Chapter 95: On the Chang'an Road, Meeting a Remarkable Man (Part 3)

"Brother Lu has passed the examinations and been recommended for the imperial exams several times, so his talent is undoubtedly excellent. But each trip to the capital has cost a considerable amount of family wealth."

"A basket of food, a gourd of drink, Hui does not change his joy. Such trivial matters are not worth mentioning."

"If these tax collectors could be like Brother Lu, it would be wonderful!"

When Han Gang mentioned this, Lu Ming became angry, "I originally planned to bring some local products to the capital to help cover my travel expenses. Who would have thought that the tax checkpoints would suddenly become so strict. 'Why must the king speak of profit?' This is clearly a case of competing with the people for profit!"

Han Gang found Lu Ming's anger amusing. He looked Lu Ming up and down, seeing the poverty and decline that permeated his bones. In the Song Dynasty, unlike the Ming and Qing Dynasties, those who passed the provincial exams were not called 'lord' unless they passed the imperial exams. Otherwise, they would remain lifelong scholars.

Han Gang found it hard to understand Lu Ming's persistence. He repeatedly went to the capital for the exams, relying on trade to support himself. Such blind actions would ultimately yield no returns. Han Gang found it difficult to understand such unstrategic behavior.

If he failed repeatedly, he could always take the special examination, which was much easier than the imperial exams. Passing it would allow him to be appointed to a position like a literary official or an assistant teacher, with a salary from the government sufficient to support his family. This was far better than clinging to an unrealistic dream.

After parting with the mountain goat beard, Han Gang's group finally set off again, but the three became four, with Lu Ming joining them.

Han Gang and Liu Zhongwu rode horses, and even Li Xiaoliu had a horse to ride, while Lu Ming rode a mule. Although the old mule had been replaced with a strong blue mule at the tax checkpoint, the mule, burdened with a large load and Lu Ming's weight, still moved with a heavy panting and a wobbly gait.

Han Gang watched for a long time, feeling sorry for the mule, not for Lu Ming, and said, "Brother Lu, if you don't mind, why don't you travel with me? When we reach the post station, you can change to a horse, which will speed up our journey."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming immediately rolled off the mule and knelt on the ground, weeping, "Your kindness is greater than the mountains and deeper than the sea. I, Lu Ming, will never be able to repay you. My parents gave me life, but you have saved me. You are my再生父母 (rebirth parents)!"

Han Gang's hair stood on end at this. Such a peculiar person was truly rare. He quickly dismounted and helped Lu Ming up, "No, no, I can't accept such praise!"

Lu Ming bowed deeply again before getting up, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.

Han Gang secretly admired Lu Ming's vivid performance. He actually had no particular fondness for this exempted candidate, but helping a scholar in distress was a reasonable act. Since it was a cost-free favor, there was no harm in helping. Now, it seemed that Lu Ming was indeed a remarkable person. Moreover, since he was an exempted candidate, he must have had extensive experience traveling to the capital for the exams. Familiar with the people and the roads, he could serve as a guide.

The group set off again, heading for the capital.

On the way, Lu Ming engaged Han Gang in discussions about poetry and literature, trying his best to show off. However, his level was below the average of the candidates from the Shaanxi region. Han Gang found it somewhat tedious but pretended to be interested.

When Han Gang shifted the topic to military and hydraulic engineering, Lu Ming began to spout nonsense, even making Liu Zhongwu shake his head. Soon, realizing he had nothing substantial to say, Lu Ming returned to the topic of poetry and literature. After a while, he somehow brought up the examination questions from previous imperial exams.

"My first trip to the capital was thirty years ago. In that exam, there were Wang Jiepu (Wang Anshi) and Wang Yuyu (Wang Gui), both of whom were very close to me. I still remember Wang Jiepu's phrase '孺子其朋' (a young man's companion), which ruined an otherwise excellent essay. When we came out of the exam hall, a few acquaintances discussed it and sighed that Wang Jiepu had used the wrong word, even Wang Jiepu himself shook his head. In the end, he lost the top position."

Nonsense! Han Gang didn't believe for a moment that Lu Ming had been there.

Wang Anshi's '孺子其朋' was written on the imperial exam paper. Since it was a quote from Duke of Zhou to King Cheng, it warned against forming cliques. However, Emperor Renzong, who had been on the throne for decades, would not appreciate a young man in his twenties using Duke of Zhou's words to lecture him. Although he wasn't disqualified, he was demoted from first to fourth place.

This was an imperial exam question, and if Lu Ming had reached the imperial exam, he wouldn't have failed. The imperial exam determined the ranking, while the provincial exam determined the pass or fail. Those who reached the imperial exam were guaranteed to pass, but their ranking would be determined by another exam. Lu Ming had no such opportunity; he had probably heard about it from others, just like Han Gang.

"My greatest regret is the exam of the second year of Jiayou. At that time, Ouyang Yongshu (Ouyang Xiu) was the chief examiner, and the question was '刑赏忠厚之至论' (On the Utmost Loyalty and Generosity in Punishment and Reward). I had memorized the commentary by Kong Anguo, but I couldn't recall it during the exam. '刑疑附轻，赏疑从重，忠厚之至' (If there is doubt about punishment, it should be lenient; if there is doubt about reward, it should be generous), but I omitted the word '疑' (doubt)."

'How can this be called a loss? The examiner deliberately left out the key word, and you fell into the trap,' Han Gang thought to himself. The word '疑' (doubt) was intentionally omitted by Ouyang Xiu to test the candidates' familiarity with the classics. Even if you couldn't recall Kong Anguo's commentary, you should have remembered the original text, '罪疑唯轻，功疑唯重' (If there is doubt about guilt, it should be treated lightly; if there is doubt about merit, it should be treated generously), which also contains the word '疑' (doubt).

'罪疑唯轻，功疑唯重' is a phrase from the 'Book of Documents: The Great Plan of Yu,' followed by '与其杀不辜，宁失不经' (It is better to err on the side of leniency than to punish the innocent), reflecting the benevolence and leniency of ancient Chinese judicial systems, which is similar to the modern principle of acquitting in cases of doubt. Even Han Gang knew this by heart. Kong Anguo's commentary merely paraphrased the text from the 'Book of Documents,' and the key word '疑' (doubt) was not altered. How could he have missed it?

"What a pity!" Lu Ming sighed deeply, his face showing the pain of a man who needed to beat his chest, "If not for that mistake, I could have passed the exam with Su Zizhan (Su Shi) and Zeng Zigong (Zeng Gong). In that exam, Ouyang Yongshu was the chief examiner, and he favored a classical style over the ornate style of the Imperial Academy. Many talents were promoted, including Su Zizhan, Su Ziyu, Zeng Zigong, and Lu Jifu."

The imperial exam of the second year of Jiayou was indeed a gathering of talents, and Han Gang knew this. Besides the Su brothers, Zeng Gong, one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and his four brothers, along with their two sons-in-law, all passed the exam, a unique event in the Song Dynasty. Additionally, his teacher Zhang Zai, his sponsor Wang Shao, and Cheng Hao, one of the Two Chengs, were all from the second year of Jiayou. Furthermore, it is said that the current assistant to Wang Anshi, Lu Huiqing, who was vilified by the anti-reformers, also passed the exam in the second year of Jiayou.

"The second year of Jiayou was truly a year of many talents!" Lu Ming, whose knowledge was less than Han Gang's, but who had taken many exams, continued, "When I went to the capital for the exam, among the candidates, the Su brothers, Su Zizhan and Su Ziyu, were the most famous. Below them were the four sons of the Zeng family and their two sons-in-law, who were also renowned. The Zhang brothers, Zhang Zizhou and Zhang Ziping, from Fujian, were also well-known. The newly favored by Prime Minister Wang, Lu Jifu, eventually topped the list."

Among all these, only Zhang Zizhou (Zhang Zai) and Cheng Boyu (Cheng Hao) had mastered the essence of Daoism and had disciples by their side. Zhang Zizhou even set up a tiger-skin chair to lecture on the 'Book of Changes,' and even the Chancellor Wen Xianggong came to support him. However, Zhang Zizhou's two nephews also came to debate with him. After one night, Zhang Zizhou withdrew and stopped lecturing, admitting that he was inferior to the Two Chengs.

Lu Ming spoke with great enthusiasm, but Han Gang's brow furrowed, "Sir, you are well-versed in the Dao and the classics, but you are not skilled in verbal debates. 'My Dao is sufficient, and I do not need to seek elsewhere.' On the path of the Dao, have you ever admitted defeat?"

Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi indeed challenged Zhang Zai, although they claimed it was a debate. When Zhang Zai first took the imperial exam, he was already thirty-eight, famous in Guanzhong, and surrounded by disciples. His younger brother, Zhang Jian, had already passed the exam several years ago. After the imperial exam, Zhang Zai was on the list, and the celebration banquet at Qionglin Garden had not yet begun. During this time, Wen Yanbo helped Zhang Zai set up a tiger-skin chair in Xingguo Temple to lecture on the 'Book of Changes.' After a night of discussion with Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai withdrew the tiger-skin chair and said, "In the study of the 'Book of Changes,' I am inferior to the Two Chengs. You should seek their guidance." This made the Two Chengs famous in the capital.

However, Zhang Zai did not admit defeat. He said, "My Dao is sufficient, and I do not need to seek elsewhere." Whether it was the Dao of Buddhism and Daoism or the Dao of the Two Chengs, Zhang Zai did not consider them the true Dao. He had his own worldview and his own 'Dao,' which would not be shaken by a debate. His ability to admit his shortcomings publicly demonstrated his confidence.

Lu Ming's smile remained unchanged, and he continued, "That's right. In terms of the Dao, Zhang Zizhou (Zhang Zai) explained it more clearly than Cheng Zhengfu (Cheng Yi). Cheng Yi didn't even pass the imperial exam, how can he compare to Mr. Zhang Zizhou?"

Han Gang was taken aback. This exempted candidate's tongue was truly flexible. Knowing that Han Gang was a disciple of Zhang Zai, he no longer called him Zhang Zizhou but respectfully referred to him as Mr. Zhang Zizhou, changing his attitude quickly.

However, his