I

The two hundred new scholars were all given white official uniforms. The clothes had no grade and they had to be returned after wearing them.

The main gate of the Forbidden City, which is only opened two or three times a year, is also opened exclusively for Jinshi. Ceremonies, etiquette and music are of the highest level and are only used when the emperor ascends the throne, weddings, birthdays, triumphs and New Year's Day.

Li Kaiji, as the top pick, leads the way.

The cannon at the Meridian Gate fired, and the music started again.

All civil and military officials entered through the two side doors, but new scholars could enter directly through the Meridian Gate. Normally, only the emperor could walk through the Meridian Gate, and the queen could only walk through the Meridian Gate when she was married.

The majestic palace, solemn music, majestic ceremonial guards, and extraordinary treatment made the blood of these two hundred Jinshi boil with excitement, and they felt proud of being the chosen one.

Cui Wenxiu burst into tears instantly. He would never return to North Korea and would stay in China to repay the emperor's kindness. In order to show his loyalty and stand out quickly, he has decided to do something: go to the imperial court and take back the territory south of the Yalu River, which was originally Chinese land and was occupied by North Korea at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

Best if Datong China can annex North Korea, then he will be a Chinese through and through and will not be discriminated against by his colleagues because of his origin.

Sun Chengen was also very excited, and his whole body was shaking. The emperor has not held the imperial examination for a long time? The emperor divided his family's land? The emperor forcibly separated his family and moved him to Shandong? That is His Majesty's policy strategy. Sun Chengen will not complain anymore. Today he is blessed and honored, and all the efforts he has made in the past are worth it.

After crossing the bridge, two hundred Jinshi were waiting in the square.

"The emperor ascends to the palace!"

"Hundred officials enter the court!"

The music sounded again, and the officials divided into two lines and lined up to enter the Chengtian Hall.

I don’t know what was said inside. Not long after, Chen Maosheng walked out of the hall. He held the Chuanlu sticker in his hand, stood behind Lord Dan, and glanced at the scholars.

Zhang Dai, the minister of Honglu Temple, walked quickly to Chen Maosheng and bowed to touch the Chuanlu sticker.

Then, Zhang Dai walked down the steps: "Fengtian Yingmin Emperor, Zhi said: In the ninth year of the Republic of China, on March 15th, we will test the world's tributes. The first A will be awarded the Jinshi and the rank, the second will be the Jinshi's background, and the third will be the Jinshi. Jia Ci was born with the same Jinshi background. Tanhua Shen Wei!"

Shen Wei walked out of the queue. The traditional rule was to kneel in front, but now she only had to stand there.

Zhang Dai shouted again: "Second place Zhang keeps his promise!"

Zhang Shouyue also stepped forward immediately.

Zhang Dai shouted again: "Li Kaiji, the number one scholar!"

Li Kai continued to move forward more, until he stood in front of Dan Bi's leader, taking the meaning of "taking the lead" in the title of Zhuang Yuan Gong.

Zhang Dai continued to shout: "Wang Zunxun, the first place in the second class..."

It took a while for the roll call to be completed, and the music changed again. This time it was Zhonghe Shao music, which was played specifically for the new scholars.

"Lebi!"

"Get up the guard of honor!"

Female officers and imperial guards, holding umbrellas and ceremonial guards, guided the Jinshi to the main hall. They originally went directly to Donghua Gate, but the emperor wanted to give them a lecture at the last moment, so he took them into the palace to talk.

"See Your Majesty, long live my emperor!"

Li Kaiji was so excited that he forgot the rules of etiquette and knelt down directly before the emperor. The Jinshi behind him also knelt down.

Zhao Han said: "Get up and talk."

All the Jinshi were grateful and saved.

Zhao Han smiled and said: "Jinshi in the previous dynasty were at least seven-rank county magistrates, and those who were retained as eighth-rank officials were also laymen. Now that you have passed the Jinshi examination, you are only allowed to be eighty-ninth rank. Some people say that I am too weak in waiting for new Jinshi. Do you have any resentment in your hearts?"

"I don't dare!" all the Jinshi shouted.

Zhao Han said: "Strong generals must be sent from the army, and prime ministers must be from the state. Why? Those who have never been officers and soldiers at the grassroots level do not know what small soldiers think. People who have never been officials at the grassroots level do not know how to fight against the common people. What do you want? In the pre-Ming Dynasty, I studied hard for ten years in a cold window, and once I was released as a county magistrate, did I really know how to be an official and govern the people?"

Zhao Han glanced down, slapped the throne, and said in a serious tone: "They know nothing!"

The officials and scholars all looked at Zhao Han in surprise. The emperor actually cursed in a formal occasion.

Zhao Han continued: "Those county magistrates in the previous Ming Dynasty could not even manage the county government, let alone the countryside. When they took office, they had to hire a master, who had to give advice on everything. Officials enriched their own pockets, and the master plundered the place. Officials deceived the superiors and concealed the truth from the inferiors, and this is how the Ming Dynasty was corrupted!"

"When you serve as an official under me, you are not allowed to hire a master. Since the master can govern, what else do you want to do as an official? Isn't it better to just let the master be an official?"

"From now on, when new scholars are sent to other places, they will not be allowed to govern in the first three months. Instead, they will go to their respective yamen and observe the government for three months. They must figure out how to do things, so as not to understand nothing after taking office; Sort out the personnel affairs of the yamen, so as not to be deceived by local officials!"

"Don't worry, all future officials will start from the eighth or ninth grade. No one can get there first, they all have to be promoted step by step!"

"Li Kaiji, Zhang Shouyue, Shen Wei, you three come forward!"

There were three Jinshi in the first class and they quickly walked out of the queue.

Zhao Han said: "I wanted to let you observe the government for three years, but the cabinet elders said it was too long. Then stay in the cabinet, observe the government for three months first, and then be a member of the middle school for nine months, and then go out to work. From the seventh rank. You can directly become a seventh-rank official, which is a preferential treatment for a first-grade Jinshi."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The three of them bowed in unison.

Zhao Han said: "Guangnan, Ryukyu, Taiwan, Qiongzhou, and the northern provinces with empty populations. When the time comes, you can choose for yourself and see if you like hot or cold. From now on, the first-class Jinshi will be the poorest and the poorest for me. It’s a miserable place. Of course, the poorer the place, the faster it will be. Is there anyone who doesn’t want to?”

"I would like to go to Ryukyu!" Li Kaiji made a choice on the spot. He felt that Ryukyu should be the worst.

Zhang Shouyue said: "I am from Guangdong and I am not afraid of the heat. I am willing to go to Guangnan to serve as an official!"

Shen Wei said: "I can go to Liaoning."

The first Jinshi made a statement, and the remaining Jinshis spoke out one after another, all requesting to serve as officials in poor places.

Young people, with their ambitions still intact, all want to be promoted quickly and then join the cabinet to worship the prime minister or serve as pastor. They were the first Jinshi in the new dynasty, and they went to the poorest place. Even if their political performance was average, they would be promoted quickly during the evaluation and transfer.

After a few years of hard work, you can become a high official and do great things!

"Okay, I'm very relieved," Zhao Han said with a smile, "Since the imperial examination has been restored, the imperial examination has also been restored. However, the shuji scholars in the new dynasty cannot enter the Hanlin Academy to be the prime minister, but are selected to be the secretary of the Central Committee. Sheren, go to the cabinet to assist the cabinet elders in their work. The term of the middle school secretary is about one to three years. When he is sent out, he will be treated the same as a first-class Jinshi, and he can be a seventh-rank scholar when he goes to the place."

As soon as this statement came out, all the scholars were happy.

The second and third grade scholars have another chance. As long as they are admitted as Shujishi, they can work in the cabinet. Not only are you exposed to national affairs every day, but you can also become familiar with the cabinet bosses. There will definitely be hidden preferential treatment for career advancement in the future.

"Dismiss the dynasty!"

Zhao Han left the banquet and the ministers bowed to see him off.

The two hundred Jinshi slowly exited the main hall, and were guided by the canopy of honor guards to head to Donghua Gate collectively.

There are many horses there, all brought from horse farms on the outskirts of Beijing.

In the Ming Dynasty, only the top scholar in the new department could ride home on horseback. When we arrived at Zhao Han's place, all the Jinshi were riding horses, and the Jinshi were treated more favorably in a ceremonial sense.

"Master Zhuangyuan, please." Jinling Prefecture Yin said with a smile.

Li Kaiji cupped his hands and said, "I have to pay the governor."

The governor of Jinling was a little surprised: "Does the Number One Scholar recognize me?"

Li Kaiji smiled and said: "I live in the outskirts of Luling County, and I knew Fu Yin when I was in Luling County."

"Hahahaha, then we are indeed old acquaintances!"

The governor of Jinling is Fei Yu. Fei Yuanjian was born as a book boy and first worked as a secretary for Zhao Han. When he was in Qianshan, Fei Yu helped contact merchants to sell Zhao Han's "Legend of the Condor Heroes" royalties.

Fei Yu personally led Li Kaiji's horse. In front of him was a canopy of honor, and he walked out of Donghua Gate with gongs and drums beating.

The remaining new scholars did not receive such good treatment. They were only given horses by ordinary imperial guards.

"Li Kaiji, the new top scholar, is coming out of Donghua Gate!"

When he went out, there were some minor officials doing a roll call, and countless people from the capital were watching, including eldest girls and young wives.

Li Kaiji was wearing the No. 1 Scholar robe, a black gauze hat on his head, and flowers on his temples. The ceremonial guard led the way, the gongs and drums cleared the way, the governor led the horse, and all eyes were on him.

Li Kaiji seemed to be in the clouds, his whole body floating into the sky.

More and more Jinshi rode out from Donghua Gate and paraded collectively along the streets throughout the city. Along the way, there were thunderous cheers, and even the shopkeepers ran to the street to watch the excitement.

It was spring at this time, and someone picked wild flowers, made them into bouquets or garlands, and threw them towards the Jinshi with a smile.

Some Jinshi just caught it, took off their hats, and put the wreath on their chests, which attracted even more enthusiastic cheers.

Mao Bijiang stood in the private room of the restaurant, looking at the excitement outside through the window, and murmured to himself: "The spring breeze is so proud that the horse's hooves are so fast that I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day. Alas, time is also fate!"

"We... think too much." Wu Weiye said.

Both of them came from wealthy families and were famous for their talents. They couldn't afford to be petty officials, otherwise they would have been promoted to high-ranking officials long ago. After coming to Nanjing, although his talent and reputation became more impressive, he has been waiting for the imperial examination to become an official.

Who would have thought that the emperor restored the imperial examination, but set an upper age limit for traditional scholars.

At their age, they are not even qualified to take part in the imperial examination!

Now, as I watch the newly crowned scholars parade through the streets with their hairpins, it would be a lie to say that I am not envious or jealous. At this moment, I really wish that I was the one riding the horse.

Cui Wenxiu was riding a tall horse. Everywhere he saw, there were crowds of people, all seeming to be cheering for him. What a prosperous capital city, what a supreme glory, which further strengthened his determination to go to Shu. He must ask the emperor to annex North Korea before he could become a 100% Chinese.

The team of Jinshi parading with hairpins and flowers even went to the Qinhuai River.

Walking along the riverside streets, the lofts on the street have their windows opened. The girls waved their handkerchiefs, laughing and shouting without hesitation. Some simply threw down the handkerchiefs, and some threw fruits at the Jinshi in excitement.

"Come on, someone, the new Jinshi was knocked unconscious by the fruit!"

"No throwing heavy objects!"