The capital Liulichang has become the main gathering place for the scholars after participating in the palace examination, and there are also a large number of guild halls here to entertain these scholars who are rushing to take the exam.

The local guild halls in the Ming Dynasty were greatly developed.

Just after participating in the palace examination, the interest of the scholars is very high, and they have gone to the restaurant in groups to gather, the atmosphere is very warm, and the scholars are chanting poems and talking about the wind and moon, and the atmosphere is naturally very warm and harmonious. But when a group of scholars got together, they inevitably had to discuss current affairs, and soon ignited the powder keg.

"Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have been light commercial taxes to benefit the people, and there has been no precedent for levying high commercial taxes. Today, the imperial court wantonly collects and scrapes commercial taxes in Beizhili, which is actually a maladministration. If this continues, the people of Beizhili are afraid of suffering! A gentleman from Jiangnan was drunk, and his courage suddenly became stronger, and he began to openly criticize the current affairs. That's what they did in Jiangnan, and when they were unhappy, they criticized the current affairs, and then they were happy.

"I'm afraid I'm drunk! We have been in the capital for so long to catch the exam, have we ever seen a person who is hungry? It is alarmist that the imposition of a commercial tax will cause the people of Lebanon to suffer. A gentleman frowned and retorted.

The grumbling gentleman looked like he was constipated on the spot, and he blushed and said in a loud voice: "That's because you didn't see it, Beizhili was ruined by the tax bureau." ”

"Alright! Maybe I didn't see it below. But in the next place, I saw that all industries in Beizhili were prosperous, and the income of ordinary people was not inferior to that of Jiangnan. It is even higher than the people in the south of the Yangtze River, and the people in the north of Zhili have 30 yuan for a day's work, and the people in Jiangnan now only have more than 20 yuan for a day's work. ”

"Not bad. Today's saints have been reformed since they were in Beizhili. I don't know how much better the life of the people of Beizhili is. So much so that now. The people of the surrounding provinces have entered Beizhili like a spring to make a living, and in terms of people's livelihood, Beizhili is now getting better and better. ”

Many scholars expressed their support for Zhu Youxiao's reform in Beizhili, but there were obviously more objections, but they were short of words for a while, but they fell behind.

But there was always no shortage of eloquent people, and soon some opposing scholars spoke up: "This is just an appearance, the people of Beizhili have a salary of thirty wen a day." However, grain in the north is more expensive than in Jiangnan, and the prices of various goods are also more expensive than in Jiangnan. On the surface, there are 30 texts, but in fact they are not as good as the 20 texts of the people in Jiangnan. ”

"Jiangnan is a prosperous place in the world, and the previous Beizhili is naturally much worse than Jiangnan, but now the people's livelihood is catching up with Jiangnan, which is the success of the reform. Moreover, when it comes to grain prices, the people of Beizhili can buy affordable grain, and the price is lower than that in Jiangnan. The most important thing is that all industries in Beizhili are thriving. Ordinary people have something to do. Compared with the previous situation of the withering of all industries in the north, it has been a earth-shaking change. A small man stood up and said, "The most important thing is that." Beizhili can now produce a large number of steel, coal, cotton cloth and other goods, and also began to export a large number of goods, so if this development continues, I am afraid that sooner or later the people's livelihood will exceed Jiangnan. ”

"Ridiculous, there is a fixed number of goods in the world, since Beizhili has more output, won't the output of other provinces be unsellable. At that time, the people of other provinces had nothing to do, and they did not change. A gentleman who opposed the imposition of commercial taxes jumped out with a roar, and opened his mouth to be a set of fallacies.

"Brother Tai, there are more goods, and everyone can get more. Just like when we plant a fruit tree, there are only 10 fruits, and it is naturally insufficient to distribute them to all the people present. But this fruit tree bears a hundred fruits, and it is enough to give them to you. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would get a few fruits when the time came? What is a definite number? Is there still someone who stipulates how many fruits you can only eat every day? How much to eat? The small gentleman scoffed.

"This, this, this, but with the collection of commercial taxes, merchants could have benefited the people, but now they are not profitable." The gentleman stammered for a long time, and then held back another set of statements.

"Ridiculous, the world's businessmen, most of them are in business, and how many will benefit the people? To put it bluntly, it is you merchants who want more fruit, so that I am now not suffering from widowhood but suffering from inequality. Today, Zi Shengming, seeing that there are too many fruits in the hands of the merchants, and too little fruit in the hands of the people, this is why the commercial tax must be levied, and the fruits will be collected first, and then the fruits will be even, so that the people of the Ming Dynasty can live and work in peace and contentment. This is the real policy for the benefit of the country and the people. ”

"Ridiculous, really ridiculous, different ways do not conspire with each other." The arguing gentleman was speechless, flicked his sleeves angrily, and left the table directly. When the other scholars who opposed the levy of commercial taxes saw this atmosphere, they really did not agree with each other, and they also left the table one after another, but when they left the table, they were more polite and bowed their hands to the others.

After a while, Hulala was mostly gone.

There was only a group of scholars left, but they also felt at ease. The atmosphere soon became warm again, and a thirty-five or sixteen-year-old scholar bowed his hand to the not tall scholar and said: "In Xia Huang Zhoudao, just now Brother Tai saw the big from the small, and the analysis in simple terms really made me suddenly bright, I don't know Brother Tai's surname?" ”

"Don't dare, don't dare, brother Xian has been promoted, junior brother Jiang Dejing." Jiang Dejing, who was not tall, hurriedly said modestly.

"Listen to the accent of Brother Xian, it's a southerner, right? It's no wonder that they know so much about the way of farming. Huang Zhou said with a smile, Jiang Dejing smiled: "Little brother, I am from Quanzhou, and I have indeed had a lot of contact with goods since I was a child. ”

Huang Zhoudao said at this time: "In this palace exam, the first question is probably quite meaningful!" ”

"The Son of Heaven's intention is already obvious, but I don't know who can be the first in high school." Jiang Dejing nodded, and Huang Zhoudao said: "With a virtuous brother, maybe he will be the first in high school!" ”

"Brother Xian praised." Jiang Dejing has no bottom in his heart, who can know the meaning of heaven!

A few days later, it was finally time to release the list.

The result was both expected and unexpected. More than 100 people who were in favor of collecting commercial taxes were all ranked second-class. And the more than 300 scholars who did not approve of the collection of commercial taxes were all ranked in the top three.

One of the first three people, the champion Huang Zhoudao. Jiang Dejing. Tanhua Sun Chuanting.

I have to say. Zhu Youxiao's luck was very good, and he picked out the three most elite talents of the Nonxu Branch. Although Zhu Youxiao does not know Huang Zhoudao and Jiang Dejing, people who are familiar with the history of the late Ming Dynasty will definitely not be strangers to these two people.

Huang Zhoudao is definitely a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, when Chongzhen first came to the throne, he saw the urine nature of the Donglin Party, and suggested that Chongzhen be far from a villain and a gentleman. As a result, Chongzhen didn't listen. Huang Zhoudao could only resign and escape the world. Later, Chongzhen had been the emperor for a long time, and finally found that the Donglin Party had messed up the country, so he remembered Huang Zhoudao, so he recalled Huang Zhoudao again. But at the imperial meeting, Huang Zhoudao and Yang Sichang had a dispute again, Chongzhen did not choose to speak, saying that Huang Zhoudao only had one mouth, which was too hurtful, and Huang Zhoudao returned in vain this time.

Later, it was proved that Yang Sichang's salary was increased. It is the giant pit that dragged the Ming Dynasty into the abyss. A large number of people could not afford to pay the additional assignment, and they were urged by the government. So much so that the people were forced to rebel. The thieves are getting stronger and stronger, and the extra money is not enough to exterminate the anti-thieves who have sprung up like mushrooms.

After the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs, Huang Zhoudao rebelled, although some of the unwise people who hit the stone with an egg, and were finally captured by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and they were brave and righteous, but their integrity and character had to be admired.

Compared with Lu Xiangsheng's talent as a general, Huang Zhoudao is obviously a talent who can see the situation clearly and truly govern the country for the country. This kind of talent grows up, just like an old minister like Yuan Keli, and is definitely the mainstay. Although Yuan Keli is the mainstay at this time, it is a pity that he is old, and he has not many years to do things for Zhu Youxiao.

At this time, Huang Zhoudao, who was thirty-six years old, was still in the prime of life, and he could work for Zhu Youxiao for a long time.

Huang Zhoudao was able to enter Zhu Youxiao's eyes, mainly because Huang Zhoudao answered very well the policy questions about the administration of officials in the palace examination, and put forward many feasible and valuable plans, so he was handpicked by Zhu Youxiao as a first-class champion.

Jiang Dejing was able to enter Zhu Youxiao's eyes because he had something to say in financial management, and he was very outstanding among a group of Confucian scholars who were not good at financial management.

Historically, Jiang Dejing is indeed known for being good at financial management, and pays attention to details, in the "Imperial Atlas of Prepared Borders" compiled by him, the number of new and old soldiers in the nine-border and sixteen towns, as well as the details of tun, salt, people's movement, grain, and horse prices are all clearly written.

This kind of attention to detail is the most popular employee among the boss.

Zhu Youxiao, who discovered these two talents, appointed them as champions and role models, and Lu Xiangsheng was appointed as Tanhua, although he had the deepest impression of Lu Xiangsheng, and had no impression of Huang Zhoudao and Jiang Dejing, but there was no need to pull Lu Xiangsheng too high, too conspicuous and not very good.

After the list was released, Huang Zhoudao, Jiang Dejing and Lu Xiangsheng all didn't react for a while. They are clearly far ahead of their psychological expectations that they can be ranked first.

What they didn't expect was that on the day of the list, Zhu Youxiao invited all these second-class and above jinshi to the palace for a banquet.

As for those top three jinshi, let's stay where it's cool!

At this banquet, Zhu Youxiao very warmly entertained these hundreds of scholars, these are all new 'employees' whose ideology is in line with their hearts, as the boss, they naturally want to hold a banquet, as a meeting.

After a banquet, this group of scholars only felt that the emperor was approachable and benevolent, without the arrogance and frivolity of young people.

The banquet lasted for more than half an hour before it ended, and when a group of scholars walked out of the palace gate, they couldn't help but sigh.

"When I see the Holy One today, I am really the King of Wisdom. It is a blessing to be able to assist the saints today! ”

"Yes! Oh, yes! Although the saint is only considered to have just reached adulthood, his governance, treatment of people, and open-mindedness are all excellent. "Sun Zhiqi, who had just won the second grade, when he walked out of the palace gate, he even boasted about Zhu Youxiao.

I have to say that Sun Zhiqi, the scum who promoted shaving his hair in history, has become a fish that slipped through the net in this imperial examination. Obviously, Zhu Youxiao has no impression of this person, and his performance in the palace examination can only be regarded as upper-middle, but his ideology is right, so he won the ranking of the top two and the upper middle.

But from the emperor's point of view, a person like Sun Zhiqi is obviously a good dog. Historically, Sun Zhiqi became the so-called eunuch party because he catered to the emperor's taste during the Apocalypse. When the Emperor of the Apocalypse died and Chongzhen came to power, he wanted to destroy the "Three Dynasties Canon", and only Sun Zhiqi was crying and fighting among the ministers. It can be said that he was originally an official who was not bad, and he still had a little conscience.

"The Three Dynasties Canon" was made by the Emperor of the Apocalypse to Wei Zhongxian, summarizing the three major cases in the late Ming Dynasty, and the specific content was set right, and it was naturally normal for the Donglin Party to ban it after it took office. Sun Zhiqi jumped out alone to cry and fight, and in the end, of course, he became a martyr, was dismissed and returned to his hometown, and was no longer hired.

Maybe he saw through the Ming Dynasty, and he was also completely branded as a 'eunuch', so he simply broke the jar and catered to the full liquidation. Shaving hair, even if Sun Zhiqi doesn't do it, someone will do it after all. It's just that he started, so everyone threw the black cauldron to Sun Zhiqi. Those Ming officials who surrendered to the Manchu Qing Dynasty did not all end up shaving their heads one by one. (To be continued......)

PS: It's a change today, and it's going to be charged today.