I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 807 The Imperial Examination Begins

Wang Ling returned to Luoyang.

If we were to say who is the busiest person under Su Yao in recent times, it would naturally be Wang Ling and Wang Yanyun.

There is nothing we can do about it. Too many things have happened in the past month or so.

No one even mentioned the battle last month when Su Yao went all the way to wipe out Bai Bo, and then made a comeback to suppress the rebellion of the Hedong family.

After Su Yao recovered the entire Sili territory and ensured the security around the capital, he issued several imperial edicts without stopping for a second. He not only implemented the equal-field system, but also established a new statistics department, reorganized the Censorate, and formulated the first performance evaluation system for officials.

These reform policies were announced one after another, and the Luoyang court was shaken. The court, which had seemed calm before, suddenly became like a lake with ripples after a huge rock was thrown into it.

For a time, the voices of opposition were rampant. Although most of these reforms were piloted in Hedong and other three river areas, the determination shown by Su Yao was quite disturbing.

In particular, the returned Auditor Guo Jia and the Revenue Secretary Cheng Zhong, together, started investigating the former Grand Minister of Agriculture as soon as they came back. Although they did not say it explicitly, anyone with an eye could see that their immediate superior Yang Biao was obviously the key target of investigation.

For a time, undercurrents surged in the capital, and various forces were ready to make a move.

However, all these oppositions eventually gradually disappeared.

Because at that time, there was a more important event in the capital that attracted everyone's attention.

The world's first imperial examination!

After a series of intense preparations, it was finally held as scheduled within the announced time of three months after the Empress Wannian ascended the throne.

In preparation for the imperial examination, Luoyang City had already been decorated with lights and was extremely bustling.

On the streets and alleys, one can see candidates wearing Confucian robes and carrying books everywhere. They are either rushing to the examination room in a hurry, or gathering in groups of two or three to enthusiastically discuss the classics, history, current affairs, and the new mathematics questions set by Su Yao.

These young talents from all corners of the country gathered in the capital with their own ambitions and dreams, all eager to stand out in this exam and start their own official career, while also injecting new vitality into this ancient dynasty.

"I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it!"

"Not family background, but talent, and whether or not one can become an official is determined by the scores in the exam. Am I really dreaming about this?"

A thin-faced man with excitement in his eyes said, pulling his companion's arm.

The man who was speaking was named Zhou Yu. He was over thirty years old and had spent more than ten years in the Imperial College in Luoyang.

To be honest, he couldn't remember how he had managed to survive for so long.

Zhou Yu was born into a poor family, his family had been farmers for generations. He was able to enter the Imperial College because of his intelligence and his persistent love for learning that impressed a passing doctor of the Imperial College and he was recommended for admission.

At that time, he was truly a newborn calf, full of vigor and vitality.

Zhou Yu studied hard day and night, thinking that with his outstanding talent he would be able to stand out in the Imperial College, have a good future, and bring honor to his family.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow.

In the Imperial College, he watched the children of aristocratic families around him who, by relying on their family power, easily obtained precious books and guidance from famous teachers, and some even had established connections in officialdom before leaving the Imperial College.

All I could do was to study those worn-out scriptures over and over again in the shabby study, under the dim light.

In order to save money on lamp oil, he often got up before dawn to read, and only stopped when night fell and he could no longer see the words. In the cold winter, when his hands and feet were covered with chilblains and he had difficulty holding a pen, he never thought of giving up.

It is said that hard work pays off. At least in terms of academics, Zhou Yu believes that the saints are not deceiving him.

With his hard work, he was not only the best at memorizing among his classmates, but also won many debates organized by the Imperial College.

Whether discussing the profound meaning of Confucian classics or analyzing the pros and cons of current politics, Zhou Yu can always quote from classics and express his views clearly, which makes the teachers and students present look at him with admiration.

Once, the Imperial Academy held a debate on the question of "Should morality or law be put first in governing a country?"

Most of the children of aristocratic families advocated governing the country with virtue, after all, their family's status depended largely on the traditional moral order. However, Zhou Yu stood up and boldly put forward the view that law should be the first. He pointed out that the corruption of officials and the decline of people's livelihood in the Han Dynasty were precisely because the laws were lax, and the powerful and the rich acted recklessly without receiving the punishment they deserved. Only by enforcing the law can the behavior of all parties be restrained and the foundation for the stability and development of the country be laid.

As soon as his point of view was put forward, it caused an uproar.

The young men from wealthy families in the audience all looked at him with disdain, thinking that he was just a young man from a poor family who dared to challenge traditional concepts.

But Zhou Yu was not afraid. He cited many historical allusions and current social chaos and refuted them with reason and evidence.

During the heated debate, his sharp words and rigorous logic gradually silenced those who had originally laughed at him.

In the end, Zhou Yu won the debate and became famous in the Imperial Academy.

But, all this is useless.

Zhou Yu even discovered later that perhaps his arrogance had brought him unbearable side effects.

You have to know that in today's era, if you want to become an official, you have to rely on recommendation and recruitment.

And the power of recommendation is mostly in the hands of aristocratic families.

Zhou Yu's success in the debates at the Imperial Academy only brought him even greater jealousy from the children of aristocratic families.

They slandered and suppressed Zhou Yu on various occasions of recommendation, causing Zhou Yu to miss the opportunity to become an official again and again.

Zhou Yu looked at the children of noble families who were recommended as officials, many of whom were uneducated and unskilled, and his heart was filled with indignation.

During the countless sleepless nights, Zhou Yu's unwillingness became stronger and stronger, but he also felt deeply powerless. He didn't know where his future lay. Was he really going to be buried forever in this dark world?

Just when Zhou Yu was almost in despair, the news that Su Yao was promoting the imperial examination system came like a ray of light, illuminating his gloomy world.

He couldn't believe that there really was such an opportunity that would allow a young man from a poor family to compete for an official position with his own talent and break the monopoly of the aristocratic families.

Now, standing in front of the newly built Imperial Examination Hall opposite the Imperial College, even after three months of preparation, Zhou Yu couldn't believe that all this was happening.

Could it be that I am just a foil this time?
Is this just a formality, the court's way of appeasing the children from poor families?

Zhou Yu couldn't help but feel a bit bitter in his heart. His past experience of being suppressed by the aristocratic families made him full of doubts about this sudden opportunity.

He couldn't help but look around and found that most of the poor students had the same anxiety as him.

At this time, on the newly built high platform in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, the Minister of State Affairs Yang Biao and the famous scholar Cai Yong both walked up to the stage.
(End of this chapter)