Rebirth: Overthrow Song Dynasty

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Seeing Zhao Chen come out, the hundreds of Confucian scholars shouted together.

Many of them have never met Zhao Chen, but they can recognize Zhao Chen's identity when they see Zhao Chen's clothes.

Hundreds of Confucian scholars looked at Zhao Chen, and many Confucian scholars lay on the ground and wept loudly.

"Old people, get up quickly!" Zhao Chen said.

"Your Majesty, are you finally willing to summon us?"

"Your Majesty, there are villains in the court who deceive you and ask you to change the ancestral system. This is to harm the world! Your Majesty, you must not listen to them!"

"Your Majesty, Confucianism is the foundation of the country! It cannot be changed!"

Confucian scholars shouted one after another.

"Come on, help these old people up, let's talk in the palace." Zhao Chen said.

At that moment, the guards in the palace stepped forward one after another. They helped the Confucian scholars up one by one. This time, the Confucian scholars did not resist any more. However, they had been kneeling for too long, and they were old, and they were about to fall when they got up. Fortunately, someone supported them.

Zhao Chen entered the palace, and these Confucian scholars also entered the palace one after another.

After that, Zhao Chen entered a palace, and Confucian scholars also entered here. Zhao Chen ordered people to arrange seats for the Confucian scholars and prepare meals.

"Your Majesty, I am waiting to meet you for the imperial examination. We really dare not accept the banquet given by Your Majesty." A Confucian scholar in his seventies knelt down again and said.

"Get down quickly! You have been kneeling outside for a day and a night, suffering from cold and hunger, so you need to drink some hot tea and eat some hot food first. I thought that after you knelt for a while, I would not be able to bear it and leave, who knew You have been waiting outside." Zhao Chen smiled.

Hearing this, the Confucian scholars below couldn't help laughing.

"Your Majesty, regarding the imperial examinations, you must not be fooled by villains!" A Confucian scholar said again.

"About the imperial examination, both I and the imperial court have their own plans. Li Gang and Li Ruoshui have persuaded me. If I did not agree, you should not persuade me! This matter is not the intention of some officials in the court, but my meaning." Zhao Chen said.

"Your Majesty, Confucianism is the foundation of the country! Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, as long as scholars can become scholars in the imperial examination, they can honor their ancestors. If they become Juren and Jinshi, they can serve the country. This system is perfect. Why do you want to change it? ?” said the Confucian scholar.

"In the past, it took several years for the imperial examinations to go from childhood to becoming a scholar, a scholar, and then a Jinshi! Everyone said that the ten-year window was too short, but unfortunately, the ten-year window was too short. Many people reached the age of 40 or 50. Only one can pass the exam! Such a level-by-level examination has exhausted the Confucian scholars, and now there is only one imperial examination, and as long as you pass it, you can enter the officialdom, serve the court, and serve the people of the world, isn't it good?" Zhao Chen said .

"This...Your Majesty, in the past, he was an official immediately after the imperial examination, but now he is just an official or an official, which is far worse than before." A Confucian scholar said.

"If you do well in the appointment of subordinate officials and officials, you will still be an official in the near future! The country has just experienced war, and many places lack officials!" Zhao Chen said.

"Your Majesty, joining practical learning is the root of disaster for the country! Practical learning is all tricks and ingenuity, not enough to govern the country!" said the Confucian scholar.

"On the contrary, I think practical learning is useful! Local people are nothing more than farming, doing business, and working. If you understand practical learning, you can understand what the people are doing and can guide the people. Wouldn't it be good?" Zhao Chen said.

These Confucian scholars kept asking questions one after another, and Zhao Chen kept answering them, and the expressions of these Confucian scholars got worse and worse.

"Your Majesty, we don't believe that you want to change the imperial examinations. There must be a villain bewitching you! Please name the villain, and we will tear him up!" Yelling loudly.

"Eat first! After eating, I will argue with you again!" Zhao Chen laughed.

"Your Majesty, why can't we and other elderly people pass the imperial examination?" Another humane question.

"Let's eat first! Although you can't take the imperial examination, you can open some libraries and schools in Yanjing to teach students and spread knowledge as great Confucians. This is not bad! You are not young, why bother to compete with young people? " Zhao Chen said.

He had already moved his chopsticks to eat, and the Confucian scholars had disappointed expressions on their faces, so they had to eat first.

Afterwards, Zhao Chen stayed with these Confucian scholars for a whole afternoon. He promised these Confucian scholars to spend money to build a school for them, but these Confucian scholars were still unwilling.

As night fell, they came out of the palace, all with dejected expressions.

Because it was snowing and the ground was very slippery, Zhao Chen specially sent guards to send them away. These Confucian scholars sighed endlessly. They all knew that trying to persuade Zhao Chen would be as difficult as climbing the sky.

"If the imperial examination has become like this, what will happen to the country? Your Majesty, we are all for the Song Dynasty, why don't you listen to us?" a Confucian scholar said.

"When I read the books of sages, I understand the principle of loyalty the most! No one in this world is more loyal to His Majesty than us scholars! But now Your Majesty has reformed the imperial examinations and added practical learning. How many people are still loyal to His Majesty? Isn't the country about to perish?" Another Confucian scholar said.

"The status of the study of sages is getting lower and lower, and I have no face to meet the sages of Confucius and Mencius after I go underground!"

They walked forward while talking, everyone was ashamed, they thought Da Song was over!

In fact, at such a moment, the entire Yanjing City, Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, and Song Dynasty all know that the reform of the imperial examination is imperative, and no one can stop the arrival of the new imperial examination!

*** ***

On December 25th of the lunar calendar, only five days away from New Year's Eve, the imperial examinations in various places officially began.

Because it was the first imperial examination, there were too many officials in the world, so most of the positions given by the imperial court this time were subordinate officials.

The world has been in war for many years, and the number of scholars is also very small, so the number of people participating in the imperial examination is also limited.

In the past, the imperial examination procedure was the same whether it was a scholar or a candidate. The imperial examination was divided into four rounds. The first round was an examination of the five principles of the scriptures, the second examination of the Analects of Confucius, and the third examination of the righteousness of Mencius. There is one test, and the fourth test is time and policy. The imperial examination will last for several days! As for the Jinshi examination, they have to stay in a closed room for two days and two nights, and they are not allowed to leave during the period! The selection rate of the imperial examination was extremely low. When Song Taizu held the imperial examination for the first time, only more than 20 Jinshi were selected!

But this time the imperial examination only lasted for one day, divided into two sessions, each one hour and a half, that is, three hours, the selection rate of the imperial examination was far higher than before.

The exam in the morning is Confucianism, which is much simpler than the previous imperial examinations. The Confucianism exam has no poems, songs, or the righteousness of Confucius and Mencius. It turns out to be just a Confucian article that emphasizes historical materials. The test questions are for candidates to explain whether they know this period of history and how to understand the policies of the imperial court at that time.

Many Confucian scholars have prepared for a long time, but they are at a loss when faced with such examination questions, and they don't know how to answer them at all.

In the examination room in Yanjing City, after the examination in the morning, more than a dozen Confucian scholars had pained expressions on their faces.

"This time we are finished! This exam question is completely different from the previous imperial examinations, and I will never do it!"

"That's right, this time it's not a test of the righteousness of Confucius and Mencius, how to do it?"

"Forget it, we have failed the imperial examination. We will study practically in the afternoon, so we don't have to take the exam at all!"

Several candidates even stood up and prepared to leave, but when they reached the entrance of the examination room, the examiner stopped them.

The examiner asked why, and they said it.

"In today's world, the number of scholars is very small. As long as you can read, you have the possibility of winning the exam! Now the world needs officials. As long as you have a little knowledge and understand world affairs, you can serve the court! Do the questions in the afternoon, and you can still pass the imperial examination !” said the examiner.

"Really?" The candidates said with surprised expressions on their faces.

"This is the first new-style imperial examination. Whether it is Confucianism or practical learning, as long as you can show your ability, the imperial court will hire you! If you can win the exam, you can also honor your ancestors. You must not give up now!" The examiner said.

"Thank you, my lord!" The candidates all showed gratitude on their faces, and saluted one after another.

Someone outside brought over lunch. This is the meal provided by the imperial court to the candidates. It is very simple, but the candidates are not in the mood to care about this now. They are reading some practical books at noon.

In the afternoon, the practical exam began.

Among the practical studies, arithmetic actually accounted for half of it. In addition to mathematics, agriculture also accounts for a quarter. Both arithmetic and agronomy are very simple. At the end of agronomy, there is a question asking candidates what suggestions they have for agricultural planting. In addition, engineering and business studies accounted for a quarter, and the last subject of engineering and business studies was business tax issues. How much tax would be paid for transporting a truckload of goods from Jiangnan to Yanjing City, what precautions should be taken, and so on.

At the end of the exam, some candidates had smiles on their faces, while others sighed constantly.

In any case, the first imperial examination in the Xuanwu period of the Great Song Dynasty finally officially ended! There are still many problems in the imperial examination this time. The form and content of the imperial examination are very rough, but it still has epoch-making significance. From now on, the Han civilization of the Song Dynasty will gradually change the style of study dominated by Confucianism and empty talk, and the status of practical learning will become more and more important.