The dust has settled on the literary examination and it has entered March, and the martial arts examination has begun. However, compared with the literary examination, the martial arts are much simpler, and the military department is in charge, and the selection conditions are much more relaxed than before. Applicants can register as long as they have a certificate of no criminal record in their territory or county and no treason in their immediate family members, and they can register if they are at least 18 years old and under 23 years old, but they must undergo a physical examination before the examination to ensure that they are in good health, generally as long as they are not disabled or seriously ill, and their eyesight is good. The registration time is also closed three days before the start of the exam, so as to absorb those who fail the literary examination to participate in the exam.

The content of the examination is divided into two parts: the literary test and the martial arts test. First take the essay test, the test questions are very simple, including arithmetic and policy theory, generally as long as you answer half of the arithmetic questions correctly, write a 500-word strategy can enter the next exam. This makes many people think that this is not an exam, but only a test to see if the candidate is stupid and illiterate, so anyone who has read a few years can pass.

As for the martial arts test, it was much easier for the previous dynasty, that is, there was no content to test brute strength such as opening a strong bow, pulling a hard crossbow, dancing a sword, and lifting a stone lock, and there was no need to ride a horse, shoot an arrow, dance a knife and make a gun. As long as you complete the 100-step run, 3,000-step run, as well as simple events such as high jump, long jump and throwing within the set time, you will basically be on the list.

In addition to being simple, the treatment of martial arts is also good. During the school period, free winter and summer clothes, shoes and hats, free meals, and pocket money three times a month. And the people in Beijing have always been envious of the food of martial arts, not only the taste is good, but the standard is high, even the well-off people can't catch up. In addition, as long as you can successfully complete your studies, you can directly be awarded an official and receive a salary.

In addition, after joining the army, it is also different from the past to serve for life, until Zhishi. As long as the corresponding length of service is reached, not only can you retire from active service, but you can also transfer to civil service and obtain the corresponding grade treatment; If you don't want to pursue a career, you can also receive a large amount of compensation, or a piece of land that belongs to you. If we exclude the disadvantages of possible casualties during war, it can be said that there is no better way out.

The reason why Zhao Yu put the martial arts examination conditions so low is that in addition to considering that the current weapons are no longer cold weapons, and hot weapons are much more powerful while reducing their physical requirements; In addition, there is still prejudice against joining the army in society, especially in times of war, and most soldiers are even more scornful of being soldiers, so as long as they attract soldiers to join through good treatment and low thresholds; However, the army does need literate men to serve as officers, and they are much more knowledgeable and receptive than the soldiers selected in the army.

In addition, the imperial examination in the Song Dynasty was repeatedly unremarkable, and the cycle was very unstable, and it was not the "three-year examination" that we are familiar with. Sometimes, it takes a year, and sometimes, it takes ten years, until Song Yingzong ascends the throne, and the rules are set. Then the war became unstable again. This scientific expedition is the first time in more than ten years, and such an unstable cycle has led to a very serious social problem - Hangzhou drifting.

The current traffic situation is too backward, and the scholars often have to travel long distances to Beijing to take the exam, which not only wastes time, but also overwhelms the scholars with poor family conditions along the way, and some feel shameless to return to their hometowns after failing the list. As a result, for various reasons, the students were too lazy to go home, so they drifted in Lin'an waiting for the next exam without knowing the news, which greatly prospered the local housing rental market, but it was also an unstable social factor. Bringing them into the army is a way to kill two birds with one stone.

But don't just look at the low threshold, it's up to you to be 'tricked' in, you can't graduate without taking off a few layers of skin and being brainwashed. At present, don't just look at the military officials in charge of recruitment, smiling like flowers, answering all kinds of questions for you with a pleasant face, and tirelessly talking about the benefits of joining the army. But as long as you take a closer look, you can find the 'insidiousness' hidden behind the smile, and when you sign the name and fall into the pit, you will secretly 'gloat' behind your back one by one.

Therefore, in response to this situation, Zhao Yu formulated a martial arts enrollment policy with wide entry and strict exit. After the initial examination and examination, although the body is weaker, it is not unbearable. As long as you enter the martial arts school, you will be fed good food and vegetables for a while, plus half a year of initial training, it is estimated that everyone will change from bean sprouts to a good guy, and after two years of study, they are guaranteed to be trained into military people. Besides, he didn't treat them badly, he gave everything that should have been given, and there was nothing to complain about

By the beginning of April, the martial arts examination had also ended, but this year there was no martial arts champion. A total of 500 students were recruited in this martial arts school, although it did not reach the expected goal, but it also made Zhao Yu pleased, in terms of physical fitness, this session can be said to be the worst. In terms of cultural quality, it is the highest among the previous students. Some of them are likely to become the backbone of the army in ten years......

After being busy for a month, Zhao Yu was already a little tired, but he still found it difficult to be idle. At this time, it had entered the summer, the weather became humid and muggy, the queen mother went out of the palace and moved into the Nanping Mountain Liang Palace to escape the heat, but he could not leave Beijing, so he moved to the cold spring hall in the palace to live.

The most famous summer resort in Hangzhou is Lengquan Mountain, where a waterfall flows down from the mountain, creating a cool microclimate in the mountain, and the dignitaries of the city have built gardens here for summer escape. But the good place is always the most sought-after, some people can't get it, so they build a garden according to the situation of Lengquan Mountain, and the Lengquan Hall in the North Palace is this kind of product, relying on the spring water that is introduced, using the Feilai Peak to form a waterfall, and then injecting it into the lake, so as to achieve the effect of reducing the temperature.

"Don't be restrained, you can take off your crown and hat, take off your court clothes, it's cooler!" On this day, Zhao Yu summoned all the ministers in the Cold Spring Hall to discuss the matter, and saw that everyone was sweating profusely, and said with a smile without waiting for them to give a salute.

"It's okay, it's okay......" It was extremely rude to be disheveled in front of the emperor, although His Majesty had an edict, but he didn't dare to show his arms, Qi Qi Shili said with a smile.

"It's okay, let's get some herbal tea for you Aiqing to relieve the heat!" Zhao Yu didn't care about them, although he didn't have a vest and pants, he only wore a casual clothes, and he couldn't force them, so he asked Wang De to send herbal tea to relieve the heat.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" And so the people sat down.

"This time I convened all Aiqing to discuss the issuance of new coins...... "At present, the pattern has been manufactured, and the situation in various places is basically clear, Zhao Yu feels that he should inform the deacons, after all, the implementation of this matter cannot bypass them." As for the significance of the issuance of the new currency, he felt that everyone understood it very well, so he did not say much, but just passed it by, mainly talking about the situation before and after. Then let Chen Zeweng, the head of the household, make a detailed report.

"Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, this is a sample coin that the lower officials have tried to produce on the orders of Your Majesty!" Chen Zeweng first took out two metal patterns and printed banknotes of various denominations from a brocade box he carried with him, and then introduced the preparations made during this period, of course, omitting the section on the involvement of the Secretariat in this matter.

"Your Majesty, the minister has no objection to the issuance of new coins, and thinks that it is imperative!" After hearing this, Lu Xiufu picked up a pattern coin and studied it carefully, and then spoke first.

"Your Majesty can be one step ahead of everything, and the minister is ashamed!" Wen Tianxiang sighed, but apparently he had no problem with the issuance of new coins.

"This new coin is really exquisitely printed, the front is the old capital Kaifeng Royal Street, the back is Hangzhou West Lake, and the method of overprinting is adopted, if you want to forge it is more difficult than ascending to the sky!" Ying Jieyan held a fifty-piece banknote with the largest denomination, and after carefully examining it with reading glasses, he said to Liu Huang beside him.

"Well, it's much better than the previous Jiaozi, and it's better than Meng Yuan's Zhongtong banknotes. And in the name of the Great Song Dynasty treasure banknote, not in the name of the year, it is also wonderful! Liu Huang nodded and agreed.

"The minting of this copper coin is also very good, the copper content will not be less than eighty percent, and if you want to imitate it, I am afraid that it will be a loss!" Wang Yinglin checked the newly minted copper coin.

"Of course, the pattern coins are all made of pure gold, which is naturally much heavier than copper coins. You are really old and confused, there is no distinction between gold and copper! Ying Jieyan joked with a smile.

"Hehe, I'm old and dizzy, I can't even see the real gold!" Wang Yinglin took a closer look and said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, the issuance of banknotes based on gold, as far as the minister knows, it is difficult to guarantee the exchange in the left treasury, how to deal with it if there is a rush!" After Jiang Xuan looked at them one by one, he frowned.

"Governor Jiang, Your Majesty has already thought about this section." Chen Zeweng replied, "At present, there are a lot of silk silk in the Zuozang Treasury and the treasury of various prefectures, plus the income of this year's summer tax, there will be millions of horses, and there is also a practice for the people to use silk as a calibration, which can be replaced." ”

"Well, that's what you can handle!" Jiang Xuan nodded.

"Chen Shangshu, I also have something unclear, please advise!" Wen Tianxiang also asked, "With Qianwen as the consistency, it is equivalent to one tael of silver, and ten times is equivalent to one tael of gold, is the price of gold and silver too low, and it is harmful to finance?" ”

"I think I'm worried that the exchange price will be too low, which will reduce the value of gold and silver, leading to outflow!" Chen Zeweng asked after a moment's thought.

"Exactly!" Wen Tianxiang said.

"Your Majesty has privately discussed this matter with your ministers, and Your Majesty said that the taxes of my Great Song Dynasty still need to rely on maritime trade to maintain growth, and with the stability of the coastal areas, it will usher in development. The merchants had to exchange gold and silver for treasure money before they could buy commodities when they traded with us, which seemed to be an advantage, but it was conducive to promoting the export of goods. However, we exchanged the treasure money for their goods, and when they were finished, they were exchanged for gold and silver, and the actual cost to the court was also reduced, and the items obtained were higher than the gold price. ”

"Oh, I see. The merchants first exchanged goods or gold and silver for treasure money, and then exchanged treasure money for goods, in fact, they left the gold and silver in our court, and all we paid was a piece of paper money. But if we exchange gold and silver with other countries, we will get more returns! Wen Tianxiang pondered for a while and understood that the imperial court used a fixed rate to forcibly exchange, which helped the inflow of gold and silver and realized the preservation of the value of treasure banknotes.

"Well, what the right minister said is not far off!" Chen Zeweng nodded and said, in fact, it is much more cumbersome to operate, and it is not possible to explain in detail in a few words, he can only say vaguely. According to the little emperor, there are many advantages to using the Great Song Dynasty treasure banknotes as the exchange currency, and the pricing power of bulk commodities will be obtained slowly, and the profits will be extremely lucrative at that time.

"Chen Shangshu, how to exchange new currency can I have a charter?" Lu Xiufu asked.

"A perfect investigation has been made on the comparison of metal coins in different regions and in different regions, which can be used as a basis for exchange at that time, while salt banknotes can still maintain their value and can be exchanged at the same price." Chen Zeweng knew that everyone was embarrassed to ask questions to the emperor, so they all came to him, and he could only answer from generation to generation, "As for the issuance of new currency, Your Majesty's intention is to restore the former exchange, but because its reputation is very bad, Your Majesty suggests that it be changed to a bank as an institution for issuing currency and exchanging gold and silver." ”

"Well, that's doable, but the Exchange has been deposed for many years, and it's not easy to recover!" Lu Xiufu stroked his beard and said without worry.

"Don't worry, when the decision was made to issue a new currency, the household department began to recruit manpower and conduct intensive training, so that banks could be popularized to the state, and relatively prosperous areas could be reached the county level, and then only need to be sent to the state capitals to be issued. In addition, you can also entrust the local chamber of commerce to assist, and they will collect it on their behalf, and then go to the bank to pay it uniformly. Chen Zeweng said.

"Chen Shangshu, the amount required to issue new coins is huge, can you be prepared?" Wang Yinglin then asked.

"Governor, the minister is going to print 200 million yuan of treasure banknotes according to the calculation......" Chen Zeweng arched his hand.

"Nonsense, if such a large amount of new coins are printed, if all of them are circulated in the market, won't it lead to the rapid depreciation of treasure banknotes and the skyrocketing prices!" Wang Yinglin didn't wait for him to finish speaking, and then said in shock.

"Governor Wang, don't worry, the new coins that are printed are not put into the market at one time, but the new banknotes that are consistent, 10 and 50 will be issued first, and the 20 and 50 new banknotes will not be issued for the time being. One is the inventory that can be used for allocation, and the other can be used for additional issuance in the coming year. The copper and iron coins that have been exchanged and recovered are selected and stored in good condition in storage, and those that are not in good condition are destroyed and reminted, gradually reducing the use of metal coins. Chen Zeweng explained.

"Well, Chen Shangshu is thoughtful, it's my urgency!" Wang Yinglin nodded and said. He also knew that in order for the new currency to completely replace the old currency in the market in a short period of time, the new money required was enormous. In order to ensure the smooth progress of the issuance of new currency, it is necessary to carefully estimate the number of new banknotes needed and the proportion of main and auxiliary coins, and the number of new coins should be prepared sufficiently, and the needs of each region are different, and it is inevitable that some places will feel insufficient......