Chapter 84: Volume 1 Chapter 84 This Day Is About to Change

Rong Luoge felt a restless urge and actually wanted to go, so she nodded.

"Then wait for me to make arrangements." Han Xinglan smiled and nodded, looking at Rong Luoge, who seemed a little more restrained than before, paused briefly, and said, "Did the Empress Mother talk to you about the issue of heirs?"

Rong Luoge: …

She felt a bit embarrassed to bring it up, her face flushing slightly, but she still nodded, "It was mentioned a few times, but you know that this matter is impossible. I can only placate the Empress for now, and later the Crown Prince will have to speak sweetly to her."

Han Xinglan's palm tightened slightly, he steadied his breath without showing emotion, and then said, "Consort Ming is currently selecting a Princess Consort Qi for Prince Qi, so the Empress Mother is a bit anxious. You needn't worry; I will speak with the Empress Mother."

Rong Luoge cleared her throat lightly; she felt quite awkward. If they were a real married couple it would be fine, but the two were a fake Li Kui and a real Li Gui, discussing such private matters was inevitably inappropriate.

"The Crown Prince should still find a way to take a Crown Princess as a wife…" Rong Luoge's words trailed off; she looked up and met Han Xinglan's lingering gaze, and for some reason she suddenly couldn't continue.

She didn't know why her heart seemed to race suddenly; she sprang to her feet and said, "I'll go see how Rong Xin and the others are doing with the things they cleaned up."

Han Xinglan watched Rong Luoge's hurried back, his beast‑like eyes of the abyss flickered briefly, then he let out a light laugh.

Perhaps Rong Luoge's feelings toward him are not as detached as he thinks.

By dinner time, Han Xinglan saw that Rong Luoge had returned to normal, felt a slight regret in his heart, and since the previous topic was hard to raise again, he simply brought up another matter.

"It seems this year's imperial examinations will undergo some changes."

Rong Luoge looked up at the Crown Prince upon hearing this; she naturally knew about the examinations, and asked, "The imperial examination selection has been in place for over a decade, the regulations are already clear. What changes are you referring to, Crown Prince?"

"That may be so, but after the examination selects candidates, few truly become useful in officialdom. The great families have long enjoyed a stellar reputation among the people, and at least half of the court officials come from them. Incompetent individuals occupy posts, while talented ones must wait bitterly for appointments. Over time, the examinations become nothing more than empty words."

Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan; it was the first time she had seen him so concerned about state affairs, and she hadn't expected the person before her to be someone genuinely eager to take practical action.

If the Crown Prince only intended to ascend the throne comfortably by virtue of his heir status, he wouldn't need such turmoil. But clearly Han Xinglan is an ambitious person, seemingly unwilling to be controlled by others.

"Are you, Crown Prince, aiming to promote the examinations and suppress the great families?" Rong Luoge asked subconsciously.

Han Xinglan's eyes held a hint of amusement; indeed, he knew Rong Luoge was no ordinary maiden. With a smile in his heart and a genuinely concerned expression, he looked at her and said, "The Owl Kingdom is vast and rich in resources, producing talent aplenty. Even though the scions of great families are like flourishing bamboo groves, there are also many talented individuals from humble families. The court should not be bound by birth and must widely recruit the worthy."

Rong Luoge listened to his words and tone, hearing Han Xinglan's dissatisfaction with the state affairs being controlled by the great families.

Although many at court now support the Crown Prince, Consort Ming, whose brother is a great general, has close ties between numerous great families and the Ming clan, so her attitude toward the Crown Prince is naturally rather hesitant.

If these great families are allowed to continue growing, the resistance to Han Xinglan's eventual ascension will become greater, so he now intends to use the emperor's authority to act on the examinations—a kind of indirect self‑rescue.

Whether promoting the examinations or suppressing the great families, either will cause a massive upheaval.

Han Xinglan is currently in a phase of biding his time, so he cannot become a conspicuous figure; thus, borrowing the emperor's hand is the best option for now.

When Rong Luoge initially decided to cooperate with Han Xinglan, she knew he was not someone who would gladly stay beneath others, yet since entering Dong Gong he had always behaved gently and kindly; she hadn't expected him to show such sharpness today.

Moreover, Han Xinglan's words revealed a grand vision, the kind of bearing and spirit a ruler should possess.

"The Crown Prince's words are absolutely correct, but achieving this won't be easy; at the very least, a workable and comprehensive system should be established." Rong Luoge, having some knowledge of history, can draw on past experience to offer Han Xinglan some useful advice.

If Han Xinglan didn't firmly believe that his ideas had never been mentioned to anyone, he might truly think that Rong Luoge had heard something.

That they were unintentionally on the same wavelength made Han Xinglan feel a certain pleasure.

"Open up channels for speech, be eager to accept remonstrances, know how to appoint people wisely and not be silent; most importantly, the selection of talent through the examinations must be put into practice. However, doing so will touch the interests of the great families and inevitably provoke their retaliation."

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge and said that, given his current situation, he certainly should not oppose the great families; he can only forge an alternative path, but he hasn't yet thought of a better idea.

He has always felt that Rong Luoge's ideas are quite unexpected; perhaps she might have a good suggestion, which is why he discussed these matters with her.

Rong Luoge met Han Xinglan's expectant gaze and felt that dinner no longer tasted appealing.

After thinking, she finally spoke slowly, "Crown Prince, have you considered that the current court structure is already set? If you want any breakthrough, it's best to break the existing pattern. For example, I hear you are obsessed with alchemy, yet you cannot let go of the great families in state affairs; perhaps you could advise His Majesty to establish a new bureau that would help His Majesty monitor the movements of officials."

Han Xinglan felt a slight stir in his mind.

Rong Luoge's suggestion was the Brocade Guard; this fictional dynasty obviously has no Brocade Guard bureau, but it could be established.

The key lies in who will truly hold power once this bureau is established.

How far her suggestion goes depends on how Han Xinglan puts it into action.

After finishing dinner, Han Xinglan went to discuss the matter with his staff; Rong Luoge, feeling relaxed, washed early and went to her bed to sleep.

On the other side, the lanterns in the front hall of Dong Gong stayed lit until dawn, and Yu Yan and several others emerged one after another, each with an excited expression on their faces.

The morning sun pierced the dim sky; a new day was about to begin.

After washing up, Han Xinglan took a short nap and then left Dong Gong. For several consecutive days the Crown Prince left early and returned late, moving hurriedly; Rong Luoge knew what he was busy with, yet she didn't realize that the capital's heavens were about to change.

On the third day, Rong Luoge received news that the scholars who came to take the imperial examinations suffered successive mishaps; among them, the most renowned one was drunkenly pushed from the third floor of an inn last night and nearly lost his life.

Rong Luoge was startled; she hadn't expected the incident to become so big.

Han Xinglan didn't seem like a person who would stop at nothing, so there must be some hidden circumstances.

Rong Luoge vaguely felt that the Crown Prince's move this time would likely break the stalemate with a thunderous force.

This day is about to change.