Chapter 416

Setting aside the distant past, suffice it to say that before ascending the throne, the First Emperor was a hostage in Zhao Guo, and even after his coronation, he faced numerous difficulties; a single misstep would have prevented him from surviving to this day.

"What you say makes sense, but how can we get out right now? If we cannot get out, then there is no point in discussing anything!" Wei Pao said.

"My lord, this place has high mountains, dense forests, and complex terrain; they cannot possibly surround the entire Huashan. If thousands or tens of thousands move together, they will be discovered, but if a few or a few dozen move together, there is a chance to break through," someone said.

After hearing this, Wei Pao nodded; he felt his subordinate's words made sense.

When the government troops first pressed forward, they only blocked the two main passages; at that time, let alone a few dozen people, even hundreds or thousands had a chance to escape.

It was just that no one thought of fleeing at the time, and even if the idea of escape arose, they could not bear to abandon the hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Now only a few thousand remain by his side, and among them are some sick and injured.

Bringing them along anymore is meaningless.

So Wei Pao ordered these trusted subordinates to select the most loyal soldiers in the best condition, organize them into several groups of varying sizes from a few dozen each, and then break through in different directions.

As for the remaining few thousand, he also ordered them to break through in a certain direction.

To ensure they could escape, Wei Pao and his companions swapped clothes with ordinary soldiers.

It appeared that their unit was merely a small group of soldiers who had deserted.

Meanwhile, the force of several thousand seemed to be their main army.

The chaos in the jungle lasted for a while before subsiding.

According to the confessions of captured soldiers, Wei Pao's army had basically scattered.

As for Wei Pao, his whereabouts were unknown; no one knew where he had gone.

Zhuge Liang had long anticipated such an outcome.

After all, in such a vast mountain range, hiding a few people is effortless.

If Wei Pao hides in the mountains and does not come out, others will never find him.

Another possibility is that Wei Pao has already escaped.

202. The imperial examination begins.

When Zhuge Liang reported the situation ahead to Ying Su, Ying Su felt no surprise.

Huashan is so vast and the terrain so complex that it is impossible to surround it completely.

If Wei Pao truly wants to escape, it will be very difficult to catch him.

Fortunately, among the key figures, only Wei Pao and several Young Masters escaped; the rest either surrendered or were captured.

Moreover, more importantly, the majority of the rebel forces have surrendered.

Even if Wei Pao and others escape, they will be like wild dogs without claws.

Ying Su declared the suppression of the rebellion successfully completed and ordered the entire nation to arrest Wei Pao and others.

He then summoned Zhuge Liang and Xiao He to his study and began discussing the imperial examination.

The north has been pacified, and the internal unrest by the nobility has basically subsided.

Now is the time to hold the imperial examination.

On one hand, it can select talents for the state; on the other, it serves as a comfort to the nobility.

Because the first imperial examination is basically open to the nobility.

In this era, commoners are mostly illiterate; they usually only know how to write their own names.

Even those who became nobles through military merit learned to write only temporarily out of necessity.

As for their cultural level, it is usually not high.

Only wealthy and leisurely nobles teach their children to read and write.

Therefore, the targets of the previous imperial examinations were basically of noble status.

"I have already told you about the imperial examination; now we prepare to officially launch it. The sooner the exam date, the better; it is best to complete the first batch within this year," Ying Su said.

"Your Majesty, is completing it within this year a bit tight? If we hold an exam, we must define the scope, and those participating also need time to prepare," Xiao He said.

"You are right, but I cannot wait! The first exam will certainly have imperfections, but that does not matter; let us start first. I have decided on the exam scope, dividing it into two categories: one concerns governing the state, with the topic being how to make the common people wealthy!"

"The other concerns technology; anyone with a good idea may write it down, and then experts from the Ministry of Works will judge it."

Ying Su stated his thoughts.

The first imperial examination need not be too perfect; what matters is letting the world know about the imperial examination.

After hearing Ying Su's explanation, both Xiao He and Zhuge Liang felt it made sense.

For something as major as the imperial examination, it is difficult to do it perfectly the first time; rather than spending time preparing, it is better to simply start.

This is also what Xiao He and Zhuge Liang have learned from Ying Su over this period.

Soon, news spread that the imperial examination would be held.

When officially announcing the imperial examination, Ying Su modified the original plan.

Originally intended for the nobility, the announcement was changed to allow everyone to participate.

As long as one is a subject of Great Qin, one is qualified to take the imperial examination.

However, in reality, those able to take the exam are still mostly nobles.

Because the vast majority of commoners are illiterate, and even the few who can read have limited skills.

The extremely few with good skills would long ago have become retainers of various nobles, thus becoming wealthy.

Although their status remains that of commoners, they are actually not quite the same as traditional commoners.

And there are very few talented commoners who do not rely on nobles; they would like to come but cannot, because they lack travel funds.

Therefore, the proclamation stating that any subject of Great Qin can participate is merely a gesture.

Ying Su knew this well but could do nothing about it.

To enable commoners to take the exam, schools must be established in various regions, and they must also have money to travel to the capital for the exam.

This requires the economy to develop to a certain extent.

If economic development cannot take root and people cannot even get enough to eat, how can they have the mood to study?

Ying Su had also considered providing subsidies to commoners who took the exams, but putting it into practice was extremely complicated.

This was because it was unknown which commoners qualified for the subsidies.

This would require holding an exam at the grassroots level first.

To put it plainly, the imperial examination is not a simple talent selection process, but a systematic project.

From establishing schools to formulating textbooks and so on, a tremendous amount of work is required.

Yet now, Ying Su could not wait.

His idea was to get the imperial examination started first, and then make improvements year by year.

As soon as the proclamation went out, it immediately caused a sensation among the noble families.

As long as one passed the exam, one could obtain a status.

Just by virtue of this status, one could receive a certain amount of money every year.

Although these rewards were not much for the nobles, what mattered was that it was a symbol of status.

If the exam reached the level of "Good," one could become an official.

If one reached the level of "Excellent," one could even receive an audience with the Emperor, and there was a high chance of being heavily utilized by the Emperor....

At the Cheng Manor, Cheng Ze hurriedly walked into his father's study.

He had just received news that the imperial examination would be held.

"Father, the Emperor wants to select talents through exams; the exam will be held in Xianyang City when spring arrives tomorrow!" Cheng Ze said excitedly.

"I have heard as well. The Emperor wants to win over hearts, especially the hearts of us nobles," Master Cheng said.

"Regardless of what the Emperor thinks, this is ultimately a good thing," Cheng Ze said. "I also want to participate!"

"Our family established merit and has already received the Emperor's rewards; our family is currently safe. Whether you take the exam or not is unimportant," Master Cheng said.

"Father, I want to take the exam to prove my ability. I want to know exactly how my ability stands in the eyes of the new Emperor!" Cheng Ze said.

"The new Emperor is surrounded by many talents; I fear you will not catch his eye. However, if you wish to participate, then go ahead. After all, this is something the new Emperor has put forth. By participating, you are also demonstrating our Cheng family's stance: we support the new Emperor," Master Cheng said.

"Then this son will go make preparations!" Cheng Ze said excitedly.

"The exam is not until next year; there is still half a year. What are you preparing for now?" Master Cheng asked.

"This son wants to go read books," Cheng Ze said.

Master Cheng shook his head, a smile appearing in his eyes: "Go ahead."

He was very satisfied with this eldest son of his.

This boy was different from the other children; he was the most outstanding one.

On the other side, Ying Zheng was taking a stroll in the rear garden.