Chapter 344 Farewell
When Jiang Yongkang left Bianjing City, only Mo Jinchun, Liu Dazhuang, Ming Xiaoshuang, Zhang Wanjun, A Tao and others came to see him off.
Originally, Jiang Yongkang wanted to leave alone, but his luggage was seen by A Tao, and after several questions, A Tao tricked him into revealing the information.
Helplessly, Jiang Yongkang had to say that he had already achieved success and fame, had no interest in power, and from now on he only wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature.
Although A Tao didn't believe it, he had been in the army for several years and was no longer the naive and ignorant boy who had just come down from the Qian Mountains.
A Tao also seemed to have figured out some meaning from the rumors and Xu Zhenying's attitude.
A Tao, who is always quick-witted, did not try to persuade Jiang Yongkang to stay this time, nor did he expose Jiang Yongkang's lies.
However, Atao still told his friends in the army about this matter.
Jiang Yongkang has been in the military for many years, and it can be said that almost all the generals in Jinzhou Prefecture have learned their skills under him.
Therefore, everyone regretted Jiang Yongkang's departure, but no one tried to keep him. They just silently sent him out of the city.
Ah Tao hung his bag on the horse's back and complained, "Do we have to leave in the evening? Can't we leave tomorrow morning when it's bright and clear?"
"The moon is beautiful tonight. Walking on the moon is also a beautiful thing."
"Where are you going?"
"See the cold snow in the northern part of the Great Wall, see beauties in the south of the Yangtze River, see the desert in the northwest... maybe even visit the Chen Dynasty."
Ah Tao sighed, "You're making me want to retire early!"
"You are in your prime, you still need to work hard."
Mo Jinchun gave him a pot of wine. "I bought this from an old merchant. He said it's been stored for twenty years. I wanted to wait until everyone was promoted to a marquis and general to celebrate... Well, I'll give it to you now."
Zhang Wanjun was the only girl in the team. She was silent at the moment, not knowing what to say. After a long while, she said, "Have a safe trip, Instructor Jiang. Remember to come back and visit us often."
Jiang Yongkang patted Zhang Wanjun on the shoulder and gave her earnest advice, like an elder. "Although you're a woman, you possess a great talent for military matters. You're patient, able to endure hardships, and skilled in battle. You're a natural born strategist. From now on, this land...will be yours to protect... That way, I can rest assured no matter where I am."
Zhang Wanjun's eyes suddenly turned red.
She raised her hand and gave a standard military salute to her former instructor and master.
Ming Xiaoshuang said, "I don't have anything to give you. All I have is silver, but I don't think you need these things. So I can only give you a blank letter from me. If you run into any trouble, you can use my power for once."
Jiang Yongkang laughed and then accepted it. "Okay, the gift you gave me is more practical."
Liu Dazhuang looked at him and bowed to him, "I will take good care of your parents' graves. I will offer sacrifices for you during festivals, Cold Food Festival, and Qingming Festival."
Jiang Yongkang hugged Liu Dazhuang and said succinctly: "Brother, thank you very much."
He took his bag and mounted his horse.
The man was wearing a black narrow-necked plain robe, with a silver sword at his waist and a white horse under his crotch. He was traveling alone in a simple carriage.
For some reason, he subconsciously looked towards the city wall.
He didn't see anyone.
Only the red flag fluttered in the wind.
She won't show up.
Stop having expectations.
Jiang Yongkang said this to himself.
His brows seemed to be infected by the wind and snow. Then he withdrew his gaze and clasped his fists to everyone, "Everyone, the mountains are high and the waters are long. We will meet again in the future."
After saying that, the man turned around and left, waving the whip in his hand, and quickly disappeared into the night.
It can be said that a drunken encounter is the result of past relationship, and when the wind and rain are gone, where will you go?
But no one expected that the young man would never come back.
After the floating clouds parted, ten years passed by——
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After the Kaiyuan New Year, the entire city of Bianjing entered a period of vigorous development again.
In early February, new buds turn green and the grass looks attractive.
The retention assessment of officials from the six prefectures incorporated into the north began.
A new examination hall has been built in Bianjing City, which is under the charge of the Ministry of Construction. The entire examination hall is three or four stories high, made of cement and steel bars, covers an area of one acre, and can accommodate large-scale examinations and conferences with thousands of people.
It was also the first time that the common people of Bianjing City actually saw cement.
I used to hear people from Jinzhou Prefecture say how good the cement was, but I had never seen it, so I couldn't imagine how good it was.
It is said that the entire street of Bianjing City will be renovated this year, and all roads will be hardened with cement. This examination hall is one of the first places to use cement.
Hundreds of workers worked hard to complete the project within two months.
This examination hall continues the simple and practical style of Jinzhou Prefecture. There is no superfluous decoration inside. It is composed of rooms of different sizes. Apart from tables, chairs and benches, there are only simple decorations such as green plants and ink paintings.
Some people privately said that such a large examination hall was so shabby.
But more people think that these things are made with money from the national treasury, so there is no need to build them so magnificently. This also indirectly reflects the working style of Jinzhou Prefecture.
There were some shrewd businessmen who saw a huge business opportunity and quickly acquired shops around the examination hall. They could later turn them into teahouses, restaurants, or inns—all guaranteed profitable ventures.
After all, it is such a large examination hall with countless people coming in and out. Where there are people, there are business opportunities. This is an unchanging truth since ancient times.
Just this morning, when it was still light, people were already waiting outside the gate of the examination institute.
Adults who had come from the six states near Bianjing City stood in groups at the door.
Fortunately, it is spring and the temperature has risen. Although it is early morning, it does not feel cold.
Soon, a lot of people gathered at the door.
Those coming and going were all dignitaries who had served as officials in the Zhou Dynasty, so they were familiar faces to each other. When they met, they bowed and greeted each other, and it was as lively as if they were waiting outside the court.
"Oh, I never thought that I would have to travel across mountains and rivers to take the imperial examination at the age of forty-four."
"Master Lin, please be content. We are lucky to have stayed in our positions. You may not know this, but most of the officials in Bianjing City have been dismissed. The original number of over 300 has been reduced to just over 50. These 50-plus people, regardless of their age or experience, all have to take the exam like us. After taking the exam, they still have to wait for the official position to be filled. Look, that person over there is Liu Bianzan, the former Hanlin Academy. It is said that he was the top scholar in the imperial examination back then. Now he is starting from scratch just like us?"
Those who had escaped death and were able to continue to serve breathed a sigh of relief.
Although you still have to enter the stage of waiting for investigation and waiting for a job after the assessment, at least you won’t end up with nothing.
These people have been officials for their entire lives and cannot imagine what they can do if they don’t work as officials. They cannot adapt to the lives of ordinary people either.
Compared with their colleagues who were laid off in large numbers, they are considered lucky.
Of course, it is also related to their diligence in government affairs on a daily basis, otherwise the inspection team would not allow them to stay in office.
This is also a recognition of them.
Because of this, they naturally formed a small circle and naturally shared the latest information.
"I heard that Han Xiang was also on the list of people to be dismissed this time—"
Everyone gasped.
Han Xiang, a veteran who had served for three generations, was a huge figure, and Emperor Zhaodi took action against him as soon as he came to power. This method and courage were truly terrifying.
Even after Han Xiang left, the officialdom of Bianjing City remained relatively calm, with no disturbances at all. This was especially true for government affairs and people's livelihoods, which remained largely unaffected.
The fact that the transition and handover could be so smooth also shows how well the people of Jinzhou Prefecture handle government affairs.
Emperor Zhao also clearly sent a signal to everyone.
The Chinese officialdom can still function even without anyone.
Everyone exchanged glances knowingly.
Someone then threw out the latest news, "Do you know who the chief examiner is this time?"
Someone nearby smiled and replied, "It must be Mr. Anping."
Everyone looked over and understood, "Since it's what Lord Lian said, then it must be true."
The person who spoke was Lian Dehai's second son and Lian Qiuzhi's second brother.
When everyone saw him speak, although they secretly laughed at the fact that His Majesty was fair and ruthless to the Lian family, it was said that Master Lian and Master Lian II were on the assessment list this time, but it also showed that the atmosphere in the Chinese officialdom was as clean as fish and water.
Lian Erye bowed modestly and said, "I just heard it one more time than you did."
"Since Lord Lian is here, why not share some information with us? What is Mr. Anping's background? What kind of writing style and handwriting does he prefer? That way, we can cater to the examiner's preferences—"
Of course, Second Master Lian knew this was a good time to curry favor. Seeing everyone gathering around him, Second Master Lian whispered, "I heard that Ms. Anping is your Majesty's cousin. She's only in her early twenties, but she's already been in charge of education in Jinzhou Prefecture for several years. You could say she's the teacher of many Jinzhou officials. The 30% literacy rate in Jinzhou Prefecture is due to her and Master Fang."
"Master Fang? Which Master Fang? Master Fang Xun, the eldest grandson of Mr. Fang?"
"No, Fang Xun has a cousin, born to the eldest wife. Above her is an older sister, whose name I'm sure you all recognize." The Second Master Lian coughed softly, "She's the heroine who killed Zhou Heng in the Eastern Territory!"
"Fang Ruyu!"
The name is ready to be mentioned.
As Zhou Heng was once a political enemy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, his cause of death naturally attracted much attention. Therefore, everyone knew Fang Ruyu.
"The Fang family is truly remarkable. Both of their daughters are heroic figures."
"Yes, so those of you who have daughters, don't neglect their education. Now is a good time for women to make achievements and establish themselves."
"Master Li, you are so late! Today, not only am I taking the exam, but my daughter is also taking the civil service exam next door. If we were to take the exam together, I might not even do as well as my daughter."
"Yeah, congratulations then."
Immediately, there was a burst of congratulations from the crowd.
"You're all off topic. Master Lian, you haven't even mentioned the examiner's preferences."
The person who asked this question was a young man. It was obvious that he had young children at home, so he was more concerned about his own future.
"This... I really don't know." Mr. Lian shook his head.
Someone nearby chimed in, "I've had the pleasure of looking at the Jinzhou Prefecture exam papers. They don't seem to emphasize literary flourishes. Most of them are math questions, with a few essay questions at the end."
"How many essay questions?"
Everyone around looked surprised.
There was only one essay question in the exams of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and one had to rush to finish it. It was bad enough that China had a lot of time-consuming math questions, but it also had so many essay questions.
"Don't panic, everyone." This man had a mysterious look on his face. He naturally couldn't say that he had a nephew who was an official in Jinzhou Prefecture. He asked his nephew to inquire about these gossips.
At this moment, I should flatter my colleagues and have them remember my favor; it would be more convenient in the future. "This essay question has a word limit, only about two or three hundred. Be sure to avoid quoting classics and state your arguments directly, preferably with supporting data. Emperor Zhao likes to be truthful and pragmatic, and I suspect this is the style of the official assessment."
That makes sense.
Many people secretly memorize the key points of the exam.
"But everyone should know that Mr. Anping is currently pregnant, and I'm not sure if he can last through the entire morning's exam."
It was like a bolt from the blue. No one expected that the examiner this time would be a young woman, but she was actually pregnant!
Everyone's expressions changed again and again, and they had different thoughts, but in the end they remained silent.
The morals of the world are declining, and rituals and music are collapsing.
However, there were also some enlightened people who smiled and said, "Your Highness's cousin is pregnant, but Your Majesty's harem is empty now. I heard that Elder Lin and the Ministry of Rites jointly petitioned Your Majesty to hold a public selection for the Emperor's husband, but Your Majesty politely declined. You must know that the foundation of a country lies in the early establishment of an heir. The safety of the country depends on the heir. Throughout the dynasties, countless disasters have been caused by the crown prince. I understand that although Your Majesty is still young, the cultivation of an heir is not an overnight task. Your Majesty should make plans early."
"Yes, Your Majesty is now in his early twenties, in the prime of life. Furthermore, the world is now united, and peace and prosperity are flourishing. It is a good time to ensure that the Emperor's husband will give birth to an heir as soon as possible."
These words were recognized by everyone.
However, the conversation was soon interrupted by the noise coming from the opposite wall.
Someone looked out and asked, "Why is there so much noise over there?"
"There's more than one exam going on at the Examination Yuan today. There's also a general civil service exam going on, and it's not in the same exam room as ours. There are even more people over there. When I walked over just now, I saw at least 10,000 people there—"
"More than ten thousand?!"
This had to surprise them again.
When they took the imperial examinations in the past, the number of candidates was only a few hundred or a few thousand.
Now there are tens of thousands.
It’s a close call that I’m not competing on the same track with so many people.
They were not taking an elimination exam. The full score was 100, and as long as they scored more than 60 points, they would be considered a pass and be included in the candidate team.
However, someone explained, "Everywhere is promoting universal education. Although the cities to the north haven't caught up yet, everyone has heard the news a long time ago. Therefore, many people in Bianjing are preparing for the exam in advance. Not to mention the candidates who came from all over the country-"
"Yes, His Majesty doesn't restrict the candidates' household registration. I heard a lot of southern accents when I was staying at the inn yesterday. I overheard them mentioning that they all failed the exam in the south, and their families have money and can support them to take the exam in the north. If they pass, they'll be even closer to the emperor, so it's a good deal no matter how you look at it."
"No wonder I found the city packed with people when I arrived in Bianjing the day before yesterday. If I hadn't had an old friend in the city, I wouldn't even have a place to stay."
"That's right. Now that I think about it, Bianjing City hasn't been this lively for years—"
The Examination Yuan was bustling with activity, and so was a small meeting room in the government lobby.
There were about forty or fifty young girls sitting in the room.
At this moment, the girls in the front rows were arguing fiercely, while the unfamiliar faces in the back rows were listening attentively and could not get a word in.
They only regretted that the name of today's meeting was "Exchange Meeting to Promote Women's Liberation", so they didn't bring pencils and notebooks, otherwise they would definitely record these heated arguments.
Even after listening to the last part, they had completely forgotten the shock and panic they had felt when they saw His Majesty when they first stepped into the room, and were completely immersed in the argument.
Of course, as a newly promoted female official, being able to attend meetings in a place like the government hall, she naturally kept a low profile and was humble. How could she dare to make impassioned speeches like Minister Feng'er, Secretary Xu, Minister Qian, Minister Fang and others?
"This equality of all, of all men and women, is certainly not just a slogan. Your Majesty proposed this concept when we first started out in Lan County. But seven years have passed, and brothels, brothels, concubines, and child brides still exist. Why can't we eliminate them all?"
"A blanket solution? How do we do that? Close all the brothels? Require all families that keep slaves to dismiss their servants? Or arrest the parents who sold their daughters as child brides?"
"Why not? Since Your Majesty intends to realize the slogan and declaration of abolishing slavery, then labor pains are inevitable."
"That's inappropriate. A one-size-fits-all approach is only a temporary solution. If you close the brothels, these prostitutes will move elsewhere to continue their trade, perhaps even to more secluded locations, like deep alleys, taverns, or boats, where we can't catch them even if we want to. If you don't cultivate their ability to be independent and teach them how to make a living, and simply close the brothels, it's absolutely a sign of lazy governance!"
When the female officials heard Secretary Xu say the word "lazy government", they couldn't help but feel frightened, fearing that they would start a fight.
Fortunately, the female official across from him didn't mind. Instead, she offered a well-reasoned rebuttal: "There are many literacy training courses running in Bianjing City right now. If you're truly determined, you can learn it even if you spend a few dozen copper coins. I just don't believe there are people who would degenerate into prostitution. They're just lazy!"
"No. Given the current state of our country, a one-size-fits-all approach is definitely unrealistic. You make it sound simple, but how difficult is it for prostitutes to change their ways? The relationships behind the brothels in Bianjing are complex, and the contracts of sale are held by others. Our legislative work won't even begin this year, and without clear legal provisions to punish these brothel owners and traffickers, we can only resort to roundabout means to save the country."
"I agree. Your Majesty always says that a policy must stand the test of time. The people's opinions may differ greatly from our expectations. Now that our words and actions affect the fate of countless people, we should think twice. A blanket approach is unrealistic, but abolishing slavery is imperative."
Xu Zhenying listened to the noise of the girls below and smiled. "That's right. We have to work and eat. Sometimes we don't have to take the shortest way to reach the top of the mountain. Sometimes a roundabout way can also get us there. For the new girls joining us later, if you have any suggestions, you might as well be bold."
The girls in the back row couldn't even watch the fun, so they naturally shook their heads and pretended to be indifferent.
Instead, a woman in her twenties stood up, speaking with neither servility nor arrogance. "Your Majesty is right. We can choose a roundabout way to save the country. For example, we can set up a special team to firstly liberate the slaves' minds, and secondly, hire more teachers to teach them some skills. I see that there are medical schools and examination halls in Bianjing City. We can also set up a women's college to teach young girls the skills to make a living."
“Why don’t you just go to a literacy class?”
"Some girls aren't naturally suited to studying. We can send teachers to teach them some simple skills like women's work, agriculture, and textiles. The learning period shouldn't be too long, just two or three months. This will allow them to graduate quickly and support themselves."
"But slaves and prostitutes are all hidden in the boudoir. The premise for you to say this is that they must be free."
"What if they use force?" The woman raised her eyes and dared to look directly at Xu Zhenying, which made Xu Zhenying's eyes light up. "Your Majesty, don't you want to amend the old law? What if you abolish slavery directly, making the document of sale a piece of paper without legal effect? That way, women in chains across the world can be free."
Xu Zhenying shook his head. "That's inappropriate. We can't allow a certain class to suffer unilaterally. We in the court can intervene, but we can't force legislation like this. Legislative work can only take a back seat. Otherwise, if the emperor wants to do something in the future and directly uses legislation to implement it, the law will become a political weapon."
"The slave issue isn't difficult." As soon as Xu Zhenying spoke, everyone stopped discussing and looked at her. "We can set a 'slave tax.' Families that can afford slaves must be wealthy. We can raise the slave tax, say, to two taels of silver per slave per year. That way, at least some of the lower-class slaves can be freed. For households with one or two hundred slaves, the annual expense is only a few hundred taels. We can implement a tiered tax system. For example, for households with five or fewer slaves, each would receive two taels per year. For those with between ten and fifty, each would receive five taels. For those with over a hundred, each would receive ten taels, and so on. Wealthy families earn so much money, so they should definitely contribute some to the national treasury, right?"
Xu Yinxi laughed at her mischievousness. "Didn't His Majesty say to keep an eye on the wallets of the rich? If we push too hard, I'm afraid no one will be willing to do business with us in the future."
"That's different. If all men are created equal, why are some sold like straw dogs and cheap animals? These wealthy families have earned more social wealth than others, so they must shoulder social responsibilities. This time, when we liberate the slaves, we'll target the wealthy first."
Feng Er said, "It's not just the wealthy families. In fact, the families with the most slaves in the capital are probably the officials. However, now that most of these officials have been laid off, they are like frightened birds. I believe they will actively respond to Your Majesty's call."
Xu Yinxi said, "That's right. Their official positions have been dismissed, and they must be struggling to support so many people, but they are reluctant to dismiss the slaves, so as not to give people the impression that they are in decline. Now that Your Majesty has issued the order to release the slaves, perhaps they will even thank Your Majesty."
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