Upon hearing this, the officials were immediately filled with a sense of suffocation and their teeth ached.

Look!

They threaten people at the drop of a hat.

It's normal to have different opinions on politics. It's not like we're stopping you from doing it. You can just explain it to us.

At this moment, Meng Can stepped in to smooth things over, "Grand Commandant, it's not that we don't support it, it's just that we have some doubts. We will definitely support your decision."

The wicked man surveyed the hall, and seeing everyone waiting intently, he slowly began to speak: "Our territory is growing daily, but we are short-handed. You were the ones who complained that we were being treated like cattle and horses, and now you are the ones who are refuting and refusing."

He paused, then casually glanced at Wang Wan: "The former nobles and remnants of the six kingdoms you care about, as long as they possess genuine talent and learning, will benefit the country and its people. As for those with ulterior motives—"

He abruptly changed the subject, his eyes instantly sharpening, "With a million elite soldiers under my command, I can easily deal with any trouble they want to cause."

Many officials in the hall who had originally intended to say more fell silent upon hearing this. Everyone understood that the wicked man held an army capable of suppressing everything at any time.

"Besides, this is just a suggestion to temporarily relieve the pressure."

The wicked man concealed his arrogance and said in a deep voice, "Except for the central departments, the others will be given priority in terms of skills, and practical talents will be selected from among the poor."

"Just like Meng Can, why bother selecting sons from wealthy families? They can't even distinguish between wheat and straw, what use are they?"

Meng Can, upon being called out, showed no embarrassment and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "The Grand Commandant is absolutely right. People from poor backgrounds understand the hardships of farming better and are more compassionate towards the common people. They should be employed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Wan and the surrounding officials exchanged glances. After all, it was an undeniable fact that the Qin territory was expanding and there was a shortage of manpower in various places. If they continued to delay reforms, they would only miss the opportunity.

"This is just the first step!" A cold glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "From now on, officials will be subject to a point-based evaluation system and a bottom-ranking elimination system. Those with excessively low scores will be guilty and punished. And those with the lowest scores will be removed from their posts and executed!"

The ministers looked at each other, and no one spoke for a moment.

I've never heard of such a method before. How could an official commit a crime? Isn't this just a ridiculous joke?

The wicked man didn't care what they thought and continued to say to himself, "Now that the national treasury is full, it is time to carry out universal education. Considering the critical moment, this policy should be tightened first and then relaxed later."

"When the scholars from the common people have completed their studies... that will be the true imperial examination, which will surely discover countless talents for our Great Qin. At that time... those people you are worried about can naturally be dismissed."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Although the ministers were shocked, they had to admit that the wicked man's words and actions were extremely bold.

Although the Qin Dynasty has a vast territory today, if it does not promptly utilize talented individuals and rectify official corruption, it will eventually cause chaos. However, the ruthless methods of eliminating the bottom performers and punishing officials with death still frighten many people.

Meng Can naturally agreed with the Grand Commandant's proposal, but he couldn't help but be concerned about the specific details of the new policy's implementation. So he stepped forward and carefully asked, "Grand Commandant, who will evaluate this point-based assessment system? And how can we prevent favoritism?"

The wicked man said calmly, "Firstly, the evaluation will be jointly conducted by me, the Court of Justice, and the Imperial Household Department; secondly, if there are virtuous and upright individuals in various regions, they can also be recommended to join the evaluation team. The evaluation is not based on a single statement, but on a multi-faceted assessment. If you are still worried about cheating, just wait and see how long it takes; eventually, there will be clues. If anyone acts recklessly again, no matter if you are a king or a general, you will be kicked out."

He spoke with such conviction that everyone in the hall felt a chill run down their spines. If this were truly implemented nationwide, how many people in the court would tremble with fear?

"As for education!" The wicked man's gaze swept across the entire room. "This Grand Commandant suggests that the national treasury allocate special funds to establish schools in various places, where everything from literacy to farming and handicrafts can be taught."

"When these students grow up, they will be able to enter the court with their literary skills and lead troops with their military skills. At that time, the border areas will be in dire need of fierce generals and the local areas will be in dire need of capable officials. All of this will come naturally."

"That's right!" Han Fei, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, his face becoming more serious. "But this process will be lengthy, and the people will need time to mature. I'm just worried that if we expand too much, it will be difficult to sustain in the long run."

Although Han Fei's words were questionable, they were also intended to solve the problem. After all, it was the lifelong wish of the sage that everyone in the world could read and write.

Those who succeed will surely leave a significant mark on future generations!

Upon hearing this, the wicked man's cold and hard expression softened slightly, and he nodded, saying, "There's no need to worry about that. The cost of learning is simply the cost of teachers and books."

"At that time, I will complete the papermaking and movable type printing as soon as possible to reduce the cost of books, while the need for funds for teachers is not worth mentioning."

"papermaking?"

Movable type printing?!

In an instant, everyone's thoughts were diverted.

The wicked man was too lazy to explain further. "You don't need to worry about that. Let's just talk about the imperial examination. Is it possible or not?"

The officials in the hall looked at each other, many of them with shifty eyes, but none of them dared to speak first.

The wicked man has already made his point clear, and it's obvious he won't listen to their arguing anymore.

Could the imperial examination system really work?

His actions broke the old monopoly of powerful families and attracted countless students from poor families!

That wouldn't work, but I was afraid of angering the Grand Commandant who commanded a million soldiers, and in the end, I wouldn't even be able to keep my official position.

After a long silence, Wang Wan finally stepped forward, coughed lightly, and solemnly said, "We are naturally willing to try this strategy. By holding imperial examinations and selecting officials based solely on their talents, we can surely attract the best talents from all over the world and make our Great Qin even better than before."

Before Wang Wan could finish speaking, Meng Can also cupped his hands in agreement: "If establishing an academy can enable everyone in our Great Qin to become literate, it would truly be a great thing that benefits future generations. Since the Grand Commandant has a plan to solve this problem, I will certainly support it."

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