Chapter 347: New Generation of Strategists, Imperial Examinations Bring Out Bigwigs
The fifth year of Jian'an (200).

The navy led by Zhou Tai achieved initial results and successfully made a round trip to Xiaozi once in early spring.

In April, the Navy brought geological experts and successfully found an open-pit silver mine.

Jinmao immediately recruited 15,000 volunteers from across the country, and in June they went to the Little Rizi Kingdom to land and dig for silver mines.

At the same time, silver notes were promoted domestically. The face values ​​were not high, ranging from one tael to one hundred taels. The silver notes could be exchanged for an equal amount of silver in the Dahan Silver Shop, but there were restrictions.

In order to avoid bank runs, Jinmao stipulates that the exchange of 100 taels of silver or more requires prior application, and the approval time depends on the situation.

This policy has little impact on ordinary people. It is mainly aimed at wealthy families. After all, a family that can come up with 100 taels of silver is not ordinary and has some assets.

In the Han Dynasty, one catty was equal to sixteen taels, or 250 grams, so one hundred taels was just over 4 kg, which was roughly equal to the purchasing power of ten thousand coins in the Western Han Dynasty, or equivalent to one gold.

One tael was equal to one hundred coins, and copper coins continued to be used for amounts below one hundred coins. This greatly enriched the monetary system and also had the effect of good money driving out bad money.

Later, Jinmao also wanted to launch silver coins, which were similar in weight to copper coins and worth about ten Wuzhu coins. However, since the real silver had not been shipped back yet, this matter had to be postponed.

In addition, Jinmao also gave the navy a new mission, which was to cross the ocean to America to find seeds for new crops.

Whether it's potatoes, corn, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes, they're all good stuff.

With these high-yield crops, the population of the Han Dynasty will be able to increase several times. By then, the dream of immigrating to the whole world, assimilating the whole world, and making the whole world speak the elegant language will come true!
Inland, the water transport industry has made great progress, with more than half of the country's freight transported by water, and the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou was also put on the agenda.

However, Jin Mao was not greedy for credit and did not think of accomplishing everything in one generation. He did not want to follow in the footsteps of Emperor Yang of Sui.

The transportation for the wholesale industry has been contracted out by the canal transport industry, and the retail industry alone cannot cover the entire country. It can only rely on transportation by people, vehicles, and livestock, resulting in very high terminal consumer prices.

Fortunately, ordinary people cannot afford it for the time being, and it is only the nobles and powerful lords who are consuming it. It doesn’t matter how much the price goes up for these people.

It is worth mentioning that the older generation of aristocratic families are gradually dying out, but the new generation has not yet grown up. If a new generation of aristocrats is not cultivated in the future, the older generation of aristocrats will definitely rise.

But it is not difficult to rush into this matter. Jin Mao knows very well that it is not so easy to eliminate the gentry in this land, especially in the north. After the loss of foreign invasions, the gentry and powerful families will enter a state of barbaric growth.

This is a scene that Jinmao doesn't want to see.

To this end, Jinmao once again convened his advisers to discuss countermeasures.

In addition to the older generation of advisers, those participating in the meeting also included the new generation who passed the assessment.

Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Fa Zheng, and Lu Xun.

Lu Xun was still young, and the fact that he could come in to take part in the council was naturally related to the fact that he was the adopted son of the King of Wu.

The person who brought these newcomers in was Lu Su.

Over the years, Lu Su has been conscientiously serving as a good steward. Jin Mao intends to promote him to be the Shangshu Ling, but he is not up to standard in all aspects, so he first serves as the Shangshu Zuo Pushe to gain experience.

The current Shangshu Ling is Xi Zhicai. Perhaps before long, Lu Su will be sent to Yangzhou as the governor. Of course, this is all a story for later.

"Boyan." Jin Mao waved to Lu Xun and said, "Come here, father."

Suddenly, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang and others looked at Lu Xun with strange eyes. The latter felt helpless. After bowing, he stood up and slowly walked to sit behind Jin Mao.

Jin Mao liked this adopted son very much. If his own son had 70% or 80% of Lu Xun's ability, he would wake up laughing in his dreams.

It is worth mentioning that in recent years, Jinmao has added three sons. There is no need to worry about successors. Instead, the most troublesome thing is who will be the successor.

"Today's topic: How can we contain the powerful northern powers?"

South of the Yellow River, those who needed to be cleared out had been cleared out, and those who had not been cleared out had been regularized. When the time was ripe, the imperial examination system could be implemented to completely suppress the root cause of the formation of the gentry.

The older generation of counselors already knew their master's temper. He looked dazed and seemed to be thinking, but in fact he was sleeping.

With so many outstanding juniors, we can just leave the dirty work to them.

Sima Yi was a member of the northern aristocratic family. If this attack was aimed at his own family, he would definitely not stand up.

Zhuge Liang's desire for power was greater than anyone else's. Knowing that this matter would cause more trouble than benefit, he kept silent.

The remaining Fa Zheng, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong all had their own opinions, but Xu Shu was old and had a shallow family background, so he did not dare to offend the northern gentry. The same was true for Fa Zheng. Both of them had not decided whether to completely join Jin Mao.

In other words, among the younger generation, only Pang Tong and Lu Xun dared to face the challenge.

Everyone present was smart and they guessed what was going on at a glance. Lu Xun looked at Pang Tong, who looked up at him, nodded, stood up, and saluted Jin Mao again.

"Your Highness, King Wu, I have some shallow suggestions, please don't laugh at me."

Jin Mao looked at the ugly Pang Tong, then at Zhuge Liang, who looked similar to Zhou Yu, and made a comparison in his mind.

"Are you Pang Shiyuan?"

Pang Tong was secretly unhappy. He saw Jin Mao's look just now, and now he spoke in such a tone, which clearly showed that he looked down on him.

"It's me!" Pang Tong did not salute this time, but stood in the hall very arrogantly.

"You are so pretty."

Pang Tong's face flushed red, and he waved his sleeves and said, "Appearance is natural, what do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Haha." Jin Mao shook his head and laughed. There were so many ugly people in the army, but he didn't think anything of it.

"Come closer." Jin Mao waved his hand and said, "If you can tell me the answer today, there will be a big reward!"

Pang Tong realized that he had wrongly accused the King of Wu, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I am guilty of presumptuous speculation about the King's intentions."

"I absolve you of all guilt!"

"Thank you, King Wu." Pang Tong stood up happily.

Zhuge Liang and others looked at Pang Tong with envy and secretly regretted that they should have expressed their stance earlier.

Pang Tong knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never get it again, so he told him everything he had in mind. "Hebei has been a fertile land since ancient times, with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. Your Highness only employs people based on their talents. Why don't you recruit people from Hebei who are poor or even common people?"

Pang Tong said: "Just like this time, we passed the imperial examinations, Your Highness can also try to implement it in Hebei. Even if there is occasional resistance, how can it stop our Han cavalry?"

Jin Mao's eyes flashed with admiration when he heard this. He slowly stood up, his eyes swept over every counselor and general present, and finally fell on Pang Tong. His voice was steady and powerful: "Pang Shiyuan's words are deeply in my heart. The rise of our Han Dynasty is not only due to victory on the battlefield, but also to the support of the people and the emergence of talents. Although there are many aristocratic families in Hebei, there are also many talented people among the poor. If we can break the prejudice of family background and open up the way for talents, we will surely stimulate the vitality of the people and strengthen the foundation of the country."

"From today on, I hereby order that the policy of 'selecting people based on their talents' will be implemented throughout Hebei. No matter what their background is, as long as they are talented, they can be employed by our Han Dynasty. At the same time, I will set up a 'recommendation hall' to encourage the people and officials at all levels to recommend talents. Those who are verified to be talented will be rewarded generously."

As soon as this was said, there was an uproar in the hall. Everyone was delighted and discussed the far-reaching impact that this change would bring. Zhuge Liang and others secretly praised the king of Wu for his foresight. Although they failed to seize the opportunity, seeing the king of Wu's wise decision, they also had a sense of ambition and vowed to contribute their own strength to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.

Seeing this, Jin Mao smiled slightly and continued, "Of course, it is not easy to implement this policy. We need capable people to supervise its implementation and ensure fairness and justice. I have made up my mind and appointed Pang Shiyuan as the prime minister of the policy of 'selecting people based on their talents' and he will be fully responsible for this matter. I hope you will live up to my expectations and select talents carefully to serve the country."

Pang Tong was so excited when he heard this that he knelt down and said, "I will do my best to live up to the trust of the King of Wu!"

Jin Mao nodded happily and said, "Shi Yuan, come here and sit down."

Pang Tong thanked him again and walked away with his head held high. From now on, he was the King of Wu's man, and his success was just around the corner.

Zhuge Liang was envious and all his worries disappeared. He was confident that he was no less capable than Pang Tong and was determined to seize the next opportunity.

Although Jin Mao was suspected of treason, the emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty were no longer direct descendants of Liu Bang. Jin Mao was a royal family member after all, so what was wrong with him ascending to the throne? No one would think it was inappropriate.

An old traditional art.

Seeing Pang Tong's high spirits, Lu Xun secretly clenched his fists. In name, he was the adopted son of the King of Wu, but in fact, Lu Xun had his own plans.

Seeing his elder brother Liu Xie suffering in Luoyang, Lu Xun wanted to help very much, but reason told him that he had to demonstrate his value in front of his adoptive father before he could express his own ideas.

But everyone here is a talented person, so what advantages does he have?

"Today, the world is unified, but the climate in the north and south is different."

Jinmao changed the subject and said: "My original intention of governing Hebei was to grow more food."

"This place has a flat terrain and plenty of sunshine, making it an excellent place for farming. However, the number of small households in each county has greatly hindered agricultural development."

"Today, let's discuss what should be planted in Jizhou, Youzhou, and Qingzhou?"

Zhuge Liang's hometown was in Langya County, Xuzhou, which was very close to Qingzhou. He knew the local climate very well and immediately said, "We should plant corn!"

"Oh?" Jin Mao looked over and said, "Are you Zhuge Kongming?"

"Your Highness, it is me."

"Tell me what you think."

"Yes." Zhuge Liang bowed and continued, "Qingzhou is located on the east side of the sea. The climate is mild and changeable, especially in summer. There is abundant rain and typhoons from time to time. This may be a disaster for many crops, but for corn, it is a unique growing environment. Corn is drought-resistant and flood-resistant, and has strong adaptability. It can grow tenaciously even in poor soil. It has a short growth period and matures quickly, which can effectively alleviate the problem of food shortage in years of famine. In addition, corn is rich in nutrients and easy to store. It is the best choice for stabilizing people's hearts and ensuring military supplies."

"In addition, Qingzhou's coastal areas are rich in sea salt resources. If we can develop salt fields according to local conditions, we can not only increase fiscal revenue for the country, but also use the saline-alkali land around the salt fields to plant salt-alkali-tolerant crops, such as Salicornia, to improve the soil and increase crop diversity, forming a virtuous circle. At the same time, encouraging people to breed seafood, such as fish, shrimp and shellfish, can not only enrich people's tables, but also make profits from export, further promoting economic prosperity."

"As for Jizhou and Youzhou, they border the borderland to the north, and the climate is relatively cold, but the land is fertile, suitable for growing cold-resistant crops such as wheat, soybeans, and corn. Wheat is the staple food in the north, with a stable yield and high resistance to cold weather; soybeans are not only edible, but can also be used to extract oil, increasing food diversity and nutritional value; corn is a military ration and is indispensable."

Jin Mao nodded. Due to the poor transportation and storage conditions, the flour ground from wheat could only be stored at home and could not be used as military rations.

Once it rains, the flour will be useless and must be eaten within a few days. But corn is different. It can be used again after drying it in the sun.

"But," Zhuge Liang changed the subject and said, "I have a way to preserve the flour and use it as military rations!"

As expected of an expert in invention, Jin Mao likes Zhuge Liang's cleverness. If there is flour to eat, who the hell would want to eat corn? The yield of corn is low and it is not filling enough.

"Okay!" Jin Mao promised: "If this method works, there will be a big reward!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Zhuge Liang looked up expectantly, wanting to sit with Pang Tong.

However, invention and loyalty are two different things. Zhuge Liang is too smart and does not have the heart to take risk in investment, so Jinmao does not dare to use him with confidence.

Pang Tong is different. He is also smart, but he dares to take risks.

Today's Jinmao is no longer the same as before, and it had to curry favor with younger generations like Zhuge Liang. It's up to you if you want to or not.

"The last topic for today."

Jin Mao asked, "What subjects are needed for Hebei's imperial examinations, which are based on meritocracy?"

This was the first time Jin Mao talked about the imperial examination in public, and he wanted to see everyone's reaction.

As expected, everyone reacted very strongly, and even the older generation of counselors could no longer sit still.

However, the focus of everyone’s discussion is not whether it should be done or not, but that it must be included in one’s own doctrine!

Thus, a political discussion immediately turned into a debate, with various schools of thought coming out to debate.

Not to mention the Gongyang School and Guliang School of Confucianism, the Qin Mo, Chu Mo and Qi Mo, which had been silent for a long time, also jumped out, which was something Jin Mao had not expected.

Taoism, Legalism and other schools of thought also emerged, and even marginal agronomists appeared.

There is truly a hundred flowers blooming and a sense of contention among a hundred schools of thought.

However, none of those present were the top of their respective factions, and no one could convince anyone else.

So Jin Mao stepped forward to stop them and said, "Today, there is no clear winner. Let's pick a date tomorrow. I will hold a three-day debate in Wancheng and let tens of thousands of students vote. The proportion of the examination questions will be set according to the proportion of votes. Whoever has a higher proportion will be allowed to set more questions!"

A single stone can cause a thousand ripples. The stone thrown by Jinmao is no less than an atomic bomb in the academic world, which has shaken out all the old guys who have refused to come out.

Since ancient times, there has been no first in literature and no second in martial arts.

Since the current rulers have such great courage, all schools of thought, regardless of whether they are in decline or not, must bring out their best skills to participate in this grand event.

In order to leave enough time, Jinmao specially arranged the debate meeting at the end of the year. Half a year is enough.

(End of this chapter)