Chapter 71: Details of the scientific examination!
"Change the ancestral system?"
"What do you want to move?"
Although a little shocked, the old emperor still wanted to hear Xiao Yan's plan.
"I am going to change the official selection system of our Great Zhou!"
The old emperor felt a little relieved after hearing this. This was not bad and he could still accept it!
"Our Great Zhou has adopted the recommendation system since its founding. What's wrong with that?"
"Of course capable people will be elected!"
Xiao Yan simply shook his head to deny it.
"Father, this recommendation system has its drawbacks. Have you ever thought that this is a system of selecting officials that is particularly prone to forming cliques and engaging in selfish activities?"
"Have you ever wondered why Hu Zhenghe was able to take control of the government in just a few years?"
"It is because he nominated all those officials. It is almost impossible for others to get those positions. This is also one of the reasons why Hu Zhenghe can control the government."
“So the official selection system must be changed!”
The old emperor pondered over what he said, "You are right. This is indeed a drawback, but forming a clique for personal gain will ultimately lead to self-destruction. Does it make any difference whether the system is changed or not?"
The old emperor agreed with Xiao Yan's proposal, but his reasons were not sufficient.
"Father, this is only one of the reasons. There is also the selection of talents. Those who are recommended are not necessarily all talented."
"But if we select a large number of people from the public, they are all talented people. So I think that no matter what official position there is, it should be selected through examinations. Those who meet the requirements will be retained, and those who do not meet the requirements will be selected next year."
"There are so many talented people among the people, why should we only focus on those elected by officials?"
The old emperor immediately became interested when he heard this.
"Tell me in detail!"
After hearing this, Xiao Yan began to speak.
"Father, there are many advantages to selecting officials through examinations. As I just said, it can prevent the formation of cliques for personal gain."
"We can also select a large number of real talents, so that our selection of officials will be diverse."
"Finally, I want to ask you, Father, how was the Great Zhou established?"
Hearing the first two old emperors listening very carefully, this one suddenly asked himself a question and was stunned for a moment.
"The previous dynasty was unkind, and the people were living in misery, which led to uprisings in many places. My ancestor, the emperor, was one of them. He overthrew the previous dynasty and established the Great Zhou."
"What does this have to do with selecting officials?"
Xiao Yan quickly said: "Of course it is related, and it is a huge relationship."
"You also said that the previous dynasty was overthrown by the people. The imperial power is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Why don't these people fear the imperial power?"
"It's not just that the common people can't make a living. The scholars must be involved."
"In fact, the biggest benefit can be summed up in four words: prison rule!"
When the old emperor heard this, he frowned and didn't understand what this meant.
"Explain what cage rule is?"
Xiao Yan sat on a chair at one side and said, "Father, if all the scholars in this world only want to be officials, will they care about anything else?"
"They put all their energy into how to pass the exam, so they don't have the opportunity to stir up trouble with ordinary people who know nothing."
"To put it bluntly, without a central idea, the remaining people who want to rebel are just a mob and will not amount to anything."
The old emperor now understood what Xiao Yan meant and began to hesitate.
"You mean to say that we can control these scholars through their thoughts and make them focus on studying articles, so that they don't have time to lead the rebellion?"
Xiao Yan nodded and said, "That's right."
"So, father, if our Great Zhou wants to last forever, this system must change. If it remains unchanged, then history will repeat itself."
"And if there are commoners serving as officials in the court, they will think that these officials are still the ones who make the decisions for them."
"If the common people understand the suffering of the common people, more good and honest officials who can get things done will emerge!"
"So no matter how you look at it, this matter must be changed."
Xiao Yan told all these benefits to the old emperor, who then fell into deep thought.
He must think carefully about this official selection system, otherwise he will be implicated for many years to come.
“Can you tell me how you operate it?”
Xiao Yan knew that there was hope. If this plan succeeded, it would break the monopoly of Hu Zhenghe officials.
"Father, this exam is divided into the provincial exam, the academy exam, the metropolitan exam and finally the palace exam!"
"The provincial examinations are organized by the provincial governments , and only those who pass them can take the academy examinations."
"The college entrance examination is also organized by the provincial governments. After passing, you will be awarded the status of a scholar. Only after you have obtained the status of a scholar can you participate in the joint examination."
"Of course, this status of a scholar is lifelong, but there is an age limit for entering the imperial examination. Some elderly people who have passed the examination are not suitable to serve as officials in the court. It is best to be under 35 years old."
"Those who pass the college entrance examination and become a scholar and are under the age of 35 can participate in the joint examination."
"The Imperial Examination will be organized by the Hanlin Academy. As long as you pass the examination, you can enter the court as an official."
"Those who pass the joint examination can also take part in the palace examination, which ranks the candidates. The higher the ranking, the better the position you will get."
Xiao Yan spoke a lot in a very eloquent manner, and the old emperor was a little confused, but he generally understood his meaning.
"I think this plan... is feasible!"
"But it may not be easy to convince the court officials to agree. After all, these matters still need to be discussed in the court."
Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Father, you may have forgotten the excuse Hu Zhenghe used to impeach me today, right?"
The old emperor smiled knowingly: "Autocratic!"
"That's right, he is being arbitrary. Didn't he use this to impeach me? Then I will be arbitrary for once."
"Of course, this requires the support of the emperor. If you issue another imperial decree, this matter will definitely be accomplished. Even if people like Hu Zhenghe oppose it, it will be of no avail."
"This ancestral rule is the ancestral rule of my Xiao family, not his Hu family."
The old emperor smiled with relief: "I am old, after all, I am old, and my brain is not as fast as yours."
"Okay, I will support you this time, but you can't force anything. If Hu Zhenghe wants to do something desperate, then let's stop it."
Xiao Yan was deeply moved. The old emperor knew the benefits of this system, but it would affect the interests of many people.
Therefore, it is inevitable that some people will take desperate measures and give up in order to protect their own safety.
"Father, I need military power, not the tiger talisman. If the information I received is correct, the 30,000 imperial guards outside the city are probably already under the control of Hu Zhenghe."
"If this matter is not resolved, then the following matters will be hindered everywhere."
"These generals in the court have the power to mobilize, but they don't obey anyone, which makes it difficult to deal with."
