Chapter 374: The Glacier Theory and the Book of Ten Thousand Words
The imperial examination questions that Emperor Wanli asked this time are obviously related to the joint petition for disaster relief in Shandong at the end of last year. Droughts and floods have been frequent in the south and north of the Yangtze River in recent years, and petitions to report disasters have been numerous a day. Emperor Wanli, who is deep in the palace, wants to rule by inaction.
, so I asked Bingchenke, the 348 Chinese scholars, for countermeasures based on the Imperial Examination Policy. Of course, if the countermeasure is just to focus on the money in the emperor's inner treasury, then there is definitely no good ranking, and the top three will be at the bottom——
Zhang Yuan was overjoyed when he saw the imperial examination questions. Finally, he no longer had to write eight-legged essays on behalf of sages and sages who were of no use to the world. Instead, he could write a grand essay that he had always wanted to write.
It can be said that he has profound thoughts. He knows very well that in order to save the country, in addition to strengthening the armament to resist the Manchu slaves, the most important thing is to deal with natural disasters and civil unrest. Without large-scale refugee unrest, the Manchu slaves will not have the opportunity to take over the Central Plains, and they will fight against foreigners.
Make peace with yourself first.
An inkstone of Xuanxiang ink fills the nose, a purple bamboo tube and a lake pen, gently twisted between the fingers, the ink-soaked pen tip dances lightly on the grass scroll, and the exquisite regular scripts rush to flow out from the pen tip. Zhang Yuan wrote:
"I have heard from you: In ancient times, the rule of emperors was nothing more than nourishing the people. In the time of Yao, they lived in harmony with the nine tribes, extended love and respect, and maintained good relationships with their friends; in the time of Shun, Gusou from Henan was able to conquer
Harmony with Ao Xiang, the position of father and son, the formation of brothers; in the three generations, Han, Wei, Tang, and Song, they encouraged teachers to teach farming and cultivate mulberry trees, and built wide schools, which was the same as nourishing the people. Up to the time of Emperor Gao of our dynasty,
Born in Longmu, he is well aware of the sufferings of the people. He has been in office for ten years, doing light corvee and paying low taxes to relieve the people's worries. Every time he is faced with the hardships of courtiers and farmers, he weeps. Farming is the foundation of the country, and all the needs are provided by it.
, If farmers cannot secure their jobs, the country will be in danger..."
The Huangji Hall is deep and vast, with hundreds of people writing on paper, creating a strange sound, like spring grass sprouting and growing, or like drizzle moistening things silently in the dark night. The morning sunlight shines through the long carved window on the east side of the hall.
Come here, three hundred and forty-eight candidates are working hard to answer the questions in order to compete for a good ranking in the palace examination. Although they are all Jinshi, there are still big differences between the first, second and third grades——
When Zhang Yuan wrote more than 500 words on the rough scroll, his thoughts rushed and he focused on the pen. He felt that this policy question should be written at least 5,000 or 6,000 words. If so, he was afraid that he would not have time to copy it into the main scroll, so
Simply put aside the draft paper and answer the questions directly on the main paper. Zhang Yuan has always been good at drafting compositions. He does not write very fast, but what he writes is well thought out. There is very little need for correction. Of course, this has a prerequisite
The condition is that the imperial examination papers do not require drafting, and three corrections are allowed -
Zhang Yuan was not limited to the idea of disaster relief and famine preparedness. He discussed the shortcomings of the land policy in the late Ming Dynasty and wrote: "——I once examined the money and food of the Shaoxing government since Jiajing. Before Jiajing, the people were eleven in the government. Nineteen in
Farming is because the four people have their own fixed occupations. The people are content with farming and have no other ambitions. The government also encourages them to work in farming without any trouble. Therefore, every family has plenty and people are happy to work in farming. In the past six or seventy years,
, taxes increased day by day, corvee became heavier, and people's lives were unbearable, so they all moved to work. In the past, there were not many rural eunuchs. Today, the number of people who go to farm and become rural eunuchs has been ten times as many as before. In the past, there were only a limited number of people who were exempted from corvee and tax.
Today, there are five times as many people as before who have gone to farm and cannibalized the government. In the past, there were only a few people who were idle and idle, but now there are three or four out of ten people who have gone to farm and cannibalized the government. Generally speaking, seven out of ten common people.
, eight points to go to the countryside——"
Zhang Yuan analyzed the reasons why people are unwilling to farm. First, the landlords in Jiangnan annexed farmland to plant crops with high output value, such as cotton and fruit trees. They just did not want to grow rice or wheat. People chased profits like water. This It is understandable in good years, but once a large-scale natural disaster occurs, food shortages will be extremely serious; secondly, heavy taxes and corvees have led to a large number of bankruptcies among homesteaders. Then one family fell apart again, and after several years, none of the well-to-do farmers in the city were left. The third was the annexation of land, the transfer of taxes, the price of government land was light, and the price of private land was high. Those who benefit from the lightness of food are willing to accept its counterfeit without doubting it. Over time, most of the people's land belongs to the rich and powerful, and most of the official land is left to the poor. The rich households in the countryside have fields stretching across the street, and the hungry people are all their tenants——
In order to reform the land policy of the late Ming Dynasty, the huge power of the royal family and vassal vassals could not be avoided. Zhang Yuan rewrote the well-known shortcomings of vassalage and land occupation, and proposed that the imperial court grant fixed land quotas. It was given to the world to guard, and everyone below the general received the land in their own right, and rested it for their own eternal industry, in order to limit the endless occupation of land by the sects and vassals——
The problem raised by Zhang Yuan is quite sharp, but the solution to the problem is relatively mild. The rights and interests of powerful forces are only restricted, not deprived. Zhang Yuan also knows that such superficial improvements cannot solve the fundamental problem, but this is also a last resort. , he cannot put himself on the opposite side of those vested interest groups. He wants to reform, rather than completely break the current system and start over. The gentry group also has many visionary people who are willing to reform, such as Ye Xianggao, Xu Guangqi, Gao Pan Long, Liu Zongzhou, etc. all have memorials talking about this issue, but Zhang Yuan looked at the problem more comprehensively. Reasonable gentry also knew that the distribution of interests must maintain a relative balance, and tilting and excessive encroachment will lead to the peasant class Large-scale bankruptcies and collapses will also have a great impact on the interests of the gentry. For example, in the civil uprising in the six counties of Shandong, there were many people who robbed wealthy families and killed officials and gentry. The gentry who are familiar with classics and history will naturally know the benefits and disadvantages. , it is most important to maintain the stability of all social strata, otherwise the huge destructive power of peasant unrest during the changes of dynasties such as Qin, Han, Jin, Tang, Song, and Yuan will be the first to suffer from the wealthy gentry and landlord class. This is the case in the four The same will be true a hundred years later——
Therefore, we must find a way to survive for the people in natural disasters, otherwise no one will survive. Vested interest groups are not monolithic. There are many people who have a sense of crisis and realize the shortcomings and hope to improve them. It is this group of people that Zhang Yuan wants to fight for. , this is the imperial examination policy essay, and it will be spread all over the world. He must make his point of view clear. The wording can be mild, but the stance must be firm. He is not a duplicitous speculator. He must have the courage to face criticism and resistance——
In response to the cold climate and frequent natural disasters in recent years, Zhang Yuan proposed a "glacier theory" that occurs every three hundred years, saying that the climate is colder and droughts will continue for another three to forty years. In the following years, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong and even There will be continuous large-scale droughts in Gyeonggi. As for the theoretical basis of the "glacier theory", we can find it from the astronomical records and the Five Elements Chronicles in the history books of the past dynasties, or from the Western "Three Thousand Years of Climate Change Illustration" and "The Glacier Disaster". Waiting for the confirmation in the books, as for the officials who could not find these two books, it was none of Zhang Yuan's business. Who made them ignorant? Su Shi dared to fabricate the story of Yao and Gaotao during the palace examination. Even the examiner Ouyang Xiu was deceived. Come on, what's wrong with him Zhang Yuan fabricating two Western books?
Since the "glacier theory" was proposed, there should be countermeasures, so the construction of water conservancy projects and the promotion of drought-tolerant crops were naturally proposed. The dragon-tail carts, Yuheng carts, Hengsheng carts and
Although the methods of building reservoirs and drought-resistant crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn cannot fundamentally change the living conditions of farmers in the late Ming Dynasty, they can alleviate it and prevent farmers from starving to death in disaster years. Chinese farmers are the most kind-hearted.
As long as they have a mouthful of food to eat, they will not think of fighting. Even the refugee armies of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng later. Those who led the rebellion were horse thieves, deserters, and rural scoundrels. The truly desperate farmers were all coerced in order to earn a living.
eat--
Zhang Yuan put forward his own views on famine relief in the last part of the policy article. That is to combine government disaster relief with private famine relief. The wealthy people have the responsibility to rescue their tenants. For those wealthy private households who assist the government in disaster relief, they must ask for awards and awards.
Official positions should also be respected by society. Since ancient times, there has been no good governance to save famines. At this point, there is no good way. The only way is to tear down the east wall to make up for the west wall, and to eat what is needed. The key is to do a good job in the front. Increase savings and improve the people's response.
The ability of famine——
At the end of the policy article, Zhang Yuan wrote:
"——In the past, Su Shi said to Song Renzong, 'When there is nothing in the world, the words of ministers are as light as a feather; when there is something in the world, the words of an ordinary man are as heavy as Mount Tai'. In this troubled autumn of the country, I hope that your Majesty will not regard my words as a feather. I
When I picked up the cud, I went up to the dusty sky to hear it, and I was so overwhelmed with trembling. I sincerely respond."
After writing the last word, I put down my pen and rubbed my hands, and then I felt that the sky had darkened. I didn't know when the bag of palace cakes was placed on the table, so I turned around and looked around. The hall was empty, and other candidates had finished their exams.
When he came out, he was the only one left. The other readers and deacons silently watched him from afar at the edge of the hall——
Zhang Yuan stood up and packed away the test basket. Wu Daonan, who was tall and thin, walked over slowly and stood ten steps away from him. He could not get too close, otherwise the proctor would say that he could read Zhang Yuan's test papers to clear his joints.
Wu Daonan smiled and said: "Zhang Yuan, it will get dark in another half moment, and you will be forcibly helped out."
Zhang Yuan bowed and said: "The students' countermeasures were written so engrossedly that it was already sunset before I knew it." He flipped through the twelve main papers and found that they were almost half full. Each paper had 820 words. He
This Imperial Examination Policy Essay is nearly 10,000 words long. I started writing non-stop from the beginning of the morning until the beginning of the evening, which lasted for four hours. It was a book of ten thousand words!
Director Wang from the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Industry came to collect Zhang Yuan's paper. He said "Hey" and asked, "Zhang Yuan, you didn't write the rough paper?" The readers and deacons in Huangji Palace all recognized Zhang Yuan. This Zhang Yuansu
He has a reputation as a talented person, but today’s imperial examination is the last one to hand in, which is really eye-catching——
Zhang Yuandao: "If I want to reply to you, Sir, I was afraid that I might not have time to copy it, so I wrote it directly on the cursive scroll."
Manager Wang looked at it and said "Hey" again. The twelve papers were almost completely filled up. There was no longer policy than this in the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years. Does this still need to be sealed?
, all readers know that the longest article is Zhang Yuan’s——
Zhang Yuan put the bag of palace cakes into the examination basket and went out alone from Huangji Gate, Meridian Gate, Duanmen and Chengtian Gate. At dusk, at the head of Jinshui Bridge, Zhang Lianfang, Zhang Dai, Wen Zhenmeng, Huang Zongxi and other eight officials
The social examination candidates were all waiting for him, which made him feel warm. He walked over quickly. Zhang Lianfang smiled and asked, "Jiezi, why did you hand in the paper last today?"
Huang Zongxi knew that Ting Shice was very interested in Zhang Yuan's approach. Zhang Yuan must have been very excited about writing, so he said, "Zhang Shenzhen is making great plans today. How many papers have he written?"
Zhang Yuandao: "The twelve papers are almost full, about nearly 10,000 words."
Everyone was shocked.
Zhang Lianfang frowned and said: "Writing too much and writing profoundly is not necessarily a good thing. The emperor likes to hear flattery, and even if the officials criticize shortcomings with harsh words, they may be punished——" Zhang Lianfang is a very smooth person, regardless of right or wrong.
, be invincible first and then consider other things, be wise and protect yourself.
Zhang Yuandao: "I haven't thought about it that much. What Ce Wen wrote is also the foundation for my future officialdom and government. As for whether the emperor is willing to accept it, that is another matter."
The candidates of the Han Society did not know what Zhang Yuan wrote in his Wanyan strategy, but they dared to express their opinions directly in the palace examination and criticize the current ills. This kind of courage is worthy of admiration. They all walked out of the Thousand Steps Corridor, and their servants were all outside the Ming Dynasty Gate.
Waiting, Shang Zhouzuo was waiting for his brother-in-law Zhang Yuan in the carriage. Standing beside the carriage were Mu Zhenzhen and Wu Ling——
Today's imperial examination was quite tiring, so everyone went back to rest. Everyone in the Han Society made an appointment to gather at a restaurant near Dalongfu Temple at noon tomorrow. The examination was finally over. The passing ceremony will wait three days, so they can relax in these two days.
Zhang Yuan got on the carriage. Shang Zhouzuo asked him about the palace examination. Hearing that Zhang Yuan had written thousands of words of policy, he smiled and said: "Meson always does amazing things."
Returning to the East Fourth Archway, Shang Zhouzuo saw Zhang Yuan taking out the palace cakes and giving them to Jinglan, Jing Hui, Mu Zhenzhen, and Fanghua. Only then did he realize that Zhang Yuan had not eaten or drank water all day.
After taking a bite, he quickly asked the kitchen to serve wine and rice. Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "On exam day, I just want to eat eight-treasure porridge and wait for me to cook it myself."
Zhang Yuan cooked a big bowl of eight-treasure porridge, and Jing Hui also came over to eat porridge with Zhang Yuan. They were very happy. Zhang Yuan was also extremely relaxed. It took him four years to complete the long road to the imperial examination.
…
On March 15th, the Wenhua Hall was lit up all night long. The official who received the test, Chief Wang, handed over the 348 examination papers collected to the official Mi Feng. The official sealed the seal and sent it to the examiner.
The imperial examination ink scrolls do not need to be transcribed into red scrolls, but are sent directly to the Dongge Examination Examiner. Each of the fourteen Examination Examination Examiners, headed by Fang Congzhe and Wu Daonan, must complete these 348 copies within two days.
Read the test paper once and write a short comment to rank it by grade. It also needs to be stamped with the seal of each examiner. The task of marking the examination paper is quite heavy and has to be done day and night. There are couches in the east pavilion for the examiners to rest, but they are not allowed to go home.
——
Fang Congzhe, the first assistant, specially found the book with ten thousand words to take a look at it first, and sighed: "If all of these more than three hundred candidates take the book with ten thousand words, we will not be able to finish it even if we sleep and eat in these two days and two nights."
"
Liu Chuxian, the Minister of Rites, said with a smile: "It's okay, it's okay, this is the only one, and most of the candidates can only speak a thousand words."
All the examiners knew that this examination paper belonged to Zhang Yuan, so they looked at each other and smiled.
——————————————————————————
Book lovers, please vote for Jie Zi’s The Book of Ten Thousand Words, it’s not easy.
{Piaotian Literature www.piaotian.com thanks all book friends for their support. Your support is our greatest motivation}