Chapter 51 Establishing Chinese Studies

With the position of Vice Minister of Works vacant, everyone coveted this lucrative and powerful post.

Xiao Huaiguan naturally wanted his own people to go up, but now everyone has a chance except for the Xiao family.

Qiu Songbo, the Vice Minister of War, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Wang Langzhong said is inappropriate."

"Is there something wrong?" Baili Hong asked.

"Liu Junqi, the Assistant Minister of Works, is a protégé of Minister Wang. Now that Assistant Minister Wang has proposed to promote him to Vice Minister of Works, it may be suspected of nepotism."

Wang Yu immediately retorted: "When selecting officials, we should choose the virtuous and capable, and we should not avoid recommending relatives or friends."

"Liu Junqi, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, has always been diligent and conscientious and has never slacked off. He has performed exceptionally well in the disaster relief efforts in Hexi County and is fully qualified for this position. Vice Minister Qiu, please don't judge a gentleman by your own petty standards."

“You can’t see into someone’s heart. Doctor Wang’s words are nice, but who knows what he’s really thinking? Besides, Liu Junqi is not in the capital now, and the Ministry of Works can’t be without someone in charge.” Qiu Songbo bowed towards the dragon throne. “Your Majesty, I think Meng Wenxiao, an official under the Ministry of Works, can temporarily take over the position of Vice Minister of Works.”

"Isn't this blatant nepotism by Vice Minister Qiu?" Wang Pengyi, Vice Minister of Revenue, scoffed and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I also believe that Liu Junqi, Director of the Ministry of Works, is capable of this position."

Minister of Justice Qiu Heng raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Qin Xiao's expression. He didn't notice anything unusual, but just as Qiu Songbo was about to say something, he slightly tilted his head and gave him a look.

Qiu Songbo was taken aback and swallowed the words that were about to come out.

The court fell silent for a moment, with many people lowering their heads and having their own thoughts.

Now that the Xiao family is weak, the Wang family has become the most prominent party.

Then, looking at the court, Wang Zhiyuan, Minister of Rites; Wang Pengyi, Vice Minister of Revenue; Wang Yu, Vice Minister of Personnel; and Wang Ruzhen, Vice Minister of Justice, were already four powerful and influential officials.

If Liu Junqi, a protégé of Wang Zhiyuan, were to become the Vice Minister of Works, the Wang family would have influence over five of the six ministries in the court.

Upon realizing this, everyone suddenly understood that the Wang family had unknowingly grown powerful.

Moreover, they are the most reputable and beloved family among the four great families. If they are allowed to continue developing like this, the imperial court will surely become the royal family's court!

What they could think of, Qin Xiao could definitely think of too, so everyone felt that Liu Junqi had no chance of being promoted.

However, at this moment, Chu Jiubian stepped out of the queue, his clear and aloof voice particularly distinctive.

"Your Majesty, I also believe that Liu Junqi is capable of this task."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt gazes coming from all directions, but he lowered his eyes and seemed not to notice at all.

Bai Lihong had heard from his teacher and uncle yesterday that once his teacher made the recommendation, he could nod in agreement.

Then the child's clear voice echoed throughout the hall: "Then as the Grand Tutor said, I grant your request."

From initially only being able to say simple phrases like "Rise" or "What is it, my dear minister?" during the morning court session, to now being able to speak such long and complex sentences at appropriate times, it has only taken a little over a month.

For a child who is only three years old, this rate of growth is truly astonishing.

Qin Xiao finally spoke up: "Since there are no objections, then I hereby appoint Liu Junqi, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works."

With the emperor having spoken and Qin Xiao having made his final decision, the others had no way to refute him, but their doubts only deepened.

Aren't Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian afraid of the Wang family's growing power?

Or perhaps they secretly reached some kind of cooperation with Liu Junqi, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Works.

Liu Junqi really put in a lot of effort on this disaster relief trip to Hexi County, and who knows if he really received some kind of promise.

For a moment, everyone's gazes, seemingly unintentionally, turned to the Wang family members, especially Minister Wang Zhiyuan.

Wang Zhiyuan, however, remained calm and unmoved.

The morning court session has now concluded, and all the most important matters have been discussed. Everyone has their own thoughts, and they are all thinking about going home after court to discuss how to proceed in the future.

"Your Majesty, I have another matter to discuss." The young man's indifferent voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it startled everyone, causing them to look up.

The officials who had stepped forward to plead their case had long since returned to their positions, leaving only Chu Jiubian still standing in the same spot.

"Please speak, Grand Tutor," Baili Hong said.

"Recently, there have been many matters to attend to in the court. From the prefects of Guizhou and Guangxi who delayed disaster relief, to Xiao Wendao and Lü Yuan who embezzled funds for dike repairs, and Zhou Boshan who used the people to fill the dikes, they are all corrupt and evil officials."

Chu Jiubian spoke in a cold tone, without deliberately raising his voice, but as he spoke each sentence, the entire court became even quieter than before.

You could hear a pin drop.

No one knew what he was trying to do by saying these things, but their intuition told them it wasn't a good thing.

Chu Jiubian continued, "There are countless corrupt officials like these, which shows the flaws in our dynasty's official selection system."

The moment the words "selection system for officials" were uttered, everyone's expression changed drastically.

A series of gazes, as if they were tangible, shot towards Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian slightly raised his eyes and met Qin Xiao's deep and dark gaze.

"What are your thoughts, Grand Tutor?" Qin Xiao asked in a low, cold voice.

Chu Jiubian said slowly, "The world belongs to His Majesty, and it also belongs to all the people. The court belongs to His Majesty, and it should also belong to all the people."

"I believe that the selection of officials in our dynasty should not be limited to scholars, but should be expanded to give all common people the opportunity to enter officialdom."

Qin Xiao said, "Nowadays, the recommendation system for selecting officials emphasizes both virtue and talent, and it is open to all people. Anyone who possesses both virtue and talent can be recommended for officialdom by the local prefect and superiors. Why does the Grand Tutor say that it is limited to scholars?"

Chu Jiubian: "The power to recommend officials is in the hands of prefects and above, which raises suspicions of nepotism. For example, Zhou Boshan, the prefectural assistant of Hexi Prefecture, was recommended and promoted by Prefect Lü Yuan, but he is neither talented nor virtuous. On the contrary, there are many people with both virtue and talent among ordinary merchants."

"Indeed," Qin Xiao nodded. "During this disaster relief effort, I have met many talented and virtuous people, but due to their poverty, they were unable to provide their superiors with enough money to buy official positions, which is why they have been unable to achieve anything."

“Your Highness is right,” Chu Jiubian continued. “Therefore, I believe that this system of selecting officials does more harm than good and should be changed.”

"How to change it?"

"The imperial examination system selects officials," Chu Jiu argued. "The imperial court sets up different subjects for the examination, and all the people of Da Ning can take the exam. Those who pass can become officials."

The two of them sang in unison, each line of which was like a tidal wave crashing through the minefield of the entire court.

Having said that, the two tacitly stopped talking, and as they expected, the people in the court were indeed getting restless.

Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, was the first to step forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Prince Ning! The Grand Tutor's actions are tantamount to shaking the foundations of the nation! We must not listen to him!"

For hundreds of years, the recommendation system for officials had been firmly controlled by powerful and influential families.

The proposals made by Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao are not just shaking the foundations of the state, but also undermining the very basis of their aristocratic families' control over the court.

Immediately afterward, Su Sheng, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward from the ranks and said, "I second that proposal!"

Then one after another, except for Jian Hongzhuo who was not in court, the other five ministers all came forward.

Previously, these ministers only spoke up at crucial moments, but now they couldn't care less about that and all of them jumped out.

Now that they had all appeared, the remaining officials bowed in unison and said, "We second that proposal!"

For a moment, apart from Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao, only Baili Hong, who had risen to the position, and Hong Fu, who stood to the side, still held their heads high. Everyone else bowed and made obeisance, a rare display of unity.

Baili Hong stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking up at Hong Fu beside him.

Hong Fu smiled and shook his head at him, and the little boy obediently nodded and remained silent.

It seems that what follows has nothing to do with him; only his uncle and teacher can handle it.

Silence returned to the hall, but suddenly a low laugh could be heard.

Everyone subconsciously thought it was Qin Xiao, but upon closer listening, they discovered it was actually Chu Jiubian.

This ethereal Grand Tutor always maintained a cold and aloof demeanor towards everyone, at most offering a polite smile, but never actually laughing out loud like this.

"Why are you all reacting so strongly?" Chu Jiubian said calmly. "Could it be that what Lord Ning and I said just now was wrong?"

“Your Excellencies’ comparison of Zhou Boshan is a generalization based on a single instance,” Wang Zhiyuan said. “The recommendation system has been in place for hundreds of years, selecting countless talents for the court. Even among the officials in the court today, which one didn’t enter office through this system?”

“Yes, who didn’t get their official position because of this?” Chu Jiubian turned to look at him. “Minister Wang, take a look at how many Wang family members and protégés are standing behind you?”

Wang Zhiyuan frowned slightly: "Many talented individuals have emerged from the Wang family, and there is nothing wrong with them entering officialdom."

"Since the implementation of the recommendation system, half of those recommended for the civil service examination have come from prominent families, and most of those recommended for the imperial examinations are students of the emperor." Chu Jiubian's gaze swept over the group of ministers standing beside him, and his voice grew colder. "Are the officials selected by this recommendation system officials of the court, or officials of you people?"

"Grand Tutor, please be careful with your words!" Minister of War Lu Youwei said in a deep voice. "The officials selected through the recommendation system are naturally chosen for His Majesty and the court. Moreover, there are established procedures for recommendation, so how can it be considered nepotism? Grand Tutor, please don't look down on us mortals just because you consider yourself an immortal."

"Minister Lu, gentlemen," Chu Jiubian turned to look at the crowd and said, "You all keep saying you have your own procedures, but it hasn't been long since Zhao Qian and the sale of official positions happened. Do you want me to read out the list of those who bought official positions?"

At least half of those people were connected to these four great families.

Everyone naturally knew that Chu Jiubian was right; no one understood the drawbacks of the recommendation system better than them.

But they cannot accept it, much less allow Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao to change the system!

The imperial power is now growing stronger and stronger. If the court were to take back the right to select officials, the consequences would be dire.

Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao then said, "Alright."

Their original goal was not to start the imperial examination right now. If they were to force it, these aristocratic families would definitely go crazy. If they were pushed to the limit and they united to fight to the death, then it would be a loss for them.

They've already been provoked enough; Qin Xiao should step in as a peacemaker, give each side a good scolding, and have them both back down.

Qin Xiao looked at Chu Jiubian and said gently, "Grand Tutor means well, but the imperial examination might shake the foundation of the country at present, so let's put it aside for now."

Everyone else was startled and instinctively looked at the two of them.

What are they trying to do now?

Could it be that the two of them couldn't reach an agreement in private?

Qin Xiao then looked at the ministers, his tone turning colder: "Your Majesty is wise, and your colleagues in the court are equally intolerant of evil. Right now, there are problems with the administration, and some people below are restless, bringing some demons and monsters into the officialdom of our Great Ning. I imagine that you gentlemen also want to get rid of parasites like Zhou Boshan."

It was unusual for him to be so easy to talk to, but everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

They are also more vigilant.

"But after the worms are removed, someone always needs to fill the gaps."

Qin Xiao said, "Why not set up a 'National Academy' and select talented people from the public through examinations? Then, we can assess their character over time. This way, we can truly select people with both virtue and talent to fill those vacancies."

This is a significant step back for him. If he doesn't directly abolish the recommendation system, then powerful families still have many ways to promote their own people.

But he also established a school for studying traditional Chinese culture, wanting to support scholars from poor families, naturally in order to compete with them.

Everyone's thoughts raced.

They quickly calculated all the pros and cons clearly.

As long as the recommendation system exists, the foundation of aristocratic families will remain.

As for traditional Chinese studies—

Nowadays, those who have the means to study and understand principles are mostly from families with some financial resources.

These families strive desperately to gain fame, all in the hope of attracting the attention of prominent families and being recommended for official positions.

Therefore, as long as these aristocratic families also establish some kind of "clan school" for outsiders, these scholars will flock to them, and no one will care about traditional Chinese studies.

But who among the truly impoverished people has the means to access books?

Even if a group of ignorant people were to enter the Imperial Academy and receive training from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, it would still take them a considerable amount of time to acquire the ability to serve as officials.

However, even if they entered the court, they could not contend with the powerful families whose roots were deeply embedded in the imperial court.

Everyone knew that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were preparing for a protracted war, so they wouldn't give them that opportunity.

Previously, everyone had thought of taking things slowly, but now that they were being pressured by the two of them, they couldn't help but become impatient.

They can no longer allow imperial power to develop unchecked; they should resort to more measures sooner rather than later.

"I have no objection," Chu Jiubian suddenly spoke, breaking the silence of the court.

The Imperial Censor Qi Zhili, with a strange glint in his eyes, stood in the ranks and loudly echoed, "I second that!"

He had previously joined the others in opposing the movement, partly out of concern that the powerful families might resort to desperate measures.

But if this traditional Chinese studies program is established now, it will be the best start to suppress powerful families!

Thinking of this, he felt his heart beat faster.

If these selfish and powerful figures are removed from their posts, the dawn will break for Da Ning!

A few others chimed in, and these men were all low-ranking officials of the Ministry of War, who were Qin Xiao's men.

"I second that opinion," Xiao Huaiguan, the Minister of Personnel, suddenly said.

Immediately, most of the officials from the Xiao family and the Ministry of Personnel also joined in the chanting.

And so it went, one after another, until finally everyone had no objections.

Qin Xiao looked up at the crowd, and among the people bowing and making obeisance, Chu Jiubian, with his upright posture, stood out.

The young man stood tall and elegant, with some silver hair falling over his shoulders. His usually indifferent light-colored pupils reflected tiny specks of light, diluting the original lifelessness and slowly giving rise to a vibrant life force.

However, in just two breaths, that life force receded like a tide, returning to a state of calm and stillness.

Like a flower that had just begun to bloom, it withered and dried up without warning.

Qin Xiao's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

The countless complex thoughts in Chu Jiubian's mind instantly fell silent.

He felt his heart pounding violently, such a rapid beat, all for the sake of traditional Chinese learning, for the future Great Ning Dynasty, and for the tens of millions of people!

Chu Jiubian suddenly woke up as if from a dream, struggling to break free from his "role".

He remembered his original purpose: not to save the rotten Great Ning Dynasty. The imperial examinations and traditional Chinese studies were merely means for him to cultivate power and survive. He was not a compassionate god, but a false god skilled in disguise.

He also remembered that he was now only in the world of a book, and he had fallen into the same trap of experiential learning. He shouldn't have gotten too involved and seen himself as a savior, and he shouldn't have gotten entangled with the characters in the book.

He looked up at Qin Xiao, who was a powerful minister who would stop at nothing to gain power.

He would abandon and sacrifice everything for power, and he would also make the most perfect disguise for power and status.

Right now, Chu Jiubian is his most important asset, so Qin Xiao will definitely do everything he can to keep him by his side.

Whether it was to test his preferences, to pretend to be a ruler who cares for the people according to his ideas, or for the so-called "love tribulation" and to make Chu Jiubian more devoted, all of the previous actions were taken.

That's why we had that unplanned kiss last night.

Therefore, it is "only once in a lifetime".

Qin Xiao sensed Chu Jiubian's slight flirtation with him, and in order to appease him, he had no choice but to make a sacrifice.

Yes.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes.

How could anyone possibly care about someone like him?

How much sincerity can there be in the vortex of power?

They only have some useful value.

Chu Jiubian, as an actor, knew all too well that anything could be acted out.

fine.

This once in a lifetime is good.

A purely cooperative relationship makes it easier to take action when weapons are drawn.

To live.

He should rely on himself, the system, and his followers, not Qin Xiao or Baili Hong.

Whether it's the imperial examination system or traditional Chinese learning, it doesn't matter who agrees.

The important thing is that Chu Jiubian needs to place his own people in the government and promote them to occupy advantageous positions.

In this way, he can better protect himself.

Chu Jiubian stepped outside the framework, even beyond his own ego, calmly analyzing everything. His face was serene, his eyelashes slightly lowered, and for a moment he didn't even notice the commotion outside.

Only when his hands were grasped and lifted did he suddenly look up, meeting Qin Xiao's cold and deep eyes very close.

"What are you thinking about?" Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian then realized that the court session had ended sometime earlier, and all the officials had left, except for Baili Hong and Hong Fu, who had gone to the back hall.

Now, in this vast palace, only he and Qin Xiao remain.

"I'm thinking I should start training those gentlemen." Chu Jiubian's tone was calm, and his attitude towards Qin Xiao was no different from yesterday.

"Is that so?" Qin Xiao gripped his wrists with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, but he didn't actually dare to use any force. "That's what you think?"

"?"

Chu Jiubian frowned and looked down at his hands.

Both of her hands were held up to her chest by Qin Xiao, the pale skin on her hands contrasting sharply with the winding bloodstains on them.

Chu Jiubian was slightly taken aback.

It turned out that at some point, he had scratched off several of his fingernails, and blood was flowing down, covering his hands.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his hands instinctively tried to clench into fists to hide his injuries, but Qin Xiao held his hands.

Chu Jiubian looked up and met the man's deep, cold eyes, then loosened his grip and stopped struggling.

Qin Xiao then took out wound medicine and a bandage from his pocket and carefully treated his wound.

No one spoke again.

==

Outside the Fengtian Hall.

Wang Ruzhen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, descended the long steps, hurried a few steps to catch up with Wang Zhiyuan, and whispered, "Minister, may I speak to you in private?"

Wang Zhiyuan was accompanied only by his grandson, Wang Pengyi.

Knowing that Wang Ruzhen was bothered by him, Wang Pengyi wanted to leave, but Wang Zhiyuan stopped him and said, "We're all family, so just speak your mind."

Wang Ruzhen then glanced at Wang Pengyi.

The Wang family may seem powerful now, but internally it has already subtly split into two factions.

One faction was led by the family head, Wang Huanzhi, while the other faction was led by the young master, Wang Qichen.

Wang Ruzhen himself was a loyal follower of the head of the family, but his cousins ​​Wang Pengyi and Wang Qichen had a good relationship since childhood, so there were some things he didn't want Wang Pengyi to know.

But now that Wang Zhiyuan had said they were "family," Wang Ruzhen couldn't insist any further and said, "Just now, Grand Tutor Chu suggested that Liu Junqi be promoted to Vice Minister of Works. Could there be something going on behind this...?"

Before he finished speaking, he slightly raised his eyes to observe Wang Zhiyuan's expression.

Wang Zhiyuan said calmly, "I know my student Liu Junqi. He is upright and honest, and he entered officialdom because he wanted to do things for the people. Everything else is meaningless to him."

What family ties, what political infighting? Although Liu Junqi is a bit naive and simple, he is indeed a good boy who cares about the people and the country.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were willing to promote him because they saw his abilities and ambition. Using him was no different from using Chunchen.

Therefore, Wang Ruzhen's concern that he had a business deal with Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao was simply an unnecessary worry.

Wang Zhiyuan understood all of this, and Wang Pengyi, who was standing beside him, understood it even better.

It was Wang Zhiyuan who facilitated Liu Junqi's apprenticeship, and only he knew that Wang Qichen had sent him to him.

In other words, Liu Junqi is Wang Qichen's man.

Wang Pengyi was overjoyed to have been promoted.

This would subtly elevate Wang Qichen's status within the Wang family, making him more capable of protecting himself should the situation eventually come to a head and he were to break ties with Wang Huanzhi.

"With your words, sir, we can rest assured." Wang Ruzhen smiled slightly.

Wang Zhiyuan didn't respond, his steps were steady, only a dark color flickered in the depths of his eyes.

The capital city is truly in chaos.

==

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Baili Hong sat in the main seat writing large characters, glancing at Chu Jiubian from time to time, his little face all wrinkled.

The gentleman is really prone to injury. I don't know how he got injured, but after just one morning court session, he had five fingers on both hands injured!

The gentleman said that gods always get injured after descending to earth, calling it "divine retribution."

Baili Hong didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from hating that so-called "divine retribution".

Although he was reluctant, he still wanted his master to return to heaven so that he wouldn't get hurt. But his master said he wanted to stay with him as he grew up, and then he suddenly didn't want his master to leave.

But how can we keep getting injured like this?

well.

The little boy held his face in his hands and sighed silently, wishing he could take the hurt for his husband.

But he's so tiny, I wonder how many times he can take the fall...

Chu Jiubian was unaware of the child's troubles. He crossed his legs, casually flipping through the memorials, and setting aside the useless ones.

These are all just circles; I'll draw them for the little emperor later.

He would take a closer look at the remaining useful reports, such as those on local finances or the appointment and removal of officials, and then set them aside, to be answered by Qin Xiao one by one later.

He put down another memorial and turned to look at the person beside him.

Previously, the two of them faced each other across the aisle, each with their own table to review memorials. Now, the two tables have been put together, and their chairs are also placed side by side.

After Qin Xiao finished reviewing a memorial, Chu Jiubian said, "I can hold a pen."

Qin Xiao paused, put down the memorial, picked up another one, and silently rejected his suggestion.

"So, are you going to feed me when we eat later?" Chu Jiu asked.

Qin Xiao hummed in agreement.

Is it true or false?

Chu Jiubian couldn't tell how much of Qin Xiao's words were true or false.

When lunchtime came, Qin Xiaozhen sat down next to him, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, and held it to his lips: "Eat."

Chu Jiubian: "...I can eat by myself."

As he spoke, he reached for the chopsticks, but Qin Xiao avoided him, stubbornly holding the dish to his lips.

Baili Hong sat opposite them, slurping as he ate. He would glance at the two of them occasionally and chuckle before continuing to eat.

The gentleman injured his hand, so it's normal for his uncle to feed him.

Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao silently, but could not see a trace of warmth in the other's eyes, only calmness and indifference.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and ate the food that was offered to him.

The same applies to lunch and dinner.

Chu Jiubian stopped trying to grab the chopsticks and ate whatever Qin Xiao fed him.

But strangely enough, every bite Qin Xiao fed him was exactly what he wanted to eat.

After dinner, Qin Xiao reviewed some more memorials, and Chu Jiubian sat quietly beside him.

The council chamber was now empty except for the two of them. A dimly lit oil lamp flickered on the table.

Chu Jiubian took out a high-powered flashlight from his spatial storage, turned it on to the lowest setting, and illuminated the entire room.

Qin Xiao felt a sudden light up his eyes and turned his head to look.

Behind the light and shadow, the young man gently pressed his cheek against the light source, his face appearing somewhat hazy and dreamlike in the shadows.

It's so close, yet it seems so far away.

Chu Jiubian's gaze moved slowly, as if it were a tangible thing, from the man's high nose bridge to his slightly pursed lips, and then to his prominent Adam's apple.

Further down, the light in the room suddenly dimmed.

Qin Xiao reached out and blocked the light, holding it in his palm.

Chu Jiubian's eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, and he vaguely saw the man moving closer to him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned his head. The man's kiss landed on his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

The atmosphere became slightly tense.

Qin Xiao did not back away, and Chu Jiubian could feel the other's hot breath on his ear and neck.

"Are you angry?" Qin Xiao's voice was very soft, even gentle.

Chu Jiubian remained silent for a moment before finally smiling and saying, "Lord Ning, there's no need for that."

He stood up, put away his flashlight, and walked outside: "No need to see me off."