At the mention of Xu Zhenqing, Zheng De suddenly remembered another person, and looked at Zhang Sheng and couldn't help but spit out, "By the way, this time there is an old man in his sixties who is in his sixties, what else can you do with his age?" ”

"Since the implementation of the imperial examination, there has never been an age limit, although more than 60 years of Dengke is extremely rare, but it is not unprecedented, there used to be the Tang Dynasty champion Yin Shu 70 middle lift, passed down as a good story through the ages. Pen, fun, pavilion www.biquge.info and Jiang Ziya seventy parties were favored by King Wen of Zhou as a master, assisting King Wu Keyin, which can not be described as a late bloomer. Zhang Sheng's words can be described as a naked slap in the face, which made Zheng De feel hot on his face, and couldn't help glaring at him fiercely, "Are you justified in saying this?" ”

"The minister doesn't dare, just talk about things."

"Oh" Zheng De glanced at him playfully, "Since he is as talented as you say, why is he in his sixties to enter the rank and the first?" ”

"This ......" Zhang Sheng didn't expect that he would get into it, "As the saying goes, 'sharpen a sword in ten years', and people may not become real talents until they are sixty." This reason was really reluctant, and when he finished speaking, he glanced at the emperor with a little weakness.

"Even if you are right, compared with the twenty or thirty-year-old Jinshi and the sixty and the first, which one can dedicate more time to the Ming Dynasty?" Zheng De didn't care about his subordinate's lame excuses, and asked with a smile.

didn't wait for Zhang Sheng to answer, and said again, "Or can he be like Jiang Ziya, just become a great minister and make great contributions to my Ming Dynasty?" ”

Zhang Sheng was silent for a while when he heard this, and what the emperor said was indeed reasonable. After all, it is not as good as the pre-Qin period, as long as there is the king's appreciation, a person can become the prime minister of a country overnight. If you slowly work your qualifications, how many years can you survive for more than 60 Jinshi?

"Do you think it's a problem with the system or a lack of education?" Zheng De asked him with a smile.

"Huh?" Zhang Sheng was stunned by this question. Problems with the system? Lack of education? What does this have to do with it, he really doesn't understand that this matter can have anything to do with these? However, it is impossible for the emperor not to answer his question, "Maybe it's the lack of education." He replied with some uncertainty, after all, the system can be involved with the ancestral system, is it possible to make mistakes?

Zheng De smiled with satisfaction, in fact, no matter how Zhang Sheng answered, he would be satisfied. What he wanted now was really just an excuse, an excuse to suddenly want to do something.

"Since Zhang Aiqing said that it was a lack of education, let's start with the education system of Daming, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty, please." Zhang Sheng has been asked by Zheng De's questioning method and is about to go crazy, are you the emperor or am I the emperor? Ask for my opinion on everything.

"There are two schools in my Daming School: national studies, government, state, and county studies. I have decided to change the schools in the prefectures and counties to primary schools with a six-year school system, which can be attended by all children who have reached the age of six, and a three-year junior high school system, where all those who have graduated from primary school can be enrolled, and elementary and junior high schools are responsible for basic education. A new high school will be added, with a duration of three years, and anyone who excels in the high school entrance examination can be enrolled. The North and South Guozijian will be changed to a university, responsible for the higher education stage, with a four-year education system, and those who excel in the college entrance examination can be enrolled. In addition, only those who have received higher education can obtain the qualification for the imperial examination, what does Zhang Aiqing think? ”

Zhang Sheng frowned slightly when he heard this, and asked, "In the past, scholars had to pass the county examination, the government examination and the hospital examination to become students before they could enter the government, state, and county schools, but now children with hanging hair can be enrolled, did Your Majesty put the threshold too low?" ”

"The bar is too low?" Zheng De scoffed at Zhang Sheng's words, "Could it be that in Zhang Aiqing's eyes, reading and reading is something that requires a high threshold to do?" ”

Zhang Sheng broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this, "That's not what Weichen meant. ”

"And what do you mean?" Zheng De asked rhetorically with dissatisfaction, "Or in your eyes, is reading and reading just for the imperial examination?" ”

"Isn't it?" Zhang Sheng almost blurted out when he heard this, but when he saw the coldness in Zheng De's eyes, he was so frightened that he quickly changed his words, "Naturally not." ”

"It would be nice if my Ming scholars had such an awareness as you!" Zheng De sneered, obviously even he obviously felt that Zhang Sheng was a little wrong, "Now nine and a half out of ten of my Daming scholars are all for the purpose of gaining fame, and the purpose of my Daming School is also to let readers get fame, county exams, government exams, hospital exams, township exams, meeting exams, and palace exams, step by step, just for the title of the gold list." How many official positions does my Daming have? How many people are there in the world? How many of them can be named on the gold list? And what is the situation of those who have failed to make the list repeatedly, have you thought about it? ”

Zhang Sheng was dumbfounded by Zheng De's series of questions, as a successful person in the imperial examination, he had been the champion of the academy for five years, and he naturally never thought about these questions. But now that I think about it, if I fail repeatedly, I'm afraid that the current situation may not be very good, and the best situation is probably just to be a poor teacher.

sighed lightly, stood up respectfully and saluted, "What the emperor taught is that Weichen is stupid. ”

"That's why I want to make changes to Daming's school and become a place where people really teach, not just a place to train officials, as it is now." Zheng De glanced at Zhang Sheng, "I don't know if Aiqing is willing to help me." ”

"But after all, this was set by Emperor Taizu, after all, it is the ancestral system......" Zhang Sheng hesitated, although what the emperor said was very reasonable, but after all, it was about the ancestral system, and the principle could not be shaken.

"In the past, Shang Ying changed the law to become strong, changed the ancestral system of the Qin State, and finally swept the six countries to dominate the world, which shows that the ancestral system is not suitable at all times. Besides, Emperor Taizu set up a school, and it doesn't seem that he can't change it! Zheng De persuaded bitterly.

"But the law of the ancestors is the foundation of the country and cannot be shaken." Zhang Sheng still shook his head and resolutely disagreed.

Zheng De can see now that his saliva on this Ministry of Rites is half in vain. From the point of view of the reformers, this is an old-fashioned conservative die-hard, and it is impossible to do his job with his own three-inch tongue. After thinking about it, "I decided to limit the age of participation in the imperial examination to under forty years old, which is not a violation of the ancestral system." ”

"Sure enough, it's still a child!" Listening to the emperor's seemingly angry words, Zhang Sheng shook his head helplessly, "Just now, Your Majesty blamed the ministers for their appearance, and now he proposes to limit the age of the scholars participating in the imperial examination, is it unfair?" ”

"If you can't take the imperial examination for high school at the age of forty, and you still want to continue the road of scientific examination and don't know how to give up, except for being keen on fame and fortune, I really can't think of any use for this kind of person?" Zheng De said unceremoniously.

Although Zhang Sheng felt that what the emperor said was reasonable, he still felt that it was biased, "There is a saying among the people, 'Thirty old Ming Jing, fifty young Jinshi', which is enough to explain the difficulty of the scientific examination in high school." If Your Majesty restricts the age of participation in the imperial examination, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the scholars in the world, and the ministers would dare to ask Your Majesty to retract his fate. ”

Zheng De smiled and looked at him disapprehantly, "I heard that Zhang Qing was the champion, but I don't know how old Zhang Qing was at that time?" ”

Zhang Sheng didn't know how the emperor asked about this, but he replied, "At that time, the minister was twenty-eight years old. ”

Zheng De nodded, "Elder Xie Ge seems to be also from the top rank, and the eleventh jinshi and the first in Chenghua are only seven out of twenty. Besides, who of our six departments and nine qings plus the three pavilion elders is a jinshi after the age of forty? ”

Hearing the emperor's question, Zhang Sheng was speechless for a while. After all, what the emperor said is also true, but it still feels awkward.

"Even if you are full of wealth, it is not that you are speechless when I ask." Zheng De couldn't help but smile, and finally let out a bad breath at this old stubborn, "I set an age limit for participating in the scientific examination, restricting those who are keen on fame and fortune, and preventing some people from spending their lives for fame, isn't it a pity?" After all, 360 lines are the champions, why do you have to be keen on officialdom? ”

Zhang Sheng nodded subconsciously, obviously agreeing with Zheng De's words.

"Confucius once said: 'Thirty and stand, forty is not confused', if a person reaches the age of forty and still can't see where his life should be, and he doesn't know that his parents are old and need you to support him, and his wife and children are weak and young and need you to support him, and if he doesn't even understand the responsibilities on his shoulders, what can he do for my people?"

Zheng De's words were deafening, and even Confucius moved out, so that Zhang Sheng had nothing to say at this time.

"Of course, this restriction will not be implemented immediately." Zheng De paused slightly, naturally knowing that this kind of thing could not be rushed, and those scholars who were over forty years old had to be given a chance.

"The next scientific expedition should be three years of Zhengde!" Zheng De looked at Zhang Sheng, and saw that the latter bowed slightly before continuing, "This measure of the age limit for scientific research will be implemented after Zhengde's three-year scientific examination, what does Zhang Qing think?" ”

"This minister can't be the master." Zhang Sheng sighed lightly, after all, the relationship was too big, and he still didn't dare to make a decision.

"I know you can't be the master." Zheng De couldn't help but ridicule when he heard this, he was too bold to do things, and he always talked about the "ancestral system", no wonder the ability rating was so low, and I don't know how he got into the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, it is estimated that nine times out of ten it is also the blessing of his top laurel. In the end, he couldn't bear to sneer, "I just want to ask your opinion." ”

Zhang Sheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, and finally turned into a helpless sigh. Even the most dull person understands that he has completely annoyed the emperor today, and it is estimated that his career will be cut off. However, I don't feel much pity when I think that after all, for the sake of Daming, I have a piece of loyalty to the world, and I have sat in the high position of the Ministry of Rites.

"I'm getting older, and I haven't been back to my hometown for many years, is it time to consider saying goodbye to my hometown and returning to my hometown?"

He suddenly had the idea of Zhishi, but when he thought of the six departments and nine Qings of the Central Committee, he seemed to be his youngest, so he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "Did you leave too early?" ”

In the end, he didn't even know how he got out of the Forbidden City, he only felt that his heart was heavy, and he really didn't know where the road ahead was.