Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 284 Three Major Announcements! A Sensation Across the World! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

In the early part of the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, outside Chang'an City.

Countless citizens of Chang'an gathered at a temporary platform erected outside the city.

Because the Tang Dynasty court had informed them a few days ago that there was big news to announce today.

Accustomed to watching the excitement, they got up early and gathered below the platform.

After all, Chang'an has lacked everything in recent years, except for big news.

And every major piece of news is enough to keep them entertained for a whole year.

At this moment, before them stood 390 death row inmates dressed in prison garb.

But then Sun Fujia on the high platform announced in a loud voice:

"His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang is magnanimous, and His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent. Today, the Imperial Seal of the State has returned to our Great Tang, a cause for celebration throughout the land. His Majesty the Emperor, mindful of the continuous disasters that have befallen our Great Tang in recent years, has granted His Highness the Crown Prince's request to release you 390 death row inmates, allowing you to return home to visit your families for a year. You will be sent back to face your punishment next year."

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

Chaos, utter chaos, as if the situation was about to spiral out of control.

Not only were the 390 death row inmates shocked, but even the onlookers from Chang'an were astonished and filled with disbelief.

Soon, indignant citizens of Chang'an stood up and shouted, "Your Honor! They are all death row inmates who deserve to die! Why is the court letting them go home?!"

"Yes, sir! They have harmed their neighbors and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Their crimes are unforgivable. The court cannot let them go home!"

"My lord! They are all desperate criminals and will not keep their promises! Do not release them, execute them immediately!"

Hearing the indignant voices of the surrounding people, some prisoners looked ashamed, while others glared angrily, trying to intimidate them into shutting up.

However, the more they acted this way, the more the people around them hated them, especially those who had been harmed by them in the past, who knelt down and cried out.

"Liu Mazi killed my family's ox! Please, sir, don't let him go back to his hometown! He's a scoundrel! He won't come back!"

"My lord! I beg you to uphold justice for me and not let them go."

"Heavens above! Punish these sinners!"

Hearing these cries, Sun Fujia couldn't help but sigh, but this was Li Chengqian's plan, and he could only follow it.

But he immediately said seriously, "Heaven cherishes life, and His Majesty has a benevolent heart. The Crown Prince's actions are also to give the people of the world an opportunity."

"Besides, the court isn't saying they're going to release them, it's just temporarily suspending their sentences. Once they return from their hometowns, they'll still be executed. A life for a life is a matter of course, so the villagers don't need to worry!"

"Moreover, if they really do return as promised, doesn't that prove they have already repented?"

If they have the will to change, shouldn't we give them a chance?

"Think about it, if you accidentally commit a crime in the future, wouldn't you want the imperial court to give you a chance to reform?"

"This"

Sun Fujia's words were so moving that many of the people who had been crying out for help were left speechless.

Yes!

Put yourself in their shoes. If you accidentally committed a crime one day, wouldn't you want the court to give you a chance to reform?
It was clear that every citizen present had hope.

Therefore, as soon as Sun Fujia finished speaking, the surroundings immediately fell silent.

However, some of the prisoners had objections.

But the man coldly replied, "Whether you die sooner or later, you're going to die anyway. What's the point of going home? You might as well just kill me now and give me a quick death!"

"Yeah! I'm going to die anyway, so I'm too lazy to go home. Just kill me already!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, others immediately echoed his words.

The surrounding people looked at each other in bewilderment upon seeing this.

It seems they didn't expect these death row inmates to react this way. Wouldn't it be better to live an extra year?

But Sun Fujia laughed and said, "If you want to die, I can grant your wish, but this is His Majesty's decree, and I must obey it."

"Therefore, even if you wish to die, I must report this to His Majesty. Furthermore, your current actions constitute disobeying an imperial edict. According to the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty, disobeying an imperial edict is tantamount to treason, so your families will also be implicated!"

"What!?"

The condemned prisoners were greatly surprised upon hearing this.

They never imagined things would turn out this way.

But Sun Fujia clearly wasn't joking with them, and his smile faded as he said, "Now I'll ask you one more question: do you obey the decree?"

"This"

The condemned prisoners were filled with doubt and looked at each other in bewilderment once again.

After a while, the death row inmate who had been the first to yell at me to be killed also became the first to back down.

“I’m already a dead man, and I don’t want to burden my family anymore. My mother is over eighty years old, and being able to spend time with her before she dies is the best way to fulfill my filial duty! Okay! I agree to keep my promise for this year!”

"I agree! I'll come to Chang'an to die a year later!"

"A life for a life! I owe my life to my fellow villagers!"

As more and more death row inmates knelt down to fulfill their obligations, the surrounding crowd displayed extremely complex expressions.

They never imagined that these death row inmates would have this side to them.

Of course, many of them also expressed doubt, believing that these death row inmates would never return and might even commit crimes in their hometowns.

Regardless of the circumstances, this bombshell news will undoubtedly cause a nationwide sensation, along with other related news.

.........

"Breaking News! Breaking News! The Imperial Seal of the State, the Mandate of Heaven has returned to the Tang Dynasty!"

"Extra! Extra! Major reform of the imperial examination system! Education for all! Patriotism starts with me!!!"

"Everyone, hurry and buy a newspaper! There's breaking news! Don't miss it!"

The people were somewhat annoyed by the newsboys chattering like sparrows at dawn, hawking their newspapers on the streets, but they had gotten used to it.

After all, two years had passed from the second year of the Zhenguan era to the fourth year. Newspapers had gone from being a novelty to everyone to being commonplace. Some families even felt that something was missing if they didn't read the newspapers.

Therefore, while the newsboy was hawking his wares, many people would habitually wave to him.

"Hey, Xiao Cai, give me two newspapers!"

"Alright! Mr. Liu, your son will be taking the imperial examination this year, right?!"

A newsboy named Xiao Cai approached the middle-aged man selling newspapers with a smile, handing him the newspaper while asking him questions.

This newspaper buyer, known as "Liu the Great Philanthropist," was the owner of a grain store along the street. He was kind to everyone and friendly to his neighbors.

Even during the two years of famine, his grain store did not raise grain prices drastically, thus harming the people.

Therefore, the neighbors affectionately called him Liu the Great Philanthropist.

"hehe."

When Liu the philanthropist heard the newsboy mention his son, he beamed with joy. While counting out copper coins for the newsboy, he took the newspaper and said, "Yes! Xiao Xuan will be taking the imperial examination in two months. I hope he can pass the exam and become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). That way, our Liu family will be honored!"

"But I heard that Brother Xuan doesn't like studying? He's so good at martial arts, why doesn't he join the army? Maybe he can become a general!"

"Being a general isn't that easy. No matter how good your martial arts are, can you pass the imperial examinations? Studying is the right path!"

Liu the philanthropist chuckled and cursed the newsboy, not bothering to argue with him, then picked up the newspaper, turned around with a smile, and went into the store.

The newsboy scratched his head and muttered, "But I heard from the adults at the newspaper office that the imperial court seems to have set up a martial arts examination."

"Hey! Xiao Cai! What are you standing there for? Come here, I want to buy two newspapers too!"

"Oh, here it comes! Two portions, right? Here, for you."

Soon, the newspapers brought by the newsboys were sold out by shop owners on both sides of the street, passersby, and even the butlers and servants of wealthy families.

The same situation was occurring in more than 360 prefectures of the Tang Dynasty.

But even more surprising things were happening one after another.

For example, there was that kind-hearted man named Liu who bought two newspapers before.

When he took the newspaper to his son's study, his son was practicing with knives and guns, not at all like someone who was studying.

It wasn't until he knocked on the study door that his son hurriedly hid the knife and gun, pretending to be engrossed in studying, and said impatiently, "Dad! Why are you here again? Didn't I tell you I had an exam? I told you not to bother me!"

"Hehe, Xuan'er, don't be offended. It was my fault. I just heard a newsboy hawking newspapers, talking about a major reform of the imperial examination system. I thought it might be useful to you, so I bought two copies. You see, I can't read either, so could you help me read them?"

"But don't worry, I promise I won't bother you again. I'll let you study hard and try to pass the imperial examination to become a scholar, so that our family can bring honor to our ancestors."

"Alright, Dad, are you ever going to stop?!"

Before Liu the Philanthropist could finish speaking, his son Liu Xuan interrupted him impatiently, then pushed open the door and said, "What newspaper? Let me see!"

"Hehe, look, look."

Liu the philanthropist quickly handed over the newspaper with a smile.

Liu Xuan didn't pay much attention and picked up the newspaper to read it.

But what I saw shocked me. "Oh my god!!"

Liu Xuan exclaimed in shock, "How could this be?!"

"What's wrong, Xuan'er! Is it good news?!"

Liu Dashan is a businessman, and he usually refers to any good news as "positive news," which is typical of businessmen.

Liu Xuan glanced at Liu the Benevolent with suspicion, then looked at the newspaper with disbelief. After a long while, he muttered, "It's over, it's over."

"what?"

Liu the philanthropist was also startled and quickly said, "What do you mean 'it's over,' Xuan'er! Explain yourself! Don't scare your father! Is the imperial examination reform going against you?!"

"Well, it's not necessarily bad for me."

Liu Xuan said with a strange expression, "It means I might not need to study anymore."

"No need to study? What do you mean?"

"Oh dear, Father! All the books we're learning now are useless! If we don't pass this time, we won't have to take the exam again. The imperial court is going to implement a new imperial examination system, and the books will be new, no longer those old Confucian classics!"

"what?"

The philanthropist Liu was confused by his son's words: "Wouldn't that mean the sky is falling? How could it not be detrimental to you?"

"Well, because the imperial examination has added a martial arts category, if I don't pass the county-level exam this year, I can still register for the martial arts exam and bring honor to my ancestors!"

"Martial Arts?"

Liu the Great Philanthropist looked astonished: "You mean, practicing martial arts can lead to taking the imperial examinations and becoming an official?"

"sure!"

Liu Xuan exclaimed excitedly, "The martial arts champion starts as a sixth-rank official! That's no less impressive than the civil service champion! Moreover, they can also take the civil service exams at the same time, truly excelling in both martial arts and academics!"

The philanthropist Liu finally realized what was happening and, along with his son, exclaimed excitedly, "Good, good! It's great to be an official!"

"Hahaha!"

The father and son laughed heartily, as if they had just won the title of martial arts champion.

On the other side, in Jiangnan Road, Yangzhou.

The South has long been known as the "hometown of imperial examinations," and many literati and scholars liked to travel there to engage in literary creation.

Therefore, the cultural atmosphere in the South is very rich.

Even several hundred years later, during the Ming Dynasty, the academic abilities of scholars from the south far surpassed those from the north.

Therefore, at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there was a sensational case involving the imperial examinations in the North and South.

"I will definitely pass this year's imperial examination!"

At a banquet, a slightly tipsy scholar in a white robe, holding a wine jug, made a grand and imposing declaration to the scholars around him.

One of the scholars, dressed in a blue robe, chuckled and teased him, "With Brother Cen's family background, do you still need to take the imperial examinations? I've heard that your elder brother is very favored in the Eastern Palace!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding scholars also chimed in with playful banter.

"Yeah! With your older brother's connections, I guess we don't need to take the exam!"

"Exactly, if you have connections, don't try to take them from us."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

The scholar in white robes was clearly angry, and then glared at everyone and said, "My elder brother said that from now on, all officials in the court will have to take an exam to get promoted, and they will no longer be able to become officials based on their family reputation as before!"

"Huh? Really?"

One scholar exclaimed in surprise, "Doesn't that mean we also have a chance to become officials?"

"Tch! Don't listen to his nonsense! I don't believe that the sons of those ministers in the court would participate in the imperial examinations!" a scholar said with a disdainful look.

"Yes! Only those of us from humble backgrounds participate in the imperial examinations; how could those noble young masters possibly participate!"

"Even if they participate, can they outperform us? It all comes down to connections."

"Yes! I can't compare to them in other aspects, but I've never been afraid of anyone when it comes to studying the classics. It's just a pity that passing the imperial examinations is easy, but becoming an official is difficult."

Gradually, the topic began to change.

"By the way, I recently heard some news, I don't know if it's true, but it's said that the reason the five surnames and seven clans were exterminated was that they found the Imperial Seal of the State and wanted to rebel!"

"Huh? Really? The Imperial Seal of the State has fallen into their hands, wasn't it in the hands of the Li Tang dynasty?"

"Hey, you don't know this, do you? Let me tell you, the Li Tang dynasty didn't have the Imperial Seal of the State, so it can't be considered a legitimate dynasty at all."

"No wonder, no wonder so many things happened in less than twelve years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. It turns out they didn't have the blessing of Heaven!"

"Shh—Are you out of your mind? How dare you say something like that?"

"Hmph! What's there to be afraid of? Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, or supernatural beings. I've studied the classics, what do I have to fear! It's the Tang dynasty that should be afraid of us!"

"That's right! Killing one person is easy, but killing the whole world is difficult. What about Emperor Yang of Sui? He killed countless people, but he still couldn't silence the public's discontent."

Upon hearing these words, the white-robed scholar turned ashen-faced and immediately threw down the wine jug in his hand, about to erupt in anger.

Just then, the cries of a newsboy suddenly rang out.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Empress Xiao of the former Sui Dynasty has returned with the Imperial Seal of the State, and is presenting it to His Majesty the Emperor of our Great Tang! Heaven bless our Great Tang!!"

"Don't miss out! The imperial examination system is undergoing a major reform! A new martial arts category has been added! You can even become a martial arts champion by practicing martial arts!"

Upon hearing this hawking cry, the surrounding scholars all paled in shock.

What? Empress Xiao presented the Imperial Seal of the State?

What martial arts champion?

What is this?

Without the slightest hesitation, a scholar immediately shouted, "Hey! Newsboy! Come here quickly, we want to buy your newspaper!"

"Okay, okay, it'll be right there!"

Soon, the newspapers in the newsboy's bag were sold out by the local patrons, and he skipped away.

The scholars here couldn't wait to start reading the newspaper.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked; once I did, my eyes widened in disbelief.

"How could this happen? How could this happen!" The scholar in the green robe trembled, his face pale as he stared at the newspaper, his expression full of disbelief.

Although he had just mocked the white-robed scholar for not needing to take the imperial examination to become an official, in reality, his family background was not much worse than that of the white-robed youth.

Because his father was the governor of Yangzhou.

The reason he was at odds with the white-robed scholar was that the scholar's elder brother, Cen Wenben, was more promising than his father, which made him very jealous.

However, as the scholar in white robes just said, the newspaper reported that from now on, all officials of the court, regardless of rank, would have to pass the imperial examination to be appointed.

Otherwise, whoever promotes him to officialdom will be dismissed from his post, and his family will be barred from taking the imperial examinations or entering officialdom for ten years.

It cannot be said that it is not strict.

"Hahaha! I knew it! From now on, all officials in the imperial court will be required to pass an examination before being promoted! You didn't believe me! Now you know!"

After reading the newspaper, the scholar in white robes immediately burst into laughter.

His laughter was so grating and so humiliating that it made many scholars blush with shame.

However, some scholars expressed righteous indignation.

"What imperial examination reform! This is nonsense! We've studied Confucian classics our whole lives, how can we just abandon them like that! And what's with adding a military examination! Do those military men even deserve to take the imperial examination?!"

"That's right! We've studied hard for over a decade! What makes them think they can compare to us!"

"This is an insult to scholarship! Utterly an insult to scholarship! The Tang Dynasty is doomed."

"boom--"

Before the scholar could even curse the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the white-robed scholar kicked him in the stomach, angrily shouting, "Do you want to die?! Do you really think that because His Majesty is benevolent, you can spout nonsense?"
"Our Great Tang Dynasty possesses the Imperial Seal of the State! It was presented by the Empress of the previous dynasty! We are the legitimate dynasty! If you dare to utter any more nonsense, believe me, I will immediately have you sent to the authorities!"

After saying that, he looked around at the scholars present and said with disgust, "Today, I, Cen Wenzhao, gathered with you all because I wanted to get closer to you poor scholars and see if I could discover some talents for the Crown Prince. I didn't expect that you are all scheming and despicable people. It makes me feel disgusted!"

"From now on, don't contact me again! I won't pay any attention to you anymore! I need to prepare for the imperial examination!"

He paused, then looked at the scholar in the blue robe and sneered, "Liu Yuan, I know you dislike me, but I'll make this clear: I will definitely be in the top three in this year's imperial examination, based on my own merit. You'd better seize this opportunity, or you might not have a chance at all next year!"

"Hahaha! Nine subjects to be tested in modern learning! Will your dad still be able to get you an official position then?"

"you!"

Upon hearing this, the scholar in the green robe turned ashen-faced, but could not utter a single word.

The scholar in white robes curled his lip in disdain and strode away.

As for the other scholars, they looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

He wondered, how come the Tang Dynasty suddenly became unrecognizable?
(End of this chapter)