The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 440 I Want to Kill Him
In early April, a special examination was being held in a branch of the Imperial College.

A total of one hundred and thirty people took the exam.

"The princes who are about to be enfeoffed and their successors, a total of thirty people, are in these two examination rooms."

"The Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will each have 50 people in these two examination rooms."

Zhao Qian, the director of the Imperial College, introduced the detailed situation here to Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao and others.

In fact, there is no need for him to introduce it, as everyone is very familiar with the situation here.

After all, this policy was discussed by all of them.

A feudal state cannot be established by simply allocating a piece of land to some people.

There are so many things that need to be taken care of.

Since the great enfeoffment was to be carried out, the Ming Dynasty could not ignore the follow-up, as that would be too irresponsible.

Therefore, various supporting items must be prepared.

In addition to all the necessary start-up materials, the most important thing is a complete administrative system.

Nine out of ten of the nobles in the Ming Dynasty came from the lower classes and could not even read a single word.

It would be a joke to rely on them to govern the country, let alone build a country.

Only the Ming Dynasty can help them establish a system.

It’s not that Daming is unwilling to let go, but there is no other way, he has to support her for a while.

This means that when the vassal states were first established, the bureaucratic systems were all designated by the Ming court.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty would not always interfere in the internal affairs of the other party.

After the fiefdoms are stabilized, the princes can gradually promote their own talents and replace these positions.

However, in order to prevent the princes from letting themselves go too far after being enfeoffed, the imperial court stipulated that no more than 30% of personnel should be replaced within five years.

It would be ten years before officials appointed by the imperial court could be replaced on a large scale.

For the first twenty years, the prime minister and the minister of the Ministry of Revenue must be appointed by the central court, and they can only appoint themselves after twenty years.

The prime minister is in charge of a country's political affairs. As long as he does not make any mistakes, the closure of the country will not go too far.

The Minister of Revenue is actually another name for the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue. The title was used to distinguish it from the central court.

The most important department of a government is the financial institution.

Especially after the implementation of the new policy, the Ministry of Revenue is no longer just in charge of money and grain.

It is also involved in the allocation of resources for the entire country and the formulation of various development plans. It is the most important assistant to the prime minister.

As long as there are no problems in these two positions, and with the help of the administrative system established by the Ming Dynasty, it can be ensured that the vassal state will not fall into chaos.

In this way, after twenty years, this feudal state will be basically stable.

Moreover, their heirs have almost been trained and can assume the responsibilities of the monarch.

Then the power will be completely transferred to them.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty had its own interests in doing so.

It is to prevent some people from having ulterior motives, forgetting their roots just a few years after being separated, and drifting further and further away from the Ming Dynasty in terms of policies.

In the first twenty years, the imperial court would appoint the prime minister and the finance minister to ensure that the fiefdom could be embedded in the vassal system of the Ming Dynasty.

By then, the economic level will be tied to the vassal system, so there will be no need to worry about them having ulterior motives.

After the first batch of enfeoffment quotas were determined last year, the imperial court established a special academy in the Imperial College.

It specifically teaches the ennobled princes how to be monarchs, and also provides training for candidates for prime minister and finance minister.

Today's exam actually mainly tests the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance.

There are fifty students in each group, the top fifteen will get this opportunity, and the rest can only wait for the next batch of princes to be enfeoffed.

As for the princes and their successors, this examination was not just a formality.

Although the enfeoffment would be carried out regardless of how they performed in the exam, if they performed too poorly they would be deprived of administrative power.

To put it bluntly, if the country's highest administrative power is divided into two parts: the monarch and the prime minister's office.

If you do well in the exam, you can take power in advance, and the Prime Minister's Office is the institution that assists him in his work.

A monarch who performs poorly in the exam will have to cede more power to the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister's Office is responsible for important state administrative affairs.

Only when the monarch is capable of assuming the responsibilities can he take back his own power from the Prime Minister's Office.

However, can power be transferred easily?
The Prime Minister's Office is in charge of major affairs. Once inertia is formed, it will be extremely difficult for the monarch to take back power.

If the Prime Minister's Office can still get the support of the central court, it will be even more difficult for them to take back power.

Therefore, this exam is also very important for the princes and their heirs.

Power is exclusive, and no one wants to give up their power to others.

Looking at the people writing furiously in the examination room, Chen Jingke was also very excited.

These are the seeds of China. In the future, they will take root and sprout in more places, spreading the fragrance of China.

Zhu Yuanzhang and his men just strolled around here and left when they saw there were no problems.

After all, the exam will last a day and they can't stay here the whole time.

After seeing off the emperor and his entourage, Zhao Qian returned to the examination room and inspected each one.

Looking at these special candidates, he was also very excited.

He was a practical man and was very supportive of the court's missionary program, but was very dissatisfied with the court's slow progress.

At one point, he wanted to resign from his official position and go to teach in a local area, and he even chose the location, which was Qiongzhou.

However, Zhu Biao rejected his resignation several times.

First, he was asked to preside over the compilation of textbooks for overseas Ming Dynasty scholars to enter school, and last year he was appointed as the chief academic officer of this special academy.

Everyone knows what this academy means.

They actually let him be in charge, it shows how much they value him.

Moreover, teaching these future monarchs and prime ministers well can also help promote Chinese culture better.

The effect will be better than if he went to other places to teach.

So he gave up the idea of ​​resigning and took on this important responsibility.

After more than half a year of teaching, it was finally time to test the results, and he naturally took it very seriously.

I was afraid that someone might cheat, so I watched the entire exam from beginning to end, and even had to eat in the exam room.

After the exam, he personally escorted the test papers to the palace.

When we arrived at the Qianqing Palace, we found that Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, Zhu Xiongying and Chen Jingke were all there.

He could understand the first three people, but Chen Jingke...

Moreover, Chen Jingke was sitting diagonally opposite Zhu Xiongying, which was a position that a minister could not sit in.

This reminded him of many rumors about Chen Jingke, some of which he knew to be true, while others he thought were too outrageous.

But today he finally realized that many of the rumors that he had previously thought were outrageous were actually true.

The status of this Marquis of Anping in the court is indeed very special.

It was so special that she could sit opposite the prince, and this was not done in private, but openly when she met with ministers.

It's easy to say what happens in private. In history, there were emperors who slept with their ministers in private.

But it’s different when it’s public.

Now the royal family is openly telling the world about the extraordinary status of Marquis Anping.

Zhao Qian was an upright man, and when he saw this situation he subconsciously wanted to impeach the emperor.

Then he heard Zhu Yuanzhang say: "Jingke, the papers are here. It's not too late to leave the palace after you finish reading them."

Chen Jingke looked speechless and said, "Your Majesty, you treat me like a child. I may not be able to finish reading so many papers tomorrow."

Zhu Yuanzhang said nonchalantly: "Then wait until you have finished watching before leaving the palace. I will have someone inform Fuqing that you will not be returning for the next two days."

Chen Jingke: "..."

Zhao Qian, who was standing by, was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Is this still the formidable emperor in the summer? It is true that the Marquis of Anping is favored by all the ministers.

Fortunately, I was a step slow. If I had really impeached him, I would probably have ended up in a bad way.

Although Zhao Qian is upright, he is also flexible and will not be a stubborn person.

What happened next made him secretly feel lucky. After he handed in the test paper, Lao Zhu let him leave.

When he was about to leave the hall, he saw Lao Zhu distributing test papers.

Old Zhu, Zhu Biao and Zhu Xiongying each had a roll, and the last roll was thrown directly to Chen Jingke.

He didn't dare to look any further and left in a hurry.

But the feeling in my heart is extremely complicated.

What he learned told him that Marquis Anping was playing with fire, and as a person of integrity, he should be impeached in such a situation.

This is good for everyone.

Can……

Never mind, everyone has his own fate.

Let him go.

Although I said that, I still felt uncomfortable in my heart, so much so that I couldn't eat my meals in peace after I got home.

His daughter Zhao Zhi noticed something was wrong and asked with concern what had happened.

When he saw his daughter, Zhao Qian's heart moved.

Although Zhao Zhi was not a member of Princess Fuqing's small circle, they were closely connected with each other and had collaborated several times.

He was also acquainted with Princess Fuqing.

Could he advise the Marquis of Anping through her?
Whether he listens or not, I have done my duty.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea, so he told him what he had seen and heard today, as well as his concerns that Chen Jingke did not respect etiquette.

Finally, he said, "You and Princess Fuqing have a history. If you have the chance, you should remind her."

But Zhao Zhi laughed after hearing this: "Dad, do you think that with the wisdom of Anping Hou, he couldn't think of this?"

Zhao Qian said patiently: "As the saying goes, a doctor cannot heal himself. The Marquis of Anping is naturally smart, but when it comes to himself, he will always be careless."

"Besides, he was successful at a young age, so it's inevitable that he would be a little arrogant and unable to see the situation clearly."

"As a father, I don't want him to make mistakes."

Zhao Zhi said happily, "Dad is really kind-hearted, but I think you may be too worried."

Zhao Qian did not get angry because she kept refuting him, but asked the reason:
"Oh, what do you think?"

Zhao Zhi said: "The situation in the Ming Dynasty is different from that in previous dynasties. Many of the old rules are no longer applicable."

"For example, you are worried that Marquis Anping will not have a good ending in the future, but have you ever thought that with his achievements, he will sooner or later become a local lord."

"When we leave Ming Dynasty, all our problems will be solved."

Zhao Qian suddenly realized what was going on. He slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, you see, I was so confused that I even forgot about the division of fiefdoms."

Then he said with relief: "Zhi'er has grown up and can help dad solve problems."

Zhao Zhi smiled and said, "It's not all my thoughts. I usually chat with my sisters and we discuss state affairs."

"The matter of Marquis Anping was mentioned before, and everyone finally came to the conclusion that he was very smart."

Zhao Qian asked thoughtfully, "How is your relationship with Princess Fuqing?"

Zhao Zhi said: "I am familiar with the princess. She has tried to get me to help her with things several times."

"It's just... I didn't agree to anything."

Zhao Qian naturally knew what his daughter was worried about, she was bound by etiquette and laws.

If it were in the past, he would not support his daughter to show up in public.

It’s not that I think a woman’s job is to take care of her husband and children, but I’m afraid it will affect my daughter’s reputation and make it difficult for her to get married in the future.

However, today's experience gave him other ideas.

Times have changed. Princess Fuqing has been doing things with a group of young sisters all day long, which must have been approved by Marquis Anping.

Given his wisdom, there must be a deep purpose behind doing this.

Although I don’t know what he is up to, it’s always a good idea to follow smart people.

Besides, it seems that my daughter is highly valued by Princess Fuqing. With her around, is she still worried that she won’t be able to marry into a good family?
Thinking of this, he encouraged: "If you want to go, go ahead."

Zhao Zhi didn't expect to get support, and asked in surprise: "Really?"

Zhao Qian smiled and said, "Dad can't lie to you. With Princess Fuqing looking after you, Dad can rest assured."
-
In the palace, Chen Jingke was forcibly drafted into the army by Zhu Yuanzhang, and was flipping through a test paper.

What Old Zhu threw to him was exactly the test paper of the princes.

He opened it and took a look, and almost vomited blood.

What the hell is written on this?
Find a spider, dip it in ink, and put it crawling on the paper. It will look better than these words.

But he could also understand that he came from a humble background and had to work hard in the army to earn a future.

Where is the time to learn cultural knowledge?

To be able to write like this, I guess I learned it on a whim.

He examined it carefully and found that the writing was quite good.

What is a country, what are the people, what is a monarch... these questions were all answered in a standard manner.

At least it shows that they studied hard.

With this attitude, it will be difficult for the country to be demonized in the future.

Later on, he wrote more about military management.

He is really very confident and easy-going, and obviously has a lot of experience.

When it comes to how to govern the natives, he embodies the characteristics that a soldier should have.

Decisive and ruthless in killing.

Those who are disobedient will have their entire family killed, and those who are obedient will have their land divided and be educated.

He even proposed some ways of fighting against the natives, which shows that he was not just speaking casually but had really considered it.

Chen Jingke was quite satisfied with these contents.

This person is suitable for commanding military affairs.

As for state affairs... based on his understanding of state affairs, it would be better to let the Prime Minister's Office take charge of it temporarily.

The second test paper was from Dai Wang Zhu Gui.

After just looking at the first three questions, Chen Jingke frowned.

Damn, Mr. Zhu’s genes are really weird, so many of his sons are either talented or beasts.

There is no such thing as mediocrity.

This Zhu Gui... belongs to the latter.

He wrote directly on the test paper that the people were slaves, the officials were housekeepers, and the king was the head of the family.

Based on this understanding, if he were allowed to come to power, the consequences would be disastrous.

Thinking of this, Chen Jingke directly threw the test paper to Lao Zhu:

"Your Majesty, this man...if he is not your son...you should take a look at him yourself."

Seeing that he was so angry, Old Zhu was also very curious. He took the test paper and took a look at it, and his face turned red.

This idea, why is it so familiar?

I definitely can't admit that I learned it from you, so I can only pretend to be confused and curse:
"This bastard has really not made any progress at all."

"Cancel his fiefdom and send him to the Imperial Academy to study for a few more years."

Zhu Biao took the test paper, glanced at it, and frowned.

In the past, he might have thought of letting Zhu Gui be the king for a few days first.

If it is really unbearable, call him back and reprimand him.

But after what happened to Zhu Chong, he would never have similar thoughts again.

With this kind of understanding, I don’t know how to trouble the people when I go to the closed-off country.

Moreover, he is a prince, and the Prime Minister's Office certainly cannot control him.

However, suddenly canceling his feudal state would have too much impact, and no one would be able to accept it.

You have to think of a suitable excuse.

So, what's the excuse?
Zhu Biao looked at Chen Jingke and asked, "Is there any way to make him unconscious for a period of time without hurting his body?"

(End of this chapter)