Feng County, this is the northernmost county under the rule of Jiangbei, after the battle of Suqian, after the escape of Feng County, the local gentry immediately sent an envoy to send troops to recover, and Xuzhou, Pei County and other places in general, are defeated without a fight. In fact, the war in this era is probably like this, after a big victory, with the power of a big victory, you can force the surrounding prefectures and counties to surrender.

After leaving the iron factory, Zhu Mingzhong directly led the guards to Feng County, because Feng County is located in the front line, so there is a battalion of loyal soldiers stationed in Feng County, although it seems that the strength is insufficient, but it is used to defend the city, and the city wall can hold on for at least a few days.

After arriving in Fengxian County to inspect the defense deployment here, the next day will be released, Zhu Mingzhong, who is dressed in civilian clothes, rode a horse under the escort of several personal soldiers, and went north along the official road, which is the inevitable of officials in this era.

"Jingluo, it's just a magistrate, why do you need to come to the door in person?"

Following Jinglue's side, Zhao Xingxian asked with some puzzlement, as a guard, he first thought of Jinglue's safety, and this Dongzhuang is dozens of miles away from the city, in case there is a bad pool, how can it be good. Naturally, there are also some complaints about the little Qipin Zhixian.

"That is, Jinglu, if you want to see him, just send him to the city, why do you need to come here in person?"

The guards' complaints made Zhu Mingzhong just smile slightly.

"You don't understand ......"

In fact, the reason why Zhu Mingzhong came to Dongzhuang in person was not only to make the posture of a corporal with the world, but also to meet the "friends of the wat who were heard of by later generations".

Although I have seen too many celebrities in this era, I am extremely impressed by the friendship between Dong Lingju, the young secretary of Honglu Temple, and Song Qianmin, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, recorded in the article "Friends of the Folded Wat" that I read when I was a teenager. So since he arrived in Feng County, this person always wants to see him.

Compared with the south of the Yangtze River, the villages in the north of the river seem to be a little dilapidated, as far as the eye can see, most of them are mud and grass, and the people are also in shabby clothes, and the shabby place of the cotton clothes is even more exposed to this cotton.

Jiangbei is so poor in people, how can it support the great cause of the Northern Expedition?

When he was thinking at the entrance of the village, an old man in his sixties, dressed in coarse cloth and carrying a dung basket on his back, had already walked up to him and greeted him with a smile.

"This son, but passing by this matter, if you are tired, why don't you come to the house to drink tea and rest!"

Zhu Mingzhong looked at the old man wearing a scarf, which was almost equal to the symbol of the remnants in this era, so he asked with a smile.

"This is Dong Zhuang?"

"It's Dong Zhuang? Is Childe visiting relatives or? ”

"Visiting friends, I don't know where Song Qianmin, the former Suqian Zhi County, lives?"

"Little Lao'er is Song Qianmin, I don't know who you are?"

Song Qianmin looked at the son in front of him with some surprise, even if he didn't look at the few guards around him, he also knew that this young man who was full of battlefield atmosphere was by no means a rich son.

"This is my family's Zhu Jingluo, and the Daming Jianghuai Jingluo envoy!"

Zhu Jingluo!

In an instant, Song Qianmin reacted to who this person was, no wonder he was full of battlefield energy.

As soon as he heard that the person in front of him was Song Qianmin, Zhu Mingzhong immediately said with a smile.

"I was going to see you, but I didn't expect to meet you at the entrance of this village......"

"I've seen Zhu Jingluo!"

When Song Qianmin hurriedly waved his hands to salute, Zhu Mingzhong said with a smile.

"As a Jianghuai economic strategy, this official did not come to visit Mr. Song until today, and I hope that Mr. Song will not be blamed."

"How dare you, how dare you, Jinglu is busy with affairs, and the little old man dares to blame Jingluo ......"

Hearing that Zhu Mingzhong had made a special trip to see him, Song Qianmin, who was full of sincere fear, hurriedly greeted him again.

"Jinglu, if you are not idle and poor, why don't you go home, just ahead."

Following Song Qianmin, Zhu Mingzhong and his entourage came to the door of a house. Different from the surrounding mud houses, this house is made of gray bricks, after entering the threshold, Zhu Mingzhong has four large tile houses facing south in front of him, and the six side rooms on both sides are covered with high sorghum straw, and there is a large vegetable field planted with radish and Chinese cabbage in the courtyard, although there are chickens and ducks in the courtyard, but the cleaning is extremely clean.

"The humble house is simple, please bear with me,"

As he spoke, Song Qianmin took Zhu Mingzhong to the side of the main room, pointed to a room on the right and said.

"This is the study under the bottom, let's talk here!"

After sitting down, Zhu Mingzhong saw a long bookshelf on the left wall of the study, on which more than 200 books were neatly placed. Compared with Zhu Mingzhong's study, the books he has here are probably less than one percent, after all, books in this era are not cheap, and ordinary readers only have a dozen or so books.

"When you return to Qinghe, you can consider building a library,"

Thinking like this in his heart, Zhu Mingzhong chatted with Song Qianmin, not about the article, but about the gains and losses of the Chongzhen Dynasty, of course, it was inevitable to talk about the young secretary of Honglu Temple Dong Lingju, who had passed away for many years, and naturally there was also the "friendship between them" and the "one-article contract", and slowly the two of them talked about the topic.

"In fact, Zhu came here this time, is to invite the giant out of the mountain, the current Jiangbei is initially decided, it is the time to employ people, and Zhu first came to Jiangbei, the lack of talents in the house, Ju was in Suqian that year, for the official Qingqian, quite a performance, very popular with the people, for my Ming people, please Ju do not refuse."

"After a while, it's not that the little old man doesn't know how to lift, but the little old man fell here, if there is no Dong brother left, I am afraid that I don't know where to float and starve. Moreover, the little old man is very old, even if he enters the curtain of the strategy, how can he help the strategy? Xiao Lao'er only wishes to be accompanied by Brother Dong, and it is the wish of Xiao Lao'er to be buried here for a long time after a hundred years. ”

first expressed his refusal, and then Song Qianmin continued:

"A few months ago, after the first level of Jiangbei, and then defeated the Qing capture of 100,000 troops, if it were not for the millions of Li people in Jiangbei, and how could I revert to the clothes of the old country, today Jingluo feels that there is a lack of talents, and he is greatly constrained, why not set up a Chongxian Hall in Qinghe to recruit the world's heroes?"

Chongxian Pavilion?

Song Qianmin's suggestion made Zhu Mingzhong slightly stunned, and seeing that he seemed puzzled, Song Qianmin smiled and said:

"Don't hide the strategy, in fact, since the strategy was set to Jiangbei, the little old man has been paying attention to the policy of the strategy in Qinghe, although the strategy is said to cultivate talents in the Qinghe Academy, but the so-called century-old cultivation of people, when the choice of the academy is selected, I am afraid that it has been delayed. In this case, why doesn't Jinglu recruit talents from all over the world and hire them? Although some of them want to make a fortune for promotion, there are naturally sincere people, both mediocre and talented. ”

Zhu Mingzhong listened attentively to Song Qianmin's suggestion, and he could tell that what he said was from the bottom of his heart.

Then I listened to Song Qianmin again.

"As for how to choose talents, I want to come to the strategy and have some understanding, since the Jiashen Tianchang, the little old man lives in seclusion here, and has talked with Brother Dong every day about the affairs of the country, but a little experience, now in troubled times, whether it is a party official, or a division of the army, the officials are related to the vital interests of the people, and what to do is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. Therefore, this way of selecting talents, naturally can no longer be selected by the eight-share imperial examination, how to take talents, the little old man only has eight characters "only the talent is lifted, the amount is applicable". ”

When Song Qianmin's words fell, Zhu Mingzhong, who was surprised, nodded in agreement again and again.

"What the giant said is very true. In the past, our dynasty chose talents, all of them were eight-share scholars, and most of them were only dealing with books and scholars, and most of the economic events such as money, food, and punishment were not involved. I won't go around in circles, let's get straight to the point, at this time, when I go to Fengxian County, I am here to invite Ju Zhushan, follow me to Qinghe, how about helping me?"

Although Zhu Mingzhong's master advocates practical learning, he has never told him so bluntly like Song Qianmin that in troubled times, you can't use eight shares to win talents, I don't know what kind of turmoil this kind of thing will cause when it spreads, but this is the case, and it came to Zhu Mingzhong's heart at once, how could Zhu Mingzhong, who originally just let Song Qianmin be a horse bone, was willing to let this person go.

Facing another invitation, picking up the teacup, Song Qianmin took a sip slowly, bypassing Zhu Mingzhong's invitation, and then looked at him and asked:

In the twenty-third year of Chenghua, the imperial examination of the national dynasty began to change from "Jingyi" to the opening of the eight-strand essay, stipulating that the composition should be composed in the eight-strand way, the format is strict, the number of words is limited, and it is not allowed to violate the scripture annotations, and it cannot be played freely. So, why? ”

"Hmmm......"

After pondering for a moment, knowing that Song Qianmin was testing his Zhu Mingzhong, he replied almost without thinking.

"The harm of the eight shares is equivalent to burning books, and the corruption of talents is even greater than the more than 460 people in the suburbs of Xianyang."

Zhu Mingzhong directly quoted Gu Yanwu's words, which fell into Song Qianmin's ears, making him look at him in surprise for a while before he said.

"The defeat of the talents of the national dynasty began with the eight shares, and the defeat was lost in the imperial examination!"

Putting down the teacup in his hand, Song Qianmin, who was not shocking and deadly, continued.

"Although the eight-strand article is empty and useless, it has nothing to do with political affairs. But if it is abolished by the imperial examination, then how should it be selected? ”

Zhu Mingzhong, who never thought that Song Qianmin would say the words of abolishing Kexing, suddenly felt that this trip to Fengxian was not in vain, and immediately said.

"Although the talents of the national dynasty were defeated by the imperial examination, the way to take the examination is still the fairest method in the world, and the imperial examination should not be abolished, but should be improved, and it is the best policy to learn from the real learning."

Then Zhu Mingzhong said earnestly.

"Juju, please be sure to help Zhu fulfill this wish."

"Jinglu, but what can I do for you?"

With a solemn face, Song Qianmin sighed.

"After all, Director Zhu is also a ...... of the Eight Articles"