Chapter 96: Fate

The advantages of the Third Prince were quite obvious, but at the same time, the flaws were also quite fatal.Having the ability but no real power, this was his biggest flaw.

Compared to his two older brothers, on the surface, Cheng Zheng did not have any Aura Qi martial artists following him, and even if he did, their strength was probably quite ordinary. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Of course, advantages can turn into disadvantages at different times, and flaws can also be transformed into advantages.

This was another matter altogether.

In their conversation, Chen An and Cheng Zheng hit it off very well.

The Third Prince Cheng Zheng was undoubtedly a capable individual, having done many things, and thus had his own unique insights and perspectives in many areas.

He was quite knowledgeable, surpassing many others.

Coincidentally, Chen An was also such a person.

While he hadn't done much himself, he had simulated enough times that those memories hadn't disappeared, and when pieced together, they had accumulated quite a bit.

Combined with his experience as a transmigrator, Chen An had his own views and insights that often impressed people.

In this regard, Chen An was quite experienced.

There was no choice.

One also had to learn how to deal with people online; otherwise, how could you outplay the others?

By constantly interacting and arguing with others, many things would naturally be learned.

However, obviously, Chen An did not expect that the information he had desperately searched for in the past would one day come to use in such a context.

As they chatted, their engagement became more harmonious.

"Please, have a seat."

Cheng Zheng welcomed Chen An into his residence, and by now his attitude had clearly changed.

At least on the surface, their relationship had become much closer, giving a sense of having missed a great opportunity to meet sooner.

The whole process left Liu Chu, who was standing by, dumbfounded.

For some reason, he had a strange feeling, as if he was redundant standing there.

Watching the discussion between Chen An and Cheng Zheng, he tried to speak several times but couldn't find an opening.

He couldn't join the conversation.

Unable to fully blend into the topic, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness.

Silent and speechless, Liu Chu followed behind the two of them.

Based on how others viewed him, they probably saw him as a noble, but without knowledge, they might have mistaken him for a servant.

"I thought the Imperial College was full of bookworms, but I never expected to find a talent like you, Chen Gongzi."

As they sat in the main hall, Cheng Zheng sighed deeply and sincerely spoke, "If I had known earlier, I should have visited you personally and not waited until today to meet you."

He spoke sincerely, full of respect.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Chen An smiled and replied politely, "The Imperial College is full of talented individuals, with countless virtues. My talent is just average among them."

"If that's the case, I should go visit the Imperial College later."

Cheng Zheng smiled, "If I can find talents as outstanding as Mr. Chen, it will be a great gain."

But you may be disappointed.

As Chen An remembered the scholars at the Imperial College, this thought crossed his mind.

Having spent over half a year at the Imperial College, he had a good understanding of the people there.

While they were not all bookworms, their talent was probably not as impressive as one would hope.

Haven't you noticed Chen An only dared to say there were countless virtues?

Because besides invisible and intangible virtues, things that can be pretended, these people probably had nothing left.

But obviously, Cheng Zheng was unaware of these criticisms.

He was actually thinking about when to visit the Imperial College.

If he could find talents like Chen An, it would be a huge gain.

If Chen An knew what he was thinking, he could probably only smile.

In the hall, the two sat facing each other, discussing various matters.

Their conversation was broad, ranging from martial arts matters to various natural disasters, and they covered a wide range of topics.

"To be honest, I have been inspecting various counties in recent years, and disasters have been severe, causing much discontent among the people, with refugees everywhere."

Cheng Zheng said somewhat helplessly, "However, the authorities in various counties are turning a blind eye, only focusing on suppression."

"If this continues, there may be serious problems in the near future."

Chen An nodded at first, then shook his head, "There will be problems, but the impact won't be too great."

"In various counties, there are military garrisons."

"No matter how miserable the refugees are, they can't resist."

He sighed.

In many respects, the Dahua court did not handle things well, leading to discontent in many areas.

If this were a normal world, there would have been heroes rising up against injustice.

But in this world.

Heroes may rise up, but it's uncertain.

Want to be a hero in this world? You must be able to fight first.

Throughout Dahua, there are many Aura Qi Dukes suppressing the people.

If the rebels don't have the strength to resist Aura Qi martial artists, they can't cause any trouble.

In this situation, hoping for a few heroes to rise up from the common people is useless; there must be cultivation involved.

But if someone has the strength to resist Aura Qi, then why rebel?

Joining the Dahua court directly and becoming part of oppressing the common people might be a better choice.

Moreover, in this world, those capable of practicing martial arts are mostly from noble backgrounds.

Common people are not qualified to cultivate.

For example.

Isn't Chen An's background prestigious enough?

The grandson of the Chen Duke, even though he is not the legitimate heir, he is still much stronger than the average person.

But even so, he cannot cultivate.

His family is not willing to provide him with the necessary resources.

Of course, his situation is relatively extreme.

But in this world, it's difficult for people to practice martial arts.

"The officials in the court have problems too."

Cheng Zheng sighed, "The place where talents were once recruited for the court, such as the Imperial College, has deteriorated. The so-called talented scholars recommended from various places are mostly not talented but simply have illustrious backgrounds."

"In some places, the officials haven't been doing their job for years, extorting the people once they appear. How can this be allowed to continue?"

It was clear that the Third Prince was particularly upset about the chaos within Dahua.

He had also tried to do many things.

However, the results were yet to be seen, and in the process, he had offended many people.

"I have an immature idea regarding this issue."

Chen An smiled and said, "Why not promote the examination system of the Imperial College, hold regular examinations, and grant official positions to those who perform well in the exams. Similarly, have regular assessments and demote those who are not qualified. How about that?"

In fact, he was suggesting the civil service examination system.

In the Dahua Dynasty, there were exams, and Chen An had entered the Imperial College through these exams.

This was originally a selection method of the Dahua court, where talents were recommended by local officials and then underwent unified assessment. Those who passed the assessment could enter the Imperial College to study.

After three years of study at the Imperial College, they would be sent out as officials.

It sounded good, right?

But in reality, there were many problems.

When Dahua was first founded, this system might have worked, with no major issues.

But now, there were significant problems at each stage.

Those recommended by local officials were no longer based on talent but connections and backgrounds.

If you didn't have a strong background, could you be recommended?

Don't even think about it.

Chen An was only recommended thanks to the appreciation of his teacher Dong Heng.

Otherwise, even if he had talent, it wouldn't have been enough without a ticket to enter.

As for the so-called assessments, it had become a joke.

The so-called talented individuals recommended from various places were mostly the incompetent children of the nobility.

Because those who could become capable had all gone to practice martial arts, leaving behind those who could only play around and barely enter the Imperial College to become idle officials.

What could these people be expected to do? It was not worth thinking about.

From Chen An's understanding, very few of these people could accomplish anything, but they were definitely skilled at indulging in eating, drinking, and pleasure.

Expecting them to manage the lives of the people in a region?

That outcome was too beautiful, and Chen An didn't dare to think too much about it.

"Cancel the Imperial College and hold direct assessments?"

The Fourth Prince unconsciously spoke, "Wouldn't that result in too many selections?"

Originally, the Imperial College's examination had very few people; there were less than a hundred people every three years.

But now, if the thresholds were lifted, and everyone regardless of status could participate in the assessment, how many people will be recruited in the end?

Would there be enough positions for them all?

"We can lower the standards."

Chen An suggested softly, "In the past, the scholars from the Imperial College were sent out as county magistrates, and the noble ones were unimaginable."

"That's actually too high."

"If we go by those standards, there would not be enough positions for everyone."

"In practice, all that's really needed are positions as minor officials in a county."

"After serving in a place for a period of time, they can be assessed and promoted. How about that?"

Cheng Zheng nodded slowly, "It's just that if we do it this way, the Imperial College might become obsolete."

With his perspective, he naturally could see the benefits of this.

But by broadening the scope of the assessment to include everyone, it seemed that there was no longer a need for the Imperial College.

"No, it is still necessary."

Chen An smiled, "We can have a dual system. After the major assessment, the Imperial College can still exist. And as long as the students from the Imperial College, when sent out as officials, have a higher rank than those who pass the major assessment."

"And the students of the Imperial College don't need to be recommended from various places anymore; they can be directly selected from the aristocratic families."

"With this, the major aristocrats should also be satisfied, and they should not oppose the major assessment, right?"

The Third Prince's eyes lit up, and for the first time he smiled.

"You have given it a lot of thought."

He nodded approvingly, showing more appreciation for Chen An.

(completion of this chapter)