At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 643 650 Er Chen Ji's Ambition

On September [-]th of the sixth year of Xingping, the Talent Discussion Ceremony was officially held in Yecheng.

The number of scholars from all over the world who came to participate in the Talent Discussion Ceremony exceeded 370. According to specific statistics, it was [-] people.

More than 90.00% of them are from the north, and only a very small number are from the south.

Guo Peng knew that more than half of the talents lost in the north since the Yellow Turban Rebellion had returned in one breath at this time, and he also sucked a little blood from Jingxiang scholars along the way.

And in this most of the time, a considerable part of them are poor scholars who have lost their original families and relationships, as well as land and resources, and have to rely on this talent discussion ceremony to fight for their backgrounds.

If this cannot be done, they can only follow the old path of promoting filial piety or being requisitioned.

But that's very difficult. If there is no way out, you can refer to the old story that Guo Peng had to take the risk of marrying in exchange for his birth in order to win his birth.

The Talent Discussion Ceremony does not count the number of people, as long as they are excellent, they can be selected and become officials of Wei Gong.

Scholars monopolized positions, relying on nothing more than their original status and relationship network.

Whose relatives are in your family, who is an official in your family recommends my children, and I am an official, I will recommend for your children, by the way, a marriage or something.

Over time, the scholar families monopolized each other's official positions from the central to the local, formed a very strong network of relationships, and controlled local and even central politics.

But when the war broke out, everyone went their separate ways, or lost their lives, or were displaced and lived in other places. Without the original network of relationships, and the new network of relationships does not take you to play, it will naturally decline.

If it wasn’t for this talent-discussion ceremony for Zhuge Liang, a down-and-out gentry who has left his hometown and lost his home, and on the premise that Guo Peng would not take the initiative to promote him, if he wanted to join the ruling group, even if Zhuge Jin was an official in Guo Peng’s shogunate , is also very difficult.

As for the Talent Ceremony, it is an opportunity for these dilapidated gentry who have lost their relationship network.

It was also Guo Peng's own attempt.

On September [-]th, the Talent Discussion Ceremony was officially held at the large square outside the Duke Wei's Mansion in Yecheng.

On the square, cushions and tables were placed for the scholars to use. The names of the scholars were written on the tables, and there were enough bamboo slips and ink for them to answer policy questions.

In front of each scholar is a roll of bamboo slips, which are test questions for policy theory.

After reading their own test questions, scholars can answer on the bamboo slips, and then put them on the seat together with the bamboo slips and test questions, and they can leave.

Having said that, the amount of bamboo slips needed to take the exam of more than 1000 people is too large. Guo Peng felt a little distressed and decided that the next talent discussion ceremony will be held after proclaiming the emperor, and that the quality of the paper is almost mature. Get rid of it.

Compared with bamboo slips, paper is still much more economical, and the lack of writing carriers is also a practical economic factor that cannot be promoted by the extensive examination system.

Papermaking and printing are really important. The series of reform measures he will promote in the future will almost all be based on paper and printing. In this period when only bamboo slips and silk cloth can be used, Guo Peng has a lot of things he wants to do Can't do it.

But once the mature papermaking and printing techniques are made public and can officially enter the stage of history, then many things will undergo qualitative changes and will change in a practical sense.

And it's definitely not the transformation Guo Peng's enemies want to see.

This change is so huge, so huge that only the emperor can bear it, and others can't bear it if they want to bear it.

Guo Peng is ready.

This time, Guo Peng prepared a lot of policy questions.

From the general strategic direction, and the detailed practical issues, from the basic Confucian classics, to some common-sense issues in law and mathematics.

The questions are relatively comprehensive, and the strategy of ABC papers is adopted. The questionnaires used by adjacent people are absolutely inconsistent. The tiger guards are proctoring the exam, and [-] tiger guard cavalry walk around the field, and they will never give it to anyone. Opportunity to cheat.

Want to mix into Duke Wei's mansion?

There are no doors.

Guo Peng didn't come to supervise himself, he had too many things to do, so he arranged for Chen Jilai to be the chief examiner.

Chen Jiduan sat at the head, condescendingly observing the scholars who filled a large square with their heads buried in their pens.

That scene, to be honest, was very novel and felt very different, and it was the first time Chen Ji had such a feeling.

He felt that there was no need to promote Xiaolian, but using such a centralized method to select outstanding scholars from all over the country to enter Wei Gongfu at one time, this is simply a way to catch all the talents in the world, and it is really very creative.

Moreover, Guo Peng also used a method called fuzzy names.

That is to say, when the examiner examines the examination papers, he does not know which scholar wrote the answer papers he is reviewing.

This is more interesting and ensures fairness to the greatest extent.

The reviewers are not a single group of people, there are local officials, Shangshutai officials, staff desk officials, and old gentlemen in the academy, a total of eight people.

Everyone cross-reviews, each answer sheet has to be read by someone and draw circles, dots and triangles. The circles that are most recognized, the dots that are still good, the triangles that are not good, and more than four circles can be sent to Guo Peng for re-examination. , by Guo Peng to decide whether to admit or not.

Purely from the perspective of selecting talents, it is undoubtedly meaningful.

If Chen Qun hadn't entered Weigong Mansion and became Guo Peng's official, Chen Ji even wanted Chen Qun to take the exam and compete with scholars from all over the world. How much does a famous family like Shi's have?

However, Chen Ji also heard that in addition to scholars from all over the world, there were also some scholars from poor families who participated in the Talent Discussion Ceremony.

Chen Ji was a little surprised that they graduated from their own families or from the academy in Yecheng, took the exams, and competed with the scholars on the same stage to compete for positions in Duke Wei's mansion.

However, considering Guo Peng's background is not high, although he is also a scholar, when he started his career, his team was composed of powerful people from a poor family. The first counselor who followed him and the current Shangshu Ling Cheng Yu was also from a poor family, so Chen Ji didn't think it was strange.

Guo Peng probably didn't have a good impression of scholars, so he wanted to promote talents from poor families.

But on this point, Chen Ji is confident.

The poor students, no matter in quantity or quality, cannot be compared with the scholars of the noble family. Even if they participate in the competition, it is impossible to win the scholars, at most, they occupy some humble seats.

But as far as the internal issues of scholars are concerned, Guo Peng's method of obfuscating his name is obviously a decision not to deliberately promote scholars from a certain area. Whether it is Qingzhou, Yanzhou or Yuzhou, Jizhou, it is not within his scope of care.

Chen Ji sincerely hoped that Guo Peng could promote more scholars from Yingchuan to increase the strength of Yingchuan people.

In this era of general trend, it is not a good thing that the number of Wei officials in Yingchuan around Guo Peng is seriously insufficient.

In particular, a large number of Yingchuan scholars were led astray by Xun Yu, rejected as Han officials, and had no future.

But judging from the current situation, Yanzhou scholars and Jizhou scholars still occupy a very important position. Afterwards, Xuzhou scholars entered in large numbers, and it feels like they are coming from behind.

Chen Ji guessed what Guo Peng wanted to do, so he was more eager to join some Yingchuan scholars in Guo Peng's shogunate when the status of Yingchuan scholars was generally not high. Fortunately, there will be major changes in the near future During this period, Yingchuan native scholars won the opportunity to become a dragon.

Only in that way can we really stand firm.

Chapter 644 Three Zhuge Liang decided to be a down-to-earth Zhuge Liang

Now the scholars from Yingchuan are all relying on Xun You and Chen Ji to support the situation.

This situation made Chen Ji extremely worried.

Although the children of the Guo family came from Yingchuan, but the Guo family belonged to the relatives, and they were also a grammatical gentry. They did not have a harmonious relationship with the Confucian gentry, so they could not be counted as the strength of the Yingchuan gentry.

Not to mention that there is another Xun Yu who has been challenging Guo Peng's endurance limit. It is normal for Guo Peng not to like Yingchuan people.

Chen Ji really hoped that this time the scholars from Yingchuan could win the battle, and that a lot of talents would emerge, so that Guo Peng had to pay attention to Yingchuan people.

The place where the context of the world is located!

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the regional group with the most prosperous talents!

Yingchuan must not just decline like this!

Looking at the way the scholars were writing vigorously, Chen Ji's heart was full of anticipation. He didn't know that many scholars were full of doubts now.

"Now there are pheasants and rabbits in the same cage. There are 35 heads on the top and 94 feet on the bottom. How many are the pheasants and rabbits?" 』

???

Many scholars were dumbfounded when they saw this question. Originally, they had written well on the scriptures and righteousness, but they looked at the next question with confidence, and finally saw this.

This……

What is the problem?

The scholars, Monk Zhang Er, couldn't figure it out, and then looked down at the next question, and the result was even more confused.

"Today there are objects whose numbers are unknown. When counting three or three, there are two left, when counting five or five, three are left, and when counting seven or seven, there are two left. How many objects are there?" 』

? ? ? ?

The scholars' heads were full of question marks, and they didn't know how to answer this question at all.

This is not over yet, there is one more, and another similar question.

"Today there is a wall ten feet thick, two rats cross each other, the rat is one foot a day, the mouse is also one foot, the rat is doubled every day, and the mouse is half a day, and when will we meet again?"How much do you wear? 』

? ? ? ? ?

Even more confused.

Many people started scratching their heads and thinking about the answer to the question, some put down the pen and started counting with their fingers, some nervous even wanted to take off their shoes and count with their toes.

When Xu Shu saw this question, he knew that he had made a lot of money.

Then he couldn't help but glanced in the direction where Zhuge Liang was.

Meng Jian and Shi Tao also made the same move.

This is completely the original question, the original question about chickens and rabbits in the same cage. At that time, they discussed how to answer this question after seeing it. Looking at it now, even the numbers have not changed.

But for guys who have never been exposed to "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic", this question is not easy to answer.

Zhuge Liang, this guy is really smart.

Xu Shu couldn't help but praise Zhuge Liang's intelligence from the bottom of his heart, as if he knew something from the beginning.

When Zhuge Liang saw these questions himself, he just smiled a little, because he knew that it was very meaningful to collect information about a person in advance and conduct a targeted analysis on that person.

For a big man like Guo Peng, what he has done can often be easily found out, and many things can be discovered from it.

For example, Guo Peng likes mathematics, for example, Guo Peng is good at commanding troops in battle, for example, Guo Peng can also govern the local area, and is also good at Confucian classics and legal provisions. He is a very comprehensive ruler with strong abilities.

Since it is a talent discussion ceremony led by Guo Peng, it will certainly not stop at Confucian classics. The things learned in the school, the classics and meanings that everyone is good at, may not be the mainstream.

Zhuge Liang guessed it right. Guo Peng likes people who know how to deal with the world, not old scholars. He has a lot of old scholars here, a complete team of old scholars.

What Guo Peng needs are practical talents who have common sense and treat all kinds of knowledge equally.

Of course, these questions are very elementary, and Guo Peng obviously doesn't think that he can directly select talents who can be high-ranking officials and generals from among these scholars.

Such talents are pried from other places or captured, and it is not the turn of this group of scholars who have not even been officials.

Try to be as close to the reality as possible, and say less false words, their status is not in their turn to say those false words.

Therefore, there is another important point in this policy test, which is the focus of answering questions. Guo Peng depends on whether these people answer more specific practical questions or answer more about fake and empty strategies. The former can be included in Wei Wei. The government, the latter, went to play.

Don't you know who you are?

It's your turn to make irresponsible remarks and finger-pointing on major national affairs?

I have never been an official, and I have never tried to govern the people. I ask you about the development strategy of a state, and you really dare to say it?

You have never led a single soldier, and you have never entered a barracks. I ask you how to deal with a powerful foreign enemy. Do you really dare to say?

It is the foundation. From the foundation, one can see a person's attitude. With the attitude, one can hone it and eventually grow into an excellent official or military officer.

If you don't even have an attitude, you can only achieve nothing.

The reason why the Eastern Han government was inefficient and corrupt was because there were too many people who liked to pretend to be empty.

Zhuge Liang grasped a little sign from the emergence of this problem, and made some bold guesses, so he did not hesitate to catch the basic problem and write.

Answered all kinds of basic questions that I knew and could answer.

Such as farming time, such as taxation, such as land harvest, such as water conservancy, such as the amount of conscription, such as basic arithmetic problems, and Confucian classics.

As for the large and complex strategic issues, Zhuge Liang wrote briefly, and then said that he had little knowledge, was ignorant, and did not dare to speculate on national affairs.

Zhuge Liang decided to be a down-to-earth Zhuge Liang, not Zhuge Liang who blows cowhide to the sky.

And there are not many people who have such a clear understanding of themselves as Zhuge Liang.

There are not a few people who dare to point fingers at national affairs because of their youth and arrogance.

Some even criticized Guo Peng's farming policy, saying that it was not conducive to the people's recuperation.

A test lasted almost a whole morning, and then the examinees handed in their papers and left one after another.

The soldiers of the Tiger Guards took out the seals and sealed the names and places of origin of the examinees in the examination trays containing the bamboo slips, and then sent these examination papers to the marking room.

The marking time is one month, and the eight marking officers have to hand over the list of qualified candidates and test papers to Guo Peng within a month, and Guo Peng will lead his core confidants to review in person.

Only then will the excellent newcomers who can enter Wei Gong's mansion be selected.