The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Gaosheng Inn, Room No. 1 (Top Class).

The night watchman had just struck the clapper at the fourth watch, and the sound was particularly crisp in the quiet night of Bianjing, as if it were a death knell.

Inside the room, the golden brocade pouch had been opened, and the note that had made the three of them gasp lay forlornly in the center of the table, next to a thick stack of Xuan paper that seemed to exude the smell of blood.

Dead silence.

A deathly silence.

Su Zhe's face was as pale as paper, and his finger pointing at the note was still trembling slightly: "Brother... this... is the master sending us to our deaths?"

Su Shi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. His usual carefree and playful demeanor vanished, replaced by the resolute determination of a gambler going all in.

"What do you mean 'die'?"

Su Shi grabbed the thick stack of Xuan paper, his eyes sharp. "Since you dare to give it to us, sir, we dare to write it. Don't forget, we made a pledge; if we don't get into the top three, we'll all die when we get back!"

"Don't just stand there, read the letter carefully! There must be a way to save your life in this letter!"

The three of them huddled under the lamp and unfolded the long letter tucked inside the rice paper.

Familiar handwriting came into view. Even across thousands of miles, Jiang Lin's slightly languid, all-knowing tone still seemed to emanate from behind the paper:

"Zizhan, Ziyou, Zigu:"

"Since you've seen this letter, it means you haven't been scared to death yet. Very good, you've built up your courage."

"Listen carefully. The provincial examination tests talent, and you have already proven yourselves to be geniuses. But the palace examination tests not talent, but two things: 'loyalty' and 'practicality'."

"Zhao Zhen was a good emperor, but he was also an emperor who was fooled by his court officials his whole life. He was tired of the empty praise and the nonsense that 'the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed.' What he needed most now was someone who dared to tell him the truth and could help him solve his mess."

Seeing this, the three of them calmed down a little.

Sir, you have a firm grasp on the emperor's pulse!

"Therefore, I predict that 90% of the questions in this imperial examination will be: 'How to solve the current malpractices' or 'How to enrich the country and strengthen its military'."

"The solution is in that stack of thick paper. But this solution is too aggressive; it's like a potent drug. To prevent you from being kicked out as crazy, remember these three principles for answering questions:"

"1. Maintain a correct stance: Even if you are cursing, you must show that it is for the good of the Song Dynasty and to share the burden of the emperor and father."

"2. The plan needs to be detailed: Don't just shout slogans, provide steps. What is the first step, what is the second step, write it out clearly. This is called 'user experience'."

"3. End with a humble tone: This is the most crucial point! You must add a sentence at the end—'If this strategy is to be implemented, it requires the joint efforts of a wise ruler and virtuous ministers. We, your subjects, are willing to serve Your Majesty to the death.'"

"Pass the buck to the emperor, and at the same time show your loyalty. Zhao Zhen is easily swayed and is most susceptible to this kind of emotional appeal."

"Go, and change the color of the sky over the Great Song Dynasty."

"—Jiang Lin, who only wants to sleep in this lifetime"

After reading the letter, Su Shi's tense nerves finally relaxed a bit, and he couldn't help but complain: "Sir, this is too... straightforward. 'The ending should be cowardly'? What kind of military strategy is this? This is clearly teaching us how to slide on our knees!"

Zeng Gong, however, remained solemn, his brows furrowed: "No, Zizhan, this is an extremely sophisticated art of imperial strategy. If we are too sharp and appear to be smarter than the emperor, that would be a death sentence. Only by showing that 'I am the knife in your hand' will the emperor dare to use us."

"Forget about the sliding kneeling, look at that stack of proposals!" Su Zhe urged anxiously. "What kind of potent medicine is it that makes the master speak of it so seriously?"

The three of them turned their attention back to the thick stack of Xuan paper.

This time, by the light of three oil lamps burning at full power, they finally saw the true face of the so-called "Xining Reform - Optimized and Revised Version".

With just one glance, the three of them felt their hearts leap into their throats again, and a jolt of electricity shot from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads!

This isn't a prescription; it's a bomb!

[Strategies for Enriching a Nation]:

The Green Sprouts Law: It wasn't just about government lending; it also introduced the "Ever-Normal Granary" for regulation. This wasn't just lending; it was about taking away the livelihoods of usurers, with the state acting as the ultimate regulator!

Market Regulation Law: The imperial court established the Market Regulation Bureau to stabilize prices. This allowed the court to participate in trade and wrest pricing power back from unscrupulous merchants!

The Exemption from Service Act: This law forced the wealthy to pay for service in place of the poor. This move struck directly at the lifeblood of the powerful landlords!

[Strategies for Strengthening the Army]:

Military strategy: Soldiers know their generals, and generals know their soldiers. This will completely end the foolish system of the Song Dynasty where "soldiers had no permanent commanders, and commanders had no permanent troops!"

Baojia system: Integrating soldiers into farmers, the whole nation is a soldier!

[Strategies for Governing the Bureaucracy]:

Performance-based system: In this era of egalitarianism, introduce a performance evaluation mechanism called "KPI". Official promotions will not be based on seniority, but on achievements! Anyone who slacks off will be fired!

……

This is hardly an exam answer.

This is clearly a complete and logically rigorous blueprint for governing the country, enough to turn the Song Dynasty court upside down!

Or rather, this is a guide on "How to Offend All the Powerful and Powerful People in the World"!

"Oh my god..."

Zeng Gong's hands trembled violently as he held the stack of papers as if they were a bomb about to explode. "Master... he actually figured out the root of the Song Dynasty's problems back in that small academy in Runzhou? He even prepared the prescriptions?"

"And this prescription..." Su Zhe swallowed hard, his face as pale as paper, "Every single ingredient is a potent poison. If this were to be implemented, wouldn't those powerful and influential people hate us to death? We're practically tearing their flesh out!"

"What's there to be afraid of!"

Su Shi slammed his hand on the table, causing the oil lamp flame to flicker wildly. The light in his eyes was frighteningly bright; it was fervor, excitement, and the fearlessness that comes from seeing the truth.

"The master said that the Song Dynasty is terminally ill, and lukewarm water cannot save it! Only this potent medicine can bring it back to life!"

He pointed to the "Exemption from Service Law" and the "Performance Examination Law" on it, his voice impassioned:

"Look at these points, they hit the nail on the head! If we dare to say them in the imperial court tomorrow, even if we don't become the top scholar, even if we're banished to the ends of the earth, our lives will have been worthwhile!"

"But..." Su Zhe was still somewhat worried, "Wouldn't this be too radical? What if the Emperor can't accept it..."

"That's why the teacher told us to write that line, 'The ending should be cowardly.'"

Su Shi pointed to the end of the letter, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth:

"Our job is only to propose solutions and hand over the knife. Whether or not the emperor dares to make that cut is his business. We are just his subjects, doing our duty to offer loyal advice."

The three exchanged a glance, each seeing resolve and shock in the other's eyes.

At that moment, youthful spirit soared, full of ambition and boundless energy.

This night is destined to be sleepless.

The lights in Room 1 of the Gaosheng Inn remained on all night, like the only lighthouse in the darkness.

Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong, these three future pillars of the Song Dynasty, greedily absorbed the "time-defying" theories that Jiang Lin had given them, like hungry wolves.

They combined their own writing styles to deconstruct, reorganize, and refine this plan.

Su Shi's bold and unrestrained style imbued this plan with a magnificent and awe-inspiring spirit;

Zeng Gong's meticulousness ensured that the execution steps of this plan were flawless;

Su Zhe's pragmatism imbued this plan with warmth in its details concerning people's livelihoods.

……

At dawn, a pale, fish-belly white light appeared on the horizon.

As the morning bell tolls, the slumbering city of Bianjing awakens in the thin mist.

Su Shi pushed open the window, and a cool morning breeze, mixed with the dampness of the Bian River, blew in, dispelling the murky air from the sleepless night and making the three young men with bloodshot eyes shiver.

"Time is up."

Su Shi carefully put the thick stack of Xuan paper back into the brocade pouch and stuffed it into his inner garment.

At that moment, he felt that what was pressed against his chest was not just a stack of papers, but a red-hot branding iron, burning his heart and making his blood boil.

He turned around and looked at his two junior brothers.

Su Zhe's face was pale, and he was adjusting his collar over and over again, as if that could relieve the feeling of suffocation; Zeng Gong clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white, and his eyes revealed a resolute determination to face death.

The three men put on their brand-new tribute robes and looked at each other in silence.

Su Shi walked to the door, placed his hand on the latch, and suddenly stopped.

He glanced back at the three burnt-out oil lamps in the room, their wicks barely glowing with the last embers, flickering in the morning breeze, much like the seemingly prosperous but actually crumbling Song Dynasty.

"Are you afraid?" Su Shi suddenly asked, his voice a little hoarse.

"I'm scared," Su Zhe answered honestly, his teeth even chattering slightly. "The prescription the master gave us involves digging up the ancestral graves of the powerful and wealthy. If we take that step, we might face utter destruction."

"Being afraid is the right thing to do."

Su Shi took a deep breath and suddenly flung open the door.

Outside the door was a deep, dark corridor leading to the palace that had swallowed the dreams and lives of countless people.

He stepped across the threshold, a smile both crazed and sorrowful playing on his lips, and whispered:

"The master said that Zhao Zhen is waiting for a knife."

"Since no one dares to hand over this knife..."

Su Shi pressed the burning hot brocade pouch against his chest, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"Then today, let's make this knife."

"Let's go! Let's tear a hole in the sky of this Great Song Dynasty!"