Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Please let Mr. Zhang arrange the next things."

"Whatever you want, just tell us."

"The Emperor has issued an order: Mr. Zhang will be in charge of Jiangnan affairs, and all personnel in the inner court will be under his command."

While speaking these words to Zhang Pu, he observed Zhang Pu's expression. Seeing that Zhang Pu was neither too proud nor too nervous, Zhang Yixian nodded secretly in his heart and looked up to this man even more.

When ordinary people are given such great power, they are either so happy that they don't know who they are, or they worry that they can't bear such great responsibility.

Zhang Pu remained calm about this, and was indeed a talent valued by the emperor.

"This person will become a prime minister in the future!"

Zhang Yixian sighed secretly in his heart.

However, at this moment, Zhang Pu's heart was not as calm as Zhang Yixian thought.

He's just good at cultivating his qi, but it doesn't show on his face.

The emperor knew that he valued him, but he never thought about:

The emperor actually gave himself the power to dispatch court personnel.

This does not just mean dispatching a few eunuchs or just the Imperial Guards, but that he can exert influence wherever the inner court can influence.

For example, Zhang Yixian, the eunuch in charge of the Susong Supervisory Office, had far more power than the eunuchs in charge of the Suzhou and Hangzhou textile factories, but he could still influence the officials in Susong through his supervisory power. Zhang Pu was able to get Cao Wenheng, the governor of Jiangnan, to favor him thanks to Zhang Yixian.

If he could exert the influence of these inner court personnel, he could completely change the entire situation in Jiangnan.

This made him very cautious, and at the same time he had a sense of crisis:
"I must pass this provincial examination!"

"Otherwise you will have to enter the inner court in the future."

The emperor's trust was an honor as well as a pressure. Zhang Pu had previously refused the emperor's special grant of Yuanshi and wanted to take the imperial examination to become an official with dignity.

However, if he fails this subject and cannot enter the officialdom, given the current emperor's impatience, he will definitely not keep him out for another three years.

At that time, it was inevitable that he would be specially granted the status of a Yuanshi, and it was even possible that he would be appointed as an official in the inner court.

This was unacceptable to Zhang Pu, because his goal had always been to become a minister, and he did not want to be seen as an outcast in the officialdom.

Just like his good friend Chen Zilong, after being granted the title of Yuanshi, he became the ninth-rank official of the Hanlin Academy. In the Hanlin Academy, he was the lowest-level official, often being ordered around and even ridiculed by some people.

As a result, Chen Zilong often did not go to the Hanlin Academy, but worked at home in the name of editing books. It was also for this reason that Zhang Pu gave him the management of the Ming Pao in Beijing.

This time he went south to take part in the provincial examination, and Chen Zilong was somewhat envious when he saw him off. He seemed to regret accepting the special gift of Yuanshi in his conversation, and believed that the most orthodox way to become an official was still the imperial examination.

In light of his lesson, Zhang Pu was unwilling to be granted the status of a Yuanshi, and even more unwilling to become an inner court official and be treated differently.

So he made up his mind to pass the provincial examination this time and become a Jinshi next year.

For him, passing the imperial examination and becoming a Jinshi was a piece of cake after passing the imperial examination.

The Jiangnan provincial examination has always been considered the most difficult in the country, and it is easy for a candidate from Jiangnan to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi.

Moreover, Zhang Pu also had Xu Guangqi as his teacher, who was one of the most proficient mathematicians in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Pu also saw the mathematics textbook compiled by the emperor on his teacher's desk, and even helped to organize the manuscript.

Therefore, as long as Zhang Pu had the status of a juren, it was almost certain that he would pass the Ming Suan exam. He was even confident that he would pass the other exams.

Thinking of Liu Lishun being appointed as the chief examiner and adding two more subjects, namely, law and mathematics, to the Jiangnan provincial examination, Zhang Pu said:
"Liu Shijiang is heading south. I wonder if he has already set off?"

"I heard that the provincial examination in Jiangnan will be very different this time?"

Zhang Yixian looked at him with a smile and said:

"The reasons are different. Doesn't Mr. Zhang know that?"

"The Emperor is worried that someone might interfere and bury the Master's talent."

"So I specially sent Liu Shijiang to Jiangnan to preside over the provincial examination."

"I can't say anything about other things, but the calculation section of the Jiangnan County Examination must be the most fair."

"The Emperor asked me to tell you that the mathematics exam will be graded on a 100-point scale, and all questions will be objective."

Objective questions are a term proposed by the current emperor. They are questions with certain answers, which can minimize the possibility of the chief official making judgments based on personal likes and dislikes.

Zhang Pu was proficient in mathematics and of course knew the difference between objective and subjective questions. When he heard that the exam was all objective questions, he understood the emperor's intention:

This is to ensure that he can pass the provincial examination without worrying about offending too many people and being stopped from taking the examination.

He felt warm in his heart for a moment and felt that the emperor's kindness to him was truly great.

However, this was not the end. Zhang Yixian said to him:
"There is another change in this Jiangnan County Examination, that is, the champion will be selected at the end."

"The Jinshi exam, or the Explanatory Classics exam, which was the subject of the provincial exam in the past, would only select the top five classics, but not the top three."

"Only after the results of the provincial examinations for the law, mathematics, and military examinations are known, will the top scorer be selected from those who have passed two, three, or even four subjects at the same time."

"Mr. Zhang, this is the first trial, you must seize the opportunity!"

"If the Jiangnan trial is effective, we may also select the top scorer in the next year's imperial examination."

When Zhang Pu heard this, he exclaimed "Ah" and his heart started pounding.

He is not worried about the fame of a juren now, but he still longs for the status of a jieyuan.

Not to mention that it is possible that he will be evaluated as the top scorer next year. If he can pass two or three subjects at the same time, wouldn't it be easy for him to get the title of top scorer or top scorer?
If he could win the first place in the provincial and municipal examinations consecutively, given the high regard the current emperor holds for him, it can be said that he is almost certain to win the first place in the imperial examination.

The path to winning three prizes in a row was laid out before him:

"Three consecutive hits!"

"How many people can there be throughout history?"

"Mr. Shang even became a Purple Pavilion hero because of this. Do I have such an opportunity?"

With his face flushed with excitement, Zhang Pu had to admit that the emperor had given him a great gift, or rather, had specially created an opportunity for him.

If he could win the top three places in the imperial examinations with his talent, it would not be impossible for him to become a Purple Pavilion meritorious official like Shang Lu in the future.

In his eyes, this was better than any reward.

At this moment, his heart was filled with gratitude towards the emperor.

He bowed towards the capital and said:
"Thank you, Eunuch Zhang, for telling me."

"Please tell His Majesty that Zhang will do his best!"

I plan to give it a try, not only to pass the imperial examination, but also to become a top scorer in the imperial examination and have the chance to win three places in a row.

In this way, he could live up to the emperor's trust and show his talents to the world.

Zhang Yixian nodded and smiled, feeling quite envious of Zhang Pu:
The emperor even changed the conventions of the provincial and metropolitan examinations for him. You can imagine how much he trusted this man.

However, the opportunity was given, but whether one could get it or not depended on one's ability. It was not so easy for Zhang Pu to win three prizes in a row.

Zhang Pu naturally knew this. He knew it was difficult to win three prizes in a row and he needed to try his best.

But he also knew that the emperor gave him the opportunity to win three prizes in a row as a reward.

If he put aside his task and concentrated on preparing for the exam, he would be missing the point. He might be stopped by the emperor after passing the exam.

He needed to prepare for the exam while managing the affairs of Jiangnan. His contributions to Jiangnan were the reason why the emperor specially created an opportunity for him to pass the imperial examination.
-
Zhang Pu pulled himself together, forced himself to calm down, and said to Zhang Yixian:

"Your Majesty released slaves and took back government farmland, the most important purpose is to increase the population and land under your control, and to increase the taxes you can collect." "Now the wealthy families in Suzhou are showing signs of obedience, these two points must not be relaxed, we must unite with the governor of Jiangnan and Suzhou officials to get these two things done!"

Zhang Yixian nodded in agreement and said:

"There are already quite a few people who want to exchange the deeds of the official land for their territory."

"Some people even took the indenture of a slave and wanted to use its value to donate for a title."

"Mr. Zhang, do you think these two things are feasible? Can you agree to them?"

Zhang Pu frowned and thought for a while, then said:
“The former is feasible, but the transfer process of each piece of land must be confirmed.”

"Only when the transfer process is clear and without any loopholes can the land be exchanged according to the highest standards."

"Otherwise, the standards will be lowered, and those who are unwilling to hand over official land will be held accountable for the loss of official land that year."

This made Zhang Yixian nod his head, thinking that this was the right approach.

He even had an idea in his mind, which was to incorporate the land donated by these people into the inner court and manage it as an imperial farm.

In this way, he, the eunuch in charge of Susong, would have other directly affiliated businesses besides the Suzhou weaving workshop. He could even employ slaves to work in the imperial farm and workshop.

Then he heard Zhang Pu say:

"The latter is absolutely not feasible. The slaves who should be released must be released unconditionally, otherwise they will be held accountable."

"The etiquette and regulations regarding slaves must be enforced, and no one should be allowed to take chances."

Zhang Yixian was puzzled. Why did Zhang Pu allow land donations but not slaves? He asked:
"Mr. Zhang, isn't this a bit inhumane?"

"They also bought the slaves, so why can't they convert it into monetary donations?"

"Wouldn't this be more helpful in enforcing the slave quota?"

Zhang Pu shook his head and said:
"The reason why the government fields were allowed to be used for donations was that after hundreds of years of changes, the government fields in Suzhou were no different from the private fields."

"The transfer process of these fields is complicated. If we forcibly take them back, the current owners will suffer a lot and it will cause a lot of trouble."

“So they are asked to exchange overseas land to make it easier to get the farmland back.”

"But private enslavement is prohibited among the people. They have been breaking the law, and there is no compensation for their illegal behavior."

"Moreover, the imperial court has already determined that adopted sons and daughters, tenants, servants and other slaves are hired workers and should be treated as such."

"Unless you are willing to sign a new contract to continue being a slave, you will be released this time."

Zhang Yixian suddenly realized after hearing this and understood that the two were different in nature.

The conversion of government-owned land into private land in Suzhou was jointly promoted by the government and the private sector. It is impossible to take the land back without compensation.

But slaves were different. The imperial court never allowed private slavery. Strictly speaking, these people were breaking the law and should be punished by law.

Zhang Pu also said:
"The Ming Dynasty Etiquette and Law Convention drafted a few days ago has a clause that says 'The life and dignity of Ming citizens are sacred and inviolable. No one may buy, sell or enslave Ming citizens.'"

"Eunuch Zhang, please keep this in mind and do not violate the etiquette and conventions and ruin the reputation of the emperor!"

Zhang Yixian was shocked and remembered this incident.

If he accepted the slaves and servants donated by those people, wouldn't that be the same as human trafficking?
The emperor would probably punish himself without hesitation for doing something that damaged his reputation.

Zhang Yixian, who was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly thanked Zhang Pu for his advice, knowing that his words undoubtedly saved his life.

At the same time, he also began to pay attention to etiquette and law, and thought that he should recruit a few scholars to explain the etiquette and law to him.

After accepting his thanks, Zhang Pu said:

"Don't even mention Ming citizens. Even slaves and servants are not considered cattle or livestock in terms of etiquette and law. They can't be bought and sold at will."

"The hired workers association that Zhang has been ordered to form these days is negotiating with the wealthy families in Suzhou about the rights of hired workers, including tenants and slaves."

"In my opinion, Suzhou may be in chaos again, and some people are not too happy about this."

Zhang Yixian was puzzled and asked:

"chaos?"

"Who dares to cause trouble?"

"Aren't they afraid of the Eagle Army that Captain Gu brought?"

Zhang Pu said with a mocking expression and a sarcastic tone:
"afraid!"

"Of course they are afraid, otherwise would they release the slaves and hand over the land to the government?"

"But it is hard to give up good fortune. Some people are greedy for money to death."

"Even if they dare not resist openly, don't they have other means?"

"Sir, do you know how many slaves have been released in Suzhou now?"

"How much official land has the government reclaimed?"

Zhang Yixian thought about what those people said to him, and said to Zhang Pu:

"Most of the wealthy families in Suzhou donated their land after the autumn harvest."

"I guess the government didn't take back much official land, did they?"

Zhang Pu raised a finger and said:

"It's not that there's not much, it's that there's not even an acre!"

“No one is willing to return the government land before the autumn harvest.”

"But many slaves were released, including many tenant servants."

"How do you think these people make a living?"

"If they become displaced, will Suzhou become chaotic?"

Zhang Yixian was also shocked. He had not expected that some wealthy families in Suzhou were so bold. The emperor had already sent the butcher knife, but they still dared to disobey.

If Suzhou gets into chaos, the autumn grain and the grain for the imperial court will definitely be affected. If the court blames it, no one can escape responsibility.

He was so panicked that he hurriedly said to Zhang Pu:

"Mr. Zhang, please stop keeping us in suspense!"

"No matter what you do, our family will support you."

"Suzhou must not be in chaos, otherwise the emperor will hold us accountable."

Zhang Pu looked at him with amusement and said:

"Father-in-law, do you still think Suzhou can't be in chaos? Then what did we do before?"

"We have to show that we are willing to cause chaos in Suzhou so that we can force those people to sign the employment agreement."

"Otherwise, if they released hundreds of thousands of slaves all at once, even if they wanted to emigrate overseas, there wouldn't be enough ships."

"We must let the wealthy families in Suzhou know that hired workers and slaves are not to be bullied."

"I, Zhang Pu, want them to take the Employees' Association seriously!" (End of this chapter)