I studied in modern times

Chapter 836: Do you want the emperor’s favor or fame?
In the beginning, the big pie of "Yuanyou Ceremony" was actually drawn up by Zhao Xu to attract support.

More hype than reality!

It can even be said that it’s just an attitude!

In fact, not long after this incident, many court officials also reacted to it.

So, the heat quickly subsided.

No one even mentioned it anymore.

Because, under the circumstances at that time, people wanted to complete such a huge work that "compiled into one book all the books of classics, history, and hundreds of schools of thought since the beginning of writing, as well as words on astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, monks, and skills."

This was almost impossible given the Song Dynasty's tight finances and highly market-oriented book economy at the time.

Because on the market, any old book from a few years ago would cost more than ten strings of cash.

If it is a rare or precious copy...

It all depends on the mood of the person making the offer and the financial resources of the buyer.

At the Wanxing Trading Fair held at Daxiangguo Temple on the first and fifteenth day of every month, the price of rare and precious ancient books has never been less than one hundred strings of cash.

Not to mention that editing a book is a huge and time-consuming project.

Not to mention anything else, the Yuanyou Dictionary Bookstore spent 180,000 strings of cash in just over two years after its establishment!
This is because Zhang Fangping is frugal in spending, otherwise, a minister like Pu Zongmeng would have to be replaced to preside over the bookstore.

Not to mention 180,000 strings of cash in two years!
Even one year may not be enough!
The cost of a cultural project like the Yuanyou Dictionary is at least ten times that of the Yuanyou Dictionary!
Could the Song Dynasty’s finances at that time have come up with that much money?
Can’t take it out!
I can’t get it out even if you kill me!

However, this time and that time.

Starting this year, the financial revenue of the Song Dynasty has increased significantly.

Don’t think that Zhang Heng cries poor every day. He has no money here and no money there.

But the fact is that the Song Dynasty’s net fiscal revenue this year is likely to exceed 70 million guan!
Compared with last year's 65 million strings of cash, it has increased by nearly 5 million again!

The Song Dynasty's finances will achieve three consecutive years of net growth! The growth rate is unprecedented!
However, more than two-thirds of the fiscal revenue is still needed to support the army and officials.

A large sum of money must also be spent to fill the deficits caused by war and rewards in various parts of Shaanxi last year.

However, at this rate of growth, the imperial court may have enough money to hold the Yuanyou Ceremony next year.

The pie that was once out of reach is about to become a reality.

Who can sit still, inside or outside the government?

The three immortal qualities of a scholar-official: establishing virtue, making words, and achieving merit!
The Yuanyou Dictionary has it all!
As long as you participate in it, even if you have a name, it is enough to open a page in the family tree!
If you can occupy an important position among them, then... it will be no problem for you to be on par with the famous officials of all dynasties.

If you can become the core of a bookstore, then the Imperial Ancestral Temple is calling you, and even... you may have the opportunity to enter the Confucian Temple in the future, standing alongside Confucius, Mencius and other ancient sages, and receive incense and sacrifices for all eternity!

Thus realizing the ultimate ideal of the literati - true immortality!

Who can stand this?
Anyway, Feng Jing can't stand it at all!

Taking a deep breath, Feng Jing quickly reviewed the articles he had read at home in recent days that were published in the Bian Jing Xin Bao and Bian Jing Yi Bao.

Starting from June Bingwu, one title after another flashed through his mind.

suddenly...

The title of an article published in the Bian Jing Yi Bao emerged in Feng Jing's mind: When will the clerks stop harming the people?

The author's signature is 'Eun-jo'.

Even a fool knows that Lu Huiqing is called Enzu.

Therefore, this article was written by Lu Huiqing.

The reason why Feng Jing thought of this article was because he was deeply impressed by it.

Not because what he said made sense.

But it's too weird!

Lu Huiqing's way of solving problems has always been quite simple and direct - kill, and that's it.

Just like his attitude towards the problem of Western bandits - kill all the Dangxiang people and the problem of Western bandits will no longer exist.

It is just like his radical attitude towards the reform back then - as long as all the opponents are driven out of the court, then the reform will surely succeed!
However, Lu Huiqing, who signed the article as Enzu, was no longer as radical as before.

He didn't even shout for war.

Instead, it raises a question of concern - since ancient times, clerks have been harming the people, this problem has been around for a long time, and there has been no good solution in every dynasty!

what is the reason?

This is really worth everyone's deep thought!

Moreover, he believed that even if the public examination system of Kaifeng Prefecture was implemented throughout the entire Kaifeng Prefecture, it might not be able to truly eliminate the malpractices of clerks.

As for extending it to the whole world?
That’s even more impossible!
Because there are not so many scholars!
So he raised another question - why was the civil service examination in Bianjing City successful?
Almost the entire article is spent raising questions and rarely drawing conclusions.

This is very unlike Lu Huiqing!

So, Feng Jing felt strange after reading it: "Why did this Fujian boy change his personality?"

Yes!

The country is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change!
Lu Huiqing, a native of Fujian, did not call for war and killing, but instead began to explore the problems of clerks and think about solutions.

Strange!
How weird!

Now that I think about it...

The article must have been written by Lu Huiqing!

Because the word usage habits and writing style have a strong Lü Huiqing style.

However, the content is probably not Lu Huiqing’s thoughts.

But...

Feng Jing raised his head and looked in front of him. He swallowed and felt his heart beating violently.

Just like the day when he and many other scholars crowded under the imperial edict on the day of the announcement of the results of the Ministry of Rites Examination, waiting for the court to announce the rankings of the Ministry of Rites Examination. But Feng Jing knew that time was running out and he had to race against time.

Otherwise, once that old bastard Zhang Andao reacts, he will be finished!
Because no one can surpass this old man in citing classics to justify the legitimacy of the emperor's policies!
He is a walking Chongwenyuan!
My mind is filled with stories from the Song Dynasty and the precious teachings of previous emperors!
So, without having time to think clearly, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty..."

"I, this old minister, believe that the civil service examination system is indeed a wise policy that has lasted for thousands of years..."

"However, if we want to extend this to the entire Kaifeng Prefecture, I'm afraid it will be difficult to implement!"

"Because..." He raised his head and copied Lu Huiqing's homework without hesitation: "It is very likely that there are not so many scholars available!"

"I was once the acting governor of Kaifeng Prefecture in the eighth year of the Jiayou reign of the Renmiao Emperor. I have some understanding of the malpractices in Kaifeng Prefecture..."

"I beg your Majesty!"

Then, he saw the young official in front of him, nodded slightly, and said gently: "Thank you for your help..."

Feng Jing was overjoyed, he knew that he had made the right bet!

So he bowed tall and began to count on his fingers in front of the emperor, introducing the number of clerks in the counties and towns within the Kaifeng Prefecture.

Although more than twenty years have passed since he took office as the acting governor of Kaifeng Prefecture.

But the situation in the Song Dynasty was that many things might not change for decades!
Even during this period, there were major historical changes such as Wang Anshi's Reforms and the Yuanfeng Restructuring.

But the situation at the grassroots level will basically not change.

After all, it would take just as many people to get the job done now as it did in the past.

It is impossible that the efficiency of government will be improved out of thin air once Wang Anshi comes.

As Feng Jing spoke, his brain was working at high speed.

By the time he finished talking about the last set of data, he already had the answer.

"Your Majesty, the counties and towns within Kaifeng Prefecture need thousands of officials..."

"Moreover, unlike in Bianjing City, most officials only need to work in various places inside and outside Bianjing..."

How big is the city of Bianjing?

Even if the nine wing and fourteen blocks outside the new city are included, the area is still smaller than a county within the prefecture.

"Besides, the people of Bianjing are all city dwellers, while the people of the prefectures are mostly farmers..."

"The people living in the city are well-informed... The farmers work from sunrise to sunset, and most of them are illiterate..."

Zhao Xu listened to Feng Jing's words and nodded secretly in his heart.

I have to say that Lao Deng really understands the grassroots.

Cities and rural areas are two different worlds no matter in which era!

Think about rural problems with urban thinking.

It is like trying to find a sword by carving a mark on a boat, which is doomed to failure.

and so……

The civil service examination system, which is currently only suitable for cities like Bianjing with a large population, developed economy and prosperous commerce, is destined to be unable to be implemented in the vast counties and cities with small peasant economies as the core.

Not to mention anything else, just one thing is enough to discourage those scholars who have passed the civil service examination - those remote, poor, mountainous and water-restricted villages!
Do you want to ask scholars to go to the grassroots level in the countryside and deal with the farmers who work hard in the fields?
How can it be?

Even if someone is willing, they will definitely be a minority.

And among these few, only a few can adapt to their jobs.

At the same time, the particularity of the civil service examination system will also result in great mobility among the people recruited through the examination.

They are not clerks and will not stay at the grassroots level forever.

Today's rural areas also lack reasons to retain talent.

Zhao Xu looked at Feng Jing with hope in his eyes and asked softly, "So..."

"Does the governor have any good plan to remedy this problem?"

"I dare to make this suggestion despite my death..." Feng Jing bowed his head and kowtowed again: "I humbly believe that if we want to remedy this problem, we must do both!"

"First, it's a public examination!"

"Use public examinations to select and promote people of moral integrity, promote gentlemen and upright people, and use them in counties and towns, and as the heads of various officials..."

"The purpose is to correct the morals, advocate benevolence and righteousness, spread education in the countryside, and spread the saintly virtues to all directions!"

"Anything else?" Zhao Xu stepped forward, staring at Feng Jing with burning eyes, encouraging him to say what he wanted to say.

Feng Jing recalled the questions raised in Lu Huiqing's article.

Why can civil service examinations be successful in Bianjing City?
In addition to the reasons listed by Lu Huiqing, Feng Jing, who had traveled around in hunger and cold when he was young and almost took over the land of Jingzhao Prefecture after becoming a noble, earning himself the nickname "Golden-haired Rat", knew the reasons very well.

Clerks, why can't anyone control them?
In addition to being willing to do the dirty and tiring work that the literati were unwilling to do, they filled the power vacuum.

The biggest reason is that they are invincible!

Politically invincible!

Because they have almost no room for improvement!

As a result, the officials could only control individual clerks but could not control the clerks as a group.

Therefore, it is necessary to break the invincibility of the clerk group!

So how can we break the invincible golden body of the clerks?

Feng Jing knew the answer.

but……

He also knew that once he said it, he would most likely be criticized by countless people.

So, the choice is in his heart!
Do you want the emperor's favor or fame?
How to choose?

Feng Jing chuckled. Is this something that needs to be considered?
(End of this chapter)