Today, the History Encyclopedia editor brings you the story of Su Yijian. Interested readers can follow the editor to take a look together.
Do you remember the college entrance examination that just passed? Whether it’s those who just took the college entrance examination today or students who have graduated for many years, they will never forget it.
So, you must all remember that when we filled out the exam papers and answer sheets, our names were written next to them and then bound together. The purpose of doing so is to ensure fairness and prevent the abuse of power for personal gain and preconceptions.
In fact, this examination system or method has existed in ancient times, originating from the period of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty. The system of locked courtyard is consistent with the method of pasting names. The founder of the locked courtyard system is the famous Su Yijian.
According to the “Essentials of the Song Conference”:
In that year (the third year of Chunhua), he also learned about the Gongju and was ordered to go directly to the Gongyuan to avoid the request, which later became an example. ”It is called ‘locked courtyard’.
In 992 AD, during the third year of Chunhua reign of Emperor Taizong of Song, the Hanlin scholars, Su Yijian and Bi Shi’an, as well as the officials Qian Ruoshui, Wang Dan, and Lv Youzhi, were appointed as the examiners for the imperial examination that year. Among them, Su Yijian was the main examiner.
Upon learning that Su Yijian had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility, she took the initiative to lead four other examiners to lock herself up in order to avoid relatives and friends seeking her care through the back door. She did not leave until the end of the tribute examination that year.
At that time, the behavior of Su Yijian and others was actually spontaneous, but the Song court believed that this action could effectively prevent candidates from requesting permission and prevent exam questions from being leaked, so it was established as a tradition and has been used ever since.
Just like the name pasting method, the name pasting method is for those who pass the exam, while the lock up system is for the chief examiner.
Under the lockdown system, those selected as chief examiners will be immediately sent to the imperial examination institution (or other places) and sealed off. In a state of isolation from the outside world, all communication tools related to the outside world will be confiscated. These people must complete various tasks such as proposition, examination, grading, and grading, and even wait until the results are released before they can be discharged from the hospital.
Since Su Yijian, the system of lock houses has become customized, so Su Yijian is the pioneer of the lock house system.
But it was this pioneer who ended up in an awkward situation, drinking heavily and dying. In fact, Su Yijian is quite legendary.
This person has shown signs of celestial phenomena since childhood, and there is a story circulating in the martial arts world that Su Yijian’s father had a good friend named Yan Chu, and the two had a good relationship.
At that time, the Su family held a Qilin banquet to celebrate the birth of Su Yijian for three days. As a good friend, Yan Chu naturally came to the hall to congratulate. There is a fortune teller sitting at the same table as Yan Chu, who is said to be very accurate in fortune telling.
Yan Chu was originally going to Beijing to take the imperial examination, so he bravely asked the fortune teller and fortune teller about his future prospects and when he would be able to enter high school.
The fortune teller carefully looked at Yan Chu, pinched his fingers, and then pointed to Su Yijian, who was still in swaddling clothes: You Yan Chu should have become famous in the year when Su Gongzi was the top scorer in high school.
As soon as a word was spoken, everyone burst into laughter. Yan Chu feels a bit awkward. When will he wait until Su Yijian becomes the top scorer in high school?
No one would believe this kind of nonsense, Yan Chu certainly doesn’t believe it, but the fact is just as the fortune teller said back then. Yan Chu, no matter how hard he tried for years afterwards, always fell behind in the imperial examinations. It was not until the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo that Su Yijian passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi.
It can be said that some things are really unpredictable, and there seem to be some arrangements in the dark.
Su Yijian was 22 years old when she was the top scorer in high school.
In the fifth year of the Taiping Xingguo reign of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of Song highly respected Confucianism, so the court specially convened a palace examination for the successful candidates. Su Yijian was naturally present, and he wrote a lengthy article of three thousand words with ease.
After reading this article, Emperor Taizong of Song felt it was great and immediately forwarded and liked it. At the same time, he named Su Yijian the top scorer on the Dragon and Tiger List.
After Su Yijian became the top scholar, he served as a counselor and later served as the chief examiner for seven consecutive years to preside over the imperial examination. He was impartial and highly respected by Emperor Taizong.
In addition, Su Yijian also wrote books and commentaries, and the famous “Wenfang Si Pu” was written by him. The book consists of five volumes, divided into “Pen Manual”, “Paper Manual”, “Ink Manual”, and “Inkstone Manual”, covering the origins of pen, inkstone, paper, and ink, the manufacturing process, the stories passed down, as well as poetry and prose. It is the first work in China to describe the history of paper development and has great historical value.
Su Yijian is also a good person, very frank. In short, Su Yijian is good at everything, the only bad thing is her addiction to alcohol.
Originally, it was not a bad thing for literati and scholars to enjoy drinking, but Su Yijian was too greedy for it. There is not a day without drinking, there is not a day without getting drunk. Every wine must be drunk, every drink must be drunk, always getting drunk.
According to the “History of the Song Dynasty”, Su Yijian also used alcohol to make a name for himself. He poured wine into utensils and advised Emperor Taizong of Song to uphold integrity, be cautious and diligent, and gradually strengthen the foundation of the country by saying, “When the sun is shining, the moon is just short; when the vessels are abundant, they are covered; when things are prosperous, they decline.
Although Emperor Taizong of Song readily accepted his suggestion, he was very unhappy with his bad habit of drinking heavily and always worried that he would die from excessive drinking.
So, Emperor Taizong of Song wrote two poems, “Exhortation to Drinking” and “Abstinence from Drinking,” and gave them to Su Yijian, meaning that he should quit drinking. Who dares not listen to the emperor’s words?
Su Yijian stated on the spot that he does not drink alcohol, and expressed that he still goes his own way and enjoys drinking without alcohol. He raised his glass and drank heavily, immersed in it.
I have deeply tasted the precepts and given two chapters of the cursive book ‘Persuasion on Drinking’ to my mother to read. Therefore, every time I enter, I dare not drink
Jiangshan’s nature is difficult to change, and later, Su Yijian was ultimately dismissed for drinking.
The situation is that at that time, Su Yijian had already held a large position as a political counselor, deputy prime minister, and a high-ranking official.
Zhao Changyan, who was also involved in political affairs, did not like Su Yijian and the two often attacked each other. Zhao Changyan targeted Su Yijian’s habit of repeatedly drinking impolitely and ultimately broke through Emperor Taizong’s psychological defense.
Su Yijian was demoted to an official position in another city, and shortly after being demoted, he passed away due to excessive drinking at the age of 39, which is a great pity.
When Emperor Taizong of Song heard that Su Yijian had passed away after drinking alcohol, he couldn’t help but sigh with sadness and say, “It’s a pity that Yi Jian died of alcohol.” So he posthumously conferred the title of Minister of Rites on Su Yijian.
