Jingming

Chapter 286 Gathering the hearts of scholars from all over the world
Huai'an in late November was extremely busy.

The lifeblood of the canal is the busiest at this time of year.

According to the rules, the grain and tax from the Jiangnan area to the capital must pass through Huai'an before December at the latest.For Fujian, Guangdong and other places farther away, Huai'an must be passed before the first month at the latest.

Therefore, now the Qingjiangpu area outside Huai'an City is full of water boats, and there are also civilian boats to make way for the water boats.

In Huai'an City, the signboard of the Governor's Water Transportation Department has not been changed, but there is a long queue from inside to outside the gate.

Wang Shenzhong, who passed by here, couldn't help admiring: "The grand scenery of the water transport, I can finally see it today."

Among the group of candidates who were also from Quanzhou Prefecture, one of the most handsome and unrestrained ones also said at this time: "Just now, there are thousands of sails outside the city to cover the sun, and I am enjoying my poems. When I rest in the hotel, I might as well drink some wine and make fun of it." Poetry, learn one or two."

Departing from Fujian at the end of September, it was late November when they arrived in Huai'an.

Rushing for the exam is a rare life experience, Wang Shenzhong is the first time, but that handsome guy is the second time.

"Brother Tingyi is a great talent, and there must be a masterpiece today." Wang Shenzhong first praised Gong Yongqing, who was already 25, and then asked, "What are you doing at the gate of the Caoyun Yamen? Is it the same when Brother Gong came to Jiajing for two years?"

"Probably it's a matter of getting grain."

Gong Yongqing didn't care about these at all, he claimed to be romantic, and this time he was the most popular among the candidates who rushed to take the exam in Fujian, but now his attention was on other young scholars on Huai'an Street.

"In the eighth year of Jiajing, I still don't know how the exam will be done. This year, there are quite a lot more candidates for the exam than in previous years."

After Gong Yongqing said this, Wang Shenzhong and others also noticed many scholars on the streets of Huai'an.

The breath of the same kind is easy to capture.

With new laws and new learning, the Jiajing five-year examination ushered in a peak rush for the exam.

There was a little more urgency in Wang Shen's heart: "Let's go to the hotel first, and find a good boat. If the Shandong Canal is frozen, it will delay the trip."

"No problem." Gong Yongqing still didn't take it seriously, "After arriving in Huai'an, it will be much faster to go to the capital, and you can go all the way without hindrance. Let me post a post to invite my old friends first, and this matter will be done."

I went to Beijing to rush for the exam once, and as a Juren, I can always meet many fellow subjects and high-ranking officials.

Gong Yongqing quite enjoyed this feeling of being admired.

Gong Yongqing has already sent Shutong to make a reservation for this temporary residence in Huai'an City.

How could such a trivial matter be done by the dignified Master Juren himself?
They made an appointment to meet at the gate of the Confucian Temple in Huai'an, waited left and right, and finally saw a servant running over with sweat profusely saying: "Master, I really can't find the hotel."

Gong Yongqing was stunned for a moment: "How could this be?"

Even if there are more applicants for rush exams, in places like Huai'an where there is a lot of business for rush exams every three years, still can't find a residence?

"I found out clearly that it was caused by the establishment of the River Transportation Bureau. I don't know how many merchants from the north and south have rushed to Huai'an, and that's why all the guest rooms in Huai'an Hotel have been robbed."

"River Transport Bureau? What River Transport Bureau?"

"...This little one didn't ask."

"Brother Ting Yi, why don't you ask your old friend to help you find a place to live?" Wang Shenzhong reminded.

"That's the only way now." Gong Yongqing nodded immediately, "I know where brother Tang's house is. I visited the mansion on the way back from the south in the past, and I wrote to make an appointment to go to Beijing together. He must be at home. Let's go!"

So these Juren from Quanzhou Prefecture walked in another direction together.

Gong Yongqing said that he knew where it was, but it was only an approximate direction, and asked several people along the way.

Fortunately, the local Juren's house was easy to find. When they came to a small house, Wang Shenzhong and the others looked at each other in blank dismay.

Gong Yongqing, an old friend, doesn't seem to have a particularly rich family background. Why did he say that the matter of finding a boat to go to the capital can be covered by him, and that the safekeeping will not delay the itinerary.

Renting private boats on the canal, people do business one by one, and it is rare to transport several provinces all the way: too far away from home, many things are out of control, and the risks increase sharply.

It's not an official ship.

Knocking on the door, Gong Yongqing stood at the front, and said gracefully: "Please inform me, just say that Fujian Gong Yongqing is coming to visit."

"It's Master Gong?" The servant said immediately, "Young master told me that if there is a letter from Master Gong, let me accept it first. I didn't expect Master Gong to come in person. It's just that the young master hasn't come back yet, everyone..."

When he saw the dozens of people outside, he looked very surprised, and then he said: "Everyone, please come in and sit down for a while, and have some tea."

After finishing speaking, I hurried back to report: No matter what, after all, I am a Juren, a friend of the young master, so I can't be rude when I come home.

When Wang Shenzhong and the others entered the courtyard, they had to sit in the main room and wait, but the servants of Shutong stayed in the courtyard.

Wait till it gets dark.

A few people had nowhere to go, and even had a dinner here.

When someone finally came back from outside the door, Gong Yongqing was overjoyed to welcome him: "Brother Wei Zhong, I'm finally looking forward to you."

Then he said in astonishment: "Brother Weizhong is full of dust, where did he go?"

This person is Tang Shu. At this moment, to say that he is dusty is an elegant description, but his body is full of mud, and his attire is quite like a farmer.A commoner hat with a water hyacinth hanging from his waist.

"Brother Ting Yi?" Tang Shu glanced at his face, and then couldn't help but be attracted by so many people in the family, and then saw his parents who were a little embarrassed and relieved, "Excuse me, excuse me, let me freshen up first."

Taking advantage of this gap, Tang Shu's parents saw that they were caught straight, and then explained: "The guests are making a joke, this child has been like this these days."

I thought they were going to leave after sitting for a while, so that my son could dress up before going to visit friends, but I didn't expect them to hold on.

Tang Shu's parents feel that their son's recent behavior is embarrassing.

But Gong Yongqing is also a person who wants to save face, but he doesn't mention the fact that everyone can't find a place to live. After all, he only has some friendship with Tang Shu.

As for Wang Shenzhong and the others, the embarrassment and cancer in their hearts are all committed: it is getting dark, is there such a thing?In case Gong Yongqing, a friend named Tang Shu, can't help out today, why don't so many of you squeeze into his house to make do for the night?
It is not good for them to go over Gong Yongqing and complain to strangers about their difficulties.

Tang Shu's mother blocked the door of the room where he was scrubbing, and asked through the door: "What's the matter with your friends? You might as well go back first if you say they have a hard time traveling. They just stay here and don't leave. Could it be that today Do you want to stay at our house tonight?"

"Housing? No, brother Gong's family is quite good, so why didn't he decide on a place to live. If we have to wait for the child to come back, I'm afraid there is something important to discuss, probably related to the exam."

"Mother can't see that you are in a hurry to take the exam! You have been running with Mr. Liu this year, where are you doing your homework!"

"Mother, don't worry, following Teacher Liu every day is the best way to do homework."

Tang Shu's answer was full of laughter, and his mother could only do nothing: "If you really want to stay at home, mother has to make preparations first. Worrying, it's winter, how can there be so many beds and bedding... have you used it before?" Is there any food?"

"I ate with Master Liu, didn't you tell me? The boy helps Master Liu with some things, and the river course yamen manages the food and lodging."

"I don't think Mr. Liu cares about your future anymore. He just thinks about the important things His Majesty entrusted to him. Fortunately, he didn't ask you to go to a distant place this time. It's the end of winter, and you haven't set off for Beijing yet!"

Amidst the babble, she left first.

When Tang Shu got dressed and went to the main room in front, his father also left immediately and slipped away.

The farmer just now became Mr. Pian Pianjia, and everyone first greeted him and passed on his name one by one.

Only then did Tang Shu ask: "Brother Ting Yi, did you really not find a place to live? Even though the hotels inside and outside the city are full of people, the merchants of Quanzhou still have a guild hall in Huai'an."

Saying that to my mother is to reassure her.

But with Tang Shu's work style of traveling thousands of miles, his cleverness of being able to win people, and the amount of information he can get by staying with Liu Tianhe, seeing Gong Yongqing and the others who have not left, how can they not guess the situation.

He and Gong Yongqing only met when they took part in the examination three years ago, so the friendship cannot be said to be very deep.Knowing that the other party's family is quite good, why would you worry about these things for the other party?
Gong Yongqing was not as high-spirited as he was in the daytime now, and he said with some embarrassment: "Pu's rebellion, Zhao'an Wu's assassination in Linqing, how dare Fujian merchants make a big show? I knew it before I left. It is inconvenient to invite me to wait for the exam. When I arrived in Huai'an, I heard that some kind of river transportation bureau was to be set up. The hotels inside and outside the city were crowded with merchants from the north and the south. Is there a way?"

Only then did Wang Shenzhong and the others know that Gong Yongqing, a friend, was actually working with the Governor of Hedao. No wonder he said that the matter was easy to solve.

Tang Shu was stunned for a moment, and then said: "...that's really the case. It's a long story. I also set off on the first day of the twelfth lunar month. Master Liu said that he would not miss my exam, and he has found a boat to take me to Beijing. It’s just that if I want to wait for several people to join me, I’m afraid I’ll have to change to a bigger boat.”

Gong Yongqing was overjoyed: "Brother Wei Zhong really has a way!"

Tang Shu smiled: "This is my reward for the hard work I have done for several months this year. It is getting late, and it is inconvenient to look for a place to live now. In this way, I have some face in the neighborhood, so people will go Knock on the door and ask, let's stay here today, and make plans tomorrow. I have to go to Qingjiang Pu, and I have to pack my bags when I go home today, so brother Liu Shuting and I will meet at the pier there."

Although we have made an appointment to walk together, who can guarantee that each other's itinerary is completely compatible?Anyway, Gong Yongqing wrote a letter a long time ago, saying that after Qiu Wei, he will leave in September and will arrive in Huai'an in November.

"...Then it will be troublesome, it's really bothering you." Gong Yongqing has no other good solution now, just stay overnight.

He couldn't help asking: "Brother Wei Zhong is at Liu Zonghe's place, what are you doing? I thought Brother Wei Zhong was working as an aide."

"Your Majesty is worried about the flooding of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River. During the southern tour, Master Liu was appointed as the head of the river. How can Master Liu not go all out? I have been dealing with river workers almost all this year. Over and over."

"...In the past, I heard that Brother Weizhong yearned for it when he traveled all over the famous mountains, but now Brother Weizhong has studied river affairs." Gong Yongqing asked tentatively, "Brother Weizhong is a student of Zonghe Liu, a big test I really admire you for having such leisure now. I wonder if you can recommend me to pay a visit to Mr. Zonghe?"

This is a high-ranking official in Zhupao in Huai'an.

The most important thing is that Gong Yongqing thought that Tang Shu didn't review his homework before the year of the big exam, and he was very sure that he could get a lot of useful information from Liu Tianhe.

Tang Shu was very embarrassed: "I'm afraid it will be inconvenient. I will go there early tomorrow morning, and I want to take advantage of these few days to go to Gaojiayan with Master Liu. Master Liu is busy..."

"Then wait for the departure on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, and then talk about the old friendship with Brother Weizhong. Does Brother Weizhong know what kind of yamen the River Transport Bureau is? Why did merchants from the north and the south gather in Huai'an, so that every house is full?"

"That's right, brother Ting Yi and others came from Fujian, I'm afraid they haven't seen the "Ming Pao" yet."

"……Ming Pao?"

"Brother Ting Yi, wait a moment, I copied a copy from Master Liu."

Tang Shu quickly fetched a brochure from the study.

What he saw at that time was also the first issue that was sent to Zonghe Yamen by the official through the Interpretation Bureau.

The reason for copying is because Liu Tianhe has no idea how he will take the test next year, so let Tang Shu first copy the simplified characters to the "Jiajing Dictionary" and this newspaper to familiarize himself with the new style.

Will try which one is in the package?Even if simplified characters, new style and new learning are not taken next year, there will definitely be in the future, so the sooner Tang Shu does homework in this area, the better.

Tang Shu has confidence in himself, and at the same time, he has heard a lot from Liu Tianhe about the rules in the future.

It is naturally good to have a Jinshi background, but in the eyes of this majesty, I am afraid that it does not matter so much whether he has a Jinshi background.On the contrary, if you make a contribution to the river control, then of course it will be easier for the emperor.

Now that Gong Yongqing opened the booklet, he couldn't help being dumbfounded after seeing the text and style on it: "...what is this?"

Tang Shu explained a few sentences, and then said: "I won't be using this simplified Chinese characters next year, so I'll get to know them a little bit first. There's nothing I can do about it. Your Majesty has made a decree that all government documents will be gradually replaced by these simplified characters within one year. Mr. Liu left a lot of miscellaneous tasks to me, and said that next year, no matter whether he wins or not, he will ask His Majesty to use me to work in the Hedao Yamen, so I have to practice first."

Gong Yongqing's mouth was parched, and Wang Shenzhong and the others felt as if they had been hit hard.

Titles, titles, titles, titles...the most relevant to them is naturally this simplified character and new style.

Even if they are not required to use these to answer the examination papers next year, the official documents have set rules, regardless of whether you are a Jinshi or not, you must learn this stuff.

What's more, even if you don't force it in the exam next year, if some candidates use this simplified characters and new style to answer the paper, will the examiners and His Majesty look at it differently?

With the future at hand, Gong Yongqing asked in a shy voice: "Brother Weizhong, I don't think there is any need to bother the neighbors. If you don't give up, how about talking around the stove tonight?"

Damn it, it's a good thing I didn't find a place to live today!
Looking at his gloomy eyes, Tang Shu couldn't help but feel his scalp tingling: "Brother Ting Yi... don't you plan to hold candlelight and talk all night long? I came back after a day of exhaustion."

"Only brother Zhong has the strength to travel through mountains and rivers!" Gong Yongqing didn't care about face.

Tang Shu turned his head to look, and saw that these candidates from Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province all showed the kind of eyes that wanted to swallow him alive, so he couldn't help but smiled wryly: "It's really not like this..."

How could it be possible to ask to use this new rule to answer the papers next year with the simplified characters that were just promulgated?

Of course, he also knows that if we still only look at the level of knowledge, but rank some people who are interested in higher rankings, who knows if the imperial court will do this in order to promote simplified characters?

Ranking is also very important - for many people whose information is still relatively occluded.

Tang Shu just wanted to sleep well: "Everyone, look at the back: Wang Qiong, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, talks about the promotion of officials."

The first issue of Ming Pao did not only have an article on the "four titles" and advertisements of many companies, in fact, all six of them made their appearance on it.

When Wang Qiong talked about the promotion of officials, what he conveyed was very simple: after the examination of the exercises, the imperial court would have a clear practical examination of the promotion of officials.

In other words, Qingliu will not be popular in the future, if you want to upgrade to high-grade.

Another point is that Daming now has too few officials and too many officials.Things are left to the officials, and the officials are idle, and things are often done out of order.

There are more Enke in Shandong, Guangdong, and rural examinations every year. This is just to point in one direction: in the future, there will be more high-ranking officials, but they will all have more specific practical responsibilities.There will still be unqualified officials, but it will not be the current situation.

Since more officials are required, the imperial examination will naturally take more scholars.

"Therefore, I'm afraid that the Ministry of Rites will publish the arrangements for next year's exam in Ming Pao in a later period." Tang Shu said to them, "It is said that there are far more applicants for the exam this year than in previous years, but only As far as the situation is concerned, I'm afraid that next year the old system of only taking more than [-] tributes will be changed. Your Majesty is thirsty for talents, brother Ting Yi, you really don't have to worry about it..."

"Is this Mr. Liu's conclusion?"

"……My guess."

Gong Yongqing and the others didn't believe it, they all looked at Tang Shu with rapid heartbeats.

If he dares not to review his homework, he must know something!
Of course Tang Shu couldn't tell the truth, even if it was just Liu Tianhe's guess.

But last year, so many officials and gentry were arrested in the major treason case, and the new law will soon be implemented nationwide. Wouldn't the imperial court wantonly buy people's hearts and dispel the resistance of the gentry?

In the province of Guangdong, the number of officials is nearly ten thousand!

Tang Shu didn't dare to tell them, Liu Tianhe's guess was even bolder.

In previous years, about three or four thousand students entered Beijing to take the exam, and one out of ten was selected.

I'm afraid that five or six thousand applicants will enter Beijing this year, and most of them will stay—in various forms.

Only those who are still determined to pass the Jinshi examination before giving up will miss this opportunity.

The "Ming Pao" transcribed by Tang Shu contains too much information.

He was really pestered all night by Gong Yongqing and the others.

These companions are all young, and the oldest is 28 Tang Shu.

Young people can survive.

And after the sun rose, the National Policy Conference, which entered the second half, really discussed an issue related to the imperial examination today.

"Minister Prime Minister State Affairs, the next three years are the key to the new law. Both the court and the local government need a lot of officials who are capable and willing to make contributions. How to make the world's scholars study simplified characters, new learning, and new styles within three years is a long-term strategy. The top priority, I ask Your Majesty to discuss whether next year's Ministry of Rites Examination will be the same as the Guangdong and Shandong provincial examinations. The division between the first and the top three remains unchanged, but can the first one choose 24 people to show the reputation of the 24 counselors and spur them to forge ahead?"

There are always three people in Yijia: No. [-] Scholar, No. [-], Tan Hua.

After several days of discussions and performances at the national policy meeting, Fei Hong is becoming more and more ambitious.

Although Zhu Houcong was asked to agree or not, why did Yijia have 24 people?

This is to increase the prestige of the national policy conference, the prestige of the counselors, and the importance of the ministers in the Ming Dynasty.

The rest of the people could not help but hold their breath and stare at the emperor.

If the emperor agrees, if it is spread in the future, it will still be a bigger step for the scholars in the world that Fei Hong, the first prime minister, won.

There are 24 people in the first class of the palace examination, headed by the champion, Tanhua, and second place. Everyone can enter the national policy meeting as the goal in the future.

And would the emperor be willing to have the opinions of his ministers become more and more important at the national policy meeting, and the influence of the prime minister and the Palace of State Affairs be more and more important?
Now Daming really needs more officials, and needs to gather the hearts of the gentry who have been panicked in the past few years.The prime minister is newly appointed, will the emperor refute his proposal?

Does this count as Fei Hong's coercion and consolidating his power?
Zhu Houcong nodded simply: "I think so."

(End of this chapter)