Three days after the first "soul link," Todd, who was in the King's Chamber, summoned Mary, who was sitting at home two kilometers away, and the two entered the soul space together.

With the help of her "hypermeation" ability, Mary began to help Todd gradually eliminate Clarence's useless memories. The original tens of thousands of fragments were reduced to about seven thousand.

While Todd was delighted, he also discovered a problem—Mary really loved coffee, and once she started drinking it, she would drink one cup after another… Fortunately, this was a virtual world, so there was no need to worry about caffeine addiction or obesity.

On the other hand, he gradually learned that as long as the opening time of the soul space is controlled within six hours (about 30 seconds in real time), the fatigue level can be effectively reduced.

After the second meeting in the soul space, Todd opened his eyes, ordered a cup of mugwort tea, and took a nap.

Just after lunch, a guard reported that Emerson had arrived.

This man, nearing fifty, began to adjust and improve the administrative system of the Muxi Kingdom with an almost fanatical enthusiasm.

The commissioner system under Taylor's republican system, which Todd originally drew inspiration from, seemed somewhat outdated and out of touch with both the growing population and the countless trivial matters of the kingdom.

Emerson, who based his political system on centralized power, intended to discuss future development with the king.

Todd rubbed his forehead and gestured for Emerson to sit down.

The old man slumped back into the sofa, his body seemingly sinking into a soft cloud. With a look of surprise, he turned and touched the cushion beneath him.

“There’s a mechanics professor at Muxi Academy who, based on the technology of printing presses, hired several ‘Metal Twisting’ mutants to invent a spring-coiling machine.” Todd patted the armrest of his chair and said with a smile, “Muxi Bank gave him a low-interest loan to produce spring furniture.”

Emerson nodded, placed the report in his arms on the desk, and went straight to the point: "In terms of political independence, the Kingdom of Muxi has a unique advantage. First, there is no check and balance from the aristocratic class; second, there is no need to consider the interference of the church. However, the delineation of the boundary between royal power and civil rights in the future will be a huge problem."

Todd rested his arms on the table, his eyes fixed on Emerson's report, which was marked with "Suggested Positions: Minister XX, Steward XX, Advisor XX..."

“Your Majesty, if the power of the monarchy is too great and the power of the people is too small, it will still lead to a crisis due to dictatorship.” Emerson pointed to the words on the paper with his pen: “But if the power of the people is too great and the power of the monarchy is too small, it will lead to the rise of factional forces, the emergence of a privileged class, and ultimately a situation of power fragmentation.”

Todd said thoughtfully, "So the key question is finding a way to reasonably decentralize power?"

"In essence, the crux of the problem lies in the selection process for officials. Generally, officials are appointed through two methods: recruitment and recommendation. The former usually involves the king directly appointing candidates, while the latter involves factions or families recommending internal members or noble sons." Emerson frowned as he looked at the positions on the paper. "For the Kingdom of Muxi, the recommendation path is not feasible; it would only provide an excuse for factions to grow stronger without benefiting the people. The only remaining option is for the king to recruit, that is, to issue invitations to talented individuals in your name."

After a moment's thought, Todd voiced his concerns: "There are two problems. First, how can I know if the person I invite is talented? There are so many people seeking fame and fortune these days. What if an ordinary person is given a high position? Wouldn't that cause trouble? Second, there are so many people in Muxi City. Most of the truly talented people keep a low profile. It won't be easy to find them. So, it seems that the recruitment method isn't very good."

Emerson sighed and fell silent for a moment.

"What is a way to select talented people while balancing royal power and civil rights?"

Todd tapped his knuckles on the table, lost in thought, when a sudden inspiration struck him: "How about we take a test?"

"take an exam?!"

Emerson was stunned.

A moment later, in an uncertain tone, he said to Todd, "Your Majesty, are you referring to exams like those in academies? Like the exams professors conduct using test papers to assess students' knowledge?!"

Todd mentally compared the two statements and nodded in agreement.

Emerson shook his head frantically: "This is illogical, this is illogical! To decide the selection of officials with a piece of paper is simply playing with the fate of the kingdom! How could anyone have such a crazy idea?!"

Todd didn't rush to refute the other party, recalling a popular science article about the "imperial examination system" that he had read in his previous life.

The imperial examination system in ancient China began in the Tang Dynasty and ended in the Qing Dynasty, spanning more than 1,300 years.

In contrast, in the West, it wasn't until the mid-16th century that monks introduced the imperial examination system to Europe through their travelogues.

The discovery of the imperial examination system was a major shock to the feudal hierarchical society in the West at the end of the 16th century, and it also played a decisive role in promoting the Western civil service system for the next three hundred years.

“Emerson, think about it. Only those who are learned and knowledgeable can pass the kingdom’s examinations and become officials to participate in the management of government affairs. Anyone, regardless of their family background or wealth, can enter the upper echelons of society through academic efforts. Doesn’t this itself signify a healthy mechanism of equality and competition? Isn’t this the best way to distribute power among the people and avoid factional conflicts?!”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!