My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Fang Xuanling heard that at this critical juncture, Li Tai had diarrhea.

Quickly get away from the crowd, find Fang Yi'ai, and tell him to go find Li Tai.

Fang Yi'ai arrived at the outhouse and found it to be even more upscale than the inn, clean and tidy.

Li Tai was fastening his pants when his legs went numb, making it impossible for him to walk.

Fang Yi'ai jogged over, helped Li Tai up, and asked, "Your Majesty, weren't you perfectly fine just now?"

What's going on right now?

"I don't know either. My stomach keeps rumbling, and I just want to go to the toilet."

Seeing Li Tai's disheveled appearance, Fang Yi'ai chuckled, "Do you remember when I came here earlier, didn't a young lady offer you a cup of tea?"

"Ah, yes."

"Who is that girl?"

"It's Xue'er."

"Xue'er?"

Isn't she Su Wan's maid?

"Yes."

Fang Yi'ai said irritably, "Your Majesty, you are confused. Xue'er is Su Wan's maid. How could she help you?"

It would be strange if I didn't get you killed!

do you remember?

That time,

You were in Pingkang Lane in Beili, and she drugged your drink with sleeping pills.

Then, they tied you up and locked you in the woodshed.

"Uh, it seems like there is such a thing."

You mean to say that Xue'er put laxatives in the tea?

"Very likely."

Li Taiyi thought about it and realized that was probably the case.

He pointed with his finger: "That brat, if I run into her again, I'll make her pay."

Upon hearing this,

Fang Yiai thought to herself, "Next time you meet them, you'll definitely be the one being teased again."

However, he couldn't say what he thought, so he could only persuade from the side: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Because you have diarrhea, my father has applied to postpone the exam for an hour."

"If you hadn't had diarrhea, the exam could have started right now. It's good that Li Chengqian isn't here yet; by the time he arrives, we'll have already finished."

Li Tai felt that Fang Yi'ai made sense: "I'll insist and give it a try."

but,

Li Taigang had just stepped outside the outhouse when he couldn't go more than three steps away, and then he couldn't go any further.

He clutched his stomach and went back into the outhouse, repeating this more than ten times.

Li Tai was so exhausted from being pulled that he felt dizzy and his head was spinning.

Fang Yi'ai was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

After washing his hands again, Li Tai went outside and said to Fang Yi'ai, "I feel a little better."

"That's good. Let's hurry up and take the exam. Everyone's waiting for you."

However, an hour has already passed.

Li Tai slumped into a chair, panting for a long time: "Oh dear, I feel like I'm about to die."

"Your Majesty, you must hold on and not say such unlucky things."

The time has come; hurry and enter the examination room to take the exam.

Li Tai sat there, unable to get up, his whole body trembling.

Fang Yi'ai used all his strength and finally managed to help him up.

As Li Taigang entered the examination room, someone walked towards him.

Li Tai looked closely and saw that the person was none other than Li Chengan.

Li Chengqian took a hot bath, changed into a new set of clothes, and was full of energy, spirits, and vigor, showing no signs of fatigue!

He took Li Tai's hand: "Qingque, I'm a step too late. Are you alright?"

Li Tai glanced at Li Chenggan and thought to himself, "Li Chenggan is truly remarkable."

Despite the combined efforts of Hegan Chengji, Zhang Shizheng, and Ashina Jieshe, three top assassins, they failed to kill him.

He looks completely unharmed.

Li Tai cursed inwardly at the three men for taking so much of his money but failing to accomplish anything and instead alerting the enemy.

but,

He saw that Li Chengan was very friendly to him, as if he did not blame him, or that Li Chengan did not realize that he had sent the three assassins.

Li Taiqian chuckled twice and said insincerely, "Brother, aren't you on a mission to the Japanese?"

When did you get back?

You didn't even tell your brother beforehand.

"Your humble servant will come to greet you."

"You don't need to be so polite. I know you've been too busy, and I just got back myself. How could I trouble you?" Li Chengan paused, then continued, "I just heard you weren't feeling well. How are you? Are you feeling better?"

When Li Tai heard Li Chengan mention this, he started cursing Xue'er in his heart again, wishing he could strip her naked to vent his anger.

but,

Li Tai thought about it again,

Talking about those things now would only make me seem petty.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It was just a minor ailment, but I'm fine now."

"It's getting late. I presume you've come to take the exam, Your Highness?"

Li Chengan nodded slightly: "I originally did not want to participate, but Crown Princess Su Wan said that this is a good opportunity to practice."

Besides, so many brothers, sisters, and old friends are taking the exam.

Therefore,

I've just come to join in the fun.

Upon hearing this, Li Tai thought to himself, "You're clearly aiming to become the top scholar, yet you make it sound so casual."

Li Chengan then greeted Wei Zheng, Su Dan, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, and others.

Li Chengan was somewhat surprised to see that Xu Hui had also come to take the exam.

Because there were too many people in the examination room, it was not convenient to talk. Xu Huichong nodded to Li Chenggan, encouraging Li Chenggan to do well in the exam.

The written exam officially began, and the exam time was one and a half hours.

Fang Xuanling announced that the exam question was: Write a poem based on the composition of Jiucheng Palace.

After a moment's thought, Li Chenggan picked up his pen and quickly wrote down "Ode to Jiucheng Palace".

Li Tai glanced around; no one was paying attention to him.

He touched his chest with his hand.

Because Fang Xuanling had already revealed the exam questions to him beforehand, he prepared two poems.

Li Tai analyzed his father's words and felt that his father was different from Cao Cao and Emperor Yang of Sui.

Cao Cao's construction of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace seems to have been driven by a sense of pride and a desire to show off.

Emperor Yang of Sui built Xianren Palace and Jiangdu Palace because he was ambitious, fond of grandiose projects, and greedy for pleasure.

then,

Li Tai then brought out the poem that was intended to praise Li Shimin for loving his people like his own children, for his eagerness to seek out talented people, and for his diligence and frugality.

After the written exam,

Li Shimin held a grand banquet at Jiucheng Palace to entertain civil and military officials as well as candidates who came to take the exam.

Civil and military officials frequently toasted Li Shimin.

Li Shimin was in a good mood today and accepted all the guests, so he drank too much without realizing it.

Just then, Empress Zhangsun sent Cai Xiang to invite Li Shimin over.

Li Shimin then left Jiucheng Palace and rushed to Lizheng Hall.

After Li Shimin left, the civil and military officials felt more at ease.

Some of them took off their hats, others took off their official robes, exposing their chests and bellies, shouting and yelling.

Li Chengan observed this and couldn't help but frown, thinking back to when Liu Bang seized power...

On one occasion, Liu Bang held a grand banquet for his officials.

His civil and military officials drank together in a very unrestrained and disrespectful manner.

Some people even drew their swords and slashed at the pillars in the courtyard, almost knocking the pillars down and demolishing the houses.

For this reason, Liu Bang ordered Shusun Tong to formulate the court etiquette and system of the Han Dynasty.

Only after that did Liu Bang realize the majesty of being an emperor.

Li Chengan picked up his wine cup and walked over to Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, Su Dan, and others, offering them a toast one by one.

Those people were all his elders, but when the crown prince offered a toast,

Those people also left the room.

The act of avoiding the banquet was a matter of etiquette, and Li Chengqian naturally understood that Fang Xuanling harbored ill intentions towards him.

Fang Xuanling was very likely the mastermind behind his assassination attempt.

Even so, Li Chenggan still toasted Fang Xuanling.

Li Chengan smiled slightly: "Lord Fang, you've worked tirelessly for the country. I'll offer you three cups in thanks!"

At this point, Li Chengan tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp.

but,

Fang Xuanling sat there, maintaining his composure and poise.

He neither drank the wine nor left the table, but simply said, "This old minister is too old to hold his liquor!"

Li Chengqian clearly saw him drinking with many ministers just now. Could it be that he only drank three cups with him?

Li Chengan didn't care, nor was he angry.

Instead, he bowed again.

"Your Excellency, let's put aside everything else and take Jiucheng Palace for example. Without your hard work, how could we have achieved what we have today?"

and,

You saved the court a great deal of money, and at the same time, ensured the safety of every craftsman.

These are all very rare.

Fang Xuanling waved his hand: "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. Those are things this old minister should do."

"I've heard that Lord Fang is compiling the 'Zhenguan Code.' I wonder how the compilation of this law is going?"

"Nearly half of it has been compiled."

"When Tiying saved her father, Emperor Wen of Han was deeply moved and abolished corporal punishment, replacing it with caning."

Emperor Wen of Sui may have been too harsh in his laws, beheading officials for embezzling even a few coins. I wonder if this provision was ever amended?

"Corrupt officials must be severely punished; this old minister believes that this point need not be changed."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan frowned: "Lord Fang, I have a different opinion on this. I think this method is excessive."

Corrupt officials should certainly be punished, but if they are beheaded for embezzling a very small amount of money, who will want to be an official in the future?

"I believe the standard for the amount of money embezzled needs to be revised. Beheading someone for just a few coins is too harsh a punishment."

To everyone's surprise, Fang Xuanling's face darkened: "Your Highness, are you lecturing this old minister?"

"Your Excellency, please don't misunderstand, I absolutely did not mean that."

Fang Xuanling snorted coldly: "The compilation of the Zhenguan Code by this old minister is naturally subject to review by relevant departments, such as the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review."

If there is anything inappropriate, the relevant departments will naturally report it to us. Do you need to point fingers here?

This old minister is unable to hold his liquor and must take his leave!

After saying this, Fang Xuanling stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left.

"Your Excellency, let's go together!"

Li Tai couldn't sit still because of an upset stomach, so he made an excuse to leave.

Li Chenggan's men were all furious when they saw Fang Xuanling's arrogance and rudeness.

General Hou Junji was about to lash out.

Li Chengan quickly stopped him, saying, "Since Lord Fang can't hold his liquor, let him go back and rest early."

Hou Junji then sat down again.

at this time,

Li Chengan also noticed Chu Suiliang, a new face.

Li Chengan found Chu Suiliang's demeanor and bearing to be quite remarkable.

Li Chengan raised his wine cup to toast Chu Suiliang, who returned the toast politely.

"May I ask who you are?"

"I am Chu Suiliang, son of Chu Liang."

People say that there is a famous talented scholar in Chang'an named Chu Suiliang.

So it was you all along.

"I have long heard of your great name, and it is an honor to meet you today!"

"Your Highness, you're too kind!"

"I've heard that you have some thoughts on the imperial examination system of this dynasty."

"Yes."

Chu Suiliang did not hide anything and expressed his views.

Li Chengan nodded repeatedly after listening.

He also felt that the imperial examination system was of paramount importance, and that talent was the most important factor for a country.

If truly talented people are unable to realize their ambitions and instead allow spoiled brats to occupy high positions through nepotism, the harm will be immeasurable.

The reason why the State of Wei was so powerful during the Warring States period was because Marquis Wen of Wei was good at using talented people, such as Wu Qi, Zhai Huang, Zixia and Li Kui, which enabled Wei to become the first state to dominate among the feudal lords.

The reason why the State of Wei was eventually destroyed by the State of Qin was because Wei lost too many talented people.

and,

Most of these talented individuals served the Qin state, such as Shang Yang, Zhang Yi, and Fan Ju.

The Nine-Rank System implemented by Cao Pi was a serious mistake; it was a short-sighted act of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and drinking poison to quench thirst.

Initially, Cao Pi aimed to overthrow the Han Dynasty and become emperor himself.

Hoping to gain the support of powerful clans and aristocratic families, they agreed to implement the Nine-Rank System, and from then on, powerful clans and aristocratic families almost monopolized the officialdom.

Therefore, the Wei dynasty was doomed to fail from the very beginning of the Nine-Rank System.

Now, Chu Suiliang pointed out some problems with the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system, which Li Chengqian took very seriously and listened attentively.

Through a conversation,

Li Chengan discovered that Chu Suiliang was a very thoughtful, insightful, and farsighted person.

In Li Chengan's view, Chu Suiliang was no less capable than the ministers in the court; in fact, Chu Suiliang's talent far surpassed theirs.

at this time,

Fang Yi'ai was drunk, staggering about.

Reeking of alcohol, he approached Li Chengqian with a wine cup in hand: "Your Highness, I'd like to offer you a toast!"

Li Chengan glanced at him, thinking to himself, "What a mess you made last night! You locked me outside Xuanwu Gate and wouldn't let me into the city."

The snow was falling heavily, and the weather was freezing cold; it could freeze a person to death.

at this time,

You seem to have forgotten everything.

but,

Even if you don't respect the monk, you should respect the Buddha.

For Princess Gaoyang's sake, Li Chengan decided not to hold it against him.

Li Chengan also drank the wine.

Fang Yi'ai became even more smug, thinking that Li Chengan still wouldn't dare to do anything to him.

Fang Yi'ai staggered to Chu Suiliang's side: "Great talent, this prince consort toasts you three cups of wine!"

At this point, Fang Yi'ai downed three cups of wine with a series of thuds.

To his surprise, Chu Suiliang completely ignored him.

He neither avoided the table nor drank alcohol.

Chu Suiliang picked up his wine cup and splashed the three cups of wine onto Fang Yi'ai's face, cursing:

"Fang Yi'ai, you're nothing but a clown, a mere brute. What are you pretending to be so important to me for?"

Who are you, my consort? Have you consummated your marriage with Princess Gaoyang?

You're nothing but a piece of trash!

Fang Yi'ai thought himself great. He was the son of Fang Xuanling, the Grand Secretary of the Tang Dynasty. How could he be so arrogant?

Unexpectedly, Chu Suiliang, a mere scholar, dared to disregard him.

Fang Yi'ai was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged, with veins popping out on his forehead.

"What did you say? Do you know who you're talking to?"

So, it's illegal for me to toast you?

"I'm not buying that! What are you putting on airs for?"

Fang Yi'ai said, "It doesn't matter if you despise me, the imperial son-in-law, but do you know what day it is today?"

Today marks the completion of Jiucheng Palace, and also the day of the civil service examination.

This grand banquet was arranged by imperial decree.

"It's a small matter if you despise me, but if you dare to despise the Emperor and the court, that's treason and utter disrespect to the Emperor."

in fact,

Fang Yi'ai's words were rather malicious.

He took it too seriously, accusing Chu Suiliang of treason and disrespect, which was no joke and could result in execution.

Seeing that Fang Yi'ai was about to cause trouble, Li Chengan said, "Fang Yi'ai, what does your drinking have to do with the Emperor or the court?"

"How can it be no problem?"

This banquet was ordered by the Emperor; it wasn't a dinner hosted by me, Fang Yi'ai.

My father is old and was drunk, so he has already gone home.

My father was both the chief examiner and the person in charge of building Jiucheng Palace; he held a dual role.

Chu Suiliang's contempt for me is the same as his contempt for my father, and thus the same as his contempt for the Emperor.

"Help! Someone come here!"

And you know what? Fang Yi'ai really did have a group of men under his command.

At this moment, two armored warriors entered from outside, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, please give your orders!"

Fang Yi'ai pointed at Chu Suiliang and shouted, "Take Chu Suiliang down immediately!"

Li Chengan never expected Fang Yi'ai to become so ruthless.

What he said sounded like it made some sense.

As soon as he finished speaking, the two armored warriors immediately tied Chu Suiliang up.

Fang Yi'ai persisted, asking Dai Zhou of the Dali Temple: "Lord Dai, disrespecting the Emperor and the court is a grave crime of disrespect. According to the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty, what is the punishment?"

Dai Zhou stroked his beard and said, "If the charge of disrespect is established, it is punishable by death."

"Alright, then we'll hand Chu Suiliang over to your Dali Temple. You can handle it as you see fit."

And so, Chu Suiliang was taken away by Dai Zhou.

No one expected things to turn out this way, and everyone stopped drinking and dispersed.

It was the second watch of the night.

Su Dan's study.

Su Dan was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

Su Wan walked in from outside, carrying a steaming bowl of bird's nest soup: "Dad, you've lost weight lately."

Eat this bird's nest while it's still hot.

Seeing her father's worried expression, Su Wan placed the bowl of bird's nest on the table.

Su Wan asked with concern, "Father, what happened? Why do you look so pale?"

"Today, Jiucheng Palace was completed, but you didn't go. Something happened."

Have you finished reviewing all the essays written by the test takers?

"I've seen them all."

"So, who is the top scholar?"

"Chu Suiliang is tentatively ranked first, Li Chenggan second, and Xu Hui and Lu Zhaolin tied for third."

"Is Chu Suiliang number one?"

"Yes, objectively speaking, Li Chenggan's 'Ode to Jiucheng Palace' can be ranked first."

Chu Suiliang was second.

Lu Zhaolin and Xu Hui tied for third place.

Li Chengqian's poem, in particular, was exceptionally well-written.

Su Wan was both worried and happy after hearing this.

She was pleased that Li Chengqian had indeed lived up to expectations and wrote excellent articles.

but,

Su Wan was also somewhat worried, fearing that others would say her father, as an examiner, was biased.

Su Wan thought for a moment and said, "You should give Li Chenggan's poem a lower score."