Chapter 42: The Little Emperor's Examination
The warriors are half dead in front of the army, but the beauties are still singing and dancing under the tent.
This poem comes from "The Song of Songs" by Gao Shi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. It talks about the frontline soldiers working hard and the generals watching the beauties dancing in the middle tent. How can the army be invincible with such an appearance?
Zhang Juzheng gave a banquet to the emperor, talking about the Battle of Queshu Valley, how the King of Qin fought fiercely, and Li Jiancheng's extravagance. He hoped to use his knowledge to teach the emperor to take a warning, and he also hoped that His Majesty the Emperor would take it seriously. Take care of state affairs.
Zhu Yijun said with emotion: "Just like now, the sergeants are working hard on the front line, and there is singing and dancing inside and outside the capital. Anyway, the Tatars can't attack the city of Beijing. They are looting the people of the capital, and What does it matter to the master in the capital? "
"At worst, I just promise to give you more money for the horse."
When Zhang Juzheng heard what his majesty said, he felt a little confused and didn't know what to do for a while. In reply, he just froze in place and said nothing.
Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but think of Qi Jiguang, whom everyone regarded as a wart, superfluous and useless.
Zhu Yijun wondered if he had exerted too much force. The force of the hammer wheel that broke the wall was too strong, causing Zhang Juzheng's indestructible belief to waver?
If Zhang Juzheng had a bad heart, despaired of this rotten world, and colluded with the Jin Party, wouldn't Zhu Yijun be in big trouble?
Zhang Juzheng said quite solemnly: "I was entrusted by the late emperor to serve as the Yuan Fu of the world. I will never dare to forget the support of the people. I will be loyal to the end and do it knowing that I can't do it. I still have one breath left, and this ambition is unremitting!"
There is still one breath left and this ambition is unremitting, which is Zhu Yijun's annotation of the word "Hongyi".
Zhang Juzheng once told himself that his knowledge is unwavering. He knew all the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty and was determined to improve it and revive the Ming Dynasty. This was his ambition, and he would not relax as long as he had a breath of life.
"When will Qi Shuai return to Beijing?" Zhu Yijun asked.
Zhang Juzheng hurriedly replied: "After the Qingming Festival."
Zhu Yijun's life is very simple. In the morning, he listens to politics in the Wenhua Hall, gives a banquet, and practices martial arts. After practicing martial arts, he runs to Jingshan to hoe the earth. After Dadi started printing, I summarized the day's harvest in the evening and read the agricultural books annotated by Xu Zhenming.
Zhang Juzheng's entrance examination method finally began to be tried out in the capital, and there were complaints. However, in order to calm the matter, the leader of the Jin Party agreed to implement it with Zhang Juzheng.
Before the imperial examination, the imperial examination system for officials in the Ming Dynasty was divided into Jingcha and Daji.
Beijing inspection is to evaluate the officials of the capital, and the main plan is to evaluate the officials of the world, once every six years, the government is loose and the country is weak. It is to smash all human relationships to pieces.
The core of the examination method is: setting limits on examination matters and taking responsibility for them.
The first thing that the capital examination method aimed at was the six subjects. In just three days, the six subjects were almost changed. They were either dismissed or sent to other places to serve as officials.
Then he was replaced by Xunli, who was highly respected by Zhang Juzheng. Most of these officials came from all over the world, and had no relationship with Zhang Juzheng by marriage, master, apprentice, or hometown.
Limited examination, setting a special deadline for something, which must be completed within the specified time.
The reasons, time limits, and degree of completion are all registered in three account books. One is kept by the Sixth Department and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, one is kept by the Sixth Section and is responsible for the matter, and the last one is submitted to the cabinet. The accounts will be reconciled monthly according to the account books.
The Sixth Department and the Metropolitan Procuratorate Affairs Officer are responsible for the execution of specific affairs, and their completion and failure must be recorded truthfully.
The Sixth Section is responsible for supervising the process, supervising and managing the completion, and registering it truthfully.
The cabinet audits the work of the Sixth Section to verify the work. Once the Sixth Section is in cahoots with the Sixth Ministry and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Sixth Section will be directly dismissed.
In this way, the basic evaluation mechanism of the cabinet leading the supervision, the supervision and supervision of the six departments, and the six departments commanding all officials in the world has taken shape. This is an extremely complete set of design for the government system.
To appraise people's talents, there is no need to test them by doing things; if they are allowed to do things, there is no need to test their success, so it is called the test of success.
Whether the test method is effective or not, the little emperor has his own unique set of criteria for judging, which is the resentment of the officials in the capital.
The heavier their resentment, the more effective the test method is.
In just a few days, the courtiers who were frightened by the authority of Zhang Juzheng's chief minister finally stood up and began to impeach Zhang Juzheng!
The resentment is so great that I am no longer afraid of Zhang Juzheng’s revenge!
The resentment is so great that he wants to impeach Zhang Taiyue even if he quits serving as an official!
The sky is filled with boiling water.
There are countless reasons for impeachment, including impeachment of Zhang Juzheng for arrogating divine weapons, Zhang Juzheng being a fishy official, Zhang Juzheng being a party member and opposed to dissidents, Zhang Juzheng being unbenevolent and immoral, Zhang Juzheng being arrogant and partial, and there are all kinds of reasons, as if Zhang Juzheng was a member of the Ming Dynasty. It's a great evil, if we don't get rid of this evil, the country will be destroyed tomorrow!
Zhang Juzheng is just a frame, and any crime can be put inside it.
Zhu Yijun only had three words to comment on this: Got it.
He neither left it in nor drew a cross, but only three words: Got it.
Unable to complete the affairs of the headquarters within the time limit, according to the number, they are fined, demoted, sent to other places, dismissed, reduced from official status and returned to their hometown to live idle, exiled to the mist, border and other places.
If punishment cannot be implemented, no matter how objective and real the results of inspection, supervision, and leadership are, it will be just a showpiece.
In the twelfth year of Wanli, the third year after Zhang Juzheng's death, Emperor Wanli issued an order to abolish the imperial examination law. From then on, the official administration of the Ming Dynasty deteriorated and there was no clear atmosphere anymore.
In the first year of Chongzhen, Emperor Chongzhen wanted to pick up the examination method again and personally presided over the examination, but by then everything had stopped and completely collapsed.
Zhu Yijun was waiting for Qi Jiguang to return to Beijing. Before Qi Jiguang, he waited for the monthly exam.
On February 19th of the first year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun, the ten-year-old leader of the Ming Dynasty, finally passed the exam. The ministers were bound by the law and the little emperor also passed the exam, but no one dared to punish him. , and no one can punish the emperor.
The monthly exams are coming as scheduled.
Of all the charges the courtiers impeached against Zhang Juzheng, there is one thing that is definitely not a false accusation, that is, Zhang Juzheng’s authority shakes the master. As the emperor is the supreme king in the world, who can test the emperor!
Zhang Juzheng was ahead of the emperor's orders. As a minister of the auxiliary country, he did have the power to evaluate the emperor, but there was no punishment after the evaluation. This was the dilemma of the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty studying.
The content of the assessment is the first two chapters of The Analects of Confucius and the four stories told by Emperor Jian Tu.
Zhu Yijun is also a little worried about the monthly exam. If these ministers give him problems, if he fails the exam, how can he confidently ignore his job!
With a slightly uneasy mood, Zhu Yijun came towards the Wenhua Palace. "Your Majesty." Feng Bao said in a low voice: "Yesterday Xu Jue went out of the palace and asked the chief assistant about the exam papers. Would you like to take a look at them in advance?"
Zhu Yijun was stunned. Looking at Feng Bao, he said: "This... is not good."
What kind of behavior is this! This is blatant cheating! Is there any more royal method! Is there any justice left!
“Take it and take a look.” Zhu Yijun stretched out his hand.
His monthly exam not only involves whether he can continue to do his job, but also whether Zhang Juzheng's exam method can be implemented smoothly.
The examination papers were written by Wang Xilie, Wang Jiaping, Fan Yingqi and other bachelors, and Zhang Juzheng, the imperial master, was responsible for reviewing them.
If the emperor can successfully pass the monthly exam, it means that Zhang Juzheng is capable of fulfilling the duties of the late emperor as a tutor and emperor's teacher, and it represents Zhang Juzheng's justice in assisting the country.
The supreme Ming Emperor could pass the monthly exams as scheduled. If he could pass the exams, why couldn't all the officials in the world pass the exams!
For such a big thing, for Zhu Yijun, who is not a moral person, why should he cheat openly?
He has extremely flexible standards and measures for morality.
He even wanted to move the examination room to the back hall of Wenhua Hall to avoid the invigilation of the officials and conduct open-book examinations.
Zhu Yijun took the test paper, looked at it for a moment, folded it and handed it to Feng Bao and said, "Destroy it. In the future, you don't have to ask the chief assistant for the test paper again."
Zhu Yijun finished reading the test papers and knew what he was doing. He raised his hands, took four steps, and arrived at the Wenhua Hall smoothly.
The whip was sounded three times, and the ministers filed in, stood up one by one, bowed five times and kowtowed three times, and shouted: "I have come to see your majesty. Is your majesty bowing well?"
" I wish you all the best." Zhu Yijun stretched out his hand and said calmly, "Let's get started."
"I am overstepping my bounds." Wang Xilie and other academicians handed the examination papers to Zhang. Hong, Zhang Hong laid the examination papers flat on the imperial case.
Zhu Yijun picked up the brush, stained it with ink, and began to answer the questions. The Wenhua Palace was extremely quiet. In order not to disturb the emperor's monthly examination, the Wenhua Palace did not even open the windows.
Two quarters of an hour later, Zhu Yijun put down his pen, dried the ink, left it there for a moment, and signaled Zhang Hong to take the examination papers to the ministers.
The ministers looked at the exam paper with some anxiety. You must know that the little emperor's study homework in the past six months was actually unsatisfactory. To put it bluntly, he didn't learn anything.
Would the situation be better if Zhang Juzheng taught it alone?
For Zhu Yijun, the content of the exam is really too simple!
That’s it? That's it? Do you have the nerve to take the exam that same month?
It was so simple that Zhu Yijun even doubted whether Wang Xilie had colluded with Zhang Juzheng and deliberately set up some simple questions to let the emperor pass.
The exam has dictation, that is, the first two chapters of the Analects, only the first sentence, and the second sentence is dictation;
The exam paper has explanations, take out a certain word or paragraph, and explain its meaning. ;
With a brief description, the Emperor Jiantu tells a certain story, and the emperor is asked to briefly describe the outline of the story.
Examination papers suitable for ten-year-old children.
How difficult is this for Zhu Yijun? Not at all.
Of course Zhu Yijun thought it was simple. He and Zhang Juzheng usually rushed to break the wall when playing against each other. However, Zhang Juzheng, a man facing the wall, felt a wave of anger because of the little emperor's simple and ignorant questions. headache.
Wang Xijue was in charge of grading the paper. He read it very solemnly, making corrections while having doubts. This neat answer paper exceeded his expectations. In the six months since Emperor Longqing's reign, the little emperor's schoolwork has been very good. Difference.
With complicated emotions, Wang Xijue finished marking the examination papers and handed them over to the bachelors.
After the bachelors verified that everything was correct, the examination paper was transferred to Zhang Juzheng.
Zhang Juzheng actually knew without looking that the little emperor could pass the test. For this test paper, the emperor could answer it correctly with his eyes closed. The little emperor was very smart. He was just lazy and slippery before and refused to study hard.
No, it was the great scholar who confused the ten-year-old master with your words and my words. It is all the fault of the ministers!
This is in line with the ethics and etiquette of monarchs and ministers for thousands of years.
Zhang Juzheng teaches alone, and the results are outstanding.
Zhang Juzheng opened the test paper and looked at it. As he expected, the little emperor's handwriting was quite satisfactory and his answers were very good.
"Your Majesty is wise and wise, and your virtue has been so great. If you continue to improve in the future, all people from all over the world will be blessed! I congratulate you on the great Ming Dynasty and congratulate your majesty!" Wang Xilie came out and was quite impressed. Sincerely, he knelt on the ground and spoke loudly.
"I am ashamed of my late emperor." Wang Xilie said with some excitement and his tone was extremely fierce. He was an old scholar. The little emperor could not read well, so he, a bachelor of banquets, bore the brunt of the problem.
As a member of the Hanlin Academy, Wang Xilie had a really high opinion of the little emperor's examination papers. They taught the late emperor for six months, but nothing was learned. They were anxious and anxious, but there was nothing they could do.
"It can be a little more difficult next time." Zhu Yijun hesitated to speak, but he already had an idea in his mind.
The Emperor of Ming Dynasty’s monthly exams might not be worth using.
The recent momentum (public opinion) to impeach Zhang Juzheng is really too great.
Only by studying Xiaowu can I have everything! ! ! ! Nagging on and on, readers please keep reading! Please, stop talking about support and just provide all the support except support, okay? It’s agreed, ow! ! ! ! ! !
(End of this chapter)