diskusbooks Chapter 95 Did Shen Lang also peep at them while they were taking a bath?
Chapter 95 Did Shen Lang also peep at them while they were taking a bath?
After finishing her writing, Shen Zhiyi continued to watch the joke about the prefect surnamed Wang.
[Idiot, still laughing so happily, you've been sold out and don't even know it.]
[But this guy's a bit dim-witted; he even joined some kind of group where everyone claims to have ancestors from prestigious and powerful families.]
[Hahaha, maybe out of all those people there, only the Prefect Wang is real.]
Shen Zhiyi laughed for a while, then her laughter immediately stopped.
[Wait, something seems off. It seems like the ancestors of those members really were a long-established, prestigious family.]
The minister, who had just relaxed, immediately became anxious again.
This kind of gathering of sensitive groups is not a good thing.
Although the aristocratic system can no longer cause any major trouble, it is still something to be careful about.
[This team was created not long ago. It seems the members want to form marriage alliances with some highly literate scholars, and after entering the imperial court, gradually replace them with members from their own powerful families, thus returning to their peak status from hundreds of years ago.]
The old emperor felt a chill run down his spine.
He gave Chen Decai a meaningful look.
Chen Decai, who seemed to know him inside and out, immediately understood.
He received the imperial decree and left quietly to meet the Minister of Justice at the Ministry of Personnel.
"By imperial decree, the Prefect of Jizhou shall be thoroughly investigated."
The Minister of Justice received the imperial decree, but he was puzzled.
"Eunuch Chen, what did Shen Lang say this time?"
With his delicate, flamboyant gesture, Chen Decai recounted the events at the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the Minister of Justice.
Upon hearing this, the Minister of Justice knew that the matter needed to be nipped in the bud.
*
With the top scholar gone, it became uncertain who would become the next top scholar.
Shen Zhiyi didn't care at all, because both of the people she had bet on had fallen through.
When Chen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, heard Shen Zhiyi mention this, he felt a pang of heartache.
That's several dozen taels of silver, not a small amount.
As the sun sets, so does my pen.
The old emperor immediately began reviewing the documents, sitting directly on the dragon throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
I heard that the third-place winner has to be handsome, and I think the one in the middle of the seventh row is pretty good!
Don't let his skinny appearance fool you; when he took off his shirt in the shower yesterday, it was all muscle!
"Cough cough cough."
The old emperor choked on his own saliva.
The court officials present all looked at Shen Zhiyi in horror.
Peeping at someone taking a shower?
Did Shen Lang also peep on them while they were showering?
The old emperor glanced at the guy who looked slim in clothes but muscular underneath, then flipped to his article and started nitpicking, knowing he wouldn't give it a top-three ranking.
It is full of flowery language but lacks substance.
In the end, the top three chose an old emperor, whom they thought was good-looking.
[Of the top three in my year, at least the third-place finisher was presentable, and this year's guy isn't exactly unattractive either; at least he looks decent.]
Shen Zhiyi expressed her disappointment.
Thus, the palace examination came to a close.
What followed were events such as issuing proclamations, audiences with the emperor, expressions of gratitude, and banquets.
However, this time, there was an additional test for the Jinshi degree holders, all of which were related to grassroots governance.
I thought it would only cover farming, but I didn't expect there to be so many other miscellaneous things included; the exam was even more detailed than the imperial examination.
The test was so detailed that it actually stumped some of the successful candidates.
That evening, the old emperor was furious when he saw the answers the scholars had given.
On the 29th day of the month, the imperial examination for Jinshi was held. Only two people were rated as excellent, five were rated as qualified, and the rest were deemed to have no understanding of grassroots affairs. The emperor was furious.
Zhang Sheren trembled with fear; this was more than just furious—he was practically ready to tear the roof off.
"Useless trash, a bunch of useless idiots."
"He doesn't even know such basic common sense, yet he's an official? What kind of official is he?"
"One hundred people were selected for the imperial examination this time, but only seven were deemed qualified?"
"What? Have you all been reading books all day and wasting your time? Are you out of touch with reality? What are you doing, showing off your literary skills to me all day long?"
[Oh no, I feel like the old emperor is scolding me.]
I completed nine years of compulsory education, then spent three years in high school and almost four years in university, so not counting kindergarten, I've been in school for a full sixteen years. But I really don't know anything about agriculture.
Because I'm a science and engineering student, not an agricultural student.
Shen Zhiyi felt guilty for a little while, then began to comfort herself.
It's okay, it's okay. I'm actually alright; at least I recognize the vegetables I eat.
The old emperor sneered, wondering who it was who had been staring at the apples growing on the tree, their jaw dropping in astonishment.
He sat back on the dragon throne, growing angrier with each seat.
So he went to court the next day.
Normally, after the palace examination, the old emperor would praise the newly appointed scholars, but this time…
Wow, the old emperor really went on a tirade against everyone, from top to bottom! It was a real bloodbath.
[Wow, they've all been sent to the grassroots? Even the top scholar is doing grassroots work? Quite a few went to Jiangnan; it seems the Crown Prince killed quite a few people there.]
Shen Zhiyi finally took a look at the Crown Prince, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
【Huh? Where's the Crown Prince?】
In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Shen Zhiyi frowned and frantically searched for the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
The old emperor, who was still venting his anger, fell silent. He had been cursing for so long, yet Shen Zhiyi still hadn't found the crown prince.
Is it...
All the officials in the court held their breath.
Could something have happened to the Crown Prince?
[Damn, found it!]
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but swear.
[I knew it! The system was clearly set on the Crown Prince, so why couldn't they find him? It turns out the Crown Prince has become so corrupt that he looks more like a disaster victim than the actual victims.]
The old emperor closed his eyes.
This is a family scandal, airing it in public.
The Crown Prince has really gone on a killing spree in Jiangnan; there are still many vacancies waiting to be filled, and this batch of Jinshi graduates is more than enough to fill them.
Old Emperor: Alright, as long as the Crown Prince isn't dead, let him continue to perform.
By the end, the old emperor was so thirsty that he simply adjourned the court, leaving a group of ministers to discuss the matter in the Yan Ying Hall.
"I intend to reform the imperial examination questions. Our Great Ye has no need for useless idiots who can only talk the talk. What are your thoughts, my esteemed ministers?"
[Add practical lessons?]
The old emperor habitually stroked his beard.
Although Shen Zhiyi only had a superficial understanding of many things, the words that occasionally popped out of her little head were really quite good.
"My esteemed ministers, what do you think about adding a practical course?"
The newly appointed Chancellor of the Imperial Academy stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. If we add practical courses, then the imperial examinations must include relevant test content. If not, these practical courses are just a formality, wasting manpower, material resources, and financial resources without achieving the desired effect."
[It's exactly the same as those lab classes I had in junior high. It was always just a formality; in the end, everyone's focus was still on the written exams like the high school entrance exam.]
The newly appointed Chancellor of the Imperial Academy raised the corners of his lips slightly as he looked at the old emperor.
See, see, he wasn't wrong!
Wait, who's speaking? That's a completely unfamiliar face!
The newly appointed Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was no longer smiling; he had no desire to become known to Shen Zhiyi!
The other courtiers grinned mischievously, ready to watch the drama unfold.