bullyxtreme Chapter 427 A bunch of idiots, hopeless, just waiting to die!
Chapter 427 A bunch of idiots, hopeless, just waiting to die!
Emperor Zhu considered himself to be quite knowledgeable and well-traveled.
However, after reviewing several candidates' answer sheets, Emperor Zhu felt as if his eyes had been opened.
Is this the level expected of a palace examination?
There were three easy questions in total. I answered the first question quite well, and the first half of the second question was also pretty good.
However, starting from the latter half of the second question, many test takers began to give answers that went astray.
The second half of the second question, along with the third, fourth, and fifth questions, yielded surprisingly consistent answers from most test takers.
The core idea is that the Ming Dynasty is currently in a stage where labor service is too burdensome, taxes are too heavy, education is widespread but the people are not happy, and laws are strict but the people do not follow. The main focus should be on "rectifying people's hearts and improving customs and education." Emperor Zhu should emulate the leniency of the Han Dynasty and the benevolence of the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Emperor Zhu flipped through several answer sheets, all of which were largely the same, and in the end, he couldn't help but doubt the meaning of life.
"We...excessive forced labor and excessive taxes?"
Zhu Biao couldn't help but roll his eyes and replied, "From the first year of Hongwu to the end of the third year of Hongwu, whenever a prefecture or county suffered a disaster, its taxes and corvée labor were exempted."
"Even in places where the scriptures have not been received, many are exempted from punishment."
"And the exemption lasts for three years."
"Shandong was granted an unprecedented five-year exemption from taxes and corvée labor."
"How can you say that forced labor is too burdensome and taxes are too heavy?"
After glancing at the few answer sheets in Emperor Zhu's hand, Zhu Biao continued, "My brother-in-law once said, 'See through appearances to the essence.'"
"These people are just hoping that the imperial court will give them preferential treatment again."
"Exempt them from corvée labor and taxes, and it would be best to contract out the tax collection to them."
"As for Father... you would be best off sitting on the throne and ruling from behind the curtain."
"Otherwise, the labor service would be too burdensome and the taxes too heavy."
"If Father doesn't believe me, he can look at other people's answer sheets."
“Especially the answer sheets of the twenty-six students from Ningyang County, and the three students from Goryeo.”
As Zhu Biao finished speaking, the Emperor Zhu immediately began to search through the answer sheets of the students from Ningyang County and Goryeo, while Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen kept their heads down and remained silent.
A bunch of idiots.
Hopeless.
Wait to die!
It's one thing if the answers deviate from the questions themselves, since these five questions weren't traditional policy essays, so it's normal for test takers to find them unfamiliar.
But what the hell did these idiots write about, "excessive labor service and excessive taxes"?
Isn't this a blatant provocation against Emperor Zhu?
After all, Emperor Zhu really did issue an edict to exempt a large amount of taxes and corvée labor, and he also really ordered the establishment of public pharmacies and almshouses.
They've gone to such lengths, yet they still say that their education is too lenient but the people are not happy, and their laws are too strict but the people do not obey. They even bring up the idea that they should emulate the leniency of the Han Dynasty and the kindness of the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Just as Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen were secretly complaining, Emperor Zhu had already pulled out the answer sheets of the students from Ningyang County and Goryeo.
After reviewing the numerous answer sheets with an uncertain expression, Emperor Zhu suddenly sighed and said, "Brother Shanchang, Mr. Qingtian, do you think there's any point in continuing the imperial examination system?"
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen exchanged a glance, then shook their heads together.
The original purpose of the imperial examination was to select talented individuals.
But these selected students are full of ideas about emulating the leniency of the Han Dynasty, and they are practically saying that they should reinstate the tax farming system. Can these people still be considered "talented"?
If it doesn't count, then what's the point of the imperial examination?
Just so they can harm the people?
Li Shanchang felt it would be better to allow each government office to recruit its own staff, since the Censorate would be watching over things.
Just as Li Shanchang was pondering how to solve the problem of insufficient manpower in various government offices, Zhu Biao suddenly said, "Father, if the imperial examination is abolished, should the recommendation system also be abolished?"
Emperor Zhu was slightly taken aback and asked, "The recommendation system?"
Zhu Biao nodded without any politeness, and pointed to Erhu and Chen Zhong standing behind Emperor Zhu, saying, "I know them and believe they are both very talented and should be appointed to official positions."
Emperor Zhu's face immediately darkened.
In the early Ming Dynasty, the recommendation system did exist due to a shortage of manpower.
To put it simply, officials could recommend people they considered learned to be appointed to official positions.
The entire recommendation process was roughly as follows: officials recommended a person to Emperor Zhu, who then summoned that person to the capital for an examination. If the person passed the examination, they would be granted an official position.
The question that Zhu Biao just raised directly hit the biggest hidden danger of the recommendation system.
The people recommended by officials are invariably people they know or consider to be of good character.
This process is too easy to involve the exchange of benefits.
But if we were to truly abolish the recommendation system...
Li Shanchang suddenly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Your Highness said is reasonable."
Liu Bowen also cupped his hands and said, "Your subject seconds this proposal."
Emperor Zhu grunted in agreement and looked at Zhu Biao, asking, "With the abolition of the imperial examination system and the elimination of the recommendation system, what should be done about the manpower shortage in the court?"
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "The Provincial Administration Commission is short of officials, so we can select them from the prefectures under its jurisdiction."
"If the government office is short of officials, they can be selected from the various prefectures and counties under its jurisdiction."
“If a prefecture or county lacks officials, the Ministry of Personnel can recruit them from the Imperial Colleges located in various places.”
"The recruitment process is very simple. It is nothing more than giving them questions. Those who pass the questions will be interviewed by the prefectural and county officials, the clerks, and even the local censors. They will be on probation for three months. If they are suitable, they will stay; if not, they will leave."
"As a result, many scholars will not be able to become officials, nor will they have the opportunity to do so."
"As for what they went to do..."
Zhu Biao sneered, a mocking look on his lips: "Whether they go back to farming and studying or apply for a teaching position at the academy, it's up to them."
Emperor Zhu's eyes lit up, and he then turned his gaze to Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen.
"Brother Shanchang, Mr. Qingtian, what do you think?"
Emperor Zhu said slowly, "They don't take us emperor seriously, so there's no need for us to give them any face."
“Abolish the imperial examination system and the recommendation system. In the future, when various government departments lack officials, they should directly change to examinations for entry into officialdom, supplemented by the supervision of the Censorate.”
"We don't believe there's a shortage of people willing to be officials in this world."
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen did not wish to express their opinions.
It's obvious that Zhu Biao didn't come up with these random ideas, because such tactics are too insidious. Even if Song Lian had lost his mind, he wouldn't have taught Zhu Biao these things.
Therefore, the answer to where Zhu Biao learned all this nonsense is already obvious.
However, the thought of actually abolishing the imperial examination and recommendation system made Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen feel somewhat dazed.
To put it bluntly, the recommendation system was simply abolished, since its drawbacks were undeniable.
But is the imperial examination system, which has been in place for hundreds of years, really going to be abolished?