Ma Zhou, who was ridiculed, did not immediately refute, but just straightened his clothes and stood up.
"So what if you were born in poverty?! Ben Huaiyou, the Taizu of our dynasty, raised a righteous army to drive out the Tatars and restore our Han people's artifacts. The former chief minister of our cabinet, Mr. Fan Xiwen, a scholar of Zhongji Palace, was poor and helpless when he was young. After studying hard in the cold window, he was finally able to rule the world and usher in a peaceful and prosperous age; Cheng Dazhongcheng, the censor of Youdu, was also born in Guizhou Province, but now he has reached the third rank of officialdom. He is honest and upright, and is a model for the world's scholars; Mr. Qianxi, Mr. Song Lao, has since My family was poor when I was young, so I couldn't write a letter to read it, but today I am the emperor's teacher, and is praised by Taizu as the first civil servant in the founding of the country."
After Ma Zhou paused slightly, he continued, "Do these two wise brothers think that they are also from villages and towns, and they can only break the inscriptions and write essays on Guizhou commoners?!"
Fortunately, Zhou Dynasty was politically clear, otherwise it would be a serious crime for Ma Zhou to dare to use Taizu as an example.
Ma Zhou gave so many examples of civilians, which made Lu Qiancheng and Cui Haoyuan a little confused.
"He's just a nerd who only cares about words and has no practical knowledge and is obsessed with studying! Let me ask you, do you know how the state and county finances operate?! Do you know how tax collection is carried out? Do you know how the Yushitai investigates cases? Do you know how the cabinet center is? Draft a decree?!"
Ma Zhou was unable to answer Lu Qiancheng's four questions. What Lu Qiancheng said was something that only court officials knew. He was born in a commoner family and could only study, so where could he learn about these things?
"A poor commoner who only knows how to show off his articles and chew on words. What use does the court want for someone like you?!"
Cui Haoyuan, who was at the same table, also spoke up, "Even if this person is trying to take a trick, how can he do it in today's exam?! How can such a rotten wood compete with us and other officials?!"
"Hahaha!"
The commoners and those who came from poor families were all silent.
Because everything Lu Qiancheng and Cui Haoyuan said is true, they are lucky enough to have books. As for those political affairs, how can they have access to them? !
And these children of wealthy families, whose families have been officials for generations, have been exposed to these government affairs since childhood. How can they be compared to children from poor families, who are ordinary people in Guizhou? !
Just when the atmosphere in the inn was suppressed to the extreme by the wealthy family, someone spoke, with a reassuring voice!
"When I first entered the Hanlin Academy, I didn't know how to draft a decree. Did Brother Cheng know how to supervise and investigate cases when he entered the Metropolitan Procuratorate?!"
Another vigorous voice said, "My ancestors have been farming for generations, so how do I know how to investigate and supervise cases?"
Two old men in regular clothes walked out of the private room on the second floor.
Lu Qiancheng and Cui Haoyuan stopped talking. Although they relied on their family background to be superior, they also knew that the two old men in front of them were not ordinary people.
"May I have your name?!"
The old man with a thick voice looked at Ma Zhou and asked.
Although Ma Zhou did not recognize the two of them, he knew that these two old men were not mortals. After saluting, he replied, "I am a junior student in Dongyang, Ma Zhou, and I have met these two seniors."
The old man with a strong voice asked, "That's right! He comes from a poor family, but he is neither humble nor arrogant. He is a malleable talent. I would like to ask, why do you study?! Just answer from your heart!"
I don't know if it was because of his age, but Ma Zhou just felt that the two old men seemed friendly.
Seeing Ma Zhou's hesitation, the two asked, "Is it possible that he doesn't want to be with us two half-buried old men?"
"Senior, please forgive me! I'm just too shy to speak. When I was young, I studied just to get ahead and honor my parents."
As soon as this statement came out, no one spoke to mock Ma Zhou Zhi.
Whether it is for a poor family or a child from an aristocratic family, everyone has the idea of studying in order to get ahead.
Ma Zhou's ability to openly express his ambition shows his sincerity.
The two old men looked at each other, and the old man with a vigorous voice asked, "What about now?!"
"The younger generation once heard that Master Yang, the minister of Dali Temple, once mentioned four sentences about the sea in the Guanlan Tower. He established a heart for the world and established a destiny for the people. He inherited the sage's unique knowledge and created peace for all ages. The late scholar did not dare to realize the ambition of Master Yang. , but I am also willing to imitate Xueshi Yang, guard one side, and care for the people. I just want to be mentioned in the history of the junior generation, and it is enough to work day and night in politics! Of course, if it can be passed down alone, it is naturally a dream."
At the end of the day, Ma Zhou Nanran can be mentioned alone in the history books as either a famous minister, a wise minister, or a treacherous and corrupt person. This is too loud!
"What a great ambition!" The old man with a thick voice said, "Study and be determined. This is a role model for us scholars. Today I share my humble work with you all."
Then the old man asked someone to get paper and pen, and started writing on the table, reciting while writing.
"I was eager to learn when I was young, but because my family was poor, I had no way to read the books. Every time I borrowed them from a book collector, I copied them by hand and returned them as soon as they were finished. I didn't dare to delay. The weather was cold and the inkstones were icy, and my fingers were cold and I couldn't bend or stretch them. I didn't dare to I was slacking off. Therefore, many people borrowed books, so I was able to read all the books. When I entered school, I admired the teachings of sages but could not find them, and there was no famous teacher to guide me. I often traveled hundreds of miles away to learn the scriptures from the sages in my hometown. Ask."
Everyone present fell silent and listened to the old man's reading.
"Xian Dadelong Wangzun had many disciples. I had to stand and wait on the left and right, not sitting down. When I asked questions, I leaned over and listened to you. Therefore, although I was stupid, I learned something. I should be my disciple. Carrying a suitcase and dragging clothes, I walked deep into the huge valley in the mountains. There was a strong winter wind and heavy snow several feet deep. My feet were chapped and I didn't know it. As far as the academy, all the students in the dormitory were embroidered, wearing hats decorated with red tassels, white jade rings around their waists, sabers on the left, and swords on the right. Prepare the velvet and smell it, you are as bright as a god; only the remaining robe is in ruins, there is no admiration for it. Those who have enough happiness in it do not regard themselves as poor and despise themselves as inferior to others. Therefore, Meng Sheng said: Heaven When someone is about to be given a big responsibility, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions, so tempting his mind and forbearance will benefit him beyond what he can do.
At the end of the day, I will use the Book of Changes to encourage you all. The Heavenly Movement is a healthy gentleman, and a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. He should hide his weapon in his body and wait for the time to move! "
Then the old man put away his pen, stamped his personal seal at the end of the article, and then sent the original manuscript to Ma Zhou.
"It's just a humble work, just give it to my little friend!"
After Ma Zhou received it, the manuscript was slightly unfolded, and he saw the words "Preface to Ma Sheng in Dongyang" written on it.
The handwriting of the article is smooth and strong, showing through the back of the paper, showing everyone's style.
When he saw the signature, Ma Zhou couldn't help but trembled. He saw that the seal where the signature was signed was clearly covered with the words Song Jinglian.
The old man who presented the preface turned out to be Song Lian, the current imperial master who was praised by Taizu as the first civil servant in the founding of the country.
In fact, Zhizhigao cannot be regarded as a long-term position, but a temporary official position. He is an official under the cabinet and is responsible for writing edicts. Nine out of ten edicts in Taizu's dynasty were written by this person.
This man was the leader of the literary circle of the previous generation of the Great Zhou Dynasty, one of the three founding families, and the examiner of the last imperial examination!
After writing this article, all the students in the room felt the pain of studying, and the whole room was silent.
Whether you are from a wealthy family or a humble family, it is not easy to pass the imperial examination in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If you do not have the determination to study hard, you will not be able to pass the imperial examination.
After a while, someone in the crowd recognized the two of them.
"Isn't this Scholar Song from the Hanlin Academy?!"
"I've met that old gentleman before. He's Cheng Dazhongcheng from the Metropolitan Procuratorate."
Yushi Zhongcheng is the title of the head of the Yushitai in the previous dynasty. The late emperor changed the name of Yushitai to Duchayuan, and Yushi Zhongcheng is the right censor of the Duchayuan.
Now that they have been recognized, Cheng Qingsong and Song Lian no longer conceal their identities.
"I and Mr. Song are here just to see the new people in our Great Zhou Dynasty. Everyone should be aware that when appointing officials in our Great Zhou Dynasty, regardless of region or origin, we only look at the imperial examination. If there is fraud, there is no need for all students to do so. Report it, and I will get to the bottom of it. As for the so-called practical ability, after passing the exam, you will naturally have many opportunities to observe politics!"
The so-called political observation is actually a process of internship and learning.
The imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty were considered fair among all dynasties. The examination rooms were randomly arranged, and names were anonymized on the examination papers. Then a scribe who specialized in copying would re-copy the examination papers, erase all handwriting, and then forward them to the examiner for marking. .
The seal will be torn off only after the evaluation is completed. Judging from the process, it is already relatively complete.
The biggest advantage of the imperial examination is that it only takes articles.
Whether it is policies, criminal names, inscriptions, or scriptures, you can learn from books. Of course, being a child of aristocratic families and officials definitely has its advantages, but this advantage is only reflected in the learning process.
Even Yang Qingyuan, the most closely connected person in the Zhou Dynasty, took part in the most difficult examination, and won the exam by convincing the examiner Qian Muqian who had doubts about it in four subjects: classics and meanings, poetry, policy theory, and criminal names. Will try fifth place.
It is equivalent to independent enrollment, but I also participated in the written examination and interview for special recruitment and achieved excellent results.
Therefore, Yang Qingyuan was not ostracized by the entire civil service group, but regarded him as a normal junior scholar.
Although the imperial examination has its limitations, its superiority is irreplaceable. It provides a new upward path for the lower classes of society, shakes the clan system, expands the basis of rule, and promotes the development of culture.
The power to select scholars through examinations lies with the country. Those who have passed the exams have no selfless favor, and those who have been deposed have no resentment. It is also conducive to social stability and political clarity.
Compared with the so-called nine grades of Zhongzheng and the examination of filial piety and integrity, the fairness of the imperial examination is infinitely higher!
The so-called Jiupin Zhongzheng is based on Zhongzheng officials' evaluation of talents in the region, which is called Zhongzheng Dingpin.
There are three main contents in the evaluation, namely family background, career and quality.
Family background refers to family origin and background, which refers to the qualifications, official status and title of the person being criticized’s father and ancestors.
A career is an overall evaluation of an individual's character and ability, which is equivalent to a moral evaluation. It is usually very concise, such as "talented and talented, outstanding", "excellent in virtue and capable in few", etc.
Dingpin means to determine the grade. The central government distributes a talent survey form, which divides talents into nine grades, namely, upper-upper, upper-middle, upper-lower, middle-upper, middle-middle, middle-lower, lower-upper, lower-middle and lower. Nine levels down.
After Zhongzheng finalizes the product, the results will be submitted to the Situ Mansion for review and approval, and then sent to the Ministry of Personnel for preservation as a basis for selecting officials.
The first among them is family background, which eventually led to the situation that "there are no poor families in the upper class, and no noble families in the lower class". This is the so-called examination of the comprehensive quality of talents.
Although the imperial examination has many disadvantages, it is indeed relatively fair and is an important channel for upward mobility at the bottom of society. Those who have objections to the imperial examination, those who advocate quality education, select talents with comprehensive qualities, and those who ban the imperial examination are not stupid. That's bad!
----------------
Not to mention a small incident in the capital.
Yang Qingyuan has now reached the northern part of Bingzhou, and further ahead is the Yunzhong Protectorate.
The Tiance Army used to be stationed here, but because of the great victory in the Battle of the North, the Tiance Army's defense line advanced more than two hundred miles to the north. A large area of grassland was occupied by the Great Zhou Dynasty, which could cultivate more Excellent war horse.
This is also one of the important significances of establishing the Yunzhong Protectorate.
We are about to arrive at the Tiance Army's camp. This is why Yang Qingyuan insists on coming to the north.
With the Shence Army and the Shenwu Army unable to move lightly, only the Tiance Army could break the situation by moving south. However, at this moment, the Tiance Army was tightly entangled by King Liang's army.
Even if Li Chengen wanted to give up the defense of the Yunzhong Protectorate, Liang Wang Chahan Timur would not let him leave so easily.
As long as Bingzhou falls, Tiance's army will be without support. The king of Liang can kill Tiance's army just by grinding.
Yang Qingyuan certainly did not come here to defeat the Liang King. The current Liang King learned from King Sima Xuan's tactics and could not hold on. However, once Li Chengen's troops showed signs of retreating, the Liang King would send troops to pursue and bite Li Chengen.
Therefore, Li Chengen did not dare to act rashly and could only mobilize his troops to retreat slowly at the appropriate time.
But in half a month, Li Chengen only mobilized 20,000 troops.
Yang Qingyuan thought for a long time and then hurried towards Tiance's camp again. He was going to persuade Zhao Min to let King Liang withdraw his troops.
Half an hour later, Yang Qingyuan had arrived in front of the Tiance Army camp.
Along the way, the rangers and scouts of the Tiance Army had discovered him. However, in the Battle of the North, Yang Qingyuan became famous, and Yang Qingyuan's third disciple, Yang Guo, was a ranger, so many people recognized Yang Qingyuan. He was brought to the Tiance camp.
At this moment, in the Tiance Army camp, Li Chengen, Qin Yiyan and others were discussing the deployment of troops.
Liang Wang, a veteran on the battlefield, put a lot of pressure on Li Chengen.
The son of King Liang, Wang Baobao, seemed to have undergone a qualitative change after experiencing the previous war in the north.
He has made great progress in both confrontation and planning, and his talents as a famous general gave Li Chengen a headache.
This father and son pair should not be underestimated.
Coupled with the 480,000 troops gathered from the major khanates and Daqian, the pressure on the Tiance Army was indeed considerable.
This is the sense of oppression felt by Daqian, the First Empire of the Grasslands.
"The Governor! Mr. Yang is outside the door asking for an audience!"
The general responsible for the defense of the camp hurried into the camp and reported the incident.
Li Chengen listened to the general's words and did not react for a while.
"Master Yang..."
There seems to be no one named Yang among the martial arts of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Li Chengen didn't think about Yang Qingyuan at all. Previously, Yang Qingyuan was ordered to go south and serve as the deposed envoy of Yuezhou to investigate major cases. How could he suddenly appear here? !
"Which Mr. Yang?!"
Qin Yiyan on the side also asked.
Inside the tent, only Pingyang Marquis Cao Xueyang smiled brightly and ran out of the tent.
Seeing Cao Xueyang's appearance, Li Chengen, Qin Yiyan, and Yang Ning immediately knew who the visitor was!
Besides Yang Qingyuan, Marquis of Wuxiang, who else could make the masculine Cao Xueyang look like a little girl? !
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
I have slightly modified the preface for sending horses to Dongyang.
It would be too much to copy a classical Chinese text, so I have simplified and deleted it so that everyone can understand it.
Now looking back at the high school textbooks at that time, every ancient essay is truly a classic.
The previous move had its name changed.
7017k
