Chapter 1813 - The Exam Syllabus

"You needn't bother with Former Song materials. What the chiefs have brought is unlike anything in three thousand years of history. Take the police work I do—has any dynasty ever seen its like? Let's just study the recruitment notices properly—that's the true path forward."

Li Ziyu joined Zeng Juan in poring over the newspapers. This Guangzhou municipal joint recruitment covered positions in taxation, judiciary, customs, finance, civil affairs, education, health, and over a dozen other departments urgently needed for Guangzhou's development. Opportunities could be called abundant.

"The health department can be ruled out immediately—I'm no physician... This finance department seems to want accountants. Though I can work an abacus somewhat, I'm not proficient enough—that won't do either..."

"The tax department isn't bad. All merchants fall under their jurisdiction. Seems like it would come with plenty of perks."

"Oh? But the Australians haven't collected any taxes from merchants since arriving. They've just handled some licenses. Besides, don't the chiefs most strongly oppose extracting all manner of levies from merchants?"

"True enough. But securing a position in the tax department would be convenient for your family, and for Zhang Yu's as well. And there's your worthless brother-in-law—he runs a shop too, under the tax bureau's purview. If you ever want to give him trouble, just audit his accounts a few times. He'll soon understand what's good for him."

"That does sound appealing." Zeng Juan's interest was immediately piqued. "It's just that I know nothing about how the Australians collect taxes."

"You probably don't need to know beforehand. It's merely following regulations. Nothing more complicated than that."

"Tax collectors are despised. I can't put on a harsh face like that. Doesn't feel right."

"The education department—that means becoming a schoolteacher. You're probably not interested in that?"

"Hmm, not particularly..."

"The justice department looks like it wants lawyers. Great Song is founded on law, so they must value this department highly. But Great Song has so many laws. When I was training as a police officer, I had to study several Song law codes. I couldn't even memorize one Da Ming Lü before—and some Song codes are even thicker than that..."

"Strict laws and severe punishments indeed... Are the chiefs truly descendants of the Song, or heirs of the brutal Qin?" Zeng Juan couldn't help exclaiming.

Li Ziyu's expression immediately shifted. He leaned in and whispered urgently: "Hey, hey—never say such things again. If you speak like that outside, you'll end up in the station. The chiefs' eyes and ears extend beyond anything you can imagine."

"I misspoke. I'll be more careful."

"Actually, the chiefs' laws are quite different from the brutal Qin's. How do I explain... Never mind, you'll understand in time..."

"Brother Zeng, the institutions of Great Song are intricate and elaborate. Outsiders can't fathom them. Even now I'm just peering through the mist myself. Why don't I return to the bureau and consult some seniors from Lingao—they might offer more accurate insights. What do you think?"

"That would be excellent! Please take the trouble, Brother Ziyu. Tonight let's try the new Australian hot pot at the Grand World?"

"It's not for your dinner invitation that I'm helping you. When you pass, Zhang Yu and I will throw you a proper celebration banquet!"

"Ah, who knows if I can even pass." Zeng Juan couldn't help but look dejected.

"Hey, hey, hey—what's this? Such gloom!" Li Ziyu clapped him loudly on the shoulder. "Now that the chiefs need personnel, as long as you apply yourself, you can always find a path forward."

"It's just these questions—I genuinely find them vexing..." As he spoke, he opened a book titled Past Exam Questions Collection and turned to the "Historical Essay Questions" section.

"'Discuss the propositions that Zhou and Tang were externally strong but internally weak, while Qin and Wei were externally weak but internally strong.'"

"'Jia Yi's Five Baits and Three Shows strategy was mocked by Ban Gu as superficial. Yet Duke Mu of Qin once employed it to dominate the Western Rong, and Zhonghang Yue likewise warned the Chanyu about it—the strategy was not ineffective. Discuss.'"

...

"Just these few questions alone—I'm completely helpless. At the academy we never studied the New and Old Tang Histories, nor the Records of the Grand Historian, nor the Former and Latter Han Histories..."

Li Ziyu nodded. These were all "historical essays" requiring familiarity with classical historical texts merely to understand the questions. But private academies didn't teach history beyond the Confucian Thirteen Classics, and teachers didn't encourage—indeed actively opposed—students reading history. As for ordinary students, even those with historical inclinations found such books difficult to access—they weren't exactly rare, but only families of some means actually owned them. Average households couldn't afford them and wouldn't purchase them. So Zeng Juan had essentially never encountered them. His meager historical knowledge derived either from bookshop romance novels or scattered fragments gleaned from reading "Australian books."

"Whatever question arose, I could only submit a blank paper." Zeng Juan smiled bitterly.

"My family does own a few history books. If you want them, I'll lend them to you." Li Ziyu was generous. "Besides, Brother Zeng, you needn't worry excessively. According to the Syllabus, historical essays don't count for many points. The main emphasis is on 'General Knowledge' and 'Policy Essays.' These are all practical matters. Study a few more and you'll grasp the patterns."

Li Ziyu had been paying close attention to civil service examinations lately—though he was already "in public service," under Australian rule, advancement and raises all required examinations, each more demanding than the last. For his own career's sake, Li Ziyu was constantly trying to decipher Australian testing methods and reasoning.

"General Knowledge is manageable—just rote memorization. Mathematics isn't too difficult either. Once you memorize those Arabic numerals and Australian formulas, a few practice sessions and it sticks. Only these Policy Essays aren't easy." Zeng Juan pulled out one of his practice essays. These Policy Essays were quite complex: first, several articles were presented, all describing phenomena without argumentative bias. Then below came several questions—some requiring summarization, some explaining certain passages, some asking about causes and solutions. Finally, there was a commentary essay.

"Honestly, if I hadn't read some Australian books beforehand, I truly wouldn't know where to begin!" Zeng Juan sighed.

Li Ziyu laughed: "That's precisely the advantage of those of us who understand Australian learning! Back then, reading Australian books earned us endless scoldings from our teachers for 'neglecting proper studies.' Now our futures depend entirely on this 'improper study'! Isn't this wonderful news? Why worry—in all of Guangzhou, how many people understand 'Australian learning'? Even the great Confucian scholars probably don't. This is our golden opportunity!"

His words struck Zeng Juan like clouds parting to reveal the sun. Indeed, though the questions posed some difficulty, as Li Ziyu observed: in all of Guangzhou, how many understood Australian learning? Rising tides lift all boats; falling tides strand everyone. His own level might not be poor at all—might even rank among the top few.

Leaving Zeng Juan's house, Li Ziyu saw there was still time remaining, no need to rush back to the bureau. He turned down Six Banyan Street.

This street had recently seen a new Shandong pastry shop open—selling northern-style flour snacks and pastries. From steamed buns to an assortment of grain pancakes, everything one could desire.

When the shop opened, it immediately attracted patronage from Bopo Army officers and soldiers and cadres stationed in and around Guangzhou—many hailed from Shandong, others from various northern regions. Living in Guangdong required considerable dietary adjustment. They enthusiastically embraced these northern flavors.

Those in the know, however, understood that the shop's popularity owed something to the fact that its proprietress, Miss Dong, was a northern beauty rarely seen in the Guangzhou area. Supposedly the daughter of the former Guangzhou Prefect Dong, she had an unusual story. After Prefect Dong's suicide by poison, this Miss Dong—captured by the rebels but neither taking her own life nor retreating from public view—had brazenly opened a shop on her own, claiming she wished to "earn her living through honest labor."

Though Miss Dong's shop-keeping had drawn bitter derision from certain quarters—"shameless," "betraying her father for glory," "loose morals"—there were also whispers that the Dong mother and daughter had struck some "dirty deal" with a certain Australian Elder. Some even claimed to have personally witnessed the pair being secretly brought to Prefect Liu's residence at dusk, returning only at dawn the following morning—both still "freshly bedewed, cheeks flushed with spring"...

Such rumors in the past might have shamed a woman into suicide to prove her innocence. But Guangzhou's social climate no longer much cared about such things. Australian female cadres and female police officers walked openly down the streets in skirts showing their calves. Cursing them "shameless" a hundred times accomplished nothing. Moreover, these women all wielded varying degrees of authority. Offending them brought no benefit. Even the most orthodox moralists could only satisfy themselves with verbal venting—they couldn't stir up any significant waves.

The Dong Family Shop didn't merely sell northern pastries; it also handled needlework and tailoring, doing mending and alterations. Bopo Army uniforms, hastily manufactured, often fit poorly. Many soldiers came to Miss Dong's shop for sizing adjustments or repairs. More importantly, of course, clothes processed by Miss Dong were said to carry "a special fragrance"...

But Li Ziyu knew: these tailoring and mending jobs were actually performed by hired seamstresses. Miss Dong simply took in the work from her shop and distributed it to them.

The roadside shops all had awnings extended over their entrances. Previously, these awnings encroaching onto the street had become commonplace. Now regulations existed: awnings could only slant outward for shade without legs touching the ground. Furthermore, no goods or chairs could be placed beneath awnings.

Since the "New Life Movement" began, this thousand-year-old city had acquired something of a fresh appearance. After all the illegally-extended stalls were demolished, the streets became not merely wider but cleaner. Walking along, Li Ziyu felt refreshed—and this included some of his own contribution.

Proceeding a bit further, he spotted a cloth banner by the street reading "Dong Family Shop." This was the establishment run by Dong Mingdang and her mother.

The Dong Family Shop occupied a two-bay storefront. After emerging from the Guangxiao Temple "review," Dong Mingdang had sold some of her jewelry. Combined with her savings, she had purchased this property—at that time, with the political situation uncertain, property prices had fallen. She had secured a bargain—not just the two-bay storefront in front, but also a two-courtyard residence behind. Ideal for both living and conducting business.

(End of Chapter)