Chapter 554: Imperial Examination Supplementary Book
Gao Yangbi once led the Bohai envoys to visit Fusang and opened up Fusang's trade routes. Therefore, he was appointed by the Bohai King Da Qinmao as the governor, that is, the prime minister of the Bohai Kingdom.
Gao Yangbi, a former envoy, was proficient in multiple languages. He also studied Confucian classics and was a first-class scholar in Bohai.
Naturally, everyone in the Bohai Kingdom attached great importance to Fang Guoshou, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty.
It can be said that Ambassador Fang Tang is also a man with great hands and eyes. He first helped open the trade route to Hexi, purchased a large amount of grain in one go, and suddenly became the largest customer of the Bohai Kingdom last year.
What's even more amazing is that after the three towns in Hedong surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Fang Guoshou shuttled between the Bohai Sea and Pinglu Town, restoring the long-interrupted northern trade.
For the Bohai State, which was founded on commerce, this was a great achievement.
Smooth trade routes mean that business can continue. In recent years, due to the war in Hedong and heavy losses, Bohai merchants can finally continue to shuttle between Northeast Asian countries.
The King of Bohai treated Fang Guoshou with courtesy because he helped the Bohai Kingdom open up two important trade routes.
Although Gao Yangbi was proficient in Sinology, in front of the university professor Fang Guoshou, he quickly became as humble as a student and almost knelt down to call the teacher.
Nowadays, the cultural influence of the Tang Dynasty on the small nearby vassal countries is extremely powerful. Even Yingjiang, which has penetrated its universal value into the world through the entertainment industry, cannot compete with the cultural influence of the Tang Dynasty in this era.
The most important reason why countries near the Tang Dynasty are willing to learn the Tang system and Confucian classics is that the countries that implemented the Tang system have become rich and powerful.
Although the cultural influence of hawk sauce in later generations was very strong, the countries that learned hawk sauce basically did not end well.
For example, Liberia, a small African country that completely copied the hawk sauce system, is still the most underdeveloped region in the world.
There are countless other small countries that have imitated it and carried out political reforms, but none of them have successfully developed.
But Datang is different!
Nanzhao learned from the Tang system, established Qingping officials and six prefectures, and quickly transformed from a southern barbarian tribe to the overlord of the southeastern region.
Tubo began to implement the Tang system after Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, and is now a powerful country that rivals the Tang Dynasty.
Fuso, Silla, and Balhae were all countries that learned from the Tang Dynasty system and successfully completed the system reform and then took off economically.
It can be said that the current system of the Tang Dynasty is a good way to govern the country. If you study the Tang Dynasty, you can enrich the country and strengthen the army. This sentence is not just said casually.
These countries that worshiped the culture of the Tang Dynasty naturally gave birth to a large number of officials who were pro-Tang Dynasty.
Gao Yangbi was the most pro-Tang official in Bohai. When An Lushan rebelled, Gao Yangbi even suggested that the King of Bohai personally lead troops to support the Tang Dynasty.
"Master Fang, I wonder why you came to Bohai Country this time?"
Gao Yangbi has already served as a disciple of Fang Guoshou. Although he now looks twenty years older than Fang Guoshou, it does not prevent him from insisting on calling Fang Guoshou teacher on the grounds that "the master is a teacher."
Fang Guoshou did not expect that there would be such a fanatical Tang fan as Gao Yangbi in the remote Bohai country, so he could only accept this title.
Fang Guoshou said with a smile: "I came here this time to negotiate a big deal with you."
When he heard about the business discussion, Gao Yangbi's face regained his shrewdness. People in Bohai are all businessmen. If you want to do business, you should have a good negotiation.
There was a carbon stove in the center of the carriage that Fang Guoshou was riding in, and an iron pipe went straight to the roof. Judging from the comfort of the carriage, which was not bumpy at all, this was another Longyou product.
In fact, not all of them are Longyou's products. It is naturally impossible for players in Tongliao City to buy complete vehicles from Longyou. The cost would be prohibitively high and there would be no profit at all.
They only need to purchase shock absorber springs, iron sheets and other key components, and then assemble and manufacture them in Tongliao's workshop.
Bohai Country is cold, so this kind of carriage that can burn charcoal in the car without bumping is very popular. The nobles and high-ranking officials in Bohai are proud to own such a carriage.
In addition to horse-drawn carriages, small commodities from Longyou are now also flooding the market of Bohai Country.
Matches that are easy to start a fire, and oil lamps that can block the burning of wind and snow. These small commodities entered Bohai Country and quickly entered thousands of households.
Although the prices of these goods are not high, they are items that are needed every day, so player merchants can sell a lot of goods in Bohai every month.
The merchant players who sell goods will purchase grain, winter pearls, ginseng and other Bohai specialties in the Bohai Sea.
Bohai was originally founded on commerce, and player merchants dumped goods to buy goods, which has caused dissatisfaction among many merchants in Bohai.
There were also a group of anti-Tang factions in Bohai who opposed the Tang Dynasty.
Gao Yangbi said worriedly: "My country's leader will naturally be willing to do business in good terms with the Tang Dynasty. However, the situation between the DPRK and China is unstable, and there are always people using the affairs of the Tang Dynasty merchants to attack the country."
China Life had already predicted the trade friction, but did not expect opposition to appear in Bohai so quickly.
It seems that Gao Yangbi was sent to greet him, so he should be the leader of the pro-Tang faction.
Fang Guoshou immediately said: "Please give Gao Shangge some advice on the situation in the Bohai Kingdom's court."
Gao Yangbi sighed and said: "Master Fang, you also know that our country in Bohai also has a system of three provinces and six ministries. The three high-ranking officials are called Shangge. I am trusted by the king, and I am lucky to be among the Shangge."
Fang Guoshou nodded, Bohai State copied the entire system of the Tang Dynasty. The three high-ranking officials were the prime ministers of Bohai State, and Gao Yangbi was the Shangshu Ling of Shangshu Province, which was also the prime minister of Bohai State.
Gao Yangbi added: "This official, Lv Lin, is the most prominent family in our Bohai Kingdom. She has been doing business for generations. She is also the uncle of the country's leader. She is the official in our court who is most opposed to continuing trade with the Tang Dynasty."
At this moment, Fang Guoshou immediately understood that Lu Lin was the most fierce anti-Tang faction in the Bohai Kingdom.
The purpose of Fang Guoshou's trip was to borrow a ship from the ruler of the Bohai Sea, use merchant ships to transport troops around the side of Yuguan, and attack Yuguan from the sea.
It's just that these generals and players think about things too simply. They always think that as long as Fang Guoshou comes forward, they can borrow a ship from the Bohai Kingdom.
Gao Yangbi continued: "The Lu family is the largest business group in the Bohai Kingdom, and their carriage chamber is the largest land-based chamber of commerce in the Bohai Kingdom. Since the caravans from the upper country entered the Bohai Kingdom, the Lu family's business has been greatly affected.
Influence."
So, Fang Guoshou instantly understood the current situation in Bohai Country.
The merchant ships in the Bohai Sea basically belong to the royal family, and the King of Bohai is also the largest shipping king in Northeast Asia.
The Lu family, which controls the Bohai Land Chamber of Commerce, is also the second largest family in Bohai, and is also a noble relative who was married to the royal family.
A large amount of daily necessities and luxury goods from Longyou entered the Bohai Kingdom, which naturally had no impact on the king who controlled the trade. Even because these novelty gadgets reduced the cost, the King of Bohai was secretly happy.
But for Lu Jia, who is based on the mainland chamber of commerce, the player caravans traveling to and from the Bohai Sea are their most hated competitors.
The Bohai Sea naturally divided into the maritime merchant faction who supported the strengthening of trade in the Tang Dynasty, and the road merchant faction who opposed the merchants of the Tang Dynasty to trade in the Bohai Sea.
Gao Yangbi, who was well-read in Confucian classics, was naturally loyal to the faction of the ruler.
Understanding the position of everyone in the Bohai Kingdom means understanding who are your enemies and who are your friends.
Fang Guoshou took out a beautifully printed book and said: "This book is based on the examination questions of the Chang'an imperial examination in recent years. It contains a detailed exposition of the Four Books and Five Classics. It is now the most popular book among Chang'an scholars."
"Last time I came to Bohai Country, I heard that the young master of the Gaoshangge family aspired to take the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty. This book should be able to help."
After Fang Guoshou took out the book, Gao Yangbi's eyes lit up.
The Tang Dynasty was inclusive. As long as they could pass the exams of the Tang Dynasty, even foreigners could be officials in the Tang Dynasty.
Many famous officials in the Tang Dynasty even served as high-ranking officials in these vassal states, and even belonged to the royal family.
It would be great to be an official in the Tang Dynasty, but to be a local king in a small place in your own country!
Gao Yangbi studied Confucianism for generations, and his son Gaofang was determined to take the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty.
However, there were no famous teachers in Bohai to guide him, and he did not even know about the hot topics of the Imperial Examination in the Tang Dynasty. Gao Yangbi knew that his son would not be able to pass the imperial examination at all.
However, his son insisted on going to the Tang Dynasty. Gao Yangbi did not want to keep his son by his side, so he spent a lot of money to hire a down-and-out Confucian scholar from the Tang Dynasty to guide his son. However, after studying for several years, he still made little progress.
Fang Guoshou was not bragging. This "Five-Year and Three-Year Imperial Examination Simulation" was written by a Chang'an player named Sun Mingcai.
Sun Mingcai also took part in the imperial examination this time and passed the Ming Jing Ke. However, when it came time to select officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, only some remote county magistrates and county lieutenants were left to choose from.
Sun Mingcai risked his fortune to come to Chang'an to take the imperial examination. If he wanted to choose a good position, he would have to spend more money.
Sun Mingcai simply did not become an official and left his name in the Ministry of Civil Affairs to wait for the new round of official selection.
However, it was not easy to live in Chang'an. Since Sun Mingcai had not become an official, he had to find a way to make a living. Sun Mingcai was a lecturer at a teaching aid institution who had just been laid off. He quickly thought of a way, which was to resume his old career in the midst of the Tang Dynasty.
Every year, more and more scholars take part in the imperial examinations, but most of them can only read the Four Books and Five Classics, and every exam is a matter of luck.
I was admitted to Ming Jing Ke, and I did some targeted review for the imperial examination. Wouldn’t it be a waste of money to publish a teaching aid?
Sun Mingcai could even run a cram school for the imperial examination in Chang'an!