Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao quickly took the official document and opened it. They saw that the letter mentioned that a force had appeared in the capital recently that attempted to influence the fairness of the Spring Examination. The court had sent spies to investigate secretly and required local authorities to strengthen precautions to ensure the smooth progress of the Spring Examination.

After reading the letter, Zhu Han frowned and said to Zhu Biao, "It seems that our task is more difficult than we imagined. This force is obviously well prepared. We must be more cautious."

Zhu Biao clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with determination: "Uncle Han, rest assured, no matter how cunning this force is, we can't let them succeed. I will personally supervise the implementation of every preventive measure to ensure the fairness and safety of the Spring Examination."

Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Your Highness is determined to do this, which is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. Next, we must work more closely together, not only to prevent external threats, but also to ensure that every link in the examination room is foolproof."

Afterwards, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao urgently summoned all the officials and staff in charge of the Spring Examination, conveyed the contents of the urgent official document from the capital to everyone, and asked everyone to take immediate action to strengthen security measures inside and outside the examination room, add monitoring points, and at the same time increase vigilance, respond quickly to any suspicious behavior, and investigate and punish it severely.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood on the viewing platform, looking sternly at the examination room below, their hearts filled with a sense of responsibility and urgency. Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Everyone, the news from the capital shows that someone is trying to interfere with the fairness of this spring examination. We must strengthen our precautions to ensure that the examination goes smoothly. There is no room for error."

A general in charge of security stepped forward and said with a folded hand, "Your Highness, Your Highness Prince Han, I have increased the patrol force around the examination hall and added secret sentries to ensure that any disturbance can be detected immediately."

Zhu Han nodded in approval. "Very good, but we still need to remain vigilant. We need to consider all possible risks, including but not limited to blind spots in surveillance inside and outside the examination room, as well as the security of information transmission."

Zhu Biao added: "Uncle Han Wang's words make sense. We should also strengthen the background check of candidates to ensure that no suspicious people are mixed in. At the same time, all staff involved in the examination need to be reviewed again to ensure their loyalty and reliability."

At this time, a staff member in charge of the candidate's background check came forward to report: "Your Highness, Your Highness Prince Han, the background check of the candidate is nearing completion, and no obvious abnormalities have been found so far. However, we will continue to dig deeper to ensure that there are no mistakes."

Zhu Biao then asked, "What do you think about the safety of the test questions, Mr. Zhang?"

Mr. Zhang, who was in charge of the test questions, stepped forward and answered respectfully, "Your Highness, Your Highness King Han, the printing and storage of the test questions have been carried out in accordance with the highest standards. The test questions are stored in a special secret room, surrounded by numerous traps, and unauthorized personnel cannot access it. In addition, we have arranged multiple patrol teams to guard it day and night."

Zhu Han nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. The safety of the test questions is the cornerstone of the fairness of the Spring Examination. There must not be any mistakes. Mr. Zhang, you need to continue to strengthen monitoring and prevention in this regard."

An aide in charge of monitoring stepped forward and bowed to report: "Your Highness, I have followed your instructions to strengthen patrols and surveillance inside and outside the examination room to ensure that there is no blind spot coverage. At the same time, I have arranged personnel to conduct repeated inspections around the examination room to prevent any accidents."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, expressing his approval: "Very good, your caution and meticulousness are the important guarantee for the smooth progress of this Spring Examination. But remember, we must not only guard against external troubles, but also internal troubles. All staff members participating in this Spring Examination must undergo strict background checks to ensure that no one has ill intentions."

At this time, Mr. Zhang, who was in charge of printing the test questions, stepped forward, looking a little nervous: "Your Highness, I have personally supervised the printing of the test questions to ensure that every process complies with the regulations. But I am still worried that something unexpected may happen during the transportation of the test questions."

Zhu Han frowned upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Zhang is right. The transportation of the test questions is indeed of utmost importance. You need to make further arrangements and ensure that the transportation team is competent and loyal. At the same time, add secret sentries to monitor along the way. If any suspicious situation is found, take immediate action."

Mr. Zhang bowed and responded: "I will obey your order and do my best to ensure the safety of the test questions."

Seeing that everyone had accepted the order, Zhu Biao turned to Zhu Han and said, "Uncle Han, this Spring Examination is not only a test for the candidates, but also a big test for us. Biao will definitely go all out to assist Uncle Han and ensure that the Spring Examination is fair and impartial."

Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Your Highness can have this heart, it is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. You and I, uncle and nephew, need to work together to overcome the difficulties. Remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must remain calm and firm to find a solution."

The bell for the examination finally rang, marking the temporary end of the several-day imperial examination. Candidates filed out, some with relief on their faces, some with anticipation, and discussed the difficulty of the test questions and their own performance.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood outside the examination room, watching the scene with deep eyes. They were concerned about the candidates and were also planning for the next paper marking work.

"Uncle Prince Han, now that the imperial examination is over, how should we arrange the subsequent marking work?" Zhu Biao asked softly, with a hint of solemnity in his words.

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Your Highness is right. Marking the papers is a very important part of the imperial examination and must be done with great care. We need to immediately summon all the chief and deputy examiners to discuss the marking matters together to ensure fairness and impartiality."

So, the two of them walked into the examination room together, where they saw long tables already set up, covered with sealed examination papers, and a tense and solemn atmosphere filled the air. The chief and deputy examiners arrived one after another, and saluted Zhu Han and Zhu Biao one after another.

Zhu Han raised his hand to signal everyone to excuse themselves, and then said in a deep voice: "Everyone, the examination is over. The next task of marking the papers is to select the future pillars of the country, and the responsibility is heavy. We must be fair and carefully review each paper, not missing any details."

An examiner stepped forward, bowed and asked, "Your Highness, Your Highness Prince Han, I wonder if there are any special requirements or standards for marking the papers this time?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly, and his eyes swept over everyone, his tone gentle but firm: "The key to marking the papers is to be comprehensive and fair. We must not only examine the candidates' academic level, but also pay attention to whether their insights are unique, as well as the structure and logic of their essays. At the same time, we must strictly identify identical papers or papers suspected of cheating, and will not tolerate them."

Upon hearing this, another deputy examiner nodded in agreement and said, "Your Highness Prince Han is absolutely right. We will definitely follow this standard and carefully review the papers to live up to the high expectations of the court and His Majesty."

Zhu Han nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Your Highness, what do you think?"

Zhu Biao smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with determination: "Uncle Han has made a thorough arrangement, and Biao has no objection. However, it is inevitable that there will be controversial issues during the marking process. How should we deal with them?" Zhu Han thought for a moment and replied: "For controversial issues, we can set up a review team composed of experienced examiners to deal with such issues. At the same time, examiners are encouraged to discuss with each other and jointly explore the best answers to ensure the fairness and accuracy of the marking results."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement, and then said to the examiners: "Examiners, the imperial examination is a national event that concerns the safety of the country. I hope you can be fair and conscientious in reviewing each test paper to select true talents for the country."

All the examiners bowed their heads and promised that they would do their best to live up to the trust placed in them.

Then, the marking work officially began. The examiners received their test papers, returned to their seats and began to carefully review them.

The room was silent, save for the scratching of pens across paper.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao patrolled the marking room from time to time, checking the examiners' marking progress and quality to ensure that everything went smoothly.

"Uncle Han, the test papers for this imperial examination seem to be of very high quality and the competition is fierce." Zhu Biao said softly, with a hint of emotion in his tone.

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his eyes deep: "Indeed, this examination attracted many young talents. However, this is exactly what we expect, to select truly talented and potential people through fierce competition."

"However, marking the papers is also full of challenges." Zhu Biao frowned slightly, obviously having a clear understanding of the upcoming marking work, "How to ensure that every examiner can judge impartially and selflessly to avoid personal bias affecting the results is not an easy task."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Your Highness is right. To ensure the fairness of the examination, we need to start from many aspects. First, we must clarify the examination criteria so that each examiner knows the basis for the evaluation. Secondly, we need to set up a review team to review the controversial examination papers to ensure the accuracy and fairness of the evaluation. Finally, we need to strengthen supervision and monitor the entire examination process to prevent any cheating."

Zhu Biao heard this and a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes: "Uncle Han, you are very thoughtful. I am grateful for your advice. But, when setting up the review team, are there any particular requirements for the selection of people?"

Zhu Han smiled and explained, "The selection of the review team is extremely important. We need to select examiners who are experienced, impartial, and knowledgeable. They must not only have a solid academic foundation, but also have keen judgment and an impartial stance to ensure the authority of the review results."

"Uncle Han Wang's words make sense." Zhu Biao nodded in agreement. "However, during the marking process, if we encounter a candidate whose viewpoint is novel but inconsistent with the mainstream, how should we deal with it?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said firmly: "The imperial examination is to select talents with innovative thinking and unique insights. We should not easily deny such candidates, but carefully identify the rationality and value of their views. If they are indeed insightful, we should affirm and encourage them."

Zhu Biao heard this, and a trace of relief flashed in his eyes: "What Uncle Han said opened my eyes. The purpose of the imperial examination is to select talents, not to imprison thoughts. We should indeed maintain an open and inclusive attitude and give every candidate the opportunity to show their talents.

Time passed quietly, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. With the review of the last test paper completed, the marking work was also coming to an end. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao called all the examiners together to discuss the final ranking and admission list.

As the marking work progressed, the room became quieter and more tense. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao exchanged opinions from time to time, repeatedly discussing and confirming details such as marking standards and review procedures.

Behind every test paper is a young student’s dream and future, so we must be extremely cautious.

Finally, after several days of intense work, the marking work was successfully completed. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao called together all the examiners to discuss and determine the final admission list.

With the successful completion of the examination marking work, the selected candidates are about to face a more severe test - the palace examination.

On this day, the palace was solemn and dignified. Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright in the Golden Throne Hall, his eyes sharp as torches, examining every young talent who was about to enter the hall.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood beside the palace, feeling both excited and nervous. Zhu Han said to Zhu Biao softly, "Your Highness, this palace examination is the last hurdle for the country to select pillars of society. We must ensure fairness and impartiality so that the truly talented can stand out."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Uncle Han, rest assured. Biao will uphold justice and live up to the trust of my father and uncle."

With a loud roll call, the first candidate walked into the hall and knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang looked deep and spoke slowly: "You are all talented people who have been screened through layers of examinations. Today is the palace examination. I want to listen to your opinions on governing the country and maintaining peace. I hope you can speak freely and without fear."

The candidates came forward one by one, some made impassioned speeches, some quoted classics, and showed their knowledge and opinions. Zhu Yuanzhang sometimes nodded in approval, sometimes frowned slightly, and it was obvious that he paid great attention to and evaluated the answers of each candidate.

When it was the turn of a scholar named Li Mufeng, he looked calm and sincere, "Your Majesty, I believe that the way to govern a country is to give equal importance to benevolent government and rule of law. Benevolent government can calm the people, and rule of law can stabilize the foundation of the country. Only when the two complement each other can we achieve a peaceful and prosperous era."

Zhu Yuanzhang heard this and a trace of praise flashed in his eyes: "Li Mufeng, your words are pertinent and your insights are unique. I see that there are many talented people among you, but governing a country is not something that can be done by one person, it requires the concerted efforts of everyone. When you enter the court as officials, you should take this as a lesson and work together for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty."

When it was the turn of a scholar named Zhao Zixuan, he appeared confident and calm. He walked slowly into the center of the hall, bowed, and began to explain his views: "Your Majesty, I believe that the strength of a country lies not only in its strong army, but also in its rich people and strong country. Therefore, I advocate the development of farming and water conservancy to ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment and the national treasury is full. At the same time, I also suggest opening a business school to encourage technological innovation and overseas trade to expand financial resources and enhance national strength."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed with interest: "Zhao Zixuan, your idea of ​​developing agriculture and industry and commerce simultaneously is indeed a novel idea. However, although the benefits of industry and commerce are huge, they must also be carefully regulated to avoid putting the cart before the horse and damaging the foundation of agriculture. What good ideas do you have to balance it?" (End of this chapter)