One after another, Tai students were suddenly told that there would be no class today, so they had to bring their pens, ink and inkstones and follow the teacher.
As we walked, we arrived at the Gongyuan of the Ministry of Rites, where the imperial examinations were held.
"Is this an exam?" Hong Mai looked at the team in front.
Lu You didn't answer this. He realized something was wrong last night.
His father, Lu Zai, was recalled to the capital in an emergency and succeeded Huan Guo as Minister of Rites. He arrived in Beijing at noon yesterday and went to the palace to meet the emperor in the afternoon. He has not returned home until now.
His mother sent a servant to inquire, and the Donghua Gate guard asked him to wait slowly.
Continuing to inquire, I learned that many officials from the Ministry of Rites had gone to Gongyuan, and they all stayed and ate in Gongyuan last night without leaving.
Wang Lianqing whispered: "Have you noticed? The three intellectuals are not here today. They are usually in school every day."
Hong Mai guessed: "You won't be caught?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Lu You scolded, "The three intellectuals paid tribute to the Academy yesterday."
Wang Lianqing asked: "How do you know?"
Lu You said: "My father went to Beijing yesterday and became the Minister of Rites. He also stayed away from Gongyuan all night."
"Your Majesty did it..."
In the middle of speaking, Hong Mai quickly resisted shouting and turned to look at Wang Lianqing next to him.
"Line up, everyone is lining up, waiting to get your number and enter the exam!" An official came over to maintain order.
The three intellectuals they mentioned were all in Gongyuan at the moment.
The emperor ordered a surprise test to test the intellectual prowess of all Taipei students.
The battle was very scary. They were first called into the palace, and then went straight to the Gongyuan to ask questions. They were busy working most of the night and didn't sleep.
The Imperial College official positions in the Ming Dynasty were basically inherited from the Song Dynasty, but there were slight changes.
For example, Guan Gou Taixue Gongshi (principal) was changed to Zhi Taixue Gongshi, or Zhixue for short.
There are also two vice-principals, who were renamed Tongzhixue.
In the Song Dynasty, official positions such as knowing, judging, coordinating, promoting, advising, and managing hooks were all dispatched positions, and they were initially temporary or part-time.
Take the Privy Council as an example. The real chief officer is the Privy Council envoy, but there is often someone who knows the Privy Council affairs. The same goes for the county magistrate, who occasionally appears.
The Ming Dynasty and the New Dynasty continued to simplify the official system, merging all official posts, official posts, and false posts into official titles, which were used to determine seniority and salary. All specific assignments were unified into formal official positions to confirm the relevant rights and responsibilities of officials.
Today, Taixue has one Zhixue (principal) and two Tongzhixue (vice-principals).
There are also Taixuezheng, Shishixuezheng (student position, no official title), Taixuelu, Shishixuelu (student position, no official title), Taixue doctor (professor), Taixue assistant (lecturer),
Taixue Direct Lecture (Junior Level Lecturer)...
"The emperor has arrived!"
"The emperor has arrived!"
Several voices came from far and near, and all the officials, teachers and students in Gongyuan got into a mess and turned around to pay their respects outside the gate of Gongyuan.
But he saw a horse running towards him and shouted: "Whatever you have to do, do it and go back!"
Everyone quickly stopped and restored the previous order.
Ju Ming's car stopped at the entrance of the alley, and he opened the curtain and observed silently.
Suddenly, a few guys who looked like students were walking cautiously against the wall, trying to get past the emperor's carriage to the gate of Gongyuan.
Immediately, a guard went over to stop him. After some questioning, he came back and reported: "Your Majesty, those are all imperial students."
Ju Ming's face was extremely ugly: "Hold it and let their teacher come and get them."
Taixue allows students to study as day students, especially those whose elders are in the capital, and can go back to live with their families every day.
However, there is a strict attendance system, and students are not allowed to arrive late or leave early. Asking for leave must be approved by Taixuelu. Even if you are sick, you must make up for the leave application afterwards and have a doctor's signature.
The decline of Taixue in the past dynasties all started with absence from classes.
After a hundred years of development, the vast majority of Taixue students have graduated and have never attended a class. They even live directly in their hometowns, one or two thousand miles away from Taixue!
The few imperial students were brought before the emperor, looking panicked and embarrassed.
Zhu Ming smiled and asked: "How long has it been since you came to take the exam?"
A Tai student replied: "We had a bad meal last night and were late this morning. We didn't know there was an exam, so we went to the school first and then rushed to Gongyuan..."
Ju Ming interrupted: "Do you know what the crime of deceiving the emperor is?"
"Your Majesty, spare your life!"
The Tai student knelt down and immediately changed his words: "We went to Goulan to play last night and slept too late to get up early."
Ju Ming asked: "Who is your father? He should be a senior official in the court, right?"
The student lowered his head and remained silent, not daring to answer at all.
Zhu Ming thought about it seriously and said: "Forget it, you are still young, it is not too late to change your mind now. I won't ask your names, nor will I find your teacher, just go to Gongyuan to take the exam."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
All the imperial students knelt down, kowtowed crazily towards the emperor, and then ran away without a trace.
Lu You and his friends have already received their tickets to enter.
The Imperial College of the Ming Dynasty offered many subjects, but only "Mathematics" was a compulsory subject, and then one "Six Classics" and one natural subject were optional.
As for the "Four Books", they are not taught in schools but are required to be tested.
Why not teach?
How the hell did you get recruited into Taixue if you didn't even master the "Four Books"? Even if you are a distinguished minister and a recommended student of the descendants of martyrs, you should first go to Biyong (the preparatory class of Taixue) and study the "Four Books" before coming back.
The Six Classics of the Ming Dynasty belong to the New Six Classics, which removes the "Yue Jing" and adds "Xunzi".
Of course, if students feel that they still have extra energy, they can continue to take more elective courses. The more additional elective courses they pass in the exam, the more priority they will give to a Jinshi in the graduation exam.
From the time of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, the emperor personally presided over the graduation examinations of Imperial College.
Ju Ming also inherited this fine tradition. Every year, the number of direct Jinshi graduates from Taixue is limited, and those who can receive this honor are without exception the kings of scrolls!
Last year, there was a Tai student who had perfect scores in mathematics, perfect scores in physics, three excellent and one excellent in the Four Books, one excellent and one excellent in the Six Classics, and all the laws of astronomy, geography and law were acceptable. However, he was not awarded a Jinshi status and could only choose to fight again next year.
By the way, Ju Ming merged the Taixue Graduation Examination with the Systematic Courses and changed it into a junior college examination that included various miscellaneous subjects. This attempt failed, and it only lasted for one term before announcing the separation.
There are now three types of imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty:
First, the Taixue Shangshe Examination.
Only Taixue students can participate. There is an exam every year, and there are ten places for Jinshi in each session.
A Taipei student can take the exam up to three times and then be forced to graduate or complete his studies.
If Taixue students can't pass the test here, they can also take other exams. Especially graduates of Taixue, they will immediately obtain the status of imperial examination and can directly take the examination - graduates cannot.
Second, the general examination.
That is, the traditional imperial examination, all scholars can apply.
Third, the professional examination.
That is to say, junior colleges and a variety of subjects are included, divided into two categories: philosophies and practical studies.
It is staggered from the traditional imperial examination and takes place every three years. However, there are only 50 junior college candidates in each session, who can be directly awarded to middle and high-level martial arts officers. There are also 100 junior college candidates, which can be directly awarded to low-level martial arts officers.
Lu You took "Spring and Autumn" as an elective, which was his ancestral knowledge.
He also studied "Erya" from the Thirteen Classics, which was also his family knowledge.
He also took elective courses such as "Physics", "Astronomy", "Geography", "Xunzi" and "The Book of Songs".
Lu You heard from the seniors in the upper school that if you only choose these, you will not be awarded Jinshi unless all of them can get honors. Of course, there is no problem if you graduate successfully, as long as you graduate, you will have the status of a scholar.
He didn't know what a roll was, but he found it terrifying.
Last year's top graduate from Taixue was a guy named Zhang Congdao. As a prodigy from Shandong, he entered Taixue at the age of ten and studied at Taixue for a full ten years. Every time, he passed the promotion exam when his age was up. Even the graduation exam was when his age was up.
Just took the exam.
The main idea is to hang around and eat and drink for free at Taixue while studying.
Graduation results are terrifying.
In mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, and law, all four books are excellent, two of the six classics are excellent, and four are excellent. Even dictionaries like Erya are excellent.
Even when I was still studying in Neishe, I had already invented my own mathematical formulas.
Lu You felt desperate when he thought of Zhang Congdao.
How can I compare myself to such a prodigy?
However, Zhang Congdao's whereabouts were even more bizarre. He was not granted any actual position, but was initially awarded an official title, and then disappeared without a trace.
I heard someone said that he was taken to Wangchuan Valley by the Supreme Emperor.
But Lu You felt that it must be a rumor. The Supreme Emperor had already abdicated. Why would he take over such a talented person?
After waiting for a long time, the question was sent.
Lu You found that the questions were not difficult, and the number of questions was also very small. It was no different from the usual monthly and ten-day exams, and even the extra elective subjects were not used for answering.
After answering the questions hungry until the afternoon, Lu You finished answering the required questions and then went to do the optional questions out of boredom.
It wasn't until dusk, when I was feeling very hungry, that the invigilator announced the handover of the paper.
The invigilator also said: "There are cars outside the alley. We will take the cars back to school in batches. The canteen has prepared meals."
Lu You followed the crowd out of Gongyuan and found that the emperor's chariot was still at the entrance of the alley, blocking half of the road in the alley.
Ju Ming has been in the backyard of Gongyuan.
The marking officer quickly corrected the answer papers and judged the papers casually and very perfunctorily. All the papers with no problems were swept away.
On the contrary, those unqualified papers would stop and look at them a few more times, and then immediately hand them over to the guards and send them to the emperor.
Zhu Ming was looking at more than a dozen test papers at the moment, with an extremely ugly expression on his face.
It had only been half an hour since the marking started, and so many junk answers had been sent.
Although there are self-financing students at Taixue, there are barriers to paying to study. Not just cats and dogs can come.
Ju Ming said to the officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College around him: "How did these students get into the outer dormitory of the Imperial College? If they were not recommended students, the professors in charge of the official schools where they originally studied would have arrested and examined them!"
No one responded, this was the responsibility of the Ministry of Punishment.
There are very few recommended places for Imperial College, and they are all the descendants of those who have made significant contributions or sacrificed their lives for the country, or they are the descendants of those who served as officials in bitter cold places.
For example, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong were officials in the grasslands. The educational conditions there were not good, so their sons could be sent directly to the capital and were promoted from official schools at all levels to the Imperial College.
Zhu Ming asked: "Is Piyong just a decoration? Why don't students who are not good at learning throw away Piyong to make up for their studies?"
Ding Wo, a scholar, replied: "The quota for Piyong is already full. Most of these students have been promoted from official schools in various places. It is really difficult to let them all drop out."
Ju Ming said: "Strictly enforce the discipline of Imperial College. We set a standard, and those whose knowledge is too poor will be directly ordered to drop out of school!"
Ding Wo reminded: "Your Majesty, in some remote states and counties, the students as a whole are not good, so we cannot beat them all to death with a stick."
"That's right," Zhu Ming was willing to accept the advice, "then give the unqualified students a year and let them work hard to catch up. At least they can't fail all subjects. Except for those from remote counties and counties, the unqualified students this time
Clear them all out.”
"According to the order." Ding Wo bowed and said.
Zhu Ming then said to Lu Zai: "Reformulate the rules for admission to official schools to close the loopholes of favoritism and malpractice."
"yes."
Lu Zai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the emperor had no intention of getting to the bottom of it.
He had just become the Minister of Rites, but he didn't want the education system to be in a mess.
Qin Hui's sudden confession of Su Shen was just to distract the manpower of the Three Law Departments and let the already stretched investigating officers go to investigate corrupt officials in a wider range. In this way, he wanted to delay time so that he could live for a few more days.
Ju Ming's idea was simpler. Those academic officials were indeed messing around, but in the final analysis, there were loopholes in the rules.
Just close the loopholes, temporarily let the academic officers from various places go, and only check those recruited in this surprise test.
The administrative cost of large-scale investigations is extremely high. If we have the time, we might as well investigate a few more huge corruption cases.
