Tibet

As December has just entered, a heavy snowfall has fallen, and the entire Guanzhong Plain is covered with snow and silver.

The charcoal fire was raging in the imperial study room of Huaqing Palace, and suddenly a string of sparks burst out, making a crackling sound, making the room extremely warm.

Li Ye was reading a memorial written by Wei Yingwu, the governor of Suzhou. Wei Jiansu pointed out that the proportion of Jiangnan scholars in the imperial examination for three consecutive years was too low. This year, all Jiangnan scholars in the Jinshi examination were wiped out.

Wei Yingwu believed that the imperial examination questions were unfair to the scholars from Jiangnan.

Wei Yingwu refers to the last resort thesis.

"Your Majesty, I am in a corner of Jiangnan, and I know very little about the world's major events. I only know a few words about it by chance, and I don't know much about it. However, the countermeasures require extremely high requirements and are extremely realistic. For example, Liaodong Anxi, Longyou Nanzhao, etc., need astronomy and geography. Everyone knows that there are many family treasures in history, and the ministers have also studied the masterpieces of Jinshi High School. They are more sophisticated than prime ministers and have far-reaching vision. For decades, officials have felt inferior to them. This is really what they think about, and it is the legacy of their fathers and elders. teach?

Most of the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River are still young. How to let them understand the important affairs of the country? How to make each of them become prime ministers, care about the country and the people, have far-reaching insights, and consider the layout of the Tang Dynasty for a hundred years?

Your Majesty, it’s difficult!

In addition, the imperial court and other places advocated traveling thousands of miles and reading thousands of books. Has the imperial court ever considered the financial support of poor scholars?

His Majesty often said that children from poor families should strive for self-improvement, but when did the imperial court consider children from poor families when designing systems?

I'm talking nonsense. I really think too much about what I saw and heard. I don't feel happy about it. I hope your majesty will atone for it! "

Wei Yingwu's memorial deeply touched Li Ye, and he had to start to reflect. In fact, Wei Yingwu was not the first to bring it up. His father Li Dai also criticized him back then for arbitrarily reforming the imperial examinations, which would cause endless harm.

Since the reform of the imperial examination in Helong began, the shortcomings of the imperial examination reform have become more and more obvious in the past two years. Kaiyuan Tianbao still has many children from poor families who have passed the Jinshi examination, but since the reform of the imperial examination, there have been fewer and fewer. In the past two years, basically there is none left.

Originally, it only tested the contents of books, which was fair to both the children of poor families and the rich and powerful. Now that the strategy questions have been aggravated, it is unfair not only to the children of poor families, but also to the children of rich families. It is only beneficial to the children of eunuchs from aristocratic families.

This was a huge cognitive mistake made by Li Ye. He took it for granted that all scholars in the world should know about national affairs. In fact, in the Tang Dynasty where information was limited, only those closest to power could understand a little bit. Most people know nothing about national affairs, not even local officials.

There is also the rise of study tours, which was originally encouraged by Li Ye, asking students to go out for a walk, see the world, and not be nerds, but he ignored the burden of study tour expenses. No matter how much the government subsidizes food and accommodation, it will not go without spending money. , the most basic travel and boat expenses are quite a lot. A month's trip will cost at least three or four thousand dollars. This is a heavy burden for poor families, but it cannot be completely borne by the local government, which is unrealistic.

Therefore, many reforms seem fair, but in fact they contain huge unfairness. Many decisions that were taken for granted in the past have hidden huge hidden dangers in the future, and the negative consequences are beginning to appear.

At this time, the palace maid reported at the door, "Your Majesty, Xiangguo Wei and Xiangguo Zhang are here!"

The two people arrived just in time, and Li Ye quickly said: "Please come in quickly!"

Soon, Wei Jiansu and Zhang Li walked in together and bowed together, "See your majesty!"

Li Ye apologized: "It's such a cold day, why did you ask the two of you to come to Huaqing Palace?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it doesn't matter if you come by chance!"

Generally, Li Ye and the important officials of the imperial court exchanged letters, but for the two of them to come here in person, it must be something important.

Li Ye asked the two of them to sit down, and then asked the palace maid to serve hot tea. The two drank the hot tea and felt much better.

Wei Jiansu said: "The two of us are here this time for the abolition of slavery."

Li Ye nodded and asked officials at all levels to complete the abolition of slavery before the end of the year. It can be said that this is a dead order without any ambiguity. Li Ye also knows that officials are duplicitous and touching their vital interests is harder than touching their souls.

But there were some things he had to do. In fact, emperors of all dynasties demanded the abolition of slavery, but basically all failed. The Song Dynasty did the best, but once it experienced the rule of backward nomadic peoples, the slavery system returned. began to flood.

"Do you two want to beg for mercy and extend the time for another six months?"

"Your Majesty, the response from the government and the public is indeed quite strong. After all, slaves are property. If they are abolished, they will be abolished. There is no way to compensate for the losses. Wei Chen suggested that we should provide a little compensation. Everyone is also motivated to do it. In addition, there is indeed a bit of time pressure at the end of the year. , especially His Majesty’s implicating measures, have made officials generally dissatisfied.”

Li Ye nodded, "The implication is indeed inappropriate and can be cancelled. I also know that the time at the end of the year is very tight, but even if it comes to June next year, everyone will still not take any action, and they are shouting that time is tight, and the deadline will be delayed forever. If If you don’t punish a group of officials, you will never be able to deter them. As for compensation, now that compensation has been given, what about the officials who were honest and abolitionist in the past?

I have banned the slave trade since the year before last. The slaves in their hands have worked for them for at least two years. The cost of buying slaves has long been earned back. Although the government's finances are abundant, they cannot be squandered at will. I will not give them a penny. money compensation. "

Zhang Li had no choice but to say: "Many officials responded that although the servants are slaves, they have been with them for many years and they love their families."

"Wait a minute!"

Li Ye interrupted Zhang Li's words with a wave of his hand and said dissatisfied: "Xiangguo Zhang, the people who said these things are simply shameless people. What does it mean to have sympathy for family members? Will these officials sell their families as slaves? They are enjoying themselves Serving as a slave, you still care about your family, and you are a bitch while building a memorial arch. If anyone dares to say that, I will kill them first. "

Wei Jiansu and Zhang Li did not dare to say anything. Li Ye also felt that his tone was too harsh, so he softened his tone and said: "I abolished slavery and did not ask them to drive the slaves out of the house, but also to change the free occupation to employment. Paying wages allows slaves to start a family and raise offspring.”

After a pause, Li Ye continued: "The emperors of all dynasties have been calling for the abolition of slavery. Like me, they all see the same problem, the population problem. The Tang Dynasty has experienced civil strife. There was originally a shortage of men, and now there are a large number of them. Are there really no more foreign women and men? Not entirely. A large number of young and strong Han men have become slaves. If these young and strong Han men are released, there will be at least one or two million more people. If they can marry wives and have children, As time went by, the population of the Tang Dynasty gradually increased.

Why should I strictly prohibit officials from keeping slaves? Because if the officials themselves have no slaves, they will not allow slaves among the people. This is human nature. If those in power cannot get it, ordinary people can't get it.

The two prime ministers need to go back and spread more propaganda. There will be a large-scale inspection led by the internal guards early next year. I don't want any official to be found to be keeping slaves. "

Wei Jiansu and Zhang Li were both a little ashamed, and nodded together: "Wei Chen understands that Wei Chen will immediately go back to arrange for the political hall to discuss His Majesty's request for the abolition of slavery, and then publicize it."

Li Ye smiled and said, "I was about to send someone to invite you over, and you came. It's a coincidence."

"Is there anything important, Your Majesty?"

Li Ye nodded, "Regarding the imperial examination, I think some reforms are necessary. The main issue is the third major question of the Jinshi examination. Countermeasures. I am too biased towards practical issues. This is unfair to many scholars. There is not a single Jiangnan scholar this year." There are serious problems in passing the Jinshi exam. Let’s discuss it in the political affairs hall! How to change the third question must be pragmatic but not divorced from the book.”