The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 199 This year's candidates are not good enough
The imperial examination is over and spring is here.

The candidates were all looking forward to the day when the list of successful candidates would be announced.

Wanli was also waiting for the list of tribute scholars.

Because he wanted to see if there were any historical celebrities or people he wanted to see among the candidates admitted to this subject.

February 27th, Yiwei, is the day to confirm the list of tribute scholars.

Because according to the rules, the list of successful candidates must be posted before the first day of March.

Therefore, after the imperial examination, the examiners would work day and night to confirm the list of successful candidates on February 27th, and post it early in the morning on February 28th.

To be honest, the time is a bit tight.

The imperial examination is not just a policy essay test. It has three sessions. The first session is three questions on the Four Books, a five-character eight-rhyme poem, and four questions on the meaning of the classics. The second session is one question on the Five Classics, one each on imperial edicts, judgments, memorials, and edicts. The third session is generally five policy essays on current affairs.

These add up to more than ten or twenty questions, and there are six or seven thousand candidates. So there are more than 100,000 test papers, and there are usually more than ten examiners.

It is easy to imagine how difficult it is for the examiners to read all the test papers and give their assessments in less than ten days.

On February 27th, Wanli waited for a whole day, until around 5 p.m., when the sun was about to set, Shen Li hurried over carrying the written list of tribute scholars.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli could not wait to order Sun Hai and Ke Yong to unfold the list of tribute scholars and take a closer look.

As a result, he couldn't help but frown when he saw it, and the more he looked back, the deeper his frown became.

After reading the list of tribute scholars, his brows were almost furrowed into a ball.

He didn't even know any of the admitted candidates this year!
Or rather, he had never heard of any of them.

He had never heard of any of them, which proved that none of the tribute scholars of this session left their names in history, at least not the kind of names that were familiar to later generations.

This is a bit outrageous.

You know, Li Tingji, Zhu Guozuo, Ye Xianggao, Fang Congzhe, Cui Jingrong, and even Li Hualong from the previous session were all relatively famous in history.

There isn't even one this year!
He was still a little skeptical, so he read it again carefully from beginning to end.

The result is still the same, no one is memorable.

Even Han Yu did not appear on the list.

Is this guy too scared to come and take part in the imperial examination?
If that's the case, then we're in big trouble.

Seeing Wanli frowning and not saying anything, Shen Li looked at it once, then again, and couldn't help but asked carefully: "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with this list?"

There's nothing wrong with the list, it's just that I've never heard of any of the people on it.

Wanli thought for a moment, then asked, "What do you think of the essays of this year's candidates? I mean, compared with the past."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li thought back, "The essays written by this year's candidates are pretty good. Although none of them are particularly outstanding, they are not much different from previous years. The essays that made the list are all well done."

Is there no difference?

Wanli was still a little puzzled and asked, "Is there nothing special about this year's candidates?"

This one.

Shen Li thought carefully for a while, then suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I remember now. This year's candidates are indeed a bit special. It seems that there are many military candidates participating in the examination. There are hundreds of them on the list of tribute scholars alone."

There are hundreds of military personnel on the list!
There are only more than 300 people on the list of tribute scholars. Does this mean that military candidates account for nearly one-third of the list?

People in later generations seem to have a misunderstanding that those who were in the military during the Ming Dynasty could not take the imperial examinations.

In fact, military households in the Ming Dynasty were allowed to take the imperial examinations, and many of them made it on the list. Moreover, there were also many celebrities among the military and civil servants.

Not to mention anything else, just take the chief minister of the cabinet as an example. The more famous ones such as Li Dongyang, Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Fang Congzhe, etc. are all military personnel. There are also more famous officials such as Hu Zongxian, Sun Chuanting, Hai Rui, Zhao Zhigao, Wang Jiaping, etc., who are all from military households.

Therefore, military households in the Ming Dynasty were able to take part in the imperial examinations, and quite a few of them did.

This time it was even more amazing, as there were actually hundreds of people on the list of tribute scholars.

It is obvious that after the military households have become wealthy in recent years, the lives of their children have improved. Those who are studying can concentrate on their studies and no longer have to work hard to make a living.

This is a good thing.

Upon hearing this, Wanli said with great interest, "Oh, there are so many military personnel. Are there any who are at the top?"

This one.

Shen Li thought for a moment, then pointed to the list of candidates and introduced them, "Your Majesty, the seventh one, Huang Chengxuan, is from the Southern Zhili Suzhou Guard. The twelfth one, Li Dawu, is from the Southern Zhili Changzhou Guard. The sixteenth one, Li Yuanzhi, is from the Huguang Jingzhou Guard. The twentieth one, Zhang Hezhong, is from the Shandong Binzhou Guard. There are too many people after that, I really can't remember them all."

Well, not bad, that's all the top-ranked ones. Wanli nodded with satisfaction and said, "You should accept more military students. Those who can enter the Hanlin Academy will enter the Hanlin Academy, and those who can't will stay in Beijing and serve as the six ministries, six departments, or the censors of the Supervisory Council."

Oh, His Majesty likes children of military personnel.

Shen Li quickly bowed and said, "I obey your order."

Wanli looked at the list, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Are there any craftsmen?"

This one.

Shen Li tried hard to recall, "There are also some registered as craftsmen. The tenth one, Peng Zungu, is a registered craftsman from Huang'an County, Huangzhou Prefecture, Huguang Province. The nineteenth one, Zhu Yibin, is a registered craftsman from Haining County, Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. I really can't remember the others.

By the way, Your Majesty, Peng Zungu's brother Peng Haogu is also on the list, but he's ranked outside the top 200."

There really is a craftsman register.

And there were also brothers who passed the imperial examination together.

Not bad.

Wanli nodded repeatedly and said, "You should also accept more disciples from the artisan class. Those who can enter the Hanlin Academy will enter the Hanlin Academy, and those who cannot enter the Hanlin Academy will stay in Beijing and serve as directors of the Ministry of Works."

Oh, His Majesty also likes the sons of craftsmen.

Shen Li nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli thought for a moment and then asked, "Are there any children of doctors here?"

Uh, you also like children of medical families.

The problem is that there are only a few doctors, and they have to learn a lot of medical books. It is difficult for them to pass the imperial examination, and it is even more difficult to be on the list of tribute scholars.

Shen Li said helplessly: "Your Majesty, I don't think I have seen any children from medical families in this department."

Then there's no way.

Wanli said with some regret: "Alright then, put it away and post it on the bulletin board tomorrow."

Now that the examination is over, it's time to prepare for the palace examination.

Shen Li asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, how many questions does the cabinet need to come up with for the palace examination?"

What palace examination questions will the cabinet set?

Those civil servants want to fight for everything.

The palace examination was originally a test for the imperial examination candidates by the emperor of the current dynasty.

Wanli shook his head slightly and said, "No need, I will pay for it myself."

Then you go out.

I still have to arrange for someone to print it.

Shen Li said carefully, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you, have you thought about the questions for the palace examination?"

This is it.

No!

But that's okay.

I won't write a long, stereotyped article.

Wanli thought carefully for a moment, then said decisively: "The palace examination question is: cultivate yourself, manage your family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world."

Your idea is too simple, just these few words?
However, this test question is actually taken from the Four Books and Five Classics.

Shen Li did remember that there was a sentence in "The Book of Rites: The Great Learning": Those who wished to manifest the illustrious virtues throughout the world first governed their country; those who wished to govern their country first put their family in order; those who wished to put their family in order first cultivated themselves; those who wished to cultivate themselves first rectified their hearts; those who wished to rectify their hearts first made their intentions sincere; those who wished to make their intentions sincere first acquired knowledge. Acquiring knowledge lies in investigating things. After investigating things, knowledge is attained. After attaining knowledge, intentions are sincere. After intentions are sincere, hearts are rectified. After hearts are rectified, people are cultivated. After people are cultivated, their families are in order. After their families are in order, their country is governed. After their country is governed, the world is at peace.

What does Your Majesty want to test mainly with this question?

Is this a strategy for governing the country and pacifying the world?

Or cultivate your character?
Or perhaps to study things and acquire knowledge?
This guy might be used to taking the imperial examinations, and when he encounters exam questions he always thinks about how to answer them.

Seeing this guy stunned, Wanli couldn't help but ask curiously: "What's wrong, Mengjing, is there something wrong with this question?"

I am already a cabinet minister, how can I think about how to answer the exam questions?
Shen Li reacted immediately and bowed repeatedly, saying, "No problem, no problem, Your Majesty is wise."

(End of this chapter)