Chapter 881 She Never Doubted Brother
Upon hearing this, Mr. Huo and his companions were all excited. They had long known that after the reform in the court, there would be a special imperial examination to recruit scholars and promote poor scholars to fill the court. If they could go to be the chief examiner, the students in their area would be able to take the top spot in the re-examination in the future, or even enter the court and be given important positions. Then they would also get some credit for the education.
If those people become famous in the court and the country in the future, they will also be able to leave their names in history.
No one wants to miss this opportunity.
Even Cao Dejiang couldn't help showing a bit of joy on his face. He stepped forward with Huo Lao and the others and said, "We will definitely live up to the Queen's trust."
Tang Ning looked at them and said, "I trust you, but I also want to warn you in advance: restrain yourselves and don't indulge in inappropriate thoughts. His Majesty takes this matter very seriously. If anyone dares to use this test for personal gain, once verified, their entire clan will be executed."
Tang Ning looked at Cao Dejiang and said, "Prime Minister Cao, this matter will be temporarily handled by you, Prime Minister Liang, and Elder Huo. I will order Mr. Tong and the others to assist you. I will also assign half of the Black Armor Guards to be led by Geng Ji to provide support. Whether it's the capital or other places, all exams will be treated equally."
"However, since this is just a trial, and the people selected are to strengthen the court, some will need to be transferred to other places. Therefore, those who are too old or too young will not be accepted. Applicants must be at least seventeen and under thirty-five, and not hold official positions. The age limit will be relaxed after all aspects are completed next year."
Since they knew that they were selecting officials for the court, it was normal to have age requirements. What shocked them was the broad range of other conditions.
Liang Guangyi suddenly looked at Tang Ning, and Cao Dejiang and others were also stunned.
"Empress, you mean that, aside from the age limit, everyone can participate in this selection, including the sons of lords?"
"Can."
Tang Ning said: "Whether they are the sons of nobles, officials, noble families, or merchants and common people, as long as they do not hold an official position, are not guilty, and have a clean family background, they can all participate."
Liang Guangyi's eyes trembled: "People from aristocratic families are also okay?"
"Why not?" Tang Ning raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Your Majesty's purpose in holding the imperial examinations is to select talented individuals for the court. Although it gives children from humble backgrounds a chance to succeed, it never stifles ambitious individuals from aristocratic families. People are born into different classes. Even humble families can produce noble sons, and how can aristocratic families be without intelligent individuals?"
"Besides, has Prime Minister Liang forgotten? This was the promise His Majesty made to you. As long as the noble families behave themselves, the court will treat them equally."
The expression on Liang Guangyi's face kept changing, and he couldn't help but purse the corners of his mouth.
When Xiao Yan first seized power, he had promised to treat the children of the aristocratic families fairly in order to stabilize the court. However, at that time, the aristocratic families still had some strength left. Liang Guangyi had always believed that Xiao Yan was just making a temporary move to get him to back down. But he hadn't expected that even with the aristocratic families now in such dire straits, that promise still stood...
Tang Ning ignored Liang Guangyi's complex feelings and simply said, "This time, the selection will be based on real ability. You are in charge of the initial examination. For the re-examination, I will personally examine the examiners with the help of the court officials. I just hope that you will be diligent when you supervise and mark the papers. Don't let any good-for-nothings show up in the palace one day, which would be embarrassing for everyone."
Everyone present was horrified. They knew better than anyone how important this exam was. If they did well, it would be a great achievement, and their traces would be recorded in history books. But if they made a mistake, not only would they be infamous for eternity, but they would not be the only ones to die.
Everyone understood the murderous intent in the queen's words.
Cao Dejiang said respectfully, "I obey your order. I will do my best to help the court select talented people."
Several others responded.
Qian Baokun looked at Cao Dejiang and the others with envy. It was a pity that he couldn't get a chance to do something groundbreaking like this. The Ministry of Revenue still needed him. But then he remembered something and whispered, "Your Majesty, holding an imperial examination is certainly a good thing, but the war in the northwest hasn't stopped yet. I'm afraid such a big move can't be kept secret."
Tang Ning said, "This isn't something that can be accomplished overnight. Preparations can only begin after Prince Ji and his men have escorted the grain and fodder to the northwest. We need to send letters to various places to prepare for the exam, register at the government office, prepare the venue, and escort the exam papers... all in all, it'll take at least a month. Add to that the grading and sorting, and it'll probably take another two or three months before we're all ready to bring the papers to the capital."
"The war in the northwest is important, and the imperial court's selection of officials is equally important. As for whether we can keep this secret from outsiders," she smiled. "The information Beiling requested has already been delivered to them. By the time they receive news from the capital, there's no need to hide the situation here from them."
"By then, those who should be involved will be involved, and those who should be caught will be caught. The war has already begun, so how can they have time to take care of the capital? If the war is fought quickly enough, the outcome of the war in the northwest may be decided by the time of the re-examination."
Tang Ning never doubted Xiao Yan's ability, nor did he doubt that after this arrangement, Wei would still be defeated in this war.
When my brother returns victorious, I will give him a brand new court.
Tang Ning looked at Feng Qiuli, who had been standing quietly nearby. "The war in the south should be over by now. General Xiao and his men only know how to fight. They are not as good as civil officials in peace negotiations."
"Lord Feng, select a few people from the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites. Take Fu Laiqing and the 800 Imperial Guards with you and immediately depart for Southern Qi to handle the subsequent affairs with Southern Qi. Elder Qi, along with Gong Ke from the Imperial Censorate, will escort you to Western Xinjiang with 2,000 men to reunite with Di Tao and the others and take charge of the surrender of Western Xinjiang."
"Lord Feng, Elder Qi, we must end the affairs of Southern Qi and Western Xinjiang as soon as possible. During the peace talks, Great Wei will be the leader. There is no need to give in. Do you understand?"
Feng Qiuli and Qi Zhao, who stood beside them with a stern expression, both said solemnly, "I obey your command."
…
They explained things one after another, and only when it was completely light outside did Cao Dejiang and the others come out of the hall. There was no fatigue on their faces from not sleeping all night. Instead, they were all full of energy and excitement.
After Qian Baokun and others hurriedly left, Cao Dejiang and Liang Guangyi walked side by side on the palace road, and Feng Qiuli followed them half a step behind.
Cao Dejiang turned his head and said, "Your Majesty is here to take care of the Northwest War, and the Empress is also keeping an eye on it. We don't need to worry about it for now. Instead, we need to prepare for the imperial examination."
"Your Majesty has already prepared the exam papers, but due to the haste of this exam, the qualifications for those who can participate are quite broad. There will undoubtedly be many untalented individuals who will try to pass themselves off as qualified candidates. We cannot waste our time and energy on such individuals."
Whether it is invigilation or marking the papers, or even selecting the best ones for the re-examination, it requires too much energy and no mistakes can be made.
This was the first time that the imperial court held a special imperial examination to select talented people. If one could come out on top, he or she would be able to enter the officialdom. This opportunity to open up a new world would not be missed by anyone with a little ability. Even though the queen and her entourage only selected the capital and several nearby cities this time, the news would surely cause a stir after it got out.
If there is not even the most basic threshold, and everyone who meets the age requirement is really allowed to participate, I am afraid they will be exhausted to death.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
