In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1217 - 1129 Palace Examination

Chapter 1217: Chapter 1129 Palace Examination

Even though His Majesty had suppressed them several times with the force of thunder, it still had little effect. So much so that at the Lantern Festival, a bloody painting of rivers and mountains had been performed...

Moreover, there were external troubles.

The founding emperor of Great Zhou was skilled in both pen and sword, his civil and military strategies were outstanding, and his achievements were glorious. At the founding of the dynasty, he led several personal expeditions, devastating the Tartars and Western Xia around him, making them flee in total disarray. After centuries of recuperating and breeding, they had barely recovered. However, precisely because they had regained their strength while internal strife frequently erupted within Great Zhou, it was no surprise that they repeatedly violated the borders.

Everyone understood the problem, but such a headache for the courtiers had never been resolved well throughout the centuries since the founding of Great Zhou. Yet, today, His Majesty used it to assess these students?

Several examiners looked at each other and then lowered their eyes, not saying much more.

As for what everyone was thinking in their hearts, that was unknown.

Su Ke sat on the right-most seat, and upon hearing His Majesty announce the topic, he frowned and started to ponder deeply.

About how to govern the rivers, His Majesty had already proposed this topic during the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, and everyone was surprised that he would bring it up again during the palace examination.

When the examination topics were finally distributed, Su Ke picked one up to see. There was only one discursive essay required, not long, asking them to write an essay on the current political situation, content was unrestricted.

"His Majesty’s humble continuation of ancestral duties lasts over a year now. I reflect upon our forefathers, who established principles and set records, thorough in both minor and major aspects—all laid down as models to be taught, with no detail unpreserved in the annals...Why haven’t their effects been fully achieved? Or is there another way? Elaborate in your essay, which I shall personally review."

Upon seeing the topic, Su Ke’s brow furrowed even tighter.

The meaning of the topic was clear—I have inherited the legacy of my ancestors for over a year now, yet Great Zhou is still not strong, why can’t the nation be well governed? Does anyone have good policies for governing the nation? Write them down, and the emperor will personally review them.

When it came to strategies for governing the nation, the civil and military officials talked about it all day long.

Su Ke remembered several occasions when His Majesty had been provoked by these Speech Officials, returning to the Imperial Harem’s Palace still seething with rage.

Anyone could talk about strategies for governing the nation, but to write something that met standards and could be accepted by His Majesty without being overstated was difficult.

Having just discussed river management in the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, to write again, lacking novelty, lacking solid content, to stand out among all the candidates?

Dream on!

With such a broad scope for the topic, how could one focus on anything specific?

Usually, the palace examination topics are proposed by the Central Council, offering three options for His Majesty to choose from.

Such topics are generally vague and insubstantial, while the Jinshi Scholars-to-be engage in empty flattery, praising the Imperial Court and His Majesty, expressing their heartfelt sincerity and loyalty.

As long as they didn’t touch on any taboos or cause any major mishaps, there wouldn’t be any issues.

It was unclear when such examination topics became so stale and tasteless, hardly serving any practical purpose anymore.

But now, His Majesty was someone who didn’t play by the usual rules, as could be seen from the current topic. Having ascended to the throne just two years ago, national power was on the rise day by day, the commoners’ standard of living continuously improved, and the public sentiment was stabilizing—could it be that His Majesty had other intentions?

Su Ke’s thoughts were in disarray, but his actions did not stop; he slowly ground the ink.

All those things could be written about, but even he knew them—certainly, the ministers and His Majesty knew even more. Was it really necessary for him to write it down on such an occasion?

It seemed impossible!

Lacking originality, wanting to win with literary grace?

He pretended to casually look up and glanced at the people seated on either side of him. Everyone was quietly grinding their ink and had yet to begin writing.

To make it into the final ten meant there were no mediocrities present.

The idea of winning through literary grace was definitely unfeasible.

His only advantage over others was that he was His Majesty’s brother-in-law. Having been by His Majesty’s side these past few years, he understood His Majesty better than the others. However, precisely because of his identity, it was easy for the high-minded courtiers to overlook his efforts due to his identity, dismissing him outright.

As for the possibility that His Majesty might favor him because he was his brother-in-law and help him?

Knowing Su Ke as he did, he should not even think about it!

His Majesty had risen from an illiterate commoner to a position revered by tens of thousands. Aside from his own background, and the fact that his luck was indeed a little good, more importantly, His Majesty was desperate for wise men, appointed people based solely on merit, and used them wisely, quickly gathering a large group of loyalists behind him!

Make an exception for him alone?

Su Ke dared not entertain such a notion.

Their seating was arranged according to the results of the retest; ten people in a row. While Su Ke was deep in thought, some of the tribute scholars had already begun writing.

He too finished grinding his ink, smoothed out the paper, picked up the writing brush, dipped it in ink, and then began answering on the draft paper.

"I, your servant, address: I have heard that there are family rules and laws under heaven. Ministers abide by family rules as the law for one family, rulers take family rules as the law for all under heaven..."

He listed his thoughts one by one on the draft paper.

First, he discussed why, throughout history, countries were well-governed and economically prosperous at their founding but declined in strength in later stages.

Powerful ministers seizing control, disasters stemming from within the palace walls, internal strife among factions, land monopolies... Although these were reasons leading to destruction, at the root of it all were still issues with the commoners, issues with the land.

A nation’s strength depended on the stability of the imperial power and on the Imperial Court’s control over the regions. As long as the commoners could resolve the basic necessities of life—having land to farm, having food to eat, having clothes to wear—the country would remain stable and peaceful and could continue.

For the commoners, once they lost the land they relied on for survival, they might starve to death in the streets, become bandits, attach themselves to local tycoons as tenant farmers, or sell themselves into servitude and lose their freedom. Once many commoners lost their land, chaos would engulf the land.

To ensure the commoners could live and work in peace, the first condition was to train as many diligent and responsible officials as possible, send them to the villages, promote education, encourage agriculture, develop the economy, and bring benefits to the commoners. Furthermore, the Imperial Court should encourage inventions that saved labor and resources, award those innovations, elevate the status of craftsmen, and motivate everyone.

The population was continuously increasing, while the land remained fixed. To provide the growing population with their own land, the Imperial Court should seek broader living spaces. The Tartars and Western Xia repeatedly harassed our border commoners; it was time to give them a harsh blow!

To cripple them, frighten them, beat them until they trembled at the mention of Our Great Zhou.

Make them pay tribute, further shrinking their living space, and use preferential policies to attract surplus rural labor to the northern grasslands. There was boundless grassland there for raising cattle, sheep, horses. Not only would this alleviate the rapid population growth, but it would also enrich the nation and empower the people, allowing everyone to prosper together...

Su Ke put down the writing brush and shook his sore wrist.

That was when he realized that what he had written seemed like mere armchair strategies, possibly too lacking in originality to stand out among the others.