Ishihara and Zhao Chengxia have known each other for a long time, Ishihara has helped him, and he has also asked him for advice on sinology, Chinese poetry, calligraphy and other things, and the personal relationship between the two is still good. Later, after the Sino-Japanese War, there was no contact.

The day before yesterday, when Ishihara Waner was wandering around the city, he happened to meet Zhao Chengxia's eldest son, and learned that this Zhao master had moved to Xihai. Ishihara was very happy to meet his old man thousands of miles away, so he made an appointment to visit him today. On the one hand, it is to reminisce about the past, and on the other hand, of course, I want to hear this great Confucian's opinion on New China.

However, this time he hadn't entered the Zhao family's house yet, and another splash person also came over. These are seven former Confucian scholars in North Korea, Zhao Chengxia is a great Confucian in North Korea, and he is very famous in the Confucian circle, and it is normal for these people to come to visit. Like Zhao Chengxia, these people were all immigrated to Xihai Province, and the farthest one of them came from Xiping City (formerly Orenburg). These people were all North Korean Confucian students who were more acquainted back then, uh, those who didn't know each other were all in labor reform, and it was impossible for them to come out and hang out.

When the Korean scholars learned that Ishihara was Japanese, most of them glared at him angrily, snorted a few times and turned their faces away, ignoring him. With the grudge between North Korea and Japan, this reaction is quite normal, and Ishihara is used to seeing it, but one North Korean nodded at him with a smile on his face.

Ishihara smiled when he saw the appearance of these people, and after greeting Zhao Chengxia for a while, he sat aside very interestingly and let them talk.

These people also came to greet each other first, and one of them was a scholar named Jin Mori, who said: "Songting Gong, this imperial examination is the law of eternity, and the Taqing Dynasty is a barbarian who does not understand literature and education, and abolished the imperial examination, so he reaps the consequences." But isn't this dynasty now known as the orthodoxy of China? China is a state of etiquette, so why hasn't the imperial examination been resumed?" Zhao Chengxia was called "Songting," and people in the circle called him "Songting Gong."

"Yes, yes! This imperial examination is no longer available, and the country will have no peace! Songting Gong is a great Confucian in the world, and you still need to come forward to preside over this matter...... Confucian scholars echoed one after another, quoting scriptures and classics one by one, saying that the imperial examination system is the source of a strong country, how terrible a country would be if it did not have the imperial examination, and so on.

Yes, there are also imperial examinations in North Korea. The imperial examination system in Joseon began in the 9th year of Gwangjong (985) of the Goryeo period, and was not officially implemented until the Joseon Dynasty. During the Joseon Dynasty, the imperial examination system was divided into liberal arts, martial arts, and miscellaneous subjects (Yi Studies, Medical Studies, Yin and Yang Studies, and Law Studies). The annual examination is held every three years, and various irregular "special examinations" are also held. From time to time, the king came to the examination room in person, and the test was divided into the "Confession Examination" attended by Confucian students in Sungkyunkwan and the "Chuntang Examination" held in Changgyeonggung Palace attended by officials.

The ruling class of the Joseon Dynasty was the "two classes", that is, the ministers of the Bunban and the Muban. The imperial examination is the only way to become a two-class civil and military class, but the imperial examination in North Korea is more rigid and rigid, more emphasis on literature and light on military force, although nominally civilians and untouchables can also participate, but in fact it is mainly monopolized by the two groups of disciples, especially the two subjects of literature and martial arts. Commoners and untouchables basically only relied on the imperial examinations of miscellaneous subjects and martial arts to obtain official positions, and even the bullets of the two classes of nobles, if they were not concubines, could not participate in the most noble "liberal arts" examinations.

The scholars were angry and foaming, but Zhao Chengxia was silent and did not say anything.

At this time, Ishihara couldn't help but say: "Isn't there a civil service examination in China every year? As long as you pass the examination, you will become a government official, which is not much different from the imperial examination, right?"

Ishihara was right: Although the imperial examinations were abolished in New China, a civil service examination system was implemented, and the examination was open to the whole society every year. Chinese citizens who are at least 18 years old, law-abiding, intellectually and mentally normal, and non-school students with junior high school or equivalent qualifications, regardless of nationality, ethnicity or gender, can take the civil service examination organized by the government. As a matter of fact, this civil service examination system has been practiced since the time when the Socialist Party was still called "Kyodo Society," and it has a history of more than 10 years.

"Sneer......" The Korean scholars immediately let out a contemptuous sneer, and looked at him with the eyes of a turtle.

"Fusang was originally a barbarian land, and it didn't matter if he didn't pass the imperial examination, but now he dares to make a big noise......

"It's really a summer worm, you can't talk about it......"

The scholars seemed to have found an outlet and sneered at Ishihara.

"You ......" Ishihara's face turned green. No matter how good-tempered he is, he can't stand this kind of ridicule. Maragobi, Lao Tzu kindly reminded you that there are officials there, and you poor and sour people still mock Lao Tzu, which is really a mud horse.

In fact, this group of Korean scholars also dared to be so rude to him here, if it was during the Japanese occupation back then, these guys would definitely not dare to let go of a fart when they saw Ishihara. These guys know very well that on Chinese territory, Ishihara doesn't dare to do anything to them even if he is angry again. If Ishihara still dared to do it, he only needed to go out and shout a few times, and the militia and joint defense team of the village would come. When the time comes, hehe......

These guys all know that today's Wen is always an extremely protective person, and the upper and lower levels of government in China are also urine. If a foreigner dares to beat someone in China, it will definitely be the life of the labor reform, and even if the government of that country is willing to come forward to guarantee it, it will still bleed hard. And before entering, he had to be beaten up by the people who didn't know the truth. Last month, an Englishman had a verbal argument with the locals and beat someone, and it turned out to be a tragedy for this guy. The first members of the joint defense team who arrived were pressed to the ground and beaten so violently that they didn't even recognize their mother, and then they were sentenced by the court to one year of labor reform. In the end, the British consulate came forward to bail, and also compensated the beaten person 5,000 yuan and paid a bail of 10,000 yuan.

Because of this kind of precedent, these North Korean scholars all have the idea of looking for a draw, but they are just taking a few hits, not only to earn fame but also to make money, why not do this kind of good thing? One by one, they took out the strength of the deceitful court staff, and mocked bitterly, and they couldn't wait to write on their faces, "I don't accept you to beat me!"

"Ahem, cough, cough......" Zhao Chengxia couldn't stand it anymore, and said with a few dry coughs: "Gentlemen, please pay attention to your demeanor, this kind of practice is not a gentleman's style......"

Seeing that the master spoke, the only scholar who didn't roll his eyes at Ishihara just now also came out to play a round.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Ishihara just doesn't know the truth, why bother?" he persuaded a few of his companions, and then explained to Ishihara, "Mr. Ishihara, you don't know anything. This civil service examination in this dynasty is not a imperial examination. The imperial examination hires officials, while the civil service examination hires officials, and the two are very different! How can we become mere officials after ten years of cold windows and reading the books of sages and sages?"

Ishihara understood that these North Korean scholars did not look down on the civil service examination, thinking that this kind of system could only start from grassroots civil servants, and the starting point was too low, and they were still the kind of "turbid officials" who did practical things, which did not conform to their noble status. These people want to be officials as soon as they come, and it is best to be a big official, and they have to be the kind of "clean officials" who only need to talk about their skins and do not need to do practical things. So they want to restore the imperial examination system, but with their influence, they are definitely not convincing at all, so they will fool Zhao Chengxia to take the lead in making things happen now.

Of course, Ishihara did not know much about the imperial examination system, but Japan also had imperial examinations. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Japan used to imitate the system of the Tang Dynasty to hold tribute examinations, which were divided into six departments: Xiucai, Jinshi, Ming Jing, Ming Law, Medicine, and Acupuncture. Due to the gradual aristocracy of the children participating in the imperial examination, the number of students has decreased, and the examination has become a situation. After entering the Warring States Period, the samurai who held real power naturally did not go to the Imperial Examination of Na Lao Shizi, and the Japanese Imperial Court, which was hungry and had green eyes, did not have the money to play this. Think about it, even the "dark card" is so poor that he goes to the street to sell calligraphy and paintings, and let the palace maids go out to stand on the street to make money to subsidize their families, where can they still have the ability to carry out the imperial examination? Naturally, Japan's imperial examination system will be abandoned. By the time of the Edo period, the tribute had been completely extinct.

However, although Ishihara did not know about the imperial examination, he did understand the world, and he could see that the facts were not exactly the same as what these people said. At that moment, his eyes rolled, and he said with an evil smile: "...... Actually, the real reason why you say that the civil service exam is so unbearable is because you can't pass it at all......"

He is not a self-inflicted saint, he was ridiculed by those big men just now, and he has long held back the fire in his belly, and it is strange that he does not come back with a fierce revenge.

The phrase "you ......" is too damning, and the North Korean soldiers who were like cockfighting just now trembled with anger, but it was difficult to refute. Ishihara punctured their tiger skin at once, don't look at what these guys say is righteous and awe-inspiring, in fact, they all secretly went to take the test, but they all shamefully failed. There's no way, the civil service exam won't test anything they are good at, such as the Four Books and Five Classics, the Eight Strands, and the Poetry and Song Fu.

The guys were choked and their faces were flushed, and they were all purple. The North Korean scholars who had been punctured with tiger skins did not dare to mention this matter anymore, and a few thin-skinned ones were embarrassed to stay any longer, so they left in a gloomy manner.

............................................................

However, there were still two thick-skinned ones left, including Jin Mori, who spoke first, and the person who spoke for Ishihara just now. This person's name is Lin Chengwan, and he is said to be a student of Zhao Chengxia.

Of course, they are embarrassed to mention the resumption of the imperial examination now, and Zhao Chengxia is obviously not interested in mentioning it, how can this old fritter in officialdom not understand that these people are here to fool him.

He would never do such a thing. Although he is no longer an official, his eldest son is working in the local city government, the second son is also a manager in the city's agricultural company, the younger son is still in the military academy, and his son-in-law and daughter are also professors at a university in the mainland. The whole family is pointing to the government to eat, asking him to come out of this, dreaming, right?

In order to avoid embarrassment, Jin Mori changed the topic and said: "Song Tinggong, everything is good today, but the law is not forgiving. That Liang Rengong (Liang Qichao) once said: Today's governance is too eager, and the legal network of this dynasty is too strict and too dense, and it is harsh and similar to the Qin Dynasty. In the 10 years since the founding of the country, the number of people who have been sentenced to prison and flogging has exceeded 10,000, which is really unprecedented......

Ishihara has traveled most of China, and of course he is familiar with China's legal style. What Kim Mo-ri said is indeed true, and if we look at it from the traditional Chinese Confucian viewpoint, the laws of the CSD government are not in line with "benevolence and righteousness" in any case. Yes, today's near-perfect social order and public order in China are all built under a tight legal net. Ishihara himself agrees with this, but he also wants to hear what these people say about this system.

Zhao Chengxia didn't answer immediately, but asked Lin Chengwan, "Chengwan, what do you think?"

Lin Chengwan said: "Teacher, it is true. There are as many as 228 capital crimes and more than 1,000 prison sentences in this dynasty, which is indeed too harsh and lacks leniency......"

"Hehe......" Zhao Chengxia touched his beard and smiled, and stood up.

Zhao Chengxia walked to the nearby newspaper shelf, took out a newspaper, pointed to the contents and said: "Last year, the number of people sentenced to death in China was 483, and the total population of China was more than 624 million. You do the math, although there are many capital crimes, there is not one in a million people who are actually executed. ”

"You all know that the rule of Zhenguan is recognized as a prosperous era in history. Known for its leniency and simplicity of the criminal law, according to historical records, in the three years of Zhenguan, only 29 people were sentenced to death in the country. But ......" paused, and Zhao Chengxia continued: "At the beginning of Zhenguan, there were less than three million households. And the number of households in this dynasty is more than 100 million, which is more than Chinese New Year's Eve times that of Zhenguan at the beginning of ......"

As soon as these words came out, as long as they were not stupid, they understood.

The rule of law during the Zhenguan period was the best ever, and it is said that there were fewer people who broke the law and fewer people were sentenced to death. According to historical records, in the three years of Zhenguan, only 29 people were sentenced to death in the whole country, and they almost reached the highest level of the legal system sought after by Confucianism -- "criminal measures", that is, they could not be punished. Today's CSD government is notoriously harsh, but if we look at the number of condemned prisoners, there are even fewer of them in this dynasty that are "harsh and similar to the Qin Dynasty".

The data doesn't lie, it comes out as soon as it is calculated. At the time of the "lenient" rule of Zhenguan, 29 people were sentenced to death in 3 million households, that is, an average of nearly 10 people were sentenced to death for 1 million households. In the "strict" dynasty, there were only 483 death sentences for 100 million households, that is, less than 5 people per million households were executed.

This result is very easy to calculate, but Lin Chengwan and Jin Mori were both thundered by this result, and even Ishihara, a supporter, was dumbfounded, why is there such an illogical thing? Isn't it that there are more criminals who die under the strict punishment system?

Zhao Chengxia was also a little proud when he saw everyone's expressions. He walked to the bookshelf next to him and took out a book, opened it, handed it to Lin Chengwan, who was still in a daze, and said, "Read out the red line part......"

Lin Chengwan took a cursory look at the content of the book, and knew that it was "The Biography of the Zuo Family in the Spring and Autumn Period", one of the thirteen classics of Confucianism, and it was strange if he didn't know it. The page that Zhao Chengxia opened was the content of "Twenty Years of Zhao Gong", which contained a paragraph outlined in red pen.

Lin Chengwan cleared his throat and read out the passage: "...... Only the virtuous can subdue the people with leniency, and the second is as fierce as fierce. The husband is fierce, and the people are afraid of it, so he rarely dies. The water is cowardly, and the people play with it, and they are more dead, so it is difficult to be lenient. ”

The meaning of this passage is that only the highest moral person can make the people obedient with leniency, and the one who is inferior in virtue should adopt a harsh policy. The fire was so fierce that the people were terrified when they saw it, so few people died in the fire. And the water is weak, and people despise it because of it, so many more people drown than burn. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to adopt a lenient policy, and it basically exists only in theory.

Everyone suddenly realized.

"I see, I understand...... Ishihara high-fived him and said excitedly: "It seems that what the Chinese government has done is in line with the thoughts of the ancient sages." Since he knew that he couldn't be a saint, he retreated and begged to be a Mingjun. ”

"Yes, exactly. Today, this is almost the way to go. Zhao Chengxia smiled and nodded.

They talked passionately in the house, but a few people who listened to the corner were bitter.

"Ouch, what the hell are these sour cuo big talking about......" In a room in the village, a young man dressed as an ordinary villager took off his headphones, and said with the corners of his mouth twitching: "I was happy with labor and management, and I thought they would discuss rebellion or something......"

"Still, Brother Ma, I think they still have a point......" said the companion next to him with a smile.

"Made, what the hell is this guy Ishihara here for?" Brother Ma said angrily: "This guy is really not cute at all, I might as well keep an eye on those red-haired people......"