Chapter 418 Extracting the Essence and Discarding the Dross
Cui Ying played cat and mouse with these seasoned veterans in the court.
She was thinking about what Qin Jinzhi had told her.
Finally, a few days ago, Cui Ying gathered all the clan elders and relatives together.
He respectfully inquired about the affairs of the court from the elders of the Cui family.
Although the Cui family is not as glorious as before, its foundation has not been destroyed. Cui Ying's decision to cut off all the gray industries has greatly affected the foundation of the Cui family.
The reaction from these relatives was enormous.
So after understanding what Qin Jinzhi said.
Cui Ying then gathered all these people together.
The reason these clan elders reacted so strongly was ultimately because they felt they had no value left in the Cui family.
Once they have no value, they will be completely eliminated by Cui Ying.
Cui Ying has now brought everyone together.
Their seniority and experience could help Cui Ying quickly become adept at navigating the court.
Cui Ying's needs greatly soothed their uneasy minds.
In recent days, Cui Ying has become much more adept at dealing with people.
Things within the clan have become much easier to advance.
The tense atmosphere in the Cui family has eased considerably.
Many elders have even advocated that Cui Ying should move back to the Cui family mansion.
After all, how could the head of a clan live in a small house?
Cui Ying simply smiled and said, "Elders, rest assured, one day, everything I have will be worthy of me, Cui Ying."
After the meeting ended, Cui Ying saw Cui Hao in front of the ancestral hall.
She didn't linger and strode away.
Cui Hao hurriedly called out, "Aying! Now I only have you and my mother as my relatives. Let's move back."
Cui Ying did not pause for a moment.
He strode forward.
Seeing Qin Jinzhi attend court today, Cui Ying finally felt relieved.
The officials above were visibly shaken by the impeachment memorials submitted by the Censorate.
There are countless officials who fail to comply with regulations upon taking office.
If it's a punishment, how should it be carried out, how severe should it be, and how harsh should it be?
If no punishment is imposed, how should the subsequent matters proceed?
After arguing all day, Cui Ying's eyes were almost closed.
She secretly pinched her thigh and glanced at Qin Jinzhi.
Qin Jinzhi showed no sign of fatigue.
Cui Ying could tell from her expression that she was actually listening intently to these people arguing!
After the court session, everyone left the main hall.
Cui Ying quickly followed Qin Jinzhi's footsteps.
"My God, how did you manage to listen for so long?"
Qin Jinzhi stretched and said, “We should take the essence and discard the dross of these historical relics. These officials have been able to serve in the court for so many years, so they must have some ability. Otherwise, they would all be parasites, and the court would have been finished long ago. Learning from their vision and insights is also something you should do when you go to court.”
Cui Ying sighed deeply at the thought of having to analyze word by word what these people were arguing about every day.
The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit.
How can one succeed without this indomitable spirit?
"Princess! Princess!"
Qin Jinzhi turned around when she heard the sound and saw Eunuch Hong running towards her with a big smile on his face.
"Princess, His Majesty requests that you accompany him to the Jiaofang Palace for a meal."
After hearing this, Cui Ying said to Qin Jinzhi, "Then I'll go back to Qianniao Division first."
After nodding to Eunuch Hong, Cui Ying left.
Qin Jinzhi stepped forward and moved closer to Eunuch Hong.
"What kind of favor do you think Grandfather is planning to ask me for later?"
Eunuch Hong covered his mouth and chuckled, "This old servant wouldn't dare to talk nonsense."
The two walked towards the Jiaofang Palace with smiles on their faces.
They went inside.
The emperor was already sitting on the table, looking at Qin Jinzhi with a smug expression.
"My dear grandson is here! Come quickly! Your imperial grandmother specially made steamed meat for me today. Your imperial grandfather is not one to eat alone, so he invited you to have a taste as well."
Qin Jinzhi sat down in the middle of the table, raised one eyebrow and looked at the emperor.
"Grandfather, your eyebrows are flying high."
The emperor quickly touched his eyebrows, "What nonsense is this?"
A moment later, the Empress walked in.
A palace maid came in carrying dishes behind her.
The steamed meatloaf was then placed in front of the emperor.
Qin Jinzhi looked at the dishes on the table, except for the steamed meatloaf.
The rest of the dishes were all her favorites.
Granny Li brought food to Qin Jinzhi.
The Empress did not speak, but placed a meat pie on the Emperor's plate with her chopsticks, and then casually placed a piece on Qin Jinzhi's plate as well.
"Have a meal."
Upon hearing the Queen's order, the grandfather and grandson, who were sitting upright, immediately began to eat.
Qin Jinzhi always takes the bait whenever given the chance.
Holding a small bowl, he said to the Empress, "Grandmother, I want to eat that crispy shredded tofu as well."
With a cold expression, the Empress placed another piece of crispy shredded tofu on Qin Jinzhi's plate.
The emperor held out the bowl.
The Empress immediately shouted, "Your hand is broken? Pick it up yourself."
Qin Jinzhi, her mouth stuffed full of rice, looked at the emperor with a mocking gaze and shrugged smugly.
The emperor pursed his lips but didn't dare to retort.
The Empress asked, "Regarding the official's misconduct, do you think he should be punished?"
Qin Jinzhi swallowed the food in her mouth and fought with the emperor for the same piece of meat.
"Of course they must be punished. If they are not punished, how can the imperial examination system be reformed and implemented?"
The Empress tapped the Emperor's hand with her chopsticks and put the meat into Qin Jinzhi's bowl.
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow at the emperor, then turned to look at the empress.
"However, the punishment should not be too severe. All officials who fail to comply with regulations will be re-evaluated. Those who fail the evaluation will be stripped of their official positions. All officials involved in the violations will be demoted one rank. However, if anyone engages in favoritism or fraud during the evaluation process, they will be stripped of their official positions, and their descendants for three generations will be barred from serving as officials in the court."
The Empress looked at Qin Jinzhi and asked, "Isn't this punishment too lenient?"
Qin Jinzhi shook her head. "This move is to pave the way for the reform of the imperial examination system. If the punishments are too harsh, those who know they cannot pass the test will cheat to the greatest extent possible, causing riots and creating an imbalance between powerful families and commoners in the future court. Once this balance is broken, it will lead to a situation like the previous one where powerful families and the imperial power were on equal footing."
The Empress nodded in satisfaction. “What Jinzhi said is also what your grandfather and I thought. This time, we should not punish them too severely, but in the next imperial examination, all favoritism and fraud must be severely punished! We must punish them so that they will not have any thoughts of fraud again. We must select the true pillars of the country, officials who can truly care about the people.”
The emperor looked at Qin Jinzhi and asked, "My dear granddaughter, who do you think is the most suitable person to handle this matter?"
Qin Jinzhi chuckled softly; so this was what was waiting for her.
She shook her head, looking completely innocent, and said, "I don't know."
The emperor angrily withdrew his hand, which was about to serve food to Qin Jinzhi.
The imperial examination system involved a vast number of people.
The person in charge of this matter must be in a high position of power and not afraid of authority.
It's really just that they're not afraid of offending people.
The princes each had their own agendas, and it was hard to guarantee that none of them were trying to win people over.
Among the court officials, Qin Jinzhi was truly the most suitable to suppress this matter.
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