I was the Queen of Persia

Page 50

"Ha ha ha ha."

Shahzani laughed heartily: "Our country has Rudaki's 'Collection of Poems', Mansur Barish's 'Shahnamehs', Narsah's 'History of Bukhara', and the Quran and Avesta. Perhaps it is not as extensive and profound as the Qin Dynasty, but it is still very valuable and sufficient for future generations to refer to."

After she finished speaking, she recited a lyrical poem by Rudaki in Persian, along with a Chinese translation.

The Confucian scholars praised it highly. Based on their personal experience, Persia-Huihui was also a land of poetry, books, and etiquette. Although it was quite different from the Central Plains of China, it shared a common spirit of valuing reading and knowledge.

Liu Wenyuan was completely convinced of her authority. He bowed respectfully once again and offered to do his utmost to assist Her Majesty the Queen.

Shahzani ordered the Confucian scholars to return to the palace and draft a proposal. The scholars completed the task successfully in just two days and presented the draft to the Queen when they were summoned.

After receiving the plan, Shahzani first added to and polished it himself, and then summoned central civil officials such as Farzana, as well as other Iranian civil officials, to deliberate and refine it.

Through brainstorming, the plan was gradually improved and finally became feasible.

Shahzani finally approved this version of the Persian civil service examination system and ordered the first trial examination to be held in the month of Ordibehsht.

The first experimental exam only included subjects in literature and history and official document writing, with questions selected from Rudaki's "Poems" and Barish's version of "Shahnameh".

Chapter 110 Exam Fever

Bukhara City, Nou-Bahar (New Year) Mahara Community.

Early in the morning, many people gathered in the prayer square in front of the community mosque. The preaching platform for the priests had already been set up under the mosque's Iwanthong, and large prayer rugs were spread across the open space. Everyone waited there for the weekly Khutub ceremony; as time passed, more and more people gathered, and the square gradually became a sea of ​​people.

The ceremony officially began in the afternoon, by which time Shahzani had already ascended the throne. The Khutukharin (Khutukharin) naturally recited her name, accompanied by words of high praise. The melodious Persian chants echoed throughout Bukhara.

At the end of the congregational prayer, a large number of government officials and constables suddenly emerged from the mosque and lined up in the square. The head constable took out a scroll of notices that was tucked into his belt and posted it on the wall of the mosque.

Unable to contain their curiosity, the crowd gathered around to watch.

"Quiet down! Quiet down! Don't crowd! Listen to me!"

The constables and priests maintained order, while an official in his robes stood on a high place and shouted to the crowd.

"This notice outlines the new regulations for selecting officials. By order of His Majesty the Great Shah, starting this year, an examination system will be implemented to select noble and capable officials and clerks!"

"From now on, there will be more channels for promotion and advancement, no longer just recommendations from superiors, chance discoveries, and meritorious service on the battlefield. His Majesty the Great Shah has decided to organize examinations for selecting officials in each province, to be held from the month of Ordibehsht to the month of Khordad each year, and to select and appoint officials based on their performance."

The official explained to the people.

The vast Persian Muslim community, upon hearing this wonderful news, couldn't help but cheer and exclaim in praise.

"So, Your Excellency Mirza (a respectful title), how should we take the exam?" a young man with a white turban asked the official.

“Well, that’s what I’m going to talk about next…” the official continued to explain.

According to the decree issued by Shahzani, this system of selecting officials was divided into four levels: school examinations, county examinations, provincial examinations, and central court examinations.

The first step was the school examination. Students in the "Dabilistan" literacy schools in various places had to take a graduation exam every year in the month of Khordad. The exam was supervised by the local government. Those who passed were registered and archived, and qualified to participate in the next level of exam.

Of course, if you have knowledge but have never attended school, you can also register for the exam, and those who pass will still be qualified.

The second step was the county-level examination, organized and administered by the county government, which selected qualified local graduates as candidates. Those who passed the examination could work in basic cultural professions such as copyists or scribes in the local area, or they could stay and teach in local schools.

The third step is the provincial examination. Those who pass the county-level examination can participate in the provincial examination organized by the local provincial government. If they pass and are hired, they can assume various official positions under the arrangement of the provincial governor.

The fourth step is the central court examination. Those who pass the provincial examination can participate in the examination administered by the central Diwan institution. Those who pass can serve as high-ranking officials in various provinces, and those who excel and pass the policy questions can be directly recruited into the central Diwan team.

In short, the goal is to improve the rigidity and drawbacks of the recommendation system and promote more people from humble backgrounds who possess genuine talent and ability to enter the government.

Shahzani also issued a special instruction that those who achieve outstanding results in examinations at all levels will receive a generous reward in addition to a refund of the fees paid for their examination registration.

At this point, even more praise erupted from the crowd.

The official scanned the crowd and continued, “Regardless of your background, whether you are a devout Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, or any other religious person, as long as you are knowledgeable and can write well-structured administrative documents in our beautiful Persian, you can hope to step onto a bright path paved with flowers.”

“Praise be to the great Shah! This is a just and broad road, and magnificent gates are opening to you…”

The crowd shouted again, praising Queen Shah and Allah in unison.

Shahzani's decree had a significant impact on the counties and districts of Transoxiana.

During the Samanid dynasty, Persian culture flourished thanks to the immense influence of the "Shubi movement." A large number of Iranian scholars actively studied traditional Persian culture and insisted on composing poetry in Persian, creating a strong atmosphere of learning and scholarship among the people.

Yes, because the traditional recommendation system for selecting officials was inefficient, many literate Persians were unable to pursue official careers and realize their ambitions. Many of them could only make a living, and even that was not always smooth sailing.

Let's take literary creation as an example.

The luckiest and most talented poets could secure a position as "court poets" in the court and government, singing praises to the monarch and receiving a reward, such as the most outstanding poets like Rudaki and Farossi.

Many more writers, however, could only create their works in bazaars and street corners, earning a living through donations from listeners and readers. Others might work as reciters, scribes, or as copyists and proofreaders in book workshops.

Moreover, in an era when paper costs were relatively high, literary creation was also a considerable expense. Ferdowsi, who came from a wealthy family in Dehgan, was still well-off when he was writing the Book of Kings and even received tax exemption from the Samanid government. However, by the time the Book of Kings was completed, his family had become so poor that they could not afford to eat.

Shahzani's decrees provided a relatively fairer path for advancement for these talented but unappreciated individuals.

As a result, scholars and students from Bukhara, Samarkand, Nakhshab, Shihanna, and Koti enthusiastically registered to take the exam. The number of applicants approved by the government ultimately exceeded expectations, necessitating the temporary expansion of the examination halls.

A large number of high achievers passed the exams and were either recruited into the ranks of officials to strengthen the governance of governments at all levels, or were assigned to the reserve force to fill in at any time.

In the Bukhara Palace.

"Your Majesty, all the relevant information about this year's examinations is here." Falzana and Diwan's officials presented a large stack of documents, which were neatly arranged and categorized.

Shahzani opened and read several articles in turn.

"Yes, the process and the results are going even more smoothly than expected." Looking at the reports submitted from various places, she smiled with satisfaction.

This year's pilot program was very successful, but it is still in its initial stages and many details still need to be improved.

Going forward, she plans to add some subjects to select relevant talents, and at the same time transplant successful experience templates to the military and religious fields, selecting officers and clergy through examinations.

Chapter 111 Ferdowsi in Tus

After Nowruz, for a considerable period of time, the Karakhanid Dynasty turned its attention to the East, while the Ghaznavid Dynasty focused its interest on Hindustan. As a result, the Samanid Dynasty maintained relative peace in its surrounding areas, which provided an opportunity for it to recuperate and build up its strength.

Shahzani's examination system was very successful, attracting a large number of talented people into the ranks of officials and greatly improving the administrative efficiency of governments at all levels.

For her personally, this was also her experience.

At least, the piles of memorials and documents received daily were reviewed and organized by officials of the Diwan agency, with only the most important matters being reviewed by her personally.

That day, after finishing her official business, Shahzani decided to take a tour of the library in Bukhara.

Indeed, during the height of the Samanid dynasty, a magnificent royal library was built in the Forbidden City of Bukhara, housing countless books in various languages, including Persian, Arabic, Pahlavi, Khwarazmian, Avestan, Sogdian, history, medicine, philosophy, religion, astronomy, geography, and more, all neatly categorized and abundant.

After curing the illness of Samanid monarch Nuh II, the medical genius Ibn Sina gained free access to the Library of Bukhara, where the vast collection of books broadened the horizons of the young and promising scholar.

Unfortunately, when Bukhara was captured by the Karakhanid army a few years ago, the library was inevitably affected, resulting in the loss and dispersal of many precious books.

After the liberation of Bukhara, and especially after the establishment of the new Samanid dynasty, Shahzani ordered the restoration of the library and the reorganization of the scattered books.

This work was spearheaded by the Diwan headquarters in Farzana, with the specific participants being professional scholars such as Birouni and Ibn Sina.

"Greetings to His Majesty the Glorious Shah."

When Shahzani arrived at the library, the scholars who were working there all bowed and paid their respects.

The Queen gestured for everyone to continue with their own work, then went alone to the leading scholars, including Biruni and Ibn Sina, to inquire about the progress of the book compilation.

"The Persian books have now been categorized, but many Pahlavi books have been lost. As you know, Pahlavi is an ancient language used by our people during the Sasanian era, and it was gradually declining, so the number of books that have survived is not large..."

Birouni explained each item in detail, and concluded by saying, "Please rest assured, as long as there are any remaining fragments or pages, we will do everything in our power to collect them."

“Yes,” Shahzani agreed. “These are the treasures of the nation and the people, just like our children.”

Within the arched niches with protruding corners, bookshelves were arranged in an orderly fashion, and revised books were neatly categorized, proving that the scholars' work was indeed outstanding. Shahzani also highly agreed with this.

But then she suddenly realized that although a library is a treasure trove of national memory, it would feel somewhat incomplete without a national treasure book that represents the spirit of the nation.

Thinking of this, her thoughts drifted to Khorasan Province (which was still under the rule of the Ghaznavid dynasty), and to that great writer who wrote tirelessly and was determined to pass on the essence of Iranian civilization.

……

Tus, Khorasan Province.

In a dilapidated, gray-yellow mud-brick house in the suburbs.

An elderly man with white hair, but still vigorous in spirit, was writing furiously on a large pile of Samarkand paper.

In a short while, a neat and beautiful couplet was formed, vividly depicting heroes, warriors, and ancient emperors.

However, when writing about the ancient Iranian hero Khosrul and his battle against the ancient Turan hero Avrazyab, the old man's inspiration seemed to be blocked, and he was unable to portray a satisfactory image despite writing many times.

The old man put down his pen and stared at the writing for a long time.

Suddenly, he picked up the sword and warhammer beside him and began to swing them around as if he were an ancient hero who traversed the battlefield, invincible.

However, whenever the battle became intense, he couldn't help but frown, hesitate for a long time, and finally give up the impulse in his heart.

"Ugh……"

The old man sighed, crumpled up the manuscripts covered in ink on the table, and threw them into the brazier.

He poured a glass of fermented fruit juice from the soup bottle beside him, took two big gulps, and looked up in deep thought.

"Mr. Feldorsey! Mr. Feldorsey!"

Just then, an urgent call came from outside the door.

Ferdowsi looked up and saw a young man standing outside, anxiously banging on the door.

Ferdowsi hurried out to greet him, asking with a puzzled look, "Ali Babakzad, diligent blacksmith, my dear neighbor, what can I do for you?"

Babakzadeh was in high spirits:

"Have you heard? The Samanid dynasty has been restored! The current queen is named Shahzani."

"Aren't you currently writing that work recounting the heroic deeds of ancient emperors? I'm sure that once you finish it, you'll present it to Queen Shahzani and receive a generous reward!"

Ferdowsi couldn't help but smile wryly: "You mean the Book of Kings that I'm currently writing? Alas! It's proving to be very difficult!"

He put down his wine glass, looked up at the sky, and sighed deeply.

"The Samanid kings destroyed themselves in their power struggles, allowing the Turkic slaves to usurp the throne. Now, I no longer hold any hope of the long-term restoration of the Samanid kingdom for anyone who claims to be a member of the Samanid nobility!"

"As for me. Look at me, I spent all my family's wealth to write this book. As a result, lazy people keep coming to ask for it. They copy my words but don't give me any reward for my hard work."

"Now that I am old and frail, it is questionable whether I can finish this book in my lifetime. As for the rewards from kings and generals, I dare not ask for them."

Say it.

He then spontaneously recited a few lines:

"Time flies, and I am now over sixty years old,"

"Don't give me any more wine, time has made me drunk and muddled."

"Father Time snatched away the reins and gave me a walking stick,"

"With all his wealth gone, life became dull and bleak."

Seeing this, Babakzad quickly dissuaded her, saying, "Don't think like that! Haven't you praised many heroines in your books, like Guldaffarid and Nadia? Her Majesty the Queen is such a heroine, and she is worthy of your efforts."

Ferdowsi's aged face twitched slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Babakzadeh continued:

"To be honest, I have a distant relative named Halage, who used to be a minor official in Kermin. Recently, Queen Shahzani ordered examinations to be held throughout the country, requiring officials to be selected based on their true abilities. He mustered up his courage to take the exam and was eventually hired by the government of Bukhara and promoted!"

"This shows that Queen Shahzani is a just monarch who will make good use of all talented people. So, Mr. Ferdowsi, please continue writing! Perhaps one day your talent will be generously appreciated."

With Babakzadeh's sincere and enthusiastic encouragement, Ferdowsi's weathered and dim eyes finally rekindled the flame of hope.

“You’re right, young friend. I shouldn’t give up halfway.” Ferdowsi clenched his fist resolutely. “Even if I don’t receive any reward in the end, I will make my work famous for generations to come!”

"If Iranians can recite this book for generations and remember the glory of their ancestors, I will die without regret!"

After saying this, the old man's thoughts flowed like a spring, and he continued to work on his manuscript.

……

After visiting the library, Shahzani walked along the Forbidden City's main avenue, neatly paved with fired bricks, preparing to return to the palace.

Chapter 112 Arrival in Dunhuang

Maqin, a region in the Western Regions.

The howling sandstorm swept across the Gobi Desert, and the eastward-bound merchant caravan, to which Sahinnian belonged, was orderly traversing the mountainous border passes.

The landscape of the Western Regions desert is indeed different from that of Persia and Iran. Whether it is the majestic and continuous Tianshan Mountains, the Buddha statues and temples buried by wind and sand, the ancient and desolate beacon towers and border towns, or the Gobi Desert and ancient city-states and tribes that can be seen everywhere, they all give people a rugged and bold feeling.