Zhao Lin said, "Your Excellency, I have lived in the underworld since I was a child and have seen all kinds of situations. I know that for them, peace is the most important pursuit. In comparison, poverty or wealth is not so obvious."
Li Xingye nodded and said, "Tell me in detail."
Zhao Lin could only say, "Everyone knows that this student has no parents, is an orphan, and grew up in a charity. Everyone is familiar with the charity. Even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard of it. It relies on donations from kind people to support it. So, not to mention other things, even eating is a problem for us. If we want to have enough to eat, we have to rely on robbery. This is the insecurity."
"Similarly, ordinary people, if they want to live and work in peace and contentment, also have to rely on robbing. However, because the court governs well, they haven't suffered from war or disasters, so their robbing is not direct, but they rely on various livelihoods to make a living."
"At the national level, if you want the people under your rule to live and work in peace and contentment, you must maintain national peace, resist foreign enemies, and prevent them from harassing the people. Past experience has proven that once a country is engulfed in war, whether it's foreign or internal, the people immediately become destitute. Let alone a peaceful and contented life, ordinary people will find it difficult to even survive."
"That's why students lament that they'd rather be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times."
After saying that, Zhao Lin bowed.
"good!"
After careful consideration, Li Xingye let out a cheer and said, "It's better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times. How apt! Apart from anything else, the lessons of the previous dynasty haven't been too long. Back then, the court was incompetent and unable to govern. Internal and external troubles erupted simultaneously, and the people were immediately destitute. How could they possibly live and work in peace? Lord Bai, what do you think?"
Bai Shiyuan smiled and said, "Master Li is right. If we want the people to live and work in peace and contentment, the court must first be stable. Only with a stable environment can the people put their minds at ease and do their work. Otherwise, everything is just empty talk."
Li Xingye nodded and said to Zhao Lin, "You are a beggar, yet you have such insight. You are truly extraordinary. I wonder where you studied and who enlightened you."
Zhao Lin said embarrassedly, "I have been poor since I was young. I have no money to hire someone to teach me, nor do I have money to hire a teacher to teach me. So I have been learning on my own."
Li Xingye said solemnly: "What a self-taught person."
Bai Shiyuan suddenly interrupted, "From what I know, it's very difficult for anyone who comes from a charity to survive, and going to school is simply impossible. What makes you go to school in that environment?"
Zhao Lin sighed, "I'm afraid everyone will laugh at me if I tell you this. It's because I came from a charity and I know the suffering of those people. That's why I want to study hard, make a name for myself, and help them when I become an official. I want to ensure that no one, whether orphans or ordinary people, suffer from hunger and illness."
The examinees around were all in awe.
Sudi quickly said, "Brother Zhao, you're wrong. Everyone sitting here today wants to serve their country, benefit the people, relieve His Majesty's worries, and ensure the people live and work in peace and contentment."
"Well said!"
"Brother Su is absolutely right."
"Our goal is peace and prosperity for the country and the people!"
The other examinees shouted.
Li Xingye nodded with great satisfaction. "Mr. Zhao and Mr. Su are right. The imperial court holds the imperial examinations to select talents. What is the purpose? It is to enable you to better share His Majesty's worries, govern the country, and allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment, and lead a happy life. I originally thought that you were all young and could not think of these things, but now I see, I am very pleased."
Li Xingye raised his glass: "Cheers to the people's peaceful and happy life!"
"Cheers to the people's peaceful and prosperous lives!"
All the examinees raised their glasses.
Zhao Lin's heart moved slightly.
It seems that Li Xingye is different from ordinary officials. He is a good official who truly cares about the people.
However, it is unknown whether this is just empty talk or what he really thinks in his heart.
After a glass of wine, Li Xingye smiled and said to Zhao Lin, "You are the top examiner. Lord Bai, the chief examiner, personally selected you as the top examiner. He is very kind to you and you deserve to be called my mentor. Let me toast to you, my mentor, with a glass of wine."
Li Xingye knew about the grudge between Zhao Lin and Bai Shicheng and wanted to reconcile them.
Of course we have to give Li Xingye face.
Although Bai Shiyuan is only seven or eight years older than Zhao Lin, a teacher should be a wise one. He was the top scholar of the previous session and is now a favorite of Your Majesty, so it is nothing to call him a mentor.
Zhao Lin never cares about these face issues.
Zhao Lin immediately took a new wine glass, filled it with wine, stood up, and respectfully raised the glass to Bai Shiyuan: "Master, please drink this glass to the full."
A hint of surprise flashed in Li Xingye's eyes.
In his opinion, Zhao Lin has not given face to anyone since he became famous. He has offended the young master of the Bai family and the young master of the Jiang family, and it seems that he has also offended the adopted son of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion. He doesn't care at all. He thought he would refuse, but he didn't expect him to agree so straightforwardly and do it immediately.
"Is this a hidden endurance, or is she afraid of Bai Shiyuan's status and position, or is she trying to get close to him, which is why she's so impatient?"
Li Xingye was thinking in his heart.
He would rather believe the latter reason than think that Zhao Lin was such a scheming person at such a young age.
That's terrifying.
There was also a flash of surprise in Bai Shiyuan's eyes.
Before coming, Li Xingye said that he would mediate between him and Zhao Lin. Bai Shiyuan didn't take Zhao Lin seriously, so he agreed without any hesitation.
But now, Bai Shiyuan puts Zhao Lin in a position of importance.
No matter what Zhao Lin's reason was, it was not easy for him to dare to toast him in front of so many people and call him his mentor.
"We need to investigate him thoroughly to see if he's scheming or just after wealth and status. If it's the latter, then there's nothing to worry about. We can recruit him as an assistant. If it's the former, we must kill him immediately."
Bai Shiyuan was thinking in his mind, but didn't show it on the surface. He took the wine handed to him by Zhao Lin and drank it all in one gulp.
After Zhao Lin sat down, Su Di immediately stood up, holding a full glass of wine, and said, "Master Bai is not only the mentor of Brother Zhao, but also the mentor of all of us this time. I propose that we toast him together."
All the examinees responded enthusiastically, and Bai Shiyuan drank another glass happily.
Zhao Lin nodded slightly at Sudi.
He knew that Sudi did this to cover up for Zhao Lin and avoid embarrassment.
Zhao Lin embarrassed Bai Shicheng several times, but ended up calling his brother his mentor. Su Di would definitely feel embarrassed.
But Zhao Lin didn't care.
Just a name.
Not to mention that this is actually the case. Bai Shiyuan was invigilating their exams and correcting their papers. Logically, they should call Bai Shiyuan their mentor. It's just that Bai Shiyuan is younger and a little weird.
If it were another official in his fifties or sixties, it would not be so strange to call him mentor.
Even if there is no such relationship, Zhao Lin can still call him mentor if you force him to call him mentor.
It doesn’t matter. It won’t hurt to call him dad anyway. I’ll wait and let Bai Shiyuan call me dad.
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