My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 230 Implementation of the Examination Law

Not long after Feng Zhu left, Liu Shimin came to the emperor's side and whispered.

"Your Majesty, they are here."

"understood."

Hearing this, he waved his hand, and Colonel Zhu You signaled to Liu Shimin.

"Let them wait in the side hall."

"The slaves obey the order."

Seeing this, Liu Shimin quickly ordered the eunuch to start making preparations.

Internal discussions have rules and regulations. The ministers go to the place to wait first, and wait for the emperor to arrive before starting the discussion.

"I respectfully send you your holy greetings."

A quarter of an hour later, as Zhu Youxiao, dressed in regular uniform, walked out of the side hall and the back hall, all the chief officials bowed to the emperor and saluted.

"I'm fine, Pingshen, please take your seats."

After waving to everyone, Zhu Youxiao spoke out.

After everyone sat down, Zhu Youxiao took out his memo from his sleeve, looked at it, and then looked at everyone in the hall.

"A few days ago, Zhang Wenda became an official, and I asked the six ministries to recommend candidates for the censor of Zuodu. I wonder if you have any recommendations?"

"..."

The emperor's first words chilled the scene.

Everyone present, including Zhou Biyuan and others who had just held a meeting last night, as well as Xu Guangqi, Huang Kezhan and others, did not say anything.

Zuo Du Yushi, also known as Zong Xian, is in charge of the Du Procuratorate and is the second-rank official of the imperial court.

According to the past practice of the Ming Dynasty, officials could only be nominated by the cabinet and appointed after the emperor selected them.

Historically, starting from the Tianqi period, the emperor lost control of the court, and the candidates for the Zuodu censor began to be elected by court votes.

But there has never been a situation where the emperor asked the chief officer of the Six Departments to ask about the candidate for the censor of Zuodu.

After all, if you ask a powerful official about the selection of a supervisory official, it will seem weird.

Looking at the silent crowd below, Zhu Youxiao tapped his fingers on the table and changed the topic.

"Zhou Yingqiu, how are you preparing for the law test?"

"Self-play Your Majesty."

After hearing the emperor's words, Zhou Yingqiu immediately woke up from his silence and bowed his hand to the emperor.

"Looking through the old files from Wanli's fifth year, we can see that the Department of Civil Affairs Examination has regulations."

With that said, Zhou Yingqiu took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to the young eunuch who had come down.

"At present, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has finalized the basic matters that each government office needs to do in the next year. Please check it with your Majesty."

"Ah."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded, took the memorial from the young eunuch's hand and read it.

"His Majesty."

Seeing that the emperor had begun to read the memorial, Zhou Yingqiu spoke at the right time.

"At present, the responsibilities of the Ministry of Personnel have been determined, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Sixth Section have also been supplemented."

"Therefore, I ask you to proclaim it to the world."

With that said, Zhou Yingqiu walked out of his seat, knelt down in the middle of the lobby and said.

"I would like to ask your Majesty to promulgate the order to the world."

As Zhou Yingqiu started, Bi Ziyan and Yuan Shizhen also walked out of their seats, knelt down in the middle of the lobby and said.

The implementation of the examination method is a matryoshka process.

The chief officers of their departments also need this to form a deterrent to their subordinate officers, otherwise it will be difficult to do many things.

And Ming Dynasty's supervision now needs a change.

The Ming Dynasty's imperial inspection and external inspection were jointly called the Great Plan. It was originally initiated by the emperor and presided over by the Ministry of Personnel. The officials were inspected based on the "Four Grids" and "Eight Methods" as the promotion and demotion standards.

In terms of Jingcha alone, the Hongwu period was once every three years and the Zhengtong period was once every ten years.

During the period of Emperor Xiaozong of Huitang, it was changed back to once every six years, but the gameplay was changed and the standards were changed. It was changed from the original Youlian Jingcha to the self-reported one.

Translation Translation means self-inspection, and it is enough to write a work summary every six years and submit it to the emperor.

This led to the fact that every time they came to the capital for inspection, the civil and military ministers would write letters shouting that they were not worthy of their posts, could not do anything, and desperately resigned.

The emperor tried to persuade her with gentle words, but refused to let him go.

Both sides looked so virtuous and humble, which was disgusting.

The imperial plan of Beijing and foreign inspections became a farce, and the Ming Dynasty naturally went downhill.

By the time of Jiajing, the plan finally returned to its previous state, which was somewhat effective.

During Zhang Juzheng's reform, he "treated" officials all over the world harshly based on the imperial examination. The official administration at that time could barely be regarded as Qingming.

But when the Wanli period came to an end, the whole plan was considered a failure.

Due to the emperor's mishandling, the imperial inspection was often entrusted to others, and these people were deeply involved in the whirlpool of party disputes, making the imperial inspection the most fierce time for party strife.

At this time, the inspection is no longer about your ability to serve as an official, but your personal connections.

But now Zhou Yingqiu has adopted Zhang Juzheng's examination method, which is basically a small test every quarter and a general examination every three years.

After noticing Yuan Shizhen and Bi Ziyan who also stood up to support him, Zhou Yingqiu continued.

"In the past, Zhang Juzheng conducted a test to become a master, and used the Four Patterns and Six Methods to examine the officials of the world. I ask your Majesty to do it."

"Four grids and six methods."

After flipping through the pages and seeing Zhou Yingqiu's summary of Zhang Juzheng's success in the examination, Zhu Youxiao nodded.

"feasible."

The four grids are Shou, Zheng, Cai, and Nian.

Integrity, government affairs, talent and age correspond to four evaluations, among which the degree of completion of government affairs is the main one.

The six elements are inaction, carelessness, old age, illness, impetuousness, and weak talent.

It refers to six kinds of bad habits in officialdom at present.

The body is in a state of neglect, neglecting duties, clinging to power, unable to see things properly due to illness, eager for success, and incompetent.

"Just execute it like this."

After seeing the supervision plan presented by Zhou Yingqiu, Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction.

This eunuch's ability to do things is reassuring.

"However, the person from the Ministry of Civil Affairs Examination Department has been selected. Who will sign the seal for the Metropolitan Procuratorate?"

"..."

Hearing that the emperor brought the topic back to the beginning, everyone present fell silent again.

Looking at the silent crowd, Zhu Youxiao thought deeply.

To be honest, only those who can gain the emperor's trust can secure the position of Zuodu Yushi.

Because you are in charge of various public officials, the people below will definitely be eyeing you. If you are not good, you will take the blame and step down.

Such as Zhang Wenda.

"How about this."

Looking at everyone who was silent, Zhu Youxiao pondered for a while before speaking out.

"The post of Zuo Du Censor is temporarily vacant, but the Ministry of Personnel will send an official document to the Du Procuratorate and the Sixth Section to give instructions on how to implement the examination law."

"Let them write me a memorial and report to me every ten days on what they have reviewed." "I will personally supervise the officials. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty is holy."

Upon hearing that the emperor wanted to personally supervise the work of the Sixth Section Gallery and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, everyone present raised their hands and praised him.

The emperor personally holds the power of bolting, which is the best thing for ministers like them.

No investigation, no right to speak.

In the past, the officials of the Ming Dynasty carried memorials and impeached people everywhere. The impeached people had no choice but to write letters to defend themselves.

But it would be much better for them if the emperor supervises the work of the officials after the law is implemented.

At the very least, you are not afraid that if you offend someone by doing something, your merits will not be reflected and you will lose the favor of the Holy Family.

With everyone's words of wisdom from His Majesty, today's meeting came to an end.

Zhou Yingqiu is worthy of being a eunuch in history.

With the emperor's endorsement, his first shot at promoting the examination method in Beijing was to focus on the six subjects.

In just three days, the six subjects in the capital were changed over and over again. Those who were replaced were either dismissed or released.

The Sixth Section was replaced by county magistrates and officials who were transferred to the capital from outside the capital by Zhou Yingqiu.

These people came from all over the Ming Dynasty and had almost nothing to do with him, Zhou Yingqiu.

If he wanted to be implicated, there was nowhere to lead him. He, Zhou Yingqiu, was from a small family, had no in-laws, had never presided over the imperial examination, and had no master or apprentice from the same village.

For this reason, these people were replaced, which was deeply in line with the emperor's wishes.

With the replacement of people, the examination method also began to be implemented.

To establish limited examinations, a specific time limit is set for what each yamen must do, and it must be completed within the specified time.

The four project levels of events, time limits, completion levels, and responsible persons are in one account book, with three copies in one book, one in the Six Ministries and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, one in the Six Branches, and one in the hands of the emperor.

At the end of each month, a reconciliation will be conducted.

The Sixth Ministry and the Metropolitan Procuratorate are responsible for the execution of specific affairs, and completion and failure must be recorded truthfully.

The Sixth Section is responsible for supervision, supervising the completion of events, and truthfully recording and reporting.

In this way, we can have a preliminary grasp of the administrative capabilities of the imperial court.

Is the implementation of the test-taking method in Beijing effective?

The answer is yes, quite a bit.

As a result, officials in the capital began to impeach Zhou Yingqiu, the official minister.

In just a few days, Zhu Youxiao's desk was piled with fifty or sixty memorials impeaching Zhou Yingqiu.

The effect of passing the test has been so great that officials no longer fear the revenge of the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of Civil Affairs!

No matter how hard you give up the official title, you have to deal with Zhou Yingqiu, the "traitor" who assisted the emperor and made him pass the exam.

These people’s reasons for impeachment can be said to be various.

There are those who impeach Zhou Yingqiu for arrogating the sacred weapon.

Zhou Yingqiu was impeached for cultivating private individuals.

There were those who impeached Zhou Yingqiu for being a party member and opposing dissidents.

Some people impeached Zhou Yingqiu for his lack of virtue and talent.

There was even an attempt to impeach Zhou Yingqiu for colluding with Jiannu.

The general meaning is that Zhou Yingqiu is the great traitor in the Ming Dynasty. If Zhou Yingqiu is not eliminated, the Ming Dynasty will fall tomorrow.

Regarding these memorials, Zhu Youxiao's treatment method is also very simple.

Those who criticized personal ethics were sent back to the cabinet by the ceremonial supervisor, who would not even criticize them.

If it is said that Zhou Yingqiu has colluded with Jiannu, the memorial should be sent to Fusi, Jinyiwei North Town, to be investigated. If the investigation is not true, the impeachment person will be given a demerit.

If you pass the exam, what you test is the achievements of the officials.

Those who are productive and have good results should be rewarded and promoted.

For those who failed to achieve results, according to the severity, quantity, etc., there were treatment methods such as fines, demotion, transfer, dismissal, reduction of official status, return home to live idle, and exile.

The examination law must have corresponding reward and punishment mechanisms, and must be implemented strictly and long-term.

Without rewards, the people below will have no motivation when working.

Without punishment, the examination method is just a decoration.

In history, Chongzhen reintroduced the imperial examination method, but the result was a failure.

The reason is that Chongzhen was seriously ill and had no long-term effective policy except increasing taxes.

He really wanted to see the implementation of a strategy today, and tomorrow the Ming Dynasty would defeat the barbarians from all directions.

But if he hears his temper, he is his biggest enemy.

It gave too many people the feeling that as long as I could convince the emperor, my ideas would be implemented and my name would be remembered in history.

But the final result is, what is the examination method? No matter how much you do, a few words in the emperor's ear will be of no use.

This led to the fact that Chongzhen's examination method could only become the flower in the mirror and the moon in the water.

But the current examination method is different. It simply requires officials to do something.

They have made detailed requirements for the places that the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate visit every year.

The most important thing is that Emperor Zhu Youxiao has his own ideas on how to make Ming Dynasty better.

For example, in the Caoyun Yamen, although what Zhao Yukui said in the memorial was very reasonable, Zhu Youxiao really didn't dare to move.

According to him, the water transport yamen invests about 150,000 taels in water ships every year, and builds about 1,500 new water ships, each costing more than 100 taels.

Based on his understanding of the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youxiao was very skeptical about how many of the 1,500 water transport ships could be actually built.

However, this is not a big problem. The main problem is the transportation cost of transporting grain every year, the wages paid to the watermen and trackers, the damage of grain during transportation, etc.

Although the imperial court levied transportation fees when collecting grain, the annual shipping volume of grain was between 4.5 million and 5 million shi, but in the end, only 3 million shi was often transported to the destination. up and down.

In addition, there is the issue of canal maintenance. In order to ensure the safety of water transport vessels, the imperial court recruits a large number of civilians on both sides of the canal to perform labor and repair the canal every year. The number of people is about 100,000 every year.

Of course, if you don't want to do hard labor, you can just pay the money directly, and the court will use the money to hire people.

In total, the court's annual expenditure on water transportation was between seventy and one million taels of silver.

Of course, these are not the issues Zhao Yukui wants to express.

Zhao Yukui's real purpose was to conduct a round of rectification of the Cao army responsible for transporting grain.

Because this group of Cao troops, although said to be an army, has actually developed into a huge business group.

The reason why it has developed to this point is very simple. While transporting grain, the Ming Dynasty's Cao army also mixed in private goods.

Moreover, the private goods carried were more than the grain transported to the imperial court.

The Cao army carrying private goods began in the first year of Hongxi reign of Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty and Zhu Gaochi.

At that time, the fat man issued an edict: The officers and soldiers had to work long distances to transport food, and they were exposed to the cold and heat, day and night. Not only did they have to pay for the food, but the food and rice were lost, and the department also charged them with making up for it. I felt sorry for them. From now on, in addition to transporting regular grain, you will also carry your own belongings, and no lawsuits will be allowed to hinder it.

This was the beginning of official recognition that water transport for officers and soldiers could carry private goods.

From this day on, the Cao army often exceeded the limit on the number of private goods stipulated by the imperial court, and also attached goods from merchants.

As the amount of private goods carried increased, the water transport officers and soldiers began to transform into merchants, and their status as an army gave them the convenience of carrying private goods.

Holding Zhao Yukui's memorial in his hand and looking through it again and again, Zhu Youxiao suddenly opened his eyes wide and turned to Liu Shimin.

"Ask Jinyiwei to send someone to check on Li Sancai, the former governor of water transportation, and see how much wealth his family has."

After hearing the emperor's words, Liu Shimin raised his head and glanced at the emperor before walking out of the hall.

"This slave takes the order."

(End of this chapter)