1. What is the meaning of "three yuan and the third grade"?
The so-called "three yuan and the third grade" means that the same candidate gets the first place in the provincial examination, which is called Jie Yuan; he also gets the first place in the general examination. The first one is called Huiyuan; and the one who gets the first place in the palace examination is called the palace Yuan, that is, the number one scholar. This is called Sanyuan Jidi. In the examination room, there are so many good players and the competition is fierce. It is not easy to be on the list, but to win three yuan in a row is even more rare and difficult. Only 17 people have received this honor in history. That is:
(Tang Dynasty) Cui Yuanhan (729-795 AD) Zhang Youxin (birth and death unknown)
(Song Dynasty) Sun He (961-1004 AD)
Wang Zeng (978-1038 AD)
Song Xiang (996-1069 AD)
Yang Zhi (1014-1042 AD)
Feng Jing (1021-1094 AD)
Wang Yansou (Ming Dynasty in 1061 AD)
(Jin) Meng Zongxian (birth and death unknown)
(Yuan) Wang Zongzhe (birth and death unknown)
(Ming) Shang Ren (1414-1486 AD) Huang Xian (birth and death unknown)
(Qing) Qian Qi ( Suzhou, Jiangsu, birth and death unknown)
Dai Quheng (1755-1811 AD)
A Jichang (Lingui, Guangxi, birth and death unknown)
In addition, There have also been two "Wu Sanyuan" in history.
The first one is that during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Mingshi, a native of Yongjia, Zhejiang Province, was awarded three yuan in martial arts in Lienzhong, and was awarded the imperial title of guarding thousands of households. He was well versed in classics and history, and was good at poetry and calligraphy. People at the time called his martial arts, poetry, and calligraphy the "Three Wonders." What is particularly commendable is that he has a strong character, does not flatter the powerful, and is quite a straightforward gentleman.
The second is Wang Yubi, also from Zhejiang during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, who won three yuan in the martial arts department. This person took part in the Wu Xiucai examination in the late Ming Dynasty and ranked first in archery. He was known as the "Master Archer", so people praised him as "Wu Siyuan". Although he was born as a warrior, he never let go of the scrolls, his writing was excellent, and he was known as a versatile scholar in both civil and military affairs. 2. Wu Sanyuan who succeeded Sanyuan
In addition, there have been four "Wu Sanyuan" in history.
The first one is Yin Feng during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. He was awarded three yuan in the military department of Lienzhong and was worshiped as a general. He assisted Yu Dayou in the anti-Japanese wars along the coasts of Fujian and Zhejiang and made many military exploits. Today, it is preserved in Nanjing’s “Sanyuan Lane” as a commemoration.
The second is that during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, a famous king from Yongjia, Zhejiang Province, was awarded three yuan in martial arts, and was awarded the imperial title of guarding thousands of households. He was well versed in classics and history, and was good at poetry and calligraphy. People at the time called his martial arts, poetry, and calligraphy the "Three Wonders." What is particularly commendable is that he has a strong character, does not flatter the powerful, and is quite a straightforward gentleman.
The third one is Wang Yubi, also from Zhejiang during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, who won three yuan in the martial arts department. This person took part in the Wu Xiucai examination in the late Ming Dynasty and ranked first in archery. He was known as the "Master Archer", so people praised him as "Wu Siyuan". Although he was born as a warrior, he never let go of the scrolls, his writing was excellent, and he was known as a versatile scholar in both civil and military affairs.
The fourth one is Gu Lin during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. He once won the Qianlong Renshen List and Shuntian Township Examination to understand the Yuan Dynasty. Later, Lianjie became the Jiaxu Kehui Yuan. In September of the 19th year of Qianlong's reign, Gu Lin ranked first among the hundreds of tributes in the world, became the number one scholar in martial arts, and was awarded the title of first-class bodyguard.