Autumn, the seventh year of Wanli.
Henan Chengxuan Political Envoy Si Guide Mansion, Yucheng County.
…
Autumn is crisp and clear, with no clouds in the sky.
In the county town, a carriage hurriedly arrived, surrounded by five-level honor guards, indicating that the visitor was one of the best in the country.
A group of chief officials from Yucheng County followed behind the carriage, respectfully following every step.
It seems that due to the sudden arrival, the local magistrate did not have time to clear Shangguan of pedestrians on the road and vacate the vendors on the roadside.
At this time, passers-by hid under the eaves of the street or in shops, tacitly joining in the fun with their eyes.
The carriage stopped outside a mansion.
It is a mansion with a scholarly family background. It is not majestic, but has the restraint and accumulation of a century-old family.
On the high-hanging plaque, there are four words "Ji Shan Home", but they are slightly covered by the white cloth.
The Babel paper erected on the left and right sides of the gate once again emphasizes that an elder has passed away in this mansion.
The curtain of the carriage parked outside the mansion was slowly opened, and a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in official uniform, stepped out.
He stopped the accompanying officials, walked quickly to the door, pressed the door knocker himself, and knocked several times.
His posture can be described as extremely low.
In the wine shop beside the road, there are many good people who have not been driven out, so naturally there are many people who know the visitors.
"It seems that you are a colleague of mine?" Because of the distance, his tone was uncertain before he spoke.
The so-called prefect refers to the place where a government is governed.
Tongzhi naturally means they govern together, which can be called deputy magistrate.
"Don't be confused. In our Guide Mansion, the only one who can use the fifth-grade ceremonial guard is Sima Tongzhi." Someone made a positive judgment based on the ceremonial guard and official uniforms.
Many people watching in the wine shop gently shook their folding fans and nodded in agreement.
"Did Sima Tongzhi come to the Shen Mansion to express his condolences? It has been three months since the funeral. Even if a new official takes office, there is no need to be so clingy, right?"
Some county school students shook their heads in disdain at this behavior of stooping and clinging to high-ranking officials.
Suddenly someone refuted: "Clinging to you? Brother, that's too slow. Sima Zhi, among the Jinshi in this subject in the second year of Wanli, has always been famous for his ruthless methods."
"After he was appointed magistrate of Zhenyang County, he behaved well at first and did not interfere with the local officials. However, for some reason, he suddenly became violent in the next few years. He harassed subordinate officials, broke up families and killed people, and did whatever he wanted.
Don’t go to extremes.”
"I'm afraid it won't be easy for such a cruel official to find the Shen Mansion today."
People around him really didn't know that this new official had such a resume, so they couldn't help but take a second look at Sima Zhi who was knocking on the door.
Seeing that he was very polite and did not look like he was looking for trouble, some people could not help but wonder: "The Shen family helps the poor in the county and is kind to others. Not to mention harming the people, they have not even done anything illegal. Sima Zhi
How can you just start a fire at will just because a new official takes office?"
"Furthermore, although Mr. Longjiang Shen Li has been sick at home since the second year of Wanli, he has never been removed from his official position. Last year, he was promoted to one level of salary because of the completion of the "Records of Emperor Shizong"."
"Zuo Zhongyun, who is in the sixth rank, is more than a step ahead of Tongzhi, the prefect who is in the fifth rank."
"How dare Sima Tongzhi make a mistake?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone felt that it made sense and nodded one after another.
The person who spoke before shook his head alone and said meaningfully: "The Shen family naturally has its own duties."
"But as a century-old wealthy family and the head of the eight aristocratic families in Guide Mansion, it is impossible for the family wealth to be accumulated by relying on salary."
As he said this, he used an expression that said, "This involves a lot, those who understand will understand, and those who don't understand don't need to say more." He shook his head and said nothing.
The spectators in the wine shop scratched their heads and scratched their heads.
At this time, a man dressed as a businessman suddenly took over the topic: "I just came back from the capital this month, and I heard rumors along the way..."
"When this year's autumn grain harvest is completed, the center may have to measure the acres and verify the acreage."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone suddenly turned their heads and looked at the businessman.
"really?"
"Why didn't you tell us about such a big thing earlier!?"
"It's just a matter of measuring the acres. I'm afraid it will cause a big mess if I check the land..."
Some students realized later and suddenly reacted: "Didn't the autumn grain be harvested last month?"
He cast a questioning look at everyone.
Someone touched his chin and nodded slowly: "So... Sima Zhi found the head of a famous family in Guide Mansion, the head of the eight major families."
Everyone came to their senses one after another, and looked at Sima Zhi, the commander-in-chief of the Guide Mansion, with confused expressions on their faces.
I saw him being welcomed into the door by people from the Shen Mansion.
Disappeared from everyone's sight.
…
"Reporting to Sima Tongzhi, this junior's name is Shen Yu, and his courtesy name is Jicheng."
Shen Yu walked in front, extending her hand to invite Sima Zhi from time to time, welcoming Sima Zhi into the house, and responded with words that were neither humble nor arrogant.
Sima Zhi was not as vicious as the rumors outside said.
He smiled kindly and said, "Then the name your father gave Jicheng, does it have the character for butterfly?"
Shen Yu was startled.
I just felt that this fellow acquaintance was not very good, and even found out the identity of his mere stepson.
He couldn't help but become more vigilant: "Yes, this junior's name is Dieyun."
Seeing that this junior didn't understand why he asked this question, Sima Zhi shook his head without interest and simply stopped talking.
He was here to look for Shen Li, the Japanese official who took leave of absence due to illness in the second year of Wanli.
He doesn't have much interest in other people in the house.
He followed Shen Yu through the courtyard and into the hall, looking around.
"Please wait a moment, my father will be here after changing his clothes."
Shen Yu respectfully asked Sima Zhi to take a seat, said a few words, and then turned to leave.
Naturally, Sima Zhi would not force him to stay: "Jicheng can go on his own."
He Shishiran sat down.
After tidying up his clothes, he closed his eyes and rested his mind.
In the third year of Wanli, more than four years have passed since Sima Zhi selected the Shujishi and was released.
He sat in the position of county magistrate for four years and fought with his superiors, squires, local officials and wealthy families in the county for four years.
The Ministry of Officials said that he had fulfilled his duties and was capable in government. This year, he was promoted to the Tongzhi of Guide Prefecture.
From the seventh grade to the fifth grade, you have been promoted four levels in a row. Even if you are demoted from a court official to a deputy, it is still a big promotion.
But, it's still too slow.
According to the previous regulations, if a county magistrate was given free reign as a Jinshi, he would usually be promoted to Chief Secretary to participate in politics within three to five years. It was even possible to be directly promoted to Chief Secretary to participate in politics in the second year.
Let’s continue on the overcorrected path that the Center is taking now.
He, Sima Zhi, might not be able to put on the scarlet robe until he becomes an official.
It’s impossible to go without troops and take risks!
Just as I was thinking of this, I heard footsteps outside the house.
Sima Zhi interrupted his thoughts and looked outside.
I saw a slender, slightly thin middle-aged man, wearing linen and mourning, slowly appearing outside the hall.
Sima Zhi saw that he was rich and handsome, and secretly sighed that he was so good-looking. No wonder he heard that the emperor favored him.
He quickly stood up to greet him: "Mr. Long Jiang."
Sima Zhi is forty-two years old, and Shen Li is forty-nine. They are not old, and the gap in age and rank is not too big, so they did not claim the title of duke.
Shen Li returned the greeting sternly without any pretense: "Sima Tongzhi, if it's a business matter, just address me by rank. If it's a private matter, just address me by my cousin name."
Sima Zhi smiled and said ambiguously: "It's both public and private. You and I are from scholarly families, so we just call each other cousins."
Shen Li's name is Zhonghua and his name is Longjiang, which means the carp transforms into a dragon.
The same goes for the stepson just now, Shen Yu, whose courtesy name is Jicheng and whose nickname is Dieyun. He obviously has mediocre talent and was entrusted with the wish to break out of his cocoon and become a butterfly.
These are the traces of a scholarly family that can be seen everywhere, and are not comparable to those of the nouveau riche.
Shen Li bowed again before taking his seat: "I wonder why Jingfu came to visit?"
When Sima Zhi heard this, he suddenly straightened his back and sat upright.
In an instant, this person had the appearance of a powerful official who was in charge of a place and was not angry at all.
The atmosphere also became a little solemn.
Sima Zhi stared straight at Shen Li and said seriously, "I came here today to give some advice to Zhonghua..."
He paused and said with a somewhat stern look: "The general trend of the world is like a river pouring down water and Mount Tai pouring down pressure. It is best for the Shen family not to use their arms as a chariot, lest they be crushed into powder."
The oppression and hostility in his tone were obvious.
Shen Li naturally felt this tense atmosphere.
But he didn't show any anger.
Instead, he was stunned for a long time.
He frowned in confusion: "What is Jingfu referring to?"
Sima Zhi saw that Shen Li's reaction was completely different from what he expected.
I can't help but secretly say that this person is very difficult to deal with.
I deliberately acted unruly and wanted to provoke him to reveal his true nature, but in the end, he didn't show any emotion at all.
He didn't know what to say for a moment.
Seeing Sima Zhi's reaction, Shen Li seemed to come to his senses a little.
He pondered for a moment and then explained: "In the second year of Wanli, the doctor said that my thoughts were too much, my spirit was exhausted, my heart and brain were both weak, and I was in fear of my life."
"So, after Your Majesty allowed me to return home due to illness, I thought carefully and thought little. No matter the situation in the world or the big and small matters within the clan, I never paid attention to it."
"Either practice Tao Zang meditation, or recite Buddhist scriptures to pray for your deceased father."
"So, I have absolutely no idea what Jingfu said about the world's general situation and the Shen family's situation, so I ask Jingfu to speak frankly."
When Sima Zhi heard these words, he suddenly couldn't figure out the connections of Shen Longjiang in front of him.
He had already made plans for this trip to have a conflict with Shen Zhongyun.
Or, agree to his conditions and both parties shake hands and make peace.
Or, he was using Shen Zhongyun as a stepping stone to solidify his reputation as a cruel official.
But Shen Li directly refused and said he didn't know, which made him hesitate.
The Shen family's butt is dirty. If you say Shen Li's story, no one knows about it, so he doesn't believe it.
Even though Shen Li was well-known in official circles and among the scholars of Guide Mansion, he was still the head of the Shen family.
In particular, the reputation of scholar-bureaucrats is just that.
It's just that an official can only manage one generation, but his reputation can be passed down to ten generations - especially since he, as the 16th generation grandson of Sima Guang, is still enjoying the glory, this can be seen.
So in Sima Zhi's eyes, Shen Li didn't have much aura.
He looked at Shen Li's calm expression and observed it for a long time.
After a while.
Sima Zhi shook his head secretly and decided to change his strategy.
He pondered for a moment, then went straight in, staring into Shen Li's eyes: "Zhonghua, in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, after the winter comes, we will start to clear the land and verify the land!"
Clear out the acres of land and verify the number of households!?
Shen Li glanced at Sima Zhi in surprise.
Then suddenly it dawned on me!
No wonder!
No wonder the clan members deliberately avoided him during these days.
As a close minister of the emperor and an official in the East Palace, he naturally knew what the emperor and the cabinet were planning for the new deal at the turn of the Long-Wan period.
Whether it is rectifying the capital camp or taking the exam, they are just preparations for shaking the foundation of the world later.
Du Tian, ​​tax law, restructuring...
These are the hard nuts to crack.
Therefore, it was just that the storm was approaching and a drop happened to fall in front of me.
As for Sima Zhi...
Shen Li didn't take other people's temptations to heart.
He also understood why Sima Zhi looked so menacing.
The Shen family is the first of the eight aristocratic families in Guide Prefecture.
He didn't know how much land his people had annexed under his banner.
He has never counted how many subordinate officials he has crammed into government and county offices.
He also paid no attention to the frequent marriages within the clan and the ambiguities with several major surrounding families.
He only knew that if he wanted to clear his father's land, check the Dingkou, and return to the Shen family in De Mansion, there would be a threshold that he could not bypass.
Sima Zhi is treating himself as a junior Xu Jie.
Shen Li couldn't help but smile.
Unfortunately he is not.
After he smiled, he immediately calmed down, met Sima Zhi's gaze, and said solemnly: "My father passed away suddenly four years ago, and my mother passed away in mourning until this year. In the past four years, I have taken care of my health and observed filial piety. I have no time to care about property and acres."
"Since the imperial court wants to clear out the land, it is necessary to check the Dingkou."
"Sima Tongzhi might as well start with my Shen family."
He paused: "Business matters are business, and I will restrain the whole family."
It's as if he changed his name and took an official position.
Sima Zhi looked at Shen Li with some surprise.
Then it turned into suspicion. He couldn't hold it back anymore and asked nonsense out of curiosity: "Is Zhonghua really true?"
Ever since he walked in, Shen Li's reaction was always beyond his expectation.
At this moment, I don’t know whether I should believe it or not.
After all, the Shen family is the most famous family in Guide Mansion, so this reaction is too easy now.
If Mr. Long Jiang's personal integrity is really so clear and pure, and he is willing to be a clan traitor and cooperate with the court, then...if he dies in the future, no one in his clan will even be willing to bury him in a coffin.
When Shen Li saw Sima Zhi's unbelieving expression, he didn't answer and just called out to the house.
His stepson Shen Yu heard the sound outside and walked in quickly.
After Shen Li waited for his son to finish the ceremony, he gave a direct instruction: "Go and get the records of the clan's fields and tenants."
Shen Yu suddenly raised her head when she heard this.
Shen Li nodded calmly and waved his hand to drive him away.
Shen Yu had no choice but to answer.
After a while, there were stacks of account books piled in the middle of the room.
Seeing this scene, Sima Zhi finally believed that Shen Li was serious.
He looked overjoyed: "Zhong Huaguo is a true gentleman who cares about his country!"
The words of praise of "high reputation, high moral character, righteousness and strength" come out as if they don't need money.
With that said, he would imitate the rumored emperor's trick and go up to hold Shen Li's hand.
Shen Li had no reaction to this kind of boast.
He inadvertently broke away from Sima Zhi's hand and said, "Sima Tongzhi looks like he is facing a formidable enemy now. Did he encounter some violent backlash?"
Sima Zhi suddenly fell silent when he heard Shen Li's question.
By this time, he had already believed that Shen Zhongyun was really deaf to what was going on outside the window.
After a while.
Sima Zhi sighed and finally revealed his true feelings: "The imperial document arrived at Guide Mansion at the beginning of the month and ordered me to start farming as soon as autumn is over."
"On that day, the prefect Xiao Yinggong directly signed the seal and returned."
Xiao Yinggong was also a Jinshi in the second year of Wanli.
But his composition was better than that of Sima Zhi. He was ranked among the top ten in the second class. He was selected as a commoner, served as county magistrate for two years, and general magistrate for two years. He was directly promoted to magistrate.
Whether it's talent or skill, he is the best choice.
But for such a person, after seeing Dutian's documents, he didn't even want the official salary and went home directly.
This incident can be said to have shocked Henan official circles for a while.
Shen Li could only respond with silence - resigning from office is a good reputation in Shilin, which shows that he is not greedy for power, but it is not a good thing to refuse an order that benefits the country and the people and run away. This kind of behavior, Shen Li I don't know how to evaluate it at the moment.
Just listen to Sima Zhi continue to say: "That's all. I can stand up to the prefecture's prestige alone. Taking charge of the prefecture on my behalf is also a good thing for me to polish my resume."
"However, most of the subordinate officials in the government offices are involved with the wealthy families in the counties."
"The news cannot be concealed at all."
Shen Li naturally understands this.
When his grandfather Shen Han was the prefect of Fujian, he easily arranged for his son to be the chief clerk of Shuntian Prefecture.
This is the unspoken rule of officialdom. If you hire my son, I will hire your son. Over time, the wealthy families will monopolize all the local officials.
"After the major wealthy families learn about Du Tian, ​​how can they just sit back and wait for death?"
"In the middle of the month..."
Sima Zhi looked up at Shen Li and smiled: "In your name, go to the prefect's Yamen to threaten me."
Shen Li was indifferent.
He just shook his head expressionlessly and explained briefly.
He himself was used to this kind of thing.
If it weren't for his banner, like locusts passing through, why would the Shen family have grown rapidly in the past ten years?
Sima Zhi continued: "Of course I can't retreat easily, otherwise wouldn't it ruin the reputation of my Sima family?"
"After that, I stared at you... They were afraid that they would get into trouble with me secretly."
"As expected."
"The night before yesterday, from Zhaopi Village in Lanyang County to Lingjiazhuang in Yucheng County, gunpowder exploded in the dams, and the flames shot into the sky!"
Sima Zhi said it in an understatement.
Shen Li was horrified, stood up suddenly, and said in horror: "Blow up the embankment!?"
Despite his qi-nurturing skills, he couldn't help but feel frightened at this moment.
Sima Zhi nodded, with a look of fear on his face, and said comfortingly: "It didn't blow up, it just cracked a hole, and it has been blocked."
"Thanks to Zhang Shiluan, the deputy envoy in charge of the embankment, who had a good conscience and did not cut too many corners when building the embankment. Otherwise, if something like this happened under my administration, even if he would not be sent to the capital, he would still have to leave office pending investigation."
Shen Li was still frightened and paced back and forth in front of Sima Zhi.
His face was full of thoughts - it was the first time since Wanli's second year of recuperation that he had begun to think deeply.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't thought about it for so long that it took him a while to figure it out.
Shen Li breathed a long sigh of relief, sat down again, and said his own opinion: "You shouldn't be so mad. This section of the dam is 229 miles long and requires 577,740 people." First, once it explodes, it cannot be repaired in a while."
"When the Yellow River bursts, the whole government will be affected by the disaster. All the wealthy families and fertile fields in Guizhou will be destroyed! When the imperial court investigated, they were killed again."
"They wouldn't do such stupid things, let alone have the courage."
"This is forcing you, forcing you to sit down and make peace, forcing you to give in!"
Sima Zhi had already figured this out, so he didn't need Shen Li to remind him.
He spread his hands helplessly and said with a smile: "So today I found the Shen family."
I thought that behind these people was the great Buddha Shen Li.
He also made countless preparations for this.
Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a false alarm.
But...the result was better than expected.
When Shen Li heard this, he nodded indifferently: "My family has also merged a lot in the past hundred years. This is using my family property to drive a wedge between me and the imperial court."
As he said that, he couldn't help but snorted coldly.
Who do you really think he is? You want him to come forward for these stupid things?
I have to admit that before Shen Li, he had attached great importance to things like family property.
As for now...
His first wife had irregular menstruation. In the past thirty years, she had been pregnant eleven times. Except for two daughters, all of them were stillborn.
Nine is the ultimate number, annihilating his last hope.
He has resigned himself to continuing his bloodline.
Correspondingly, I have become a lot more indifferent to clan and family property.
Compared with his clan, he is more obsessed with the continuation of his spirit - which is why he is indifferent to his clan members asking him to leave his wife and take concubines and have children every day.
Family property?
Even if there are as many as Xu Jie, what's the point?
It is better to pass on your own spiritual imprint and leave something useful to the world.
Sima Zhi glanced at Shen Li.
I couldn't help but take a high look in my heart.
At this moment, he had abandoned the original idea and had new ideas.
Sima Zhi coughed lightly and stood up slowly.
He walked up to Shen Li and made a big salute: "I take the liberty of asking Duke Longjiang to help me with the task of consolidating the fields."
After that, he bowed his head to the end.
I am a government official and have only been in Henan for four years.
The Shen family has been prosperous for a hundred years since Shen Hanzhong became a Jinshi, and took root in Guidefu. They are a powerful and powerful family born and raised.
If we can get help from Shen Lixiang, we will definitely get twice the result with half the effort!
When Shen Li heard this, he was silent for a long time.
Finally, he spoke slowly: "My mother died of illness less than three months ago. She has not yet reached the period of filial piety, so it is inconvenient for her to show up in public."
"I'll go to the government office with you first and tell my subordinates to help Sima Tongzhi wholeheartedly."
Twenty percent of the subordinate officials in Guide Mansion are members of his Shen family.
Saying hello to him would at least prevent Sima Zhi from being unable to move forward without anyone to help him.
When Sima Zhi heard this, he did not hesitate whether he was a subordinate of the Shen family or a subordinate of the Ming Dynasty.
He just touched his palms and said with great joy: "Great kindness!"
He stepped forward again, grabbed Shen Li's hand, and pulled him out.
…
On the official road back to Defu City from Yucheng County, the honor guard followed at a distance, hanging behind the carriage.
Shen Li and Sima Zhi were squeezed into the same carriage, sitting opposite each other.
"What's the situation like in the world after I left Beijing?" Shen Li asked seriously.
The official roads in Henan were naturally different from those around the capital. They were full of bumps and bumps, which made the two of them feel uncomfortable in the carriage.
Sima Zhi thought about it for a moment and replied: "I will go to the government office later and show Mr. Long Jiang the newspaper and the new newspaper. After reading it, I will have a clear view of everything."
Shen Li was a little surprised: "The new newspaper was sold to Henan?"
He remembered that in the second year of Wanli, it was only available around Beizhili.
Sima Zhi nodded: "Now, except for Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Sichuan, all the other Chief Secretary's yamen have news edition offices, which are under the direct control of the General Affairs Department and have newspaper printing plants under their jurisdiction."
"Together with Di Bao, we will rush to copy it to all provinces, and then print it in the printing house and circulate it to all prefectures."
"It's about a month slower than the one in Beijing."
Shen Li nodded thoughtfully.
In this way, the powers of the General Administration Department may be increased again.
I'm afraid he really needs a status worthy of the title of Jiuqing.
Shen Li shook his head, shook off his thoughts, and continued: "Then Jingfu will pick something big to talk about."
In this case, Sima Zhi did not shirk.
The carriage was jolting, and Sima Zhi spoke eloquently: "After Mr. Long Jiang became an official, Xuanda used troops against the Tatar right wing Yiduoyan Guards. In this battle, the governor Qi Jiguang killed Dong Hu, and Hu Shouren captured Chang'ang and brought him to Beijing to pay tribute. .”
"In November, the emperor selected his concubine and named her queen. She got married in March of the next year and began to govern personally."
Hearing this, Shen Li was a little surprised: "So early? Does the emperor have an heir now?"
Sima Zhi sighed: "We are making trouble just because of this matter."
"His Majesty has no heirs, and the DPRK and China have been arguing for more than a year about whether to repopulate the harem."
"In addition, they are accusing the cabinet of acting too hastily and hurting His Majesty's foundation."
Shen Li frowned: "Who said that His Majesty must have hurt his roots?"
These words are a bit too vicious.
Just having no heirs does not necessarily mean that the foundation has been damaged. Couldn't it be that he is still young and has not worked hard enough?
To put it bluntly, even if you really hurt your roots, you can't openly declare it to your mouth like this.
Otherwise, should the courtiers consider who will take over the throne?
Sima Zhi sighed: "It doesn't matter who said it anymore, now it is spread like this from south to north."
"Even if the two palaces came forward to explain that the emperor was busy with everything and rarely had sex with each other, the officials and people in the court did not recognize it, and the uproar became more and more private."
Shen Li sneered unintelligibly: "Apart from someone who is willing to do it deliberately, what else can I do? I'm afraid it's more than this."
Sima Zhi glanced at Shen Li in surprise.
He felt that along the way, Mr. Long Jiang was becoming more and more clever.
Sima Zhi nodded calmly and said without hesitation: "Now King Lu is twelve years old and has been crowned as an adult. Yuan Fu has repeatedly reported to him, hoping that he will leave the palace and become a vassal."
"But Queen Mother Li and some court officials categorically disagreed."
"There were several quarrels in the court meeting, and we heard that we couldn't get along."
"His Majesty was caught in the middle by his mother, his younger brother, the cabinet, and the court officials. He was in a dilemma and couldn't make a choice. Even so, some people say that His Majesty ignored the family friendship and treated his family members harshly."
Shen Li looked at Sima Zhi in shock.
He said in disbelief: "Has the trouble reached this point?"
Debating whether his younger brother, King Lu, should become a vassal, is essentially a matter of strategizing about the emperor's succession!
How is this different from cursing the emperor for having no heirs and interfering with the throne!?
Why is this so?
Sima Zhi opened the curtain and confirmed again that there were no outsiders outside the carriage.
Then he sat back down and said, "The current situation is what it is. Your Majesty's pressure is too harsh, and the backlash will naturally appear one after another."
"In the seventh month of the third year of Wanli, the Holy One started the recruitment of officials from various departments under the Press and Publishing Administration, and started the examination."
"The content is roughly the Four Books and Five Classics, common sense such as arithmetic, and some nonsense about logic."
"In the fourth year of Wanli, His Majesty eliminated the hereditary officials of the Qin Tian Jian one by one. He also made the recruitment of officials from the News and Publishing Department a matter of the past, and then started to set up examinations in astronomy and mathematics."
"Among them, Wugan Jianhou and Wuguan Sili from the ninth rank, and Wuguan Sichen from the ninth rank, Dr. Lu Ke are also among them."
"At the annual meeting in December of the fifth year of Wanli, a new system for the selection of officials in Shuntian Prefecture was decided. They will no longer be recommended by Shangguan, but will be selected through unified examination."
"Last year, it was the first subject. It tested the Four Books and Five Classics, mathematics, logic, and essays."
Shen Li opened his mouth: "Sun Gong Yi Peng, could it be that we have to generalize it?"
This all needs to be customized and is obviously not a whim.
Sima Zhi didn't answer the question. How could he know whether this was a general matter?
Shen Li murmured to himself: "No wonder there are endless backlashes."
When the emperor did something like this, let alone the court officials, even he found it ridiculous.
The person offended by all these things is not just a local official.
Where did the officials come from? They were appointed by officials!
Just like his uncle, who was not a civil servant but was recommended by his grandfather as the chief registrar of Shuntian Mansion.
Just like why most of the officials in Guide Mansion are from the Shen family now? Because it was just a matter of Shen Li nodding his head, and it was easy to do with a little effort.
If we follow the methods of the emperor and the cabinet, how can the court officials arrange their relatives?
How can local aristocratic families continue to take root in the yamen and grow stronger day by day?
If this continues... there will naturally be more and more people dissatisfied with the emperor.
Shen Li thought more deeply and couldn't help but rub his eyebrows.
Seeing that Shen Li had no intention of answering, Sima Zhi continued what he had just said: "In addition to this matter, there is also the fact that around June of the second year of Wanli, Wang Yangming worshiped at the Confucius Temple."
"The orthodoxy of Confucianism was also established. The predecessors were Confucius, Mencius, Cheng and Zhu, and the successors were the Seven Sages."
Shen Li nodded.
He knew this, after all, when he left Beijing, the emperor had already made a holy appearance in front of people, and his purpose was obvious.
Just listen to Sima Zhi continue to say: "In August of the third year of Wanli, Li Zhi absorbed the emperor's teachings and based on the word practice, he introduced the word 'progress' to the old and brought out the new - called skills."
"The existence of the imperial court has the obligation to promote skills, skilled craftsmen, slash and burn farming, firearms, vehicles, and ships...etc."
"In March of the fourth year of Wanli, Li Zhi used the word "practice" as the basis to introduce a new word "fairness" - called distribution."
Sima Zhi only tasted this place briefly and didn't talk much about it.
"The existence of the imperial court has the obligation to allocate resources."
"The balance between the two depends on the evolution of the times and is weighed, just like the way of yin and yang."
After Shen Li listened to Sima Zhi's words, he couldn't tell how many times he had looked shocked.
He looked at Sima Zhi and was speechless.
Sima Zhi met his gaze and nodded meaningfully: "The purpose of clearing the land and verifying the Dingkou this time is based on the latter."
Chapter completed!