With the establishment of the prime minister and the secretary of state and the emperor's delegation of power to some political affairs, along with this round of county and township titles and favors, and the rewards of township sages, smart people know that the implementation of the new law is no longer a problem.

Whether the effect of the new law is good or not is another matter, anyway, it is required by His Majesty. But the surviving officials have more room to look forward to than before.

Now the emperor has decided at the National Council and the Military Council that he is likely to do one thing in the next ten years: to regain Cochin. Accompanied by the attitude of the future king of Jiaozhi.

Secretly, among the civil and military generals who know, who will have the ambition and dedication to start planning for their own "throne"?

Now, the first prime minister and minister of state, Fei Hongzheng, asked the housekeeper: "What is the discussion of my article in Ming Pao in the market?" ”

Today is the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and there is no pilgrimage.

It was just dawn, and Fei Hong was eating breakfast.

As this official, the effort required every day makes Fei Hong, who used to be a cabinet minister, feel quite unbearable.

Every day's meals need to be well prepared. Even the breakfast in the early morning is a high-quality ginseng, cordyceps and other medicinal materials found by the housekeeper, and a health soup carefully prepared by the duck. This soup clears the fire and calms the air, clears the heat and removes the fire, strengthens the spleen and appetizes, and also improves the spirit.

Now Fei Hong is only concerned about how the government and the opposition react to his speech in the "Ming Pao" published yesterday.

The housekeeper was naturally paying attention yesterday, especially when the news came back at night.

"The chief ruler, the scholars all praised each other, saying that the chief ruler is a phase through the ages."

Fei Hong frowned and glanced at him, but continued to eat duck meat and drink soup.

The housekeeper smiled, and then said: "It's that the general manager said that there will be a list of the main and deputy exams starting this year, and all provinces will set up township exams, and they will not change the syllabus, but first change the examination system." ”

The first major event after the prime minister came to power was to inherit the emperor's favor and implement the policy of large-scale opening of science and science to recruit scholars, and the scholars were of course happy.

There will be 24 people in the first class, and there should be 24 references, 500 on the main list and 1,000 on the deputy list this year.

I saw that the odds of gaining fame and birth had greatly improved, but I didn't know how the examination system would change.

Fei Hong just nodded: "Go on." ”

The specific examination system will be dissected by a special article published by the Ministry of Rites in the next issue of "Ming Pao".

It is true that the syllabus has not been changed, and in addition to Wang Shouren's set of books, there are not many other works on the new study, and it is impossible to determine which content must be tested in the new study now.

However, in the evaluation of the examination papers, many questions that already exist will be given a clearer score, rather than a rough upper, middle and lower grade before.

The grader is getting tired: in the past, one person only read a few copies, but now he has to read each one and give his own score. Eventually, someone will calculate the average score given by the markers for the same person on the same question.

The final ranking is also determined by the total score.

Fei Hong knows that in this way, the identity of "seat teacher" will become more and more diluted.

If there is a teacher, it will only be the Son of Heaven. Because the questions of the palace exam are from the Son of Heaven, the answer sheet is scored, and the scores given by the important ministers have to be calculated anyway, is everyone a teacher? On the contrary, the Son of Heaven had to give his own marks individually in the forty-nine examination papers that were finally presented. The twenty-four people in the first class, and even the final ranking of these forty-nine people, actually depends on the emperor.

The right can be put down, but the name can't be put away.

This is also a precaution for the future of the future dependence on the important ministers of the imperial court, especially the prime minister and the minister of state, no one can object - anyway, in the previous palace test, the emperor asked whoever entered the first class, in fact, he could also make the decision.

Thinking of these things in his heart, Fei Hong only listened to the housekeeper continue: "The scholars talk a lot, and there is another topic. After the restructuring of the government office this year, the officials of all provinces are about 10,000, and many people are discussing whether this will be redundant officials and expenses, and the burden on the people will increase. ”

Fei Hong only needs to know what the people in the opposition are talking about, and he doesn't need to explain anything to the housekeeper.

The steward said one by one: "Regarding the three major matters of the peasants, the chief ruler proposed that the tax bureaus of each prefecture should set up special officials to supervise the iron classes and sell iron farm tools, and proposed to allocate special silver, which would be subsidized by the workshops of the prefectures, prefectures, and counties. ”

Fei Hong sneered in his heart. His Majesty put this matter first in that New Year's message. I'm afraid that the people below don't know that the Metropolitan Procuratorate is still preparing an audit and clearance department to be in charge of reviewing financial plans. And these people, after being selected, will be taught by the emperor himself.

The counselors knew best how appalling the Emperor's talent and level of financial planning were, and to be honest, the Emperor's talent in this area was even more terrifying than the realization of new learning.

The new law will not be gentle, let more people be officials first, this is grace; If you make a mistake, you will investigate and deal with another batch, this is Wei.

In the first few years, the rules were established, and the foundation of the new law was solid.

"Then it's about the rebuilding of the Yellow Book in Qingzhang Field......" The housekeeper paused and said with some hesitation, "I just talk about whether the Yellow Book Library of Houhu in Nanjing will be moved to Beijing......

Fei Hong's heart sank.

Yang Tinghe set off today.

The data in the Yellow Book of Houhu in Nanjing is the basis for the calculation of the grain quota in the provinces and counties of the Ming Dynasty. Nanjing manages this Yellow Book Library, and I don't know how many things have been convenient for more than 100 years.

Now Yang Tinghe, Jiang Mian, Yang Tingyi, and Yan Song are the governors of Nanzhili and Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and the six ministers and relatives left behind in Nanjing have actually smelled some differences.

The people only talked about the Houhu Yellow Book Library, but in fact, after the court staff incident of the Confucian ceremony, they did not dare to say bluntly whether the emperor had the intention of abolishing the Nanjing Zhubu.

At this point, Fei Hong needed to advance this matter more than the emperor. Otherwise, in terms of civil affairs, the prime minister and the minister of state will face Nanjing, a hard bone that is only responsible to the emperor, for a long time.

"In this regard, arrange more people to pay attention." Fei Hong put down the spoon, "Ying Tianfu has been a traitor like Meng Chun, this time His Majesty set up the Baoyuan Bureau, the inconspicuous place of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry, I am afraid that it is the first to think of something extraordinary." ”

The location is different, and Fei Hong is also forced to start thinking more about the overall problem with Zhu Houxi.

The new law can only be done step by step, and Fei Hong has identified a fundamental matter that he needs to do well in the past three years: laying a good foundation for the secret and unannounced money law in the new law.

If you don't solve this problem well, everything you do now will collapse in the future.

Hearing Fei Hong mention the Baoyuan Bureau, the housekeeper also said: "Since a few years ago, many people have been talking about the new law on the collection of grain and taxes, and the silver discount method in the tax is harmful to the people. The governor proposed that the treasure money was already worth only one penny, and the imperial court would discuss the strategy and determine the method of banknotes, money, and silver. ”

"Got it." Fei Hong stood up, and the maid of the family hurriedly stepped forward to put on his official uniform and tidy up his clothes.

Many taxes such as grain and salt taxes in the Ming Dynasty are still being collected to encourage the maintenance of the value of treasure money. Faced with the pressure of the sharp increase in the number of officials and administrative expenses in the future, the treasure money will only become more and more embarrassing.

If it is not broken, it will not stand, and now this treasure money wants to be saved slowly, and it is difficult to ascend to the sky.

However, the hasty scrapping of demonetization is bound to cause an uproar.

Fei Hong sat on his special treatment as the prime minister, the special Dajiao of the State Palace, closed his eyes and began to think about the topic to be discussed with the ministers of state today: this year's Ming Dynasty's taxes and many preparatory work for the new law, how to recover the current treasure money without hurting the Ming Dynasty's vitality this year.

……

Since the establishment of Ming Pao, the official name of the capital has always felt that there are too many things to discuss every fifteen days.

This is not because of the "Ming Pao" itself, but because the Ming Dynasty is going to implement the new law to the whole country, and His Majesty and the imperial court have too many new contents to convey.

The movers who entered Beijing to rush to the exam have almost arrived, and it is too risky to rush to the capital on the eve of the February Ministry of Rites examination. If there are a few twists and turns on the road, won't you miss it?

Although there are such people every year, such as Huang Zuo in the past.

At present, discussing the contents of the Ming Pao published by the emperor and the governor on the first and fifteenth days of the first lunar month respectively is just a way for the lifters to release their inner pressure, and they are all concerned about the regulations for this year's examination that will be published on the first day of the second lunar month.

"Why not publish it sooner? These days are spent practicing simple characters, and I have to be distracted from my homework. ”

Hearing his friend's discussion, Tang Shunzhi had no choice but to remain polite without losing an embarrassed smile.

Although everyone thought that they would not be required to use simplified characters for the test, this trick of the imperial court was really a bit of a loss. It has dragged on since November last year and has not expressed its position now, at least none of the students in this subject dare to ignore that possibility, and in order to be able to write official documents well in the future or gain favor in this subject exam, they are forced to find time to practice simple characters.

"I've finally decided that I won't take the practical test." Someone wailed, "I hate that I have been studying Wang Shangshu's "Examination of Practice and Dialectics" for four months, four months! ”

For the sake of high school, who would dare to ignore it?

The new learning comes from the emperor, let's learn, what if I take the test?

Not everyone is as talented as Tang Shunzhi, and now they look at Tang Shunzhi, and they can only have complicated eyes.

Tang Shunzhi said helplessly: "Why complain? After all, it's not a day's work, and the court will not look at it differently just because of who has practiced the simplified characters well, I said so last year, you don't believe it. ”

“…… That's because you had the manuscript of the "Jiajing Dictionary" early, what difference does it make to you?! ”

“…… It's been two years since the new school came out, and the people who are studying should learn a thing or two, but I didn't say that I would definitely take the new study. ”

"But you often learn new things from us!"

Tang Shunzhi was dragged by a few friends to ask him about his guilt today, one is to blame him for knowing that there are simple characters but not teaching them, and the other is to criticize this.

As a result, now that Fei Hong said that the syllabus remains unchanged, wouldn't it make these people misjudge and waste a lot of time because of Tang Shun's wide road and many news?

Tang Shunzhi could only smile bitterly: "I really like to study the practice and dialectics." Besides, sooner or later, it will be official learning, and learning will be beneficial and harmless, so why be so resentful? ”

"Zhang Guowu appreciates you so much, this department must be ranked first, maybe it will be the top three. In the end, do you have a little bit of one or two, and talk about how to take the test in this subject? ”

Asking the crime is to set up the news, Tang Shunzhi couldn't cry or laugh: "How busy is State Zhang? Besides, now that I will try it soon, how can I not avoid suspicion and pay another visit to inquire about it? After all, the examination still has to be really learned, Zhang Guowu only called me to ask because my article in the annual examination in prison was spread, why did he appreciate me so much? ”

In the first year of his coming to Guozijian, Zhang Zilin, who served as the secretary of the Ministry of Rites during the annual examination, asked them to discuss the pros and cons of the Ming Banknote Law. Tang Shunzhi's answer sheet was a blockbuster, showing that a rare inmate has a lot of insight into practice, so he was summoned by Zhang Zilin.

But then it wasn't just that time, Zhang Zilin was really looking forward to Tang Shunzhi, and even revealed a point: the emperor also praised his article.

"You always run to the Huangming Academy, do you have anything to pay attention to? The syllabus remains the same, but it can be emphasized. I heard that you still have a lot of dealings with the worship and professors of the Academy, could it be that this department focuses on the Book of Changes? ”

“…… I'm a fan of arithmetic. ”

The Ming Dynasty is renewed, and Tang Shunzhi, a guy with a wide range of hobbies and a break that is different from other scholars, is now being figured out by them.

In the syllabus, the five classics of "Book of Songs", "Book of Songs", "Book of Rites", "Zhou Yi", and "Spring and Autumn" are said to be the leaders of the five classics during the township examination. And arithmetic and I Ching have many origins, and they want to be crooked.

In the midst of such gains and losses, on the second day of the second month of February, a horse-drawn carriage slowly arrived in the capital.

Yang Shen lifted half of the car curtains and looked at the city of Beijing, which had been absent for more than four years. Now, two or three miles from the city, you can already see some houses outside the city and the vague shadow of the city wall.

Before leaving the capital, he was a nobleman of the Hanlin Academy.

When he returned, he was the lord of Nanhai County, the prince's guest, and would serve as the right attendant of the household department.

"Master, I've got it."

He didn't open the curtain specifically to see the city of Beijing and sigh with emotion, but because the servants who helped him fight the outpost to get the new issue of "Ming Pao" arrived.

Yang Shen took the newspaper and lowered the curtain to prepare to look at it seriously.

For more than four years, Yang Shen's scholarly anger has become weaker and weaker. Beijing City, he knows it very well. If anything is new, how much can it be fresher than Guangzhou in these years?

On the contrary, it is the matter in this issue that has something to do with him.

A few days ago, when I met with my father in Linqing, I heard him say that this issue will publish content related to the examination.

And Yang Shen returned to Beijing, and before taking up his new post in the household department, the first thing he had to do was to serve as the chief examiner of the examination.

The emperor's compensation to Yang Tinghe, and his trust and defense to the prime minister and minister of state, can be seen from this arrangement.

Looking at the examination system announced above, in addition to the setting of the main and secondary lists and places, the most important thing is, of course, the change of the marking rules.

Yang Shen remembered his experience in Guangzhou, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl slightly. An inconspicuous change, in fact, will imperceptibly make everyone in the future pay attention to arithmetic. The future official will have to be able to settle accounts.

Think about it, in the future, when the emperor list is hung out, in addition to the rankings, there will be a string of numbers showing their scores, so can this string of numbers be ignored?

In addition, the Ministry of Rites will also arrange a special day this time to support the scholars to consult the scores of each person on their answer sheets. When they go back, they don't have to do the math themselves?

Of course, they don't know who scored how many points. The person transcribed a form, called the name, handed the paper to the exam, and then it was over, and went back to calculate it himself.

It's all small details, but they make a big difference.

Yang Shen knew that His Majesty wanted to organize and do the work in these small details by himself. In Guangzhou, there are many such small details.

There was still some time before entering the city, and Yang Shen looked back page by page.

When he flipped to the first edition again, he was stunned for a moment.

This edition is not divided into a grid of various "news", and the whole page is densely packed with text.

"Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

The first time: the banquet Taoyuan heroes three righteousness, the first meritorious service of the Yellow Turban heroes.

Original: Luo Guanzhong. Note: Lin Xiyuan.

Yang Shen looked at the word "imperial approval" in amazement, what is the emperor doing in "Ming Pao"?

His Majesty personally arranged for the publication of the script on such an important matter as "Ming Pao"?

This "Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms", during the leisure period of the Hanlin Academy, Yang Shen, the son of the champion and the first assistant, was also very easy to find and read. It was born from Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms", but it is not interesting. As for the literary collection...... Yang Shen said that it was average, and it was just to kill time at that time.

Now, Yang Shen began to read it solemnly: Since it is the imperial version, there must be some comments from the emperor in it, right? Just by comparing the old version, you can see some of His Majesty's tendencies and ideas in a steady stream? Perhaps this is what the emperor intended.

Then he was struck like lightning.

"Linjiang Immortal".

The rolling Yangtze River is passing away, and the waves are sweeping away the heroes. Success or failure turns empty. The green mountains are still there, and the sunset is red several times.

On the white-haired fisherman river, accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine is happy to meet. How many things in ancient and modern times are laughing and talking.

[The great world is coming, I reviewed the story of the Three Kingdoms, thinking that this book can be read by the gentry and Mengtong, and can distinguish loyalty and treachery, think about trade-offs, observe Taoism, know the pros and cons, and know the gains and losses. Make a word for the sake of the subjects. 】

Yang Shen was stunned, and his eyes were staring at this song "Linjiang Immortal".

Zhuang Yuanlang tasted it word by word, only to feel that the hairs on his body stood on end.

I haven't seen you for a few years, but Your Majesty still has such literary talents?

Why didn't it show up in the slightest?

This is only one aspect, Yang Shen, who returned from Guangdong, is no longer the Yang Shen who has obvious shortcomings in human feelings and officialdom wisdom. He soon realized that after this issue of "Ming Pao" spread all over the world, how would the world think of the emperor who had realized new learning and had great ambitions? He's so literate!

A masterpiece that will last for centuries!

Even Yang Shen, the emperor in his mind at this moment also faintly has some different brilliance, which seems to be an existence that can only be looked up to.

It is...... How does it feel...... Feel like you've ever felt this way? It seems that it was the time when the golden cups were drunk at the national policy meeting......

"Sir! Master! Huang Jin's father-in-law personally ushered in! ”

Yang Shen was shocked when he heard this: "What? ”

Huang Jin was really ordered to wait outside the city gate, Yang Shen hurriedly got out of the carriage and went over, and said flatteredly: "Your Majesty is so gracious, you dare not be ashamed!" ”

Of course, this is what Zhu Houxi meant, and Yang Shen knew how to speak.

Huang Jin's expression was also a little strange.

Indeed, when Fei Hong and the others returned to Beijing, they did not have this treatment, and he didn't know why His Majesty asked him to come to greet him in person.

But this scene was still seen by many people, and everyone was just thinking: the emperor used this special way to express his holy family to Yang Tinghe, who elected him and supported him to implement the new law, and let the people of Nanzhili weigh the weight of Yang Tinghe and the governor of Nanjing, and also let Fei Hong know that he would listen to the emperor's will and work hard, and he would not be bad in the future.

Only Zhu Houxi himself knows why, and let others interpret the rest.

In the Heart Cultivation Palace, after Yang Shen made a big bow to see him, Zhu Houxi asked, "What about "Linjiang Immortal", how is it?" ”

Yang Shen was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "Your Majesty is literate, and the ministers are beyond the reach of the dust......"

Zhu Houxi suppressed the eccentricity that Yang was committing, but publishing the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was really an important means for him to promote simplified characters and imperceptibly export some ideas and influences. And since I want to do this, I always feel wrong without that word.

Moreover...... Today's Yang Shen is afraid that he will not have that kind of state of mind anymore. This "Linjiang Immortal", what if he doesn't write it in the future? The report in Guangdong shows that Yang Shen has become more and more of a workaholic who is proficient in practice.

"Praise and praise, eat and eat."

Zhu Houxi greeted each other with a table of wine and food, and in the State Hall, Fei Hong and several ministers of state looked at each other speechlessly.

When Yang Tinghe resigned, His Majesty held a banquet to send him off.

When Yang Shen returned to Beijing, His Majesty ordered Huang Jin to welcome him and set up a banquet to catch the wind and wash the dust.

But everyone knows that the emperor had the intention of "rewarding" Yang Shen for his recklessness at that time and forcing Yang Tinghe to become the leader of the new party.

In addition, it is also for everyone to see: follow Your Majesty, and the Holy Dependents are great.

What does it mean to be a gentleman and a minister?

(End of chapter)