Liu Ji was a native of Wuyang Village in Nantian Mountain, Qingtian Jiudu, Zhejiang Province. He was a Jinshi at the age of twenty-three... At this age, a person who passed the Yuan Ting's Jinshi examination would undoubtedly be an outstanding small-town problem solver.
However, due to the darkness of the Yuan Dynasty and the continuous disasters and uprisings in various places, Liu Ji's official career was also bumpy. He served as a county magistrate, but was dismissed because of his crackdown on powerful people. He also served as a deputy Confucian elevator, presiding over provincial examinations. As a result,
And because of the impeachment of the censor, no one supported him, and he was dismissed from office.
In the first few years, he came to Ouyang Su, opened a school in Dantu, taught and educated people, and formed a deep friendship with Ouyang Su.
Later, when Tianwan and the Red Turbans invaded Hangzhou, he ran back to his hometown and summoned local warriors to suppress the Red Turbans.
Zeng Guofan of the Great Yuan Dynasty belonged to it.
It's a pity that he didn't have the luck to have his head shaved. He just lived in the province. He also tried to curry favor with Tuotuo and praised his contribution to pacifying the Xuzhou Red Turban.
Not long ago, when Tuotuo went south, he also worked actively, hoping to be appreciated by the grand master, and he rose to prominence from then on.
But it's a pity that people don't know Liu Ji at all, so he is the only one left to deal with the air.
Seeing this, do you think there is a gap between this person and Liu Bowen, who dominates the world?
Could it be fake?
Really not, this was the first half of Liu Bowen's life. Even when Lao Zhu's army came to kill him, he ran back to his hometown Qingtian and hid for more than a year. Later, Lao Zhu used coercion and inducement to lure Liu Bowen out.
After serving as a minister to Lao Zhu, Liu Ji also missed the Yuan Dynasty a little. He felt that he had served the Yuan court for twenty years and betrayed his master overnight, which was a betrayal. In short, Liu Ji's official position was a bit awkward.
And Lao Zhu also had a profound meaning in naming him a sincere uncle.
In any case, Liu Ji and Zhu Yuanzhang are not the same as Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei, who are models of monarchs and ministers through the ages... As for later romance novels that constantly elevate Liu Bowen's status, that is another consideration, needless to say.
Today, Liu Ji is still in eastern Zhejiang, commanding some local warriors and responsible for killing the Red Turbans in Chuzhou and other places. However, because the Red Turbans here are not as powerful as those in the Central Plains, and Fang Guozhen is also the leader of both sides, and his will is not strong.
firm.
Therefore, Liu Ji was very leisurely and did not have so many wars.
It is precisely because of this that Liu Ji was able to take some free time to examine the overall situation of the world.
But looking at it like this made Liu Ji panic and uneasy.
Originally, he had written a letter praising Tuotuo, saying that the red scarf bandits were not worth mentioning and would be immediately disintegrated as long as the army marched in to suppress them.
But the result turned out to be that Tuotuo capsized, and Liu Ji was instantly embarrassed. It turns out that even living gods can sometimes be ungrateful.
Now after the tragic defeat in Gaoyou, the Yuan Dynasty has lost the main elite soldiers it relied on for survival, and can only rely on the armed forces of the landlords and the power of the vassal kings in Shaanxi and other places to barely maintain it. No matter how you look at it, it will be doomed.
Looking at the Red Scarf Army, Xu Shouhui, the great emperor of Tianwan, came out of the mountains with a mighty momentum and seized a large area of land in Huguang.
Liu Futong established King Xiao Ming as the leader and had already launched the Northern Expedition.
Relying on the victory at Gaoyou, Zhang Shicheng gathered one to two hundred thousand troops and dominated Huaidong.
It can be said that the situation of the Yuan Dynasty has reached a precarious stage.
But among this group of heroes, the one who troubled Liu Ji the most was Zhu Yuanzhang!
That's right, Liu Ji saw it accurately this time.
Unlike other tycoons in troubled times who pulled together troops and grabbed territory, Zhu Yuanzhang had a clear program from the beginning, to fight against the powerful, equally distribute the land, calm the people's hearts, and eradicate bad government... After completing this whole set, Lao Zhu has already had
The atmosphere of the new dynasty.
Although he has not yet proclaimed himself emperor or even king, the momentum has already begun.
Recently, he crossed the Yangtze River and advanced vigorously, taking Tongling, descending to Taiping, and entering Jinling... It can be said that he pushed forward all the way, and it seemed that even his hometown was no longer safe.
What should I do if Zhu Yuanzhang sends his troops to kill him?
Liu Bowen forgot about food and sleep, thinking about countermeasures.
But at this time, a letter from an old friend surprised Liu Bowen even more!
"Zhu Thief wants to hold the imperial examination and admit hundreds of people at once? What a big move and ambition!"
Liu Jizai read it carefully several times, and Ouyang Su analyzed some of Zhu Yuanzhang's strategies, such as severely punishing the powerful and equally dividing the land. He also attached the Zhu Jiajun's land distribution program, and told Liu Ji that the Zhu Jiajun had closed down brothels in Yangzhou.
Now the legend of the brothel in Jinling is about to be closed.
It is particularly worth mentioning that Zhu Yuanzhang executed Zhu Yidou, killed many officials, and cleaned up the local gangsters in Jinling... Now he is opening a new school to recruit scholars.
Ouyang Surala talked a lot, and wanted to ask Liu Ji what he thought. Do you think Zhu Yuanzhang and his group of red scarves can go further? Or can rabbit tails not grow longer?
Liu Ji was a child prodigy when he was young. Although his official career was bumpy, he still served as an official for many years. Now he is leading the local warriors to kill the red scarves.
Liu Ji knows very well what the people want!
Equal field!
Just these two words can mobilize the hearts of 70% of the people in the world!
As for severely punishing the powerful, banning brothels, and opening up schools to recruit scholars... If this is done, at least 95% of the people's hearts will all surrender to Zhu Yuanzhang!
It is true that this red thief can achieve a great cause and become a king!
Liu Bowen was completely confused.
Could it be that the Yuan Dynasty, which he had served for more than twenty years, was about to end?
In the end, will this person named Zhu win the throne?
No way!
After Liu Jisi thought about it, he decided to write to the court and find a way to concentrate his efforts to kill the red thieves first. He could let Zhang Shicheng and others go. If there were no troops, then encourage the landlords to arm themselves and the powerful local warriors... In short, everyone should work together
Go ahead, kill Zhu Yuanzhang first.
Otherwise, if this person does not die, Dayuan will surely perish!
Liu Ji continued writing with ink until the third update, and then he finished.
After he finished writing, he looked at Tianming again, and then he tore it into pieces and sighed dejectedly... Back then, Tuotuo was still alive, but his letter was useless. Now that Tuotuo is dead, who will take his letter seriously?
What's going on!
He speaks softly, and what he wrote is just the contents of a letter from an old friend. He still doesn’t know what Zhu Jiajun is like. What if Zhu Jiajun is only good at saying nice things, but he is actually very crotch-stretching?
All in all, let’s meet first!
After I figured out the details of the Zhu Jiajun, whether it was to resist the red thieves, or to write to the court and make suggestions, I also had evidence.
When Liu Ji was the county magistrate, he liked to go to the countryside in person to understand the sufferings of the people and understand their sentiments.
This time Liu Ji also decided to make a trip to see the real situation of Zhu Jiajun.
It just so happens that he is still selected through the imperial examination, and he can also see the world's talents. Are you willing to join Zhu Yuanzhang?
If there was really a gathering of talents, then, how powerful was the Yuan Dynasty...Liu Bowen sighed in his heart, he was indeed not that important. His post was a false one, and he was a country hero.
Every time I submit a letter, I ask for money. People in Zhejiang Province wish Liu Bowen didn’t exist!
In this way, Liu Bowen took his two book boys and set off from his hometown, traveling at night and under the stars. Instead of going to Dantu to see Ouyang Su, he went directly to Jinling.
Liu Bowen was not a reckless person. He had calculated that since he was not famous, he could just sneak into Jinling and inquire about the news.
Just take a look.
However, Liu Bowen underestimated Zhu Jiajun... As mentioned earlier, in order to collect taxes in Chuzhou, Zhang Ximeng set up tax cards at various intersections. When he brought goods, he had to register them. After calculating the value, he could get a voucher after paying the tax. And with this
With the tax payment certificate, you can travel unimpeded under Zhu Jiajun's rule.
Due to the recent occupation of Jinling, tax cards have naturally been established. In addition, there are also registrations for other people.
The person in charge was none other than Kang Maocai. Because of his considerable efforts in eradicating Zhu Yidou, he was appreciated by Zhang Ximeng and shouldered the mission of collecting taxes.
Register foreigners by the way.
What do you want to do?
If you are visiting relatives and friends, write down the names of the relatives.
If you are buying and selling things, write down your business scope.
If you are just passing by, write down the route.
If you want to hang out in Jinling, I'm sorry, the Generalissimo hasn't agreed yet!
Facing the cross-examination of this group of people, Liu Ji was dumbfounded.
Seeing how serious they were in their work, I was afraid that my plan of casually sneaking into Jinling would be in vain and I wouldn't be able to get in at all.
Do you just hit a wall and go back?
It seems that Liu Bowen does not give up so easily.
He happened to see a scholar-looking young man in front of him. He told the soldiers that he was taking an exam. He was immediately greeted warmly, and all the officials inside came out to ask questions.
Liu Bowen's eyes lit up and he had an idea.
When Liu Bowen arrived, he also said that he wanted to take the exam. The soldiers looked at him and found that he was not young. He must have been an old Confucian scholar. He could not be an official in the Yuan Dynasty, so he came to Jinling.
The soldier quite sympathized with him and said, "Don't worry, old man. This exam is not difficult. I only seek talents when I get the job. I wish the old man high school in advance!"
Liu Bowen was said to be inexplicable. It's really interesting. What does this soldier know? You dare to say that the exam is not difficult. How many words do you know?
How did Liu Bowen know that these soldiers were veterans transferred by Zhang Ximeng from the Zhu Army. The best among them had been studying for more than three years. Since the military center was clean and not messy, those with excellent grades knew two to three thousand words.
, there is no problem in writing official documents.
In the army, they were also responsible for registering rosters, calculating money, food and supplies, and even surveying the terrain and drawing maps.
This time Yingtian's imperial examination has been made clear by the superiors that it will be similar to the examination in the military in the past. Soldiers have also been given quotas and allowed to take the examination. The final admission quota will be 150 people.
It stands to reason that being an official is not a step to success?
The lieutenants and generals in the army should fight to get there.
But everyone is not stupid. This imperial examination is different from the Yuan Ting imperial examination. Moreover, promotion in the army is faster and there are more opportunities.
Therefore, only those who are older, less physically fit, injured, or have other reasons will take this exam.
Roughly speaking, the soldier told Liu Bowen that the exam was not difficult, it was just a senior giving some advice to the juniors, it was that simple!
However, Liu Bowen didn't realize it. He still thought it was a soldier who didn't know the meaning and was talking nonsense.
But what happened next caught Liu Bowen by surprise... It turned out that all students taking the exam had a special green channel. After he signed up, he received his ID card and was escorted by Zhu Jiajun all the way to the military camp.
In order to prevent them from cheating, the entire process is strictly controlled.
After arriving at the military camp, I was even given an exam guide, which basically introduced the content of the exam and how to answer the questions.
The entire exam includes a recitation part, including poems, articles, and the Four Books and Five Classics. In order to reduce the difficulty, it is specially designed to be filled in the blanks.
Next, there are a few common sense questions, which are nothing more than asking about mountains and rivers, geography, economy and people's livelihood.
Then there are the arithmetic questions, which test the candidates' arithmetic level.
At the end is a big question to choose from. You can choose to write a policy essay and put forward opinions on the Yingtian Grand Marshal's Mansion. You can also write your own judgment opinions based on the case presented and explain your own understanding of the law.
.
In other words, if you have enough literary talents, you can be an official. If you have practical experience and have a good understanding of the law, you can also be an official.
This is a piece of cake for Liu Bowen.
The only thing that made him uncomfortable was that he was trapped in the military camp. Others were spending all their time studying, and he couldn't get out. He could only pretend to be brave. Fortunately, the food in the military camp was not bad, otherwise Liu Bowen would have died of suffocation!
Five days later, Liu Bowen and a large number of students were taken out from various military camps and sent to the examination room. It didn't take long, only half a day. After passing the examination, they were free.
Liu Bowen was so depressed that he quickly picked up his pen and finished writing the paper. Finally, at noon, he followed a group of students and handed in the paper. Finally, he could take a look at Jinling City and see what Zhu Jiajun was capable of.
But Liu Bowen soon realized something not so fun... What would he do if he passed the exam?