The Shuntianfu Township Test ended.

For Zhang Zhou, he had to spend a few days of closed life, and after the marking was over, he could only go home in late August.

"There has been no news from the outside in the past few days."

That night, he had just met with a few fellow examiners, sat down for a meal, discussed the detailed rules for marking the papers in the coming day, and returned to the small courtyard where he lived, Zhang Zhou suddenly felt that this closed life might not be suitable for him.

What selects talents doesn't seem to be his goal in life.

It is enough to know that there are people in history who have made achievements and have this potential, and then appoint this person before they have made a fortune.

To go to the lower level to find out for yourself, this errand is still a little harder.

There is also the fact that I am here to pursue a life that is different from my previous life, and no matter how meaningful I am to lock myself up, no matter how meaningful I do, it seems to be contrary to my original intention of coming to Daming.

"Master, there are still many days before you can go out, you can eat well and live well, but you can't go out, it's very boring."

Liu Gui empathizes.

Liu Gui also belongs to the kind of extroverted person, who used to go out to do some loose work for the sake of his old mother, and refused to do hard work, otherwise he would not have chosen to follow the opportunistic Zhang Zhou.

Zhang Zhoudao: "After you go out, arrange for you to go to war, will you go?" ”

"How can the little ones know how to fight? It's better to stay with your grandfather and run errands. Liu Gui scratched his head.

In front of Zhang Zhou, he does not shy away from his incompetence at all, anyway, he and Zhang Zhou are acquainted with Weimo, and Zhang Zhou also understands what kind of person he is, so he doesn't need to pretend.

As he was talking, Yang Tinghe's voice came from the door: "Cai Guogong, I don't know if I can come in and talk about things?" ”

Compared with Zhang Zhou's passability in the matter of grading, Yang Tinghe obviously attached too much importance to the grading of the township examination this time.

After all, this was the first errand assigned to him by the emperor after Yang Ting and Shou returned to Beijing, and he still got up with Zhang Zhou to complete it, and he also knew that things could not be decided by himself, so he basically came to "consult" Zhang Zhou about everything.

This is also related to the official position and status in the Hanlin Academy, Zhang Zhou is higher than him.

Don't look at him Yang Tinghe's seniority in the Hanlin Academy, but the problem is that Zhang Zhou is promoted faster, and the subordinates listen to the dispatch of their superiors, which is also a matter of course, even if he goes out of the Gongyuan and returns to the Hanlin Academy system, he Yang Tinghe is still a subordinate.

"Briefly clean up, I want to talk to Yang Hanlin. Call me tomorrow before the rooster crows, read the paper early, and appear early! ”

……

……

Cabinet duty.

Li Dongyang summarized a summary of the three test questions of the Shuntianfu Township Examination, listed them on paper, and showed them to Liu Jian and Xie Qian.

After Xie Qian finished reading it, he said with a smile: "It's not like Zhang Bingkuan's temperament, the question is calm, but it looks like Yang Jiefu's handwriting." ”

People in the Ming officialdom are very good at figuring out the meaning of others, and when they get an exam question, they can analyze whether the exam question is the question of Zhang Zhou or the question of Yang Tinghe, just like people's personalities and growth trajectories are different, and there can be deviations from the interception of passages from the Four Books and Five Classics.

Li Dongyang said: "I don't think so, but it's possible, Zhang Bingkuan is making questions in the three games, and Yang Jiefu is in the examination room, how loud can he make a sound?" ”

This is a reminder to Xie Qian.

Don't forget that Yang Tinghe is now a subordinate, and before he became an examiner in the Tribute Academy, the emperor also summoned him in person, obviously reminding Yang Tinghe that everything in the examination room is based on Zhang Zhou's opinion.

On this premise, it is not surprising that all the topics come from Zhang Zhou.

Liu Jian obviously didn't have much interest in who the question came from, put down the paper with the question written on it and said: "Both of you have junior students to take the exam, so don't get involved in the exam as much as possible. If Zhang Bingkuan really breaks the rules in the examination room, most of them will secretly reveal the rumors, and it will not be too late to participate in the impeachment. ”

Xie Qian said: "Also, who came up with the question, what is the difference?" But the selected person may not be a great talent, if a group of wine bags and rice bags will all fail in the spring of next year, wouldn't it be ridiculous and generous? ”

Li Dongyang smiled: "Yu Qiao, don't speak too early, what if you are also hit?" ”

This is making fun of Xie Qian, don't wait for your son to fail the exam, just say that the examiner is not level, and he didn't recognize your son's talent.

In case your son is also admitted, and you say that the examiner is not level, isn't that also saying that your son is the group of "wine bags and rice bags" in your mouth?

Xie Qian pouted and said: "Yizhong is still young, and there will be opportunities in the future, but it is the one from your family, this time it should be eight or nine and ten, right?" ”

"It's the same."

Li Dongyang also sighed.

While criticizing Zhang Zhou's examination may be biased, and on the other hand, his own children are taking the exam in it, just as Liu Jian said, since the two of you have direct interests in this township examination, it is better to talk less.

Otherwise, if your children are not selected, the outside world will say that you have a personal vendetta against Zhang Bingkuan.

Even if your child wins, others will say that Zhang Bingkuan gave it to you privately and gave both of you face...... A clear-eyed person, or a person who understands the general situation, knows that this is impossible, but it is difficult to block the mouth of sentient beings.

……

……

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youzhu is also reading the articles from Zhu Houzhao's three exams, and it feels like a ...... I can't bear to look at it directly.

"Your Majesty, the prince is young after all, this is the first time he has done such an article, and besides, even if he is a student who takes the exam in the Gongyuan, he may not be able to write such an article." Xiao Jing also knew that the prince's article was too bad, so he tried his best to make peace.

Zhu Youzhu said: "Maybe my expectations are too deep." It is reasonable to be able to do two articles that are stable and stable. This article shouldn't be able to pass the children's exam, right? ”

Xiao Jing couldn't answer.

He has never presided over the children's examination, how do you know what the articles of the children's examination are usual?

And the eunuchs in the palace, even if they are the eunuchs who hold the seal of the celebrant and have studied knowledge, but compared with those civil servants in the court who were born with imperial examination articles, their knowledge is also very poor.

Xiao Jing knows very well, let alone the prince, even if he goes to take the children's exam himself, he may not be able to pass the test.

Zhu Youzhu put down the scroll and said, "Wait for Bingkuan to come back and show him." However, with my thoughts, no matter how good the prince's article is, if there is no compassion for others, it still can't achieve a great cause. Articles can select talents, but in matters of governing the country, the quality of the articles cannot play a decisive role, and they are only used as a reference. ”

"Yes." Xiao Jingying should be reconciled.

"Most of the well-written Chinese chapters in the Chao are only done in the Hanlin Academy, and the affairs of the dynasty depend more on the decisiveness of doing things and the courage to do things. But how do you choose them out of the vast number of beings? Although it is biased to select talents in articles, it is also a standard, and those who write well-written articles will always have a greater chance of producing talents than those who have poor articles in governing the country, right? ”

Zhu Youji's words seemed very profound.

Even Xiao Jing was surprised, it seems that the emperor has a great prejudice against the imperial examination that has lasted for thousands of years in China.

It's a decision...... Reform the method of selecting and employing officials?

"Bingkuan's Yanwutang can be said to be an innovation, sending excellent military attaches to study, sending people with good ability to important errands, and people with poor ability to let them complete the most basic errands. In addition to the imperial examination in the future, people can also be employed in this way, such as mining, iron smelting, and Bingkuan said before, to build railways, it requires extraordinary talents, and just being able to read is almost useless. Zhu Youzhu said.

Xiao Jing asked: "Then Your Majesty, are these people elected as officials in the court, or ...... Get a job for Cai Guogong? ”

Zhu Youzhu got up and said: "Naturally, I want to send them official positions, some people will say that this is nepotism, but choosing someone with special skills to come out and become an official, isn't it the use of merit?" Bingkuan employs people, that is, I am employing people, in other words, it is also the court employing people, and the people Bingkuan wants to use, give them official positions, why not? ”

Xiao Jing said: "I'm afraid that the ministers in the court will not agree." ”

Zhu Youji's face turned cold and said: "If you listen to them in everything, there is no new cannon in the Ming Dynasty until now, and the Tatars will still invade the realm every once in a while, and they will have to deal with it in a hurry every time." Even the people can't even eat a bite of comfort, is this what they call the rule? What I want is the peace of the country and the people, not the rules! ”

"Yes."

Xiao Jing clearly disagreed with the emperor's views.

But now he doesn't have the courage to refute, he gives the emperor a close quarters errand, shouldn't he listen to the emperor for everything?

"Recently, I also plan to go to the people, just go around the capital, observe the livelihood of the people, see how the prices in the capital are, whether they are as the official said, and send people to various places to check whether there are natural or man-made disasters, but the magistrate has not reported them. I am also afraid of the deception of the officials below. Don't think that the world is peaceful, but in the end, the people are still living a difficult life, and I can't bear to see the people have hardship. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Also, there will be more frugality in the harem. Since Bingkuan entered the court, I haven't emphasized frugality for a long time. ”

"Back to Your Majesty, that's because Cai Guogong has brought a lot of extra income to the Inner Government."

"Who's to say it isn't? Bingkuan has the ability, and the palace basically doesn't gossip about him now, why? It's just that everyone has seen the results. Originally, the expenses of the household department were also reduced a lot, but the people in the court had a very bad impression of Bingkuan, that is, Bingkuan helped the palace to relieve its dependence on money, which may not be seen by the household. ”

"Your Majesty, you're worried."

"It's not that I'm overthinking, it's that I've seen everything for a long time. I have more money on hand, and the people in the court will feel that I will mess around, and they will not be able to hold me hostage. In the past, I did think that this court was the court of courtiers, but now it seems that they are not here to help, but to add to the chaos. ”

At this point, Zhu Youzhu didn't say any more.

But Xiao Jing also understood.

The emperor felt that the ministers were dispensable, as long as there was his Bingkuan alone, it seemed that the Ming court could drive other ministers away.

How eccentric is this?

Xiao Jing was sighing in his heart what magic Zhang Zhou had, but on the other hand, he had to admit that it was the emperor who saw the great changes brought to Daming militarily and financially after Zhang Zhou's appearance, and this impression was deeply rooted, and no matter what the Chinese courtiers did, they could not compare to Zhang Zhou's hair.

……

……

East Plant.

Li Zhang sat upright, and Mu Bin put a detailed case file in front of him.

"Gonggong Li, this is a strategy set according to the confession of the current criminal, just wait for Cai Guogong to review it, and you can report it to Your Majesty if there is no problem."

During the period when Zhang Zhou presided over the township test in Gongyuan, Jinyiwei was not idle.

The case in Yongping Mansion has dragged on for two months, and there have begun to be discordant voices in the locality, and Mu Bin has also stepped up to give a strategy, so that only Zhang Zhou needs to nod, so that even if it is found that there is a big problem with the verdict when he turns around, it can be completely borne by Jin Yiwei.

This is for the sake of Zhang Zhou.

Li Zhang said: "There were twelve before, but now there are only four left." ”

Mu Bin asked, "Father-in-law, do you think it's a little less?" ”

"Why do you have to keep four or five families, Cai Guogong has spent so much time in the court, shouldn't he add a few?" Li Zhang's meaning, originally four families were enough.

But who let Zhang Zhou grasp so much initiative in the court?

The sale of ordnance materials, as well as the drawings and craftsmanship of making artillery, allowed Zhang Zhou to completely take the initiative, and even those ministers who opposed him had nothing to say.

The situation is so good, and it is a bit unnecessary to back down on the conviction to this point.

Mu Bin said: "If you add a few more, I'm afraid that it will be a big deal and it won't end well." ”

Li Zhang looked sideways at Mu Bin and said, "When did you start to learn to cringe?" ”

"Humble and incompetent." Mu Bin hurriedly admitted his mistake.

Li Zhang said: "Although most of these big local households in Yongping Mansion have spoken to Liu Yu, the governor of Jizhen Town, saying that they can donate money and grain to the shipyard, but the people who are seized are not donating or not donating, but can be copied together. Cai Guogong has done a lot of things in the past two years, but he said that there are more and more places where silver is used now, shouldn't we share his worries? ”

"That's it...... How many copies? Mu Bin swallowed.

This is really enviable.

Originally, Jin Yiwei also wanted to do this kind of thing, turning the wealth of local big families into his own, but this incident originated from the contradiction between Jin Yiwei and the locality.

But now even if Jinyiwei has copied these big households, the goods still have to be handed over to Zhang Zhou.

Li Zhang nodded and said, "It's just our family giving Cai Guogong a meeting gift, okay?" ”

"Yes."

Mu Bin was naturally a little reluctant in his heart.

Why did you let Li Zhang take advantage of all the good things?

"Your Jinyiwei's 50,000 taels, a lot of money, is still yours, don't be greedy anymore, as long as everyone gets the benefits, it's enough. Originally, when Cai Guogong was opening the mine, didn't he also share a lot of you? ”

Li Zhang said, "After Cai Guogong leaves the Tribute Academy, our family will go to greet him in person." This is a greeting gift. You sort it out again, and as for the details, you don't need to write too clearly here. This is all to deal with the rhetoric of the ministers of the DPRK and China, in fact, it is not necessary to list it too clearly, and His Majesty also understands what is going on. ”

Cases and everything, it's all fooling.

The emperor knows what's going on, Zhang Zhou knows what's going on, and you and I just know it.

Why do you have to explain so much to the minister? (End of chapter)