Chapter 1146: Temple
After Wenn Hui returned, it wasn't long before an official came to inform him to attend the imperial examination next year. It is said that currently, Liu Bei holds an imperial exam every year, but what is examined is barely related to poetry and literature; it's all about political strategy.
The simplest way is that the exam is tomorrow, and today one can collect a pile of unprocessed government affairs from Lub Su, copy the contents, and draw them randomly. Each person gets three sheets, and if they pass, they proceed to write a policy essay on a drawn prefecture.
At this level, if someone could still cheat, it would be considered a kind of talent. Chen Xi would not make it difficult, but unfortunately, until now, Chen Xi has not seen anyone who could cheat to this extent.
In fact, if the topic is drawn from Lub Su, regardless of how one answers, in the end, one could actually secure an official position worth six hundred stones; normally, just finding some trivial matters in various counties is enough.
However, generally, no one can mingle at such a high level. Liu Bei, who manages not to fall at the prefecture level, would pay special attention to such names, except those who forcibly took the exam at Lub Su's place. Only Zhuge Liang, bored, took it once. In the end, the random draw for the policy essay trapped him in the South Pacification subject.
Zhuge Liang gave up at that moment. It's not that he couldn't write a South Pacification strategy, but because starting to think at that moment and writing it within an hour was riddled with mistakes, so he gave up. From then on, Lul Xun started to quietly immerse himself in studying, preparing to take the imperial exam in a few years.
However, after Chen Xi knew about this, he had silently prepared the final policy essay. He knew very well for people like Zhuge Liang and Lul Xun, three difficult political strategies were no real problem. It would be a pity not to harness their national scholar talents to plan for a hundred generations.
Thus, the policy essay Chen Xi prepared was on the theme of national prosperity for a hundred years. As for corruption, not having any would make their jobs meaningless; some things are just meant for corruption.
Of course, when this topic was seen by Lub Su and Li Youu, they both found it amusing. What kind of topic is this? No matter which angle one examines it, it's problematic. However, they were quite happy to watch such drama unfold.
[Sigh, when can we organize a real imperial examination? Now there are too few people like this, and even fewer truly capable people.] Chen Xi thought helplessly.
Originally, before the year-end, which is right about this time, Chen Xi was supposed to visit and pay respect to the deans and mountain chiefs striving at the front lines of education. However, this year, visiting was completely impossible.
Represented by Wang Lie, Huang Chengyan, Guann Ning, Zheng Xuan, the academy giants are having fierce disputes at Mount Tai. Even though the Huang Family, Lu Family, and Zheng Family have moved to Ye City, these people still engage in disputes with Jian Yong without looking back.
The Hundred Schools of Thought Return to the Origin issue has been settled; originally, there was an "I Ching" blocking the way, now adding a Yin Yang Fish, Taiji, is no big deal. It simply made the world realize how formidable their ancestors were.
Of course, some aristocratic families have shamelessly started compiling even earlier genealogies, even though some had genealogies dating back to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou eras. Regardless of authenticity, it was a form of identity. However, suddenly one day something was unearthed, revealing there was a Yuy Dynasty in the past.
Before, aristocratic families believed the Yuy Dynasty was something the Mohists fabricated. But this time, artifacts were unearthed, and shameless families deeply felt their millennia of history should perhaps be extended further, stretching to two thousand years.
Of course, these aren't major issues. Now, these people have stopped arguing over the origins of scripts and started arguing about legitimate succession, mainly because the Yuy Dynasty relics were unearthed in unexpected places. Previously, the Xia, Shang, and Zhou locations were generally clustered together, yet this time, they weren't!
There's a legitimate debate here. People of Jizhou never imagined legitimate succession could one day land upon themselves, tearing it up—if not now, when?
Liu Bei has already moved to Ye City. If the succession debate succeeds, Jizhou becomes the Imperial Capital, and nothing surpasses that, so the great scholars of Jizhou, holding the Yuy dynasty relics, launched the battle, kicking away the script origins and shouting, Hundred Schools step aside; we are going to become the Imperial Capital of the Heavenly Dynasty!
Previously, it was a struggle over the ideals of Various Masters, vying for legitimacy; now, it has become primarily a battle over interests. A group fought fervently, but it allowed Jian Yong to finally breathe. If he had to keep fighting, he wouldn't know what to do either.
Jian Yong originally felt his language skill points were high enough, but after all the great scholars under heaven arrived, Jian Yong estimated he was maybe only in the top five. Jian Yong was utterly clueless about where these people had emerged from.
Some of these individuals had even reached their eighties and nineties, and some had declared their deaths a few years prior, yet astonishingly they were alive now. It was like a deep-water explosive yielding numerous fish!
However, after so many bombardments, nobody considers Taiji to be fake anymore—who let so many things burn during the Late Qin? The burned classic books are now incomplete.
As for some shameless people directly claiming their ancestors made these things, don't exaggerate; such is the nature of aristocratic families, of course, many families with a sense of shame still exist. When one's status reaches a certain level, they naturally consider reputation.
"Submit this to our Lord." Jian Yong said with a smile to Wang Xiu. Although Jian Yong's official position was nearly equivalent to Wang Xiu, Wang Xiu never dared to act insolently in Jian Yong's presence. Not to mention that Jian Yong had numerous backers under Liu Bei, and the origins of scripts were a great achievement.
Wang Xiu flipped through the origins of scripts, which clearly recorded the sound and origin of each character, the earliest uses, and the changes beginning from oracle bones.
"Congratulations to Lord Jian for achieving this great accomplishment!" After browsing, Wang Xiu revealed a look of sheer joy.
"This is not my doing." Jian Yong slightly shook his head, saying, "The inclusion of classic books by Shuzhi is something I kindly ask you to overlook. The Book Pavilion of Mount Tai will not be relocated."
Wang Xiu, watching Jian Yong's calm demeanor, had immense admiration. For such a tremendous achievement, Jian Yong could still maintain such serenity. It's deserving of being among the initial elders. Unknown to him, Jian Yong was thoroughly unwilling to take credit alone, so much so that he wanted to reject it altogether.
"Xiu will keep it in mind." Wang Xiu solemnly replied.
"Physician Hua and Dr. Zhang, Attendant Qu have already gone to Ye City?" Jian Yong inquired.
"I have dispatched fifty armored soldiers equipped with heavy crossbows to escort the three of them to Ye City." Wang Xiu nodded in response. He knew clearly that if something happened to himself, someone could immediately replace him, but if something happened to those three, everyone might go crazy.
People living with honor, officials acting as if they hadn't seen the construction of living temples, though it was unlikely for them to be intercepted on the road, still, Wang Xiu thought these three important figures needed proper care!
"Oh, there's a temple ahead, how about we rest before proceeding?" Qu Qi peered out the window, spotting in the distance the bright plaque of a Hua Tuo Temple, suggesting.
"You can go by yourself, we still have matters," Hua Tuo replied, without turning his head, while massaging Zhou Tai's muscles to prevent stiffness from lying down too long, which might cause difficulties upon waking up. (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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