We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Huo Duanxiao and Zhuge Zhe sat head to head, carefully reading the booklet titled "Imperial Examination System" word by word.

The further they looked down, the more solemn the expressions on their faces became, and the more intense the surprise in their eyes became.

What is contained in this booklet is not just a rough idea, but an extremely detailed and interconnected complete system.

From the hierarchical setting of the Tongsheng Examination, the Provincial Examination, the Metropolitan Examination to the Palace Examination, to the definition of examination content, such as classics, policy essays, poetry and prose, etc.

From the rigorous procedures of covering names and transcribing to prevent cheating, to the selection of examiners, the discipline of the examination hall, and the principles for appointing successful candidates to official positions...

The meticulous consideration and exquisite design in every aspect are breathtaking.

After a long time, the two finally raised their heads and looked at Li Che cautiously.

Then they looked at each other and saw shock in each other's eyes.

Seeing the two of them like this, Li Che couldn't help but ask, "Why? Do you think this Imperial Examination System is not good?"

That shouldn't be the case. The imperial examination system was used in China for thousands of years in the past, and is still in use in modern times.

These two men are both extremely intelligent, so how could they not see the benefits of this?

The two hesitated for a moment, and the more reserved Huo Duanxiao spoke first:

"Your Majesty, this strategy... this strategy is not bad, on the contrary, it is great!"

"It's meticulously analyzed and rigorously regulated, almost completely covering every aspect and making it impeccable."

Huo Duanxiao paused, as if looking for the right words.

Then he asked doubtfully, "I see that this system is mature and complete. It doesn't seem to be something that was created on the spur of the moment."

"Rather, it's like... it's been used for a long time in another world, and after countless trials and tribulations, it's finally been finalized into a perfect solution."

Zhuge Zhe also nodded slightly, he felt the same way.

The set of things Li Che took out was so scary. It was so detailed and natural that it didn't seem like something a human could come up with.

For example, when Pony Ma was creating QQ, he only said that he wanted to make an instant messaging software.

Instead of saying that you want to make a new-age app that can have conversations, fight with pictures and send emoticons, post updates, send pop-ups, play QQ shows, and expand your circle of friends.

Anything from scratch has to be improved step by step, and Li Che's "Imperial Examination System" is a finished product.

Li Che couldn't help but feel surprised when he heard this.

I really underestimated the insight of the ancients. They were able to perceive the cross-era experience carried by this system from its logical structure.

His expression remained calm, he just nodded slightly, indicating Huo Duanxiao to continue.

Zhuge Zhe took the opportunity to interject, "Zhengze is absolutely right. This system is so exquisite that it is unprecedented in history."

"Although this system is good, I'm afraid it will take a while to implement it in Daqing."

"Oh?" Li Che frowned, "Why is that?"

"The core of the imperial examination system is to select talents fairly and break the monopoly of aristocratic families. Now that the aristocratic families are in decline, isn't this the right time?"

"Your Majesty," Zhuge Zhe explained with a wry smile, "This system selects talent from the grassroots. The concept is undoubtedly correct. In the long run, it will indeed recruit all the world's talents."

"But the problem is that there aren't that many 'talents' to choose from in Daqing these days."

He spread his hands and spoke a cold reality: "Let alone talented people, there are far from enough people who can even read and write."

"Books, knowledge, and even teachers are mostly monopolized by the aristocratic families. Rural people, struggling to make ends meet, find it rare to even recognize their own names, and there are many who cannot even read a single word."

"Under these circumstances, if Your Majesty were to implement an imperial examination system that requires a broad range of scholars, those who ultimately stand out will likely still be those from aristocratic families."

"And the children of the aristocratic families are afraid of Your Majesty and probably won't take the imperial examination. Even if someone from an aristocratic family does take the exam, they will surely easily defeat the others. Wouldn't that be just another round of abuse, recruiting a new batch of aristocratic families into the court?"

Li Che was stunned for a moment, then suddenly reacted and realized that he had made an empiricist mistake.

The reason why the imperial examination system in later generations became the pillar of the dynasty was that it was realized after hundreds of years of development in the Tang and Song dynasties, accompanied by a series of social changes such as the popularization of printing, the downward movement of education, and the complete decline of the aristocratic families.

Especially in the Song Dynasty, the scholar-official class completely replaced the aristocratic families, and class mobility was greatly enhanced.

Coupled with the widespread establishment of official schools and private schools, the relatively cheap circulation of books provided fertile soil for the imperial examination system.

The top scholar-official class of the Song Dynasty, even if it was the prime minister who held the utmost power, would have its family gradually decline if it did not have decent descendants to continue to be reliable.

And what about Daqing today?

Knowledge is monopolized by a very small number of people, educational resources are extremely scarce, and ordinary people have no opportunity to receive education at all.

In this context, conducting fair examinations on a large scale is nothing but a castle in the air.

The result may very well be just as Zhuge Zhe expected, which is to provide a new channel for the old forces to enter the court.

After thinking this through, Li Che couldn't help but reveal a helpless look on his face, and sighed softly: "It's because I didn't think carefully enough and was out of touch with reality. I only saw the superiority of the system, but ignored the foundation for its implementation."

Seeing that the emperor did not stick to his own opinion but instead accepted advice, Zhuge Zhe and Huo Duanxiao both breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuge Zhe quickly added, "Your Majesty, do not be discouraged. This system is indeed a sound policy, but it must be adapted to the circumstances... I believe a compromise may be possible."

"Compromise?" Li Che and Huo Duanxiao both looked at him.

"Exactly." Zhuge Zhe stroked his beard. "Although there aren't many scholars among the lower classes in Daqing, that doesn't mean there aren't talented people from other sources."

"We can recruit students from poor families who have fallen on hard times, hermits who don't want to be associated with the old aristocratic families, and even talented people scattered among the people who are unappreciated."

"We don't have to go through the whole process of screening from the county, prefecture, and state level by level, as planned in this book. That would be time-consuming, and there wouldn't be enough students at the bottom level."

"We can skip the grassroots selection process and conduct a nationwide examination. Announce a large-scale unified examination in the imperial capital, which Your Majesty calls the 'joint examination.'"

"The exam questions don't need to be overly complex and difficult. They just need to effectively identify those who are just filling in the blanks and focus on testing their basic knowledge, logic, and potential for handling practical problems."

"Using this method, we can first screen out a group of promising talents with basic qualities."

"Then," Zhuge Zhe continued, "Your Majesty can personally preside over the final 'Palace Examination'. Instead of testing their scripture recitation, you can use questioning and interviews to further examine these individuals' vision, character, adaptability, and understanding of state affairs."

"After being selected, they do not have to be immediately appointed to high positions. Instead, they can be assigned to grassroots positions in various ministries or localities based on their expertise, and they can be observed, trained, and taught in practice."

"This will not only solve the urgent problem of lacking lower-level officials, but also prepare a group of future pillars of the court who are truly loyal to Your Majesty!"

Li Che's eyes flashed with excitement when he heard this.

That’s right, this is the talent selection method that is truly suitable for the current national conditions in Daqing!

Abandon the unrealistic premise of "universal education" and instead use an open national examination to tap into those talents scattered outside the old system who are willing to serve the country but have no way to do so.

Although the level of these talents may be a little lower, that is a small problem. They can be taught.

"Great! What a good compromise!" Li Che couldn't help but praise, "Your words are truly a mature and wise view of statecraft. Let's follow this proposal!"

He immediately ordered Huai En: "Huai En, immediately draft an edict and issue the "Edict to Seek Talents" and announce it to the world!"

"The content reads: I select candidates based on their talent, regardless of their background. Whether they come from humble backgrounds, are relicts of the past, or are hermits, anyone who considers themselves talented can travel to the imperial capital in three months to participate in the 'joint examination' held by the court."

"Those who stand out will be personally examined in front of the palace and appointed based on their abilities!"

"Here!" Huai En was cheered up and wrote it down quickly.

At this time, Huo Duanxiao frowned slightly and raised his concerns: "Your Majesty, you only consider talents and not their morals... If the officials you choose have talents but no morals, the harm they cause may be even worse."

Li Che shook his head, his attitude clear: "Zhengze, there is no need to mention the 'Cao Ju System'. Its original intention was to examine virtue and recommend virtuous people."

"However, as time went on, those who had the power of recommendation came from local officials and prominent families, and those they recommended were naturally mostly their relatives, friends, and students."

"So-called 'virtue' often becomes a fig leaf for them to flatter each other and engage in corruption, not to mention the endless stream of those who resort to deception for fame."

The Daqing and previous dynasties used the "Zhongzheng System" to select officials, which resulted in the aristocratic families monopolizing the court's talents.

Before that, there was the system of recommendation and the system of selecting filial and honest officials, in which local officials recommended talented people with high moral character to serve as officials in the court.

From that time on, the examination of "morality" became an inevitable part of being an official.

But Li Che thought this thing was outrageous.

In order to be selected as an official by a filial and honest person, those people would do anything, even hiring people to make up stories and perform plays to gild their reputation. Among them, the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars is one of the more outrageous ones.

For example, in the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, "Lying on the Ice to Catch a Carp", when Li Che saw this passage in his previous life, he felt that the showmanship in it was almost visible through the paper.

In the middle of winter, lying on the ice can melt it. Do you really think that Li Che, a man from Northeast China, is fake?

How can the ice surface that can bear the weight of a person be melted by using one's body?

It’s almost like freezing a person into ice!

"I don't expect all the officials I select to be morally perfect; that's unrealistic," Li Che continued. "But I do have a bottom line. Anyone with a criminal record or a history of serious misconduct is not allowed to participate."

"Besides this, the primary task is to select individuals with real talent and knowledge who can get things done. As for moral character, this can be gradually assessed through laws, supervision, and political achievements after they have served as officials.

"If one's talent is not used, even if he has a reputation in vain, what good will it do to the country?"

Huo Duanxiao and Zhuge Zhe pondered for a moment after hearing this, both feeling that this was a very insightful statement: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Li Che nodded slightly: "Alright, the two ministers can go and do their work. This matter cannot be rushed."

The two saluted again and were about to leave.

Zhuge Zhe seemed to have thought of something and said, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing."