Xiaoqi

After thinking this far, they knew very well that this was a long-term plan that Li Li had planned for a long time.The whole layout was completely planned by Li Li alone, and everyone was kept in the dark, until the moment when the veil was completely lifted, they didn't realize it.

From the moment Li Li announced in public, he had already expressed his firm position and attitude. The decision to fully implement the imperial examination system was a foregone conclusion. No matter how much resistance he encountered, Li Li's determination could not be shaken.

at this point.Li Xuan and the others had no choice but to face it positively.Be prepared for emergencies at any time.At this time, the reason why they followed Li Li into the palace was to discuss with Li Li the pros and cons of the imperial examination system.How to protect the rights and interests of those with vested interests in the DPRK.If this problem is not resolved, it is foreseeable that there will be great chaos in Xiliang. Although there will be no chaos, local turmoil is inevitable.

After all, the generals and civil servants of various states and counties who have fought with Li Li for many years have worked hard for many years, their purpose is to seal their wives and children and find a good future for their children.But once the imperial examination system is implemented.Then everything they have now will be in vain, and their children will have to take the exam if they want to become an official in the future. If they fail to pass the exam, they will not be able to become an official. This kind of result is unacceptable to them.Unacceptable will inevitably lead to their dissatisfaction with Li Li, followed by chaos and political turmoil.If this situation is allowed to continue, the foundation of the entire Xiliang will be shaken, and the consequences will be disastrous.

Therefore, the most urgent task is to eliminate the resistance of civil and military officials.Interpret the positive side of the imperial examination system in detail, try to safeguard their vested interests, and appease them, so as to kill the possible turmoil in the cradle.

While drinking tea.Li Xuan confided all the worries of himself and Guo Jia and others, and said respectfully: "The benefits of the imperial examination system are obvious. Both ordinary people and high-ranking officials can pass the imperial examination. In this way, the imperial court can select talents on a large scale. , choose the best scholars. Since then, there will be no situation where no one can be used. In addition, it can also break the pattern of monopolizing the court by the aristocratic family and the gentry. It will be of great benefit to the consolidation of our dynasty’s dominance. The best policy."

Having said that, Li Xuan paused, and looked up at Li Li, only to see Li Li nodded slightly to him with a smile on his face, but did not answer.

Apparently, Li Li knew Li Xuan very well, and knew that he used the way of expressing desire to suppress first, and first affirmed the superiority of the imperial examination system in order to show his firm support for Li Li's position. However, he had many concerns while expressing his position.If Li Li answered the call at this time and took the initiative to ask him, then he could ask targeted questions and express his concerns.However, Li Li didn't accept the move at all, and waited quietly for him to finish speaking, which forced Li Xuan to organize his words carefully. He could say what should be said, and refrain from saying what should not be said or what was uncertain.

Seeing Li Li smiling and saying nothing, Li Xuan shook his head helplessly and continued, "Just like what Your Majesty used to say before: everything has advantages and disadvantages. The imperial examination system has many advantages, but it also has disadvantages. Not long ago, I This is what His Majesty once said about the "vested interests". According to the usual practice, when their heirs grow up, they can be recommended for office naturally, either from the civil or military. If you join the army, you can get an official position.

However, after the implementation of the imperial examination system, this situation will change accordingly. Scholars must take the imperial examination to become an official, and military commanders must also be selected through military examinations. cut off their retreat.If so, the situation is dire and the consequences unpredictable. As soon as the point was over, Li Xuan directly pointed out the stakes, and then kept silent. It is useless to talk too much. He is very clear that the meaning has been expressed very clearly. As for Li Li's decision, it is not Li Xuan. Can control.

After listening to Li Xuan's words, Li Li smiled noncommittally, then turned his gaze to Chen Gong, Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia and the others, and asked, "Look at the situation, you guys have already discussed in advance, and you have the same idea?"

"Your Majesty is wise, the ministers really have this intention." Chen Gong and the others echoed one after another.

Li Li nodded slightly, and said with a smile: "I can understand that you have doubts about the imperial examination system. Any system or decree will be opposed at the beginning of its promulgation. There are many such examples; such as Li Mu at the beginning of Shang Yang's reform. For faith, when the first emperor unified the six kingdoms, he burned books and buried Confucianism, etc. Although the means and methods used are different, the purpose to be achieved is the same, and they are all for the implementation of the new law. The same is true for the imperial examination system. In the process of implementation It is not surprising that there will be resistance in the middle of the world. Solving the problem when encountering a problem is the attitude of doing things. It is just that we must pay attention to the method and method of doing things. It is too extreme to burn books and bury scholars like the first emperor, but the effect is good. , but the gain outweighs the loss, which is not desirable.”

While speaking, Li Li got up and walked slowly to the hall, and said frankly: "After the implementation of the imperial examination to select scholars, it will indeed involve the vital interests of all the officials in the court, and it will have a certain impact on the success of their sons, but this impact is extremely limited. It is not enough to shake the foundation of our Jin Dynasty. In other words, it is the best time to implement the imperial examination system, because they have just obtained prominent official titles. If they are worried that their children will not be able to become officials, they should prepare in advance. They have enough time to educate their children , to train the offspring to be talented. If their offspring really have real talents, why worry about the imperial examination? Conversely, if they are all a bunch of idiots, they will only mislead others and themselves after they become officials; instead of this, it is better to stay at home and inherit the father's generation What's wrong with being a rich man safely?"

Guo Jia continued: "Your Majesty, what you mean is that the imperial examination system does not completely abolish existing official titles, and the titles obtained by hundreds of officials can still be inherited?"

"Of course." Li Li nodded in response, and said loudly: "The title is earned by civil and military officials. This is the wealth and glory they deserve. How can it be easily banned? The implementation of the imperial examination system does not mean that the existing The official rank system is just a new way to become an official. It makes the selection of talents more diversified in our dynasty, so that educated people from ordinary backgrounds can become an official through normal channels and change their own destiny with their own talents. In addition, we The court did not completely abolish the nomination system. Governors of various states, feudal officials and meritorious ministers with the rank of marquis can all recommend talents, but they must carefully evaluate talents while recommending talents, and must not abuse their power at will. In short, it is an integrated reward and punishment mechanism.”

Before Li Li finished speaking, Zhuge Liang stood up and echoed, "Your Majesty has thought carefully, and this method is feasible. I invite you to participate in this imperial examination, and I hope Your Majesty will agree."

"Your Majesty is wise, and the ministers are willing to do what dogs and horses can do, and do as you please!" Immediately after Kong Ming, Li Xuan, Guo Jia, Chen Gong, and Li Ru stood up and echoed.So far, the imperial examination system has been formally established.

Li Li said with a smile: "Okay, that's very good. This is the first time for me to take the imperial examination. The test questions are drawn up by myself, and the five of you will handle the specific matters together. Yuan Zhong is the chief examiner of the literary test, and the public platform Feng Xiao served as the chief examiner for the martial arts examination, Kong Ming assisted from the side, and Wen You served as the supervisor of the imperial examination. All the officials and facilities needed were arranged by the public station, and the expenses were allocated by the Ministry of Household Affairs. The recruitment ratio is determined according to the number of people participating in the examination. The preliminary plan is to choose one out of twenty for the civil examination, and one out of thirty for the military examination. People who rank in the top [-] civil and military examinations are eligible to participate in the palace examination. At that time, I will summon them. Personal assessment, those who pass the palace examination can be exceptionally promoted and retained."

"I will obey your orders." Li Xuan and others gladly accepted the orders.

The first scientific examination was finalized in this way.At this time, Guo Jia said with a smile: "It can be seen that Your Majesty has been planning for the implementation of the imperial examination system for a long time, and has considered all aspects. On the contrary, the ministers realized it later and made a false alarm. Hehehe!" Guo Jia That hearty laughter infected everyone present, making the atmosphere in the Hall of Mental Cultivation suddenly relaxed.

Li Li laughed and said: "A century-old plan, education is the first. I came from a humble background, and I know the sufferings of the common people, and I know how difficult it is for the children of the common people to become officials. At present, the common people are the people from generation to generation, and the descendants are all common people. There is no change at all. The chance of fate, and the root of all this is that common people can’t read books at all. In order to consolidate our ruling position, all we can rely on are common people, so giving them the opportunity to read and study is what I have to do. Now There is only one Royal Academy in my dynasty, which is far from enough. In the future, more schools will be planned. After 20 years, all villages under my dynasty must have schools. If this is the case, I will have no regrets in this life. "Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang and others were moved when they heard the words, and the shock in their hearts was beyond words. For the first time, they felt that Li Li had such deep feelings of worrying about the country and the people.

The phrase "a century-old plan education first" is undoubtedly unfamiliar to Li Xuan, Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia and others, and they have never heard of it before, but this does not prevent them from understanding the true meaning of this sentence.

Chapter 226 Sweeping the Whole City

In the first ten days of March of the eighth year of Jian'an, in Xiangyang City, Jingzhou.

Dawn breaks and dawn dawns.The young leaves on the side of the road are covered with dew, showing a crystal clear luster in the morning glow, shining brightly, which is really gratifying.

With the harsh sound of "creaking" spread, the four gates of Xiangyang City opened wide, and pedestrians who had been waiting outside the gates rushed into the city.

Loads of fresh vegetables regularly rose and fell on the shoulders of the porters, but did not swing from side to side; trolleys full of fresh poultry followed the porters into the city, and there were many women in their thirties He followed behind with a bamboo basket on his arm. The basket was covered with a flowered cloth and contained a basket of eggs for half a month's livelihood for the whole family.

Along with the people who rushed to the city gate early in the morning and crowded into the city gate one after another, Xiangyang City, which was still immersed in silence, suddenly became lively.

The plan of the day is in the morning, and a new day begins.

When hundreds of people rushed to Dongcheng Caishikou with their burdens and carts (wheelbarrows), there was an extremely eye-catching bright yellow brocade on the wall where wanted or reward notices were posted in the past, attracting many people. Come forward and watch.In fact, many people have seen this kind of yellow notice when waiting to enter the city at the gate of the city, but because they have burdens on their shoulders, have no free hands, and are eager to enter the city, they can't take care of it; in addition, among them Most people are illiterate, and if there is no literate "Mr.

Seeing this bright yellow brocade, people immediately thought that this was another notice offering a huge reward for reporting assassins.It must be a dude from a certain aristocratic family or a big family who was assassinated, and the government could not find any clues.So they put up a list and offered a reward to catch the murderer.Notices like this offering rewards for arresting murderers are posted every ten days and a half months.The people have long been used to it.

The appearance of the reward notice can be traced back to the assassination of Emperor Liu Biao of the Southern Dynasty three years ago.At that time, Liu Biao had not proclaimed himself emperor, and he was still a shepherd of Jingzhou. In that year, assassins raged in the city of Xiangyang. Almost every day, direct descendants of official families were assassinated. Even Liu Biao, the state shepherd, was shot in the left arm by an assassin. Rampant, has reached the level of pervasiveness.For this reason, the defenders of Xiangyang City blocked the city gate.Assassins were arrested all over the street, and as long as they saw burly young men, they were arrested as assassins. This chaotic situation lasted for a long time.

For a whole year before and after, there was a lot of noise in the city of Xiangyang, so that the people outside the city did not dare to enter the city, and the green and green vegetables were rotten in the field, and they did not dare to sell them in the city.This commotion has caused the surrounding people to suffer.Blocking the gates of the city is tantamount to cutting off their livelihood. The whole family can only tighten their belts to live, and they will not see any oil and water all year round.A stomach full of bitterness but nowhere to cry, it is unspeakably miserable!

Since then, the common people have held prejudices against this kind of reward announcement, thinking that the killed and the murdered are not good things.So I encountered a reward notice again.They usually come forward to join in the fun, to see which big family is unlucky to be attacked by assassins, and make jokes with each other.Then they dispersed, doing what they should do.Don't care about the final result of these reward notices at all.Because this kind of thing is very far away from the farmers who plan their food from the land, they are poor and white.Apart from the hundred and ten catties of flesh and bones on his body, he had nothing on his body, so the assassin would not attack them no matter what.As for things like reporting the whereabouts of assassins or providing clues, only the idle thugs in the city will sharpen their heads to earn such worthless rewards. The real peasants are not enthusiastic about it at all. Sharing days is the real thing.

But today's notice seems to be different from the past.The high-quality yellow satin shone in the sun, and the black writing and red seal could be seen from a distance, especially the fist-sized seal, which was particularly eye-catching and dazzling.The moment they saw the notice, many people couldn't help cursing secretly: "Which family is this a prodigal? Such a large piece of silk is enough to make new clothes for the child's mother, but it was used by the government to paint it." Huahua, it’s just ruined! His mother’s cub sells Ye Tian, ​​I don’t feel sorry for him, he deserves it if he dies!”

The scolding turned into scolding, but he couldn't help being curious, and involuntarily leaned forward, staring straight up at the yellow silk notice, while listening to the contents of the notice read aloud by "Mr" standing directly below the notice .It is true that although the handwriting on the yellow silk is very clear, each word is as big as an eyeball. It is a pity that the characters know them, but they do not. That's all, really blind.I can't read!

It wasn't until curious people came forward to check it that they realized that the notice on the wall was not pasted with paste, but nailed to the wall with four iron nails as thick as chopsticks. It was very firm and could not be easily torn off. down.The nails of this era were not cylindrical, but four-sided iron nails. The head of the nail was as big as a fingernail, the tip of the nail was relatively narrow, and the length of the nail was about one inch.This kind of nails uses a lot of iron, as if they are really made one by one, just like making arrows, so they are expensive, and ordinary people only use this kind of strong iron nails when building houses, and Generally, you can save if you can. If you can have a wooden wedge instead, try not to use iron nails, which can save a lot of money.

It is obvious that when these vegetable farmers who came to sell vegetables early in the morning saw the iron nails on the wall, they couldn't help feeling a pain in their hearts: "It's too prodigal! Yellow silk notices and iron nails are posted, how rich is this?" With such a big hand, no wonder the assassin would take the initiative to find him?"

As more and more people gathered, the well-dressed "Mr." standing directly below the notice finally agreed to speak respectfully and began to show off his knowledge: "The edict of the Jin Dynasty is in accordance with the heaven, and the emperor's edict said: Under the whole world, Is it the land of the king, the shore of the land, and the ministers of the king. Today, I feel the suffering of the common people in the world, and the difficulty of the Confucian students to become officials, so I promulgate this edict. On the eighth day of the eighth day of the eighth day of the eighth day of the Jian’an period, the first imperial examination was held in Chang’an , all my descendants, men who are over 16 years old, who think they are talented or talented, can take the exam regardless of region, race, or origin. The imperial examination is divided into literary examination, military examination, and arithmetic There are hundreds of schools of thought such as He and Huang Zhishu, with unlimited subjects, focusing on practicality, and aiming at benefiting the common people, but all elders with a skill are included in the examination. Those who pass the examination will all be hired as officials and gain fame; Those who are outstanding will be promoted exceptionally, and their wives and family members will be arranged, and the treatment will be favorable. After the promulgation of this edict, the imperial examination will be held every two years, and the time for taking the exam will be announced three months in advance. Hereby! Jin Emperor Li Li, Jian'an eight years February 25”

After reading the imperial decree, the well-dressed "Mr." deliberately elongated his voice, and at the end, he pointed to the fist-sized cinnabar seal under the notice, and added: "Folks, look carefully. This is the unique jade seal of the Western Jin Dynasty. , so this edict is by no means a rumor or a forgery, it was actually written by Emperor Jin himself, so it is authentic and credible!"

After reading the imperial decree, this learned and talented "Mr." explained in detail line by line, until the people onlookers understood everything, then he stopped talking and stepped aside, and disappeared without a trace after a while. trace.

"Imperial examination? This is quite new. Anyone can take the examination, and as long as they pass the examination, they can become an official?" An old man over fifty years old murmured incredulously.

"Yes, I have never heard of such a good thing from ancient times to the present!" Mrs. Zhang from the same village continued, obviously she also had doubts, and did not believe that such a good thing as a pie in the sky really existed in the world.Because she has a son who loves to dance with guns and sticks since he was a child. He is tall and thick like a cow, but he doesn't work hard on farming. He thinks about fighting and killing all day long, and dreams of making achievements in the battlefield.It's a pity that the child's father died early, and the mother and son depended on each other for life. Zhang was reluctant to let his son join the army, fearing that his son would never come back.So, until now, my son is still doing nothing all day long, and he is about to become an idle hooligan.

After seeing this notice, Mrs. Zhang felt that if what the edict said was true, it would be an opportunity for her children.Because she thinks her son is very powerful, none of the more than 100 young men in the village can beat him, the most important thing is that the son is willing to use his brain, as long as he prepares a little, even if more than 100 young men fight together, it is not him opponents, they still beat them to pieces.

While Mrs. Zhang was thinking about it, a lady next to her spoke up: "My son has studied hard at Lushan Academy for ten years, but he has no job. This time, he must go to Chang'an for a try. Once he passes the exam That's it, then the time for my old Wang family to rise to the top is coming!" Obviously, this is a landowner's wife, that is, a land rich man, although the family is rich, but the status is not high, and it is incompatible with the wealthy family.

The words of Mrs. Wang's rich man fell on the ears of all the vegetable farmers like a bomb, blowing up everyone's hearts and blood.They couldn't help but think that if the rich man's son is willing to rush to Chang'an, then his own boy can go too. The imperial edict has said that there is no limit to the region or origin, as long as they have the ability, they can take the exam.

What's more, the "Mr." just said that the candidates who are going to take the test this time don't have to worry about spending enough money as long as they enter the Western Jin territory. The emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty has ordered the counties and counties along the way to escort the test takers to Chang'an, with full board and lodging.This is a great thing that has never been seen before. Anyway, my children are idle, and they are really capable, so it is not a bad idea to try their luck.

"Sister-in-law of the Zhang family, please take a look at the stall for me. I'll go home and I'll be back in a while."

"Hey, wait a minute, Brother Li, I'm going back to cook for the children, I'm afraid I can't help you."

""

The situation like Dongcheng Caishikou is not an isolated case. Almost at the same time, every street in Xiangyang City is performing the same scene. There are always more than [-] well-dressed "Mr." interpreting the Western Jin Dynasty. Emperor's edict.In less than half an hour, more than half of the people who used to get up early in the entire Xiangyang city heard about the imperial examination, and then this anecdote through the ages swept across the entire Xiangyang city like an unprecedented tornado.

Chapter 227

Who says good things don't go out, but bad things spread thousands of miles.

In fact, good news can also be spread quickly, and the work of a cup of tea can spread throughout the city.

The premise is that it is true and inspiring enough that people can't help but spread the word, and even want to spread their wings and tell their relatives and friends the good news as soon as possible.

As long as it has this weight, the enthusiasm and energy of the people can be fully stimulated, and it is no problem to fly thousands of miles.

The Huangbang notice at Caishikou in Dongcheng City is like a fuse that hits at one point, and there are more than fifty other bombs connected in series. Once one is ignited, the other blasting points will be detonated quickly.When all the more than [-] blasting sites erupted, the huge Xiangyang City was completely blown up, and it was out of control. The anecdote of imperial examinations and scholars shrouded the whole city like a morning glow, and immediately spread to hundreds of thousands of people and Jingzhou. In the ears of the soldiers, they were deafened, and they didn't know what to do.

The most bizarre thing is that in the State Shepherd's Mansion,,,, oh no, there are also two imperial lists posted on the left and right walls in front of the gate of the Southern Han Palace, attracting many civil and military officials to watch.Different from other places, there is no well-dressed "Mr." to interpret the imperial list in front of the palace gate in detail, because most of the people who are qualified to enter and leave the palace are literate, and they don't need to be explained by others, they can understand it at a glance.

As for those who could not read, they were probably the armored soldiers standing guard in front of the palace gate.The emperor's list was posted next to them, but they turned a blind eye to it. During the night patrol, they walked back and forth in front of the emperor's list more than a dozen times, but they didn't find anything wrong with the notice.On the contrary, after dawn, they saw the jade seal on the imperial list, so the four soldiers spontaneously stood on both sides of the imperial list.They were afraid that some greedy guy would take a fancy to the yellow silk nailed to the wall and secretly tear it off and take it away, so they stood by and protected the imperial list.In order to maintain the supreme majesty of the royal edict.