The imperial examinations in spring became the focus of attention for many people, especially the Dingchou year examination. Many wanted to see how the civil service examinations would go after the new emperor's ascension to the throne and to see the level of the candidates.
Zhu Yunying obtained some information through various channels and had a general idea of the level of the candidates for this examination.
Overall, it's unlikely that his first imperial examination after ascending the throne would produce any truly capable rulers. This wasn't an isolated incident; many people offered tactful answers when faced with Zhu Yunying's questions, and many were concerned about the quality of the candidates in this examination.
There's nothing that can be done about it then. Sometimes things are like that; it's possible for a single department to produce many talented individuals capable of serving as prime ministers.
For example, the imperial examination in the second year of the Jiayou reign of Emperor Renzong of Song produced many outstanding figures, including Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Gong, Zeng Bu, Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zhang Heng, Zhang Dun, and Lü Huiqing. It brought together the most outstanding talents in politics, literature, history, military affairs, and other fields.
However, it's also possible that a student might not develop much talent after completing a single subject, which is perfectly normal and nothing to be surprised about.
However, we still need to see how they are trained later on. Just because someone becomes the top scholar doesn't necessarily mean they are the most outstanding talent. Zhu Yunying understood this principle very well, and he also understood that the later training was extremely crucial for these 'newly appointed scholars'.
Zhu Yunying was in a good mood, mainly because he knew he could still do some things well. Some things can't be forced; the quality of this year's scholars was rather low, and that was unavoidable. If they couldn't become pillars of the state, then he could hope they would become capable officials.
Just as Zhu Yunying was reviewing the memorials, Wang Chengen came over and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has decreed that you go to the Qianqing Palace."
Zhu Yunying roughly understood the reason and said calmly, "Oh, send someone to tell him that there are many things to do today. I will have to go later. Please ask Grandfather to wait. I will go during dinner."
If it's urgent, Old Zhu will come over himself. So waiting a little while won't be a problem.
Actually, there weren't any particularly big events; it was mostly just routine stuff. Zhu Yunying's main tasks now, besides overseeing the imperial examinations, the relocation of the capital, and war preparations, consisted mainly of daily chores. Overall, things were going well and relatively smoothly.
After finishing these tasks, Zhu Yunying calmly walked towards the Qianqing Palace.
Old Zhu was already enjoying his wine and fried soybeans, and Zhu Yunying didn't stand on ceremony, sitting down and starting to pour wine.
Old Zhu glanced at Zhu Yunying and asked, "Have we heard that the Crown Prince is about to begin his studies?"
"Yes, I plan to have him enter the Grand Hall, where renowned scholars will take turns lecturing to the Crown Prince and the princes, and I will select students from the Imperial Academy or newly appointed scholars to accompany him," Zhu Yunying said with a smile. "Studying the classics, becoming knowledgeable about the past and present, and being able to adapt to changing circumstances is only right."
Old Zhu chuckled and said to Zhu Yunying, "If that's really the case, then we've raised a benevolent Confucian emperor. I've said before that the crown prince should be taught practical learning, not just the ways of ordinary scholars. Memorizing literary phrases is of no use. You should also select a group of virtuous and upright people to be around the crown prince, so that he can understand the way of the emperor, the teachings of rites and music, the lessons of past successes and failures, and the affairs of farming among the common people."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded, saying to his father, "Grandson thinks the same way, but nowadays, it's really not easy for us to abolish Confucianism. Not to mention that Confucianism has too great an influence on the common people, it would be difficult for us to establish a new school of thought, not to mention that a new school of thought may not be suitable for imperial power."
The idea of abolishing Confucianism is often just empty talk, or even no one bothers to talk about it.
The main point is that Confucianism has a wide-ranging influence; it's not just the Four Books and Five Classics that scholars read that represent Confucian thought. It also extends to ordinary people, whose thinking has been influenced by Confucianism.
Moreover, many Confucian ideas did indeed align with the interests of imperial power, which is why rulers throughout history promoted Confucianism. To say that Confucianism was directly abolished is truly a pipe dream; it is indeed difficult to find a mature theory or culture that could replace some of Confucianism's positions today.
Old Zhu seemed to remember something, and chuckled as he said, "You and I are of the same mind. The crown prince of our Great Ming should also be a role model. It's just that you are different. Although you have read some books, you have never really mastered them. We were too busy at the time to hire a famous teacher for you."
Zhu Yunying was displeased and retorted, "When I was young, I also did my studies, but I only ever read books. I wasn't planning to take the imperial examination, so there was no need for memorizing literary works. After all, it wasn't Father Emperor who had the real talent."
Old Zhu became increasingly proud; his eldest son would always be his pride.
Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Southern Tang dynasty) was once renowned for his literary talent, partly due to the influence of prominent Confucian scholars like Song Lian, but also because he possessed genuine learning and ability. However, unlike Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't merely a Confucian disciple. His Confucian image was largely for public display; his true intentions remained those of an emperor.
“My grandson’s crown prince should be like this too. He must study,” Zhu Yunying said to his father. “Send him to the Imperial Academy. The education of our imperial clan cannot be taken lightly. But I don’t plan to let him study too deeply. He is the crown prince and will sit on the dragon throne in the future.”
Old Zhu clapped his hands in approval, saying that this was exactly what he had in mind. "That makes sense. He doesn't need to take the imperial examinations to become a scholar or a high-ranking official. We don't care about his literary talent. What we need to do is teach our crown prince to be practical and reasonable. That will be enough. When he grows up a bit, let him observe the livelihoods of the people to understand the hardships of food and clothing, and understand the likes and dislikes of the people to know the beauty and ugliness of customs."
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