bookrebus Chapter 308 The Imperial Examination Plan
Chapter 308 The Imperial Examination Plan
After completing the scientific expedition plan, Ying Wuyou did not relax immediately. She knew the importance of this plan and that it could not tolerate the slightest mistake, so she carefully checked it several times, word by word. Only after confirming that every detail was accurate and every suggestion was well thought out did she finally feel at ease.
The next morning, before dawn, Ying Wuyou had already washed and dressed, and eagerly rushed to the court. Sure enough, just as she had predicted, after the King of Qin personally announced the establishment of the imperial examinations the previous day, all the officials who had previously skipped court for various reasons suddenly changed their ways and came to court. In an instant, the entire court was teeming with people, densely packed with officials of all ranks who had come to discuss state affairs.
Not long after, accompanied by solemn and majestic footsteps, the King of Qin, surrounded by his retinue, slowly entered the court. Upon seeing this, the court officials all bowed in unison, and the morning court session officially began.
Because of the precedent set yesterday, where someone was severely punished with thirty strokes of the cane for openly opposing the imperial examinations, although there was much discussion in the court today, no official dared to recklessly jump out and strongly oppose the examinations as before. After all, everyone knew that the King of Qin had made up his mind; he had not only posted a clear proclamation but also made it clear that there was no room for doubt. At this moment, any further objections would likely be futile and might even bring about their own death.
However, while all the ministers remained silent, Ying Wuyou stepped forward without hesitation. She first bowed deeply to the King of Qin, then slightly raised her head, her gaze firm and confident, and said, "Father, please forgive me. Last night, I pondered the matter of the imperial examinations repeatedly, and some ideas have come to mind. Today, I humbly request that you and all the ministers present generously offer your guidance."
The King of Qin nodded slightly in agreement, and then said slowly, "Hmm, tell me what you think."
After bowing respectfully, Ying Wuyou spoke eloquently: "Your subject believes that the imperial examination is crucial to the rise and fall of the nation and the selection of talent, and its importance is self-evident. It must not be handled hastily. Therefore, some necessary entry conditions should be set for the imperial examination, and it should not be allowed for just anyone to participate easily. Doing so would, firstly, waste a lot of time and manpower; secondly, if some unscrupulous and malicious individuals were to infiltrate, it would undoubtedly be extremely detrimental to our Great Qin."
The King of Qin nodded in agreement again, signaling Ying Wuyou to continue elaborating on her views. Ying Wuyou took a deep breath and continued, “Based on this, I propose that the imperial examination system should implement a multi-round assessment system. Specifically, the preliminary examinations should first be held in each county. Only those who successfully pass the preliminary examinations will be qualified to participate in the provincial examinations. The provincial examinations will then be held in each prefecture. Only after the provincial examinations are completed and the results are satisfactory can one proceed to the metropolitan examination. This metropolitan examination should be held in Xianyang and should be supervised and presided over by highly respected and learned officials of the court. After passing the metropolitan examination, the most crucial palace examination will take place. This palace examination will be personally overseen by Your Majesty. Ultimately, based on the candidates' true abilities, they will be divided into three ranks: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class. Only those who successfully enter the Third Class will have the opportunity to serve as officials in the court and serve the country. In this way, we can ensure that those selected are truly virtuous and capable, contributing to the prosperity of our Great Qin.”
Everyone listened intently to Ying Wuyou's eloquent and fluent discourse. Suddenly, someone asked, "However, His Majesty has already set the date for this year's imperial examinations. There are less than two months left until the examinations begin. In this situation, there isn't enough time from the preliminary examinations to the provincial examinations and then to the metropolitan examinations."
Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou nodded slightly in agreement, and then replied, "What this lord says is very reasonable. That is why this year's matter must be treated specially, and special methods must be adopted to deal with it." After speaking, she turned her gaze to the King of Qin, who was sitting on the high seat, and solemnly said, "Your subject believes that this year we should directly order each prefecture and county to recommend suitable candidates, and then let these recommended candidates directly participate in the provincial examination and the palace examination."
As soon as the words were spoken, an uproar arose from the crowd, with some immediately expressing their opposition: "Wouldn't this be unfair to future students?"
Faced with the doubts, Ying Wuyou remained unfazed and calmly explained, "This imperial examination is not only a pioneering initiative of our Great Qin, but also the first of its kind in history. Naturally, nothing in this world is perfect at its inception. At this very moment, our Great Qin is in dire need of capable individuals, urgently requiring a large number of virtuous and talented people to fill the court. Therefore, at this crucial juncture, this special arrangement is a pragmatic measure, and what is wrong with that? Furthermore, precisely because this is the first time an imperial examination has been held, our selection of talent will inevitably be more rigorous and cautious. By the time the final examination concludes, only a small number will be able to pass smoothly, and those who are merely pretending or filling in the ranks will have no chance to slip through."
Hearing Ying Wuyou's words, the ministers whispered among themselves and discussed the matter. However, although everyone had their own thoughts, not one of them stood up to openly express their opposition.
At this moment, the King of Qin, seated on his dragon throne, frowned slightly, falling into a brief moment of contemplation. After a while, he finally spoke slowly: "Hmm, this plan seems feasible, but how can we ensure the impartiality of those recommended by the various counties? After all, human hearts are unpredictable!"
Ying Wuyou had clearly given this matter considerable thought. She stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I believe it is permissible to order each prefecture and county to submit a recommendation petition. In this way, if the recommended person is later found to be of questionable character or unworthy of their position, those who recommended the official should also be punished. At the same time, the court should dispatch special envoys to secretly investigate various regions to prevent any possible fraudulent activities. Only by taking a two-pronged approach can the fairness and impartiality of this selection be guaranteed to the greatest extent possible."
Just then, a voice of doubt suddenly arose from the crowd: "But if someone appears to be of upright character and erudite before being recommended, but then reveals their misconduct after passing the assessment, wouldn't that mean the recommender has suffered an undeserved disaster? That seems somewhat unfair to them!" This statement immediately caused a slight commotion, with many ministers nodding in agreement with the person's point of view.