A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

When Li Huai slammed the first batch of military merit land registers onto the imperial desk, no one in the court dared to speak first.

It's not because I'm afraid.

It's because the booklet is too thick.

It was so thick that when it was put down, a corner of the paper spilled out.

Li Huai raised his head, his voice still carrying that old, bone-scraping quality.

"Your Majesty, the first batch of military merit rewards for the three battles of Black Wind Ridge, Huainan, and Golden City has been distributed."

Wei Zhao sat on the dragon throne, his fingers resting on the armrest.

It's all sent.

These three words were spoken very softly.

But to his ears, it sounded heavier than the shouts of a million-strong army.

Killing someone to gain merit sounds easy.

Only when every head, every breach of a stronghold, every rescue of the wounded, and every land deed falls into people's hands will one realize just how rotten the old debts of this world have become.

Someone is trying to claim it fraudulently.

Someone wants to steal credit.

Some people want to use the names of the dead to secure the future of their own children and nephews.

After Li Huai chopped off thirty-seven heads, the others finally quieted down.

Wei Zhao didn't care about those heads.

What pained him was that if those thirty-seven cuts hadn't been made, the newly established military merit system would have rotted away from its very core.

"Where's the land deed?"

Li Huai said, "The grants have been distributed to all prefectures and counties. The first batch of meritorious soldiers includes 123 individuals who have been granted titles and 18,760 households of land. The families of those who died in battle will receive pensions according to their merits, and the land will be transferred to their surviving family members."

Someone in the court took a soft breath and then quickly lowered their head.

18,760 households.

It's not a reward.

It is a field.

This means that the old Wei dynasty, which relied on the merits of its ancestors, was forced to open a crack in the records of the new Wu dynasty.

When Wei Zhao saw that several senior officials had turned pale, he felt somewhat more at ease.

Just be afraid.

Their fear shows that this matter has truly touched a nerve.

"not enough."

Wei Zhao spoke.

Li Huai's eyelids twitched.

"Your Majesty, the national treasury has just settled the accounts of Huainan, Liangzhou, and Hedong. If we were to add more..."

"I didn't mean there wasn't enough land."

Wei Zhao looked at the assembled officials and said, "I say, the road is not wide enough."

The hall fell silent.

Fang Fuyao stood to the side of the civil officials, dressed in white as before, holding a scroll of memorials in her hands.

Wei Zhao looked up at her.

"Announce."

Fang Fuyao stepped forward, his voice steady.

"Your subject requests that in the spring of the second year of the Xinwu reign, the civil service examinations be held to select officials."

Upon hearing this, the hall was thrown into chaos for a moment.

Even though these people had already heard rumors, when these words were actually spoken in the court, some of them still changed their expressions.

The imperial examination system.

Regardless of background.

Regardless of wealth or poverty.

All scholars are eligible to take the examination, and those who pass will be appointed as officials.

This is not about opening the door to those from poor families.

This is to smash the old lock at the entrance of the aristocratic family.

An old official from the Ministry of Rites couldn't help but step forward.

"Your Majesty, the selection of officials is the foundation of the nation. If people from humble backgrounds suddenly enter the officialdom, they will be ignorant of etiquette and the old system, which may disrupt the order of the court."

Wei Zhao glanced at him.

The old minister's neck stiffened, and he swallowed the rest of his words.

Wei Zhao did not get angry.

Now is not the time to kill.

The sword has already quelled the chaos; now it's time for the rules to speak for themselves.

"Old style?"

Wei Zhao smiled.

"Don't you all know how badly the old system governed the Great Wei?"

No one in the hall dared to accept it.

If the system relies solely on military merit, the new military council will become a court built on military achievements.

Those who are good at fighting have a path to success, but scholars still have to squeeze through the narrow gates of aristocratic families.

In time, military men will become arrogant, civil officials will become corrupt, poor families will become resentful, and powerful families will grow claws again.

We need to find another way.

To enable the poor to join the army and to receive an education.

Let the sons of prominent families who want to become officials take the exam.

No one can rise to the top just by virtue of their surname.

Fang Fuyao unfolded the memorial book.

"The new civil service examination is divided into six categories: classics, policy essays, law, mathematics, medicine, and engineering. Each prefecture will establish an official school, and poor students can enroll based on their county of residence. The examination papers will be anonymous, and the grading will be conducted separately. Anyone who dares to leak the questions will be beheaded, anyone who dares to buy or sell a place will be beheaded, and anyone who dares to use their family background to pressure the examiners will be stripped of their official position and have their property confiscated."

Zhao Qiniang was not in the hall.

Otherwise, I would definitely curse out loud; it would be so damn satisfying.

Li Huai was the first to step forward.

"I second that opinion."

As soon as he knelt, the civil officials in the front row followed suit.

"We second that proposal."

Some people are sincere.

Some people are afraid.

Wei Zhao didn't care.

Before rules are established, there is no difference between sincerity and fear.

Once they kneel down first, the rest can be dealt with by the law.

……

Ten miles outside the capital city, at the pavilion.

Wei Zhao did not bring any officials, but only a few personal guards, and went to the old lady's grave.

The newly planted willows beside the grave have already sprouted tender buds.

The branches swayed gently, looking both tender and resilient.

Wei Zhao stood in front of the grave, holding a pot of wine in his hand.

He didn't say much.

Before the war was over, every time he came, it was as if he owed a debt.

Now that most of the debt has been paid off, I feel even emptier.

Humans are just despicable.

When you haven't won, you only think about winning; but when you actually win, you realize that some people will never see you again.

"daughter."

Wei Zhao poured wine in front of the grave.

"The first batch of land awarded for military merit has been distributed."

"The imperial examinations are about to begin."

"You once said that the Wei family must first defend the country, and then defend their home."

He looked at the little willow tree and lowered his voice.

"Tenaga Nasional is breathing again."

A breeze blew by, and a willow branch gently touched the tombstone.

Wei Zhao looked at it and suddenly smiled.

"Please don't scold me."

"I know it's not over yet."

……

In the imperial garden of the inner palace, Tuoba Yue was holding Wei Xuan and basking in the sun.

The little one clung to her clothes, babbling as if he were arguing with someone.

Tuoba Yue lowered her head to tease him.

"Your father went to court to scare people again today, did you know?"

Wei Xuan, of course, had no idea, and was engrossed in chewing on his clothes belt.

When Liu Jingshuang walked in, her steps were slower than before.

Tuoba Yue looked up and her eyes immediately lit up.

"Sister Jing Shuang!"

Liu Jingshuang frowned.

"Don't shout."

Tuoba Yue, holding the child, leaned closer, her gaze falling on the woman's lower abdomen, and she couldn't suppress her smile.

"Sister-in-law, it's finally your turn."

Liu Jingshuang's ears turned slightly red, but her face remained cold.

"Tuoba Yue, if you say another word, I'll take your son to practice shooting."

Wei Xuan didn't understand, but instead grinned.

Tuoba Yue was overjoyed.

"Look, he agreed."

Liu Jingshuang placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

……

Inside the Imperial Study.

Wei Zhao stood by the window, with the newly compiled "New Military Laws" beside him.

The pages still smelled of fresh ink.

He flipped through a few pages and paused when he saw the lines "Military merits must not be stolen," "The imperial examinations must not be conducted with favoritism," and "Official schools must not reject students from poor families."

This world used to be a place where life was far from human.

The emperor feared loyal ministers.

The treacherous minister betrayed the border troops.

Foreign tribes prey on ordinary people.

Powerful families seize land, officials steal credit, and the poor die without even understanding why.

When Wei Zhao first arrived, all he wanted was to survive.

Later, he wanted to kill Lu Song, Yuan Xi, the foreign tribesmen, and the rebel king.

After fighting for so long, I can finally put my knife down for now.

He closed the law and said softly, "This world is finally starting to resemble a human life."

Laughter came from the Imperial Garden.

Tuoba Yue laughed the loudest, Su Qingyun laughed the softest, Hua Jieyu seemed to be teasing someone, Shang Wanqing seemed to be clamoring for funding again, Liu Jingshuang said something in a low voice, Xie Daoning gently advised, Nie Yinniang was silent, but Wei Zhao knew she was there too.