Gao Pangshi didn't know that after reading this question, Guo Pu thought that the new Jinshi could not answer it at all. He also didn't know that Zhang Siwei called this question a "prime minister's question." After reading the question, his first reaction was: Emperor
Very confused now.
Although this question is very long and expresses many meanings, in the final analysis, it is nothing more than two words: confusion.
The emperor studied for a long time and became more knowledgeable, but he found that the principles in the books did not correspond to the actual results. Moreover, there seemed to be conflicts and contradictions in the words of the sages and sages, which made him extremely confused.
So I came up with such a question, hoping that the new scholars can shed some light on it and solve the confusion in his heart.
The real problem with this question is all in the penultimate paragraph. Before this paragraph, it is all about the emperor’s own understanding and doubts when he was studying. The last paragraph is a cliche, which means if you have a good idea, I will use it.
Only the penultimate paragraph is the question that the emperor wants the new scholars to answer.
What are the problems? In fact, it is quite practical. The emperor said that for eight years since I came to the throne, I have been working hard and introspecting all the time, for fear of doing something wrong. However, it is obvious that I often emphasize the adjustment of order and discipline, but the administration is still corrupt; it is obvious that I often demand the emphasis on agriculture.
, but the people's livelihood is still difficult; it is obvious that I often clean up the schools, but the scholars are still lazy; it is obvious that the border is quite peaceful, but the soldiers often make trouble; it is obvious that I often emphasize the law, but bandits still appear in droves... What is the problem?
Is it because I am too weak to set an example for the world? Or am I unclear about how to deal with things? Or am I unable to make decisive decisions when the opportunity arises?
However, I dare not emphasize only the rule of law to avoid benevolence and righteousness; nor do I dare to focus on benevolence and righteousness to avoid being lax in the law; if I take benevolence as the foundation and ignore trivial matters, I am afraid that it will harbor evil and attract evil people, so that Qingming will not be prosperous; if I am concerned about large and small affairs
Everything must be strict, but I am afraid that it will be too strict, causing chaos in the world, and the country will no longer be peaceful... What should I do?
All in all, the emperor was very confused and torn, not knowing whether it was better to be benevolent and honest, or to be strict with the law.
To be honest, when Gao Pragmatic saw the Daodian test questions, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.
This little emperor who has been accompanying and guiding him for ten years...has really started to grow up.
He began to seriously think about the strategies for governing the country, the quality of various ideas, and even the impact after implementation.
He has gone from the little prince who liked to play with him because of soap bubbles to the Ming Supreme Being who cares about the world today.
Is this a good thing?
Probably so. Maybe he will become "hard to cheat" like this, but such a monarch is better than the "why not just eat minced meat" kind of monarch.
At least, he knows that officials are corrupt, he knows that the people are in poverty, he knows that the academic style is not strict, he knows that the soldiers are dissatisfied, he knows that thieves are swarming... He knows that there are many unstable factors in his country!
You must first know that the situation is wrong before you can have the intention to change. If you don't even "know", how can you change? Just like Chongzhen, he is working hard, but he doesn't even know where the problem is, and he can't change it.
Can he be counted on to solve the problem?
At least, Wanli has taken his first step, and now he needs a guide who can guide him out of his confusion.
Gao pragmatically asked myself, I will do my part in this matter!
Grinding ink, laying out paper, picking up the pen, moving the wrist... Gao pragmatically began to write his first answer sheet when he officially entered the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.
"The biggest problem in the world today is poverty: poor officials will lead to corruption, poor people will lead to banditry, poor military will lead to trouble, and poor countries will lead to weakness."
"In ancient times, when talking about poverty, the first thing to say is not being frugal. It is believed that being frugal will make you rich, and being rich will make you safe. I don't think so."
"The so-called poverty means that for small people, their production is not enough for self-sufficiency, and their trade (trade) is not enough for their own use. Looking at the source, it is nothing more than insufficient production and poor transactions."
"The so-called poverty means that for the country, the annual expenditure is less than the annual income, and the expenses far exceed the annual income. Officials have low salaries and want to live, so how can they not be greedy? Small people have low income and want to live, how can they not steal? The military pay is insufficient but they want to live, how can they not be greedy? How can we not make trouble? How can we not be weak when our country has a poor harvest but still wants to survive?"
“For this reason, if you want to prevent officials from being greedy, you must first increase their salaries; if you want to prevent small people from stealing, you must first enrich their income; if you want to prevent soldiers from causing trouble, you must first pay them enough; if you want to prevent the country from being weak, you must first enrich its treasury. "
"Your Majesty may ask: These are all expenses. Since the state is not enough, why should we use them? If we collect their taxes, the officials will have enough salary, the soldiers will have enough pay, and the country will have enough treasury. Will the people be in trouble?"
"I have heard that taxes in past dynasties were less than in this dynasty. In the former Song Dynasty, when they crossed to the south and settled in a corner of the south of the Yangtze River, their annual income was still tens of millions. In this dynasty, there are two capitals and thirteen provinces, and dozens of tributary countries. It is far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties, but the annual income is not enough. Five million ears. China has been rich since ancient times, so why is this dynasty so poor?"
…
Gao Pragmatic's policy did not bother Zhu Yijun at all about benevolence, righteousness, and solemn laws. His entire goal was only aimed at one point: financial use!
According to his point of view, it is the lack of funds that causes officials to become corrupt at every turn - if he is not corrupt, he can only support himself. How can he be satisfied with this after studying hard for half his life?
It is the lack of money that causes ordinary people to turn into bandits at every turn - if he does not fall under the grass, he cannot even support himself, so why not just become a thief, robbing one after another, and be happy and carefree?
It is the lack of funds that causes soldiers to riot at every turn - how can he support himself, his wife and children if he doesn't pay, since the law does not punish the public anyway, so if you make a little profit once, wouldn't you be stupid if you don't make trouble?
It is the lack of finances that has caused the country to remain weak for a long time - it needs food but lacks food, cloth needs cloth, armor needs armor, and weapons lacks weapons. How can it not be weak?
However, Gao Pragmatic's article despises the consistent thinking of past dynasties, that is, the way of thinking of saving money when money is scarce. He believes that the root cause of today's insufficient financial resources does not lie in the extravagant spending of the court at all - the spending of the court has continued to decline over the past dynasties. The capital city is the most frugal. If the palace is broken, repairs can be put off again and again. The emperor only has a few dishes for a meal. Talk about extravagance, but it is extravagant!
The root cause of insufficient expenditure lies in low taxation. The root cause of low taxation lies in the small scope of collection! How heavy was the commercial taxation in the Southern Song Dynasty? How many times have you ever seen "competing with the people for profit" to the death of merchants?
Gao Pragmatic's policy statement only contained one clear sentence: "There are many peasant rebels, but how many merchants are there?"
The palace examination didn't take too long, and of course the emperor didn't stand outside the hall waiting stupidly. He didn't return to Zhongji Hall until he had lunch. At this time, a group of tributes had already handed in their papers, and they were waiting outside the hall or Close your eyes and rest your mind, or look around.
When Zhu Yijun returned to Zhongji Hall, he found that there was almost a quarrel in Zhongji Hall.
"If we follow what this article says, officials all over the world will no longer have to talk about education, but they will be able to collect taxes! Can this also be considered a Jinshi article?"
"To make up for the shortfall of the state with the help of small farmers and farmers, it is nothing more than forcing the people to rebel by the government, and to make up for it with the help of wealthy businessmen and big businessmen. Who among them wants to rebel?"
"Absurd! Most of today's wealthy merchants are already gentry and celebrities. The reason why our dynasty has "reached far beyond the Han and Tang Dynasties" is the result of the unity of the court and the scholar-bureaucrats. But now that the court wants to increase its wealth, it actually takes advantage of the gentry. Isn't it true? Killing the chicken to get the egg?"
Zhu Yijun coughed, and all the officials looked at him. Seeing that the emperor had arrived, they quickly apologized.
"Whose article caused such controversy? Let me read it." Zhu Yijun sat back on the throne, and Chen Ju next to him took the article, but His Majesty Dan's ministers were only divided into two or three groups, staring at each other. Me, I stared at you but didn't say anything.
Zhu Yijun took the article expressionlessly, only glanced at it, and his heart moved. Then he read it word for word, pondered for a moment, and then told Chen Ju: "Study the red ink."
Chen Ju didn't say anything and immediately prepared the cinnabar ink for Zhu Pi.
Zhu Yijun glanced at His Majesty Dan's important ministers and said calmly: "This is the number one scholar scroll."
Then he ignored the uproar in the audience and directly wrote "No. 1, A, No. 1" in six big red characters on the front of the page.