Daming: Is There Imperial Examination Fraud At The Beginning? I Cry As A Candidate During The Test

Chapter 10 criticizes Lao Zhu for his "eight-legged approach to recruiting scholars" and imprisoning the thinking of the world's literati!

"This kid... is too smart."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ye Xuan unkindly.

He likes smart people.

But I don't like people who are too smart.

He was born in rebellion.

Therefore, we know that if a scholar is restless, the empire he finally conquered will be over sooner or later.

In order to control people's thinking.

In order to stabilize the country.

He once discussed with Liu Bowen and other counselors all night for a long time.

"The imperial examination can certainly select talents."

"But, do you think, how can we select loyal talents?"

Zhu Yuanzhang once asked Liu Bowen, Liu Shanchang and others.

Liu Bowen and others looked at each other in shock.

People's hearts are fickle.

Even if this person is loyal for a moment, he may not be loyal for a lifetime.

Finally, Zhu Yuanzhang came up with a way to control the world's literati and imprison their thinking.

That is - eight-legged essay to get scholars!

Imprison the thinking of the world's literati in the Four Books and Five Classics, use Confucianism to brainwash and restrain the literati, and make them loyal to themselves and the Ming Dynasty, so that the Ming Dynasty can last for thousands of years!

"I have never informed anyone of the Eight-Guard Scholarship's intention, not even Liu Bowen, Liu Shanchang and others. I have never informed them of my true intention."

"I didn't expect that a real friend could figure out my intentions."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ye Xuan not far away meaningfully.

"A fifth-grade sesame official."

"The Ministry of Rites, Doctor."

"Haha...it's quite interesting."

"There are so many literati in the world who claim to be smart."

"Even smart people like Liu Shanchang and Liu Bowen have not guessed my true intentions."

"It just happened that this kid figured it out."

"This kid is really smart."

Zhu Yuanzhang thought this plan was perfect.

No one can know.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xuan revealed his thoughts with just one sentence.

The eight-part essay was popular in the imperial examinations of the Ming Dynasty.

He was the one secretly pushing behind.

He secretly advocated the eight-part essay and slowly integrated the eight-part essay into the imperial examination system.

Thereby controlling the literati and the courtiers.

This is all done quietly.

It happened that a little fifth-grade doctor from the Ministry of Etiquette exposed his thoughts in front of his son in the Gongyuan.

After Zhu Yuanzhang broke through the defense on the spot, his murderous intent was revealed.

This kid is smart and interesting.

but....

"This kid... I'm afraid I won't be able to keep him."

Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his index finger, murderous intent flowing in his eyes.

He originally wanted Ye Xuan to be the prince's tutor and teach Zhu Biao knowledge.

Ye Xuan's vision, conversation and knowledge are comparable to that of a great scholar, and he is enough to be a prince or a tutor.

Who knew, Ye Xuan would reveal his thoughts in public.

This made Zhu Yuanzhang murderous.

He knew that there were great limitations to the eight-part essay method for recruiting scholars.

The imperial examination system limited the teaching content to the Four Books and Five Classics.

Confined thinking.

Obstruction of enlightenment.

The problem can only be solved from the perspective of a certain great scholar or saint.

Although it is helpful to improve the candidates' writing skills and understand the spirit of Confucianism and Taoism.

However, the literati's thinking was imprisoned and brainwashed at the same time.

Such a scholar is foolish and loyal.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought there was nothing wrong with this.

He didn't care that literati thinking was imprisoned.

As long as the literati selected by the Eight-Guard Scholar Recruitment have real talents and are loyal to him as the emperor and the Ming Dynasty, it is enough.

Mao Xiang sensed the killing intent emanating from Zhu Yuanzhang, and he pulled out the Xiuchun Dao.

"Your Majesty, otherwise, I would kill this kid now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him lightly.

"We haven't said anything yet."

"What are you anxious about?"

"Take your knife back."

"yes!"

Mao Xiang put the sword back into its scabbard.

Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his murderous intention and muttered:

"We want to see what this kid wants to say next."

"Anyway, it's just us here, no one else."

"It doesn't matter what this kid says."

Mao Xiang's heart tightened.

"Should I cover my ears and not listen?"

As the saying goes, the more you listen, the faster you die.

Mao Xiang is the emperor's knife.

I know this truth.

He glanced hesitantly at Zhu Yuanzhang, then at Ye Xuan and the prince, and then covered his ears knowingly.

From the corner of Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, Yu Guang glanced at Mao Xiang.

I was quite satisfied with his knowledge.

Little did Ye Xuan know that Zhu Yuanzhang had murderous intentions after being exposed by him.

He was still chatting with Zhu Biao.

"There are serious drawbacks in recruiting scholars with eight-legged essay."

"The examination content and format are rigid, outdated and backward, which has become a shackles that constrain the minds of literati."

"It also caused tragedy for many families."

"Moreover, the examination content focuses on humanistic ethics and ignores natural science."

"If things go on like this, literati just memorize things by rote and become nerds. No one studies geography, arithmetic, or astronomy."

"The scholars who passed the examination were quite talented in writing eight-legged essays, but they did not have the qualities to be officials."

"Let's use an analogy."

"After those scholars pass the exam, let them serve as officials to judge cases, settle accounts, etc., won't they?"

"Are they familiar with the laws of Ming Dynasty?"

"This led to the fact that scholars who passed the imperial examination and wrote good eight-part essays had to hand over the details of the judgment to their staff after they became officials."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt as if he had been hit by an arrow in the heart.

His face hardened.

What Ye Xuan said later undoubtedly spoke to Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

Although the Eight-part Examination of Scholars can select loyal people, the candidates selected are few with real talents.

Originally, the purpose of the imperial examination was to gather the talents from all over the world.

Now that the eight-legged essay is used in the imperial examination, has it become a hindrance?

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but ask himself:

Could it be that what we do is wrong?

But if we don’t do this, will the people selected out be loyal to us and to the Ming Dynasty?

Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought.

After hearing what Ye Xuan said, Zhu Biao couldn't help but touch his nose, looking embarrassed.

He also understood the pros and cons.

My father, the Eight-Gu Scholars, was a scholar.

This led to the ideological imprisonment of literati all over the world.

The people selected by the imperial examination are not of real ability.

This is a drawback.

My father must also be aware of this shortcoming.

But my father has always used the Eight-legged Composition to recruit scholars, which proves that the Eight-part Composition is effective in recruiting scholars.

Everything has two sides.

There are pros and cons.

The disadvantages are what Ye Xuan said.

Confining the thinking of literati.

People who get scholars through eight-part essay do not have the qualities to be officials.

There is also a serious bias towards humanities and ethics.

Zhu Biao thinks that what Ye Xuan said is not a big deal.

The literati's thinking is imprisoned.

As long as they can maintain the rule of their royal family and the Ming Dynasty, it will be fine.

As for the people obtained by the eight-part examination, they do not have the qualities to be officials. It can be said that before they become officials, they should learn the laws of the Ming Dynasty, arithmetic, and case-solving.

These can be cultivated later.

Zhu Biao believes that by choosing the most important and discarding the light, as long as it can maintain the rule of the royal family and the Ming Dynasty, those minor disadvantages can be ignored.

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