Chapter 40040 I have failed in my duty.

It was said to be a fight, but in reality, it was a one-sided beating of the people from the Duke of Yan's mansion. The Duke of Yan's son, Zhang Luoji, screamed like a pig being slaughtered, his cries reaching the sky.

How could the emperor's incognito travels go unnoticed? It's just that the lack of entourage avoids the hassle and disturbance to the people of Chang'an. Which of the guards patrolling the Jingzhao Prefecture, Wannian County, and even the East Market hadn't received the news? While it may seem that Zhao Jialing's followers are few, they are actually all hiding in various places. Seeing the emperor's personal guards take action, the usually lazy guards rushed over, and without thinking twice, started beating the men first.

The servant who followed Zhang Luoji in the Duke's mansion wanted to go back and report the news, but he was arrested by the guards before he could take two steps. No one was allowed to deliver the message to the Duke's mansion first.

Inside the carriage, Princess Zhao Huarong, the Princess of Wannian, was terrified by the commotion outside, her heart churning with turmoil. She gripped a dagger tightly in her hand, holding her breath, remaining motionless in the carriage. Only when the familiar voice of a servant from the Cao Prince's mansion reached her ears did Zhao Huarong secretly breathe a sigh of relief and give her personal maid a meaningful look.

"Princess." The maid was extremely worried, her face ashen. Despite trembling, she still leaned forward to lift the carriage curtain for Zhao Huarong.

When Zhao Huarong peeked out and saw Zhao Jialing's face, her expression turned even more shocked, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Is Sister Rong alright?" Zhao Jialing smiled and gestured for the people from the Cao Prince's Mansion to help Zhao Huarong down from the carriage.

The word "Your Majesty" caught in her throat, and Zhao Huarong forced herself to suppress it. She glanced around and immediately understood that His Majesty was traveling incognito. Calming herself, she opened her mouth and hissed, "Sixth Lady, what brings you here?" The emperor's children were not ranked in the same order as the queens. Among the late emperor's sons, Zhao Jialing was the sixth, and those close to her in the palace would call her Sixth Lady, which was appropriate at this time.

"Just taking a stroll," Zhao Jialing said with a smile.

The people from the Duke of Yan's mansion had already been dragged away, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground that hadn't been cleaned up. Passersby in the East Market were terrified by the scene, but those who could afford to come to the East Market were either wealthy or of high status, and they were quite sensible. It was best not to discuss matters between nobles in public, lest they bring trouble upon themselves one day.

"What's wrong with that person?" Zhao Jialing asked again.

Zhao Huarong pursed her lips and shook her head, saying, "I don't know either." She didn't hide anything and thought for a moment before adding, "A few days ago, the family from that side sent someone to propose marriage, but they have already refused. However, it seems that the young master of the Zhang family is not willing to give up so easily."

"Scoundrel." Zhao Jialing sneered. "Like father, like son." The Duke of Yan held no official position. Did he want to retire? No, he was useless.

She wasn't particularly close to Zhao Huarong, and they didn't share many intimate conversations. After exchanging a few casual words, she said, "It's alright, Sister Rong, don't worry. When you get back, please give my regards to Auntie."

Zhao Huarong glanced at Xie Lanzhao standing to the side, thinking that His Majesty had something to discuss with Xie Zhongshu, so she didn't ask anything and quickly said "Okay".

After Zhao Huarong disappeared, the gentle smile on Zhao Jialing's face vanished, replaced by a stern expression. Over this period, she had cultivated a certain imposing, unyielding authority befitting a monarch. She asked, "Is Chang'an in such chaos?"

Xie Lanzhao said, "The nobles and relatives are unrestrained, and I'm afraid they won't be easy to control." In Chang'an, especially in the wards near the palace, a single falling tile could hit a member of the imperial family. Who dares to intervene? The Prefect of the Capital wouldn't dare, and the magistrates of Wannian and Chang'an counties would dare even less. Even Xie Lanzhao felt that it wasn't worth the effort to restrain them. However, it's rare for someone like Zhang Luoji to directly confront a member of the imperial family; if he hadn't been drunk and confused, he probably wouldn't have dared to do so.

Zhao Jialing's face was sullen.

Listening to current events from within the palace is never as impactful as confronting the chaos head-on. Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Xie Lanzhao, hesitant to speak. The capital was in chaos, the prime minister had failed in his duties. But in the end, she said nothing, only listlessly saying, "Let's go back."

It's all the Duke of Yan's fault, he's so hateful! Her good mood was completely ruined.

Upon returning to the palace, Zhao Jialing took out the "Sugar Recipe" that had been given as a reward, and after flipping through it, she discovered the secret method of sugar refining. After pondering for a while, she sent Yin'e to find palace servants to copy the book. The original copy would naturally remain in the palace, while the copied version would be sent to the Imperial Household Department. These methods could not be kept as a secret within the palace; they still needed to be taught to the common people to maximize their effectiveness. However, the Imperial Printing House was currently occupied with important matters and could not spare the time in the short term.

[I need to teach them some soap recipes, and also teach them woodblock printing methods. Now they've come up with sugar refining methods—hmm, should I order people to erect monuments in the prefectures and counties so they can learn on their own?] Zhao Jialing thought to himself.

"Isn't this how the prescription was passed down? That works too, but many people are still illiterate," said the Wise Ruler System.

"Forget it, I can issue an edict, but implementing it won't be easy. If it's not even done in the two capitals, how can it be done in the prefectures and counties overnight? The books will need to be printed later, as for now…" Zhao Jialing pondered for a moment, his eyes flashing, "Why not use these valuable items to build up the reputation of Mingde Academy? For example, we could build Mingdao Academy, which could disseminate technology, also under the jurisdiction of Mingde Academy. If anyone in the populace is interested in learning, they can come here to learn new skills."

[Mingde Academy is not yet completed; currently, only Gao Shao has been confirmed as a teacher. As for the dean, a suitable candidate is still needed. Xie Lanzhao would be ideal, but as the Grand Secretary in charge of all affairs, she cannot bear the entire burden. Third Prince, aren't you an omnipotent system? This isn't my personal matter, but a matter of national importance; quickly recommend a suitable person to me.]

The Wise Ruler System mechanically replied: [The host hasn't yet earned the corresponding achievement reward; you'll have to rely on yourself.]

Zhao Jialing: "..." Although Mingde Academy wasn't an official school, it was built according to divine will and by imperial decree, so in some people's eyes, it still had a promising future. Zhao Jialing asked his ministers to recommend suitable candidates, and they all tried their best to recommend their relatives, some even wishing they could do it themselves. After looking at them all, Zhao Jialing still thought Xie Lanzhao's recommendation was the most reliable.

The person she recommended was Du Wenyu, from the Du family of Jingzhao. She had been the top scholar in a certain imperial examination during the reign of the late emperor, but due to a lack of connections in the court, she had never served as an official in the capital and had been transferred to various local posts. She was now the Prefect of Yangzhou. Judging from her official resume, she had a good reputation and was also capable, unlike Chen Xiyuan, who was just a pretty face with no talent but literary skills. Zhao Jialing approved of her and promoted her to the position of Attendant Censor, bringing her back to the capital.

With the reforms to the imperial examination system and schools, one major event after another was settled after winter, and the turbulent emotions of the court officials gradually calmed down. If they could remain unmoved by the matter of Mingde Academy, how much less would they be affected by the fact that the son of the Duke of Yan had his leg broken on the Emperor's orders?

The Duke of Yan felt wronged, believing his son's crime was undeserved and hadn't harmed the county princess. But he had no choice but to go to the palace to plead guilty; could he possibly accuse the emperor of wrongdoing? Zhao Jialing didn't punish the Duke of Yan for the time being—neither stripping him of his title nor imprisoning him—simply sending him home. The court officials thought the matter was over; after all, in the past, cases involving powerful figures were usually glossed over as long as they didn't threaten the emperor.

However, just two days later, the tranquility of the court was shattered by the censors.

Once the censors spoke, they could no longer limit the matter to "the Duke of Yan's failure to properly educate his son and his indulgence in illegal activities." They quoted classical texts and made all sorts of veiled accusations against him.

On this day, the first snow fell in Chang'an. The cold wind was sharp as a knife, and the snowflakes fell with the freezing rain, making a soft, rustling sound.

What was colder than the wind was the censor's words; the sarcastic tone was secondary, what chilled one to the bone was the deeper meaning behind his words!

Zhao Jialing remained expressionless, while the civil and military officials all gasped in shock.

But the censors wouldn't give up. Meng Xuanhe, holding his tablet, continued, "I have heard that craftsmen must use fine wood to make tools, and those who govern a country need virtuous people. If the wood is not good, it cannot be made into tools; if the people are not virtuous, the country cannot be at peace. If a ruler does not support his people, he has failed in his duty as a ruler, and if a minister does not serve his ruler, he has failed in his duty as a minister. Those who hold official positions and titles are truly the foundation of the country and the key to the safety and well-being of the people."

"The Book of Changes says: 'I have heard that learning is for governing, not for governing.' Nowadays, the sons of nobles and relatives seek official positions at a young age, but their studies are shallow and their skills are meager. They rely on their titles to pass down through generations, but they do not read the books of the sages, nor do they know the rites of the sages. They abandon their studies and lack talent, ruining their ancestors' legacy with their arrogance and unrestrained behavior. Your Majesty pities the hardships of their ancestors in establishing their dynasty and spares their families without dismissing them, yet these people are ungrateful, causing Your Majesty to lose the ability to judge right from wrong. I am very puzzled by this. I humbly request Your Majesty to consider my humble opinion and, in the future, whenever someone inherits a title, test their studies. If they succeed, they will be granted a title!"

The civil officials who did not yet hold titles remained calm, but those who did were terrified, their emotions running high and their bodies trembling. Their eyes seemed to want to devour Meng Xuanhe alive! What did this mean? Would they have to take an exam to inherit a title in the future? This was outrageous! They could not and did not want to accept it.

The official in charge of official appointment wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His face was pale. He said, "Making meritorious contributions is truly a legacy for future generations and a plan for our descendants. If the inheritance of titles is based on academic achievements, I fear it will chill people's hearts."

Meng Xuanhe coldly replied, "I do not know what makes it difficult for the children of noble families to study. Is it because there are no books available at home, or because they cannot afford to hire virtuous and capable tutors? Or is it because there are no suitable seats available in the two academies?"

The official frowned: "People have different natures. There are so many scholars in the world, but only a handful, like Imperial Censor Meng, have passed the imperial examination."

"There's no need for exceptional talent; what they lack is virtue and character," Meng Xuanhe said without blinking. "If you want your family to prosper, why not teach your children and grandchildren to read? The influence of a virtuous person extends far beyond five generations. If you find the right person, it can last for a hundred generations."①

Some sons of noble families do receive education, but is this merely a matter of whether they are studious or not? This is tantamount to depriving them of their rights! If a disobedient descendant emerges, are they to watch helplessly as their title goes uninherited? Even knowing that a disobedient descendant might ruin the family fortune and bring shame upon the clan, who can so readily abandon their family at the precipice? "This is not an ancient custom; it did not exist in previous dynasties. We, your subjects, believe it is unacceptable!"

"Isn't the reform of the imperial examination system and the establishment of Mingde Academy unprecedented?" an imperial censor retorted sarcastically.

Zhao Jialing frowned. She had a mission to complete and did need to make some changes, but she didn't want this matter to be associated with Mingde Academy. The censor, realizing his slip of the tongue, bowed his head in apology. Zhao Jialing's face was ashen, and her gaze fell on Xie Lanzhao.

The intense gaze could not be ignored. The absence of current opinions did not preclude future pronouncements of "nonsense." Xie Lanzhao calmly stated, "A gentleman is inclined to follow established practices, but when unavoidable, he should employ his unique insight to formulate a sound plan. I believe that since there are no established precedents to follow, we should adopt the expedient methods of recent times. Censor Meng's words are excellent."②

She traveled with His Majesty and also heard about the "benefit of a virtuous man" mission, which was aimed at powerful relatives. The suggestion by the censor to impeach the Duke of Yan's household and to propose an examination for inheriting the title was indeed at her behest.

Earlier, His Majesty hesitated to speak on the street, but she knew in her heart that it was indeed her dereliction of duty as prime minister.

As soon as Xie Lanzhao spoke, he was met with a barrage of criticism from his colleagues. The attacks that were originally directed at the censors were now directed at Xie Lanzhao. Xie Lanzhao remained calm and unconcerned about the comments.

Zhao Jialing frowned slightly, not wanting Xie Lanzao to be overwhelmed by the resentment and discontent of the court officials. She said, "This matter will be discussed later." After a pause, she added, "I have something I would like to invite you all to see." Her gaze shifted to Li Qia, and she asked, "Lord Qin, are you ready?"

Duke Li Qia of Qin was a nobleman, and he didn't care about those things, remaining unmoved by the surging tide. Upon hearing His Majesty mention his name, he paused for a moment, then a suppressed excitement appeared on his face. He declared loudly, "Your Majesty, I am fully prepared and await Your Majesty's arrival!"

This is a monumental undertaking that will shake the world to the core!

Firearms! Charge!