When the scholars came to Taiyuan to participate in the imperial examination, the first thing they did was to go to the Gongyuan located on West Street in exchange for the examination.

The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was not just anyone who could enter Beijing to take the examination, the premise was that it had to be recommended by the state capital, called Xianggong, and then the apprentices of the Guozijian, and the conditions were very strict, resulting in very few places.

Generally speaking, there are only two or three thousand people who enter Beijing to participate in the imperial examination every year, plus the apprentices of the Guozi Prison, at most about 4,000 people, basically all of them are the children of major families and high-ranking officials, and the examination papers are not vague.

But this time the Taiyuan imperial examination completely subverted the tradition, abolishing the state capital and township tribute, as long as you are a scholar, you are eligible to come to Taiyuan to participate in the imperial examination, there is no restriction, and you can also have free room and board, a total of 200 people are admitted.

This is the real meritocracy, arouse the enterprising heart of the people from all over the world, after the Shangyuan Festival, the people from all over the world will continue to come to Taiyuan, there are tens of thousands of people.

For Guo Song, this is an excellent publicity opportunity for the people of the world to understand and support him.

There are two big tents at the gate of the Gongyuan, one of which is responsible for exchanging for the examination, and then go to the other big tent to get the board and lodging card after getting the test, and enjoy two months of free food and lodging with the board and lodging card.

But the place of food and lodging is not in the city, but the use of the old military camp outside the west city, the old military camp covers an area of about 200 hectares, it is not a tent, but countless rows of green brick houses, which can accommodate 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers.

It was drizzling, Guo Song, accompanied by several officials, came to inspect the Shizi camp, he held an oil-paper umbrella, pushed open the door of a dormitory, which was originally a soldier's dormitory, one dormitory had four beds, three soldiers lived, and on the other empty bed there were three old wooden boxes, each soldier had a box, to put their personal belongings.

Yan Shuo, the priest of the Shibu, introduced Guo Song: "Judging from the information we have so far, almost forty percent of the scholars live in inns in the city and solve the accommodation by themselves, and there are about 20,000 scholars who need us to solve the accommodation and accommodation, so it is initially decided that the two of them will live in a dormitory." ”

Guo Song nodded and asked: "As far as I know, generally scholars will bring a scholar to participate in the imperial examination and help him pick a bookbox, have you considered where the scholar lives?" How to solve the problem of eating? ”

Yan Shuo was stunned for a moment and shook his head, "This question is really not considered by the lower officials. ”

Next to Meng Jiao said: "Your Highness doesn't know, Yan Shilang is a native of Chang'an, he participated in the imperial examination in the local area, so I didn't encounter this problem, I have participated in the imperial examination several times, I have a deep understanding of this problem, I can bring scholars to participate in the imperial examination, most of the families are relatively well-off, they live in an upper room by themselves, and then a few people agree on a lower room, so that the scholars can live together, and the meals are relatively poor."

And the candidates who apply for the Shizi camp are not very well-off, and there will be no scholars to follow, at most hire a porter to help them pick the bookbox to the capital, and then it doesn't matter, the porter will go back, so there are basically no scholars in the Shizi camp, since a few have brought scholars, in fact, it is easy to solve. ”

"Tell me about your solution." Guo Song said with a smile.

"Your Highness Qiqi, we can set up two rows of barracks for scholars to live in, or build a big tent on the martial arts field, twenty people in one tent, so that scholars can live together, I don't think there will be many scholars, and it is not a burden to provide them with food, so as to solve the worries of scholars."

Guo Song nodded happily, and asked Yan Shuo again, "Which plan does Yan Shilang think is better, barracks or tents?" ”

Yan Shuo pondered for a moment and said: "If there is still a surplus in the barracks, and there are not too many scholars, then live in the barracks, and the lower officials are inclined to this plan." ”

Guo Song continued: "You can discuss this matter yourself, I won't interfere, and I will ask if the diet and system have been decided?" ”

"The diet refers to the soldiers' usual food, and one meal of meat can be provided every three days, and the usual can only be vegetarian, but it can be full, and the soldiers are allowed to go out, and the time for closing the camp gate and opening the camp gate is the same as the city gate, and visitors are not allowed to stay overnight in the soldier camp, and the visitors must pay for their own meals, and the meal time is fixed, and they will not wait for the obsolete time, and they will not be compensated."

"Are there any difficulties now?" Guo Song asked again.

Yan Shuo sighed, "There are a lot of difficulties, all our plans are basically on paper, except for the implementation of the barracks, other money and food, personnel, room items, cooks, etc., none of them have been implemented, I feel that everyone does not attach much importance to this imperial examination, and I always feel that this is a matter of the Ministry of Scholars, and it has nothing to do with them." ”

Guo Song's face immediately became gloomy.

.........

In the Tiance Mansion of Jinyang Palace, Changshi Pan Liao, Sima Zhang Qianyi, Su Zhengtai Ling Cao Wannian, Deputy Envoy Xue Changshou, Shibu Shilang Yan Shuo, Hubu Shilang Li Yangui, Gongju Commander Meng Jiao, Taicang Commander Jiang Shaoyou, Taiyuan Mansion Yin Wangzhen, Shaoyin Xue Fan, Jinyang County Commander Shen Changjian and other officials gathered in the middle hall of Tiance Mansion for urgent deliberations.

"I urgently convened you today to talk to you about the imperial examination."

Guo Song's gaze swept over everyone sternly, and finally fell on Jiang Shaoyou, the commander of the Taicang Department, and he asked dissatisfiedly: "Jiang Yuanling, why did you refuse the request of the Ministry of Scholars to transfer grain?" ”

Jiang Shaoyou was a tax collector in Zhangye County that year, he could speak fluent Sogdian, he had a pragmatic style, followed Guo Song's resolute attitude, and was promoted step by step, and finally with the background of a low-level small tax officer, he achieved the order of the five products, and achieved a rare leap in life, while his other tax collector companion Li Nian lost the opportunity because he was too caring for his family, and finally did not seize the opportunity and was lost to ordinary people.

Jiang Shaoyou got up and said unhurriedly: "The humble post did not deliberately make things difficult for the Ministry of Soldiers, the humble position is just in accordance with the regulations, the order of the Ministry of Ministers was signed by His Royal Highness, according to the rules of the Warehouse Department formulated the year before last, the order signed by His Royal Highness is limited to military purposes, and the imperial examination is not a military operation, the humble position to the Ministry of Ministers made it very clear, must cooperate with the order of the Prime Minister, and the humble position can only send money, food and materials, in addition, according to the special rules for the transfer of materials, if it is necessary to urgently transfer the money and food materials of the Warehouse Department, then you need to take out the token of Your Highness, The priests and divisions did not have it, so they refused to hold a lowly position. ”

Yan Shuo couldn't help but say: "It's because His Royal Highness the King of Jin was not in Taiyuan a few days ago, and he couldn't get the token, and the Prime Minister's Order must be signed by Changshi and Sima at the same time to take effect. ”

Jiang Shaoyou was silent for a moment and said: "There is no such thing as subordination in the rules. ”

Pan Liao hurriedly got up and said: "This matter is my responsibility, I asked Zuo Xingtai to sign the order, and specially marked: 'The matter is special, only this once', but it was still returned by Baihutang, the responsibility is mine, I should send someone to Qi County in time to find Zhang Sima to sign." ”

Pan Liao played a round, Guo Song was not easy to attack, he said slowly: "Today's convening of you is not to hold anyone responsible, it is enough to hold accountable a dismissal order, I mainly want to use this opportunity to tell you about the importance of this imperial examination."

As we all know, when the imperial court holds the imperial examination every year, the number of scholars who enter Beijing to participate in the imperial examination is as few as 1,000 or as many as a few thousand, and the main reason is that the number of places in each state is limited, and many states only have two or three places.

But this time, I abolished the local township tribute regulations, as long as they are scholars, they can come to Taiyuan to participate in the imperial examination, so the number will skyrocket, there will be fifty or sixty thousand people rushing to Taiyuan, or even more, and the pressure on the scholars is very great.

But why do I do it? What is our true purpose? In fact, I want to use the opportunity of the imperial examination to let people from all over the world come to Taiyuan to have a look, come to Hedong to have a look, and let them recognize Taiyuan from the heart, which is especially important for our legitimacy.

If one day the imperial court decides that Guo Song is a rebel and insists on breaking with us, the people of the world will not think that we are rebellious as they did with the Zhu Dynasty, and they will continue to serve and continue to speak for us among the people, which is called the right to speak, and winning the support of the scholars of the world will also win the right to speak. ”

The lobby is very quiet, even a needle can be heard, this is the first time Guo Song expressed his ambition in public, although everyone tacitly, but will not say it, but this time the preparation of the imperial examination dragged on and chaotic, so that Guo Song had to make a public statement, so that everyone sobered up.

"Is that to entertain the world's scholars well, treat them well with food and housing, and subsidize them a little bit of entanglement, which is called cage? Maybe it will have some effect, but I think it is far from enough, we must show openness and fairness in the imperial examination, whether the person who passes the examination is from a family in the world, or from a poor people, as long as he is really talented, then he can be admitted, and let the majority of readers see hope, this is the most important envelope, only to move, give them hope. ”

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