Taiji Palace was huge.
It would take ten minutes to walk from the palace gate to Taiji Palace. As Li Zhen walked forward, he suddenly felt a person beside him. Tilting his head, he saw the head of the guards, Li Junxian.
"Li Zhen, I don't quite understand."
Li Junxian, who was next to him, glanced around at the unnoticed scholars and whispered,
"Although they might be your colleagues in the future, they are your strong competitors in the Imperial Censor examination. What benefits do you get from going through so much trouble?”
Li Zhen glanced at him and said softly,"
"I'm not doing this for the sake of benefits. I just know that leaving a good impression may not necessarily bring any benefits, but leaving a bad impression will definitely bring some hidden dangers. I'm just eliminating some unnecessary hidden dangers.”
Li Junxian couldn't help but feel surprised, but he nodded thoughtfully as he sighed in admiration at Li Zhen.
He was really using the heart of a villain to measure the belly of a gentleman.
This Li Zhen was young, but just the bearing he displayed was enough to crush everyone.
"I've learned my lesson."
Li Junxian solemnly clasped his hands and whispered,
"Today, the Imperial Censor's examination is conducted by His Majesty alone. Once you enter Taiji Palace, what does His Majesty want you to say? As the saying goes, too much talk leads to mistakes.”
"Today, out of the hundred scholars, ten will be chosen to fill the newly renovated Imperial Censorate. With your talent, you are more than enough to become an Imperial Censor.”
"I'll take your good words." Li Zhen smiled.”
Soon, everyone arrived at Taiji Palace.
Taiji Palace wasn't small, but once the hundred scholars and Li Junxian's guards had taken their positions, it was filled to the brim.
A middle-aged man in his thirties was wearing a royal robe. He held a teacup in one hand and a book in the other. He sat behind the imperial table at the front and was reading with his head lowered.
"Your Majesty, the scholars have arrived." Peng Yu gently flung the horsetail whisk onto his arm and respectfully said with his head lowered.
Li Er looked up at them.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Everyone, including Li Zhen, bowed in unison.
"No need for formalities."
Li Er smiled and nodded slightly. Then, he lowered his head to read his book and said in a calm tone,
"Enough chit-chat. I've summoned you into the palace today for the examination of the Imperial Censors. What our Great Tang urgently needs is a censor who dares to state the pros and cons. You don't have to waste your time on paper. Tell us what our Great Tang should and shouldn't do.”
With a swoosh.
Everyone looked at that person.
It was a dark-skinned youth. His expression was a little nervous as he bowed and said loudly,"Commoner Wang An-"
"Alright, you may leave." Suddenly, Li Er raised his head and looked at him. He waved the hand that was holding the book. Under Wang An's dumbfounded expression, he said calmly,"
"The entire world is the land of the king, and the shores of the land are the subjects of the king. I am the emperor, and the world is the subject of the king. Why do you need to use the word 'commoner' to humiliate yourself? Go back and study hard. Read the book and come back after you understand it.”
"Wang An," Peng Yu stepped out at the right time,"you have failed the palace examination and are now in the Li Palace."”
He had failed just like that?
The scholars immediately became nervous. As they watched Wang An leave with his face covered in dust, they couldn't help but worry about the upcoming assessment.
"I, Liu Mu, believe that in today's world, we should focus on cultivation, reduce punishment, and reduce taxes! This is what should be done."
Another young man walked out. After bowing to Li Er, he said in a strong voice,"And what our Great Tang shouldn't have done, we shouldn't have lightly made a move…"
After a long speech, Li Er did not even raise his head. He looked at the book and said,"Stand to the side, next scholar.”
"I, Fang Xiang…"
"I, Yang Tao…"
"I, Lu Kui…"
"This subject Cui Shan…"
For a time, scholars began to give their own long speeches. Some denounced corruption, some accused malfeasance, and some thought that it was necessary to strengthen the army and guard the border.
Li Eryi read the book while listening to the answers handed in by the scholars below. His face was expressionless, but he sighed and shook his head in his heart. Everyone said it well, but no one hit the nail on the head.
Other than the first person, many of the other scholars were called to the side by Li Er.
Suddenly, a young man's magnetic voice sounded,"
"I, Li Zhen…"
Li Zhen?
The son of the British Duke, Li Ji?
Li Er put down the book and looked up at the young man in the blue robe. He looked extraordinary and handsome.
Li Er couldn't forget the name Li Zhen even if he wanted to. Yesterday, his father, Li Ji, went to the palace again and again, asking for a seal and asking for the imperial approval. He said that his son wanted to arrive at the entrance of the palace earlier and might violate the curfew…
Li Er didn't think much of it at first, but the more he thought about it, the more awkward he felt. He felt like he was here to find fault.
In the end, when he was forced into a corner, Li Er waved his hand and directly gave an imperial edict. Do whatever you want and don't bother me anymore!
Just like that, Li Zhen's name was imprinted in Li Er's heart.
Li Er stared at him and slowly said,""Li Zhen, what's your answer?”
Li Zhen bowed slightly and did not respond to him. Instead, he asked,
"Your Majesty, my answer is, what do you want to hear? What do you want to ask?"
Taiji Palace was silent.
This was a completely different answer!
Li Zhen's answer not only failed to answer the question of what the Great Tang should and should not do, but it was also directly asking the Emperor of the Great Tang.
"Li Zhen, what kind of answer is this!”
Suddenly, an examinee who was queuing behind Li Zhen walked out and reprimanded loudly,
"His Majesty wants to ask about the way of governing the country. What did you answer?"You actually asked His Majesty? Is His Majesty testing you, or are you testing His Majesty?"!”
"Do you still have any respect for seniority?”
Very quickly, another examinee walked out. He looked at Li Zhen with a gaze filled with disgust. He no longer had the bearing he had when he received the jade token. He said coldly,
"Li Zhen, to think that you've come to participate in the Imperial Censor's examination. Someone like you who has no regard for your father should not have appeared in the court of the Great Tang.”
"Li Zhen, how dare you!"
"If you were an official, you would definitely be a crafty sycophant!"
"Sage Kong once said,'The monarch, the subject, the father, the son, and you want to do things that are neither subject nor son. What right do you have to be a censor?”
For a moment, more scholars stood up and scolded Li Zhen with a righteous look, as if they were the embodiment of justice at this moment.
They didn't see it.
Li Er stared at Li Zhen with a burning gaze, as if his answer was like a sharp sword that stabbed into the heart of the current emperor.
Li Zhen's answer.
It went straight to Li Er's heart!
"Peng Yu, chase all the scholars who stood out to speak out from the Imperial Palace!”
Li Er waved his hand and decided the outcome of those scholars.
The hall instantly fell silent.
Those scholars looked at Li Er in disbelief. What was going on? Why was it that the person who was chased out of the palace was not Li Zhen, but them?!
As soon as the personal chief eunuch stepped forward, he gave a look to the palace attendants outside the hall, asking them to drive these scholars out of the palace.
Suddenly, Li Zhen said,
"Your Majesty, I don't think so."
"You want to plead for them?" Li Er asked with interest.”
Li Zhen nodded.
The scholars were overjoyed. They felt guilty and blamed themselves as they looked at Li Zhen gratefully.
He didn't expect that Li Zhen would be so magnanimous and forget about the past when they had just made things difficult for him. In addition, he had even accepted Li Zhen's jade pendant when he was waiting outside the palace. When the two of them were compared, it simply made them look bad!
Li Zhen raised his head and looked at Li Er with a clear gaze.
"This subject believes that we should not just chase them out of the Imperial Palace. We should also record their names so that when the Imperial Court uses people in the future, they will never be used again!”
Li Er was speechless.
Peng Yu was speechless.
Li Junxian was speechless.
The scholars were speechless.”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]