He suffered from lung disease (qi disease) and was not suitable for the damp old palace of Juzong, but he insisted on living in the old palace of the Sui Dynasty for a long time, and did not go on a construction project just because of his health or enjoyment. Even when the Turks invaded Li Shimin in person, he did not think of his own safety, but the blessings and misfortunes of the people of the country.

Some of the old subordinates who had followed Li Shimin for a long time were not promoted, and they complained. After he found out, he said to everyone: "Only when the emperor has no selfishness can he convince the people of the world." The clothes and meals that you and I wear every day are provided by the common people. Therefore, official positions are set up for the people, and the state should appoint meritocrats. How can it be prioritized by intimacy? This is not the right way to deal with government affairs! ”

In 629, floods broke out in many places, and a large number of fertile fields were flooded. Li Shimin sent envoys to the disaster area to offer condolences and relief to the victims. Even though the common people are running back and forth just to get a bite of food, no one complains. Because they knew that their emperor had not abandoned them.

In the second year, the whole country ===3.== had a bumper harvest, and the people scattered all over the country returned to their hometowns. The people are willing to continue to invest more effort in a prosperous Datang with their own strong vitality.

☆ Shimin stipulates that Beijing officials above the fifth grade often take turns to stay in the middle school to teach duty. Then, they met with them one by one and inquired in detail about the people's woes and the gains and losses of the policies. He also arranged for competent ministers to tour the world, supervise officials across the country, comfort the elderly, and provide relief to the poor. Li Shimin admonished them: "Wherever you go, just like I personally go to them, you must attach great importance to them, and you must not be perfunctory. ”

☆ The people of the world know the folk customs of ethnic groups in many areas, and are considerate of the people's feelings, and treat ethnic minority areas equally. The military and political governor of Yizhou (Dadu Governor) reported that the "fangren" (a local ethnic minority) were showing signs of rebellion. Ask the imperial court to send troops to fight. Li Shimin said: "I know this. They live near mountains and rivers, and often lurk during the day and come out to hunt at night. This is their custom. If the local officials could be appeased with favor and faithfulness, they would be convinced and submitted.

°We must not treat them like beasts. Killing them with the army at every turn, is this what parents and officials should do? Therefore, he ordered the local government of Yizhou not to act rashly, and after the pacification, the turmoil quickly subsided.

He also often held forums to discuss statecraft with his ministers. Conduct collective political study, sum up the gains and losses of experience, and take history as a mirror. There is no end to learning, n Shimin's team is a learning team, so it is invincible. Once, he said to the ministers: "In the past, Dayu chiseled the mountain to control the water, but the people did not complain. for it is good for the people. Qin Shi Huang built himself a magnificent palace, and the people resented it and rebelled, because it was only to satisfy their own selfish desires.

No one doesn't like great treasures, but if you can't restrain yourself from indulgence, then death is just around the corner. I wanted to build a palace, and the materials were ready to stop, but I stopped borrowing from the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty. Therefore, you must be deeply aware of my intentions. ”

"I am the leader of all the people, and I want to make them rich. Now teach them manners and righteousness. Make them respect the younger and respect the older, and the husband and wife respect each other. Then the people will be honored. The light and meager endowment makes them live and work in peace and contentment. So. Then the people will be rich. It can make every household self-sufficient, I just don't listen to orchestral music, I have fun in it! ”

He was discussing with his ministers how to prevent thieves. Some plead for the heaviest punishment to prohibit it. He smiled and said, "The reason why the common people are thieves is because of the excessive taxation and excessive forced labor. Coupled with the tyranny of corrupt officials. …

They felt unbearable, and they were forced by hunger and cold. only to take risks without regard for shame. We should be diligent and thrifty, be light and thin, and choose honest officials, so that the common people will not have to worry about food and clothing, and naturally no one will want to be thieves.

In this way, there is no need for harsh punishments. "Huh. As a result, Li Shimin ordered the relevant departments to revise the law and reduce the number of crimes for which the death penalty was imposed to 90. In 2011, after the new amendment to the Criminal Code was passed, the number of death penalty crimes retained in China was reduced from 68 to 55.

In addition, as long as the death penalty is a death sentence, three reviews must be organized, and five reviews are required in places outside the Kyoto Division. On the day of the execution, the relevant departments in charge of the rituals and banquets of the central government (the Taichang Department and the Shangshu Food Prison) are not allowed to drink alcohol or play music and entertainment, as a sign of prudence for the death penalty and respect for life.

Li Shimin has come to understand the political and legal principle that "human life is of the utmost importance and no wanton murder should be made." As a result, the legal system during the Zhenguan period was surprisingly good, with fewer offenders and fewer sentenced to death. This can't help but remind people of the surprisingly few death penalty cases in the Li Shimin era.

In the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), only 29 people were sentenced to death in the country! Next, his people-oriented benevolent government measures will have a miraculous effect. Because he touched the souls of many people, the effect of his rule was also richly rewarded. Among the rulers of the past and present, this is the true benevolence and wisdom. In fact, China has always attached great importance to the use of the death penalty since ancient times.

Even now, China still has the highest number of executions in the world each year. In 2001, 3,048 people were executed in the world, and China accounted for 2,468 of them! In that year (632 years of Zhenguan), Li Shimin checked the roster of death row inmates, and personally visited the prison, and saw that the people sentenced to death were extremely sad, and he was very sympathetic. They were asked to go home and visit them, and then rush back the following autumn to receive the death penalty. When it was time for the execution, only one of the death row inmates who had been temporarily released did not return on time.

After investigation by the local officials where the person was located, the person was drowned by a sudden flash flood because of the torrential rain when he was returning home. Li Shimin sighed: "They are really my kind and good people! "An immediate order was placed that all death row inmates should be acquitted. As for the person who could not come back on time due to his death, Li Shimin comforted his family according to the "sacrifice in the line of duty" and sent envoys to mourn.

Where can we look for such a sensible and charismatic monarch and this era that everyone yearns for? This almost reached the highest standard of the legal system of feudal society - "criminal measures" can be exempted from punishment.

Li Shimin regarded the people as the foundation of the country and realized that he should take the lead in setting an example. He raised the idea of "people-oriented" to an unprecedented height. And make it wear throughout the process of governing the country. Only by properly handling the relationship with the common people can the world achieve long-term peace and stability. Such a great era cannot be created by Li Shimin alone. He also needed a large number of capable officials to serve him. So, how did the important officials of the Tang government mainly come about? This has to talk about a very remarkable system - the imperial examination system.

The imperial examination system was founded in the Sui Dynasty. But the Sui Dynasty was too short-lived, so it was the Tang Dynasty that really carried it forward. Before the implementation of the imperial examination system, the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties mainly used the nine-rank Zhongzheng system to select officials, and the large and small "Zhongzheng officials" selected and recommended talents. But over time, the system has become decaying, and the power to select officials has been held by some high-level "big families". As a result, social and national political life has lost its vitality and social injustice has intensified.

After Li Shimin obtained the highest power, in order to attract and select talents and improve the efficiency of family management, he firmly grasped the magic wand of power. It was decided to fully implement the imperial examination system and select outstanding talents to manage the country. The imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty was divided into two types: the system and the regular examination (also known as the "tribute examination"). …

The system was presided over by the emperor himself, it was a temporary examination, mainly to recruit specialized personnel in a certain field, completely depending on the need, and there were as many as 50 or 60 kinds of subjects, such as the examination of virtuous and upright, outspoken and good advice, erudition, military strategy, etc., and the common people and officials could participate. However, the ceremony is not held very often. Very few people were admitted, and their status in the imperial examination was not important. Therefore, what we want to focus on, and what we often say, actually refers to the "standing examination".

Changju was presided over by the Organization Department of the Central Committee (Ministry of Officials), and after the twenty-fourth year of Li Longji's Kaiyuan (736), it was changed to the Ministry of Education (Ministry of Rites). There are mainly Xiucai, Ming Jing (examining the memory of the classics and some current affairs), Jinshi (examining the Confucian classics and 5 current political issues), Ming Fa (examining various laws and regulations of the Tang Dynasty), Ming Shu (examining the philological knowledge such as "Shuowen Jie Zi" and "Zilin"), and Ming Calculation

(Examination of the mathematical knowledge of books such as "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" and "Zhou Ji Shujing"), Daoju (examination of the Taoist doctrine of Laozi, Zhuangzi and others), Tongzi (children under the age of 10 who can be proficient in Confucian classics can participate.) Those who can recite 10 volumes can get official positions) and other eight subjects, the most important of which are the two subjects of Ming Jing and Jinshi. The Ming Jing exam mainly tests the candidate's memory and understanding of the Confucian classics, and also looks at whether the candidate pays attention to current affairs. The acceptance rate is about 12 out of 10, which is relatively easy.

The Jinshi course is more comprehensive. In addition to the examination of Confucian classics and current affairs, the main examination is poetry. The acceptance rate of Jinshi in the Tang Dynasty was very low. About 1-2%. Therefore, at that time, people said: "At the age of 30, Zhongmingjing is already considered to be relatively old, and at the age of 50, Zhongjinshi is still relatively young." ”

It is very difficult to get in the Jinshi examination, but once you are admitted, you will have a great future, a faster promotion, and it is easier to soar, and most of the prime ministers in the middle and late Tang Dynasty were born as Jinshi.

At that time, Jinshi was the preferred way and "right path" for scholars to become officials, and it was in a dominant position in the imperial examination. However, the Tang Dynasty imperial examination was only qualified to be an official, and if you want to officially enter the official career, you must go through the selection presided over by the Ministry of Officials, which is called the "Liberation Brown Test".

Then through the guò interview and the government decree Q&A and other links to conduct the assessment, through the guò assessment is awarded the official position. Wang Dingbao, a scholar of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, recorded in his notebook "Tang Ji (zhí) Yan": "Even if a high-ranking official is a very good minister, as long as he is not from a Jinshi background, it is a pity after all." ”

After the Song Dynasty, the other subjects of the imperial examination were basically left with an empty name, and the Jinshi Department gradually became the only subject. Watching the long queue of scholars rushing in to participate in the imperial examination, Li Shimin felt very down-to-earth.

An examination system has tied you to death all your life, and you will no longer think crankily and toss around, won't the world be peaceful now? So, Li Shimin said proudly: "The heroes of the world have all entered my pocket." ”

But it's worth noting:

First, in the early Tang Dynasty, merchants and their children who were subject to the tradition of heavy agriculture and suppression of commerce did not have the right to participate in the imperial examinations. After the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the social status of merchants improved, and these talents were gradually allowed to participate in the imperial examinations as officials.

Second, on the whole, in the early Tang Dynasty, most of them were skilled and had prominent family backgrounds. The proportion of officials who are truly qualified for the imperial examination is very limited.

A few decades later, from the reign of Li Xian Shenlong of Tang Zhongzong (705-707). In order to encourage the first jinshi, the emperor would give a banquet in the Qujiang Pond in the southeast corner of Chang'an to celebrate.

After the new science and technology junior (examination and first). Everyone is here to have fun, enjoy the warm spring sun, and enjoy the glorious moments of life. Everyone puts the cup on the plate, and then puts the plate on the flowing water, and the plate turns with the water, drifting lightly, and whoever turns to it will hold the cup and drink freely.

This event was called "Qujiang Liuyin" and later became one of the famous "Eight Views of Chang'an". Then, the jinshi will gather under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the Great Ci'en Temple to inscribe their names (those who have won the martial arts are in the Little Wild Goose Pagoda) to put their names and moods. Solemnly inscribed on the walls of the temple, this cultural event is known as the "Wild Goose Pagoda Inscription". …

More than 100 years later, 27-year-old Bai Juyi won the first place in one fell swoop, and couldn't hold back his joy, and wrote the poem "The inscription under the Grace Tower, the youngest of the seventeen people", which was passed down as a good story for a while. What an honor it is to be the youngest of the 17 fellow scholars (in the same year)! But after waiting for 8 years, he was appointed to the actual position - the director of the Zhouzhi County Public Security Bureau (county lieutenant).

And Meng Jiao finally passed the exam at the age of 46 (797). Thinking that his shabby life was coming to an end, he was excited, and immediately wrote a popular poem - "After Dengke". I believe that it can represent the state of mind of a considerable number of successful readers:

In the past, it was not enough to boast, but now there is no end to debauchery.

The spring breeze is proud, and you can see all the Chang'an flowers in one day.

"Qujiang Flowing Drink" and "Wild Goose Pagoda Inscription" are the most dreamed of life pleasures for scholars in the Tang Dynasty. They will work hard for this, perhaps exhausting their youth and wisdom. Even in the Ming Dynasty more than 900 years later, in the nineteenth year of Jiajing (1540), the Shaanxi Township Examination (the provincial imperial examination of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is held once every 3 years, and those who take the exam are called "lifting people". The first person is called "Xie Yuan", and if he wins the promotion, he has the qualifications to be an official. This is the case with "Fan Jinzhongju") The inscription of the inscription has: "The name of the wild goose pagoda is between heaven and earth, the first-rate people, and the first-class things." "Although it is two levels lower than the Jinshi of the Tang Dynasty, everyone still has to leave their names on that famous wall, and the scenery is beautiful and showy. That's quite proud!

China's imperial examination system began in the first year of the Sui Dynasty (605) and was abolished in the 31st year of Guangxu (1905) of the Qing Dynasty, which lasted for more than 1,300 years. The acceptance rate of the imperial examination is surprisingly low, so even if there are many people who are famous in Sun Shan, they can definitely be called masters or scholars of Chinese studies until now. Taking Jinshi as an example, the average annual number of admissions in the Tang Dynasty was about 30.

During the Li Yuan and Li Shimin periods, there were about 10 people per year on average, and more than 20 people during the Li Zhi period, of which 79 people were admitted in the fourth year of Xianheng (673), which was the highest number in the entire Tang Dynasty! In the Song Dynasty, the number reached two or three hundred or even four or five hundred at a time, but it was still very cruel compared to the huge team of scholars. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the formal imperial examination was divided into three levels: the township examination, the meeting examination, and the palace examination, and the competition was still very fierce.

After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the scale of scientific examinations in various provinces ranged from four or five thousand to tens of thousands, and the average admission rate of township examinations was basically less than 10 percent, but this was too slim for thousands of students. The low admission rate was formed under the control of the imperial court, and was not the result of completely free competition.

And the reason for the regulation is that the admission of a candidate means that the state must set up an official position and prepare a salary! The imperial examination process was extremely difficult, and the average age of the Qing Dynasty Jinshi was around 37 years old. Some people compare the current college entrance examination with the ancient imperial examination system, but it is actually inappropriate.

Our 2012 National College Entrance Examination acceptance rate has been as high as 75%! Because the imperial examination is the selection of officials, admitting one person may have to prepare for a civil service position! The college entrance examination is only for colleges and universities to select talents, and it is not linked to work and employment. Therefore, today's college entrance examination is by no means the same as the imperial examination in ancient times.

In this way, we can understand why the 54-year-old Fan Jinzhong went crazy after the lift. "The seventh place in the Guangdong Township Examination of your old man Fan Jin High School is Yayuan", which is equivalent to the "seventh place in the Guangdong Provincial College Entrance Examination" that year, it is strange if you are not crazy! There is an idiom in our country called Lianzhong Sanyuan (also known as "Sanyuan and the first"), that is to say, when a person wants to take the township test, he has to understand the yuan, when he will take the test, he will get the yuan, and when he will take the palace test, he will get the champion, and he will take the first place in the three exams.

The odds are even lower than winning a lottery ticket! According to historical records, in the more than 1,300 years since the imperial examination system was implemented, there were only 13 people in the three yuans, which happened to be one every 100 years on average! They are: Cui Yuanhan (781, mistaken as "Zhun Yuanhan" in some sources) and Zhang Youxin (814) in the Tang Dynasty, Sun He (992), Wang Zeng (1002), Song Zhen (1024), Yang Zhi (1042), Feng Jing (1049), Wang Yansuo (1061, mistaken as "Wang Ruosuo" in some sources), Meng Songxian (1163) in the Jin Dynasty, Wang Chongzhe (1348) in the Yuan Dynasty, Shang Zhen (ù, 1445) in the Ming Dynasty, Li Qi's Qian Wei (1781) and Chen Jichang (1820) of the Qing Dynasty. …

These people are all "examination experts" with real talents, and the Song Dynasty appeared the most, accounting for six of the 13 people, nearly half! This is the result of the Song Dynasty's "emphasis on literature over martial arts", and that dynasty attached great importance to culture and education.

The selection of officials by examination is one of the great creations of ancient Chinese politics. From a historical point of view, the imperial examination system is a genius system. Dr. Sun Yat-sen admired the imperial examination system, and he said in the "Five Rights Constitution" that "the imperial examination is the oldest and best system used in the world to extract real talents."

Westerners have called it "China's fifth greatest invention", and Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, and Rousseau have all expressed their amazement and admiration at the principle of fairness embodied in the imperial examination.

The spread of the imperial examination system to Europe and the United States is a major contribution of China to the process of world civilization. Since modern times in the West, the civil service system and civil service system have been influenced by the imperial examination system in ancient China. The principle of "fair competition, equality and merit" embodied by it is its vitality. Plato, the famous philosopher of ancient Greece, envisioned the establishment of a country ruled by intellectuals in "The Ideal State".

China's imperial examinations also had a profound impact on neighboring Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Japan is a good learner, and its consistent open-mindedness and earnest work have made it full of vitality, and it has seized the opportunity several times to change its national fortunes. The Taika Reform, the Meiji Restoration, and the post-World War II reform and rise are all the same. Japan learns Tang culture, almost completely Tang.

However, it has not emulated the imperial examination system and the eunuch system, which is worth pondering. Among them, Vietnam's imperial examination system was abolished in 1919, which is the latest country in the world to abolish the imperial examination system, 14 years later than China.

In short, the scope of the imperial examination is much broader than that of the Jiupin Zhongzheng system, and ordinary landlords and children of peasant families can participate. As a result, the traditional "big families" have dealt a heavy blow to the forces, and the use of human rights has been firmly controlled by the central government. At that time, the talents obtained from the imperial examination were basically high-level intellectuals with real talent and real learning, and a large number of shrewd and capable ministers were recruited for the government.

This has greatly improved the quality of officials and is also conducive to the prosperity of cultural and educational undertakings. As for the destruction of scholars by the "Eight Strands", it was already more than 1,000 years later in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The purpose of education under the imperial examination system is examination, the purpose of examination is to be an official, and the purpose of being an official is privilege. If you want to be rich and rich, you must have to take the exam, and if you want to be an official, you must obey the orders of the court. As a result, after many years, people's individuality and creative power were lost, which is also the reason why the imperial examination eventually became an obstacle to social development.

In the system of electing officials, Li Shimin has persisted in starting from the beginning to the end, and has done a remarkable job, and has achieved great results. In terms of land, he also has an important measure to benefit the people - the equalization system. (To be continued......)

The second forty-seven chapters [Heavenly Khan].

The second forty-seven chapters [Heavenly Khan],: