When the emperor comes to modern times, history collapses!

Chapter 133 Wu Zetian's Imperial Examination System

The First Emperor asked curiously: "Actually, I'm not very interested in how Wu Zetian became emperor."

"I am more concerned about how she is doing as an emperor."

Yang Guang was also very curious: "Let's make a conclusion first. Just because she killed the Li Tang royal family and changed the country's name, I will support her. It's really so satisfying!"

Li Yuan snorted coldly: "It's not normal for a woman to be an emperor. What will the surrounding nomadic tribes think? They will definitely cause trouble."

Old Zhu nodded. "They will indeed come to cause trouble. I won't spoil the plot. I've read a lot of information about emperors from previous dynasties before. I have to say that some of them are inconsistent, some have serious personal colors, and some obviously have many loopholes. The history has been changed so much that it's unbearable to read. We don't even know whether it's true or not."

Yang Guang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, it's really unbearable to watch. Building the Grand Canal can cost the lives of a large number of people in the Tang Dynasty. I am convinced."

"The history book compiled by Old Zhu is still the true one."

The First Emperor was a little sour: "Old Yang, I can actually write a history book about you."

Old Yang shook his head and sneered: "That's too fake. There is a difference of several hundred years between them. The key is that you are earlier than me. Besides, whether there is a Great Sui Dynasty in your place is still unclear."

"However, I can teach you about the history of the Qin Dynasty. You know, in our place, when we mention the Qin Dynasty, we like to call it the Tyrannical Qin Dynasty."

Li Yuan nodded: "To be honest, when I started the rebellion, I called the Great Sui Dynasty the Tyrannical Sui Dynasty, which was a reference to the Tyrannical Qin Dynasty."

Old Zhu: "We can also help you revise it. As for the Tang Dynasty, it is fair and just to revise history."

"How about this? Three million shi of grain, and I promise to help you organize the relationship network of your family members clearly."

"For example, Wu Zetian, I will call you Grandpa Emperor from now on. As for Big Brother and Father Emperor, we can help you polish it."

Zhu Ming was very upset: "With your way of making changes, how can future generations study history?"

The First Emperor laughed and said, "They have all been dug out for viewing. Why would I care about this?"

"Now I have to pay to go to the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in your area!"

Yang Guang complained: "My two teeth can make money. It makes me depressed just thinking about it. I have to pull these two teeth out before I die!"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care: "Our imperial tombs have been dug up and put on display, who cares about these things? Besides, history is written by the victors. If Chen Youliang had won, we would definitely not be remembered in history."

Li Yuan lowered his head and thought, then said calmly: "Old Zhu, three million shi is not a small amount."

Old Zhu waved his hand and said, "You don't know how messy your Tang Dynasty's network of relationships is. If you want to sort it out, you have to be somewhat logical. Three million shi is really not a lot."

"Let's not talk about others, let's just talk about you, Old Li. You forced the minister Xin Chujian's wife to be your concubine. This matter is not easy to deal with without hundreds of thousands of dan of grain."

Li Yuan's face turned red: "What are you talking about? That's impossible!"

Zhu Ming chuckled and said, "Don't mention it. When I searched for you, Lao Li, I was shocked to see this. Before I met you, I really didn't know about this."

Li Jiancheng blushed and said, "Father, you shouldn't have done that. Even if you go to Yihong Courtyard to find someone, it's better than this!"

Once these words were spoken, they were completely confirmed.

Yang Guang immediately became interested: "Xiao Zhu, tell me quickly, I really didn't expect that Granny Li would play like this?"

“I’ve never played like this before!”

The First Emperor was also very interested and decided to eat melon first and ask questions about Wu Zetian later!

Li Yuan looked up to the sky and sighed, knowing that he could no longer hide it.

Zhu Ming said:

This story comes from a passage in "Zhenguan Zhengyao".

Zheng said, "When the Emperor first pacified the capital, he got the wife of Xin Chujian and was slightly favored. Chujian was a servant of the Crown Prince at the time, and the Emperor was displeased when he heard about it, so he ordered her to leave the East Palace and become a county official in Wannian. He was always afraid of fighting, always worried that he could not lead the army. Lu Shuang thought that even if Your Majesty tolerated her now, he was afraid that the Empress would secretly punish her, so he repeatedly explained himself. This is his intention, and it is not surprising."

During the Sui Dynasty, there was an official named Xin Chujian.

He is not very capable, but he married a very beautiful wife.

Legend has it that Mrs. Xin had a slim figure, fair skin and red lips, and her every frown and smile could touch people's hearts.

It’s on the point of growing up Lao Li.

After meeting Mrs. Xin at a banquet, Mr. Li could not stop thinking about her.

But at that time, Lao Li and Xin Chujian were colleagues, Dou was still there, and you, Lao Yang, often bullied Lao Li, so Lao Li didn't dare to show any reaction.

Don’t be afraid of thieves stealing, just be afraid of thieves missing you!

When Old Li captured Chang'an, the Dou family was no longer there.

At this time, Old Li had no worries and found an opportunity to take Mrs. Xin for himself.

Seeking pleasure every day.

Xin Chujian had a tragic life. He was cuckolded and dared not say a word. He had to endure the shame of having his wife taken away from him. He was worried every day whether Lao Li would chop off his head.

Xin Chujian's official position in the Tang Dynasty was Prince's Sheren, which in layman's terms means the Prince's secretary. It sounds very powerful, but in fact he had no real power.

Old Li felt that Xin Chujian was a bit annoying, so he transferred him away from Chang'an and exiled him to work in another place.

Poor Xin Chujian, his wife was taken away by someone else, he was demoted to his lowest position, and became a laughing stock among others.

The First Emperor looked disdainful and said, "Old Li, I never thought you were such a person. You actually robbed the minister's wife. You are so shameless!"

Yang Guang was furious: "You are so shameless, Grandma Li. I can't do such a thing. The key is that you have given me a reputation of being lustful. Compared with you, I really have to admit defeat! No wonder you always want Li Yuan of the Sui Dynasty to bring Dou here. You don't want to occupy Dou's family, do you? Do you want me to go back and occupy Dou's family, so that you, Li Yuan, can also feel it?"

Li Yuan of the Sui Dynasty suddenly sneezed, and Dou asked with concern: "Husband, what's wrong?"

Li Yuan of the Great Sui frowned: "I always feel like someone is plotting against me!"

Dou shuddered, "Why do I feel this way too?"

Old Zhu also showed disdain: "I have to say, you have made a good start."

"You set a good example for your son, but some people are following your example and occupying the wives of their subordinates. You have no bottom line!"

Zhu Ming nodded: "It's indeed a bit challenging. You're already an emperor, and you're not young anymore, but you can't control your lower body. I think you can lock it up or cut it off!"

Li Yuan raised his hands in surrender: "Please stop talking, I will admit my mistake and release him, and transfer Xin Chujian back to a new position for promotion."

Old Zhu shook his head: "I think you should send it back secretly and find a chance to apologize to Xin Chujian. Don't make a big fuss, otherwise I'm afraid that many people will send it voluntarily. By then, the Tang Dynasty's network of relationships will be even more unbearable to look at, and it will be more difficult to deal with. You will have to add more food!"

Li Yuan nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely handle this matter. Let's talk about Wu Zetian. Aren't you curious about the only female emperor?"

The First Emperor had just finished eating the last bite of the melon: "Not bad, not bad, the melon just now was really delicious."

Li Yuan brought the topic back.

Zhu Ming said:

"According to the information I have searched, there are several versions of Wu Zetian's history."

"The front is still a positive image, but the back is unbearable to look at."

With the development of Confucianism and the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, the idea of ​​male superiority and female inferiority became increasingly serious, and the evaluation of Wu Zetian deteriorated with each edition.

Most books and articles say that Wu Zetian was "a hen crowing at dawn and was lewd to the queen", "cruel and violent, sinister and murderous", "appointed cruel officials and was licentious and immoral", and only a very few of them contained positive comments.

In my time, people have freed themselves from the shackles of feudal ethics.

Many experts have re-evaluated Wu Zetian based on the historical context of the time in which the historical figure lived and whether she promoted social progress and historical development.

Some people's views on her have changed, and they believe that she is a rare wise ruler.

If you ask me, he must be a good emperor.

The First Emperor immediately became excited: "How is she not bad?" Yang Guang was very interested in Wu Zetian, who slaughtered many members of the Li Tang royal family: "She is actually a good emperor?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly: "Xiao Zhu, you can't look at her with prejudice just because she is a female emperor."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "I have recently carefully read the information of emperors of past dynasties, and I also think that he is a rare emperor. Anyway, you, Old Li, can't compare to him."

Li Yuan was shocked: "Impossible! How could I lose to a mere woman? I am the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"

Zhu Ming:

"After Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she changed the country's name to Zhou, with Luoyang as the capital. The surname of the country was changed to Wu, just like Li Dan changed his name to Wu Lun. He is also the founding emperor of the Great Zhou."

"It's just that before she died, Wu Zetian left a last will: "I will be buried in the temple, returned to the mausoleum, and my imperial title will be dropped. I will be called the Great Saint Empress Zetian."

She returned to the Li family's ancestral temple and was buried together with her husband Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi as queen.

Mainly because of the patriarchal society, no one was willing to recognize that Wu Zhou was an independent dynasty.

Wu Zhou is generally considered to be part of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yuan nodded: "It definitely belongs to the Tang Dynasty. She just usurped the throne through a coup, and the court officials are all ministers of the Tang Dynasty!"

Yang Guang said sarcastically: "Old Li, you are just that capable. The moment you change the name of the country, you can say that it is no longer a dynasty."

"My father also usurped the throne. This is my first time attending a court meeting in your Tang Dynasty. Looking around, I see that the whole court is filled with Sui officials. Should I include the Tang Dynasty in the Sui Dynasty?"

Li Yuan thought about the officials currently in the court, and wondered if they had all served in the Sui Dynasty.

Many of them were officials of the Sui Dynasty court.

Zhu Ming:

"Old Yang and Old Li, I don't need to tell you the harm of aristocratic families. You know it better than anyone else."

"Now with the help of other dynasties, you can crush them with your absolute strength and destroy them."

"But in my history, although you, Old Yang, were crippled in order to eliminate the aristocratic families, you also destroyed the Sui Dynasty."

"Old Li didn't even have time to show his true colors before Li Shimin made him the emperor emeritus."

"Although Li Shimin was a rare emperor, he was helpless in the face of the aristocratic families."

"Li Zhi dealt a heavy blow to the aristocratic families."

"But it was Wu Zetian who truly eradicated the aristocratic families."

Yang Guang stood up in surprise: "What? It turned out to be her, a female emperor who could actually eliminate the aristocratic families. I thought it was someone else from Li Tang. It's really unexpected!"

Li Yuan was also dumbfounded. He had a deep understanding of the power of the aristocratic families. Even though Yang Guang severely punished the aristocratic families at that time, the aristocratic families were still powerful: "I think that Wu Zhou should belong to Li Tang!"

Zhu Ming:

"During the reign of Wu Zetian, the imperial examination system was vigorously promoted in order to suppress the aristocratic families."

Although the imperial examination system was established by Emperor Yang of Sui, it was resisted by aristocratic families.

It was during the Wu Zhou period that it really shined.

“In the previous imperial examination system, cheating was very serious.

It's easy to imagine that examiners can see the names of the candidates.

The children of aristocratic families can bribe the examiners, or use their family background to put pressure on the examiners, and the examiners will release their own students.

In order to solve this problem, Wu Zetian invented a "secret scroll system".

Candidates' names must be covered on their test papers.

When marking the test papers, the examiners cannot see the candidates' identities.

In this way, the problem of fraud is effectively solved.

It was also the "secret paper system" that gradually put the imperial examination on the right track and turned it into a real talent selection exam. "

To this day, this secret scroll system is still used by countries around the world.

In our country, all large-scale formal examinations require you to write your name, test number and other information within the sealing line.

The papers are uniformly bound within the sealing line, and the examiners are not allowed to check the candidates' information, which ensures the fairness of the marking to the greatest extent.

Yang Guang's eyes lit up: "Yes, I wanted to do that at the time, but it didn't work."

"However, in today's Sui Dynasty, all exams are like this!"

"Starting from primary school, your name must be covered in formal exams!"

Old Zhu chuckled: "If the names are not covered, can it still be called the imperial examination? The examinations in our place are all like this. Not only that, there is also a system of copying the papers to prevent some candidates from making marks on the papers and cheating!"

Li Yuan looked surprised and said, "Old Zhu, you are right. If the examinees communicate with the examiners in advance, it is easy to cheat with the help of the marks left secretly. I have to pay attention to this in the future."

The First Emperor said sourly: "I'm afraid it won't work in the short term. Paper has just been developed and cannot be mass-produced yet."

“It may take several years to implement.”

Zhu Ming:

Wu Zetian established the palace examination system, which was a landmark innovation in the history of imperial examinations.

Although the palace examination appeared during the reign of Emperor Li Zhi, it was not established as a system.

In 690 AD, Wu Zetian proclaimed herself emperor in Luoyang and used the imperial examination system to recruit talents.

Talents from all over the country gathered in Luoyang, and Wu Zetian personally inspected talents in the Luocheng Hall in Ziwei City.

The exam was held for several consecutive days, which shows how large its scale was.

The establishment of the palace examination system facilitated the emperor's personal selection of talents and enhanced the fairness of the imperial examinations.

This system has been continued by later dynasties.

In addition, Wu Zetian also established the military examination system, which allowed some military talents to be discovered.

The First Emperor nodded and said: "Daqin can give this one a try."

Li Yuan nodded: "We can try it in the Tang Dynasty. There were many powerful generals in the Tang Dynasty before, but after the big purge, there are not many left!"

Yang Guang smiled lightly: "The Great Sui is now preparing to establish a military school. I think it should be better than the military examination system!"

Old Zhu chuckled and said, "Old Yang, you have a good eye. It's the same as what I thought. The military academy over there is under construction."

Zhu Ming continued:

In addition to the imperial examination system, Wu Zetian also vigorously promoted the examiner system, which had a far-reaching impact.

Under the examination system, after selecting talents, they are first given a "probationary official position".

If you can make certain political achievements during the probation period, you will be given a regular position.

Most later dynasties adopted this method.

Those who entered the officialdom through the imperial examination were first given a probationary position and then gradually promoted.

The probation period here is similar.

However, they will be on probation for a period of time in a specific position before being converted to a permanent position!
(End of this chapter)