"Is it only those who passed the exam?" the princess asked with a smile.

“That’s right.” Zhang Chengzhao flattered her, “The princess is truly intelligent, she guessed it right away! There was a Crown Prince’s attendant named Li Ding who also wanted to attend the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Academy, but Su Shunqin flatly refused, saying to him with a smile: ‘If there are no steamed buns or mutton pies in the food, how can there be brothel and yu piss on the table?’ Steamed buns and mutton pies are foreign-style meat pies; brothel and yu piss refer to official positions such as Imperial Academy Doctor, Crown Prince’s Attendant, and Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, which are used to appoint sons of high-ranking officials. The implication was that our banquet only invites refined scholars, and high-ranking officials’ sons like you, who are not worthy of being served like foreign meat pies, need not attend.”

The princess laughed loudly: "Comparing people to barbarian meat pies, where does Li Ding put his face... He won't swallow this insult, he will definitely take revenge."

Zhang Chengzhao clapped his hands and said, "That's right! Li Ding harbored a grudge. Although he didn't attend the festival, he planted spies at the banquet. Those scholars and officials were also careless. When the wine was flowing freely, Wang Zhu, the historian, ordered people to summon female prostitutes from both armies to sit and make merry. Wang Yirou, the palace attendant and compiler of the Jixian Academy, even composed a poem on the spot called 'Song of Pride,' which contains the lines: 'The Taiji is tilted and the emperor is sent to support it; the Duke of Zhou and Confucius are driven into slavery.'"

The princess's face immediately darkened with anger, and she retorted, "You want the emperor to help him up? That's outrageous!"

Zhang Chengzhao immediately slapped himself and said, "I was careless and relayed what I said without thinking. Please forgive me, Princess."

The princess was already angered by this remark, so one can only imagine how the emperor felt upon hearing it. I then bowed and advised the princess, "This was just Wang Yirou's youthful folly; it was an unintentional mistake."

Fortunately, the princess was eager to hear what happened next, so she didn't dwell on it and waved her hand, saying, "Never mind, he suffered later anyway. Let's continue."

Zhang Chengzhao obeyed the order and continued, "Li Ding's spies heard this and went out to tell him. Li Ding immediately went to Wang Gongchen and relayed the matter. Wang Gongchen quickly entered the palace to meet the Emperor and reported the incident at the Jinzouyuan. The Emperor was furious and immediately ordered the Imperial City Guard to arrest the people at the banquet. At that time, the streets of Bianjing were filled with eunuchs carrying weapons and riding horses to arrest people. The people did not know what was happening, and the whole city was in an uproar. The shouts and cries could even be heard in the palace."

"You caught them all?" the princess asked, her eyes wide.

“Of course,” Zhang Chengzhao said, beaming. “Those scholars in the Imperial Academy were all bookish men; how could they resist? They were all arrested and imprisoned in no time. Then Wang Gongchen led the Censorate to impeach Su Shunqin for embezzlement, Wang Yirou for slandering Zhou and Confucius, and Wang Zhu and others for sitting with prostitutes, demanding that the Emperor punish them one by one, and even asking the Emperor to execute Su Shunqin and Wang Yirou. Han Qi strongly advised against it, saying that since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has never done anything like executing scholar-officials. If he were to do so suddenly, it would surely shock the people.”

The princess nodded and said, "They may be a bit arrogant and presumptuous, but it's not enough to make them lose their heads."

Zhang Chengzhao said, "The princess truly lives up to her status as the emperor's daughter; she thinks just like His Majesty. Later, His Majesty stripped Su Shunqin of his title and demoted all the other scholars, leaving the Imperial Academy empty. For a long time, it was impossible to find suitable people to compile books, history, and interpret the classics, and the court newspapers were also suspended for a long time. Because it was difficult to find enough outstanding graduates to fill positions in the Imperial Academy, and His Majesty also intended to punish the frivolousness of talented scholars, Wang Gongchen's faction followed his orders and recommended several simple and incompetent people to enter..."

The princess's eyes suddenly lit up, and she asked, "Was Yang Anguo added to the ranks around this time?"

Zhang Chengzhao smiled and nodded: "Yes, yes, that clown was added to the Imperial Academy at this time."

Upon hearing the name Yang Anguo, I couldn't help but chuckle. This man was of limited talent and learning, and his speech and manners were crude and uncouth. Whenever he lectured the Emperor on the classics, he often mixed in vulgar, market-savvy language, so much so that the palace attendants and eunuchs would burst into laughter at the mere sight of him. One day, while explaining the phrase "a single bamboo bowl of rice and a gourd of water" to the Emperor, he spoke in a thick local accent, saying, "Yan Hui was very poor; his family only had a basket of millet rice and a gourd of water." On another occasion, he lectured on the Analects, "From those who bring me a bundle of dried meat as a gift, I have never refused to teach them." The bundle of dried meat consisted of ten pieces. In ancient times, when people met, they would always present a gift as a token of respect; a bundle of dried meat was the smallest of these gifts. The original meaning of the sentence was, "From those who come seeking an audience with a bundle of dried meat as a meager gift, I have never refused to teach them." Yang Anguo's interpretation was, "Your Majesty, even Confucius needed money to teach." The Emperor smiled wryly at this. The following day, the gifts were distributed to all the lecturers, but everyone else politely declined to bow, except for Yang Anguo, who accepted them without hesitation. These events had already become a source of amusement within the palace, and even the current emperor had mentioned them with a smile when explaining the Analects to the princess.

“Yang Anguo isn’t the only ridiculous person here,” Zhang Chengzhao added. “Peng Cheng, who’s left in the Imperial Academy, is quite a character! After the incident at the Imperial Secretariat, a vacancy for a Hanlin Academician became available. The Emperor wanted to fill it by selecting someone from among the civil officials in the Academy, but couldn’t find anyone quite right, so he chose the oldest, Peng Cheng. Later, when he drafted edicts for the Emperor, his choice of words was particularly laughable. Once, a marshal guarding the border requested an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor summoned Peng Cheng, told him his intentions, and asked him to draft a reply. In his reply, Peng Cheng wrote: ‘When the weather is fine, then we can proceed with the leisurely journey.’”

The princess was greatly puzzled and frowned as she asked me, "This sentence is so obscure, what does it mean? Huaiji, do you understand?"

I smiled and said, "I can only guess. Perhaps he meant that we can set off when the weather gets cooler."

Zhang Chengzhao laughed, "That's exactly what it means. The Emperor's original words were: 'Come back when autumn is cool.' After this edict was issued, it made several Hanlin scholars laugh. Peng Cheng quite liked using this phrase. Later, when Minister Tian Kuang was appointed Prefect of Chengdu, Western Shu was suffering from a famine. Tian Kuang had just entered the treacherous Jianmen Pass when he immediately opened the granaries to provide relief, and then submitted a memorial to await punishment. Peng Cheng drafted an edict in response, saying: 'Having just crossed the perilous cliffs, you are already feeling sorrow.' This became another source of amusement. This year, Peng Cheng fell ill and died. His colleague Wang Qi wrote a eulogy for him, and couldn't help but mock him, writing in the eulogy: 'The most desolate lines, no one will follow in his footsteps.'"

The princess laughed for a long time while leaning on her desk before saying, "So it turns out that there have been such a motley crew among the Hanlin scholars in recent years. In retrospect, it's also Wang Gongchen's fault."

It is precisely for this reason that Wang Gongchen has become even more criticized by talented scholars and literati. The current dynasty highly values scholars of literature and poetry. Given that many in the Imperial Academy during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong had superficial knowledge, the current emperor specifically instructed: "The positions in the Imperial Academy should be filled by those whose literary talent matches their abilities." To this end, the requirements for entering the Imperial Academy have been raised, and those selected are now the elite of the nation. Therefore, this dynasty has produced a wealth of talent, with many ministers possessing both political and literary renown, enough to be remembered for generations as renowned ministers. However, the incident with the Imperial Secretariat has led to a change in the selection principles of the Imperial Academy. While it has brought in more honest and prudent individuals, they lack true brilliance. Their interpretations of the classics are merely textual explanations, and even figures like Yang Anguo and Peng Cheng have infiltrated the ranks. In the long run, this will ultimately be detrimental to the country and the nation.

But I only thought these things to myself and didn't say them to the princess. After chatting and laughing with Zhang Chengzhao for a while, she suddenly asked, "But why does Wang Gongchen have so much power, able to harm whomever he wants?"

“Because he was the Vice Censor-in-Chief at the time, responsible for supervising all officials,” Zhang Chengzhao replied. “The Censorate’s duties were to investigate all officials, uphold discipline, advise the emperor, participate in government affairs, and adjudicate criminal cases. The court also stipulated that if a censor did not criticize current affairs within 100 days, he would be dismissed and demoted to an outside post. Even if Wang Gongchen had no personal grudges against other officials, he would still find someone to impeach him, so never offend a censor… Speaking of the rule of speaking out within 100 days, there was another joke in the court: Censor Wang Ping had been in office for almost 100 days and had not yet spoken out. His colleagues were all surprised, but after thinking about it, they said, ‘Perhaps Censor Wang is waiting to speak; if he does speak out, it must be about something important.’ One day, they finally heard that he had impeached someone, and everyone spread the news and secretly found his manuscript to study. They found that what he had impeached was about a hair in the imperial meal. His impeachment poem even read: ‘What a serene face, suddenly I see a scroll.’”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chengzhao burst into laughter, while the princess, not fully understanding, turned to me while eating a green plum and asked, "What does his ballad mean?"

I replied with a smile, "He meant that the emperor was about to have his meal, his countenance solemn and dignified, when he suddenly saw a single strand of hair peacefully coiled in his bowl."

The princess immediately burst into laughter, but choked on the unswallowed green plum and coughed repeatedly. Just as I was about to go over to help her, Zhang Chengzhao rushed ahead to pat her back and bring her tea and water.

The princess, catching her breath, said, "It turns out that the people in the imperial academy used to say that the officials in the censorate were incompetent, and it wasn't an unreasonable accusation after all!"

Zhang Chengzhao replied, "That's right! If the officials of the Censorate didn't have their own shortcomings, Ouyang Xiu and his friends in the Imperial Academy wouldn't have kept bringing this up so often."

The princess laughed again, "Speaking of which, Yunniang's concerns are similar to those of Imperial Censor Wang. If I don't eat properly, she'll impeach me to my sister. Next time, I'll ask Father to appoint her as Imperial Censor."

Yunniang is her wet nurse, Han. The princess quickly thought of Consort Miao and said, "Sister is the same. If she feels I don't listen to her, she'll go to Father or... to impeach me... But her official rank is higher than Yunniang's, so let's appoint her as Vice Censor-in-Chief."

I lowered my head and laughed when I heard this. The princess looked at me and pretended to be serious: "What are you laughing at? You often do bad things too. Sometimes when I don't want to write or read, you will tell my sister... You can be considered a censor who knows miscellaneous matters."

I suppressed my smile, bowed respectfully to her, and said, "Princess, please forgive my bluntness. I believe that it would be more appropriate for Your Highness to promote me to the position of Hanlin Academician."

"Why?" the princess asked.

I replied, "Because I must be ready at any time to answer the princess's inquiries, explain the meaning of the classics to her, and also be on duty every day, and from time to time be ordered to compose imperial essays and poems for the princess..."

"Thump," a soft sound, as the princess tossed a green plum between my eyebrows. "You're making fun of me again!" she scolded, but that feigned anger quickly vanished into a smile.

I just smiled, touching my brow. She gazed at me for a moment, then suddenly said, "However, Huaiji, you are so studious. If you hadn't entered the palace, you would have been eighteen this year and could have taken the imperial examination to become the top scholar, right? If you had passed the examination, becoming a Hanlin Academician wouldn't have been difficult at all."

My smile faded, and my heart was filled with mixed emotions, unable to distinguish between joy and sorrow.

The princess unfolded the court report again, looked at the list of successful candidates, and smiled, "But if that were the case, I wouldn't have known you. Perhaps I could only catch a glimpse of you from afar when my father summoned the new candidates to the Jiying Hall, and think to myself, 'This top scholar is quite handsome.' That would be all."