Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Before dawn the next day, dozens of young people from this village came to the drying yard at the entrance of the village early, including Xu Yinglong.

Xu Shiyi originally did not allow Xu Yinglong to apply for the recruitment. He thought that it was enough for one son to join the army, and there was no need to recruit another son, but he couldn't resist Xu Yinglong's stubbornness.

Just after Mao Shi, young people from nearby villages also rushed to the village.

There were more than [-] people from the six big villages in Laodong and more than [-] small villages.

And these more than [-] young people are all surnamed Xu, and they are all descendants of the grandparent Xu's family, without exception.

Xu Shiyi didn't go to the fields today either. Standing under the old elm tree beside the drying yard at the entrance of the village, leaning on the python head crutches given by his son, he watched his son assess and punish the young people in various villages.

It is undoubtedly a big event for the imperial court to recruit soldiers from the Xu family in Laodong.

Not only Dongshan Village, men, women and children from many villages near and far came to watch the fun.

Those clan elders surrounded Xu Shiyi, picking nice words to say that Xu Shiyi was so happy that he had not lived as beautifully as he is today after living for more than forty years.

Xu Yingwei really saved face for his father today.

Near noon, Xu Yingwei finally finished the assessment and selected 270 students from them.

The 270 recruits were all honest, honest and dull people selected according to the new performance book, and a tael of starting silver was distributed to the recruit's family members on the spot.

The folks who received the silver were grateful again.

Seeing this, Xu Shiyi also felt particularly radiant.

However, at this moment, a bigger face came to the door.

Accompanied by the sound of gongs, a group of yamen servants, holding wooden signs reading "Quiet" and "Avoidance", drove along the rocky road into the village, followed by a small sedan chair.

"This is?" Xu Shiyi was a little confused, a high official came?
The uninformed folks next to him even knelt down, fearing the officials.

Only Xu Shiyi, Xu Yingwei and his son remained in the drying yard.

Xu Shiyi was debating whether to kneel, but Xu Yingwei said softly, "Father, you don't need to kneel."

After finishing speaking, Xu Yingwei went forward to meet him, he had already guessed who was coming, most likely this person was the county magistrate of Xinchang, it would be difficult enough for a county magistrate to go to the poor valley to make friends with him, a scholar.

As Xu Yingwei walked, the team of yamen servants had already stopped and the sedan chair was put down.

Immediately, a civil official in black gauze and green robe stepped out of the sedan chair.

Xu Yingwei looked over at a glance, it was an unfamiliar face, and the original Xinchang county magistrate, the one who took him as a county student member, had already been transferred away.

Seeing Xu Yingwei stepping forward, the county magistrate hastened to meet him.

After a dozen or so steps, the county magistrate cupped his fists and said, "I don't know that Mr. Xu has returned to his hometown with honor, and I'm late to pay my respects. Please forgive me."

The Ministry of Internal Affairs is a new institution in Ming Dynasty.

But no matter what, it is still a government office after all.

Xu Yingwei, as the military department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was assigned to Shizhong. Although his grade was only the seventh grade, which was the same grade as the county magistrate, one was a local official and the other was a Beijing official, so the gold content was completely different.

Once the seventh-rank ones are released, basically the five-rank Zhizhou will start. …

Therefore, the magistrate of Xinchang County was a little flattering to Xu Yingwei, who regarded himself as an official below Xu Yingwei, but there was nothing wrong with it.

Seeing the county magistrate paying homage to his son and claiming to be an official, Xu Shiyi and the folks kneeling on the ground were all stupid. In just one year, Xu Xiucai has become such a high-ranking official?Also too fast.

The county magistrate is a high official in the eyes of Xu Shiyi and the villagers, but he is nothing to Xu Yingwei.

Apart from getting along with the current emperor, prince and Ding Dynasty day and night, Xu Yingwei has even personally arrested the current assistant, so how can he take a seventh-rank county magistrate seriously.

Of course, Xu Yingwei will not put on airs and be defiant.

At that moment Xu Yingwei returned the salute neither overbearing nor humble, and invited the county magistrate into his home.

After exchanging pleasantries, the county magistrate was still reluctant to get to the point, and only said some unnutritious official talk.

Xu Yingwei became a little impatient, he and the Shizi Camp's Qin Wang Shizi had already been greatly influenced by Chongzhen without knowing it, they liked to be straightforward in handling things, and hated politeness the most.

At that moment Xu Yingwei said: "The county lord, please tell me if you have anything to do. If there is nothing to do, I'm busy, so I won't accompany you first. Please let the county lord do what he wants."

"Youzhen, why are you talking to the magistrate?" Xu Shiyi was taken aback.

"Xu Weng, it's okay, it's okay." How dare the county magistrate show off in front of Xu Yingwei, he is a close minister of the emperor, his words can reach the heavens, and just one sentence can ruin his official career.

At that moment, the county magistrate said: "Master Xu, there is actually a matter."

Xu Yingwei nodded and said: "Then please tell the county lord directly, don't talk about those useless things."

The county magistrate frowned subconsciously, thinking that it was too direct, without any sympathy, such a person can actually make a name for himself in the officialdom, it's hell.

But he didn't dare to show anything on his face.

The county magistrate then said: "That's it. The imperial court issued an official letter three days ago, saying that the Guozijian has been reformed. The former Guozijian sacrificial wine Qian Qianyi has resigned. From now on, the post of Guozijian sacrificial wine will be held by the Holy Master himself. The subjects that the students of the Imperial College will take the exams may also be different, Master Xu knows about this, right?"

"I know that." Xu Yingwei said, "This matter has already been settled."

The magistrate went on to say: "A total of more than a hundred students in this county meet the requirements, and they will go to Nanjing to take the exam in the near future. However, the reform of the Guozijian is an unprecedented cultural and educational event after all. The county's teaching and learning are not clear. Only Mr. Xu, you once served in front of the king, so can you mention some of the students in this county?"

"That's it?" Xu Yingwei laughed dumbly, "You can send someone to inform you about such trivial matters. I am still a student in Xinchang County, so I should do my best for the county's culture and education strategy."

"That's it, I would like to thank Mr. Xu." The county magistrate was overjoyed upon hearing this.

If the students in Xinchang County got Xu Yingwei's suggestion and could pass a few more people in the exam, then he, the county magistrate, would also have credit.

……

Preparations for the Guozijian exam are in full swing.

For the first time, Chongzhen personally served as the examiner of this exam. …

Because of this, several censor memorials angered Chongzhen.

These censors believe that Chongzhen has broken the imperial examination system. Since ancient times, the emperor has only served as the chief examiner of the imperial examination. When did he serve as the chief examiner of the Guozijian examination?
A bunch of scholars take the exam, is it worthy for the emperor to act as the chief examiner himself?
But Chongzhen didn't even read it, and just threw the memorial into the corner.

Chongzhen not only acted as the chief examiner himself, but also appointed three deputy chief examiners, namely Prince Zhu Cihong, the Ministry of Internal Affairs Gewu Kedu gave Shi Zhongfang Yizhi, and Fengyang Prefecture Bozhou former magistrate Song Yingxing.

Yes, that's Song Yingxing who wrote "Heavenly Creations".

Song Yingxing entered Beijing ten days ago under the imperial edict, and Xuan was appointed as the Gewu Division to Shizhong.

So far, Song Yingxing is one of the few officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who were not born as sons of Qin princes.

However, Song Yingxing had been a county school teacher in Fenyi County, Jiangxi Province for four years, and he performed outstandingly during that period, so he still has a solid foundation for the Imperial College Examination.

Song Yingxing asked: "My lord, what do you mean is that Cheng Wending decides whether to stay or stay, and whether things determine who is superior, right?"

"Yes." Chongzhen nodded and said, "The students from all provinces, prefectures and counties used to learn mostly a subset of classics and history, and most of what they practiced was Chengwen. It would be too unfair to them to stay, so this exam is still based on Cheng Wen to decide whether to stay or not, and then to judge things to determine the superiority."

"The holy lesson." Song Yingxing praised, "I also think this is the most appropriate move."

Fang Yizhi asked: "Your Majesty, the study of Gewu is very complex, how should we come up with the test questions?"

"This matter is simple." Chongzhen said, "Gewu can be divided into many disciplines, such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, astronomy, history, agricultural administration and other disciplines."

"All these subjects have to be tested?" Song Yingxing and Fang Yizhi said dumbfounded.

"Yes, all of them have to be tested." Chongzhen nodded and said, "The Guozijian semester is three years. In the first two years, basic courses are taken, and all subjects are required to be studied. In the last year, one or several subjects can be selected for further study."

Zhu Cilang frowned and said: "But father, you just said that there are very few students from all over the country who have dabbled in the subject of physical science. At this time, if they are asked to take physical science, and they have to take so many subjects, the result may be unsatisfactory."

What Zhu Cihong meant was that if the test was done this way, most of the students would only get zero points.

"This matter is simple." Chongzhen was already prepared, smiled and said, "Anyway, this exam is still decided by Cheng Wen, so after the first exam is over, the second exam will not be taken for the time being."

"Wait for the students to study Gephysics for a period of time before taking the second exam."

"Wait until next year, the entrance examination of the Imperial College will be determined by the test scores of various subjects."

Speaking of this meal, Chongzhen said again: "Fang Qing, Song Qing, you can hurry up and compile textbooks, which are the textbooks for various subjects I just mentioned."

"Compiling textbooks?" Fang Yizhi and Song Yingxing were a little confused, "Didn't they come up with exam questions?"

"There is no rush for the exam questions. It is easy to leak the questions if they come out too early, so I decided to wait until the last day before the exam to confirm the exam questions." Chongzhen waved his hand and continued, "But the textbooks for the students of the Imperial College must be compiled as soon as possible. All students will be able to get the textbooks as soon as they enter school, and I have high hopes for this period of students."

"Your servants take orders." Fang Yizhi and Song Yingxing bowed to the ground after hearing the words.

Seeing Fang Yizhi and Song Yingxing who turned and left, Chongzhen suddenly sighed.

Zhu Cihong asked: "Father, do you think of the Western missionary Boym?"

"No, my father thought of Tang Ruowang, the Qin Tianjian, who is also knowledgeable and talented, and can be a professor of the Imperial Academy." Speaking of this, Chongzhen continued, "But when it comes to Boym, it has been a year. There are too many, should I be back soon? But I don’t know who can find someone for me?”