Master Shu's exam questions are from "Mencius".

There was nothing wrong with taking the "Mencius" test, and Zhu Pingjin was relieved when he heard it. Mencius, together with the Analects, the University, and the Mean, are collectively known as the Four Books, and together with the Five Classics, they are the standard textbooks for the Ming Imperial Examination.

But Zhu Pingjin did not expect that Zhu Yuanzhang, the ancestor he highly respected in politics, had a holiday with this Mencius. Zhu Yuanzhang not only issued an edict to cancel the name of Mencius Yasheng, but also canceled Mencius's qualification to enjoy the Confucian Temple. Later, the minister Qian Tang died, and Zhu Yuanzhang had to revoke the edict. A year later, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was not reconciled, asked Liu Sanwu, a scholar of Hanlin, to make a "Mencius Verse", "Eighty-five articles for those who suppress too much, and the remaining 170 articles, are all issued to Chinese and foreign school officials, so that those who read books know the original purpose." (Note 1)"

It's just that this "Mencius Festival" was abolished before Zhu Di, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, moved the capital to Beijing. Since then, the matter of "Mencius Verses" has become another public case in the long river of history, and the book "Mencius Verses" has long been lost after nearly 300 years of vicissitudes, and what has been preserved has been a rare book.

Master Luzhou Da Rushu has not read this verse, and Zhu Pingjian, who has a collection of thousands of books, has not read this verse. If the two of them read it, they will find that Shu Laoer's exam questions are exactly what was omitted from "Mencius".

Noticing that Shizi quietly let out a sigh of relief, Master Shu's expression couldn't help but darken. As a teacher, pay attention to "three thousand disciples, not as good as one." "There are countless peaches and plums on his own, and this young man in a hemp robe sitting on top of him is the glory of his own life and even the Shu family. If you want to go down in history, you have to rely on this teenager. It's just that Master Shu has the name of the great Confucian in Shuzhong, so how can he easily reveal his emotions. He pretended not to see anything, and slowly asked Zhu Pingjin, "The old man asked the question, what does the son of the world know?" ”

"Lao Er wants to be more contemptible in the test?" Zhu Pingjin's nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed again. This passage is from "Mencius Liang Hui Wang", which tells the story of Liang Hui (Wei Hui Wang) asking Mencius how to make the country shameful and strong. Mencius straightforwardly put forward his benevolent government proposition to King Hui of Liang, saving punishments, collecting taxes slightly, deepening the cultivation of easy crops, and strengthening production; Moral education, filial piety and faith, no matter how big or small a country can develop, a weak country can eventually defeat a strong country. So in the end, Mencius came to an undoubted conclusion to King Hui of Liang: "The benevolent are invincible." Don't doubt it, king! "I don't know if I studied this article in junior high school, high school or Master Shu, in short, Zhu Pingjin, the eldest son of the Shu Wangfu and a top student in college, can memorize it backwards. As soon as Master Shu asked a question, Zhu Pingjin reacted after a while, Lao Er was admonishing me in disguise and asking me to implement benevolent governance; It is also in this way to declare to the candidates and even the entire Shu that the Shu Wangfu advocates "benevolent government". It's just that this straightforward answer is too unwieldy. Zhu Pingjin was in a good mood at the moment, so he made a joke to Master Shu and asked rhetorically, "This son advocates protecting the country and the people, can it be described as 'benevolent'?" Can it be invincible? ”

Hearing what the disciple said, Master Shu finally put down a stone in his heart. If a question that more than 1,000 people in the Huangcheng Dam can answer, but the disciples who have taught him for several years can't answer it, it is not a shame on the face of the palace, but a shame on the face of the prince of the world. However, this disciple's mind is too old and meticulous, and he is still a little uneasy about his master, which makes Master Shu feel a little sad. Isn't it just that his own family is a generation of scholars? Most of those who are against the prince everywhere are generations of official eunuchs and scholars, and this suspicious young man has no reason to suspect his family. But he was obviously suspicious, but he didn't say anything, and just stayed in his heart to fight a belly lawsuit, which made Master Shu very uncomfortable. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Master Shu decided to ask more.

"The Most Holy Benevolence, Qi Liye; The benevolence of the sub-saint is also a strong country; Cheng Zhu Zhiren, into the reason; The benevolence of Yang Ming, out of the heart. Master Shu asked, "I don't know the benevolence of the son, how can it be?" ”

This is asking me about my ambitions! Zhu Pingjin immediately felt the master's intentions. This is not Shu Lao'er asking alone, but he is asking on behalf of the entire Shu family, on behalf of all his students, and even on behalf of the Sichuan intellectual circles, including the first deputy director Jun Shu Guoping, the acting magistrate of Naxi Shu Guoxin, the policy research office Shu Guoming, Shu Guozhi, the first leader of Tongchuan Zhili Prefecture Li Chongwen, Tianquan Tusi Luzhou Judge Gao Dengtai, deputy chief of general staff and head of the Tianquan Tusi battalion Gao Antai, and chief of general staff He Youyi and a group of important ministers of the palace are asking...... Thinking of He Youyi, Zhu Pingjin gently crossed out his name in his heart. If your answer is unqualified, or it does not meet the standard answer in Shu Laoer's heart, the consequences will ...... Zhu Pingjin suddenly hesitated. Should I answer Master Shu now? If so, how? Should he tell Master Shu what he really thinks in his heart? Tell him, none of the "benevolence" you listed is the "benevolence" in my heart?

Zhu Pingjin slowly stood up and walked out of the main hall. The Imperial City Dam became clear in front of his eyes, and the images of many candidates gradually came into his eyes. There are shirts and scarves, there are deep scarves, there are directly embellished square hats, and there are cloth clothes and heads-the whole collection of middle and lower class scholars in the Ming Dynasty. They are all behaving in front of their own generous salaries, and they are taking the test with a pen, for what? Is it all for the sake of lofty ideals and great ambitions? Maybe fifteen-year-old Zhu Pingjin will be so naïve, but Zhu Pingjian, who is forty years old in psychology, will definitely not be so naïve! Aren't the vast majority of those people flocking here for money, status, and getting ahead, so that they and their families can live a better and more decent life?

Zi said: "Those who are filial piety are the foundation of benevolence." No full-fledged ruler would deny this. Not only will it not be denied, but it must also be vigorously advocated at the national level, and it will be practiced to set an example for the world. Zi also said: "The world is bustling, and it is all for profit; The world is bustling, all for profit. "This is also a truth throughout the ages." Human nature is selfish", and even became the cornerstone of Western economics.

The two said, which one is true? Which is fake? Or is it true that both? If both are true, then what to make of this complex and changeable human nature? And how to deal with this ancient civilization composed of complex and changeable human nature?

Zhu Pingjin had no answer in his heart.

The prince's hesitation and hesitation were seen by his master and ministers.

Master Shu was inevitably a little disappointed: the world is in turmoil, and the discerning person can see it at a glance. If the five elements are uncertain, you will definitely lose cleanly. Having an answer, even if it's wrong, is better than not having an answer. If the prince is willing to humbly ask his master for advice, this is a good opportunity to get closer to the teacher-student relationship.

Sun Hong did not have the same disappointment as Shizifu, nor did he have a trace of anxiety. He was intimidated twice by Zhu Pingjin, and knew that this young master was not an object that could be bullied. As for why Shizi didn't answer Shizifu's question, it must be that Shizi felt that it was inconvenient to answer at this time.

Unbeknownst to Zhu, his ministers had developed a blind trust in him under his grace and authority—in his old era, it was called a "cult of personality," which was criticized. He was thinking hard about how to resolve the current embarrassment, when he heard the little eunuch on the Jinshui Bridge shouting in a high-pitched voice: "The auspicious time has come, please invigilate the examiner Shizifu!" ”

In the evening, the preliminary results of the first exam came out. Although there was Zhu Pingjian's important instruction that "it is better to take them all", the chief examiner, Master Shu, still had to depose about 200 people in the first game. The main reason for the decline is that the candidate's level is too low, or the answer is not the question, and the question is digressed; or the meaning of the text is disordered, and the typos are continuous; Or I didn't even understand the topic, so I had to make up a few sentences of "benevolence loves others". Others were resolutely brushed down by Master Shu because of their wild language and political taboos. Master Shu's caution was justified, and several people even openly incited Zhu Pingjin to rebel on the answer sheet, and they probably really regarded Zhu Pingjin as Zhu Chenhao, the king of Ning.

"There are really a lot of people in Sichuan who want us to rebel." In the garden on the east side of the Shizi Mansion, Zhu Pingjin squatted by the pond to feed the fish, while talking to his wife, "I read the papers, and a few of them still have real talents, but it's a pity." ”

Luo Yuhong was in a light gauze long skirt, squinting her eyes and half-lying on a bamboo horse frame by the pool with bare feet, "Most of them are angry young people, they are double-edged swords, natural oppositionists." You have to be very careful with this kind of person. They are anti-emperor and anti-authority now, and if they don't do it well, they will oppose you in the future. Because she was so tired, she spoke weakly. She held a full-day meeting in Huitong Qianzhuang to study and deploy the Qianzhuang's network in the province and even in a larger area. Tomorrow morning, she will also convene a meeting of the Wangfu Gongzheng Office and various grain stores to set a timetable for the restoration of the Wangzhuang granaries in various counties in Chengdu. According to the results of Zhu Pingjian's field investigation and the preliminary reports of Wangzhuang in various places, this year's autumn grain harvest and storage in the palace will definitely exceed expectations. The autumn rainy season in Sichuan is approaching, but the granaries near Chengdu Prefecture were mostly damaged during the civil unrest at the beginning of the year, and the repair work has not yet been completely completed. Therefore, Luo Yuhong made a quick decision, and on the one hand, he accelerated the repair of the granary, and on the other hand, ordered the use of the strategic reserve warehouse of the palace in Chengdu Mansion - the Guangfu warehouse of the Shu Wangfu and the granaries of the princely mansions of various counties. Taken together, these warehouses can increase the grain storage capacity by at least 200,000 stones. She even made an emergency plan to requisition Fengning Cang, the reserve warehouse of the Sichuan feudal division in Chengdu Prefecture if necessary.

"If you have a bone in your skull like this, you don't usually use it. But it also depends on the situation. Zhu Pingjin clapped his hands against the pond water, and the fish food residue between his fingers shook into the water, and immediately a red fish pounced and opened his mouth to swallow it. He went back to his wife and sat down, rubbing her legs gently, "For example, He Youyi gave me three suggestions when we first met: Wang, Ming, and Bing. I ignored him and used only his soldiers. His father was killed by a thief, and the court was cold and unkind, and it was normal to have resentment in his heart. Therefore, I think that individual candidates who commit taboos do not necessarily have backbones, they are just for the righteousness of their hearts. ”

Her husband's thoughtfulness and gentleness made Luo Yuhong feel beautiful. She was not interested in theoretical questions, she closed her eyes and smiled to herself, and asked, "Then what are you going to do with these eliminated people?" ”

"It still depends on the specific situation, in short, don't let people go easily when they come. I am born to be useful, and this is true for the candidates, and it is also true for our employers. The first one was eliminated and there was a second one, and even I could organize a separate test, without questions, so that they could play freely, and if they couldn't write well, they would use the vernacular. Moral articles are not good, but if there is a skill, I use its strengths; What should I do if I can't write a moral article and don't have a skill? I mean, as long as they are determined to do what they can with us, they will arrange for them to do what they can. At least they can read a few words, and it's still okay to be a subordinate in Wang Zhuang. If you volunteer to join the army, you can also be sent to the grassroots army as a clerk, and you can always help the soldier write a letter home, right? As for those who have backbones, those who have a high level of justice and a sense of justice, leave a few and send them to the Youth Federation, a mass organization, so as not to affect you and me, but also to continue to observe and understand them and see in which direction they are developing. The rest let them fuck off. Master Shu is right, there are too many people like this around us, which is very dangerous. ”

"The key is degree, it depends on how you grasp it." Luo Yuhong turned over on the bamboo horse frame, showed the B side of her body to Zhu Pingjin, and asked her husband to beat her back and tickle herself, "The Youth Federation will be turned into a septic tank by you, and everything dirty will be loaded into it." Your involvement is not permitted in our own women's own organizations. ”

The breeze was coming slowly, with a faint fishy smell, and it was probably going to rain again. Zhu Pingjin suddenly stopped his movements and asked his wife, "Do you know Xiaoyun's teacher this time?" ”

"Mr. Tian? I don't know. My wife's eyes widened.

"Want to know his test scores?" Zhu Pingjin asked with a smile.

"He has a backbone, and he was eliminated by you?" His wife rolled over and sat up.

"It's going to rain." Zhu Pingjin pulled his wife up from the bamboo horse frame, "Let's go back to the house." There are no antibiotics, and if you catch a cold in the rain, you can only drink bitter medicine, and you can't get better for a month. ”

Note 1: Excerpt from Liu Sanwu of the Ming Dynasty "Mencius Festival Inscription"