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

Chapter 287 Sincerity is the Ultimate Weapon! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Laifu, why do I feel like there are a lot more people in Chang'an? Or was it always this many?"

On his way to the palace to meet Li Shimin, Li Chengqian sat in his carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to look at the people along the street, and quietly asking the questions that had been bothering him.

But then Lai Fu laughed and said, "Your Highness is right. There have indeed been a lot of people flocking to Chang'an recently, and these people are not ordinary people, but mostly scholars!"

"Scholars?"

Li Chengqian was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Isn't the exam still two months away? Why have they all come early? Besides, even if it were the exam in Chang'an, there wouldn't be this many people! Aren't there different levels of exams: the preliminary exam, the provincial exam, the metropolitan exam, and the palace exam?"

"Hehe, His Highness the Crown Prince is right. Only those taking the provincial and imperial examinations come to Chang'an! But these scholars are all here to participate in the provincial and military examinations!"

"No way, even excluding those who participated in the martial arts examination, how could there be so many people in the metropolitan examination?"

But then Laifu laughed and said, "This servant doesn't know about that. Your Highness can ask Minister Ma. But this servant heard something. According to a reporter from the Information Bureau, because of the new regulations for the imperial examinations next year, those who failed in previous years, as well as those who disdained to participate, have all come out to take the exams. The number of people who have registered to take the exams alone is as high as 100,000!"

"One hundred thousand?!"

Li Chengqian was genuinely astonished, because in the entire Tang Dynasty, only 500,000 people participated in the imperial examinations, and 100,000 people signed up in that year, which was truly exaggerated.

Are they aiming for this last imperial examination?
Li Chengqian recovered from his shock and couldn't help but find it amusing, but at the same time, he felt an unprecedented anticipation for this imperial examination.

"As the saying goes, 'A thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge,' the greater the competition, the more likely it is to produce talented individuals. I hope that our Great Tang Dynasty can also have such a prosperous era in the future!"

Li Chengqian muttered to himself, then closed the curtains.

Looking back at the college entrance examination in later generations, hundreds of thousands of people participated, but only a few thousand were admitted in the end.

It was just as good as it is now.

On the other side, at the Yue King's Palace.

Li Tai sat alone in the courtyard, drinking tea and reading a book, as if nothing had happened, completely at ease.

Although his current environment is vastly different from when he was in the palace, he doesn't seem to care at all.

Especially during the period when Li Shimin made him move out of the palace, he didn't even step out of his residence, and he refused to let anyone who wanted to visit him out.

They seemed to want to isolate themselves from the world.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has been summoned to the palace by His Majesty!"

Su Xu, the Sima of the Prince of Yue's residence, quickly approached Li Tai and reported, "It is said that the Crown Prince submitted a memorial before this!"

"Oh, I see."

Li Tai responded indifferently, then picked up the book in his hand again and continued reading as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Su Xu couldn't help but speak up again: "Your Highness, there is something I'm unsure whether I should say!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai paused for a moment, then smiled and looked at Su Xu, saying, "Sima Su is the only person I can trust right now. Please feel free to speak your mind."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Su Xu bowed respectfully before speaking his mind: "To be honest, Your Highness, in my opinion, His Majesty's decision to grant the Prince of Han his fiefdom while refusing Your Highness's request shows that His Majesty still holds Your Highness in high regard. Your Highness should not give up on yourself and miss this excellent opportunity!"

"Sima Su is joking. What chance do I have now? Can't you see this Yue Prince's mansion? There isn't even a decent servant. What's the difference between this and being under house arrest?"

Li Tai shook his head with a bitter smile, then stood up from his seat. Looking at the courtyard of the Yue Prince's Mansion, he sighed, "I heard that this Yue Prince's Mansion was the former residence of Yang Yong, the Prince of Fangling. How cold and heartless the world is! I never thought I, Li Tai, would fall to such a state."

"Your Highness, you should not make such comparisons. Your circumstances are vastly different from Yang Yong's!"

Before Li Tai could finish speaking, Su Xu interrupted him solemnly, then bowed and said, "Actually, what I want to tell Your Highness is that His Majesty has not revoked your decree to establish the Literary Academy! You still have a chance, it's just that you are currently a hidden dragon in the abyss."

"Ok?"

Li Tai was slightly surprised and turned to look at Su Xu.

After a long pause, he finally came to his senses and said with an incredibly interesting expression, "What does Commander Su mean?"

"To be honest, Your Highness, although the Crown Prince is currently at the height of his power, it doesn't mean you have no chance at all. Moreover, you are not the Prince of Han, so the Crown Prince would never dare to kill you!"

"Well, that's true."

Li Tai nodded in agreement.

Before Su Xu said this, Empress Zhangsun had said something similar, telling him not to be afraid of Li Chengqian and to just assist him properly.

But how could Li Tai possibly properly assist Li Chengqian?
Therefore, he only listened to the first half of Empress Zhangsun's words and completely ignored the second half.

But then Su Xu said, "His Majesty abhors infighting among brothers, not only targeting His Highness but also the Crown Prince. No matter how arrogant the Crown Prince is, he cannot cross this line!"

"Therefore, I believe that as long as Your Highness operates within this bottom line and does so properly, there is definitely much that can be accomplished!"

"Oh?"

Li Tai's eyes lit up, and he immediately became interested. He put down his book, poured Su Xu a cup of tea, and handed it to him with a smile, saying, "Please enlighten me, Scholar Su!"

He knew that although Su Xu's official position was not as high as Wang Gui's, Su Xu's background was much cleaner than Wang Gui's.

One was Su Xu, one of the eighteen scholars of the Hongwen Academy; the other was Su Xu, the husband of Princess Nanchang, who held the official title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant.

Putting everything else aside, these two identities alone are enough for Li Tai to trust him.

But then Su Xu smiled and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite with me. As long as I can do something for Your Highness, I will do my best!"

"Hehe, very well, Scholar Su, please have a seat!"

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Chatting and laughing, the two found a place to sit down and quickly got down to business.

Su Xu straightened his posture and said, "In fact, in my opinion, if Your Highness wants to regain His Majesty's attention, you should not compare your weaknesses with the Crown Prince's strengths, but rather play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses!"

"Oh? In Scholar Su's opinion, how should I play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses?" Li Tai asked curiously.

Su Xu then added, "Your Highness must have heard that the Crown Prince is promoting reforms to the imperial examination system. Starting next year, the examinations will use new textbooks. This means that this year's examinations are bound to be very competitive!"

"You mean, you want me to tamper with this year's imperial examination?"

"Not bad!"

Su Xu greatly admired Li Tai's intelligence; he truly understood things at a glance.

But he continued, "If more than half of the successful candidates in this year's imperial examinations come from Your Highness's Literary Academy, or if this year's top military and civil officials both come from Your Highness's Literary Academy, then how will Your Majesty view Your Highness's Literary Academy?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai's pupils constricted sharply, and he was filled with astonishment.

At this moment, Su Xu said meaningfully, "In fact, before coming to the Prince of Yue's residence, I used my connections at the Hongwen Academy to inquire about the candidates who registered for this year's imperial examinations. I found that the quality of this year's candidates is the best in the Zhenguan era. Whether it is their family background or their abilities, they are unmatched in previous years!"

"So, Your Highness, think about it, what would the future be like if we recruited these scholars to the literary academy of the Prince of Yue's residence?"

“But I’ve heard that Li Chengqian has also trained some people in Jiangling. Can these scholars compare to them?” Li Tai couldn’t help but ask back.

Su Xu chuckled, "Your Highness seems to have misunderstood something. Do you really think that the Crown Prince alone can support the entire court? Do you really think that those commoners from Jiangling, without connections, can really stay in the court for long?"

"Becoming an official isn't just about ability; you also need connections!"

"And as far as I know, most of these scholars are the sons of local officials."

"call"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai couldn't help but gasp.

If all the sons of local officials were to pledge allegiance to him, his influence would be far greater than it is now.

"Good good!"

Li Tai was so excited he almost jumped up, exclaiming "Good!" several times. Then, with a face full of excitement, he grasped Su Xu's hand and solemnly said, "To have Scholar Su is like having Guan Zhong!"

"Hehe, Your Highness, you flatter me."

Su Xu smiled modestly, then patted Li Tai's hand, signaling him to calm down, and said, "Next, Your Highness needs to do the following: First, thoroughly establish the Literary Academy and recruit talents widely. Second, establish a newspaper called 'Literary Gazette.' It should focus on literature, publishing articles, poems, and songs—anything is acceptable. It must expand its influence."

"Finally, I petition His Majesty to grant His Highness the right to hold literary events."

"As long as these three points are done well, His Highness the Prince of Yue's future will be absolutely bright."

"This."

He paused, then looked at Li Tai meaningfully: "That is precisely the Crown Prince's weakness. Compared to the Crown Prince's constant manipulation of power, which makes His Majesty worry about him and be on guard against him, it would be better for Your Highness to use your strengths to make His Majesty relax and feel at ease."

"After all, if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to slip up. The Crown Prince can't possibly win every time, can he?"

"Yes, Scholar Su makes a good point!"

Li Tai nodded in deep agreement, then narrowed his eyes and said, "I don't believe he can win every time either!"

"What does Your Highness mean?"

"Do as you say. I will immediately write a memorial and submit it to my father, the Emperor!"

At the same time, in the Imperial Palace, Ganlu Hall.

While waiting for Li Chengqian, Li Shimin did not remain idle; instead, he discussed the recent changes in Chang'an with his ministers.

Since Li Chengqian implemented the imperial examination reform, more and more scholars have flocked to Chang'an.

Even the inns in Chang'an are almost full.

As a result, many scholars who were struggling financially simply set up tents outside the city and lived in the woods outside the city.

The scene was undeniably spectacular.

But Li Shimin laughed with a sigh, "If it weren't for the Crown Prince's reforms, I wouldn't have known that my Great Tang Dynasty had so many talented people. What Feng Deyi said back then, that there was no one to use, was truly a ridiculous joke!"

"Hehe, yes, the Crown Prince's reforms this time have indeed encouraged many scholars to participate in this year's imperial examinations, which is much more than in previous years. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel are under great pressure this year!" Fang Xuanling replied with a smile.

"Pressure is a good thing. If everyone wanted an easy life, the world would be impossible to govern!"

Li Shimin smiled nonchalantly, then suddenly seemed to remember something, looked around at the assembled officials, and said, "Your children probably won't be participating in this imperial examination, will they?"

"Your Majesty is too kind. How could I not attend? I am the eldest son, and I have long been studying diligently, even to the point of hanging my head from the rafters and pricking my thigh with an awl!"

Xiao Yu said with a bitter expression, "After all, the Crown Prince's decree is very clear: no matter who it is, as long as they want to enter the court as officials, they must take an exam before they can enter!"

"Really?"

Li Shimin looked at Xiao Yu with some surprise and said, "You, the Left Minister, are no exception?"

"How could there be no exception!"

Before Xiao Yu could reply, Fang Xuanling shook his head with a smile and said, "No one is an exception. Those Embroidered Uniform Guards know the background of every scholar very well. Anyone who plans to enter officialdom through connections will be warned the first time, disqualified from the imperial examination the second time, and the third time, unless it is an imperial edict from His Majesty, they will probably have no hope of becoming an official for the rest of their lives."

"Haha, that's interesting."

Li Shimin couldn't help but laugh, suddenly feeling that this imperial examination reform seemed quite good.

However, he was also worried that Li Chengqian might be going too far, since not every official's son could enter officialdom through the imperial examination.

He said thoughtfully, "Is it possible that besides the imperial examination, your descendants have no other way to enter officialdom?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Changsun Wuji smiled and interjected, "Actually, besides the imperial examination, there are three other ways to enter officialdom. One is to become an unregistered minor official, such as a clerk or clerk who is not on the official register. If he makes meritorious contributions, he can be promoted to an official position. Another way is to join the army and obtain an official position by making military contributions."

Another method was the fixed-recruitment system. This involved various government offices periodically recruiting exceptional talents, such as those with outstanding abilities in mathematics or calligraphy, who could then enter officialdom through this system.

"This"

Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that his unfilial son really knew how to come up with a plan!

It seems he's not just a reckless, impulsive person!

Don't underestimate these three avenues; any court official has the opportunity to secure benefits for their offspring.

After all, making contributions is not a difficult thing for them; they just need to have a certain information gap.

Once they entered officialdom, their promotion speed was unmatched by anyone else.

No wonder not many ministers in the court stood up against that rebellious son.
So that unfilial son secretly opened some back doors for them!

"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince requests an audience!"

Just as Li Shimin was secretly admiring Li Chengqian's methods, a report suddenly came from outside the hall.

He immediately straightened his posture, looked around at the assembled officials, and said, "Gentlemen, act according to my signals later!"

"hehe."

The ministers exchanged smiles, then nodded in silent agreement.

I thought to myself, this father and son are getting more and more interesting.

Soon, Li Chengqian received Li Shimin's approval and slowly stepped into the main hall.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!" Li Chengqian bowed respectfully to Li Shimin as soon as he saw him.

But Li Shimin coughed lightly to remind him, "Ahem, in formal occasions, the Crown Prince should address you as Your Majesty!"

"?"

A small black question mark slowly appeared on Li Chengqian's forehead. He thought to himself, "Seriously? I just arrived and you're already giving me a hard time? Didn't you send me? What's going on, Lao Deng?!"
Although he was very displeased, Li Chengqian still respectfully bowed again: "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

"Hmm, please take a seat."

Li Shimin nodded calmly, while secretly finding it amusing.

Li Chengqian, on the other hand, was filled with frustration, wondering what the old man was up to.

Soon, he sat down next to Li Shimin without making a sound.

But Li Shimin calmly continued, "I summoned the Crown Prince here today to discuss military reform with my ministers. The ministers unanimously agree that the Crown Prince should participate. Therefore, I would like to ask the Crown Prince what his opinions or suggestions are regarding military reform?"

"This"

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, then looked around at his ministers.

Although he was still unsure of Li Shimin's intentions, he cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, I have no objection to the military reform. Your Majesty should know that although I am the Crown Prince, I have no right to interfere in other military matters except for the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace."

"not to mention."

He paused, looked around at the assembled ministers again, and continued, "Your Majesty does not know the content of the discussions between Your Majesty and the ministers, and therefore cannot offer any appropriate opinions or suggestions."

"Ah!"

Li Shimin smiled and said, "In that case, let the Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince give a talk to the Crown Prince first! Your positions are just right."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wei Zheng didn't hold back and directly told Li Chengqian what they had discussed. Li Chengqian's brows furrowed and relaxed repeatedly until Wei Zheng finished speaking. Only then did he completely relax and say to Li Shimin, "Does Your Majesty mean that I should get involved in the military reform?"

"Indeed, that's what I meant. What do you think?"

Li Shimin readily agreed.

Having spent time with Li Chengqian, he had basically grasped Li Chengqian's character. The more someone wanted to harm their son, the more honest he had to be.

After all, sincerity is the sure winner.

Empress Zhangsun possessed this ability, which enabled her to make Li Chengqian compromise every time.

He also wanted to emulate Empress Zhangsun and manipulate Li Chengqian once.

But Li Chengqian rejected him outright: "I think it's inappropriate!"

Wow!
The ministers were in an uproar.

Even Li Shimin was somewhat taken aback.

His face immediately darkened, and he asked, "Why does the Crown Prince find this inappropriate?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment, then said seriously, "First, I support reform, but I do not support the reform plan proposed by Your Majesty and the ministers. Second, military reform should not be done behind closed doors; it should be discussed extensively with the generals, rather than having the upper echelons make decisions while completely disregarding the opinions of the lower ranks. After all, military reform involves the interests of the military. Finally, without proper authorization, there should be no justification. Even if Your Majesty wants me to participate in the reform, there should be a formal process or a specific position, not just a simple request to allow me to participate."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and his ministers were instantly stunned.

This rebellious son
太子殿下
They're not so easy to fool!
(End of this chapter)