In the main camp of the Fifth Army Camp on the outskirts of Beijing, the atmosphere became increasingly solemn.
Starting from this month, there will be a month-long bustle here.
The first is the martial arts examination.
Today, the martial arts examination system has been changed again, and the provincial examination only tests martial arts.
As for the general examination, the first one is the literary test, and there are only two tests: whether you can read and break sentences, and whether you are familiar with the Ming Dynasty Canon.
Can Wu Jinshi really be illiterate? Compared with the past, the focus of this martial arts examination has been greatly shifted. The strategy and Confucian classics that originally focused on the examination will only be left to the final palace examination.
Now, the second exam is already underway in the Fifth Army Camp.
Yu Dayou has already gone to the Gongyuan in the capital once, and he is still very confident about the results of the first game.
Although I have never won the exam, it depends on who I am competing with.
Looking away from the fellow candidates who changed their dejected expressions and became eager to take the exam, Yu Dayou looked at the layout of the campus like them.
First of all, there was a flag erected ten steps around the school ground. The Sanchen Flag of the Ming Dynasty and the Army Flag of the Ming Dynasty were fluttering. The flags with red background surrounded the school ground like blood flowing.
On the general stage, a colorful shed was set up.
In the colorful shed, there is a row of bookcases lined up, which are still empty. But above the booth, facing the candidates, there is a long strip of silk cloth with square rice paper placed diagonally on it. Each paper has a big character, which read together: Jiajing Five Years Martial Arts Examination.
Directly in front of the general stage, the school grounds are divided into four areas by shorter flags according to the subjects to be tested.
The first area is in front of the right side of the general platform. One end is a long strip and the other end is a semicircle. At one end of the semicircle, there were ten archery targets. At the other end of the long strip, there are some wooden horses and dummies in the center and end of the field. Here, we test horse shooting and carbine.
The second area is in the left front of the general platform. Everyone is familiar with this area, including long stack, step shooting and piercing, and step stabbing.
The third and fourth areas are all right in front of the general platform. There are stone locks, iron locks and sand bags in one area, which are for test and weight-bearing. In another area, there is only a competition stage, where boxing and weapons are tested.
Now, people who have finished the first literary test of the martial arts exam are still waiting, but in the barracks of the Fifth Army Camp outside the school grounds, there are constant roars coming from the camp.
"One, two, one! One, two, one!"
Accompanying these roars were the sounds of unknown footsteps hitting the ground.
There are many groups of these voices, and they are not all acting at the same time.
These roars and footsteps were like dull war drums, beating the hearts of these martial arts men while they were waiting.
Is this the training in the Ming Dynasty’s capital camp?
At this moment, in the main hall of the Fifth Army Camp behind the general stage, the examiners were gathering together.
"The General Staff knew in the border town that no matter how good a person's martial arts skills are, the power of firearms today is useless, even if he has thick armor. This martial arts exercise still requires more emphasis on camp formations, firearms, military strategies, astronomy and geography!"
Yang Yiqing smiled and said nothing, listening to their argument.
"What the Minister of Song Dynasty said is confusing the difference between generals." Zhang Jing, the current military chief, retorted, "Nowadays, the subjects of the martial arts examinations and general examinations are closer to the Tang Dynasty. Because of the military examinations and ordinary martial arts examinations Scholars, your Majesty's intention is to select strong generals. The literary test begins only after the general examination, and the military strategy, astronomy and geography are tested only in the imperial examination. Wu Jinshi has to go to the Military Academy to further his studies. This is to prevent the strong generals from having the regret of not being able to stand out, and also to allow the handsome talents not to just There is no bravery in talking about war on paper.”
"The brave one wins when we meet on a narrow road!" The examiners also came from other generals from the three major battalions and military generals sent from the border towns. "When the soldiers met in close combat, the soldiers looked at the flag school, and the flag school looked at the generals. The army Among the generals, some use bravery to conquer the crowd and arouse morale, and some generals have strategic plans to move forward. But in comparison, it is easiest to conquer the crowd with bravery! I think there is no problem in just looking at martial arts before the competition! "
"You should take the test on camp formation, firearms, and chariots, right?"
Gu Shilong, who was already retired, smiled and said nothing.
Some people have retorted: "If you are not already serving in the army, at least as a general, where would you have the opportunity to think about the camp formation? Firearms and chariots are only useful in the battle formation. There are more people and you pay attention to the tactics." Besides, Wu Juren and Wu Jinshi are to be generals. Do they need to be good at using firearms and chariots? Mr. Zhang Bing is right, don’t they still need to go to the Military Academy for further training? "
It hasn't officially started yet, so they are here to discuss the subjects of this martial arts competition.
Now the examiners of the Ministry of War and those who value "wisdom and victory" more in concept feel that the martial arts examination tests too little on military strategy, astronomy and geography. Some people even think that how can we not examine more of Confucian classics such as benevolence, righteousness, and morality? If those selected are people who don’t know loyalty, wouldn’t it cause trouble in the future?
The examiners of the Five Prefectures and the Border Generals knew that the emperor was selected level by level. Obtaining the title of martial arts examiner basically only depends on martial arts, which is to give more low-level officers and soldiers the opportunity to come forward. As for literary and military strategies, this depends on talent! After layers of selection and study, those with the ability will eventually emerge.
Examiners such as the staff of the Military Affairs Conference, the "Five Mountains" and professors of the Military Academy of Huangming University, and Zhang Jing, the general secretary of the Military Affairs Department, all expressed their opinions based on their respective understandings.
"Don't argue anymore." Yang Yiqing saw that the time was almost up and said, "You can report the gains and losses of this year's martial arts reorganization after the martial arts examination is over. How can we better select brave generals and talented people? Naturally, we have to improve each subject. It’s getting late, I’ll go to the school grounds later.”
On the school grounds, Yu Dayou and the others finally waited for the examiners to arrive.
"All the martial arts examiners, line up and come forward to listen to Yang Yiqing, the chief examiner of the martial arts examination and the general staff of the State Council, deliver His Majesty's oral instructions!"
Everyone lined up and arrived in front of the competition stage. Now, the examiners were standing on the stage.
Yang Yiqing looked at the crowd in front of him: There are nearly 500 people in this group of martial arts candidates selected from all over the Ming Dynasty to come to Beijing to take part in the examination.
These people will be the first batch of previously unknown generals and handsome talents that the emperor personally pays attention to.
The emperor is determined to conquer Jiaozhi and attack the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in the north... I'm afraid he won't be able to see that day.
As the first general staff officer, what he can do for the emperor is not only to start planning now, but also to select some talents so that the current generals and commanders in the guard and among the people have a chance to stand out.
Nowadays, the water among civil servants is not only alive, but also rapid: with so many more official positions in the government offices after the reform, it will always take a while before suitable candidates are found. There is a once-a-year civil examination and provincial examination, and a three-yearly examination for the main and deputy positions. Newcomers are like a tide. The current fifth-rank and above have to consider whether they will be swept to death by this big wave.
But in the military, under the rule of hereditary military positions, although there is a plan to downgrade and replace, it still needs more stimulation to revive it.
Only living water can produce more brave generals and famous marshals who want to make contributions.
In Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Gansu, Yang Yiqing was stretched all day long, and most of his energy was used to stabilize the generals who had so many corpses below and were trying to make no mistakes. When disturbed, they would close the city and stick to it. On weekdays, they would eat the blood of the soldiers. The bold ones would even engage in smuggling for profit, killing good people and taking credit for their merits.
The border towns are like this, but what about the hinterland?
This situation will slowly change from now on.
"I, Yang Yiqing, who has been appointed as the general staff officer of the Military Affairs Council, hereby convey your Majesty's oral instructions!" Yang Yiqing spoke in a low voice.
Someone with a loud voice will speak for you.
A person's name, the shadow of a tree.
The examination was conducted by Yang Yiqing, and now there is an oral instruction from the emperor to pay enough attention to it.
Lu Bing was also standing at the bottom, listening excitedly.
The emperor would not come to see the examination in person. Now, he had to pass the examination in an upright manner and go before the emperor as a Wu Jinshi.
"You all already know that the martial arts examination also has main and deputy rankings. Thirty-six Tiangang on the main list, one is from the Jinshi in the martial arts examination. Seventy-two Disha, one is from the same Jinshi in the martial arts examination. Those who can come to me to compare the palace examination, thirty It’s just six heavenly gangs.”
Among the nearly 500 people, whether these 108 people are on the main list or on the deputy list will not only determine the starting point for their appointment in the army, but also the opportunity to participate in the imperial examination, receive personal examinations from the emperor, and give banquets. .
Yang Yiqing looked at the martial arts examiners with increasingly intense eyes, and continued: "After the first literary test, if you feel that you did not do well in the test, don't be discouraged! In this martial arts examination, each test is still scored, and the ranking is based on the total score. Ranking. Books take a lifetime to read. But whether you have bravery or martial arts is the foundation of being a general! Regardless of the evil forces of heaven and earth, I will cultivate them well. Today, you will first fight for the opportunity to be tested by me personally! "
"During the martial arts competition, have you listened to the Holy Sage's instructions?"
"General, I heard you clearly!"
Yang Yiqing nodded: "The martial arts test is four days, and each person only takes one category each day. On the first day, everyone practices martial arts to wait for the examiner's score. On the second, third, and fourth days, the three groups A, B, and C compete on the stage. Competing skills. On the fifth day, one hundred and eight main and deputy rankings will be announced, and we will try out the seats!"
He paused and then said: "After the group is drawn, you will be ordered to go to the test category on the first day. After the test, you will go to the competition stage to perform martial arts one after another. Various tests, skills and skills may be consumed in order, or you may be exhausted or injured. The difference is indeed unfair. But on the battlefield, there is also a lot of unfairness. Destiny is determined by fate, and fate must be fought for. Do you understand?"
The martial arts examination is no different from the civil examination. The same questions are asked in the Gongyuan and the exams are held at the same time.
Those who can stand here were actually like this in the previous provincial examinations. When we fight in the future, do we have to blame ourselves for not having enough food and drink to keep our spirits up, or because God is not good, the enemy launches sneak attacks, and we have to fight hard again and again?
"I will finally understand!"
"Draw a group and let the exam begin!"
Nearly 500 people were divided into three groups, and different groups only took the test in one area every day.
Like the archery test, the danger is not great, just focus on the head.
But for those who test horse arrows and spurs, there will be more surprises.
For those who lift weights and climb with weights, it takes a lot of effort and may cause injuries to the arms, waist and legs.
For five consecutive days, after the lottery groups are determined, it will be a continuous test.
The military examinations of the martial arts examinations officially began, and the ears of the martial arts examinations were still filled with the sound of endless drills in the fifth military camp.
Each area has a dedicated scoring examiner, and the examiners in this area come from border towns. In the area where strength is tested, the examiners come from the Ministry of War and the Military Science Department. On the other side where archery and walking spear thrusting are tested, the examiners come from the five prefectures.
On the other side of the competition stage, the scoring examiners came from Huangming University, the "Five Sacred Mountains" in the Military Academy.
Yang Yiqing, Gu Shilong and others were sitting on the general stage.
In the afternoon, Lu Bing, who had to take the horseback archery and horseback stabbing tests in the first test today, was still waiting in line.
In his group, there were also people from Jinyiwei School.
Their identities were already known during the conversation in the queue.
Now while observing the competitors taking the exam, someone asked Lu Bing: "Brother Lu, you have been in the capital. Is it true that the training in the capital camp lasts all day?"
Lu Bing clicked his tongue: "This is not an ordinary exercise."
"How do you say this?"
"Ordinary training, now the capital camp is one day for martial arts training, one day for formations, and one day for classes. But now, the top three generals of above five grades and below three grades from each province are determined, and the capital competition of those county nobles is also it's here."
"……It's them?"
"We are only competing on individual martial arts. Each of them leads a general to train the new recruits." Lu Bing said with a smile, "The recruits who were recruited to the Fifth Army Camp last year and this year suffered a lot. Those are the futures of the mighty generals from all provinces of the Ming Dynasty. .”
"...Brother Lu knows so much."
Lu Bing coughed and covered it up: "They have been practicing here for almost three months. When we finish the competition, they will also compete here. This matter is not new. It has been discussed in the capital for a long time."
"Really?" Lu Bing's acquaintance asked.
"You don't know? You have prepared too carefully to try it!" Lu Bing said firmly, and then suddenly shouted, "Okay!"
He looked at the candidates in the field and applauded them for their heroic appearance. The people next to him couldn't help but look at him: You are a sinister guy. Their arrow missed the target. Are you applauding because you lost a competitor?
Lu Bing's face didn't change: You didn't control the horse well, do you blame me?
On the other side, Yu Dayou has already completed weightlifting and weight-bearing climbing competitions. Pure strength is not his strong point.
Therefore, the martial arts performance rating is very important to him now.
In this regard, Yu Dayou is quite confident. After all, I never took the Chinese exam because I was too focused on practicing martial arts and learning the art of war.
"Quanzhou Yu Dayou, come on stage!"
Hearing this name, Yang Yiqing and Gu Shilong who were chatting on the other side of the reception desk also stopped and looked over.
In the memorial written by the Ministry of War on the achievements of Huguang in quelling the rebellion, the emperor only approved two names: Gu Shilong and Yu Dayou.
Now, Duke Jingguo is on the stage, and Yu Dayou is also on the stage.
"Yu Dayou from Quanzhou has met all the examiners."
His voice came from far away, and Yang Yiqing's eyes narrowed slightly: He was a member of the military, and his etiquette was better than that of many people who had taken the stage before.
"Did he come first in the literary test?" Gu Shilong asked.
Yang Yiqing nodded: "I was selected as a scholar at the age of fifteen."
Those who can pass the examination as a scholar at this age, Jinshi dare not guarantee it, and they are usually the candidates who are highly favored by the local government. His knowledge is naturally among the best among this group of martial arts people.
"Let's take a look at the martial arts." Gu Shilong narrowed his eyes slightly.
When Yu Dayou performs martial arts, the weapon of choice is a long sword.
Considering that they are selected to perform meritorious service on the battlefield, few choose long swords for martial arts, and most choose knives, spears, hammers, and halberds, which are more sturdy after all.
When performing martial arts, you just perform tricks by yourself. The military academy invites martial arts masters from all over the country, and the five mountains will naturally see the candidates' footwork, steps, strength and basic martial arts skills.
Yu Dayou only performed a few moves, and the eyes of three of them suddenly flashed.
The discerning people in the martial arts arena quickly identified his mentorship.
Disciple of Jingchu Changjian!
On the general stage, Gu Shilong couldn't recognize Jingchu Changjian's mastery, but he commented softly: "It's not a showmanship."
"Although he had taken over the military position and had no choice but to take the martial arts examination, the system of the martial arts examination was greatly changed this year, so he still came to take the examination. As expected, he was somewhat reliable."
"Tomorrow we will start a competition of skills. If you use this new method to hit all the eighteen weapons, those who are powerful and heavy will suffer." Gu Shilong said, "He is used to using long swords and is more agile. This time he has the upper hand. Some days."
"That is also his destiny." Yang Yiqing continued to stare at Yu Dayou who was performing martial arts on the competition stage, and his words were pun intended.
I don't know what his military strategy is.
Looking at his previous answer sheets for the literary test, it seems that he also focused on the I Ching.
The sun sets and the sun rises. Starting from the next day, it’s time for two pairs to compete on the martial arts stage.
Everyone is not divided into groups by drawing lots, and there is no attack or defense. They are all in order. When they come to the competition stage, they can compete with each other. Everyone has to compete for ten games in total.
Every time they compete, the two of them will wear a new white linen outfit, as if they are wearing linen to show their mourning. The weapons used were also wooden weapons, painted with paint.
Everyone already knows the rules and can't care about anything. Is the martial arts competition really about punching to the flesh, drawing blood, killing and killing a group of people?
In order to be clearer and more convincing, in addition to the eyesight of the "Five Mountains", this method was used.
Hitting different positions will have different scoring rules. On this point, the "Five Sacred Mountains" have already been rated.
"Each game is five minutes." The steward who presided over the competition stage pointed to the clock beside him. "The winner will receive ten points, and the loser will receive five points. The examiner will then judge whether you hit, where you hit, and whether you can kill with one move. The enemy determines the outcome and adds points. So, even if you lose, maybe the points scored in this game are not low. Do you understand? Fight as hard as you can."
On the general stage, Gu Shilong was filled with emotion: "This method was given directly by His Majesty?"
"...What if?" Yang Yiqing asked.
"...It actually means that both sides will suffer losses, and even if they lose, they will be honored." Watching the martial arts competition was more interesting than watching the martial arts performance yesterday. Gu Shilong was very excited, "In this way, even if you lose, you have to find a way to give the opponent a few more blows every time. Try to score as many points as possible every game.”
Yang Yiqing looked back on the pages that Huang Jin sent over with a strange expression.
"Gu Guogong just wants to take his time now. If he had been in Wuying Hall that day, he would have known that His Majesty also gave other methods. What about group points for promotion and elimination... there are too many people, the time required is too long, and the real results cannot be seen."
"What points are used for promotion and elimination?"
Yang Yiqing introduced him, and Gu Shilong was dumbfounded.
Why does Your Majesty have so many weird ideas? This ordinary skill point is enough, but the method of allowing the examiner to add points based on whether the move hits or not and the effect is novel enough.
You can't just choose to be showy, and you can't really fight to the death. Now you really have to show your skills and fight for every score.
After all, is there any way to score points in each round, advance one group at a time, and then eliminate them by catching pairs?
"This method cannot be used in the martial arts examination. In the future, it will be used in various provinces and regions..."
Yang Yiqing glanced at him, shook his head and smiled: "Why did Gu Guogong think your majesty came up with this idea? In your majesty's words, the military must have a sense of honor. This year is the general competition. Starting next year, after each province has recruited soldiers, each province will Two teams of home and away will be selected, with ten players in each team. The home team will stay at camp and the away team will go out. After the top ten are determined, it will still start in September and they will be divided into two groups in the capital, twenty versus twenty. Then there will be a decisive battle. Be among the top four, eliminate and compete for the championship.”
Gu Shilong opened his mouth wide.
"The Military League will continue even if there is a war in the future." Yang Yiqing sighed, "His Majesty said that every province has no shortage of these thirty or fifty people, but if it is used to boost morale and motivate progress in the long term, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."
"...I, the Ming Dynasty, am going to reach this point in martial arts?"
"Your Majesty is very ambitious. His purpose is: to be martial and honorable, to win and to perform well."
"...Hasn't General Staff Yang warned against the dangers of belligerence?"
Yang Yiqing was a civil servant. Hearing this, he could only say: "Of course I have said that the generals in the government and the public are worried about criticism. Your Majesty said that although being warlike is easy to destroy the country, forgetting to fight is even more worrying. The Ming Dynasty generals are martial, but not warlike. Don’t be afraid to fight. We have a military affairs conference and a national policy conference. If we really want to fight, we will settle accounts. If there is discussion about these principles in the future, won’t there be Ming Pao to argue and dissect?”
He nodded and said: "Your Majesty even said that the ten teams of the Military League's 'battlefield showdown' can set up a special school field in the suburbs of Beijing, and both officials and citizens can buy tickets to watch the battle. Seeing the strength of the Ming Dynasty generals, if there is Don't be timid about border affairs and talk about moving south; if the Ming Dynasty is about to fight, you can also know that the Ming Dynasty will win and support the national war."
Gu Shilong was completely confused: Buy a ticket to watch this "battlefield showdown"?
"In short, now is the martial arts examination, a small test of one's abilities." Yang Yiqing pointed forward, "Gu Guogong, although you are newly crowned Duke, you don't have to be too careful about learning from history and avoiding trouble. His Majesty said that the honor of the army is Construction and ideological construction are more important than training. With so many things, you can’t just blame me.”
Gu Shilong looked at the martial arts examination in full swing in front of him and thought about what he saw and felt after he resigned and returned to Beijing.
Ming Dynasty is indeed becoming more and more different, and we don’t know what it will be like in the future.
But the civil servants he was familiar with, not to mention the local ones, the officials and important ministers he had come into contact with after returning to Beijing always expressed some unspeakable admiration in their words for the still young emperor.
"This is the fifth year of trial implementation of the new law." Gu Shilong suddenly spoke softly.
Yang Yiqing seemed to understand what he meant: "The Xining Reform started in the second year of Xining and ended in the eighth year of Yuanfeng. It was called the sixteenth year, but in fact it was in full decline after six years. At that time, everyone in the new party had their own thoughts. Song Shenzong was also quite hesitant. Now..."
It's different now. The emperor is still proposing more and more new things, and his will to change the Ming Dynasty is unshakable.
The Imperial Ancestral Temple, the National Policy Conference, the Military Affairs Conference, the State Palace... honor, reputation, power, status, the emperor was willing to give more and more things. The center of the court was full of new parties, and there was a surge of fresh blood.
Both of them are old, but now that they think about this, they can't help but think: If the emperor is in good health, he can reign for fifty years...
In the palace, Tao Zhongwen stood by the guardrail of Qin'an Palace with a strange look on his face, looking at the little figure in the imperial garden over there from a distance.
In the open space next to the pavilion where the eunuchs and maidens were waiting, the emperor was teaching the eldest prince and the second prince how to practice "physical fitness".
The emperor was not interested at all in the pills refined by Taoism. I never ask about longevity, but I cherish my life and seek longevity.
Tao Zhongwen is here waiting for the emperor to come over. If the glass prescription he tried yesterday can be made transparent again in today's furnace, it will be called a success.
He withdrew his gaze and returned to the hall to look at the cooling glass, his eyes looking a little dazed.
A lot of things have been burned in the past few months, and the element the emperor was talking about really seems to be what it is.
It turns out that the sand, gravel, lime and other materials really need to be burned first to purify the original materials of different colors, so that the formula can be more suitable, otherwise there will always be bubbles or turbidity.
Could it be that all things in the world are not created as one, but are composed of various elements?
He looked at the struvite, and his head hurt: If you want to identify what elements in it are useful for crops, where do you start to understand it?
Although he was studying how to use the struvite, he had already figured out that the emperor did not need his immediate involvement.
But the sentence "If a real person can discern its principles in this life, he will definitely be called a land god" sounds strange: the emperor seems to know it, but he doesn't seem to know it, otherwise why would he conclude that he will never understand it in his life?
Then he looked at the cooling glass again: His Majesty showed him the telescope and magnifying glass polished by Huangming University. It is true as the emperor said, if there is the purest glass, if you find a way to make better With a magnifying glass, what elements will one day be able to see clearly in every object?
He was a little longing for it.
The Tao seems to have become clearer.
If you can see clearly, can you really become a land god?
(End of chapter)
