Zhu Yuanzhang sat tiredly on the chair without speaking, with his eyes closed. Xia Xun had finished the ceremony and could only stand there quietly.
"The country, the people, justice, morality, which one is more important? Which one is more important!"
Zhu Yuanzhang murmured something and stopped again.
Xia Xun thought to himself: "I remember that because of the Ding Chou scientific examination case, in order to resolve this dispute, the Ming Dynasty separated the north and the south. Why didn't the ministers make this suggestion just now?"
He hesitated for a moment and said: "Wei Chen is a small military officer. Logically speaking, he shouldn't talk too much. However, the Lord is worried about the humiliation of his ministers. The emperor's worries are the shame of his ministers. Wei Chen thinks of a way, but I don't know if it is
feasible……"
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes, glanced at him curiously, and said without any hope: "Say."
Xia Xun said: "Yes, the scientific examination papers all have their names pasted on them. Students from all over the country gathered in the capital to take the exam together, and they couldn't tell the difference between east, west, north and south. Since it is a fact that students from the north are less knowledgeable than students from the south, then this scientific examination is like this.
This will still be the case in the future. Examiners will judge based on the papers, and it will still be inevitable for Northerners to fail.
It is better to create a southern list and a northern list based on the situation between the north and the south. According to their place of origin, the northern and southern lists will be reviewed and evaluated separately. In this way, the southerners and the northerners will each have their own list. The outstanding northerners will not compete with the southerners, but they will also be included.
This way, northern students can see the future direction and encourage northern students to pursue academic pursuits, while avoiding the embarrassment of inevitably failing because students from the north and the south are mixed together. "
Xia Xun's method is similar to the divisional division of the college entrance examination in later generations, and the north-south division list is undoubtedly more suitable for the current situation where all students from across the country take the exam in Beijing. Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes gradually brightened: "Good idea, this is a good idea. You become a military attache,
What a pity.”
Xia Xun was startled. He didn't want Lao Zhu to get excited and make him a civil servant. He was a fake official and was mixed with those other literati. There would always be a time when he was asked to write.
Don't you want to make a big fool of yourself? Besides, he doesn't like those civil servants who are either loyal or hypocritical, but are full of twists and turns.
Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang just said that, and after a pause, he talked about the next topic: "So, what should we do about the current situation?"
Xia Xun glanced at him secretly and said bravely: "Or the emperor will open Enke and admit more northern candidates to calm down the public anger?"
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled lightly: "Haha, although you are alert and know how to adapt, you are childish here."
Xia Xun quickly bowed and said: "Yes."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "With this move, doesn't it clearly tell the world that this spring's scientific examination is indeed correct? The imperial court is worried about the fierce public sentiment among the people in the north, so it has to make this concession? The imperial court's prestige and dignity will be gone. This move is inevitable
If you encourage some people to be arrogant and threaten the court with similar actions in the future, how should the court respond? Will you raise the butcher's knife?"
Xia Xun sweated profusely and quickly bowed silently.
Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly: "Your ranking list for the north and south of the scientific examination is indeed a good idea. It can avoid such a situation in the future, but it cannot solve the current crisis. It cannot solve..."
The rain was pouring down, the curtains in the hall were floating, and the cool and moist wind blew into the hall. Zhu Yuanzhang's old voice contained a hint of murderousness...
"In the past, the flying general Li Guang was defeated in Yanmen Mountain. He lost his troops and generals, reduced his position to the people, and retreated to Nanshan in Lantian. He often used hunting as a pastime. One day, he went hunting in the mountains and returned drunk. It was already the curfew time to guard Ba Ling.
The lieutenant banned him from traveling at night, and Li Guang's subordinates said by name: "This is the original General Li." Lieutenant Ba Ling rebuked him: "Even the current general is not allowed to travel at night, let alone you are the former general?" Li Guang was helpless.
, had to sleep under the pavilion and wait for dawn.
Soon, the Xiongnu invaded the Central Plains again and defeated the Han army. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty worshiped Li Guang as the governor of Beiping to lead the troops to defend against the enemy. When Li Guang took office, the first thing he did was to transfer Lieutenant Ba Ling to his army to serve him.
Lieutenant Ling arrived and immediately killed him with his sword, venting his personal anger.
Was he wrong? Wrong! He wrote a letter to plead guilty, but Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not punish him. He even issued an edict to appease him, praising him for his bravery and integrity. Didn't Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty know that he had committed a capital crime? Yes, but he was 'not guilty'
When the imperial court employs people, in the face of the safety of the country, the country, and thousands of people, Li Guang is guilty, but it is not a crime! Ba Lingwei is not guilty, but it can be a crime!
Li Gan, the youngest son of Li Guang, served as a school lieutenant and served as a hussar general to attack King Hu Zuoxian. He fought hard and captured King Zuoxian's drum flag. He beheaded many people, was given the title of Marquis of Guannei, and was appointed Lang Zhongling in Li Guang's stead. He had great achievements. He was suspected of his father's murder.
His death was related to General Wei Qing. He beat Wei Qing severely, but Wei Qing was kind and did not make any announcement.
Later, the matter was learned by Wei Qing's nephew Huo Qubing, so he took the opportunity to accompany the emperor to hunt Ganquan Palace and shot Li Gan, Lang Zhongling (chief of the imperial guard), with one arrow. In front of the emperor, just because his uncle was killed
After being beaten, he dared to shoot the doctor Li Gan in front of the emperor. Is Huo Qubing guilty? Guilty, but Wei Qing is old and the country's champion, Huo Qubing is guilty, it is not a crime! Li Gan is not guilty, it can be a crime!
"
Xia Xun listened quietly. For a long time, there was another thunder. Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up with this thunder: "Liu Sanwu and Zhang Xin, they are both scholars. They stick to their faith and their Tao.
Wrong. But I am the emperor, and what I care about is the entire world; what I want to take care of are the millions of people of my Ming Dynasty; what I want to maintain is the stability of these thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, and I am not wrong. I am wrong, not
Wrong calculation! There is no mistake, it can be wrong!”
"I have decreed that the Ministry of Punishment must handle this case. Yang Xu, you are very good and understand the truth. You can do something for me. You go to the Prison of the Ministry of Punishment and meet Liu Sanwu and Zhang Xin. If they are willing to admit their mistakes and give in,
I can spare them from death, this is the...last chance I give them!"
The heavy rain is pouring down, which is especially humid for the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. The light in the prison is dim, and the humid air smells of rot. No one is too lazy to move in a place like this. The prisoners are sitting and lying lazily.
The patrolling cell leader also returned to the exit, sat down at the table, took out a pack of fried beans, took a gourd of wine, ate the beans and drank some to kill time.
The street was already filled with rainwater, and the heavy rain was really heavy. In such heavy rain, there happened to be a person coming on horseback, wearing a raincoat, and his appearance could not be seen clearly.
When the horse arrived at the door, the man dismounted, led the horse to the dripping eaves, tied the horse, and then walked into the door.
"For what?"
The two jailers lazily came forward, and the man untied his raincoat, revealing a bright red flying fish robe. The two jailers looked solemn, and the man raised his hand and handed over a sign, saying in a deep voice: "I came from the palace.
Come, take me to see Mr. Liu Sanwu."
The two jailers looked troubled: "This... this brother, without a summons from the main hall of the Ministry of Punishment, we brothers are in a difficult situation. A palace card can only prove that the brother is an official in the palace, but it cannot prove..."
The man snorted coldly again: "I am following the Emperor's instructions. It's raining so heavily. Do you want me to go to the Criminal Department first?"
"this……"
The two hesitated for a moment, then the man said decisively: "Lead the way."
The two had no choice but to take a book. There was a number behind the imperial palace's palace sign. The two jailers first copied down the number of Xia Xun's palace sign, and then said with a smile: "It's my duty to ask the brothers here."
Sign your name."
Xia Xun had no choice but to take the pen and hurriedly wrote the words "Yang Xu" on the book. His birth certificate was fake and the calligraphy was very bad. Fortunately, the two jailers didn't know his background. Wu Ren
Well, many generals in the imperial court are blind and illiterate, so it is not surprising.
Seeing that Xia Xun had finished signing, the two of them took umbrellas, and each of the three of them walked through the patio and went straight to the cell.
The door opened with a bang. The prison boss who was eating wine and chewing beans inside was startled and quickly put the beans back in his arms. Fortunately, it was dark inside and the three people who broke in from the outside were busy putting away their umbrellas.
Seeing that, the cell leader took this opportunity to put the wine gourd in his pocket again, stood up and said, "What's the matter? It's raining so hard, and there are still prisoners in the hall?"
A jailer said: "It's not someone in the hall, but someone from the palace who wants to ask Liu Sanwu."
After speaking, he turned around and smiled politely at Xia Xun: "Brother, it will be inconvenient for our brothers to go further inside. Please follow Mr. Wang."
The cell leader heard that he was someone from the palace. When he took another look at his clothes, he quickly put on a smile, nodded and bowed and said, "What do you call this brother?"
"Yang!"
"Brother Yang, please, please, please come this way."
Further forward, there is a fence gate made of pig iron. The fence is as thick as a cup. Prison leader Wang holds a large bunch of keys surrounded by a copper ring and knocks on the fence: "Open the door, open the door quickly!"
"
After a while, a sleepy-eyed jailer walked out of the cell inside. When he saw the cell leader calling the door, he hurriedly opened the fence from inside. Cell leader Wang led Xia Xun into the cell area and walked deeper.
Liu Sanwu was alone in a cell, and the conditions inside were not bad. Of course, this quality was only compared to other cells. No matter how much Bao Zhao wanted to take care of this scholar leader, the cell could not be turned into an inn.
Liu Sanwu had been stripped of his official uniform and was wearing a prison uniform. He was lying on the couch to rest. Suddenly he heard footsteps stopping in front of his cell door. Liu Sanwu opened his eyes and took a look, then slowly sat up.
"Open the cell door."
Xia Xun gave the order, and prison boss Wang quickly took the key and opened the cell door. Xia Xun walked in and said to him: "There are some things I want to say to Mr. Liu alone."
The leader of Wang's Prison has been in prison all his life. He doesn't understand any of the secrets. He doesn't want to get involved in the affairs of the palace, even if you beg him. Little people have their own wisdom. He bared his teeth and smiled, and immediately stepped away, walking as if there were people behind him.
The head tiger chased.
"What are you here for?"
Seeing Xia Xun's official uniform, Liu Sanwu recognized him. He was the sword-wielding guard who stood in front of the throne during the morning court.