My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 384 The Case of the East and West Lists
The top scorer was Deng Yizan, and the second place went to the paper that Su Ze had his eye on; the examiner was Zhang Yuanbian.

After the results of the imperial examination are released, the candidate's registration information will be written after their name. This is to prevent duplicate names.

The registration information for examinees includes their place of origin and the names of their parents.

But soon, the candidates who were looking at the results started to discuss it.

The first-ranked scholar, Deng Yizan, was from Jiangxi, while the second-ranked scholar, Zhang Yuanbian, was from Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

Following that, the top twenty on the entire list of successful candidates were all scholars born in coastal provinces.

Then scholars compiled statistics showing that, although the ratio of six parts in the south to four parts in the north was strictly followed, the distribution was very uneven from east to west.

The provinces covered in the Southern Volume are Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang, and Guangdong, as well as Yingtian Prefecture and the ten prefectures under Southern Zhili, namely Songjiang, Suzhou, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Huizhou, Ningguo, Chizhou, Taiping, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and Guangde Prefecture.

Among them, candidates from Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian were far ahead, while the number of candidates from Jiangxi, a traditionally strong province for the imperial examinations, declined significantly, and only a handful of candidates from Huguang were successful candidates.

The Beijing exam was even more outrageous.

The Northern Volume includes the four provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi, the Shuntian Prefecture, and the seven prefectures of Baoding, Zhengding, Hejian, Shunde, Daming, Yongping, and Guangping in Beizhili, as well as the two prefectures of Yanqing and Bao'an, and the three military commands of Liaodong, Daning, and Wanquan.

This is even more unfair.

The number of successful candidates from Shandong and Beizhili far exceeded that of other provinces, and Shanxi also saw a confirmed increase. However, the number of successful candidates from Henan and Shaanxi declined sharply, reaching only single digits.

The Ming Dynasty also had a special secondary examination, which was held separately for the four provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou, and forty people were selected from these four provinces.

In the end, many candidates found that the coastal provinces had a high proportion of successful candidates admitted, and even the four provinces that received preferential treatment in the middle-level exams had a surprisingly high admission rate.

The most unfortunate regions are Henan, Shaanxi, and Hubei, where the admission rate is shockingly low!

This angered the candidates in these areas, and soon some began to question the exam results, believing it to be a case of cheating in the imperial examinations!
Some candidates even shouted the slogan of "East and West Lists," arguing that the court's selection of officials based on region, with more candidates from coastal provinces being admitted, was unfair to candidates from the interior!
If the chief examiner, Zhang Juzheng, hadn't been from Huguang himself, the scholars from Huguang would probably have attacked Zhang Juzheng as intentionally, just like in the North-South Examination Controversy of that year.

The issue of the imperial examination was naturally a major matter.

This incident quickly ignited public opinion, and the entire imperial court was thrown into turmoil once again!

Immediately afterwards, the Longqing Emperor personally issued an edict requiring all examiners to remain at the examination hall and submit a written account of the proceedings of this imperial examination.
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Inside the examination hall, Zhang Siwei's face was deathly pale.

His first reaction was that Gao Gong had taken action against Zhang Juzheng.

Is there any easier way to bring down a cabinet minister than by using a scandal involving corruption in the imperial examinations?

However, Zhang Siwei felt it was unlikely, because Su Ze was also among the examiners. If this case really developed into an examination cheating scandal, then Su Ze would not be spared either.

However, Zhang Siwei still had a knot in his heart. This examination cheating case was a troublesome matter. Anyone who got involved would suffer greatly. Not to mention that this year's grading was different from previous years, making it easy for someone to find fault.

What if the master couldn't resist taking action?

Zhang Siwei's mind was in turmoil. If he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess and would never have become a fellow examiner.

Zhang Siwei suddenly felt abandoned by Gao Gong, and this feeling grew stronger as he was confined to the examination hall.

When people are in dire straits, they are prone to overthinking. Moreover, Zhang Siwei is now a civil official in the Ministry of Personnel and the brightest rising star among Gao Gong's disciples. He wants to enter the cabinet and naturally cannot tolerate even the slightest stain on his reputation.

Zhang Siwei wanted to ask Su Ze directly, but he was afraid that Su Ze might have information that he didn't know, so he ultimately didn't go to Su Ze.
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Shen Shixing went directly to Su Ze.

"Brother Zilin, was this matter handled by Grand Secretary Gao?"

Su Ze decisively shook his head and said:

"The Prime Minister would not use this matter to attack Grand Secretary Zhang."

Shen Shixing nodded and said:

"This certainly doesn't seem like something a Grand Secretary would do, but how will this matter be resolved?"

Su Ze said with certainty:
"The cabinet will definitely side with Grand Secretary Zhang on this matter."

Shen Shixing said:
"That's right. Zilin is among the examiners. No matter what, Grand Secretary Gao won't let you fail here."

Su Ze shook his head and said:

"It's not because I'm here, but because the Prime Minister won't cause a conflict between the East and the West, which would affect the major policies of the court."

Su Ze understood that Gao Gong also wanted to implement reforms, so at this time, it was absolutely crucial not to provoke a conflict between the East and the West.

The North-South conflict alone was enough to give Gao Gong a headache. If a conflict between coastal and inland provinces were added, the cabinet would be unable to do anything.

Su Ze sighed; this regional issue was indeed a difficult problem to solve.

There was also a saying about the four provinces in the past life. In reality, it wasn't just the four provinces; most provinces were dissatisfied with the allocation of educational resources.

Moreover, the imperial examination system was not just about education.

Passing the imperial examination was a meteoric rise to power, equivalent to being selected as a civil servant in a ministry in one's previous life. This was no longer an educational issue, but a political one.

The Northern and Southern Examination Incidents in the early Ming Dynasty were a typical political event.

Shen Shixing said:
"But the students outside are talking about it a lot. What should we do?"

Shen Shixing looked at Su Ze; this time, he was truly panicked.

Even if they knew it wasn't Gao Gong who made the move, such a huge commotion meant that even Zhang Juzheng couldn't guarantee his safety.

What if the emperor wanted to "borrow Zhang Juzheng" to quell the students' discontent?

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty did this kind of thing quite often.

The only saving grace was that Zhang Juzheng's ancestral home was in Huguang (Hubei and Hunan).

However, the large number of examiners from coastal areas, such as Shen Shixing and Su Ze, has made them a new target of attack.

Su Ze said:

"What should we do? Of course, we should follow the imperial edict and recount the events of this imperial examination."

"Lord Zhang has a clear conscience, so why should we panic?"

Shen Shixing looked at Su Ze and said:

"Zilin, you're thinking of submitting a petition, aren't you?"

Su Ze looked at Shen Shixing, knowing he couldn't hide it from his friend, and had no choice but to say:
"I am prepared to submit a memorial to the imperial court, requesting that the system of ranking candidates in the North and South be amended."

Shen Shixing was shocked.

The North-South Ranking System was one of the most fundamental systems of the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations. How could Su Ze dare to challenge it?

Shen Shixing immediately said:
"Brother Zilin! The scholars outside are already in a state of great agitation. You mustn't act rashly!"

Su Ze said:

"This East-West conflict is a good opportunity to promote the reform of the imperial examination system."

"Besides, which reform of the imperial examination system has ever been free of controversy?"

"Even if we don't change it this time, will there be no controversy if we change it later?"

"With Grand Secretary Zhang overseeing this imperial examination, it can withstand scrutiny. Now is the best time for me to submit my petition requesting a change to the North-South examination system." Shen Shixing looked into Su Ze's resolute eyes and said, "..."

"Brother Zilin, have you finished writing the memorial? Hurry up and bring it out, I need to sign it too."

"Brother Rumo, why must you do this?"

Shen Shixing said:
"The conflict between the North and South examinations has caused discord among scholars from both regions. The Ming Dynasty cannot afford any more East-West rivalry."

Su Ze also sighed.

The North-South rankings, with six in the South and four in the North, ultimately left everyone dissatisfied.

Southern scholars felt that they were able to obtain more places because the North-South ranking system protected Northern scholars.

Northern scholars felt they had been cheated. The capital was in the north, as were the nine important border towns. Why should the southerners be able to secure 60% of the imperial examination quotas?

Su Ze took out the prepared memorial and handed it to Shen Shixing.

Su Ze's memorial clearly stated the problem of the imperial examination system.

"When the universe is out of balance, poverty cannot support the boat of rites and music; when taxes are exorbitant, how can poor scholars climb the ladder to success?"

Seeing this, even Shen Shixing would have to applaud!
The imperial examination system was not just about the interests of the candidates; it was also about fairness.

There was no way around it; the Ming Dynasty was simply too vast.

The differences between North and South, and between East and West, are already greater than the differences between some small countries.

Su Ze first explained that the main reasons for the imbalance in the imperial examination system were the gap between the rich and the poor and the unfairness of regional development.

Su Ze proposed a two-step approach.

The problem of economic and educational imbalances has already emerged. If we continue to use the same exam papers for admissions as those from the north and south, it would be unfair to those from inland and coastal areas.

The first step was for the Ming Dynasty to further subdivide the exam papers.

Su Ze also explained why the admission rate for candidates from the eastern coastal areas was higher than that for candidates from the western inland areas this time.

This is because this imperial examination placed greater emphasis on practical policy essays, increasing their proportion.

Coastal areas, with their developed culture, newspapers, and academies, have access to a wider range of information, which allows them to write better policy essays.

Su Ze also supported Zhang Juzheng's view, believing that restoring the weight of policy essays in the imperial examinations was of utmost importance.

Su Ze also explained the reasons in his memorial:

Two hundred years have passed since the Qing Dynasty began its civil service examinations, and the eight-legged essay has been used up almost all the possible questions. As a result, many county and provincial examinations now pride themselves on their strangeness and obscurity, even dissecting sentences from classical texts and using convoluted and difficult questions to stump students.

In order to pass these questions, scholars treat the teachings of sages as mere wordplay, failing to grasp the true meaning of the books and instead focusing on obscure and difficult passages to memorize.

This already goes against the original intention of Emperor Taizu in establishing the imperial examination system.

How can people selected in this way be expected to shoulder the heavy responsibility of being local officials?
Therefore, Su Ze also advocated that policy essays and eight-legged essays should be given equal importance, restoring the status of policy essays in the imperial examinations, rather than relying solely on eight-legged essays for selecting officials.

Su Ze proposed that all candidates continue to take separate exam papers.

The "Southern Volume" is further divided into the "Southeast Coastal Volume" (Jiangsu/Zhejiang/Fujian/Guangdong), the "Central China Volume" (Hubei/Hunan/Jiangxi), and the "Southwest Volume" (the four provinces in the Central Volume); the "Northern Volume" is further divided into the "North China Volume" (Shandong/Beizhili) and the "Northwest Volume" (Shaanxi/Henan/Shanxi).

Su Ze proposed that before each imperial examination, the quotas should be adjusted regularly based on the number of candidates in each province in recent years, the level of education (such as the density of official schools), and economic development (tax contribution) to avoid rigidity caused by a fixed ratio.

At the same time, Su Ze also suggested that, in accordance with the Five Classics, different policy questions could be set for each candidate in each volume.

For example, in the Northwest region, issues such as the Northwest military settlements and border troubles could be used as policy objectives.

For candidates from the southwest, the question could be about the governance of the Tusi (local chieftains) in the southwest.

In this way, the imperial court could also learn about the local situation through these candidates and see their thoughts on local issues.

The second step proposed by Su Ze was to level the playing field in these regions. When the admission rates in different regions are roughly the same, then the adjustment will be considered successful.

When that time comes, we can abolish this regional policy and revert to a unified national examination, allowing for the selection of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) regardless of their region.

Su Ze also proposed several methods to address this issue.

First, the Tongzhengsi (Office of Transmission) strengthened its post station system, establishing post stations at the grassroots level in inland provinces. Excellent books selected from the capital were sent to these post stations in inland counties, allowing scholars in the interior to access the latest books and learn about the court's activities.

Secondly, we should strengthen exchanges among outstanding academic officials.

Good educational officials serving in inland areas should be given preferential treatment during the Ministry of Personnel's assessment.

If local education officials improve the local education level, the Ministry of Personnel will give them preferential treatment when selecting officials.

Finally, Su Ze also proposed to the imperial court to subsidize the travel expenses of scholars from remote areas who came to the capital to take the imperial examinations, increase the number of county schools and prefectures in remote areas, and increase subsidies for impoverished students.

At the very end of his memorial, Su Ze brought up the issue of levying commercial taxes again.

This time, Su Ze openly and honestly used Shandong and Shanxi as examples.

This time, the number of scholars from Shandong and Shanxi who passed the imperial examination increased significantly.

Su Ze believes that this is because the two provinces have introduced commercial taxes, which has allowed them to invest more money in infrastructure and education, thus increasing the admission rate of scholars from both regions.

Su Ze naturally proposed that all regions should levy commercial taxes as soon as possible.

In the end, Su Ze still proposed the old method from the last Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination: publish the answer sheets of the top-ranking scholars in this metropolitan examination in the newspaper to dispel the doubts of other scholars.

After Shen Shixing finished reading, he took a breath and said:

"Brother Zilin's memorial is truly full of boldness."

In official circles, describing someone as having great courage and decisiveness usually implies that they are too radical.

Shen Shixing felt that this memorial was too radical.

Su Ze said:

“If Brother Rumo thinks it’s not feasible, then I’ll write the letter myself.”

Shen Shixing, however, said:

"I sign!"

Shen Shixing said:
"As Brother Zilin mentioned in his memorial, if we don't resolve the issue now, it will be even more difficult to resolve in the future."

"The issue of the imperial examination concerns countless scholars, and it should be discussed openly so that everyone can express their opinions."

"Brother Zilin has proposed a solution, and I, Shen, cannot think of a better one. I'll just sign your memorial."

Su Ze looked at Shen Shixing, realizing that his friend was truly a model of pragmatism.

You could say he doesn't have any strong opinions of his own, but he always agrees with correct opinions and is willing to support them, even if he didn't come up with them.

After Shen Shixing finished signing, Su Ze handed the memorial to the official outside the examination hall, and then stuffed a copy into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Imperial Court".

(End of this chapter)