Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2420: The Duke is not an assistant, but a regent (XI)

On the 16th day of the first lunar month in the first year of Taichang, the copper bells on the eaves rang softly in the snow and wind, and thick ice and snow lay on the green tiles. Wanglong Tower, one of the most famous "three towers" in the capital, had opened for business.

In the teahouse on the first floor, the scent of sandalwood mixed with pine smoke and ink, more than 30 birch tables were filled with students from Shuntian Prefecture. Four young men in different fur coats sat in a corner, the steam from the teacups condensed into ice flowers on the window paper.

Wang Sheng, who was wearing a thick blue shirt, tapped his fingers on the table and sighed, "This new system is really changing every day! The provincial examination list was just released last year, and now the examination guidelines have been changed in the first month of the year... We have studied hard for ten years, do we have to learn the science of mathematics from scratch?"

An old scholar dressed as a student at the next table nodded his head repeatedly, and his tea bowl hit the table, making a "bang" sound. It was a pity that although he was old, he was just a student, and although he attracted people's attention, no one paid any attention to him.

A gray leather-robed scholar sitting at the same table with Wang Sheng pulled out a copy of "Introduction to the Study of Things" from his sleeve when he heard what Wang Sheng said. He said with a smile, "Look at what you are saying, Brother Wang. The mathematics textbook published in Beijing was already available three years ago. Haven't you ever read it?"

He dipped his finger in the tea and drew a geometric shape on the table. "Three years ago, the imperial examination added a selection test, but it was only for reference at that time. Now 30% is counted as the total score. Speaking of it, this is clearly an orderly progress."

Another scholar in a purple satin jacket shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Brother Li, that's easy for you to say! My cousin is a teacher in Yingtian Prefecture. He heard the news when he returned to Beijing for the New Year. He told me privately that if the scholars in Jiangnan learned about this, they would definitely submit a petition together, saying that this move was 'using strange skills to corrupt people's minds' or something like that... But, Gao Yuanfu has even overthrown Lord Shen, so who can stop him now?"

The sound of horse hooves could be heard outside the window. The Imperial Guard patrol, which was temporarily replacing the Tengxiang Four Guards that were still being reorganized to patrol the capital, walked past in the snow. The cold light from the tips of the Wanli Three-style bayonets on their backs made the teacups shine.

Another scholar at the same table, wearing a leopard-skin hat, seemed to have noticed nothing. Instead, he clapped his hands and laughed: "You all must have participated in the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination last year? Ha, most of us northern scholars have read the Beijing's "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration", while many southern scholars don't even know what a 'wheel axle overturned' is!"

He smiled, and took out a copy of "Mathematical Essentials" from his bosom and shook it, "This 30% selection is exactly the 'special meal' that Gao Yuanfu gave to us northern scholars! You all don't kowtow to Zhao Huijinggongfang, but still harbor resentment. Isn't it a joke?"

Wang Sheng, who spoke first, clapped his legs and stood up: "So, this year the North Ranking will be better than the South Ranking? But we are..."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of a heavy wooden cane came from the stairs. An old man in a gray robe came up with a cane. The front of the jade plaque on his waist was engraved with the words "Jinghua", which glowed dimly under the candlelight. Unfortunately, the back was not visible - the back should be engraved with the department he worked for, such as "Ordnance", "Newspaper", "Mining", "Bank", etc.

The grey-robed old man seemed to have heard their conversation outside the door. He glanced at the candidates and sneered, "Do you know that Gao Yuanfu promoted the new curved plow in Henan? The yield per mu increased by 30%, relying on these studies of statecraft." He glanced at the four people and said, "The reform of the imperial examination system is not for a certain province or scholar, but for the Ming Dynasty."

The teahouse suddenly became quiet, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire. The scholar in the leopard-skin hat lowered his head, and Wang Sheng also sat down in dismay. When the old man turned around and went upstairs, he went to the private room in the west wing.

Coincidentally, in the private room in the east wing, which was separated from the private room where the old man went by a patio, Yu Shenxing, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace who had just joined the cabinet for just over half a month, was playing chess with the new Minister of Rites Guo Zhengyu, wearing a blue cotton robe and holding a white chess piece. The two of them could see the situation downstairs through the carved window lattices.

Guo Zhengyu was wearing a black robe and holding the black chess piece, but he was still hesitant to make a move. Instead, he sighed softly, "Look, sir, even the scholars of Shuntian Prefecture have complaints."

Yu Shenxing picked up a chess piece in his hand and turned it over, smiling and saying, "Minglong, do you know the identity of the gray-robed old man just now?"

Minglong is Guo Zhengyu's nickname.

"I don't know," Guo Zhengyu shook his head. "In the Yuanfu Mansion, I only know the Gao Mo family. Unfortunately, he is now half-retired. It is said that after the Zheng-Li Rebellion, he returned to Jianxinzhai to retire."

Yu Shenxing smiled slightly: "This person just now is one of the deputy directors of Jinghua Newspaper Company. His surname is Hong. It is said that he is in charge of summarizing public opinion."

Guo Zhengyu's face condensed, and he frowned and said, "If we spread the word so widely, I'm afraid we will be criticized by future generations."

Yu Shenxing put the chess piece into the chess pot and shook his head: "When the ruler is young and the country is in doubt, it is difficult to show the heart of a bodhisattva without thunderbolt means."

Seeing Guo Zhengyu silent, he smiled and stood up, pushed open the window, looked towards the direction of Dong'an Gate in the snow, and said with a nostalgic tone: "When the late emperor was alive, he once joked to me: 'It's easy to be a king.' I asked the late emperor why he said that, and the late emperor said: 'Every time there is a new memorial, just write a "yes" in red, and the world will be settled.'... Minglong, do you understand what I mean?"

Guo Zhengyu's expression became even more solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "If that's the case, then who is the ruler of the Ming Dynasty today?"

Yu Shenxing turned his head and looked at him. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "At least judging from the current situation, Yuan Fu has not behaved in any disrespectful manner."

Guo Zhengyu finally threw the black piece in his hand back into the chess pot and clapped his hands, saying, "Is it the time when Duke Zhou was afraid of rumors, or when Wang Mang was humble and had not yet usurped the throne... Let's wait and see."

Ten days later, on the twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month, there was still light snow falling in the capital. Candidates from all over the country had arrived in Beijing one after another, preparing to take part in the joint examination in early February.

In front of the screen wall of Suzhou Guild Hall, more than 20 candidates were gathered around the newly posted yellow list. The young man in a square scarf in the lead stamped his feet, shaking off the snow: "Three examinations plus four, but the classics only account for 70%. Isn't this asking us to abandon the Analects and study Geometry?" The "Detailed Rules for the Reform of the Imperial Examination System" in his hand was soaked by the snow, and the ink words were blurred.

Suddenly, a scholar with a curly beard sneered in the crowd: "Could it be that when Lord Shen said this was 'using magic to destroy the Tao', Gao Yuanfu was really bold!" He clapped his hands and said loudly, "Everyone, do you still remember that Emperor Taizu clearly said 'the unrighteous behavior of scholars is due to their unrighteous intentions'? Now Gao Yuanfu does not allow us to concentrate on the way of cultivating the mind like a saint, but wants us to take exams on water conservancy formulas and mathematical arithmetic. Isn't this encouraging tricks and calculating people's hearts? What is this?"

"Brother Chen, you are wrong!" A scholar in a blue shirt in the corner suddenly stood up. "There was a severe drought in Zhongdu last year. If it weren't for the curved plow in Beijing, I'm afraid many people would have starved to death." He raised his hand and said, "I don't know why arithmetic is so important to the court, but the court at least values ​​agronomy. Agronomy is always a way to govern the country, right? There is also the method of studying things. It is said that the new curved plow..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a "bang" sound, and someone threw a book on the stone steps. The middle-aged scholar in a blue satin jacket pointed at the blue-shirted scholar and cursed: "You are talking nonsense! Do you know how many factories in Jiangnan have lost more than 2,000 machine workers' jobs in just three months because of your so-called study of things, that is, the advent of the new jacquard machine in Beijing?"

The jade pendant on his waist swung with his movements. "Now that the imperial examination system has been reformed, it's clear that it's blocking our path to advancement!"

It seems that the jacquard machine is just a topic, and the main part is the stepping stone to advancement.

The snow was falling more and more heavily. Before they knew it, more than a hundred candidates had gathered at Qipan Street. A fifty-year-old man was the first to hold up a white banner that read "Follow the ancestral system" and said in a trembling voice in the wind: "The eight-legged essay is the foundation of the establishment of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. Now Gao Youshi is disrupting the order of our dynasty with his small tricks such as mathematics and the study of things. We should go to the palace and submit a petition!" After saying that, he headed towards the Ministry of Rites.

Seeing that someone was willing to be the first to take the lead, the other candidates were unwilling to lag behind and all followed behind the old candidate, clamoring and moving forward.

When the patrol officers of the Third Town of the Imperial Guard, who were still temporarily patrolling the capital, discovered the unusual movement, the candidates had already rushed to the ceremonial gate of the Ministry of Rites. The clerk on duty saw that the situation was not good and hurriedly closed the red lacquered door, but the door knocker was smashed by bricks and stones, so he could only hide behind the door in panic. The candidates in the front row used books as shields, shouting "Give me back the imperial examination", and pushed and shoved with several guards. "Form a formation!" Zhang Polu, the captain of the Imperial Guard, tensed his face and suddenly raised the flag. Three hundred Imperial Guards lined up in three rows, and the bayonets of the Wanli Type 3 rifles shone coldly in the snow.

He Pinglu ordered: "Front row warning shots!"

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers in the front row suddenly raised their hands and fired a volley diagonally into the sky. The "bang bang" sound rang out in an instant, frightening many soldiers who had never heard the sound of a musket being fired and making their legs tremble.

"How dare you, soldiers, kill Siwen?" Someone among the candidates screamed. The crowd immediately became agitated, only to see the guards with bayonets ready, slowly approaching like a steel wall.

Zhang Polu rode forward, passed the army formation, drew his command knife and pointed it at the officials, shouting, "We, the Imperial Guards, follow the orders of His Majesty and the Prime Minister to uphold the laws and order of the capital. Anyone who disrupts the order of the court will be killed without mercy!"

When the candidates heard that the emperor really wanted to "kill without mercy", they didn't know whether it was true or not, and their morale was inevitably lost. They didn't know what to do.

Zhang Polu knew that the opportunity was fleeting, and immediately continued to shout: "You came to the capital to take the exam, which is a good thing, but now attacking the Ministry of Rites is tantamount to treason! Be honest and follow me, maybe there will be a chance to persuade you, but if you want to resist... my guards are the emperor's personal soldiers, and we can kill a few traitors without hesitation!"

As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, he cannot explain his reason clearly. The candidates were shocked to see that the captain of the army had no fear of them, the scholars, and actually ordered the guards to continue to approach. Apart from anything else, the sharp bayonets were really scary!

Even though some people were still howling and shouting, no one dared to throw a tantrum in front of the guards' bayonets that were like a wall. Although they kept howling, they did not struggle with their hands and let the guards arrest them.

By the time Minister of Rites Guo Zhengyu arrived upon hearing the news, the imperial guards had already escorted the three leaders to the steps. The light from the sky reflected the bloodstains on their blue shirts from the ropes that bound them, and one of them was still shouting, "Gao Youshi has tampered with the ancestral system, and he will be punished by heaven!"

Guo Zhengyu took a deep breath, knowing that this matter was no longer something he could handle. He could only discuss it with the young captain of the Imperial Guard named Zhang Polu, hoping that he would not pursue the matter and release the person on the spot.

Who knew that the young general would not buy it at all. Although his tone was polite, his attitude was very firm: "Grand Master, what you said is wrong. My father has instructed that our Imperial Guards only recognize the imperial edict and the orders of the Prime Minister, in addition to the military orders! Now these scholars who don't know where they studied have actually done such a rebellious thing. We must take them away and wait for the emperor or the prime minister to make a decision!"

Guo Zhengyu was surprised when he heard him call himself "Ben Biao". This man in front of him was only in his twenties, but he was actually the commander of the Imperial Guard?

Guo Zhengyu suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked, "May I know your father's name?"

The young general said proudly: "My father's surname is Zhang, and his taboo name is Wanbang."

Guo Zhengyu cursed in his heart, this was really hitting a wall. Zhang Wanbang had just made great contributions in the Zheng-Li Rebellion not long ago, and was promoted from the general of Jizhen to the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. He was the confidant and beloved general of the Yuanfu, and he might have a chance to become the commander of the Imperial Guard, the top military position in the Ming Dynasty.

As for this kind of people, even if he is the Minister of Rites, he would be helpless - the Imperial Guards are really special now. Apart from Gao Yuanfu himself, there are only a few civil officials such as the cabinet elders in charge of military affairs and the Minister of War who can suppress the Imperial Guards.

Guo Zhengyu had no choice but to go forward and appease the candidates. The candidates had clearly come to attack the Ministry of Rites before, but now seeing the Minister of Rites was like seeing their parents, they all complained about their grievances and cursed the Imperial Guards for insulting civility, especially the general, who was extremely evil.

Guo Zhengyu had no other options but to advise them to stay calm and that the court would have a public opinion on today's events. However, he didn't know that the public opinion of the court this time... might be beyond their expectations.

At 11:00 the next day, in the east warm room of the Qianqing Palace, Queen Mother Wang gently stroked the little emperor's hair and listened to Gao Youshi's report. The red ink on the "Memorial on Dealing with the Juren's Trouble" on the desk had not yet dried, and the ink was glowing in the early morning candlelight.

"Mr. Gao," the Queen Mother sighed, "I don't know much about politics, but these candidates all have clean backgrounds. Wouldn't it be too harsh to strip them of their titles and never employ them again?"

Gao Youshi bowed and said, "The Empress Dowager is wise. The reform of the imperial examination system is not to suppress scholars, but to select capable officials." He unfolded the "Draft Opinions on the Reform of the Imperial Examination System" and explained, "Emperor Taizu established the eight-part essay to recruit talents, but after a hundred years, it gradually became a shackle. Now we test mathematics, agriculture, and the study of things to make scholars understand the principle of 'the wise are in office, and the capable are in office'. We must not neglect learning."

"But... but they are scholars after all." The Queen Mother hesitated. "Even when the late emperor was alive, he was rarely so strict with scholars..."

"The late emperor once discussed with me how to govern a country," Gao Youshi interrupted her. "The late emperor said that governing a country is like treating an illness. We must strengthen the foundation and nourish the vital energy, and we must also prescribe the right medicine for the symptoms."

He pointed to the south and said, "Last year, when the Huaihe River was flooded, someone in the river department actually proposed to use the "Yu Gong" to control the flood, which resulted in the flooding of three counties. However, the graduates of Jinghua School used the Pythagorean theorem to measure the embankment and ensured the safety of Suqian. It can be seen that there are many people in the court who are good at writing, but few who are good at handling affairs. However, governing a country is not only about writing, but also about handling affairs well, so the reform of the imperial examination system has to be carried out. On the way back to the north, the late emperor also discussed this matter with me, but it was a pity that his holy body was not in good condition later..."

The Queen Mother was silent for a moment, and then said in embarrassment: "Mr. Gao, do you know that many people submitted memorials yesterday saying that this move would shake the foundation of the country..."

"I know." Gao Youshi pulled out this issue of Beijing Weekly from his sleeve, turned to the editorial page and handed it to Queen Mother Wang. "Today's Weekly has published "On the Reform of the Imperial Examination System", detailing the pros and cons." He turned to one of the pages, "Hundreds of scholars in the southern list have signed a joint letter to support the reform, saying that 'Eight-part essays are beautiful, but they can't save people from floods and droughts.' As for the scholars in the northern and central lists, most of them have supported the reform from the beginning."

This was obviously Gao Youshi's own talk. The number of scholars from the three lists who came to Beijing to take the exams exceeded 10,000, and it was impossible to investigate them all in one day. But now even the imperial guards were involved, and more than a hundred scholars from Jiangnan who were causing trouble were arrested. Naturally, the remaining candidates "supported" it.

Queen Mother Wang took the newspaper and read it carefully for a while. Then she nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "In this case, we will follow the Prime Minister's request." She picked up the little emperor and pressed the jade seal heavily on the yellow silk. "It's fine to remove the three main culprits, but... I hope the Prime Minister will show leniency to the other hundred people."

Gao Youshi bowed and said, "I will let these candidates know about the Queen Mother's kindness."

When the imperial edict was transmitted to Suzhou Guild Hall, the candidates were gathered around reading the Jinghua Weekly. When they heard that the imperial edict only severely punished the three main culprits, and the rest of the people were only "punished to guard the Confucius Temple for three days and copy the "Imperial Edict" ten times every day because of the empress dowager's plea, a candidate named Yang suddenly burst into tears: "We only thought that the prime minister was tyrannical, but we forgot that he had devoted his heart and soul to our holy dynasty and made countless contributions... Now the empress dowager has shown great kindness and is willing to give us a chance to reform ourselves. How can we not feel ashamed!"

Some people around me felt the same way, while others looked down on me. But no matter what they thought, they could only thank God and look grateful.

Three days later, the Ministry of Rites posted a notice announcing the schedule for the Spring Examination.

Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the young emperor was lying on the window lattice looking at the snow. He suddenly remembered what he had heard a few days ago and asked, "Mother, did my father-in-law release those candidates? Why did they make trouble?"

"Let him go," the Queen Mother sighed and said softly, "My son, when you take power, you will understand your father-in-law's good intentions." The little emperor nodded as if he understood, pressed his frozen red fingers on the glass window a few times, and printed out a small plum blossom.
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