The rebellious grandson of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty: Please, Your Majesty, be called Cro

Li Shimin forcibly suppressed the raging anger within him, composed himself, gave a cold snort, and slowly spoke to Li Xiang:

"I have always been well aware that the aristocratic families have been secretly controlling the imperial examinations through generations of family learning. But you must understand that most of the officials in the court today come from aristocratic families; the classics, knowledge, and traditions of the world are also hidden among the high-ranking families."

"I wish to promote education, broaden the path to talent selection, and establish the Imperial Academy to educate the people. I cannot bypass the gentry and can only rely on their strength to carry out my plans."

"I know you have always disliked that old minister Kong Yingda, but he was a former subordinate of mine when I was the Prince of Qin. He is of decent character, a member of the Kong clan, and has a good reputation. He can suppress those aristocratic families who monopolize learning."

"By employing him, I can actually maintain a balance of power and leave some room for students from humble backgrounds to enter the Imperial Academy. If I abandon him, the Imperial Academy will only become the private residence of powerful families, leaving no place for those from poor families!"

"Once Kong Yingda, in his capacity as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, completes the 'Correct Meaning of the Five Classics' and distributes it throughout the world, he can unify the doctrines of the classics and dismantle the foundation upon which various aristocratic families privately transmit their doctrines and monopolize knowledge."

"In the future, the imperial examinations will be based on the officially designated classics, and examiners will no longer be able to make arbitrary decisions based on family background, personal preferences, or private views. At that time, the poor students who study hard will have a real opportunity to compete on the same stage as the students of the gentry and be judged based on their talents."

At this point, Li Shimin's tone became somewhat somber, carrying a hint of the helplessness of an emperor surveying the situation:

"Furthermore, you only know how to hate the aristocratic families, but if you really uproot and wipe them out, who will be able to manage the prefectures and govern the country for the Tang Dynasty?"

"Can these impoverished scholars alone support such a vast empire?"

Even he himself didn't realize that, in this confrontation with Li Xiang, he no longer merely regarded him as a rebellious brat spouting wild words. Unconsciously, his words carried a hint of examination, debate, and even a lamentation about the difficulties of the court.

"The Tang Dynasty has a vast territory, with numerous prefectures and counties, requiring a vast number of officials. Since I ascended the throne, I have never deliberately suppressed those from humble backgrounds. On the contrary, I have promoted and given important positions to scholars from humble backgrounds. But you might as well open your eyes and see that there are very few people from humble backgrounds in the whole country who can concentrate on studying and learning. Among them, those who are knowledgeable in government affairs and capable of undertaking important tasks of governing are even rarer."

"Even if I were to take the risk and disregard the turmoil in the court and the upheaval in the world, and purge all the aristocratic families as you suggested, in the end there would be no enough learned men in the country to govern and fill the vacancies. The court would be empty and the prefectures and counties would be without officials. This great country would still be shaken and difficult to maintain its stability."

"What you're saying is nothing but recklessness!"

When Li Shimin got emotional, he forgot to be angry and rebuke. Instead, he seemed to be revealing his innermost thoughts, slowly explaining his years of weighing the pros and cons.

The aristocratic class monopolized classical texts and controlled scholarship; the poor and weak lacked the resources to pursue learning and had few capable individuals. These two long-standing problems had been weighing on his mind for many years, a dilemma that even the Emperor of Tang could not easily resolve.

"Even if one acts rashly, it is far better than turning a blind eye and being cowardly in shirking responsibility," Li Xiang said firmly, not giving an inch.

"It is an indisputable fact that aristocratic families monopolize classical learning. But precisely because of this, we should not harbor any resentment, nor should we constantly compromise and yield, thus chilling the hearts of the common people!"

"You dare not easily touch the powerful clans, because the Li Tang dynasty itself originated from powerful families. The foundation of imperial power largely relied on the support of these clans. But Your Majesty has forgotten that the reason these powerful families were able to rise to power was because they controlled access to government positions and monopolized official careers, thus ruthlessly robbing ordinary people of their livelihood and voice!"

"They bleed the people dry to strengthen themselves; they are vermin that gnaw at the foundation of the nation. Relying on and indulging them will only lead to the gradual depletion of the country and the weakening of its strength. Only by truly standing on the side of the people and putting them first can the world achieve lasting peace and stability."

"The more the aristocratic families control the examination halls and block the path for the poor to advance, the more firmly Your Majesty, as the ruler of the world, should stand on the side of the people, win back their hearts from the aristocratic families, and protect the livelihoods of the poor."

"You say there are few scholars from poor families, and even fewer capable individuals? Then the court should devote its full resources to supporting them, establishing more schools, relaxing the regulations and thresholds for those from poor families to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, and strictly prohibiting aristocratic families from crowding out the path to advancement for those from humble backgrounds. The court should find ways to support and provide a path for any poor child who aspires to learn. No matter how poor, education should not be neglected. Your Majesty, as the emperor, surely understands this simple principle?"

"Let's talk about the monopoly of academia by aristocratic families."

Li Xiang then changed the subject, frankly revealing the crux of the matter:

"His Majesty ordered Kong Yingda to revise the 'Correct Meaning of the Five Classics,' intending to take back the right to interpret knowledge from private clans and return it to the court, so that the court could set the standards."

"However, the Four Books and Five Classics are profound in meaning and elegant in language. Ordinary poor children, without books or teachers, still have to become disciples of aristocratic scholars if they want to study them."

"Whether the interpretations of the classics are right or wrong, and whether the exam questions are of high or low quality, isn't it all decided by the words of these aristocratic officials and Confucian scholars?"

"Most of the renowned scholars of our time come from prominent families, and their roots are still in their aristocratic lineage. In the future, they can still form cliques and collude to create their own power, secretly influencing the court and controlling the imperial examinations."

"Your plan, though seemingly far-sighted and comprehensive, is actually just going around in circles and returning to the same old path. It's completely unnecessary and only treats the symptoms, not the root cause!"

Later, the imperial court promulgated the Five Classics and their interpretations, but the imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty were still controlled by powerful families. Students who wanted to take the exams still had to submit their papers everywhere, attach themselves to high-ranking officials and nobles, and gain the support of powerful families in order to have a chance of passing.

Throughout the Tang Dynasty, officials from humble backgrounds remained few and far between, while powerful and aristocratic families controlled the court and could decide the fate of those from poor families with a mere wave of their hand.

When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when it falls, the people suffer. The Tang Dynasty, which is now and will soon shine brightly in the world, may belong to the emperor's relatives and noble families, but ultimately, it has never belonged to the ordinary people who truly support the entire world.

Oh, the evil feudal era!

"Where...where did you learn all this from..." Li Shimin frowned in thought, becoming increasingly horrified the more he thought about it.

This brat, though his words were mostly sarcastic, but...

He had never even considered the reason behind it...

There's no way to refute it!

"He's just a little more farsighted than His Majesty," Li Xiang said, pursing his lips as he continued his policy of infuriating Li Er to the point of death.

"His Majesty is old and senile, and dares not face the aristocratic families. He only thinks about deceiving himself, prolonging his life, and getting by."

"If Your Majesty could devote half the energy you would to dealing with your son to dealing with those powerful families, I'm afraid the Tang Dynasty would have long since enjoyed peace and prosperity, and its rule would have been secure forever."

"...You brat." Looking at Li Xiang's mocking face, Li Shimin was so angry that his beard trembled for a long time before he finally blurted out those two words.

But perhaps because he had been angered so much that he had developed immunity, he now had the leisure to seriously examine Li Xiang from head to toe, which made Li Xiang feel a chill run down his spine.

"Oh, okay."

"Since you consider yourself superior to me, I will make an exception and grant you this one. I order you to resolve the long-standing problems within the Imperial Academy."

Li Shimin suddenly let out a cold laugh, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes, and a smile curled at the corner of his lips. But that smile carried a deep malice.

"Since you always talk big and believe your knowledge and strategies far surpass mine, I will make an exception and give you a chance to solve the deep-seated problems of the Imperial Academy."

His gaze fixed intently on Li Xiang, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"Aren't you always good at using your sharp tongue, repeatedly contradicting me and deliberately provoking me? Aren't you always so fearless and eager to die?"

"If you handle this matter poorly, disrupt the situation, or act without any method,..."

"I hereby exile you to Qianzhou, imprisoning you in a remote and desolate place, where you shall never set foot back in Chang'an for the rest of your life."

"I'd like to see if, when we reach those remote and desolate mountains, your sharp tongue will still be able to maintain its arrogance and challenge my authority, even from a distance of thousands of miles!"