Gao Pragmatic didn't know that after Guo Pu read this question, he thought that Xinke Jinshi couldn't answer it at all, and he didn't know that Zhang Siwei called this question "Prime Minister Question", after he read the question, his first reaction was: The emperor is very confused now.

Although this question is very long and expresses many meanings, in the final analysis, it is nothing more than two words: confused.

The emperor studied for a long time and learned more and more, but found that the truth in the book did not correspond to the results of the actual operation. Moreover, there seemed to be conflicts and contradictions in what the sages said, which made him feel extremely confused, so he came up with such a question, hoping that the new science and technology scholars could explain it and solve the confusion in his heart.

The real problem of this question is all in the penultimate paragraph, before this paragraph, it is all the emperor's own comprehension and doubts when he was reading, and the last paragraph is a cliché, which means that if you have said it well, I will use it.

Only the penultimate paragraph is the question that the emperor wants the new scholars to answer.

What are the problems? In fact, it is quite practical, the emperor is saying, I have been on the throne for eight years, I have been conscientious and always reflective, for fear of doing something wrong, but obviously I often force the adjustment of discipline, but the rule of officials is still corrupt; Obviously, I often ask for heavy farming, but people's livelihood is still difficult; Obviously, I often tidy up the school, but the scholars are still lazy; It is clear that the border is quite peaceful, and the soldiers often make trouble; Obviously, I always emphasize the testimonies, and the thieves still swarm...... What's the problem?

Is it that I can't set an example for the world? Or do I not know what to do? Or can't I make a decisive decision?

However, I did not dare to emphasize the rule of law alone, lest benevolence and righteousness not prosper; and did not dare to focus on righteousness and righteousness, lest the law should not be strict; If I am based on benevolence and kindness, regardless of small things, I am afraid that I will hide dirt and dirt, so that I will not be happy; If we are strict in all affairs, I am afraid that it will be too strict, and the world will be disturbed, and the country will not be peaceful...... What the hell should I do?

All in all, the emperor was very confused and entangled, not knowing whether it was better to be benevolent, righteous and kind, or to be strict in the law.

To tell the truth, when Gao Pragmatic saw the test questions of this temple, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

This little emperor who has accompanied and guided him for ten years...... I'm really starting to grow up.

He began to seriously think about the strategy of governing the country, and began to seriously think about the quality of various ideas, and even the impact after implementation.

He has changed from the little prince who liked to play with himself because of soap bubbles back then, to today's Ming Supreme who has the world in mind.

Is this a good thing?

It should be, maybe he will become "difficult to deceive" like this, but such a monarch is better than the kind of "why not eat minced meat".

At least, he knew that the officials were corrupt, that the people were in trouble, that the style of study was not severe, that the soldiers were dissatisfied, and that the thieves were swarming...... He knows that there are many unstable factors in his country!

You have to know that the situation is not right before you have the heart to change, if you don't even "know", how can you talk about change? is like Chongzhen, he is conscientious and conscientious, but he doesn't even know what the problem is, can he still be expected to solve the problem?

At the very least, Wanli had taken his first step, and now he needed a guide who could guide him out of his confusion.

Gao pragmatic asked himself, I should not let this matter go!

Grinding ink, laying paper, lifting the pen, moving the wrist...... Gao pragmatic began to write his first answer sheet for officially entering the Ming officialdom.

"Today's great trouble lies in poverty: if the officials are poor, if the people are poor, if the people are poor, if they are poor, if they are poor, if they are poor, they will be weak."

"The ancient saying is poor, the first word is not thrifty, but I think that thrift is self-rich, and wealth is self-security, and the minister does not think so."

"The so-called poverty, for the small people, their production is not enough for self-sufficiency, and their trade (trade) is not enough for their own use.

"The so-called poverty, as far as the country is concerned, is not enough to pay for the years, and its expenses far exceed the annual income. Officials are low-minded and want to live, how can they not be greedy? Small people are low-yielding and want to live, how can they not steal? If the military salary is insufficient and you want to live, how can you not make trouble? The country wants to live after a poor harvest, how can it not be weak? ”

"Because of this, if you want the officials not to be greedy, you must first add to them; If you want the small people not to steal, you should first get rich; If you want to keep the soldiers from making trouble, you must first pay for them; If you want the country not to be weak, you must first enrich its treasury. ”

"Your Majesty may ask: This is all expensive, and the state is insufficient, why should it be done? If they are levied, the officials or the soldiers, the soldiers, the state or the treasury, and the people will be poor? ”

"The ministers heard that the taxes of the past dynasties were small, and there was no such thing as this dynasty. The former Song Nandu, a corner of the south of the Yangtze River, has an annual income of tens of millions; This dynasty has two capitals and thirteen provinces, dozens of tributary countries, and is far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties, but the annual income is not more than five million ears. China has been rich since ancient times, why is this dynasty alone? ”

……

Gao Pragmatic's policy is not at all entangled with Zhu Yijun about benevolence, righteousness and kindness, and what law is solemn, and his entire goal is only aimed at one point: financial use!

According to his point of view, it is the lack of financial resources that leads to the corruption of officials at every turn—if he is not greedy, he can only support himself, and can he be satisfied with studying hard for half his life?

It is the lack of financial use that causes the small people to fall into the grass at every turn - he doesn't fall into the grass, and he can't even support himself, so why not just be a thief, grab one of them, and live happily?

It is the lack of money that causes the soldiers to riot at every turn - he doesn't make a salary, how can he support himself and his wife and children, anyway, the law does not blame the public, make a little money at a time, isn't it stupid not to make trouble?

It is precisely the lack of financial resources that has led to the country's long-term weakness - lack of food, lack of cloth, lack of armor, lack of weapons, can it not be weak?

However, Gao pragmatic in the article despised the consistent way of thinking of the past dynasties, that is, the way of thinking about saving when there is a lack of money, and he believes that the root cause of today's lack of financial use is not at all in the extravagance of the imperial court - the imperial court is the most frugal in the past dynasties, the palace can be repaired and can be delayed again and again, and the emperor's meal is only a few dishes.

The root cause of the lack of use lies in the lack of taxation, the lack of taxation, and the root cause of the lack of scope of collection! How heavy was the commercial tax in the Southern Song Dynasty? How many times have you ever seen a merchant die in a "competition with the people"?

Gao Pragmatic's policy almost wrote out a sentence clearly: "There are many peasant rebels, and how many businessmen are there to rebel?" ”

The palace test time is not too long, of course, the emperor has not been standing outside the main hall stupidly waiting, he did not return to the middle pole hall until lunch, at this time there are already a group of tributes have already handed in the volume, outside the hall or close their eyes to recuperate, or look around.

When Zhu Yijun returned to the Zhongji Palace, he found that there was almost a quarrel in the Zhongji Palace.

"If it is according to what this article says, the officials of the world do not have to talk about education from now on, but they will also be taxed! Can this also be counted as a Jinshi article? ”

"The lack of national use is supplemented by small people who farm land, and it is nothing more than officials forcing the people to rebel, and rich businessmen and big men making up for it, who wants to rebel?"

"Ridiculous! Today's wealthy businessmen have long been the majority of gentry and celebrities, and the reason why our dynasty is 'far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties' is the result of the unity of the court and the scholars. ”

Zhu Yijun coughed, and all the ministers looked at him together, and when they saw that it was the emperor who arrived, they hurriedly asked for guilt.

"Whose article caused such a big controversy, take it to me." Zhu Yijun sat back on the throne, and Chen Ju beside him took the article, but His Majesty Dan's ministers were just divided into two or three factions, staring at each other, you stared at me, and I stared at you, but they didn't speak.

Zhu Yijun took the article expressionlessly, only glanced at it, and his heart moved, and then read it word by word, pondered for a moment, and instructed Chen Judao: "Study Zhu Mo." ”

Chen Ju didn't say a word, and immediately prepared the dansha ink for Zhu Pi.

Zhu Yijun glanced at His Majesty Dan's important ministers, and said lightly: "This is the champion scroll." ”

Then he ignored the uproar in the audience, and directly picked up his pen and wrote six vermilion characters on the top of the volume.