I studied in modern times

Chapter 835 Feng Jing: I must obtain this royal favor!
Zhao Xu listened quietly to Zhang Fangping and Feng Jing describing the "Xi and Feng story" in front of him.

As he listened, he showed a look of fascination.

It was as if I was immersed in the stories of the previous dynasty described by these two elders.

The glory of the Emperor Yingwen of the Great Song Dynasty is brilliant and dazzling, shining on the world.

Zhao Xu listened with tears in his eyes and slightly reddened eyes, he was completely moved by the virtue of the late emperor!

After the two elders finished speaking, Zhao Xu choked up and said, "The virtues and deeds of our emperor... truly shine throughout the world and benefit the four seas... With my humble virtue... I am afraid that I will never be able to reach even a fraction of that in this lifetime..."

As he said this, he stood up and walked down the steps of the palace, came to the hall, and stood in front of the two elders who were bowing in the hall.

He personally helped the two elders up.

"Please teach me, two elders..."

"How should we resolve the issue of the clerks in Kaifeng Prefecture?"

The young official bowed in greeting in front of the two elders.

Huang Shi, the attendant who had been sitting behind a screen at one side of the hall, was stunned for a moment when he saw this scene.

Just at this moment, a ray of sunlight shone in from the gap in the windowsill and fell on the desk in front of Huang Shi.

The summer sunshine is as bright as gold.

Just like at this moment, the emperor and the elders in the palace!
Huang Shi felt as if he had walked into a legendary moment in history books.

When Duke Zhou successfully built Luoyi, King Cheng came to Luoyi in person to ask Duke Zhou for advice on how to govern the country.

The book says: The young boy is his friend, the young boy is his friend, go with him!

It is also said: Ming Baoyu Chongzi, the Duke is known for his great virtue!

Forty-five years ago, during the palace examination in the second year of the Qingli period, the twenty-one-year-old Wang Anshi wrote the four words "Ruziqipeng" on his paper.

His intention was to advise the emperor, employ veteran officials, and be close to wise officials.

Unexpectedly, this violated a taboo and he lost the top spot and fell to fourth place.

Forty-five years later, the scene that the twenty-one-year-old Wang Anshi had hoped to see appeared in this Funing Hall.

The emperor was wise and virtuous, and he humbled himself and came down from the palace to consult the elders on government affairs.

The elders and ministers gave their all to assist the emperor and offer advice and suggestions.

Huang Shi's scalp was numb, and he could no longer suppress his inner emotions. He picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and began to record in the diary...

……

In the hall, after Zhang Fangping and Feng Jing were helped up, they listened to Zhao Xu's words closely, felt the tone of Zhao Xu's voice, and also felt the desire and expectation conveyed by the young man in front of them.

Although they all know now that this is mostly just an act.

Because the young official in front of him is actually very opinionated!
But all these things were hidden by him.

This is the consensus that many people today keep in their hearts and dare not speak out.

however……

Even if it's just pretending.

but……

The emotional value, the respect for their humanity, the moment that goes down in history.

It still moved the two elders.

Even Feng Jing, who has always been known as the 'Golden-Haired Rat', is not immune!

"Old minister... Old minister..." Feng Jing shed tears: "What virtue and ability do I have to deserve the emperor's condescension and questioning of me?!"

"Even if I were to be torn to pieces, I'm afraid it would be difficult to repay you!"

"I am willing to spend the rest of my life serving Your Majesty, and I will never regret it even if I die!"

Feng Jing said this sincerely.

More than just touching!

More profitable!

He, Wen Yanbo, Sun Gu, Fu Shaoting and Han Zhongyan's families have formed a fighting group and are preparing to buy a pawnshop.

Although there is a time limit for buying bets, the transfer of buying rights is common.

For example, the thirty-six official stores in Bianjing City have changed hands countless times over the past hundred years.

however……

Although the turnover rate of the owners of the main stores is very high, the nobles hidden behind these stores rarely change.

In other words, if you buy a pawnshop, the profits can last for at least 20 to 30 years.

It is enough for the family to train second and third generation senior officials to take over.

This is the true foundation of a noble family!
Opportunities like this are not always available, and not everyone is willing to give them.

At least, in the past one hundred and fifty years, no Zhao official was willing to give it.

There is only the official in front of me.

Only this 'benevolent and wise emperor' who is now seen by military officials, nobles, relatives of the emperor, and civil officials is willing to give it and is willing to give it!

Give a peach to someone and he will give you a plum in return.

Of course Feng Jing has to repay him!

"As for your Majesty's question..." Feng Jing thought for a moment and came up with the answer: "Clerks oppressing the people has been a problem since ancient times!"

"Since the founding of the Holy Dynasty, our ancestors have all wanted to clarify the administration of officials... The previous emperor established the Granary Law and gave salaries to clerks in order to reassure them... He also made the laws strict and issued an edict that those who were punished would be punished severely!"

"But what about those people? They don't read poetry and books, don't know the teachings of the saints, have no benevolence and righteousness in their hearts, have no morals in their hearts, and only know how to pursue profit..."

Zhang Fangping tilted his head slightly, listening to the golden-haired rat beside him barking wildly in front of the emperor, acting like a pillar of the country and a purple golden beam across the sea in front of the emperor.

He couldn't help but frown, and cursed the Golden-Haired Rat several times in his heart.

how...

What the golden-haired rat said is absolutely correct.

He couldn't find a chance to interrupt for a while.

It was not until Feng Jing mentioned that the shortcomings of the clerks were that they "did not read poetry and books, and did not know the meaning of the sages' scriptures" that Zhang Fangping finally found an opportunity to interrupt.

He bowed slightly, and took the opportunity to say while Feng Jing was speaking: "Your Majesty, I deeply agree with what Feng Jiedu said!"

"They have not been influenced by the teachings of the saints, and have no morality, so they naturally harm the people... That is why they have been regarded as evil by all generations!"

"However, since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have recruited talented people and employed upright people. You ordered Kaifeng Prefecture to recruit officials through the 'public examination'. Since then, the atmosphere in Bianjing City has changed!"

"Gentlemen and upright people are everywhere in government offices, and people of high moral character are everywhere in the streets and alleys..."

"The people are rejoicing, and the common people are all happy!"

"I, your humble servant, believe that if you want to get rid of the harm done by clerks and restore peace to the prefecture, Your Majesty should extend favor to Kaifeng Prefecture... Order Kaifeng Prefecture to apply the civil service examination system to all the counties in the prefecture!"

"In this way, all counties and towns, both inside and outside, will employ scholars to promote positive energy and repel evil... Naturally, there will be no more evils of the past!"

Feng Jing stared at Zhang Fangping with his eyes wide open, cursing in his heart: "Zhang Andao!"

"How dare you say what I was about to say!"

"White-haired bastard! Old thief Xanthium!"

However, no matter how much he cursed, it could not change the fact that Zhang Fangping had stolen his limelight!
Looking up slightly, Feng Jing saw the young emperor in front of him. After listening to Zhang Fangping's words, he smiled and his face was as bright as spring breeze.

Feng Jing bit his lip!
Thousands of thoughts come and go in my mind!

"I know what the emperor is thinking, and Zhang Andao naturally knows it too..."

Among the many measures taken by the current emperor after he ascended the throne, the one that is now recognized as the most effective is the civil service examination and recruitment that began with the help of the case of the Monks' Registrar's Office falsely accusing Cai Jing.

Through a simple examination supplemented by an interview process hosted by the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, the scholars stranded in Beijing were entered into the Kaifeng Prefecture system and appointed as grassroots officials.

At first, the scholars were hesitant, thinking it was an insult to their dignity and were unwilling to participate.

Public opinion also has opinions on this.

However, the imperial court issued an edict stipulating that the officials recruited through public examinations would no longer be classified as "officials" but "scholars".

The reason is that the scholar-officials establish themselves on morality and make their living on classics!
The civil service examination was a way of recruiting scholars to serve the country, and the contract between them and the Kaifeng Prefecture was an employment contract.

So, this is a conscription! It is the same as the scholars conscripted by the shogunate along the border.

Can you say that the scholars recruited by various governors are clerks?
of course not!

They are still literati!

They can still take the imperial examinations, and after obtaining success in the examinations, they will be appointed as officials and examined, and they are no different from other Jinshi candidates!
According to regulations, their previous service experience in the shogunate can be counted towards the Mokan.

Therefore, the scholars recruited by Kaifeng Prefecture should be the same as the shogunate staff.

After this policy was introduced, scholars in Beijing put aside their last bit of concerns and enthusiastically participated in the civil service examination recruitment in Kaifeng Prefecture.

You can make money, increase your resume and broaden your horizons.

At the same time, the experience of working as a clerk in Kaifeng Prefecture can be counted as a clerk in the examination for clerks after one passes the imperial examination in the future, which is equivalent to an early examination.

Thus, starting from the first year of Yuanyou, the arrogance of the clerks in Kaifeng Prefecture and various departments in Beijing suddenly weakened and they were no longer as domineering as before.

Officials began to frequently find faults with these people and pick on them, trying every possible means to expel these clerks who occupied the toilets from the government offices, free up their positions, and recruit scholars.

After all, scholars are born with the ability to love!

If there are benefits, of course we should give priority to our own people.

So, up to now, the administration of officials in the city of Bianliang has undergone tremendous changes!
All kinds of bad policies and bad habits disappeared, and the atmosphere changed as a result - it was not that the moral level of the scholars recruited was much higher than that of the clerks.

It is true that scholars should be decent.

There are many things they are too embarrassed to do.

Moreover, compared with the clerks in the past, the scholars recruited here basically all dreamed of taking the imperial examinations.

Naturally, no one is willing to ruin their bright future for a little bit of profit!
What's more, the salary given to them by Kaifeng Prefecture was enough to support them.

Naturally, the changes in the city of Bianjing could not be concealed from anyone.

Not only the ministers in Beijing, but also the civil and military officials who came to Beijing from the countryside were amazed by the clean administration of Bianliang City and the efficiency of the officials.

Naturally, there is more and more praise and admiration for the civil service examination model in public opinion both at home and abroad.

The officials of the time never concealed their approval of the "civil service examination" system that he invented and created.

This time, as soon as the Yanling County case appeared in the Bian Jing Xin Bao, many people realized that this might be the opportunity for the government to implement the civil service examination system in the entire Kaifeng Prefecture!
Therefore, it was not surprising to Feng Jing that Zhang Fangping could think of this.

"Now, if I want to suppress Zhang Andao, I must propose a policy that the government wants to implement but is not easy to say in person..."

The government will definitely promote the civil service examination system.

Feng Jing looked at the face of the young official in front of him, and his brain started working at full capacity.

He turned his head slightly and saw the smug look on Zhang Fangping's old face that made him feel even more disgusted.

"I am not like you!" Feng Jing said in his heart.

Although, he and Zhang Fangping had similar backgrounds - both came from poor families.

When he was seventeen, his family fell into poverty due to the death of his father and he owed a lot of debts. At one point he was so poor that he couldn't even pay the rent. He was also reported to the government as a deadbeat and almost imprisoned.

When Zhang Anping was young, he was also an ordinary person. It is said that he could not even afford books and paper.

I used paper that had been written on by others and read borrowed books.

But he is different from Zhang Fangping.

Zhang Fangping's hard days came to an end within a few days.

Because he is from Yingtian Prefecture!

Yingtian Prefecture was the place where important officials of the Song Dynasty were appointed.

So, he was soon noticed.

The two successive prefects of Yingtian Prefecture, Song Shou and Cai Qi, both liked him very much and treated him like their own son or nephew.

So, since then, Zhang Fangping's life trajectory has completely changed.

Feng Jing is different!
Before he passed the imperial examination and was spotted by Fu Bi, he had always been a poor man.

He had been hungry, been chased for debt, and even nearly went to jail several times.

Recalling these past events, Feng Jing's expression changed when he looked at Zhang Fangping.

Fighting spirit surged in his chest.

"Zhang Andao, have you ever experienced the feeling of being so hungry that you have to steal dogs from others to fill your stomach?"

"Zhang Andao, do you know what it feels like to be unable to pay the rent, to be reported to the county government, and to be almost imprisoned?"

"You didn't!"

Zhang Fangping was spotted and sponsored by Song Shou when he was a teenager because of his intelligence.

Therefore, Zhang Fangping could not write the embarrassment of "Han Xin was living in poverty, Xiang Yu was poor, holding a long sword and drinking the autumn wind. Alas, the eyes of the people of the world, they don't know that men are not yet in the middle!"

Therefore, it is impossible for Zhang Fangping to have the quick wit to recite the "Ode to Stealing a Dog" while walking in the lobby of the county government in front of everyone.

Even if there is, Zhang Fangping can't bring himself to do that!
He is too pretentious!
Too noble!

But Feng Jing, Feng Dangshi, crawled out of the mud.

He once shivered in a dilapidated temple and stole dog meat when he was hungry.

It was not until he was 29 years old that he finally won the top spot in the imperial examination and married the prime minister's daughter.

Because of his past experiences, Feng Jing and Feng Dangshi are more eager for success than anyone else and are more shameless than anyone else.

That’s why...he has the nickname Golden-Haired Rat!

Thinking about these, Feng Jing's mind became clear!
"The emperor is an extraordinary ruler!" He looked at the young man in front of him: "An extraordinary ruler should do extraordinary things!"

All the actions taken by the young emperor since he ascended the throne flashed through his mind.

From the beginning of his accession to the throne until now.

At the same time, he was also recalling the pain brought about by the decision that made him still regret to this day - when the emperor ascended the throne, he was summoned back to the court, and after seeing the developments in the court and the country, he felt that it was too dangerous, so he decisively got the title of Jiedushi and ran directly to Luoyang, intending to wait and see in Luoyang.

result……

This became the decision he regretted most in his life!
Because everyone who chose to stay at that time made a lot of money.

Take Zhang Fangping next to me for example!
After he stayed there, he was respected and treated well by the government, and was granted special privileges, which allowed him not only to participate in state affairs but also to be frequently invited by ministers to the capital as an advisor and counselor.

As a result, this old minister who had retired to Yingtian Prefecture for several years and had no political influence at all, revived and even rose to a higher level.

An assignment to be the compiler of the Yuanyou Dictionary made him the second elder after Wen Yanbo!

So much so that now, after returning to the court, he can only be inferior to the other party and become his deputy.

This treatment was only obtained thanks to Wen Yanbo's face.

otherwise……

I'm afraid there is no such person!

Thinking of this, Feng Jing clenched his fists.

"The government wants to popularize the civil service examination system throughout Kaifeng Prefecture..."

"Do you need me and you to endorse my work? Are you still lowering yourself to ask me this?" He looked at Zhang Fangping and asked in his heart.

The answer is obvious.

No need!
Just send a handwritten edict to Cai Jing.

The best that can be done is to let Lu Gongzhu step forward and make legislation through the form of Tangza.

and so……

What the government wants must be more than this.

Moreover, what the government wants must be somewhat inconsistent with the old rules and regulations.

Only in this way would the government do this!
Only in this way would the government ask him and Zhang Fangping about politics.

and so……

"As long as I can tell you what the official really wants to do..."

"This holy favor... belongs to me!"

"As long as the emperor favors me... I will definitely be the editor of the great book in the future, which will compile all the classics, history, and books of various schools of thought since the beginning of writing, as well as the words on astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, monks, and arts into one book."

(End of this chapter)