Unexpectedly, Song Junzhan was opposed to the imperial examination.
Although this is his obsession, now is not the time.
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for too short a time. The talents selected at the Talented Scholars Banquet are already sufficient. It is not appropriate to hold the imperial examinations at this time."
The reason why he insisted on reviving the imperial examination system was because his father died for it. He wanted to fulfill his father's long-cherished wish and at the same time give the truly talented children from poor families a place to display their ambitions.
Although the imperial examination system has not been revived, the empress has already allowed children from poor families to show their talents, and the officialdom has become more clean than ever before.
At this point, it has actually reached its peak.
The imperial examination is the icing on the cake. It is a system and channel for selecting talents that will be needed in the future and there is no need to rush it.
The officials of each state have not yet completely submitted, the government and the people are still in turmoil, and the empress's throne has not yet been completely secured.
In a word, it's too hasty.
Song Junzhan knew that His Majesty promoted the imperial examination system for his sake, but because he knew His Majesty's good intentions, he could not let anything go wrong with His Majesty's rule.
Today, his obsession and long-cherished wish have faded. He knows that what His Majesty promised him will definitely come true, and he knows what a clear and vibrant sky there is above his head.
Rather than rushing to realize his long-cherished wish, he hopes that His Majesty will be in good health and the country will be stable. They are still young and have plenty of time to take things slowly.
Xiao Li listened to his words, but remained firm in his attitude.
"Just one month from now."
She didn't have that much time to spend with them, so she did what she could and then finished her own things.
Seeing that Song Junzhan still looked disapproving, Xiao Li joked, "If you act like this, I'll think you have no confidence in yourself. After all, you have to take the next exam. It would be so embarrassing if you don't get a good ranking."
Song Junzhan chuckled upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, there's no need to goad me. I will do my best to get the best possible score. Of course, even if I don't take first place, it won't affect my loyalty to Your Majesty."
It sounds like I'm shamelessly relying on her.
The matter of opening the imperial examination was decided, and one month was enough time for those who knew the news to prepare.
The news was sent from the capital and spread to the five surrounding cities. Twenty days was enough for them to arrive from the time they learned the news, and the rest of the time they would wait wholeheartedly for the exam.
Because of the previous Talented Scholars Banquet incident, the news of the examination to select talented children from poor families had spread.
Now that the imperial examination has been reopened, there is a constant stream of people signing up to take the exam.
The former princess ascended the throne as empress, and the banquet for talented scholars was upgraded to a national imperial examination.
The children from poor families who once made their mark at the banquet for talented scholars now sit in the court, which is enough to represent the empress's credibility and her emphasis on talent.
A woman becomes the emperor, and a hen crows at dawn?
So what?
The emperors in the past were men, and the people in power in the noble families were all men, but what kind of lives did they live?
They were oppressed layer upon layer, with darkness overhead. Although they were all men and scholars, these children from poor families were suppressed to the point of suffocation, losing their dignity, their lives, and even their innocence, being humiliated and trampled upon.
What stands between them is not gender, but class oppression.
Now the Empress leads a group of poor young men to the Golden Palace, ushering in a new era and carving out a bright road for them.
Anyone who is not mentally ill will seize this opportunity.
Of course, just like the Talented Scholars Banquet, Xiao Li did not restrict identity. Anyone from a poor family or a wealthy family could participate. The most important thing was talent.
The only restriction is age. Fifteen is the lower limit and fifty is the upper limit. Those who are too young have not fully developed their brains yet. Even if they are geniuses who can read, they may not become officials. Those who are too old are also not accepted. They are either cunning or stubborn. What's the point of choosing them?
It's unnecessary to waste time testing them.
As for the woman taking the exam, Xiao Li did not let anyone publicize it.
She did not explicitly stipulate that women could not participate, so women could participate, but just like women becoming officials and emperors, it had never happened in this era.
If you directly declare a woman an emperor, people all over the world will not agree. The same goes for women serving as officials.
Everything needs someone to be the first to try it.
Only when the first person appears and fights his way out will people know that this thing is possible.
Only when the first person crushes everyone else and men have to acknowledge her existence, will the women behind her take her as an example and awaken the consciousness of resistance and taking charge.
Status and the right to speak must be fought for with determination and ability.
Now that Xiao Li has become the empress, she naturally wants to elevate the status of women, but how far they can elevate it and what they can achieve depends on themselves.
Xiao Li felt that it was ridiculous for her to do these things in a fake world, but her fakeness was the reality of those people in this world.
Just assume she's bored, it's just something she can do.
-----
On the day when the imperial edict for the imperial examination was read out, Song Junzhan stood at the front, listening to every word he wrote, his heart surging, yet exceptionally calm.
His long-cherished wish was finally fulfilled. From then on, he no longer had to live with the lives and wishes of his elders on his shoulders. He was Song Junzhan, and he lived for himself.
He was going to take part in the imperial examination, so he did not participate in the arrangement and setting of the examination questions.
He had some free time, so he went to see Master Feng.
Taifu Feng, Wang Changwen and the others are still locked in cages.
The falling shells killed or injured more than half of the officials. As Taifu Feng and Wang Changwen were standing near the front, the shells landed behind them. The force of the explosion pushed them forward, causing them to fall hard, with injuries on their faces and bloody backs, but they survived.
After the treatment of the imperial physician and such a long period of recuperation, the two have almost recovered, but their complexion is really worse. They look haggard and disheveled, and their originally gray hair is now almost completely white.
"Teacher Feng..."
A slightly mocking voice sounded, and everyone in the cage looked over.
"Song Junzhan."
Even though this group of people were locked in cages, they were aware of what was happening outside.
It should be said that they were afraid that they didn’t know, so there were special people coming to tell them every day.
They knew clearly what policies the empress had implemented, and they also knew who the most favored and outstanding new officials in the court were.
Dressed in white, born in a humble family, he followed the empress early on, commanded the civil officials but was not given a title, and was the uncrowned prime minister who held real power, Song Junzhan.
Taifu Feng raised his cloudy eyes and looked at him for several times. Suddenly, he realized something and widened his eyes slightly. He asked excitedly, "Are you Song Yun's grandson?"
Song Junzhan's eyes sneered: "So the Grand Tutor still remembers his old friend."
"Over the years, I've been dreaming in the middle of the night, wondering if Grandfather and Grandpa Wan have ever come to visit Master Feng to reminisce about the past."
Wang Changwen on the side was surprised: Is this Song Yun’s grandson coming to seek revenge?
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