Chapter 84 Questions and Answers Before the Palace
The fire inside the hall was burning brightly.
Chu Jiubian, dressed in a crimson official robe, rose from among the princes in their royal court attire, walked to the center of the hall, stepped up a flight of stairs, and stood on the same platform as Qin Xiao.
Chu Jiubian turned around and looked at the students below the stage.
Students from all subjects had already begun answering questions, but the agricultural students remained quietly seated, their eyes slightly lowered, not daring to look up too much.
There was an agricultural student in the first row, Zhang Er, who ranked third in the overall rankings.
Information about these students had already been sent to the palace, so Chu Jiubian knew them very well.
For example, this Zhang Er is a genuine farmer, whose family could even be considered poor.
But he was indeed a master farmer, and his family's land yielded the highest every year. The reason they still went hungry was that during his father's generation, most of their land was seized by a local tyrant named "Qiu" in the county town, leaving them with only three or four acres.
The incident began when Zhang Er's father took advantage of the off-season to work as a day laborer at Master Qiu's house.
Master Qiu knew that the Zhang family was good at farming, and that their land was fertile, allowing them to grow the most and best grains every year, so he had wicked ideas.
Taking advantage of Zhang Er's father's illiteracy, he tricked the other party into affixing his fingerprints to several different documents under the guise of a "short-term labor contract".
Those documents show that the Zhang family voluntarily gave the land to Master Qiu and would also work for Master Qiu for extremely low wages.
They were planting on the land that used to belong to the Zhang family.
In the first year, Zhang Er's father, for some reason, diligently led his family to farm.
But after the grain was collected, Master Qiu suddenly arrived with a group of guards and several donkey carts, and forcibly took away most of the Zhang family's grain.
The villagers dared not provoke the Qiu family, but the Zhang family patriarch could allow his own family to be bullied like this. After Boss Qiu left, he took Zhang Er's father and grandfather, as well as several other clan elders with some status and ability, to the county town.
The crowd went to the government office and beat the drum to appeal their grievances.
Zhang Er's father was given twenty strokes of the cane before the crowd was allowed to meet with the magistrate to plead their case.
The magistrate then summoned Master Qiu, and both sides recounted the events in the courtroom.
Master Qiu had a document and contract with Zhang Er's father's fingerprint on it, which clearly stated that the land was given to Master Qiu voluntarily by the Zhang family, and that they were willing to farm the land for him for a long time at a low wage.
So at the moment, Master Qiu is at most in arrears with the Zhang family's wages.
The written agreement was clear, and even if the magistrate wanted to help the Zhang family, there was nothing he could do. Moreover, the magistrate was in cahoots with Master Qiu, so the matter was simply dropped, and Master Qiu was only told to pay the wages to the Zhang family.
Master Qiu casually paid the wages of a few dozen coins.
In the end, the Zhang family only received a few dozen coins and twenty strokes of the cane.
What is called justice and law means nothing to the local gentry and powerful.
This is not the first case, nor will it be the last. Most of the wealthy gentry and landlords in various parts of Daning came to be this way.
Ordinary people have nowhere to turn for help and can only be exploited day by day.
People like Zhang Er are better; he's ambitious and capable.
In just over a decade, he and his elder brother, through farming, odd jobs, and occasional hunting trips in the mountains, not only expanded their remaining three or four acres of land to seven acres, but also resolutely sold three acres of land after the imperial examinations were held, raised some money, and began their own path to taking the imperial examinations.
When the news of his passing the exam reached the county a while ago, the elderly county magistrate and Master Qiu were both in a panic.
But they dared not do anything to him again. After all, when the first round of the imperial examinations began, people from the palace had come to warn that no one was allowed to touch these students, or they would be killed without mercy.
They were tyrannical in their localities, but when faced with people from the palace, they dared not utter a sound and could only secretly pray that the people they had bullied would not pass the exam.
But what you fear most is what happens, and Zhang Er has already emerged from that predicament.
Neither the county magistrate nor Master Qiu were dealt with by Chu Jiubian.
This kind of thing should naturally be left to Zhang Er to do personally in order to truly avenge himself.
Today, during the palace examination, Chu Jiubian will naturally ask these agricultural students questions that will inevitably revolve around these two topics.
They are both "land" and both "people".
"Please come forward, all agricultural students." Chu Jiubian's face was expressionless, appearing aloof and cold, but his tone was gentler than usual.
When the students first met Chu Jiubian, they learned that he was the same Chu Taifu who had proposed the imperial examination system, and they naturally felt great respect for him.
More than a dozen people stepped forward and stood a few meters away from Chu Jiubian, all with their eyes downcast, not daring to look at anyone.
Behind them were sixty-five tables and chairs, and other students who were answering questions.
The palace examination already included a process of the emperor and high-ranking officials asking questions, so everyone was prepared and had also made contact in private.
The agricultural students had been taking exams in a question-and-answer format all along, so they were quite familiar with this process. Now, as the first group to step forward to answer, although they were indeed flustered and nervous inside, they still performed quite well on the surface.
Apart from the students, everyone else in the hall had their eyes on the dozen or so strong farm men.
Even though they were dressed properly, they didn't look like high-ranking officials or nobles, or even military generals. Their rough skin and slightly yellow hair revealed their rusticity and weathered appearance at a glance.
This is what ordinary people at the bottom of society are like.
Chu Jiu argued, "In this round of assessment, I will only ask you two questions."
"The first question is, what do you think the people are?"
"The second question is, what is land?"
He didn't use that flowery, literary way of asking questions; he spoke in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
The students understood perfectly, but they pondered the matter, feeling that the Grand Tutor was not asking for the simplest answer.
Zhang Er also frowned in thought.
Throughout the exam, the examiners asked questions about farming and disease control, but they also asked additional questions such as, "What would you do if your land was maliciously encroached upon?"
The bonus questions weren't worth many points, but Zhang Er managed to figure out some tricks from them.
He felt that the Grand Tutor might have been hinting to them, the agricultural students, from the very beginning, that they should think about the affairs of the land and the relationship between ordinary people like them and those wealthy landowners.
Now, after hearing the two questions asked by the Grand Tutor, he was certain of his thoughts.
He already had a plan in mind for these two questions, but considering the questions he had previously answered regarding classical texts, mathematics, and criminal law, he felt he needed to provide more detailed answers.
"I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to think it over, and then you can answer," Chu Jiu said.
The students readily agreed.
For the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the hall was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of fabric rubbing together, or the grinding of ink and turning of pages.
Chu Jiubian stood still, his gaze sweeping over everyone present from his high vantage point.
Today's imperial examination is not just about bringing fame to the students; he also wants to tell these powerful families and princes that the current emperors are not the incompetent Emperor Chengzong and Emperor Yingzong, and that Baili Hong and Qin Xiao are no longer as isolated and helpless as they were when they first ascended the throne.
They are fully capable and have the resources to oppose these people.
They wanted to put pressure on these powerful figures and princes, to force them to connect with each other and to take action. In their haste, they would create more loopholes and expose more weaknesses.
Of course, if they could really raise an army and rebel, that would be exactly what Chu Jiubian wanted.
Qin Xiao stood up from his chair and took a step toward Chu Jiubian, but did not get any closer.
The two stood about three meters apart, both wearing the same crimson official robes; one was dignified and aloof, the other distant and indifferent.
Two steps behind them, Baili Hong sat obediently on the dragon throne, his bright eyes gazing at the crowd below.
Minister of Revenue Su Sheng looked up at the scene and suddenly felt a little dazed.
He remembered that early morning when it was drizzling.
As the palace gates slowly opened, the Imperial Guards wielded their longswords, and the heads of two noblemen rolled to the ground.
Amidst the lingering stench of blood, he and his officials stood beneath the long steps outside the Fengtian Hall, looking up to see a scene almost identical to what they were witnessing now.
The only difference was that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao brought the young emperor with them that time, revealing some of their strength and marking their first formal declaration of war against these powerful and aristocratic families.
This time, Chu Jiubian and his group are preparing to take action.
Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan's cloudy gaze swept over the two people on the steps in front of him, then slowly withdrew.
A moment of clarity rarely comes from a muddled mind.
He recalled his initial conversation with the family head, Xiao Yao, who had risked his life to kick his datura addiction, telling him just how poisonous it was.
Xiao Huaiguan didn't care. He felt that he didn't have many days left to live anyway, but after eating this, he felt exceptionally energetic and much better than before when he was old and frail.
However, now...
He looked at the Prince of Jiannan, who was dressed in the royal robes of the Prince of Jiannan. The young man had a straight back, but he was thin and weak, even less so than the Prince of Anhuai beside him.
How can such frail shoulders support the future of the Xiao family?
How could they possibly support the entire Greater Ning?
Xiao Huaiguan slowly looked at the young students again, somewhat dazed.
He seemed to see his younger self in those people.
At that time, he was also full of vigor and ambition, and he confronted the young Wang Zhiyuan in the imperial court.
Later, at some point, he and Wang Zhiyuan remained at odds and still wanted to crush each other, but their original intentions had long since changed.
That's not right either.
Perhaps from the very beginning, they were different from these students.
They talk about the people and the country, but in their hearts and minds, they only care about themselves, their families, and their glory.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and a tingling, numb sensation slowly welled up in his chest.
This is something I've been thinking about again.
Xiao Huaiguan no longer had the energy to think about anything else, and instead quietly took out something from his sleeve and put it between his lips.
A strange smell filled the air. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn passes quickly. As the first rays of dawn shone into the hall, an agricultural student stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor, I may now answer your question."
The tranquil hall was thus filled with sound again.
Chu Jiubian nodded: "Please speak."
The student was indeed well-prepared, and spoke fluently: "I come from the countryside and don't understand any grand principles. But I do know that the millions of people in Da Ning are all citizens of Da Ning, all people."
"And the land is where the people stand on, where the food they long for grows, that can fill their stomachs."
The student was a little nervous, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke, but he became more and more fluent as he spoke.
"People vary in status and character, and so does the land. Good land..."
He was indeed familiar with the land, so he cleverly focused his answer on the word "land."
His words were simple and easy to understand. Although he tried his best to use some literary phrases, his words still sounded "rough" to these powerful and educated people.
But they felt a heavy weight in their hearts, as if they understood something, yet they couldn't quite grasp that feeling.
This feeling became even more profound after the next dozen or so students answered in turn.
These powerful figures looked at the dozen or so agricultural science students with serious expressions, and some even found it hard to believe that they had previously been just ordinary farmers toiling in the fields.
There's no other reason than that, although these people's word choice and sentence structure are messy and rough, what they say contains simple and easy-to-understand truths.
And those principles, it seems, are not something they quite understand.
Just like what the student said at the beginning, "People have different levels of status and quality, and land also has good and bad aspects," but land is easy to understand, while people are not.
The land can be used to grow food in various ways and yield a good harvest.
But people may not be.
Those with power and influence will only become more powerful and influential, and ordinary people will find it very difficult to transcend class barriers, no matter what they do.
Finally, Chu Jiubian looked at Zhang Er, who had not spoken until now.
Zhang Er stepped forward at the opportune moment and said, "Your Majesty, Your Excellency, I believe that 'the people' are me, and 'the land' is my root."
Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows.
The students ahead of them seemed to be somewhat influenced by the first student when they answered, and they all focused more on how to farm and so on.
For agricultural science students, this answer is actually not off-topic.
But Zhang Er's words were something that had never been said before. It was just unknown what this student, who ranked third in the overall examination, would say.
It is unknown whether he understood the meaning behind the bonus questions in Chu Jiubian's previous rounds of exams.
As it turns out, Zhang Er grasped the concept, and grasped it very well.
He began, "My hometown is Zhangma Village, Anchang County, Sui'an Prefecture. For generations, we've been farmers, rooted in the land, content with just enough to eat and wear. However, when I was young, my father was deceived by the local tycoon, Boss Qiu..."
Zhang Er spoke of himself in every sentence, but as he said at the beginning, he was the people, and the people were him.
He was talking about himself, but wasn't he also talking about the millions of ordinary people in Da Ning, just like him, struggling to survive?
He said the land was his root, but his root was maliciously cut off and seized by others.
Almost everyone present was intelligent, and they naturally understood the meaning behind his words.
Zhang Er was not only speaking out for himself, but also for all the suffering people in the world, which was exactly what Chu Jiubian and the others wanted to see.
They wanted to use the people's voices to set an example and redefine the land.
Land is not only the root of ordinary people, but also one of the foundations of ownership, wealth, and power.
If this "root" were returned to the people, the powerful and wealthy would suffer a great loss. However, they found themselves unable to resist this trend, because it was the will of the people.
If these remarks made during today's imperial examination are spread, the people will unite as one as ever, determined to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them.
At this moment, these powerful and influential people finally realized what the feeling they had been unable to grasp before was—it was a common sense that should have been deeply ingrained in their minds.
Never underestimate the common people.
They previously only talked about the will of the people, but they were more concerned with their reputation and tried to use it to stand on the moral high ground and control the people to attack their political enemies.
Now, they finally understand what their ancestors meant by "the will of the people."
Ordinary people can also have thoughts, aspirations, love, and hate. They are living, breathing human beings just like these powerful and wealthy people!
They will also rise up for their own interests.
The gazes of the crowd toward Chu Jiubian grew increasingly deep and complex, with a hint of awe in them.
This is the mind of the gods. They never imposed the idea of "striking down the powerful families" on the people. Instead, they guided them step by step to figure out who their enemies were.
Minister of War Lu Youwei lowered his eyes, clenched his fists, and felt an increasing sense of urgency in his heart.
He felt it was time to do something.
Many others shared his views, such as the several vassal kings sitting at the very front.
The King of Huguang and the King of Dongjiang had solemn expressions.
The difference between them and these powerful families was that they controlled their fiefdoms and knew how powerful the people were.
But now they understand that the royal family's status in the hearts of the people has been subtly elevated. After the news of today's palace examination spreads, the people will admire and trust the court even more.
This was really disadvantageous for these vassal kings.
The court can no longer be allowed to win over the hearts of the people. If things continue like this, they will really have no chance to seize the supreme imperial throne.
They might not even be able to keep their current positions as vassal kings.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao are not magnanimous people; they cannot tolerate the continued existence of vassal kings and will definitely find a way to deal with them.
If that's the case, they should start making plans quickly.
Of course, apart from these people, Qiu Heng, the Minister of Justice, looked even more unpleasant.
The "Boss Qiu" that Zhang Er mentioned was from the same clan as him. Although they were distant relatives, they were still within the same extended family.
Although what the other party did did not involve the Qiu family in the capital, if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao took advantage of this, the Qiu family would be the first to stand up!
The one who was made an example of!
The Qiu family had already lost control of the canal transport system; if they were to be implicated in this incident and lose something else...
Qiu Heng frowned deeply.
We can't wait any longer; we must prepare to break ties with Chu Jiubian and his group in advance.
After Zhang Er finished speaking, he bowed and said, "This student has finished answering."
Chu Jiubian's gaze swept over the ugly faces of everyone present, but the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he said, "Very good."
After the agricultural students sat back down, the needlework and medical students also handed in their works. Xiao Xiangzi and Xiao Yuzi placed these works on a tray and took them to show Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao first.
Qin Xiao walked to Chu Jiubian's side. Without discussing it, the two of them already knew the approximate rankings and arranged them in order.
Finally, Hong Fu would hand the tray with the order listed to Bai Li Hong, who would then make the final decision on the rankings.
After that, the students of engineering and mathematics also finished answering the questions and were ranked.
After Chu Jiubian received the engineering students' design drawings, he glanced at Yan Rui again.
When asked to modify existing plows, the child actually designed a curved plow; his talent was truly extraordinary.
No wonder he had close ties with Si Tu Zhaoyao before; it seems they really had a lot in common.
Then came the students of criminal justice.
These students all come from well-off families and are all educated.
The most eye-catching among them was a middle-aged man named Gu Fang. He was tall and thin, with a beard and a refined and handsome face, looking every bit the scholar.
But his eyes were exceptionally dark and bright, and his gaze was extremely intimidating.
Chu Jiubian remembered that this person was from Sichuan Prefecture, and was the second son of a scholarly family in the fiefdom of King Pingxi, Baili Zheng.
He had an older brother and a younger brother, but he was the most favored one.
During this imperial examination, his family advised him to serve as an official under Baili Zheng, which would be good for the family. However, he insisted on going to the capital, wanting to become an official with integrity and serve the people.
His family couldn't stop him, so they could only provide him with a group of guards.
When he entered Beijing, he caused quite a stir.
And the other party's answer sheet was indeed very much in line with Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's expectations.
In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary. Although we are not in times of chaos now, there are still petty criminals and powerful people running rampant. Only the strictest laws can keep these people in line.
Among the other students' answers, neither of the two students had any objections to how to handle the mandala case; they all felt that Qin Xiao was right to kill the person directly.
However, this was because the correct answer was already known, so in order not to offend Qin Xiao, the students could only write it this way, but perhaps some of them felt that this was a bit too much.
When asked how to deal with corrupt officials, the other students gave very conservative answers.
Gu Fang, who seemed gentle and easy to talk to, came to the conclusion that "the law is impartial and corrupt officials should all be killed."
Qin Xiao looked at the students and asked, "Where is Gu Qingzhi?"
Gu Fang stood up upon hearing this.
His seat was in the third row from the back. After standing up, he bowed respectfully to the front and said, "Your student is here."
Qin Xiao held his exam paper and asked, "I see you wrote the words 'The law shows no mercy.' If a member of your family also committed a capital crime, what would happen?"
Gu Fang said, "Handle it impartially."
He then added, "However, the students will certainly keep their families in check and prevent them from causing trouble."
His expression was solemn, and he didn't seem to be just saying it casually.
Qin Xiao raised his eyes and swept them over everyone present, then asked with a smile, "What if the powerful families, nobles, and princes in the court all harbor rebellious intentions?"
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
They had just been thinking about treason when Qin Xiao pointed it out directly, so they were naturally a little uncomfortable.
Gu Fang did not hesitate and said, "Kill without mercy."
"Okay." Qin Xiao handed the test paper to Hong Fu, asking him to deliver it to Baili Hong.
Gu Fang's words and actions drew the attention of everyone in the court.
As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhen Mingzhao and his son Zhen Fu looked at Gu Fang with even more complicated expressions.
In fact, from the moment Chu Jiubian set up the criminal justice subject assessment, they knew that it was aimed at their Dali Temple or the Ministry of Justice.
Gu Fang's words and actions seem radical, and he is probably the kind of person who is upright and incorruptible.
If this person were to actually interfere in matters of criminal justice in the future, then the father and son would definitely be constrained in their actions.
Zhen Fu couldn't help but look at Su Sheng, the Vice Minister of Revenue, who was sitting at the front, and was also her father-in-law.
The Zhen family and the Su family have long been intertwined; it remains to be seen what their future holds.
After Gu Fang finished answering his questions and sat down, only the candidates for the Classics subject remained.
The students answered a simple question about economic development quickly, and after Gu Fang sat down, they all handed in their papers.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao quickly looked over and found that these students' ideas were indeed more profound and they were indeed better able to understand the "Emperor's mind".
Of the fifteen people in total, without exception, none of them answered questions that only concerned economic development.
Instead, it combines "economy" with the current national conditions of Daning, not only answering how to develop the economy, but also explaining the changes that Daning will experience after economic development.
Everyone answered very well.
However, the most outstanding among them were indeed the two great Confucian scholars, Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng, as well as Lu Yao and Tan Yuzhu, who were previously ranked first and second.
The two great scholars gave detailed answers, and their methods were highly feasible.
But Tan Yuzhu's thinking is more active, and as with the previous rounds of exams, her perspective is always unique.
Everyone was talking about the economic situation in Daning and how to develop it internally, but Tan Yuzhu wrote about how to open up trade routes.
This was almost identical to Chu Jiubian's idea.
"Tan Yuzhu," Chu Jiubian began, "Please answer one more question."
This wasn't the first time he and Qin Xiao had asked questions on the spot, and Tan Yuzhu wasn't surprised at all that he would call on her.
All that could be seen was a graceful woman who calmly rose, bowed, and said, "This student is here. Please give me a question, sir."
Her voice was clear and bright, her back was straight, and her face was calm and composed, showing no stage fright whatsoever.
Chu Jiubian asked, "If I were to order you to go to the northeastern border to trade with the Jurchen tribes, what would you do?"
Tan Yuzhu's mind stirred.
With the current chaotic situation in the court, an internal war in Daming is inevitable.
Under such circumstances, border stability is very important. Therefore, the Grand Tutor is not making assumptions, but really intends to trade with the Jurchens and maintain temporary peace.
And if she answers well, perhaps this job will fall to her.
Tan Yuzhu's eyes shone brightly. After briefly gathering her thoughts, she began, "The student council will establish a trade association in the northeastern border cities to sell domestic silk, porcelain, food, and tea to the Jurchens, and then use the money to buy furs, horses, ginseng, and other goods from the Jurchens..."
"Ordinary people can also sell their goods at the market on the monthly trade days, and those with spare money can buy goods from the Jurchen people..."
"Tariffs can be set in the future to ensure a good business environment."
Tan Yuzhu spoke eloquently, and from her words, one could almost see the prosperous development of Northeast China.
She only touched on the topic briefly, without going into too much detail or revealing the specific methods to the public.
In this way, if Grand Tutor Chu really wanted her to take charge of this matter, no one could compete with her.
Of course, there was one more thing she didn't say, but Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao, and many others in the court knew it.
The Jurchen tribes are not yet fully unified; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are a disorganized mess.
At this time, establishing trade relations with Daming would not only develop the border economy but also accelerate integration.
The people and culture of Da Ning will gradually permeate the Jurchen people, causing them to become Sinicized.
If this continues, the Jurchen tribes will develop a sense of affinity towards Daming, at which point Daming can incorporate them into its territory without firing a single shot.
Those powerful and influential people who understood this were even more amazed by the students' abilities.
Especially considering that this is a woman, yet she possesses such grand ideas and insights, far surpassing some of the unruly young masters in their family.
Even those officials who were proud of their knowledge felt their cheeks burning when they looked at that slender figure.
If they were to answer this question, they would probably be no match for this teenage girl.
However, some of the vassal kings had their own plans.
The Jurchen tribes were indeed a force they had previously overlooked. Located in the northeast and blocked by Beizhili, these vassal kings found it difficult to contact them on a regular basis.
However, if something goes wrong with the Jurchens, and the Northeast Army becomes as "incompetent and useless" as the Northwest Army did before, then the nearest region, Beizhili, might have no choice but to send Qin Xiao on another expedition.
At that time, the capital will be empty.
Previously, when Qin Xiao personally led an expedition to the Northwest, neither the vassal kings nor the powerful families thought of attacking the capital; they only wanted to eliminate Qin Xiao, thus missing an opportunity to leave the capital vulnerable.
But if there is another chance, regardless of whether Qin Xiao will return victorious again, they can first launch an attack on the undefended capital.
With the armies of the vassal kings outside and powerful families acting as inside agents, even if Chu Jiubian had extraordinary abilities, he couldn't possibly eliminate them all. It would be remarkable if he could even save Baili Hong's life.
Prince Baili Yue of Huguang glanced at Prince Baili He of Dongjiang beside him, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
The two looked at each other, then looked away.
The two brothers, who had never gotten along, seemed to have reached some kind of consensus at this moment.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao, standing on the high platform, naturally took in the reactions of everyone.
There was a response, just as expected.
But this is not the end.
Chu Jiubian looked at the boy who had been sitting quietly in his seat and said, "Lu Zicheng."
Lu Yao was already mentally prepared, and stood up and bowed: "Student is here."
"I noticed that you mentioned the policies of the Great Ning Kingdom on your exam paper, but you didn't elaborate," Chu Jiu said. "I suppose there wasn't enough time or paper. However, I'm very curious about your thoughts, so please elaborate."
Lu Yao's exam paper contained a lengthy policy essay.
Chu Jiubian asked him to answer about economics, but he didn't just answer about economics. Instead, he derived many other issues that needed to be addressed from the economics perspective and integrated these issues in a comprehensive way.
For example, he moved from the economy to people's livelihood, from people's livelihood to land, from land to tax policy, from taxation to aristocratic families, from the governance of the court officials, from the policy of keeping the people ignorant and the changes in the imperial examination system, and finally to education and national policy, etc.
It can be said that he has dabbled in politics, economics, culture, science and technology, and many other fields.
He only wrote these briefly due to limited space and time, but even so, one can already glimpse the depths of his mind.
Even Chu Jiubian, who already knew of his abilities, was still shocked.
Such a macro and advanced way of thinking would never have been conceived by Chu Jiubian if he had not witnessed the prosperity of later generations and the rise and fall of history.
Lu Yao was a man of great talent.
If this were placed anywhere else, the other party would undoubtedly be the protagonist, a protagonist capable of changing the course of an entire dynasty!
If Chu Jiubian was so shocked, then Qin Xiao, who was not very clear about Lu Yao's abilities, must have been even more astounded.
Qin Xiao looked at the exam paper, his brow furrowing slightly, and read the entire policy essay again.
With its refined writing and rich content, this essay is a policy piece that can be read and appreciated countless times. If it were published, one can imagine how scholars across the land would react.
Even the court officials clearly realized what kind of monster Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had attracted to this imperial examination.
But Qin Xiao's shock didn't lie entirely in Lu Yao's mind, but in the fact that many of the viewpoints and development ideas discussed in the policy essay were exactly the same as what Chu Jiubian had intermittently told him!
The fairness of the imperial examination was what Chu Jiubian cared about most, so Qin Xiao did not think that Chu Jiubian had given Lu Yao the questions.
While he was amazed by Lu Yao's insightful views at such a young age, he also realized how special Chu Jiubian was.
For no other reason than that what Chu Jiubian had described in his words was richer and more advanced than what Lu Yao had written in his policy essay.
Although Chu Jiubian always said that his unique ideas and insights were all examples he had seen in the Immortal Realm.
But Chu Jiubian's greatest strength lies in his ability to combine these with the national conditions of Da Ning and formulate a perfect development path for Da Ning.
Qin Xiao handed the policy essay exam paper to Hong Fu, who then passed it on to Baili Hong.
Baili Hong had previously seen Lu Yao's examination paper and thought it was exceptionally well-written.
Now that he has received the policy proposal, he is busy preparing to read it.
But Lu Yao had already begun answering the teacher's questions, so Baili Hong didn't bother looking at the exam paper and quickly pricked up his ears to listen to what Lu Yao was going to say.
Lu Yao had already prepared his essay in his mind when he was writing it, because he knew that Chu Jiubian would definitely call on him.
He also had to demonstrate his strength today, not only to gain fame and a better chance of becoming an official in the court, nor just to intimidate these powerful nobles and princes, but also to ensure that his words would influence the millions of people in Daming.
Therefore, what he needed was not to act tactfully, but to point the sword directly at these powerful nobles and princes.
So, under everyone's gaze, he spoke up: "The economic development of Da Ning is contradictory from top to bottom. I believe this situation is due to land taxes, and even more so to the disaster of powerful families annexing land!"
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