In 695 A.D., He Zhizhang was thirty-six years old, entered his prime, hurried to the capital to take the examination, won the honor of high school champion, was awarded the post of four doctors, and since then he has entered the career and become the tutor of the second generation of officials and the rich second generation of officials in that era.
History does not record He Zhizhang's examination experience in detail, which is in stark contrast to Fan Jin's frequent failures, but it is certain that his success in taking the exam this time was not accidental. The rise of the imperial examination system marked the emperor's attempt to break the monopoly of the family on officialdom. However, as the saying goes, "When God closes a door, He will open a window for you."
Datang's imperial examination system is the window that is open to the family, although the names of the candidates are still retained on the ranking list, leaving room for the marking teachers to understand the candidates' life experiences. As we all know, Su Shi once participated in the imperial examination, and it was Ouyang Xiu who read the papers. After seeing a wonderful article, Ouyang Xiu wanted to rate it first, but because he was worried that only his student Zeng Gong could write this article, he set it as second in order to avoid suspicion. If Su Shi participated in the imperial examination of the Tang Dynasty, such a misunderstanding would not have happened, because the imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty was more fair, and the family would not take advantage of it.
And He Zhizhang is a member of the Tang Dynasty, the Shanyin He clan originated from Nanchen, and since the Sui Dynasty, it has a deep relationship with the Li Tang group of Guanlong nobles. When He Zhizhang went to take the exam, his uncle Lu Yuanfang was the prime minister at the time, and the family network of generations of marriages made the He family occupy an important position in the political arena. When Lu Yuanfang was prime minister, most of the people he recommended were pro-party, but he was also known for his selflessness. Lu Yuanfang once said: "The ministers know, and they don't have time to ask the party."
His son Lu Xiangxian also received his support when he was promoted, showing the family's protection. Therefore, when He Zhizhang went to the exam, his name appeared on the test paper, giving a direct clue to the marking **, making his merits easier to evaluate. He Zhizhang has been promoted by several prime ministers during his political career, including Lu Yuanfang, Lu Xiangxian and Zhang Shuo. He participated in the compilation and revision of books such as "Six Classics" and "Wen Compilation", and made contributions to the enshrinement of Taishan by Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang said that he recommended him to participate in the work of sealing Zen, which achieved He Zhizhang's ** career.
However, as expressed in his poems, in addition to the brilliance of He Zhizhang's career, he also has a drunken dreaming side. Together with Zhang Ruoxu, Zhang Xu, and Bao Rong, he was known as the "Four Scholars of Wuzhong", and together with Li Bai and Li Shizhi, he was known as the "Eight Immortals in Drinking", and other literati such as Chen Ziang, Lu Zangyong, Song Zhiwen, Wang Shi, Bi Gou, Meng Haoran, Wang Wei, and Sima Chengzhen were known as the "Ten Friends of the Immortal Sect". Most of these friendships originated between wine and banquets, and they exchanged poems and wines, leaving behind many masterpieces that have been passed down through the ages.
He Zhizhang died at the age of 86, ten years before the Anshi Rebellion. Despite drinking too much, he was always protected by his friends while he was alive. His life was not only a brilliant career, but also a poem left in the wine, leaving a rich literary legacy for future generations. Perhaps, his life experience and literary creation are as He Zhizhang himself said, a big dream, but this dream shines in the long river of history and becomes a bright pearl of Tang Dynasty literature.