These scholars' requests not only frightened Concubine Rou's face, but also shocked many court officials behind her.

Using the imperial examination as the only method to screen officials...

It’s thanks to these people that they could come up with this idea!

It's simply a fantasy.

The court officials looked at the scholars kneeling on the ground, and their eyes suddenly became stern. The scholars kneeling on the ground did not change their expressions, and only said: "Since the queen has come out, I believe she is ready to petition for us poor students. We poor students have studied hard for decades, and inherited the hopes of our families, just to get a good name. My old father dared not treat his illness and had no rice to eat in order to support the common people to study. He finally got the news that I became a village tribute, and he was so happy that he could not sleep all night. But he never thought that my hopes of decades would be destroyed in one night."

"I will investigate this matter for you," Concubine Rou responded, frowning, "but how to select officials has nothing to do with this matter."

"How can it be irrelevant?" The scholar said loudly, "The imperial court held the imperial examination to recruit talents. May I ask your Majesty, it has been nearly ten years since the imperial examination began. Has there been a poor boy who passed the imperial examination and became an official of the fifth rank or above?"

As the scholar spoke, he took out a scroll from his sleeve and spread it on the ground: "These are the officials who were not from noble families in the imperial examinations in the past ten years. Your Majesty, please take a look at what they have been doing so far. The court is now controlled by the aristocratic families, and there are many problems from top to bottom. It is as precarious as an egg..."

"presumptuous!"

An official suddenly shouted: "We won't allow a jerk like you to talk nonsense outside the palace gates! Come, drag him away!"

The soldiers stepped forward upon hearing this, and several tall students immediately stood up and shouted, "What are you doing? Are you planning to kill us and silence us? You dare to do it but not to say it? Concubine Rou, is this the justice you want for us?"

After the student asked this, the soldiers dared not move. They looked at Concubine Rou, who coughed lightly and said, "This is a serious matter. Everyone, please stand up and we will deal with it one by one."

"What does the queen plan to do?"

The leading scholar kept chasing after them. Concubine Rou hesitated for a moment, then heard the student say, "Your Majesty, aren't you planning to coax us into the palace first, comfort us, and then make plans?"

This was indeed what Concubine Rou meant, but after being exposed so directly by the scholar, she didn't know what to say for a moment.

She pondered for a moment, and finally said: "I know you are worried about me, but I can't make the decision on such a big matter. But I was born in a poor family. When I was young, my father sold me into the palace for two taels of silver. I have suffered all the hardships you have suffered. In fact, because I am a woman, I have suffered more than you."

After Concubine Rou's words, the crowd was slightly moved. The scholar fell silent. Concubine Rou took a deep breath and went to help him up personally: "Don't worry, I will give you justice even if it means my death. You all stand up first. After a while, I will go to the Inspection Office with Prince Su. You all go together. We will deal with your grievances one by one and will never give you a perfunctory answer."

Concubine Rou's identity is her greatest weapon. What she said, coupled with her red eyes, seems to make it seem like if you don't believe her, it would be your fault.

The scholar wanted to say something else, but the scholar next to him agreed immediately. The scholar who was leading the trouble saw this scene, hesitated for a moment, and was finally helped up by Concubine Rou. Then Concubine Rou comforted them and had people take these students to the Inspection Office.

After comforting the students, Concubine Rou brought Prince Su and the ministers back to the court. Concubine Rou asked Li Cheng to repeat what had just happened. Under Concubine Rou's guidance, Li Cheng stammered and finished telling the story. Li Ming remained silent.

Everyone was waiting for Li Ming's response.

The crux of the matter is no longer about the students being replaced, but about the students' claim to change the selection of officials.

The sudden appearance of these students here was obviously instructed by someone. If everyone was still speculating that this was a factional struggle among court officials, now they have to suspect that these people were arranged by Li Ming.

Li Ming had intended to suppress the aristocratic families for more than ten years, starting from the time he promoted Pei Lizhi, to the establishment of the imperial examinations, to his efforts to promote people from humble backgrounds, and even later on, when he favored Concubine Rou and conferred the title of Prince Su on her. All of these were attempts to suppress them.

The suggestions put forward by these scholars today seem to be seeking justice for them, but in the end, the biggest beneficiary in the court is Li Ming on the golden throne.

Everyone was guessing what Li Ming meant, but Li Ming just drank a sip of tea, said nothing, and left the court.

After the court was dismissed, Pei Wenxuan quickly looked at Li Rong. Li Rong didn't even look at him and walked out of the hall directly.

Pei Wenxuan was anxious for a moment, so he turned around and walked quickly, trying to catch up with Li Rong. But before he left the hall, he was stopped by the eunuch, who whispered, "Sir, the emperor wants you to pass."

Pei Wenxuan paused, took a deep breath, calmed himself down, nodded and said, "I'll be there right away."

In the midst of this back and forth, Li Rong had already walked away.

Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong's back. After a moment, he walked out and saw Su Rongqing standing at the door.

Pei Wenxuan ignored his feelings. When they passed by each other, Su Rongqing suddenly said, "That Wen Xingzhi is your man."

Wen Xingzhi was the one who complained today. Pei Wenxuan just smiled when he heard Su Rongqing's question: "I don't understand what Lord Su is talking about."

Having said that, he stepped out.

Pei Wenxuan went to see Li Ming. As soon as Li Rong walked out of the palace, she was stopped by Li Ming's men.

Li Ming's men asked her for the official seal of the Inspection Department. She did not hesitate and threw out the official seal she had prepared, retreated back to the carriage, and said in a cold voice, "Let's go."

After the carriage left the palace, Li Rong felt the surroundings become quiet. She sat there in a daze, and it took a long time before she slowly came to her senses.

She leaned back in her seat, feeling a little tired for a moment.

When she asked Pei Wenxuan about these scholars before, he deliberately changed the subject. She knew at that time that Pei Wenxuan didn't want her to get involved in this matter. He must be planning something that she didn't like.

Although she was still a little unclear about his specific thoughts, she understood his general idea.

He wanted to change the official system at this time.

The reform of official selection was something they had been fighting for for many years in their previous life.

She likes being recommended by aristocratic families, because the most important thing for being an official is not how much knowledge one has, but the ability to do things. The imperial examination system produces a large number of scholars every year, but those scholars who are sloppy can do nothing except study. Occasionally, there are some smart ones, but most of them have bad intentions.

After learning the arts of literature and martial arts, they would sell them to the imperial family. From the moment these children from poor families started to study, they wanted to become officials. This meant that being an official was a business for them, so after taking office, they were corrupt and accepted bribes, which could not be stopped despite repeated prohibitions.

But Pei Wenxuan loved the imperial examination, and he didn't care even though the people selected by the imperial examination were often not suitable for officialdom.

Because he cares more about justice.

Even if this method is inappropriate, it is the best way to ensure fairness.

Pei Wenxuan wants to change the official system at this time, of course it is not for the sake of fairness.

He had his reasons, but he didn't tell her.

He even deliberately hid it from her. No matter how many times she told him to trust her more, he never believed her in his heart.

Li Rong laughed sarcastically. She closed her eyes and thought about Pei Wenxuan's next move. What exactly was he planning...

Li Rong thought for a moment and finally decided that she would go and ask him in person.

Li Rong thought of this, lifted the car curtain, turned around and said to the person outside the curtain: "Go to the new house and ask Cui Yulang to come to the new house to find me."

The house she bought next to Pei Wenxuan's mansion was finally settled. She registered it under someone else's name and was almost ready to move in.

After she moved to her new house, she found a rocking chair in the room and lay down.

She took a short nap and then heard a report from outside that Cui Yulang was coming over.

Li Rong saw that he was coming in a hurry, so she looked up at him and asked, "How is it?"

"Your Highness," Cui Yulang said anxiously, "Those scholars actually want to change the official selection system. Do you know about this?"

Li Rong heard this and nodded: "I know."

"Then why didn't you inform me earlier?" Cui Yulang adjusted his tone and tried to think patiently: "Today, Concubine Rou took the case and scolded me when she came back. If I don't handle it well, all my efforts here will be in vain."

"What did you tell her?" Li Rong saw that Cui Yulang was anxious, her face remained unchanged, and she picked up the teacup and asked casually.

"Just as I said before," Cui Yulang saw that Li Rong was calm, and his expression also eased. "I told her about the complaints made by these scholars, and asked her to use this incident to establish her authority in the Inspection Department. I also analyzed the emperor's intentions with her and made her believe that the emperor wanted her to take this case, and then I coaxed her over."

"What happened next?"

Li Rong was drinking tea, and Cui Yulang frowned: "She went to the court to take the case, and then took Prince Su to the Inspection Office. Before she left, she whispered to me that I had killed her. Your Highness," Cui Yulang was quite uneasy, "What should I do?"

Concubine Rou could investigate the cases of cheating in the imperial examinations, but she did not dare to change the official system. These scholars were so unreasonable, and it was normal for Concubine Rou to be angry with Cui Yulang, the person who gave her advice.

Li Rong held the teacup and thought for a long time before she slowly said, "It's good enough if she gets a taste of the sweetness."

Cui Yulang was stunned for a moment, and Li Rong just said: "This play was arranged by His Majesty. Concubine Rou is willing to take it, and His Majesty will comfort her."

"Rou Fei thinks too highly of Your Majesty." Li Rong laughed, "If Your Majesty is willing to comfort her, it's fine."

Cui Yulang listened to Li Rong's words, thought about it for a while, and finally nodded.

Li Rong talked to him about what happened next for a while, and then asked someone to send Cui Yulang away.

Then she had dinner in the house, and when night came, she asked Zhao Chongjiu to find the housekeeper of the Pei Mansion.

The housekeeper of the Pei Mansion was Pei Wenxuan's confidant. When Li Rong said she wanted to come over, he immediately went to the wall to set up a ladder, cleared out the people, and then welcomed Li Rong in.

He knew what Li Rong meant to Pei Wenxuan, so he didn't ask any more questions and led Li Rong directly to the bedroom.

Li Rong felt a little tired, so she simply lay down on the rocking chair in the bedroom and took a nap. She told the housekeeper, "When the people come back, take them directly to the bedroom."

The housekeeper responded respectfully, and Li Rong waved her hands: "Leave first, I'm tired."

The housekeeper led everyone out and left Li Rong alone in the room without turning on the lights.

She waited for Pei Wenxuan until night, when Pei Wenxuan finally came out of the palace.

Li Ming held him aside to discuss for a long time. Today's developments were somewhat beyond his and Li Ming's expectations, so they had to make other adjustments.

Pei Wenxuan was busy and couldn't spare time, but he was still thinking about Li Rong. He hurried back to the house without asking the doorman to notify the housekeeper, and went straight to his bedroom.

Seeing that he was in a hurry to come back, the doorman quickly sent someone to notify the housekeeper, but before the housekeeper had time to see Pei Wenxuan, he had already entered the bedroom.

When he reached the door, he was still telling Tong Ye to prepare the carriage, and whispered, "I'll change my clothes and go to the princess's mansion right away."

Tong Ye nodded, and Pei Wenxuan pushed the door and entered the room.

There was no light on in the bedroom, and Pei Wenxuan was too lazy to turn it on. Then the moonlight groped behind the screen, grabbed a set of clothes he usually wore, and began to take off his clothes and prepare to change into them and leave.

Just as he untied his belt, he heard a cold female voice in the room: "Where are you going?"

Pei Wenxuan froze, and he quickly looked up to find the voice. He saw a woman lying on the rocking chair, like a beautiful fairy described in a book, with her eyes closed. She said slowly, "I've been waiting for you for a whole day."

As he was talking, Tong Ye stood at the door and said softly, "Sir, the carriage is ready, we can set off anytime."

Pei Wenxuan turned around immediately after hearing this and said, "I'm not going."

Tong Ye was confused: "Ah?"

As they were talking, the butler arrived at the door and saw Tong Ye standing there. The butler whispered, "Did the young master go in?"

Tong Ye nodded, and before the housekeeper could explain, he heard Pei Wenxuan calmly say, "Everyone go down, I want to sleep."

Tong Ye and the housekeeper looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, it was Tong Ye who responded and said, "Yes."

The sound of servants leaving was heard outside. Pei Wenxuan held his coat in his hand. After a moment's pause, he finally took action.

He slowly put down his coat and tried to find a topic to talk about: "Why...why are you here?"

"I have many questions and would like to ask Master Pei to answer them."

Li Rong's voice was very soft, and it fell into Pei Wenxuan's heart, like a knife cutting through it.

"I hope Master Pei will not hesitate to teach me."

Li Rong raised her eyes as she spoke, her bright eyes looking sharp in the moonlight.

She looked at Pei Wenxuan standing in front of her. She was just like the politician in her memory, cold and steady. She looked as harmless as a rabbit, but she always showed her fangs inadvertently.

She was fully prepared, waiting for Pei Wenxuan's response, and after a brief silence, Pei Wenxuan suddenly took action.

He walked to the bed, squatted on the ground, and dug something out of the bed.

Li Rong frowned: "What are you doing?"

Pei Wenxuan ignored her and heard a series of crackling noises in the room. Pei Wenxuan pulled out an old-looking washboard from under the bed.

Then he came back with the washboard, dusted it off, and placed it in front of Li Rong. He looked calm and collected, lifted his hem, and knelt down in front of Li Rong.

Li Rong was a little shocked, then she looked at Pei Wenxuan and said calmly, "Punish me, don't talk to me like that."

"I admit what I did. Yes, I want to change the electoral system."

"I know that Su Rongqing wants to use this case to embarrass His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Given His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's temper, he will eventually take the case. Once the Crown Prince takes the case, he will be the loser no matter whether he advances or retreats. So I went to His Majesty in advance, informed him of the case, and then discussed with him to simply use this case to change the official system."

Li Rong frowned, and Pei Wenxuan had a look of fearlessness on his face. He explained the whole story clearly: "The scholar who spoke today is my man. This is what I arranged. Your Majesty and I have also discussed it. Today I will take the initiative to take over this case, and then say in the court that I will be fully responsible for this matter. Then these scholars will file a complaint and demand a change in the official system. Your Majesty will force the prince to take the case. If the prince refuses, I will step forward to take the case. At that time, the prince's people will fully support me to take the case. I will take the opportunity to ask the court officials to promise that I will be fully responsible for this case. After getting the promise from the court officials, I will leave the palace to take the case, and then with the support of Your Majesty, I will push this matter forward."

"You are making a fuss!"

Li Rong slapped the armrest and said, "If you ask them to make these demands today, you won't be able to do it even if you are given hundreds of years!"

"I know," Pei Wenxuan responded immediately, "So what your majesty and I really want is not to really abolish the recommendation system, but to make sure that the scholars who pass the imperial examination can have a good place to go. I will first put forward an incredible request, and then work with them. When my real request comes out, they will be more receptive."

"In this way, His Majesty will not keep an eye on the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince will not be in a dilemma about whether to accept the case or not."

"Secondly, if Your Majesty implements the imperial examination system, it will inevitably create conflicts with the aristocratic families. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If Your Majesty becomes the enemy of the aristocratic families, the aristocratic families will be much more tolerant of the prince. Your Majesty's health will not last more than two years, and the rise of the poor families is not that fast. Su Rongqing's plan is to force the prince to lose the support of the aristocratic families step by step, and what we have to do is to let the prince continue to maintain the support of the aristocratic families without being controlled by the aristocratic families. The simplest way is to create a common enemy for the prince and the aristocratic families."

"Third, I hope to resolve the conflict between the aristocratic families and the imperial power while Your Majesty is still alive, so that when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, there will be a stable court. I know you want Your Highness to be a wise and benevolent monarch and leave a good name in history books. But someone has to wield the sword, either the Crown Prince or Your Majesty."

Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan saying this, she lowered her head and said nothing.

Pei Wenxuan felt a little depressed when he saw her silent, but he remained calm and said, "I know you won't agree. You never thought that the imperial examinations could select any useful people, so I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would be bothered."

"I know you mind me hiding these from you, but I will do it again if it happens again. If you want to punish me, then punish me," Pei Wenxuan paused, and after a moment of hesitation, he softened his tone, "After the punishment, stay tonight, okay?"

Li Rong didn't say anything, she just looked at him quietly.

Her silence was his slowness. Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but feel a little regretful. Why should he argue with her?

But what was done was done, and there was nothing he could do but kneel on the ground, straighten his back, and confront her.

After a long while, Li Rong said tiredly: "Pei Wenxuan."

"I'm not unhappy that you're pushing for the imperial examination system," she looked up at him and whispered, "I'm just worried about you."