Just as the ministers were leaving the Haotian Hall, on their way out of the palace, a young official who had just entered the court asked the old minister beside him:
"Lord Wang, why is it that Your Majesty's policies are so strong, yet no one dares to oppose them? And isn't Your Majesty afraid that the ministers in the court will pretend to obey Your Majesty's orders while secretly disobeying them?"
The old man smiled slightly and replied in a low voice: "Young man, don't take some things too simply. Otherwise, you may not even know how you died."
Hearing the old man's words, the young official immediately realized that some things were not as simple as he thought, so he respectfully asked, "Master Wang, please give me some guidance. I would like to hear the details."
Lord Wang looked around and whispered, "Only your family and ours have some friendship. Otherwise, I wouldn't care about you."
The young official was also very polite and said, "After I return today, I will pay a visit to Lord Wang and bring a small gift to show my respect."
The young official had already achieved a position where he could enter the Haotian Hall to attend the morning court, so he was naturally very familiar with human relationships. Lord Wang talked about the friendship between his family and the Wang family, but he didn't really think that the two families had much friendship.
Instead, he was reminding him that if he wanted to know more about the rules of the court, he should bring gifts and ask for advice in person. After all, in the court, if they were not from the same family or a group with common interests, no one would easily share their information with others.
Seeing that the young official was so tactful, the old man nodded and left quickly.
As for openly discussing His Majesty in the palace? That was simply courting death. This old man wasn't that foolish.
Some officials of the Wei State who had common interests also gathered together that night to discuss how to respond to the new policy and ensure that their own interests were not harmed.
As night fell, the young official quietly arrived at Lord Wang's residence, carrying a generous gift. Lord Wang also arranged a table of exquisite food and wine to entertain the young official, and everything proceeded as a normal visit between good friends.
The young official raised his glass and said with a smile, "I offer a toast to Lord Wang. I hope Lord Wang can give me some guidance and help me avoid taking detours in the court."
Lord Wang took a sip of wine, his eyes penetrating. "The court is like a chess game; every move requires caution. Let me ask you a question: are you afraid of someone you see every day and whose details you know, or of an unfathomable opponent who only occasionally shows up?"
The young official thought for a moment and replied, "Of course it's the latter."
Lord Wang replied, "That's right. Your Majesty is exactly like the latter. Although Your Majesty occasionally holds morning court and always arranges for the ministers in the court to complete the tasks assigned by Your Majesty, do you know the consequences of failing to complete the tasks?"
This young official knew all too well the consequences of failing to complete the emperor's mission or violating the laws of Wei. After all, if the previous official had not been dismissed and investigated for poor performance and corruption, he would not have been able to take up this position at such a young age.
The young official's heart trembled, knowing full well that Lord Wang was right. He respectfully asked, "Then, during this morning's court session, Prime Minister Qin Hui didn't offer any opinions, and Your Majesty didn't ask for his opinion. Is there some deeper meaning behind this?"
Lord Wang clapped his hands and said with a smile, "You are a teachable young man. I understand everything immediately. Prime Minister Qin's silence in the court today is because he failed to carry out the task entrusted to him by Your Majesty. It is obvious that Your Majesty's trust in him has wavered. I suspect that Prime Minister Qin has fallen out of favor with Your Majesty, and the position of Prime Minister of Wei may soon change hands."
The young official was shocked to hear that even the prime minister might be replaced. He stayed in the palace for a while and then said goodbye and left.
Along the way, he repeatedly chewed over Lord Wang's words, thinking to himself: If I want to consolidate my position in the court of Wei, then I must act in accordance with His Majesty's intentions, otherwise Qin Hui's fate will serve as a lesson.
Therefore, this young official planned to return home and ask the elders of his family to discuss how to transform his private school into an institution that complies with the new policies of His Majesty. This would allow His Majesty to see his family's support and cooperation for the new policies, and thus gain more trust and support.
This idea quietly spread in the minds of many officials. They knew very well that there would be no good end to going against His Majesty in the State of Wei. Moreover, even if the private school was changed into an institution of learning, they believed that His Majesty would give corresponding compensation and would never let them suffer any loss.
Of course, officials who have rich business dealings with His Majesty understand that only by following His Majesty's pace can they gain more benefits from His Majesty. So after they returned to their families, they asked their families to hand over the location and deeds of their private schools to the Royal Government Affairs Office for evaluation and renovation to ensure that they meet the requirements of the new policy.
In fact, after the incident with refined salt distribution, nearly all officials in the Wei Kingdom had established close ties of interest with His Majesty. They all understood the importance of reliance on imperial power and actively embraced the new policies. Some prominent families, in order to demonstrate their loyalty to His Majesty, even voluntarily donated large sums of silver to support His Majesty's educational reforms.
When the news of the educational reform proposed by Chu Fan during the court meeting reached the ears of the people of Wei, all the people became excited. After all, if His Majesty's educational reform can be implemented, then the opportunity to study will no longer be a privilege of the children of aristocratic families, but a right that every child can enjoy. This means that more children of ordinary people can hope to change their destiny through knowledge.
Some small landowners in rural areas have begun to prepare, hoping that their children can be the first to enter the new school, receive a better education and change the fate of their family.
Chu Fan's reputation among the people has risen again. In the eyes of the people, His Majesty not only allows them to live a life of food and clothing, but now also gives their children equal opportunities to study. This is simply a benevolent act that only a saint can do.
After hearing about these reforms, the Xiongnu and Gan State prisoners of war also had a glint of hope in their eyes. They knew the importance of education and longed for their children to have the opportunity to receive a good education. So they all asked the officials in charge how to obtain the status of Wei civilians and how to get their children into the new schools.
As more and more prisoners of war were questioned, local officials of Wei State had to report the news to the court and request clear instructions.
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