Chapter 1298 The appointment of Xue Xiyang (5,000-word chapter)
"Zi'er, there's no need to prepare so many things." On the ninth day of the second lunar month, before dawn and before the fifth watch, such a voice came from the inner courtyard of a house on Hongwu Street. It sounded like the person who spoke
Still a little helpless.
"This is not possible," another woman's voice sounded: "Ms., my mother has told me that these things must be taken away. And yesterday I went home specifically to ask my father. I knew what was going on in the Gongyuan, and I also heard what my father would try back then.
Experience, you have to bring these things with you."
"Both my parents have not taken the National Examination, so how do I know what to bring to the National Examination? My father-in-law has of course taken the National Examination before, but today's National Examination is different from that of then, and his experience may not be useful."
"The only person in our family who has taken the examination recently is me, who took it in the fifth year of Jianye's reign, so you can just follow my instructions and prepare the things for the examination." The man who spoke just now said.
"But it's my mother's instructions..." "Oh, should I take the examination or who should take the examination?"
"Then I will prepare according to your husband's words." The woman finally agreed. She prepared a few more things, handed the packed package to the servant, and said to her husband at the same time: "My husband, it is ready."
This couple is Xue Xiyang and his wife, Qi Tai'er's daughter. In the third year of Jianye's reign, Xue Xiyang passed the examination as a scholar, and Yun Xi became a matchmaker to connect the Xue family and the Qi family. The Xue family did not dare to object, let alone Qi Tai.
As an important minister of the imperial court and an upright person, he was a very suitable candidate to be the in-laws, so the Xue family naturally agreed immediately.
Qi Tai was reluctant at first. Firstly, he did not want to marry a military commander, and secondly, he was worried that Xiyang would not be a good match for his daughter. However, Yunxi, being the matchmaker himself, could not refuse too directly, so he met Xue Xiyang. But
I didn't want to think that this man was not bad at first sight and worthy of my daughter, so I agreed.
In the fourth year of Jianye's reign, Xue Xiyang failed to pass the provincial examination. However, he was already young at that time, only seventeen years old. It was normal for him to fail the examination. Qi Tai passed the examination only after he was over 20 years old.
Tai didn't care and let them get married in October of that year.
In the past few years, Xue Xiyang was involved in family affairs and also studied hard at home. Finally, he passed the provincial examination last year. At that time, the palace was very busy because of Yun Yun's selection of the consort, not to mention Xue Xiyang's ranking in the examination.
Although he was not high, Yunxi didn't give much praise, but Xiyao himself specially invited his sister Xiyi to come home for a kiss, and even called him into the palace and praised him in person, and even treated Qi Qi'er with a kind attitude.
: She doesn’t really like her younger sibling, although she has never shown it.
Xue Xiyang continued to study hard at home in the next six months, until today, when it is time to test the learning results.
Qi Qi'er sent him outside the second door and told him: "My lord, if you suddenly find that my concubine is not well prepared before entering the house, please quickly ask your servants to spend money to buy it. Don't think that it will be over if you tolerate it."
"
"I know." Xue Xiyang agreed.
"Do you want to say goodbye to your parents?" Qi Yan'er asked again.
"It's not like I'm going to the battlefield, it's just an exam. I'll be back in a few days. Why go and say goodbye? Besides, it's still early. The curfew has just passed. My parents may not be up yet. Wouldn't it be an intrusion to go see them at this time?
They don't need it," Xue Xiyang said.
"But according to etiquette..." Qi Lier murmured in a low voice. Of course Qitai was very polite at home, and she was taught to be very polite, but the Xue family didn't care about this. However, it is said that the mother-in-law was with her daughter back then.
After becoming the grand concubine, she also wanted to follow strict etiquette, but Yunxi came once and said that the original rules were very good and did not need to be changed, so their family did not change them.
The couple said a few more words, and Xue Xiyang left his residence with his servants and rushed to Gongyuan.
He had just walked a few steps out of his house when he heard someone shouting: "Feiju! (Characterized by Xue Xiyang)" He knew who it was as soon as he heard the voice. He turned his head and responded with a smile: "Yunqi, you came out so early.
?"
"It's already late at this o'clock, and your residence is not far from Gongyuan. Although we rode there, it would have been too late if we hadn't left. If the first person to be let into the courtyard is a Juren from Zhili, we can queue up
We can't reach the front." The man laughed. Therefore, it was not bright yet, so he couldn't see his face clearly, but he could vaguely see that he was not tall, but he was not thin. And he could tell by his voice.
This person is not very old.
This person was Xiao Yong. Xue Xiyang had a friendship with Xiao Tong. Later, because Xiao Yong won the imperial examination and was given marriage as the consort, Xue Xiyang asked Xiao Tong to introduce him and became friends with Xiao Yong. Although the two people liked different things,
But they had similar temperaments and had a good relationship; and because Xue Xiyang was the emperor's brother-in-law and Xiao Yong was the emperor's brother-in-law, there was not much difference in their status, so they quickly became good friends.
And because for Xue Xiyang, all his childhood friends were military commanders, and none of them wanted to take the imperial examination. When he grew up, his family status had undergone earth-shaking changes, and most of his friends were flatterers, so he should not have close friendships.
The Xiao brothers filled a gap among his friends and soon became very close friends.
"If you can't get to the front of the queue, you won't get to the front of the queue." Xue Xiyang didn't care about this and said with a smile.
The two of them joked for a while, got on their horses and headed to Gongyuan, but they were not in a hurry and talked while pacing their horses.
"Yunqi, when I entered the palace a few days ago, the queen accidentally let slip that..." Xue Xiyang was about to say something, but suddenly thought of something and stopped talking.
"What did you say?" Xiao Yong glanced at his expression and continued: "The matter has something to do with me? Does it mean that I won't be allowed to pass the Jinshi examination this year?"
"You know that? Then you still have to take the exam?" Xue Xiyang was very surprised. Why did he still take the exam when he knew that he would definitely fail?
"His Majesty has told me that I am too young and I am a prince-in-law. If I am too young and pass the Jinshi examination, it will easily cause criticism, so I will not be admitted in this exam."
"But I think there is no harm in taking the exam. Originally, I had a low chance of passing the exam. This subject is just to see the difference between the National Examination and the Provincial Examination, and to feel the atmosphere of the National Examination. Now I just want to know in advance
I must have failed the exam, and there is no difference in other things, so I just took the exam." Xiao Yong said.
"Well, even if I originally thought that it was unlikely that I would pass the exam, it was still possible to pass the exam, but now I definitely won't pass the exam. If it were me, I would definitely not take the exam," Xue Xiyang said.
Xiao Yong smiled and did not answer. Although he and Xue Xiyang had similar personalities, after all, their origins were too different, and their way of thinking about problems was completely different. There was no way to explain it, and there was no need to explain it.
While they were talking, the two of them had already arrived at the gate of Gongyuan. At this time, the invigilator had indeed arrived and selected the order of admission for candidates from each province. At this time, they were organizing the first province to enter the venue. They took a look and saw that it was not Zhili.
Not in a hurry, he got off his horse, took the basket from his servant, and lined up behind the Zhili square to wait for admission.
The three exams ended quickly, and the marking officers began the intense marking work. The candidates went to their respective residences, waiting for the final news.
...
...
"Your Majesty, your Majesty has come to Kunning Palace." A eunuch bowed and said.
“At this time?”
"Your Majesty, you are saying that Lian Shangshu has indeed entered the palace today, and he has brought many documents with him, but I don't know whether he can pass the test papers." The eunuch thought for a moment and replied.
"Most likely." Xiyao suddenly stood up from the Arhat bed and walked around.
Although it is almost certain that the rankings for the general examination have been arranged, it is hard to say whether Xue Xiyang has been selected. Yun Xi may have come to say something to make her happy because Xue Xiyang has been selected, or it may be because Xue Xiyang has failed.
And came to comfort her.
'That's all, I don't want to think about it anymore, I can't even think about it, and my husband is coming over soon, and the result will be known soon, so there is no need to think about it now.' She couldn't figure out what the truth was, so she could only think like this.
Not long after, Yunxi walked to Kunning Palace, sat down and took a sip of tea. He raised his head and looked at the slightly nervous Xiyao sisters, and said with a smile: "Why, you already know that the rankings for the examination have been sorted out?"
"I already know." Xiyao replied.
"Want to know if Xue Xiyang won?"
"Of course I want to know." Xiyi said.
"The husband will tell you, Xue Xiyang," Yunxi said in a long voice on purpose. Seeing the sisters looking at him intently, he suddenly said: "My husband won't tell you! Let Xiyang go to the gate of Gongyuan tomorrow to see the imperial list."
"
"Oh husband," Xiyi said immediately and reluctantly, "just tell us!" Not only did she say this, she also sat next to Yunxi and shook his body vigorously.
"Oh my husband, I can't stand you being like this. OK, OK, I'll tell you." Yunxi said with a smile: "Xue Xiyang got it!"
"Great!" Xiyi exclaimed happily immediately. Although Xiyao did not shout out, it could be seen from her expression that she was very happy. She was selected for the general examination, although there would be another palace examination later.
But no one will fail in the imperial examination, which means that Xue Xiyang has passed the imperial examination.
This is a Jinshi! Although Yunxi wants to rule the country with the nobles, the imperial examination system will not be abolished, and people with Jinshi background will still have official positions. What's more, their Xue family is originally one of the nobles and belongs to the ruling class.
Being a member of the imperial family, passing the Jinshi examination is like adding another layer of gold. He is certain to become a high-ranking official in the future. If he does not consider Yunxi's concerns about his relatives taking charge of the government, he may even become a fourth auxiliary officer.
Moreover, Xue Xiyang passed the Jinshi examination and dispelled their worries about the decline of the Xue family after two generations. Even if they are both members of the ruling class, they are different. Can the marginal characters be the same as the characters in the middle? They are both Marr
Can the descendants of the Duke of Marlborough and the people who inherit the title of Duke of Marlborough for generations be the same as ordinary members of the Churchill family? If he hadn't been rich, could Winston Churchill have gone to military school? And later became the British Prime Minister?
Therefore, although the Xue family was classified as the ruling class, the sisters were still worried about the decline of the Xue family. But as Xue Xiyang passed the Jinshi examination, they no longer had to worry. Of course, if there are still no outstanding talents in the next few generations of the family, they still It will decline. But that is something beyond their sisters' control.
The two of them were happy for a while and then came back to their senses. Xiyao thought carefully and said to Yunhe: "According to etiquette, I shouldn't ask about this matter; but Xiyang is my biological brother, and the family relationship is really hard to let go, so I want to ask." Ask your husband how you want to use him?"
Now that it has been determined that he can pass the Jinshi examination, the next thing that needs to be concerned about is which yamen he will go to. Although there are different paths to the third grade and above, it is still important which yamen he will serve as an official at a lower grade, which is related to the speed of promotion and official connections. Wait, don’t ignore it.
Moreover, Xue Xiyang's special experience made him more likely to serve as an official. According to Yunxi's idea, Xue Xiyang studied in the Imperial College for three years, but he studied before being divided into departments. According to Yunxi's rules, once he was divided into departments , unless they are expelled, they must complete their studies and become officials, and cannot take the imperial examination at the next level; and even if those expelled from the Imperial College are successful at first, they will be ranked as ' If you are eliminated in the name of "bad conduct", and you are eliminated in a justified manner, it is impossible to pass the exam. Therefore, if someone wants to continue to take the imperial examination, even if he enters the Imperial College, he must drop out before being divided into departments. Generally, he will continue after being divided into departments. The students who study are those who have despaired of the imperial examination, or who feel that although the future of the Imperial College graduates is worse than that of the Jinshi, there is always a certain future, but those who continue to take the imperial examination will have an uncertain future.
According to the rules set by Yunxi over the years, officials with Jinshi background either serve as the palm seal officer or the second assistant officer of each administrative unit, that is, the county magistrate, the magistrate, the magistrate, the chief envoy, and the minister of each imperial court. , ministers, envoys, temple officials and other official positions, or yamen that specialize in gossiping like the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Simply put, they are the political officials elected by some countries in later generations. (In Yunxi’s thinking, now stage, the imperial censor is approximately equal to the parliamentarian)
Those who came from the Imperial College held all other official positions, that is, affairs officers.
Although Xue Xiyang was a Jinshi, he had studied in the Imperial College for three years. In theory, he could also hold an official position as a graduate of the Imperial College. As for whether he could hold the position, it all depended on Yun Xi's thoughts.
In Xiyao's opinion, if she wanted to have a stable official career, it would be better to follow the route of Imperial College Supervisor at the beginning; and she did not want Xue Xiyang to go to the capital to become an official, but there were only two official positions in the capital that were suitable for those who had just graduated from Jinshi. The county magistrate and county magistrate of Gejing County are two very low-priced official positions, so she hopes that Yunxi can let Xiyang take the position of Imperial College Supervisor.
But Yunxi's words were beyond her expectation. "After all, sister and brother, I won't criticize you harshly for not caring about your younger brother's career. Moreover, I have already made up my mind on how I want to use Xi Yang."
"Recently, the compilation of the "Daming Dadian" presided over by Xie Jin requires more and more manpower. He has submitted three memorials to his husband this year, requesting for additional manpower. Thinking of his husband, he asked Xue Xiyang to serve as the editor of the Hanlin Academy , concurrently served as a member of Zhongshushe, and went to handle errands under Xie Jin to compile the "Da Ming Dadian"."
"This, husband, is too much of a favor!" Xiyi, who had never cared about government affairs, didn't know what this meant yet, but Xiyao had already shouted loudly.
The Hanlin Academy has become more and more marginalized in recent years and has little actual power. The official position of editor is not important at all; but the official position of Zhongshu Sheren and the task of compiling the "Da Ming Dadian" are very important. I don't know how many people want to squeeze in.
Can't even squeeze in.
There is no need to mention the great significance of the official position of Zhongshu Sheren. It can be understood from the fact that the top few in the two palace examinations all held this official position beside Yunxi; but participating in the compilation of the "Da Ming Dadian" is more important than the position of Zhongshu Sheren.
Errands are more important.
In ancient times, book compilation has always been one of the most important things for a dynasty. It can not only set the official tone of a certain matter, but also promote certain ideas of the dynasty. All dynasties have attached great importance to it, and Yunxi is no exception.
At the same time, there is an old saying: 'Book repair is a great event'. Being able to repair books means that the dynasty is very prosperous and powerful at this time. As long as it can be completed, it will be a great success for the emperor, for those who participated in the repair of books, and for all the literati in this period.
It is a very honorable thing, and those who preside over and participate in book revision can easily win the favor of His Majesty and gain the high regard of other officials. Participating in book revision is a very important qualification and will benefit you in your future official career.
Xiyao was of course happy that Yunxi handed over these two errands and official positions to Xue Xiyang, but at the same time he was worried that it would arouse criticism from the officials, so he said.
"Of course there will be criticisms from officials, but you don't avoid relatives when you are promoted. Since my husband thinks he is suitable for this job, he won't care about those criticisms."
"However," Yunxi added, "my husband gave him the task of participating in the compilation of the Ming Dynasty Dadian, not just to accumulate qualifications, but also to send him errands."
"This job is not easy to handle. I'm afraid there will be many people who will object to it. Just like last year when my husband asked all the yamen to discuss the reform of the palace examination, the person who initiated it will be reviled by many people and he will also bear a lot of pressure. Do you think
Can Xue Xiyang bear it?" He looked at Xiyao and said slowly. Although he was talking about whether he could bear it, he was actually asking Xiyao if he was willing to do so. Did he want Xue Xiyang to take a smooth path or a different path?
It's a very steep road, but it's a shortcut.
"Husband, since Xiyang is a minister of the Ming Dynasty, he will do whatever his husband asks him to do. How can he be picky? And although Xiyang is young, he has been criticized and under pressure since he took the imperial examination. Over the years,
It has been trained in the past, so your husband does not need to worry that he cannot bear it," Xiyao said.
She thought very clearly that as a relative and a civil servant, it was impossible for Xue Xiyang to integrate into the civil service group from the beginning. It was impossible to be promoted step by step like others. If he wanted to become a high-ranking official, he had to find another way. And Yunxi
Giving out errands is another way, how could she refuse for Xue Xiyang?
"Okay." Yunhe said with a smile: "As long as Xue Xiyang serves the Ming Dynasty loyally, I will never treat him badly. You don't have to worry about him not being a high-ranking official just because he is a relative. My husband only appoints officials based on their talent, regardless of anything else."