Wang Ping'an was puzzled, he rubbed his nose, a habitual action of his when he felt uncertain. This time the action was more pronounced, and he shook his head saying: "It should be testing poetry, lyrics, songs, and fu, as well as real-time policy debates, right? Testing medicinal prescriptions? Ordinary people shouldn't understand pharmacology, should they?"

  Aiydin suddenly smiled and said, "Although I am a barbarian, I also know a thing or two about the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination. The imperial examination for scholars requires writing poetry and policy essays, but it is not necessary to test Confucian classics. It seems that they are asked to write a passage of words, and then let the examinees fill in the blanks. However, if they want to take the medical exam, I am not very clear about this, but I think it should be testing medicinal prescriptions!"

  Wang Ping was stunned, his historical knowledge wasn't too bad, he had also posted on forums in modern times, scolding the drawbacks of feudal imperial examinations, and at that time, he had a great sense of accomplishment! However, he only knew about the eight-part essay of the Ming and Qing dynasties, while the Tang Dynasty emphasized poetry and policy debates, such as those famous poets who wrote famous poems to make a name for themselves, also known as preparing for imperial examinations. But he had never heard that the Tang Dynasty also had a medical examination!

  Cheng Jisheng felt a bit surprised, glanced at the tens of thousands of books in the study, and looked at Wang Ping'an, saying: "Brother Ping'an, although you have read countless books and your learning is good, you should know that it's extremely difficult to pass the imperial examination. Each subject has only a few people who get selected, even if many are selected, there are only thirty or forty people. Thirty years old and still not a Mingjing, fifty years old and still not a Jinshi! To become a Jinshi, one must first make a name for oneself, I wonder which big shot in the capital does Brother Ping'an know?"

  Aiyin shook his head and said: "Anyway, it's the imperial examination, the goal is to become an official, what's the difference which subject to take? Why bother taking the jinshi exam? If you want to take the Mingjing exam, I think it's better to take the medical exam. At least Wang Ping'an will definitely pass, and after passing, he can become an official immediately, what a great thing!" He considered his relationship with Wang Ping'an to be special, so he started calling him "Wang Lao Di" (Older Brother Wang).

  Wang Youcai saw that they were chatting enthusiastically, and ordered his servant to serve fragrant tea. He walked over to the side and sat down, but didn't interrupt their conversation. Although he was wealthy, he was after all a rustic local landlord, whose knowledge and experience couldn't compare with those of Cheng Jishi and Aiyidin. So he simply listened without speaking, quietly sitting on the side as an observer.

  "Peaceful old brother, I think you should take the medical exam instead. You're sure to pass. And as an official, with your medical skills, you'll at least become a medical officer, which is an eighth-rank official position. Not to mention that those who passed the imperial examination can't compare to you, even if they're new scholars, it's not common for them to become eighth-rank officials right after taking office!"

  He smiled and said, "When I took the imperial examination for medical science, there were only 15 candidates in total. As a result, all of them passed without exception, and I became an eighth-rank medical officer when I started my official career. The first-place winner of the imperial examination that year was also only assigned to be an eighth-rank official. So you see, it's not that important which subject you take."

  Wang Ping'an was confused and didn't understand what they were saying, so he asked: "Both of you, I only studied with a teacher when I was young, and after that, I have been self-studying at home. To be honest, I don't know much about the imperial examination. Could you please explain it to me in detail?"

  "Each profession has its own expertise, and the imperial examination may be difficult for others, but it's not difficult for us who are proficient in one subject!" Cheng Jisheng smiled and began to explain to Wang Ping'an.

  It turns out that the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was vastly different from those of later generations. The eight-legged essay, which is well-known to modern people, did not exist in the Tang Dynasty at all. The social atmosphere and politics of the Tang Dynasty were open-minded, as long as a candidate had a special talent, the court would employ him. This is very similar to the modern emphasis on professional matching, and it was much more enlightened and wise than the imperial examinations of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

  In the early Tang Dynasty, scholars were selected through various subjects. From today's perspective, this was a driving force for the development of culture in the early Tang Dynasty. The so-called miscellaneous subjects include medicine, divination, astrology, physiognomy, qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with more than 50 categories. As long as the examinee is proficient in one subject, he can be admitted to the imperial court, which is similar to modern universities in many ways.

  Moreover, passing the miscellaneous subjects examination to become an official will not affect one's career path. Of course, compared to those who passed the imperial examination, promotion is slower, but it cannot be said that there is no possibility of becoming a high-ranking official. For example, during the reign of Tang Emperor Shunzong, Wang Kuo, who was in charge of state affairs, was a doctor of calligraphy, while Wang Shuwen was a chess doctor who played Go. They were both from miscellaneous subjects backgrounds. This is similar to the modern view that a university degree is a stepping stone, while personal ability is the rice bowl.

  The early Tang Dynasty was able to obtain countless talents due to the openness of the imperial examination, which made the national strength prosperous. This is completely different from the method used in the Ming and Qing dynasties, where the imperial examination was fixed in a certain framework, and everyone went to read the eight-part essay.

  After listening to Cheng's explanation, Wang Ping's anxious thoughts suddenly cleared up, and he felt delighted in his heart. If it were said that way, if he went to take the imperial examination, it would be a one-time success! There was no need to carry books around every day, thinking deeply and searching hard like now. Why not just take the medical exam directly?

  Wang Ping'an laughed and said, "It seems that studying behind closed doors is not the way to go. If it weren't for Mr. Cheng telling me these things, I'm afraid I'd still be holding onto my books till now! Alright, I'll go take the medical exam, and next spring I'll head to Chang'an!"

  Cheng Ji Sheng and Ai Ding nodded with a smile, this is right, use one's own strengths to attack others' weaknesses. You may be afraid of not doing well in the imperial examination for literature, but who can you fear when it comes to medical skills?

  Wang Youcai saw his son full of confidence, but in his heart he muttered, "Can my son do it? Is it really possible for medical skills to reach the point where one can become an official?" Alas, it seems I didn't care enough about my son before!

  Cheng Ji Sheng said, "However, even if Ping An goes to take the medical exam, he must first make a name for himself. Only then will someone recommend him, best of all would be if Governor Shi personally recommends him, or at least some mountain master from a certain academy recommends him, before going to take the exam. But this path is not necessarily required."

  Aiyin clapped her hands and said, "I understand this. It's about making a name for oneself. When I was doing business in Chang'an, I often saw people who had passed the imperial examination kneeling by the roadside whenever they encountered royal relatives or high officials on an outing. They would place their own writings on top of their heads and ask others to help them get noticed, which is called 'seeking a benefactor'. Almost every day before the imperial examination, you could see this."

  Wang Ping'an furrowed his brow: "Are you also asking me to take the medicine?"

  Cheng Ji burst out laughing and shook his head, saying: "That's for the imperial examination, where they require knowing oneself. We're taking the medical exam, of course we don't need that. The best kind of knowing oneself is those patients you've cured. If after entering the capital, you can cure some high-ranking official's illness, then everything will be fine. As long as you don't hand in a blank paper on the day of the exam, you'll definitely pass! I was... uh, with Ping'an's medical skills, there won't be any problem at all."

  Wang Youcai listened with some concern, leaned over and said: "After entering the capital to make a name for oneself is not very secure. If we ask the governor of Xuzhou to recommend my son, we don't have that connection either. Why not find a private academy instead? Safely enter and read for a while, give more money to the master, this way it's also easier to get recommended."

  Cheng Ji Sheng listened and shook his head, picked up the teacup to drink tea, thinking: "It's not necessary at all. People eat grains and miscellaneous grains, where is there no one who doesn't get sick? Medicine is different from other subjects, after entering the capital to seek fame, it's absolutely no problem! This old man Wang still has shallow knowledge!" He thought so in his heart, but Wang Youcai was Wang Ping'an's father, he couldn't speak out to refute him.

  Aiydin however became spirited, and said to Wang Youcai: "If Brother Wang wants to enter the academy, I can help. The master of Xiangtong Academy, Qiu Wenpu, is a good friend of my brother-in-law's. As long as my brother-in-law puts in a word for you, you can enter whenever you want."

  As soon as he heard the four words "Xiang Tong Academy", Wang Ping'an's face slightly darkened. Last time, he was blocked by the old gatekeeper at the entrance of the academy, and his interest in this academy naturally decreased. He said: "Isn't Xiang Tong Academy going to enroll new students only next January? Would the mountain owner make an exception for me?"

  Aiyin thought for a moment and said, "Is there such a rule? I'm not fond of reading books, and I don't quite understand these twists and turns. That old man Qiu is indeed very stubborn." Thinking that he had said too much earlier and couldn't take it back, he slapped his thigh and said, "I'll take care of this matter! If old man Qiu doesn't agree, I'll build a new academy and give it to him. Don't worry, brother Wang, I've got this covered!"

  Note: When the season changes, the weather is unpredictable. Readers, please pay attention to your health and avoid catching a cold. Here's a special contribution of traditional Chinese medicine recipes for treating colds through diet therapy for readers' reference.

  Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Differentiation - Cold Food Therapy Formula

  1. Wind-cold flu

  Wind-cold type of common cold, symptoms include aversion to cold, fever, no sweating, headache, limb soreness, nasal congestion, clear runny nose, sneezing, throat pain and cough, hoarse voice, thin white phlegm, not thirsty, clear and long urination, thin white tongue coating, floating tight pulse. Treatment should use warm pungent herbs to dispel the exterior. The following medicinal formulas can be selected:

  Nettle leaf, Perilla leaf, tea leaves, and fresh ginger, each 6-10g, and red sugar 20g. The first four ingredients are added to 500ml of water and decocted over high heat for about 5 minutes to obtain the liquid; the residue is then re-decocted with an appropriate amount of clear water once more to obtain the liquid, and the two liquids are combined and filtered through gauze to obtain a total of approximately 500ml of liquid. The red sugar is dissolved in a small amount of hot water and added to the liquid, which is then divided into three portions and taken warm, one dose per day.

  (2) Nettle, light soybean and licorice root each 10g, peppermint 5g, rice 100g. The first three flavors are added with appropriate amount of water, boiled for about 5 minutes, and the residue is removed to take the juice. Rice porridge is cooked until it is almost ripe, then add the medicinal juice and cook into a thin porridge, divided into two times hot food. 1 dose per day, can be used continuously for 2-3 days.

  2. Wind-heat cold

  (1) 12g of Cyperus rotundus, 9g each of Magnolia biondii and Angelica dahurica, 4.5g of Mentha haplocalyx, 3 pieces of Allium fistulosum, and 2g of tea leaves. Grind into a fine powder, mix evenly, and divide into 3 packets. Take one packet at a time, 3 times a day, with boiling water. One dose per day, can be taken for 3 days consecutively. Effective in treating wind-heat type common cold accompanied by headache.

  Mulberry leaf, chrysanthemum 5g each, bitter bamboo leaf 30g, peppermint 3g, or add white grass root 30g (constituent of Guangdong herbal tea). Rinse all ingredients, put them in a teapot, soak with boiling water for 10 minutes, drink frequently as tea. 1 dose per day.

  Summer flu

  Perilla leaves 5g, patchouli, white angelica, white atractylodes, medicated leaven each 15g, dried tangerine peel, pinellia, magnolia bark each 10g, fresh ginger 5g, jujube 2 pieces. Decocted in water and taken orally, once daily for 2-3 days.

  White flat bean, Perilla (added later), Eupatorium (added later), Platycodon each 15g, Magnolia officinalis 10g. Decocted in water and taken orally, once a day for 3-5 days.

  4. Preventing Cold Dietary Therapy

  Scallion and Garlic Soup: 500g scallion whites, washed clean, 250g garlic, peeled and chopped, added to 2000ml clear water for decoction. Take orally three times a day, each time 50-100ml. Used for preventing epidemic influenza.

  Scallion and Radish Soup: Take 3 scallions and 15g of radish daily, decoct in water and drink. Consume for 3 consecutive days to treat epidemic influenza.