Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 38 Two Big Hands
"Young Master, just go for the exam with peace of mind. It's not you testing them, but they testing you." The night before the provincial examination, Zhang Fu said to Zhang Yunxiu while he was packing things for him while he was still reading.

Ok? !

Zhang Yunxiu put down the book and his tense nerves relaxed.

In the eighth year of the Wanli reign, my eldest brother and third brother took the imperial examination together. One won the top spot, and the other was ranked among the top two.

Oh, Zhang Taizheng, the son of Zhang Siwei, the second assistant of the cabinet, also took a reference in that department.

Fourth place in Class 2.

If Zhang Fu hadn't reminded him, Zhang Yunxiu would have almost forgotten that he was a relative of his.

What’s the point of learning that?

After figuring this out, Zhang Yunxiu stood up, stretched, and had an indescribable look of relief on his face.

Zhang Fu smiled and was about to say something else when the door banged open and Zhang Jingxiu walked in, smiling.

"Big brother."

"Eldest son."

The two of them laughed and shouted.

Zhang Jingxiu glanced at the books on the table, thinking that his fifth brother was nervous, so he smiled and said, "When I took the exam, I was also nervous like you, but later it was Maoxiu who reminded me, so I just had fun, and in the end I did not do badly."

“I am not telling you this to show off my knowledge, but to tell you that knowledge is accumulated daily and is not achieved overnight.

Just do your best and keep an open mind.”

He has seen too many students who seem to be well-educated on weekdays but whose brains become like paste when they enter the examination room.

This is the state of mind.

Zhang Yunxiu felt much more relieved after hearing his elder brother's warning.

His memory has always been good, and his original body had some foundation. Of course, it is impossible for him, as the son of the Prime Minister, not to be taken care of.

The chief examiner of this subject is Yu Youding, also a sly old fox.

"Don't worry, big brother. I don't seek to be the first, I just want to be on the list." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and bowed in reply.

"That's right, relax."

"I can spare it."

Zhang Yunxiu nodded.

Zhang Jingxiu smiled and stared at his brother for a while. Seeing a few tufts of whiskers on the boy's lips, he said softly, "Fifth brother, you are about to take the imperial examination and you are already eighteen years old. It's time to think about your lifelong affairs."

"Ah?!" Zhang Yunxiu screamed in surprise.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just talking to you."

"Is this what father meant?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

Zhang Jingxiu did not comment, and continued to ask: "Do you have a girl you like? If so, tell me and I will ask your sister-in-law to tell you."

"I don't have any favorite girls." Zhang Yunxiu smiled bitterly and shook his head, and then said, "Besides, I am still a scholar. It's too early to talk about these things now. It's too early."

"When Jian Xiu was your age, she was already married."

"I'm different."

Zhang Yunxiu didn't want to dwell on this issue any longer, so he used the excuse of being sleepy to order the guest to leave.

A dreamless night.

Early the next morning, Zhang Yunxiu was full of energy and went straight to the provincial examination hall with light luggage.

Students from all over northern Zhili gathered here, making the city of Beijing particularly lively.

When Zhang Yunxiu arrived, the door to the examination room was already open. After bidding farewell to Zhang Fu, Zhang Yunxiu announced his name and then, under the envious gazes of the other examinees, he walked into his seat and sat down.

The provincial examination was held in three sessions.

Nine days in total.

He sat there and looked around calmly, seeing that most people were eager to try. Zhang Yunxiu felt his cheeks slightly hot and his adrenaline surged.

That's the feeling of excitement.

Soon, the test papers were distributed, and the first test mainly tested the contents of the Four Books and Five Classics.

Zhang Yunxiu wrote it easily.

The second round of policy discussion is about economics.

The third session combines current affairs strategies with the meaning of classics.

When Zhang Yunxiu was studying, his elder brother helped him to point out the key points, and the current affairs had already been imprinted in his mind.

Therefore, although the test results were not very good, they were at least acceptable.

After finishing the three exams, Zhang Yunxiu walked out of the examination room yawning with a relaxed look on his face.

Outside the examination room, there was already a huge crowd of people. Friends and relatives who were taking the exam, servants and bookboys, were trying their best to squeeze in, as if the door would be closed if they were late. Zhang Yunxiu was shocked by the scene and hurriedly trotted to his carriage.

Zhang Fu had been waiting here long ago. When he saw Zhang Yunxiu coming out, he hurriedly handed him his robe and said flatteringly, "Sir, the exam is over now. Feng Bangning is inviting you to a banquet tonight."

"Don't mention him to me anymore." Zhang Yunxiu glared at Zhang Fu, then got on the carriage and ordered, "Let's go home."

"Oh, hey." Zhang Fu responded with embarrassment on his face.

By the time Zhang Yunxiu returned to his mansion, it had already darkened.

He had a simple dinner, took a hot bath, and was about to have a good sleep when he heard You Qi say, "Sir, the master asked you to go to the study to see him."

"understood."

Zhang Yunxiu felt uneasy, but he had no choice but to go to the appointment.

When he pushed the door open, he saw Zhang Juzheng wearing a square scarf on his head and a crane cloak, sitting on a pear blossom chair like an immortal.

"Father."

Zhang Yunxiu called out timidly, and Zhang Juzheng opened his eyes, pointed to the chair on the right and said, "Sit down."

After a slight hesitation, Zhang Yunxiu sat on the chair.

Could it be that he already knew the result when I just finished the exam?
The only thing that could make Zhang Juzheng find his place recently was the provincial examination.

Apart from this, Zhang Yunxiu didn’t know what else was worthy of the concern of this prime minister who was so busy with state affairs.

While Zhang Yunxiu was thinking about this, Zhang Juzheng glanced at his son and said calmly, "Tell me more about your 'two big hands', in more detail."

So that’s what happened!
Zhang Yunxiu took a reassurance pill, dragged his stool forward, and said with a smile: "In fact, these 'two big hands' can be summed up in eight words, 'make the best use of things and people's talents'. Scholars can display their knowledge, farmers have land to cultivate, workers have a skill, and businessmen can make a profit."

“In order to gain greater profits, merchants must continue to make their products better, and the fittest will survive.

In the end, only the good goods will be left. This is a spontaneous action of the people, not promoted by the imperial court. "

"It's just like the tea-horse smuggling in the northwest border and the maritime smuggling in the southeast coast. As long as there is profit, people will rush to do it even if it means death."

“Of course, this benefit is not long-lasting.”

Having said this, Zhang Yunxiu paused briefly.

Zhang Juzheng did not comment and motioned Zhang Yunxiu to continue.

"So, we have to guide them and build a good trading environment, allowing them to compete, but they have to compete under certain rules." Zhang Yunxiu stood up and said indignantly, "Now, officials are levying heavy taxes and often use their authority to suppress businessmen. My son thinks this is wrong."

"It has always been the case that agriculture is emphasized and commerce is suppressed," Zhang Juzheng retorted. "If the people all engage in business, then everyone will want to get something for nothing, and the people will become lazy. Who will farm the land?"

"Leave it to someone who specializes in farming."

"Someone who specializes in farming?" Zhang Juzheng was puzzled.

"If business can make money as my father said, everyone will go into business. Then the people's land will be left uncultivated. Then the court can rent the people's land and hire people to farm it."

"Land is the lifeblood of the people."

"Didn't you say that business can make money, but the land is left barren?" Zhang Yunxiu asked with a smile.

Chinese farmers take their feelings for land more seriously than anyone else.

No matter how much he promotes business, the ordinary people will still have to farm.

At most, small merchants and workshops developed. This was the embryo of capitalism.

"Go on." Zhang Juzheng was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Zhang Yunxiu and ordered.

"Don't think that the current commercial tax is less than 10% of the agricultural tax, but in the future, it will be equal to it." Zhang Yunxiu was very excited, and he became more and more excited as he spoke. "Once the business is prosperous, the things in the hands of ordinary people can also be sold at a good price. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"

On par with agricultural taxes?
Zhang Juzheng didn't believe it at all. Since ancient times, commercial taxes have only been a very small part.

Knowing that his father would not believe him, Zhang Yunxiu took out a piece of silver and a brush and made four small dots on the rice paper.

"These four dots represent four people. The first one represents a student taking an exam, the second one is the innkeeper, the third one is a sheep merchant, and the fourth one is the owner of a slaughterhouse."

Facing Zhang Juzheng's puzzled look, Zhang Yunxiu introduced: "Now, the innkeeper owes the slaughterhouse owner ten taels of silver, the slaughterhouse owner owes the sheep vendor ten taels of silver, and the vendor owes the innkeeper ten taels of silver."

"The three of them were pulling each other."

"Now, a student went to the inn to take an exam and paid ten taels of silver. The innkeeper immediately gave the money to the slaughterhouse owner, who gave it to the merchant, who gave it to the innkeeper.

At this time, the scholar had something urgent to do and wanted to return the room fee, so the boss returned ten taels of silver to him.

Zhang Juzheng frowned when he heard this. The ten taels of silver went around and returned to the student's hands intact.

But the debts of the three people were all offset.

"This is the importance of money circulation, and this is also the importance of merchants." Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile, "Without merchants, where would we get silk and satin to wear? Without merchants, how would the people exchange their extra grain for goods?"

"Merchants are full of the smell of money." Zhang Juzheng wanted to refute, but this was the only reason he could find.

The two men argued about the business issue until midnight. In the end, Zhang Juzheng was so angry that his lips turned purple and he was furious.

Zhang Yunxiu didn't dare to argue with him anymore and let the matter go.

(End of this chapter)