The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 11

After all, the relationship between her and Zhang Qi was merely one of employment, and there was no reason to force him to research how to create an ideal and practical insulation layer.

This is where the importance of having your own manpower becomes apparent, and the things you buy will inevitably have limitations.

“Young Master Zhang, since you really want to hire people to do carpentry, I can recommend someone to you,” Zhang Qi said suddenly after a slight hesitation.

"Oh, you have someone to recommend you? That's great! I was just worrying about this. Since it's your recommendation, he must be good. The pay is negotiable. Let him go straight to the construction site." Xu Tian was very happy to hear this news.

“Young Master Zhang, there’s more to this than meets the eye. Listen to me before you decide whether you want him,” Zhang Qi said.

"Hmm, is there any other trouble involved?"

"The man I'm recommending is called Zhang Laozhong, and he's related to me in some way. He used to be a craftsman for the government, that is, a craftsman under the government. He was a very skilled craftsman back then, but he suffered a mishap while working and lost an arm."

In the carpentry trade, arms are often more important than legs. The government doesn't support idlers, so he had to earn a living on his own. A grown man with only one arm was inconvenient in everything he did, and his life was naturally very difficult.

But I know he still has his skills, and his judgment is quite good; perhaps Zhang Langjun can use him.”

Xu Tian frowned and thought about it. Indeed, if a carpenter loses an arm, even if he has the skills of iron, he will lose most of his abilities.

However, it's not like I can't do anything. At the very least, I can mentor newcomers or help manage the site. Right now, I need people, and I can't let this opportunity slip by.

"Seventh Brother, what is this person's temperament and personality like?"

"I have a good temper and personality. I used to be a very cheerful person. It's just that I'm not doing well these days, so I'm a bit less energetic. But I'm not to the point of complaining about everything."

"How about this, you can have him come with you to the construction site. When construction starts, I'll also go and take a look. If there aren't any major problems, then we'll use him."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Zhang."

"Let's not talk about things far away. The imperial examinations will be held in February. How many people do you think will pass the exams in Dingxiang this year? Do you know anyone among those taking the exams? Who has the best chance?" Xu Tian changed the subject to this.

He only started paying attention to it recently after overhearing people talking about it in a restaurant.

"A Jinshi degree?" Zhou Mingzhan's eyes widened dramatically, and he shook his head.

"Xu Tiantai overestimates the scholars of Dingxiang City. Although Dingxiang City is considered to have the most flourishing literary culture in Jingxiang and even Hunan, it is still far behind the northern prefectures. In recent years, it has even fallen behind the Jiangzuo prefectures."

"What, is Dingxiang City that bad? I heard that people can take the imperial examination every year. There are so many people in Dingxiang City, and quite a few of them study. Surely not a single one will be selected each year?" Xu Tian asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Hehe, it's not that simple. In the entire Shannan East Circuit, if Baoding could produce one Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) every five years, the government and the people would be overjoyed. It would be common for one to appear every ten years." Zhou Mingzhan said, while holding up a hand to indicate.

"No way, it's rare to see one like this even in five years." Xu Tian was very surprised and couldn't believe it.

“What Mingzhan said is true; no one from Dingxiang City has passed the imperial examination for several years,” Mr. Cui confirmed.

"Is it really that difficult to pass the imperial examination?" Since both of them said so, Xu Tian realized that he had been thinking too simply. It was just as difficult as producing a student from an ordinary county high school who would be admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University in later generations.

"Only twenty or thirty people pass the imperial examination each year, but there are thousands of candidates, which shows how difficult it is," Mr. Cui explained.

"Only thirty Jinshi are admitted nationwide each year? That's much fewer than I thought. But even though it's very difficult to admit thirty out of a thousand, it shouldn't be that no one can pass the exam for several years. My Dingxiang City is an important town after all," Xu Tian pressed.

“You don’t understand the details. Do you know that among these more than a thousand candidates, only about ten are from Shannan East Province each year, usually less than ten?” Zhou Mingzhan said.

Xu Tian gasped, even more surprised: "Less than ten people? That's far too few."

That's far too few. There are thousands of people who have referenced this method, but less than ten of them actually come from this field. That's less than one percent. No wonder it's so difficult.

"Our Great Tang should have no more than fifty provinces, so why are there so few tribute students from our local area?" On average, there should be at least twenty or thirty people.

"The number of tribute candidates is determined by the imperial court, and it has been the same for at least a hundred years. The two capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang, as well as several northern circuits, account for more than half of them. Other regions naturally have fewer. In fact, Shannan East Circuit is not the one with the fewest tribute candidates."

Dingxiang City was a superior prefecture, and a superior prefecture could only recommend three people for the imperial examinations each year. This meant that the seven counties of Dingxiang Prefecture could only produce three candidates annually. Even adding the outstanding students from the prefectural and county schools, the number would only be slightly more.

At this point, Xu Tian roughly understood that this was clearly a case of regional discrimination.

The north, especially the two capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang, already had a relatively advanced level of culture and education. Now, with more quotas allocated, the majority of those who pass the imperial examinations are naturally taken by the north, leaving very few in other places.

This is similar to how in later municipalities, it was more than ten times easier to get into a prestigious university than in ordinary provinces. This is a systemic issue; regional protectionism has existed throughout history.

"I was too naive and knew too little. I never imagined that passing the imperial examination would be so difficult."

"Alas, passing the imperial examination is so difficult; countless talented writers have failed in the end. Even poets like Du Fu and Meng Haoran have returned empty-handed."

"Especially Du Fu, the Minister of Works, who failed the imperial examinations repeatedly in his early years, and ultimately entered officialdom indirectly through the influence of his ancestors and their recommendations," Mr. Cui said.

"Then is it much easier to pass the Mingjing exam? Isn't there a saying that a thirty-year-old Mingjing is old and a fifty-year-old Jinshi is young?" Xu Tian asked.

"Although the Mingjing degree is not as prestigious as the Jinshi degree, it has always been a viable option. The number of Mingjing degree holders is two or three times that of the Jinshi degree holders, but the number of applicants is also twice as high, making it still quite difficult to obtain."

"A thirty-year-old is considered old for passing the Mingjing exam, a fifty-year-old is considered young for passing the Jinshi exam" refers to the situation in the northern regions. In the south, it was already quite good to pass the Mingjing exam in one's thirties or forties.

That makes it clear that the Mingjing examination was extremely difficult.

Zhou Mingzhan then said, “In my view, the difficulty of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) lies not only in the imperial examination itself. If one wants to pass the examinations smoothly, the imperial examinations are only one factor; there are two other indispensable factors.”

First, one must possess genuine talent and learning, and achieve fame at a young age. Before participating in the imperial examinations, one must already be well-known and recognized by the public.

Secondly, the prestige and status of one's family background were also extremely important. Children from powerful clans or high-ranking officials naturally found it relatively easy to pass the imperial examinations, or they might have powerful figures in the court offering them support and assistance.