The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 314: Imperial Examination, Lu Miaozi's Talent

Bashu, Song clan.

When Shi Zhixuan mentioned the imperial examination, Song Que retorted, "Yang Guang's imperial examination was still the private domain of the rich and powerful, with the aristocratic families in the middle, and the talents were measured by family background and connections. What's the difference between this and the Nine-Rank Examination hundreds of years ago?"

"You are wrong, my Lord. Yang Guang's imperial examination system is still an improvement over the Nine-Rank System. At least it is not based entirely on family background, and there are still a large number of children from poor families who enter the government. In the Jin Dynasty, there were no poor families in the upper ranks, and no noble families in the lower ranks. The noble families monopolized the government. Although the Sui Dynasty could not get rid of the noble families, it was much stronger than the Jin Dynasty." Shi Zhixuan shook his head and explained, "It's just that the fall of the Sui Dynasty in the second generation was also partly due to the imperial examination system, but the Song Dynasty was different from the Sui Dynasty."

"What is the difference? I would like to hear the details."

Shi Zhixuan had a plan in mind and spoke eloquently, "In my opinion, the best thing about the imperial examination is that it increases competition and improves fairness, but it is not fair enough and not transparent enough. We need to improve the system and eliminate the use of backdoors and family background to select candidates as much as possible."

"The Sui Dynasty is too big, and there are constant constraints from within. On the other hand, the Song Clan is completely ruled by the head of the clan. A small boat is easier to turn around, and the Lingnan families are all small and humble. There are no powerful families. The head of the clan unified the world from the south, so he should recruit people from humble backgrounds to serve him."

These words made Song Que fall into deep thought. All he was thinking about now was dealing with the enemies in the north and expanding the army. He didn't expect that Shi Zhixuan actually thought of the situation after unifying the world. He was worthy of being Pei Ju who had survived three dynasties.

"I have benefited a lot from what Brother Shi said, but Song Que still has a question."

Shi Zhixuan showed an unfathomable smile, "You want to ask, why should I help you?"

Song Que nodded silently. If someone else came to surrender to him, he would not have such doubts, but Shi Zhixuan's identity was different. He was not only a court official with an excellent reputation in the literati circle, but also the evil king of the Demon Sect. The forces under his command should not be underestimated.

Shi Zhixuan knew that he couldn't dispel Song Que's vigilance if he didn't say it, "First, Brother Su and I had a deal. He helped me solve a problem, and I joined the Song family. Second, since we are going to the table, why not stand on the side of the winner."

Song Que smiled, "Welcome Brother Pei to join the Song Clan."

Shi Zhixuan thought of the young man waiting outside the door and asked, "Master, is the young man outside the door called Kou Zhong?"

"Well, he is my disciple."

Shi Zhixuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I see that this boy has raised eyebrows and sharp eyes, and his nose is sharp and straight to the upper part of the face. He is a man with great ambitions and is not afraid of taking risks. This is a good knife."

"He is still too young. Why, Brother Shi is interested in him?"

Excitement flashed in Shi Zhixuan's eyes, "I'm not interested in him, but I'm very interested in the Secret of Immortality." The four great books are still very famous. He has only read the incomplete Heavenly Demon Strategy, and the Secret of Immortality is known as a Taoist treasure. Naturally, he is excited to see it.

Song Que narrowed his eyes slightly and reminded calmly, "The Art of Immortality is indeed mysterious, but I want to advise you that Brother Shi can trade with him, but it is best not to use other means."

Shi Zhixuan smiled lightly, "Don't worry, Master. Even though I am not talented, I will not attack a young boy."

……

Pegasus Ranch, underground secret room.

Lu Miaozi pointed at the box on the table and said, "Daoyou, these are the inheritance I left behind, and they are also the result of my hard work over the past thirty years."

Su Ming walked forward and picked up a box. He saw the three words "Mechanical Engineering" carved on the box surface. The remaining boxes also had words engraved on them, namely "Astrology", "Mathematics", "Architecture", "Military Strategy" and "Geography".

Except for the Art of War, the others were unpopular. Su Ming smiled secretly in his heart, "Fellow Daoist left these books to pass on what he has learned. However, I don't think anyone in Pegasus Ranch can catch your eye."

Lu Miaozi smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, if Xiuxun is willing to accept me, I am willing to pass on everything I have learned to her, but I am afraid she will not appreciate it."

As he spoke, he walked over to one of the large wooden boxes and patted the box with his hands, making two "bang" sounds. He said with a nostalgic look, "These are the little gadgets I made thirty years ago. Many of them have been lost and earned me countless golden gold. The things left in the box now are the things I can't bear to sell."

Su Ming walked forward and opened the box. He saw various exquisite mechanical devices in the box, with exquisite patterns carved on them. If they were put on the market, they could indeed be sold at a high price.

Then, he pointed to an iron rod sticking out of the corner and said, "This is what I have arranged for my afterlife. As long as you pull down the iron rod, this room will close within ten breaths and no one will be able to open it again. In addition, the stone room will drop ten feet and become my afterlife home."

Su Ming's eyes showed surprise. He believed that Lu Miaozi would not lie. Just this iron rod could make this place fall ten feet. It was amazing. "Daoyou's civil engineering skills are really mysterious. It would be a pity if such a skill was lost."

At this moment, Su Ming thought of the science and technology of later generations. Many things had been invented in ancient times, but were lost for various reasons and were invented again and again by later generations. If the Central Plains could have a perfect scientific system like the West, passed down from generation to generation, there would be no place for the West.

Lu Miaozi shook his head and said with a look of deep emotion: "Life is like a dream, it passes in a blink of an eye. Looking back on the past, I am filled with only humiliation and hatred. If I had the opportunity to start over, I would not be interested in touching these addictive things."

Then he opened another box, and inside were several masks. He picked up one and handed it to Su Ming, "This is a mask that I carefully crafted. When I was young, I used this to travel the world, and no one could see through it. I'm giving this little thing to you, my fellow Taoist."

Human skin mask?

Su Ming was not unfamiliar with this thing. It could be said to be a must-have item when traveling in the martial arts world. However, most human skin masks were crudely made and could be seen through at a glance. Lu Miaozi's masks seemed different. The masks felt delicate and smooth. He twisted it with his fingers and found that the material was wrong. It did not seem to be human skin.

Lu Miaozi looked at the things in the room, as if lost in memories, and then took a pair of steel claws from the wall nearby, and said with a smile, "This pair of flying magic claws is the treasure I relied on to escape Zhu Yuyan's pursuit. It can be used separately and can catch any object. Of course, you need to be highly skilled in martial arts to use it freely. The steel ring at the end is connected to a rare ice silk thread that is ten feet long. The steel claws are as flexible as human hands, and the silk thread can be long or short, which is very convenient."

"But with Fellow Daoist Su's martial arts, I'm afraid you won't be able to use this thing, so I won't embarrass myself."

Then, he opened two more boxes, which contained some valuable antique jewels. They might not be worth much in troubled times, but once the world is stable and the economy develops, these things will become valuable.

Originally, Su Ming wanted to bring Lu Miaozi back to the Song clan to assist Song Que in handling government affairs, just like Huang Yaoshi, but when he saw these ingenious creations, he suddenly had an idea that it was a pity to waste such industrial talents in the court, and he should help the Song clan develop industry.

The reason why feudal dynasties could not escape the three-hundred-year cycle was ultimately because productivity was limited and the population was expanding, making it impossible to divide it further, leaving the poor with no place to stand.

But once a primary industrial system is established and productivity is developed, the feudal industrial empire may allow the people to live a better life, at least to survive, without having to lose hope of survival due to natural disasters or man-made disasters. "I was going to let my successor collect these after I die. Fellow Daoist Su has extended my life, so I'll give them to you. When you leave Pegasus Ranch, take them with you. I believe they will come in handy."

Su Ming accepted it directly, "Okay, I will be honored to refuse it."

Then, the two returned to the lobby on the first floor. Lu Miaozi activated the mechanism, and the sunken stone slab slowly floated up, covering the stone steps. It fit tightly together, and there was no sign that there was a secret room underneath.

Lu Miaozi got the paper and pen, and soon he wrote down the location and opening method of Yang Gong's treasure house. When he handed it to Su Ming, he let out a long breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders, with memories in his eyes. "Back then, Yang Su asked me to build Yang Gong's treasure house for him and leave it to the descendants of the Yang family. However, I didn't expect that his son would start a rebellion early, and he died before he could get the treasure house."

"I also had to live in seclusion here because of Zhu Yuyan. If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Su, I'm afraid that Yang Gong's treasure house would have been sealed underground and would never see the light of day."

Su Ming smiled secretly in his heart and remained silent. Even if he was not there, Yang Gong's treasury would be opened by Kou Zhong and others and would eventually become a wedding dress for others. As long as Chang'an was not under his control, he would not open the treasury.

Then, Lu Miaozi looked at Su Ming with hope, "Daoyou, I'm leaving Yang Gong's treasure house to you. Can you let Xiuxun go and let Pegasus Ranch go?"

However, faced with such a request, Su Ming shook his head.

Lu Miaozi was immediately furious, "Daoyou, are you going to go back on your word?"

"No."

"Even if I am willing to let Pegasus Ranch go, it will be coveted by others sooner or later. Even if you can temporarily suppress your injuries, how many years can you live? A place like Pegasus Ranch is difficult to protect even if there is a Grandmaster in charge."

After hearing Su Ming's words, the wrinkles on Lu Miaozi's face seemed to deepen, "Ah..."

He knew that Su Ming was telling the truth. A man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. This is the same at any time. If Pegasus Ranch does not choose to rebel, it will sooner or later be noticed by other ambitious people. "Fellow Daoist, do you want Pegasus Ranch to join the Song clan?"

Su Ming asked, "Do you have any other choice? Pegasus Ranch is in the south, and neither the Li Clan nor the Yuwen Clan can reach it. Moreover, they are of Hu ethnicity. You don't want the business foundation of several generations of business owners to fall into the hands of foreigners, right?"

Lu Miaozi was choked up immediately. Thinking of that scene, he felt uncomfortable. After thinking about it, it seemed that Pegasus Ranch had only this way out. Thinking of his own daughter, he asked again, "Xiu Xun is a woman and cannot serve as an official in the court. I wonder how you plan to place her?"

Su Ming laughed loudly, "Haha, fellow Daoist, how could a beauty like the mall owner not have anyone pursuing her? Let's not talk about those far away, let's talk about those nearby. The Song clan leader and I have each accepted a disciple, and both of us are outstanding. If the mall owner likes her, it's not a bad idea for our two families to marry each other."

"Even if the market owner doesn't like it, there are still many young talents in the Song family. Let her choose. What do you think, fellow Taoist?"

Lu Miaozi's spirits perked up, and a look of excitement appeared on his face. "Daoyou, are you serious?"

As long as my daughter has a home, she won't have to support this huge family business alone. I can rest in peace in my grave.

"If you don't believe me, I can sign and seal it."

Lu Miaozi waved his hand with a smile on his face, "No need, I believe what you say, fellow Daoist." With Su Ming's strength, no one could stop him from taking over Pegasus Ranch, but he spent a lot of energy to heal himself and promised to find a husband for Xiuxun. Obviously, he was not the kind of person who would do anything to achieve his goals. He also felt that there was nothing about him that was worthy of the other party's attention. How could he not believe it?
Little did he know that in Su Ming's eyes, he was much more important than the entire Pegasus Ranch.

……

The next day, Shang Xiuxun looked at Lu Miaozi walking out of the bamboo building and was horrified. "Old man, why did you come out?"

Lu Miaozi had a complicated expression, "Xiuxun, my injuries are temporarily suppressed, and I can still live for some time."

Shang Xiuxun ignored him and just bowed to Su Ming, "Hello, Senior."

Su Ming said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I won't touch your Pegasus Ranch."

With these words, Shang Xiuxun felt relieved. She had been worried all night and hadn't slept, thinking about how to keep Pegasus Ranch. Now she can finally feel at ease. "Thank you, senior."

"The Song clan is buying war horses. Someone will contact you later. You can just do the transaction normally. Don't worry about me. Also, if someone from the north comes to buy war horses, you can sell them to them, but you have to inform the Song clan."

This condition was less than Shang Xiuxun had expected, so she immediately said, "Don't worry, senior. I will definitely do it."

In fact, Su Ming had his considerations for not taking over Pegasus Ranch immediately. Even if he was a grandmaster, he was only one person in the final analysis, and there were thousands of people in Pegasus Ranch. He could kill all of them, but he could not make them surrender to him willingly.

Even if we take over this piece of land, it will be useless without specialized people to train war horses. War horses are valuable, but talents are equally valuable. It is better to let it go for the time being and wait until the Song clan arrives here.

Forcing them to surrender now will cause endless troubles. Besides, the Song clan has already moved to Bashu, and the Pegasus Ranch is located between the two lakes, out of reach. Once something happens, it will be difficult to respond, let alone bring it under control.

"Okay, I'll go first. You and your daughter must have a lot to talk about." Su Ming gave Lu Miaozi a look, turned around, stepped away, and disappeared.

There were only an old man and a young boy left in the open space in front of the bamboo building.

Lu Miaozi sighed, looked straight at Shang Xiuxun, and said with a sigh: "You really look like your mother."

Shang Xiuxun raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "You have said this before, and don't think I will be grateful to you. If it weren't for you, my mother wouldn't have died!"

Lu Miaozi's eyes showed a sad look, "I know, I know, I owe your mother, I will never be able to repay her in my ten lifetimes."

(End of this chapter)