The territory of Wu is now vast, with 19 counties and more than 200 counties, and there are many officials who need to govern the localities.

For example, Wu County, Yuzhang County, Jiujiang County, Nan County, Nanyang County, located in the area of Jiangnan and Huaisi, developed earlier, quite rich, compared with the plastered land of the Central Plains, are almost the same.

However, nine southern counties, including Cangwu County, Jiaozhi County, and Minzhong County, including Lingnan and southwest, were annexed by Wu for only ten or eight years, and were still in the early stage of development.

In that kind of place, there is a lot of miasma, poisonous insects and beasts are everywhere, and there are some unruly barbarians who do not obey the king, and they are still hiding in the deep mountains to fight guerrilla warfare with the Wu army......

The nine southern counties can be called a real barren land.

In today's Wu officialdom, there is a saying -

"I'd rather be Wu Zhongling, not the southern guard"!

Why?

It is the courtiers and officials of the Wu State, who would rather serve as a county commander in the territory of the Wu State than serve as a county guard in Lingnan and the southwest.

Although the rank of the county guard is more than 2,000 stones, and the rank of the county commander is more than 600 stones, the two are far apart.

But being an official in the nine southern counties is too risky.

In the early days of Wu's conquest of Lingnan and the establishment of county governance, there was often a phenomenon of officials hanging their seals and fleeing in large numbers.

This phenomenon is repeated repeatedly.

It wasn't until later that Qingji listened to the advice of the ministers and made various measures to alleviate this bad phenomenon.

For example, during the New Year's holidays, the officials of the nine counties in Lingnan will be rewarded with additional subsidies and condolences to their families.

and every three or five years, rotate to transfer the officials from the south back to Wu proper.

Once the officials of the nine southern counties died in office, whether they were killed by thieves or died of illness, Wu Wang Qingji would mourn, reward his family scrolls, and pay heavy pensions......

Of course, Qingji has always been rewarded and punished.

Meritorious deeds will be rewarded, and faults will be punished!

If there are officials who can't stand the sinister environment in the south and flee without permission, they will definitely be severely punished.

At the worst, he was punished by ink, lost his official position, his family property was confiscated, and at worst, he was beheaded for public display, and his wife and children were exiled, and Wu Guo never used it.

It was under the spur of this severe reward and punishment system that the officials of the nine southern counties of Wu did not dare to flee easily.

At most, they can't stand the harsh environment, endure it for three or five years, and then run away on their own......

If nothing else, the 562 scholars who participated in the examination this time will be sent to the nine southern counties to serve as officials.

The specific position of official position is determined as appropriate.

"Bell, bell, bell!"

As the chimes are struck three times, it represents the official start of the examination.

Qingji, Gongzi Heng, Ji Ran, Wen Chong, Deng Xi and other monarchs and ministers of Wu Guo all sat on the square platform as the chief examiner.

At the top of the hall, the five hundred and sixty-two scholars sat down separately.

The furnishings in front of them are also very simple.

A seat, a low table, and pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.

There are four contents of the policy: the immorality of King Wu, the injustice of officials, the inappropriateness of government, and the restlessness of the people.

You can choose any one or all of them.

As soon as the examination began, all the scholars began to write hard.

The monarchs and ministers of the state of Wu did not say a word, for fear of disturbing them to play to their heart's content.

The examination of this probation system is not once a year, it may be once every ten years, it may be twice a year......

It all depends on whether the monarch wants to impose the examination with the probationary system.

It is completely different from the imperial examination system in history.

"Let me in! Let me in! ”

Soon after the meeting began, a tight and discordant shout broke the silence of the venue.

Qingji couldn't help frowning, and the ministers and doctors present also showed displeasure on their faces.

Who would dare to smash the field at this time?

Isn't this looking for death?

"Who's making a fuss?"

With Qingji's question, a guard hurriedly entered the venue, came to Qingji's and knelt down on one knee, and said: "Wang, it's a teenager who claims to participate in this exam!" ”

"Teenager?"

"Exactly."

At this time, Gongzi Heng, who was sitting on the side, suddenly stood up, bowed to Qingji and said, "Father, this young man, the son may know who it is." ”

"Three days ago, a young man named Bu Shang recommended himself to Erchen."

"He claimed to be the protégé of the right prime minister, a native of Wenyi in the Jin Kingdom, twelve years old, but he was not recommended by the right prime minister or other courtiers and officials, and he was so young, so his sons and Dazai did not let him participate in this examination."

Fortune merchants?

This name is quite unfamiliar to Qingji.

However, since he is a disciple of Kongqiu, his talent should not be bad.

Especially at the age of twelve, he was accepted as a disciple by Qingji, and it is conceivable that this Bu Shang is precocious, and he can be called a "prodigy"!

came to the happy celebration and decided to meet the diviner.

"Take him to the right garden."

"No!"

In order not to disturb the exams of the scholars, Qingji chose to take the merchants to a separate garden and wait for them to be released.

Not long after, in the lobby of the annex, Qingji sat in the main seat, and Gongzi Heng sat at the bottom.

The young man named "Bu Shang" was carried by two guards and entered the lobby step by step.

"Jin people and merchants, see the king! Ten thousand years of my king! ”

Bu Shang is obviously a clever person, claiming to be a "Jin person", but he is called "King" and "My King" to Qingji, which is not very angry.

At the moment of seeing Qingji, Bu Shang hurriedly knelt down towards Qingji and bowed to worship, looking decent.

It is conceivable that when Bu Shang was very young, he received certain etiquette guidance and was from a noble background.

"Bu Shang, don't be polite, sit."

"Thank you, King!"

After getting Qingji's words, Bu Shang dared to sit on the side, owing half of his body, still cautious and frightened.

At this time, the Bu Shang looked quite embarrassed.

He was dressed in plain and clean linen clothes, his hair was tied with a cloth band, his hair was disheveled, and his forehead was blue, apparently caused by being knocked on the ground not long ago.

Isn't this a proper look of a fleeing homeless person?

However, Qingji knows what is going on.

The vicinity of the Jixia School Palace, especially around the venue, has been surrounded by the guards of the Wu Kingdom.

Five steps and one post, ten steps and one sentry, can be described as heavily guarded.

If Bu Shang didn't climb the wall, he would definitely not be able to rush to the outside of the venue, and the shouting could be heard by Qingji......

Therefore, it is conceivable that Bu Shang must have accidentally fallen off the wall, and his forehead was injured.

"Bu Shang, you are really bold, you broke into the venue and collided with the king, do you know what a sin this is in my Wu country?"

Qingji squinted his eyes and asked in an unkind tone.

Bu Shang's face was inevitably a little flustered, but he still held his head high and said in a firm tone: "Returning to the king, this is a capital crime!" ”