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[To return to the main point, the first wave of collision between East and West stirred up by The Travels of Marco Polo did in fact have to wait until the Ming dynasty.
To be more precise, it was the Ming state under the reigns of Zhengde, Jiajing, and Longqing, and the Portuguese state under Manuel I, João III, and Sebastian I, that would truly collide.
That subject must be left for the Ming chapter to discuss properly. For now, let us turn our gaze back to the Great Yuan, for the imperial examinations have finally returned.
There is a saying that heavy drinking is a compulsory course for Mongols, while promiscuity and murder are electives.
Yuan Wuzong seized the throne by coup. To speak fairly, he did accomplish certain economic measures. Yet compared with his "colorful" private life, those deeds are hardly worth mentioning.
A mere five years after ascending the throne, at the age of thirty, Yuan Wuzong died in Dadu from excessive drinking and indulgence, thus concluding his brilliant life.
When an emperor dies, some rejoice and some grieve. The one most delighted is often the crown prince.
Yuan Wuzong's crown prince was his own younger brother. This arrangement arose because during the coup that placed him on the throne, that younger brother rendered considerable assistance. The two therefore agreed upon the formula "elder brother dies, younger succeeds; uncle and nephew thereafter transmit in turn." This younger brother would become Yuan Renzong. The restoration of the examinations was a matter upon which Yuan Renzong expended great effort.
Unlike Zhao Da and Zhao Er, however, Yuan Wuzong himself acknowledged this agreement and, while still in sound health, formally invested his brother as crown prince.
In truth, the intention to restore the examinations was not unique to Yuan Renzong. Kublai had considered it. Yuan Chengzong and Yuan Wuzong had likewise debated it. In each case, as in Kublai's time, the matter ultimately came to nothing.
The problems faced differed in each period. By the late reign of Yuan Chengzong, the vast territory required an enormous number of officials. In comparison, the Mongol aristocracy, limited in population, had already accepted that some form of examination was necessary to select officials. The question was how to do so without harming the privileges of the lords.
Another issue lay among the Han population itself. Tensions between north and south remained severe. If the examinations were to be restored, should they follow the model of the Song or that of the Jin?
With the accession of Yuan Renzong, these problems were resolved.
Because Yuan Renzong was Mongol, although not on harmonious terms with certain nobles, he nevertheless ensured Mongol privileges to stabilize his base. Thus arose the method of selecting candidates by separate ethnic rankings.
Furthermore, Yuan Renzong followed the general trend in revering Confucianism and inclined toward Neo-Confucianism. The proposal to restore the Song or Jin examination models was cast aside. The Neo-Confucian Han scholars he elevated drafted a comprehensive new examination system for him. History calls this the Yanyou Restoration of the Examinations.
Under this reform, the Four Books and Five Classics annotated by Zhu Xi were established as the designated examination texts. Later, the Ming and Qing fully adopted this regulation, causing the examinations to revolve within the scope of Neo-Confucianism. Its influence cannot be considered slight.
As for the examination structure, it continued to employ the three-tier system of Tang and Song, with which we are all familiar. The provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination. The first place in the provincial examination was called Jieyuan. The first place in the metropolitan examination was called Huiyuan. The first place in the palace examination was called Zhuangyuan. From the Song onward, a felicitous phrase wishing examination success arose: "consecutive three firsts." The Yuan was no exception.
Although so wished, in more than a thousand years of examination history, only fourteen individuals achieved consecutive three firsts. If further restricted to uninterrupted consecutive three firsts, only three individuals exist in history: Song Yang and Feng Jing of the Song dynasty, and Qian Ji of the Qing dynasty.
Qian Ji is somewhat special. From the Ming onward, because the number of provincial candidates became too great, three preliminary examinations were added before the main three: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the academy examination. Only after passing all three and obtaining the status of xiucai could one formally begin the main examination track. Thus, in the Ming, a smooth path required six examinations.
Qian Ji's distinction lies in taking first place in all six, achieving the unprecedented feat of "six consecutive firsts."
Yet aside from this accomplishment, there is not much to say about Qian Ji himself. For among the Qian clan, others are rather dazzling.
Setting aside Qian Xuesen, known as the father of China's aerospace and missile programs.
Setting aside Qian Weichang, called the father of modern Chinese mechanics.
Setting aside Qian Sanqiang, father of China's atomic bomb.
Leaving aside cultural figures such as Qian Zhongshu, Qian Fu, and Qian Mu, even the Qian clan's surviving iron certificate of immunity from death is more legendary than this examination champion.
Immunity certificates were not rare in history. Yet only this one truly functioned.
It was personally issued by Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. It was personally borrowed for viewing by Emperor Taizong, Emperor Renzong, and Emperor Shenzong of Song. In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu in the Ming, a descendant, Qian Ruxing, brought the certificate to the capital to seek an audience with the Hongwu Emperor, thereby rescuing his father Qian Yongqin, who by law should have died for tax grain shortages.
This artifact is today preserved as a first-class national treasure in the National Museum. If you pass by, you may go see it.
In a certain sense, this iron certificate, like the examination system itself, serves as one of the threads tracing the course of Chinese history.
Yet if we trace history through the examination line, we can also see that the Yanyou Restoration had little effect upon the Yuan itself.
This unprecedentedly vast empire was soon swept into even greater chaos, revealing the true visage of its short-lived fragility.]
Within Guangzheng Hall, Li Yu watched as delight gradually spread across Qian Chu's face. That delight made it impossible for the corners of Qian Chu's mouth to remain composed.
On a face already overly familiar, the emerging smile grew ever more irritating.
Especially when he thought of his own obscure and sudden death, bitterness rose within Li Yu's heart.
"Qian Huzi does have some capable descendants."
The deliberate use of a childhood nickname carried obvious sourness. Qian Chu paid it no heed. Instead his smile deepened.
"Congjia speaks truly. A thousand years later, to achieve six consecutive firsts or to attain great accomplishment is the result of later generations' hardship. What has that to do with me?"
"I understood the Mandate of Heaven and followed it. Thus my clan was preserved. Only then could later descendants of Qian serve China and be remembered."
For a moment Li Yu had no reply. This too could be attributed to understanding the Mandate of Heaven?
Recalling certain wild tales spread in later ages concerning himself, sorrow surged again, and tears nearly fell.
If he himself met such an end, what of his only son? How could he escape calamity?
Thus Master Kongjiong once more found the ruler of Southern Tang glaring at him in anger, causing him almost instinctively to lower himself.
Zhao Kuangyin, having watched many episodes, had long since released what could be released. After committing these matters to memory, he asked with curiosity,
"Does Wende's iron certificate still survive?"
Such objects were not exceedingly rare. In the chaotic era after Tang's fall they even enjoyed a period of popularity. Yet to survive for more than a century was indeed uncommon.
As for successfully invoking one to avoid death, that was rarer still. Everyone knew the exception for treason.
And from the earlier jest concerning Jia Sidao, one could see how easily the charge of treason might be affixed.
Zhao Kuangyin kept such thoughts to himself. After all, he too had issued iron certificates.
"Your Majesty," Qian Chu bowed properly, "this object was treasured by my grandfather. I dare not lightly destroy it. If Your Majesty wishes to view it, I am willing to present it to Great Song."
"I have but one confusion and request Your Majesty's enlightenment. What is a missile? What is aerospace? What is an atomic bomb?"
Zhao Kuangyin waved his hands repeatedly.
"The later ages have said this object traces the thread of Chinese history. If it entered my hands and were lost, how could that be explained?"
"I only wish to view it. Wende should preserve it well."
"As for your doubts, their explanation will come in time."