APSIL -Chapter 124 There Was Once a Monk in the Tang Dynasty

Since the initial introductions had already taken up a considerable amount of time, Zhang Shou followed his original plan and began the actual lesson.

“The Imperial Academy has thousands of students. Those who seriously attend classes and advance all the way to the Shuai Xing Hall are mostly aiming to take the imperial examinations and obtain official titles. However, the students of Banshan Hall are mostly those who do not intend to participate in the exams. Unlike the other six halls, this place has a different purpose.”

“But today, since we are in the Imperial Academy, and this is our first history lesson, I’ll just casually tell you a story about the imperial examinations.”

“During the Tang Dynasty, there was once a monk. Of course, his name was not Tang Sanzang.”

Zhang Shou’s opening line was merely his habitual attempt at humor, but the students immediately burst into laughter.

When he heard someone shouting about Journey to the West, he realized—

Right, it seems Emperor Taizu probably released Journey to the West ahead of schedule in this world too.

Fortunately, he had never harbored any ambitions of becoming a literary giant, so he simply ignored the noisy voices and continued.

“This monk grew tired of being a monk. One day, he suddenly thought that being a Daoist might not be bad either. So he grew out his hair, returned to secular life, and went to Mount Lu to become a Daoist.”

“However, after three years of living on wind and dew without becoming an immortal, he finally achieved enlightenment. Becoming an immortal was not as good as becoming an official.”

“So, he worked hard, prepared to take the imperial examination, and then…”

“He passed.”

The entire hall erupted into an uproar.

Zhang Shou smiled.

“Do you all think this sounds completely absurd? Actually, it wasn’t absurd at all.”

“During the Tang Dynasty, passing the jinshi examination relied heavily on reputation. As long as your reputation as a monk was not too prominent, but your poetry and writings were excellent, and you had the support of influential people, you could still be selected.”

“The chief examiner only needed to make a slight recommendation, and this former monk who had wandered between Buddhism and Daoism became a jinshi.”

Zhang Shou had always been considered by his father to lack academic talent. Unable to restrain himself, Zhang Chen blurted out: “This is just showing off to attract attention!”

Zhang Shou ignored him and continued.

“This jinshi who had once been a monk was even praised by some people as having writings comparable to Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan.”

“Of course, nowadays most people only know Han and Liu, not this monk.”

“But this man served as an Imperial Censor and later became a provincial governor. His achievements were still quite impressive.”

“Oh, his name was Liu Ke. If you are interested, you may look him up.”

Before Zhang Chen could interrupt again, Zhang Shou continued with a smile.

“The Tang Dynasty had another monk as well. Perhaps he admired Monk Xuanzang, so his Dharma name was Zang Ji.”

“From childhood, he loved Buddhist scriptures. Therefore, he entered the Daci’en Temple in Chang’an and eventually gained the reputation of a great monk, becoming famous throughout the Guanzhong region.”

“But this very monk was terrified when Huang Chao’s rebellion broke out and his army attacked Chang’an.”

“A renowned young Buddhist master suddenly found himself facing a world turned upside down. He hurriedly returned to secular life, grew back his hair, and took his elderly parents away to escape the chaos.”

“He hid for more than ten years.”

“When the turmoil finally ended, he realized that in a chaotic era, being a monk could not even guarantee that one could protect oneself. Perhaps it was not the best path.”

“So he decided to follow the example of the former monk Liu Ke and take the imperial examination.”

Zhang Shou paused slightly.

Seeing Zhang Chen already glaring with his brows raised, he slowly continued: “However, this former eminent monk was not as fortunate as his predecessor.”

“He encountered an upright examiner. When the examiner saw that a famous monk from Daci’en Temple had come to take the exam, he was extremely disdainful. Without even reading his paper, he rejected him.”

“But Monk Zang Ji refused to give up.”

“He thought about it and then went to apply for the Boxue Hongci examination.”

The students immediately gasped.

Although they were spoiled young nobles, they still knew some basic knowledge.

The current dynasty occasionally held special examinations such as the Boxue Hongci, aimed at recruiting talented scholars and reclusive intellectuals.

The famous Grand Preceptor Ge had once won the top position in this examination.

Because Emperor Taizu disliked hermits and recluse scholars, this examination was considered one of the most difficult.

After pausing for a moment, Zhang Shou explained: “The Tang Dynasty’s Boxue Hongci examination was different from ours, but it was still extremely difficult.”

“Zang Ji was confident because of his elegant writing style and believed victory was certain.”

“Unfortunately, he encountered the same examiner again.”

“And by then, that examiner had already become the Minister of Personnel.”

“Needless to say, he was rejected again.”

“However, Monk Zang Ji refused to accept this. He personally went to argue with the examiner and even cited his predecessor Liu Ke as an example.”

“The result?”

“The examiner angrily scolded him.”

“‘The Liu Ke you mentioned may have been a monk, but he did not have a reputation like yours. Your father is a military governor, yet you abandoned your family and became a monk for no reason. If I serve as examiner ten times, I will reject you ten times!’”

“‘Not only that, I will spread this matter throughout the world!’”

At this point, Zhang Chen loudly cheered.

“A monk who returned to secular life actually wants to take the jinshi examination? His heart was never truly pure! He deserved to be rejected!”

However, some students disagreed.

They felt that the monk had only returned to secular life because circumstances forced him to. The examiner was being too harsh and unreasonable.

Even the Third Prince, who had just whispered with his younger brother to understand what “rejected” meant, softly said: “Once he failed the examination, wasn’t that enough? Why did the examiner have to spread the matter?”

“Father always says that one should forgive others whenever possible. Wasn’t that examiner lacking compassion?”

Outside the hall, the emperor smiled faintly upon hearing the word “compassion.”

But Zhu Ying snorted.

“A monk who didn’t think carefully before leaving his parents, and an examiner who was too strict and cold-hearted.”

“But honestly, the monk was more at fault.”

“His parents were still alive, yet he became a monk. What was he thinking?”

“He only remembered filial duty afterward. Where was that thought earlier?”

Inside Banshan Hall, Zhang Shou did not answer the Third Prince.

Instead, he looked over the students.

Everyone was whispering among themselves, but no one rushed to reveal the ending.

Clearly, not many people had read such an obscure story.

So Zhang Shou continued.

“Zang Ji was ultimately someone skilled at finding opportunities.”

“Even after being blocked twice, he managed to succeed.”

“He entered Guangwen Hall as a scholar-official.”

“He had an extraordinary memory and excellent writing ability. Several military governors competed to recruit him into their personal administrations.”

“Later, when he went as an envoy to Zhu Wen on behalf of one of those commanders, Zhu Wen kept him and appointed him as a military secretary.”

“Later, he was recommended to enter the imperial court.”

“At that time Zhu Wen controlled military power. Naturally, someone personally recommended by Zhu Wen would rise rapidly.”

“Zang Ji eventually became a Hanlin Academician and Zhongshu Sheren.”

Zhang Shou briefly explained the chaotic history of the late Tang Dynasty.

Seeing that many students who normally seemed uninterested in books and history were now curious about what happened next, he calmly continued.

“Afterward, Zhu Wen replaced the Tang Dynasty and became Emperor Taizu of Liang.”

“And this former monk Zang Ji?”

“He first became Vice Minister of Works and Hanlin Academician.”

“Later…”

“He actually rose all the way to become prime minister.”

At this moment, the Third Prince finally asked: “But what happened to that examiner?”

Zhang Shou lowered the corners of his mouth slightly.

“A person who could not even tolerate a monk taking the jinshi examination—how could he possibly tolerate Zhu Wen replacing the Tang Dynasty?”

“Of course, he could no longer complain.”

“One year before Zhu Wen founded the Liang Dynasty, that examiner, Zhao Chong, who had already retired as one of the Three Dukes, was executed together with Prime Minister Pei Shu and over a hundred others at Baima Station.”

“Their bodies were thrown into the Yellow River.”

“And Zang Ji played a significant role in this incident.”

“Buddhist monks are hateful!”

The person who suddenly slammed the table and stood up was not Zhang Chen.

It was the Fourth Prince.

The shortest student in all of Banshan Hall had turned bright red with anger.

Waving his small fists, he shouted: “No wonder Emperor Taizu forbade temples from freely ordaining monks!”

“He prohibited monks from exceeding three hundred people in one temple!”

“He prohibited them from owning more than a thousand mu of farmland!”

“He prohibited them from entering government offices freely!”

“They are simply terrible!”

Outside the hall, the emperor noticed that Zhu Ying also had a serious expression, clearly filled with indignation.

He did not even need to enter to know what Zhou Xun, Luo Siye, and the other officials would be thinking.

He had never expected Zhang Shou to use a story about monks to teach these noble youths, who could not sit through the Four Books and Five Classics, about the tragic Baima Incident of the late Tang Dynasty.

And he explained it from a completely different perspective.

“Zhu Wen replacing the Tang Dynasty—or more accurately, usurping the Tang Dynasty—was brutal.”

“He killed over a hundred officials at Baima Station.”

“But let me ask something unpleasant.”

“At that time Zhu Wen held military power. Even if these officials fought against him like ants trying to stop a chariot, they could not prevent him from becoming emperor.”

“And some of them did not even intend to resist.”

“So why did he kill so many?”

Zhang Shou paused.

His voice became low.

“Because he wanted to completely eliminate the old aristocratic families who considered themselves morally superior and looked down on him.”

“He wanted to remove future opponents.”

“He wanted to create more positions for the failed examination candidates who served under him.”

“And he wanted to give them an outlet for their resentment.”

“Why did these people hold such resentment?”

“Because of four words.”

“Unfair imperial examinations.”

“The imperial examination system began in the Sui Dynasty, but it gradually developed rules during the Tang.”

“Unlike our current system, which goes from county exams, prefectural exams, provincial exams, metropolitan exams, and palace exams step by step, the Tang system was far less strict.”

“Even the official examinations were filled with personal recommendations, friendships, and favoritism.”

“Countless talented people were buried.”

“Although people could take the exams every year, only a few dozen people passed the jinshi examination each year.”

“Many talented scholars failed.”

“And because they had to keep trying year after year, countless people dared not return home. They remained in the capital, relying on friends for food, living in poverty.”

“By the late Tang Dynasty, military governors controlled various regions.”

“The talents rejected by your court examiners were desperately wanted by these warlords.”

“So when the military governors challenged the central government, those once-powerful aristocratic scholars naturally became targets of revenge by the failed candidates who had become strategists under the warlords.”

“Even Huang Chao’s rebellion happened because he repeatedly failed the examinations.”

“Therefore, from the Tang and Song dynasties until today, the examination system has gradually become fairer.”

“Anonymous grading.”

“Copying exam papers.”

“Multiple examiners reviewing papers instead of one person deciding everything.”

“Searching through rejected papers.”

“At least ordinary people finally gained a path upward.”

“And powerful families finally received a warning.”

The Third and Fourth Princes only understood the first layer:

A monk harmed the examiner.

Most noble students, including Zhang Chen, understood the second layer:

A monk, because of unfair examinations, used Zhu Wen’s rebellion to take revenge on the scholars who had rejected him.

But Zhang Wu, Zhang Lu, and a few others understood the third layer.

This dynasty did not have true aristocratic clans.

When Emperor Taizu granted titles to his founding heroes, he established a permanent rule:

Unless one achieved extraordinary merit, noble titles would decrease with each generation.

Among Emperor Ruizong’s heroes, only the Zhao Duke, Chu Duke, and Qin Duke titles were hereditary without reduction.

The rest declined generation by generation.

The cabinet also prohibited close relatives from serving together, required avoidance rules for family members holding office, and established many other restrictions.

Therefore, most noble children sitting here today were descendants of founding generals.

As for official families, looking back three generations, many of their ancestors had been completely ordinary.

No matter how wealthy their families were now, without outstanding descendants to inherit their achievements, decline could come within only two or three generations.

In this world…

How many people like Zang Ji, unable to achieve their ambitions, were watching those powerful families sitting in high positions?