Great Wei Overlord

Chapter 974
Chapter 981

Did the Qin Dynasty have corrupt officials?In fact, it is impossible. The Qin law is strict. Since Shang Yang's reform, it has formed a habit. Officials and common people perform their duties, and they will be discovered if they work together. Even if a lot of money is embezzled, they are not squandered Opportunity.But at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the rule of law was corrupted, which corrupted the Qin Dynasty fundamentally.

Ran Ming just didn't want the long vacation to come true.The so-called ancestral law of Confucianism cannot be abolished, because the laws formulated during the founding of the country produced loopholes, allowing them to exploit loopholes. If the law is amended to make up for these loopholes, officials like them will have nothing to take advantage of, so they naturally I don't want to.However, Ran Ming's so-called common affairs actually overlapped with agricultural reclamation knowledge, mainly about how to collect taxes, how to verify the acres of land, how to manage the people and other detailed knowledge, which of course is also the necessary knowledge for every official.

If this kind of imperial examination was conducted when Ran Ming was reborn, Ran Ming might not be able to recruit suitable talents at all.However, with Ran Ming's heavy industry and business, major companies have spontaneously established many vocational schools in order to better develop business and factories.

Most of these schools are not formal, and some of them are not even the same as the military school buildings. During the break after work, some old craftsmen teach the students of these vocational schools. They also learn things such as the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, but they only use For enlightenment literacy, this vocational school teaches people literacy, which is the true nature of all vocational schools. Except for literacy, the four books and five classics, poetry and songs are not handed over.Among all the vocational schools, the most common one is the business school. The knowledge taught in the business school is practical business knowledge, store operation knowledge, from clerk hospitality, accountant accounting, shopkeeper management to purchase and delivery, etc. etc., will be taught, and the teachers who teach are also experienced businessmen and shopkeepers of major firms.

With the establishment of such schools, although the conditions and teachers are very scarce, they have cultivated many talents.In this way, many people from poor backgrounds have the opportunity to take the imperial examination.

For this imperial examination, Ran Ming has already issued an imperial decree, no matter what nationality, no matter where, no matter what background, everyone can apply.No one should stop candidates from taking the exam. In order to take care of these poor candidates, Ran Ming even asked the registration center to distribute a fee of [-] yuan to support the living expenses of these candidates during the imperial examination period.However, for the aristocracy, the ten thousand money is not appreciated by them, and basically no one will receive this gift. On the contrary, the poor candidates are very grateful for Ran Ming's gift.

The real purpose of Ran Ming's imperial examination this time is to implement the civil service system. This civil service system is a very good system in later generations, but it is very good and has been ruined by crooked monks.In the past dynasties, a county usually has only three officials, a county magistrate or head, a county magistrate, and a master.Others, such as the head of the sixth house, are the children of local wealthy families, almost all of which are hereditary, so it is easy to evade the court officials in the intertwined relationship, thereby causing harm to one side.Passing the imperial examination this time is open to all literate people across the country, in order to enrich civil servants.

In the county-level government after Ran Ming's reform, there are 21 official officials, one county magistrate or county head, two county magistrates, six house managers, and six deputies for each house.Other servants have national salaries, but they are not hereditary. They are recruited by the county magistrate, and they will be dismissed if they are not qualified.At the same time, in order to prevent county governments at all levels from being controlled by local tyrants, Ran Ming plans to adopt the method of relocating civil servants.Although corruption and corruption cannot be completely avoided in this way, at least it is much better than the original system.

As Ran Ming became more and more prepared, the date of the imperial examination was getting closer and closer.A large number of imperial examination candidates poured into Yecheng, making Yecheng overcrowded.

The saddest thing is those poor candidates. With the influx of a large number of candidates into Yecheng, the inns in Yecheng are already full of candidates who are preparing for a career.Zhang Fang is from Hejian, and has been a poor citizen for generations.However, his father, Zhang Yan, was a strong man. Fortunately, he met Zhao general Zhang Jack as his personal guard, and accumulated a lot of money. For this reason, Zhang Yan hired a private school teacher to teach Zhang Fang how to read and write.After the defeat of Zhang Jackal's coup, Zhang Yan also died in the rebellious army. Zhang, who had just studied in a private school for three years and was more or less an educated man, went to a merchant in Zhending, Zhongshan to act as a buddy.

Now that he is over 37 years old, he is still alone and has no accumulated wealth.This time he heard that Wei Guo was about to hold a scientific examination, so he went to sign up with the attitude of giving it a try. In fact, Zhang Fang had no intention of passing the test and becoming an official.It is said to be ten thousand yuan, but it is actually just a silver coin.

Changing the yuan system has entered the agenda of Wei State, but it is not easy to change money into yuan. At this time, ten silver coins weigh about seven taels. If they are converted into copper coins, ten thousand yuan weighs about sixty catties. It will be difficult for people to carry it.And the credit of these ten silver coins in the market is very good.Moreover, the government of the State of Wei has taken a very strong crackdown on counterfeit money. At this time, the real silver content of the silver coins is only [-]%, with complicated patterns on them, and the words "one yuan of the State of Wei", which are very easy to identify. Scrape the silver off the silver rounds and make lace.Hold the silver dollar with your fingernails, blow it hard, and you can hear the obvious vibrato when you put it next to your ear. This silver dollar is actually not easy to imitate.

It is said that ten thousand silver coins can buy nearly sixteen shi of grain, enough for a family of five to eat for more than a year.However, Zhang Fang, who came to Yecheng with these ten silver coins, found that the prices in Yecheng were extremely expensive. In Hejian, a piece of donkey meat was only two copper coins, but Yecheng needed twelve, but the weight was much higher than that in Hejian. More than half the size.

As for the accommodation, it is more expensive. Even the cheapest foot shop costs [-] yuan a day for a Datong shop. Zhang Fang spent three of this silver coin on the road. He came to Yecheng for more than two months to eat and live, plus buying some pens, ink and paper. Inkstones and books, Zhang Fang has no money in his hands.

One day before the imperial examination, Zhang Fang was kicked out of the inn on this day, with a simple salute, Zhang Fang lowered his face to a shop selling sesame cakes and asked for a piece of cake, which finally staved off his hunger.

Looking at all kinds of snacks in the street, Zhang Fang swallowed hard, and shook his fist vigorously: "Damn, I have been useless all my life. When I get rich in the future, I will not get a few women in this world."

Zhang Fang finally found his ideal. He wanted to be an official, get rich, marry a wife and take several concubines.But I didn't want to miss myself, but thought about how I should live after I got hit.

Zhang Fang was very hungry, and begged for a meal like a beggar.As a commoner in the imperial capital, life is actually not easy, but since most of the people who come to settle in Yecheng are either rich or noble, there are many job opportunities here.If you don’t want to work hard, you can wait for guests who obviously look like foreigners at the gate of the city or on the street, and introduce the customs and customs of Yecheng to the guests or handle some affairs. This is like a tour guide and donor for later generations. You can get enough food and clothing, and you can even send a small sum of money when you meet generous customers.

For those who are willing to endure hardships and work, they will naturally have no worries about food and clothing.Now the labor cost in Yecheng is not low. Almost the most inferior waiters can earn two to three thousand yuan a month, and they also need to cover food and housing.

Just when Zhang Fang was about to sleep on the street again, a donor came up to Zhang Fang and said, "Brother, you are also very embarrassed. I have a way to eat here, and I have fourteen hundred yuan a month for food and housing. Do you want to do it?"

At this time, Zhang Fang's mind was full of how to be chic after the imperial examination. Where did he hear this? Take me so lightly?"

When the donor heard this, he knew he couldn't afford to offend him.Not to mention him, even officials can't stop candidates from taking exams now.Donors are all tyrants, so they are naturally divided into priorities. Although he can't do anything, it doesn't prevent him from threatening: "I remember you, it's best if you are in high school, otherwise I will let you know why the flowers are so popular!"

In fact, the imperial examination system cannot avoid fraud, but the imperial examination system is a relatively fair system.This system is only in comparison. The so-called underprivileged scholars in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the underprivileged scholars in history actually have nothing to do with ordinary people.The so-called cold is only relatively speaking. In ancient times, books were very expensive. Taking the most common "Analects of Confucius" as an example, even after the large-scale application of movable type printing, each book had to sell for more than 300 yuan. From my point of view, every penny in the Song Dynasty was roughly equivalent to more than three yuan in later generations. In this way, each book cost almost more than [-] yuan.Such a settlement is simply not a burden that ordinary farmers can bear.

The poor scholars were defined in ancient times as small and medium-sized landlords without privileges, and they were all landlords with families, businesses and land.Otherwise, it will be impossible to provide a poor commoner with education.Those who are really penniless and have overnight food like Zhang Fang are only a very small number of people.There were more than [-] applicants for the imperial examination in Wei State this time, but only more than [-] copies of the [-] yuan in benefits were issued.Ten thousand dollars is naturally a great gift for people like Zhang Fang who can't even survive, but for those children of wealthy families with billions of dollars, they really can't afford to lose it. The rewards for Huajiu are more than this amount.

The imperial examination in the second year of Hongshi officially started at [-]:[-] Yinshi on February [-].

The State of Wei was going to hold an imperial examination for nearly 8000 people in Yecheng, and the only place that was big enough was the Hongfa Temple in the northwest of Yecheng.This temple was built for Fotucheng by Shihu when he moved his capital to Yecheng. This temple has more than 890 houses. Shihu did not hesitate to forcibly demolish more than [-] households in order to please Fotucheng. And was tortured to death.Under the psychological influence of Shi Hu, a perverted tyrant, at that time, the whole country of Hou Zhao had [-] three temples and more than [-] monks.There are countless believers.Of course, this also laid the groundwork for the death of Later Zhao.

Because it was Fotucheng who placed the order at this time, the incense in Hongfa Temple was extremely prosperous. After the founding of the Wei Kingdom, the monks were expelled, and the temple was idle.Although it has not been renovated for more than ten years, this temple was built by Shihu. In order to please Fotucheng, the materials and construction were very dedicated. Even if it has not been repaired for more than ten years, the structure is still intact.After Ran Ming sent someone to clean it, he temporarily remodeled a large number of compartments just like the imperial examinations in later generations.This kind of cubicle is very small, with an average of only three or four square meters, with only a low bed and a table by the window.

Zhang Fang also came to the square in front of Hongfa Temple early in the morning. He couldn't help being dumbfounded at the time of Yinshi. There must be too many people. As far as he can see, there are densely packed heads everywhere, a few of them have eight thousand, and they may go up. million people.This time Wei Guo recruited more than 800 people in total, probably ten to one.I know my own level. If it is about literacy, I can read most of the characters. With more than ten years of experience in business and official affairs, his arithmetic level is not bad.

"What should I do, what should I do? Am I going to make this trip for nothing this time?" Zhang Fang originally had a job in Hejian. Quit the errand, now there is no way out.

The main reason why Zhang Fang wanted to take part in the imperial examination was because Ran Ming could test miscellaneous studies in the imperial examination, which reduced the share of classics and righteous articles, and would be resisted by Confucian scholars all over the world.Seeing this scene, Zhang Fang asked Qingtian speechlessly, "You are shameless, you are shameless, you agreed to boycott the imperial examinations, why are you here, you are really a gentle scum, a gentle scum!"

Seeing so many candidates, Wang Meng also showed a gratified smile. Wang Meng also knew that Ran Ming's policy of "letting a hundred schools of thought, letting a hundred schools of thought bloom, and a hundred schools of thought contending" made Confucian scholars feel extremely dissatisfied.He even threatened Ran Ming with resignation, but Ran Ming smiled and ignored the threats. At that time, there were rumors that Confucian scholars would boycott this imperial examination.Nine out of ten scholars now are Confucian scholars. If Confucian scholars boycott the imperial examinations, or when two or three kittens come, not only Wang Meng will be ugly, but even Ran Ming will become the laughing stock of the world.

Didn't expect this to be the case.

In fact, Ran Ming is very clear about this matter.In China, a country that is influenced by the idea of ​​​​official standards, in order to become an official, you can let go of everything.During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Liu Yu, the ruler of the Southern Han Dynasty, believed that officials who had families and houses would definitely consider their descendants instead of being loyal to themselves.Only eunuchs who have no children can concentrate on being loyal to their masters, so only eunuchs are used.At that time, if you wanted to be an official in the Southern Han Dynasty, you had to leave the palace. As a result, countless people did not hesitate to swing their swords from the palace in order to become an official.These scholars even dare to go to the palace in order to become an official, let alone just a dispute between academic theories?
Besides, the Kong family is actually not a good thing. The Jin country invaded the Central Plains, and the Kong family was divided into two, into the northern and southern sects.As for Li Zicheng and Man Qing, they also received the allegiance of the Kong family successively.In Ran Ming's view, resisting himself is the biggest joke in the world.To create public opinion, they only talk but don't do it. They will speak more righteously than others, but when it is really related to their own interests, they will be able to distinguish what is important.

At midnight, the renamed Gongyuan of Hongfa Temple officially opened. After a large number of candidates were inspected at the gate, they were issued number plates and test baskets, and then entered the examination room under the leadership of soldiers.

When Ran Ming appointed Wang Meng as the examiner, he also gave a special explanation to Wang Meng. In order to prevent the candidates from cheating or entraining, all the food of the candidates will be cut into small pieces the size of peanuts. As for the pens, ink, paper and inkstones, they will be provided by the Gongyuan. thereby avoiding entrainment.In particular, the test booth is semi-open. In order to avoid cheating with the people who are in the test booth, it is also expressly forbidden to talk to each other.

As for the officers, they are not Yecheng garrisons, nor Yecheng patrolling soldiers and corvees, but students from Wei State Royal Military Academy and Wei State Non-commissioned Officer Academy. Gongyuan, there is no chance to connect in series.

After all the candidates entered, Wang Meng started to clear the room with a gong, and officially released the papers to start the exam.

The West Army Station in Chang'an Town, at this time, the Zhenxi Army had withdrawn from Bashu on a large scale, leaving only three cavalry battalions in Bashu to maintain public order.At the same time as the imperial examination in Wei State, the news that Ran Ming wanted to mobilize elites from Anbei Army and Zhenxi Army to form Anxi Army to conquer the Western Regions also spread widely among the army.

For the formation of the Anxi Army, I am afraid that the generals above the regiment will be directly appointed by Ran Ming, but the officers or soldiers below the battalion will sign up voluntarily.As the news spread, the Zhenxi army began to boil.

Wei State's military system adopts the military merit granting of land, and most of the soldiers who are afraid of poverty want to exchange their lives for military merit so that future generations can live better.Influenced by the habitual way of thinking based on agriculture, even if businessmen made money in ancient China, they still wanted to buy land and land.Now the State of Wei doesn't pay attention to agriculture, but the finances and taxes are more inclined to business. The farmers' taxes are lower, and their enthusiasm is naturally high.

The enemy's head is exchanged for military merit, and the military merit is rewarded with fields.Ran Ming will divide the newly laid fields into meritorious soldiers, so that the morale of the army will also be high, and they will dare to fight and are willing to fight.In fact, no matter any dynasty, during the founding period, it basically adopted the method of granting land for military merit. Even in the Song Dynasty, the Song army was also the overlord at that time, and he could fight whoever he wanted.But in the deserted Song Dynasty, it was naturally impossible to even defend Chengdu.

(End of this chapter)