Chapter 676
Indeed, he has no sign of a wise ruler.
Chapter 676 Indeed, he has no sign of a wise ruler.
However, this prince was clearly not one to recognize talent in the smallest details or to be eager to seek out capable people. He completely failed to grasp how thought-provoking and relevant this question was.
Scholars throughout the land have long suffered from this.
If one can solve this problem, one can easily win the hearts of scholars throughout the land.
He was only busy chatting and laughing with the Marquis of Dingbei, what a waste of his intelligent and handsome face.
The leader of Black Wind Stronghold couldn't help but shake his head silently.
Throughout history, there have been many talented horses, but few discerning judges of horses.
Since the Prince of Qi is not an option, there is no need to show mercy to the Marquis of Dingbei, who has close ties with the former Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince of Qi.
He didn't listen carefully to Mr. Songshan's strategy; he simply raised his hand slightly and gestured behind him.
The person behind him had a slight tremor in their pupils, and then retreated.
At this moment, Mr. Songshan began to meticulously explain what a scholar could do and say in the county, prefecture, and academy.
“A careful reading of the imperial treaty will reveal that prohibitions include: cursing officials, which violates the prohibition; and calmly kneeling before officials, without being aggressive or provocative, which does not violate the prohibition.”
Those who incited gatherings were prohibited from doing so; those who gathered and dispersed according to government orders and did not privately agree to cause trouble were generally not prohibited from doing so.
"Things involving national interests or those used for private gain are prohibited, such as discussions about schools and events concerning oneself, relatives, friends, teachers, etc., but are not prohibited..."
The scholars nodded in agreement.
He then gave further examples to illustrate how a scholar should speak in his village, township, county, prefecture, and county government in order to attract the attention of the relevant officials.
"...As a scholar, although one cannot directly submit memorials to the government or the imperial court, one can submit a joint petition with other scholars or gentry to county or state officials to explain the advantages and disadvantages of local affairs. This is what the imperial court has given to scholars."
In addition, scholars could participate in the village drinking ceremony and comment on the local worthies, which was related to whether the worthies could be admitted to the village worthies' shrine.
Not to mention the village rules, the selection of guests, the recommendation of local worthies and virtuous widows, and the compilation of local chronicles—these were all tasks for scholars. Do you still think scholars cannot speak out?
The scholars all said, "So that's how it is. We were just being narrow-minded."
Mr. Songshan nodded: "I have heard that the scholars in Wu are fond of speaking out for the people. When they see that the government is corrupt and lawless, they will jointly advocate for them, and the government will usually take their advice. Isn't this a good method?"
The scholars looked around and asked, "Are there any scholars from the Wu region here?"
After a long while, someone finally responded in a low voice from the crowd: "Yes, my classmates are always ready to stand up for the underdog, but I have never done so. In addition, there are some old scholars who have repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. They frequent government offices and take on lawsuits; they've almost become litigators."
The scholars were speechless.
Clearly, there were such scholars in various places who frequented government offices, monopolized lawsuits for profit, sometimes taking bribes from both the plaintiff and the defendant, and even colluding with government officials.
But isn't this also saying that a scholar can only speak eloquently?
King Qi suddenly spoke up: "I have heard that a scholar in Fujian posted a petition on the governor's mansion at night to plead for the local censor. Later, the governor accepted the case and exonerated the censor. Not to mention that some people have also written songs and essays to satirize officials."
People always say that scholars cannot speak, but if they want to speak, where can't they speak?
They always complain about the lack of channels for expression, but what they really want is a channel that directly reaches the ears of the emperor and allows them to showcase their talents.
However, since the founding of this dynasty, there have probably been tens of thousands of scholars who passed the imperial examinations. If each of them were to submit a memorial to the court, I wonder if the cabinet could even read them all.
Which scholar doesn't think he's talented and virtuous?
It is said that scholars can know the affairs of the world without leaving their homes. If they could directly submit memorials to the imperial court, who knows how many lengthy policies for governing the country they would issue throughout the year? It would be too numerous to count.
The Black Wind Stronghold leader's face turned somewhat ugly. To him, these words were a mockery of his desire for fame.
Indeed, he lacked the qualities of a wise ruler.
At this moment, Lord Gu laughed and said, "The scholar from the northern frontier has been of great help to me. The northern frontier is not as densely populated as the capital and other places. The Yelü people are skilled in cavalry warfare and they love to raid and plunder on the border."
Fortunately, the scholars organized local militia, who initially resisted the enemy and lit beacon fires to send timely messages. When I returned to the capital in triumph, I even commended these scholars. There are truly many things that scholars can do.”
The students looked surprised and asked, "Are the scholars from the northern frontier really that capable?"
Lord Gu laughed and said, "Everyone has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation, let alone scholars who have read the classics. None of you have lived on the border. If you had grown up there, you would naturally do the same."
The scholars wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.
If they had grown up on the border, they certainly wouldn't have remained indifferent to foreign invasions; they would have undoubtedly helped Marquis Dingbei defeat the enemy.
The Black Wind Stronghold leader's face grew even uglier.
The scholar from the northern frontier helped defeat the enemy, but he became a rebel.
However, he is no ordinary traitor!
He acted on behalf of Heaven, opposing only treacherous officials and corrupt bureaucrats, not the imperial court.
Since these people had lofty ambitions but no way to serve their country, they had no choice but to try to be recruited into the court.
At this moment, Mr. Songshan stretched his neck and sighed, "Emperor Taizu actually felt that scholars should focus on their studies, hone their political skills, and then serve the court. After all, allowing scholars to speak rashly could easily foster arrogance and lead to them being unable to submit to the control of local education officials."
Furthermore, above the Xiucai (秀才) level are the Juren (举人), and above the Juren are the Jinshi (进士). The Xiucai's knowledge and understanding are relatively shallow; if they were to speak rashly, not only would it be of no benefit to the country, but it would also disrupt the court.
The leader of Black Wind Stronghold thought to himself, "It's because many people in the court think like this that people like me have no way to serve the country."
That's incredibly pedantic.
His face immediately showed a disdainful expression.
Seeing the scholars deep in thought, Mr. Songshan continued, "Actually, Emperor Taizu also issued a decree that if any scholar is learned and talented, deeply understands governance, is proficient in any classic, and is willing to serve in office at the age of thirty, he may expound on the Way of the King, discuss governance, and write essays. He shall report to the instructor of his school, examine his works, and if they are indeed insightful in understanding human nature and principles, he shall sign his name and submit them to the chief official. Then, he shall personally go to the capital to report to the emperor, conduct another interview, and if the scholar is truly talented and learned, he shall be employed without waiting for the selection process."
In other words, if a scholar over thirty years old truly possessed talent, his application would be assessed by the instructors at his school and submitted through various levels to the capital for further interviews. If he was genuinely talented, he wouldn't need to take the provincial examination again; he would be directly employed, transforming from a commoner into a subject, and would then be able to submit memorials to the emperor.
The scholars wore wry smiles.
Honestly, this is even harder than passing the imperial examination.
The leader of Black Wind Stronghold was about to argue when King Qi suddenly said, "I have a plan that can resolve your predicament."
Everyone pricked up their ears to listen.
King Qi said, “Since Mr. Songshan said that everyone can submit a joint petition, why don’t you all jointly submit a petition on this matter? In addition to what Mr. Songshan said before, you can list some points. If they are indeed suitable, the court will adopt them.”
Lin Ziqi's heart stirred upon hearing this.