Song Lian stroked his beard and asked, "Your Highness, are you thinking of recruiting more students from the north?"
Zhu Biao had nothing to hide from his husband: "The north has just been pacified, and the style of writing has not yet changed. I am afraid that there are some deficiencies in the classics and meanings. It will be impossible to catch up with the south in the next ten or twenty years. In the future, the north will be in court." There will be fewer and fewer officials.”
Song Lian nodded and said: "But if you are not careful about the imperial examination, you will easily be criticized by scholars all over the world. Your Highness should be cautious."
Zhu Biao nodded slowly and said: "Of course, it is fair to select the top scholar in the imperial examination. But there are some issues that need to be considered. Can Master Song do two sets of examination questions, one focusing on the classics and one focusing on the test strategies. When the time comes, Choose the best one from two sets of questions."
Song Lian frowned and thought about the pros and cons of this method. The scholars in the south read more scriptures, and the scholars in the north must have a better understanding of current affairs after the war. In this way, they can choose the best from the two sides.
Moreover, the main content of the imperial examinations is not static. Just like the Tang Dynasty people’s examinations focused on poems and poems, “promotion comes second, and poems and poems come first.” Some people in the Song Dynasty even believed that the reason why people in the Tang Dynasty were so good at writing poems was because of the imperial examinations. trained
"You may ask: Why did Tang poetry surpass our dynasty? The Tang Dynasty relied on poetry to recruit scholars, so there were many specialized studies. The reason why our dynasty fell behind."
In the Song Dynasty, poems and poems were gradually abandoned. Wang Anshi once said to Shenzong of the Song Dynasty: "Nowadays, when I was young and strong, I was pursuing the right principles of the world, but I studied behind closed doors to write poems and poems. When I became an official, I was not accustomed to the worldly things. This is a science." The law corrupts talents and makes them worse than before."
In the Song Dynasty, the examination of classics and policy theory began. In the Ming Dynasty, the examination of classics and meanings evolved into the examination of eight-legged essays. From the external style to the inner thinking, they were seriously rigid.
Instead of focusing on the policy test, the test policy is actually similar to the "application essay" in today's civil service examination. Generally, the examiner asks specific questions about current affairs and allows the candidates to express their opinions, so it is also called "policy question", and the candidates' answers are Called "countermeasures". Countermeasures are usually written in a thousand words, but there are also countermeasures written in tens of thousands of words.
For Zhu Biao, scholars who have read the Four Books and Five Classics are of little use to him. What he needs is people who can solve current affairs, understand the current national conditions and have certain ideas, and can assist him in revitalizing the Ming Dynasty.
Song Lian was not that kind of corrupt scholar, and naturally he knew that those who could read the classics well were not necessarily the talents that the court needed. However, the emperor had already indicated that he should be the one to examine the classics and not let the scholars talk about the affairs of the country.
Song Lian cupped his hands in front of Zhu Biao and said: "There is no Holy Father's will to change the imperial examination questions. Even if the old minister said it, it doesn't count. The Holy Master's intention is to test the students' scripture meaning, and it is best to test the contents of the Four Books and Five Classics."
Zhu Biao frowned. Although the Eight-legged essay has not officially started yet, there are already signs of it. This is not good. There are too few talents who can come out of the Eight-part essay.
Zhu Biao said to Song Lian: "I will go to see my father right now, and I am sure to persuade him. The imperial examination is not far away now. Please ask Master Song to choose some current things, such as if you want to relocate people on a large scale. How to deal with it.”
Song Lian looked at Zhu Biao and said softly: "His Highness has told me that I should obey it. However, if His Highness comes forward in this matter, will it be easy to offend His Majesty? It is better to let the veteran write a memorial, and then His Highness will take it to him. If His Majesty is angry with thunder, he will also be angry." Let it all fall on the old minister."
Zhu Biao stood up and said: "Master Song, don't worry, I have my own sense of discretion."
Then Zhu Biao got up and went to the imperial study. Zhu Yuanzhang must have been wrestling with the thick pile of memorials at this time. It was already late. Liu Jin followed Zhu Biao and said, "Sir, you have been busy for a long time. You take a rest here, and I will go to the imperial kitchen to get some food."
Zhu Biao shook his head, and then he looked at the group of people behind him thoughtfully. The eunuchs and guards were okay, but the maids were walking a little unsteadily. They were just little girls in their fifteenth and sixteenth years. Naturally, they were a little weak after being hungry for a long time. .
Zhu Biao casually ordered: "Leave a few people and return the rest to the East Palace."
Liu Jin naturally knew what Zhu Biao meant, and dispersed the others, leaving only his godson and two bodyguards who had returned from the Eastern Expedition with Zhu Biao.
All the way to the imperial study room, Zhu Biao asked someone to inform him, and then he strode in and saw that his father was indeed fighting with the memorial.
Zhu Biao knelt down and saluted: "My son and I join our father, and my father may live long."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his son and said: "Get up, you have run around in half a day."
Zhu Biao stood up and walked behind his father and pressed his shoulder. Now he really admired his father for doing so much work every day and still having the thought to remove the prime minister and give him more work.
Zhu Yuanzhang relaxed and enjoyed it for a while and said: "The arrangements are good. We should indeed be responsible for the food and accommodation of the imperial examination candidates. This will also facilitate unified management."
Zhu Biao knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was telling him that he had done a good job and did not care that he used his own money to stop the candidates.
In fact, Zhu Biao didn't know that someone among the candidates had already taken the lead. It was His Highness the Crown Prince who heard that the candidates didn't even have food and lodging arranged. After scolding the officials in charge, he immediately paid for it with his own money because he was afraid that we would starve. I'll wait for you at the inn. The prince is wise!
Yang Xian also cooperated actively, which made the candidates burst into tears. They all felt that they were taken seriously. Now that the master he expected to appreciate him has appeared, he must win the first prize in the test, and then create a chapter of monarch and ministers with His Royal Highness. A good story about meeting and creating a prosperous world together.
Zhu Biao said: "My son and Master Song discussed the imperial examination. Master Song and others expected that not even a hundred scholars from the north would be among the new scholars this time. My son thought that the proportion of scholars from the north to the south was so unbalanced that he was absolutely dissatisfied with the imperial court. Not a good thing."
Zhu Yuanzhang also looked condensed: "You are right, Biao'er. We were careless and forgot such an important thing. No, we have to ask Li Shanchang and the others to come over and discuss it."
Zhu Biao quickly stopped him: "I have some ideas, please give me some advice from my father."
Zhu Yuanzhang sat back with peace of mind as soon as he heard this: "Biao'er has thought of a solution? Okay, let's listen to my son."
Zhu Biao first asked: "Father, do you want to take charge of the examination of the classics?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Well, we don't want those scholars to tell us what to do. If they read too much, they will easily have other thoughts. After reading a few miscellaneous books, they dare to criticize the court's policies. What's the point? Decency.”
Zhu Biao knew that Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to completely turn the scholars into wooden people who only knew how to read the books of sages and could only read about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. He would imprison their thoughts and make them lose their ability to judge things by themselves, and select officials who only obey the emperor's orders. , to strengthen the monarchy.
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