Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 160: The Emperor’s Mindset, Stop the Imperial Examination!
Ok Hee Palace.

Zhu Houcong sat in front of the imperial desk.

They were all exempted from the imperial examination and went to Beijing for selection.

This was the advance preparation made by Zhang Juzheng's cabinet to eradicate the Huizhou merchants.

Zhang Juzheng was ambitious to solve the problem of Huizhou merchants and did not hesitate to select 100,000 scholars to serve in the government.

But Zhu Houcong frowned, looked at Zhang Juzheng who was sitting on the embroidered cushion ready to play a response, and said, "Zhang Juzheng."

"The minister is here."

"Do you know what the most important thing in the world is?"

"Reply to Your Majesty, the country and the people!"

"The country and the people?"

Zhu Houcong muttered to himself twice, and then asked: "What is the country and the people?"

"Your Majesty, She means soil, Ji means grain, Jiangshan Sheji means that the Majesty rules over the vast rivers and mountains, and the common people grow crops on the land of the vast rivers and mountains.

The happiness of the state is the happiness of the people. The emperor's country is the people's country. The people have no worries about food and clothing, and the emperor's country is stable. "Zhang Juzheng's answer was neither good nor bad, highlighting the middle way.

"Is the Ming Dynasty stable?"

"Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty has been passed down from generation to generation without interruption, and it is as solid as a rock." Zhang Juzheng said respectfully.

Today, the fields of the Ming Dynasty are fertile, the people are wealthy, the country is prosperous, and all the people are happy. It is not much different from the prosperous times in previous dynasties.

"In this world, where is there any dynasty that is as solid as a rock? Where is there any dynasty that will always enjoy the unchanging mandate of heaven?" Zhu Houcong started to get serious.

Zhang Juzheng was startled and said, "Your Majesty, as long as our Ming Dynasty has wise rulers and wise ministers, our Ming Dynasty will be the first dynasty to enjoy the eternal destiny of the emperor."

"A wise ruler every dynasty? A wise minister every generation?"

Zhu Houcong sneered and said, "Let me ask you, from the first year of Jiajing to the thirty-ninth year of Jiajing, was I a wise ruler or a foolish ruler?

Yang Tinghe, Shen Lian, Xia Yan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, you, Gao Gong, Hu Zongxian, which ones are virtuous ministers and which ones are treacherous ministers? "

“……”Zhang Juzheng was silent.

People are complex.

At the beginning of the emperor's reign, he vigorously implemented new policies and corrected many current ills. However, later on, the emperor devoted himself to practicing Taoism, which created new current ills. It is impossible to describe him as a bad or incompetent ruler in one sentence.

The same is true for Yang Tinghe and others. When they first became officials, they may have been full of ambitions, but in the end, everything turned to dust, and their virtues and traitors could only be left to future generations to judge.

"The emperor is chosen by the royal family. Even I inherited the throne from my elder brother, Emperor Zhengde. This is determined by blood relationship and has nothing to do with the court. I will not say more to you."

The affairs of the royal family were not something that a minister like Zhang Juzheng could interfere in casually, so Zhu Houcong opened the discussion and asked, "How were the wise and treacherous ministers selected?"

"Your Majesty, it is the imperial examination," Zhang Juzheng replied.

The Tongsheng Examination, the Provincial Examination, the Metropolitan Examination and the Palace Examination all belong to the imperial examination. In the past, only those who passed the Juren Examination had the possibility of becoming an official, but now, even the Xiucai Examination is required.

"What is the imperial examination?"

Zhu Houcong nodded, then shook his head and said, "I don't want to listen to those empty talk about seeking talents for the country. Zhang Juzheng, you know what I want to ask."

"Your Majesty, the imperial examination is to examine the scholars of the world and win the hearts of the scholars of the world."

Zhang Juzheng thought for a long time and said slowly: "The first purpose of the imperial examination is not to select talents or to educate the world, but to capture the people with lofty ideals!
Let all the smart people in the world be trapped in the cage of eight-legged essay, let them study the chapters and sentences, and study the classics until they are old. In this way, these people will not have wild ideas and will not be easily deceived by evil ways.

If scholars are stable, even if there are still people who want to rebel, they are just bandits and can't accomplish anything big! "Zhang Juzheng revealed the truth about the imperial examination system in the Qing Dynasty.

Imprisoning patriots is a tragedy both in ancient and modern times.

Zhu Houcong nodded, then shook his head and said, "Then are the scholars settled? The Yuan court treated the surrendered Yuan scholars just as well, but why did the world be taken over by bandits like my Taizu Gaohuangdi?"

Cold sweat broke out on Zhang Juzheng's forehead.

Are scholars stable?
How can there be stability?
The more books one has, the more he wants. Even if the whole world were given to scholars, they would not be satisfied, let alone settle down.

It is precisely because of the instability of scholars, or the people who read the most, that the whole world becomes unstable, leaving the bandits with no food to eat and so they rise up in rebellion, shouting out the words "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different races?"

In order to make the country stable, the ordinary people must be stable first, but it is impossible for the scholars to be stable.

"I have been thinking recently that scholars serve in the court, their eyes are unable to recognize the five grains, their hands are not strong enough to tie a chicken, and their ears are deaf to the suffering of the people. Will such officials and such a court ever be truly stable?"

Zhu Houcong looked at the words "please bring in 100,000 scholars to serve", and sighed: "For thousands of years, the courts of the Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties were all composed of scholars."

Zhang Juzheng was shocked.

The emperor's words revealed too much meaning.

The holy words were full of criticisms of the scholars and the court. Could it be that... Zhang Juzheng didn't dare to think further.

Zhu Houcong continued, "Books are read by scholars, farmers, workers, and even businessmen, but scholars are so high up. I can't understand why.

Zhang Juzheng, you are the head of the cabinet, tell me, how much of those sages' writings have been used in governing the country?"

Zhang Juzheng had difficulty breathing and reluctantly replied, "Your Majesty, maybe 10%."

"In my opinion, if the teachings of the saints are 100%, maybe only 10% of them are true."

Zhu Houcong laughed, his voice getting colder and colder, "It's time for the legend of the saint to end."

"Your Majesty means..."

"I want to change."

Zhu Houcong stood up, walked straight to the main hall door, and opened it with his own hands. A strong wind blew in: "What is the use of a scholar reading all the principles of the world but failing to follow the most basic etiquette and morality?
As for the 100,000 people waiting for official positions, it might be a good idea to change the situation and let the educated children of farmers and workers have a try. I think that nothing could be worse than a court of scholars.

As for the imperial examination, let’s put it on hold for now.”

Farmers' court.

Workers' court.

Stop the imperial examination.

It was like one heavy punch after another, hitting Zhang Juzheng's heart hard, making him feel depressed and uncomfortable.

Zhang Juzheng was in a state of confusion and didn't even know how to refute, so he had to leave for the time being.

Zhang Juzheng didn't know how he left Yuxi Palace, nor did he know how he returned to the cabinet. He stood in front of the door of the Government Affairs Hall and was reluctant to enter, as if he had lost his soul.

A crystal clear snowflake fell quietly and landed on Zhang Juzheng's neck. The slight chill made Zhang Juzheng feel cold to the bone and he couldn't help shivering.

Snowing.

Winter is coming!

The cold winter for scholars is coming!
(End of this chapter)