Anyone who has been to Qingzhou Museum knows that Qingzhou Museum has a treasure of the town museum-Zhao's examination paper, the number one scholar in the twenty-six years of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, which is unique in the country.
Zhao (A.D. 1574- 1626) was born in Yidu County, Qingzhou in the Ming Dynasty. 1983, in Zhengmu Village, Zhao's hometown, he found the examination paper of the hall where he won the top prize in the senior high school entrance examination. After more than 20 visits by Wei Zhensheng, the old director of Qingzhou Cultural Relics Management Office, Zhao Huanbin, the thirteenth generation of Zhao, donated the examination paper to the country and is now in the Qingzhou Museum. Appraised by Wang Yikun and Feng Hua, two old experts of the Palace Museum in Beijing, the paper, Zi Ling, figures and seals of the examination paper are all original materials of the Ming Dynasty. Before this, China's examination paper of the Ming Dynasty had not been found, so this paper of Zhao, who won the top prize in the examination, became a rare book at home and abroad.
This test paper is a 19 fold picture book, with a total height of 47.6 cm, a width of 14. 1 cm, a head of 8.6 cm, a foot of 3.3 cm and a middle height of 35.7 cm. This paper is divided into two parts: the first part is the author's resume and the resumes of the last three generations. According to the regulations, it is written in imitation of Song style with a brush, and the full amount is 60% off. On the top of the first fold, there is a square seal of the seal script "Li Bu Seal", and the last fold is also half of this seal. This part is sealed, and the seal is covered with a long seal of "sealed". The second half is the text, which is a picture album page with a discount of 15, and each page has six lines, totaling 2460 words, written in neat fine print. On the top right corner of the first page of the test paper, there are six characters of "first place" in bamboo script, and four characters of "closed" in regular script are printed into a long square. After the text, it is printed with "Zhang Qian, a scholar in Wuyingdian, the official department of Taibao Prince; Shen, official department of Taibao Prince; Yang Junmin, the official department of Shaobao Prince; Xiao Daheng, minister of punishments; Liu, the official school; Liu, the official school; And Ceng Chao, the official department of reading. At the end of the volume, nine titles were published, including Li Tingji, Zhan's youth, Bachelor of imperial academy and Shi Gan Price. At the end of the volume, a big line of words was printed: "Zhu, the official who printed the book, made the ritual system, made the official department, and made the official department in Langzhong." "The test paper is mounted on three layers of rice paper, and the front cover and back cover are all silk mounted. The discovery of the imperial examination paper filled the gap in the court archives of the Ming Dynasty in China and provided real and reliable information for the study of the imperial examination system in China.
In the examination paper, Zhao analyzed the social contradictions at that time in a simple way with pertinent language, and put forward a series of reform suggestions for the current disadvantages, which reflected his great talent in governing and defending the country. Zhao Zhongbing answered the emperor's question with his exposition of "solid politics" and "solid politics". Zhao proposed that "solid politics" should be "disciplined and disciplined" and "solid politics" should be "energetic and skillful". He also pointed out to the emperor that "it is solid for anyone, but people dare not agree with me, and it is solid for politics, and politics will not be forced." It was because of Zhao's generous policy that the emperor was greatly gratified, and Zhu Biqin named him the "first chair", that is, the champion.
Zhao was able to win the top prize because he was nurtured by a good family since he was a child. His father, Zhao Xi, "read a book and understood its meaning". In the chronicle, Zhao Xi "tasted the gold left over on the road and couldn't keep it. If he found it, he would return it." There was a famine in Wenshui County, Shanxi Province, and there were many hungry people. Zhao Xi "helps with long-term relief loans and private porridge, and helps those who are exhausted to feed them." It is precisely because Zhao Xi loved the people as a son that when he left office, "the people were crying" and when he could not keep it, "the portrait was sacrificed". In the 21st year of Wanli (AD 1593), there was a great famine in Yidu County, and food prices soared to the point of "striving for wealth", but Zhao Xi was unmoved by money. "Hunger is porridge, and life is rich and virtuous."
It was under the influence of his father, Zhong Ren, that Zhao was smart, honest and frank from an early age. At the age of fifteen, he took the exam for the students. Before the exam, the invigilator Liu Yi had a strict personality. When he took the exam in Changyi County, he found that "those who don't read the text are hell to pay". This time, as the examiner of Qingzhou Fu Xue, Liu Yi stepped up his efforts and "ordered all students to enter". It was a cold winter and it was snowing heavily. How can you stand barefoot exams? You candidates dare to be angry and dare not speak. At this moment, Zhao stood up and asked on the steps, "How can you be trapped by your incompetence? And the sage's code of opening the door is solid? " After hearing this, Liu Yi was frightened to disgrace and stood in awe of Zhao. Immediately ordered the abolition of this rule, so that all candidates put on shoes and no longer enter the examination room barefoot.
In the 26th year of Wanli (A.D. 1598), Zhao, who was only 25 years old, won the first place in the examination, and was immediately awarded the post of lead writer of the Hanlin Academy. Because of his remarkable achievements, he was an examiner in the thirty-first year of Wanli (AD 1603), and Sun Chengzong of Levin was swept out of the house. In the forty years of Wanli (A.D. 16 12), he became an examiner in Jiangnan, and the admitted candidates, such as Theway, Yao Ximeng and Zhou Shunchang, were very loyal and became a generation of famous officials. Zhao was soon promoted to a bachelor's degree and gave lectures to the emperor.
One day, Emperor Wanli ordered you to find out the records of the first emperor and have a look. But Wen Jian's records were missing, so the emperor asked what was going on. Zhao replied that there was no shortage, because the emperor was not as good as other emperors, so he dared not show it to the emperor. At this time, Emperor Wanli understood that he no longer looked at the records of Emperor Wen Jian. Zhao, on the other hand, took the opportunity to play to the emperor, saying that although he was in office for only four years, he was kind and there was nothing wrong with it. Ask the emperor to restore the emperor's name and temple number to comfort the dead emperor Wen Jian. Emperor Wanli pondered for a long time and said, "It is easier and more inconvenient after a long time." Zhao argued: "In those days, Emperor Gao (Zhu Yuanzhang) was imprisoned for Hulan, and all Spyker was punished for meritorious service. He died in Jiajing Dynasty, which was an improper political affairs, no matter how long." Later, Minister Gu Xichou told Zhao what he had said, which was finally adopted by Emperor Wanli and restored as emperor.
During the reign of Emperor Xizong, treacherous court official Wei Zhongxian was authoritarian and framed dissidents. In the fourth year of the Apocalypse (AD 1624), the minister impeached Wei Zhongxian with 24 counts, all of which were written by Zhao's protege Miao Changqi. In the fifth year of the Apocalypse (AD 1625), Miao Changqi was framed and killed by Wei Zhongxian. At this time, Zhao served as assistant minister of government does, while Wei Zhongxian constantly provoked Zhao with words. Zhao ignored, and Wei Zhongxian became more and more angry. He slandered Zhao Zhongbing many times in front of the emperor. Emperor Xizong said to Wei Zhongxian, "Is it a preacher in a short robe? He is loyal, and we should value him. "
When Zhao learned that Wei Zhongxian had tried to harm him many times and saw the failure of the court, he went to the court many times and asked for leave. With the approval of the emperor, he was promoted to minister of rites and then returned to Li. Shortly after returning to his hometown, he was implicated in the case of Liu Zhongying, who was stripped of his official position and took away his salary on the charge of "being a portal with Liu Zhongying for a long time". Since then, the Wei Party has become increasingly fierce, and more and more people have been arrested and imprisoned, making state affairs even more out of control. In the sixth year of the Apocalypse (AD 1626), Zhao died of anger at home at the age of 53. In the early years of Chongzhen, Zhao was rehabilitated by the imperial court, restored to his original post, and given to the Prince Taibao as a sacrifice.
China's imperial examination system began in the Sui Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,300 years in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and produced nearly 800 champions. Due to the change of dynasties, wars and foreign invasions, the top books in the palace have been lost. The champion volume is a confidential file of the imperial court. If it is taken out of the imperial court, the Jiuzu will be destroyed. How Zhao's examination papers in the temple have been handed down to Zhao's descendants through vicissitudes of life has become an eternal mystery. And this precious number one volume, at 199 1, once again caused a sensation in the whole country because of the theft and recovery case.