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Chapter 1087 Changes in Europe
The imperial examinations and local private schools, county schools, state schools, and academies were closed in part and retained in part, and the examination was changed to be held every five years, and the number of admissions decreased accordingly.

After passing the imperial examination, if one fails the selection examination, one can only work in certain departments, such as the Ministry of Rites, certain departments in the Ministry of Punishments, and the library under the jurisdiction of the Hanlin Academy. Most of the work is clerical and historical research, and one does not come into contact with civil affairs and military affairs.

Universities and royal colleges became new paths for selecting officials. Graduates who were willing to go into politics could apply for corresponding positions through annual selection examinations.

The Ministry of Personnel will also announce the types, positions and numbers of officials to be recruited in the following year in the twelfth month of each year. In this way, the various departments of the court can more accurately arrange positions based on the origins and ambitions of the students who apply for the exam. Students can also use the official data to find jobs that interest them and judge the difficulty of the exam in the following year.

It avoided to the greatest extent the phenomenon of blindly engaging in politics without being assigned a real job and having to spend money and grain from the court for support, not to mention the need to use connections, go through the motions, or bribe people to get a real job.

Many positions cannot be done even if they are offered for free, as there are specific assessment standards. If you do not have the relevant knowledge, a few years of internship experience, or cannot even calculate the tax rate, you'd better not go there as soon as possible, so as not to cause trouble for the Jinyiwei.

Now, if one is unqualified as an official, it is no longer as simple as being dismissed and going home. One must explain clearly all the accounts of income and property changes since taking office. Otherwise, it is easy to be accused of corruption and have his property confiscated and sentenced to hard labor.

The emperor did not have many privileges in this regard. All royal properties were liquidated every year, and each one was registered with the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Clan Court. From then on, the amount of royal property, the amount of income each year, and where it came from were all documented.

The emperor was so determined that officials should declare their property. Who would be unwilling to do so? It was okay if they were unwilling to do so. As long as they could withstand the inspection of the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang and were not afraid of being reported by people in their hometown, they could resign immediately.

It has to be said that the temptation of power is really great. Although being an official is no longer a lucrative industry where one can become a clean magistrate in three years and earn 100,000 silver coins, and there is also a huge risk of implicated the entire family if one is not careful, it is still more popular than farmers, businessmen, industrialists and soldiers.

First of all, the income is guaranteed. Emperor Jingyang is a bit demanding of officials, and he often confiscates their property and imposes hard labor. But in the more than 30 years since he ascended the throne, the salaries of officials have more than doubled, and he would occasionally bring a large group of officials to buy properties and engage in industry.

Anyone who followed the emperor's footsteps could earn more than 100,000 taels from shares in a few years. Moreover, this money was clean income that could withstand investigation, could be shouted out loudly on the street, and was not afraid of impeachment by anyone.

The more they earned, the more the emperor praised them for their ability. It can be seen that the emperor did not care about the officials making money, but just did not want them to take money they should not take.

It is actually very easy to tell which ones should be taken and which ones should not be taken. First, carefully read the "New Ming Code" and you will basically have an 80% grasp of it. For the remaining 20%, you can ask your colleagues or submit a memorial to the emperor for advice, and you will definitely be able to make up for it.

The reform of the imperial examination system, like all previous policies, was praised and criticized by the public, with some supporting and some opposing it. The opposition was quite strong, at least it caused a stir among the scholar class.

But most of these voices stayed in newspapers and teahouses, and no one cared about spreading, reading, and discussing them. Sometimes, a senior official in the court could not help but write an article to join in. But it was just a discussion, and the execution must be carried out. If anyone dared to use various methods to obstruct, the local government would immediately stop it. If they still did not stop, the Jinyiwei would come to their door.

Gathering to cause trouble is even more unacceptable. Now the provincial governments no longer have the power to mobilize troops, and only retain a small number of constables and jailers to maintain local law and order. This amount of manpower is definitely not enough to deal with such a situation, but the local garrison can.

If the army showed up, the outcome would be tragic. Anyone who showed resistance would be shot on the spot, and those who survived would face house confiscation and hard labor.

Is there no chance for people to appeal? Absolutely not. The New Ming Dynasty Law explains this situation in detail and provides corresponding solutions. It also allows people to appeal to higher levels, and there is no punishment such as beating.

The emperor gave so many ways, but if you still can't follow the legal process when you encounter a problem, you are a rioter. The court has only one way to deal with rioters, which is to ship them to overseas territories for hard labor, and never set foot on the land of your hometown again.

The Ming Empire was like a giant clock. The emperor, ministers, scholars, farmers, merchants, and soldiers were all small parts. Although they had different weights, they all had their own scope of work. No one could cross the line, and no one could let down the chain. All had to operate day by day and month by month under the same set of rules.

Anyone who does not follow this set of rules and wants to work alone will affect the accuracy of the clock and will be ruthlessly replaced by new parts. The emperor made this clear at the imperial meeting.

He said that if one day he became a factor affecting the accuracy of clocks and watches, and he was unwilling to voluntarily abdicate, he would ask all the pillars of the country present to work together to eradicate him. Don't be polite, anyone who can't bear to do it will harm his family, the empire, and the people, and will also trample on the results of his continuous efforts over the years!
The 1637rd year of the reign of Emperor Jing () arrived amid the chaos of the reform of the imperial examination system. Not long after the Opening Plough Festival, the Navy General Staff and the Ministry of Rites received news almost simultaneously that something big had happened in Europe!

First of all, in the United Provinces, tulip futures suddenly plummeted from several thousand pounds per bulb, just as Emperor Jingyang had expected, and fell by 80% in less than three days.

The government of the Federal Republic tried to force the market to trade at 10% of the price, but no one was willing to take over, which triggered panic again, causing prices to continue to fall rapidly. In a short time, a large number of investors' money became nothing, and bankrupts filled the streets.

The ambassador of the Empire in Amsterdam had never seen such a situation before, and had no idea how to deal with it. He wrote a secret report overnight, found the top leaders of the East India Company, and used the greatest power in his hands. According to the previous agreement between the two parties, he forcibly requisitioned a Dutch merchant ship to set sail for Enniao Port to deliver a letter and ask for instructions from the Ministry of Rites and the emperor.

Before the ship arrived, a two-masted cruiser set out from Venice and rushed to the Strait of Gibraltar day and night, with the same destination being Porto Ennio. There was also a secret letter written in Chinese pinyin on the ship, which contained only one sentence:

Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II died on February 2 at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna at the age of 15. If nothing unexpected happens, his eldest son, the King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria, will inherit the throne and become Emperor Ferdinand III.

(End of this chapter)