Chapter 239: The Aftermath Continues

At this moment.

The Prince of Yong was still in Yanqi.

Day by day, he felt the extraordinary bustle of Yanqi City, with people coming and going, his blood boiling with excitement. If you don't believe it, go out for a walk; every day, in the shops, taverns, and street corners outside, what people are discussing is this Imperial Examination.

Did you pass?

What did you sign up for?

Do you have confidence?

"Your Highness, Your Highness, why aren't we returning to Longyan yet? This Western Regions, it's hot enough to die!"

The Consort, who had accompanied the Prince of Yong out, wore a look of grievance.

The Prince of Yong glared at her: "A woman, what do you know! Yanqi is holding the Imperial Examination, do you know what the Imperial Examination is? Such a matter, if I don't finish observing it, how dare I go back?"

The Consort was startled: "Ah? Your Highness, could it be that you want to..."

The Prince of Yong smiled bitterly: "It is not that I want to, but that I must study this Imperial Examination thoroughly. This is a major affair, do you understand? Do you think if I just go back like this, the Emperor won't ask me?"

The group of people looked at each other in dismay.

The Prince of Yong sighed: "You lot, your vision is short-sighted. Do you really think the Emperor's Hanlin Academy is just sitting around doing nothing?"

"For such a major event, there is already a group of old fellows cheering and jumping for joy, waiting for the report."

Following that.

He drank another cup of wine and sighed: "Prefect Liu, oh Prefect Liu, do you know that he who leads the world can become a leader of talent? However, in conducting oneself in the world, keeping humble and biding one's time is what you should do; do not be the first in the world!"

Just as the Prince of Yong had expected.

At this time.

In the Hanlin Academy of Longyan Jinghua.

A Hanlin Academy Reader ran in like a madman, waving a piece of paper in his hand and shouting: "It's here, it's here, the latest Imperial Examination regulations are here!"

A group of old men, who had been waiting, stood up one after another upon hearing this, their eyes shining.

These old men were no ordinary people.

What kind of place is the Hanlin Academy? At the beginning, the original nature of the Hanlin Academy was a place for those summoned for their arts and technical skills; people of various kinds—Literature, classics, monks and Daoists, calligraphy and painting, zither and chess, Astronomy, etc. —waited for the Emperor's summons based on their expertise, known as Hanlin Waiting for Edicts.

During the reign of Tang Xuanzong, more literary scholars were selected, called Hanlin Attendants, used for drafting edicts and discussing current affairs.

In the twenty-sixth year of Kaiyuan, the Academician Institute was built south of the Hanlin Academy, specifically responsible for managing the Inner Court. The original Hanlin Academy was thus divided into two: one for Hanlin Academicians and one for the Hanlin Academy, known as the Old Hanlin Academy. Although both had the name of Hanlin, their natures were very different; the former was exclusively for literary scholars, a key department in the forbidden palace for drafting edicts and participating in state affairs. The latter was a common institution where people of various skills were mixed together, serving the Emperor in the Inner Court.

In the late Tang Dynasty, a series of major changes occurred in the political situation; the situation of separatist warlords appeared, and the situation of Eunuchs holding power became serious. The struggle between the Emperor and court officials against the Eunuchs, as well as the factional strife within the court officials, intensified. Under such a political situation, the Hanlin Academicians, known as the Emperor's private staff, were able to play a greater role in politics. First, they drafted inner edicts and acted as advisors, encroaching on the power of the Secretariat, and then they participated in secrets, with their power reaching its peak.

For example, in appointing and dismissing Prime Ministers and announcing crusade orders, because the Hanlin Academicians participated in secrets, their actual power was immense. Slowly, the power of the Hanlin Academy became equivalent to that of a Prime Minister.

Later, it was also called the Inner Prime Minister.

The Hanlin Academy was originally meant to be a forest of literature, a place where Literature and talent gathered. It was a place that encompassed all kinds of knowledge research such as Astronomy and Geography... In short, the Hanlin Academy was the Emperor's back garden, a central agency under absolute private control.

But the Scholars serving in the Hanlin Academy were mostly officials holding concurrent posts.

Therefore, these people were the absolute powerhouses of Longyan.

"It's here, it's here?"

"Read it out quickly, read it out!"

"The Imperial Examination is divided into the Literary Examination, the Martial Examination, and the Industrial Examination, also known as the Industrial Examination, each divided into three subjects for assessment..."

"Each subject is marked out of one hundred, with a specified time for each subject..."

"A total score of two hundred and forty is required to successfully pass the examination, with positions assigned based on the scores of each subject!"

"The Literary Examination is divided into policy essays, current topics, and eight-legged essays..."

"The Martial Examination is..."

"The Industrial Examination..."

These old men of the Hanlin Academy listened and lowered their heads to write furiously.

Occasionally, when they heard something brilliant, they couldn't help but slap their thighs and exclaim: "Wonderful!"

"This method of Imperial Examination has no loopholes!"

"Employing people according to their talent is a Great Good!"

"This Prefect Liu is truly a talent!"

The process of the Imperial Examination was carefully prepared by Liu Zheng; the layout of the examination hall, the methods to prevent cheating, the punishments for cheating, and the grading—which would be the average score of several people—everything seemed to be approaching perfection, avoiding any loopholes anyone could think of.

These people were originally players of culture and education, so how could they not understand?

Is this a talent for governing the world?

Is this a talent selection mechanism that better conforms to the development of the era?

Unstinting praise rang out in the Hanlin Academy for a time.

"Everyone, everyone..."

Zhu Qing coughed a few times and reminded: "The Emperor asked us to evaluate, not to decide. This method of Imperial Examination is of great importance; everyone should be cautious in their words!"

The crowd was then alerted.

An old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Grand Academician Zhu, exquisite is exquisite, brilliant is brilliant. I have never hidden my views; as for Grand Academician Zhu, you are the cousin of the current Minister of Personnel, so do not let this reminder of yours carry any stance!"

"You..."

Zhu Qing was suddenly stuck, and said righteously: "Old Liu, your words are wrong. I, Zhu Qing, am a Scholar of the Hanlin Academy; how could I participate in that filthy struggle for power?"

Old Liu laughed: "Isn't that so? Everyone should know what a great blessing this Imperial Examination method is for the scholars of the world!"

He sighed leisurely: "Since the first year of Pingyu, our Hanlin Academy has not made any achievements in any academics or national policies. Everyone, the world has forgotten the existence of our Hanlin Academy!"

The crowd nodded in disappointment.

Old Liu stood up tremblingly: "I, Liu Yu, have spent my whole life in the Hanlin Academy, and now, I finally see a glimmer of hope... If the imperfect Imperial Examination method of that year made the Emperor furious, but now this set from Prefect Liu..."

He looked around the circle and asked sincerely, "Everyone, are we really just going to let it all go to waste like this!"

"The Emperor, what does he keep us for?"

"To reach the ears of Heaven above, and the depths of the netherworld below!"

"If we don't even offer Admonishment, wouldn't we all become those sycophants and flatterers!"

"Where is the integrity of a scholar!"

"The scholars of the world, what use is there in honoring our Hanlin Academy!"

The crowd listened, their fists clenched tight.

Actually.

Everyone in their hearts understood.

The reason the Longyan Dynasty was stagnant, and the reason the Hanlin Academy had achieved nothing for over thirty years... the biggest reason was that there was no progress!

There was no one capable of progress!

Decay and self-imposed isolation permeated the entire Longyan!

Those who entered the Hanlin Academy later were all people who read ancient books and had minds full of pedantic thoughts.

Without fresh blood, how could there be progress?

Without innovation and reform, how could there be progress?

People of the world were all fighting for power and profit. The people of the Hanlin Academy stood high above, and with one glance down, they saw decay everywhere, old ways everywhere, and ugliness everywhere.

Because they stood high.

Therefore they saw far.

The Hanlin Academy.

This was likely the last pure land in the imperial court of the Longyan Dynasty.

Liu Yu stood up and laughed wildly: "How about this, the Prefect Liu who created the method of the Imperial Examination is also a Hanlin Academy Reader of ours; I, this old man, will go and offer Bitter Remonstrance to the Emperor about this matter!"

The crowd was greatly shocked.

"Elder Liu, you must not!"

"Teacher..."

"Lord Liu!"

【Author's Note】

Thanks to brother Global Connect Travel for the tip...