The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

"Shen Qing, you've arrived just in time. Wan'er has discovered a remarkable text and is reciting it from memory."

"This man's name is Zhang Yue, a member of the Zhang family of Fanyang. His essays are beautifully written, powerful in style, and insightful—a rare gem among the recent imperial examinations!"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be ranked first among undergraduate students!"

In the Yinyu Palace, Wu Zetian had a gentle smile on her face and her eyes sparkled with interest.

The female official beside the phoenix couch wore a light scarlet narrow-sleeved shirt, her black hair was tied up, and she wore a blue gauze turban, looking like a handsome scholar.

Her name was Shangguan Wan'er. She was ordered to go down to the competition to find the best works, so she changed her clothes to avoid attracting attention.

Zhang Shuo believed that the Turks and Tibetans were at the height of their power, and the dynasty should not wage war against them at the same time.

"We should utilize the Great Wall built by the former Sui Dynasty, add a small section at Huairong to cover Juyong Pass, reorganize the military government in Hedong and Hebei, check the dead households, and guard the passes."

"If the Turks cannot move south, they will inevitably invade the Xi and Khitan in the east, and compete with the Ten Tribes in the west, thus wasting the country's strength."

"The Celestial Empire only needs to manage Tibet."

Shangguan Wan'er first summarized the main points, then continued to recite silently.

The following text issues a warning about the military system:

"The system of garrison troops originated in the Western Wei Dynasty and was inherited by the Holy Tang Dynasty. It effectively contained internal threats and quelled distant rebellions, and was hailed as a superior system of its time..."

"However, with prolonged peace, corruption and abuses have insidiously developed. Adults are required to serve in the military until they are sixty, at which point they are exempted from service. Meanwhile, their families are still subject to various other taxes and levies..."

"To peel away its belly and then drain its fat is like a dike that will eventually collapse over time; just as a small fire will eventually burn..."

"Times change, so do circumstances; circumstances change, so do preparations; if there is any danger of unrest, who will be there to guard it..."

The proposed solution is—

Expand the Imperial Guard Camp

A standing army was established in the capital to supplement the vacancies in the local militia.

The article was eloquent and beautifully written; Shangguan Wan'er read it aloud and praised it highly.

"In my humble opinion, this person's literary talent is undoubtedly outstanding, making him a leading figure among the younger generation!"

"Well written!" Wu Zetian nodded repeatedly.

She was clearly in a good mood.

She set the questions herself, and this time she wanted to see the true abilities of scholars from all over the country, so the questions were very open to interpretation.

When examining border affairs, one can write about military strategies or national policies, as long as the arguments are reasonable.

In her view, Zhang Shuo's articles are pragmatic, outspoken, and well-written, making them excellent works.

As for the content...

The strategy of taking a defensive stance against the Turks and an offensive stance against the Tibetans fell slightly short of her expectations.

On the Turkic side, Kutlug was constantly engaged in eastern and western campaigns, yet he still had the strength to invade the south, indicating that purely defensive measures were not very effective.

Building a new Great Wall for defense would be too much of a sign of weakness.

Our Great Tang Dynasty did not build the Great Wall!

If we're going to fight, then we should fight him!

However, Zhang Shuo is only twenty-three years old, and it is already quite remarkable that he has such insight. With more experience, he will surely become a great talent capable of serving as prime minister in the future.

Last year's top scorer in the imperial examination was also from the Zhang family of Fanyang, named Zhang Jianzhi, but unfortunately he was a bit too old.

Seeing Shen Quanqi remain silent in thought, Wu Zetian smiled and asked, "What does Minister Shen think? Does he deserve first place?"

In my humble opinion, perhaps...it is not possible.

Shen Quanqi answered very decisively.

The imperial examination was the responsibility of the Assistant Minister of Personnel. When he saw that the female official had collected the best works first, he became competitive.

"If we're talking about elegant language and strict rules, this article might be the best, but if we're comparing strategy, it's hard to say."

"Oh, how so?" Wu Zetian was greatly surprised.

He raised an eyebrow and looked over, his face showing anticipation.

"I have just seen a volume of policy essays. Although I have only read the first part, I already feel that this person has a vast and boundless mind!"

"It is divided into three chapters: 'Temple Strategies,' 'Military System,' and 'National Policy,' with 'Temple Strategies' alone containing as many as five articles."

"We have strategies for managing the Hexi Corridor, Anxi, southern Mongolia, northern Mongolia, and Liaodong, which perfectly aligns with the purpose of this question."

"Although the words and phrases are not meticulously crafted, they are written with spirit, powerful and majestic, reminiscent of the style of the Western Han Dynasty."

"I have memorized a few passages; please read them aloud to the Empress Dowager..."

Although Shen Quanqi couldn't quite understand Lu Jun's article, he was deeply impressed and developed a fondness for her talent.

At this time, the practice of sending petitions and making requests was prevalent, and recommendations from high-ranking officials and nobles were very important. He spoke highly of Lu Jun to support her and prevent her from suffering any hidden losses.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zetian's interest was immediately piqued, and Shangguan Wan'er also quietly turned to the side.

"War is a matter of vital importance to the state..."

"There are three essential points..."

"..."

"Please explain the advantages and disadvantages of these five policies, as well as the methods of implementation, in order."

Shen Quanqi wrote seven or eight hundred words in one go, and because of the fluent writing, he remembered them clearly.

In his judgment, the Empress Dowager would surely be impressed by an article with such a grand vision and scope.

But for a long time, Yinyu Palace remained silent.

There was not a single piece of feedback.

"Huh, could it be that the Empress Dowager doesn't approve of it because it's not parallel prose and doesn't focus on fancy words?" Shen Quanqi was taken aback.

At this time, the essays tested admonitions and eulogies. The scholars admired the style of the Southern Dynasties and mostly wrote in parallel prose.

Essays that emphasize ornate language, perfect parallelism, elaborate descriptions, and a mix of long and short sentences are now only appreciated by a select few.

The Empress Dowager was a person with a refined taste for literature.

Maybe they value the form more?

Or perhaps the article's arguments did not suit the Empress Dowager's taste, and she did not approve of its content?

That shouldn't be the case. This young man is ambitious and has lofty aspirations; he should be exactly what the Empress Dowager wants...

Shen Quanqi, who was originally very confident, was now unsure and broke out in a cold sweat.

When he looked up, he realized that the Empress Dowager and Shangguan Wan'er were both staring at him expectantly.

Especially the Empress Dowager, whose pupils dilated suddenly like drops of ink falling into water, and in an instant the ink spread to her entire eye socket.

"Su Qing, why did you stop reading?"

"How will those five strategies be implemented? Tell me quickly!"

"So you actually intend to recover Anxi, southern Mongolia, and northern Mongolia?"

"What a grand vision!"

Wu Zetian pressed her for answers repeatedly, the phoenix hairpin in her hair trembling, her back straightening, her brows furrowed, her eyes gleaming, and her mouth remaining closed for a long time.

It doesn't look like she dislikes it at all!

With the intention of recovering Anxi, southern Mongolia, and northern Mongolia, how could anyone not like such an aggressive and proactive strategy!

In fact, Wu Zetian listened to what was said from the very beginning.

This article is completely different from the policy responses she has seen before!

It has a broad perspective and gets straight to the point, unlike those so-called fancy writings that are full of nonsense.

"He who does not plan for the long term is not fit to plan for the short term; he who does not plan for the whole is not fit to plan for a part."

This sentence suddenly calmed her down, and she wanted to follow the article's train of thought to examine the whole picture...

For a decision-maker, all advice is cheap; making a decision is the difficult thing.

Given Wu Zetian's years of experience in assisting the government and ruling from behind the curtain, as well as her discussions with the prime minister and border generals, she was certainly not lacking in strategies for dealing with a situation where powerful enemies surrounded her.

The problem is that each minister has a different opinion, each has its own reasons, and each has its own biases.

Some suggestions even harbor ulterior motives, setting traps for her that she might easily fall into.

She must weigh the pros and cons and make a comprehensive decision.

As the ruler of the world, what she needs most is someone who can understand the situation and assist her in making decisions.

Hearing about the scope of this article, she had a vague feeling that the author had a long-term vision and was a great talent!

"The land under heaven can be divided into four categories according to its importance: the first is the heart and soul, the second is the limbs and arms..."

Wu Zetian also made judgments about the relative importance of different regions, but her methods were not as eloquent and orderly as the metaphors used in the text.

The division of confidants, key advisors, and regional protectors may seem trivial, but it is actually related to strategic priorities and is very important.

She generally agreed with the categorization in the text, but there were a few exceptions.

For example, Anxi and Mobei.

Four years ago, the Nine Tribes of Tiele rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, and the Tubo attacked Anxi. The Tang Dynasty had no choice but to abandon the northern deserts and the western regions. The Anbei Protectorate was moved south to Yanhai, and the Four Garrisons of Anxi were directly abolished.

Both directions have lost vast territories, and Wu Zetian wants to reclaim them both, but she is unable to decide the order in which to do so.

While retaking Anxi is important, controlling the various Tiele tribes in northern Mongolia would allow for a pincer attack on the Ashina tribe, which would be of great value.

The four tribes of Uyghur, Qibi, Sijie, and Hun, now residing in Hexi, have a strong desire to reclaim their former lands and can be put to good use.

Moreover, Kutlugh had just rebelled against the Tang Dynasty and established himself eight years ago. There was an opportunity to nip him in the bud before he reached his full power.

Tibet was a powerful state that had been fighting the Tang Dynasty for thirty years, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats.

In truth, Tibet won more, and it will be difficult for them to reverse the situation in a short period of time.

Therefore, in her view, conquering the northern desert was no less important than recovering the four towns of Anxi.

This policy document, however, argues that Anxi is the key to the defense and the northern desert is the bulwark, a strategic consideration that contradicts its own assessment.

After listening, Wu Zetian admitted that...this article made more sense.

Firstly, the article's analysis proceeds from the inside out, building upon each other in a progressive manner, and its theoretical foundation is very rigorous.

Secondly, the discussion of geography serves to inform the following text. Based on strategic location, the article prioritizes strategies for conquering three lost territories of the Tang Dynasty in recent years.

Anxi

southern desert

Northern desert.

All three places must be recovered, and there are strategies and methods to recover them one by one!

Wu Zetian seemed to see a strategist with a feather fan and silk turban unfolding a map of the Tang Dynasty, eloquently explaining to her the strategy of conquering the four corners of the country.

Tell her that before recovering Anxi, we must first "defend the Hexi Corridor," as a prerequisite for our strategy.

Also remember to "manage Liaodong," and don't neglect this area because you focus on the northwest and the north...

Wu Zetian was eager to know what this person's overall strategy was and how it would be implemented.

As for literary style and diction, she didn't even consider it.

When pressing Shen Quanqi for an answer, the lines drawn at the corners of his eyes were raised high, like a sharp knife.

The joy and excitement I felt when I heard Zhang talk about the article have quietly multiplied many times over.

Shangguan Wan'er's beautiful eyes flickered uncertainly, making it impossible to tell whether she was admiring or holding back.

"I only remember this much before I was summoned by the Empress Dowager. I haven't had time to read the rest of the text yet..." Shen Quanqi replied with a smile.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression, he felt completely relieved, and his face glowed with happiness.

"Oh well, let's wait until he finishes writing..." Wu Zetian composed herself slightly and slowly leaned back on the phoenix couch.

Although I really wanted to listen immediately, as the ruler of the world, I had to remain calm in the face of events.

After all, the article has only just begun, and whether the rest contains any substantial content remains to be seen.

"Shen Qing, what is this person's name? With such insight and vision, he must come from a prestigious family, have traveled extensively, and have considerable experience. Perhaps his ancestors were military leaders?"

She guessed that the author was well-versed in border affairs, must be from a military family, and must be quite old.

Maybe he's like Zhang Jianzhi last year, already in his sixties.

If you're going to use it, you should use it as soon as possible.

If we wait a few years, we might not need it anymore.

Shen Quanqi replied, "This person's name is Lu Jun, he is a student at the Imperial Academy, and he is eighteen years old this year..."

"Huh?" Wu Zetian exclaimed in surprise.

His back straightened up suddenly, and his eyes shone brightly, as if he had unearthed a room full of gold, radiant and dazzling.

Originally intending to wait until the exam papers were handed in before reading the text, he could no longer restrain himself and instructed Shen Quanqi:

"Su Qing, go and memorize another section."

"The more the better!"

His eyebrows seemed to be swept by a gust of wind, jumping up and down, and ripples spread across the corners of his mouth.

After Shen Quanqi withdrew, he instructed the eunuch, "Go and summon the Minister of War and the Vice Minister of War, and let them listen together."