Unaware that everyone was secretly watching her, Qin Qianluo was still engrossed in her drama. She didn't need to listen to the proceedings; there were dedicated recorders. She was like a mascot, basically doing nothing, just standing in the court every day. After finishing her beef jerky, Qin Qianluo quietly wiped her hands and secretly took a couple of sips of water. Everyone tried their best to ignore her little actions. The Emperor was already trying his best not to look at Qin Qianluo, as he was so engrossed in eating that he couldn't bear to watch. What official would act like their own little daughter? Sigh…
Qin Qianluo was enjoying the show and was about to continue watching the next episode when she heard everyone discussing the imperial examinations. She stopped watching and asked 001, "Is there an imperial examination this year? I remember it's not held every three years?"
001 checked the time and replied, "Yes, Luo Bao, there is indeed a spring imperial examination this year, it's about to start. This year's candidates are quite strong; your older brother is also participating."
Qin Qianluo was shocked, mainly because she hadn't heard her family mention it. Qin Jiyuan said, "I need a chance to tell you. You just train when you get home, or you stay in your room reading and don't even go out. How am I supposed to explain it to you? Just tell me, how am I supposed to explain it to you?"
"Does my older brother have a chance of getting in?"
"Uh... Luo Bao, although your older brother is quite talented, this year's candidates are all very strong. Let me give you an analogy: do you remember that imperial examination in the Song Dynasty? Even Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong, who were among the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, participated, and none of them came in first place."
"Of course I know that. That's considered a millennium-long list of the most important scholars. Not only did it include three of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, but it also included Zhang Zai, who famously said, 'To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations.' This imperial examination encompassed almost all the great figures in literature, military affairs, politics, and thought. Many of those who participated in this examination were prime ministers, famous generals, or masters of Neo-Confucianism."
"Yes, Luo Bao, that imperial examination produced nine prime ministers and one famous general. Twenty-four of them have their own official biographies in history; it was truly a battle of gods. The top scholar that year was Zhang Heng, who achieved the highest score in a millennium of imperial examinations. You can imagine how spectacular that examination was."
"Could this year's imperial examinations also be one of those once-in-a-lifetime events?"
001 opened the light screen, allowing Qin Qianluo to see the literary talent of the examinees. Every single one of them was full of confidence, and the young men and women all looked spirited.
"Almost there, Luo Bao. Look, this year's imperial examination candidates are all talented. I'm once again amazed by Your Majesty's good fortune. Not only are the military generals all incredibly brave and skilled in battle, but the civil officials are also all outstanding in their own way. This era can truly be called a golden age. Even during the Tang Dynasty, there were more military generals than civil officials. It was rare to see a scene where both military and civil officials advance side by side. With such a configuration, it would be a disservice to these officials if Your Majesty didn't unify the country."
Qin Qianluo looked at the light screen with some regret and sighed, "Ah, what a pity. If this configuration were given to my First Emperor, he would have not only conquered the six kingdoms, but even if it were given to Empress Wu Zetian, it would have been a trend toward unifying the world. Oh well, we can't expect too much from the emperor. Those two were emperors who could be named as number one in several categories. Comparing them to the current emperor is a bit harsh. Although the current emperor isn't particularly outstanding, he's still decent. At least he's not incompetent, and he respects women, which is enough."
Everyone watching the screen and listening to the conversation between the two was filled with excitement. These were truly talented individuals, and now was a time when manpower was desperately needed. They all needed to come. Qin Xiang and Su Xiang exchanged a glance, overjoyed. Finally, these two had come to help—young blood!
The Emperor: ...So this is a complete disregard for my life or death, right? Fine, I can't compare to that First Emperor, the Great Emperor of All Time, and I can't compare to the Empress either? Isn't that underestimating me too much? Then he thought of the excitement the little girl from the Qin family felt when she mentioned the Empress, and he stopped being stubborn. He thought to himself, maybe, probably, I really can't compare. How annoying! All the court officials are being praised, but I'm being compared to someone so ordinary. So what if I unify the world? Once the harvest is plentiful, I will definitely expand the territory. I can't let that little girl from the Qin family look down on me. Don't I have any dignity? The Emperor silently clenched his fists.
When the civil officials heard the words "to establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations," they were already breathless. Their faces were flushed with excitement. The people who uttered these words were not the top scholars in the imperial examinations. They could not imagine how outstanding the top scholar in the imperial examinations must have been, nor could they imagine how prosperous and flourishing a dynasty with such great talents must have been. Fortunately, they did not know that the Song Dynasty was known as the "weak Song," otherwise they would have been easily overwhelmed.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince exchanged a glance, unable to hide their excitement. These were the pillars and future of the nation; how could they not be excited? With pillars certified by 001 and Qin Qianluo, they couldn't imagine how prosperous the Tianxuan Kingdom would be in the future.
Looking at the screen and listening to 001's commentary, Qin Qianluo thought to herself, "With this kind of setup, it's understandable that my older brother didn't make it into the top three."
Qin Xiang: Although, well, my eldest son is indeed talented, there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Qin Xiang silently comforted himself.
After the initial excitement, a sense of crisis arose among the crowd. With so many outstanding talents joining, becoming an official would be incredibly difficult. They needed to work even harder, or they risked being replaced. The main concern was the loss of face, especially with Lord Qin around; any lack of effort would be noticed.
001 comforted Qin Qianluo, saying, "It's alright, Luobao. Anyway, Uncle Qin is the Left Prime Minister, which is already very powerful. It's enough for one person in the family to be powerful."
Qin Qianluo, unconvinced, changed the subject, saying, "How many more days until the imperial examination? I want to go watch; it's a once-in-a-lifetime event!"
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