Zhenhai Road, Fengyuan, and the imperial envoy's headquarters.

Fengyuan is one of the favorite destinations for officials from all provinces to come to Shanghai. It is only one mile away from Zhenhai Gong Mansion. It covers a vast area and has beautiful scenery. The courtyards of all sizes are arranged in a scattered manner. The interior decorations and utensils are mostly combined with Chinese and Western styles, which is refreshing. The garden is also equipped with gas lamps. The large Fengyuan is brightly lit at night, as if it was daytime.

As soon as Yi Xin entered Fengyuan, she ordered: "Ask the six departments whether there are any people who pay attention to the English civil servant assessment system. If not, ask the British Consulate as soon as possible."

The lights in the Maple Garden are brightly lit but quiet, and there are no few people. After visiting for two years, all the members of the mission have developed good habits. After staying at home, they will sort out what they see, hear, think, and think at night, and will not come out to wander easily.

Shortly after Yixin and Yifei returned to the independent courtyard where they were staying, they heard Zeng Guofan, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, asked for a meeting. Yifei smiled and said, "It seems that someone has noticed the English civil servant assessment system and asked him to come in."

Zeng Guofan, who was over 40 years old and had long beards, walked into the room steadily, lifted his official robe, and knelt down and said, "The Lord has met the fifth and sixth masters."

"Bohan doesn't need to be polite." Yi Xin said with a warm face, then showed her hands and said, "See the seat."

After getting up and sitting down, Zeng Guofan said slowly: "Return to the two princes, England established a permanent civil servant system, established a special committee, and presided over the competitive examinations of ordinary civil servants. However, it has only been several years. Although it is of many characteristics, it is not suitable for the court to learn from."

Yi Xin asked in a slow voice: "What's the characteristic?"

"English is a congressional monarchy, and the Conservative Party and the Labor Party take turns to form a cabinet to rule." Zeng Guofan said calmly: "The civil servants in the English civil servant assessment system actually do not include cabinet ministers, that is, so-called government officials, but are just affairs officials, that is, they do not participate in party disputes, but are only responsible for implementing government policies.

Their main function is to ensure the stability and continuity of policies when the two parties take turns to rule, that is, the cabinet changes, and it is like the government behind the scenes that will never change. If the cabinet is the front desk, the civil service system is the back desk, and the front desk changes people one after another, and the back desk is consistent, this is the most important feature of the English civil service system."

After hearing these words, Yixin and Yideng looked at each other, and both of them were a little puzzled. What does this have to do with the imperial examination system? Why did Yi Zhizu deliberately mention the English civil service system when talking about the abolition of the imperial examination?

Seeing that the two looked suspicious, Zeng Guofan hesitated and said, "Two princes, this English civil servant assessment system is still imitating our imperial examination system. In the past, Western countries adopted the system of granting officials or the system of party sharing. After getting to know the imperial examination system of our dynasty, they began to establish a system of selecting civil servants from competitive examinations. The first civil servant assessment was France, followed by Prussia, and then England."

After hearing this, Yi Ding was a little surprised and blurted out: "What Yi Guocheng is only against the content of the imperial examination?"

Yi Xin frowned slightly and then stretched out again, looked at Zeng Guofan, and said, "Bohan is an imperial examination. What do you think about the eight-legged scholars?"

Yi Xin once said many times when she returned to the voyage that if the Qing Dynasty wanted to enrich the country and strengthen the army, it was necessary to reform and implement constitutional reform. Zeng Guofan naturally heard about this. After hearing Yi Xiandeng blurted out a sentence, he had already vaguely guessed that these two princes had the intention to abolish the imperial examination, and Yi Qunzu seemed to agree with it, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.

He himself is a peasant family from Heyetang, Xiangxiang. He was able to stand out through the imperial examinations, and his friends were all scholars. His understanding of the imperial examinations was far more thorough than that of Yixin, Yideng, Yishizu, etc.

After pondering for a moment, he said in a vocal voice: "In the late Chongzhen period, a scholar posted a ritual on the gate of the imperial city of the capital - a country of Ming Dynasty was carefully considered. Chongzhen and his wife respected Shen Zhi, and were born in the eight-legged essays in the late Ming Dynasty. This is the blame for the demise of the previous Ming Dynasty, and the eight-legged essays were attributed to the style of the eight-legged essays and the eight-legged essays to the selection of scholars.

There are also satirical lyrics and music for the eight-part essay: Scholars are the least effective; they are too essays in the times, and they are as bad as mud. The country is originally trying to find talent, but who knows that they have become a deceptive skill. Three sentences follow the questions, two sentences solve the questions. They wave their tails and heads, and then they say that they are the master of the Holy Sect.

Do you know what kind of articles are the three links and four histories? The Emperor of Han Dynasty, Emperor Tang, was the emperor of the dynasty, who put high-headed sermons on the desk and bought new tools in the store. He could read them and sigh, and the sugarcane bagasse, chew them and chew them. What does it feel like? If you let down time and fall into a coma during the day, you will deceive high-ranking officials, which is also a bad luck for the people's court."

Speaking of this, he sighed lightly, "In fact, from the beginning of the throne of the Holy Ancestor to Emperor Gaozong, for more than a hundred years, the dispute over the eight-legged essays and scholars in the court and the country has never stopped. During the Kangxi period, the eight-legged essays were abolished for a while, but it was immediately restored. Huang Ji of Kangxi, Wang Shizhen of Wang, Zhang Tingyu of Yongzheng, and Ortai of Qianlong all opposed the abolition of eight-legged essays."

After hearing these words, Yi Ding and Yi Xin looked at each other. The controversy over the eight-legged essays in the three generations of Kang and Yongkang were so great? During the reign of Kangxi, eight-legged essays?

"Since the mid-Ming Dynasty, the dispute over the eight-legged essays has always been criticized more and more. " Zeng Guofan emphasized that the eight-legged essays are empty and useless, with different learning and application, and different words and deeds, which made the scholars in the world buried their heads in Confucian scriptures. They did not hear about the "Historical Records" and "Han Shu", "Tongdian" and "Tongzhi" did not ask about it, their thinking was rigid and they were self-confidenced. When the unprecedented changes, the eight-legged essays should be abolished!"

Speaking of this, he changed his mind, "However, the eight-legged essay selection does not mean the imperial examination system. It is possible to abolish the eight-legged essay, but it is absolutely not possible to abolish the imperial examination!"

"Why?" Yi Ding said in a deep voice.

After pondering for a moment, Zeng Guofan said: "The imperial examination is related to the foundation of the country and it is hard to describe it. I will write a note tomorrow for the officials to read it."

Yi Xin said with a slight hint: "The imperial examination is of great importance. Bohan might as well consider it carefully and prepare a detailed statement."

"Secretary of the Lord." Zeng Guofan bowed and paused. He continued: "Secretary of the Lord and Yiguocheng are old acquaintances. Since they came to Shanghai, they want to visit them."

"I forgot if Bohan doesn't mention it." Yi Xin smiled and said, "I will go overnight, and the delegation may have to return to Beijing tomorrow." Zeng Guofan stood up and saluted and said goodbye. He added, "Let's go in a very intimate manner."

Zhenhai Gong Mansion, backyard.

Yan Kexin accompanied Yi Zhizu for a walk in the yard in the moonlight. Yan Kexin pointed at the gas lights coming through the road and smiled: "Western things are becoming more practical, and these gas lights are like shining night pearls."

After hearing her mention this, Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, who came to the fire room, sent someone to lobby again?"

"I know I can't hide it from the master." Yan Kexin was exposed and nodded openly: "Mr. Zhang is worried that if our government office does not install it, it will affect the promotion and popularization of gas lamps. They are willing to install it for free and ensure absolute safety."

Before the invention of electric lights, it was natural that gas lamps were used for lighting, but it was easy to be clear that gas lamps had huge hidden dangers. The Daying Autonomous Fire House was actually a gas factory. It would be fine to use gas lamps on the road. He was really resistant to installing and laying gas pipelines in his own house.

What's more, no one knows better than him that electric lights will soon replace gas lamps. In the past two years, taking advantage of the opportunity of large-scale economic crises in Western countries, Yuan Qi waved his money to poach the world, and spared no effort to explore experts and scholars such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, and medicine around the world with high salaries and various generous conditions, and established various research rooms in Shanghai.

Nowadays, electric lights are no longer novel. The British man Joseph Wilson Swan began to study electric lights as early as 1850, but he was unable to invent a durable light bulb. This thing is not a problem for him. With the knowledge he has mastered and a little point, Yuanqi will definitely be able to research the carbonized bamboo filament bulb and tungsten filament bulb in advance.

It only took one or two years. Now he doesn’t wear any gas lamps. He pondered for a moment before he said slowly: “How many shares do Yan Shikuan have in Daying’s Laihuofang?”

"Not much, only 30%." Yan Kexin knew that there was no need to hide this matter, so she replied truthfully.

Yi Zhizu nodded slightly, "Gas lamps have huge hidden dangers, and there is no need to install them in the mansion. As for the promotion and popularization of gas lamps, we should focus on street lights, roads and docks. In addition, tell my fifth brother that we will sell the shares as soon as possible."

After hearing this, Yan Kexin knew that Yi Zhizu was not optimistic about the gas lamp, and immediately said, "Xin'er understands."

As soon as the words were finished, a maid ran after him and said, "Master, someone is here to visit." As he said that, he presented a famous post. Yi Zhizu saw the dim light of the lantern. He saw that the name was Zeng Guofan. He couldn't help but smile, "Take him to the study room, accompany Mr. Zhao, and I will come later."

Seeing that he was going to talk to others again, Yan Kexin was not surprised, but just asked: "What kind of midnight snack will you eat at night?"

"Porridge, lotus seed porridge will be done." Yi Zhizu said, turning around and stride away. He had the habit of midnight snacks, but he really couldn't do it without midnight snacks. The military camp trained a lot to develop the habit of three meals a day, but in the mansion, he had two meals a day, and he couldn't stand it without midnight snacks.

Walking slowly into Changle Bookstore, Zeng Guofan quickly came forward and bowed and smiled, "I'm here to visit at night, so I didn't bother Brother Guocheng."

"Is it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?" Yi Zhizu bowed and returned the favor, laughing loudly, "I thought Brother Disheng would come tomorrow."

Zeng Guofan said slowly: "The mission will return to the capital tomorrow, and when he heard about it, he rushed over."

The three of them exchanged greetings and entered the room. Yi Zhizu specially added a candlestick, then looked at Zeng Guofan's eyes in the candlelight and said, "It has been cleared a lot, and it has also become a little darker. Brother Disheng seems to have suffered a lot when he traveled around the countries this time."

"We visited all countries along the way and welcomed and sent off. We were very considerate and we could endure what kind of hardships we could endure." Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "If you want to endure hardships, it is mainly sailing at sea, but compared to ordinary merchant ships, it is a world of difference." As he said, he bowed and said, "This is thanks to Yuan Qi's careful care."

"For the first time the mission visited various countries in the West, how could Yuan Qi not do his best?" Yi Zhizu said with a smile. He tried his best to form a large-scale mission to visit the West. It was also the money paid by Yuan Qi. Even the mission's itinerary was arranged by Yuan Qi, so how could he not do his best? In fact, except for the period when the telegram was cut off, the mission's situation in various countries were given regular returns. He knew the situation in various countries.

After politely speaking, Zeng Guofan didn't go around in circles and said straight: "Brother Guocheng agrees with the court's reform and reform and abolishes the imperial examination?"

Is it because of this? Yi Zhizu glanced at him and thought that the other party was from the same Jinshi and from a poor family, so he said, "Brother Disheng doesn't agree?"

"Of course I don't agree." Zeng Guofan said without hesitation: "The imperial examination system can be said to be the most perfect and effective education system, assessment system, and official selection system, which is the best comprehensive system that combines three. Once rashly abolished, the world will inevitably be in chaos."

It is easy to understand that abolishing the imperial examination system is equivalent to hollowing out the cornerstone of the Qing Dynasty. The fundamental reason why the Xinhai Revolution in later generations was able to easily overthrow the Qing Dynasty was that the Qing Dynasty cut off its own path of life and abolished the imperial examination!

To be precise, the fall of the Qing Dynasty was due to the abolition of the imperial examination!

The imperial examination is the link between the court and scholars all over the world. The court grants scholars corresponding fame through the imperial examination. Scholars gain fame and fortune through the imperial examination. They share the power of the court's power, either become officials or live in their hometowns as gentry. Abolishing the imperial examination is equivalent to breaking the link between the court and scholars all over the world. Scholars not only no longer have to obey the court, but will be disunited from the court!

What Yuan Qi did was to dig out the corners of the Qing Dynasty, and what he wanted was to easily overthrow the Qing Dynasty at the lowest cost. There was nothing more convenient than inciting and forcing the court to abolish the imperial examinations!

Of course, Yuan Qi cannot do it blatantly by abolishing the dangerous behavior of poking a hornet's nest in an abolition of the imperial examination, otherwise it would be a fire and a gentry all over the world to confront it. Yi Zhizuo pondered a little, and then slowly spoke: "Brother Disheng has traveled around the Western countries for two years. It should be very clear about the current situation of the Qing Dynasty!

In today's world, technology is changing with each passing day, various new technologies, new machinery, and new weapons are emerging one after another, navigation, railways are developing rapidly, sea routes are opening and land routes are opening. Countries around the world are competing for prosperity and strength, and Western powers are ready to move, intending to dominate Europe, America, Asia, Africa, the ocean, and the world!

Under such a big trend, the Qing Dynasty cannot be supported by Yuan Qi alone. The court must reform and strengthen its efforts, otherwise the entire Qing Dynasty will face the state of life and death!"

"The reform is to strengthen the country, and I will not oppose it!" Zeng Guofan said in a deep voice: "What I oppose is to abolish the imperial examination!"
Chapter completed!