"Guards, escort Yang Guifei back to the palace..."
The Emperor immediately ordered that Yang Guifei be sent back, but Yang Guifei had not yet achieved her goal and was unwilling to leave so easily. She hurriedly began to cry and sob.
"Your Majesty, you must do me justice..."
"My beloved concubine, please return and await news..."
Despite her reluctance, Consort Yang was eventually taken away. The emperor, who had just been all gentle, immediately turned grim as he looked at the dossier on the table concerning Yang Sixu.
After some deliberation, the Emperor finally opened the file and looked at the records inside. They were all evidence of Yang Sixu's embezzlement of military funds and his forming of cliques for personal gain...
The events unfolding before his eyes were horrifying. If these founding ministers were allowed to continue their reckless actions, the collapse of the new Tang Dynasty would be imminent...
Time waits for no one…
The Emperor couldn't help but sigh, saying that time was running out for him. Shi Jingtang was dead, but Youzhou was still there, and there were too many unstable factors. The other seven Pillar Generals were also unruly. If it weren't for the threat from the Liao Kingdom in the north and the spying from the Western Liang Kingdom in the west, internal strife might have already broken out...
Now the Jie tribe is also stirring up trouble, and remnants of the previous dynasty are also trying to reclaim their so-called legitimacy—all of this is giving him a headache…
The Emperor rubbed his forehead. Li Zhu's performance had exceeded his expectations, and he now had to make a decision...
"Eunuch Tang, execute Plan Dove..."
"Your Majesty, this..."
Eunuch Tang wanted to say something, but then he heard the Emperor speak.
Go ahead…
"yes…"
No one knew what this so-called Dove Plan was, and Li Zhu was unaware that he had been incorporated into someone else's scheme. He now sat in the seat of the Regent Crown Prince, looking at the silent and trembling officials...
"Your subject has something to report!"
Just then, the Second Prince suddenly stood up and spoke, his attitude much more respectful than before. This made the people of the Second Prince's faction frown, feeling that the Second Prince had embarrassed himself today!
They just couldn't understand when their boss had become so useless.
"Speak..."
Li Zhu cooperated and said that the killing was an accident. This guy just jumped out to his death. He originally wanted to get straight to the point, but this guy delayed him!
"I suggest that the royal family establish an academy specifically to educate the royal children, with His Majesty serving as its head, regularly inspecting and instructing them. All other teachers should be the best literary figures and martial artists in the court, striving to cultivate each individual into a capable individual who can serve the country in the future..."
Upon hearing the Second Prince's words, the crowd initially didn't react, but they quickly realized this was an opportunity. They were all first-generation officials, and the Emperor would naturally be able to see them. He certainly had his own judgment of their abilities, but they needed to consider the future of the next generation…
If one could enter this academy to study, even just as an auditor, one would occasionally encounter the Emperor. If one's talent was outstanding and caught the Emperor's eye, one would rise rapidly through the ranks...
Even if you don't gain the emperor's favor, you can still make friends with members of the royal family in the academy, and the benefits are countless...
If you're lucky, you might even become classmates with the next emperor. Even if you're not academically gifted, as long as you're good at flattery, you could potentially become a high-ranking official. At worst, you could just be a lackey of the emperor...
"Second brother, I think your suggestion is excellent. Gathering the royal elite and providing them with an elite education, as long as they perform well, they can be personally appointed by the Emperor to serve as officials at any time. This is a great thing that benefits the country and its people..."
Li Zhu praised, "This is something the two of them had already discussed yesterday..."
His words undoubtedly confirmed the thoughts of the officials. Whether they were civil or military officials, who wouldn't want their family to continue to be glorious?
But becoming an official in the imperial court is no easy feat. It's the imperial examination system now; without real talent, you're doomed. But the royal academy is a shortcut, a stepping stone…
However, both the Second Prince and the Crown Prince stated that they would only recruit members of the royal family, which put everyone in a difficult position…
"Your Highness, since this academy is to be established, I think it would be better to recruit some children of ministers. There aren't many royal children now, and it would be a waste to use such excellent educational resources if only a few members of the royal family are included..."
At this moment, Yuwen Guo stepped forward and said that he could also see that Li Zhu and the Second Prince seemed to have some dirty dealings. However, no matter what the reason was, he supported the academy, so he stood up to support it!
"Prime Minister, your suggestion is not bad. However, if our royal family really builds this academy, it will naturally cost a fortune. We will also have to pay for the literary and martial arts masters we invite, right? All of this money will come from our royal family!"
Moreover, with more students, the student body becomes more diverse, which will affect the learning environment of the royal children. Furthermore, with an increased number of students, teachers will be unable to provide individualized care for each royal child. "We, the royal family, pay for it, and you can just open your mouth and get in? This is unfair to the royal children..."
Although Li Zhu verbally agreed with Yuwen Guo's words, his subsequent remarks all revolved around the issue of money. His meaning couldn't be clearer: if you want to come, you have to pay...
"Your Highness, this old minister is willing to offer one thousand taels of gold for a single spot..."
Grand Tutor Wang Dao immediately stepped forward and said, "The Wang family is a top-tier family among aristocratic clans, and they don't need this little bit of money at all!"
"Grand Tutor, what are you saying? Knowledge is priceless; how can it be measured in money? I plan to have all the princesses and noblewomen of the royal family come to the academy to study, which would add a touch of laughter to their monotonous and tedious school life..."
boom!
Li Zhu's words were like a thunderclap, exploding throughout the entire court. This not only opened a shortcut to officialdom but also a shortcut to becoming a relative of the imperial family. If one could gain the favor of a princess or a noblewoman, it would be a golden opportunity to rise to the top in one step...
Especially some spoiled brats, who have no talent for being officials, but are first-rate at picking up girls, can live a life of ease as relatives of the emperor...
"I'll pay two thousand taels of gold for one spot..."
"I'll offer three thousand taels of gold..."
"I'll offer five thousand taels..."
The entire court immediately lost the chilling silence that followed Li Zhu's killing; the scene became as lively as a marketplace, with everyone eager to throw away their entire fortunes...
Seeing this, Li Zhu was quite satisfied, but at the same time, he secretly sighed that these people were really damn rich...
The Grand Tutor, seeing Li Zhu's smug expression, couldn't help but feel contempt. What the hell was this talk about knowledge being priceless? He was clearly just asking for too much money…
"Everyone, please be quiet. I know your passion for knowledge. I'll go and consult with Father Emperor about the academy matter right away..."
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