Chapter 368: Beijiang Imperial Examination Begins

Of course, Jiang Jinshi naturally considered the situation of fairness. To show fairness and strictly prevent cheating, he also asked Feng Chunsheng to draft the "Examination Law".

Scholars taking the exam need to have their identities guaranteed by their neighbors. Of course, this item is actually just a formality for now. Setting this rule in advance is because the world is not yet the Ming Army's, and even if there is a guarantee, the Ming Army cannot verify it for the time being.

Then there is the division of the examination hall. Military generals select a group of people to supervise the exam together with the literati. This point is also to prepare for the future, and even more to be fair.

Military generals may not understand the test questions, but they can play the role of monitoring the examiners.

The most important thing is to paste the names on the test papers, and have special people copy the test papers before sending them to the examiners for grading.

This completely avoids black-box operations by relying on handwriting or leaving marks. Feng Chunsheng formulated this series of rules based on his many years of experience.

There is also the temporary drawing of lots for examiners to be assigned to rooms, and they are not allowed to communicate privately.

Those who have cheating, passing, impersonating, making noise, etc., once discovered, will never be allowed to take the exam again, and will be punished with heavy crimes!

And those who report cheating truthfully will be rewarded heavily!

This is not just a recruitment order, but a set of unprecedented, detailed examination and anti-cheating systems!

It clearly tells the people of the world! Here in our Beijiang, becoming an official no longer requires looking at who your father is, who your teacher is, or what your surname is, but only looking at your true talent and learning!

Especially the fact that "Practical Affairs" and "Arithmetic" are mentioned at the same height as "Classics", and the design that those who fail the exam still have a way out, breaks the single promotion channel of "learning is the best of all" and "all things are inferior, only reading is high" that has lasted for thousands of years!

It gave a glimmer of hope to countless "partial talents" who were struggling because they were not good at poetry and classics in the traditional imperial examination!

Partial students exist in every era, and Jiang Jinshi would not miss this opportunity!

Wherever this news went, it caused a huge uproar.

Wang Hou took this opportunity to announce the three conditions Jiang Jinshi had mentioned before. This news was not small, and the scholar-gentry might not be able to suppress it.

Beijiang not only recruited the large army of Da Qian but also stated that the Ming King Jiang Jinshi wanted to carry out "reform". The previous system was unfair to the common people, so it must be changed.

And to prove this idea, Beijiang began to conduct imperial examinations.

In a dilapidated village school somewhere in Jiangnan, a poor scholar who had failed repeatedly because his family was poor and he could not bribe the school officials, held the Beijiang notification letter he had obtained through twists and turns, his hands trembling, and tears of excitement in his eyes.

In the home of a small official in the Central Plains who had been an official for generations but had never been promoted because he had no background, the father and son repeatedly studied the word "Practical Affairs" on the notice, and hope ignited in their eyes.

In a narrow alley where craftsmen lived in a border area, a young craftsman who had self-studied arithmetic and could understand complex drawings felt his heart beat faster, and for the first time, he felt that his hands that played with axes and chisels might also be able to fight for a different future.

Even some disciples of small and medium-sized scholar-gentry families who were disappointed with the Imperial Court and suspicious of Western Liang began to be secretly moved.

Especially the three conditions the Ming King offered to the noble families made the common people even more moved.

The flow of people began to gather towards Beijiang from all directions.

There were scholars who were alone, classmates who traveled together, poor scholars who secretly sold their family property to go, and disciples of scholar-gentry families who were ordered by their families and came to "take a look" with different purposes.

Si Wushuang looked at the detailed Beijiang imperial examination regulations in his hand, a flash of surprise in his cold eyes, which then turned into deep thought.

"Regardless of family background, pasting names, taking exams by subjects, and emphasizing practical arithmetic... Jiang Jinshi, you are trying to pull the firewood from under the cauldron and rebuild a set of selection and bureaucratic systems from the root."

He looked at the Cui Family members and said: "What is the intention of the Cui Clan?"

The Cui Family members said in a deep voice: "This is a poisonous plan for Beijiang to buy people's hearts and disintegrate the foundation of the scholar-gentry! If this continues, the poor scholars of the world will flock to it, and who will recognize the reputation of our scholar-gentry?

The Head of the Family and our Head of the Family both think that we must not sit idly by, but direct destruction may fall into the trap of others.

The Head of the Family's idea is to select disciples who are agile, reliable, proficient in classics and history, and especially good at practical arithmetic, change their names, hold the clean identities arranged by our Cui Family, and go to Beijiang to take the exam.

First, we can explore the reality of Beijiang and observe the effect of its system operation.

Second, if someone can pass the exam and mix into its bureaucratic system, then it will be an ear and eye for us in Beijiang, and the value will be immeasurable.

The third is that if there is an opportunity, we can create trouble and strike at the prestige of its imperial examination."

Si Wushuang pondered for a moment and nodded: "The people selected must be capable, and they need to accept short-term secret training, memorize the details of the identity they are playing, and understand the fur of Beijiang's new policies to deal with the review.

The number of people doesn't need to be many, three or five is enough, quality is better than quantity. This matter will be coordinated with the personnel selected by the Prince's side, and it must be secret."

Si Wushuang did not expect Jiang Jinshi to not be panicked at all in the face of Western Liang's imminent trip to Jiangnan, but instead to constantly consolidate himself through these things.

Could it be that he is not afraid of Western Liang sitting on the "money bag" of Jiangnan?

Jingcheng, Imperial Palace.

Wei Xi Yuan also received a copy of the Beijiang imperial examination regulations, and Bu Yunsuanyuan analyzed its harm with added oil and vinegar.

"Your Majesty, this is a move by Jiang Jinshi to buy ignorant small people and shake the foundation of the country! If he is allowed to succeed, which scholar in the world will be willing to be loyal to the Imperial Court? It must be stopped!"

Wei Xi Yuan was not interested in any selection system for the time being, but how could he let Beijiang buy people's hearts?

"Damn! How dare the rebel do this! What strategy does the beloved minister have?"

"Your Majesty, you should send capable people to disguise themselves and mix into it. One is to explore intelligence, and the second is..."

Bu Yunsuanyuan smiled and stroked his beard, "In the examination hall, there are many people and eyes. If there are 'cheating', 'riots', or even 'bloody disasters', wouldn't it just expose his lie of 'fair selection of scholars'?

By then, the hearts of the people will be scattered, let's see how he ends up! The candidates can be selected from the Imperial Guards and secret spies, and I can arrange it personally."

Wei Xi Yuan's eyes lit up: "Good! This matter will be handed over to the beloved minister! You must handle it beautifully for me!"

Bu Yunsuanyuan cupped his hands and accepted the matter, but he thought in his heart that he finally found an opportunity to contact his disciple, and he didn't know what position he was in Beijiang now!

However, with his personal teaching, he thought he must be in an important position, and he would definitely be able to help him.

Thus, in the flow of scholars rushing to Beijiang, there were more figures with special identities, well-trained, and carrying special missions.

They either disguised themselves as down-and-out scholars or pretended to be accountants and craftsmen seeking opportunities, carefully covering up their true identities and purposes, and walked towards Beijiang with the tide of people.

Time passed slowly, and Jiang Jinshi knew that many poor scholars needed to rely on walking to come to the imperial examination, which took a lot of time, so he specially set the imperial examination time in the spring of the coming year.

During this period, the Ming Army did not take the initiative to provoke war, but shifted its attention to strengthening itself.

The people of Beijiang had drought-resistant agricultural products and reasonable irrigation from newly built canals, so they finally had a bumper harvest year.

For a time, the cohesion of Beijiang went to a higher level, and everyone firmly believed that under the governance of the Ming King, the people would live better and better.

And Da Qian also achieved its goal, bullying some weak ones to deter others, but just didn't dare to move Beijiang and Western Liang.

Western Liang stabilized the Shu region and had quite a bit of intention to take Jiangnan. ===== CHAPTER 369 =====