I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 129 Four feet five inches! The Inaccurate Bow of Xiangfu County, Kaifeng Prefecture
February 8th, early morning.

Hai Rui continued his inspection tour in Yingzhou, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi.

Fang Fengshi, the governor of Shanxi, did not sleep all night. After thinking for a long time, he wrote down the content of his conversation with Hai Rui and ordered someone to send it to Wang Chonggu, the governor of Shanxi, who was in the border army camp.

this moment.

Fang Fengshi had come to understand why Hai Rui wanted to bring down Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

If these two individuals remain in high positions, the Zhang and Wang families will continue their rapid expansion in Shanxi.

Based on the current situation...

The Zhang and Wang families have established increasingly close trade relations with the Mongols, to the point that their interests are aligned.

Some Shanxi merchants, seeking huge profits, smuggled contraband such as grain and ironware to the Mongols.

Fang Fengshi had heard of it.

However, he was unaware of the involvement of the Zhang and Wang families.

If one day the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols were to go to war, the two great families might very well side with the enemy.

After all, in the eyes of some businessmen, profit is above all else.

If a change of dynasty is beneficial to them, they might engage in acts of treason.

But this is only one possibility.

At present, Fang Fengshi still believes that Shanxi's commerce cannot be separated from the Zhang and Wang families, and the imperial court is unlikely to severely punish Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu without serious crimes.

He advocates living in the moment and only wishes for stability in Shanxi during his tenure.

and so.

He bet that Hai Rui would not get his wish, and that the court's final attitude would be all bark and no bite, and that it would be impossible to suppress Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu.

……

February 8th, near noon.

East of the Daming Gate in the capital, inside the Ministry of Rites, a banquet for the examiners of the imperial examination was underway.

After the examiners and officials finished the banquet bestowed upon them by the young Wanli Emperor, they were to move into the examination hall.

The imperial examination consisted of three sessions, lasting a total of nine days.

The first exam is scheduled for February 15th, and the last exam will end on February 23rd. Shen Nian and the others will not be able to leave the examination hall until they have finished grading the papers, which will definitely be in early March.

Next, the examiners will be very busy both setting and reviewing the questions.

The banquet was halfway through.

Ma Ziqiang, Minister of Rites, concurrently a Hanlin Academician and chief examiner of the metropolitan examination, stood up from the front seat.

He picked up his wine glass, looked around, and immediately the surroundings fell silent.

This posture clearly indicated that Ma Ziqiang was about to speak.

Ma Ziqiang stroked his beard and said, “Gentlemen, this morning, I was summoned by His Majesty to instruct him on the matters of the provincial examination. His Majesty said that the provincial examination is very complicated, especially the grading of papers. The examiners must do their best to select candidates day and night, and only the most outstanding will be accepted. In addition, His Majesty also gave instructions on the palace examination. In this palace examination, the court intends to select a group of capable people for important positions.”

"After much deliberation, I propose that, in order to give the newly appointed candidates more time to prepare for the palace examination, the examiners' grading time be shortened to seven days. Does anyone have any objections?"

According to convention.

The examiners typically spent between ten and twelve days grading the papers for the imperial examinations.

If calculated over ten days, each of the seventeen examiners for this imperial examination would need to review about eighty papers per day, and the number of questions reviewed per day would reach more than four thousand.

The workload is already very heavy.

Even someone as efficient as Shen Nian has to stay up all night to review them.

If the number of days is reduced by three more, I'm afraid none of the examiners will be able to go back to their rooms to rest before midnight.

Even with the reduced time, the examiners dared not lower the quality of their marking. Any mistake in marking would be a grave error, and they could not afford to be careless in the slightest.

The examination system has now been applied to the grading of the metropolitan examination papers.

At this time.

Wu Yuyan, a fellow examiner of the provincial examination and an assistant director of the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs, said loudly, "Scholar Ma, it is very worthwhile to make things difficult for the examiners and give the candidates more time to prepare so that they can perform better in the palace examination. Seven days is enough!"

"I also believe that seven days is sufficient time to review the papers, and I am confident that I will be able to complete the task!" Li Dai, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites, also said with a cupped hand.

"This humble official has no objection!"

"This humble official has no objection!"

"This humble official has no objection!"

……

The other examiners also spoke up, and not one of them objected to shortening the marking period to seven days.

Shen Nian's reaction was a little slow.

After all the examiners had finished expressing their opinions, he cupped his hands and said, "This humble official has no objections!"

If these officials, some over forty and some even over fifty, could accomplish this task, Shen Nian would naturally have no problem with it.

Deputy Chief Examiner Shen Shixing glanced at Shen Nian and said loudly, "If there is anything beyond your ability, you can ask your colleagues for help. Some young people are as capable as three people, but they are a bit lazy!"

Hear this.

Ma Ziqiang, Wang Xijue, Chen Jingbang, Huang Fengxiang, and others all looked at Shen Nian simultaneously.

Although Shen Shixing did not name names, he was clearly referring to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian met everyone's gazes and said with a smile, "I...I...I'm at most worth one and a half people!"

"Hahahaha..." Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

In such a banquet setting, everyone is relatively relaxed, unlike when attending a regular court assembly where one doesn't even dare to cough.

After the laughter subsided, Ma Ziqiang said, "Alright, I will report to His Majesty shortly."

This is the first example.

Shen Nian believed that the total time for grading examination papers in the future would definitely be set at seven days as the norm.

This is the prevailing trend in the Ming Dynasty brought about by the performance evaluation system: one must work extremely hard to satisfy the court.

……

Half an hour later.

The examiners and their attendants entered the examination hall.

The moment they entered the examination hall, the gates were closed, locked from the outside, and fenced off.

Over the next twenty days or so.

Shen Nian and the others were not allowed to go out or communicate with the outside world, including their families, and no unrelated personnel were allowed to enter the examination hall.

……

February 10th, afternoon, northern Shanxi.

In a military camp.

Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of Shanxi and Minister of Justice, stood on a high slope, gazing thoughtfully at the Great Wall a few hundred paces away.

He was still clutching a handwritten letter from Fang Fengshi, the governor of Shanxi.

Wang Chonggu knew that Hai Rui's inspection tour would severely damage the Zhang and Wang families, but he never expected that Hai Rui's target would be him and Zhang Siwei.

"Should we return it? Humph!"

"My merits and demerits are not for a mere old official to judge. The Zhang and Wang families have made great contributions to Shanxi, and I have made great contributions to the border. His Majesty would never deceive me!"

After thinking it over, Wang Chonggu decided to write a letter to Zhang Juzheng. He was certain that Zhang Juzheng might not protect Zhang Siwei, but he would definitely protect him.

Because Shanxi today cannot do without Wang Chonggu, just as the cabinet cannot do without Zhang Juzheng.

……

February 12th.

Just as spring returns to the earth and the sky grows warmer.

A popular uprising is about to break out in Xiangfu County, Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province.

The Xiangfu County government office was quiet in the afternoon. The officials and clerks had finished their lunch and were resting in the hall.

Half an hour later.

They will then head to the fields to hand over their shift to another group of people who are measuring the land.

the beginning of the year.

The imperial court ordered the Henan Provincial Administration Commission to complete the land survey within one year.

The task is quite arduous.

The officials and clerks in Xiangfu County worked in two shifts, spending almost every day in the fields, measuring the land with their bows and arrows.

The so-called "bu gong" is a measuring tool, shaped like a compass, in the shape of the Chinese character "大" (da). One bow is five feet long. It is the official tool for measuring fields at present, and all measurement data must be obtained using the bu gong.

at this time.

About thirty people came to the entrance of the county government office.

Judging from their clothes and appearance, you can tell they are farmers who often work in the fields.

The leader of the farmers was a middle-aged man wearing a patched long gown.

He was thin, with a wisp of blue beard under his chin, and judging from his demeanor, he should be a scholar.

This man's surname is Zhou, and he is a scholar.

Because he ran a private school in the countryside, teaching more than a hundred farm children, the farmers all called him Master Zhou.

Master Zhou stood about a hundred paces from the entrance of the county government office and addressed the farmers: “Fellow villagers, remember this: our purpose in breaking into the county government office is only one: to seize the four-foot-five-step bow inside. Once we have it, we will leave immediately. Do not entangle with the corrupt officials inside, and do not damage the property of the county government office. Do you understand?”

The farmers nodded.

The reason they wanted to seize the bows was because the clerks in Xiangfu County treated people differently and falsified data when measuring the fields.

When measuring the people's fields, they used a four-foot-five-inch bow, and the measured number of acres was more than the actual number of acres.

When measuring the land of the Zhou royal family in Henan, a five-foot-five-inch bow was used, the measured number of acres was less than the actual number of acres.

This was clearly intended to make the common people pay more land taxes, while the Zhou king would pay less.

The first Prince of Zhou to be enfeoffed in Kaifeng was Zhu Su, the fifth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, and the current Prince of Zhou is Zhu Zaiting, the ninth.

Successive Zhou kings seized farmland in Kaifeng Prefecture through methods such as "petitions and tributes," continuously annexing land. Today, the Zhou royal palace owns 12 mu of farmland, accounting for nearly one-third of the cultivated land area of ​​Kaifeng Prefecture.

The remeasurement of the fields gave the people of Xiangfu County hope.

But who would have thought that the county clerks would forge fake bows and arrows to harm the people?

Led by Master Zhou, they decided to steal these substandard bows and head to the government office to file a complaint.

The reason for choosing this time to seize it.

This was because there were fewer yamen runners in the county government at that time, and these people happened to be in charge of measuring the land of the Prince of Zhou's residence.

The bows they carried were all five feet five inches long.

In addition, Master Zhou had already learned in advance that these archers would usually be placed in the hall of the Zao Ban, Zhuang Ban, or Kuai Ban on the east side of the county government gate in the afternoon.

If you go to rob it at night.

Not only did the number of clerks increase, but bows were also stored in the county government's storeroom, making them more difficult to steal.

Robbing the county government office in broad daylight was a desperate measure.

Otherwise, once the survey is completed, the farmers will not be able to make a living.

Master Zhou told them that as long as they could seize the fake bow and arrow, and use it as evidence to expose the crime to their superiors, they would all be innocent.

In fact, Master Zhou knew that forcibly entering the government office was a serious crime.

He was prepared to take the blame for the farmers, hoping to use this method to make the authorities see their injustice.

The large number of people gathered in front of the county government office scared away the vendors not far away.

Swish!
Master Zhou waved his hand, and several burly farmers rushed to the red gate of the county government office and began knocking.

boom! boom! boom!
As a clerk inside, who was dozing off with his head tilted to one side, opened the door, he muttered, "Who's banging on the door? This is the county government office, not your home. Can't you be a little gentler?"

Click!Click!Click!
Once a gap more than a foot wide appeared in the gate, the farmers worked together and squeezed the gate open in an instant.

Immediately.

A group of farmers rushed inside.

Two farmers covered the mouth of the gatekeeper to prevent him from shouting.

The farmers walked around the screen wall.

They headed straight for the halls of the bailiffs, soldiers, and couriers, which were located side by side on the east side of the county government office.

The so-called "zaoban" refers to the clerks in the county government who shouted "I am mighty!" and rang gongs to clear the way for the trial. They were required to be tall and good-looking.

The so-called "fast yamen runners" were yamen runners who ran errands, caught thieves, handled cases, and collected taxes. Their status was below that of the "baby runners."

The so-called "Zhuangban" were the lowest-ranking and most hardworking yamen runners who guarded warehouses and prisons and escorted prisoners.

of course.

They were also the most capable fighters in the county government.

It was impossible for more than thirty people to break into the county government office so quietly.

The farmers had just burst into the office of the sorcerer when they woke one of the sorcerers.

He looked at the menacing farmers and asked in confusion, "What...what do you want?"

Without saying a word, the farmers saw more than ten bows laid out on the ground not far away and rushed to grab them.

"Someone's trying to steal my bow! Someone's trying to steal my bow!" he shouted.

in a blink.

The dozen or so constables from the third shift all woke up, grabbing knives and sticks while protecting Bu Gong.

"Stop them! Don't let them steal a bow! You two go and close the gate immediately, and you go and report to the magistrate!" said Shi Danian, a burly middle-aged man and head constable.

Over the years, he has accumulated a wealth of experience in bullying ordinary people.

The constables all knew that these bows were problematic, and if they were discovered outside, they would all be beheaded, so they fought desperately for them.

In the blink of an eye, the farmers and the yamen runners started fighting.

Master Zhou stood in the middle, holding a bow he had snatched, and said to the farmers, "Don't get entangled with them, let's leave the county office quickly!"

Unfortunately, although there were more than thirty farmers, they had little chance of winning against the dozen or so constables wielding long knives and clubs.

About a quarter of an hour later.

The farmers were surrounded by yamen runners in the courtyard in front of the yamen. Three yamen runners brandished long knives, their silver blades gleaming, and blocked the entrance.

The farmers couldn't get out at all.

at this time.

Wu Qing, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, dressed in his official clothes and hat, and arrived at the front gate with several clerks.

He looked around and immediately spotted Master Zhou.

In his eyes, Master Zhou was a troublemaker in Xiangfu County, always leading the people to oppose him.

"Master Zhou, what are you doing?"

Master Zhou raised his bow.

"Magistrate Wu, do you know what crime it is to forge a bow? To use a five-foot-five-inch bow as a five-foot bow? What did the King of Zhou give you to make you willingly become his lackey!"

"Insolence! This bow is clearly a standard five-foot bow. If you don't believe me, I will order someone to bring a bowstone to measure it. You have gathered a crowd and stormed the yamen. Do you know what your crime is?"

The bow stone is a stone strip engraved with the shape of a bow, used to measure the length of a bow.

Master Zhou gave a cold laugh.

"I'm afraid the stone bow is fake too! Magistrate Wu, you underestimate the eyes of the people. Their eyes are the bow. If you do this, not only will you lose your position, but you'll probably lose your head as well!"

"You...you...how dare you! Guards, arrest all these troublemakers!" Wu Qing shouted.

(End of this chapter)