Conquering Liaodong and destroying the Jiannu are the top priorities, but not the only tasks.
Although the emperor felt somewhat constrained by the fact that the work had not yet been completed, many tasks could not be delayed and needed to be arranged and prepared in advance.
In Zhu Youxiao's memory, the Ming Dynasty was not destroyed by the Jianlu, but was overthrown by hundreds of thousands or even millions of starving people who had no food to eat.
As long as there are no major problems within the Ming Dynasty and the people can have enough food to eat, the country will not be as stable as Mount Tai, but will be able to last for another few dozen or even hundreds of years.
As for the Jianlu, even if they cannot be destroyed in this counterattack, they will not be able to cause any trouble and will not be able to achieve anything significant.
Internal troubles are greater than external troubles, or in other words, when there are internal problems, external enemies that are only minor problems will become a serious concern.
Party strife is undoubtedly the greatest evil. It disregards national affairs and focuses solely on power struggles and the exclusion of dissidents, leading to systemic chaos and low administrative efficiency.
The second is corruption, where the powerful, bureaucrats, landlords, and gentry each pursue their own interests, disregarding national dangers, natural disasters, man-made disasters, the suffering of soldiers and civilians, and the displacement of the people;
Third, the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials has become rigid and outdated, and the officials selected are mostly good at talking but lack practical ability. They are usually passionate but have no strategy when faced with a problem. This is what we call these civil servants who have become stupid because of reading too much.
As for the rest, Zhu Youxiao didn't want to talk about it and could only change it step by step.
Because, if you look deeper, there are problems with the entire Ming Dynasty system, and hundreds of years of accumulated habits are not so easy to reverse.
However, two of the three major evils have been dealt with with an iron fist. We cannot say that they have been eradicated, but at present they can no longer hinder the great cause of pacifying Liao and eliminating slavery.
As for the rest, be gentler and more moderate, and there's no need to make a big fuss.
Especially the imperial examination system, Zhu Youxiao knew that it must not be abolished, but he had no better or fairer examination method to select talents.
In fact, selecting talents through written examinations was also the main method in later generations. Although it had its drawbacks, it was the closest to fairness.
Where can we find so many perfect talents who are both highly educated and have strong practical working abilities?
Therefore, if we can be fair, the eight-legged essay is at least a kind of examination standard, just like the standardized test questions in later generations, and there is no need to condemn it with one blow.
"If we succeed in pacifying the Liao, next year's imperial examinations can no longer be postponed." The emperor instructed a palace maid to pass a new book, still smelling of ink, to the Minister of Rites, Old Dong, and instructed, "Issue an immediate announcement to the world that this book, 'Natural Common Sense,' will be added to the examinations next year."
Old Dong bowed and took the book, not daring to look at it in front of the emperor. He respectfully accepted the order and responded.
After the announcement, the Royal Printing House will make a fortune! These are essential books for the college entrance examination, so you can’t miss them unless you don’t want to take the exam.
"Please take a seat." The emperor gave an order, and a palace maid brought an embroidered cushion for Mrs. Dong to sit on.
Dong Qichang thanked the emperor and sat down, wondering if the dozen or so calligraphy and paintings he gave to Wansui on his birthday had worked.
The emperor is famous for his love of money, but he is not stingy with his money. This is the biggest difference between him and his grandfather Wanli.
"The elementary school textbooks are almost ready." The emperor took a sip of tea and said slowly, "They will be printed and distributed soon, and the elementary school exams will officially begin in three years."
Dong Qichang listened carefully and guessed what the emperor meant. He felt that the emperor intended to let the Ministry of Rites preside over the primary school qualification examination.
Among the imperial examinations, only the joint examination was presided over by the Ministry of Rites.
Local education officials, such as the education commissioner, were provincial-level education administrators in the Ming Dynasty. They were appointed by the imperial court but did not accept the leadership of the national education department, such as the Ministry of Rites.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao felt that the responsibilities of the Ming Dynasty's education system were not clear enough. The responsibility of the education officials was to supervise the implementation of Confucian education and measure its effectiveness, which was even less in line with the emperor's wishes.
Is Confucianism still the Confucianism of the pre-Qin period? The Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism that is prevalent today is nothing more than a branch of Confucianism, an interpreter of it.
Even if we have the Confucian classics from the pre-Qin period, will they still be able to fully adapt to society after thousands of years of historical development?
Zhu Youxiao did not think so, nor did he believe that any doctrine was perfect and could remain unchanged forever.
Is there anything to recommend against Legalism? Does Mohism contain some primitive science? What about the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi?
Therefore, we must break the dominance of Confucianism and embrace all schools of thought.
Zhu Youxiao did not elevate any particular school of philosophy to the point of supremacy. He was more familiar with the meaning of keeping pace with the times than anyone else.
"Primary school qualifications do not involve any official title for the time being," the emperor continued slowly, "but there will be some tax reductions to encourage the people to send their children to school."
Realizing the emperor's gaze was on him, Old Dong hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, are you planning to have the Ministry of Rites send people to various places to preside over the examinations?"
Zhu Youxiao hadn't made up his mind yet. After all, it wasn't on the same level as the college entrance exam, so it was enough for the counties to preside over it. But he was concerned about the long term, and what he wanted to reform was the education system of the Ming Dynasty.
To promote primary education, we must first build schools. There were many official schools in the Ming Dynasty, such as prefectural schools, county schools, and community schools, but the courses they taught were different, and even the teachers became a problem.
Scratching his head, the emperor smiled to himself and said, "Things in three to five years are not urgent. Let me think about it for a while."
Dong Qichang also knew that this major event was not easy to accomplish. Since the emperor had already realized it, he didn't say anything more!
Old Dong took his leave and the emperor stroked his forehead in the imperial chair and finally smiled bitterly.
You are thinking too simply. If you want to reform the education system and content, you don’t even have enough teachers.
To train teachers, establishing a normal college is a normal procedure, but will those scholars who only want to become officials go there?
The Young Masters Academy was still the best; a blank slate, free to paint as one pleased. Only by educating children from a young age could they avoid developing so many pedantic and bad habits.
"Go to Shaoying Academy and ask if the date for the final exam has been set?" The emperor suddenly raised his head and instructed the palace servant.
……………………
The imperial examination was delayed for a year because of the war to pacify Liao. Although it caused quite a stir, it soon subsided.
The scholars were dissatisfied, but they did not dare to make trouble, for fear that their qualifications would be revoked and they would never be able to become officials.
Considering that Taizu abolished the imperial examination system for over ten years, and now it's only been postponed for one year, by comparison, it's already quite blissful.
However, those who are attentive may find that the speed of official transfers has not stopped, and even shows signs of accelerating. Moreover, the relevant regulations formulated by the court are becoming more and more detailed, more formal, and more fair.
But even if someone is interested, they will not know the emperor's plan completely.
Through the transfer of clerks to officials, not only did clerks have room for promotion and reduce their desire to get by and make illegal profits, but a procedure similar to the civil service examination for regularization was gradually established.
Practical work experience, not profound knowledge, but it's enough. Being an official doesn't require eloquent speech or writing.
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