Chapter 368 Palace Examination [Two in One]

"The longevity of a country depends on its system; the survival of the system depends on its people. Which is more important, the country or the people?"

"The Northwest Bashan is a country within a country. It has existed for a long time. Where can I go?"

"Since ancient times, wise rulers have been active in times of chaos and inactive in times of prosperity. In today's world, which should we choose, active or inactive?"

"..."

In the quiet Shanhe Hall, there were only the sounds of brushes and ink rubbing against paper, and the rustling of paper. Hundreds of people gathered here, sitting on the chairs placed in the center of the hall, frowning and thinking about the questions on the paper.

The top of the stairs was already blocked by a brocade screen, so the shadow behind could not be seen clearly. It was unclear whether the Emperor was still watching there or had gone back to rest.

The examiner from the Ministry of Rites looked around with sharp eyes.

Even though they knew that no candidate would dare to cheat in this hall, the examiners also could not dare to slack off.

The scent of sandalwood wafts through the window.

When the exam was over, it was already dusk. The examinees looked around reluctantly, walked out of the square outside the hall, and walked out of the imperial city under the escort of the imperial guards.

For many of them, this may be the only time they come to the Mountain and River Palace in their life.

Even if there is a chance to fill the vacancy in the future, one may not be eligible to attend the court meeting.

Whether one performs well or not in the exam can be seen in the stark contrast of the people who come out of it. Those who do well are elated, while those who do poorly are dejected.

Of course, there are also some optimistic candidates. Although their test papers are a mess, they are still smiling after the exam.

You can relax and have fun.

Liang Peng retrieved his belongings that he had stored at the gate of the Imperial City. After walking a distance, he heard a voice coming from the shadow, "Huh... I finally got out. I was so suffocated."

"Are you that scared?" Liang Peng asked.

"You don't understand." Shadow Zun complained, "Forget about the suppression of the formation in the imperial city. Now it's mainly Beiluo Shimen's pressure. After she came out of seclusion, the whole Longyuan City was shrouded in her divine power. Ordinary people can't feel it, and monsters can't enter the city. Only our spirits suffer the most, especially the higher the cultivation, the clearer it is. That feeling... is like you are extremely close to the sun."

"Is she suppressing Longyuan City?" Liang Peng indeed did not feel the so-called pressure.

"Maybe she just didn't try to restrain her aura." Shadow Zun sighed and said, "For a strong person at that level, every breath they take is like a tsunami to the creatures around them. Normally, they have to deliberately restrain their aura to survive. But now Beiluo Shimen has changed his usual style and exposed all his aura. I wonder what he wants to do?"

"I don't need to worry about the affairs of the fairyland." Liang Peng was not very curious about this.

The second thing he cares about most now is his palace examination results.

The first is Frost North City.

In a few days, it would be the time for the battle to capture the city. He originally wanted to go there after the palace examination, but then Li Caiyun would have to worry about him alone at home, and taking her there would be a tiring journey.

So after discussion, Liang Xiaoyun went to Shuangbei City, while he stayed at home to take care of his mother.

Liang Peng couldn't help but feel a little regretful as he couldn't witness it with his own eyes.

He wanted to see how his elder brother defeated those powerful enemies.

As for losing...

He hadn't considered this at all.

No matter what kind of enemy he faces, he believes that as long as his elder brother wants to win, he will always win.

"How was your palace examination?" Shadow Zun asked again, "Without my guidance, you wouldn't have failed, would you? Hahaha..."

Liang Peng glanced at the shadow on the ground indifferently, as if he was too lazy to pay attention to him.

The Shadow Master on the ground laughed dryly twice, gradually becoming embarrassed, and finally muttered in a low voice: "You kid don't understand jokes at all."

"Three policy questions." Liang Peng said directly: "The first one is to ask, which is more important, the system or the officials?"

"My answer is that the system is more important. Only if the system of selecting people is strict and transparent can we continue to select people who serve the country and the people to carry on the torch. If the imperial examination system becomes the private property of aristocratic families and the officialdom in various places becomes a family with the same surname, there will be no hope for people to stand out, and the people will be alienated, and there will be disasters."

"All officials are nothing more than human beings. Human nature is like grass on the wall. Under strict control, evil people become good; under no control, good people become evil."

"So as long as there is a sharp knife, there will never be a shortage of good officials."

"It sounds a bit empty at first, but when you think about it carefully, it's full of murderous intent." Ying Zun pondered and said, "It sounds like you really are Liang Fuguo's biological son."

Liang Peng ignored his ethical comments and continued, "The second question is how to deal with Bashan?"

"Wow." Ying Zun laughed and said, "How dare you ask this question? You're asking a bunch of little candidates about something that the entire Yin Kingdom hasn't solved in more than a decade? Even if you can really answer it, will they dare to use it?"

Compared to the vague and broad first question, this one is more specific, but also more difficult.

Because this is a real problem that has not been solved for more than ten years. If the candidates present can really come up with some practical suggestions, wouldn't they be better than the officials in the court?
"It's up to them whether to use it or not. Anyway, I gave my answer." Liang Peng said, "The answer I gave is..."

"The reason why Bashan is so difficult to eliminate is that the people of the entire Northwest Liangzhou are of the same mind as Bashan. They have suffered the same hardships. And the people of the four seas and nine states sympathize with Bashan. They do not think of them as bandits who rob and loot, but as a group of heroes."

"That's why every time the army clears out the enemy, someone will tip them off. Wherever the Bashan bandits hide, someone will help them hide. When they gather together, they are bandits, and when they disperse, they are just civilians. It's naturally difficult to eradicate them."

"Are you planning to suppress all the people in Liangzhou?" Ying Zun guessed Liang Peng's countermeasures based on his understanding of him.

This kid is cruel and ruthless, and he might be capable of doing something vicious.

"Only fools from your sect would do that?" Liang Peng said indifferently, "Any suppression will only push the people to the other side."

"If we want to slow down the process, we only need to stop the war, calm the people, and allow the country to recuperate. The country will be at peace for a few decades, and the new generation will live and work in peace. They have not experienced the great war in the northwest, so naturally there will be no bandits. This is what the court is doing now."

"If you want a quick cure, I'll give you a plan."

"Send out Shuangbei City and open Tianxia Pass. Of course, we have to pretend that we are no match for the Yang people. In this way, the northwestern Liangzhou where Bashan is located will become the main battlefield to face the Yang people."

"At this time, Bashan will face two choices. One is to fight against the Yang people. Jiuyang is powerful and Bashan has deep roots. Let them fight to the death in Northwest Liangzhou. No matter who wins, the imperial court can reap the benefits. If the current generation of Bashan fights to the death, the imperial court will recover the lost territory, and the next generation will naturally submit. If they defeat the Yang people, they will also suffer heavy losses. The imperial court will offer them generous gifts and recruit them. The remaining people should not dare to refuse."

"Secondly, Bashan can ignore the Yang people or simply surrender to them. The effect of both is the same. Their greatest reliance is the sympathy of the people, that is, the hearts of the people. Once the Yang people arrive, there will be burning, killing and looting. If Bashan joins them, there will be no support. As long as they lose the support of the people of the world, they will be nothing more than a group of stronger bandits, and they will no longer have any foundation."

"When the imperial court launches another attack to retake the northwest, Naba Mountain and Jiuyang will be wiped out, leaving only Liangzhou with its people loyal to it."

Listening to Liang Peng talking, Ying Zun was speechless.

If he had a physical body, his expression would be one of astonishment.

"I..." After a long while, he uttered a shocked voice, "I really admire you, kid. Although I thought you would be vicious, I didn't expect you to be so vicious. If you join my magic sect, why worry about not achieving your great cause?"

What Liang Peng said sounded shocking and seemed completely unreliable, but if you think about it carefully, it seems completely feasible?
Not to mention that the current Yin State is stronger than Jiuyang, even in the past history, when Yin State was weak, Jiuyang could not occupy Yin State for too long. Therefore, this strategy of "opening the door to thieves" is completely feasible. The only drawback is that there will be bloodshed and sacrifice in the process, and a large number of innocent people will suffer.

But you only want me to solve the Bashan problem, I will give you two strategies, one fast and one slow, both of which can solve it perfectly. Don't mention those.

Just tell me whether it is useful or not and that’s it.

……

"As for the third question, I think it's a trap." After Ying Zun got over his surprise, Liang Peng calmly analyzed the third question, "In prosperous times, people do nothing, while in troubled times, people do something. In today's world, should we do something or do nothing?"

"At first glance, it sounds like you are being asked to judge whether this is a prosperous or chaotic era. There is no doubt about it..."

There have been no wars and good weather in the Yin Dynasty over the past decade. Although there is the threat of Bashan in the northwest, Shuangbei City has also expanded its territory to an unprecedented level. The two can only offset each other at most.

No matter how turbulent the situation is, on the surface everything seems peaceful.

It is undoubtedly a prosperous era.

But if we follow this line of thought and answer the policy of inaction, then it would be contrary to the practice of Emperor Mu Bei.

Emperor Mu Beidi has never been an inactive emperor. On the contrary, his attitude has always been pioneering and enterprising, and his style of doing things is very wild.

"So my answer is that a wise ruler should be active. There are things to do in prosperous times and things to do in troubled times. A mediocre ruler should be passive. In prosperous times, watch the ruler's movements and in troubled times, watch the ruler's changes."

"Emperor Mu Bei wants to pave the way for his son." Ying Zun speculated.

The questions for the palace examination were all set by the emperor himself, and in many cases they could reflect the direction of the court for a period of time in the future.

Discussing the establishment of systems, the eradication of chronic diseases, what the king should do or not do... These are obviously preparations for the crown prince to take the throne. Everyone says that the prince is mediocre, and it seems that Emperor Mu Bei is also thinking about this issue.

He wanted to build a solid functioning system for his son, eliminate the biggest threat to Kyushu, and then let his son rest assured and maintain the status quo. This was the most correct way of thinking to answer the question.

In any exam that requires open-ended questions, those who perform well are often not the most talented people, but the people who can best guess the thinking of the question setter.

After discussing the topic of the palace examination, Ying Zun asked again: "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"What?" Liang Peng asked.

"Can you please not stay in Longyuan City these days?" Ying Zun pleaded, "Bei Luo Shimen's divine power is too strong. If this continues, I'm afraid she will discover my existence."

"But I have to stay at home with my mother these days." Liang Peng thought, "Since you don't want to be outside, why don't I seal you up again so that you won't be discovered."

"Seal?" Shadow Zun was shocked. "Isn't that dark and gloomy? And when did you learn the seal? How come I don't know about it? Wait, eh..."

Before he could finish his words, Liang Peng had already opened a book, pulled him out from the shadow, twirled his fingers, and tapped the page.

call--

The pages of the book closed and Shadow Zun's voice disappeared.

Liang Peng restrained his cultivation, stuffed the book into the book basket, continued to raise his harmless and handsome face, and slowly walked back home.

Anyone who sees him on the street will praise him, saying that this gentle and elegant scholar has a bright future.

……

At the border of Zhongzhou, a young man in straw sandals was walking slowly from the south, looking in the direction of Longyuan City with a smile on his face.

"She's waiting for me to come over."

If Liang Xiaoyun were here, she would be able to recognize that this young man with a bright smile was the person who taught her the secret art, Xuanyuan Fourteen.

"She's waiting for you. Why do you have to bring me here?" Next to him was an old man in a black robe. His face was dry and wrinkled, and he looked very vicissitudes of life. He sighed helplessly.

"Without your help, I can't get my power back." Xuanyuan Shisi smiled and said, "You owed me this back then, so you have to pay me back now."

"I just wanted to live two more years. What have I done wrong? I was dragged into your fight out of nowhere. I have been hiding from the northernmost part to the southernmost part, but you still caught me." The old man looked miserable. "I am afraid it will be bad this time."

"What are you afraid of?" Xuanyuan Shisi said indifferently, "You have lived for tens of thousands of years, and there is no way to transcend. What's the point of staying here forever?"

"Compared to ascending to heaven, it's definitely not as good. Compared to death, I still want to live." The old man muttered, "As the old saying goes, a turtle lives for a thousand years and a tortoise lives for ten thousand years. It's no harm to live a few more years..."

Xuanyuan Shisi urged, "Stop talking nonsense and go quickly. After this job is done, I will let you go back to the Xuanming Sea and continue to soak in it, and continue to be your... King of the Eternal Night."

……

In Frost North City.

Yan Shenbing slowly exhaled a breath of foul air, opened his eyes, and felt his blood and energy were empty, but his spirit was extremely vigorous.

He had known for a long time that he was about to break through, and was only a thin layer of window paper away from the sixth realm. That was why he never doubted that he had to eat the Nine Nine Extreme Yuan Pill.

Maybe tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow.

Once he breaks through the sixth realm and takes the medicine immediately, he will have the strength of the seventh realm.

Although the strength gained in this way cannot really compete with Feng Nanjue who possesses the Qilin Fruit, it is enough to resist for a period of time.

Liang Yue also made a breakthrough a few days ago, and with great fanfare. I think he is considered a strong man among the warriors in the Dragon and Tiger Realm.

His realm surpassed others, and everyone was shocked but more than that, they were happy.

There are three people in the sixth realm in the team now. If we ignore Feng Nanjue, they should be sure to win.

But I just can't throw it away.

Yan Shenbing regards this as his mission.

He opened the drawer, looked at the pill inside, and closed the drawer again. He certainly couldn't carry this kind of pill with him. If someone found out, his teammates would definitely not allow him to eat it.

I've been going to Gu Ping'er's house for dinner these past few days, and my original mood of being willing to die has been affected a little.

Thinking about it now, I actually feel a little reluctant.

But it was only a trace. After all, he wanted to protect the Frost North City, and Gu Ping'er was also a member of it.

Thinking of Gu Ping'er, a happy smile appeared on Yan Shenbing's face again.

It is indeed a warm thing to have a woman who waits for you to eat every day. She said that she had been cooking for a few days and was going to cook something fresh tomorrow, making a meal of raw pickled pig intestines for herself.

Really looking forward to it.

　Good morning.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)