Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 427: Misty Rain in Jiangnan

Disciples of the emperor could serve as officials in the court without having to go through those aristocratic families.

When this news came out, who wouldn’t be surprised, excited and thrilled?

Some people even sighed and said that they seemed to have returned to the time when Emperor Taizu was still alive. During the reigns of Emperor Taizu, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Yuan, Dayu was not as rampant as it is today.

When people see hope again, their enthusiasm is ignited again.

For a while, a reading trend swept across Dayu.

In the past, it was not that people were unwilling to read, but on the one hand, reading did not have much use, and on the other hand, they could not afford to read.

Nowadays, reading is not expensive and reading has become useful.

Then the people will naturally be willing to study.

Reading can make you wise and make you more cautious.

This is also a measure used by Zhang Wan to control the people.

Inside the Imperial Study Room
Zhang Wan looked at the series of "intelligence" reported to him by the Taoist soldier, and a smile flashed in his eyes.

There was a history book next to his hand. The book talked about the policies and methods used by many great emperors throughout history, such as Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi, to control the people. Like the First Emperor, he controlled the people by making use of the Legalists, while Han Wudi, with the help of Chen, used the power of the world to develop the "political science", a discipline that encompasses countless methods.

Zhang Wanze did not agree with the methods of these two people.

He felt that the method he used to "control" the people was more sophisticated, so sophisticated that the people themselves and even some high-ranking officials might not be able to see it.

He uses "profit" to control the people.

Zhang Wan put down the book in his hand and walked slowly in the imperial study. He handled official business here all year round and sat here for the whole day. In order to ensure his own health, the imperial study was deliberately left empty so that he could get up and walk a few steps at any time.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han believed that common people should not read too much, so even though the Chen family invented paper during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wu of Han did not intend to lower the price of "books".

They all believed that reading could enlighten people, but if people were enlightened, it would be difficult for them to control the people.

Zhang Wan thought this was totally wrong.

Why do the people want to rebel? Why do they want to rebel? Why do they want to be out of control?

In the final analysis, it's just that life can't go on.

The then Emperor Taizu "Zhang Jue" once lamented that many of his civilian soldiers had no way to survive and were even in danger of starving to death, so they joined the Taiping Dao and became small soldiers, rising up in anger.

"If the common people of Tianjia had a bite to eat, how could I be sitting on the high platform now?"

These are the words that Emperor Taizu himself expressed back then.

Zhang Wan had been studying since he was young. Every time he read this passage, he would think about a question: If he were to become an emperor, what kind of strategy should he adopt to control the people? Should he do the same as the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor? Or is there another way?
Finally, after thinking about it for many years, he figured out the answer to this question after he became emperor.

Enlighten the people.

Yes, his "strategy" is exactly the opposite of that of previous emperors such as Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi.

Because Zhang Wan observed that intellectuals were more afraid of death than ordinary people - and among ordinary people, those who were literate and could barely make a living would never be bad people. On the contrary, most of those who broke the law were illiterate people.

Aren't they stupid?

Stupid.

But why isn't it easily controlled as the rulers thought?

The answer is that they are too stupid.

They don’t know that they will have a better life after learning to read, and they also don’t have the emotions of “fear” and “terror”. They have nothing to lose, and they are not afraid of the law.

So they are difficult to control.

Then
What if we let these ordinary people start to read and learn how to read and write, and realize that reading and writing can change their lives?
What if they were made to understand what crimes are punishable by small penalties and what crimes are punishable by death? What if they were told what death is and what life is?

Well, unless they reach a dead end, they will never think of "rebellion".

In this way, they would put a "collar" around their own necks like the most docile donkeys, and then pull the mill diligently to produce for the "Dayu" mill.

This is the "strategy for controlling the people."

This is the strategy that Zhang Wan thought of, which is more powerful and greater than those of Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi.

He firmly believed that no one in the world could escape this "strategy of control".

because
The way to make a determined person become undetermined is never suffering - it is enjoyment.

Even a hero cannot resist the temptation of beautiful women - does it only refer to the so-called "beauty"?

No.

This beauty barrier refers to the enjoyment that comes day after day and exceeds all that one has ever seen before - the more heroic one is, the more he cannot escape it. Throughout history, among all the heroes and heroes in the world, how many people can escape the beauty barrier, escape this enjoyment, and still remain firm in their beliefs?

Throughout the ages, there has only been one person.

Zhang Wan couldn't help but laugh out loud. He felt that he had come up with a "policy" that could be preserved for thousands of years for future emperors of the "Zhang family".

He couldn't help but sigh and say, "The First Emperor, the First Emperor."

Zhang Wan said proudly: "Your Great Qin did not last ten thousand years - the Han Dynasty with the surname Liu did not last forever - but my Great Yu will last forever!"

The seventeenth year of Jianwu.

One year after the new decree was issued, in the spring and summer of the 17th year of Jianwu, the first county and township imperial examinations in Dayu began.

All the counties and towns in Dayu held the examinations at the same time, and the "invigilators" dispatched from the central court were like the rushing sea, carrying with them the test questions - these questions were all printed by the printing office of the court, and the question setters and printers were now all trapped together.

Can’t go out, can’t see people.

Each examiner does not know in advance that he or she will be the one to set the questions.

Those who are selected as examiners will be taken away directly at an ordinary morning court session.

Moreover, before the exam begins, one set of test questions will be selected from forty-nine sets, and no one knows which set has been selected.

This is to achieve the strictest confidentiality.

Chen Xiao was swaying in the carriage, with a look of fatigue and dissatisfaction on his face.

Xie Xuan and Wang Xianzhi beside him chuckled.

"Yaoyou, if others see your ugly face, they will think something is wrong."

"Isn't it a good thing that His Majesty chose you as the invigilator this time?"

"You don't know. When I was announced as one of the examiners a few days ago, the crowds in front of Wang's door were almost unbearable. They all came to beg for mercy."

Chen Xiao snorted coldly: "They didn't dare to come to me." Xie Xuan curled his lips: "They wanted to find you, but they can go to the Zhenguo Palace? Someone who is capable and thinks that your Chen family should give face should not appear in this world yet, right?"

Chen Xiao sighed again.

“This is really not an easy life.”

He pressed his forehead and said, "Fortunately, we only need to supervise the exams in a few counties near Kyoto. Otherwise, we would have to be on the road for several years, right?"

"I hope this matter can be completed sooner."

The imperial examination in the 18th year of Jianwu is also a significant event in Chinese history. After all, this year was the first time in Chinese history that officials were selected based on examinations. It was also in this year that many talented people emerged in Dayu's history. They were originally ordinary people, but because of the "imperial examination system", they were able to enter the court.

The saying that there are many heroes in the world is true.

Most of the time, it’s not that there are too few smart people in this world, but that they don’t have the “opportunity” to jump out and be seen by others.

The scientific examination system provides this opportunity.

A chance to stand out from the crowd.

In the morning he was Tian Shelang, and in the evening he ascended to the Hall of the Son of Heaven.

Who doesn’t want to be the emperor’s disciple?
At the end of the 18th year of Jianwu, students selected from counties and townships across the country began to prepare for the "prefecture and county examinations" of the 19th year of Jianwu. The interval between the county and township examinations and the prefecture and county examinations was not too far, about half a year.

This was the first time that Dayu implemented the examination, so there were many shortcomings, but at the same time, the court also learned a lot of lessons from this examination and became more rigorous.

At the end of the 19th year of Jianwu, the first provincial and county examination in Dayu was completed.

This time all the candidates breathed a sigh of relief - because the next exam, the Dayu imperial examination, would be held two years later - in the summer of the twenty-first year of Jianwu.

Regarding this, when the decision was first made, many people opposed it, after all, they felt that the time gap was too long.

However, under the insistence of the emperor and many commanders, this time was still retained.

First, these students also need time to continue their studies.

Second, Dayu’s territory is too vast. If an emergency exam is held like this one, many students from remote counties will not be able to make it to Kyoto - after all, this time they have to come to Kyoto to take the exam.

As for tuition fees and travel expenses, there is no need to worry.

The students who were able to come to Kyoto to take the exam had already achieved meritorious service in the prefecture or county, which allowed them to become local officials. Some aristocratic families or businessmen who were trying to curry favor with the powerful would come to sponsor them - even their own clansmen would start to sponsor them.

It can be said that their lives have changed since they passed the state and county examinations. They no longer have to worry about tuition, travel expenses, and living expenses.

Moreover, the post stations along the way are also open to these students free of charge.

In the royal study
Zhang Wan's expression was not very good. He looked at Chen Xiao in front of him, frowned and said, "Yaoyou - what did I do wrong?"

"Why do you have to resign?"

Chen Xiao sat in front of Zhang Wan and sighed quietly: "Your Majesty, I really don't like these messy things in the officialdom. Like my ancestor Chen Fan, I like to indulge in the mountains and rivers and see the world floating."

"That's why I resigned."

"and--"

Chen Xiao saw Zhang Wan's worries directly: "My father will not resign - when my father retires and returns home, my seventh brother will enter the court as an official."

"Then my son will also enter the court."

"Just..."

Chen Xiao touched his chin and said, "That kid is determined to take the imperial examination. Who knows, in a few years, he will take the examination and pass it. By then, he will be named the champion by His Majesty in this hall."

Zhang Wan finally felt relieved. It turned out that it was not his behavior that angered Chen, but that Chen Xiao, this lazy guy, was unwilling to continue working hard.

He sneered, pointed at Chen Xiao and said, "You."

"When you were studying, you told me that you would rely on your father for what you wanted to do. Later, I asked you, what if you were older? You said you could rely on your son."

“Now you have actually achieved it.”

“It’s really enviable.”

Chen Xiao stretched lazily: "That can't be helped, since both my father and son are very ambitious."

"Okay, Your Majesty. I will resign after I finish supervising the Dayu imperial examination this time."

"I will go to Jiangnan by then, maybe go boating on the lake, or go fishing every day in my spare time, which would be a nice thing to do."

Looking at Chen Xiao's back, the envy on Zhang Wan's face became even stronger. He was indeed very envious of Chen Xiao. After all, it was not so easy to leave whenever you wanted.

Zhang Wan could not give up the power in his hands, nor could he give up the country.

The twenty-first year of Jianwu.

The emperor's edict.

He ordered Chen Xiao, an eunuch in the Prime Minister's Office, Xie Xuan, a secretary in the Secretariat, and Wang Xianzhi, a minister of the Imperial Court, to be the chief examiners and supervise the imperial examination in the 21st year of Jianwu.

A total of 360 "scholars" were selected in this imperial examination, and they were called "disciples of the emperor."

Among them, there is one leader, two side leaders, and the remaining are 100 second-rank students, 100 third-rank students, and 157 fourth-rank students.

The chief one was appointed as a seventh-rank official, the concubine one was appointed as a seventh-rank official, and the remaining students had to go through another selection process.

In the same year, Chen Xiao, an internal official in the Prime Minister's Office, resigned from his post.

outside kyoto
Xie Xuan and Wang Xianzhi looked at Chen Xiao, who was sitting in the carriage with a lazy look on his face, with envy in their eyes.

"Oh, I really envy Brother Yaoyou."

"You can let go of such power just by saying so, unlike us."

"I am trapped in this power and cannot extricate myself."

Chen Xiao was not polite, he just waved his hand and said: "Okay, didn't you guys shout that you wanted to come to Kyoto? Everyone has their own ambitions. I was born like this without any big ambitions. I just want to be intoxicated by the mountains and rivers."

"If you two are free someday, I will certainly welcome you to Jiangnan."

After saying this, he waved his hand and got back into the carriage.
The carriage swayed towards Jiangnan, while the two people who originally belonged to Jiangnan stood in front of the city gate of Luoyang, the capital, watching the carriage gradually go away, and finally could only sigh quietly.

Jianwu twenty-two years.

As students who passed the imperial examination entered the court to serve as officials, the court situation in Dayu underwent a complete and earth-shaking change.

This was a change that none of the noble families had expected.

History is rolling forward.

(End of this chapter)