The Gongshi of the fifth year of Jiajing were greatly shocked by the questions from the declarative material analysis.

In the third lunar month, the sun is not strong, but many people sweat on their foreheads and bodies.

At the entrance of the main hall in front of them was the emperor standing in front of them looking down on them, and the twenty-four counselors behind the emperor.

That's another layer of pressure.

Let's go, you're just here for the sake of etiquette.

Otherwise, it's like playing a big knife in front of Guan Gong.

In fact, many people don't know how to play yet.

They won't be able to answer this question, it's too difficult!

Now in the review session, the first material roughly summarizes the tax and conscription system of the Ming Dynasty, and also gives the three major problems that the Son of Heaven thinks. Guantian, preferential exemption, and silver, the emperor determined that this is a disaster, you must at least know what they refer to, what are the specific circumstances, and why they are disasters, right?

The second material is too down-to-earth. What is a friend name, a unique name? What is dumping, dripping? What are the sufferings of scales, fire consumption, and common practices, and whose sufferings are given? Many tributes who don't listen to what is going on outside the window and can still talk about it when they encounter a false current policy are dumbfounded at the moment: Who am I? Where am I? What am I going to do?

The third material only presents a point of view: some people believe that it is silver that has led to more corruption, and that silver has made copper coins circulate poorly, making officials use it as a treasure and making the people hate it.

Well, the depreciation of silver is one of the three major problems of taxation and servitude, and the collection of silver will cause a lot of troubles in the process, and it is suspected that it will exacerbate corruption, but why not just talk about the disadvantages, but the pros and cons? Where's the benefit?

Gong Yongqing's eyes looked at this hall with some jealousy.

With his ingenuity, from a logical point of view, he subconsciously perceived that there was a pit.

In this palace, there is a huge pit like an abyss!

There is also material other than the topic, that is, a rumor that many people usually discuss: I heard that the imperial court wants to abolish banknotes and silver.

No wind, no waves!

I don't know if the imperial court really has this intention, so let's release some news first to see how the people react?

Don't you see that the third question, has it suddenly risen to the height of the pros and cons of today's money law?

But if the imperial court really wants to make silver, why does this palace test question talk about the disadvantages of silver?

Sitting under the sun, the Jiajing five-year new science gongshi saw the palace examination questions at this moment, and thought that they didn't know what new tricks they would take in three years, and they couldn't help but cry in their hearts.

Finally! Finally, this year, I have seized the only opportunity in this life, and I am lucky to pass the test and become a glorious jinshi!

Want to get in three years? It's hard!

At this moment, Tang Shunzhi looked up a little strangely and secretly looked at the emperor and important ministers.

If we look at Wang Simana's "Examination of Practice and Dialectics", one of the points of view is that everything has advantages and disadvantages, and in its changes, danger may turn into opportunity, which is the truth of "the blessing of misfortune depends on and the blessing of fortune lurks".

This temple test questions...... Now it seems that if we do not understand the practice and dialectics, I am afraid that we will fall into the trap of not being able to do so.

You must know that although there are words of moderation in the sage classics, the children of Confucianism are often too clear about missing the distinction between good and evil. If you don't see the court, you are either loyal, righteous, talented, or treacherous, evil, greedy, and wrong?

So, in the face of such a complex problem, how to solve the problem?

Tang Shunzhi gently closed his eyes, and his hand slowly grinded his ink first.

…… This question still has to be clearly written, and it is clear how the treasure money at the beginning of the founding of the country became like this step by step, and why taxes began to be converted into silver.

Things will not turn out like this for no reason, and the word "pro" in the pros and cons of this bank is probably hidden in it.

Since there are always pros and cons to everything, I am afraid that it is impossible to eliminate the disadvantages, so we can only find ways to show its advantages and prevent its disadvantages.

Tang Shunzhi opened his eyes and was the first to put pen to paper:

【Minister:】

[Ministers hear blessings and misfortunes, and wise men know the Tao in popularity; Before and after cause and effect, Ming Jun observes the situation and guides. The popularity of the road cannot be carried out in the time of prosperity and decline; Guided by the potential, the non-pros and cons are more likely to be overcome, and even disobeyed. The sage rules the world, when observing the prosperity and decline, the cause and effect, and then taking advantage of the situation, turning the danger into a disaster, and creating blessings in the disaster......]

After solving the problem, there is a routine praise of Emperor Taizu Gao and the current emperor. Everyone has already thought about how to write these contents in advance, so Tang Shunzhi writes more and more smoothly.

Entering this link, Zhu Houxi looked at a few candidates with different looks, and also looked at a few people, and then left first.

Let them answer.

When she arrived at the Heart Cultivation Palace, Empress Dowager Jiang stepped forward and asked, "How?" ”

Zhu Houxi was helpless: "...... Those people are indeed dignified. ”

Yes, there is another task today, and the Empress Dowager Jiang specially told him that he must take a good look at a few well-known talents in Zhang Zuo's report.

My sister Sichun is and wants to get married, so Zhu Houxi doesn't bother to worry about anything anymore.

It's weird to block something, and sending my sister's colt out on business for two years also makes Zhu Houxi's words in front of his mother and sister unconvincing: You call it a sister?

It can only be said that respect the fate of others, and if you want to get married, you can do it.

Empress Dowager Jiang was overjoyed when she heard Zhu Houxi's words: "Since the horse can also be an official, it will be done." After the palace test, the emperor remembered the matter and decided it as soon as possible, so as not to be robbed. ”

There are things about catching sons-in-law under the list, and there are things in every subject.

Sister Zhu Qingyi is a face control, and she grew up to be a princess in the palace in the few years when her personality began to grow, and she dared to express herself much more than Zhu Houxi's sister.

There is nothing wrong with Yan Kong, and Zhu Houxi is also Yan Kong.

It's just that the reuse of the colt will make the family life of his sister less happy, so it is better for the sister's colt to be a free job in Beijing in the future.

In this case, it is strongly recommended that the mother choose someone with weaker talents.

Zhu Houxi first agreed to his mother's words, and then said: "Queen Mother, my son is going to Qin'an Palace." ”

Just like on the day of the exam, Zhu Houxi had to go to see Tao Zhongwen again to learn from the refining (transformation) of Dan (learning).

"I heard that Shao Zhenren is also in the capital?"

“…… The queen mother wants to meet him? ”

Empress Dowager Jiang sighed: "In the past, your father and emperor respected Shao Daochang quite a lot. When he was young, he also got the charm of Shao Daochang, and then grew up peacefully and succeeded to this unification. It's reasonable, I should have repaid my wish. ”

Zhu Houxi thought about it, with his current attitude towards the Taoist priests, it would not cause anything caused by the mother and son both showing the heart of "worshipping the Tao". The Queen Mother only worships the temple and respects the spiritual life of the elderly.

"Then the son will arrange it when he turns around, and the queen mother will choose an auspicious day to enter the incense."

When I arrived at the Qin'an Temple, this is the right thing.

Tao Zhongwen's "laboratory" is also a set of alchemy tools that he is familiar with: danjing, altar, furnace, divine room, kiln, kettle, ancient mirror, pure sword, incense burner, tripod, trachea, basin, mallet, bowl, ash pool, pressed stone, bamboo tube, trembling......

Now, there are still a few little Taoist priests in the Qin'an Palace, and the other are a few apprentices who "worshipped" Tao Zhongwen's disciples at the behest of Zhu Houxi - their identities are the first batch of children adopted in the Salesian Institute in Huangzhuangli, and those who have grown to more than ten years old.

Tao Zhongwen has become more and more strange: now the emperor does come to see him every day and chat for half an hour. But he didn't talk about Taoism, nor did he ask for advice, and he didn't mention much about the fertilizer making of the golden kol.

At least what he does every day, Tao Zhongwen can't see anything related to fertilizer.

The emperor did not regard him as a master, and Tao Zhongwen was now clear.

He was a subject, with the abilities that an emperor needed.

But the status and reputation he wants also need to be able to make the credit he wants for the emperor. Now that all kinds of things are being tried, the raw materials can be easily obtained, and this convenience also needs the support of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, what the minister has been refining by order for more than ten days is Liuli, right?"

Tao Zhongwen knows how to refine things, and he has been tossing and turning these days, which seems to be relatively similar to the number of ways to refine colored glass.

Zhu Houxi couldn't help but ask when he heard him today, and couldn't help but be a little admired: "Real people have a good opinion." It's just that it's not glass, it's glass. ”

"Glass?"

"Its quality is colorless and translucent."

From the simplest telescopes made of relatively transparent colored glass, to this day, it has not been possible to make really good transparent glass.

The people under Alfonso knew about glass, but they didn't know how to make it. After a few words, some comparisons were made, and in the end it seemed to fall on the alkali - one person mentioned that it seemed that the glassmaker used a lot of grass ash.

The resources are different in different places, Zhu Houxi ordered people to ask a lot, and there seems to be no place in Daming to find a large number of trona minerals similar to that alkali powder. Or there are, but because there are impurities, other traits, and no one cares about them, they have not been discovered.

In short, alkali is now much more involved: if glass is made, then telescopes, magnifying glasses, thermometers, measuring cups...... There's both practical stuff and there's something that makes a lot of research really start quantitative experiments.

Similarly, alkali is also related to fertilizers.

Even if you can't make chemical fertilizer, it's good to smelt a higher purity alkali and use it as a standard to find out where there is a soda ore.

Tao Zhongwen confirmed that he was really burning the glaze, and he looked at the emperor with a complicated expression.

Zhu Houxi said with a straight face: "Tao Zhenren, don't think that I treat you as a craftsman." Now, several major supervisory bureaus have received orders to trial produce this glass. How long has it been since this will have been in place? ”

Of course Tao Zhongwen didn't know, Zhu Houxi stretched out three fingers: "It's been three years." In the past three years, I only knew that it should be sand and gravel, lime, alkali powder and other materials fired together, but it has never been successful. Now, the reward I have set for this glass firing work has been promoted to the title of county knight. ”

“…… How hard is it? ”

Tao Zhongwen said that it was difficult, but he was actually shocked by the emperor's attention to this thing.

Even if it's glass, isn't it just decoration? The previous generations of Taoist friends have long verified that the glass suit is invalid.

With the emperor attaching so much importance and having clear raw materials, he has not achieved anything for three years?

"It's not all for nothing." Zhu Houxi shook his head, "Occasionally, but the next furnace is different." Similarly, how to slowly cool down the hot glass water after burning, which does not bubble or crack, is full of difficulties. The reason for this is nothing more than three points. ”

“…… Poor Tao consults. ”

"First, the same sand, lime, alkali powder, even if you know how much to take, but there are only impurities in them, the purity is different, in fact, the proportion has changed again, and it cannot be controlled. Second, although we know how much to take, there is still a slight difference between measuring and weighing. Third, it is best to burn to how hot it is, and it is best to set it when it is hot, but now it is all based on experience, and it is impossible to measure that temperature. ”

“…… How to measure the temperature if the error is not color identification? Tao Zhongwen asked a professional question.

The so-called perfection of the furnace, the smelting of craftsmen, the alchemy of Taoist priests, and the observation of the color change of the flame and various other things in the fire, that is the basic skill, that is, the so-called mastery of the fire.

How can this temperature be measured like a ruler?

"Real people are very familiar with mercury, right?"

Tao Zhongwen said that he was very familiar: ""Hug Puzi Jindan Chapter" cloud: Dansha is refined, and it becomes mercury, its color is small and white and turbid, and its yin poison is heavy. Unless it is refined by secret methods, it cannot enter the abdomen. However, after the toxicity is gone, it is really a high-grade immortal medicine. There is also clear evidence in "Zhang Zhenren's Treatise on Jinshi Lingsha": Immortality must be based on mercury. Refining yellow and white, flying into a pill. The changes of the gods are like sand and mercury. ”

After speaking, he looked at Zhu Houxi, and Zhu Houyu also looked at him.

The eyes of the two people changed from serious at the beginning to later:

Tao Zhongwen bowed his head and bowed: "Please forgive your majesty." ”

Zhu Houxi went from seriously confirming his meaning, to now looking at him with deep meaning until he raised his head again: "I said, don't ask for longevity. Real people are smart people, and there can be no next time. ”

Tao Zhongwen once again confirmed the emperor's attitude, and also reconfirmed what his value to the emperor was. I wonder what this mercury has to do with the temperature? ”

"It has something to do with glass." Zhu Houxi's words are concise, "If a real person can identify how to determine the purity of the sand, lime, and alkali powder, how hot it is, how long it is burned, and the glass is fired, then the glass can be used as a chopstick-like thin tube to seal the mercury inside." With the familiarity of real people with the habits of mercury, they should know that when it is hot, it swells, and when it is extremely hot, it boils and becomes gas, right? ”

Tao Zhongwen nodded: "Its smoke is poisonous and cannot be smelled." ”

He understood: "With the principle that mercury expands when it is hot, measure the temperature?" ”

"There's still a lot of work to be done, and it's also a question of how uniform the pores are. But there is nothing wrong with this way, and the first thing here is extremely important: from my point of view, all things should have three states, which are called solid, liquid, and qi. The solid is the liquid, and the temperature is the melting point; Liquid is gas, and the temperature is the boiling point. If you want to measure the temperature, you can measure it by the most common thing, the melting point and boiling point of water. ”

Zhu Houxi said physical things to the "chemist who has gone astray", but for his later research: "Imagine that if the temperature of the fire in the furnace can be measured, wouldn't it be easier to grasp the heat temperature?" Wouldn't it be easier to grasp the trick when different things are smelted at what temperature? If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools, what do real people think? The glass is transparent and clear, and the mercury sealed in it can be seen at a glance. And like a ruler, it is engraved on the outside to measure, and in the future, will it be possible to know the cold and the heat at any time? ”

Tao Zhongwen's heart was shocked: This is the truth.

Let's look at the various tools in this Dan room, they actually don't reject tools.

However, today I feel that the same reason that the Heavenly Spirit Cover has been lifted is that the emperor has such a clear idea of how to measure the temperature.

The reason is very clear, the design is too reasonable, Tao Zhongwen feels that now only the only thing left is to burn the glass, and he can become a pioneer in measuring the temperature of the fire and a person who controls the temperature.

The ancestors made fire from flint, and for thousands of years, they were just making fires.

But if this is done, it will be like a mile of land, and it will be clear in the future: what is the temperature of the fire in the furnace at this moment! It's cold outside the house at the moment!

Isn't farming also about hot and cold weather?

How much do you need to know how hot and cold it is?

His eyes lit up, and his heart was hot: "The minister understands! Your Majesty's ingenuity, the courtier's admiration! Chen Su knew the habits of mercury, but he never thought of this! ”

Zhu Houxi knew that he had seen the historical reputation and the importance of this matter, so he smiled and asked, "Then let's talk about it, what was the result of yesterday's test?" I'll take a look at the ...... record."

In the northernmost part of the Forbidden City, the emperor and Taoist priests continued to study both physical and chemical gadgets, and continued to search for solutions from Taoist priests who were experienced in "refining".

At the scene of the palace examination, Yang Shen, who was demoted to become the invigilator of the palace examination, only saw one candidate scratching the hat on his head.

Zhuang Yuanlang made a sad expression for his junior candidates.

Although the palace test is not disgraced, although everyone is already a quasi-official, this is the highest stage to prove their talent after all.

It was precisely because the palace test was not dethroned that the emperor had such a difficult question after the number of tributes swelled to 500 and the number of 1 armor increased to 24.

In fact, he and the tributes below him have figured it out.

At this level of difficulty, only the first class can really be called a first-class talent.

Unless they are among the best, they are not much different from those who are on the deputy list and the same jinshi, they will all start from low-grade officials and slowly climb up from the turbidity current.

And that one, the champion of this department, the list eye, and the flower, the emperor is obviously selecting the prime minister's talent.

It's not the kind of prime minister who blows about it, but before he joins the office, he has a deep understanding and knowledge of governing the country and practice.

Towards the end of the palace examination, many people looked up at the emperor who had reappeared here with resentment.

To be reasonable, everyone used to be students.

One stage at a time, everyone used to be only obsessed with learning.

Always give a chance to exercise your ability step by step! How can you come up and take such a solid test?

Zhu Houxi looked at the tributes with calmer expressions: Five hundred were taken from the entire Ming Dynasty, and there were still some people who were confident in themselves in the middle.

Some people are resentful, but it can only show a cruel fact: don't look at all tributes, but the gap between tributes and tributes may be greater than the gap between pigs and people.

Where would a true genius be afraid of such a challenge?

"Finish! The tributes went out of the palace in a row, waiting for the ceremony. ”

The palace test was finally over, and as soon as he came out of the Chengtian Gate, Tang Shunzhi was surrounded.

"Tang Huiyuan, how did you answer?"

(End of chapter)