Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 97 The anti-Yang faction’s counterattack!

Zhu Changgan looked at the people in front of him and said, "I will give you a chance to rise to prominence and a chance to take an exam. I will select 100 temporary officials from among you and let you go to various departments for training."

"After the probation period is over, I will give you official credentials and official seals."

As soon as Zhu Changgan finished speaking, eunuchs brought up tables one by one and placed the four treasures of the study on them.

"If you are a juren and have passed the examination, I will grant you the status of a jinshi. If you are a xiucai and have passed the examination, I will grant you the same status as a jinshi."

The importance of reputation in the Ming Dynasty cannot be expressed by just one sentence, "Only Hanlin scholars can enter the cabinet."

In the Ming Dynasty, "Jinshi" was a very important status, representing the highest honor for scholars after passing many imperial examinations.

"Jinshi Jidi" refers to a scholar who finally passed the palace examination in the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Jinshi.

"Jinshi origin" refers to scholars who passed the metropolitan examination and the provincial examination in the imperial examination, but failed the palace examination.

"Tongjinshichuan" means that one's achievements are equivalent to those of "Jinshichuan", but one has not obtained the same title.

From the perspective of official career, successful Jinshi can directly enter the officialdom and take up important positions.

Those who are Jinshi graduates need to go through training and take supplementary examinations before they have a chance of promotion.

Those who were Jinshi graduates had few opportunities for a career in officialdom.

But who are these people in front of me?

Currently, there are basically only candidates and students in the Imperial College who are candidates for imperial examinations and tribute examinations. Their chances of entering the central government of the Ming Dynasty in this lifetime are almost zero.

Even if he became an official, he would be a minor official in a remote area, and it would be impossible for him to become a minister in Beijing.

……

The so-called Jujian refers to the students of the Imperial College who failed in the imperial examination and went to Beijing. Originally, there were very few such students, because many teachers in the Imperial College were only Juren. They did not really study in the Imperial College, but studied for that tiny chance to intern in the court.

The tribute was divided into four categories: annual tribute, selected tribute, gracious tribute, and paid tribute.

Annual tribute, the Ming Dynasty had a target every year to send outstanding students from all over the country to study at the Imperial College; selected tribute, this was because of the students sent by the local areas every year; grace tribute, this was when there was a big event in the court (the emperor, the prince's wedding, etc.), the local government could get some of the places; tribute, that is, the students themselves paid rice and millet as donations to obtain a place.

When an official reaches a certain rank (third rank for Beijing officials), his descendants can enter the Imperial Academy to study. If their rank is not high enough, those who died for their loyal advice or for defending their country with their loyalty can also be admitted as imperial students.

In addition, there are Yisheng, which means foreign students such as students from Korea, Mongolia, etc. Junxiusheng means students with great reputation who are recommended by people of high status.

The Imperial College of the Ming Dynasty had its busiest population in the 20th year of Yongle, with as many as 9,000 people.

In the past, everyone tried their best to get into the Imperial College, but now it is discarded like a worn-out shoe. Not to mention the sons of third-rank officials, even officials of the fifth and sixth ranks are unwilling to study in the Imperial College.

Especially after the tenth year of Chongzhen, the total number of people in the Imperial College was only a few hundred.

With this identity, the emperor could let them do their work.

The candidates and scholars of the Imperial College knelt on the ground and shouted:

"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness!"

"Long live your Majesty, long live your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty the Holy Ming..."

……

The content of the policy test was set by Zhu Changgan himself, and there were three questions in total.

Question 1: How to solve the problem of peasant uprisings?

Question 2: How to resolve the war situation in Liaodong?
Question three: How to raise food and salaries from various places?
They are all aimed at the current stubborn problems of the imperial court, and everyone has one hour to answer the questions.

The question is simple if you say it is simple, but it is also complex if you say it is complex.

Compared with previous palace examinations, the time is shorter, which will test their wisdom.

During this period, Zhu Changgan made a tour and one of the people left a deep impression on him.

Xu Cifu

He was from Xushuizi and entered the Imperial College as a tribute student. He passed the examination for a scholar at the age of eighteen. Since then, he has taken part in the provincial examinations but failed to pass. Now he is about to drop out of school and return home as a student selected by the Ministry of Personnel to wait for by-election.

At this moment, Xu Cifu was in an excited state. He was writing furiously without noticing the emperor's arrival.

He had already lost all hope, but when he suddenly saw such an opportunity, his chest heaved with excitement and his face turned red.

There are many people like Xu Cifu.

Now that the emperor has given them such a good opportunity, how could they give it up?

……

The test ended at noon.

Zhu Changgan asked Wang Chengen to prepare some food for all the students taking the exam. As for the exam results, he handed them over to Sun Chengzong and several trusted ministers.

It is not difficult to select one hundred from two hundred.

Lunch was eaten in Chenghua Hall.

Have a meal first.

Then he had another meal.

This time, "I heard that the mud was gone, and there was no place where the car would not be destroyed!"

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to attend the daily lectures!" Wang Chengen whispered outside the door.

As the weather gets milder,
The court's routine imperial lecture, which had been postponed for a long time, began.

The daily lectures on classics were specially set up by the emperors after the Han and Tang dynasties to discuss classics and history. They were first called "Jingyan" in the Song Dynasty and were particularly important in the Ming Dynasty. "No!" Zhu Changgan didn't want to attend such daily lectures. After all, listening to boring lectures was not as comfortable as being with Concubine Chen.

"Your Majesty, the Royal Guards sent a letter."

After hearing this, Zhu Changgan finally sat up and said, "Help me change my clothes."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Concubine Chen shyly changed the emperor's clothes. She was the kind of woman who looked thin but very voluptuous. The loose clothes she wore revealed her inner round curves with the slightest movement.

So beautiful and wonderful!

"Bring it in!"

After Zhu Changgan read the intelligence handed over by the Jinyiwei, he suddenly changed his mind and said, "I will go to participate in this so-called imperial lecture."

Chen Yuanyuan, who was next door, was lying on the bed, her face flushed with shame and anger.

Her skin is fair and rosy, and her figure is beautiful and charming.

The red lips are like newly blossomed peach blossoms and newly red cherries, the thick eyelashes like feather fans flicker, and the eyes are full of autumn water, "It's always like this..."

……

The date for the lecture was fixed, and it used to be after the morning court session. But this year it was cold, so it was scheduled for the afternoon.

All the six ministers, the left and right censors, the cabinet ministers and the noble officials had to attend the lecture. In addition, many secretaries and censors were also among the audience.

Zhu Changgan sat facing south in the Wenhua Hall, and Wang Chengen ordered all officials to enter the hall.

At the shouting of the ceremonial officer, all the officials filed in.

Then, two lecturers in red robes and two book display officials in blue robes came out.

Both were excellent members of the Imperial Academy. The lecturer faced the emperor, and the book displayer stood on both sides of the desk. "Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty!"

After the kowtow, the book-unfolding official on the right knelt down and approached the desk, opened the imperial book and lecture notes, flattened them with a copper ruler, and prepared to begin reading the Confucian classics verbatim. The general idea was that he hoped the emperor would devote himself to the cultivation of Neo-Confucianism and become a virtuous ruler like Yao and Shun.

At this moment, the book exhibition officer on the left stood up.

Huang Daozhou, the standard-bearer of the Donglin Party and a world-renowned master of Neo-Confucianism.

Huang Daozhou, whose courtesy name was Youping, was a native of Zhangpu, Fujian. Because he spent many years studying in a stone chamber on an isolated island in Tongshan, scholars all over the world called him Mr. Shizhai.

He was knowledgeable and had a deep knowledge of Neo-Confucianism and the Book of Changes. He also had noble moral principles and was a serious and meticulous person. He was regarded as a role model in both morality and literature, and his reputation was great throughout the country.

He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi at the age of 38 in the second year of the Tianqi reign. He then entered the Hanlin Academy, where he served as an editor and an official in charge of the imperial lectures.

According to custom, the official who displayed the book had to kneel down and walk forward to open the book for the emperor.

"Your Majesty, this is not in accordance with ancient etiquette!" Huang Daozhou thought that this was not in accordance with ancient etiquette, and instead stood up and walked in when the scroll was unfolded.

People around him were very surprised by this behavior. When Emperor Tianqi was in power, he was demoted because he refused to kneel when he was showing books and was stubborn and upright, which made Wei Zhongxian hate him.

It was not until the ninth year of Chongzhen that he entered the court again as the Right Zhongyun of the Zhanshi Palace. Later, he was promoted to the least Zhanshi. Although his status was still not high, he was already among the Beijing officials.

Who would have thought that he would do this again this time?
Zhu Changgan waved his hand and said, "If you don't want to kneel, then don't kneel. There is nothing wrong with following the ancient rituals in the imperial lecture."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

However, Huang Daozhou took the opportunity to tell the emperor a chapter from Mencius: Li Lou: "Fighting for land means killing people all over the field; fighting for a city means killing people all over the city. This is what is called leading the land and eating human flesh. The crime is unforgivable, so those who are good at fighting accept the punishment."

Zhu Changgan's eyes suddenly focused, "What do you mean?"

"This is what Mencius said in response to the wars among the nations. Why didn't we attack the Jiannu who had repeatedly invaded us to show the power of the Celestial Empire, but instead proposed the inferior policy of 'making peace with the barbarians'?
Saying such a thing? What is your intention? "

He understood what this meant. Huang Daozhou wanted to use Mencius' pacifist ideas that opposed wars among princes to guide Emperor Chongzhen to agree to engage in negotiations with the Qing side.

Huang Daozhou bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I did not say this, but it was said by Yang Sichang, the Minister of State."

Yang Sichang, who was standing by, was shocked all over and his scalp felt numb as if it had been electrocuted.

A few days ago, the civil service group and the Donglin Party had impeached me for this matter, although the matter was suppressed by Your Majesty.

However, this incident still caused an uproar in the city. Most of the court officials were extremely indignant that Yang Sichang actually proposed peace talks with the Qing Dynasty.

Now Huang Daozhou suddenly changed his tune and supported Yang Sichang? No, he was not supporting Yang Sichang, but using him as a scapegoat.

Sure enough, the next moment Huang Daozhou shouted loudly: "The Jiannu is just a vassal state. There is no equality with the Ming Dynasty. It is completely different from the struggle for supremacy among the nations during the Warring States Period. Moreover, the Tartars occupied Liaodong and entered the Great Wall several times, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities."

"Your Majesty is wise. The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were brave and won the great victory in Tongzhou. We should strike them head-on."

"Yet, Yang Sichang negotiated with the Qing Dynasty and sought peace, which was a way to humiliate the country and treason, just like Shi Jingtang and Qin Hui."

"I have heard that Yang Sichang, in the midst of double mourning for the death of both his father and his mother, has the audacity to stay in the court. Where does this put the Ming Dynasty's policy of governing the country with filial piety?" Qian Zeng, the Imperial Censor of the Military Department, He Kai, the Imperial Censor of the Engineering Department, and others also stood up to submit memorials to impeach Yang Sichang.

"Your Majesty, Yang Sichang has a very secret relationship with Wei Zhongxian's eunuch party. In the rebellion case, he once spoke up for his former good friend Guo Gong and tried to overturn the verdict for Wei Zhongxian and others. He should be executed." Zhang Sizhi, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, also came forward and said.

Other ministers also stood up one by one.

Finally, the Donglin Party and the civil servants showed their fangs at this moment.

They have been targeting Yang Sichang for a long time.

When they heard that Yang Sichang's stepmother had passed away, they were extremely excited and directly threw out three major charges.

Minister of War, such an important position.

They could not tolerate someone who was completely loyal to the emperor occupying the position!

　There will be another chapter in a moment

　　
　
(End of this chapter)