In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

Bao Zheng waited at the gate of the mansion for a while before he saw Han Zhi come out.

"Young Master Han".

Han Zhi held several documents in his hands and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Professor Bao. This is my first time going for a medical examination, and I don't know what's required. I just brought these documents, just in case."

"Let me take a look." Bao Zheng stretched out his hand, gesturing for Han Zhi to hand over all the documents to him.

Han Zhi obediently handed over the documents, which Bao Zheng examined one by one. Suddenly, he laughed and said, "Young Master Han, I can understand if you bring your household registration or house deed..."

As he spoke, Bao Zheng picked up two thin invitation books and said, "But we don't need to bring these betrothal letters, do we?"

"It seems you don't need to bring a list of family members. It's unlikely you'll take the entire household with you to the Imperial Academy, is it?"

Han Zhi chuckled awkwardly twice, then turned around and called out, "Someone come here!"

A maidservant ran over, and Bao Zheng only kept the household registration certificate and the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination; the rest were taken back by the maidservant. As for the remaining documents, they were handed over to Han Zhi.

"Alright, the court session has just ended, and there's still some time before noon. If we hurry over now, we should be able to finish before noon."

"I will follow Mr. Bao's arrangements."

Bao Zheng nodded slightly, then got into the carriage and said, "Take my carriage."

Han Zhi did not object and followed Bao Zheng into the carriage.

......

Following Bao Zheng, we arrived in the imperial city, where the gates of the Ministry of Personnel were right in front of us.

After getting off the carriage, Bao Zheng said, "This is the imperial city, the emperor's palace. Remember to be careful with your words and actions, and do not say anything carelessly."

"The students know."

Bao Zheng gave him one last instruction and then led him inside. They walked straight to a study. Then they stopped again. Han Zhi was puzzled when he suddenly heard Bao Zheng call out:

"Minister Liu!"

Han Zhi was startled, and then the door opened again, and a man walked out. He was holding a book, his eyes glued to it, and said:

"What's wrong, Envoy Bao?"

Bao Zheng chuckled and teased, "You're such a busybody. What are you up to this time?"

Minister Liu raised his head and said, "It's about next year's spring imperial examination; what else could it be?"

"On the contrary, you are a key minister before His Majesty. So, has the matter of Leng Qing been investigated thoroughly?"

Bao Zheng turned slightly to the side, patted Han Zhi, and said with a smile, "It's only a matter of time before the truth is revealed. We already have the methods, and the investigators have all been dispatched. Once they return to the capital, the truth will be revealed."

"Oh?" Minister Liu raised his eyes slightly and said, "As expected of Bao Mishi, you've already found a clue."

“It’s him, not me, who has the clues,” Bao Zheng said, pointing to Han Zhi.

Minister Liu became interested. There weren't many people who could give Bao Zheng a clue, and this one looked like he hadn't even reached adulthood yet. He looked Han Zhi up and down and asked, "And this gentleman is…?"

“Han Zhi, son of the Earl of Fuping,” Bao Zheng said.

"Student Han Zhi greets Minister Liu." Han Zhi, being sensible at this moment, bowed slightly in greeting.

Minister Liu frowned slightly and asked, "Is he Han Zhuo's son?"

Bao Zheng nodded, and Minister Liu continued, "What brings you to me today? Could it be that you want me to look after him?"

“If that’s the case, I can find someone else. I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Lord Liu,” Bao Zheng said. “I brought him here today only because he is a candidate who has come to the capital to take the imperial examination and needs to be managed by your Ministry of Personnel.”

Minister Liu turned around and went back into the room, saying, "Come in and bring the documents and invitations."

Bao Zheng led Han Zhi inside and then introduced him, saying, "This is Liu Chang, the Minister of Rites. Speaking of which, he is an old acquaintance of your father."

Han Zhi nodded and obediently took out his documents and credentials from his pocket, from family certificate to the title of top scholar, and handed them all to Liu Chang.

Liu Chang merely glanced at it, seemingly uninterested in Han Zhi's status as a top scholar. He opened the household registration document, glanced at it briefly, and then set it aside.

"How does one obtain the title of Jieyuan (top scholar in the provincial examination)?" Liu Chang suddenly asked.

Han Zhi was stunned and didn't react for a moment. He wanted to look at Bao Zheng, but the other party pretended not to hear and closed his eyes to doze off.

"I was appointed Minister of State through examination," Han Zhi replied, unsure of how else to answer.

"Your master holds a high position and wields great power; he himself holds a noble title and wields considerable influence in Meishan. How can you be certain that there was no favoritism in this year's selection of the top scholar?"

Han Zhi was taken aback for a moment, stroking his chin as he began to ponder, seemingly finding a reason in what the other person said. But quickly, his expression changed, and he said:

"Minister Liu, you are in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, how could you not know that nowadays all examination papers are sealed? No one can know which paper belongs to the student."

"In addition, the relationship between adults and students has been poor for many years, and they rarely pay attention to the students' affairs, so it is unlikely that it was favoritism. Moreover, if you can bribe the county magistrate, you may not be able to bribe the prefectural magistrate."

After listening, Liu Chang nodded and said, "You do understand, but are you really that confident in your own talent?"

Han Zhi said, "I am not confident. In fact, my wife is far more talented than I am. If I were confident, I would do so even if I failed the exam."

"The matriarch of the Han family is the most powerful; it seems what she said is true." Liu Chang laughed heartily at this moment.

"Han Zhuo, Han Zhuo, if you want to thank someone, thank your ancestors for setting these rules!"

Han Zhi was taken aback by Liu Chang's loud laughter and tentatively asked, "Minister Liu?"

Liu Chang laughed for a while, then took a breath and said, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

"Minister Liu, this student still doesn't understand the meaning of those questions just now," Han Zhi asked at this moment.

After all, a person doesn't ask such a question casually; if they do, they must have a reason for it. Liu Chang nodded and said:

"You're one of the more insightful ones."

Liu Chang pointed at him and said, "I just wanted to test you. Do you know how much pressure Bao Mishi faced when he brought you here today?"

Han Zhi was somewhat surprised and glanced at Bao Zheng, who responded with a smile without saying a word.

"I would appreciate your guidance, Minister Liu."

Liu Chang stood up and said, "Our dynasty continues the imperial examination system of the previous dynasty, but we have not only improved it, but also made the control more stringent."

"Not only were there new rules about covering names on exam papers, but officials were also forbidden from recommending students at will. If the person making the recommendation made a mistake, the recommender would also be demoted."

"At the same time, I don't want you to become the second Zhang Yaozuo. You can ask Bao, if you have done anything wrong, I will be the first to impeach you."

"If you are a student, I will not allow you to take the imperial examinations; if you were to become an official, I would impeach you every day!"