The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 410: Building a System

later?

The man said: "Everyone was shocked at the time, but they didn't believe him."

"For such a big thing, there can't be no news at all."

Everyone couldn't help but nod their heads. When the founding emperor was conquering the world, he would make some promises in order to win the hearts of the people.

For example, dividing the land and making someone a king, or sharing wealth and so on.

But it is impossible for such a public commitment to go unnoticed.

We have indeed not heard any such rumors.

It is likely that the person was drunk and boasting without thinking.

However, if you dare to brag like this, you are really seeking death.

The man continued, "After he sobered up, he said that he had spoken carelessly while drunk and wrote a letter to apologize."

"Fortunately, the emperor was kind and did not punish him. He only fined him half a year's salary as a minor punishment."

Anyone who dares to publicly declare that he wants to divide the land and confer a title of nobility is guilty of a capital crime.

But fining salary is indeed a light punishment.

He specifically emphasized that it was the present emperor, which shows that he believed that if Zhu Yuanzhang were in power, this big-mouthed nobleman would most likely be dead.

Everyone agreed and couldn't help but praise the emperor for his kindness.

Your ascension to the throne is a blessing for all people in the world.

The topic quickly returned to the matter itself. After the noble was punished, no one mentioned the issue of enfeoffment anymore.

There were several rumors later, but everyone thought they were just the sequel of that loudmouthed nobleman's drunken remarks.

In the era of information explosion in the past, many old topics were dug up and hyped again.

What's more, in ancient times when information was blocked, it was normal for some people to hear about this incident only months later and spread it privately as news.

But these rumors did not cause any waves.

Of course, a big reason why the rumor did not spread is that people were afraid to spread it.

Other rumors would be fine, but if this rumor about the establishment of new territories is really to be investigated, everyone who spread it will be punished.

In the era of imperial power, especially in the Ming Dynasty with its Jinyiwei, no one dared to spread this kind of information.

This person did not say who the nobleman was who spoke inappropriately after drinking, and no one asked further.

They are all scholars who aspire to take the imperial examinations, and no one wants to offend a high-ranking noble before entering officialdom.

Of course, if everyone asks about it privately, it will have nothing to do with him.

However, everyone just treated this matter as a funny story, and no one believed that the emperor had ever promised to divide the fiefdoms.

No one connected this incident with the article published in the newspaper and just thought it was a coincidence.

After gossiping for a while, everyone continued to discuss the concept of Greater China and the division of Nanyang.

After all, this concerns their imperial examination results.

Just when everyone was discussing happily, a few people came down from upstairs, one of whom was Fang Guangjin, the mathematics teacher of Luoxia Academy.

He said to the young man in his twenties beside him, "Bo Yun, are you really not going to take the imperial examination?"

Others also advised:

"After all these years of study, are you willing not to give it a try?"

"Yeah, whether it works or not, why not give it a try?"

"At least I can give myself an explanation, so I won't regret it when I look back on it later."

Everyone else in the restaurant was surprised. From the conversation, it seemed that this young man wanted to give up the imperial examination, and his friends were trying to persuade him not to.

This... There are only more than three months left before the exam, and I'm already in the capital, so why not give it a try?
No one looked down on him. Those who were qualified to take the imperial examination were those who had obtained the status of Juren.

The status of a juren qualifies one to become an official, which means that one has completed the class transition.

For example, Hai Rui was born into a juren family.

Liu Boyun was very casual and said, "Thank you Mr. Fang and all my classmates for your kindness, but I know my own business."

"My grades are not good. I have always ranked at the bottom in several preliminary exams. Taking the imperial examination is just asking for trouble."

The so-called pre-examination is a mock exam.

In ancient times, serious teachers would usually use past exam questions for mock exams.

Fang Guangjin said: "There is a big difference between the preliminary exam and the formal exam, so we can't make a final conclusion based on that."

"You may have a chance of success if you take the imperial examination."

The onlookers on the side suddenly realized that he was a student.

Then someone who was knowledgeable recognized Fang Guangjin's identity, and everyone present couldn't help but stand in awe.

This is because he was not only a teacher at Luoxia Academy, but also a core member of the mathematics research class.

As we all know, the imperial examination was dominated by Neo-Confucianism, with the exception of mathematics.

This subject was taught by the Imperial College's mathematics class, and almost all of the students in the mathematics class were members of Chen Jingke's mathematics circle.

It is equivalent to the mathematics circle controlling the mathematics examinations.

Given Fang Guangjin's status in the mathematics circle, it is almost equivalent to that all mathematics scholars are his disciples.

The accounting officials controlled the Ministry of Revenue and the Gold Banknote Bureau, which was equivalent to controlling the country's purse.

Now, because of the reform and quantitative management, accountants have begun to control the purses of various government offices.

As the group of accounting officials grew, Fang Guangjin's status also rose.

Although he has never held an official position, his influence exceeds that of many bigwigs in the court, and everyone who meets him has to give him some face.

The group of candidates in front of him did not dare to be rude in front of him, and their voices were lowered a lot.

At the same time, everyone was curious about Liu Boyun. Who was this person?

Fang Guangjin took it so seriously that he came to persuade him in person.

Liu Boyun remained calm about being the focus of everyone's attention and said:

"The dean often said that there are top scholars in every field, so there is no need to study hard for the imperial examination."

“As long as you put your heart into it, you can shine no matter what you do.”

Seeing that he even brought up Chen Jingke, Fang Guangjin was speechless for a moment.

The dean was trying to comfort you and didn't want you to feel too much pressure. Why did you take it seriously?

How can you be an official if you don’t take the imperial examination?

Liu Boyun seemed to have guessed his thoughts and said, "I have already thought about my career. I am a juren, so I can go straight into the government."

"My hometown is Yunnan, where there is a shortage of talent, especially people who understand mathematics."

"The governor of my hometown county, upon learning that I had studied mathematics with the teacher and obtained the status of a juren, invited me to return several times to benefit the hometown."

"But I was not good at studying before, and I was afraid of bringing trouble to the village, so I didn't dare to agree."

"Now I have finally learned a little bit of what the teacher taught me, and I feel that I am capable of taking on important responsibilities, so I decided to return home."

"The Lord of the Mansion promised me the position of the head of the Household Department, which is a higher starting point than most Jinshi."

The organizational structure of the local government offices of the Ming Dynasty imitated the six central ministries and set up six departments.

The Hufang was in charge of a county’s money, grain and supplies, similar to the current director of the Finance Bureau and the head of the Warehousing Department.

For ordinary people, this starting point is quite high.

After the Ming Dynasty's imperial examination system was reformed, Jinshi candidates had a two-year observation period, during which they could only do the most basic work.

Even if the Ministry of Personnel officially granted them official positions two years later, more than half of them could only serve as positions such as village heads.

His starting point was far inferior to that of the head of the household.

But Fang Guangjin was still not satisfied and said, "A Juren is always inferior to others, and his future promotion will depend on others' favor."

"It is even more difficult to cross the threshold of the fifth rank..."

The first, second and third ranks were for high-ranking officials; all positions above the provincial governor, vice minister of the six ministries and chancellor were held by officials of these three ranks.

The fourth and fifth ranks are middle-level officials. The main leaders of various central government offices, prefects and prosecutors of prefectures are generally at this level.

The sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth ranks are low-level officials. Village heads, county magistrates, prefects of lower-level prefectures, etc., are all at this level.

The threshold between upper, middle and lower levels is very high.

An official of the ninth rank could have the opportunity to become a sixth rank official by accumulating experience, but without outstanding political achievements or help from a noble person, it would be impossible for him to cross the fifth rank.

It is easier for Jinshi to cross this threshold than non-Jinshi.

Becoming a high-ranking official is more difficult and cannot be achieved simply by having political achievements.

At present, it is assumed that one must be either a noble with meritorious service or a Jinshi.

Under this premise, sufficient political achievements are also required to make this possible.

Fang Guangjin advised him to take the imperial examination, obviously with high hopes for him.

Liu Boyun was deeply moved, but also a little amused:

"My sir, even among those who have passed the imperial examination, how many can cross the threshold of the fifth rank?" "I will be satisfied if I can touch the sixth rank in my lifetime."

"Besides, when the local chief official asks to be assigned to another place, it goes against my wish to benefit my hometown."

Administrative officials, such as county magistrates, chief clerks, judicial officers, etc., must serve in other places.

Clerks or deputy officials can be employed locally, but if they want to advance further, they must abide by the principle of being employed in a different place.

The purpose of doing this is naturally to prevent the gentry from becoming too powerful.

Seeing Fang Guangjin still trying to persuade him, he said sternly: "I understand your intentions, sir. I am very grateful for your respect, but I have made up my mind."

Hearing this, Fang Guangjin could only helplessly say: "Forget it, everyone has their own aspirations. Since you have figured it out, then go ahead."

Liu Boyun bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."

Then he changed the subject and said, "After I return home, I will open a college to teach mathematics."

"If I find talented students, I will recommend them to the academy. I hope you can give them a chance to study there."

Fang Guangjin waved his hand and said, "What are you talking about? Your student is a disciple of the academy, so it is only natural for him to study in the academy."

Liu Boyun showed a happy expression on his face and said, "On behalf of the students from my hometown, I would like to thank you, Mr...."

As they were talking, several people left the restaurant, leaving behind a group of scholars in silence.

Listen to what others say, he was born as a juren, and he started out as the head of a household department...

The key is that the husband is still not satisfied.

A sour smell permeated the air, like eating lemon.

You have to know that among those who took the imperial examination, there were forty to fifty thousand people competing for five hundred places.

I finally got it, and I have to go to grassroots departments for a two-year probation period to gain experience.

Even if they were appointed as officials two years later, most of them would not be able to become the head of a household.

Of course, Jinshi naturally have advantages. As long as they don't make mistakes in the first few years, they will be promoted quickly.

If you achieve a little success, you can become the chief official in the county and embark on a road to success.

But as Liu Boyun said, among these 500 Jinshi, how many can successfully become county magistrates?

The era when one could become a county magistrate after passing the imperial examination has long become history.

At this time, someone said quietly:
"After all, I studied mathematics."

Yes, after all he studied mathematics.

Thinking back to a few years ago, people find it even more ironic.

At that time, science and mathematics wanted to be separated, and science students wanted to drive mathematics out of the Imperial Academy, and mathematics was no longer included in the imperial examinations.

But now, with the promotion of the new policy, accountants are becoming more and more important.

All government offices across the country are in urgent need of talents in this area, and mathematical talents have become popular.

Especially the mathematics students trained in the Imperial College and Luoxia Academy are extremely sought after.

Every day, a large number of people waited at the gates of the two places, recruiting students to work in local government offices.

They all start out as principal-level positions.

Don’t think it’s high. Neither the students of the Imperial College nor the Luoxia Academy are very interested in it.

They wanted to take the imperial examination route, which would make their future easier.

Only when it is confirmed that there is no hope for passing the imperial examination will one accept the recruitment by the local government.

For example, this is the case with Liu Boyun.

All in all, those who study mathematics nowadays are superior to others.

If you are not convinced, you can compete with him. If you can do the job he can do, you can replace him.

Unfortunately, even if one does not understand the Jinshi exam, one can still guess a policy essay.

If you don’t understand math, you don’t understand it, and you can’t guess it.

You can't just take a form and fill it out with your eyes closed after you start working.

If I really did this, I don’t know what my boss would think.

If this gets to the ears of the emperor, he will most likely think you are provoking him.

The consequences...are written on the front page of the newspaper.

Therefore, even though they feel sad, they can only accept this reality helplessly.

However, someone talked about this matter in the court, believing that it violated the standards for selecting officials and would undermine the official selection and promotion system in the long run.

The consequences will be very serious.

The imperial court did not shy away from the issue, but held a serious meeting to discuss it, and then ordered local government offices to be cautious when recruiting talents.

We can't let unqualified people get in.

However, it was of no use. Faced with actual needs, local officials still did not hesitate to recruit talents.

Their reasons are very sufficient. The new policy requires quantitative management, but no one here understands this.

He reported to the Ministry of Personnel and requested the transfer of an accountant, but the Ministry of Personnel shirked its responsibility on the grounds of insufficient staff.

What can we do? We can't just quit working, right?
I can only recruit officials myself.

Then these people turned around and began to curse the officials who opposed this matter.

You are used to enjoying the good life in Beijing and have no idea about the situation at the grassroots level.

It's fine to oppose the conscription of students, but you should come up with a solution to the problem we are facing.

You couldn't come up with a solution, so we tried to solve it ourselves but you opposed it.

How about we change positions?
Under such circumstances, no one in the court opposed local officials' recruitment of mathematical talents.

Chen Jingke naturally knew about this matter.

Although he was a leader in the mathematics circle, he did not support this barbaric way of selecting officials.

He is the one who created the system, so naturally he doesn't want anyone to destroy the system he created.

Even if the beneficiaries are people within his own faction.

But reality forced him to compromise.

“Let’s first figure out whether there are any problems, and then find ways to improve the system.”

"To put it bluntly, it's because there are too few qualified math talents."

"The court must open more mathematics academies and train more mathematics talents."

“This is the only way to solve the current problems.”

Zhu Biao and Zhu Xiongying also agreed with this idea, so they ordered the construction of at least one mathematics academy in each province.

But distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, and these academies cannot be relied upon in the short term.

They could only allow local government offices to recruit mathematical talents in violation of regulations.

But generally speaking, being popular in mathematics is not a big deal.

The real big thing at the moment is enfeoffment.

The two articles in the newspaper were naturally published at the instruction of Zhu Biao.

The purpose is to preheat the large envelope.

In fact, rumors about the great enfeoffment had already spread.

Not many people know about this, but it’s definitely not a few.

Once a secret becomes known by many people, it is no longer a secret.

It is inevitable that someone will leak it during this period.

For example, bragging when drunk, or showing off deliberately after having fun in a brothel.

Fortunately, no one believed them.

Moreover, once something similar happened, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao would not have to take action, as the noble group would solve the problem themselves.

How dare you say this out loud?

You don't want to live anymore, right?

If you don't want to close your country, don't harm us.

Thanks to the efforts of the noble group, every time news leaked, it was quickly suppressed.

But if this kind of thing happens too often, it will always be recorded by someone with a purpose.

Chen Jingke looked at the newspaper and said, "What we have to do now is to use these two articles to stir up the suppressed 'rumors' again."

Zhu Xiongying said: "These two articles alone may not be enough. Let the Royal Guards also add fuel to the flames."

Chen Jingke nodded and said to Xu Yungong, "Send a message to Duke Wei and Duke Liang."

"Warning to the nobles, you must keep your composure recently. Anyone who dares to speak nonsense will bear the consequences."

(End of this chapter)