Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2090 The Millennium Dragon and Tiger List, the Eternal Top Scholar

Previously, Wang Yu used the reservation function to reserve two slots: Wu Zixu, a beginner-level divine general, and Wu Qi, a divine-level commander among divine-level commanders with a basic command score of 104.

Now, the system's retention and replacement functions are finally coming into play.

Although the quality of this summoning was not ideal, it resulted in the emergence of a Wu Zixu with exceptional potential.

Although Wu Zixu has already acquired a battle spirit, he still lacks a general's soul.

But there will be bread, and there will be milk.

Now that the foundation is in place, there will always be opportunities to obtain a divine-level general's soul in the future. It's much better than having a general's soul later but having no one to use it.

"Ding, second summoning is in progress..."

"Ding, the first person, Feng Jie, Politics 95."

"Ding, the second person, Han Qi, Politics 97."

"Ding, the third person, Wanyan Sheng, Politics 97."

"Ding, fourth person, Yang Bin, Politics 95."

"Ding, the fifth person, Feng Dao, Politics 97."

"System, remove Feng Jie and Yang Bin, and summon from among the remaining three: Han Qi, Wanyan Sheng, and Feng Dao."

In this summoning, there's no need to consider which two of the five summoning candidates to remove!
After all, the five summoning candidates this time are quite distinct in quality!

Therefore, there is absolutely nothing to hesitate about.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining Han Qi, with Command 89, Martial Strength 56, Intelligence 90, and Politics 97."

Implanted identity: Han family member of Henan, son of Han Gui, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice of Zhongcang.

Carried by: Han Zhongyan.

Wang Yu's main purpose in summoning these officials was to prepare more prefects for himself.

After all, this time they directly captured three provinces, requiring nearly thirty prefectural governors. Not to mention the even larger number of county magistrates below them.

Although it is necessary to retain a number of the original Cangshi officials, especially those who voluntarily surrendered to the Han, some of them must be selected as role models.

However, it's impossible to hand over all these officials to those who surrendered; it's destined to be only a small portion. Most of the officials still need to be handed over to one's own loyalists.

Wang Yu still values ​​the central government's control over local areas quite a lot.

These officials can be promoted from among some of the well-performing county magistrates, or some local officials from prefectures and counties can be transferred.

At the same time, Wang Yu also needs to cultivate a new group of local officials.

Of course, if they are really only to be appointed as prefects, there is no need for top-tier talents.

Prefects like them, though currently in office, are potential candidates for future governorships. When a suitable position becomes vacant, they may be chosen from among them to fill the vacancy.

After all, several of the governors under Wang Yu's command have reached god-like political acumen.

Of course, it's impossible to let these god-like political talents hold the position of governor forever. After they have each served in two or three different provinces, they will naturally be brought back to the central government one by one, so that they can shine and contribute within the central government.

People like Xiao He and Wang Zhi are currently kept at lower levels because of their seniority; they need to accumulate experience for a few more years. While special channels should be opened for talented individuals, rapid promotion doesn't mean they can be promoted overnight.

Secondly, it was also to continue the tradition of high-ranking officials from the Six Ministries of Da Cang serving in various prefectures and counties, a point Wang Yu largely agreed with. Good systems, even old ones, should be inherited.

When these governors return to the central government, or when they take over new circuits and need new vacancies, it will naturally be time for the current prefects to shoulder more responsibility.

Therefore, for Wang Yu, having a Heaven-level political acumen was actually enough for these summons, even if he had just barely reached the Heaven-level threshold.

After all, his idea of ​​these political talents he summoned this time, and their future roles, were merely that of regional governors, not high-ranking central officials like before. Therefore, even just barely qualifying them as Heavenly-level officials was more than enough.

Of course, Wang Yu would be happy if the price were higher.

If he could get 97 or 98 points, Wang Yu would naturally not want 95. If he could get something better, he certainly wouldn't force himself to suffer.

"Ding, the third summoning is in progress..."

"Ding, the first person, Yuwen Rong, Politics 95."

"Ding, the second person, Shen Tu Jia, Politics 95."

"Ding, the third person, Zhang Dun, Politics 95."

"Ding, the fourth person, Sima Guang, Politics 95."

"Ding, the fifth person, Feng Dao, Politics 97."

"System, remove Sima Guang and Yuwen Rong, and summon from among the remaining three: Shen Tu Jia, Zhang Dun, and Feng Dao."

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining Feng Dao, with Command 40, Martial Strength 55, Intelligence 92, and Politics 97."

Implanted identity: One of the former veteran officials of Yanbei.

This time, the quality of the summoned candidates wasn't very good.

However, the final result of the summoning was actually quite good.

The one with the highest stat among the five was summoned.

However, although the summoning result was good, Wang Yu was not so satisfied with the implanted identity.

Wang Yu had been trying to find a way to replace the old officials of Yanbei one by one with his own people.

It's not just about replacing all the powerful functions and positions with his own people; it's also because his own people are relatively younger.

After Xiao He, Wang Zhi, Du Ruhui, and others had taken turns serving in various localities, and after they had served as governors of two or three different circuits, it was time for them to return and replace the older generation.

Of course, he was dissatisfied, but since it was a done deal, he could only accept it. After all, the system didn't offer him a return or exchange service.

"Ding, fourth summoning is in progress..."

"Ding, the first person, Zhang Heng, Politics 98."

"Ding, the second person, Cai Ze, Politics 98."

"Ding, the third person, Shen Tu Jia, Politics 95."

"Ding, the fourth person, Zhang Chengye, Politics 97."

"Ding, the fifth person, Fu Jian, Politics 98."

"System, remove Shen Tu Jia and Zhang Chengye, and summon from among the remaining three: Zhang Heng, Cai Ze, and Fu Jian."

Compared to the previous two political appeals, this one is significantly better in quality.

At least in this summoning, there is a guaranteed summoning of a character with a basic political stat of 98.

This level of skill is absolutely among the best in the Heavenly Realm of Politics.

Anyone whose political acumen reaches the Heavenly level is undoubtedly a prime minister. Not to mention those who are almost at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Realm; each one is a true pillar of the nation.

No matter which of the three you summon, it's definitely not a loss.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining Zhang Heng, with Command 85, Martial Strength 85, Intelligence 95, Politics 98, and Charisma 95."

Implanted identity: Disciple of the Zhang family of Guangyin.

Carried by: Zhang Dun.

Summoning Zhang Heng was a pleasant surprise for Wang Yu!
Perhaps they are not as famous as others, but ability and fame are related to each other, but not absolutely.

Those who manage to make a name for themselves, while not all of them (there are always exceptions), at least the vast majority, even without extraordinary talent, can still be considered talented.

However, those who did not make a name for themselves in this imperial examination are not necessarily all useless; there may be some hidden gems among them.

In the second year of the Jiayou reign of the Song Dynasty, this imperial examination earned the reputation of being the "crown of stars" in the long history of China's imperial examination system.

The influence of this imperial examination far surpassed that of other renowned imperial examinations in other dynasties. The list of successful candidates in this examination was hailed by later generations as the "number one list of imperial examinations in a thousand years," and can be described as an unprecedented and unparalleled "divine procession" in the history of imperial examinations.

The examiners for this exam were a truly impressive lineup.

The chief examiner was Ouyang Xiu, who was the leader of the literary world in the Northern Song Dynasty, the leader of the poetry and prose reform, and ranked among the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song" and the "Four Great Masters of Ancient Prose". His literary achievements and political status are immeasurable.

Wang Gui, the deputy examiner, rose to the position of prime minister and held a prominent position in the Northern Song Dynasty political arena. He was also a famous writer and politician, whose writing style was elegant and refined.

The examiner was Mei Yaochen, a man of great talent and extensive knowledge. He was as famous as Su Shunqin and was known as "Su Mei". He was also known as "Ou Mei" along with Ouyang Xiu. He was called the "founding father of Song poetry" and had a profound influence on the transformation of Song poetry style.

The fact that these three literary giants of the Northern Song Dynasty gathered together to oversee this examination speaks volumes about its significance.

Looking at the lineup of candidates, it's even more dazzling.

Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong, three of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, were all renowned literary figures of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Su Shi was highly accomplished in poetry, literature, calligraphy, and painting. He was a leader of the literary world in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, and his poems have accompanied generations of Chinese people.

Su Zhe was known for his prose, which was fluent and profound. He was particularly skilled at writing historical articles. Su Shi praised his prose as "vast and serene, with a lingering and evocative quality, and its outstanding spirit can never be overshadowed."

Zeng Gong displayed extraordinary literary talent from a young age, and became famous throughout the world for his talent before he reached adulthood. He has thousands of prose works to his name, demonstrating his exceptional ability.

Besides these three literary giants, there were also the Cheng brothers, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, Neo-Confucian scholars and educators of the Northern Song Dynasty. They were the founders of Neo-Confucianism and the representatives of the "Luoyang School." Their doctrines had a profound influence on the development of Neo-Confucianism in later generations.

Zhang Zai, a thinker, educator, and one of the founders of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty, founded the "Guan School," which was on par with the Luo School of the Cheng brothers, the Lian School of Zhou Dunyi, the New Learning of Wang Anshi, and the Min School of Zhu Xi. Together, they constituted the mainstream of Confucianism in the Song Dynasty. His saying, "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations," was a resounding inspiration and became the highest ideal of countless scholars.

The core figures behind Wang Anshi's reforms, including Lü Huiqing, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Dun, stirred up a storm of change in the Northern Song Dynasty's political arena, profoundly influencing the political landscape of the Northern Song.

However, in this imperial examination filled with top talents, the one who ultimately stood out was Zhang Heng, whose reputation in later generations was far inferior to theirs.

How did Zhang Heng, the top scholar who surpassed countless celebrities, perform in his official career?
Zhang Heng entered officialdom as the top scholar in the imperial examination. The Wujiang Long Bridge, which he oversaw the repair of, not only facilitated transportation but also pioneered the "work-for-relief" model, resettling thousands of refugees during the project. This initiative was recorded in the Southern Song Dynasty's "Wujun Zhi" as "a model of good governance and harmonious people."

When Zhang Heng was sent as an envoy to the Liao Dynasty, he faced the provocation of the Khitan nobles in "hunting and martial arts competitions". He resolved the crisis by saying that "among the six arts of a gentleman, archery is used to observe virtue". In his poem "On My Mission to Liao", he wrote "The carved bow and white feathers are used to return from the hunt. The cattle and sheep come down again in the dark". This poem implies his desire for peace on the frontier.

During his tenure as the prefect of Yingzhou, he pioneered the "Baojia Joint Defense System," which coordinated the deployment of border militia and regular troops. The "History of Song Dynasty: Military Affairs" records that this method "made thieves restless and saved 3,000 garrison troops every year."

During the salt administration reform, he proposed the "salt license grading system," which adjusted the salt tax based on the transportation distance, resulting in an annual increase of 200,000 strings of cash in Huainan's salt tax. This system was included in the "Qingyuan Code of Laws and Regulations."

His work, "Chronological Compendium," in ten volumes, uses a unique style to sort out history from ancient times to the early Song Dynasty. Sima Guang praised it in "Postscript to Zizhi Tongjian" as "exquisitely researched and meticulously examined, and can serve as a guide for historians."

However, despite his outstanding performance in the imperial examinations, Zhang Heng's official career was not smooth.

After entering officialdom, Zhang Heng was not assimilated by its complexities and darkness. Instead, he always maintained his original aspirations and principles, becoming a breath of fresh air in the officialdom and a true "tough nut to crack".

While serving as the Salt and Iron Commissioner, Zhang Heng discovered a serious problem of officials receiving salaries without working within the Three Departments of Finance. As the financial institution of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Three Departments of Finance held the reins of the nation's finances; however, many officials abused their power to falsify accounts and fraudulently claim salaries, resulting in a massive waste of national financial resources.

Zhang Heng was well aware of the harm this behavior caused; it not only damaged the interests of the country but also increased the burden on the people.

Therefore, he resolutely petitioned the emperor to reduce redundant officials and eliminate this problem.

His move was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in the Three Departments. Those officials who relied on receiving salaries without working to seek personal gain hated him to the bone and suppressed and ostracized him. But Zhang Heng did not back down because of this.

Later, when Zhang Heng was in charge of the selection and recommendation of officials, he had a fierce conflict with the prime minister.

He even stormed into the Secretariat to argue with the prime minister, and even went so far as to take the prime minister to court, thus offending many powerful figures.

It can be said that this person is absolutely the best among all the top scholars.

The world may never lack geniuses, but genius is merely the threshold to seeing them.

Moreover, his cousin Zhang Dun, whom he accompanied, was also an extraordinary figure, who rose to the position of prime minister and reached a similarly high level of political prowess.

"Ding, summoning complete. The current host has 1191 summoning points, 1 Chaotic Summoning Card, 1 Grandmaster Chaotic Summoning Card, 1 God-level Talent Summoning Card, and 1 God-level Battle Spirit remaining."