Xia Yunyi didn't fully understand Chongzhen's explanation, but he did understand a meaning, that is, the implementation of primary school education was ultimately to replace the current imperial examination system and find another way to select talents for the Ming Dynasty.

Although in recent decades, there have been many voices among the Da Ming scholars who have criticized the imperial examination system, believing that this system is a decadent system that consumes the morale of heroes and imprisons people's hearts, even Xia Yunyi himself believes that the imperial examination system has reached the point where it must be changed, otherwise the imperial court will not be able to select real talents.

However, when he really heard that the emperor wanted to attack the imperial examination system, his heart couldn't help but shrink tightly.

More than 20 years of Confucian education, more than ten years of energy and time spent on the eight-strand system, suddenly made him nostalgic for the imperial examination system.

It's like pulling a tooth, even if you have a sick tooth that hurts, you swear to pull it out immediately. But when it starts to stop hurting, do you think it's really a good thing to pull it out? Maybe it's better to wait a few more days.

For Xia Yunyi, the imperial examination system is probably like this sick tooth, and when he minds, he can't wait to abolish it immediately. But in this calm season, he began to worry about whether the abolition of the imperial examination system would be a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.

If it was not the emperor himself who put forward this idea, perhaps Xia Yunyi would subconsciously defend the imperial examination system, and then try to advocate to the other party that the imperial examination system should be improved first, and if it fails, then take the road of complete abolition, which is a safe way.

However, it was the emperor himself who proposed this idea, and the new education model that wanted to replace the current imperial examination system had already begun to be implemented.

In such a situation, he advocated to the emperor to go back to the reform of the imperial examination system, and Xia Yunyi found that he could not find a suitable reason at all.

From entering Yenching University to study, to going to the disaster area to investigate, and this time following the emperor on the expedition, and staying in the Tangshan iron smelting base for more than a month, Xia Yunyi's thoughts have been far from when he first went to Beijing.

If it is said that in the past, he was just an ordinary scholar who was dissatisfied with reality, although he shouted to reform the various shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty, but he could not find a way out at all, and could only hold high the idea of reviving ancient studies as the direction of reform.

So after studying at Yenching University for so long, he finally figured out where the Ming needed to reform. And the investigation of the disaster area and the Tangshan iron-smelting base also allowed him to see the most real life of the people at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty.

Under such a rich experience, Xia Yunyi, a former idealist, has also begun to mature, and no longer thinks that holding a few scriptures will allow Daming to embark on the road of prosperity again.

After struggling in his heart for a long time, Xia Yunyi gave up embarrassing himself, but looked at Chongzhen seriously and asked: "Your Majesty thinks that if primary school education is established and people's wisdom is opened, will the reform of the Ming Dynasty really succeed?" Can this reform really solve the predicament that my Ming Dynasty is in now, and solve the problem of food and clothing for my Ming people? ”

Zhu Youzhen replied without hesitation: "How do you know if you will succeed if you don't try?" If it fails, start all over again.

I only know one thing, if the Ming Dynasty does not reform, then we are waiting for death. And try other paths, and we may be able to save the country. Since I am the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, I can't even have the courage to try.

If I give up my responsibility, it will be tantamount to giving up this country, how can I have the face to go underground and explain to Emperor Taizu Gao in the future? ”

Chongzhen's sincere words finally moved Xia Yunyi, as a scholar who had been immersed in Confucian education for many years, although his career at Yenching University opened the door to a new world for him, but loyalty to his father's education had become his instinct, so that he could not refuse the emperor's heartfelt request.

Xia Yunyi finally succumbed to reality and planned to give in to the emperor, but before that, he still asked one last question, "So what kind of country does Your Majesty think will the Ming Dynasty become after the reform is completed?" In other words, what kind of Ming does Your Majesty want to establish after doing so many things? ”

Zhu Youzhen was immediately stopped by Xia Yunyi's question, according to the process of industrialization, whether it is the emperor or the existing gentry class, they will be knocked to pieces.

With a country of such a huge size as China, a long history of centralized politics, and Confucian ideology and culture that brought the feudal hierarchy to its peak, there is actually very little hope of turning the Ming Dynasty into a constitutional monarchy like the United Kingdom.

Because most of the superiors of the Ming Dynasty are unwilling to give up even the smallest power in their hands. In such a feudal hierarchical society, the superiors give and demand from the subordinates, so that whenever there is the slightest possibility, they want to be able to stand in the highest position of power, rather than share power with others.

The reason why Britain was able to achieve a constitutional monarchy governed by the aristocracy was that the king of this country did not have as much power as the emperor of China, and the feudal system in Europe was not mature enough to allow all subjects to be infinitely loyal to the king.

Therefore, the British aristocracy can unite to suppress the king, and they can also tolerate others sharing power with themselves.

Zhu Youzhen can open the door to an industrialized society for Daming, but what will become of Daming in the future, he also doesn't have much bottom in his heart.

However, if he puts this future together, it is estimated that even if he does not think he is crazy, he will rise up and swear to oppose his reforms. After all, the purpose of these people's support for the reform of the Ming Dynasty is to maintain their lives for a long time, not to completely destroy it.

Zhu Youzhen considered and considered in his heart, and then said to Xia Yunyi cautiously and cautiously: "I'm not sure, the reforms we are implementing now can make the Ming Dynasty build a Datong world. But I believe that the world of Datong is first and foremost a society in which there are neither people above nor below.

In such a society, people should be evaluated on the basis of their own talents, not their origins. This is the new Ming that I want to see when I promote reform. ”

Although Chongzhen's description of the future Ming is not so gorgeous, the new Ming in the emperor's mouth still moved Xia Yunyi and made him abandon the last bit of hesitation.

"Students should do their best for Your Majesty, so that they can see the Great Ming in Your Majesty's eyes as soon as possible." Xia Yunyi got up and left his seat, and said to Chongzhen respectfully.

He and Xia Yunyi continued to have a detailed discussion on the organization, establishment and recruitment requirements of the Youth Society, and when the day was gloomy, Zhu Youzhen finally stopped the meeting and let Xia Yunyi go back to rest.

However, although Xia Yunyi is gone, Zhu Youzhen himself is still constantly thinking about how to maximize the effectiveness of the Youth Society.

Although in the early days of the establishment of the Youth Society, it was inevitable that the northern scholars would be the mainstay, and ordinary young people obviously could not have the right to speak in the Society, which was also the current reality of the Ming Dynasty.

But once the youth society begins to take root in public opinion and primary education, it is natural that new young people with primary education will emerge.

The first members of the Society may still be young people who have grown up in the old style of education, but once they have mastered the power of the young people who have been nurtured through elementary education, there will eventually be people among these members who will abandon the old culture and embrace the new culture.

Because in the old culture they were just nobodies, but in the new culture, they are the originators. Under the temptation of fame and fortune, most people will choose a path that is more beneficial to them.

Villages, schools, and the army will all be the reserve of reserve members of the Youth Society, especially the school and the army, which are the organizations with the largest number of young people.

When Chongzhen was meditating, in Yangzhou, far south, the curtain was almost coming down on the two Huaiyan cases.

Han Yiliang, Men Chenxin, and Xu Xianchun, the three most powerful officials in Yangzhou City now, finally changed the appearance of a month or two ago, and began to clean up the assets of the major salt merchants in Yangzhou.

When the two Huaiyan cases were revealed, although the three of them knew that this was a big pit, they didn't worry about anything when they thought that the emperor was behind them.

However, the news of Houjin's invasion of Jizhou suddenly made the originally stable situation in Yangzhou begin to overturn.

Many of the gentry and bureaucrats behind the salt merchants thought that at the juncture when the emperor resisted the Houjin invasion, they would not want any trouble in the south. Therefore, as long as they work together to put pressure on the investigators, they may be able to minimize the scope of the salt case.

As a result, the number of messengers from Suzhou and Nanjing to Yangzhou increased sharply, and the gentry of Suzhou and the nobles of Nanjing sent private letters or official documents to Han Yiliang and Men Chen Xin, pleading for the salt merchants who knew each other.

Xu Xianchun didn't dare to be bored, after all, Jinyiwei had nothing to do with them. If it weren't for Xu Xianchun still stationed outside Yangzhou with two garrison divisions, there is no doubt that someone would organize another activity for the people of Yangzhou to take to the streets.

In this situation, Han Yiliang and Men Chenxin had to adopt delaying tactics to wait for the war in the north to end before deciding on the disposal of the salt case.

In the first month of the third year of Chongzhen, the news of the victory in the war from the north suddenly broke the open and secret struggle in Yangzhou City.

The Jiangnan gentry and nobles, who were still protecting the salt merchants in Yangzhou, immediately withdrew their cronies and began to cut off the salt merchants involved.

And the salt merchants, who have always resisted denial, are now honestly cooperating with the investigating officials, trying to seek a lenient opportunity.