In the early spring, Zhang Hongbin had already begun to reorganize his armaments, and the next targets were Haoyang County and Hancheng County.

According to the current sphere of influence, as long as these two places are captured, then Tongzhou is almost an isolated city. There were 30,000 people in the battle this time, of which 20,000 were new recruits.

The opposite of martial affairs is civil affairs, and since the beginning of the spring Zhang Hongbin instructed to hold a civil service examination, the entire Salvation Army force has been busy.

Originally, being able to be an official was naturally a favorite for everyone, but this civil service exam was so different. What really made the officials of Pucheng County, Huanglong County, Baishui County, and Chengcheng County depressed was that they also had to take this exam, including the county lieutenants and county officials below them.

It has been more than a year since they have been trapped in the den of thieves, and according to Zhang Hongbin's meaning, they have begun to learn to complete government affairs independently, and since then they have no time to recite poems and write poems. From the initial laymen in government affairs to rough knowledge, now they boast that they have been able to control local government affairs, at least not as busy as before, and they have three or four hours a day to relax.

They also have to take this civil service exam, as the name suggests, Zhang Hongbin needs to test their learning consciousness. Those who are passable should be laid off, and those who are willing to learn and make progress should be praised and recognized, and at the same time can be used as candidates for promotion.

Yes, Zhang Hongbin has already seen clearly, as long as these counties are still nominally under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, then anything he does will be concealed by the courtiers above in the end. Everyone knows that Chongzhen is the most upset now, if the situation in these places is truthfully reported, it may bring some trouble to Zhang Hongbin, but it will also make a group of people in the court get out of class.

Many of them have behind-the-scenes interests and supporters, and their main purpose in becoming officials is to seek benefits for themselves and their behind-the-scenes supporters. As for the consciousness of seeking benefits for the Ming Dynasty, I'm sorry it's really thin. Even if there is, it will only be carried out if the first two interests are not harmed.

Shaanxi, at least Tongzhou is a rare paradise, at least in northern Shaanxi, where bandits are rampant, except for a Salvation Army active, occasionally coming out to rob merchants and kidnapping rich daughters, but there is no situation of conquering the city. Well, that's what the courtiers reported.

It's just that they have been depressed recently, Zhang Hongbin's civil service examination is too open, which does make them see some opportunities, but they also have a headache for this, this is to stand up and make it clear that they want to change the dynasty! It's not so easy to cover it.

But it doesn't matter, Chongzhen has a lot of opportunities, as long as he fools the past at this stage, he will naturally forget about it for a while. Even if you don't forget it, it doesn't matter, there will naturally be other means to fool the past. Anyway, Tongzhou is still the territory of the Ming Dynasty, which is necessary and inevitable.

After a busy month, Li Dingguo and Yang Hong have surrounded Heyang County and Hancheng County, and are waiting for the final preparations for the siege.

And Baishui County has become the most prosperous place in Shaanxi at this moment.

In order to participate in this exam, whether they want to or not, officials and candidates of all sizes have come here to register for the exam. It's just that Zhang Hongbin regrets that there are not many craftsmen, businessmen and farmers who have signed up for the exam, and the most are the children of merchants, and the peasants and the working class have been oppressed for too long.

But as long as there is, that's fine, and it will be held every four years in the future, and I believe that this proportion will get bigger and bigger.

The inns in the entire Baishui County are full, but there are too many candidates, so many residents rent out their houses for a room or something, which gives them another extra income. As for the tavern in Whitewater, it is naturally full every day.

"Brother Lin, are you also here to take the exam?" On the top of the largest restaurant in Baishui, a literati accidentally discovered an acquaintance.

"Isn't this Brother Mo? How, are you also interested in taking this exam? The scribe surnamed Lin said in surprise.

"It wasn't my wish, but my uncle's letter compelled me to come and attend." The literati surnamed Mo shook his head self-deprecatingly.

"Actually, I didn't bother to participate, but my father insisted that I participate." The literati surnamed Lin also cried and laughed.

"How many of them were forced by their families to take the test?" At this time, two strange literati came together.

"Are you ......," the literati surnamed Lin and Mo asked suspiciously.

"I am Guan Dao, a local talent in Shaanxi, and this is Li Luo from Jiangsu, and I was also rushed by my family to take the exam." Turning off the knife is self-heating.

"It turned out to be Brother Guan and Brother Li, and sit down to talk about it." The literati surnamed Mo don't mind knowing a few more friends, after all, a friend is a connection.

"Before, you two were minding the question of coming here to take the exam?" Before he sat down, Guan Dao asked casually.

"Naturally, this is the case, we are the people of the Ming Dynasty, and we naturally want to be the officials of the Ming Dynasty. But now that this thief is holding a scientific expedition, why should we come to participate? Moreover, you have to deal with a group of craftsmen who are covered in copper stench, or they don't know anything except craftsmanship! "The literati surnamed Mo obviously have a sense of class superiority.

"Haha, in fact, I had the same thoughts as Brother Mo before, but after listening to Brother Li's analysis, I knew what my family thought." Guan Dao smiled, and then motioned to Li Luo to say it again.

As for the other two, they also looked at Li Luo silently, wanting to hear what he had to say.

"In fact, we can't think too pessimistic, the so-called 'the whole world is not the king's land', even if it is occupied by thieves now, could it be that the king will not be able to fight back in the future? Then there will be a question at that time, that is, the officials who accept the thieves and their fate, will the court admit it? Li Luo didn't say the result, but it was enough to start a start.

Everyone is not a fool, and naturally knows what this sentence means: if the imperial court does not admit it, it is a big deal that they continue to take the imperial examination, and with the money earned by being an official for a few years, it is not a problem to get through the relationship, and it is okay to be released as a county order. If you admit it, then everyone will be happy.

After thinking about this, they knew that their families had rushed them over to participate in the scientific expedition. At the same time, in their hearts, there is also a lot of heat.

"Brother Li is talented, but he sees problems thoroughly." The two saluted towards Li Luo.

"It's nothing, in fact, it was revealed by the old father in the family in advance, otherwise I wouldn't have known." Li Luo said embarrassedly.

The three of them soon crooked the building, from the scientific examination to the wind and snow, it is rare that everyone's knowledge is good, but there will be no embarrassing situation, unconsciously this feeling has deepened a lot, and in the end, there is almost no burning yellow paper to worship the handle.

On the other side, in the room of Ma Yu, the magistrate of Baishui County, several official officials also came here.

It was also a banquet, but the atmosphere was not so high.

"Zhang Yaodou, that guy, don't want to come to participate in this scientific expedition?" Ma Yu was a little stunned.

"He said that he was an official of the Ming Dynasty, and that he could only be appointed and dismissed by the officials of the Ming Dynasty, not the Salvation Army." The county magistrate of Chengcheng County smiled bitterly.

"He's a stubborn fellow, doesn't he know that it's the Salvation Army in this area who can talk to people?" Ma Yu sneered.

"It's just that who would have thought that we, the officials, would actually have to take this unknown so-called civil service examination." Pucheng County is depressed.

"It's okay, at least the room we are in is different from the room of those candidates, and it is in the city for the exam, so there is still a bit of face." Ma Yu can be regarded as resigned to his fate, if he really cares about it, his official position will be gone on the day he loses Baishui County, including his small life.

It's better to die than to live, and these days he has personally handled government affairs, but he has also begun to understand some truths. The problem of being fooled by the master in the past is now also a clear door, and he suddenly felt indignant at the previous masters who fooled him so much. He figured it out, he is a county magistrate, where to be a county magistrate, just do his own thing, don't think about the rest, and it's not his turn to think about it.

"By the way, Su Qin, you are the county magistrate of Huanglong County, and you were promoted by the King of Redemption, do you know some of the inside stories?" The county magistrate of Pucheng County quickly realized a problem.

The Huanglongshan base has now developed into Huanglong County, and naturally Zhang Hongbin personally selected the county and the county order. This time, he asked him to come over to attend the discussion, and he also did not intend to hide this matter, so as not to make Zhang Hongbin angry.

"I only know that after this scientific expedition, the young master will make certain adjustments to the structure of the county government under his rule, but then he will expand a group of officials. This scientific expedition, one is to make a reserve for future talents, and the other is to test the local county order, whether you have learned some practical things these days. Su Qin from Zhang Hongbin's old team talked eloquently, those who can call the word 'young master' for salvation are all real old people, and only they are qualified to call them that.

"Want to expand? Isn't that ......" Ma Yu seemed to realize a problem.

"Yes, the power of the county order should be thinned, but it's nothing, isn't it the same now? The county magistrate is in charge of government affairs, the county is in charge of lawsuits, and the county lieutenant is in charge of public security. Su Qin said with a smile.

"It's okay, I'm also very busy with government affairs, if I want to do public security and criminal prosecution affairs again, I'm afraid I'm really tired." Ma Yu is also performing in his true colors, in fact, that is also his real experience.

Without the help of his master, he had to do many things himself, and it was not easy to deal with them.

"Haha, we are also very busy dealing with criminal prosecutions, if I am asked to deal with other things, I am afraid that I will not be able to do anything." The county officials are also calm.

Well, obviously in this scientific expedition, they generally will not have much chance of being replaced, except for Zhang Yaodou, who does not know the current affairs. Based on their familiarity with their jobs these days, they think they can still pass the guò exam.

Thinking about this, the atmosphere of the banquet was also loosened a lot, and everyone exchanged glasses and changed lamps, but they also returned happy.