Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 470

Taichang Eight Years Boshin Division Examination finally started.

This time, there are more than 1 candidates who came to rush for the exam than last time.

Moreover, this time, the number of candidates for science subjects also increased a lot, reaching more than 5000 people.

These are all good things. Daming needs talents right now, talents in all aspects, especially talents in science.

Looking at the examination booths packed full of seats in the Beijing Gongyuan, Taichang could not help but smile slightly and said: "There are more and more candidates coming to participate in the examination. The next time the Gongyuan probably won't be able to hold it."

This is true, if more people come, the Gongyuan in the capital will not be crowded.

And now it is more and more convenient to rush for the exam, and more and more people are admitted to Juren, so there will definitely be more and more Juren who come to rush for the exam.

Hearing this, Xu Guangqi nodded again and again and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, we are all considering whether to expand a few thousand more test sheds. However, it is still a bit troublesome to expand the test sheds, and we are trying to figure out a way."

What are you doing so petty.

Without hesitation, Taichang said: "After the trial this time, just demolish the Gongyuan and rebuild it."

Ah!
Why tear it down and rebuild?

Xu Guangqi was stunned for a moment, and then carefully reminded: "Your Majesty, the Gongyuan in the capital was dismantled and rebuilt by Zhang Juzheng, the chief assistant in the Wanli period, and it is still new!

Moreover, the problem of the expansion of the Gongyuan cannot be solved by demolition and reconstruction.

Because when the Gongyuan in the capital was rebuilt in the Wanli period, almost all the places where the test sheds could be built were built. The biggest problem with the expansion at the moment is that there is no space.

And even if these test sheds are demolished and rebuilt, there will be no room for them, because the test sheds are already too small. "

What kind of problem is this?
Taichang said without hesitation: "Isn't it big enough to just clear this half of the street?"

My God, clear half the street?
The Beijing Gongyuan only occupies half of the street. If this half of the street is emptied, wouldn’t the capital’s Gongyuan be more than doubled in size!

is this necessary?

Besides, this half of the street is not so easy to clear.

Hearing this, Xu Guangqi was a bit confused: "Your Majesty, there is only a pasture of the household department on this half of the street. We can find a way to move it away. We can't just demolish the houses of other common people? If we take their houses The house is demolished, where do they live?"

This is simply not too simple.

Taichang still didn't think about it: "The imperial court will pay for their houses at twice the market price, and ask them to move away, can't they? If they really can't find a place to live, we will directly build a group of houses in the outer city." A new house, sold to them at a low price, wouldn’t that be enough?”

Uh, do that?
Xu Guangqi couldn't help being dumbfounded and said: "Your Majesty, although the houses in the capital are not very expensive at the moment, there are quite a lot of people here. If you really pay double the price to buy their houses, the minimum cost is tens of thousands." Two denarii."

What are tens of thousands of taels of silver?
Taichang still said without hesitation: "It's worth the money. After all, the Gongyuan in the capital is the place where the examination will be held, and it is one of the most important places in the Ming Dynasty. It's nothing if we spend tens of thousands of taels of silver? Is it a household?" Is there no surplus in the Ministry of Finance? If the Ministry of Accounting cannot squeeze out the money, you can go directly to the internal treasury to withdraw it."

Well, Xu Guangqi was just used to careful planning, and he really felt a little distressed when he was asked to spend tens of thousands of taels of silver at a time.

In fact, the household department is not short of money at the moment, not to mention tens of thousands of taels, tens of thousands of taels or even millions of taels can be paid out.

He quickly shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to withdraw from the internal treasury, the household department has a surplus. In the past few years, the tax revenue has doubled, but our expenditure has not increased much. After all, the internal treasury has covered the food and wages. With this largest expenditure saved, the household department has a surplus of several million taels a year."

With so much surplus, why don't you hurry up and find a way to spend it!

Taichang was puzzled and said, "Why do you keep so much money?"

Isn't this scary?
You know, the imperial court was very tight in the past, and there was simply not enough money to spend.

Not to mention other times, this has been the case for more than 40 years during the Wanli Dynasty.

Emperor Shenzong Wanli was covering the inner treasury with all his strength, and spent the money from the Ministry of Accounts so vigorously that the court did not have enough money to spend every year.

In the end, Emperor Shenzong Wanli also gave all the money from the internal treasury to the feudal princes who were entrusted, and did not leave a penny to the prince or the current emperor.

Alas, how much enmity did the former emperor have with the current emperor?
Of course, this is a matter of the royal family, he has no right to say it, and he dare not say it.

Xu Guangqi could only sigh slightly: "Your Majesty, you should know how short of money the court was during the Wanli Dynasty. At that time, it was necessary to withhold the salaries of most of the officials in order to get the money out. Come on, there is nothing we can do later, and we are still collecting donations everywhere, looking for merchants to raise money, Your Majesty, we are so poor!"

Uh, you are so poor that you can’t save so much money a year without spending it!
Taichang explained in detail: "Zi first, the court's money is different from personal money, personal money can be saved for future generations, what can the court's money be used for?

This money can't make money, and at the moment, the army's food and disaster relief don't need the household department to pay for it, so why do you keep the money?
You should find a way to spend the money and create better conditions for the common people to make money, so that the taxes will increase?
For example, ask the Ministry of Industry to improve the official roads connecting the prefectures and counties, and introduce more horse mules, so that it is convenient for merchants to purchase goods, and it is also convenient for ordinary people to make money. Wouldn’t the taxes increase?
Another example is to ask the Ministry of Agriculture to invest more money in the development of high-yield crops and promote planting, like sweet potatoes, potatoes and even corn. The yield is much higher than that of rice and wheat, and they can be planted in rotation according to the seasons, without affecting the original crops at all. Yield.

In this way, isn't it equivalent to doubling or even several times the income of farmers?
The higher the income of farmers, the more things they can buy, and the more money merchants can make. Wouldn’t the court have more taxes?
This is the way to make money! "

Uh, well, these should be carefully considered.

Question, right now we are talking about Gongyuan!

Xu Guangqi was quite puzzled and said: "Your Majesty, why did we demolish the Gongyuan and rebuild it? Even if we bought this half of the street, we only need to add test sheds around it!"

Of course there is a reason for this.

Taichang sighed slightly: "Didn't you see how these candidates are frozen?
It is no problem to use cold and heat to test candidates and sharpen candidates.

The problem is, it can't be so cold that people's noses are bruised, their hands and feet get sores, or even people are frozen to death!
This is not to test candidates, but to torture candidates.

Look at these candidates who are so cold that they are shivering all over, and they can't hold their pens steadily without rubbing their hands hard.

Why bother?
Can't we build the test shed a little warmer? "

Uh, this.

Xu Guangqi thought for a while, then said helplessly: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid there is no way to do this.

The test sheds and the number rooms are so transparent that they are not designed to torture the candidates, but to let the candidates blow the cold wind on purpose.

The reason why the test shed and number room are built in this way is to prevent candidates from cheating!
If all the number rooms are closed, the examiner will not be able to see the candidates inside.

In this way, it is too easy for candidates to cheat. "

Of course I know this.

Without hesitation, Taichang said: "Zixian, this is the reason why I want to demolish and rebuild the Gongyuan in the capital.

Isn’t there glass now? If you install a glass door in the number room, you can see the inside, and the test shed can also be sealed with glass windows.

Wouldn't this not only keep warm, but also prevent candidates from cheating?
When we have something good, we have to show it to others to let others know how good it is.

After these candidates know the benefits of this glass, will they think about installing it at home?

When people see them pretending, will they be curious to ask?
For this reason, will there be more and more people who want to install glass doors and windows?

Wouldn't our glass business be better in this way? "

Ok.

From the looks of it, this tribute courtyard really needs to be demolished and rebuilt.

Because the current test sheds and number rooms are basically masonry structures, there is no way to install hinges at all, and it is difficult to drive nails in.

In other words, with the current test shed and room structure, there is no way to add glass doors and windows.

Hearing this, Xu Guangqi couldn't help bowing his hands and said: "The emperor is wise, it seems that this tributary courtyard really has to be demolished and rebuilt."

(End of this chapter)