Anti-Qing: I'm actually an honest person

Chapter 205 Three Eagles with One Arrow

On the eighth day of April, thank God Chenghai City finally held the palace examination.

If we don't take the palace examination, these candidates will be driven crazy by the huge mental pressure. After all, after finally being admitted to Jinshi, there are suddenly rumors that they will not be assigned jobs. The previous decades of hard study are all useless. , this is really a bit scary, the key point is that the palace test has not come for a long time, so how can this not make them be surprised.

Now it's finally the palace test, that is to say... all these things are finally about to be settled.

Of course, it's only half of the steadfastness. After all, there is still a problem of allocation after the palace examination. If he is really allocated to the Imperial Academy to accompany the queen in writing poems and paintings, there is really no place to cry.

When I came to the main hall, I saw Her Majesty the Queen sitting upright, very dignified. Although she was trying very hard to show her emperor's demeanor, it was obvious that the eyes of more than 40 candidates were all on the side. The boa robe was sitting on Liu Dapao on the small stool.

Although he has tried his best not to steal the limelight from Jiu Nan, but the iconic robe of sitting on a python is really eye-catching, and every move exudes a soul-stirring charm.

Mr. Prime Minister, you are really young. It seems that you are only in your early 30s this year, right?

And Liu Dapao was also looking at them, and after watching them for a long time, he found that apart from a little tension that could not be concealed, everyone generally behaved quite well, at least trying to pretend to be flattered.

After the mascot Jiu Nan asked the names and places of origin of these Jinshi one by one, he asked sensibly, "Prime Minister, what do you need to test in this imperial examination?"

Liu Dapao smiled and said: "To be honest, I don't understand the four books and five classics. I'm just a rough person. I don't think so. Let me come up with some down-to-earth test questions."

Everyone was slightly taken aback when they heard the words, and immediately became nervous.

You must know that normally speaking, the imperial examination is basically just going through the motions when it comes to the imperial examination. It is not so much a test of knowledge as it is a test of the conversational demeanor of the new subjects. The one that is most pleasing to the eye is the No. [-] pick.

This actually makes sense, because those who are handsome and look pleasing to the eye are generally young people, or those who are more energetic. This kind of person is easy to go further in the officialdom, but generally over 50 years old Generally speaking, the old man will not be sent to the Imperial Academy. After all, when he learns how to be an official, it is almost time for him to retire.

However, judging from what Liu Dapao meant, it was obvious that he was going to turn this palace exam into a real exam.

As he spoke, he took out a box and said, "I have a complete set of bicycle drawings here, including the overall structure and the specific appearance of each component. Of course, there are still missing specific parameters."

"The so-called bicycle, I specially designed this thing to cope with the lack of cavalry in our Ming Dynasty. Of course, it is just a technical idea. Your exam is to ask you to help me realize this thing."

"Of course, although this thing looks simple, in fact, the technology and technological level contained in it are really not low at all. For example, the axles and chains require high processing precision, and the wheel bases of the car need to be expensive. It can be said that the cost of rubber is extremely high.”

"Of course, you are allowed to make certain improvements to this thing, as long as you can do it, not to mention running shoulder to shoulder, but at least you must be able to pass a donkey faster, if you can reduce the cost of this thing, reduce the cost of mass production of this thing It is even better if it is more difficult, in short, the person who made the best bicycle in the end is this year’s champion.”

Seeing this, apart from Yu Chenglong who had known about it in advance, all civil and military officials, even Jiu Nan couldn't help frowning.Jiu Nan said bluntly: "Prime Minister, the Jinshi of Xinke are all scholars studying sage books, no matter how good this bicycle is, it is still the job of a craftsman, isn't it a little strange to let a scholar do the work of a craftsman? "

Liu Dapao explained with a smile: "Of course I know that all Jinshi are scholars who have read sage books, but since this scholar has already won the fame, he must be an official."

"In my opinion, the way to govern, whether it is a high-ranking official or a small official, is nothing more than managing people and managing money. Of course, some people can make 1 taels of silver with 10 taels of silver. things, and some people can only use 1 taels of silver to do things of 1000 taels of silver, this is the difference between capable officials and mediocre officials."

"In terms of learning, I don't understand, but I think you are not bad at getting the titles on the gold list. Then I think, above this imperial examination, you might as well take an examination of how to be an official."

"Everyone, I will give each of you an upper limit budget of 1 taels of silver. As long as the reason is justified and there are traces of coming and going, you can go to Yu Chenglong and Yu Shangshu to approve the money. All craftsmen in the Academy of Sciences and Chenghai City can do it. For paid expropriation, I can give you the highest authority."

"As a superior, in fact, you don't need to understand anything, but as long as the people below understand and are willing to do things for you sincerely, this matter can still be done, and it can also be evaluated by someone who knows how to use it."

"Everyone, this bicycle is the test question I gave you. The amount of 1 taels of silver per person is your research funding. Of course, if you want, you can also work together. Two people, three people It is also possible for a group of individuals to combine the research funds."

"Of course, if any of you are proficient in craftsman's way and can make bicycles by themselves without asking others, then of course that's fine."

"It's a period of three months. Old Yu, just work hard and take full responsibility for this matter. These newborn calves will be handed over to you."

Yu Chenglong had already prepared for this, but he immediately responded with the word "well", and thus settled the matter.

But Wu Shuntian couldn't help asking: "Prime Minister, isn't it a bit wasteful to have a budget of 40 taels for each of more than 1 Jinshi? Although I don't understand, but... if this bicycle originally had a budget of 1 taels If it can be done, wouldn’t it cost an extra 39 taels to do it this way?”

Liu Dapao waved his hand and said indifferently: "Small problem, as a key product such as bicycles, I think it is necessary to use research when it is saturated. Besides, 40 taels of silver is exchanged for forty research directions. Maybe there will be some by-products, meat, which will rot in the pot after all."

"Furthermore, obtaining an official position through the imperial examination is a fundamental matter of the imperial court. Even if it costs 40 taels of silver for the selection, I think it is worth the money. To be honest, our Ming Dynasty is really not short of money. .”

Wu Shuntian heard the words and resigned sensiblely.

Seeing this, the rest of the civil and military didn't have any other objections for a while. In fact, Liu Dapao's move was a bit sudden. Everyone didn't even know what a bicycle was. For a while, they couldn't understand such an examination method at all. specific advantages and disadvantages.

The point is that it does not involve the distribution of official positions that everyone is most concerned about.

But when everyone returned home and found the craftsmen to have a closer look at the bicycle, they couldn't help but feel that the prime minister's test questions were set really well.

This is clearly giving the company's shareholders a share of the imperial examination!
After all, to be honest, although the prime minister made it clear that this year's new scholars can recruit any craftsmen from the Academy of Sciences and various companies, and allocate resources of 1 taels of silver to make this bicycle, but how to allocate it is mandatory , if the craftsmen do not obey the dispatch, what should they do?
Everyone knows that Liu Dapao regards the craftsmen in the Academy of Sciences as his treasures, and they all hold a lot of options, and the Academy of Sciences itself has projects, such as the research and development of smokeless gunpowder. Everyone is very busy. In other words, these master craftsmen They are all very good, unless they meet the direct leaders, some have personality problems, and they don't bother to talk to the third-rank Zhupao they don't know.

Why don't you just tune it?
What can you do if people ignore you on the pretext of being busy at work?Send Chenghai Four Guards to arrest people?How old are you, a new Jinshi?

Besides, this bicycle is such a complicated thing, involving nearly a hundred large and small parts, and there are requirements for mass production, you can't just point to a master craftsman and use that pedal machine tool to give you the bike bit by bit, right?
In addition to master craftsmen, countless ordinary craftsmen must be recruited, and countless resources must be deployed to cooperate.

A group of scholars don't know where the gate of the yamen is open. Let them find craftsmen. I'm afraid they don't know where to look and which craftsmen are suitable. Not sure what to buy with that money.

This is to test the ability of candidates to hold chicken feathers as arrows.

Of course, if there are big second-generation officials or second-generation shareholders among them, it will naturally be different. With a little guidance, at least they will know where to find the people they need, and they will be able to provide enough resources to carry out the work. Replacement, in fact, the statement of a budget of 1 taels is quite tricky. If the family is rich, it is not impossible to pay 10 taels out of pocket to build a bicycle for his son.

The big deal is to make fake accounts and use 1 taels of silver to buy 10 taels of silver. It’s not easy to go short in accounting, but it’s too easy to go long.

And for those ordinary middle-class children, if they don't have much background, the easiest and almost the only way to complete this task is to hug a big shareholder's thigh and cooperate with him. The company stepped in and took the lead in helping them contact master craftsmen, recruit craftsmen, purchase equipment, etc. Only after completing this step would they actually be qualified to enter the bureau and actually make bicycles.

As for what kind of cooperation these Jinshi and shareholders will cooperate with, that is a matter for the benevolent to see the benevolent and the wise. If they meet a handsome man who is not married, he may be recruited as a son-in-law.

Of course, this is essentially a kind of resource integration. It is not wrong to say that this is the basic ability of being an official.

To put it simply, the children of major shareholders will have an almost insurmountable advantage in the palace test, while the children of ordinary people can only hold the shareholders' thighs. The closer the cooperation, the higher the starting point in this palace test, unless you yourself Your family members are master craftsmen hidden in the folk, or you, a scholar, are the reincarnation of Lu Ban and you can rub out the cyclist by yourself, otherwise it is almost impossible to counterattack.

In this way, shareholders' dissatisfaction with the imperial examination will certainly be well appeased, and such a result is expected to be reluctantly accepted by the imperial examination faction.

If you took 1 taels of silver to build a bicycle, and the bullshit didn't make it in the end, then why would you feel wronged if you were asked to accompany the queen to recite poems and compose?

Of course, it is also very difficult for large and small shareholders to cover the sky with one hand. After all, there is Yu Chenglong, a member of the imperial examination school, who has full power to deal with this matter. Taking this opportunity to bully these Jinshi, if they want to operate behind the scenes, they also need to ask Yu Chenglong's opinion.

And if you think about it, the prime minister's deep meaning seems to be more than that, because everyone can see that in addition to capital, the role played by an excellent master craftsman is decisive.

Most of the scientists in the Academy of Sciences are engaged in gunpowder and chemistry, and some are devoted to improving steam engines. There may be only a few masters who are really suitable, but there are more than 40 candidates.

Undoubtedly, from tonight onwards, there will be a series of visits to thatched huts in Chenghai City. The shareholders bound by the candidates will definitely turn their money into water to smash those outstanding masters at all costs.

In this way, the salary and social status of scientists will grow up in a short time. As long as this method of palace examination becomes a common practice, who the hell dare to look down on the master?
After today, even those master craftsmen whose professional fields have nothing to do with bicycles will definitely get benefits. Maybe there will be shareholders vying to marry their daughters.

After all, who knows what blueprints the Prime Minister will show in the imperial examination next year?

And this is indeed the purpose of Liu Dapao, and only a few days later, Liu Dapao officially announced at the shareholders' meeting that he would set up a patent office and promulgate a patent law.

In addition to almost copying the patent laws of later generations, Liu Dapao stipulated that a huge sum of 500 million taels of silver should be paid by the imperial court and placed in the Patent Office. If it is too large and it is difficult to guarantee profits, the patent office will allocate funds to craftsmen for trial production of products.

Therefore, the Patent Office is actually the same as the new scholars of this year. In theory, it must have the ability to mobilize all resources in Chenghai City. Of course, the ability to allocate resources can be large or small, and it depends to a large extent on the helm of the Patent Office. who is it.

But just when everyone thought that Jackie Chan would be responsible for this job in all likelihood, Liu Dapao took a person in and shocked them severely.

"Everyone, you all know me. This is my wife, Mrs. Chen, who is also the daughter of Duke Zilong. After a famous family, I mean, my wife will be the first director of the Patent Office. What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)