Chapter Sixty-Two: The First Trial of the Martial Examination

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Pei Min could never have imagined that the frail old man standing before him was none other than Minister of War Guo Yuanzhen. Among the two veteran stalwarts of the Tang military, one was Xue Ne holding the northeast, and the other was Guo Yuanzhen commanding the northwest. In terms of military achievements, Xue Ne was more accomplished, but when it came to strategic brilliance, Guo Yuanzhen surpassed him by a notch.

Both had once been provincial governors, one guarding the northeast, the other managing the northwest, together defending the vast borders of the Tang empire and protecting millions of subjects.

“Pei Min pays respects to Minister Guo,” Pei Min bowed deeply. To such a hero with illustrious military merits, his respect was sincere.

Guo Yuanzhen waved his hand dismissively. “No need for formalities. Take a seat anywhere in the hall. I’ll change my clothes first. I want to see what kind of talent has earned Old Brother Xue’s recommendation…”

Pei Min grew increasingly uneasy and hurriedly said, “Minister, the martial examination is about to begin. There’s no time for idle talk.”

While putting on his clothes, Guo Yuanzhen turned and asked curiously, “The martial exam is under Dou Chen’s charge. What does it have to do with you or me?”

Pei Min was somewhat at a loss, forcing a bitter smile. “My grandfather secured me a spot in this martial exam a while back. I came here to take the exam, not to report to the Ministry of War.” With his sharp wits, he instantly understood the misunderstanding. Having passed the Ministry of Personnel’s reexamination, he was already qualified for official duty. The remaining step was merely procedural registration. There was no time constraint on that, so Pei Min planned to take the martial exam first, then report to the Ministry to formally enter service.

The Ministry guards mistook him for someone coming to report and therefore brought him before Guo Yuanzhen, causing a major mix-up.

Guo Yuanzhen now understood and chuckled wryly. “Since you topped the imperial examination with literary honors, why bother with this extra step?” Neither the court nor he, the Minister of War, had taken the martial exam seriously.

Pei Min quickly replied, “It’s just to make my resume more impressive. I’m aiming for the special honors in the martial exam. To be a dual champion in both civil and military exams sounds quite splendid.”

“That shows some confidence!” Guo Yuanzhen was not offended by Pei Min’s words but nodded approvingly.

Pei Min continued, “Also, I believe even if the martial exam isn’t as important as the civil exam, it is still a way to recruit talent for the nation regardless of order. The martial exam is relatively new and its system is not yet perfected, which is why it’s currently neglected. It’s like the civil exam during the Southern and Northern Dynasties—it was initially ignored. Even when the Sui dynasty formally established the civil exam system, it wasn’t taken seriously until our Tang dynasty, after many reforms, brought it to its current prominence. The martial exam’s awkward status is natural in my view. With bold reforms and improvements, it will also cultivate useful talents for the great Tang and rise to the same glory as the civil exam today.”

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Guo Yuanzhen’s eyes brightened. He pondered, “You make some valid points, but the martial exam mostly attracts reckless fighters. What use are they to the country?” Guo was famed for his strategic mind rather than martial prowess, hence his skepticism.

Pei Min smiled. “If you see it that way, Minister, why not petition the Emperor to prioritize strategy in the martial exam? For example, include a question on military strategy first. Only those who pass the military theory test can proceed to the martial trial. This way, all martial candidates will have strategic knowledge. Even if they aren’t immediately useful, they won’t start from zero, making their training much easier.”

Guo Yuanzhen looked deeply at Pei Min. “Old Brother Xue certainly did not misjudge you… This is indeed my fault. The martial exam falls under the Ministry of War, yet I, as Minister, have neglected it. That’s inexcusable. I’ll have someone take you to the martial trial. I’ll change my clothes and then personally visit the training ground to see if there are any worthy heroes of the Tang to promote.” Saying this, he summoned a guard to escort Pei Min to the martial exam.

Pei Min smiled slyly. Although the martial exam was neglected, it was far from useless. The renowned Guo Ziyi himself came from the martial exam. Without the martial exam providing Guo Ziyi the chance to ascend, how could he have achieved his unparalleled feats that restored the Tang dynasty?

If the martial exam were better managed, perhaps more talents like Guo Ziyi could emerge. While such figures are rare, producing generals like Le Jin or Li Dian would still be beneficial.

Following the guard, Pei Min arrived at the martial exam venue.

Dou Chen checked the time. Though it was not yet the appointed hour, Pei Min was the only candidate yet to arrive on the roster. He smiled and said, “The time has come. Those not present will be considered…” His words were cut short as Pei Min hurried in with a soldier. Dou Chen had seen him a few times at the Qujiang banquet and thus recognized him. After a moment’s thought, he signaled his attendants to wait a little longer.

It was fortunate that only Pei Min was late. The soldier with him was unknown by name but was clearly a trusted aide of Guo Yuanzhen. Guo wielded absolute authority at the Ministry of War. To offend him was to invite ruin; not even the mighty Princess Taiping could shield one from his wrath. The princess, through her whims, could demote a prime minister to a minor official or exile him to Lingnan, but she had no power over a war hero like Guo Yuanzhen. Unlike the hollow merits of civil officials, military achievements were earned with blade and blood and could not be erased or silenced by court gossip.

Dou Chen was no fool and dared not be insolent.

“Remove your outer garments!”

Dou Chen ordered Pei Min after receiving the documents from his assistant.

Pei Min did not hesitate and complied immediately.

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This was the first stage of the martial exam: appearance.

It sounded absurd, but it was true. The first test was to see if the candidate’s physique was “robust” and bore the bearing of a commander. Without the right stature, one was disqualified outright.

Pei Min inwardly despised this. One should not judge a person by appearance. If people did, then Guo Yuanzhen himself would be disqualified first. He was already planning that once he joined the Ministry of War, he would abolish this ridiculous rule. The martial exam was not a beauty contest; why require good looks?

Pei Min stood at attention, chest out, head held high.

Though not bulky, even a bit lean, he was tall and, with the chest and abdominal muscles he had recently developed, still carried an imposing presence. Coupled with his heroic countenance, he was sure to pass this stage.

Dou Chen glanced left and right but found no flaws. He marked Pei Min’s score as “B” on the roster.

Pei Min smiled and entered the training ground, where over a hundred candidates were already lined up in formation.

Compared to the more than two thousand candidates in the civil exam, the martial exam had very few participants.

Pei Min found a spot and stood ready, awaiting the official start of the martial trial.