After rebirth, I married the emperor's uncle and overthrew my ex-husband's kingdom

Zhao Zhong walked to the chair beside him and sat down. "This is also the case with the Zhenguo Mansion. Since we have already chosen sides, why not help out with some matters?"

If they want the Third Prince to return to the court and use their connections, wouldn't others give them some face?

“Don’t rely too much on others for everything.”

Lu Lingye's sparkling eyes revealed a hint of cruelty, "Since you can't catch fish in clear water, then I will muddy the water in this pond completely!"

The case of selling test questions became more and more serious due to the deliberate spread of the third prince. Countless students gathered in the capital, more than during the spring and autumn examinations.

Xu Lingyun looked at the students gathered in front of the palace gate and protested loudly, his brows twisted into a knot.

Captain Liu looked at those angry students and was helpless for a moment.

"If we really want to capture them, we won't be able to fit them all in even if we build thirty dungeons in Jingzhao Prefecture."

"We can't arrest him. Now the only way to put this matter to rest is for His Majesty to order the reopening of the imperial examination."

Xu Lingyun ordered him: "Tell everyone else in the government office to come back. Don't do anything else these days. Keep a close eye on these students."

A scholar's pen is worth three thousand Mauser rifles. These people cannot be forced, but if they are persuaded with reason, their tongues will become as hard as iron.

There is no other way at the moment, only the emperor himself orders to reopen the special examination.

The emperor was wearing a dragon robe and sitting on the dragon throne, pursing his lips, showing his majesty.

He glanced sharply at the ministers below, "My dear ministers, what good ideas do you have for the imperial examination?"

Qi Yue's father, Lord Qi, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites Hu Weizhen privately sold the test questions, which harmed the interests of other candidates. I think that this imperial examination should be cancelled, and the court should reopen the special examination to show fairness and justice!"

"I second the proposal!"

Zhao Qingming also stood up and said, "The resources in this world are inclined towards the royal family and the rich and powerful. If even the imperial examination cannot be guaranteed to be fair, how can those poor students have a chance to succeed?"

He stood tall and straight with a serious expression, "This matter concerns the future of students all over the world, so it should be handled fairly and impartially, without any bias!"

Lord Qi beside him also nodded slightly, expressing his agreement: "The imperial examination is an important way to select talents for our Great Zhou. It is related to the prosperity of the country and the stability of the country. We must be extremely cautious!"

With them taking the lead, the rest of the Third Prince's party followed suit like a tide.

For a moment, all kinds of passionate and generous voices rose and fell, resounding throughout the court.

"The fairness and justice of the imperial examination is a national priority, and no selfish thoughts should interfere with it!"

"There are no selfish officials in the imperial examinations, and there are no selfish people in the world. Only by upholding the principles of fairness and justice can we select truly talented and virtuous people!"

Some even got so excited that their faces turned red, and they shouted loudly: "If the imperial examination loses fairness and justice, it will chill the hearts of countless students who have studied hard, and in turn affect the foundation of our Great Zhou!"

The prince was still suppressing bandits in Quzhou. Marquis Yong'an ordered the others to sacrifice their chariots to save themselves, and no one came out to object.

The emperor's temples were throbbing from the noisy sounds below.

It's easy to say, but reopening Enke will cost a lot of money.

He has spent a huge amount of money on purchasing medicinal herbs recently, and the construction of the palace still requires money. Where does this money come from?

But if the imperial examinations are not reopened, those annoying students will not give up.

The emperor was furious, his brows were furious, and there seemed to be a raging fire burning in his eyes.

He shouted sternly, "Hu Weizhen has committed corruption for personal gain and dared to sell the imperial examination questions. He will be beheaded in public at noon tomorrow at the entrance of the market! As for the matter of reopening the imperial examination, I will consider it later."

After the emperor finished speaking, the court fell silent. The ministers understood that the emperor did not want to agree but was afraid of causing public outrage.

At this time, Prime Minister Xiao, who had been silent all this time, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the treasury is now empty. If we reopen the imperial examination, it will definitely be a huge expense. I think we can ask the rich families to donate money to cover the expenses of the imperial examination. This will not only relieve your Majesty's worries, but also show the patriotism of the rich families. The court can also give them some rewards in the future."

After hearing this, the emperor raised his eyebrows slightly and thought.

The third prince knew what Prime Minister Xiao was going to do and his mind moved.

He stood in the middle and bowed to the emperor, "Father, I agree with Prime Minister Xiao's move."

“How can we get merchants to donate money voluntarily?”

The emperor had been eyeing the merchants' purses for a long time, and now that someone had brought it up, he might as well go with the flow.

"Father, since they are donating money for the imperial examination, why don't we give them some places for the examination?"

The third prince's idea was inspired by Bai Youyou selling a sign.

Wasn't the prince using the opportunity of obtaining places in the imperial examinations to tempt merchants to become his money bags? This move could just as well foil the prince's plan.

The emperor looked at his third son below, his eyes deep, "What do you think we should do?"

The third prince raised his chin slightly, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, and his whole body exuded a gentle and humble temperament.

He said slowly, "Father, the court can launch a special charity. Anyone who donates two thousand taels of silver can get a place in the imperial examination as a reward. Moreover, this reward is not a one-time reward, but is based on the amount of donation. The more you donate, the more imperial examination places you will get, and there is no upper limit!"

"This is inappropriate!"

Marquis Yong'an did not expect that the Third Prince could come up with the same method as Bai Yaoyao. He was shocked and quickly stood out from the lineup.

"Your Majesty, merchants are only interested in profit. If they are allowed to enter the court, they will abuse their power for personal gain, and the court will be in chaos!"

Marquis Yong'an spoke earnestly, and the emperor weighed the pros and cons in his mind after hearing his words.

The Third Prince was not impatient and bowed again, saying, "Father, the Marquis is not without reason to be worried."

But he straightened up and changed the subject, "But besides merchants, wouldn't other people abuse their power for personal gain? Hu Weizhen is not a merchant, but he still sold test questions privately for money."

The Third Prince's party stood up firmly and said, "Merchants have plenty of money. If they were to become officials in the court, they might be more innocent than some people."

After hearing this, the emperor showed some relief in his eyes.

Whether it is a businessman or a king or a general, how many people can be truly selfless?

All we do is seek profit, but the benefits are different.

Seeing his expression, Yong'an Hou immediately became anxious, "Your Majesty, although the Third Prince's plan is brilliant, it is not advisable to have merchants take the imperial examination. The imperial examination is to select talents for the country, how can it be reduced to a thing for merchants to make profits?"

The Third Prince looked at the Marquis of Yong'an and said slowly, "The Marquis of Yong'an is wrong. There are also people with both talent and virtue among merchants. It would not be a wise ruler to reject them just because of their background. Besides, it is only a chance. Whether they can really serve as officials in the court depends on their own abilities."

"We all stand in this temple. Who of us didn't study hard for more than ten years and compete with countless classmates?"

Zhao Qingming quite approves of the Third Prince's move. "When employing people, one should prioritize their ability. If they have real talent and knowledge, why should we care about their status?"