The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

The lunch at the Prime Minister's Mansion has a more homely feel than the imperial meals in the palace.

Li Chengfeng was in a good mood and had a big appetite, so he ate two bowls of chicken slices in lotus leaves.

"I have already relayed to my father what Your Majesty said in the examination hall today."

Song Yuwei poured Li Chengfeng a glass of wine with a hint of smile between her eyebrows.

"Oh? What advice do you have for me, Prime Minister?"

Li Chengfeng put down his chopsticks and looked at Song Zelin with interest.

Song Zelin stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty has a far-sighted vision, and I admire you!"

"Women serving as officials and receiving education regardless of gender or wealth are truly a blessing to our dynasty!"

As he spoke, he raised his glass and said, "This old minister toasts to Your Majesty!"

Li Chengfeng clinked glasses with him and drank it all in one gulp.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, are too kind. I simply feel that talented people should not be buried, regardless of gender or background."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Song Yuwei looked at the two of them, her eyes full of relief.

She turned to Li Chengfeng and said, "Your Majesty, my father has one more thing to tell me."

"Prime Minister, please speak."

Song Zelin said earnestly, "This old minister wants Yuwei to assist Your Majesty and do her best for our country!"

I don't know how much longer his body can hold on.

Although the current emperor is extremely talented and skilled in controlling his subordinates.

But he was still worried about the country and people of the Daqian Dynasty.

If Li Chengfeng had some loyal ministers and capable generals around him, he would feel at ease.

"A daughter should remember her father's teachings."

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, the three of them moved to the study and began to mark the test papers.

The test papers piled up like mountains, most of them were mediocre and unremarkable.

Some candidates, perhaps for fear of getting into trouble, only said a few simple words on the policy essay part and left it at that.

There are even some who simply avoid discussing policy topics and only show off their literary talent in poetry and essays.

Li Chengfeng looked at the test papers and couldn't help but sigh.

"Powerful officials are in power, yet these students are so cautious that they dare not speak out!"

Song Yuwei picked up a test paper and handed it to Li Chengfeng.

"Your Majesty, please take a look. This exam paper is quite... unique."

Li Chengfeng took the test paper and saw that it was filled with words of praise. The whole paper was praising the current emperor for his wisdom and good policies, but there was not a single word about the policy essay topic.

The signature is: Su Yuan.

Song Yuwei said at the right time: "Your Majesty, I noticed this person in the examination room. He behaved frivolously and spoke inappropriately. He is not a steady person."

Song Zelin also added: "This man is the son of Su Zhengde, the Deputy Director of the Seal Verification Department of the Ministry of Personnel."

"Seal Verification Department..."

Li Chengfeng's eyes flashed.

Zhang Yuan, the head of the Seal Verification Department, was sent by him to Hexi to monitor the Right Prime Minister Qi Daokun. Now the son of this Deputy Minister of the Seal Verification Department appeared in the imperial examination hall and wrote such a flattering examination paper. His purpose was obvious.

"It seems that Su Zhengde is planning to take advantage of Zhang Yuan's absence to make some secret moves."

Li Chengfeng threw Su Yuan's test paper aside and said, "Failed!"

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Song Zelin suddenly slapped his thigh, startling Li Chengfeng and Song Yuwei.

He twirled his beard, his eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. He handed the exam paper to Li Chengfeng, "Your Majesty, please take a look at this!"

Li Chengfeng took the test paper and scanned it quickly. His originally careless expression gradually became serious.

The policy essay on this exam paper was different from the cautious and prudent essays of other candidates. Instead, it pointed out the shortcomings of the government in a frank and outspoken manner. The words were sharp, to the point, and even a little treasonous.

The suggestions put forward are even more bold, and every sentence hits the nail on the head, like a sharp knife piercing straight into the rotten texture.

"This Chen Tingshu...is incredibly courageous!"

Li Chengfeng put down the test paper, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Such straightforward remarks, if he had not been marking the papers today, he would probably have missed a talented person, and he might even die.

Song Yuwei whispered, "Your Majesty, this man is the first student in the examination hall who spoke out in support of women becoming officials. His name is Chen Tingshu."

"Oh? It's him!"

Li Chengfeng recalled Chen Tingshu's passionate speech in the examination room that day, which was powerful and impressive.

Looking back at his policy papers now, I feel that he is not just a name.

“This person is available.”

Li Chengfeng put Chen Tingshu's test paper aside and said, "I want to use him. When Zhang Yuan comes back, I will let him follow Zhang Yuan to gain some experience."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Song Zelin clapped his hands in praise. Zhang Yuan was a close confidant promoted by His Majesty. Now that Chen Tingshu was arranged to be by his side, it would undoubtedly make their power even greater.

The three of them looked through some more test papers and basically determined the top three rankings. Chen Tingshu was unsurprisingly named the top scorer.

The camera turns to Hexi.

Yellow sand filled the sky, blocking out the sun.

The dead branches on the roadside are like dry claws, reaching towards the gray sky, as if silently accusing the barrenness of this land.

Hexi had been invaded by the Five Pecks of Rice Army for a long time, and the government's granaries and the homes of wealthy merchants had almost all been looted.

Even so, people continued to starve to death, their emaciated bodies lying on the roadside, uncollected and left to be gnawed by stray dogs.

Zhang Yuan was riding on his horse, looking at the hellish scene on earth before him, and his heart ached.

He was ordered to monitor the Right Prime Minister Qi Daokun, but he never expected that the people in Hexi were living in such dire straits.

"This Five Pecks of Rice Army is so rampant that they even dare to steal the imperial court's disaster relief grain!"

Qi Daokun pretended to be angry, as if he was really sad for the people of the world.

He sighed heavily, his face full of compassion. Pointing to a corpse on the side of the road that had been gnawed by wild dogs until only the skeleton remained, he said bitterly, "Master Zhang, look, this is the current situation in Hexi! The people are starving everywhere, and are eating their own children. I... I really can't bear it!"

Zhang Yuan watched his performance expressionlessly.

Of course he had investigated who Qi Daokun was.

How could a corrupt official, who perverts justice and forms cliques for personal gain, truly care about the lives of the people? Who was he acting this grief-stricken expression for?

He came to Hexi to provide disaster relief? Perhaps he was here to make some money?

How much of the disaster relief grain funds allocated by the imperial court actually reach the hands of the people?

I'm afraid most of it went into Lord Qi's pocket!

Zhang Yuan pursed his lips and said nothing.

The purpose of his trip was not only to monitor Qi Daokun, but also to investigate the chaos in Hexi and find a solution.

The two men arrived at the local government office, where people came out to greet them.

"Your humble servant, Jiang Zijing, the governor of Hexi, respectfully welcomes the Imperial Envoy!"

Zhang Yuan immediately narrowed his eyes, and after seeing clearly, he cursed in his heart: What a beast in human clothing!

While the people were starving, he was living a fat and healthy life!

His expression remained calm, he just watched Jiang Zijing approach.

"Brother Zijing! Look, look at Hexi! It's simply hell on earth! The people... Alas! My heart aches!"

When Qi Daokun saw Jiang Zijing, he immediately put on a heartbroken expression, walked forward and grabbed Jiang Zijing's hand.

Jiang Zijing immediately put on a smile. "Your humble servant respectfully welcomes Master Qi! I have tried my best to control the situation in Hexi, but these Five Pecks of Rice Army are too rampant, and I also..."

As he spoke, a few tears seemed to squeeze out of the corners of his eyes, but these tears looked particularly funny against the greasy glow on his face.

Zhang Yuan really thought about all the sad things in his heart so that he didn't laugh at this exaggerated acting.

The two of them sang in unison and acted quite realistically.

One pretends to be compassionate, the other pretends to be diligent and responsible, but in fact, who doesn't know what they are thinking?

Jiang Zijing glanced at Zhang Yuan, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

He cupped his hands and asked, "Who is this..."

Qi Daokun quickly introduced, "This is Lord Zhang Yuan. He has been ordered by the Emperor to assist me in disaster relief."