Chapter 21 021 I am furious.
Even if one cannot "understand the meaning by listening to the music," they can still know by exchanging messages.
Li Qia, encouraged by Li Zhaoci, was prepared to be the one to stick his neck out—if his reputation were to be drowned in the spittle of the civil officials, who would come to his rescue?
Oh no, he has never been well-known among civil officials; he is synonymous with vulgarity.
That's alright then.
So, at the court assembly the following day, Li Qia, with a fearless expression of dedicating himself to the military men of the realm, loudly proclaimed: "The civil and military branches are the foundation of the nation. The emperor's ministers are all in the same ranks. In previous dynasties, officials, both civil and military, were employed together without distinction of right or wrong, superior or inferior. Since there is a Confucian temple, there should also be a military temple, and a military supervisory office should be established, opposite the Imperial Academy, so that the people of the world will not think that Your Majesty despises military officials..."①
It was all said by Li Zhaoci, and he just memorized it.
Zhao Jialing listened with great interest. Her initial novelty about the documentary had worn off; she had exercised self-control last night and stuck to her agreed-upon half-hour. After all, besides the morning assembly, she also had to practice martial arts early in the morning—the system had been talking about it for a month or so, but that "ox-like quality" seemed to be working its magic. In short, she felt refreshed and her eyes were bright and clear.
As soon as Li Qia spoke, the other dukes who had duties to perform hurriedly echoed him. As for the generals and lieutenant generals, they had no sense of participation before and didn't know what to do when they came to court every morning. Now that His Majesty had given them the opportunity, they naturally had to speak freely! Then, a loud voice boomed in the hall.
But now it was finally their turn to influence the court with their every move.
great!
But when the civil officials heard that a temple for military affairs was to be built, their faces turned green.
They have always looked down on warriors, so how could they allow a warrior to be ranked alongside the ancient sages?
"In this peaceful world, establishing a temple of martial arts and promoting military affairs will likely stir up public sentiment. Drawing a bow with the strength of two stones is not as valuable as knowing a single character!"
"How can matters of power and wealth be compared to moral teachings? Besides, these people are known for their ruthlessness, greed, and lust. They lack both the teachings of propriety and the spirit of generosity! You disregard the law; how are you any different from bandits?!"
Civil officials spare no effort in criticizing military officials.
Li Qia had thought he was truly prepared to be attacked, but after being severely rebuked, his anger flared. He forcibly suppressed his rage and, following Li Zhaoci's instructions, continued: "In the reigns of our ancestors, those who entered the central government as prime ministers were customarily given military positions in the provinces before being promoted. Now, these people look down on my military position. Since you all want to discuss the laws of our ancestors, then I humbly request Your Majesty to restore the old practice, that promotions should only be granted after one has served as a general!"
"Absolutely not, Your Majesty!" The highest aspiration of the civil officials in the court is to enter the cabinet and become prime ministers; who would willingly serve as a military officer in the border regions? Even the rank of general in the Imperial Guard is rejected. Whether it's establishing a Temple of Martial Arts, a Military Supervisory Commission, or changing the system for entering the cabinet, these are all things the civil officials cannot tolerate. Once this argument started, the officials didn't even have time to consider why His Majesty's true feelings had disappeared.
"The tyrannical generals of the previous dynasty were ruthless, causing great suffering to the people. Rebellions broke out in various places, and these treacherous generals, armed with their own armies, became powerful and arrogant, only knowing how to gain fame and fortune on horseback, and having no concept of benevolence and righteousness. The previous dynasty perished at the hands of its tyrannical generals. I hope Your Majesty will take this as a warning!"
Zhao Jialing had been enjoying the verbal sparring among the court officials, but upon hearing the civil official's words, her expression suddenly changed! After a moment of silence, she abruptly stood up and shouted, "Insolence! The previous dynasty perished due to the tyranny of the last emperor! My ancestor was once a vassal general who later raised an army to rescue the people from dire straits! Are you implying that my ancestor was also a 'traitorous general'?!"
The civil official who had been speaking suddenly lost his composure; his mind went blank. He instinctively knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. As for the remaining civil officials who still wanted to argue with the military officials, they too were rendered mute by the emperor's rage, their bodies swaying precariously.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you had no such intention," a trembling voice rang out.
Zhao Jialing did not sit down; she stood silently on the steps, her face grim.
The courtiers quietly looked up at Zhao Jialing's figure, and in a daze, they saw the majesty of the young emperor.
Zhao Jialing remained silent, mimicking the image of the Taizu Emperor in the film, coldly observing the bowing officials, using the silence to exert pressure on them. After a long while, Zhao Jialing finally laughed and said, "Reading, what a load of rubbish!"
The kneeling civil official's throat was hoarse, and he was drenched in sweat. He said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was ignorant."
Zhao Jialing ignored the man, her thunderous anger subsiding, and turned to Xie Lanzhao, asking, "Did the prime ministers come up with any solutions during yesterday's meeting?"
She specifically sent a eunuch to give her a heads-up, surely Xie Lanzhao wouldn't completely disregard her? If that's the case, she's about to get angry.
The Wise Ruler System had been following Zhao Jialing, observing her performance. Seeing that she was finally showing some semblance of a ruler, it was immediately satisfied.
It does not intend to make a sound; the more the courtiers are afraid to even breathe, the quieter it will remain.
Add a touch of mystery to the host to maintain her imperial authority.
Since His Majesty assumed personal rule, he has mostly remained quiet and unnoticed. As for his anger, this is the first time the court officials have ever seen him do so.
Besides, this matter is related to the founding emperor, the ancestor. Who would dare to say a word about it?
Those who could hear the emperor's thoughts were straining their ears to hear what his attitude was!
Even if the emperor was furious, Xie Lanzhao remained calm and composed, unmoved by any external disturbances. The Council of State did discuss the military examinations, but they were already too busy with the imperial examinations to deal with the military examinations, which they had always looked down upon. However, the current court disputes were caused by the relationship between civil and military officials, and although she was the head of the civil officials, she could not disregard the military officials.
Some people have a truly abundant sense of martial virtue.
She then continued on the topic of the military examinations: "The military examinations select individuals with physical strength, testing their archery skills (long-range archery, mounted archery, cavalry archery, foot archery), physical appearance, and abilities. However, if we are to select those who possess both wisdom and courage, and who combine talent and strategy, this is probably not enough. How can we use weapons as a means of selecting soldiers? As the ancient saying goes, 'A good teacher does not form battle formations, and a good commander does not engage in battle.' I request that all those who are eligible for the Ministry of War's military examinations be tested on their archery skills to demonstrate their strength, and on their knowledge of military strategy to demonstrate their talent."②
"As for the imperial examinations, as I have said, the list of successful candidates will be unified, the public recommendation system will be abolished, the examination papers will be copied with the names of the candidates concealed, and it will be forbidden to bring any books into the examination hall. The Qieyun and Yupian dictionaries will be distributed in the examination hall, candles will not be allowed to be lit during the daytime examinations, and candidates will be forbidden to ask the examiners questions!"
Zhao Jialing nodded. These reform measures were all aimed at ensuring the fairness of the imperial examinations and prohibiting cheating. She thought for a moment and then asked, "What if we bribe the examiners to leak the exam questions?" Before Xie Lanzhao could answer, she smiled and said, "We can lock the examiners in the courtyard beforehand, so that there is no communication between the inside and outside."
Her words revealed her attitude, and the courtiers below could easily guess her intentions.
The words of a sage are golden; if this matter is settled, it will be too late to protest!
Not everyone in the court approved of Xie Lanzhao's measures. One official immediately submitted a memorial stating: "In the past, when selecting officials from the countryside, one must examine their virtue and literary talent, and know their appearance before selecting them based on their skills. If the imperial examinations are conducted anonymously, only looking at their literary talent, understanding of the classics, and policy questions, it is probably not the original intention of the countryside selection process. If we follow the rules and determine success or failure based on a single examination, they may be dismissed for minor mistakes. Without considering their past literary achievements, we cannot truly know whether a person is virtuous or not."
Xie Lanzhao calmly said, "Nowadays, the provincial elections have lost their original purpose. They are all colluded with each other, so how can we examine their customs? So-called reputation and prestige can all be bought with money. In the past, when the imperial examinations were held, bribery was rampant, and the practice of seeking favors was widespread. Power was exercised privately, and there were factions everywhere. Today, you recommend someone's relative, and tomorrow when someone else takes charge, they will recommend your relative as well. The customs have long been corrupted."
"Then we will follow Minister Xie's suggestion," Zhao Jialing said. "The Ministry of Rites will draft new regulations, with examiners locking the examination halls and scholars required to take their assigned seats. Personnel will be dispatched to patrol and prevent scholars from writing poems randomly in the examination halls. As for the military examinations, the Ministry of War will draft the regulations. I also think the establishment of the Temple of Martial Arts and the Military Academy is feasible."
The dissenting voices had not yet subsided, but Zhao Jialing was determined to push the task through no matter what, and the previous achievement reward, "The Majesty of the Ruler," was just what he needed to do with this.
Her tone wasn't harsh, but the courtiers temporarily lost any thought of resistance.
After Xie Lanzhao respectfully agreed, the court officials echoed his sentiments.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the achievements "Golden Words" and "Master of Balance".]
[Achievement Rewards: "Basic Printing Technique" and "Gunpowder Recipe"]
The system, which had been operating silently, was finally officially launched.
Zhao Jialing exclaimed "Huh?" somewhat puzzled.
Why isn't the task considered complete?
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