The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

What is a loyal minister?

Upon hearing these four words, Liu Yan's forehead glistened, but she dared not wipe it away with her sleeve.

This question wasn't difficult in itself; Confucian classics offer plenty of answers. But the Empress Dowager clearly had a deeper meaning...

The flames of change are growing ever stronger. Whether to continue to protect the Li family or to turn to the new emperor is a test for the officials and the candidates alike.

From a practical point of view, of course one should curry favor with the Empress Dowager, but loyalty is an unavoidable factor.

The saying "A loyal minister does not serve two masters" was already spoken in the pre-Qin period and was even written down and recorded in history.

It hung over the Confucian scholar's head like a sword.

The Empress Dowager's question is so difficult to answer, it makes it hard to maintain a virtuous image...

After pondering for a long time, and under the intense gaze of over a hundred pairs of eyes, Liu Yan finally steeled himself and answered:

"There are those who are extremely loyal, those who are moderately loyal, and those who are less loyal."

"To restore the ruler with virtue and transform him is the greatest loyalty."

"To govern and assist the ruler with virtue is the next best thing: loyalty."

"To be angered by someone who offers correct advice but is wrong is to lack loyalty."

This is the original text of Xunzi's "On the Way of the Minister," which divides loyal ministers into three categories: those who cover the monarch with morality, those who educate the monarch with virtue, and those who remonstrate with the monarch.

The original text gives three examples: the Duke of Zhou to King Cheng, Guan Zhong to Duke Huan of Qi, and Wu Zixu to King Fuchai.

The first became a sage for all time, the second a model of a wise minister, and the third a loyal and righteous official.

This summary is comprehensive and cleverly avoids sensitive topics, making it a versatile answer.

But Wu Zetian remained expressionless after hearing this, clearly dissatisfied.

Liu Yan overheard the ministers discussing amongst themselves:

"Just quoting without elaborating is pretty ordinary..."

"Just being slippery, avoiding the important issues..."

"Still lacking in adaptability..."

"That's a difficult question to answer..."

The whispers were so quiet that they couldn't be heard on the steps, but could be faintly discerned from those nearby.

Liu Yan knew his answer was poor, but he couldn't think of a better one in a short time.

"This answer deserves only a fifth-class rating from me." As the sole judge, Wu Zetian gave her score on the spot.

Her standards are very simple—

The argument is unreasonable and unacceptable.

Able to cite classical texts, fifth grade;

Able to explain their own understanding, fourth level;

Able to articulate new principles, third class;

It suits my taste, second best;

Exceeded my expectations, first-class.

Each question was scored separately, and then combined with the preliminary exam score to rank the candidates into A, B, C, D, E, etc.

When Liu Yan heard that he was ranked fifth, he became secretly anxious. If he was ranked E in the end, he would not be able to be directly appointed to an official position and would still have to wait for the selection process, which would be a waste of his time.

"I need to be more aggressive in my answers later and improve my grades!" he made up his mind.

"You may leave now. I wish to hear the answers from others. Ask me one question at a time." Wu Zetian waved her hand.

Originally, each candidate was only allowed to enter the palace once to answer three questions, but she was not satisfied with her previous answers and changed her mind at the last minute.

Zan Yin led Liu Yan out of the house and to a side hall to wait, so that other candidates would not ask him for the questions.

The subsequent candidates went to the hall and gave different answers:

"Those who constantly criticize their ruler's faults can be considered loyal ministers..."

"To act without hesitation for the benefit of the public is true loyalty..."

"Those who find pleasure in ensuring the stability of the nation are loyal ministers..."

"Do not praise the virtues of Yao and Shun, nor extoll the conquests of Tang and Wu, nor speak of the nobility of martyrs; those who diligently uphold the law and wholeheartedly serve their lord are loyal ministers..."

These are all original quotes from classic texts, from Confucianism, history, and Legalism, and their meanings are largely the same.

It's nothing more than the same old clichés: advising the monarch, serving the public with utmost dedication, prioritizing the nation's well-being, and fulfilling one's duties and abiding by the law.

They were all ultimately judged as fourth or fifth class.

Wu Zetian shook her head repeatedly. As the ministers listened to her answer, they tried to guess her intentions and found the question increasingly difficult.

If I were in her shoes, sitting in the center of the main hall, I might not be able to give an answer that would satisfy the Empress Dowager.

At this moment, Zhang Yue entered the palace. After listening to the question, he pondered for a moment and answered: "To promote the monarch's good policies to the outside world and to correct the monarch's mistakes to the inside world is to be a loyal minister."

This understanding is clearly a level above others, turning loyal ministers into the monarch's own people.

Previous answers were all from the perspective of a subject, striving to uphold high moral standards, without considering the feelings of the monarch.

All the ministers in the land took "the Duke of Zhou assisting King Cheng" as their model, but they overlooked one thing...

No monarch wants to be King Cheng, or for a subject to be the Duke of Zhou.

Zhang Yue's answer was exactly what the monarch expected from a minister.

Attributing the credit to the monarch.

Wu Zetian finally smiled: "Well said!"

This answer perfectly suited her taste. After a moment's thought, she awarded it second place.

Seeing this, the ministers all nodded secretly at Zhang Shuo: "This man is quick-witted; he is indeed a talented individual!"

Before I knew it, I was looking forward to Lu Jun's answer again.

The candidates went through the room like a revolving lantern, and no one could surpass Zhang Shuo's answer. Lu Jun was the last to enter the hall, and all eyes turned to her.

He answered without hesitation: "To do what is beneficial to the king is to be a loyal minister."

quiet--

After waiting for so long, is this all?

Disappointed and surprised voices filled the hall.

"Anything beneficial to the ruler can be done by sycophants and treacherous officials; it makes no sense!"

"I thought he was some kind of prodigy, but it seems his reputation doesn't live up to it!"

"Have you read his articles? What's so special about them? Judging from his answers, I don't see any talent in him..."

"The article was taken away by the Empress Dowager. All we know is that it was tens of thousands of words long, but it was probably just to reach the word count..."

"Perhaps the article he bought just happened to be the perfect answer to the question, and he was caught off guard when he answered in court..."

Li Zhaode, who had initially thought highly of Lu Jun, now stroked his beard and shook his head, greatly disappointed.

Wu Zetian frowned, unsure how to score him.

Based solely on the preliminary examination papers, she had already decided to select Lu Jun as the top scholar, but the imperial examination was a necessary procedure.

Logically speaking, given that Lu Jun was able to write three essays—"Temple Strategies," "Military System," and "National Policy"—the palace examination should have been a piece of cake.

But she was eager to hear what novel insights this young man might have that could once again amaze her.

This time, the answer is...

It's really hard to convince the public.

It is too simplistic and cannot withstand scrutiny; anyone could easily refute it.

Princess Taiping sat beside her mother, while Shangguan Wan'er stood by to serve her. Seeing the Empress Dowager's solemn expression, both of them secretly worried for Lu Jun.

In the ranks of third-rank officials, Wu Sansi, a cold smile playing on his lips, turned to Lu Jun and asked:

"So, according to you, those who play music for the king to entertain him are also loyal ministers?"

Seeing that the Empress Dowager did not immediately give a score, he feared that she might be biased, so he took the initiative to point out Lu Jun's mistake.

It wasn't that there was any great grudge; it was just that someone had asked him to lower the ranking of the most popular candidates.

When the Empress Dowager and the officials heard Wu Sansi's question, they all turned their attention to Lu Jun, wanting to hear her explanation.

Those who entertained the monarch were usually called "jadoners," and they certainly had nothing to do with being loyal ministers...

Lu Jun replied, "If the musicians who play music for the emperor are from the Imperial Music Academy, they are loyal ministers; but if they are ministers, they are not."

The original owner had attended more than ten court assemblies, and as the Minister of War, he naturally recognized him.

"Outrageous!" Wu Sansi's anger surged when he was ridiculed in the hall.

"If you cannot explain why I cannot play music for the emperor, you are guilty of slandering a high-ranking official!"

He spoke sternly, though he had no grudge against Lu Jun before, now he did.

Lu Jun smiled slightly:

"Official positions are nominal titles held by the imperial court."

"The Empress Dowager appointed ministers to the position of Minister, who were in charge of the key affairs of the ministry and assessed the merits and demerits of all officials. Their positions were high and their responsibilities were heavy."

"The Minister must be working tirelessly day and night, devoted to state affairs. How could he possibly have time to play music for the Emperor?"

"If one were to actually play music, it might seem to entertain the king, but it would neglect state affairs. Could that be considered beneficial to the king?"

"Although the musicians of the Imperial Music Academy are considered lowly people, their duty is to play music. If they have fulfilled their duty, they are naturally loyal subjects."

He didn't want to provoke Wu Sansi, but the other party was clearly suppressing him. If he showed weakness, the other party would only become more aggressive, and the Empress Dowager would also look down on him.

"Ahem, that makes sense." Wu Sansi nodded slowly.

Knowing full well that he was being subtly mocked, yet unable to refute it, he could only feign magnanimity in front of the Empress Dowager and his colleagues.

Upon hearing this explanation, Wu Zetian's expression softened slightly, and the ministers' cold words quietly subsided.

A sinister voice suddenly spoke: "According to you, Long Feng, Bi Gan, Wu Zixu, and Qu Yuan were all loyal ministers, right?"

The voice came from the fourth-rank official's train, and it sounded extremely familiar; it was none other than Zhou Xing, the Vice Minister of Justice.

Having been escaped from Lijing Gate by Lu Jun, he, as the head of the cruel officials, could not swallow this insult.

He was even more worried that Lu Jun would try to take revenge.

Given the young man's cunning and his relationship with Princess Taiping, if he were to pass the imperial examination again and gain the Empress Dowager's favor, it would be a perfect opportunity for him to plead his case and seek justice.

Zhou Xing didn't want to give the other party a chance. Hearing that Lu Jun's answer had a flaw, he decided to take advantage of the situation to dig a big pit...

"These four men died remonstrating with their ruler, and have been known as loyal ministers since ancient times, revered by the world. That's for sure," Lu Jun replied.

"So, in any era of reform and opening up, loyal ministers should be willing to die for their country, is that right?"

A cold glint appeared in Zhou Xing's eyes.

The pit has been dug.

In the main hall, the scattered murmurs suddenly fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen.

Wu Zetian's lips tightened, her smile vanished, and her eyes, like a cold winter pool, emitted a chilling aura.

This question was a test. The ministers had already realized that as long as the candidates did not take the initiative to mention "not serving two masters" and not be loyal to the Li Tang dynasty, the Empress Dowager would not investigate further.

Otherwise, if they were to really interrogate him, they would be caught between moral principles and personal safety, making it impossible to balance both.

This tacit understanding was broken by Zhou Xing.

The Luocheng Palace had now become the Lijing Gate, and the Empress Dowager's piercing gaze was as suffocating as those instruments of torture.

Princess Taiping glared fiercely at Zhou Xing, and Shangguan Wan'er's heart pounded wildly.

The ministers, however, were secretly relieved that they were not the ones sitting in the center of the hall, forced to answer...

Lu Jun remained calm and countered Zhou Xing's question: "Why do you say that, Vice Minister? My answer was 'to do things beneficial to the monarch,' not 'to die.'"

Zhou Xing pressed further: "Weren't the things that Long Feng, Bi Gan, Wu Zixu, and Qu Yuan did beneficial to the ruler?"

Lu Jun smiled:

"Their advice was indeed beneficial to the monarch, so they are all loyal ministers throughout the ages."

"But whether a loyal minister will die for remonstrating depends entirely on whether the ruler is incompetent."

"They met such tragic ends because they encountered incompetent rulers like Jie of Xia, Zhou of Shang, Fuchai of Fuchai, and King Huai of Chu."

"But if a sage descends from heaven and a wise ruler is fortunate enough to be present, those who speak frankly will not only not die, but will be given even greater importance than before."

"Shun received the mandate from Yao, and Yu received the mandate from Shun. These sage rulers succeeded to the throne, without a single arrow was wasted or a single person harmed. Why then did they have to die?"

"To be willing to die for a wise ruler—what benefit does that bring to the abdicated emperor? How can such a person be called a loyal minister?"

For him, the problem was very simple.

When faced with foreign invasion or cruel tyrants, all those who fight to the death for the greater good deserve praise.

But the private affairs of the emperor and his mother are for those in power to decide; why should the ministers and common people below concern themselves with them?

Even the emperor himself has given up, so why should the ministers risk their lives to protect him?

Not only is it not worth it, but doing these pointless things will also cut off his last chance to survive.

"What is a loyal minister?" This question would be a death sentence for others, but it was an easy question for Lu Jun, because he had no obsession with serving the Li Tang dynasty, nor was he bound by the shackles of a Confucian scholar.

Upon hearing Lu Jun subtly refer to himself as a sage and cite the abdication of Yao and Shun as examples, Wu Zetian's expression immediately relaxed.

Lu Jun was a commoner with no influence in the court, but her words of wisdom in the palace were very helpful to her.

Because he faced the difficult problems head-on without resorting to trickery, he drew a conclusion based on his definition of a loyal subject—

Those who die on behalf of the abdicated monarch are not loyal ministers.

In this way, many rigid Confucian officials have a way out, and their moral integrity is not compromised.

Wu Zetian's previous disappointment vanished, replaced by satisfaction and delight that quickly filled her eyes and brows.

Lu Jun's answer far exceeded expectations!

She raised her hand: "Well said! He deserves the highest score!"

"Thank you for your praise, Empress Dowager!" Lu Jun bowed in gratitude.

He then straightened up and said to Zhou Xing, "Was the question you just asked meant to imply to me that during times of reform and innovation, there is always a foolish ruler in power?"

Zhou Xing's face, which was originally pale, turned bright red upon hearing the counterattack.