Chapter 942
: Quota of Imperial College
Chapter 942: Quota of Imperial College
Beijing,
Inside the palace,
The Imperial Study Room in the Hall of Mental Cultivation,
A simple-looking bronze incense burner with lifelike auspicious beast patterns carved on the body, which seems to be galloping and wandering in the clouds and mist, was moved under the east window at some point.
In the furnace,
The top-grade Western Region golden incense was burning slowly, and green smoke was curling up from the hollow part of the stove cover, as light and graceful as silk, entwining and interweaving with each other, rising slowly and gradually filling the entire imperial study.
The green smoke was floating in the air, like a dancing veil or a shroud of mist, adding a touch of tension to the silence of the imperial study.
Emperor Wu sat behind the imperial desk, squinting his eyes, as if he was taking a nap. After a while, there was some noise in the room. Dai Quan turned his head and looked up at the door curtain of the imperial study. He saw Xiao Yunzi holding a secret letter in his hand and hurriedly walked into the hall. After kneeling down, he held his hands on his head.
"Your Majesty, the movement of Marquis Luo Yun's army heading south, as well as the 20,000 troops of Prince Beijing, have passed through the Nanshan Mountains and are heading straight for Xihe County. Qi Yun, the governor of Ping'an Prefecture in the north, has led his troops into the canal under the escort of the Caoyun Guards' tower ship. Prince Dongping is expected to arrive at Suzhou Jiangnan Camp in two days."
He took a breath, raised his head slightly, glanced at his godfather, winked at himself, and said;
"Ru'nan City has been captured by the White Lotus Sect. At present, Governor Wei has led the remaining troops to withdraw to Shizhou, Xihe County, and reorganized the army to continue to hold the city. However, according to the secret guards, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, Bai Shuiyue, has confirmed that he has sent out invitations to all sects in Xihe County, calling on them to come to Ru'nan City to join in the cause, and has also sent a large army to prepare to march north to Shizhou."
Xiao Yunzi spoke fearfully and tremblingly, and finally sent over the intelligence he had received from various places in recent days. He didn't know whether all the members of the Jingnan Imperial City Bureau were killed or surrendered to the enemy. There has been no news since then, so he could only draw troops from the capital again and send them south with the army. His godfather was furious at home and sent more people to investigate.
The imperial study was still quiet. Emperor Wu's eyes narrowed slightly but never opened. Dai Quan was still waiting beside him with his head bowed.
Xiao Yunzi knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head, only her hands were raised high.
"Well, it's good that everyone is moving. I thought those bandits had already reached the capital."
Dai Quan was so frightened by these words that he turned pale and fell to his knees.
"Your Majesty, the thieves are now trapped in a jar. Once the imperial army is deployed, they will be captured in one fell swoop."
"Haha, they are all caught in one fell swoop. I remember that ten years ago, in this study, there were court officials shouting that the White Lotus Sect had been completely eliminated. Now, ten years later, there is not only the White Lotus Sect, but also the Taiping Sect. If we wait another ten years, will there be a Black Lotus Sect or something? Oh, right, what did you just say? Those evil women of the White Lotus Sect are going to send out invitations to heroes, inviting all the major sects in the martial arts world to join in the cause. What cause is that? They are talking about so solemnly discussing how to overthrow the court. Is that true or not?"
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong opened his eyes, flashing a dangerous light. The Imperial City Division was responsible for the affairs of the martial arts world. Since the establishment of the Great Wu court, when the emperor was retired, he had made three rules with the famous and upright sects in the martial arts world.
unfortunately,
The White Lotus Sect broke this balance. Now the White Lotus Sect not only deceived the people, but also started to stir up chaos in the martial arts world. The civil unrest was just to suppress the people, but those martial arts people, relying on their martial arts training, never took the imperial court seriously.
The knights use force to break the law, and we must not open this loophole.
"Your Majesty, the leader of the White Lotus Sect is just daydreaming. Now that Luo Yunhou's army has been on the march for three days, as long as they reach the south of the capital and eliminate the main force of the Taiping Sect, the White Lotus Sect's so-called participation in justice is nothing but a foolish dream.
In addition, most of the people in the martial arts sects are selfish and self-interested. There is no benefit. How could those ungrateful people fall into the trap? This old slave has already made arrangements and sent secret letters to all the sects. If anyone dares to follow the thieves, they will be killed without mercy! "
Dai Quan was really angry this time. He could not kill all the evil cult members, but if the small sects dared to join the evil cult and cause chaos, he would have to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.
"Okay, well said. I won't read the letter. I will report three times a day. Also, any news about Marquis Luo Yun must be delivered to me at any time. The court needs a big victory to boost morale...!"
As if he had let out a sigh of relief, Emperor Wu felt much better. He sat up, picked up the tea bowl on the corner of the imperial desk, and took a sip.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Marquis has secret guards watching over there. I think we will be able to see Daliang City from afar tomorrow. As long as the imperial army arrives, we will definitely be able to lift the siege of Daliang City."
When the Daliang City was mentioned, the room fell silent for a moment. It was really a waste of time. In Daliang City, all the officers were still surrounded in the city. Especially Wang Ziteng's safety was related to many things in the court. During the court meeting today, many old dukes asked about this matter. Even the civil officials wanted to save the lives of the officials in the city.
"Well, if they defend Daliang City, life or death depends on their luck. I think Marquis Luo Yun will have a way to get out of the siege. In addition, prepare to pass on the decree. I think the 60th birthday of the emperor is a national event. The princes in Guannei are all relatives of the royal family. They should participate in the event and enjoy the grace of heaven. Today, the gracious decree orders the princes in Guannei to gather in the palace to celebrate the birthday of the emperor. There must be no mistakes. I want to see who is behind it."
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong felt helpless in his heart. Military affairs were inherently dangerous, and it was helpless to pin his hopes on Marquis Luo Yun. In addition, he knew the plans of Prince Beijing Shui Rong and Prince Dongping Mu Shi, and did not want to let them go. Unfortunately, the princes inside the pass could not sit still. He did not expect that in the end, the world would be turned upside down. With a slight smile on his lips, since they all wanted to come, then come. He would know whether they were human or ghost at a glance.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will pass on the order. These days, several princes have been indulging in debauchery in the capital, lingering in brothels and wine alleys, and have not been to the academy or the Shilin poetry gathering. However, many of their entourage and staff have disappeared. They must have made some moves in secret. The secret guards of the Imperial City Department reported that they had visited the residences of many court officials."
Dai Quan bowed and accepted the order, and then he elaborated on what the Emperor Wu had told him last time. Of course, the actions of the princes were innate, and they were also confusing and deliberate, so there was no need to worry.
The wise men in the palace should not be idle. They are nowhere to be seen, but they are found to be negotiating in the mansions of the court officials in the capital. Their purpose is self-evident. Your Majesty is doing the opposite and disrupting their deployment.
"Well, you old fellow, you are right. In this case, my brothers are probably waiting anxiously in their fiefdoms. They all say that the princes' palaces have a lot of silver, and it would be a waste of their kindness if we don't take it. Instead of giving it to others, it is better to use it for military expenses. The imperial edict is not in a hurry to be issued. You can think of a way to meet them and take as much as you can."
Emperor Wu didn't know whether he had calmed down or was doing it on purpose. Since he had decided to let the princes return to the capital, it would not be excessive to collect some interest first.
Dai Quan looked delighted. A few days ago, Wang Xiu from the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a message saying that several aides from the royal palace had contacted him and told him about some filial piety of the princes in the royal palace. He thought that he could take advantage of this.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your order."
As soon as the words fell,
Dai Quan walked to Xiao Yunzi, took the secret letter, and gently placed it on a corner of the imperial desk. Then, he secretly winked at his godson, whose hands were already trembling. When Xiao Yunzi saw it, he quickly kowtowed and left the imperial study. The room fell into silence again.
Beijing,
It was still as noisy as before. The situation of civil unrest in the south of the capital was more of a topic of conversation among the common people and scholars. Young men and women from various mansions gathered together to talk with each other, as if they were giving instructions on how to deal with the country. There were also scholars who were preparing for the imperial examinations, so they simply rented a house together and discussed the classics with each other, hoping to shine in the imperial examinations before the autumn.
In the Imperial College, the Master and the Priest had accepted many students and studied every day. Jia Lan was one of them. Coincidentally, the Priest of the Imperial College was the descendant of a saint. He was now the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, Kong Jingyuan, the head of the Kong family, and had a very high prestige among the scholars.
When selecting officials that day, he saw Jia Lan from Rongguo Mansion on the supplementary list. He was curious at first, but he also saw that he was not even twenty years old and was a scholar. This attracted the attention of Kong Jijiu. When he saw him, he found that he was not only handsome but also gentle, so he arranged him to be an official in the library. After observing him for many days, he found that he had a calm personality, which was very rare. He was a good fortune for Rongguo Mansion. As for why he was appointed as an official in the provincial examination, he did not want to ask.
Therefore,
When classes resumed at the Imperial College today, there were too many students on the waiting list, so the Imperial College's Deans had to recruit more students. As for which students to recruit, they still had to consider carefully. After all, the love of a teacher is greater than heaven.
"Sir, here is the list of candidates from the Hanlin Academy who are eligible to be recruited as teachers. I have compiled it into a book and sent it to you."
inside the house,
While Kong Jingyuan was in a daze, Guo Wen, the academician of the Imperial College, had already walked into the hall from the outer room and presented the memorial with both hands.
"You are really attentive. You have drawn up a list for me so quickly." Kong Jingyuan smiled and looked at the students he taught. Although they were a little pedantic, they were decent people. They took their old friendship into consideration and helped him manage the Imperial College for many years. He was very pleasing to him.
"Teacher, I am sorry for the trouble. There are many things that I have mastered, so how dare I forget them? However, I have one more thing I want to tell you."
After hesitating for a moment, Guo Wen felt a little embarrassed. He didn't know whether it was because of the encouragement of this year's special examination, where those who passed the examination were given official titles, or because of other reasons. The military honors of various noble families in the capital began to ask people to find connections, and even the head of his own clan began to ask people to intercede, hoping to fill the quota of students in the Imperial Academy, and preferably to change the status of a student. Unfortunately, the teacher looked down on these people and did not make any concessions. Admission based on merit was a rule that had been set long ago.
Kong Jingyuan picked up the memorial and looked at the list. The professors and teaching assistants were all old people. The dean and professor were also transferred from the Hanlin Academy. The remaining storehouse officials were also unchanged.
"Well, it's well written, not only the handwriting is good, but also the person is good. Let's stop the list for now and tell me, what do you want to ask?"
"Teacher, since you have recruited so many teachers, I wonder if the number of students will increase. To be honest, after the provincial examination, countless people came to ask for a place. Even those who have won military honors came to ask for a place. As the school is about to start, I dare not go back home."
This was also a helpless move. Everyone knew that Guo Wen, the academician of the Imperial College, was a student of Kong Jijiu. If they wanted a quota, who else could they ask except him?
"Ahahaha, you are really a worm in my stomach. There are 30 students in the Imperial College and 80 students in other schools. It is already a lot. It can be said that they have all been informed. I am not ignorant of the ways of the world, but as long as this door is opened, how will the Imperial College deal with itself in the future?"
Sighing, it is said that being an official is difficult, and being an official in the Imperial College is even more difficult. Who doesn't have young people in the family, who doesn't have relatives and friends?
"Teacher, I am ashamed and shouldn't have spoken like that."
Academician Guo Wen, with a face full of shame, clasped his fists and bowed, as if he had said something he shouldn't have said.
"You are wrong. You are right. It was like this before, but it is different now. In the past, there were few candidates for the imperial examinations, so there were not enough officials in the court. Now, there are already so many candidates for the six ministries. Therefore, the Imperial College should change. I have never said that it will remain unchanged."
Kong Jingyuan laughed heartily, indescribably carefree. He put down the memorial in his hand and stroked his already graying beard again. Perhaps, it was time for a change.
"Teacher, do you mean to expand the enrollment of students and supervisors?"
Guo Wen raised his head suddenly, overjoyed. This way, some of the younger people in the clan would have a chance. While he was talking, he found that the teacher smiled and shook his head.
"That's right and wrong. The students who supervise the school and all the students have already been recorded in the register. They were originally not allowed to be moved. Those students were selected through layers of selection and admitted on the basis of merit. If they were allowed to join in halfway and cause trouble, it would be bad."
Kong Jingyuan smiled and recalled the time when he summoned Jia Lan. He inadvertently asked this boy about this matter. He did not expect that he would have such a quick wit. He did not know who taught him to say this. His mother was a young lady from the Li family.
"Teacher, do you mean to recruit new students?"
Guo Wen didn't understand what this meant. Since they couldn't be put together, did they still have to select again?
"You are such a blockhead. If those people you mentioned could pass the exam, why would I have to ask you for mercy? I also listened to the advice of Nkojalan, who was newly admitted this year, and opened another dormitory. All those who come here will study in the west dormitory. As for where they come from, I will just write them down as supplementary students."
Pause, think of a word, can not be too bad rules, since you can go to the Imperial College to study, if you study well, you can also be admitted to the East House,
"Thank you, Master. However, please let me know how to admit the supplementary students and how many students to enroll."
Guo Wen knew that the teacher's words would lay the groundwork. The Imperial College was shared by all the teachers, but the number of seats in the West Building was limited, only 80, so how to admit the reserve students for these 80 seats became the top priority.
"Then listen carefully. There are eighty seats in the West House. Forty of them will cost at least five thousand taels of silver each. The remaining forty will only cost one thousand taels of silver, but they need to be recommended by officials of the Imperial College. Coincidentally, including those who came this year, there are exactly forty officials. I will be impartial and give each person a seat. Is that okay?"
This is also the reference of Kong Jingyuan for the annual student recruitment of Qinglian Academy. Those with excellent grades do not need to spend one or two taels of silver to enter the academy, while those with poor grades need to spend one thousand taels of silver to enter the academy. Perhaps, the Imperial College can learn from it. Besides, everyone has one quota, so I think no one will say anything.
"Thank you for your kindness, teacher. This way, the Imperial College can gain both fame and benefits. Teacher, I will take my leave now. I will sort out this matter and post it immediately."
Guo Wen thought of the advice given by the eldest son of the main family, Guo Ziyi. This quota was a great help.
"Okay, go ahead and do it, but don't make a fuss about it."
After giving some instructions, he sent the man away. The capital was in turmoil, so it was better to be more stable. He looked at the list of officials in his hand and thought of Jia Lan in the south house. He hesitated and shouted outside;
"Someone, go and get Kushejalan here,"
"Yes, sir."
inside the house,
The waiter yawned, responded, and turned to leave. After the waiter left, Kong Jingyuan murmured, "This is the descendant of Jia Jing, he is really a gem. The Jia family in the capital, the royal family, has gone too far with this step."
After a while,
The door curtains fluttered,
A thin figure, wearing a loose official robe, walked in, bowed with both hands, and performed a great ceremony.
"Student Jia Lan greets the Lord of the Imperial Court."
With a crisp voice, clear pronunciation and a handsome face, Kong Jingyuan nodded with satisfaction. Confucianism can be learned by everyone in the world, but he judges people by their appearance. All of his disciples have good looks, and it is not an exaggeration to call them his students. The way of the sage still belongs to their Kong family.
"Well, do you know why I came to you today?"
Jia Lan was a little nervous, and bowed again and replied,
"I am a new student and have not yet officially moved in. I wonder why you are looking for me, sir?"
"Haha, you are quite honest. I have adopted the suggestions you made before. The Imperial College is expanding its enrollment, so it is considered as a supplementary enrollment. All registered officials of the Imperial College can recommend one person, but the accommodation fee is one thousand taels of silver. You can also have it."
Intentionally or unintentionally, although Kong Jingyuan spoke casually, his eyes were always fixed on Jia Lan. Jia Lan frowned slightly, a little puzzled as to why the Imperial College would break the rules. When hesitant, he still asked;
"Sir, I think this is inappropriate. Although I don't know why you suddenly want to recruit additional students, this will break the rules of the Imperial College. If it gets out, there will be a lot of gossip for the quota, and it will be difficult for you, sir."
Jia Lan replied sincerely, with some worry on his face, thinking of how his mother always worried about how he would continue his studies, and how she begged for mercy everywhere and even asked the second master for help. Later, because of the money issue, he couldn't even enter the academy, let alone the Imperial College. But Kong Jingyuan nodded with satisfaction at this look. After testing him just now, he found that this boy was really loyal and kind-hearted, which was rare.
"Jia Lan, are you willing to take me as your master?"
(End of this chapter)