In late spring and March, when the grass grows and the warblers fly, it is a good time for a garden outing. The gardens on the outskirts of Luoyang are also crowded with people. In addition to the private property of the aristocratic family, there are also official gardens such as Xingchun Garden and Zhegui Garden, which are specially opened to the children of the poor for them to play. It is also a virtue.
Today, there are many people in Xingchun Garden. Next to a dense forest of peach and plum trees, several men in green shirts were sitting around the table.
"Anyway, the list will be released after two days. Brother Zou, why bother asking for troubles? If you succeed or fail, you might as well wait for the list to be released before you care about it," said a man wearing a white cape.
Opposite him, the older companion smiled bitterly: "Brother Sun Xian is talented and naturally not afraid. I am not. Last year, the prince got married, and His Majesty only opened the Enke. If I fail this time, I don't know when I will have a chance..."
On the side, another man with lavish clothes and a strong figure didn't care: "Brother Zou is thinking about it. The year before last year, you settled in Youzhou and opened Enke. Last year, the prince got married, and there was also Enke. Wait until the emperor's grandson Born, will there be no Enke? Not to mention the recovery of Yongzhou and the pacification of Jiangdong... I think Your Majesty is benevolent, there is always a chance!".
That's not bad, and the face of the surnamed Zou softened: "It's because of Lu Xiandi Ji's words..."
"Brother Lu said it's not bad, but who said that I need to wait for the examination?" said the young man with a round face and a smile at the end of the party, "Isn't it wonderful to be on the Xingchun Garden in Xingchun Garden?"
The spring day system is commonly known as "Xingbang", and several people came to Xingchunyuan just to ask for a good word. Don't say it's Zou Qian, the rest of the people also shouted in unison. Putting down the burden, several people started having fun again.
Just two days ago, this year-old Enke just passed the exam. Since the founding of Da Zhao, the method of acquiring talents has changed. Every autumn, a regular department is opened. There are Jinshi, Mingjing, Mingfa, Mingshu, Mingsuan and other subjects. This is the National Talent Promotion Ceremony. If you want to enter the exam, you must be a student of Chongwenguan, Taixue, and local schools. There are also some talented people who can pass the state, county and township examinations and be selected for the township tribute.
As long as you enter the list, you can be awarded an official! Therefore, the examinations are extremely strict, and once they are on the list, they are the disciples of the emperor. Among the various disciplines, the Jinshi department is indescribably expensive. However, whether it is an apprentice or a village tribute, both origin and talent are required. For most of the underprivileged children, it is impossible to achieve.
But the Son of Heaven Shengming, in addition to the autumn routine, there is also the spring routine. This system, just like the original Bingzhou system, is aimed at collecting relics from the people, also known as "Enke". The exams are usually held in spring, with a wide variety of subjects, not only classics, history and literature, but also medicine and martial arts. There is no limit to the number of people taking part in the test. As long as you reach it, you can leap the Dragon Gate!
Zou Qian and several others are the poor children who rushed to this Enke. Among them, Zou Qian and Sun Zhang, who were born in a concubine family, took the erudition and literature and classics examinations. Lu Chun was a disciple of the general and came to the martial arts department. Zhu Yue's family was a businessman, and thanks to the construction of roads in Jizhou before, he was given a foreign honorary officer before he could enter the humanities department. Just think about the previous dynasty, how could they have a chance to enter? Even if it's just a low-ranking official, it's a great blessing!
Because of their similar backgrounds, several of them had similar interests and formed partners. After finally finishing the exam, we came to Xingchunyuan to relax to relieve the anxiety of waiting for the announcement.
After drinking a few glasses of wine, the topic turned back to the exam. Zou Qian said: "Speaking of which, the addition of special performances in Jinke is a major event. It is impossible to say that foreign officials will also be included in the imperial list in the future."
For candidates, the most important thing is the imperial policy. This special section is a major initiative this year, and it is specially aimed at people with official status. As long as there is a good evaluation of "diligence for officials and worthy of managing political affairs", they can participate in the special examination. The subjects tested are the same as those of Jinshi! For the underprivileged who cannot participate in the regular division, this is just another way out. First enter the body with Enke, and then be diligent in political affairs, get a good evaluation, as long as you pass the special performance test, you will be able to reach the high position that the family can only touch!
"This special performance is even more difficult to obtain than the jinshi." Zhu Yue could see clearly. Although this is a way out, each joint requires an extraordinary amount of effort. It's not easy to be a good official, and it's not easy to drop your studies. If the special performance exam fails, and the official is also abandoned, then it will not be worth the loss!
"It's better than wasting a lifetime and relying on an aristocratic family." Sun Zhang's talent was the head of the four. There are some thoughts on this subject. In the past, there were many people who entered the aristocratic family, called Keqing, who was really a servant. Now the Son of Heaven is playing a special performance, which is a once-in-a-century opportunity.
Lu Chun laughed and said, "That's the reason! In the morning I am Tian Shelang, and in the evening I enter the Hall of the Son of Heaven. If it wasn't for Enke, why would I wait for the day to come out?"
In the morning he was Tian Shelang, and in the evening he entered the Hall of the Son of Heaven. In one fell swoop, on the day of graduation, I returned to my hometown in fine clothes. I do not know when these four sentences spread in Luoyang City. Although the language is mediocre, it is catchy and the meaning is excellent, which makes people unable to sing. Regardless of whether it is the regular department or the system department, there is hope for those who are coming. When a man is alive, doesn't he depend on his ability and courage
"I also heard that someone in the DPRK said 'not Lizhou County, not Taiwan Province'. If this is the case, after more than ten years, the difference between clean and turbid, I am afraid that it will not be the same as before." Zhu Yue's news is also unknown. Where did it come from, but these words made everyone feel refreshed.
Since the Wei Dynasty, officials have been divided into "clear and turbid". Only the officials of "Qing Yao", "Qing Xian" and "Qing Xian" are the favored officials. The nine-pin selection method has made "advancement and progress" and "first career clearing" become exclusive to Menwang Gaohua. In the old days, the officials of the East Palace were all elected; the post of Huang San required everyone to be beautiful; and the secretary was the best in the world. Only those who are close to the Son of Heaven, who are in charge of Wenhan, and those who are leisurely and elegant, are the best candidates.
These "honest officials" are all ranked first in the family, how can the poor family get their hands on it? Therefore, high-ranking officials fell into the hands of the nobility.
However, the Great Zhao Dynasty was very different from the previous Dynasty. The emergence of three provinces and six ministries made "real administration" an important task for officials. Now, coupled with the rule of "no Lizhou County, no Taiwan Province", even if the high school occupies the secretary, the author, and the official title, what is the use? If you don't enter the six divisions, you don't get to the center, you're just a jester of the emperor!
As for Lizhou County, it is necessary to go down to serve as county magistrate and governor, to manage government closely to the people, and to select and evaluate performance. How many celebrities can afford to bury their heads in chores all day long? Therefore, as soon as this order is issued, the nine-rank selection method will be useless. Even if the quality is in the middle, the emperor bestows the official, but it is just a good-looking pretense. If you don't want to lose power, this "clean and turbid" official product may really change.
"It's even better! As long as we are diligent in government and love the people, I will not lose to the generations of ministers and ministers!" Sun Zhang raised his cup high, "For the birthday of the Son of Heaven!"
This voice came from the heart, as clear as a phoenix ming. Immediately, everyone raised their wine glasses, called the Holy Monarch in unison, and drank the wine.
I don't know how many Enke candidates are grateful for Mingjun. And Da Zhao Tianzi is standing in front of a strange building at this moment.
"This clock is really... ingenious." Looking at the towering pavilion that was nearly two feet tall, Liang Feng said a word after a while.
Shortly after ascending the throne, he ordered the Ministry of Works to build a bell tower outside the Taiji Hall. Although there is a copper leak on the sundial in the palace, it is still old in style. If it can be replaced with a new clock tower, it must be very different. He remembered that there was a water-powered timing device in the Song Dynasty, which also functioned as an observatory. Although the times are a little far apart, if there is no armillary sphere and only timing, the technical difficulty may be overcome.
Putting this semi-hydraulic and semi-mechanical bell tower outside the main hall such as the Taiji Temple is not to mention the extraordinary momentum, and it is also helpful for the development of science. Not to mention whether the deviation between the solar time and the clock will be found, and the earth's orbit will be further speculated. It is also good for motivating officials.
You must know that scientists in ancient China, nine times out of ten, came from bureaucratic groups. In history, there are many all-rounders who are knowledgeable in medicine, know astronomy, are good at water conservancy, and have a grasp of invention and creation. Arousing the curiosity of these potential enthusiasts is very beneficial to the development of technology. And those officials who don't care about the structure of clocks at all should have a little bit of "what's good for the top, and what's the bottom"? If the superiors like it, they will do it in a big way, and then there will be bureaucracy with Chinese characteristics.
Therefore, to build a clock tower, although the cost will not be small, but the benefits will be in the future.
The result was better than expected. It only took three years for the clock tower to be completed ahead of schedule. Unexpectedly, the style was 108,000 miles away from what Liang Feng expected. It is not the slender appearance of the tower shape of later generations, this clock tower is really a "tower". On the top floor, as he said, there is a vertical sundial with pointers and a twelve-hour scale. But below, it is upright, divided into five layers. There are densely packed small doors on each floor. It is said that on the hour, there will be wooden figures playing drums.
Hearing the emperor's "compliment", Zutaizhi, the minister of industry, took a step forward: "Report to Your Majesty, this building is five points, which is in line with the sky. The first floor is the Zhengya, with three gates. The bell is ringing at the beginning of the morning, and the bell is ringing in the middle of the morning. Every moment, there are wooden figures playing drums in the middle gate. The second floor announces the beginning of the day, and every time the hour comes, a wooden man raises a sign. The third floor announces the time, the fourth floor plays the fifth watch, and the last floor, It's a reward at night. The five take turns, day and night."
When I said it was five floors, it turned out to be divided into two ways of telling the time, text and voice. This is much finer than a bird popping out and a few "cuckoo" sounds.
Liang Feng couldn't help nodding and glanced at the dial: "But it's noon?"
Invite the emperor to visit the new clock tower, and naturally choose the time close to the whole hour. Sure enough, as soon as Liang Feng's voice fell, he saw that the pointer landed at the 12 o'clock position. After hearing "Dangdang" twice, in the wooden door on the right side of the first floor, a purple-robed puppet rang the bronze bell. At the same time, the purple-robed puppets on the second floor also raised their signs, which read "Noon". The two act in the same way, they are naive, and people like them.
"Good!" Liang Feng praised, "With this thing, all the ministers should be able to work and rest according to the time."
In fact, without this big clock, none of the civil servants who commute in the palace would dare to be late. But the emperor's order always has a deep meaning. Isn't this clock just to urge all officials to be diligent and punctual
Immediately, everyone around him praised the Son of Heaven and Shengming. Zu Taizhi hurriedly said: "I also ask Your Majesty to give me a name."
Liang Feng thought for a while: "Let's call it Kaimingtai. The image of enlightenment is diligent and real."
This name is cliché, but Jinkou Yuyan, who dares to disapprove? Ignoring the turbulent flattery, Liang Feng turned his head and said to Liu Jian beside him, "You can also supervise an observatory in Qintian and reset the armillary sphere."
With the telescopic mirror, the next step is the astronomical telescope. Although I don't know how many years it will take to overcome the difficulties, the foundation must be solid first.
Liu Jian immediately bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Recently, the Tiantian Superintendent has changed the calendar, and the calendar for next year can be set two months in advance!"
"Oh?" Liang Feng raised his eyebrows, "That's very good. This almanac will be published all over the world. Let the people know about the four seasons!"
Now that there is engraving and printing, and there are supporting measurement personnel, it is natural to make a fortune selling the imperial calendar. But making money is still a small matter, which is undoubtedly one of the ways to declare the orthodoxy of the dynasty. Just imagine if Yongzhou and Jiangdong also used Da Zhao's almanac, who would dare to say that he was not destined to go
Turning his gaze back to the clock tower, Liang Feng nodded in satisfaction. The system will be published soon, this thing should be an eye-opener for the new scholars who enter the palace to meet
The author has something to say: The instrument Liang Shao said was a water transport instrument platform produced by Su Song in the Song Dynasty, and the bell tower was also depicted with reference to the prototype