When Chen Jingke learned about the overall plan of the imperial examination new policy, he frowned.
Wu Shu saw that his attitude was wrong and asked: "What's wrong? Is there any problem?"
Chen Jingke explained the imperial examination system he planned and said: "There is a very important point in my plan. Non-Jinshi family members are not allowed to enter the cabinet and become prime ministers. This is to establish the correct status of the imperial examination."
"Otherwise, high-ranking officials and prime ministers will be monopolized by powerful families. If we put so much effort into establishing the imperial examination system, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced."
Wu Shu couldn't help but shook his head and said: "Your idea is good, but if you really add this sentence, I'm afraid the resistance to implementing the New Deal will greatly increase."
"Some things cannot be rushed. We need to achieve the goal step by step. And you must be a Jinshi to be the prime minister, so it must be good?"
Chen Jingke was stunned for a moment and asked, "If you have any ideas, please tell me."
Wu Shu saw that he was not angry but asked for advice from him. He was relieved and very happy at the same time.
Chen Jingke said before that he would let her be a think tank to check for leaks and fill in the gaps. But can he really do it after marriage? No one can guarantee this.
Now that she refutes his plan in person, he is not angry. This is a very good sign that he really thinks so and is willing to do it.
Thinking of this, she smiled sweetly at him.
Chen Jingke is a little confused. We are talking about business. Why did you suddenly seduce me? Besides, this is not the right day. Could it be that you are testing me on purpose? That must be the case.
So he said with a straight face: "What do you want to do? Speak politely."
Wu Shu covered his mouth and chuckled: "Yes, my real person."
After laughing, she said seriously: "I remember you said before that the imperial examination will have some negative consequences. For example, emphasizing civility over martial arts. Everyone only admires the imperial examination and underestimates military merit. This is not a good thing for the country."
"I'll tell you what you don't like to hear. Why do I risk my life and not fight on the battlefield? It's not to make my wife a shadow so that my descendants can have a higher starting point."
"Why should I perform meritorious service on the battlefield and my descendants still have to be at the same starting point as ordinary people? Is this fair?"
"As for the gentry, don't their honors do any good to the country? They are vested interests and want the country to be stable and long-lasting more than anyone else, so that they can better maintain their status."
Chen Jingke defended: "But they can't block the road, right?"
Wu Shu said: "Yes, that's the problem. The powerful people in the past liked to live alone. When they got to high positions, they tried to block the road."
"So what we have to do is not to eliminate the gentry and nobles, but to open up this promotion channel and give those who come after a chance to advance. This is the role of the imperial examination."
Chen Jingke couldn't help but nodded, but immediately felt something was wrong and said: "The nobles and nobles have wider connections, and promotion is easier."
"If they collude together, they can block the promotion channels for officials who came from the imperial examination. Wouldn't it become the same as the nine-rank Zhongzheng system, where there are no poor families in the upper ranks and no noble families in the lower ranks."
Wu Shu pursed his lips and said helplessly: "You are so immature... Well, you are too idealistic."
"Even if non-jinshi cannot become prime ministers, how many ordinary people can become prime ministers? Can the sons of prime ministers be the same as ordinary people if they also participate in the imperial examination?"
Chen Jingke argued: "That's better than no chance at all."
Wu Shu stroked her forehead. She knew before that her real person sympathized with the people below him the most and had inexplicable hatred and contempt for nobles and nobles. Only now did she realize that he actually had such a childish side.
But...he is very cute like this. Sometimes idealism is not necessarily a bad thing. Without those idealists who go against the current, how could there be so much beauty in this world?
If he wants to be idealistic, let him do that, and let me be the 'evil guy' who pulls him into reality.
Isn't this exactly what he wants me to do?
Thinking of this, she was a little helpless and suddenly became happy and said: "The prime minister is in charge of the affairs of a country. How can it be done by just any person?"
"Which high-ranking official does not start training from a young age and has to work in various positions for forty or fifty years to learn."
"Those who took the exam for 20 or 30 years and passed the Jinshi exam at the age of 30 or 40, do they have the ability to take charge of the country? Can you trust the country to such people?"
Chen Jingke said unconvinced: "If there are more people taking part in the imperial examination, there will always be geniuses."
Wu Shu asked back: "What is the difference between this and luck? How can military affairs be such a child's play? Compared with luck, cultivating talents systematically is more reliable, isn't it?"
Chen Jingke was finally speechless. He didn't expect that the perfect solution he had imagined had so many shortcomings. He couldn't help but look frustrated.
Wu Shu was afraid that the blow would be too great, so he quickly comforted him: "Actually, your imperial examination plan is already very good, otherwise the saint would not implement it nationwide... It is just a bit idealistic, and it is not a big problem."
Chen Jingke sighed and said: "Don't comfort me, I'm not that fragile. I'm just a little disappointed. Is there really no good solution?"
Wu Shu thought for a while and said: "Why not adopt a compromise method. Half of the prime ministers and ministers will be officials from the imperial examination, and the other half will be officials from the imperial examination, and then let them compete based on their abilities."
Chen Jingke shook his head and said: "In this way, the party struggle will become very fierce, and even the last ounce of the country's vitality will be exhausted in the civil strife."
Wu Shudao: "When has the party struggle not become fierce? Even now it has not subsided. How to deal with the party struggle and balance the interests of various factions is a matter for saints. Why do you worry about it?"
"Pah." Chen Jingke slapped his forehead and suddenly realized: "Hey, I'm not... well, why are you worrying about this?"
"If the man above is capable, giving him a group of careerists will make the country prosperous. If he is not capable, giving him a group of good ministers and generals will be useless."
Seeing that he had figured it out, Wu Shu was very happy and said with a smile: "That's it, but you can't say this nonsense. It won't be good if it spreads."
"I know." Chen Jingke grabbed her hand, kissed it and said, "Hey, you are really my good wife."
…
Royal Palace.
Li Shimin smiled and said: "What do you think Chen Jingke would think when he sees that the imperial examination policy is different from what he wrote?"
Changsun Wugou rolled his eyes at him, but then he smiled and said: "It will definitely be hit hard, why is it different from his plan."
Li Shimin said: "The Chen family is indeed capable of producing many people, but governing the country is no more important than talent. It can be seen from these strategies that the elders in their family lack experience in governing the country."
Changsun Wugou agreed: "It is true. Many strategies seem to be very perfect. If you look carefully, you will find that they are too idealistic. This is true for academic administration, imperial examinations, and medical care."
"But maybe it's because of their idealism that they don't care about their own gains and losses, and they end up taking advantage of you."
"Hehe..." Li Shimin smiled proudly.
Changsun Wugou hesitated for a moment, but finally his curiosity took over and said, "How do you plan to end this game?"
Li Shimin stroked his beard and said: "Divide and conquer."
Changsun Wugou showed a thoughtful expression, and after a while he said clearly: "Sure enough, this is indeed the best way."
Li Shimin nodded and said: "Although the gentry are hateful, they have been the pillars of the country for hundreds of years, possessing a large number of talents and rich experience in governing the country."
"Destroying them all can relieve the hatred in my heart, but it will not be good for the country. Divide them, keep those who are willing to submit to the court, and let them disappear if they are not willing to submit. This is the safest way."
At this moment, Ren Feng came over and said cautiously: "Sage, Duke Lu wants to see you."
…
With the support of the honorable nobles, the imperial court's new policy was implemented very smoothly. The construction of the academic and administrative system, which had been somewhat stagnant, has also picked up again.
In the past, many officials who had set up numerous obstacles to hinder the advancement of the academic and political system were liquidated one after another. Those who had the backing could still save themselves, while those without the backing were all taken down for various reasons.
There is no doubt that the majority of them are related to the gentry.
There were also differences among the nobles. Some believed that the imperial court was too powerful and should not confront them head-on, while others believed that the honor of the nobles should not be desecrated.
Just as the two sides were arguing, a piece of news came.
Shifengshishi.
The emperor probably used the title of governor to reach a deal with the nobles, and the source of the information was reliable. The nobles were as excited as if they had caught a little tail.
Soon a rumor spread: the imperial court had gained the support of nobles at the cost of being granted the title of governor, the emperor had gone crazy, and the country would soon be in chaos.
As soon as this news came out, it caused a greater shock than the New Deal. Anyone with a little knowledge knows the consequences of this matter. They would rather not have the New Deal than be granted the title of governor.
It's not that no one has doubted whether it is true or not, but the rumors have their noses and eyes. The key point is that the emperor has a criminal record. He was stopped by the ministers that time. Who knows if he will go crazy again.
Some people tried to write memorials to the emperor, hoping that he would come forward to give everyone a reassurance, but all the memorials were ignored.
Now the problem becomes even more serious. If the emperor directly denies it, it means that someone is spreading the rumor. If the emperor refuses to spread the rumor, it means that it is most likely true.
For a time, the country was shaken, memorials flew to the palace like snowflakes, and the number of people petitioning outside the palace also increased day by day.
Everyone did not dare to scold the emperor directly, and pointed their guns at the nobles.
It is you traitorous ministers who deceive the saints, causing unforgivable harm to the country and the people. The reputation of the honorable nobles has plummeted, and there are countless people who secretly throw rotten eggs and rotten vegetables into their homes.
At one point, it got to the point where a noble man was beaten with rotten eggs in public when he went out on the street.
So the honorable nobles were no longer willing to do so, and one after another submitted petitions demanding severe punishment of the villains to restore their honor.
Li Shimin was furious and said: "All the nobles and nobles have made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to say that they have a share in the world. How can you be humiliated? Any further offenders will be severely punished."
"Wow." The court was suddenly in an uproar.
Is there a noble person in the world? Having said these words, it seems that it is true that Shi Fengshi is the governor.
All the ministers knelt down and begged the emperor to give up this idea. This was a recipe for disaster and was absolutely unfeasible.
Li Shimin seemed to be angry and threw away his sleeves.
It doesn't matter if he leaves, everything below will explode. The officials are all ready to do anything, pointing at the nobles and spraying them fiercely.
There are some irritable people who can't stand this anger and are ready to go up and reason with their fists, such as Yu Chigong.
However, as soon as he moved, he was stopped by Cheng Yaojin, who had quick eyes and quick hands. He pulled him and squeezed out of the hall from the side to escape from the place of right and wrong.
There were many people who made the same choice as them, but all the nobles left after a while. Only the ordinary officials were left with expressions of indignation and vowed not to give up until this matter was stopped.
On the way out of the palace, Yuchi Gong said dissatisfiedly: "Why are you pulling me? I've already seen them unhappy."
Cheng Yaojin said: "Let's go and talk to Brother Shu Bao."
Yuchi Gong immediately knew that there was something important and did not complain. The two of them came to Hu Guogong's mansion together and met Qin Qiong who was feeding fish in the back garden.
Cheng Yaojin laughed and said: "Brother Shubao is unethical. He enjoys the happiness at home alone while leaving the brothers to experience the wind and rain outside."
Qin Qiong retired due to illness, but to a certain extent achieved the effect of retreating bravely.
No one can erase his previous contributions, and his status has become transcendent. No storm can affect him, and no one dares to forget him.
Just like the re-title this time, he went from a miscellaneous title to a third-class prince in one step. And this time the turmoil of the title of Shifengshishi has nothing to do with him.
Because everyone knew that he was seriously ill and retired, this matter had little to do with him.
Qin Qiong did not answer his words, but said: "If you want to talk about playing, Jing Ke can raise a fish and raise a flower."
"Many people paid a lot of money to buy these koi, especially the black and red one. Some people even paid a hundred taels of gold."
Yuchi Gong was not polite, sat down opposite him and said, "Then why didn't you sell it?"
Qin Qiong's eyes widened and he said: "Except for the Zixiao Temple in the entire Tang Dynasty, I have only one of this kind of black and red koi. It is possible to sell it. If you want to sell it, you have to wait until it produces more seeds and reproduces."
consider."
"Hey." Yu Chigong was very disdainful.
His family also had koi carps. Chen Jingke brought them to him, but he threw them in the pond in the garden and ignored them. It seemed that he still underestimated this thing.
Cheng Yaojin sat down on the other side and said, "Let's get down to business."
Qin Qiong put the bait pot aside and said, "I knew you two would have something to do when you came to my place, so tell me."
Yuchi said respectfully: "Ask him, he asked me to come."
Cheng Yaojin nodded and said, "Have you ever thought about this question: Can all civil and military officials and all the people in the world accept enfeoffment?"
Qin Qiong's expression became solemn and she said: "I have thought that even if it is an overseas place, it will not be so easily accepted by others."
Yuchi Gong sneered: "How can they control such a big thing?"
Qin Qiong shook his head and said: "Having said that, we should try not to make things like that unless we have to, otherwise it will be detrimental to our construction of the feudal country."
Yuchi Gong snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Qin Qiong asked again: "Have you thought of a solution?"
Cheng Yaojin nodded and said, "I wonder if you still remember the 'broken window effect' that Jing Ke said?"