My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 223 "Memorial Requesting the Establishment of a Military Examination within the Imperial Academy"

As the capital city enters the twelfth lunar month, the year draws to a close.

The news that the emperor would hold the Lantern Festival again this year caused a great stir in the capital.

The grand spectacle of last year's Lantern Festival remains unforgettable for many longtime residents of the capital. This year, the imperial court's achievements are even greater than last year's, and it is only right to celebrate properly.

For ordinary people, the emperor using his own private funds to hold a lantern festival was indeed a way to share joy with the people.

As December arrived, the Imperial Academy also began its winter break. A group of students from the academy were not idle. Shen Li led everyone to tidy up the school buildings and prepare to welcome the first batch of students from the civil service class.

The Imperial College had no shortage of school buildings.

At its peak, the Imperial College had thousands of students studying together. School buildings were built one after another, and even the gardens within the college were leveled to build more school buildings.

Unfortunately, as the status of the imperial examination rose, the career prospects for students of the Imperial Academy became increasingly limited, and the Imperial Academy began its first decline.

The rise of private academies made it impossible for the Imperial College to sustain its official education, and the Imperial College began its second decline.

Currently, there are 600 registered students in the Imperial College, but less than 200 of them actually attend classes there.

The remaining four hundred people were either students who had paid money to obtain the title of Imperial College student, or students who had the qualifications but did not attend the Imperial College.

Large sections of the Imperial College buildings were abandoned, which is why Su Ze always kept his eyes on the Imperial College.

Zhang Chun wiped his forehead. This time, the Shuntian Prefecture's civil service examination admitted a total of two hundred people, plus the scholars who voluntarily applied for exemption from the examination, for a total of two hundred and forty people.

The first training course for civil servants began on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month and lasted for three months. After three months, participants took a graduation exam. Those who passed were assigned by the Ministry of Personnel to work in government offices in the Shuntian Prefecture area.

As the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, Shen Li was responsible for the classes and daily lives of these students in the civil service examination program.

Once the school buildings were cleared out, the dormitories were naturally cleaned by the Imperial College's handymen.

After Shen Li led the students to clean up the school buildings, he called Zhang Chun, Zhu Juntang, and several other students who had passed the imperial examinations to his office.

"You have all passed the imperial examination and become Juren. If you go to the Ministry of Personnel to await appointments, you can also wait for the position of school official in the county school. I have already petitioned the Ministry of Rites to allow you to teach in the civil service class."

"Of course, doing so will delay your studies, so I have discussed it with the Chancellor. The Imperial Academy will provide an extra stipend, how about that?"

Hearing about this offer, Zhang Chun and other students from impoverished families were tempted.

The treatment for students of the Imperial Academy during the Ming Dynasty was one shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice per month.

In the capital, the price of grain varied greatly. When it was expensive, a shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice cost one tael of silver or one silver dollar. When it was cheap, it cost four or five qian (another unit of dry measure) of silver, which was equivalent to five copper coins.

In addition, students of the Imperial Academy had the right to be exempted from corvée labor, and received extra income such as guaranteeing the county examination for students who had passed the provincial examination.

Zhang Chun and his colleagues were still serving as field reporters for the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper. Now that the newspaper was financially powerful, the treatment of these field reporters was becoming more standardized.

At first, they gave us five extra newspapers, but now they're giving us one silver dollar a month instead.

Students lived and ate within the Imperial Academy. If they were also given a stipend, they would have an income of about three silver dollars per month.

This treatment is close to the official salary of a seventh-rank county magistrate.

All the candidates were satisfied with this treatment and readily agreed. Shen Li waved his hand, telling them to go back to their studies.

After seeing the students off, Shen Li sighed.

The Imperial Academy was considered a transitional route for the Hanlin scholars. His predecessors only briefly served as a stepping stone before being promoted to the Ministry of Rites when a vacancy opened up. This was the typical path for Hanlin scholars to advance.

How come I've been in this position of Director for almost two years now?
To make matters worse, the once leisurely position of Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy has now become extremely busy.

The civil service examination was held at the Imperial Academy. I heard that the Imperial Academy of Architecture was also going to expand its enrollment. The palace's buildings were not enough, so the cabinet was also planning to relocate the Imperial Academy of Architecture to the Imperial Academy.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad; it would just mean a few more Ministry of Works officials and eunuchs attending the lectures.

A few days ago, Li Yiyuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, submitted a memorial stating that the civil affairs department of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was incompetent and ineffective in collecting stamp taxes. Therefore, he requested the establishment of a legal training course to improve the professional skills of these personnel.

The Longqing Emperor naturally did not object; with a stroke of his vermilion brush, these members of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were to return to the Imperial Academy for classes.

What do all these officials think of the Imperial Academy? Do they just stuff everyone into it?
But Shen Li was just a minor official, so she could only grit her teeth and accept it.
-
The Crown Prince's palace began its winter break in the twelfth lunar month. When Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, was summoned by the Crown Prince to the Crown Prince's palace, he discovered that Su Ze was also present.

Upon seeing Su Ze, even Xu Wenbi, a high-ranking official, dared not be negligent and quickly stepped forward to exchange a few pleasantries with Su Ze.

For these meritorious officials who shared the fate of the nation, their political treatment mainly depended on their birth, while hard work was actually a disadvantage.

What can a nobleman like you possibly achieve through hard work and ambition? I can't even imagine!
Therefore, most nobles shifted their focus to making money.

Everyone knows that Su Ze is the God of Wealth in the capital.

Which of the several profitable industries in the capital is not related to Su Ze?

Take, for example, the estate of Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing, the father-in-law of the emperor. How much did he earn by growing potatoes?
Even the villages next to Wuqingbo's house made a fortune by stealing Wuqingbo's potato seedlings.

I heard that the Crown Prince gave the Earl of Wuqing a crop called sweet potato. I also heard that this time the Earl of Wuqing personally donned armor and patrolled the farm every day with a spear.

Xu Wenbi was respectful, but Su Ze did not treat the Duke of Dingguo with disrespect.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Little Fatty Jun said that Su Ze had something to discuss with the Duke of Dingguo, and then took Zhang Hong back to go back to sleep.

Only Su Ze and Xu Wenbi remained in the Minglun Hall. For some reason, this top nobleman became nervous when facing Su Ze alone.

This feeling is like encountering the Grand Secretaries during a court assembly.

Su Ze began to speak:
"Duke, I, Su, have begged the Crown Prince to invite you here because there is something I wish to discuss with you."

"Su Hanlin, just say what you have to say!"

Xu Wenbi spoke in an easygoing tone, assuming that Su Ze was going to help him make a fortune.

Su Ze said:
"His Majesty was furious when Li Chengliang's troops caused trouble in the capital and punished Li Chengliang."

"Su thought that Li Chengliang made a mistake because the court lacked education."

"I have also spoken with Commander Qi. Nowadays, many of the sons of military households do not study military strategy. Their family traditions have been broken. Many centurions, commanders, and even commanders do not go to the military camp all year round. If a war really breaks out, what fighting power will these garrisons have?"

Xu Wenbi felt a little guilty when Su Ze said this.

He was a top-ranking nobleman, and the nobles of the Ming Dynasty were all military officers. In fact, he also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Great Camps.

Su Ze is right. Over the years, the military officer system of the Ming Dynasty has evolved into an honorary noble position.

Because the Ming Dynasty established five ranks of nobility to enfeoff meritorious officials and their relatives, the ranks of viscount and baron were later abolished, leaving only the ranks of duke, marquis, and earl.

Therefore, in the long run, hereditary military positions are actually the same as "son" or "man," but they are just lower-level hereditary titles.

If you think about it carefully, the garrison system is actually quite similar to a noble's fiefdom.

A thousand-household office, the position of thousand-household commander is hereditary, the thousand-household commander is a hereditary title.

The military settlements of a thousand households were actually the fiefdoms of a thousand households.

The hereditary guards of the thousand-household garrisons were essentially the vassals and serfs of the thousand-household commanders. The thousand-household commanders were not under the jurisdiction of local officials; generally, only the provincial-level military command had jurisdiction. If a thousand-household commander committed a crime, the Ministry of War had to investigate and adjudicate him, which was the same legal right as that of the feudal nobles.

The result was naturally a decline in the fighting capabilities of the garrisons and a deterioration in the quality of the officers, because they were no longer officers, but nobles.

Moreover, the garrison was a fiefdom of nobles, and the Ming Dynasty also had a court noble class, namely the hereditary military officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were often appointed by the emperor to his private officials, such as relatives of the empress or favored ministers.

Military positions in the Embroidered Uniform Guard were also hereditary, but these hereditary positions did not include "fiefs." Generally, the hereditary positions were within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, namely judicial positions.

Su Ze said to Xu Wenbi:

“The occurrence of something like Li Chengliang’s case is a result of the court’s failure to educate its citizens.”

Su Ze said:

"Therefore, I have an idea."

Knowing that the main event was about to begin, the Duke of Dingguo quickly asked:
"Please enlighten me, Hanlin Su."

Su Ze said:

"I dare not presume to offer my guidance, but I do have a small suggestion."

Su Ze said:

“The military households of the Ming Dynasty had an ancestral system of succession, with the position being inherited by the eldest son after the father’s death.”

"The Ministry of War requires the military commander to verify the identity of the person and submit a letter of guarantee. The sons of those who inherit the position must take the Ministry of War examination in the capital. They must serve as probationary officers for two years and only be officially appointed if they pass the examination without any failure."

Xu Wenbi nodded. This was the system of the Ming Dynasty, but its actual implementation had long been distorted.

Xu Wenbi said:
"What Su Hanlin said is an ancestral system, but the Ministry of War's examination has long become a formality. If there were really an examination, most of the sons of those who inherited their positions would not pass it."

"Therefore, starting from the reign of the late emperor, the sons of military officers who failed the exam were allowed to pay taxes to be exempted from the exam."

"If Su Hanlin wants to strengthen the Ministry of War's assessment, I'm afraid it won't be able to be carried out."

Xu Wenbi was telling the truth. With so many military garrisons in the region, the inheritance of military positions was a matter that affected the sons of all military officers. Even the Jiajing Emperor had no choice but to compromise.

There's no other way but to compromise. If we forcibly prevent these people from inheriting their titles, the local garrisons will descend into chaos.

The reason why nobles throughout history and across the world have always used the eldest son as the heir is because the eldest son's succession is the least controversial, and each succession of the title can be completed peacefully.

If Su Ze were to demand that the Ministry of War strengthen its assessments and prevent the sons of these commanders and household commanders from inheriting their titles, other contenders with inheritance rights would become restless, causing great chaos.

The most famous case is the one during the Zhengtong era, where the commander of Yanping succeeded to his post.

In the eighth year of the Zhengtong reign, Yu Qi, the son of the commander of Yanping Guard, killed his elder brother in a struggle for succession. He then refused to confess. According to the law, a younger brother killing his elder brother should be executed by slow slicing.

Yu Qi initially claimed that he did not kill his brother and was making false accusations. However, after investigation, the accusations were found to be completely fabricated.

He was taken to the execution ground again, whereupon he cried out that he was innocent, claiming that his brother had been murdered and that someone was willing to take the blame. The executioner had no choice but to take him back to prison for a second trial.

He was sent to the execution ground multiple times and cried out for justice repeatedly. In the end, Yu Qi falsely accused his mother of adultery. His brother tried to kill the adulterer, but was killed by the adulterer instead.

However, Yu's eldest son had already died, and if her second son also died, she would have no son to inherit her military post.

Surprisingly, Yu's mother acquiesced without objection.

The case eventually reached the emperor, who personally ordered Yu Qi to be executed by slow slicing and appointed an heir from among the Yu family's illegitimate sons, thus ending the case.

During the Jiajing era, the policy of exempting local garrisons from examinations and paying taxes was implemented to reduce inheritance disputes and maintain the stability of local military garrisons.

Su Ze said:

"The hereditary title of Duke Dingguo is a national law stipulated in the 'Collected Statutes of the Great Ming Dynasty,' how could I, Su, dare to act rashly?"

Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, looked at Su Ze with disbelief. "How many times have you altered the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty'? How many ancestral rules have you changed? You've even changed the ancestral precepts of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang!"
Su Ze said:

"As the saying goes, 'If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault; if the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness.' The current problem with the officers of the garrison is that the court has not done a good job in educating them."

"enlightenment?"

Su Ze said:

"Yes, so Su and the Duke of Dingguo discussed that all officers who inherit their positions in the future should study military affairs at the Imperial Academy, and be promoted based on their exam scores two years later."

"In addition, all officers who are in charge of military service and are over the age of twelve must also come to the Imperial College to study."

"Acting" means that when the father dies and the heir is under the age of eighteen, he does not yet have the ability to lead troops, so the position is only "acting". He will be officially appointed after he comes of age.

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Dingguo's eyes lit up.

Su Ze's method is consistent with his usual style, which is to maintain the original rules of interest and then add his own personal agenda.

The advantage is that such reforms don't provoke much opposition.

The court did not change the original rules of hereditary office and still gave you the position, but required you to study military affairs at the Imperial Academy for two years. That's not a high requirement, is it?
If you oppose even this, then don't blame the imperial court for being impolite.

The same goes for acting positions. Since you'll only be officially appointed when you're eighteen, it's not a big deal for you to study at the Imperial Academy for two years, right?
Xu Wenbi thought about it carefully and found no reason to object. He then asked:

"What about the nobles?"

Su Ze said:

“Noble families need not apply, but if they wish to send their disciples to study, the Imperial Academy can also accept them.”

"In addition, the second sons of noble families can also be sent here to study."

Xu Wenbi thought about it and felt that Su Ze's idea was indeed quite good.

Many sons of noble families are not good for their own good. They lack discipline at home, so sending them to the Imperial Academy seems like a good option.

Furthermore, since the second son of the family has no right to inherit, studying military affairs is also a viable option.

Thinking of this, Xu Wenbi, being cautious by nature, asked again:
"What about the Ministry of War? The Ministry of War is in charge of matters involving succession to official positions. Does the Ministry of War have no objections?"

Su Ze said:

"Grand Secretary Zhao strongly supports this matter."

Since Grand Secretary Zhao has given his support, Xu Wenbi also said:

"Then please have Hanlin Su draft the memorial, and I will submit it."
-
On December 7th, Shen Li, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, received the news.

Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, together with Su Ze, submitted a memorial entitled "Petition to Establish a Military Department within the Imperial Academy," requesting that a "Military Department" be set up within the Imperial Academy to teach Confucianism and military affairs to the sons of these military officers.

Upon hearing this news, Shen Li felt as if the sky was falling. After eunuchs, Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), officials from the Ministry of Personnel, and officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Justice, Su Ze also stuffed the sons of military officers awaiting military appointments into the Imperial Academy.

(End of this chapter)