As soon as Liu Hong finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the emperor on the dragon throne, their faces filled with disbelief.

Of course, they didn't doubt the emperor's words, but they simply couldn't imagine what oil, which could have made the Han Dynasty rich and powerful for hundreds of years, really was.

"Your Majesty, Parthia must be taken, no matter the cost, time, or manpower!!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cao Song with a flushed face, staring at the emperor with shining eyes.

The people in the hall understood the stark contrast in Cao Song's behavior.

Let alone Cao Song, who was in charge of the Han Dynasty's finances, anyone would have found it difficult to remain calm in the face of the enormous value that oil could bring.

As Cao Song said, since Parthia possesses oil, we must acquire it no matter the cost.

Immediately, many people stood up to express their support.

Seeing this, Liu Hong nodded in satisfaction and said, "In that case, let's proceed according to the plan. After you all return, please come up with a plan!"

"Here you go!!"

"Furthermore, I have decided to set the topic of this year's imperial examination as overseas development..."

Liu Hong paused, then gave everyone a meaningful look: "Gentlemen, you must go back and prepare well, and strive to select a group of outstanding talents for the Han Dynasty...!"

"We understand!!"

Upon hearing Liu Hong's slightly suggestive words, everyone tacitly agreed.

They knew that the emperor was implying that they should leak the exam questions to encourage younger students to focus their attention on overseas development, thereby promoting people's understanding and yearning for the overseas world.

No one thought there was anything wrong with this. With so many overseas resources, it would be most appropriate for them all to be in the hands of the Han Dynasty.

Just then, Yang Ci, who was in charge of settling Kang Maode and his party, also arrived at Deyang Palace to report to Liu Hong.

Looking at Yang Ci, Liu Hong asked with a smile, "How has Kang Maode behaved since entering the city?"

"Your Majesty, this Roman prince is filled with curiosity about everything in the Han Dynasty. Especially after I introduced him to Your Majesty's experiences, I could clearly feel his respect for you..."

Yang Ci also recounted in detail to Liu Hong what had happened after Kang Maode entered the city.

"Heh~, I'm afraid he admires more than just me, doesn't he?" Liu Hong chuckled, asking pointedly.

"In response to Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. During my conversation with him, I discovered that this Kang Maode is most concerned with the various systems of our Great Han Dynasty, and..."

At the end, Yang Ci paused and continued, "Moreover, I also saw an ambition in his eyes, an ambition to emulate Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall frowned.

In their view, Commodus dared to emulate His Majesty, which was truly audacious.

Liu Hong, on the other hand, smiled and said, "Good, it's good to have ambition. Only in this way can we have a chance, right?"

Upon hearing Liu Hong's words, everyone was slightly taken aback, pondering the meaning of the emperor's words and the implication of that "opportunity."

Seeing the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, Liu Hong smiled and said, "The Han Dynasty has achieved its current status thanks to thousands of years of cultural accumulation and the assistance of a group of wise ministers and countless passionate men. Do you think Rome has these conditions?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood and nodded in unison.

Unlike the Han Dynasty's standardization of writing and cart axles, Rome's rule relied solely on military force and the balance of power among various factions, and the Senate was a product of this political structure.

This system of governance is similar to that of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, where the Roman emperor was like the Zhou emperor, and the nobles of the Senate and the governors of the various provinces were like feudal lords.

The only advantage of this method of governance is that, with a balance of interests among the feudal lords, the dynasty can maintain its rule for a very long time, even for hundreds or thousands of years.

However, this rule was not secure. As the nominal supreme ruler, the Roman emperor, like the Zhou emperor, was merely a figurehead, and could only speak within his own small territory.

Most importantly, there were huge cultural and religious differences between the various provinces of Rome, unlike in the East where people recognized the same ancestor and worshipped the same heaven.

Whenever Commodus and his son attempted to disrupt this balance, Rome would instantly fall into division.

Of course, the most important thing is that the success of the current emperor is almost impossible to replicate. Throughout the entire history of the Chinese nation, among so many monarchs, only Qin Shi Huang's achievements can be compared with the current emperor's. Moreover, it won't be long before the current emperor surpasses Qin Shi Huang.

It is truly absurd that a mere Cornelius would dare to emulate the current emperor.

Of course, for the Han Dynasty, it was entirely beneficial for Kang Maode to have this idea.

Once Rome falls into division, the Han Dynasty will not only eliminate a potential future threat, but will also be able to support several pro-Han factions to benefit the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Zhao then spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that Kang Maode's ambition is worth encouraging, and perhaps we can lend him a hand!"

"I have the same idea. During his stay in the Han Dynasty, all of you should spend more time communicating with him." As he spoke, Liu Hong smiled and said, "Remember, you must show him as much as possible what we want him to see..."

"We understand!"

Liu Hong waved his hand: "Alright, that's enough for today!"

"We take our leave!"

The group bowed respectfully and then withdrew.

Watching everyone leave, Liu Hong gently tapped the table and began to ponder the matter of Rome and Parthia.

In his view, the Han Dynasty's plans against Rome and Parthia, aside from cultural and economic aspects, mainly relied on military force as the primary means.

Especially regarding Rome, he couldn't place all his hopes on the Xianbei and Romans led by Li Ru.

Therefore, it became especially important to select a group of outstanding officers to develop the military power belonging to the Han Dynasty.

What Liu Hong was considering was the selection of officers to be sent to the two countries.

"Zhang Rang!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Issue my urgent order to summon Liu Bei, Huang Zhong, Sun Jian, Gongsun Zan, Ma Teng, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Gao Shun to return to Luoyang immediately to report back."

Furthermore, an imperial edict was issued to the cabinet, ordering Yang Biao, Xun You, Tao Qian, Zhuge Gui, Zhong Shao, Fu Xie, Chen Gong, and others to be immediately transferred back to Luoyang to assume their posts, recognizing their outstanding achievements in governing the regions.