581-590

Chapter 581 The fish did not take the bait because the bait was not attractive.

Yuan Xiu announced in the court that the test questions for this spring period would be drawn up by him personally and would be announced on the day of the exam.

The courtiers were shocked.

You know, after the new emperor came to power, there were many things to do to abolish the old and welcome the new.

Just take the court as an example. Many people have been demoted or dismissed, leaving many vacancies that are urgently needed to be filled.

Except for those who have been demoted, no one who can stay in the court wants to be promoted.

When someone gets promoted, a new position becomes available.

Not to mention all the students in the world, even the court officials are also eyeing those vacancies.

We all have sons. If an opportunity comes our way, who wouldn't want our son to take it?

They are above the court, have many things to do, and have more favorable time, place, and people than ordinary people.

Although, the test takers of previous Chunwei exams were temporarily designated and personally escorted to the Gongyuan by the Forbidden Army, and would not be released until after the exam started to ensure that there would be no fraud.

However, there is still room for maneuver here.

For example, some ministers with great powers can bribe the chief minister of the imperial court and deduce from the emperor's daily words who he intends to ask to be the question maker this year.

If the person who asked the question happens to have a good relationship with you, you can bring a heavy gift and go to find out more.

If the person who asked the question leaks the information in advance, the inquiring person can ask his son to prepare in advance.

If his son is not good at learning, he will seek help from the staff in the mansion.

When you get to the examination room, you only need to write down the prepared questions.

This is considered a relatively safe approach.

After all, there are still only a few people who have the courage to change the name of the successful candidate and directly replace it with their own son.

Most officials who want to commit fraud will adopt relatively safe methods.

So this year, the emperor will personally set the questions and announce them on the exam day, which will end their hope of missing the questions in advance.

However, no one was stupid enough to question the emperor's decision.

Doesn't that mean admitting that there is something fishy in one's heart?

All the courtiers who have sons in their families who want to attend this Spring Festival feel miserable.

However, what made them even more distressed was that Yuan Xiu announced new rules for this year.

Not only has a policy been added, but candidates will also be assigned different official positions based on their areas of expertise.

I heard that children who can only endorse things can only serve as less important local officials.

For example, guarding a warehouse.

Hey, they don't train their children to guard warehouses.

Even if they were unwilling to do so, the courtiers knew that they could not compete with the new emperor.

After a few months of serving as emperor, they had already seen that although the new emperor would adopt the opinions of his courtiers, he was not a mediocre person.

He will listen to what is right.

If what he said was wrong, or if the person making the suggestion had some hidden agenda, it would not be hidden from his eyes.

If you don't say anything, at most your child will fail in the imperial examination.

If you raise questions, you might not be able to keep your official position.

The new emperor will not save face for any courtiers with evil intentions.

Therefore, after Yuan Xiu announced the new system of Chunwei, he immediately received praises from the courtiers.

Everyone said that the emperor was wise.

Then, Yuan Xiu asked Quan Gonggong to read out the current job vacancies in the court and local areas.

All the courtiers' eyes lit up when they heard that two fifth-grade officials would be selected from this year's candidates.

The starting point is level 5!

You know, even under the influence of their ancestors, most of the sons of powerful people could only start as minor officials of the seventh or eighth rank when they entered the imperial court.

Those who perform well or have a high-ranking position have to move up one level at a time.

There are so many dandy boys who have reached the seventh or eighth level.

At such a young age, he could be promoted to the fifth level, which would make many people's eyes red.

When they heard that in order to advance directly to the fifth rank, the traditional examination questions and policy analysis scores must be within the top three, the courtiers' hearts dropped again.

There are a few children who are very good at studying and are eager to try for the two fifth-rank official positions.

But when I heard that there was also a policy achievement, I was immediately discouraged.

Who in their teens would have a deep understanding of government affairs?

Let alone children, even courtiers who have been in office for decades will sometimes be at a loss.

After going to court, the ministers had mixed feelings.

Having no means of his own, he can only lament the difficulty of his children's career.

Those with connections have already begun to think about how to obtain the two fifth-grade official positions.

It can only be said that the fish did not take the bait simply because the bait was not attractive enough.

When you throw out a tempting enough bait, you won't have to worry about anyone taking the risk.

The ambitious ministers showed their talents and went to their own business.

Yuan Xiu had some free time, and after finishing the test questions, he placed them in Lin Xuezhu's space.

His wife's space is the safest place in the world.

Before the official start of the Spring Festival, Yuan Xiu heard reports every day about how careful the courtiers were, which was an eye-opener for him.

It can only be said that some people's brains are ordinary when they are doing serious things, but they work really fast when they are thinking about crooked ways.

Yuan Xiu remained calm, listening to the information and continuing to go up and down to deal with government affairs.

At the end of February, candidates arrived in Beijing one after another, and the inns in Beijing were overcrowded.

Yuan Xiu had someone put up a notice at the city gate announcing the new rules for this spring.

The candidates were also shocked, but not as much as the courtiers.

After all, many students from poor families who take part in the imperial examinations do not expect to fly into the sky.

Being a small local official with a stable salary is already a good future for them.

The policy analysis and traditional test questions are scored separately. At worst, they will give up the policy analysis, which will have no impact.

However, the emperor himself set the questions and announced the rules on the day of the exam, which made them feel that Chunwei was more fair.

With the emperor suppressing the formation, who would dare to make a mistake!

In the whole world, there is only the Emperor, and there is no need to favor anyone or seek benefits for anyone.

Because the emperor's son doesn't have to compete with poor students like them for imperial examination rankings.

Just when the Jingzhong Inn was overcrowded, a new examination center opened in the southwest corner of the city.

The rooms in the Examination Yuan are small and the fees are low. There is only one condition for staying, which is not to make loud noises.

Many students from poor families came to Beijing and were short of money. They could only rent woodsheds or stables in inns, and the conditions were very difficult.

Although the rooms in the Examination Yuan are small, the conditions are much better than those in the woodshed or stable.

There are cooks who prepare meals at a fixed time every day, and laundry ladies who come regularly to wash clothes, which can be said to provide the greatest convenience to candidates.

The most valuable thing is that the examination hall is very quiet, and everyone enters and exits very quietly.

Many candidates who have to study before the exam can read without any interruption here.

Therefore, as soon as the Examination Institute opened, students from poor families who received the news started to move in one after another.

After people inquired, they found out that the examination institute was opened by the Northern Chamber of Commerce.

Chapter 582: Grassroots and others want to expose the fraud in the imperial examination.

When the Beijing Chamber of Commerce heard that the Northern Chamber of Commerce opened an examination institute, many people were happy.

Isn't this Examination Yuan a charity hall?

At such a low price, they provide a room, three meals a day, and help with laundry.

The money earned may not even cover the cost.

It's a pity that the Northern Chamber of Commerce has a long-standing reputation, but it can also engage in this kind of loss-making business.

This is so fresh.

Moreover, spring comes only once every three years, so it is impossible for the examination institute to have business all the time.

It is still open in such a remote place in the southwest corner of the city. After the Spring Festival is over, this place will not be able to be used for other businesses.

The Capital Chamber of Commerce gloated and watched the Northern Chamber of Commerce lose money.

However, the Northern Chamber of Commerce took their time and continued to do the business of the Examination Institute, and received praises from many students.

The Capital Chamber of Commerce scoffed.

Lose money and earn money?

Merchants value profits, but they don't do business this way.

Just three days before the start of spring, the current queen visited the Northern Chamber of Commerce.

Not only did he personally inspect many industries under the Chamber of Commerce, he also took care of the lives of students in the examination college.

Only then did people in the capital know that the backer behind the Northern Chamber of Commerce was the Queen.

It is not difficult to explain why the Beijing Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Chamber of Commerce never won in the battle.

So what if the merchants under the Beijing Chamber of Commerce have backers?

The backer of the Northern Chamber of Commerce is the Queen.

In the whole capital, except the emperor, who can compete with the queen?

Even the emperor is on the queen's side.

Ever since, the story that the queen showed sympathy for the poor students and set up an examination institute to facilitate the students' study and life quickly spread in the capital.

The queen represents the emperor, which means that both the emperor and the empress attach great importance to the imperial examination and talents.

This is so flattering.

You know, the most upright people in the world are literati.

Emperors of all dynasties, as long as they did not want to commit suicide, did not pay attention to the words of scholars.

Whenever you do something wrong, you should be prepared to face the verbal attack of the literati.

And once the literati take action, they will surely drive public opinion.

Its power is comparable to modern cyber violence.

Therefore, Lin Xuezhu's move strongly attracted the literati's favor.

Its power is comparable to fans setting the rhythm.

The reputation of the emperor and empress spread far and wide.

Of course, receiving praise is just part of the way.

Lin Xuezhu's main purpose is to help poor students gain fame.

During the years when the deposed emperor was in power, the country suffered a lot of disasters.

It starts from the top and spreads downwards, and the unhealthy wind blows in all directions.

When courtiers are oppressed, they will intensify their efforts to oppress the common people.

On the contrary, all aspects related to interests are in the hands of a few people.

The emperor ate meat, the courtiers drank soup, but the common people couldn't even drink the northwest wind.

People's dissatisfaction boiled, but there was nothing they could do.

The whole country urgently needs to rectify the atmosphere and restore fairness.

Yuan Xiu and Lin Xuezhu wanted to let the literati and scholars all over the world know that in this court, only those who are capable can occupy it.

No matter where you come from, whether you are rich or poor.

If the conditions don't allow it, I'll create conditions for you.

In short, I encourage you to be enterprising and encourage you to try.

On the Spring Festival day, every candidate received a subsidy from the imperial court.

The subsidy is not much, just some dry food to satisfy hunger.

But just like this, it is enough to make many poor students shed tears.

The emperor is thinking of them. Although the food is small, the friendship is great.

Due to the addition of strategy analysis, the time to answer questions has been extended from three days to four days.

The dry food distributed by the imperial court really saved the lives of some poor students.

After the exam ended, the examiners from Gongyuan began to mark the papers.

Half a month later, the results came out.

The top two in terms of comprehensive results were both sons of the current dynasty's Duke.

Yuan Xiu laughed inwardly after seeing the result.

Some people's fox tails are finally exposed.

It seems that compared with the old-school nobles with titles, the first-rank officials in the court are still a little less interesting.

In this battle for Chunwei's ranking, the courtiers lost.

However, if you lose, you won't lose much. If you can't get first or second place, you still have third or fourth place.

After reading the examination results of the examiners, Yuan Xiu ordered the candidates' examination papers to be posted at the city gate.

This move frightened some people.

As the saying goes, wealth can be found in danger.

Since there is no chance to reveal the questions in advance, some daring people can only cheat by cheating.

Now that the test papers are released, they are not waiting to be exposed!

Sure enough, the day after the exam papers were released, someone started beating the drum.

As soon as the drum sounds, those who want to redress their grievances must first be beaten twenty times.

Only those who survive will have the opportunity to file a petition.

If it were not for the great injustice, no one would choose to take this path.

But this time, six people complained.

After a crackling meal, even the execution officer was a little tired.

And each of these weak students lost half of his life.

Even so, they still supported each other and struggled to get up.

At this time, Eunuch Quan appeared together with Lin Chengyao and several imperial doctors from the imperial hospital.

The students' wounds were treated first, and then they were brought into the palace.

Seeing the students' angry expressions, Yuan Xiu's face was dark.

He opened his mouth and asked: "Who is your highness? What grievances are there?"

"Back to the emperor, Jiang Shouyuan, a common man, and the other five are He Wentao, Zhao Jiajing, Li Zhiqi, Xu Xuewen, and Yan Qingsong. The common people want to expose the fraud in the imperial examination and seek justice for themselves." The leading scholar said weakly.

"Oh?" Yuan Xiu paused deliberately and glanced across everyone's faces.

Jiang Shouyuan was beating a drum in his heart, but he still mustered up the courage to say: "When Cao Min and others saw the test papers posted on the notice list, they all found that their own articles had other people's names written on them. However, Cao Min and others failed three times on the list. Nameless."

After hearing this, Yuan Xiu didn't hesitate at all and asked, "Tell me, who's name is written on your test papers?" As he said that

, he unfolded the list of successful candidates on the desk and mentioned it. Royal pen, ready to sketch.

Jiang Shouyuan said: "The test paper for Cao Min is Yang Tianyou, who is ranked first on the list."

He Wentao said: "The test paper of Cao Min is Cheng Wenyong, who is ranked

second on the first list." Zhao Jiajing said: "The test paper of Cao Min is Song Yunqi, who

is ranked seventh on the first list." Li Zhiqi said: "The test paper of Cao Min is Wenyin, who is ranked 12th on the list."

Xu Xuewen He said: "The test paper for Cao Min is Xiao Sheng, who is ranked thirteenth on the first list."

Yan Qingsong said: "The test paper for Cao Min is Jiang Shangyong, who is twenty on the first list."

Yuan Xiu was happy when he heard this.

Even if he co-authored and stole the list, his vision is quite high.

Moreover, the rankings of the thieves were arranged according to the official status of the thieves, and they were discussed and discussed with each other, which was quite harmonious.

If you say that these people did not join forces to commit fraud, you will not believe it!

Yuan Xiu's face darkened and he said, "Come here, please invite Yang Guogong, Cheng Guogong, Song Aiqing, Wen Aiqing, Xiao Aiqing, and Jiang Aiqing to come to the palace to confront you."

"Yes." Eunuch Quan, who was well prepared, immediately took care of the young eunuch under his command. Spread out.

For today, he specially arranged for six extra people to be on duty in advance.

Just waiting for the emperor's order to leave the palace as quickly as possible to find someone.

Chapter 583:

Seeking My father-in-law was very efficient in his work. He brought everyone to the palace in less than half an hour.

These six people vaguely felt that something was wrong when the candidates' test papers were posted on the bulletin board.

Just when they were about to find a way to find out the six candidates who had cheated on them, they didn't expect that these six people were very alert. After realizing that something was wrong, they immediately went to beat the drum.

They knew about the beating of the Denwen drum.

However, at that point, it was no longer beyond their reach.

So, while the six scholars were getting beaten up and going to the palace to complain, they had already sent servants to each other to express their anger.

However, they didn't agree. They discussed it for a long time, but other than denying it to death, they couldn't come up with a solution.

But they also had some confidence in their hearts. Only the six scholars served as witnesses in this matter, and the emperor would definitely not be able to find physical evidence.

The original test papers of the six scholars had already been burned by them.

The people who handled this matter would not dare to admit it.

If everyone refuses to admit it, the matter may be settled.

If they admit it, then the chief and deputy examiners are guilty of a more serious crime than them.

After all, they were just people who paid bribes, and the two old guys from the Hanlin Academy were the ones who really did the work.

As the saying goes, the law does not punish everyone, and the implications of this matter are far-reaching.

They didn't believe that the emperor could kill so many people.

If that were the case, there would be even less people in the court.

After weighing for a long time, the six of them felt confident, but they were still worried.

The new emperor is crazy, and the behavior of a madman is always surprising.

The six people went to the hall together, divided into two rows, and knelt down in front of Yuan Xiu.

After greeting him, Yuan Xiu did not say a word.

None of these six people dared to stand up or even raise their heads.

On the other hand, the six candidates who were beating the drum had all finished drinking the medicine provided by Taiyuan Hospital, and felt warm in their hearts.

Your Majesty, you really care about these poor students.

I don't know if it's a psychological effect, but after taking the medicine, I immediately felt that the injury on my butt was no longer so painful.

Yuan Xiu was silent for a long time, which put enough psychological pressure on everyone, and then he slowly spoke.

"Two princes, four dear princes, there are six candidates here, accusing you of substantiating their examination papers and replacing them with the names of your princes."

"I have been wronged," the six people shouted in unison. That's an injustice.

With a snap, a bamboo tube was thrown down from the high platform, hitting the two princes in the C position.

Yuan Xiu said: "Open it and take a look."

The hands of the two princes were trembling, and they opened the bamboo tube tremblingly and pulled out a paper roll.

Opening it up, it turned out to be six copied test papers.

"This is the test paper for you gentlemen to be on the list. Take it and take a good look at it." Yuan Xiu said coldly.

The two princes and four ministers were puzzled, but since the emperor told them to look at it, they naturally did not dare not to look at it.

So, the four ministers walked on their knees and climbed to the side of the two princes.

The six people formed a semicircle and looked at the six test papers with seriousness.

At this time, Jiang Shouyuan spoke.

Word by word, he recited the top article.

Then, He Wentao, Zhao Jiajing, Li Zhiqi, Xu Xuewen and Yan Qingsong recited their respective test papers like a relay.

Every time they recited a sentence, the cold sweat on the backs of the two princes and four ministers became more intense.

After each of the six people had finished reciting, Yuan Xiu asked, "Dear ladies, are you sure that they recited it correctly?"

"One, every word is correct," Master Wen said.

Yuan Xiu snorted coldly, "Then what else do you have to say?"

Yang Guogong gritted his teeth and said tremblingly: "Since the emperor hung the test papers at the city gate, and those people are students, they can naturally memorize the articles silently, and then come back to the city. He falsely accuses us in court. "

He has two legitimate sons in his family. The elder will naturally succeed in seizing the throne, so he doesn't need to worry about his future.

But what he prefers more is his younger son.

This youngest son is both the legitimate son and the youngest child in the family. He has been smart and caring since he was a child.

Although he intentionally favored his younger son, he couldn't violate etiquette.

I can't give him a title, so I can only find an official position for my younger son.

And his youngest son, although he didn't get the top spot, was still on the list.

His youngest son is not bad, he just wants to give him a better future.

Therefore, he took the risk and tried to gain the top position.

Although he knew that there were many people staring at this position.

But it doesn't matter, his ancestors had life-saving grace for the founding emperor.

This kindness was remembered by the royal family, as well as by the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty.

Their family also produced many capable ministers.

As long as he is willing to rely on his old age, no one will dare to compete with him.

Therefore, he successfully changed to the test paper at the top of the list, asked his youngest son to copy it, and then wrote his name.

Yuan Xiu remained calm and asked: "So, Duke Yang is blaming me for hanging the test papers at the city gate, allowing interested people to take advantage of the loophole?"

"I don't dare." Yang Guogong lowered his head respectfully, with a look on his face. It's all a matter of fact and self-confidence.

Yuan Xiu smiled slightly and said: "Since these candidates can memorize it after reading the test papers, then the young masters from the noble families who wrote those articles themselves must still have an impression."

After a pause, his face There was a hint of narrow-mindedness on his face, and he continued: "I have sent people to pass on my oral instructions, and asked the princes of each government to write down the test papers silently. My dear friends, don't be impatient, we will just wait."

Upon hearing this, All six people's faces changed color.

Although, when they forged the test papers, they also asked their sons to copy those articles.

However, no matter how talented the sons are, they cannot recite those articles just by copying them once.

The emperor's move was so sinister!

Someone came to his senses and thought about the whole thing.

No matter how I feel, they seem to have fallen into some kind of trap.

The emperor seems to have been prepared and waiting for them to make mistakes.

The six of them lowered their heads, but their eyes were communicating with each other.

Yang Guogong shook his head at the other five people in an extremely small manner.

His youngest son's qualifications are not bad, maybe he can memorize it by copying it once.

Until the last moment, they can still bet on the qualifications of each family's children.

What if.

Wealth and honor are sought in danger. As long as they can write down a rough outline, and they can reconcile, this matter may be over.

He doesn't care what other people's situation is, he just wants his little son to get through this safely.

After Yuan Xiu finished speaking, he picked up the memorial and started reviewing it.

He looked unfocused, as if he didn't care about the outcome of this matter at all.

Time passed little by little.

About half an hour later, a guard walked into the hall quickly.

As soon as he arrived, he attracted the attention of the twelve people kneeling in the hall.

The two princes and four ministers were all very nervous and silently prayed in their hearts that what the guard brought back was not their son's answer sheet.

Chapter 584: Take Yang Guogong with you too.

Everyone knows that after answering at this time, 80% of the answers will not be made up.

No matter whose child it is, cheating will basically be punished.

When everyone was nervous but had to lower their heads and could only look up with their eyes, Yuan Xiu took the answer sheet, unfolded it and looked at it.

"That doesn't make sense!" He was so angry that he threw the answer sheet to the ground.

The two princes and four ministers were all anxious and uneasy, and at the same time they had a sense of luck.

Father-in-law Quan quickly picked up the answer sheet and showed it to the six people.

The six people quickly picked it up and read the signatures.

When he saw the character Song, Mr. Song sat down on the ground.

"Song Aiqing, what else can you say?" Yuan Xiu asked coldly.

"Please punish me, Your Majesty." Mr. Song quickly got up and put his head on the ground with a bang.

"Pull it down." Yuan Xiu didn't give any face at all.

Two imperial guards came to the palace and immediately took Master Song away and escorted him to Dali Temple.

This matter still needs to be investigated, and we will leave it to Dali Temple next.

Yuan Xiu seemed to realize that the six candidates were still kneeling.

So he said: "Eunuch Quan, please send those six candidates to the back hall to rest."

This has already shown that the balance in his heart has tilted towards the six candidates.

The remaining two princes and three ministers were even more nervous.

Unlike Master Song's son who gave up readily, the other five sons were obviously struggling very hard.

Yuan Xiu had been approving the papers for half a day when the eunuch outside the palace came to report, "Your Majesty, the Queen is here."

"Please come in," Yuan Xiu said.

Lin Xuezhu carried a snack box and walked in with great demeanor.

When passing by five people, she only glanced at them slightly and said nothing.

Those five people, although they didn't like the queen very much on weekdays, they always felt that one of them, the Lin family, had achieved enlightenment, and had the appearance of a nouveau riche.

But today, they really hoped that the queen could say something.

Even if it could ease the tense atmosphere in the palace.

Lin Xuezhu did speak, but she said it to Father-in-law Quan.

"Has your Majesty passed down the meal today?" she asked.

The whole father-in-law was full of shame and replied: "Back to the Queen, the Emperor is busy with business today and has not bothered to serve the meal."

"If I hadn't come, you wouldn't have reminded the Emperor to have the meal!" Lin Xuezhu feigned anger, and at the same time, he condemned His eyes fell on the five kneeling people.

That look seemed to say: It's useless, it can't help the emperor to worry about it, but it actually makes trouble for the emperor!

Five people: Queen, can you stop adding fuel to the fire?

Lin Xuezhu slowly took out the food she prepared from the food box.

Father-in-law Quan also cooperated in tidying up the things on the desk.

The smell of food came, and the five kneeling people immediately felt hungry.

Not only hungry, but also tired.

I kept kneeling with my head down, my neck was very uncomfortable, and my head was getting more and more confused.

Lin Xuezhu seemed to suddenly remember something, and asked Eunuch Quan, "Have the six candidates eaten?"

"Back to the queen, no." Eunuch Quan replied.

"Let someone bring them some snacks to eat." Lin Xuezhu ordered.

"Yes!" Eunuch Quan waved his hand to the little eunuch behind him.

The little eunuch took the order and immediately went to the imperial kitchen to find something to eat.

Although the six candidates were resting in the back hall, they could hear what happened in front.

Hearing that the queen cared about them so much, they felt warm in their hearts.

These six candidates are all from poor families.

No one knows better than them the hardships along the way.

Otherwise, they would not have been targeted and had their exam papers replaced.

It's not like they are easy to bully.

However, they have been living in the Examination Yuan since they entered Beijing.

All kinds of chores in the examination hall are arranged in an orderly manner, and there is almost no need for them to worry about it.

They were even able to study quietly for a few days before the exam.

All this is because the emperor and empress are caring about them.

They were born in a good era and met those in power who valued imperial examinations and students so much.

What a blessing for them!

If not, they would not dare to beat the drum rashly when they find out that their test papers have been changed by others.

At least, the emperor's previous attitude towards the students made them feel that there was hope for them to be redressed.

Lin Xuezhu watched quietly as Yuan Xiu finished his meal, packed up his food box and walked out of the hall.

From beginning to end, not a single question was asked to the five people kneeling below.

This made the five people feel desperate.

The queen even cared about those six poor scholars, but showed no mercy to them. What does this mean?

Does this mean that these nobles and courtiers are all abandoned sons who can be abandoned at any time to the emperor and empress?

It was getting dark, and candles were already lit in Qinzheng Hall.

Another guard came back with an answer sheet.

This time, the three answer sheets are all about the same time.

The five people kneeling felt a little relieved.

After using it for so long, I must have written something.

Before Yuan Xiu could speak, the last guard who came back took the lead and reported: "Your Majesty, Mr. Xiao's young master wrote a few words and then stopped writing. He still delayed handing in the paper. I had no choice but to forcibly collect it. It's rolled up."

When Mr. Xiao heard this, he almost didn't stick it out.

The only consolation was that his son at least tried hard, unlike Mr. Song's son who gave up so quickly.

Yuan Xiu looked at the other two families again and said, "Xiao, Wen, and Cheng, please pull them all down."

This time, he didn't even bother to say a polite word.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life."

Xiao Wencheng and the others were pulled down reluctantly.

The only ones kneeling in the hall were Yang Guogong and Lord Jiang.

They were quite optimistic at first. The later their son handed in the paper, the more he could write.

But after seeing what Young Master Xiao did, they felt unsure again.

Mr. Jiang even thought: Son, if you can't write it, just hand it in. Anyway, it's like a knife to stretch one's head and shrink one's head. Suffering with such an uncertain future, Dad can hardly stand it anymore.

Perhaps it was the telepathy between father and son, and soon the answer sheet of Mr. Jiang's son was also presented.

This time, Yuan Xiu waved his hand directly after reading it, and Lord Jiang was also taken away.

Yang Guogong gritted his teeth and still refused to plead guilty.

Their family was benevolent to the royal family. Even if his son couldn't write it down, he could still talk about it using the achievements of his ancestors.

Hold on, hold on!

"Your Majesty, I've got Young Master Yang's answer sheet back," the guard reported outside the palace.

After hearing this voice, Yang Guogong stood up regardless of the sound, faced the guard, and snatched the answer sheet from his hand.

Seeing the entire article filled with handwriting, he felt much more at ease.

As expected of his son, he remembered most of it after copying it once.

Yang Guogong straightened his chest, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please give me a clear warning."

Yuan Xiu took the answer sheet with a blank expression, read it from beginning to end, waved his hand and said, "Take Yang Guogong down too."

Chapter 585 The Emperor's Mouth Substitute

"Your Majesty, I am wronged. My son clearly wrote it." Yang Guogong tried his best to defend, "Although it is not the original text, who can remember it word for word?"

Yang Guogong broke away from the shackles of the guards . , kneeling on the ground, looking very wronged.

Yuan Xiu said nothing and asked Quan Gonggong to show the answer sheet to Yang Guogong.

Yang Guogong quickly compared the original test paper with the one written by his son.

The more he looked, the paler his face turned.

At first glance, the two articles seem to be written almost the same.

But if you compare them carefully, the views are actually quite different.

Yuan Xiu said with a hint of ridicule in his calm tone: "It is true that I can't remember every word, but if I can't even remember what my point of view is, isn't it too outrageous?"

Yang Guogong knew that he was doomed, and he had just been lucky. The psychology disappeared in an instant.

He quickly gave in and knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, please consider the merits of my ancestors and bypass me this time. I was just obsessed for a moment, doted on my youngest son too much, and did something stupid. I don't need the title. I just ask for mercy from the emperor."

"The achievements of our ancestors?" Yuan Xiu sneered and asked, "Isn't it a repayment of the royal family's gratitude to Duke Yang? ? How much have you been blessed by having the title of Duke? You have enjoyed so many years of blessings due to the merits of your ancestors. Do you still want to be exempted? "

"I don't dare!" Shivering.

Yuan Xiu said: "If you don't dare, just go and receive the punishment."

After saying that, he waved his hand and asked people to take Yang Guogong down.

The Chunwei fraud case was investigated for only three days. Because the evidence was conclusive and the parties involved confessed well, a document was quickly formed and handed over to Yuan Xiu.

According to the imperial approval of Yuanxiu Zhubi, the two adults who served as the chief and deputy examiners of the Hanlin Academy showed their heads to the public, and their direct blood relatives were not allowed to take the imperial examination or serve as officials within five generations.

In other words, within a hundred years, there will be no hope for these two families.

The two princes, Yang and Cheng, were stripped of their titles and demoted to common people. Anyone who had an official position within three generations of direct blood relatives would be dismissed from their posts and would not be allowed to take the imperial examination for ten years.

The four ministers of Song Dynasty, Wen, Xiao and Jiang, were dismissed from their official positions and sent to serve in the north for three years. This spring, four of them cheated and were not allowed to take the imperial examination for ten years.

The courtiers had objections to this judgment, thinking that the chief and deputy examiners had been bribed to do inappropriate things. Why did they receive a heavier punishment than the six people who bribed them?

Before Yuan Xiu could speak, the censor Zhong Cheng Wen spoke up first, "What's not clear about this? Don't worry about what those six old boys have in mind. In the end, do you need the chief and deputy examiner to do this?" Take action? The Hanlin Academy prides itself on being a scholar, so why would it do such a shameful thing for the sake of financial gain? The emperor's decision is to warn you and me that the emperor will never condone doing evil things for profit. If you have any thoughts that you shouldn't have, you have to weigh them all yourself, and even help others make wedding dresses, without even considering how much life you have!"

During this time, Master Wen opened his mouth in the court as if he was cheating. The road to being a big troll.

If you meet someone who doesn't speak well, you'll yell at them on the spot.

He was not afraid of offending others. Anyway, as long as he sprayed the right words, the emperor would not only not blame him, but also praise him.

He finally figured it out. As a courtier, the more he submits to others, the more others will harm him.

Although the stones in the latrine are unwelcome, no one dares to pick them up.

Besides, the emperor's support for him is his biggest backer.

Look at the emperor's body and bones, he can always be his backer until he retires and returns home.

Then what is he afraid of? Just spray!

Ministers: You understand, you are the roundworm in the Emperor's belly, right? Look at what you can do, you dare to speak for the emperor.

At this time, Yuan Xiu slowly said: "Wen Aiqing is indeed my mouthpiece, and her words are very to the point. I once again warn you, Aiqing, that the matter of talents is related to the foundation of the country. I not only attach great importance to it, but also hope that you will love it." Please don't neglect me. If fraud occurs again, the punishment will be heavier than this time. "

He and his wife learned the word "mouth substitute" newly.

At that time, I felt it was extremely exquisite, concise and powerful.

No, I just had the opportunity to use this word.

Except for Mr. Wen, all the civil and military officials in the court looked defeated.

They are not stupid. If you think about it, you will know what it means.

Well, the old boy named Wen is really shaking this time, and he has become the emperor's spokesman.

Can't afford to offend, can't afford to offend!

The criminals who handled the fraud case soon ushered in the palace examination.

Yuan Xiu also wrote the test questions for the palace examination himself, in order to select the most suitable talents for him.

After the palace examination, the six candidates who submitted the imperial examination all achieved good results.

Among them, Jiang Shouyuan and He Wentao lived up to expectations, winning the first place and second place respectively, and directly became the fifth-grade Beijing officials.

The other four people either stayed in Beijing or went to the local level to take real power, and the results were all ideal.

It is worth mentioning that Xu Xuewen was sent to the north to serve as the prefect of Anbeicheng.

Yuan Xiu had good plans for him.

There are less than two years left in Kong Bo's term, and Yuan Xiu wants to transfer him to Beijing.

The northern border needs a capable person to take over the post of governor.

As long as Xu Xuewen behaves well, after Kong Bo leaves, the position of Northern Governor will be his.

Of course, Yuan Xiu would not give Xu Xuewen a piece of cake.

He just revised a letter and asked Kong Bo to pay close attention to Xu Xuewen and try to train him as his successor as soon as possible.

After the palace examination, the students will go their separate ways.

The six people who filed the complaint even made an appointment for a meal because of this special fate.

At the dinner, they were all confident and talked about their ideals and ambitions.

Speaking of the kindness of the emperor and empress, all six of them burst into tears.

Jiang Shouyuan said: "At least in this day, the students will no longer be unjustly wronged."

Yan Qingsong said: "The emperor is wise and the queen is virtuous. There is hope for this country."

After saying that, the six people turned around in silence and wiped their heads. Remove the tears from the corners of your eyes.

He Wentao said: "It's useless to talk more. I can only serve the country with the rest of my life."

"Yes, serve the country." The six people raised their glasses and drank it down.

After a long silence, Li Zhiqi said: "Brother Yan, this time you are selected into the Hanlin Academy, you may also become an examiner in the future. At that time, you must select outstanding talents for the imperial court!"

"That is natural." Yan Qingsong replied: " Yudi himself has suffered injustice, but fortunately the emperor is wise and avenged the six of us. If there is a chance one day, Yudi will not let the same thing happen again. This can be regarded as sharing the emperor's worries, and it can be regarded as worthy of myself today.

" He was very smart and already understood the emperor's intention in sending him to the Hanlin Academy.

Having had the experience of being framed, he will definitely not tolerate fraud for the rest of his life.

Chapter 586 It is also undesirable to emphasize civil and military affairs over craftsmen

. The first spring period after Yuan Xiu ascended the throne came to an end.

Although the process was a bit tortuous, the final result was satisfactory.

The imperial court selected more than 300 talents and sent them to fill vacancies across the country.

Yuan Xiu also relaxed slightly from his tense state.

He went to Chunhua Palace.

Wen Xiuqing happened to bring Lin Jiayuan to visit Lin Xuezhu, and the mother and daughter were talking.

"Xue Zhu, I heard from your uncle and aunt that your second child is really a girl, but your father was so happy that he sent your mother to the palace to visit you." Wen Xiuqing said with a smile.

Lin Xuezhu also laughed.

The Lin family did not have a patriarchal mentality. She was the only daughter of her father, so he didn't feel that there was anything missing. Instead, he loved her very much.

This is good.

As for her, she doesn't care about men and women, but it would be better if she could have both children.

Wen Xiuqing added: "It's just that the distance between your two babies is a bit close. I heard from the Lu family girl that this baby of yours has suffered more than the last one."

Suffering is a bit painful, but Lin Xuezhu is very good at her own physique. confidence.

Drinking spiritual spring water every day would prevent her from getting pregnant with her second child before she recovered from the first child.

Lin Xuezhu joked: "Both of my babies are very considerate. The eldest saw that it was difficult for me to be alone in Beijing, so he sensibly didn't make any fuss and let me give birth to him smoothly. As for the second eldest child, it's up to me. When life gets better, she wants to liberate my nature and let me experience the difficulty of being an old mother and gain more life experience."

When she said this, Wen Xiuqing and Lin Jiayuan couldn't help but laugh.

"You narrow-minded devil!" Wen Xiuqing scratched her daughter's nose.

When Yuan Xiu entered the door, he saw the scene of a loving mother and a filial daughter.

"Mother-in-law and aunt are here." Yuan Xiu walked in with a smile.

Wen Xiuqing and Lin Jiayuan quickly stood up and saluted.

Yuan Xiu stretched out his hand, gave a weak support, and said: "There are no outsiders here, mother-in-law and aunt do not need to be so polite."

Wen Xiuqing said: "Since the emperor is here, I will go home first."

Yuan Xiu said: "Mother-in-law, there is no need to be anxious. "The imperial kitchen has made the sweet soup that Madam likes to eat today. My mother-in-law and aunt will eat it with Madam."

He said so. Wen Xiuqing didn't want to leave immediately, so she stayed.

Lin Xuezhu looked at the clock and asked, "Why are you here so early, husband? Is there something wrong?"

Yuan Xiu said: "Nothing, I just came to see you. My mother-in-law and aunt happened to be here, so I'm relieved. " "

When Wen Xiuqing heard her daughter calling her uncle, she felt a little confused.

It didn't matter when they were in exile. She and Lin Chengzhang were still called uncles.

But now, my uncle is the emperor, and even if my uncle says you don't have to be polite, she doesn't dare to be disrespectful!

The daughter, however, is still calling her "husband" as before.

But after hearing Yuan Xiu's answer, Wen Xiuqing felt relieved again.

My uncle didn't call himself "I" either, he addressed himself as you and me.

It seemed that neither of the two couples had changed their words, so her worries were unnecessary.

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Luo Hong walking in carrying a tray.

After paying homage to Yuan Xiu, Luo Hong felt a little happy.

She just went to the imperial kitchen to get the sweet soup that the master wanted to drink. She was afraid that it would get cold and that the master would not drink enough, so she asked the imperial kitchen to put the sweet soup in a big jar.

Fortunately, there was a big jar, otherwise the sweet soup would not be enough when the emperor came.

With Luo Hong thinking, she filled four bowls of sweet soup and handed them to four people one by one.

Yuan Xiu quickly finished the sweet soup, then stood up and said, "I still have official business to deal with, so I will go back to Qinzheng Palace. My mother-in-law and aunt will accompany my wife to say a few words."

He originally I have something to discuss with my wife. Now that my mother-in-law is here, I can only put it off for a while.

After all, it took a long time for the mother and daughter to see each other. When he came, the mother-in-law couldn't stay too long, so it was better for him to go.

After returning to the Qinzheng Hall, Yuan Xiu reviewed the memorial for a while and then listened to the announcement from Quan Gonggong, "Your Majesty, the Queen is here."

"In the future, when no outsiders are around, when the Queen is here, just bring her in directly. Don't let her Stand and wait outside." Yuan Xiu said.

Eunuch Quan had a "stunned" look on his face and replied with a smile: "I know."

Lin Xuezhu walked up to the main hall.

Yuan Xiu was a little surprised, "Why are you here, madam? Are your mother-in-law and aunt out of the palace?"

Lin Xuezhu smiled and sat next to Yuan Xiu and said, "Mother saw that you came to my palace after the court, so she knew that something must be wrong with you. She wanted to discuss it with me, but because she was here, she had no chance to speak. After drinking the sweet soup and saying a few words, they left the palace."

Yuan Xiu felt anxious.

Sure enough, it was still the Lin family he liked.

The people in this family have always been so considerate of each other, with bright eyes.

Yuan Xiu said: "I didn't want to trouble Madam about this matter. It's just Madam's hard work. I don't want to neglect it, so I still have to discuss it with Madam."

Lin Xuezhu took a sip of the sherbet sent by Quan's father-in-law and said "If you have anything to say, husband, just say it. I'm just pregnant, not paralyzed."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Yuan Xiu rolled his eyes at her angrily, took out many of the design drawings she had drawn before, and said, " In fact, it was a problem with these design drawings. I asked people from the Ministry of Industry to try to make them, but the progress was slow. These things were beyond the existing regulations. It was very difficult for them to understand them, and they didn't have enough manpower to make them. In the past few months, I have only completed one thing, but it cannot be used. Before I could say anything, the Minister of Industry came to apologize to me. " Lin Xuezhu said, "The Minister of Industry is an honest

person.

She had long wanted to tell Yuan Xiu.

But she didn't want to give Yuan Xiu the feeling that she had to interfere in everything.

Therefore, she was waiting for Yuan Xiu to take the initiative to ask her for help.

She felt that it was time for her to slowly study the way husband and wife get along.

After all, her relationship with Yuan Xiu was originally just that of husband and wife, but now they have an additional layer of empress.

I can no longer be unscrupulous and go my own way.

After a pause, she said: "Husband, many dynasties in history have valued civility over military affairs. Do you think that is right?"

"Of course it is not." Yuan Xiu said, "Although there is no need to fight in peace and prosperity, you can raise troops for a thousand days and use them for a while. Recruiting and training the army must be prepared at critical moments. Otherwise, once a war breaks out, there will be a risk of overthrowing the country."

Lin Xuezhu nodded, "This is the truth, but it is not advisable to emphasize civility and military affairs over craftsmen. It's also not advisable."

Yuan Xiu frowned and listened to her carefully.

Lin Xuezhu said gently: "Craftsmen are the foundation for promoting the productivity of the entire society. Only with good craftsmen can we invent and improve tools and techniques, and improve productivity. When the productivity of society is high, more labor can be liberated, and more labor can be released. The more people invest in other aspects, the better their lives will be."

Chapter 587: It's better to raise a parrot than to raise you

. In fact, Lin Xuezhu and Yuan Xiu were being polite when they said this.

What improves productivity and frees up the workforce.

In this era, productivity is simply insufficient, and the resources produced are simply not enough for everyone.

In some poor families, the whole family only has one pair of pants, and whoever goes out wears it.

Those who don't go out can only stay at home with their buttocks naked.

Poverty is one aspect, but the fundamental reason is insufficient productivity.

When productivity increases, costs can fall, so that even poor people can afford many things.

For example, in the era she lived in, there were thousands of luxury goods and popular brands priced at thirty or fifty yuan.

Books and paper are within the reach of ordinary people.

Therefore, even poorer families can still grit their teeth and provide for their children to study.

This era is different. There are some areas that poor people cannot reach in their lifetime.

It's quite miserable when you think about it.

She wants people living in this country to have more choices in life.

Even if you can't afford to study, learn martial arts, and have no capital to start a business, you can still be a craftsman and earn enough to support your family.

After hearing what Lin Xuezhu said, Yuan Xiu also felt very much in agreement.

He said: "I understand what Madam means. If you want the people to recognize the profession of craftsmen, the court must issue a decree. At the same time, there must be corresponding rewards to encourage them to study and innovate. I am thinking about how to do these two Something."

Lin Xuezhu felt that her husband was increasingly entering the role of emperor.

So he smiled and said, "Actually, there is a faster method."

"What method?" Yuan Xiu's eyes lit up.

Lin Xuezhu said: "Our purpose is nothing more than to have craftsmen from all over the world gather in the capital for our use in a short period of time. Then, we can open a manufacturing office under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry, specifically for Study these drawings of mine. Craftsmen who enter the manufacturing office can receive salary. As for the personnel in the manufacturing office, you can refer to the imperial examination method."

Yuan Xiu thought for a moment and asked: "Madam, Just like the civil and military examinations, let's hold a work examination?"

Lin Xuezhu choked on the sherbet.

Gongju... this is an unfair name.

"Husband, do you think that the word "gongzhi" sounds a bit like "princess"? She asked with a black line on her face.

"Is there any?" Yuan Xiu read it twice and felt that it was not.

"Okay." Lin Xuezhu said with a half-smile, "As long as your husband is happy."

"Otherwise, what about a work test?" Yuan Xiu asked seriously.

Lin Xuezhu felt even more awkward after hearing this.

Why is there no other word that can match the word "work"?

"Let's go with the industrial examination. At least it sounds like it matches the civil and military examinations." Lin Xuezhu gave up on herself.

"Okay, let's start the work examination. Later, I will call my father-in-law and the Minister of Industry to discuss this matter with them." Yuan Xiu said.

The couple made an agreement, and Yuan Xiu sent people to find Lin Chengzhang and the Minister of Industry.

To open an office, you need money and a budget, and Lin Chengzhang, the Minister of Household Affairs, is indispensable.

There still needs to be someone who takes the lead, so the Minister of Industry is naturally responsible.

The two adults came to Qinzheng Hall and listened to Yuan Xiu's thoughts. They each expressed their support.

Needless to say, Lin Chengzhang, when he saw those drawings, he knew they were the work of his daughter, so there was no way he could not support them.

The Minister of the Ministry of Industry has been suffering from the slow progress of manufacturing during this period, and he is also anxious. The emperor is looking for someone to help him. Why doesn't he want to do it?

The three of them discussed some details together and then dispersed.

Early the next morning, Yuan Xiu discussed the matter of opening a manufacturing office with the ministers in the court hall.

Unexpectedly, he encountered opposition from several ministers.

"Your Majesty, this construction office costs a lot of money, and there is no guarantee of how much revenue it can get. It's not that I don't agree with the Emperor's idea, but I think we should be more cautious and think about it again."

"Your Majesty, I heard that the Ministry of Industry has received The drawings were all drawn by the Queen. A woman's opinion cannot be trusted. The Emperor must not make decisions on state affairs easily just because of his trust in the Queen."

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Industry made several drawings of the sewing machine drawn by the Queen. " Yue, I got something that can't be used. It can be seen that the blueprints are not trustworthy. We must not invest more manpower and material resources because of these blueprints."

"Your Majesty, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. The queen has exceeded the rules.

" Listen, a sneer curled up at the corner of his mouth.

After working on it for a long time, the reason why these old men didn't agree to open a manufacturing office was because they didn't want to recognize Madam's ability.

hehe.

He turned his eyes slightly and glanced at the big sprayer.

Wen Dataizi understood, immediately stood up from the group of ministers, and cleared his throat.

Hearing the movement, all the ministers trembled in their hearts.

It's over, it's over, this guy is going to talk again, and today's court has to become a vegetable market again.

Wen Daxiang turned to one side and said, "How did you two become officials? How come you can't even understand people's words!"

"You, you, you, how can you talk!"

"You are talking about the queen's drawings, workmanship, etc." The Ministry of Industry has been busy for several months and has made something that cannot be used. What does this mean? It means that the people in the Ministry of Industry are not useful! That's why the emperor wants to open a construction office to help those in the Ministry of Industry. Ah!"

Minister of the Ministry of Industry: Lao Wen, thank you!

Wen Dajun continued: "You keep saying that the harem is not allowed to be involved in politics, so you who should be involved in politics should have some brains! The queen can establish the Northern Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and pay taxes to the court. Each of you, in addition to receiving a salary, also What are you going to do?"

"Wen, don't slander me. Aren't we just discussing state affairs?"

Wen Dashou sneered, "What do you mean by obstructing state affairs? If you think something that benefits the country and the people doesn't work, just tell us what's not working and how to solve the problem so that things can go forward. That's what you, as ministers, should do if you just raise objections. What do you want me to do? I might as well raise a parrot, which can talk better than you! "

Pfft!

Some of them were so funny that they couldn't help it on the spot.

Several ministers who had objections felt that they had been personally attacked. Just as they were about to complain to the emperor, they saw the emperor looking at Wen with admiration.

Several ministers: Okay, there is nothing to argue with.

At this time, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry stood up, bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, I think what Lord Wen said is good. Although the officials in the Ministry of Industry are very good at manufacturing, after all, they are in Beijing all year round, and most of them serve the imperial court. It is out of touch with the lives of the people. But even so, the ministers can see that the queen's design is very good, but they are incompetent and have failed to live up to the queen's good intentions. I hope the emperor can start the project. , select capable people from among the people to lend a helping hand."

Chapter 588: Has the official position been promoted? Has the salary increased?

What the Minister of Industry and Industry said was very level.

It not only explained why the Ministry of Works could not produce the Queen's design, but also agreed with Yuan Xiu's idea of ​​​​opening the Construction Office and Building Office.

After he finished speaking, Lin Chengzhang also stood up.

He said in a gentler manner: "My lords, you don't have to worry about money. The treasury is rich, especially the taxes paid by the Northern Chamber of Commerce, which is enough to open a manufacturing office."

The implication is that the money earned by the queen herself is used for What happened to realizing your ideal!

All the ministers in the court: Forget about the Northern Chamber of Commerce. Ever since this thing came into being, the wife and daughter at home have gone crazy, running to the store of the Northern Chamber of Commerce every two days.

If you buy lip balm today and aromatherapy tomorrow, the money will flow out like running water. The little salary they earn is not enough for the female family members to spend.

He also said that the taxes paid by the Northern Chamber of Commerce are not their money!

The minister in Beijing has been suffering from the Northern Chamber of Commerce for a long time, and he wishes that the Northern Chamber of Commerce's business would be ruined as soon as it opens.

The minister who was dissatisfied spoke his mind.

"The Northern Chamber of Commerce sells ordinary things at sky-high prices, earns our money, and uses it to pay taxes. It's a trick."

As soon as these words came out, Yuan Xiu's expression changed.

The minister realized that he had made a mistake and was about to make up for it, but it was already too late.

Wen Dafanzi immediately said: "What is a white wolf with empty gloves? Aren't the things from the Northern Chamber of Commerce more sophisticated and easier to use than those from other companies? They have carefully made the goods, and some people are willing to buy them. Do you care? Oh, can't you? Your wife also goes to the store of the Northern Chamber of Commerce to buy things. Are you reluctant to give up money? Humph, instead of feeling distressed when you see your wife spending money, you should reflect on yourself. Has your salary been increased over the years? Has it worked?"

What he said made the minister dumbfounded.

"Master Wen, what am I talking about? You are waiting for me with so many words, so I am provoking you!"

Mr. Wen sneered, "I just can't understand that some people are incompetent, so I am jealous of those who are capable. . The products of the Northern Chamber of Commerce are expensive, otherwise do you think everyone in the capital who goes there to buy things is a fool?"

After a lot of rants, the court finally stopped.

The ministers have finally figured it out. As long as they don't follow the emperor's wishes, this mouthy person will come out and rant.

In the end, they get nothing except humiliating themselves.

Seeing that some ministers in the court were unconvinced, but they couldn't deal with the big trolls, they could only stand there indignantly.

Yuan Xiu's face was as dark as water, and he said: "Let's do this. I will order people to copy the drawings drawn by the Queen and send them to all your dear friends. If you dear ladies can find craftsmen to make the things, I will not start the work, nor will I How about setting up a manufacturing office? Come back, dear friends, take your pick. I have a total of five drawings here. If you love me, take any one you like and take it back."

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the civil and military circles followed. As deflated as they were, they all lowered their heads.

Wen Dafanzi said: "Your Majesty, everything has a time limit. I wonder how long the time limit is given by Your Majesty?"

Yuan Xiu said: "It took the Ministry of Industry five months to build a sewing machine, so I will give you my love." You give me half a year."

Wen Daxiuzi immediately said: "Your Majesty, since you have given half a year, there must be a reward and punishment. If it is done, it will be rewarded. If it is not done, half a year will be wasted. There is no time for punishment. "

I have to say that when it comes to dealing with others, his reaction is really fast.

Yuan Xiu suppressed the laughter in his heart and said: "If we can make it, we will reward you with ten thousand taels of silver. If you can't make it, we will also give you ten thousand taels of silver to open a manufacturing office."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. They all gasped.

I have only heard of officials getting salaries, but I have never heard of people taking advantage of the money.

Yuan Xiu glanced at the ministers coldly and asked: "How about it, who can stand up and share my worries?"

No one said a word.

Wen Dajunzi sarcastically said: "Where are those adults who just said that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics? It's time for you to do your duty for the court and the emperor."

Those adults were suddenly named, full of annoyance and reluctance.

Originally, if the surnamed people were silent, they would just pass by.

Now that people are chasing him to the door and biting him, they can't continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb!

I had no choice but to stand up and say: "Your Majesty, I and others are not in the Ministry of Industry and don't know any powerful craftsmen. Even if they want to share the Emperor's worries, they are powerless." "

Is this what you all say? ?" Yuan Xiu asked.

Several people nodded in unison, "I'm ashamed."

Bang!

Yuan Xiu slapped the table and said angrily: "If you don't have the ability yourself, why do you question me and the queen?"

"Your Majesty, forgive me!" Several ministers knelt down again and tapped their heads on the ground. , trembling with fear.

Yuan Xiudao: "The Queen and I are one. If you despise the Queen, you are despising me! Since we have talked about this today, I might as well tell you that as long as it is beneficial to the country and the people, no matter whose suggestion it is, I will listen. I advise you, when you do things, think carefully about what you are asked to do by the government's salary. If I find out that you ignore the interests of the country and the welfare of the people for selfish reasons and prejudices, don't blame me. Take away your official positions!"

"I obey the emperor's instructions!" All the courtiers knelt down.

Seeing that the heat was almost over, the Minister of Industry and Industry stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have a heartless request, and I would like your permission."

"Ai Qing, please tell me." Yuan Xiudao.

The Minister of Industry lowered his head and said, "I know that the queen is pregnant with Liujia, so it is very inconvenient. But the manufacturing matter is of great importance. I dare to ask the queen to tell me what is wrong with the manufacturing of this sewing machine. If If we can find out the crux and make a usable sewing machine, the adults in the court can feel at ease."

The implication is that the queen can prove it herself.

If it succeeds, let's see who dares to question it!

In fact, the matter of asking Lin Xuezhu to help look at the sewing machine was discussed yesterday.

After all, the drawings were drawn by Lin Xuezhu, and only she could find out what went wrong with the Ministry of Works.

Today, voices of opposition were heard in the court, and the Minister of Industry suddenly had an idea and came up with this way to silence the courtiers.

His timing was also very clever. Just when Wen Da's trolls had finished spraying and the emperor had finished his attack, and the courtiers dared to be angry and dared not speak out, he took the initiative to take a step back to appease the mood of the ministers and give them a step forward. Down.

Yuan Xiu naturally understood the intention of the Minister of Industry.

In today's scene, he, his father-in-law, the Minister of Industry and Master Wen cooperated very well and have taken the lead.

The Ministry of Industry Minister's rhetoric to ease the atmosphere is exactly what is needed now.

So he said: "I'm sure. I'll ask the queen for her opinion later."

Chapter 589:

After giving Lin Xuezhu a good beating, Yuan Xiu was not in a good mood.

When Lin Xuezhu delivered the meal, he saw him looking down at the memorial and not looking very relaxed.

She had heard about what happened in the court today, but she deliberately didn't mention it.

In this era, it is very difficult for women to be recognized by men.

Besides, she didn't care at all whether others recognized her or not.

She just likes to stand by and watch others look down on her and not be able to kill her.

As for what those people said about her, she didn't even care.

She has her own things to do, and she has no extra experience at all to argue with those who are prejudiced against her.

Her goal has always been very clear.

"I made your favorite food today." Lin Xuezhu walked over with a smile.

Yuan Xiu ate all the food sent by Lin Xuezhu, just like he had always done.

After dinner, he said: "The Minister of the Ministry of Industry publicly asked you to help them see the new sewing machine in the court. When you are free, I will ask them to move the things to you."

"It's better to choose a different day. Just today." Lin Xuezhu said with a smile.

Yuan Xiu also smiled, "There's no need to be in such a hurry."

"There's no need to delay." Lin Xuezhu said, "It must be done immediately."

"Hahahaha." Yuan Xiu laughed sincerely.

Whenever he was in a bad mood, seeing his wife would make him feel better.

So, that afternoon, people from the Ministry of Industry carried sewing machines into the Qinzheng Hall.

Lin Xuezhu asked: "What's the problem with this machine now?"

The Minister of Industry sat in front of the machine and tried to step on the pedal a few times. As a result, the needles on the table were jumping up and down like crazy, without any rhythm at all.

Lin Xuezhu glanced at the connecting belt between the pedal and the needle and said: "The beef tendon you are using is too elastic, so it is out of control."

The Minister of Industry said helplessly: "I and others also think this is the problem , so I also tried it with a rope, but the wear was too serious, and the strap broke after stepping on the pedal for a while. "

How about putting a rope through the tendon? The force will not break, and the shortcomings of the beef tendon being too elastic and difficult to control will be avoided."

The Minister of Industry opened his mouth wide, and looked at Lin Xuezhu with a look of realization at first, and then with admiration.

"Thank you for the Queen's advice. I will go back and give it a try now." He never expected that the Queen would solve the problem that had been bothering their Ministry of Industry for nearly half a month with just a few words.

The queen's brain is indeed not an ordinary brain!

Yuan Xiu was also shocked by Lin Xuezhu's performance.

He knew that his wife was smart, but he didn't know that she was so smart!

Seeing the expressions of the two of them, Lin Xuezhu said quickly: "Don't be too anxious to be happy. Go back and give it a try. Once the problem is solved, we can talk about other things."

"Yes, I will have someone take the sewing machine away right now." The Minister of Industry couldn't wait any longer. I wish I could fly back to the Ministry of Industry and have someone quickly make the tendons for stringing.

After sending away the Minister of Industry, Lin Xuezhu couldn't stay in Qinzheng Hall any longer.

She happened to be a little tired, so she said goodbye to Yuan Xiu and went back to Chunhua Palace.

Five days later, in the morning court, as soon as the ministers entered the hall, they saw something about half a person tall in the middle of the hall, covered with a red cloth.

They thought it was a tribute to the emperor somewhere, so they didn't pay attention.

After finishing all the things to be reported, Yuan Xiu slowly said: "The sewing machine that was previously involved in the work of the Minister of Industry has been completed under the guidance of the Queen. Today, in front of the civil and military officials of the court, I will ask someone to show you how to use the sewing machine."

After saying this, Father-in-law Quan brought out a nanny.

The grandma held a piece of cut fabric in her hand and stood respectfully beside the sewing machine.

Grandpa Quan solemnly took off the red cloth covering the sewing machine, revealing the sewing machine that the courtiers only heard about in name but not in actuality.

Many courtiers were shocked when they saw the real thing.

They had never seen such a complex device.

They gathered around the sewing machine, looking left and right, trying to understand how it worked, but they couldn't.

Yuan Xiu waited quietly. After everyone had seen it and showed surprised expressions, he nodded to Eunuch Quan with satisfaction.

Eunuch Quan motioned to the nanny to demonstrate to the ministers.

So, grandma took the cut fabric and sat next to the sewing machine.

I saw her placing the folded fabric on the table side by side, aligning the needles above, and then stepping on the pedal while using both hands to move the fabric.

"Wow -" all the courtiers couldn't help but exclaimed.

Some of them have seen their mothers or wives doing needlework at home.

In my impression, it is really just one stitch at a time, and it will last a long time.

But this sewing machine sews really fast.

Seeing the fabric in Grandma's hands, it was finished sewing in a short while.

They began to understand why the emperor said that productivity should be improved.

It turns out that this is to improve productivity!

It's so amazing!

The ministers stared at the nanny making clothes for half an hour, and they didn't feel bored at all.

Some even bent over and looked at the needle, wondering how on earth it was possible to sew the fabric together by repeatedly piercing it in one direction.

Some of the smarter people saw the clues and couldn't help but sigh even more. The person who designed this sewing machine was really a very smart person.

When grandma finished making a simple vest and displayed the finished product in front of everyone, she received a lot of amazed voices.

Grandfather Quan called a young eunuch up and asked him to try on the vest.

After the little eunuch finished wearing it, she made several large movements, and no one heard the sound of any stitches breaking.

It can be seen that the stitches of clothes sewn with a sewing machine are fine and strong.

"What do you think of this sewing machine?" At this time, Yuan Xiu's voice came from above.

The ministers immediately lined up on both sides, bowed their heads and said, "It's wonderful."

It was wonderful, but they really couldn't see the proud look in the emperor's eyes.

Rather than showing off the sewing machine, he was clearly showing off the queen and mocking their stupidity.

The ministers only felt their cheeks hurt, as if they had been beaten.

As much as I opposed it at first, I feel so ashamed now.

At this time, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry stood up and said: "I and everyone at the Ministry of Industry can make this sewing machine entirely because of the design and guidance of the Queen. The Queen is a very smart person, and I admire you very much."

After saying this, he said sincerely He knelt down and kowtowed.

All courtiers: It's not over, is it? We have to force everyone to admit their mistakes, right? OK, we admit it!

So, all the courtiers imitated the Minister of Works and knelt down, and gave Lin Xuezhu a rainbow fart at Yuan Xiu.

Chapter 590 Madam always surprises him

from time to time. This court appearance was the most satisfying one for Yuan Xiu since he came to the throne.

After the sewing machine conquered the entire imperial court, no one dared to raise any objections to the Work and Construction Office.

Therefore, the Ministry of Household Affairs contributed money, and the Ministry of Etiquette and the Ministry of Works contributed efforts to prepare for the work promotion and the construction office at the same time.

Yuan Xiu issued an imperial edict and quickly spread it to various places, ordering county-level officials to organize examinations, and all skilled craftsmen could participate.

The test questions were issued together with the imperial edict, which were the design drawings of the five utensils.

The question was written by Lin Xuezhu, using relatively simple tools.

Things like sewing machines are stared at by the ministers in the court, but only a few people can understand them. They will not be used to embarrass ordinary people.

What she wants to choose is a craftsman who can use his brain.

Candidates only need to explain the principle of use of the appliance.

If you answer two questions correctly, you will be considered qualified, and your name can be registered by the local government. If necessary in the future, it can be used immediately.

Those who answer more than three questions correctly and are willing to go to Beijing to take the re-examination can receive the expenses issued by the court, and the Ministry of Industry will finally select the best candidates.

Those who are admitted by the Ministry of Industry will receive a salary and can bring their family members to Beijing with them, and the imperial court will arrange their accommodation.

As soon as this imperial edict was issued, the people became interested.

Originally, craftsmen were afraid of not being able to find work.

If you pass the county examination, it will be equivalent to registering with the government.

If there is any work in the government in the future, these people will be the first to come to mind.

It would be even better if you can pass the re-examination. The court will pay you money, even if you can't be admitted to the Ministry of Industry, you can still go to Beijing and see the world. Why not?

The best thing is to be admitted by the Ministry of Industry, and you will be able to eat royal food. It is a blessing that ordinary people cannot ask for!

Who would have thought that a handyman could have such a good thing waiting for him.

Suddenly, the number of applicants was very enthusiastic.

The imperial edict also stated that the imperial court employed men and women regardless of gender, and women could also apply.

The response to the application of women's registration was average in other places, but the northern border accepted some female candidates.

The northern border was the first place to be influenced by Lin Xuezhu's ideas of equality between men and women and that women can hold up half the sky.

Women in the north are more bold and enterprising than women in other places.

However, when it comes to being a craftsman, women generally have little experience and therefore little confidence.

But Kong Bo did a good job in ideological work.

To test the principles of using equipment, as long as people are smart enough and can use their brains, it is not necessary to really ask them to make something.

No matter if he knows it or not, just give it a try.

It just takes a little time, but you won't be short of meat.

If anyone has extraordinary talent, don't miss this opportunity.

After being fooled by Kong Bo, many people gained the courage and were no longer timid when signing up.

After the last imperial examination fraud case, the court severely punished many officials who participated in the fraud. Naturally, local officials who believed that their fate was not so tough did not dare to touch the court.

Even though the test questions were sent out early in the morning, strict confidentiality was also done.

It was not announced until the day of the exam.

Moreover, in this kind of craftsman examination, no one knows what the correct answer is and can only answer based on their own understanding.

Even if you get a chance to go to the capital for a re-examination through cheating, your secret will be revealed sooner or later.

Therefore, few people will go out of their way to cheat.

Unless someone really wants to take a trip to the capital for a few days with the money provided by the court.

Knowing that the stakes are high, local officials can work as efficiently as possible.

More than a month later, lists were sent to the capital from various places one after another.

Yuan Xiu had calculated the date for the re-examination of the industrial examination.

It is estimated that in a few days, people entering Beijing will be on their way.

The examination hall was busy again, preparing to receive the craftsmen participating in the labor examination.

On this day, after Yuan Xiu finished handling his official duties, he arrived at Chunhua Palace.

He saw Lin Xuezhu writing and drawing, so he came over to take a look.

I saw Lin Xuezhu adding annotations on the structural diagram of a house.

Yuan Xiu looked at it and saw that the structure of the house was very similar to that of the Examination Yuan.

"What is madam doing?" he asked curiously.

Lin Xuezhu put down his pen and said with some melancholy: "I plan to have the Examination Yuan renovated later to accommodate the craftsmen admitted by the Ministry of Industry. Otherwise, it will only be used to cope with the spring period that occurs once every three years. A big house is a pity."

Yuan Xiu smiled and said nothing.

Look, that Beijing Chamber of Commerce said that my wife doesn't know how to do business.

Didn't they arrange that big house well?

It's just...

"In the spring of three years, madam, you don't plan to benefit the candidates anymore?" Yuan Xiu asked with interest.

He just deliberately made things difficult for his wife to see how she would react.

Anyway, no matter what her reaction is, it's just cute.

"Plan, of course. I've said before, it's not good to emphasize culture over martial arts over craftsmanship. Of course, you can't value craftsmen over culture over martial arts. The country my husband manages is for all walks of life to flourish everywhere." Lin Xuezhu took it as a matter of course. explain.

Yuan Xiu asked again: "Then this examination institute is used to house craftsmen. What will happen in three years?"

Lin Xuezhu smiled slyly and said, "At that time, we will arrange a business trip for the craftsmen."

"Business trip?" Yuan Xiu didn't Got it.

Lin Xuezhu chuckled and explained: "How can these craftsmen stay locked up in the capital every day and make cars behind closed doors? At a certain level, they have to be allowed to go to places and see for themselves what it is like for people to work with the things they have made. Only then can improvements be made. The imperial examination is held every three years, so they can take their families out for a walk, and the space is freed up for the candidates' family members who are inconvenient to take with them. We can provide them with food and clothing. "Yueyin will be fine."

Yuan Xiu was overjoyed, "Madam is too smart to come up with such ideas!"

From the first moment he came into contact with the wonderful ideas in Madam's head, he felt that it was eye-opening. .

Unexpectedly, along the way, Madam would always give him some surprises from time to time.

Lin Xuezhu stopped here and went into more detail, and it seemed like he was being clever.

Her husband is a smart man. If she gives a rough idea, he can automatically complete the details without her having to worry about everything.

She changed the subject and said, "Husband, we have finished selecting people for the Ministry of Works. Next, we have to add more strength to the Northern Chamber of Commerce."

"More?"

Yuan Xiu thought, some courtiers because their wives and daughters at home always go there Spending money in the shop of the Northern Chamber of Commerce, there was a lot of resentment.

Madam is so rebellious because she wants to... That's called causing hatred, right?

Looking at Yuan Xiu's expression, Lin Xuezhu knew what he was thinking.

He smiled and said: "Husband, do you remember that I told you that money must be circulated for the economy to be good? In the past, when we were in the north, we opened banks, collected savings, and made loans just to make money. Money circulates. "