Infrastructure masters in the red building

Xia Shengshen himself came from a family, and was a first-class talent when he was young. Although he was later overshadowed by Xiang Fengyi, as the prince and Taifu, he taught several princes, and led the Ministry of Rites, presided over many years of scientific research. No one in the court dared to question his profound knowledge.

But this person has never been out of Beijing for a long time, so he never knows the situation in various places.Therefore, the blank roll in front of him opened his eyes.

The old lady stared down with a bearded beard, turned over a stack of test papers, and then asked Yuan Hua in astonishment: "Master Yuan—"

Yuan Huachong said to the old matriarch, "Master Xia, I'm an official here. I know about these situations, but I never knew it was so serious...The lower officials and the Taifu are equally surprised at this moment."

When he said this, Xia Sheng immediately felt better physically and mentally, but after thinking about it again, he felt that he couldn't feel better at all.He never thought that the country only recruits more than [-] scholars every year and sends them to various places, and they are all local officials like Yuan Hua.

But further down, there are still such a group of illiterate people who work in the county government office and enforce the law?

So, is it even more so for those common people? Is it more difficult to advocate the promotion of sage education at the local level?

Xia Xingshen was a little distracted at the moment - he didn't seem to be able to deny what Yuan Hua said before: If he could recognize these commonly used characters, it would be at least a little easier to understand the principles of those saints.

The two were standing in the hall discussing, when suddenly a person came from outside the county government office, and greeted Yuan Hua loudly: "Master Yuan, long time no see, I miss you student!"

Yuan Hua spit out immediately: "When we meet, we will live and die like this!"

This young man was naturally the living treasure of the Wuyuan county government in the past, and he knew everyone from Gui Xia to the Gui Shu Office.Now when he saw Yuan Hua, he asked him with a playful smile to introduce Xia Shengshen.As soon as he heard about the other party's background, Gui Xiaxue immediately stood up in awe and saluted the boss, but continued to smile and stood up, asking Xia Shengshen if he was in good health.

"Master Jia is concerned about Master Xia's health, and he entrusted the students to take care of him." Gui Xiaxue sighed, "It can be regarded as seeing him."

Xia Shengshen listened to the greeting delivered by Jia Fang's entrusted person at this time, and he couldn't help feeling a little bit lost and confused, thinking that this young man was really amazing, he had taken good care of him before, but he was getting better, and the other party turned away Avoiding, it seems that I don't need my own thanks at all.

But thinking about his identity as a prince, why does he need the gratitude of a courtier himself.This is really... alas!

"Also, Mr. Yuan, have you really given the diploma exam to everyone in the county government?" Gui Xiaxue clapped his hands happily, "You asked Mr. Jia for the test questions last time, Mr. Jia guessed it."

Yuan Hua: ...

This is true, nothing can escape Jia Fang's eyes.

"However, Lord Jia asked me to ask you, those who handed in blank papers," Gui Xiaxue pointed at the blank paper with fingerprints on the top of the test paper, "Are you planning to dismiss you?"

Yuan Hua is actually hesitating about this matter.He is willing to get rid of all those illiterate guys, but the problem is that these officials and yamen servants are all locals who have settled here for generations and have intricate clan relationships. Even the magistrate of the county is unwilling to offend.

Furthermore, if the trade is fired rashly, who will do so many things.

However, after passing the exams, if these guys who handed in blank papers are not fired, where will he put his face as a county official?

So Yuan Hua said "Yes", but he didn't have much confidence, his voice was dry, and even Xia Sheng, who was beside him, frowned.

"What Mr. Jia means is that you might as well set a time limit, for example, within two months, if you pass the 'diploma' exam, you can stay in the job." Gui Xiaxue smiled slyly, and said the method proposed by Jia Fang.

When Yuan Hua heard this, he suddenly slapped his legs and said, "This method is good."

From his point of view, after all, using these officials and yamen servants is a practice that the county has always followed. He has only taken the test once and fired those illiterate yamen servants. Well, the county magistrate used to employ people like this, and never said anything.

But if there is a deadline, and there is no benefit by then, then he can naturally let him deal with it.

Gui Xiaxue seemed to know that his boss would like this idea, so he smiled and said, "Let me just say, the county school will become lively in the future. You can definitely set up a pre-examination cram school or something, and then accept it." For a small fee, maybe after this time, the row of old houses in the county school can be repaired."

When Gui Xiaxue said this, Yuan Hua remembered that Jia Fang had asked him about the Wuyuan County School—maybe Jia Fang had expected that he would take the exam for his own county officials and "clean out" those who failed up.

Unexpectedly, Gui Xiaxue continued, "I know what your lord is still worrying about."

Yuan Hua: Here we go again!

"If these people still fail to pass the exam after two months, the adults might as well order them to recommend someone of the same family and surname who can pass the diploma exam, and they can also be entered in the Yamen." Gui Xiaxue suggested.

Yuan Hua froze on the spot, and then said "oh" for a long time - he didn't realize it at first: he thought that Jia Fang wanted to rely on his nepotism to get a position in the county yamen, and squeezed in through the clan power behind him to get a position The subordinate officials used this excuse to drive them all out, but Jia Fang still allowed those clans to exchange a pawn and send people back to the county government, provided that they were talented pawns.

Yuan Hua was stunned for a while before he finally figured out what Jia Fang meant: be lenient, so as not to cause a large-scale backlash from the big clan families in the county.Those old people who had been doing errands in the county for a long time were suddenly replaced by novices who had never been in contact with county affairs. The time for the handover was enough for him, the county official, to take over and control the county affairs in an all-round way.

Unexpectedly, Gui Xiaxue's suggestion was not over yet, the guy smiled and said, "Your Excellency said, after two months, he can also lend you the arithmetic paper for the diploma exam."

Two months later, Chinese and mathematics will be tested together.

Those who really wanted to make a living from the county government had to sharpen their heads and study hard.It was possible to get the same diploma as Taoyuanzhai two months later.

And those who only rely on the family's shelter to make a living in the yamen, and are even stuffed in for the benefit of the family, have no hope of passing the next exam.

After Yuan Hua wanted to understand everything, he glanced at Gui Xiaxue again, as if asking: Have you finished?

Gui Xiaxue smiled and said: "One last thing, if there is a vacancy at that time, you can choose someone from the county people to take the exam again, and the one who passes the admission will become a county official. Once there is a vacancy for the county official, the county lord All you have to do is run cram schools and take diploma exams.”

At this point, Gui Xiaxue conveyed Jia Fang's full meaning to Yuan Hua—he wanted Yuan Hua to create a new atmosphere in Wuyuan County. The opportunity is to change the blood of the county government on a small scale, clear out a batch of unqualified ones, and weaken the influence of local clans on the administration of county government officials.

After Gui Xiaxue finished speaking, he suddenly turned to Xia Xingshen, bowed solemnly to the old man, and said, "Master Xia, Mr. Jia still has something to tell the students to Mr. Xia. He said that learning is a lifelong process. Saint The truth is not something you can learn all at once and forget about it.”

"However, only by mastering the thousand commonly used characters can one master the tool of writing, through which people can continue to learn by themselves."

These words were so thought-provoking that both Xia Shengshen and Yuan Hua listened for a moment.

"Master Jia also said that since Cangjie created characters, God has given this tool to mankind. If not everyone can master it, it is unfair."

"There are also knowledge such as counting. If you can't learn the results that the predecessors have researched, the next generation will not be able to stand on the shoulders of the predecessors and continue to climb."

"That's why he's pushing — compulsory education."

Gui Xiaxue's "one sentence" has been said for so long, but after throwing out the concept of "compulsory education", he stopped explaining, bid farewell to the two, and then turned and walked out.

Both Xia Shengshen and Yuan Hua were stunned and stayed where they were. One of the two led the Ministry of Rites and had been engaged in education for many years, while the other was in the officialdom and transferred from one county government to another. The disadvantages of the two can't say very clearly, but they have heard of it.

For the two of them, the most inspiring thing was naturally the sentence that Cangjie invented characters as a gift from heaven, if not everyone can use them, it would be unfair.

But the current situation is not only unfair?Reading and literacy is a power possessed by a very small number of talents. They monopolize this power in their hands to ensure that the resulting benefits can be passed down steadily from generation to generation.Whether it is Xia Xingshen or Yuan Hua, they are all beneficiaries of this kind of inheritance—it's just that Xia Xingshen was born with this kind of power, and Yuan Hua is because of his great mother, who learned about this power. After the truth of the truth, at the price of a lifetime of hard work, the power exchanged for his son.

Now it seems that this kind of injustice and imbalance has reached a surprising level in Wuyuan County, a southern village far away from the capital.Among the county officials and government servants who handle county affairs in the county government, there are still a few who are completely illiterate.

From Xia Xingshen's point of view, how does he expect the sage's enlightenment to stop these petty officials from fish and meat? From Yuan Hua's point of view, how does he know that these people are not living in his yamen out of thin air? Do nothing?

At this moment in Xia Sheng's body, the second question of Fang Jue's Emperor's Palace Examination was very to the point.Originally, he had always thought that the imperial examination system had been developed for thousands of years, and there was nothing worth changing, but he never thought that what he saw in this small county town far from the Emperor Tiangao could subvert his previous cognition.

Yuan Hua also knew in his heart that after he took this step in Wuyuan County, it was equivalent to immediately tying himself to Jia Fang's carriage.Once he annoys the gentry in the county, he will have no way out. He must hug Jia Fang's legs and use Jia Fang's strength to gain a firm foothold in Wuyuan County and cultivate his own power.

Gui Xia had been walking for a long time before Xia Shengshen and Yuan Hua looked at each other, and they both began to smile wryly at the same time.Yuan Hua said: "Why is Mr. Jia so young, but has such vision and courage?"

Xia Shengshen also sighed quietly: "This is, talented people come out from generation to generation..."

As soon as he said this, he suddenly remembered Xiang Fengyi, and then remembered the rumors in Beijing that Jia Fang was actually Xiang Fengyi's grandson, and his complexion suddenly changed.

After the old man thought of this incident, he immediately remembered that what Jia Fang had promoted might also be part of Xiang Fengyi's theory, and he was immediately depressed, so he bowed his hand to the county magistrate indiscriminately, and hurriedly returned to him with his head down. Went to the Confucian Temple.

The Liu family, the largest clan in Wuyuan County, heard what happened in the county yamen today, and immediately summoned the clan elders at home to discuss matters.

At the beginning of the discussion, Liu Minghua, the secretary of the county yamen, introduced to everyone the whole process of all the county officials and yamen servants taking the "diploma" examination today, as well as the future plans of the county lord.

"The few sons and clerks in the clan should all be able to get this 'diploma'. After all, it's just a test of common characters. But the government officials probably won't be able to pass." Liu Minghua summarized the situation of the clan's children.

The yamen servants of the county yamen were originally "servants", but the government sent ordinary people to serve as servitors to complete all the daily chores in the county yamen, such as grooms, gatekeepers, umbrella handlers, blowers and so on.However, in Wuyuan County, those who were able to earn money were gradually controlled by the rich clans, and the positions of these government servants were gradually fixed.

The patriarch Liu Shihan frowned and said, "What's the point? When will the yamen servants be able to read?"

"I'm afraid it's because Xuezheng is new to this county. I heard that Xuezheng is a very well-known official." Liu Shizhao, the elder of the clan who is the same generation as Liu Shihan, said casually.

If Mr. Xia Shengshen heard that the village "attributed" Jia Fang's influence to himself, he would probably be annoyed.

"The county also said that after two months of tutoring, if you pass the test again, you will still be working as before. But after two months, not only will you have to take the test for literacy, but you will also be tested for numeracy."

The elders of the Liu family were all dumbfounded: It's fine if the yamen servants can read and write, but why do they need to be able to count?

"If our people still fail the exam in two months, there is still a last way, that is, we can recommend people with the same surname in the clan to take the exam. If they pass the exam, they can fill the original position. , but leave it to outsiders.”

Hearing this, several clan elders Qi Qi let out a sigh of relief and said, "That's good."

Liu Shihan also said: "Send the word, let them weigh their own weight. Those who pass the exam will try their best to pass this exam. Those who feel that there is no hope at all, let them say it as soon as possible. Hurry up and recommend those smart young people to the top."

Liu Minghua frowned, and said to the clan elders in front of him: "Those in the clan who can read and write have studied for several years. Don't all the clan uncles plan to arrange for scientific examinations? Apart from these, there are only a few side branches left. , or have little contact with the clan.”

Every rich family has some poor relatives who are not very friendly, but it is not necessarily that there are no smart and literate among the poor relatives.

Liu Shihan thought for a while, and could only say: "Talk about it nicely, it's best if you can understand. After all, you can't write two characters Liu in one stroke."

"Also, the county has said that there will be a cram school to help prepare for Nao Shizi's 'diploma' exam. It's just that Shuxiu is more expensive, and two taels of money per person is not covered."

Several clan elders heard that the "tutoring" in less than two months would cost two taels of silver and two thousand cash, and they all loudly accused the county officials of stealing money.

But the problem is that the Liu family has to obediently send the money and people to the cram school.

The county magistrate has left them a way out, if they don't obediently follow, then they really don't know what's good and what's wrong.

"In any case, let the boys who were originally in the county go to learn, even if they don't want to learn, I will push them to learn. In addition, I will prepare a few offspring, and the smarter ones will also be sent to take a diploma. Get out of the exam and be prepared.”

After the Liu family made this decision, Liu Minghua left first to deal with the arrangements of these people.Several clan elders stayed behind.The patriarch Liu Shihan turned his head to look at his younger brother Liu Shilin. The latter is an old Jianghu in the county government. Twenty years ago, he was a fearsome swordsman.

Only then did Liu Shilin speak: "I'm going to receive this year's autumn gift in two months, right?"

Liu Shihan's expression changed when he heard the words: "Could it be that the county lord is suddenly reforming the administration of officials, requiring all the county officials and guards to take the 'diploma' of Lao Shizi, for this year's autumn Fu?"

Autumn Fu is the annual grain tax in Wuyuan County, which is collected in autumn, so it is called "Autumn Fu".The collection of autumn Fu is the top priority in each county, and there are many tricks in it. County officials and government servants played an extremely important role in these tricks.

Liu Shilin nodded and said in a drawn out voice, "It must be so."

The elders of the Liu family were all silent when they heard the words.