"Ashamed and ashamed, it's too difficult to deal with it reluctantly." Tang Shunzhi humbly sighed and saluted, "This topic involves a wide range of topics, and I realize that I know very little about it. I want to go back and read the history books again. I hope that I’ve learned something. Everyone, please take your leave first.”
He said both sentences very sincerely, and he really seemed worried.
Now others feel more relieved: it's not just pretending.
The performance of being the first to be able to take the test made others sigh with relief: I was not the only one suffering.
Tang Shunzhi really wasn't pretending, he just thought of one thing: the imperial examination questions are so difficult, how inhumanely difficult will it be to prepare the subjects next year?
Real bosses know that their answers will not be very good, but they are already studying the questions for next year's course.
Yang Yiqing, Zhang Zilin, and Wang Shouren deliberately cultivated him to develop in the direction of a Confucian commander, and military affairs were not just military affairs, but also included food and pay, transportation, military order transmission, military power constraints, and many other related contents that were extremely troublesome. To be able to win in battle, you also need excellent weapons and armor, changeable battle formations, and a deep understanding of the enemy's situation.
In comparison, the imperial examination questions only test the pros and cons of banking and money laws. How difficult is that?
The palace examination is over and marking will begin the next day.
Starting from this palace examination, the palace examination is no longer just about hiding names, but also about copying.
Or transcribe it into simplified characters and a new style.
This inconspicuous change not only further emphasizes the importance of simplified characters in the highest examination, but also hides a small but very important change: when you answer the questions, do you add sentences to read? If you don't add it, the copyist will do it for you.
Although it was mentioned in advance in the examination system, more than forty people still forgot this point in this palace examination due to nervousness or carelessness.
Now when the answer sheets of more than 40 people are copied, the punctuation marks are added by others, and they are added at a lower position to show that he did not read the sentences in the first place - there is no need to worry about whether these people will misinterpret it. The original intention is that in such an important imperial examination, if they fail to remember even these small details to do well, these people will in principle be ranked lower.
Early the next morning, the five hundred copied answer sheets were delivered to the Wenlou.
The lineup for marking the papers was also higher than ever before: twenty-four contributors, everyone participating.
Although there are rough men like the governors of the five prefectures among them, they are still given this power - anyway, it is calculated as an average.
This is a status symbol.
"...It's more like a national policy meeting." Fei Hong naturally presided over it. "Your Majesty has already given an oral instruction before. This question is difficult and there are no good strategies. The first thing to focus on when answering the Gongshi's answer sheet is to check the order and explanation of the answers. The topic is thought-provoking and knowledgeable. The second is to identify his character with the meaning of the text and details, and the literary talent comes last. Of course, if there are tributes with unique insights, they will be chosen."
This once again clarifies the grading principles.
Questions that do not have reference answers naturally depend on the candidates' thinking and knowledge reserves.
In the first year when the new law is fully implemented, the palace examination ranking will be the guide.
Fei Hong said solemnly: "In this subject, the top 10 and the top 3 will be published in Ming Pao. Although your majesty will give another score to the top 50, our score is also extremely important."
The scores given by twenty-four people are averaged by adding one person. Although the score of the last person is important, it cannot be too deliberately adjusted to the ranking.
To put it bluntly, if the scores given by the counselors are a little far from the emperor's scores, is it because the counselors have a problem with their vision or have not understood the holy meaning?
At the same time, the scores given by the emperor were also added to the average. In this small matter, it was "equal" with the counselors.
If the No. 1 pick and No. 2 overall pick in a fair evaluation are not recognized after their articles are published, wouldn't that damage the prestige of this examination system?
The grading work began, and Zhu Houcong did not specially read the original version of their answer papers.
He also needs to be fair and not have preconceived opinions just because he saw the name or article first.
Since the ministers of national policy have been given this power, he, the emperor, must respect their right to primary screening.
On the contrary, the struvite stones sent by Yan Song from Zhejiang, as well as the memorial, have been delivered through the official document express delivery system specially set up by Tongyi Bureau for important ministers from various provinces.
The north is faster and can be reached in three to five days. South of the Yangtze River, the time is also shortened to ten to twenty days. If it's an urgent matter, it can be done a little faster.
The palace examination was on March 15th, and today was March 16th. Zhu Houcong called Jin Kela over again.
"This should be what I call struvite. Let's take three pieces first, grind one piece into powder and try it directly, break one piece into pieces and let it soak for a while, and then think about a method for the other piece." Zhu Houcong asked Huang Jin to give him three pieces. Block, "Open a few small ridges in Huangzhuang alone and try its effect."
"The common people accept the decree."
Jin Kaila was actually guided by the emperor himself in his work, and he was very popular. At the same time, he felt more and more that the emperor valued his "career".
After he left, Zhu Houcong continued to look at the remaining struvite stones in the box.
I know this thing is definitely a treasure, but how to use it, I have to try it first.
Next, there is the question of how to obtain it.
There is no doubt that historical experience has told him that this stuff is mainly produced on islands in low latitudes, so it must be transported by sea, and there is no need to dig up your own first.
But to do it from overseas, the methods and costs must be considered in the long term.
Zhu Houcong's thoughts reached a higher level.
To increase agricultural production and income, more land and less taxes are fundamental, and the new law will do this.
Farm tools and fertilizers actually belong to the category of icing on the cake and intensive farming. The popularization of iron farm tools has been set as a practical matter to be promoted this year, and fertilizer matters are also being done together with the subject of cultural chemistry.
In fact, the importance of building water conservancy projects and controlling floods must be ranked higher than these two.
For an industry that depends on the weather, flood prevention and drought relief are an eternal matter. Zhu Houcong has been working on this aspect since nearly five years ago, and it will take him a lifetime.
Liu Tianhe has been serving as the governor of the river for more than a year. Floods in the Huanghuai River have always been a haze hanging over the Ming Dynasty's granary. Once you encounter floods, no matter what iron farm tools or fertilizers you have, they will be of no use.
Zhu Houcong cannot give advice lightly on professional flood control methods and skills.
But one thing he was sure of.
Looking away from the struvite, Zhu Houcong stood up, walked slowly to the map of the Ming Dynasty in the study and stood next to it, looking up at the place that provided most of the sediment to the Yellow River.
Shanxi Chengxuan Government Envoy Division, its scope was much larger than that of Shanxi Province later.
Because in the north, outside the Great Wall to the west of Datong Prefecture, many places that belong to today's Inner Mongolia also belong to Shanxi. Today's Hohhot City is now home to the Guihua City Hall and Suiyuan City Hall, which are very close to each other.
Along the Great Wall to the west, in Zhu Houxuan's impression, in a larger concept, within the scope of the Loess Plateau, northern Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia... these are currently where border towns are located.
How can I have the leisure and environment to let the senses there be solid and plant trees one after another? What benefits will planting trees there have on the people there in the short term?
Therefore, although Zhu Houcong knew that controlling the water and soil environment there would definitely help control the Huanghuai floods, he still had no good way to start this matter.
If he wants to manage the environment with peace of mind on the Loess Plateau, Zhu Houcong has only one way to go.
Push the defense line north. In the process of slowly implementing the Nanyang Economic Strategy, as long as the idea of setting up overseas ports can be implemented, Ming Dynasty should plan a counterattack and hurt Beiyuan.
South and north, this rhythm is going to be important.
As for intelligence, Zhu Houcong has always attached great importance to it.
Now that Huang Jin saw the emperor staring there, he came forward and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, do you want to announce Zhang Boring again?"
The Internal Inspectorate also made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion in Huguang. Zhang Boring was promoted to one rank and is now the governor of the Internal Inspectorate.
"No need." Zhu Houcong shook his head, and then suddenly said, "Brother Huang is so brave. If it weren't for the battle in Yingzhou, I wouldn't have had the peace of mind these past few years. But now it took Arak Khan six or seven years to defeat Beiyuan. The political situation is gradually stabilizing, and things are going to be troubled in the north. Eleven years after Hongzhi, it has been almost 30 years since the Northern Yuan Dynasty stopped paying tribute. Although Bo'er Jijin Bodi has stabilized the internal situation a little, he has only relied on smuggling in some border towns for so many years. It’s not enough to satisfy many people in Beiyuan.”
Huang Jin couldn't agree with anything. It could be heard that the emperor was just talking to himself and sorting out his thoughts.
However, things have not always been peaceful in the north since His Majesty took the throne.
In August of the 16th year of Zhengde, when Yang Yiqing had just arrived in the northwest, the "little prince" who was still used by the Ming Dynasty to call Dayan Khan was actually the Arak Khan Borji Bodi of the new Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Just invaded.
In May and August of the second year of Jiajing, Beiyuan also invaded.
This was due to the great victory in Yingzhou in the twelfth year of Zhengde and the subsequent death of Dayan Khan. The Northern Yuan Dynasty experienced the current struggle between Arak Khan and his uncle for the position of Great Khan.
Although Yang Yiqing was in charge there and there was no big trouble, the north was never calm. In the past few years, some officers and soldiers have also died in the border town.
Zhu Houcong sighed a little and felt the lack of handsome talent.
After all, he still remembered that the Mongolian troops came to Beijing during the Jiajing period.
This year’s military generals competition, martial arts palace examination, and next year’s subject preparation, I wonder if we can find a few good seedlings.
…
Zhu Houcong suddenly thought of northern military affairs from fertilizers because of Yan Song's memorial.
In fact, Yan Song's memorial is not about this matter, but a strategy: in places like Fujian and Zhejiang with many mountains and few fields, those who are prohibited from going to the sea do have their own difficulties. Taking advantage of this time when Zhejiang is implementing new laws and electing local sages, can we set up a shipping department in Ningbo and the already large-scale Shuangyu Islands outside Ningbo?
But this city's shipping department is not going to continue to deal with tribute trade - the emperor's attitude has been very clear, and the interests between countries are important.
Yan Song just judged the emperor's importance to struvite, so he came up with a plan: the maritime merchant registration list of the Zhunxiang Xian family would be unified in the Ningbo Shipping Department for taxation. When leaving the port, you pay money, and when you return to the port, you need to transport back a corresponding number of struvite stones according to the number of ships.
In order to avoid conflicts with the Guangdong Shipping Department, Fujian and Zhejiang maritime merchants only traded in the directions of Luzon, Japan, Ryukyu and other directions under the command of Huang Mingji.
Zhu Houcong admired Yan Song a little.
He not only judged that he was very concerned about struvite stones, but also judged that he did not want to dig up things on the islands along the coast of the Ming Dynasty. In other words, he judged that the fields of the Ming Dynasty were so vast that his own struvite stones were not enough.
But more importantly, Yan Song really wants to take this opportunity to consolidate his network of contacts along the coast - if this happens, Fujian and Zhejiang maritime merchants will no longer have to be sneaky. Although they will lose the actual monopoly benefits they previously had in private, It's better than the pressure in previous years.
How many wealthy officials, gentry, and wealthy households in Fujian and Zhejiang would be grateful to Yan Song?
This proposal is actually a switch proposal.
Although only certain rural sages are allowed to do this business now, once the opening is opened, the scale will naturally become larger and larger. If there is no conflict with Huang Mingji from the Guangdong Ship Division, it is just to test the emperor's intention.
Will the large-scale foreign trade undermine His Majesty’s national policy of the “Great Wall of the South Sea”?
Therefore, to allow some people to do it in a controllable manner, we still adopted the strategy of Huang Mingji as the leader.
Zhu Houcong thought about the pros and cons.
Using struvite to replace the tax required when returning to Hong Kong cannot be said to be costless, but it does save some costs of purchasing separately. The ship carries goods out and comes back again. There are many things that may be more profitable than this struvite.
This is indeed a method that can initially guarantee the required quantity and cost, but if it is to be effective, people will have to organize people to find and mine this thing in the first year, right?
Therefore, it is very likely that there will still be a situation where only accounts are kept and debts are owed in the first year. In fact, it is also beneficial to the money turnover of the merchant house.
Not a small encouragement.
But how to determine this ratio? How many kilograms of struvite can be paid to get the tax discount?
There is a cost to get these struvite stones overseas, unless... you pass on the cost and let the people there act as shady bosses and dig like slaves...
The last ton of struvite can be exchanged for some Ming porcelain, silk or something...
Will it also help to mess up some countries and make people resentful?
It was precisely because he thought of another chess route through the Nanyang strategy suggested by Yan Song that Zhu Houcong thought of the north.
But he didn't give any advice first.
The memorial was sent by the general affairs envoy, who would also send it to the State Affairs Hall. These matters are currently only government affairs and related to the new law. Zhu Houcong wants to wait for them to finish reading the papers and listen to their opinions.
When it comes to whether to switch or not, it is not something that the Prime Minister and Minister of State can decide on his own. This matter must go to the national policy meeting.
When and how to switch on and off is a big deal.
Yan Song was afraid that there were struvites in Japan, so he said that the sea trade between Fujian and Zhejiang went east, and the sea trade between Guangdong and Guangdong went south.
Zhu Houcong doesn't know whether there are struvites in Japan, but it is highly likely that they are very few.
But there are silver mountains in Japan, and Zhu Houcong knows it very well and is very greedy.
The imperial examination had just concluded on currency-related matters. In order to prepare for the future, the Ming court first needed to try its best to reserve silver.
Japan has cut off trade with the Ming Dynasty for three years. Should they also use this trade to add fuel to their "Warring States Period"?
I am afraid that some Japanese pirates may be more daring to rob private merchant ships.
If it is robbed, it will be a reason in the future.
Therefore, I am afraid that this matter is not only discussed at the national policy meeting, but also needs to be discussed at the military affairs meeting.
"There are so many things to do." Zhu Houcong sighed, "Let's go and see my children first."
After another winter, Zhu Houcong gave birth to two daughters.
Now, he has deeply taken root in this era, pushing Ming Dynasty to take on a new look according to his ideas.
To protect all this, Zhu Houcong has to face too many things.
Therefore, he cannot be an independent man and only makes decisions on everything by himself. He has to wait for the important ministers to express their opinions.
"Send someone in advance to tell Yan Song that this matter requires a comprehensive plan and cannot be decided hastily in a few months. He is still young, and I often think of him. There is no need to rush to win the hearts of the gentry in Fujian and Zhejiang."
Huang Jin was stunned, these words were a bit harsh.
And Yan Song is almost fifty, is he very young?
Zhu Houcong wanted to give Yan Song a beating.
He is smart. If he had a bigger picture, he shouldn't write such a memorial just because of a struvite.
Although Zhu Houcong knew that struvite was very useful, what about Fei Hong and the others? The Zhejiang Ship Division was reset on the grounds of a struvite, but Yan Song was able to make the connection.
Zhu Houcong had to help him explain the role of struvite at the national policy meeting. It would be better to have the results of Jin Jiaola's preliminary experiments as evidence.
"Don't be too harsh."
Zhu Houcong added that after all, everyone in the local area really wants to make contributions and try to see if they can return to Beijing and enter the State Palace in three years - there are three people who are really old.
But Yan Song can live to be over eighty, so why be anxious!
Huang Jin was confused after hearing this: Then what should I say?
(End of chapter)
