"It's not easy to deal with yin and yang!"
Shen Shixing sighed after hearing Wang Xijue and said, "I can only encourage him!"
Qianqing Palace.
After Zhu Yijun secretly requested to be summoned in Shen Shixing, he was summoned to Yu Nuange on the afternoon of the next day.
When Shen Shixing came, Zhu Yijun was looking at the red wall tower outside with a telescope that had just been made by someone, and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
Shen Shixing glanced at the telescope in Zhu Yijun's hand, then was slightly startled, and then informed Zhu Yijun about the cancellation of the exam.
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun just smiled: "That's it?"
Shen Shixing was stunned again, and then said: "Your Majesty, we must be cautious about this matter! Because, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have always been places where talents gather. Once they cannot be used by the court, they will be used by local ambitious people. The imperial court's talent promotion ceremony is in name only."
"Are the people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang not loyal and righteous people?"
Zhu Yijun asked.
"Your Majesty, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the same as all over the world. Naturally, there are many people who know loyalty and righteousness."
Shen Shixing hurriedly replied.
Zhu Yijun nodded: "I think so too. After all, Master Shen is also from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but he is very knowledgeable about rent and interest reductions. He is considered a loyal minister of this dynasty!"
"minister."
Shen Shixing handed over.
Zhu Yijun waved his hand: "Hey! I'm telling the truth. Master Shen doesn't have to be humble. You can't even deny that you are a loyal minister? Since there are mostly loyal people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, you don't have to worry too much about this matter."
"Your Majesty is right, but I think the court has to deal with it."
"After all, there are too many scholars from Jiangsu and Zhejiang who have stopped taking exams this time, and many ministers in the DPRK and the Central Government have become uneasy because of this."
"I don't really think highly of my fellow countrymen, but I dare not not tell His Majesty what I know. There are indeed many scholars from Jiangsu and Zhejiang who are good at economics, water conservancy and farming. They will be able to serve as officials in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Guangxi. The imperial court benefits the local people.”
Shen Shixing said.
"I also admit that a place where people gather together needs more talents."
"You also have the overall interests of the court in mind."
"But the court is not just the court of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. We cannot coax the scholars of Jiangsu and Zhejiang just because they are making trouble. Even if the court wants to win over the scholars, it must also win over the scholars of the whole world."
Zhu Yijun said.
Shen Shixing raised his hand and said yes, and then said: "Your Majesty is thinking about all corners of the country, not just Jiangsu and Zhejiang."
Then, Shen Shixing raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhu Yijun as if he had realized something, and said:
"Since Your Majesty said this, I am thinking, should I take this opportunity to extend my divine grace to the world's scholars and issue an edict to increase the number of Jinshi in order to facilitate the management of overseas affairs, trade matters, and increase financial resources? "
"And according to the latest population survey, how many more places will be given to each province?"
"Very good!"
Zhu Yijun took off the telescope and said something.
"The six divisions have been increased to seven, so naturally the number of Jinshi candidates must be increased."
"Well, let's not just increase the number of candidates in each province, but also the number of Jinshi. The ruling ministers of your political affairs hall will carefully discuss and discuss how much to increase. They will also fix a number for each province. Each province must have at least one Jinshi quota. !”
"In this way, the province can have at least one representative to let me know the sentiments of the people there, but most of them are not fixed. The total number of Jinshi will be increased to 500 according to the data provided by the Royal Academy."
Zhu Yijun started talking at this time.
Shen Shixing was overjoyed and bowed with his hands in his hands: "Your Majesty is so gracious and good at governing, the country will prosper forever!"
Zhu Yijun smiled slightly.
After Shen Shixing met Zhu Yijun, he came to the Imperial Palace and smiled at all the ministers in power: "My lords, a great kindness has befallen this dynasty!"
Zhang Xueyan stood up and asked, "What kind of grace?"
Shen Shixing said: "His Majesty has decreed that the number of Jinshi scholars will be increased to 500, with at least one fixed quota added to each province, and the number of Jinshi scholars to be increased according to the population of each province."
After hearing this, all the officials in power were stunned.
After a while, Pan Chengcheng smiled and bowed in the direction of Qianqing Palace: "Holy grace can turn the world's resentment away!"
"That's right!"
"It's long overdue. Next, we need a large number of officials to supplement the internal and external ranks. It is the time to increase the number of Jinshi to reserve talents. At the same time, we should recruit all those who are still willing to serve as officials, so as not to stay in the local area and cause trouble."
Yu You Ding said.
Zhang Xueyan asked more cautiously: "Will it increase too much? Although the increase in official salaries is limited, the increase in people's burden secretly is not a small amount."
"It won't hurt if the officials are stricter!"
"When there are more officials, there are more people to keep an eye on, and it is easier to find out corruption. But when you find out, you have to be more ruthless. You can't be lenient to each other like before; even if you don't kill, you have to be ruthless. Some!"
"At the same time, we should request that a proportion of the property confiscated be given to the state to provide disaster relief and salary. In this way, the proceeds from the property confiscation can offset this increased burden, and there may even be a surplus that can be used to benefit the people."
Shen Shixing said.
After hearing this, Yan Qing, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, laughed and said: "So, even if you don't follow the ancestral tradition of peeling last straw, you will still have to embezzle more than a thousand taels, and your home will be confiscated and exiled!"
"The superiors and subordinates will also have to pursue the stolen goods. If I commit suicide, I will pursue the three other clans. If it is not enough to make up for the stolen money, I will limit my business and work hard to make up for it!"
"Wouldn't this be too cool?"
Xu Xuemo, the Minister of Rites, asked.
Yan Qing said seriously: "It's already very light!"
"If Mr. Hai were here, he would definitely say that I was showing mercy to corrupt officials."
Shen Shixing laughed and said: "That's true! However, Feng Xianguan and Liu Ke are more strict. Those who lead the censor or the censor of the capital, and those who embezzle more than 500 taels during the work, it is best to use Dapi Punishment!"
"That's good. Let's make a decision quickly. The edict to strengthen the administration of officials must be promulgated before Haigong comes to Beijing!"
Liang Menglong, deputy envoy to the Privy Council and associate minister of the Ministry of War, said hurriedly at this time.
Liu Yingjie, the Minister of Civil Affairs, echoed: "Very true!"
Xu Xuemo also smiled and said: "I have no objection. When Haigong comes to Beijing, I'm afraid he will not only be stricter with Feng Xianguan."
Pan Cheng nodded and said: "However, if we do this, will the ministers and junior officials behind us be dissatisfied, complaining that we made the administration of officials more strict after we came to power without leaving a way for those behind us? After all, although the imperial court now provides a lot of incentives and stipends to support integrity, it is still much lower than the various types of gifts such as ice and charcoal gifts before. "
"This road must be blocked!"
"Otherwise, if becoming an official has always been the most prosperous way, what kind of industry and commerce would there be?"
"Most of the talented people in the world only immerse themselves in the study of Confucian classics and work in official circles."
"It's enough to be rich and powerful for the sake of officialdom!"
"There is no need to be rich. It is just to prevent a group of people who are too profit-oriented from becoming rulers in the future. It is best for those who become officials to be people who care more about stability and who do not only care about profits when it comes to justice and interests."
Shen Shixing said.
Pan Cheng and other officials in power nodded.
"Then let's discuss these matters tomorrow, and go back to the Yamen today to make preparations."
Shen Shixing gave orders.
…
Not long after, the imperial court officially issued an edict that starting next year, the number of Jinshi admissions would be increased to 500, and each province would increase the number of candidates and students.
Among them, the prefectures belonging to Nanjuan in Nanzhi Jiangsu have a fixed quota of fifteen Jinshi in total, which is far more than the two fixed quotas in Guizhou.
Although, according to the situation in Guizhou, which has only produced more than 20 Jinshi in the entire history of the Ming Dynasty, areas like Guizhou now have two fixed quotas every year, which is still a big bargain, but for Jiangsu, it is also a big benefit. of.
Because there are not many fixed quotas for each province, most of them are divided according to the ratio of the north to the south. The Jiangsu prefectures that belong to the south roll have stronger exams, so they will undoubtedly take up most of the places in the south roll.
But for Shen Tao, who was already a favorite to compete for the top spot, the idea of increasing the number of Jinshi did not have much appeal to him. After learning about this edict in the "Di Bao", he said with a sullen face:
"Do you think we won't stop taking the exam?"
"The Emperor's grace is so great!"
However, Zhao Bifan suddenly kowtowed to the ground and bowed in the direction of the Forbidden City.
Shen Tao, Qin Hongzhi and other scholars in the Nanzhi Guild Hall couldn't help but look at him.
