Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 187 All military and political affairs on the frontier are entrusted to one person!
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A sense of resentment crossed Wang Anshi's mind, and he sighed inwardly.

How can things truly improve if you keep looking back and forth?

To put it simply, the emperor's will is beyond his control.

What if the government intends to implement reforms this year, but suddenly decides not to next year?
The only way to bring about change is to act swiftly and decisively when the monarch is willing to implement reforms!
On a whim, Wang Anshi rose and bowed.

"Throughout history, reforms have always been carried out with utmost caution."

"The Emperor has just ascended the throne and possesses remarkable ambition. This is the perfect opportunity to present his memorial on reform."

Wang Anshi solemnly said, "Since Minister Jiang prioritizes stability, then I, Wang, will personally submit a memorial."

After saying that, he walked away.

Jiang Zhao was surprised.

You know how to be extremely cautious?
Is this what you call being extremely cautious?

What we are wary of is the king's heart; we are worried that the king might change his mind.
Holding a cup of tea, Jiang Zhao shook his head and calmly sipped it.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was not the Northern Song Dynasty!

Zhao Ceying is not Emperor Shenzong of Song!
A few days ago, during a meeting before the emperor, the emperor and his ministers discussed that reforms should not be rushed.

If Zhao Ceying agrees to the reforms, then—

That's a foolish ruler, not a wise one, much less a great emperor of all time!
A foolish ruler has foolish ministers, a wise ruler has wise ministers, and a great emperor has a great prime minister.

Anyway, he has a flexible moral bottom line.

Either way!

Since the announcement of the list of successful candidates, newly appointed scholars have been visiting the place frequently.

"I, Huang Shang, have long admired your erudition and have come to pay my respects."

One man bowed deeply; he was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with handsome features and the refined demeanor of a scholar.

This person is none other than Huang Shang, who ranked second in the provincial examination!

He is the prototype of Huang Shang, the creator of the "Nine Yin Manual" in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", who was said to have read all the classics.

"No need to be polite."

"sit down."

Jiang Zhao sat at the head of the table, his expression serene.

Since the improvement of papermaking technology, books are no longer the exclusive domain of the wealthy and powerful.

However, when it comes to exams, children from poor families still find it difficult to outperform children from official families.

When innate aptitudes are similar, the skill level of the teacher can create a significant difference.

Therefore, of the 367 people selected by the new emperor through the special imperial examination, about 200 had connections or backgrounds.

The remaining 170 are the ones who are truly worth extending an olive branch to and trying to be accepted into our fold.

Of course, not all 170 people will extend an olive branch.

Character, knowledge, age—all these must be considered.

No more than fifty students are truly qualified to be considered.

"What have you been up to lately?" Jiang Zhao asked with a friendly smile.

Huang Shang, whose parents were both commoners, passed the imperial examination with flying colors, ranking second in the spring examination. He can be described as a true prodigy from a poor family.

If their character is good, then they can be accepted into the family.

As for whether he had any teachers during his studies?

There is no contradiction between being a schoolteacher and a teacher in the officialdom.

Without hesitation, Huang Shang replied, "I spent a few days sightseeing. After that, I continued my studies."

"What did you read? Could you tell me?" Jiang Zhao asked again.

"I read the Book of Han and searched for events related to the succession of the previous and new emperors."

Huang Shang explained, "In addition, there are precedents for frontier expansion and diplomatic achievements. In terms of current affairs, the Western Xia envoy was sternly rejected by the emperor. I think it is possible to examine similar examples."

Jiang Zhao nodded.

These two questions alone are enough to make a preliminary judgment on the candidate's character.

After the spring examination, there is still the palace examination.

It's only natural for candidates to be excited and celebrate upon learning they've passed the imperial examinations.

However, if the celebration continues indefinitely, then there is definitely a problem; it shows a lack of consideration for the bigger picture.

Such a person should not be included in our inner circle.

This is the first question. If the candidate responds normally after being asked hastily, then continue asking questions based on what they said.

If a candidate's words are false and they make up content on the spot, they will definitely feel uneasy and stutter.

If one's words are false, then one is not sincere and certainly cannot be accepted into the inner circle.

This is the second question.

A question posed unexpectedly by someone in a superior position can easily make someone in a subordinate position feel nervous.

Once you tell a lie, you're bound to make a lot of mistakes.

Two simple questions are enough to kick out 90% of the scum.

Huang Shang is clearly a qualified candidate.

"It is truly commendable that someone who has made the list still continues to study diligently."

Jiang Zhaowen said gently, "Judging from your actions, you seem to have a well-thought-out plan. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Very direct, no beating around the bush.

Huang Shang was overjoyed and immediately bowed, saying, "Student Huang Shang greets teacher!"

At the age of twenty-five, he ranked second in the imperial examination, and his teacher was the Junior Grand Secretary!
If only he had been a little more ambitious.
Huang Shang's face turned bright red, and he was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.

If passing the imperial examination with second place is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, then becoming a disciple of the Junior Grand Secretary is like rising to the top in one's career!

Just then, a servant brought tea.

Huang Shang quickly took it, held it above his head, and respectfully presented it to him.

Jiang Zhaoping nodded, took the tea, and took a sip.

"Please sit down."

The two began to talk in detail.

After about two incense sticks' time, Huang Shang respectfully departed, followed by Xu Anshi, the top scholar in the provincial examination, and Liu Zhi, one of the top three scholars in the metropolitan examination.

Of the two, Xu Anshi has a teacher.

He studied under two teachers, Ding Baochen and Lu Dian.

Ding Baochen was a former official and fellow poet of the Grand Secretary Ouyang Xiu.

When Nong Zhigao rebelled, he abandoned the city and fled, and was demoted. He died of illness in the fourth year of the Zhiping era.

Lu Dian was not a famous person.

However, he will have a son named Lu You.

Although Lu Dian is a year younger than Xu Anshi, it doesn't affect the fact that they are master and apprentice.

Therefore, Xu Anshi could not be included among his disciples.

Liu Zhi's father was a wealthy and influential man, but he was not qualified to take sides.

Jiang Zhao accepted him as a disciple because he was a decent person.

Two of the top three in the imperial examination were appointed to the gates of the palace!
Subsequently, one after another, the candidates arrived.
end of August.

The new emperor, along with approximately forty high-ranking officials in purple robes, including Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, Ministers of the Six Ministries, Vice Ministers of the Left and Right, Ministers of the Nine Courts, Vice Ministers of the Nine Courts, Director of the Censorate, Chief Censor of the Censorate, Chancellor of the Five Directorates, and Academicians of the Hanlin Academy, all watched the palace examination.

In the imperial examination, no one was dismissed, and the ranking was not changed much.

Therefore, there is nothing surprising about it.

Xu Anshi was the top scholar, Huang Shang was the second-ranked scholar, and Liu Zhi was the third-ranked scholar.

The rest, if they don't even get a top-tier score, the highest they can get is a second-tier score.

Sheng Changfeng passed the second-class examination, but failed to become a probationary official.

Cai Jing was also a second-class graduate, and by sheer luck, he passed the examination to become a probationary official.

Once the special imperial examination was over, the regular court sessions began immediately.

The new emperor issued an edict appointing Jiang Zhao, the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Minister of Rites, with the additional title of Minister of War, to lead troops into the border region.

The term "concurrently holding the title of Minister of War" has two meanings: one is that the Minister of Rites concurrently serves as the Minister of War, thus occupying two of the six ministries' official positions.

One possibility is that this is simply a way to gain military command, not a real appointment to the Ministry of War, where the actual Minister of War is someone else.

Jiang Zhao was appointed Minister of War, undoubtedly for military command, similar to a Pacification Commissioner.

In addition, Marquis Ningyuan Gu Tingye was forced to leave his post due to illness and went to the border. Wang Shao, a scholar of the Privy Council, Zhang Ding, the son of the Duke of Yingguo, Zheng Xiao, the deputy commander of the Divine Guard Army, and Bao Shun, the Western Head Attendant, were all sent to the border to fight.

The new emperor ordered that Jiang Zhao be permitted to mobilize all soldiers from Xihe and Shaanxi.

All military and political affairs on the frontier are entrusted to one person!
(End of this chapter)