Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

The powerful officials in the audience were completely panicked.

Cui Mingan knelt down with a thud and shouted:

"Your Majesty! Although His Highness the Crown Prince's method of investigating things has remarkable effects, can governing a country rely entirely on the methods of these craftsmen?"

If the classics are abolished, where will the scholars of the world go? Will the rites and laws of the Tang Dynasty still exist?

I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!

With Cui Mingan leading the way, hundreds of aristocratic officials and imperial students knelt down in a rush.

Seeing that they had lost the debate, they simply resorted to throwing a tantrum.

D.

They bet that Li Shimin wouldn't dare offend all the scholars in the land.

Looking at the group of officials who were weeping bitterly, Li Shimin felt a throbbing pain in his head.

His inherent imperial instinct to "balance the court" resurfaced.

The study of things is indeed a good thing, but the foundation of aristocratic families is too deep.

If these people are really pushed too far, students across the country will riot and boycott the exams, which will also make the imperial court look bad.

You have to give someone a sweet treat after you've hit them with a stick.

Li Shimin raised his hand and pressed it down:

"My beloved ministers, rise. Your profound knowledge of the study of things has truly broadened my horizons."

However, what Grand Tutor Lu said is not without merit; in governing a country, etiquette and law cannot be abandoned. In my opinion, perhaps...

"Not as good as bullshit!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out on the stage.

Li Shimin was startled and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Li Yuan stood up from his armchair.

"Father, what's wrong...?"

Li Shimin quickly looked at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan didn't even glance at him, and instead pointed at Cui Minqian and the others below the stage, angrily shouting:

"You bunch of parasites from aristocratic families, you talk about benevolence and morality all day long, but when you're secretly seizing land and concealing your population, why don't you talk about etiquette and law?"

Now that my grandson has come up with something great that can strengthen the country and enrich the people, all of you are here crying and wailing.

What? Are you afraid that this study of the natural world will cut off your monopoly on the money-making opportunities in officialdom?

I tell you, this Tang Dynasty belongs to the Li family, not to your five surnames and seven clans.

Cui Minqian and the others lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

This was the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty. If you really angered him, he would directly order his beheading. Who would dare to utter a word?

After berating the aristocratic families, Li Yuan suddenly turned his head and stared sharply at Li Shimin.

"And you!"

Li Shimin tensed up and instinctively straightened up.

"Where did the ruthlessness you showed when you killed your elder brother and younger brother back in the Xuanwu Gate Incident go?"

Now that he's become emperor, he's become timid and hesitant?

Aren't you ashamed to be led by the nose by a few pedantic scholars?

Gao Ming has created such a wonderful tool that benefits the country and its people. Instead of going with the flow and promoting it vigorously, you're just trying to appease them.

Do you want the Tang Dynasty to be forever controlled by these bookworms? Do you want the Tang Dynasty to stagnate?

Li Shimin was so angry from being scolded that his face turned red, and he gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands.

All the officials in the court lowered their heads, wishing they could bury their heads in their crotches.

It's a scene that only happens once every few decades: the retired emperor publicly reprimanding the reigning emperor.

Li Shimin hesitated for a long time, but dared not argue back. He could only reply in a low voice:

"Father's reprimand is correct; your son knows he was wrong."

"snort!"

Li Yuan snorted coldly and turned to look at the entire audience.

"I'm making this clear today."

The Crown Prince won a resounding victory in this debate.

"If anyone dares to use any strange or ingenious tricks to slander the study of natural philosophy, I will have them kicked out of Chang'an and never employed again!"

The Taiji Hall square was completely silent.

The officials from powerful families were ashen-faced and utterly despondent.

With the retired emperor personally taking charge, there was no room for negotiation on this matter.

After announcing the results, the anger on Li Yuan's face vanished instantly.

He waved to Princess Chang Le below the stage:

"My dear granddaughter, come on. Take your royal grandpa to play with that giant wheel that can pull up a thousand-pound stone."

Chang Le, lifting her skirt, ran excitedly onto the stage, grabbed Li Yuan's hand, and headed towards the center of the square.

Li Chengqian greeted him with a smile:

"Grandpa, please slow down."

"What's there to slow down for? I'm in good health."

Li Yuan walked up to the pulley system, circled it twice, and marveled at it.

"Wow, that's brilliant! Is this thing really that amazing?"

"Grandpa, you'll know once you let Chang Le try it."

Li Chengqian handed the thin rope to Chang Le.

Chang Le, who usually can't even lift a basin of water, grabbed the rope with both hands and pulled down hard.

With the sound of the pulley turning, the 1,200-pound boulder slowly rose into the air once again.

"Wow! It really worked!"

Li Yuan shouted excitedly,

"Let me try! Let me try!"

Li Yuan snatched the rope, and with a gentle pull of one hand, the boulder was steadily suspended in mid-air.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Li Yuan laughed heartily.

"If this were used on grain transport ships, it would save so much manpower."

On the stage, Li Shimin watched his father having a great time, and his heart was itching with desire.

He was originally an emperor who rose from the ashes, and he was most interested in things that could actually improve the country's strength.

I was too embarrassed to move earlier because of the emperor's airs, but now I really can't hold back anymore.

Li Shimin coughed twice, then casually strolled off the stage with his hands behind his back.

He bypassed Li Yuan, who was rollerblading, and went straight to the table where the magnifying glass was placed.

Li Shimin picked up the crystal-clear glass disc and, mimicking Li Chengqian's earlier action, aimed it at the sun.

He searched the table for a long time but couldn't find any paper, so he simply tore off a strip of cloth from Wang De's hat and threw it on the table.

The light spot is focused on the strip of cloth.

In just a few breaths, a wisp of smoke rose from the strip of cloth, and then burst into flames with a "whoosh".

Li Shimin's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the magnifying glass on the ground.

He stared intently at the burning strips of cloth, countless thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant.

To start a fire using sunlight?

He wouldn't have believed it even if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

If these things were distributed to the scouts in the army, they wouldn't even need to bring tinderboxes when going to war in the border regions.

And that self-spinning copper ball for boiling water—if it really can be mounted on a vehicle or ship, as Gao Ming said...

Wouldn't the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry and navy be invincible?

Li Shimin became increasingly excited as he thought about it, and his breathing became heavy.

He turned around abruptly and strode back to the debate stage.

That thought of trying to smooth things over had long been forgotten.

To hell with that aristocratic family.

Screw balance.

Compared to the eternal foundation of the Tang Dynasty, these pedantic scholars who can only recite books are nothing.

Li Shimin stood on the high platform and shouted:

"Issue my decree!"

Everyone in the room immediately stood at attention.

Cui Minqian and the others were on tenterhooks.

"From this day forward, the imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty will be completely reformed."

Two new subjects, mathematics and physics, were added, with the same number of students admitted as those for the Mingjing and Jinshi examinations.

Those who pass these two examinations, regardless of their background, are eligible to enter the imperial court as officials, with priority given to those appointed to the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Arsenal.

boom!

The officials from powerful families felt as if they had been struck by lightning.

This was tantamount to tearing a huge hole in the officialdom that was dominated by powerful families.

But it's not over yet.

"Mathematics and the study of things are newly emerging disciplines, and there are currently no great Confucian scholars in the court who are qualified to teach them."

Therefore, the compilation of textbooks for these two subjects, the examination of students, and the selection of examiners were all entrusted to the Donggong Gewu Academy.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian has full authority over the new imperial examinations, and no one may interfere!

The moment the imperial edict was issued, the entire Taiji Hall square erupted in excitement.

The common people and students from impoverished families cheered enthusiastically.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Long live Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

This means that once you enter the Donggong Gewu Academy, you've essentially stepped into the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty.

Cui Minqian's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Lu Deming coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and was carried away by several people.

The powerful families have fallen.

Li Chengqian looked at the unconscious Cui Minqian and sneered.

This is just the beginning. If Cui Mingan still doesn't know what's good for him...

He wouldn't mind uprooting the aristocratic families.