Chapter Eleven

In the winter of 1684, the first official imperial examination of the Great Han government commenced, drawing the attention of all. Since the Han army had achieved a series of swift military and political victories, the imperial examination gradually gained weight in the minds of the scholarly class. Now, anyone with a modicum of insight could discern the current situation: the entire region north of the Yellow River was engulfed in chaos, and within this vast territory, the only government running smoothly was the Great Han regime. The local Qing authorities, scattered across other provinces, struggled to survive under the onslaught of peasant armies, with little energy left for education or scholarship. The scholars clearly understood this harsh reality, so when the Han army officially announced the examination, a large number of candidates flocked to Beijing.

Though Lin Feng hailed from a later era, he harbored no prejudices against the imperial examination. Moreover, after learning the specifics of the system from Li Guangdi, he even developed a slight reverence for it. The concept was not foreign to him; after university, he had spent a long spell living off his parents, unemployed, and had once delved into the civil service exam. Comparing the two, he was surprised to find that the "imperial examination" was still widely practiced in China centuries later. In essence, the so-called "opening, development, transition, conclusion" formula was a typical type of political essay, and the progress achieved over the centuries merely switched the contents from the Four Books and Five Classics to politics, law, current affairs, and English—a jumble of other subjects.

With this realization, Lin Feng was compelled to assess the imperial examination from a new perspective. After some thought, he concluded that this system for selecting officials, which had persisted since the Sui dynasty, was scientifically evolved. In terms of structure, it was hard to find fault with it. The real flaw lay in the improper use of cadres, or rather, the lack of effective job training. Imagine suddenly letting a scholar with no administrative experience run a county; the disastrous consequences would be inevitable.

At this point, however, Lin Feng lacked the courage to abruptly overhaul the Four Books and Five Classics. Not to mention whether others could accept such a change, he himself was accustomed to quoting the sages, upholding propriety and ethical norms. If he were to make a sudden turn, his subordinates would probably think he had gone mad. In truth, what troubled him was not the content of the examination, but the model.

The dramatic political changes in the north brought several dilemmas to the imperial examination. The first issue was the level of the exam—by rights, it should be the highest, the metropolitan examination. Yet the number of qualified "recommended scholars" was relatively low; if qualifications were strictly enforced, the exam would become a one-on-one duel. The second issue was how to determine qualifications—from Lin Feng's government policy, all things from the Qing court were to be denied, so from a legal standpoint, the titles of "recommended scholar" and "licensed scholar" were questionable. This led to a third issue—the Han army's Ministry of Rites had not begun operations, and thus had no "elementary school" system. Should this examination be open to all? If so, the class hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant would collapse, which the scholarly class would never accept.

After several discussions, the temporary regulations of the Great Han government were issued. As this was a "Confucian grand event," the Qing's errors in this regard could be forgiven for the time being, for the sake of the sages. With a doctrine of scholarship as the foundation, the Han government limitedly recognized the Qing's titles below "recommended scholar." Yet, given the complex situation, and to prevent "vile people" from forging credentials for opportunistic entry, the examination system underwent significant changes. All scholars with the "licensed scholar" qualification could participate, and the examination had three stages: the first was a basic literacy test, equivalent in difficulty to the provincial exam; the second was the formal metropolitan examination—passing this granted the title of "advanced scholar" and eligibility for officialdom; the third was the palace examination, personally conducted by Lin Feng and senior Han officials, to select suitable officials from among the advanced scholars, who might immediately receive actual appointments.

The scholars did not resent these changes; indeed, those with particular confidence even welcomed them. Especially the recommended scholars from other provinces, who flaunted their disdain for the licensed scholars competing with them, boasting in taverns and brothels that the stricter the rules the better, so the "impure academics" could not become officials. Naturally, to them, losing to the licensed scholars would be a joke; so, in competing against these lesser rivals, gaining an advanced scholar's title was no issue.

After a few days of bustling activity, the number of candidates exceeded three thousand. Upon careful investigation, Lin Feng discovered that almost every powerful family and major landlord household in Beijing and the province of Zhili had sent their favored sons, aiming for a place in the new ruling class.

Amidst this tide of aspiring officials, what truly surprised Lin Feng was Dai Zi's arrival. After so much interaction, Lin Feng had come to understand him well. As expected, Dai Zi was a career-driven man—laudably "loyal and upright," but pejoratively "obstinate and reckless." Among the Han army's high officials and commanders, even thugs like Yang Haisheng dared not cross Lin Feng, but this eccentric refused to heed the "emperor's art of rule." Outside his field of firearms, he acted as a deferential Confucian official; but when it came to science, he became somewhat manic, demanding funds like a bandit, and would stubbornly camp at the Marshal's mansion if Lin Feng refused him.

When Lin Feng saw him, he was still the same as ever. In fact, he seemed always this way: his hair perpetually unkempt, a few wisps sticking out from under his official hat; he never seemed to wear clean clothes, always stained here or torn there. It was said that wives of this era were exceptionally responsible, always keeping their husbands neat—but his wife seemed an exception.

"Your humble subordinate, Dai Zi, supervisor of military ordnance, greets the Marshal!" Dai Zi respectfully saluted Lin Feng.

Dai Zi's brother-in-law was well-formed, with fair skin and handsome features, suggesting Dai Zi's wife was of fine quality. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he knelt and performed a grand salute: "Humble clerk Hu Mingren of the arsenal, pays respects to my lord!"

My lord? Lin Feng was momentarily stunned. "Rise, rise—so Mr. Hu serves in my army?!"

"Not at all!" Hu Mingren beamed, "Brother-in-law ordered me to assist at the arsenal!"

"I see!" Lin Feng smiled slightly, turned to Dai Zi, and politely asked, "May I ask what talents Mr. Hu possesses? I am recruiting worthy men—if he has real ability, he will not be unrewarded!"

"Well..." Hu Mingren's lips twitched, sneaking a glance at Dai Zi.

"Marshal..." Dai Zi smiled wryly. "My wife's brother used to be a merchant in his hometown—the family has been casting iron for centuries. He himself has some expertise in metallurgy..."

Lin Feng was taken aback and immediately dropped his playful tone, looking at Dai Zi seriously. "Wen Kai, this is important. Don't exaggerate or gloss over!"

Dai Zi was startled, then showed indignation. "Marshal, if I have spoken falsely, please punish me for deceit!"

Lin Feng stepped down and comfortingly patted his shoulder. "It seems Wen Kai's marriage must have been interesting—you love steel and firearms, surely not without cause?"

"Marshal sees clearly... My wife was a neighbor's daughter; I played in the ironworks since childhood... So... well..." Dai Zi blushed and trailed off.

"Ha, I understand—when your family moved south, the ancestral business wasn't destroyed overnight, was it?" Lin Feng shook his head and sighed. "This is my own failing!"

"Under a fallen nest, how can any egg remain intact? When decisive action is needed, one must act. Compared to the safety of the family, worldly possessions amount to nothing!" Seeing Dai Zi embarrassed, Hu Mingren, kneeling, suddenly raised his head and explained for his brother-in-law.

"Yes, well said," Lin Feng said with new intent, patting Dai Zi's shoulder. "Wen Kai, you go back for now; your brother-in-law and I need a deep conversation."

Dai Zi looked incredulous, glancing at Lin Feng and the equally surprised Hu Mingren, thinking, what could they possibly have to discuss? But he could only salute and withdraw.

"Little Hu, get up, come, sit!" Lin Feng smiled warmly, making Hu Mingren shiver, and he sat nervously to one side.

"Tell me honestly, Little Hu—do you really want to be an official?"

"To answer, Marshal, becoming an official... that was my sister's idea. But, well, I am certainly willing to serve the people..."

Hu Mingren was a bit confused.

"Oh, I suppose your parents are gone, and now your sister is head of the family?" Lin Feng smiled.

Hu Mingren was startled. "Marshal, how did you know?!..."

"Ha, just a guess," Lin Feng laughed. "Frankly, it is not hard for you to become an official. For the sake of the Han army's cause, your family lost its ancestral business. If you want compensation, I can appoint you any time... but that would mean your family trade is lost forever!"

Hu Mingren was still young and naïve; hearing this, he nodded in agreement. "It is a pity, but there's nothing to be done."

"So, Little Hu, tell me—if I don't let you become an official, what would you do?"

Hu Mingren was startled, stealing a glance at Lin Feng, who smiled kindly. Reassured, he pondered, "If you don't let me become an official, then I'll have to revive the family business!"

"Oh? How would you go about it?"

"It's not difficult, Marshal, I won't hide anything from you. Now my brother-in-law is a high official in the Han government—though he's eccentric and awkward, northern merchants, for the sake of buying raw materials, still accord him respect," Hu Mingren thought it over and decided to be honest. "Marshal, you may not know, but there are many business opportunities in Han territory, especially in Zunhua and Datong. These days, with the chaos, merchants and craftsmen at the mines have fled. If you don't let me become an official, I'll ask my sister for money and try my luck at the mines..."

"Excellent!" Lin Feng nodded in praise, giving Hu Mingren a thumbs-up. "A true hero in youth—what is relying on one's sister and brother-in-law? A real man must rely on his own skill!"

Excited by the Marshal's praise, Hu Mingren grew more enthusiastic. "Marshal, you don't know, lately I've been helping my brother-in-law, learning to make muskets and cannons. Once you get the hang of it, it's not so hard—if I have capital and a big shop, I can make it happen. Then I'll manufacture barrels, cannon tubes, and other parts for the Han government, and make a name for myself!"

"Ah, a fine young talent!" Lin Feng affectionately patted his shoulder to encourage him. "Little Hu, your ideas are sound—you know, there was a business in West Tai called 'Krupp,' starting small and eventually becoming a giant in the country. Even officials had to show them respect..."

"Really?" Hu Mingren widened his eyes, half believing, for he lacked such ambition and only wished to restore the family legacy.

"Let me be clear, Little Hu. I see you are talented, so I won't give you some meaningless post to waste your life!"

"Ah... but..." Hu Mingren was caught off guard, and was saddened to hear the Marshal cut off his official path.

"Do it your way. To compensate your family's sacrifice for the Han, I will fully support you!—How much silver do you have left?"

"Well... I estimate my sister and brother-in-law can spare thirty to fifty thousand taels..." Both the Dai and Hu families were great clans from the south, and after selling everything, their funds were ample. Hu Mingren squinted and calculated, hesitating.

"Ha, probably more. Well, here's what we'll do!" Lin Feng smiled. "Go tell your sister and brother-in-law that the Marshal supports you. Ask them for fifty thousand taels as your capital, and I'll also be generous and contribute fifty thousand—I'll take a forty percent share!"

"Thank you, Marshal..." Hu Mingren was stunned, then overjoyed, bowing deeply.

"Don't rush—besides, I'll issue orders to Zunhua and Datong to have local Han generals make things convenient for you. From now on, you are a Han merchant—understand?"

"Marshal, today's favor will be remembered by the Hu family for generations!"

"Alright, no need for ceremony. I have a forty percent share; we'll all profit together! But let me say this up front: whatever your Hu family business produces, especially weapons, you must consult me. If not, things could get difficult!" Seeing Hu Mingren nod anxiously, Lin Feng smiled, warmly taking his hand and leading him outside. "Little Hu, your brother-in-law is a genius with ordnance—your family has a unique advantage. If you want to prosper, learn more from him. The arms business has always been lucrative; seize the opportunity well."