"Your Highness, word has come from the palace that the head maids who delivered your court robes that day have been sent to the Inner Palace."
"Hmm?" Xiao Zhixing was reading the latest news sent by Ying Yi.
The entrance exams for the Gentlemen's Academy in the capital will begin tomorrow, and the exam papers have already been escorted to the academy by the Imperial Guards.
There are more than a thousand sons of officials of the fourth rank or above in Shengjing and Zhongzhou, where Shengjing is located. These are only those aged 13 to 20. If the conditions are relaxed, there will be even more.
This condition includes both legitimate sons and illegitimate sons; it does not stipulate that only legitimate sons are allowed to participate.
The examination papers from various regions were sent by hawks from the capital palace in three volumes as sample copies. When they arrived at the local level, the highest-ranking officials, the prefect and the governor, would draw lots together until they drew a paper with the same number. This paper was then designated as the official examination paper.
Then, the hospital closed two days in advance to print the exam papers, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. The exam was held directly on the third day.
There are nearly 20,000 eligible teenagers in the area.
Although the number of participants in the selection process for the Gentlemen's Academy was much smaller than that of the imperial examinations, the emperor's serious attention to the selection process made it clear to anyone with a discerning eye that His Majesty valued the Gentlemen's Academy.
Therefore, the Gentlemen's Academy exam instantly became the top trending topic in Shengjing City.
Xiao Zhixing snapped out of his daze. "Was it His Majesty who punished him?"
Hongmei nodded, "After His Majesty investigated, he dismissed several stewards."
Xiao Zhixing nodded to indicate that he understood.
She was completely focused on the exams at the Gentleman's Academy.
Time flies, and the next day, the place was located in the former royal garden of Yin, now converted into the Gentleman's Courtyard.
The traffic was heavy, and one after another, young masters were sent by their families to the Gentlemen's Academy to participate in this exam that no one could understand.
Many people just come to have some fun; everyone is curious about such a lively event.
Among them, Huo Baijun, Li Jun, Mu Zixi, Xiong Chumo, Nian Chenghan, Feng Hui, Feng Min, and Zhang Dun, whom Xiao Zhixing was familiar with, all went.
The two members of the Feng family and Zhang Dun still participated despite being ill.
There were two exams, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. As the sun set, the young men walked out, some with blank expressions, some with furrowed brows, some with a bewildered look, and some with a calm demeanor.
Everyone goes back to their homes.
That evening, Xiao Zhixing received the sample exam questions.
Two essay questions on current affairs: The essays should be fluent, insightful, and contain feasible measures.
Ten questions on general knowledge of poetry and prose: These are all everyday topics, including people's livelihood and economy, geography and humanities, folk customs and culture, personnel and arithmetic, covering everything from astronomy to geography.
The "Ten Questions on Distinguishing Between What You See and Hear" are essentially logic puzzles from a psychological test, and in an ancient version at that.
The afternoon exam was to write a long essay.
Based on the case analysis, share your thoughts and propose solutions without specifying the style or structure of the article.
The requirements must be targeted, beneficial to the country and the people, and based on sound reasoning, feasible facts, and in line with reality.
Xiao Zhixing: Isn't this similar to the national civil service exams and provincial civil service exams in China?
This is definitely modeled after the national and provincial civil service exams, with some additional elements added to the psychological testing section.
Xiao Zhixing frowned and studied the exam questions over and over again.
The Prince's Academy and the strange exam questions, and...
An unbelievable idea popped into her mind.
Shocking to the point of being scalp-tingling: The Crown Prince Selection Plan?!
Xiao Zhixing suddenly stood up, his breathing slightly labored.
How could this be! How could this be!!
Are they crazy?! Are they insane?
Such a selection method was actually implemented in ancient times?
That's the Crown Prince! The Emperor!
This isn't an election for officials or civil servants!!
In a feudal imperial society where the bloodline of family and state was the basis for inheritance, to set such a groundbreaking precedent—wasn't that suicidal?!
Or am I wrong?
Was Zhao Yunqi truly only selecting outstanding disciples of the emperor?
Xiao Zhixing took a deep breath, a deep breath, to cool himself down and calm his mind.
However, once that suspicion surfaced in her mind, she could no longer suppress it or pretend not to see it.
She carefully recalled the conversation between the Emperor System and Zhao Yunqi: ensuring fairness, activating the plan, the proposal from a year ago to establish the Gentleman's Academy simultaneously, the need to keep it a secret from the officials, not considering Zhao Lin, not caring whether they were of imperial blood, selecting sons of officials of the fourth rank or above to participate...
Xiao Zhixing slowly sat down and vigorously rubbed his temples.
This is insane!
The Emperor System has gone completely mad!
Why would it come up with such a far-fetched plan?!
He wasn't worried that once this precedent was set, any minister or family could seize the throne.
The emperor no longer belongs to one family; anyone with the ability can become emperor!
There is no longer any concept of loyalty to the throne; anyone or any family can covet that position.
If a country moves too quickly from feudal society to the next class society, isn't it afraid of falling and dying?
Is it trying to hasten the demise of the Great Sheng Dynasty and plunge the world into chaos?
Xiao Zhixing's face was ashen and cold.
I sat there for a long time, unable to calm down; my head felt like it was going to explode.
She trained hard at the martial arts arena before she finally calmed down.
No rush, no rush, I need to think carefully about what I should do.
If her guess is correct, then what impact will this have on her?
She was determined to have the throne and would never allow it to fall into the hands of someone else.
Can I infiltrate this crown prince selection plan and seize that position?
There must be more plans in the future. It's impossible to simply select a crown prince like this. Those who entered the Gentlemen's Academy to study are the initial candidates for the crown prince.
She didn't want to lose the initiative.
So--
That night, Xiao Zhixing finally got to hear the conversation between the Emperor System and the Emperor.
"The exam is over. The papers have been put in a closed room and are all graded by the system. The results will be available tomorrow."
Zhao Yunqi didn't ask how it graded the papers, especially the local ones, and simply said:
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