Chapter 812 809 [Crying at the door and knocking on the door]
"Rulin Shiqu" magazine.
This magazine was originally a quarterly magazine. Due to its outrageous remarks and frequent allusions to court policies, this magazine was very popular among traditional literati. Therefore, it was soon changed to a bimonthly publication, and then to a monthly publication.
Judging from the sales volume, it is actually not as good as the tabloids. Common people don't like this kind of thing. But it has a fixed readership, sales have been rising steadily, and the magazine has a lot of die-hard fans. After this newspaper debate, "
The sales volume of "The Scholars" even exceeded the 5,000 mark, and people even subscribed to it in surrounding provinces.
A single issue can sell 5,000 copies, which is already a best-selling publication!
Zhang Tianzhi happily came over with a manuscript: "Brother, a Confucian scholar took the initiative to submit a manuscript yesterday. I read the novel overnight. It was really exciting!"
"We don't accept novels," Zhai Wenben reminded.
Zhang Tianzhi said: "This novel is different. It tells the story of a prominent family in a certain place in Henan. They passed down poems and etiquette from generation to generation. They also built bridges and paved roads, donated money to run schools, and opened warehouses to benefit the people. In the troubled times of the late Ming Dynasty, they first encountered bandits.
, recruited troops to defend the city and serve the country, and the clan members were all loyal and brave people. When the Tatars entered the pass, they spent all their wealth to fight against the Hou Jin. Many of the clan's sons died in the battle, and many of the clan's female family members were martyred. The remaining clan members finally escaped to the south.
He followed the Datong Army and fought back to Henan, but was later separated from his clan's land..."
"Wait a moment!"
Zhai Wenbi quickly stopped: "Are you crazy? You dare to accept this kind of novel!"
Zhang Tianzhi didn't take it seriously: "Don't worry, the subdivision of fields is written very implicitly, and there is no explicit opposition to the government. If you don't believe it, read it yourself. There is not much written about the subdivision of fields, so you won't be punished for it."
"You really don't have much ink? Let me see first." Zhai Wenbi didn't dare to be careless.
Zhang Tianzhi specifically turned to the part about dividing the fields. Zhai Wenbi read it carefully and found that there was not much ink. The thick and colorful description was of an old squire whose son died for the country and whose daughter-in-law died for the country. Since he could not recruit slaves and tenants, he could only
He chopped firewood and cooked rice by himself, and even plowed the fields himself when he was over fifty. In the end, because he was humiliated by his former slaves and his only remaining son was over the age for the imperial examination, the old squire threw himself into the river in despair.
Zhai Wenbi frowned: "Some dialogues need to be revised, and there should be no resentment against the new dynasty. Local officials must also be written as good people. The bad ones are those domestic slaves who, after receiving their master's land, still tease and insult the master. This son
, one should not resent the court, and end up going to the county to study and teach instead. It would not be inappropriate for the old squire to commit suicide by throwing himself into the river, as he would easily be targeted by the government, and he might end up getting sick and being cured by a quack doctor."
Zhang Tianzhi was a little unhappy: "If you change it like this, it won't be exciting."
Zhai Wenben sighed: "Oh, Brother Ci, if you don't change, you will get into trouble. Last year, how many people died because of the destruction of land affairs in Qingtian in various provinces? We are opposed to the imperial examination for women. No matter how fierce the trouble is, the court will not take care of it. But once it happens
If Tian Zheng is involved, this newspaper will definitely not be able to survive!"
Zhang Tianzhi didn't refute, but he didn't agree either. His family's property was divided, and he himself was too old to take the imperial examination. He couldn't stand the fact that his former slaves didn't take him seriously. In this novel, he was so empathetic.
I feel so touched and I really don’t want to change a word.
Zhai Wenben advised: "Brother Ci, my family has also been divided into fields. Can't I understand your feelings? The novel must be changed. If you don't do it, I will write it. And even if it is changed, you can understand it.
readers can still understand and empathize."
"Okay, it's up to you to change it." Zhang Tianzhi chose to compromise.
Before Zhang Tianzhi started writing, his partner Li Xun pushed open the door and entered.
Li Xun said happily: "The good news is that in the current examination, there is not a single female scholar. All the women failed."
"Great kindness!"
Zhang Tianzhi clapped his hands in admiration and said: "We should take advantage of the victory and write a few more articles to discuss the whole process of this examination and argue that women are not suitable for imperial examinations! Let's write one article each, and then ask friends to write a few more and choose the best one.
Two articles will be published in the next issue.”
The three of them were very happy. The sales of the newspaper had increased, and they saw hope in winning the debate.
Li Xun smiled and said: "Tonight I will be the host and go to the Xuanwu Lake to play on the boat. I will invite famous prostitutes to join in the fun. You and I will beat the fou and sing. We should be happy with this happy event!"
"We should have a banquet to celebrate. I haven't been so happy in the past few years," Zhang Tianzhi said.
There was a sudden noise outside the house, and more than a dozen young people quickly poured in.
The leader bowed his hands and said, "I, Zhang Xiliang, have met all of you gentlemen."
Zhang Tianzhi hurriedly returned the gift and asked confusedly: "Everyone, this is..."
Zhang Xiliang explained: "We are all failed scholars in this subject, and we wanted to knock on the gate to ask for help, but unfortunately there were few people. I heard that the three gentlemen value morality and justice, so I came here to ask for help. Please three gentlemen to contact more failed scholars.
, let’s kowtow together to request Your Majesty to increase the number of imperial examinations.”
A student next to him who failed the exam immediately helped explain: "Brother Zhang once ranked first in the Hubei Provincial Examination (Hubei University Graduation Examination). This time, because he ate something bad, had diarrhea and had a fever, he delayed doing the questions, and he didn't even pass the final exam.
"
Zhang Xiliang said: "I am not the only one who is responsible for knocking. There are countless scholars in the world, and there will always be various things that lead to poor performance in the examination. The court only allows each person to take the examination once, which is really unkind!"
Another failed student said: "I am from Guangxi. The Guangxi Provincial Examination was presided over by Kong Yingtao, the president of Guilin University, and was jointly invigilated by Sun Mao, a member of the Ministry of Rites, Liu Junen, the censor of the Supervisory Academy, and Bian Tao, the chief judge of Guangxi. It is said that all Guilin scholars
, the questions were leaked before the exam. A wealthy man bribed the invigilator, so that people who were uneducated and incompetent could get a diploma from Guilin University and were eligible to come to Nanjing to take the examination. But those who studied diligently were rejected by the imperial examination.
Fraudsters have seized spots."
"Is there really any fraud in the imperial examination?" Zhai Wenben's eyes gleamed when he heard this.
"It's absolutely true!" said the Guangxi student who failed to make the list.
Li Xun said: "Tonight I will be the host and serve the wine. Let us all go to Xuanwu Lake to have a drink together. If you have anything to do, we will talk about it in detail on the boat."
…
Zhai Wenbi and Zhang Tianzhi were proud of their talents, but they could not take part in the imperial examination because they were overage. Now that the publication of the magazine has aroused public opinion, they can't help but feel a little arrogant, and even privately call themselves "White Censors".
White clothes are commoners, they are common people. They want to serve as censors among the people!
In early March, the imperial examination was officially held.
On the same day, "The Scholars" was published. Two of the articles unilaterally declared victory in the pen war and used "facts" to prove that women were not suitable for imperial examinations.
These two articles are nothing.
Another article reported that two years ago, Hubei Jieyuan Zhang Xiliang discussed whether it was reasonable to only give scholars one qualification for the national examination because a bad meal affected his examination results.
Another article questioned the fraud in last year's "rural examination" in Guangxi, and a son of a wealthy businessman obtained the contents of the examination paper in advance.
At this moment, the students who had failed the examination had not yet left Nanjing, waiting for the Ministry of Civil Affairs to allocate the positions of low-ranking miscellaneous officials. As soon as the report came out, it immediately caused a sensation among the students who failed the examination, and interested people took the opportunity to go to the palace to ask for help.
Just as the new scholars were taking their roll at Donghua Gate, more than 200 failed students and former Ming scholars rushed outside Donghua Gate.
In fact, even without this revelation, the Jinshi would still be confused.
Because the number one candidate was decided in advance, he didn't even take part in the imperial examination or participate in the promotion activities. I heard that he had already gone to Changlu Saltworks to handle business.
The second and third overall picks are quite embarrassed. From Fengtian Hall to Donghua Gate, the top spot in front of them has always been empty.
After finally getting out of Donghua Gate, we were met by a dense darkness. More than two hundred Kouque scholars knelt there to beg for help, blocking the entrance to Donghua Gate.
Inside and outside the city gate, the new scholars and the failed students looked at each other in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, please increase the number of imperial examinations and leave a way out for the world's scholars!"
Petitions came and went, and even gained sympathy from some Jinshi. They also felt that the examination should not be allowed only once, and that fraud in the imperial examination must be strictly investigated.
The fight was so loud that the nearby onlookers originally came to see Jinshi riding horses and parading through the streets, but they didn't expect such a big melon to suddenly appear in the middle of the battle.
The governor of Jinling was at the scene at the moment, holding an empty horse that belonged to the number one scholar. He felt that it could not be suppressed by force, so he quickly asked the imperial guards to report it and asked the emperor to make a decision in person.
Yan Yuandian came first in the second class examination. He was extremely puzzled and said: "It is necessary to thoroughly investigate the fraud in the imperial examination, but why do these failed scholars come to ask for an increase in the number of examinations? Your Majesty has been particularly gracious!"
Zhao Han has been making adjustments, and the treatment this time will be more preferential than last time.
During the first joint examination, those who passed the Jinshi examination could only be admitted to the eighth-level official position. Among the unsuccessful students, the public-funded college students could be admitted to the ninth-level official position, while the self-financed students could only be admitted to the provincial government officials.
This time it is the second session of the joint examination, and the adjustments are as follows: Jinshi can be promoted to the seventh rank at the highest level. Candidates who fail the examination can be promoted to the ninth rank as long as they get a university diploma, regardless of whether they are paid at public expense or at their own expense. Those who have dropped out of college can be promoted from
You can take the provincial government official examination, and you will be given priority to be admitted as a provincial government official instead.
Since the students who failed the exam can all become ninth-grade officials, why bother taking the exam again?
If multiple exams are allowed, you will have to wait three years for one exam and six years for two exams. If you fail the exam three times in a row, nine years will be gone. If you have those nine years to take exams, you might as well go straight to the ninth grade.
Official, maybe he will be promoted to seventh rank by then.
Yan Yuan thought this way, but the students who failed the exam thought differently.
They still retain the pre-Ming Dynasty concept of imperial examinations, and believe that only Jinshi and becoming an official will have a future. Although the Jinshi at the end of the rankings is just an eighth-rank official, it is no different from the ninth-rank official who failed. But a Jinshi is a Jinshi, and a failure is a failure.
, there will definitely be different circles in the future, and there will definitely be academic discrimination in the officialdom. They would rather take the exam for a few more years to have a Jinshi status.
"Your Majesty makes the decision for us! Wuwuwuwuwu..."
Some of the students who failed the exam were already crying, and soon there was a lot of wailing. This behavior is called "crying and knocking on the door."
Among them are also former Ming scholars who lost their qualifications for the imperial examination because they were too old. They are also following Kuhan: "Your Majesty, please resume the provincial examination and cancel the age limit!"
The first imperial examination allowed former Ming scholars under the age of 30 to participate in the provincial examination.
The second imperial examination was directly cancelled, because there were almost no outstanding scholars under the age of 30. All first-level provincial examinations were attended by college students!
These scholars from the previous dynasty were here to fish in troubled waters. What if the emperor changed his tune?
