Xingqian three years, April.

This year, from the first month, there are scholars from all over the country gathered in the capital, and in the past two years, these scholars have been waiting for the day of the Ming Dynasty.

Learn the art of literature and martial arts, and sell it to the emperor's house.

Since the opening of the imperial examination in the Sui Dynasty, this has been the choice of scholars.

There is Yan Ruyu in the book, and there is a golden house in the book.

Chao for Tian Shelang, twilight to the Tianzi Hall.

Originally, they all fantasized about changing their fate through scientific research, but now, the reality that Daming did not open Enke for two years made them depressed.

What was the court thinking?

What is the emperor thinking?

If it was in the Great Qing Dynasty, maybe they would never have come to Jingshi. Because they were afraid of the manchurians' swords and axes, but now, facing their own future, they came to Jingshi, trying to petition those fellow villagers who were officials in the court, hoping that they could speak for the scholars of the world, and ask His Majesty to issue an order to open Enke, so that they can serve the court and the emperor.

Those Beijing officials, regardless of their official positions, were naturally comforted in the face of the submissions of their fellow villagers, and they all expressed their intention to speak for them, and they did hand the folds to the cabinet and to His Majesty, but all the folds were left behind.

It was at this time that another civil service examination in the Ming Dynasty began quietly, the same as the civil service examination in the past - requiring a college graduation certificate, which means that most scholars in the world are excluded from this examination.

They don't know arithmetic, they don't know geography, they don't know astronomy, they don't know how to navigate, they don't know how to do business, they don't know how to pay taxes...... In short, it is just a sentence, and it does not understand practice.

This reason angered the scholars in Zhongdu, and these scholars, who originally pinned their hopes on their fellow villagers, chose another way in anger, a rather bright way.

On this day, in front of the gate of the Guozijian, the wind and rain were like a rock.

At present, there is a civil service recruitment examination underway in the country, and 3,576 graduates from thirteen academies across the country are participating in the examination, although they only need to compete for more than 2,000 positions, and the competition rate is not high, but even if they are not admitted, it does not matter - many businesses and enterprises are also waiting for them.

But when they were taking the exam, there were hundreds of scholars from all over the country outside the Guozi Prison, and they knelt in front of the Guozi Prison, the wind blew their Confucian crowns, the streamers were flying, and the rain hit their bodies as if they were hitting the statues. 

Zhao Mingfu, who was standing in the front row, could see that Kong Dewang from Shanxi was holding the tablet of the Holy Master, and they were kneeling there, they had been kneeling like this for two days, and they had also been on hunger strike for two days.

The rain fell on them, taking away the heat from their bodies, making them feel the dampness and coldness of the spring rain, but everyone stood still.

There was a makeshift tent next to it, and under a few iron pots, firewood was burning. Next to the stove is a table with a large bowl of porridge and various snacks.

In front of the kneeling lifters, Wang Fuzhi, who was the Admiral Xuezheng, shouted at them from time to time.

"This exam, all of them are practical propositions, law and politics, medical administration, agricultural politics, engineering, shipping administration, you haven't learned these, how to try? Even if the imperial court specifically directs you to participate, you can't try it! Your Majesty has already made a will, as long as you are willing, you can naturally be admitted to the academy and school to study practical learning, and after two years, you can naturally take the exam, and then the imperial court can naturally hire you, this is Your Majesty's will, and it is also Your Majesty's care for you, not my Ministry of Rites to embarrass you! ”

The umbrella protected the porridge on the plate, and was carried by the crowd, Wang Fuzhi picked up a bowl of porridge and sent it to an elderly old man and said.

"I said you're old, just eat some! A hunger strike is not always the way to go! ”

"Xuezheng."

The old man with white hair and beard knelt motionless, and he shouted hoarsely.

"I'm not against practical learning, it's just that I can't abolish the Eight Shares of Scholars! This is Emperor Gao's will, is it possible to mess up the rules of the ancestors today! ”

In the face of the words of the old man, Wang Fuzhi knew that the people who could come here today must be those who had never been clear, and they were all well-known in the local area, and even loyal and righteous people who were rewarded by the imperial court.

"No one said they were going to scrap the eight shares!"

His Majesty does not seem to have said such a thing, despite such thoughts.

But the old man glanced at Wang Fuzhi, and then said.

"It's true that no one says, but today it's good to learn by doing, and all of them are learning from practice, but how can I learn from practice everywhere, although the academy allows people from all over the world to take the exam, but how can the children of the poor family study in the academy thousands of miles away?"

Lao Juzi's words made the people around them all nod their heads and say yes, although the Ming Dynasty did not open the imperial examination, but still took the official by examination, but no longer took the scholar by eight shares, as long as he entered the academy and studied the "study of the world", he could take the civil service examination. But in the eyes of many people, this is precisely the biggest injustice - because not everyone has the opportunity to enter the college, and not everyone has the money to pay for the tuition and living expenses of the college.

"Why did Emperor Gao specialize in taking scholars with eight shares, it is precisely because he does not take scholars with eight shares, and the children of the poor families in the world have no hope of coming out, so Emperor Gao takes scholars with eight shares, thinking that the world is fair, whether it is a rich family in the south of the Yangtze River or a poor man in the southwest, it is fair in front of the eight shares customized......"

Faced with the words of the old scholar, Wang Fuzhi, who knew that what he said was the truth, had to persuade him.

"I said, why are you so stubborn? I, I assure you that Your Majesty will not just leave you alone! In the future, in the future, there will be a will! ”

As he spoke, Wang Fuzhi once again raised the big bowl forward.

"Just take a bite! I beg you! ”

……

The rain hit the window as if it were crying.

Listening to the fact that more and more scholars had gathered in Guozijian in the past two days, Zhu Mingzhong just sat on the dragon chair and sat upright with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, the scholars all say that it is not a fair way to take scholars from the academy, and Emperor Gao took eight shares, although it is biased, but it is also a fair way......"

Zhu Mingzhong did not object to Wang Fuzhi's statement, this is a fact, and it is also the reason why the founding sages of the Ming Dynasty and Zhu Yuanzhang chose the eight shares - fairness.

In fact, in ancient times, the selection of talents nationwide had to conform to the phenomenon that China, which has a vast territory and large differences in natural, economic, and cultural conditions. Because of the limitations of communication technology in ancient times, if the content and form of the imperial examination were revised, it would take a long time to spread throughout the country, so the form of the imperial examination should not be adjusted as much as possible, and the content should be fixed for a long time or even unchanged.

In addition, an important factor that the imperial court also needs to consider is the difference between the rich and the poor, if the form and content of the imperial examination are "diversified", then many children of poor families have no hope of getting ahead.

Since the imperial examination is national, the authorities will certainly take into account the overall situation and try to maintain fairness and justice. First of all, the content of the Baguwen exam was based on the Four Books and Five Classics, which were already popular at the time, and the price was also acceptable to the public. In this way, whether it is a student in the capital or a student in the frontier who is thousands of miles away, there are unified teaching materials. Everyone can compete on the same starting line, so that the poor students have the opportunity to "go to Tian Shelang and ascend to Tianzitang at dusk". Otherwise, if the content of the examination was varied, it would inevitably lead to educational inequity when books were not widely available at that time. Rich families can buy a lot of books for their children to study, while poor families not only can't afford books, but in many places they don't even have access to books. This is tantamount to closing the opportunity for poor students to climb the ladder.

However, this kind of fairness has brought about another result - students specialize in the study of eight shares without asking about anything else, which eventually leads to them only knowing eight shares but not knowing the practice.

"Fair ......"

Raising his head and looking at Wang Fuzhi, Zhu Mingzhong groaned.

"If the price of fairness is to ask for a group of officials who do not know soldiers, politics, taxes, agriculture, or the world, what is the use of such fairness?"

Fair!

These two words seem to be very important, but if it is for the sake of fairness and accompanies the future of the country, what is the meaning of such fairness?

With a cold smile, Zhu Mingzhong asked rhetorically.

"Besides, there has never been a so-called fairness in this world, even if it is to take the people with eight shares, the children of rich families can also invite famous teachers and read famous texts, so it is naturally twice the result with half the effort, and what do they have? Besides, are the conditions of the college high? As long as they can write articles, know current affairs, understand practice, and understand arithmetic, they can be admitted to colleges and schools, and even if they can't pass the civil service examination, they can also enter the business. ”

Exhaust your life to drill eight shares!

Throughout the ages, I don't know how many people are like this, if there is a grandfather and grandson with a jinshi, it is even more beautiful, but what is the use of such a grandparents' jinshi in the country?

"As for the tuition, if I remember correctly, Qinghe Academy, how much is the tuition fee for a year? However, the monthly living expenses are only one tael, and many vocational schools are also free to attend, so how can I not take care of the children of the poor? ”

For Zhu Mingzhong, who came from later generations, he has never opposed fairness, but this fairness must not sacrifice the future of the country, he will not choose the eight shares that seem to be extremely fair for the sake of fairness, he will create another kind of fairness by exempting tuition fees, so that the children of poor families have a fair chance to compete.

"Your Majesty, is it, really, really, really letting them go on like this?"

Wang Fuzhi, who couldn't bear it, looked at His Majesty who had made up his mind and asked.

Glancing out the window, Zhu Mingzhong was silent for a moment, and then said.

"What would they do if it were the Manchus? I have allowed them to be so presumptuous, it is already an extrajudicial grace! ”