Chapter 474: Two Hundred Years of Conflict

As for military generals, they can be selected from those who emerge through continuous wars.

However, Li Yun is still too short of civil servants. The most obvious thing is that he can’t even choose the governors for the six states in Jiangdong.

And if he does not have enough candidates, then there is only one way, which is to appoint the old bureaucrats of the Great Zhou.

In fact, Li Yun has always been using the old bureaucrats of the Great Zhou. Even though he has occupied the territory, except for a few places, he can only continue to use Zhou ministers in most other places.

In the first half of the year, because the Emperor returned to Guanzhong, many officials of the Great Zhou under Li Yun resigned and went to the capital to report Li Yun and sue Li.

Even so, when Li Zheng later occupied most of the places in the eastern part of Jiangnan, he still used Zhou’s ministers, but the money and grain of these states and counties were all handed over to Li Yun.

If we want to change this situation, we must start from the root.

To put it more directly, if you want to establish your own civil service system, you must establish your own civil service selection mechanism. If you trace back further, you must also establish your own education system.

Judging from the current situation in Jiangdong, it is obviously too late to start education from scratch. After all, it will take at least ten years to complete the education process.

However, there is nothing wrong with setting up your own selection mechanism.

Now, the power to appoint personnel in Jiangdong is in Li Yun’s hands. Whoever he wants to be an official can use his documents to become an official.

With this kind of authority in hand, it is easy to establish a selection mechanism. No matter what name is used, as long as the process from examination to recruitment is completed and fixed regulations are formed, it will be considered a success.

Whether it is called imperial examination or literary meeting is not important.

Although these recruited “newcomers” may not be able to be assigned to various positions immediately, everything has to start somewhere. If you don’t start now and wait a few years, it will only become more and more delayed.

Even if those hired now are just “interns”, they can be regarded as “talent reserves” for the future Jiangdong small court.

Moreover, there might be many talented people among the people, and Li Yun could pick out one or two of them and use them directly on the battlefield.

Li Yun looked at Du Qian and continued to express his thoughts.

“I have thought about this matter carefully in the past few days. According to my idea, this literary conference will be held every year in the future. After three years, it will be changed to every two years, and then every three years.”

At this point, Li Yun looked at Du Qian and whispered, “There is one more important thing. The content of the examination for our literary gathering is different from that for the imperial examination.”

The imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty were clearly divided into the classics section, the Jinshi section, and then into the regular section and the special section.

The former is the subject of the exam, and the latter is the name of the exam itself.

The contents of the examination include the Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and songs.

As for Jiangdong’s exam, Li Yun plans to specialize him.

The so-called specialization means that in addition to some basic knowledge, professional knowledge is also tested.

First, a group of people are selected through some common knowledge points, such as the Four Books and Five Classics, and then each government office will re-examine these people according to its own needs.

For example, when the government office in charge of criminal law recruits people, it needs to start with the court laws. Those who are familiar with the court criminal law, can judge cases, or have other professional knowledge will naturally be given priority.

Those who were assigned to serve as local officials in various local government offices were personally subject to a comprehensive examination by Li Yun.

During this period, Li Yun had thought a lot about the selection system, and now he told Du Qian everything. He talked nonstop for about an hour, then took a sip of tea, looked at Du Qian, and asked, “Brother Du, do you think my method is feasible?”

Du Qian hadn’t spoken for a long time. Hearing this, he looked at Li Yun and said with a wry smile, “Sir, are you going to use this method of selecting scholars at the Jinling Literary Conference, or in the future… when the imperial examination is held?”

“It’s just a pilot project now. After all, we are so short of people in Jiangdong.”

Li Yun smiled and said, “If it works, we’ll do it this way from now on.”

“This is the art of treatment.”

Du Qian looked at Li Yun and whispered, “If this gets out, the Confucian scholars all over the world will point fingers at you and scold you.”

Confucianism, or the Confucianism of this era, believes that the law of the sage is the great law of the world and the universal way. As long as one learns the knowledge of the sage, it can be applied to all walks of life. There is no place in the world that cannot be governed, and no matter in the world that cannot be managed.

This is the way of practicing Tao, which is the “Tao governance” that is higher than the technical governance.

Li Yun didn’t take it seriously. After taking a sip of tea, he said, “I just do my own thing. If they want to scold me, just let them do it. If they have the guts, come to me and scold me.”

At this point, he suddenly looked up at Du Qian and asked, “Brother Du, do you also disagree with this method of selecting scholars?”

Du Qian was silent.

He also didn’t know whether Li Yun’s ideas were right or wrong.

Although it all sounds reasonable, it is completely contrary to the education he received since childhood.

After a long while, Du Qian lowered his head and drank tea, saying: “Your Excellency, if we only consider the art but not the truth, and have talent but no virtue, the officials selected in this way will inevitably fail in their localities, may fail in their localities…”

He wanted to say that he was oppressing the people and pretending to obey but secretly disobeying the emperor’s orders. But when he thought about the officials who were educated in Confucian orthodoxy, he thought that they would do the same, so he could not say any more.

Li Yun glanced at him and said with a smile: “Brother Du, everyone in the world can learn from the Master’s teachings. I also think that everyone in the world should learn from them, but learning is one thing and using is another.”

“When it comes to real life, Master’s teachings may not work.”

Du Qian clenched his fists, looked up at Li Yun, and was speechless.

“Sir, the truth of the saints, the truth of the saints…”

Seeing that he was hesitant, Li Yun continued, “The sage said, ‘Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you.’ There are countless people in the world who have read this sentence. If everyone could do this, the world would have been prosperous and peaceful long ago.”

“Why is the world in such chaos now?”

“Most people just listen to what others say.”

“Moreover.”

Li Yun put down the cup and said slowly: “I seek practical work and achievements, which does not necessarily mean I am anti-Confucian. You can still learn the Four Books and Five Classics, but in addition to these classics, if you want to be an official here, you have to learn some practical work.”

Du Qian smiled bitterly and said, “Your Excellency is no longer an ordinary person.”

He looked at Li Yun and said, “With your ability, there is great hope that you will unify the world in the future. If you continue to do this after unification, it will be a precedent that will last for at least 200 years.”

“If we don’t seek the truth for two hundred years, I’m afraid no one will mention the way of the saints.”

He stared at Li Yun and said, “Don’t forget, my lord. The saints also said, ‘The ruler is the ruler, the subject is the subject; the father is the father, the son is the son!'”

This sentence can be said to be the cornerstone of the existence of all feudal dynasties, and it is also the source of the emperor’s authority in the imperial era.

Du Qian’s words are also the reason why Confucianism and Confucius have been respected throughout the dynasties.

The words of the saints contain logic that has allowed them to exist for more than two hundred years.

Li Yun thought about it seriously, and then said softly: “I still think that to be an official… one must at least have some skills, and not just be able to recite books and write essays.”

He took a deep breath and said, “As for the ruler, the subject, the father, the father, the son.”

He looked at Du Qian and said slowly: “Brother Du, my original intention of conquering the world was not here.”

“Even the words of the saints always put the ruler first, the father first, and the minister second, the son second.”

Mr. Li was very determined: “Maintaining the court does not rely on the words of these saints, but on making life easier for the people of the world.”

Du Qian sighed and said, “Your Excellency is right, but throughout history, the emperor on the throne has always hoped that the people will not rebel even if they are not living well.”

Li Yun shook his head and said, “I don’t take these.”

He looked at Du Qian and said, “Brother Du, we have already agreed that all major policies should be implemented first. Jiangdong is a good place for implementation. We are short of civil servants now. Anyway, let’s try it out in Jiangdong for one or two years.”

Du Qian stood up, bowed his head and said, “I obey your command.”

Li Yun stood up, pulled his sleeve, and said with a smile: “Why does Brother Du seem to be more polite after this trip?”

“The etiquette cannot be abolished.”

Du Qian said slowly: “The current envoy can be said to be the ruler of Jiangdong. The proper etiquette must be observed.”

Li thought about it and said nothing more. He sent Du Qian all the way to the gate of Li Garden. The two said goodbye at the gate. Li Yun clasped his fists towards him and said, “I will think about this matter more in Li Garden these few days. Brother Du should also think about it when he goes back. If Brother Du still can’t figure it out, feel free to come and talk to me.”

“I am the best at listening to opinions.”

Du Qian nodded slowly and said, “I understand.”

After the two parted, Li Yun turned around and went back to the backyard of Li Garden to visit his wife and children.

After Du Qian walked out for dozens of steps, he suddenly turned around and looked at Li Yuan.

At this moment, he thought of a baby still in swaddling clothes.

After thinking for a while, he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the Jinling government office with his hands behind his back.

The way of the sage has been around for thousands of years, and no one can truly change it.

Even if it is possible…it won’t last long.

Just for a while.

(End of this chapter)