Chapter 114: All the Talents in the World Are Within My Capacity

In just a moment, the expression on Liu Quti’s face changed continuously.

The original confident and surprised attitude of holding high the “big stick of ministers” ready to smash down Liu Jing here suddenly wilted!
All the ministers felt as if they had lost their parents at the same time.

At the same time, their hearts were greatly shaken.

Liu Jing’s reaction was extremely fierce!

In a word, from the local area to Chang’an, Liu Quti’s momentum was suppressed almost instantly.

Because what they are moving out is the imperial power!
And the current emperor, Liu Che, values ​​power the most!
really……

At this moment, Liu Che had become alert and was looking at Liu Jing intently.

They had talked for a long time before, with Liu Quti citing classics and using the Book of Rites to pressure Liu Che. Liu Che showed no expression at all, but when he heard that “the power to select officials returned to Chang’an”, he was moved.

Throughout his entire life, he has been concentrating on the path to imperial power to the extreme!
At first, the prime minister, as the head of all officials in the court, was in many cases no weaker than the emperor. The grand tutor held military power and was recommended by the families of several princes who founded the Han Dynasty together, which sometimes made the emperor wary.

But after he ascended the throne, he made several reforms. The prime minister became a “mascot” and the grand tutor disappeared and was replaced by the “grand marshal”.

Both the civil and military directions were easily optimized.

But as an emperor, I always feel that there are still many directions that cannot be reconciled.

Especially after Liu Jing’s reminder, he has also paid attention to the method of selecting officials.

As a formal way of selecting officials that he personally approved, he had a better understanding of how “ju xiaolian” worked.

Generally, counties and prefectures were divided according to population, and people who were recommended based on their talents were all brought to Chang’an.

At this time, they could not serve as officials. According to the system, they would serve as Langguan in the Lang Office and serve as palace guards, with the purpose of “observing the ability of ministers”.

For example, the current Imperial Censor Bao Shengzhi belongs to this category.

After becoming familiar with the operation of the court and the government system, selection will be carried out… and finally they will be appointed to official positions according to their respective abilities.

It sounds like the process is very complete, as if every talent can be evaluated and finally reused.

However, this is not the case.

Most of the Langguan were descendants of meritorious officials. He was old now and had no time to observe these people.

More importantly, over the years, the people recommended have become “alchemists” and “cruel officials” of his choice.

My family knows their own affairs.

There are big flaws in these “filial and honest” people, because they are all “talents” recommended and reported by various places, and this power is in the local area and not truly in the hands of the emperor.

“How to take back Chang’an?”

Finally, Liu Che suppressed the emotions surging in his heart and asked directly.

All the ministers looked over at the same time. It must be said that Liu Jing’s answer made them all change color.

But at the same time, the huge resistance before was much less.

The reason is simple, they are also in Chang’an.

He really didn’t believe that Emperor Jing’s grandson meant to clear out all of these ministers? This was totally impossible, and the method of replacing and selecting officials was not like this.

now.

After Liu Che asked, Liu Jing was also thinking about it.

The method of selecting officials in history was gradual.

From selecting filial and honest officials and outstanding talents to the imperial examination system, there have been a series of changes in between.

Emperor Wu of Han made the selection of filial and honest officials a legal path to official career in the Han Dynasty. Initially, in order to ensure the purity of this path to official selection, it was also stipulated that if the person recommending broke the law, the recommended person would have to bear the responsibility.

For example, Jiang Chong and Lady Gouyi before.

However, since it is inherently full of uncertainty and it is extremely easy to form “grasshoppers on a string”, interest groups naturally reach an agreement.

This situation cannot be avoided even in later generations. In the era when Liu Jing lived, similar letters of recommendation were just a variation.

Therefore, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, after the selection of filial and honest people, “examinations” appeared. The talents recommended by various places must go through a re-examination!
It’s called – the bus reexamination!
After the talents recommended by the prefectures and counties for filial and honest work arrived in the capital, they were re-examined by the government according to their different subjects and their academic achievements. This kind of examination was the prototype of the later imperial examination.

For example, a group of candidates can be tested on the topic of “familiarity with the classics” by a great Confucian scholar.

Logically, what Liu Jing needs to do now is to take a step ahead and propose a system similar to the imperial examination system.

However, history progresses step by step.

Because Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty promoted Confucianism as the only doctrine, Confucianism developed for hundreds of years. It was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty that examinations began to be conducted according to the teachings of great Confucian scholars. It was not until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Five Barbarians’ Invasion of China, and the Sui and Tang Dynasties that the foundation of the imperial examination system was laid. It was not until the Song and Ming Dynasties that it reached its true “peak”!
Among them, Confucianism has become the real “mainstream culture”, and various schools of thought have emerged one after another. Every era has its true leader, which has enabled the system to operate smoothly.

But even so, the imperial examination system had major flaws.

Of course these are too far away.

In the current Han Dynasty, the imperial examination system is not very feasible at present.

Although Liu Che respected Confucianism alone, Confucianism had not yet been deeply rooted in the hearts of every Han citizen. Moreover, at this time, although he was dressed in the cloak of Confucianism, he was actually implementing the harsh orders of Legalism.

The basic environment has not been reached, and the imperial examination seems to be unsuitable for the current environment.

Even the thing that gave Liu Jing a headache happened again.

Laws change over time.

There is no method of selecting officials that can guarantee absolute fairness. As time goes by, there will always be interest groups that find loopholes and get in on the action.

In the later period of the imperial examination system, the huge effect it created was not necessarily much better than that of selecting filial and honest people.

Therefore, a perfect method of selecting officials cannot appear now.

but.

Liu Jing thought again…

Based on the reality, things in the world cannot be made perfect.

But Liu Jing can make him perfect!

Therefore, Liu Jing needs a “skin” for the imperial examination!
Even though he had just given a lot of thought and even doubts about the imperial examinations in history.

However, it is the most brilliant selection system in Chinese history, and its duration spans almost the entire imperial era.

Is it also a “monument of achievement” for lucky coins?
And like Liu Che, he also wants to try “Confucianism as the only doctrine” once!

Just a thought together.

Liu Jing immediately replied: “Your Majesty, when the emperor selects officials, he will naturally open the court to all the people in the world!”

“It is no longer necessary to ask local officials to recommend filial and honest officials and outstanding talents!”

“Instead, it allows people all over the world to recommend themselves.”

“We will recruit whatever talents the court needs.”

“For example, in the military, we have established subjects such as archery, cavalry, bows, military tactics, weapons, etc….”

“In the field of civil affairs, subjects such as criminal justice, trial, classics, poetry, etc. are also set up.”

“Of course, in addition to being good at civil and military affairs, a person who can manage the world and be useful to society is a complete talent!”

“Therefore, we can also set up an agricultural department to be responsible for agricultural planting, fertilizing the soil, breeding and seedling selection, etc….”

“According to this law, the medical profession of curing diseases and saving lives will be established in accordance with different categories; the profession of making farm tools, building houses, stonemasons, carpenters, and even engineering professions such as flood control, bridge building, and road paving will be established…”

“On top of all these subjects, the most important assessment of ‘morality’ is set up…”

“No matter the status, the wealth or the humble, anyone with talent and virtue in the world can participate.”

At this moment, Liu Jing’s voice was full of temptation, and he looked up at Liu Che.

He said in a loud voice: “In this way, the gate of the Han Dynasty will be open to all people! Your Majesty can obtain the talents of all people!”

“This is what it means: All the talents in the world are within my reach!”

(End of this chapter)