The Head of the Ming Dynasty Spared His Life

His teacher, Shen Lian, listened down there with a sinking face, showing no emotion.

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Chapter 316 Reaching major academies 【5】

The same scene is also happening in Hangzhou's Chongwen Academy, Zi~yang Academy, Gujing Jingshe and other large academies.

Yan Song's publication of "The Rise of the West" not only attracted ordinary citizens and wealthy businessmen, but even those college students who "keep their ears off the outside world and only read the books of sages" temporarily abandoned the Four Books, Five Classics, and Imperial Examinations. I was deeply involved in [Rise of the West].

This is not entirely because of the good motives of the academy students to care about the affairs of the world.

Anything that can set off an upsurge must have interests behind it.

And why did Yan Song's "The Rise of the West", which has nothing to do with the imperial examination, become popular in Shilin Academy and among scholars?

There is no other reason, because the author of the book "The Rise of the West" is Yan Song, the first product of the dynasty, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and a hot and powerful minister!

On the title page of "The Rise of the West", this powerful minister was very shameless and blatantly wrote a sentence: "Whoa, I am looking for stereotyped scholars. When the rising tide is surging, how can we not use foreign things for China, the past for the present, Chinese learning for the body, and Western learning for use? For a person who is inherently educated, if he does not understand Western learning and current events, what is the use of the way of a sage?"

This guy has such a polite word, but it actually has one meaning.

Mr. Ge, I will highlight the key points for you!This [Rise of the West] is the focus of the exam!

I am the chief assistant of the cabinet. The next time I will take the exam, the examiner is mine. The first big question is going to be on [The Rise of the West]. If you have the ability, don’t read it!Don't cry in the exam room!

Yan Song is really not trying to scare these scholars.

He is the chief assistant of the cabinet, has the right to recommend the chief examiner of the North-South Examination, and has a great say in the examination questions.As long as Yan Song gives a hint, the next time the examiner chooses the topic of the Four Books, Five Classics and Stereotyped Essay, he will definitely come up with a topic related to "The Rise of the West", embarrassing those candidates who dare not read the supplementary materials for the first supplementary exam.

What?You said that in the Four Books and Five Classics, where does it match up with "The Rise of the West"?

You underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.

The Four Books and Five Classics, those who exclude those who are excluded, as well as the words of Confucius pretending to be a saint, can have a total of more than 5 sentences, and can also come up with inhumane intercepted questions, permutations and combinations, endless changes. Can't get out?

Yan Song had already thought of an idea. For example, in the "New Learning Pseudo-Classic Test" and "Confucius Restructuring Test" written by Kang Youwei, the bannerman of the Restoration Movement in the late Qing Dynasty, he could make things difficult for these students with just two random questions!

That's why there are so many students and scholars who came all the way to buy [Rise of the West] in spite of the scolding by their teachers of Taoism. Otherwise, do you think it is so easy to sell?

In fact, Yan Song didn't have much dislike for the imperial examination.The imperial examination system itself is correct. Isn’t there a college entrance examination system in modern times?Isn't there a college entrance examination in the United States?The problem is that the content of the imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties became increasingly decadent, and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism bound people's hearts and limited the answers.

In other words, the imperial examination is a knife, and the key depends on how the person who holds the knife thinks about the problem.

Now, he has mastered the imperial examination system proficiently to promote his ideas. Once [The Rise of the West] is combined with the imperial examination and fame, the thousand-year-old imperial examination system will burst out with incomparably powerful and fresh vitality!

Yan Song knows very well that if he wants to influence Daming's internal and external decisions, it is far from enough to impress businessmen and civilians with profit lures!

The most powerful class in Ming Dynasty is the scholars!

The class division in Ming Dynasty was scholars, peasants, businessmen, and scholars. Scholars were the head of the four peoples and the ruling force of the country. They controlled the country's decision-making, discourse power and public opinion guidance.

Any national policy, without the support of the scholar class, will be nothing but empty talk.

Therefore, on the one hand, Yan Song is writing "The Rise of the West", and on the other hand, he is holding high the imperial examination stick, like the baton of the college entrance examination for later generations, mobilizing the enthusiasm of scholars to participate in "The Rise of the West".

Of course, for those scholars and officials who have already passed the imperial examinations and held state power, he has other tricks.

……

Wansong Academy.

Shen Lian, who was dressed in a Confucian green shirt, had a dignified appearance and a stern face, after listening to Wang Xijue's recitation, he pressed his hand lightly.

Wang Xijue sat down.

Shen Lian said indifferently: "This [Rise of the West] is the third volume of Sea Power Theory. I have already led you to read the first two volumes. Tell me, what do you think?"

A scholar stood up and said loudly: "What is the point of Yan Song's treacherous officials to disrupt the country, deceive the people with evil words, and bring disaster to the country and the people?"

Many people nodded their heads.

This is the scholar of Daming.

In their view, character and reputation are all criteria for evaluating a person.With a good reputation, everything is right, even if it is wrong, it is right.For example, Zou Yinglong and Wang Bensheng have a bad reputation, and everything they do is wrong, even if it is right, it is wrong.

Unfortunately, the counterexample is Yan Song.

Yan Song's reputation among Qingliu scholars is far more stinking than among the folks.Everyone understands the reasons for this.

Shen Lian's eyes fell on Wang Xijue.

Wang Xijue is not only his proud apprentice, but also a future star that he values ​​very much.

This person has a speculative spirit that is rare in others, and he always has to think about why in everything.

Hearing the master calling him, Wang Xijue stood up and said loudly: ". Although the students have some complaints about Yan Song's behavior, and some (Zhao? Zhao) practices are not used to it. But after reading three books [On Sea Power] 】Afterwards, the students thought that if talking about Daming, the person who knew the most about the outside world was Yan Song.”

A few classmates dismissed it, and more people nodded thoughtfully.

Wang Xijue said with emotion: "Leave aside human beings, let's talk about the facts. Yan Song's "The Rise of the West" tells the story of the West colonizing the world led by Liang Ya, which is enough to arouse our vigilance and attention."

He gritted his teeth and said, "Even the students thought that our Ming Dynasty should learn from the two teeth and promote colonization!"

"Nonsense!" A sharp voice shouted from behind.

A man with a five-strand beard, a dignified appearance, and a sixth-rank imperial court official's service came out.

He was Zhang Juzheng who had just been released from the Imperial Academy this year and served as a student in Zhejiang!

. .