"What happens in the capital is not of much concern to us!"
Helian Jue gave a faint smirk. There really wasn't much affection left between the Sage and his son.
Helian Jue regarded the sage as an opponent.
Now, his opponent seems to have made a foolish move.
"Your Highness, do you not think highly of the imperial examination system for selecting officials?"
Xie Yuan sensed Helian Jue's lack of interest. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked a question.
That shouldn't be the case.
The imperial examination system was the best way to break the monopoly of aristocratic families.
Historically, the imperial examination system lasted for more than a thousand years.
Even the civil servants of later generations were, to some extent, a variation of the imperial examination system – a selection process based on examinations.
Relatively speaking, it is still a fairly fair approach.
To the greatest extent possible, it allows someone from a humble background to defy fate and change their destiny.
"The imperial examination system was good, but the emperor was too impatient!"
Helian Jue said frankly.
It wasn't that he disapproved of the imperial examination system, but rather that he felt the person on the throne was too impatient.
"Furthermore, Jia Yi is not a suitable candidate for prime minister."
Helian Jue shook his head as he spoke.
Jia Yi is the "commoner prime minister" he just mentioned.
Born into a poor family, a disciple of Confucianism, he studied diligently for more than ten years and became a "famous scholar" by virtue of his filial piety.
It is said that when his father passed away, he, like the ancient sages, built a hut and lived near his father's grave.
They wore the roughest hemp clothes and ate the simplest bean cakes and wheat rice.
For three years, there was not a single day of slackness.
When the mourning period for his father ended, he was emaciated, looking like a skeleton covered only by a layer of skin.
His mother was seriously ill, so he cut off a piece of his own flesh to use as a medicinal ingredient.
Despite her injuries, she served him at his bedside with utmost care and devotion.
"...Hmph, it's only because all the stories of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars have been written that Jia Yi's name would definitely be on the list of the most filial sons!"
When this part is mentioned, Helian Jue is very unfilial.
He believed that of all virtues, filial piety is the most important, and one should judge by intention, not by actions.
If you are filial to your parents, why bother with those hypocritical formalities?
Your father has died, so just observe mourning in peace. Why make yourself look like that?
Did he forget the saying "our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents" when he hurt himself?
There was also the idea of cutting flesh to use as a medicinal ingredient. Although Helian Jue was ignorant of medical principles, he still couldn't figure out what kind of quack doctor would prescribe such a medicine!
"If you ask me, I guess the doctor wanted him to get some meat for his mother to nourish her body. He deliberately misinterpreted the doctor's meaning and rolled up his sleeves to cut the meat himself."
Helian Jue smiled mockingly, then said with a hint of sympathy, "It's just a pity for her old mother. Her son got his arm all bloody trying to save her."
"This son is always standing in front of her, constantly reminding her that she ate her son's flesh—"
Xie Yuan: ...
After hearing Jia Yi's story, she didn't initially think much of it.
Cutting flesh to use as a medicinal ingredient is indeed a bit bloody.
However, it does have a source in ancient times.
Leaving aside others, there are similar legends about the famous Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty alone.
But when Helian Jue explained it in such detail, Xie Yuan, who had just become a mother, immediately felt a chill run down her spine and goosebumps all over her body when she put herself in the shoes of Jia Yi's mother.
Hmm!
It's...it's a bit disgusting!
"Truly pitiful!"
Xie Yuan suppressed the urge to conceive and slowly nodded, "Jia Yi's elderly mother is probably too embarrassed to continue being sick."
As long as they can still get up, the elderly will struggle to do so.
Otherwise, if her dutiful son were to harm her again, Grandmother Jia would probably feel so guilty that she wished she could die.
"That's right!"
Hearing his wife agree with his statement, Helian Jue's eyes sparkled with a smile as he continued to gossip with Xie Yuan: "So, in less than three days, Jia Yi's mother 'recovered'."
"Such people who seek fame and fortune, and who step on their parents to gain fame, have actually become virtuous people and famous figures praised by everyone."
Helian Jue found it utterly despicable.
This time, Xie Yuan did not agree.
The powerful families monopolized the world, leaving no way for those outside these families to rise in social status.
They have no choice but to use various methods to become famous.
Filial piety is never wrong.
Moreover, Jia Yi only harmed himself and did not harm the interests of others.
Xie Yuan disagreed, but he didn't mock her.
Helian Jue seemed to understand Xie Yuan's thoughts. "A Yuan, do you think that Jia only hurt himself and didn't harm anyone else?"
Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow, neither saying yes nor no.
However, her attitude itself is a form of tacit agreement.
Helian Jue sneered, "Jia Yi is quite formidable! Do you know why he gained the Emperor's favor?"
Xie Yuan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
She had only vaguely seen the name Jia Yi in the original owner's memories.
As for his "anecdotes," I only learned about them after hearing Helian Jue's account.
Xie Yuan had no idea what other talents this person possessed besides his reputation for filial piety.
"He advocated imperial power, paternal power, and husband's power. He believed that men should be loyal, filial, and chaste, while women should be obedient to the emperor and follow the four virtues."
"Women should regard their husbands as their heaven, and subjects should regard their rulers as their guiding principles!"
Helian Jue spoke eloquently.
Xie Yuan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
When she first transmigrated, she was relieved that although this era was ancient, it was relatively open.
Although it was still a patriarchal society, the constraints on women were not as extreme as they were during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
This was an era in which women could say things like "any man can have him."
Originally, "人尽可夫" (rén jìn kě fū) was not a derogatory term, but rather meant that one could only have one father, but could have any man as a husband.
This is similar to the later saying, "You only have one biological mother, but you can always find another wife."
If someone like Jia Yi were to gain power and his doctrines were to flourish, then the women of the world would be in dire straits.
They could have been reading and riding horses, but instead they were confined to the inner courtyard.
If not handled properly, it might even lead to the inhumane practice of foot binding.
"That man deserves to die!"
Xie Yuan couldn't help himself and blurted out a curse.
Helian Jue was stunned. He had been married to A Yuan for three years, and this was the first time he had ever seen her so disgusted with someone.
No, it wasn't just disgust; there was also a lingering fear.
Xie Yuan was indeed somewhat afraid; she worried that Jia Yi might actually persuade the sage to allow him to promote his own doctrines.
If that happens, all women in the world will become completely subservient.
There are also chastity arches, which use layers of etiquette to completely tame women!
"His intentions are despicable! He's trying to sever the very foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
Xie Yuan raised his head and said seriously to Helian Jue, "Your Highness, this person cannot be allowed to live!"
His theories should be completely destroyed!
This was absolutely the first time Xie Yuan had ever felt such intense killing intent towards a stranger!
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