Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 381: After the imperial examination rights were restricted, the gentry in the place where the incident occurred panicked!

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report this. In my humble opinion, the governors and foreign officials are unlikely to really be willing to let the court investigate their deficits. Unless it is absolutely necessary, they will not let the court know that their deficits are serious."

"They have no choice but to report the truth now. It may not just be their fault. It may be that the local gentry are dissatisfied with the court and are refusing to cooperate with them to make up for the rice salary!"

Zhang Cong, the Minister of the Imperial Study, who was keen on internal reforms, took the initiative to report this.

Zhu Houcong nodded: "That's right, the local gentry and wealthy families are dissatisfied with my slow implementation of the official system reform!"

"Summon the Minister of Personnel Zhao Huang to come to the Imperial Study to see me!"

at this time.

The court officials in the capital were horrified by the fact that Emperor Jiajing had issued an order to arrest all those involved in the murder of the imperial envoy, and even to punish the scholars and civilians of an entire place.

Therefore, when the officials of the Ministry of Personnel learned that the emperor was going to summon the Heavenly Official Zhao Huang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Dong Qi took the initiative to bow to Zhao Huang:
"Your Majesty, because the imperial envoy was murdered, a large number of innocent officials, gentry and scholars were implicated. Please go to the imperial court and plead for the innocent officials, gentry and scholars in the world!"

"Of course I will, don't worry!"

After Zhao Huang said this, he came to the imperial study.

When Zhu Houcong arrived at the imperial study, he asked, "Have you heard about the murder of several imperial envoys?"

"I have heard it, and I am horrified!"

"What do you think about this matter?"

Zhao Huang said: "Your Majesty is wise! But I think Your Majesty is too kind!"

"Why am I too kind?"

"Your Majesty should not only restrict their careers, but also stop exempting the officials and gentry in the area where the incident occurred! And in the future, if we want to clear the land, we should go to their place first!"

Zhao Huang replied.

Zhu Houcong nodded after hearing this: "That makes sense!"

"According to the Grand Chancellor's wishes, an additional decree is hereby issued."

Zhu Houcong therefore gave the order.

"Yes!"

then.

Zhu Houcong said to Zhao Huang: "Whether it is clearing the land or investigating the deficit, we need people to do it."

"I have issued an order to arrest those officials who are obstructing the royal family's reform of the local areas, so new officials must be appointed as soon as possible!"

"It's not difficult to appoint a chief officer. There are many officials in China and abroad waiting to be promoted."

"It won't be difficult to find an imperial envoy to investigate the deficit. There were many orphans among the 200,000 refugees I brought with me."

"In addition, I have also selected many orphans of fallen officers and generals and placed them in Xingming Academy for training for a long time. Many of them have specialized in accounting. After six years, those who were in their teens are now about sixteen or seventeen years old. Some have already experienced various external affairs in the Jinyiwei and the twenty-four yamen of the inner court. Naturally, they can be asked to specialize in investigating deficits."

"So, Qingtian can also let them do it."

"But the most important thing now is that you in the Ministry of Personnel must work hard to speed up the pace of civil service reform throughout the country!"

"The cabinet has issued an order for your Ministry of Personnel to appoint someone. Your Ministry of Personnel must complete the paperwork as soon as possible."

"At the same time, your Ministry of Personnel must complete the selection of scholars who have applied for official positions as soon as possible."

"Also, in places like Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, where there are many royal families, you must send officials from the Ministry of Personnel as soon as possible to urge their governors to complete the three-division examination. After the examination is completed, the officials from the Ministry of Personnel will approve the documents and issue official seals on the spot, and then take them back to Beijing for filing!"

"In short, I want you in the Ministry of Personnel to work harder and speed up the efficiency of the personnel system reform!"

"Because the local gentry and wealthy families are already complaining that the reform of the civil service system of the court is too slow, the 700,000 yuan of public expenses I give to your Ministry of Personnel every year must not be wasted!"

Zhu Houcong said at this time.

After hearing this, the Minister of Personnel Zhao Huang hurriedly saluted and said, "How dare I make mistakes in state affairs? I will call on the Ministry of Personnel to work together and correct the civil service system as soon as possible!"

Zhu Houcong nodded: "Very good!"

But Zhao Huang said, "Your Majesty, if you want to speed up the reform of the civil service system, you will need to add a lot of officials. Now we have to open clan schools and palace schools, and we have to send special commissioners to investigate the deficit. I am afraid that the students of the Ming Dynasty Practical School and Xingming Academy, the scholars who watch the government and the scholars who have registered for the selection of officials in the Ministry of Personnel are not enough to meet the demand for the newly added officials."

"I know, so I plan to open another special examination. The places where the incident happened will be restricted to punish the local unrest. The places where the incident did not happen will naturally be given special favors to encourage them to make progress and reward their peace of mind!" "But this will have to wait for the officials of the Ministry of Rites to re-confirm it first."

When Zhu Houcong said this, he looked at the ministers in the Imperial Study and said, "Let's discuss and select new chief officials, especially the Ministry of Rites and the governors of the places where the imperial envoys were killed."

"Regardless of whether the previous officials of the Ministry of Rites and the governor were competent or incompetent, and whether they participated in the murder of the imperial envoy, since such a big thing has happened, they need to bear joint responsibility. As for how they will be dealt with, it is a matter for the future. Now the new chief official needs to be appointed immediately."

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, he ordered: "First, discuss the candidate for the Minister of Rites."

"Your Majesty, I recommend Luo Qinshun, the Minister of Personnel of Nanjing."

"Luo Qinshun is well-educated and can be a great minister."

At this time, Prime Minister Yang Yiqing spoke first.

Zhang Cong then said in his memorial: "I recommend Zhu Xizhou, the Minister of Rites of Nanjing, because he has experience in promoting the examination system in Nanzhi."

Wang Qiong then said: "I also recommend Zhu Xizhou, the Minister of Rites of Nanjing."

Wang Ao said: "I second the proposal of Yuan Fu and recommend Luo Qinshun, the Minister of Personnel of Nanjing."

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong ordered: "Bring the Jinyiwei's report on the two men's words and deeds!"

then.

Not long after, the eunuch Huang Jin brought the files of the two men's words and deeds.

After Zhu Houcong read the resumes of the two men, he ordered: "The Minister of Rites will be Zhu Xizhou. Luo Qinshun is more knowledgeable, so let him go to Beijing with the title of Minister of Rites to take charge of the Imperial Academy!"

"Yes!"

then.

Zhu Houcong added: "Except for the left and right assistant ministers who are recommended by the court, the other officials of the Ministry of Rites will be recommended and appointed by the Ministry of Personnel. We must get the Ministry of Rites up and running as soon as possible."

The Minister of Personnel Zhao Huang hurriedly said that he would obey the order.

"Now it's the chief governor of each place where the incident happened."

"What do you think of this appointment?"

Zhu Houcong asked about the ministers.

Yang Yiqing said first: "Your Majesty, I think the appointment of the governor of Henan should be confirmed first. To catch a thief, we must first catch the king. Henan has the most vassal states. If the reform of the royal family is to succeed, Henan is the most critical!"

"What Yuanfu said is correct. I mean that the governor of Henan should send Yan Song. This man is smart and has many tricks. He also knows the big picture. He can deal with those corrupt officials and bad gentry, and at the same time protect the good people and preserve himself. He is the only one who can do it!"

Zhu Houcong expressed his own opinion.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The ministers in the Imperial Study had no objection. After all, it was the emperor who had spoken himself. Moreover, they also admitted that Yan Song was indeed capable.

Afterwards, the emperor and his ministers discussed the candidates for other governors.

The Minister of Personnel Zhao Huang arranged the appointment documents according to the agreement between Zhu Houcong and the ministers of the Imperial Study.

This can also be regarded as the result of the increase of imperial power.

The emperor no longer appointed major officials through court recommendation, but instead directly consulted with a few trusted ministers and then let the Ministry of Personnel go through the procedures.

When Zhu Houcong used the opportunity to speed up the reform of the civil service system and replace the bureaucrats because the local bureaucracy was unable to make up for the rice salary, local officials and gentry in Henan and other places also officially received the emperor's edict to arrest local officials, restrict the imperial examinations for these local gentry and scholars, and impose military martial law on the incident areas.

"How could His Majesty do this?"

Henan gentry Lu Lai and others panicked on the spot.

and.

Lu Lai and other Henan gentry and wealthy families also hurriedly found Henan Left Governor Xia Congshou and other officials and said, "Please ask the governor to submit a petition and not restrict our imperial examinations!"

All of a sudden, the situation changed from local bureaucrats seeking help from the gentry and wealthy families to the gentry and wealthy families seeking help from the local bureaucrats.

(End of this chapter)