Fantasy: Unparalleled Prince, Conquering the Heavens!
Chapter 37: Going to court_1

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Going to court_1

"Crown Prince, His Majesty has decreed that you should take up residence in the East Palace and attend the royal court meeting tomorrow!"

When Qin Wudao left the Imperial Palace and arrived back at the thatched hut, drunk, a eunuch who had been waiting for a long time quickly stepped forward to greet him and convey the message.

The Qin Dynasty had a system for its court meetings: every three days was a minor court meeting, and every ten days a major one, where both the ruler and his ministers would join together to discuss and make decisions on state affairs.

"I’ve received the message!"

Qin Wudao, momentarily sobered by this news, couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of running the country. In his eyes, some of the current systems of the mighty Qin Dynasty required changes.

The eunuch respectfully bowed before returning to the Imperial Palace to report.

"Your Highness, everything’s packed!"

Jia Xu emerged from the hut, his hands empty. They didn’t have many belongings, all of which could fit into a single spatial container for a one-time removal.

"After we move to the East Palace, arrange for two people to come here and guard the hut!"

Qin Wudao stood silently at the door, gazing at the thatched hut he had lived in for several years, a touch of reluctance in his eyes. He never held any particular demands for where he resided.

This might be a humble dwelling, but my virtue makes it fragrant!

Even if it was a thatched hut, he could live there comfortably.However, he was now the Crown Prince of the Qin Dynasty, representing the dignity of the empire. Continuing to stay in a thatched hut would be inappropriate.

After lingering for a while, Qin Wudao closed the door of the hut, led Jia Xu, and headed towards the center of the Imperial Capital. Adjacent to the Imperial Palace, the East Palace, which serves as the residence of the Crown Prince, was a grand, dazzling, and majestic building.

Since the Qin Emperor ascended the throne, the doors of this palace had remained closed, never once opened.

Times had changed.At last, it awaited its new master.

"We respectfully welcome His Highness the Crown Prince to the East Palace!"

As the guards shouted, the vermilion palace gate slowly opened. A Spirit Gathering Array automatically activated, flooding the palace with dense Spiritual Energy.

Looking through the gate, one could see a training ground inside, filled with various weapons that glinted sharply. Perhaps for the past one hundred thousand years, all the Crown Princes of the Qin Dynasty had practiced their martial arts there.

Further inside was a grand hall built upon an eight-tiered earthen platform. On the golden plaque was inscribed a single character: ’Qin’, radiating an aura of loyalty, benevolence, bravery, and an iron-willed spirit.

"General Gao Zhong, leading the East Palace guards, pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

A general in iron armor, holding a battle spear, knelt on one knee. The spiritual aura he emanated indicated he had reached the peak of the Transcendent Realm.

Behind him knelt three hundred soldiers, all exuding full vigor, their cultivation levels above the Beyond the Shore Realm. Their collective aura was like a long spear capable of piercing the Azure sky.

They gazed at Qin Wudao with worshipful eyes. From this day forward, they would be the loyal followers of the Crown Prince, devoted until death.

"Rise!"

Qin Wudao waved his hands, and a gentle force lifted the soldiers. He declared, "I can see that you are all elites of the army, eager to face the enemy on the battlefield and achieve glory for our country. Unfortunately, by guarding this empty palace, your talents have remained buried!"

"Today, I take up residence in the East Palace. Soon, I will lead you to battle in foreign lands, to expand our territory!"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the three hundred soldiers lit up with excitement. Throughout the entire Qin Empire, their strength ranked among the top. However, due to their duty of protecting the East Palace, they had been unable to set foot on the battlefield. Were they content with this?Of course not!As soldiers, who wouldn’t want to earn feudal titles through their military merits?

"Mighty men of old Qin, together we face the nation’s peril!" Gao Zhong shouted, raising his weapon high, his voice resonating with a potent battle intent. The blood within him, long dormant, began to boil and burn, making him yearn to immediately mount his warhorse and charge into battle.

"Mighty men of old Qin, together we face the nation’s peril!" the soldiers roared in unison, their thunderous voices echoing for tens of miles, drawing the attention of many.

In that moment, people seemed to perceive a true dragon, about to soar through the heavens, to reign supreme over the world, leading the Qin Empire towards unprecedented prosperity and splendor.

「The next day.」

Ancient bronze bells tolled as Qin Wudao, dressed in a four-clawed python robe, walked into the imperial court. He stood before all the officials, just a step away from the supreme imperial throne.

After the officials entered the Golden Hall, they first greeted Qin Wudao and then gathered in small groups to discuss state affairs.

About a quarter of an hour later, the Qin Emperor emerged from the rear hall and seated himself on the Dragon Throne, emanating a powerful imperial aura that enveloped the entire audience chamber.

The officials returned to their positions and respectfully saluted.

The Qin Emperor glanced at Qin Wudao, nodded slightly, and asked in a deep voice, "My dear ministers, is there anything important to report?"

"Your Majesty, after the Qin Dynasty unified the East Ancient Domain, our territory expanded severalfold. We have a severe shortage of local officials!" Li Si stepped into the center of the hall, his expression troubled.

A few days ago, he had dispatched a large number of officials to inspect the East Ancient Domain. He discovered that in the territories of the former six great empires, most cities lacked governing officials, leading to chaos and instability.

The Qin Emperor furrowed his brows. After annihilating the six great empires, the officials of the original six countries certainly could not be reused. The talent pool of the Qin Empire was severely inadequate.

This is not an easy problem to solve! The ministers began to whisper amongst themselves, discussing solutions. However, even after a considerable time, no one stepped forward with a viable plan. These issues were clearly extremely vexing.

"Prime Minister, do you have any good counsel?" the Qin Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, I suggest dispatching some county magistrates to assume roles as commandery administrators in the newly conquered territories. They can establish commandery governments and then select talented individuals to fill the vacant official posts," Li Si said after some thought.

The Qin Emperor showed a hint of disappointment. It wasn’t that Li Si’s proposal was ineffective; it merely treated the symptoms without addressing the root cause and could only temporarily alleviate the problem.How vast were the territories of the six countries?How many officials would the Qin Dynasty need to dispatch to establish complete local commandery governments?And how long would it take to select talent and fill the vacant positions?

"Crown Prince, do you have any suggestions?" The Qin Emperor looked around the hall. Noticing the composed expression on Qin Wudao’s face, he raised an eyebrow and asked in a deep voice.

"Father Emperor, the Qin Dynasty’s insufficient pool of talent is the fundamental reason we cannot resolve the issues in the local regions. Your son suggests reforming the official selection system!" Qin Wudao’s astonishing words caused an uproar among the ministers.

Reforming the official selection system!What audacity!

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the system for appointing and selecting officials in the Qin Dynasty has been in use for one hundred thousand years. It is the ancestral law and absolutely cannot be changed! Your Highness is exceptionally talented, but one must be cautious when it comes to matters of state governance!" an official immediately stood up to object. His underlying meaning was that while Crown Prince Qin Wudao possessed great talent in cultivation, he lacked the ability to govern.

"Your Majesty, I also oppose the Crown Prince’s proposal. The ancestral laws must not be changed!"

"The Crown Prince does not understand state governance. We implore Your Majesty to appoint a Grand Tutor to instruct him diligently!"

"Your Majesty, the ancestral laws are the very foundation of our nation’s stability and peace; they absolutely must not be altered..."

Most of the court officials voiced their opposition. As for whether they truly had the country’s best interests at heart, only they themselves knew.Who benefited most from the current official selection system?

"Ancestral laws?" Qin Wudao scoffed internally. The Qin Dynasty’s official selection system entirely served the interests of the powerful and noble families. To become an official, one needed a recommendation from an official of the fifth rank or higher. After an assessment by the Ministry of Personnel, one could then assume office.

For the nobility, becoming an official was merely a procedural formality.But for a commoner from a humble background, even aspiring to be a minor ninth-rank official was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Within the entire imperial court, over ninety percent of officials holding positions of the ninth rank or higher belonged to these powerful and noble families.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.