Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

A soft "click" sound caught Zhu Youjian's attention.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was Grand Secretary Yang Jingchen who had accidentally dropped his wine cup.

He must have felt apprehensive and uneasy upon hearing what his mentor had said.

As thoughts raced through his mind, Zhu Youjian said with a stern expression:
"how?"

"Does Scholar Yang disagree with my statement?"

"You want to be the tutor of all the successful candidates in the imperial examinations?"

Yang Jingchen thought this to himself, but how could he dare to do so at this moment?
Even if he were the Grand Secretary, let alone the Second Grand Secretary, given his past membership in the eunuch faction, the Emperor could remove him with a single word.

No one will speak up for him; there are plenty of people cheering him on.

So, facing the emperor's piercing gaze, he hurriedly explained:

"Your Majesty is wise beyond compare, and your mentor is certainly not worthy of being called a teacher."

"I am merely presiding over one imperial examination; how dare I presume to be the teacher of all the successful candidates?"

"Even if I were to teach them, I couldn't teach them all."

His words were quite amusing, and Zhu Youjian's expression softened. He nodded in approval and said:

"You're right, you have self-awareness."

"I know what your purpose is in appointing the seat masters, so don't try to fool me with other reasons."

"The officialdom is devoid of factions; it is full of strange and eccentric individuals. How many officials can truly remain aloof and loyal?"

"It is common for officials to form cliques. Clan, relatives, teachers and students, fellow villagers... are all means of maintaining factions."

Having said these somewhat hurtful words, Zhu Youjian glanced at Yang Jingchen, whose forehead was covered in sweat, and the restless group of newly appointed scholars, and continued:

"As long as these matters are brought to the forefront and do not escalate into factionalism or prioritizing personal interests over public duty, I can tolerate them."

"However, the avoidance system for people from the same hometown, clan, lineage, relatives, teachers and students, and communities must be standardized."

“For example, Scholar Yang, you have made meritorious contributions in presiding over the imperial examination, so of course you can take on students. As long as you report it properly and include it in your file, it’s not a big problem.”

"I grant you permission to take on a maximum of one hundred students, and the same applies to the deputy examiner."

"The remaining examiners can take on twenty candidates."

The system of master-apprentice relationships was clarified, bringing this unspoken rule into the open.

As for what will happen if someone continues to secretly take on apprentices according to unspoken rules, that depends on whether they will be discovered and attacked for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices.

Yang Jingchen wiped the cold sweat from his brow, knowing that the emperor wasn't targeting him.

He just happened to be caught up in this incident and was used by the emperor as a target to reform the system of imperial tutors.

He, who owed his current position entirely to the emperor, immediately offered his support:

"Your Majesty has appointed me to oversee the administration of clean governance and justice, but I have failed to discover the flaws in the recusal system, which is truly shameful."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will immediately draft a memorial upon my return to improve the system of recusal in officialdom."

This practice of climbing the ladder by following the crowd was an eye-opener for the newly appointed scholars. It was blatantly taking the emperor's orders as their own achievements.

However, by the Chongzhen era, Zhu Youjian and his officials had become accustomed to this. Many officials simply followed his instructions and rarely acted independently.
-
After offering a few words of encouragement to Yang Jingchen, Zhu Youjian addressed the newly appointed scholars:

"Whether or not you become a disciple is not mandatory; it's up to you."

"All masters must accept disciples voluntarily; the master chooses the disciple, and the disciple also chooses the master."

"The imperial examinations will surely become more and more fair."

"Don't think that you were able to pass the imperial examinations because of your mentors."

These words sound nice, but actually not many people believe them.

Many people became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) because they were appreciated by their mentors or teachers.

And how many people go unappreciated and waste their time?

The saying goes, "In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second." Writing is not like a martial arts competition; it's not easy to determine who is better.

The reason why civil officials were willing to seek out mentors was largely because their mentors changed their fate.

Of course, some people don't think so, namely the Jinshi graduates of the Ming Suan Ke (a type of imperial examination).

These people got in entirely on their own merit; right is right, and wrong is wrong.

They weren't very enthusiastic about taking a master as a teacher; they just followed the usual practice of finding a faction within the officialdom.

At this point, the emperor said that it was not necessary to formally become a disciple, which gave some scholars who disliked forming cliques the confidence to refuse to become disciples.

Zhang Pu, in particular, knew that while Yang Jingchen might have helped him pass the imperial examination, the biggest reason was the current emperor.

He immediately agreed:
"Your Majesty's words are truly insightful!"

"A ruler chooses his ministers, and a minister chooses his ruler."

"Why can't masters and disciples choose each other?"

"Otherwise, according to current practice, wouldn't all the Jinshi graduates from the fifth year of the Tianqi reign have to take Gu Bingqian and Wei Guangwei as their mentors?"

Both of them were eunuchs who held high positions and were Jinshi graduates in the fifth year of the Tianqi reign. They suffered greatly because of them.

Upon hearing Zhang Pu's words, many of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations immediately felt a sense of unease.

Even though their chief examiners, Yang Jingchen and Cheng Jiming, were highly regarded by the emperor, who knew if there wouldn't be problems later?
Especially Yang Jingchen, those who despised the eunuch faction looked down on him and were unwilling to become his apprentice.

After Zhang Pu spoke, they all echoed his desire to choose a teacher.

The mutual selection process between teachers and students begins with this subject.

Zhu Youjian declared the previous apprenticeships invalid, saying to them:

"A teacher should be like an elder."

"The teacher I am referring to is one with whom I have established a formal relationship, who can enter my inner circle, and who is regarded as an elder."

"Students can also be called disciples, who are called initiating disciples."

“Those who have not formally entered the sect, nor have they paid their respects or reported to the sect, cannot be called master and apprentice; they are merely teacher and student.”

“Those who do not formally pay their respects and become disciples in this examination are not considered to have formally become apprentices.”

"A teacher chooses his student, and a student also chooses his teacher; one need not choose a specific teacher."

This imperial edict declared the original rules regarding master-disciple relationships invalid. It also standardized the master-disciple relationship, clearly distinguishing between inner disciples and ordinary disciples.

The binding force of these two teacher-student relationships is also completely different. Students should treat teachers as mentors and elders. Ordinary students only need to maintain respect for teachers.

This made some young people who were under the control of their teachers very happy.

Because they could have chosen not to have a master or listen to the teachings of certain people.

Other older scholars who had already opened their own schools and taught students were very unhappy.

Since the master-disciple relationship is gone, how can they still discipline their students?

However, Zhu Youjian did not care about these people's attitudes. After the establishment of various universities, he knew that the traditional teacher-student relationship would inevitably have to change.

If this is not done, the teachers in various universities will form huge factions through teacher-student relationships.

He is now both preparing for a rainy day and taking advantage of the situation.

To solidify this change, he addressed the assembled scholars:

Confucius said: "When three people walk together, one of them will be my teacher!"

"This is the Master's humility."

"A person's energy is limited. You can learn from many teachers, but it is impossible to learn deeply from many teachers."

"It's also impossible to have many teachers as elders and support them in the future."

"I believe that one should not formally acknowledge more than three teachers." "The relationships between these people should be recorded in the archives; otherwise, they can be disowned."

"In this imperial examination, the selection of probationary officials was carried out in the Hanlin Academy, and a mentorship system was implemented."

"This is a formal master-disciple relationship. I hope you will prepare well."

This matter caused a great stir in the capital, and many successful candidates in the imperial examinations had heard of it.

In particular, Qian Qianyi's practice of hiring Hanlin scholars and Hanlin tutors everywhere attracted a lot of attention.

They were all very excited to hear that the emperor had established a formal master-disciple relationship between the tutors of the Hanlin Academy.

These people are of much higher status than ordinary practitioners; by becoming their apprentices, they have found a ladder to heaven.

The Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were more concerned about becoming Shujishi (probationary officials in the early years of the dynasty), and some even believed that the current Shujishi had the same status as the Jinshi of the early dynasty.

Those retired Grand Secretaries who had been invited by Qian Qianyi were also delighted to hear the emperor's statement.

Because the emperor said that such a formal master-disciple relationship should be recorded in the archives, and the disciple also had the responsibility to support the teacher.

Taking on apprentices is like adding a talented person to their family, someone their descendants can rely on in the future.

Therefore, they turned to support the change in the teacher-student relationship, believing that the emperor was regulating the teacher-student system when reforming rites and music, rather than arbitrarily breaking up teacher-student relationships.
-
Zhang Puwan never expected that the emperor would change the long-standing teacher-student relationship because of his affair with Wu Weiye.

He felt both touched and pressured.
The master-disciple system has been passed down for hundreds of years; how can it be changed so easily?

As someone who stands out from the crowd, one inevitably faces attacks.

Wu Weiye's face turned even paler; being a young man, he had no idea how to face the situation.

Zhang Pu, still concerned for his disciple, petitioned the emperor:
"Meicun had already set a wedding date before he went to Beijing."

"Now that he has passed the imperial examination and become the third-ranked scholar, Your Majesty, please allow him to return to his hometown to get married."

Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"A major success followed by a minor success—this is double happiness."

"I have approved your marriage. You may return to the Hanlin Academy after your leave has ended."

Wu Weiye was allowed to return to his hometown to get married, holding the rank of a seventh-grade editor.

Upon witnessing this scene, Wu Weiye was deeply grateful to the emperor.

He was deeply grateful to the teacher who had specially arranged for him to return to his hometown.
He knew that his teacher was worried about him being questioned in the upcoming controversy, so he asked him to return to his hometown.

Only the teacher will face the raging storm.

This moved him so much that he wanted to tell his teacher he wanted to stay.

However, he simply did not have the courage to overturn the emperor's promise.

In the end, he could only return to his hometown to get married after the Qionghua Banquet, along with some other unsuccessful candidates.

Zhang Pu then walked proudly into the Hanlin Academy, ready to face various challenges.
-
At this time, the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty had reached its zenith after more than two hundred years of accumulation, with various rules, both overt and covert.

For example, in the Hanlin Academy, those who joined later had to refer to themselves as "latecomers" when meeting those who joined earlier. When the group gathered, they had to sit in a corner and obey orders with utmost deference.

However, after Zhang Pu entered the Hanlin Academy, he acted arbitrarily. He would agree to what he could and deny what he couldn't.

When drafting imperial edicts on behalf of the emperor, he could write the drafts casually and still receive praise from the emperor.

The older members of the Hanlin Academy were extremely jealous of him. He was quite isolated within the academy.

Even Qian Qianyi, who had previously intended to take him as a disciple and incorporate so-called science into his teachings, hesitated to accept him after seeing his performance.

Because he knew that Zhang Pu's actions would easily cause trouble in official circles.

Ultimately, he suggested that Xu Guangqi, like the retired Grand Secretary, be appointed as a tutor at the Hanlin Academy, based on the fact that Zhang Pu had already become a student of Grand Secretary Xu Guangqi.

While Zhu Youjian (Emperor Yongle) was somewhat wary of current Grand Secretaries expanding their influence by taking on disciples, this did not apply to established teacher-student relationships. He specifically issued an order permitting Xu Guangqi to become a tutor at the Hanlin Academy. At the same time, he stipulated that all Grand Secretaries must proactively report any disciples they accepted.

Zhang Pu finally found a mentor at the Hanlin Academy, who was his original teacher, Xu Guangqi.

Chen Zilong was the same; after entering the Hanlin Academy as a Yuanshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he continued to study under Xu Guangqi.

The two followed Xu Guangqi in their studies and completed the examinations to become members of the Hanlin Academy.

Under the newly established system, every official of the Hanlin Academy had to take an exam, and the standard was to publish at least one paper in the Hanlin Academy Journal each year.

To complete the course, you also need to write and publish a monograph.

To remain in the Hanlin Academy, one needs substantial papers or monographs that are rated as excellent works.

Yes, this is an academic institution established by Zhu Youjian to cultivate scholars and scholar-officials.

Zhang Pu and Chen Zilong were among the first batch of test subjects, along with other newly appointed scholars such as Zuo Maodi and Zhang Zhengchen.

Even scholars like Chen Jiru, Sun Qifeng, and Ai Nanying, persuaded by Qian Qianyi, took the exam and successfully became probationary officials in the Hanlin Academy.

Each of them was assigned a research topic to study a specific aspect.

For example, Chen Jiru studied the status of women throughout history, while Ai Nanying studied the relationship between Chinese and non-Chinese peoples.

Sun Qifeng had little interest in becoming an official in the Hanlin Academy; his reason for taking the examination for the position of Shujishi was to prove his scholarship.

After passing the imperial examination, he returned to teach at the normal school, but also took on the research project on schools throughout history.

Zhang Pu's assignment, also personally arranged by the emperor, was to write an essay titled "On Choice," based on the saying given at the Qionghua Banquet: "The ruler chooses his ministers, and the ministers also choose their rulers."
"Everyone has the right to choose and can make their own choices in life."

"What a noble goal this is!"

Is it really possible to achieve this?

Reflecting on the emperor's words, Zhang Pu felt it was incredibly difficult.

If everyone has the right to choose, how can officials govern the people? How can masters manage their servants?

If not implemented properly, the whole world will descend into chaos.

However, when he thought about how the emperor had relinquished power to the people and freed slaves, he felt that the emperor was actually doing so, and that he was just being asked to summarize the theory.

Upon hearing his words, Chen Zilong expressed his admiration and praise:
"Your Majesty is truly a genius, with so many new theories!"

"With this 'On Choice,' our scientific school of democracy can surely be raised high."

“Mei Gong will be very happy to hear this, as he has been talking about democracy all this time.”

He told Zhang Pu about the current trends of the scientific faction, pointing out that after Chen Jiru and Chen Renxi joined the scientific faction, they had been advocating democracy and wanted to put democracy and science on the same level.

Chen Zilong did not oppose this matter. However, he believed that the person who held the banner of democracy must be Zhang Pu—

To avoid the separation of the scientific faction into the democratic faction, which could lead to internal divisions later.

After hearing this, Zhang Pu gained a deeper understanding of why the emperor had arranged for him to write "On Choice".

It seems the emperor had always paid close attention to the scientific movement and supported its development. Otherwise, he wouldn't have noticed these things and helped consolidate his position.

With gratitude in his heart, Zhang Pu, encouraged by Chen Zilong and with the help of Chen Jiru and others, wrote "On Choice" following the emperor's instructions.

Starting from Mencius's view on ruler and minister, he pointed out that the relationship between ruler and minister is two-way: "The ruler chooses his ministers, and the ministers also choose their rulers." The way of ruler and minister is to repay kindness and righteousness.

Starting from the premise that rulers and ministers can mutually choose each other, it points out that the choice between teachers and students should also be two-way, and the people can similarly choose officials in a two-way manner.

Officials can manage and educate the people, but the people can also refuse the officials' discipline and impeach or even remove them through parliament.

It also points out that the essence of democracy lies in the extent of the people's right to choose.

True democracy is one that truly implements the right to choose. Without the right to choose, it's merely deceiving the people.

Zhang Pu also summarized the measures formulated by the imperial court, such as the voluntary selection of officials and the right to choose one's own marriage, as giving people the right to choose.

Whether officials or ordinary citizens, everyone should have more and more choices and gain the right to make their own decisions, allowing each person to achieve free and comprehensive development.

This article caused a sensation upon publication. Furthermore, it gained increasing traction and became the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's elections.

The entire system of the Ming Dynasty was thus changed. (End of Chapter)