The imperial examination system selected government officials through examinations from the Sui and Tang dynasties until the Qing. It began with the establishment of the jinshi examination during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui and was abolished in 1905, during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor. It lasted for more than 1,300 years in Chinese history. Over the centuries, many scholars took part in examinations at various levels, including the provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations. The candidate who placed first in the palace examination was called the zhuangyuan. In the palace examination, the court posed questions on the classics or government affairs, presenting written questions and requesting answers to assess candidates' academic knowledge and understanding of state affairs. This book selects essays by zhuangyuan from various dynasties and compiles them into a collection. Traditional characters have been converted to simplified characters, variant forms replaced with commonly used simplified forms, and punctuation standardized according to modern conventions, making these palace examination essays easier to read and learn from.
