The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 347: Toyotomi Hideyoshi is really good at picking the right time
Cabinet Grand Secretary Shen Yikuan is gone.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Shen Li, is here again.

After the emperor and his subjects exchanged greetings, Shen Li cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask Your Majesty if you have chosen the chief examiner and co-examiner for this examination?"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi really knows how to choose the right time.

The 20th year of Wanli happened to be the year of the metropolitan examination and the palace examination. At the beginning of spring, the Ming Dynasty was holding the metropolitan examination and the palace examination. After the palace examination, more than 300 Jinshi candidates had to be assigned positions.

The Ming Dynasty court was very busy and had no time to care about Japan's invasion of its vassal state, Korea.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi seems arrogant, but he is actually very meticulous.

The result of the research by the later Japanese historian Yoshinosuke Tsuji is: Most people believe that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a very bold and rough hero, but judging from his deeds, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's dispatch of troops and conquests were all carefully and meticulously thought out.

Historically, in the 20th year of Wanli's reign, the Haobai Rebellion was raging, and Yang Yinglong of Bozhou was almost forced to rebel. He knew that the Ming Dynasty could not send many troops to support its vassal state, Korea, so he brazenly launched an invasion.

At that time, the Ming Dynasty really had no military strength to support its vassal state, Korea.

But it was different this time. All the talk about conquering the Tumed tribe with all their strength and guarding against the Tuman and Jurchen tribes was just an illusion.

Wanli was just waiting for Toyotomi Hideyoshi to attack.

It doesn't matter if he doesn't care about this examination or the palace examination.

Of course, he still had to pretend on the surface, pretending to attach great importance to this provincial and palace examinations.

He thought about it carefully, then pondered, "What do you think about having the Minister of Rites, Lü Kun, be the chief examiner, and Zhao Long be the co-examiner?"

That would be great. Lu Kun was his fellow townsman and friend, and the Ministry of Rites was in charge of arranging the civil service examination and the palace examination. It would be just right to let the Minister of Rites and the Vice Minister of Rites preside over them.

Shen Li repeatedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Well, then let Lu Aiqing and Zhaolong come over to discuss how to conduct the examination and the palace examination."

Does this still need to be discussed?

The Ming Dynasty's metropolitan examination and palace examination have been held for more than two hundred years. Hasn't it always been done this way?

Shen Li was a little confused when he heard this.

Not long after, Minister of Rites Lu Kun and Vice Minister of Rites Zhu Guozuo arrived together.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli solemnly said, "Lord Lü, Lord Zhaolong, I intend to have you preside over this imperial examination. How can we make it more grand?"

what?
What does it mean to be more solemn?
Isn’t this how the imperial examination is conducted?

Lu Kun and Zhu Guozuo were stunned when they heard this.

Didn’t you understand this?

Seeing this, Wanli explained in detail: "I want everyone to think that I attach great importance to this imperial examination. We should try to make it as lively as possible."

This examination is all about making a fuss. It would be best if it were silent. Wouldn't it be better to make it a little lively?
If things really get lively, how can we still make a fuss?
When Shen Li heard this, his face was full of confusion.

Seeing this, Wanli could only give an example: "For example, let's improve the cells and install glass doors and windows. Then, as long as the doors and windows are closed, the cells will be as warm as spring."

This is a good idea.

Now there are coal stoves in the cells. If the cells are sealed with glass doors and windows, the candidates taking the imperial examinations will not freeze.

The problem is, this doesn’t work.

Lu Kun carefully reminded, "Your Majesty, once the glass doors and windows are installed, the inspectors will have to get close to the cells to see clearly even during the day.

At night, even with candles lit, the room is still very dark, and you have to lean over the window to look carefully to see what's going on inside, which makes it easy for candidates to cheat."

Oh, are you afraid of cheating?

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "It's easier for candidates to cheat, right? We can take this opportunity to make the examination more lively."

What do you mean?
Are they deliberately letting the candidates cheat and then catching them?

That would be fun, but the cheating candidates would be finished, their lives would be over.

This isn't a good thing, is it?
Shen Li carefully warned, "Your Majesty, cheating in the imperial examination is a serious matter. Not only will you never take the imperial examination again, but your academic achievements will also be revoked. It would be like you've wasted your time studying, and your life would be over."

What are you thinking? Who said I deliberately let the students cheat?
Wanli shook his head slightly and said, "I mean to send soldiers from the Beijing Camp to take turns watching the candidates for twelve hours. One soldier will stand outside each room, divided into three shifts, and keep a constant watch. This will not only prevent cheating, but also prevent fires."

How many soldiers from the Beijing camp are needed?

Shen Li carefully reminded him, "Your Majesty, after the examination begins, the Imperial Examination Hall will be closed and can only be opened once every three days. There are not many houses for the soldiers to rest in, and there is not enough space for thousands of soldiers.

There were at least five to six thousand candidates taking part in the imperial examination. If the people guarding the gates were added, then at least 20,000 soldiers from the Beijing camp would have to be stationed inside to watch over the examination each time.

There's no room for so many soldiers in the tribute hall, and feeding 20,000 soldiers is also a big problem."

It is really a bad rule that the Imperial Examination Hall cannot be opened during the examination.

In the seventh year of Tianshun, more than ninety examinees were burned to death inside the Imperial Examination Hall because it could not be opened during the imperial examination. This is not the way to prevent cheating. Sometimes civil servants are so rigid that they cannot adapt at all.

Wanli thought about it carefully, and then said decisively: "Then let's change the rules of the imperial examination. Why can't the Imperial Examination Hall be opened during the imperial examination?
This rule is simply killing people, and it has indeed killed many people. We have to change this rule.

During the examination period, the Imperial Academy can be open, and the soldiers of the Imperial Guard will take turns guarding the gate. Officials in the examination hall are not allowed to enter or leave unless it is a major matter. Soldiers of the Imperial Guard can enter and exit, and the rotation will be every four hours.

There are loopholes in this too.

Lu Kun pondered, "Your Majesty, if the soldiers coming in and out of the Beijing camp help the candidates smuggle the materials, it will be troublesome and cheating will become rampant."

Do you think no one cares about the soldiers in the Beijing camp?
Wanli shook his head slightly and said, "That's unlikely. The soldiers in the Beijing camp are under strict control. There are countless officers and soldiers watching over them. If anyone dares to help the candidates smuggle the papers, they will be finished.

We can also think of other ways to prevent the soldiers of the Beijing Camp from helping the candidates smuggle materials. For example, we can not designate in advance which soldiers of the Beijing Camp will be on duty at the gate, which soldiers will be watching the candidates, or even which people will go to which rooms.

We wrote down on pieces of paper in advance the places where soldiers from the Beijing Camp were required to be on duty or watch over the examinees, and when the soldiers from the Beijing Camp gathered to enter the examination hall, we would let the officers in charge draw lots.

In this way, the soldiers of the Beijing Camp would not know in advance whether they were guarding the gate or watching the candidates. Even if they were watching the candidates, they would not know in advance which candidate they were watching, so they would not be able to help the candidates cheat.

You even came here to draw lots!

All right, Your Majesty, if you insist on doing it this way, then let us do it this way.

Lu Kun bowed repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I understand."

This time, the capital city was in an uproar again.

The Imperial Examination Hall was going to be improved again. Not only were coal stoves installed in all the cells, but also glass doors and windows!

Isn’t this just like warming yourself by the fire at home? It’s not cold at all.

In addition, the rules of the imperial examination have also been changed. From now on, the soldiers of the Beijing camp will take turns to watch the candidates for the imperial examination, and the rotation will continue for twelve hours.

The Imperial Examination and the Palace Examination are the things that scholars all over the world care about the most, no doubt about it.

As soon as the notice was posted, the capital city was buzzing with activity, and countless scholars gathered together to discuss this topic.

Who said that the Emperor is not kind to scholars?

Glass is very expensive. How much glass would be needed to seal up all the rooms in the Imperial Examination Hall?
You wouldn't know until you calculate it, and you'll be shocked. Each room uses at least a thousand taels of glass!
After the renovation of the Imperial Examination Hall, there are tens of thousands of cells inside. How much does this cost?
Even if we calculate based on the cost, it would probably cost at least one million taels.

There are also soldiers from the Beijing camp who take turns guarding the cell for twelve hours. How many people are needed?

Wanli seemed to be afraid that the scholars in the world did not know about it, so he even ordered someone to publish an article in the official newspaper to specifically introduce the arrangements for this imperial examination.

He seemed to think that installing glass doors and windows was not enough, so he even had a palace lantern installed in each cell, so that the cell would be brightly lit at all hours of the day.

As soon as the court bulletin came out, scholars in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty began to discuss it.

The news soon spread to the vassal state of Korea.

No one knew how many officials in Korea, a vassal state, were secretly colluding with the Japanese pirates. After the news reached Korea, it quickly spread to Japan.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi felt even more relieved when he heard the news.

The young emperor of the Ming Dynasty was busy preparing for the provincial and palace examinations. They suddenly sent troops to attack Korea, and the Ming court was certainly unable to react.

He had indeed chosen this timing deliberately. Otherwise, why would he strike earlier or later, but choose to strike when the joint examination and the palace examination were held in the Ming Dynasty?
If speed is of the essence in war, he could have sent troops in the second half of last year.

He just wanted to catch the Ming Dynasty off guard while the court was organizing the provincial and palace examinations.

(End of this chapter)