Chapter 89 Yuan Shikai's Road to Abolishing the Imperial Examination

Just like cicadas have to be silent for a while after a while of clamor, 1902 was a year of recuperation for the Qing Dynasty, and it was a relatively quiet year. "Breaking ground" and "worshiping gods" were the main themes of the Qing Dynasty in 1902. The imperial court repaired the Old Summer Palace, fixed the Dongling (the tomb of Cixi), and buried the bones of the concubine Zhen according to the imperial concubine's etiquette... Although many houses were demolished and historical sites, but the "Great Qing Demolition and Relocation Office" does not seem to anger the local people too much.

Due to the withdrawal of foreign guns and cannons one after another, the swarming of foreign hospitals and foreign factories, the establishment of culture and economic drama have become a formula, and the righteousness is awe-inspiring. The superficial calm concealed a fact: Yuan Shikai wanted to make a big fuss from the bottom of his heart and make some big noises! Next, let's talk about some major events Yuan Shikai has done. Yuan Shikai hated the imperial examination very much!In private, Yuan Shikai’s eternal pain has been caused by failing in the talent examination twice; in public, the imperial examination, a national cadre selection mechanism with unique Chinese characteristics, has indeed become a hindrance to the cultivation of new talents.

Therefore, he wanted to abolish the imperial examination, but his opponent was too strong. The imperial examination is the most important way for scholars to enter the official career and enter the upper class of society.For hundreds of years, this rule of entering the official career has cultivated a by-product: those elites who leaped to the dragon gate by virtue of the imperial examinations formed an extremely huge power group through the relationship of fellow villagers, classmates, teachers and students - Stereotype Wen Group.This group has formed an organizational structure similar to the underworld. It can rule the people at the bottom and threaten the emperor at the top. It is very terrifying.

And Yuan Shikai's opponent is the "Steep-legged Essay Group", so his situation is very dangerous. What does it mean that Yuan Shikai wants to abolish this system that tens of millions of people have fought for or are fighting for?It means that the efforts made by these people have been in vain, and the ten years of suffering have been in vain.They spent so much money on exam cheats and spent so much time familiarizing themselves with the exam subjects before they got a job. Now they cancel it if they say it is cancelled. How is this accountable? Matters related to the rice bowl are absolutely a matter of life and death. These people can drown Yuan Shikai and eliminate Yuan Shikai physically as long as they spit.

Therefore, Yuan Shikai knew that he must not be reckless, and the abolition of the imperial examination must be done step by step. Yuan Shikai's idea of ​​abolishing the imperial examination is as follows: First, do not move the existing officials, they still do their official duties well; Second, he has thought of a way out for those who are working on the imperial examination: to establish new schools all over the country, so that these people can be reinvented and become officials after finishing their studies; Third, he also took out funds to implement a welfare policy to send international students to study abroad.

To put it simply, it means studying abroad at public expense, completely at public expense, living expenses, tuition fees, travel and transportation expenses are all paid by the state!What is heart-warming is that after returning to China after studying, he is still in charge of the assignment work, and the salary is quite good!Of course, this is not a pie in the sky. These people must take the selection exam to go abroad and pass the test to be eligible. It should be said that Yuan Shikai's design incorporates the new people-oriented modern management concept, which is very humane and basically has no major loopholes.And thankfully, he's not alone.

After being beaten again and again by the foreign powers, many intellectuals awakened in the late Qing Dynasty, and public opinion would not completely fall to the side of the "eight-part essay group". These awakened intellectuals used Japan as a reference point to convince themselves—who made Little Japan always the object of contempt by the Chinese people? Japan, which has been looked down upon by us for a long time, has adopted the modern western education system since the Meiji Restoration and has trained a large number of talents with modern vision and skills in a short period of time. Stereotyped selection of scholars is not beneficial to the country, and it is obviously out of date. The imperial examination system should be thrown into the garbage dump.

Zhang Zhidong, who was born in a major, is also one of them. Therefore, Yuan Shikai pulled Zhang Zhidong, and the two showed the fearlessness of shaking a big tree with a mayfly, and played to Cixi in March 1903: Please abolish the imperial examination. However, the memorial was quickly called back by Cixi. Yuan Shikai's move to abolish science and technology has failed like this?Yes, Yuan Shikai lost to the "Steep-legged Essay Group". To be precise, he lost to an opponent named Wang Wenshao, the one who fled to Xi'an with Ci Xi Pi Dian Pi Dian with the seal of the military plane on his back.This Wang Wenshao is not only the Minister of Military Aircraft, but also shared hardships with Cixi, so his status in Cixi's heart is still very high.

Behind every claim lies some kind of power or vested interest group.Just like the real estate agent said that the current housing price is still very cheap and will continue to rise in the future. Therefore, Wang Wenshao, as a Jinshi, a Jinshi in the palm of his hand and with great power, consciously fought against Yuan Shikai on behalf of the officials who got ahead by taking the imperial examinations: as long as the old man is in court, the imperial examinations will not be abolished for a day!People like Yuan Shikai, who rely on wild ways to get to the top, do not have a diploma, but want to take away the diploma that we have worked hard for more than ten years, unless you step on it from me, Wang Wenshao!

Under Wang Wenshao's planning, several Juren "sacrificed their lives for righteousness" and committed suicide! Cixi felt that the social influence was very bad, and stability was the most important thing, so she did not agree with Yuan Shikai's performance. Yuan Shikai failed this time, but he has an advantage: age advantage!Wang Wenshao is 75 years old, and Yuan Shikai is just 44 years old, much younger!Yuan Shikai could afford to wait, but Wang Wenshao couldn't. Victory will come soon.