Chapter Thirty-Eight of the Duke and Shengming (1)
In the blink of an eye, it is already the end of February (the 20th). Bianjing is gradually getting warmer, and the market has become extremely lively and noisy.
Every day, carriages and horses come to Bianjing from thousands of miles away from counties all over the world.
Then, from these carriages, officials who were high-spirited, anxious, hesitant, or worried came down one by one.
Their positions and official ranks are also different.
From low-level county magistrates, county lieutenants, and joining the army, to high-level magistrates of various transportation departments, general magistrates, and military and state officials and magistrates...
Hundreds of officials from the Song Dynasty stepped into the bustling and bustling Bianjing, which was unlike the human world, with various moods.
Then, they encountered the first test Bianjing gave them to rent a house!
Living in Bianjing is not easy!
Especially for officials from other counties like them, it is extremely difficult to rent a suitable house!
So, we had to rent together.
Three or five officials of about the same rank who they knew or didn't know together found a relatively cheap place close to the Ministry of Civil Affairs' Trial Court and rented it for ten days and a half.
I don’t know how many grievances and hatreds all started from that day when we rented together.
And Zhao Xin also rarely walked out of Chunfang today and stood on the steps outside Chunfang, looking in the direction of the officials from a distance.
"Another one-year-old Yuelongmenla!" Zhao Xin sighed with emotion.
"The Duke cares about the world, and I respect you!" Liu Yongnian immediately sent a flattering message that was just right.
Zhao Xin laughed and asked: "Liu Aiqing, how many candidates are there for the country to choose this year?"
"Replying to the Duke, thanks to your great virtue, the official family has shown great kindness to the world. Not only did they order enke, but they also ordered the trial court, the examination court and the liunaiquan. The third class court increased the quota for candidates to be transferred to official positions this year. Your Majesty.
I heard that in this year’s spring election, there are 80 candidates from the Inquisitor’s Academy who can be transferred to another official position, one hundred from the Kaoshi Academy who can be transferred to another official position, and even two hundred candidates from each of Liu Neiquan and Sanban Yuan...”
Zhao Xin listened, then laughed and said: "I know, my father's love and care is due to my young age, so I can't repay it. It's a pity!"
"I admire the benevolence and filial piety of the Duke!" Liu Yongnian paid his respects.
Zhao Xin however blinked his eyes, thinking in his mind that he had to find an opportunity to show his face to those ministers of civil and military affairs who had come to Bianjing after a long journey.
So that the people of this world will know that his country is really a ‘holy king’.
There is no better opportunity than now!
The system of the Song Dynasty was inherited from the Tang Dynasty, but it was different from the Tang Dynasty. It was inherited from the Five Dynasties, but it was innovative and had its own system.
Therefore, the official system of the Song Dynasty was complex and chaotic in the eyes of future generations.
But in the eyes of contemporary people, it is extremely simple and clear.
In fact, there is no distinction between civil and military officials in the Song Dynasty at all.
There is only difference between high and low.
The officials in the Beijing Dynasty were the most powerful, especially those who were born in the imperial examination and passed the imperial examination.
Under normal circumstances, as long as they do not offend the emperor, there is no obstacle to their promotion. They can ride on rockets all the way. As long as they perform a little better in local states and counties, they can be like Fu Bi and Fan Zhongyan, and they will be on the bottom before they are forty years old.
In the position of admonishing officer in the Taipei, or in the Zhengfu, or in the position of Yousi Tongpan in the Privy Council, even like Ouyang Xiu, he compiled classics, and as soon as he released the states and counties, he knew the continent!
Fan Zhongyan was demoted, so he could only be demoted to Yuezhou!
Secondly, there are the ordinary Beijing officials. These people will be restricted by the grinding system, and there is also the sharp sword hanging over their heads, the Zhizhifa.
You must be assessed every year and report on your work every month.
Then there are the judges, general judges, push officials, secretaries and other officials in the prefectures, counties, and Jiedu military towns. They had a title to select people in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Who will choose?
Of course, they are the emperor, the chief officials of the government, and the officials of the Privy Council.
How to choose?
Look at seniority, political performance, connections, connections, character, appearance...and luck.
Like this year, the candidates are obviously very lucky.
In the spring of previous years, the total of the four selections for Quancao was probably only two to three hundred candidates for transfer.
This year, there are actually 200 places for Liu Neiquan and Sanbanyuan!
All we can say is, these officials hit the jackpot!
The kind that’s higher than five million!
There was no way, although theoretically speaking, in the Northern Song Dynasty, even a subordinate official could rise from a commoner to become a prime minister.
But the actual situation is that, except for those lucky ones who passed the imperial examination, who were officials in the capital from the beginning, and were dispatched by them from the two palaces, everyone else, like Tang Monk in Journey to the West, had to go through many obstacles to get the scriptures.
Fight for political achievements, fight for relationships, fight for looks, and fight for luck.
If you are not careful, you will never get ahead!
"Is this year's selection still scheduled for February 25th?" Zhao Xin asked again.
"The Holy Lord of the State, Chun Quan is still on February 25th, Quan Cao and the Fourth Courtyard are locked at the same time..."
"Then, who is in charge?" Zhao Xin asked again.
"The system is still the same. The ministers of the two governments do not participate in the selection of officials..." Liu Yongnian replied: "This year is also normal. Since yesterday, the ministers of the two governments have closed their doors and thanked guests..."
"Therefore, the official family ordered Jia Changqi, the Zhizhi imperial edict, to admonish Zhang Fangping, the official on the right, and Zhengyan Fubi, the Zhijian Yuan, who was in charge of the Spring Quan this year..."
After listening to Liu Yongnian's words, Zhao Xin nodded.
The Northern Song Dynasty never participated in the selection of chief ministers, prime ministers, ministers, and governors.
But this is not to avoid suspicion, but because the ministers are so annoyed that they all complain of illness every year in Chunquan and Qiuquan!
Why?
Because in the Song Dynasty, in addition to the selection process, there was also an official appointment system such as Tang Dynasty elimination.
Expulsion from the court is always higher than selection. Officials who have been expelled from the court, even if they are just low-ranking soldiers, county lieutenants, or governors, can enjoy the preferential treatment of priority transfer, priority in appointment, and priority in assessment.
If they were high-quality state and county officials, that would be extraordinary. They could almost be regarded as capital officials.
Therefore, every time it was time for the civil service examination, all the prime ministers and assistants disappeared.
They were afraid that they would be entangled by the officials who came to Beijing and insisted on asking them to give them a chance to be expelled.
Who doesn’t have a few old people?
However, the Song Dynasty, at least now, is still very serious about church removal.
Unless officials who are truly talented and have outstanding political achievements are recommended by a highly respected minister, the prime ministers and ministers may consider excluding them.
Generally, there is no chance for candidates to be eliminated.
The opportunity to be expelled was so rare that two years ago, Zhao Xin's father shamelessly handed the then Prime Minister Zhang Shixun a small note and ordered Zhang Shixun to open the back door for Zhang Cairen's uncle.
Zhang Shixun was not Bao Zheng, so of course he did not dare to disobey.
But this matter could not be hidden from anyone, so the matter became a big deal, and even Zhao Xin's father was embarrassed.
But Zhao Xin has a few people who want to be expelled.
Those few people he had appreciated and promoted in his previous life.
Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, Zhao Xin ordered: "Liu Aiqing, please go to the admonition courtyard for me. Please go to the palace to see me!"
"The matter of selection is related to the employment of the country, so I have to ask you to speak more truthfully..."
This is of course reasonable.
Now who doesn’t know that Fu Bi is a native of his country?
Otherwise, with Fu Bi's qualifications, how could he afford to work with veteran admonishers like Jia Changqi and Zhang Fangping to select Quan Cao Yousi?