The last conscience of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 119 Imperial Examination Science
Gao Qiu is a master of Cuju.

He can handle this well.

Liang Xin added: "Go do some research and improve the quality of the ball. If you do this well, I will arrange an errand for your brother. If you want to move up, I will send you to a suitable place to earn some military merit. Don't be greedy. If you need money, just ask, and when the time comes, I will naturally give you a fortune."

"Thank you, Mr. Sun."

Gao Qiu is very smart.

Although he has a small-minded mentality, he feels that when he becomes an official, he should have the same opportunity to make a fortune as everyone else.

Liang Xin warned, he would definitely listen.

What is wealth?

He still understands the concept of eating enough after one meal and being full after every meal.

After Gao Qiu left, Liang Xinxin said that Gao Qiu was not a villain because he climbed to a high position without taking the imperial examination. The literati didn't like it, so there were novels about him being written as a villain.

For example, right now, some people are very jealous of Gao Qiu.

Gao Qiu, who was not born in a noble family, was just a small person, but he became a Yuhou after being employed.

This is much luckier than countless people.

Of course, there are even more outrageous ones.

Recently, several young people in Bianjing changed their surname to Liang, claiming to be the sons of Su Shi, and wanted to join the Liang family.

Liang Xin doesn't care whether it's true or not.

As for the grandson, he often runs to Liang's house recently and sits in the front yard for a while when he has something to do.

Before, he claimed to be Liang Xin's uncle, but now he doesn't dare.

Because he found that Liang Xin was very scary when she was angry.

Cao Tan was very kind to these people. He had ordered the housekeeper to entertain guests when they came to his door.

As an imperial student, Sun Zhan was still very poor.

As soon as the expenses were met, Cao Tan asked the housekeeper to handle them, and gave him some pocket money every ten days.

In the Liang Mansion, every day there were sons or daughters claiming to be the sons or daughters of Su Shi's estranged concubines, eating and drinking in the Liang Mansion.

Cao Tan doesn't care.

The little bit that fell out of Liang Xin's teeth was more than what these people consumed by eating and drinking.

After sitting in the garden for a while, Liang Xin got up and walked across the east courtyard. He still had to deal with a large number of memorials. Even if there were five people to help him draft, he still needed to write down the instructions on the memorials for Zhao Ji one by one.

Sitting in the east cross courtyard, Zongze has just arrived.

In the room, there was a discussion about whether Hezhong Mansion had killed too harshly.

Zongze was very excited.

"These are all residents of the Song Dynasty. As far as the Shanggong Bureau checked the accounts, they embezzled the equivalent of 20 years of tax revenue from Hezhong Prefecture. I didn't see it with my own eyes in Hezhong Prefecture, but I was a county magistrate. No. I know how many people will not be able to survive this winter, but it is these people who ruined the Green Seedlings Law that was originally created to help the people."

Su Shi said: "I opposed the new law at the beginning because I knew that many things could not be implemented in states and counties, and would instead burden the people." Zhang Dun: "The Green Crops Law is wrong."

Fan Chunli: "The green seedlings method was originally thought up by Li Shen. He personally managed a state, and the effect was quite good. Wang Yansou once said that there is no greater harm than the green seedlings and the method of exemption from military service. The people are trapped in poverty. The method of tea and salt spreads poison in many ways."

Just as he was talking, Liang Xin came in.

Han Zhongyan, a good old man, immediately asked: "Brother Xin, what do you think of the Qingmiao Law?"

Liang Xin said: "The people have money in their hands, who needs the Green Seedlings Law? Therefore, the basic question is how to make the people no longer poor. Of course, this requires a process. In fact, Duke Dongpo has already seen the key to this matter. I I agree with his point of view.”

Su Shi nodded: "Yes, ordinary farmers can't even read. Not to mention them, even we may not be able to predict food prices. According to common sense, food prices will fall in good years and rise in famine years. With predictions It’s too easy for people to use grain prices to lend money, and farmers are illiterate.”

"Also, officials, Zongze, you can speak for yourself."

Zongze had been a county magistrate and he understood the logic behind this.

Zongze said: "As far as the new law is concerned, many people in the county at that time believed that by lending more money through the Qingmiao Law and allowing the county's principal to appreciate, they would not only get more rewards, but also be recognized by the court. You can also get the best of times.”

Han Zhongyan was originally opposed to it.At this time, he said: "Back then, there was a county magistrate. After the Qingmiao Order was issued, the county was established, but the farmers were unwilling to borrow money, and the county did not lend a penny. He had no choice but to hand in his resignation because there was no money lent. , he was unable to complete Banshan’s assessment of Qingmiaofa.”

Su Shi said: "Zhang Dun, you old man, back then I wrote a letter to Banshan and you, but you finally carried it out. Now look at how many people have been harmed."

Zhang Dun was about to retort when Liang Xin said, "Change the topic. Anyway, the Young Crops Law is not implemented now."

Han Zhongyan immediately stepped down and changed the subject: "Brother Xin, why are you trying so hard to promote the new method of the imperial examination?"

Liang Xin replied: "Because historically, the imperial examination only selects scholars, not scholars. Those who can pass the imperial examination are all people who read the classics, but few understand what academics are. Take Dongpo Gong as an example, if we talk about counting the classics In terms of Lundian, I guess there are not many in Bianjing City that can compare with him. But, how many kilograms more grain can be produced from one acre of land?"

"Why one acre of land can produce more kilograms of grain? This is academic. From grain seeds, to planting technology, to daily maintenance, to harvesting machines."

As Liang Xin spoke, she took out a small wooden box in her arms, took out a match, and lit it with a single stroke.

"This is academics. Only academics can strengthen a country. I am asking now, what can you do if the iron output of the Song Dynasty can be increased tenfold? This is a very serious question. Please answer it."

Su Shi responded directly: "If you don't tell me, you will laugh at me if you tell me. I don't know where you learned your knowledge. I want to gather the talents of countless great sages."

"Yes. Okay." Liang Xin did not ask any more questions and continued: "According to conventional thinking, if we ask questions in the court at this time, the most likely answer will be to build more iron mills. So, this answer is Just like, if I want to transport [-] dans of grain to the north, I should prepare an extra small boat with a carrying capacity of [-] shi, but why not a large ship that can transport [-] shi at a time.”

"Building bigger ships is academic. I am studying new methods with Shen Chong. If successful, we will build an ironworks with an annual output of 20 million kilograms of iron. If there are ten such ironworks, we will have an ironworks every year. Two billion pounds of iron.”

What Liang Xin wants is to reach one million tons of steel first.

Can a steam engine be built in this era?

The answer is that if there are enough talents, basic training can be completed in ten years, and then there will be opportunities.

During the Han Dynasty, there was research on the principles of transmission machinery.

During the Jin Dynasty, small machine tools for carving ivory were completed.

At this time, the metallurgical industry of the Song Dynasty had made great achievements. What was missing was the integration of many technologies into one, and the steam engine would have a chance to become possible.

Although it is possible, it is also extremely difficult, extremely difficult.

Fortunately, this is not an emergency.

(End of this chapter)