"Great wisdom appears as foolishness" is a compliment, but because of the word "foolish," some people who are praised still feel offended.
The fourth prince, however, would not.
He grinned happily, "Hehe, A-Yuan, you think I'm smart too!"
He was praised by the princess!
The Fourth Prince felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, warm and soothing, extremely comfortable.
Seeing the Fourth Prince's simple-minded and silly appearance, Princess Xu showed no disgust whatsoever.
Perhaps, in the eyes of others, the fourth prince is stupid, reckless, easily manipulated, and a person full of flaws.
But in Princess Xu's eyes, he was the best person she had ever met.
"Of course! My prince is not like some people who seem shrewd but are actually stupid!"
For example, the Fifth Prince.
Perhaps they have lofty ambitions.
However, to have an ambition that is not commensurate with one's identity and abilities is foolish in itself.
People should be like the Fourth Prince, with self-awareness!
"Yes! I think so too!"
The fourth prince was even more delighted upon hearing Princess Xu's words.
Everyone said he was stupid, while others said the fifth brother was exceptionally intelligent.
But he felt that the truly stupid one was the fifth brother.
Born into a poor family and lacking imperial favor, he actually believed he could seize the position just because those aristocratic families flattered him.
The Fifth Prince doesn't even know who he should rely on most, yet he dares to get involved in the struggle for the throne!
That's absolutely utterly stupid!
"Ah Yuan, last time you said there was news from the capital that Father Emperor was going to implement the imperial examination system to select officials?"
The fourth prince is a lazy bum who only wants to find a powerful backer and live a life of wealth and leisure under that backer's protection.
However, he would occasionally pay attention to the politics of the court.
There was nothing he could do; he was a prince, and a prince who had been enfeoffed as a prince.
It's impossible to completely distance oneself from the imperial court.
Even if he wanted to, someone would be plotting against him in the dark!
"That's right! The power of aristocratic families is too great. More than half of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers come from aristocratic families."
"The heads of the Six Ministries, as well as officials in some important government offices, are all controlled by powerful families!"
Xu Yuan came from a military family and had no connection whatsoever with aristocratic families.
However, her father was the emperor's most trusted general, and it was inevitable that he would be involved in court affairs.
Sometimes, when a sage makes a decision, he needs the cooperation of his court officials. General Xu Liang would be the first to stand up and shout, "I second this proposal!"
Having done so much as a "shill," Xu Liang needs to do an even better and more conscientious job, which requires him to understand more about court politics.
At the very least, when questioned by court officials from aristocratic families, Xu Liang should be able to offer some insight; he shouldn't just shout "I agree" without being able to explain his reasoning.
In that case, not only would Xu Liang lose face, but even the sage would be ridiculed.
As the most loyal minister of the sage, Xu Liang, even if he didn't particularly enjoy studying politics, still tried to learn and understand it.
Xu Yuan, the Princess Consort of Yong, was Xu Liang's most beloved daughter.
After marrying into the royal family, Xu Liang would tell her some things.
Especially now, with Princess Xu following the Fourth Prince far away in Lingnan.
The mountains are high and the roads are long, and communication is difficult. If there are any changes in the court, the young couple will not even hear a word if no one tells them.
It would be terrible if this led to a wrong choice or caused a major delay!
Therefore, Xu Liang would write to his daughter regularly, telling her about the "strange and unusual things" happening in the capital.
The idea of emperors establishing imperial examinations to select officials from humble backgrounds and thus break the monopoly of powerful families over politics is not a recent development.
When the emperor first ascended the throne, he implemented an assessment system in some less important government departments—appointing those who were capable, rather than relying solely on family background or recommendations!
At that time, it was just a small-scale operation, and most of the officials selected were low-level clerks who were responsible for doing the work.
Although the various noble families felt somewhat uncomfortable, they did not argue with the sage over such a trivial matter.
Subsequently, the sage unified the world and became the true "Son of Heaven," and his prestige reached an even higher level.
The sage's control over the court and the world was further enhanced.
As for the aristocratic families, their vitality was greatly diminished after frequent dynastic changes and wars.
They remained noble and glamorous, but they had begun to feel the oppressive power of the imperial authority.
The sage pressed his advantage and proposed the imperial examination system.
Not just low-level officials and clerks, but all officials had to pass the imperial examination first.
In this way, the sages took the right to "select talents" from the aristocratic families and firmly controlled it in their own hands.
The powerful families will definitely retaliate, and the backlash will be extremely strong!
The capital city is now bustling with activity and changes.
“Exams? That should be more advantageous for aristocratic families.”
After hearing Princess Xu's account, the Fourth Prince said with some doubt, "Although there are indeed some fools among the scions of noble families who 'mistake a horse for a tiger,' and some incompetent people who hold positions without doing their jobs, most of the scions of noble families are still very capable!"
They have access to the best educational resources and start reading from a young age.
The family's collection of books was so extensive that it was unimaginable even for those from humble backgrounds or the royal family.
And their ancestors' handwritten notes, passed down from generation to generation, all record the hard work and success of their forefathers.
With these advantages, scions of noble families are born into an extremely high position.
If a person is intelligent and diligent enough, he can become a renowned minister and general.
The privilege of being a noble family for generations was not only due to their status, but also to their exceptional talent.
He is both literate and martial, talented and virtuous.
Children from privileged families who receive the best education from a young age will not lose to those from poor families, even when taking exams.
Therefore, the fourth prince did not quite understand why the aristocratic families were so dissatisfied!
Princess Xu slowly shook her head, "That's not how it works."
Children from aristocratic families are indeed better at studying than those from poor families, and they will definitely crush their rivals in the imperial examinations.
However, if the sons of aristocratic families truly agree to the imperial examination system, they will transform from the original rule-makers into followers.
What they cared about was absolute control, not the gain or loss of certain official positions.
Princess Xu tried her best to explain in a way that the Fourth Prince could understand.
The fourth prince was still confused, but in the end he nodded, "Yes, as long as you understand!"
They are husband and wife, and are one.
It's good if one of the two people is smart.
He is indeed blessed; those who toil with their minds suffer even more.
As dull-witted as he was, all he needed to do was trust his queen, listen to her, and act according to her wishes.
"Forget it, let's not talk about those things in the capital. We're far away, and it doesn't concern us much!"
The Fourth Prince waved his hand, steer the conversation back to Helian Jue.
"He's just too suspicious. Even though they're all his own brothers, he still tries to hide his illness!"
Although the Fourth Prince acknowledged Helian Jue as his elder brother, he still couldn't help but complain about him.
That Helian Jue is just so awkward and suspicious. Does he really think everyone wants to harm him?!
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