My name is Chang An, your name is Gu Li

"Quick, quick, Huaiqin, go and inform the whole family about this. This month, everyone can take a pound of pork and half a bag of sugar from the kitchen, and this month's salary will be doubled!" Gu Li ordered excitedly at this time.

"Yes, Sanniang." Huaiqin nodded and ran away to give orders.

Then, Gu Li heard a voice from outside shouting, "Young Master is the top scholar! Young Master is the top scholar!"

After a while, Chang Wenmeng walked into the room and asked with a smile: "I heard someone shouting that he had won the top prize before I even entered your house."

"Yes, Doctor Chang won the first place in the imperial examination!"

Chang Wenmeng was overjoyed at this moment. He stroked his beard and laughed happily: "Good! Good!"

"The person who brings the good news should be here soon. Li'er, you should take a rest. Your father will go to the door to help you..."

Chang Wenmeng was just about to go to the door in person to greet the officers and soldiers who were delivering the good news, when Huaiqin ran in directly: "Sanniang! The ones delivering the good news are coming!"

"So fast!" Gu Li was slightly startled, but soon she ordered: "Zhen'er, go get the red envelope!"

Zhen'er walked straight to Gu Li's dressing table with ease, took out the red envelope that Gu Li had prepared long ago, then returned to the bed and helped Gu Li out.

When he arrived at the door, he saw two soldiers standing at the door, holding a golden plaque in their hands. Seeing someone coming, he asked, "Are you the family of Dingkang Marquis Chang'an?"

"That's right." Gu Li nodded slightly, then looked at the other person expectantly.

Afterwards, the two officers and soldiers bowed and said, "Congratulations, Madam! Marquis Dingkang has won the first place in the imperial examination this time!"

At this time, the neighbors heard the noise and came out, asking in surprise: "Number one scholar? Whose family is the number one scholar?"

"Marquis Dingkang's Mansion, of course, Marquis Dingkang won the first place in the imperial examination."

"Let's get some souvenirs and go over to congratulate them."

Gu Li couldn't stop smiling, and his hands were shaking a little when he stretched out his hand to take the gold mud note.

"Zhen'er, quickly get the red envelope out. Huaiqin, go into the house and get two bowls of rock sugar and snow pear to moisten the throats of the two adults." Gu Li ordered at this time.

The two runners took the red envelope. They didn't even need to weigh it. They knew it was silver. At this time, the two smiled even more and raised their hands again to congratulate: "Congratulations, Madam Dingkang Hou. Thank you, Madam Dingkang Hou!"

At this time, Huaiqin also brought two bowls of rock sugar and snow pear. Gu Li introduced: "This is a drink developed by Ailang. It is called rock sugar and snow pear. It can clear the throat and moisten the lungs."

"Thank you, Madam Hou."

The two officers took the candied pear and drank the drink. Their eyes lit up immediately - it was sweet!

After they finished drinking, the two officers congratulated him politely and left. As soon as the officers left, the neighbors gathered around, holding gifts and congratulating Gu Li.

While Gu Li was looking at those who came to congratulate him, he couldn't stop smiling and could only ask people to distribute red envelopes.

......

Chang An was protected by Chang Qi and finally reached the outer edge of the yellow list. He breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, a hand clapped up from behind - it was Du Chengming.

"Brother Xingmei."

"Congratulations, Brother Yonghe, for winning the top prize today." Du Chengming smiled and bowed to congratulate.

Chang An waved his hand and said, "Brother Xingmei, how are you? Did you pass the exam?"

"I passed the exam, but I'm ranked at the back." Du Chengming said, then he looked around and leaned forward to whisper, "Brother Yonghe deserves half of the credit for my being on the list."

"What do you mean?"

"You did all these things. We, your classmates, have certainly heard about them. We know more than others." Du Chengming said, "So my policy paper is..."

Du Chengming stopped talking halfway. Chang An had understood. He nodded Du Chengming with a smile and said, "Okay, you have to pay for my little one's full moon banquet later!"

"No problem!" Du Chengming agreed generously.

At this time, the time was about right, and another gong sounded. Following the gong sound, Chang An found an official in purple standing on it. Then, officials shouted around, asking all the successful candidates to follow the Minister of Rites to the palace.

Chang An and Du Chengming looked at each other, and the former said to Chang Qi, who had been protecting him, "You go back first, you don't have to follow me later."

"Okay, sir, I will go home and report my safety after you leave." Chang Qi nodded.

Seeing this, Chang An and Du Chengming came to the team together. As the champion, Chang An was naturally arranged to stand in the first place. After the official compared the names on the list one by one, Minister Chen said:

"My fellow talents, please follow me to meet His Majesty."

......

The Ministry of Rites was not far from the Imperial City, just across the street from the town. At the gate of the Imperial City, many people were standing there, and many horses were parked at the gate, with large embroidered balls hanging around their necks.

I guess it's used to welcome people.

Then, as they continued walking towards the Imperial City, Chang An felt that he had been to this place before - Xuanzheng Hall! It was indeed a hall, meeting the requirements for the palace examination.

He walked into the hall and looked around. There were no ministers around. When the newly-appointed Jinshi saw Li Longji, they all knelt down and shouted:

"Your Majesty, long live my emperor."

"Stand up." Li Longji said with a smile.

Li Weihao, who was standing behind Chang An, was stunned for a moment after he stood up, because Chang An in front of him did not kneel down and seemed to be standing all the time.

Li Longji looked at Chang An with satisfaction, and then the eunuch Cheng beside him shouted: "The palace examination begins!"

The emperor felt very dignified at this time and said: "Today's palace examination follows the same rules as before. I will ask the questions and you will answer them."

"The problems among the students are different, so choose the best one."

Then Li Longji raised his hand again, pointed to the right side of the hall and said: "All the students will stand by the side of the hall for the time being, and the first and last will be determined by their own ranking."

"The first one, the top scholar, is Chang An Chang Yonghe." Eunuch Cheng shouted at this time.

So, all the students except Chang'an left and came to the place Li Longji had just pointed out. Only Chang'an stood there alone.

"Chang Yonghe, you are the leader, so I will ask you first." Li Longji said at this time.

"Your Majesty, please ask."

"Last year, Wang Jun, the chief minister of Shuofang, planned to attack the Western Turks by surprise, and he won a great victory because of this plan. However, yesterday, the Western Turkic Khan Bilge sent an envoy to ask for peace again. I wonder what you think of this? How should we interpret it?"

This was a question about current affairs, but it was changed from a written test to an oral test, and the difficulty level was different. After hearing this question, Chang An began to think, while other new scholars were a little scared - if His Majesty asked them such a difficult question, they would be finished.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to bother you. Wasn't the Eastern Turkic Khan defeated by your Majesty's army and all captured in the city where he surrendered?" Chang An asked with some doubt.

Li Longji said: "That is true, but when he was imprisoned, he wrote me a letter asking for peace and sent an envoy from Vigāthā to ask for peace."

Chang An said at this time: "I think that we can accept peace, but the Eastern Turkic tribes have repeatedly disturbed our Tang borders, raiding in winter and autumn, and hurting the people. Your Majesty can accept peace, but you can't just accept peace."

When Li Longji heard Chang An start to say this again, "You need to eat but not just eat", his expression suddenly became serious. The switch from smiling to serious was seamless, and the twenty or so students standing aside were stunned.

"First, the Eastern Turks have been harassing our border villages every year, and there have been injuries and deaths in the villages every year. Who should be held responsible for these crimes? Secondly, they are plotting treason and want to seize the surrendered city by force. This is a serious crime of treason and they should be executed."

"Yes! Your Majesty only detained him in the Surrender City and did not punish him. This is your Majesty's benevolence. The Khan of the Eastern Turks wants to seek peace. I think he needs to pay for his crimes first, otherwise there is no point in talking."

Li Longji asked quickly: "How can we pay it back?"

"The repayment is nothing more than land, money, and corvée labor." Chang An said, "Cede land in exchange for peace; pay silver as compensation; the people will be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty and perform corvée labor."

"The silver compensation is for the military pay of the Tang Dynasty; the people are incorporated into the Tang Dynasty and perform corvée labor to pay for the killing of the people of the Tang Dynasty; the land cession is the additional money required in addition to the two compensations that should be paid. This is 'sincerity'."

At this time, the students who were listening to the answer were all stunned, especially Li Weihao. Is it appropriate for a student, a newly-appointed Jinshi, to say such harsh and violent words? Isn't it a bit against benevolence?

Li Longji thought for a while, then asked: "Chang Yonghe, what if the Khan doesn't agree?"

"Blood debts must be repaid with blood, that's only right." Chang An smiled faintly and said, "Since ancient times, there has been a saying: Those who are not of my race must have different hearts. But if you want to prove that your heart is not different, then you have to become one of my race."

"If a group wants to survive, it always has to make some choices, whether to lose a name or the most fundamental thing in its body. I think this Turkic Khan has thought clearly."

After listening to this, Li Longji began to think. After thinking for a long time, he finally said: "As expected of the new champion, you answered the policy essay well!"

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

Li Longji looked at Chang'an at this time, and suddenly said seriously: "The new champion is Chang'an Chang Yonghe!"

"The minister is here."

"The new number one scholar Chang Yonghe is a wise man who has the ability to educate talents and has insights into state affairs. His writings on the Book of Songs are impeccable, and you have made many contributions to the Tang Dynasty before."

"Today, I specially appoint you as the Prince's Junior Teacher, and concurrently the Prince's Junior Tutor and the Prince's Junior Protector, with a rank of Second Grade. You will be responsible for guiding the Prince on a daily basis and serving as the Prince's teacher. You will take up the post on a chosen day. You will be paid 460 dan of rice; 25 hectares of permanent farmland; and 10 hectares of official farmland."

Chang An raised his hand and saluted, saying:

"Thank you Lord for your kindness, long live my emperor."