si-mexico Chapter 935 The Palace Examination Ends
Chapter 935 The Palace Examination Ends
Zhang Qian sensed the emperor's imposing presence approaching and knew that His Majesty was arriving, which made him tense.
But he took a deep breath, remembering His Majesty's kindness and his own ambition to speak up for the people, and forcibly suppressed his surging emotions.
I am your teacher and your Majesty, we are on the same path and share the same ideals, so why should I be afraid of you?
With this in mind, his hand holding the pen became more steady, and he continued to focus on his answer sheet, not flustered by the emperor's pause.
Li Che was even more pleased to see that he could remain calm under pressure.
His gaze fell upon the words written by Zhang Qian:
Your Majesty, I have observed that Heaven and Earth nurture all things by enriching their foundations; a sage king governs the world by valuing the well-being of the people. Now, Your Majesty inquires about the way to benefit the people, and I humbly offer my sincere and honest reply.
Reforming the government is like treating an illness; one must first strengthen the foundation and nourish the people. The people are the lifeblood of the nation.
When Guan Zhong governed Qi, he opened up nine treasuries to enrich the country, but his real aim was to promote the benefits of fishing and salt production. When Shang Yang moved a log to establish trust, his purpose was to make the people aware of the law.
Therefore, today's reform should be guided by the principle that "it is better for the people to benefit tenfold than for the government to reduce one instance of disturbance." Your subject has three suggestions to offer:
Upon seeing this, a hint of admiration flashed in Li Che's eyes.
It clearly states its purpose, placing the people at the core.
Zhang Qian should be clear about his strengths. In terms of knowledge, he is not number one, but the reason he was chosen as the top person is because he is deeply rooted among the people.
Sure enough, I wasn't mistaken.
If one day Zhang Qian stops speaking up for the people, then he will no longer be Zhang Qian, and that will be the end of his political life.
The first principle is to reduce taxes and levies to support the people's physical strength.
Today, tax officials relentlessly pursue us, demanding even the smallest amount; and when clerks and runners come to the countryside, even chickens and dogs are left in turmoil.
It is advisable to set limits on no additional taxes and establish granaries to facilitate farmers' access to grain, so that they can buy grain in years of plenty and sell it in years of scarcity, thus ensuring that farmers do not fear famine.
For example, in the Jiangnan region, if the silk tax were reduced by one cent, the people would weave ten more bolts of brocade.
The second point is to equalize land distribution to ensure the well-being of the people.
Today, the rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand.
We should follow His Majesty's old system of equal land distribution and limit the amount of land owned by the people.
Most importantly, newly reclaimed wasteland may be owned permanently, and taxes will be waived for the first three years.
Agricultural officials can be sent to teach the people how to cultivate different types of crops, transforming barren soil into fertile land.
Thirdly, it is to open up channels for expression so as to address the people's grievances.
When implementing new policies, the worst thing to do is to work behind closed doors.
It is advisable to order prefectures and counties to set up petition boxes, where woodcutters and shepherds can submit their petitions.
A notice about the new policies is published quarterly, illustrated with colloquialisms, and posted at the village council pavilion.
Whenever an official implements a new policy, they must first consult this body.
All three policies originated from the grassroots level, which coincides with some policies of modern China in the past.
Li Che smiled and continued reading:
As for preventing corruption, nothing is better than enabling the people to protect their own interests.
When clerks go to the countryside, they must carry official seals and documents; when conscripting laborers, wages must be settled on the same day.
Furthermore, the people are allowed to jointly report corrupt officials, and those whose reports are verified will be promoted to local officials.
In this way, corrupt officials will be like rats entering the main hall, with nowhere to hide.
If one sees the old farmer's face light up and the weaver's brow unfurrowed, then the effects of the reforms are evident.
If all we see are mountains of paperwork piling up in government offices, and endless complaints from the common people, even if Zhou Gong were resurrected, it would be difficult to achieve anything...
The more Li Che looked, the brighter his eyes became.
Zhang Qian's perspective is completely different from Lin Qingyuan's; he approaches things entirely from the perspective of ordinary people at the bottom of society.
Each countermeasure revolves around how to reduce the burden on the people, increase their well-being, and empower them.
This is precisely what Li Che admires most about him.
The most difficult part of reform is never the lofty discussions in the imperial court, but the real experiences of thousands of villages and households.
No matter how perfect a policy is, if it cannot reach the grassroots and be understood and accepted by the people, but is instead distorted by officials into an excuse to disturb and harm the people, it will ultimately degenerate into tyranny.
Zhang Qian's article hits the nail on the head regarding the key to the success of the reform: the will of the people.
As Li Che watched Zhang Qian's profile as he focused intently on writing, a thought became increasingly clear in his mind:
This person, after gaining experience in the imperial court for a few years and understanding all the key aspects of grassroots operations, will be the best candidate to preside over the national reform in the future!
Li Che said nothing more, but silently returned to the dragon throne and began to read today's memorials.
As the sun rose higher, golden sunlight bathed the square in front of the Xuanzheng Hall, illuminating the more than six hundred desks.
As time passed, most candidates put down their pens and pondered, making their final checks.
When the appointed time arrived, the melodious chime bells slowly rang out over the palace, announcing the end of this imperial examination.
"Time's up—everyone stop writing—"
Huai En's unique, clear voice then rang out.
The eunuchs who had been standing by immediately stepped forward, collected the examination papers with the ink already dried, carefully arranged them, and sent them to the designated grading area.
The students stood up one after another, most of them with a relieved expression on their faces.
However, they discovered that His Majesty did not immediately depart for the palace, but instead remained seated on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over them with gentle warmth.
Seeing that the exam papers had been collected and the students were all standing at attention waiting, Li Che cleared his throat and spoke with a smile:
"Students, you have worked hard. From this day forward, you are officially Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of our Great Qing!"
All the students below were invigorated, and a tremendous sense of honor arose spontaneously.
Li Che paused briefly, looked at the energetic faces, and continued with a smile:
"Before the palace examination, I did not speak to you in detail, for I feared it would disturb your peace of mind. Now that the examination is over, I will tell you:"
"After this imperial examination, all the successful candidates will be divided into three ranks based on their scores, with only three candidates selected for each rank. The first place will be the top scholar (状元), the second place the second-ranked scholar (榜眼), and the third place the third-ranked scholar (探花). These three will be granted the title of Jinshi (进士)!"
Top three scholars: the first, second, and third!
These three glorious titles make the hearts of countless students race.
"The second class will select a number of people and grant them the title of 'Jinshi Chushen'," Li Che continued to announce. "The third class will also select a number of people and grant them the title of 'Tong Jinshi Chushen'."
He added specifically: "In addition, the first place in the second and third classes is respectfully called the Chuanlu."
Upon hearing this, all the beings secretly began to make their own plans.
The top three are clearly tiered, representing different starting points.
The difference between "进士及第" and "同进士出身" may only be a few words, but in the officialdom, they can be worlds apart.
While the title of "Chuanlu" may not be as prestigious as the first-class honor, it is still among the best of the second and third classes, enough to bring glory to one's family.
Li Che took in everyone's reactions and knew that the matter of dividing the land into sections had stirred up waves in their hearts.
He said no more, and stated loudly:
"The specific rankings will be announced to the world after I and the examiners have carefully evaluated them."
"All students, please return to your quarters and wait patiently for good news!"
"We respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree and thank Your Majesty for your great favor!" the scholars replied in unison.
Li Che smiled and said, "Still calling me 'Your Majesty'? Have you forgotten what I said before, that you are all 'disciples of the Son of Heaven'?"
Everyone was slightly taken aback, but Lin Qingyuan, being the quickest to react, was the first to understand:
"Student Lin Qingyuan greets his esteemed teacher."
The crowd then suddenly realized what was happening and excitedly exclaimed:
"Student greets his esteemed teacher and expresses deep gratitude for his great kindness!"