"At first glance, this person is an official from Qin or Yan. He only answered half of the first test paper, but he answered well on the second test paper. He is clearly organized and has sufficient arguments. In just a few hundred words, he will prevent floods and control them. The flood was expressed from a humanistic point of view, and there seems to be a shadow of Yang Zhu's school of thought." Lin Xiangru held a paper and glanced at it.
The questions asked by Zhao Guo are actually disgusting. If you take any one of them, you can write a paper of thousands of words. However, long essays will definitely not work during the exam. There is not enough room for the test paper, and there is not so much time for them.
This tests the candidate's ability to express the meaning in the shortest words, and the candidate in Lin Xiangru's hands did a good job.
"The handwriting is not bad, I must have practiced it specially." Lin Xiangru glanced at the candidate's name: Wen Zou, and secretly remembered it in his heart. If he is young, with a little training, he will at least be a county guard.
"This guy named Zhang Tan is not bad either. He can score at least ninety-five points on the first paper. He seems to be familiar with the laws of our country, Zhao. Although the second paper is not as good as the first paper, it is mainly because of time. It's not enough. He answered the questions in order, without missing a single question, and all the questions he answered were well-founded." Yu Xin also said, holding a paper.
"You don't know if you don't look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it. There are quite a lot of treasures left behind by our Zhao State. If there was no official examination, they would probably never be discovered by anyone in their lives." Xunzi sighed and compared Exam paper after exam paper, he was more concerned about those scholars whose talents were not appreciated.
In Zhao State alone, so many capable scholars appeared in just one exam.
In all the countries in the world combined, how many knowledgeable people have been buried in the mud and have never seen the sun in their lives.
"Why can't everything I see work?" Zhao Sheng couldn't help complaining as he turned over one paper after another. He didn't even need to look at the paper carefully to know that the examinee's answers were not very good, because there were not many words on the test paper at all, and there were all large blank spaces.
"Not everyone is untalented. There are always more people without talent. For most officials, they only know a few words. Some officials may not even know a few words at all. You It is impossible for them to answer a satisfactory paper. For example, in this paper, only a small part of the answer is answered, and there are many modifications and errors. From our point of view, it is obviously not very good, but in fact, when it comes to officials Among the members, it is already in the middle, and if you put it among everyone, it is even higher." Wei Wuji pointed at the paper and said.
"Don't expect to meet any amazing talents. If you have the talent of a county, you will make a lot of money. If you have the talent of a county guard, you will make a lot of money. If you are younger and cultivated, you may not have the talent of a public official. Most people don't have celebrities. Not only did I have to give guidance, but I was troubled by the worldly customs, so I could only hold half of the ancient books passed down from my family and study hard. It is already very good to be able to achieve what I have today." Kong Bin said with a smile.
There were no academies before, and except for the nobility, most people did not have the opportunity to study.
Even though there are colleges now, only a few can actually go to school.
"Next, it's up to you to pick up the beads scattered on the ground one by one. I hope you don't miss any of the beads of our Zhao Kingdom." Zhao Kuo said.
"I obey." The ministers leaned over and said.
In the next few days, half of the ministers in the court were busy grading papers. It was not until noon on the fifth day that Xunzi handed a stack of test papers and a list to Zhao Kuo.
"Your Majesty, this is the performance ranking. This is the test paper for the top 300 students." Xunzi said.
"How's the overall situation?" Zhao Kuo took the first-ranked paper and glanced at it. He got full marks in the law test and almost finished answering the second miscellaneous paper. Although there were some omissions in some places, he was able to answer it in a short time. , already very powerful.
"Contrary to our expectations, although most of the results were not ideal, there were still many people who got very good results, and there were even a few scholars who were talented as county guards." Xunzi said.
"It seems that the reason why the civil service examination was held for the first time allowed a large number of talents to stand out." Zhao Kuo said with a smile, and casually pulled out a paper from the bottom.
It seems that there is a reason for being ranked 300th. There is obviously a qualitative gap between it and the first place. The number of errors and omissions has increased significantly. If you were born into a noble family,
He has received systematic training and may have talents from the county, but looking at it now, he is still far behind.
Zhao Kuo took out a few more papers to check. The judgments made by Xunzi and others were relatively reasonable. Of course, there must be subjective aspects, which is inevitable, just like Kong Bin would prefer disciples who favor Confucianism, and although Xunzi It's Confucian, but most of the time it's more Legalist.
"Judging from the results, those in our hometown of Zhao are better than those in Qin, and Qin is better than those in Yan. Although the old officials of Qin don't understand our Zhao method, they are very good at handling chores, but their methods are often more harsh." Xunzi said.
"The environment affects people's growth. It is normal for the officials from Qin to be harsh." Zhao Kuo said.
"I took a general look and found that the top 100 and around 200 people all answered well. The correct rate is already more than half. Send the order and increase the number of winning places to 150. As for the ranking, let's go with this. ." Zhao Kuo handed the list to Xunzi. The purpose of the official examination was to select talents, not to screen people. As long as they could meet the standards, there was no reason to let them go. Zhao Guo's official positions were not insufficient.
"Then I'll go and copy the list right now and publish it tomorrow." Xunzi said happily.
…
The next day, countless students gathered towards the entrance of the imperial court, eagerly awaiting the time when the results would be released.
Accompanying the students were servants of various nobles and shopkeepers of various restaurants. Their keen senses found that this was another business opportunity that was no less important than a military honors ceremony.
Anyone who can be on the list, as long as they are younger, will definitely have unlimited potential in the future. As long as they invest well at this time and recruit them as husbands, they will definitely be rewarded in the future.
For those with lower status, try to find ways to support others, even if it just exempts them from the cost of accommodation during this period, it is a good cause, and they may be able to use it in the future.
"These people are really stupid." Zhao Kuo couldn't help but say while standing on the high platform, looking at the dense crowd outside. Some things really have nothing to do with the times. As long as exams exist, some things will always exist.
"Your Majesty, do you want to blow them all away?" Ben said loudly.
"Why are they blasting them away? Let them go." Zhao Kuo waved his hand, blasting them away at this time would only offend both parties.
Xunzi, dressed in a red robe and holding three large pieces of paper in his hand, walked out of the main entrance with great joy, came to everyone, and said loudly: "The king has something to say, you are diligent and study hard, but due to various reasons, I have been depressed and frustrated. This is the fault of the Zhao State and the fault of the few. To make up for everyone, the number of candidates has been increased to 150. All officials who are in the top 150 will be able to obtain official positions. .”
"Really? That's great!"
"The Eternal Saint King! The Eternal Saint King!"
…
All the scholars almost jumped up from the ground with excitement. If the list hadn't been posted yet and they didn't know whether they had won or not, some of them might have wanted to celebrate.
"Let's start posting the list!" Xunzi said loudly, and his staff quickly brushed a layer of batter scalded with boiling water on the wall, and Xunzi posted the three lists on the wall in sequence.
"I saw my name, Daijun Zhang Heng, hahaha, I made the list." A scholar jumped up excitedly and even took off his hat and threw it into the air. No one around him laughed.
"I also made the list!" Because people kept jumping up.
"Brother Wenzou, you won the tenth place, tenth place." The man suddenly looked at the young man next to him and said excitedly.
Although Wen Zou didn't do anything drastic, the smile on his face could no longer be concealed. "So many years of hard work finally paid off!"
"Although Brother Li is ranked lower, as long as he wins the ranking, he can be promoted to an official. There is actually no difference between us." Wen Zou said to the man. The man's name was Li Wen, and he was a petty official from the same place. He had always been Take good care of him.
"All the scholars who have been selected will gather at the main hall tomorrow and wait for the king's summons." Xunzi finally said, turning around and leaving with the servants.
"Brother Wen, I must treat you to dinner this time." The man grabbed Wen Zou.
"Don't worry, although Wen is poor, he can still
I can still afford the meal. Wen Zou said with a smile, and the two of them walked outside together. Soon, two men who looked like servants came up to them with smiles on their faces.
"Young Master Wen, Young Master Zhang, we are from the Zhuo Mansion..."
…
"Come on, let's go back and eat hot pot. A batch of mutton was sent from the grassland. Winter is about to begin, which is perfect for eating mutton hot pot." Zhao Kuo saw Xunzi walking over, greeted him, and walked towards the back hall.
"Where are the others?" Xunzi asked.
"They are all here, waiting for you." Zhao Kuo said.
When Xunzi opened the door, he found that the civil and military ministers of the DPRK and China, all those who were in Handan, were indeed in the palace. Several large pots were already bubbling, and the tangy aroma wafted through, which instantly increased people's appetite.
Everyone gathered around the hot pot and chatted casually. Because Zhao Kuo hadn't arrived, no one moved their chopsticks.
"Don't be stunned, let's start eating." Zhao Kuo sat down and said, gesturing for everyone to start eating.
With Zhao Kuo's words, everyone was no longer polite and started to feast one after another.
"After the track is built, it will indeed be much more convenient to travel from the grassland to Handan. In the past, we could not transport such goods at once, and it would not be possible so fast." Le Yi said with a smile.
"Not only that, our Zhaoguo Ranch has also doubled in size and continues to expand. A smooth road is beneficial to both ends, including along the way." Zhao Bao said.
In the past, his name was only known to the nobles. With the expansion of the pasture and the laying of tracks, his name began to appear among the scholars, and even many celebrities would take the initiative to salute when they saw him.
This was a satisfaction he had never felt before.
Zhao Kuo didn't speak until everyone had almost eaten, then he ordered all the things to be evacuated.
Everyone realized that Zhao Kuo had something to say, so they adjusted their clothes and looked at Zhao Kuo.
"In the past, we have been working hard to feed everyone in Zhao State. It took us seven years to complete this goal. At present, except for some areas that have just been incorporated into the territory of Zhao State, other areas have basically completed this goal." Zhao Kuo said in a deep voice.
This goal is not difficult, and it does not even require highly developed productivity. As long as the land can be distributed to those who really need it and less taxes are collected, it will be enough.
But even so, it took Zhao Guo a full seven years. There were many twists and turns in the process. If Zhao Kuo had not controlled the most powerful military power in Zhao State and smashed all the obstacles in the way, I am afraid that we would not be where we are today.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty." Everyone said one after another.
"Next, the second goal of my country, Zhao, is to work hard to ensure that every Zhao citizen can eat three full meals a day and occasionally see meat. I plan to complete this goal in ten years."
"I know that it is not easy to achieve this goal, so I promise that in any county, 80% of the families can first have three full meals a day and occasionally eat meat. County Magistrate Feng Lun If the county magistrate is the first to do this, the county magistrate will be granted the title of guru, and the county magistrate or county captain will be granted the title of guru, and the rest will be rewarded. If any county is the first to do this, the county governor will be granted the title of county marquis, and the county magistrate and county lieutenant will be granted the title of township marquis, and the rest will be rewarded." Zhao Kuo said loudly.
"Your Majesty, how will the statistics be calculated then?" Lin Xiangru asked immediately.
"The widows will hold a vote in the county or in the townships within the county. Only 80% of the people agree to get the title, so don't think of using some means to force the people. If you use some means to If you force the people, you'd better think about the consequences." Zhao Kuo said coldly.
After hearing this, the ministers took a deep breath. Even if they were allowed to govern, it would be very difficult to satisfy 80% of the people in a county.
However, it is certainly difficult to obtain a title or even a fiefdom.
Isn’t it difficult for soldiers to risk their lives to kill the enemy on the front line? How many people will be able to become generals and marquises in the end?
"Your Majesty, this seems unfair to some officials of Qin and Yan." Cai Ze said with his hands in hand.
"Starting from this month, I will gradually release 10 billion to build Zhao State. Most of it will be used in Yan and Qin. Although it cannot catch up with Hebei in a short time, it will not be too different. .Besides, in this world
There is no such thing as fairness. "Zhao Kuo said.
Only by creating more jobs and allowing everyone to make money can everyone have money to spend and the economy can circulate. At the same time, only by creating more goods can everyone buy them, living standards will improve, and money will not directly depreciate due to excessive distribution. This is complementary to each other.
Similarly, if everyone has something to do and can make money, they will have a greater sense of belonging to Zhao State and will not cause trouble. Zhao State will also be better managed and can get more profits.
Good for everyone.
"Ten billion!" Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
"Since your Majesty has so much money, why don't you use it directly? Our Zhao Kingdom can directly recruit millions of troops. Even if the other five countries unite, they are no match for our Zhao Kingdom." Lian Po said loudly.
"If we take it out directly, not only will it not be of any benefit to our country, Zhao, but it will also cause an unimaginable blow. I have my own plan for this matter, so Lord Du Wu doesn't need to ask more." Zhao Kuo waved his hand.
