A young man in gorgeous clothes said to his father with a sad face.
Although his father was only a sixth-rank official, if the system remained unchanged, he would still have plenty of money to bribe people and would not have to worry about his future at all.
"Why are you panicking? Your Majesty is still young and may not be able to move those old bones in the court."
His father tried to comfort him calmly, but his shaking hands revealed his inner anxiety.
For a time, there was turmoil inside and outside the capital.
Students from all over the country, carrying their own dreams and ambitions, flocked to the capital.
This ancient capital seemed to have been given new life overnight.
The inn was packed, the restaurant was full, and even the tea stalls on the street were crowded with people.
Some of these students were dusty and ragged, begging along the way, just for the dream of getting a good score on the imperial examination.
Some of them were dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked very imposing. They were followed by servants and had plenty of money with them, as if they were coming for an outing in the capital.
They gathered together, talked about everything, pointed out the situation, and wrote inspiring articles.
They discussed current affairs, criticized shortcomings and looked forward to the future.
"Everyone, this imperial examination system should have been changed long ago!"
A thin but sharp-eyed student said passionately, "The imperial examination system today is completely controlled by the aristocratic families."
"Even if a child from a poor family has extraordinary talent, it is still difficult for him to succeed!"
"Yes! I know a fellow countryman who was extremely educated and talented, but because of his poor family background, he failed the exams repeatedly and eventually died of depression!"
"Everyone, this summons from the Emperor is our chance!"
"We must seize this opportunity to explain the pros and cons to the Emperor and let him see the darkness of the imperial examination!"
The students' emotions were ignited and they all echoed the sentiment, the atmosphere was very excited.
They seemed to see a new era, an era full of hope, slowly opening.
In the imperial study, the scent of sandalwood lingered.
Li Chengfeng sat upright behind the dragon table.
The memorials piled up like a mountain, but he threw them aside.
He knocked on the table, making crisp sounds, as if knocking on the hearts of those wealthy families.
For this year's imperial examination, he decided to take action personally and bring about real changes.
"Go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony."
Students from all over the world are looking forward to it, like a group of soldiers waiting for inspection, nervous and excited.
The sunlight shines on them, illuminating the light of hope that flickers in their eyes.
Li Chengfeng appeared at the palace gate, and the students immediately knelt down, their roars resounding through the sky like a tsunami: "Long live our emperor!"
"Everyone, please stand up."
He looked around at everyone, a trace of pity in his eyes: "I know that it is not easy for children from poor families to study. After ten years of hard study, they are often rejected from the official career because of their family background."
Halfway through his speech, Li Chengfeng raised his hand to signal.
"Ah, sit down, everyone."
"Today, I want to hear your voices and tell you what injustices there are in this imperial examination system."
These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.
The students' long-suppressed emotions were finally released, and they indignantly denounced the drawbacks of the imperial examination system.
"Your Majesty, most of the examiners in the imperial examinations now come from aristocratic families, and favoritism and fraud are common!"
"Your Majesty, the content of the imperial examination has long been out of touch with reality. It is full of flashy words and phrases that are of no benefit to the country or the people!"
Li Chengfeng listened quietly, but was secretly happy in his heart.
This is exactly the effect he wants!
We must let these poor students express their dissatisfaction in person and expose the ugly faces of those wealthy families completely under the sun.
At this time, a student named Zhang Yuan stood up. He was thin but had sharp eyes.
"Your Majesty, I believe that if we want to truly reform the imperial examination system, we must address it from the source."
Li Chengfeng's eyes fell on him: "Oh? Go on."
"yes."
Zhang Yuan saluted him and said, "First, the examination room must be personally supervised by someone trusted by Your Majesty to prevent favoritism and fraud."
"Secondly, the content of the imperial examination should be closer to reality and examine the students' real talents and knowledge.
While Zhang Yuan was narrating, Li Chengfeng looked at him with great interest, secretly admiring his courage and insight.
"Finally, this exorbitant entrance fee should be abolished!"
Hearing that there was an entrance fee, Li Chengfeng raised his eyebrows and said, "When the late emperor was alive, countless funds were allocated every year for the imperial examination."
"I can't believe it..."
Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and spoke again: "Although this matter is despicable, it is not an isolated case."
"This bad custom exists in my hometown. It's called 'site fees,' but it's actually a way to make money."
"If you don't pay, you'll be rejected for various reasons. Even if you manage to get in, the examiners will make it difficult for you to get in."
Li Chengfeng was shocked when he heard this. He knew that the dynasty had many problems, but he didn't expect that the corruption would spread to various provinces and the situation had become so serious!
"Your Majesty, I have also encountered a similar situation."
A student from Jiangnan bravely added: Jiangnan is a rich and prosperous place, and the entrance fees are of many names, such as "writing fees", "tea fees", "invigilation fees", and so on.
After this incident, many students started to cry out.
"Your Majesty, please understand! My hometown is remote and already poor, and now we have to bear this additional burden."
"Yes, Your Majesty! My family is already poor, and I've almost gone bankrupt just to raise these expenses!"
There was a lot of discussion in the hall, and the students spoke one after another, exposing the shortcomings of the imperial examination system vividly.
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