Just as the whole city of Changsha was bustling with excitement, preparations for the wedding of the king and the queen began.
Lu Yuan and Lan Cai'er really had to separate temporarily.
The reason is also very simple.
According to the etiquette, men and women are not allowed to see each other before they get married.
Previously, Lu Yuan was the commander of the Northern Expedition, which was a special situation, so he took Lan Cai'er around, but no one cared about it.
But we are about to get married now, and we only have a few days, so we have to abide by the rules, right?
Therefore, Lu Yuan had no choice but to give up the idea of taking advantage of this opportunity to tease his queen.
I began to concentrate on handling the government affairs after returning home.
As for the wedding, there was a dedicated person to prepare it. It was not his turn to take care of it, and he didn't know how to take care of it.
"Your Majesty, since the beginning of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Hongdao's reign, your Majesty has been on the Northern Expedition. He has won successive battles and expanded his territory. He has made great gains and his reputation has spread throughout the world.
Up to now, our Changsha Kingdom has regained Tianmen Mansion in Jiangbei.
It also opened up the four prefectures of Xiangyang, Xicheng, Fangling and Guining in Xiangyang County, and the three prefectures of Wushan, Linjiang and Yuzhong in Xichuan County. Expanding the territory thousands of miles, martial arts is extremely good.
This is all the result of the great king. "
Having said this, Cui Changqing saluted Lu Yuan with a look of admiration.
For a monarch, the greatest achievement is to win external victories and expand territory.
And Lu Yuan did this perfectly.
For his subordinates, it is undoubtedly exciting to see their country's power growing stronger and its territory expanding.
Because this means that the country is on the rise and has unlimited possibilities in the future. Being an official here has a lot of hope.
The simplest.
After opening up the land of Qifu, doesn't the extra thousand official positions mean that many officials in the country have opportunities for promotion?
Do the many scholars below have another chance to become officials?
When all these things are added up, it is not just a mere name, but a real benefit.
Therefore, Lu Yuan accepted the compliment calmly, a smile appeared on his face, and he felt quite proud.
But before he could be proud of it for a long time, after talking about these benefits and praising them, Cui Changqing changed his tone and said: "It's just that the development of the Seven Prefectures is indeed a good thing. But how to manage it needs to be dealt with urgently, and it can't be delayed for a long time. ”
When Lu Yuan heard this, he asked, "What does Prime Minister Cui mean?"
Cui Changqing said: "Seven newly expanded prefectures in the north of the Yangtze River belong to the two counties of Xiangyang and Xichuan. The mountains and rivers in the middle are blocked, and transportation is inconvenient or even non-existent.
Therefore, these seven prefectures cannot be integrated into one and governed by one county.
And if they are not integrated into one body, the land of these seven prefectures will be divided according to Xiangyang and Xichuan, and each will be governed by a county government.
It was still under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court and directly managed local prefectures and counties.
In addition, if a county is established, will another county be established in the Dongting County area? Or continue to be under direct jurisdiction?
These all need to be decided by the king. "
Divide counties and counties, determine jurisdictions, and clarify the rights of the imperial court and local governments. These are the urgent matters that Cui Changqing proposed after Lu Yuan opened up the land of Qifu.
These are indeed important.
Therefore, after Lu Yuan listened, he couldn't help but think deeply.
Seeing this, Cui Changqing did not continue to urge, but stood below and waited.
After a while, Lu Yuan came to his senses, raised his head and said: "According to this royal decree, the four prefectures of Xiangyang County from the seven prefectures collected during the Northern Expedition will be established as Xiangyang Prefecture, and the three prefectures of Xichuan Prefecture will be established as Xichuan Prefecture.
In these two prefectures, the imperial court selected county governors, captains, and local prefecture and county officials. At the same time, they established prefectures and county soldiers to replenish the local areas.
As for Dongting County, it will not be established as a county for the time being and will continue to be under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court. "
The establishment of counties in Xiangyang and Xichuan is actually inevitable.
Without setting up a new administrative and military center locally to take charge of all the resources in the area, how can we resist enemies on both sides?
Therefore, it is imperative to establish counties in the two places.
The establishment of counties in these two places, named after Xichuan and Xiangyang, actually showed some of Lu Yuan's ambitions in some aspects.
That is one day, one day.
Is it possible to occupy the complete Xichuan and Xiangyang counties and restore the territories of the two counties to their original state?
Lu Yuan just kept this hidden meaning in his heart and would not say it to others.
Because the conditions for seizing Xichuan and Xiangyang counties are not mature at all. Even within ten or decades, it will not be mature.
It will take many years to really do this.
At this time, on the surface, he established these two counties, and his explanation to the outside world naturally had no other meaning, just following the rules.
Originally, this place was called Xiangyang and Xichuan. You can't use this name now and I can't use it. Where's the logic?
Since Dongting does not have a county, the answer is even simpler.
This is the capital of the country and the place of the heart and soul.
Set up a county here, and when there is already a political center, set up another one to share your power in vain.
This is a way to cause chaos. You would only do it if your brain is crazy, right?
Therefore, Lu Yuan's current arrangement is the most appropriate under such circumstances.
At least Cui Changqing couldn't find anything wrong with this.
After hearing Lu Yuan's division, he immediately accepted the order and said: "The king's arrangement is a sage move, and I have no objection. It's just that the two new counties will be established. The selection of county governors and captains requires the king to select good ministers and generals. Appoint with caution.
Moreover, if the newly expanded seven prefectures, including the newly recovered Tianmen Prefecture, are included in the area, it will be the land of eight prefectures and two counties.
In this land of thousands of miles, there are eighty prefectures and counties. Counting the prefectures, there is a shortage of officials of 1,300 people.
This shortfall needs to be filled quickly.
Now, your Majesty has previously issued an order for me to prepare Enke this year, which has been repeatedly postponed.
There are more than ten thousand scholars inside and outside Changsha who are looking forward to the imperial examination and are eager to start Enke.
Now that the king has returned in triumph, he is getting married again, which is the time for double happiness.
When the time comes, do you want to add another blessing? I opened Enke. In this way, it can not only select talents for the country, but also celebrate the king's wedding. It can be said to be the best of both worlds. "
As early as the beginning of the year, Lu Yuan wrote back and asked Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen to prepare for this year's Enke.
However, there were too many variables in the Northern Expedition. First, there was a surprise attack on Xichuan, and then there was a battle with the Zhou Kingdom in Hanzhong County. After what happened, Lu Yuan's original plan to return home early was interrupted.
And since it is an enke or an imperial examination, what is it without the presence of the king?
Therefore, Lu Yuan was unable to return to China. Even though many preparations for the imperial examination had been made here, Enke, which had been promoted for eight years, still could not be held.
As a result, the scholars from all over the three kingdoms of Nanhai, Ninghai and Changsha had to be trapped in Changsha City, whether they could leave or not.
After procrastinating for a long time, some poor scholars at home could no longer hold on.
Some scholars who came from afar even had to find someone to borrow money because they lacked enough silver to continue to stay in and outside the city. They even gave up taking exams and returned to their hometowns.
Although this phenomenon only exists in a small number for the time being, it still has to attract attention.
Considering Lu Yuan's reputation among the scholars, Cui Changqing had no choice but to remind him that the imperial examination was inevitable.
After listening to Cui Changqing say these things, Lu Yuan also realized the seriousness of the matter.
But it was indeed a bit reluctant for him to start Enke at this time.
The reason is also very simple.
This time he moved a large number of immigrants from Xichuan County and Hanzhong County, numbering as many as one million. Among these immigrants, there are naturally scholars.
Those scholars were dissatisfied and even resentful of Lu Yuan because he was moved to their homeland. Some people are even panic-stricken and full of uneasiness.
If they are not calmed down in time, I am afraid that these people will become the cause of local unrest and become hidden dangers.
Even the talented people who finally moved here will soon find ways to escape back to Zhou State, and their efforts will be in vain.
There are also people in Xiangyang County. Although the local people were not moved by Lu Yuan, they have just changed from Zhou people to Changsha people. This huge change in identity is not so easy to recognize.
If you want them to change the Zhou people's ideas from the bottom of their hearts and recognize the fact that they are Changsha people, they will naturally need to work hard.
Therefore, it is also urgent to appease these Zhou people and Xichuan people.
And a large-scale imperial examination and a large-scale opening of subjects to obtain scholars will undoubtedly be able to win over the hearts of local scholars in large numbers.
Everyone is studying and spending ten years in poverty, isn’t it just to become an official?
As long as you can let me be an official.
So whether it is an official of the Zhou Kingdom or an official of the Changsha Kingdom, I think many scholars will not care too much.
Not to mention, the status of those scholars had changed from Zhou people to Changsha people.
Regardless of whether this change is forced or voluntary, this change has become an unchangeable fact.
So being an official of Changsha State will have even less psychological burden on these scholars who have become Changsha people.
And if they can be gathered together, relying on their reputation among locals and immigrants, and having them help promote and appease people's hearts, then it will undoubtedly be much easier for Lu Yuan to absorb and digest those forcibly moved immigrants.
With all these advantages, he was naturally unwilling to start the imperial examination so soon.
'At least we have to wait for the scholars in these newly acquired territories and immigrants to get the news, and then come to Changsha to take part in the imperial examination. '
Lu Yuan thought so in his heart.
But even though he thought well, what Cui Changqing said was also true.
After half a year of delay, the scholars of the Three Kingdoms inside and outside Changsha really couldn't wait any longer.
If their expectations are not resolved quickly, it will not wait until Lu Yuan can win over the hearts of the people of Zhou and Xichuan. The reputation he had built up among the scholars of the Three Kingdoms by relying on the first two Enke and imperial examinations was afraid that it would fall a lot.
"What Xiang Cui said does make sense."
Lu Yuan sighed, and then said: "Let's do this. On the 15th, the imperial examination will be held in the city. However, the number of admissions this time will be set at 500. First, a group of officials will be selected to enrich the two counties and eight mansions. Build the framework of the local government.
Then in March next year, another Enke will be opened, and 800 people will be recruited to completely make up for the vacancies of local officials. "
After thinking about it, Lu Yuan finally had no choice but to choose such a compromise.
Give some places first, and those people will pass the exam first.
In this case, everyone can compete for victory or defeat in the examination room based on their own abilities. Don't complain if you don't pass the exam.
And some of the grievances of the scholars who had been stranded in Changsha City for a long time could also be relieved through this outlet.
Even because Enke will be held again next year, maybe those who failed the imperial examination this time will feel more grateful and rejoice from the bottom of their hearts.
After all, there were four imperial examinations in three years and three Encore exams in a row. Who could not support and like a court that treats scholars with courtesy and strives to make progress?
Anyway, Cui Changqing liked it very much and felt happy from the bottom of his heart.
Therefore, after listening to Lu Yuan's words, he immediately saluted and said: "With this edict from your Majesty, all the scholars in the world will return home from now on."
Lu Yuan couldn't help laughing when he heard this.
…
The next day, the news that the imperial court would hold the imperial examination and select five hundred scholars soon spread in Changsha.
Although compared with the originally expected number of 1,000 soldiers, the number of people was twice as low, which disappointed many people.
But even so, five hundred people were admitted in one imperial examination, which was actually a quite high number. Compared with previous years when one county only admitted one hundred people, it was still much higher.
Well, yes, this time it was a normal imperial examination, not Enke.
After all, Lu Yuan's Changsha Kingdom originated from the original Yue Kingdom, and most of the corresponding systems were copied except for some fundamentals.
Under the system of the Yue Kingdom, local counties would hold an imperial examination every year to recruit candidates to supplement the deficiencies of officials.
But for this kind of imperial examination, the number of people admitted each year is determined by the imperial court from the Ministry of Personnel, who counts the lack of officials in the central government and local counties at that time, and then allocates the number of admitted people to each county according to the quota.
After each county has obtained the admission quota, it will hold the imperial examination to select the number of people who will succeed in the examination.
Under such conditions, places such as Dongting and Nanhai usually admit only twenty or thirty people a year when the number of places is small. When there are a lot of people, there are basically just over a hundred people.
There are many monks and few rice porridge, and there are only a few official positions. Every year, there are only a few people who return to their hometowns, commit crimes and are dismissed from office, or die of illness in office.
The number of vacant official positions is limited, so every hole must be filled. Unrestricted recruitment is impossible.
Lu Yuan's behavior of opening Encore at every turn, enrolling more than 2,000 people in two years, and recruiting the number of people admitted in the past few decades in one go, is unusual.
The number of candidates for this examination is 500, which is naturally less than the number of 1,000 or the last imperial examination.
But compared to previous years, that's still a tenfold gap.
With such treatment, what else do those scholars have to complain about?
Therefore, after the news of the imperial examination spread, many scholars in the city began to prepare with joy.
And all kinds of things that are not available in the city, such as exam question papers that are not authentic or fake, random instructions from the examiner, etc., are popping up like mushrooms after a rain.
Although many people know that this kind of thing is basically fake, there are still a large number of scholars who flock to it.
Of course, there are also those who are pragmatic or poor, and they also start to cram for a while, looking through various classics and previous years' imperial examination papers, trying to work harder before the exam.
In this atmosphere, merchants in Changsha who specialized in pens, inks, paper, inkstones, and various books suddenly made another fortune.
Various restaurants and the people in the city also made a lot of money for food and accommodation.
the reason is simple.
The exam is coming soon, and many people want to eat and live well before the exam to maintain a better condition for the upcoming imperial examination.
In this way, the scholars have hope, and the merchants and people in the city also make money.
Before the upcoming imperial examination, and before the king's wedding after the imperial examination, the entire city of Changsha was beaming with joy, and everyone was happy.
Under this happy atmosphere, Lu Yuan also felt extremely happy.
Because with this craze, he gained a lot of luck.
With the successive victories in the Northern Expedition, the national destiny of the entire Changsha Kingdom began to rise day by day.
Under this rising trend, people from all over the country, officials and generals, literati, and powerful military men naturally began to gradually return to their hearts.
The sense of identity for Changsha people is gradually increasing.
And this is just the first wave.
"As I moved from Hanzhong and Xichuan counties, the people who moved there gradually settled down and began to produce normally in the local area. The Qifu land that was also developed has truly stabilized.
At that time, the luck I have gathered will truly increase dramatically.
Doubling the price by then may not be a problem. "
Lu Yuan was extremely looking forward to it when he thought of this.
The population he moved from Hanzhong and Xichuan counties this time was quite large. Seriously calculating, it is estimated that there are 500,000 households and more than 2 million people.
If we add the four prefectures in Xiangyang County, the three prefectures in Xichuan County, and the Tianmen Prefecture in Dongting County, these eight prefectures will be added.
During this Northern Expedition, Changsha's population increased to more than the original two million.
Lu Yuan still doesn't know exactly how many people have been added.
Those immigrants are still being resettled.
If you want to know exactly how many people there are, you have to wait for them to settle in the local prefecture and county where they are resettled, and then the local prefecture and county officials will count them and report them to the superiors before we can get an accurate number.
As for the eight prefectures in Jiangbei, they are all still under military control. The officials of these prefectures and counties are still being selected by the court at this time.
If you really want to rush to take office, you have to wait until the imperial examination is completed at the earliest, and wait until after the New Year.
Before these officials take office, it is basically a fantasy to calculate the specific population of these areas.
Therefore, at this time, Lu Yuan could only know that after the Northern Expedition, his territory not only expanded to eight prefectures, but also nearly doubled. The population under the rule is estimated to be around three million.
Other specific details will have to be sorted out later.
Time passes slowly while waiting.
On December 15th of the eighth year of Hongdao's reign, the imperial examination was held in Changsha City. More than 11,000 scholars participated, and 500 scholars were finally selected.
The admissions ratio is approximately one in twenty.
Then, just when a large number of scholars failed the exam and were discouraged, they planned to pack their bags and return to their hometown.
The news that the Changsha Kingdom plans to open Enke again in March next year and take 800 soldiers suddenly spread again.
Therefore, after hearing the news, many scholars who had lost their ambition in this exam were overjoyed and shouted long live.
Some people who had been too desperate but now saw hope again and were overly excited sang the praises of the wiseness of the King of Changsha in restaurants on the streets and in bookshelves.
Under this operation of suppressing first and then rising, Lu Yuan ruthlessly gained a wave of hearts and increased his luck.
