The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"Announce to the world that talents will be selected from the people."

"All applicants must be no older than thirty and must be reviewed by our Jinyiwei's various thousand-household and hundred-household offices to ensure they have no connection with powerful families or sects before they can be included on the list."

"It is divided into three levels: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the palace examination!"

"Moreover, the military examination was for selecting talent for our Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Therefore, I believe that the entire examination process, from the prefectural examination to the provincial examination and the palace examination, should be taken over by our Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment, then said with a serious expression.

He didn't even consider the soldiers in the army.

Because the influence of the five surnames and seven noble families in the army of the Great Zhou Dynasty was too great.

The five surnames and seven powerful clans almost controlled the entire army of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Even the border troops are controlled by the five clans and seven powerful families.

The only forces truly in control of the Great Zhou Dynasty's army were the capital's garrison and the imperial guards.

"I understand what Minister Chu means."

"Minister Chu is worried that the soldiers in the army have too deep connections with powerful families and clans."

"Therefore, even soldiers in the army are not prepared to recruit them."

"We only recruit ordinary people from the common people who have no connection with powerful families or sects."

Murong Si nodded slightly and said, "In that case, I will issue the order."

However, I believe we should give the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison and the Imperial Guards a chance.

The loyalty of the soldiers in the Beijing Garrison and the Imperial Guards can be guaranteed.

Anyone who wants to participate in the martial arts examination can register.

"Your Majesty is wise."

"Since His Majesty has allowed soldiers from the Beijing Garrison and the Imperial Guards to also sign up."

"Then, I suggest that anyone whose cultivation level has reached the Grandmaster realm and who is under thirty years old should be allowed to advance directly and come to the capital to participate in the palace examination."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiu cupped his hands in greeting to Murong Si and said...

"it is good."

Murong Si nodded slightly and said, "Jiang Wan'er, draft the imperial edict!"

"Announce the martial arts examination to the world as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jiang Wan'er responded and walked to the small table to grind ink and write the imperial edict.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

Chu Xiu cupped his hands in gratitude to Murong Si and said with tears in his eyes.

The military examination set a precedent for the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Murong Si would inevitably face some pressure.

However, Murong Si agreed without hesitation, which showed her trust in him.

"This military examination is only for selecting talents for the Embroidered Uniform Guard; those who enter it will only be members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"The civil and military officials will not object."

"Unless, those selected through the military examinations are allowed to enter the army."

Murong Si said meaningfully, "Only in this way will all the civil and military officials in the court oppose it."

Chu Xiu nodded slightly; he naturally understood this.

This is also why he had the confidence to enter the palace and meet the emperor.

If the army were to be mobilized, none of the civil and military officials in the court would agree.

"Minister Chu, what positions do you intend to assign to those who have entered the palace examination, and what positions will the military scholars who have passed the palace examination be given?"

Murong Si smiled gently and looked at Chu Xiu.

"Your Majesty, anyone who is able to enter the palace examination can serve as a captain in our Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Military scholars who pass the palace examination can become commanders of our Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Chu Xiu considered for a moment and said, "I just finished checking the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard, and there is a shortage of people everywhere, from top to bottom."

The top three in the palace examination can become commanders of our Imperial Guard!

Even those who failed the provincial examination but didn't make it to the palace examination can still be recruited into our Embroidered Uniform Guard and serve as junior officers.

"It seems that Minister Chu has already made up his mind. Then I can rest assured."

Murong Si nodded slightly and said.

"Your Majesty, that's all. I'll take my leave now."

Chu Xiu bowed to Murong Si.

"it is good."

"Chu Aiqing, please take care."

Murong Si nodded and said.

Chu Xiu turned and left, striding out of the Taiji Palace.

"Congratulations, host! Your unwavering commitment to doing positive things and opening a martial arts examination to select talent is the first step in breaking the monopoly of powerful families on the imperial examination; it benefits the present and future generations!"

"Received a reward of seventy years of Dharma Aspect Power and fifty Pure Yang Limitless Pills!"

"Do you want to receive the reward?"

The mechanical voice of the positive energy system rang in Chu Xiu's mind.

A smile appeared on Chu Xiu's face, and he said in his mind without hesitation, "Claim the reward."

He knew that breaking the monopoly of powerful families on the imperial examinations would surely bring him rewards from the positive energy system.

Just as he had guessed.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were two ways to become an official.

One is the awareness system!

The aim is to select individuals who are filial to their parents and elders, and who are honest, capable, and upright.

Being recommended as a filial and incorruptible official allows one to directly enter the officialdom and become an official.

Each state and each county has a fixed number of slots.

It has been controlled by powerful and influential families, and there is no possibility for ordinary people to be recommended.

After being recommended for the civil service examination, they would serve as officials in local areas.

The highest rank a candidate could achieve through the recommendation system (諭廉) was the top official in a prefecture; they could not reach any higher.

Another route was the imperial examination.

The imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty were always civil service examinations, consisting of only three subjects.

One subject was policy essays, another was military strategy, and the third was martial arts.

Therefore, none of the civil officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty were weak and powerless.

A person who is too weak to even kill a chicken has no chance of entering the imperial court through the civil service examination!

Not just anyone could participate in the civil service examination. One needed to be recommended by at least a Juren (举人) or even a Jinshi (进士) to be eligible to take the exam.

This meant that the imperial examination system was actually a tool for powerful and wealthy families to obtain official positions.

Ordinary people simply could not enter the officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty through these two channels.

The words just fell!

Boom!

Chu Xiu's Shangqing Divine Skill naturally broke through to the peak of the seventh level of the Dharma Aspect Realm.

"Fifty more Pure Yang Limitless Pills have been added."

"I now have a total of one hundred and three Pure Yang Limitless Pills."

"Enough to cultivate a group of Nascent Soul Realm True Persons."

Chu Xiu smiled lightly, took a step, and disappeared from the spot, heading towards the Northern Garrison Office.

Half an hour later.

One by one, the Imperial Guards rode their horses out of the palace and headed to various prefectures and counties of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Although there were only prefectural, state, and palace examinations, there was no county-level examination.

However, this does not mean that the order will not be transmitted to the counties.

Imperial edicts were quickly posted, centered around the capital.

In an instant, the places where the imperial edict had been posted began to tremble.

Countless people flocked to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, wanting to register for the martial arts examination.

The enthusiasm was especially high in the capital city.

The people of the capital were already deeply grateful to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for donating rice, flour, cooking oil, and other supplies, as well as for conducting free medical clinics.

Now that the people of the capital know that the Great Zhou Dynasty is going to hold its first military examination to select talents for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they naturally give it their full support.

The more profound significance is that this martial arts examination broke the monopoly of powerful families and gave ordinary people an opportunity!

Imagine.

Once this matter spreads throughout the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, it will surely cause a huge uproar!

Countless hidden talents among the common people may sign up for this martial arts examination and enter the Embroidered Uniform Guard through it.

With millions of people in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, it was impossible for there to be a lack of talented individuals.

However, some of these talented individuals can only join a sect and become its disciples; others can only join the army; or they can only serve powerful and influential families.

A much larger number of talented individuals are simply buried in the countryside.

Now that they have the opportunity to serve the Great Zhou Dynasty and become officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, these people will surely be extremely happy!

After leaving Taiji Palace, Chu Xiu returned to the Jinyiwei headquarters and instructed Fang Heng to issue orders to all Jinyiwei offices and garrisons throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty to receive applications from the people.

However, there are requirements regarding the level of cultivation.

One must reach at least the top-tier level to be eligible to register for the martial arts examination.

Wenyuan Pavilion.

A clerk strode in and handed a slip of paper to Chen Yu, the Junior Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Chen Yu glanced at it, frowned, and walked into the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Not long after.

Chen Yu walked into the spacious and bright room and immediately saw that Grand Secretary Yang Yan and others had put down their memorials and were preparing to leave.