Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Chapter 832 The Disadvantages of the Imperial Examination
It was not a sudden decision to return to Chang'an City. Li Qinzai did have an important matter to see Li Zhi.

In his place, seek his government.

Since I have accepted the errand for the scientific examination, I have to do it well. If it is perfunctory, why should I agree to others?

Walking into Anren Hall, Li Qinzai removed his shoes and entered the hall. He stood in the hall and was about to salute, but he saw Li Zhi and Empress Wu sitting side by side.

Li Qinzai straightened his clothes, bowed his head and said, "I pay my respects..."

He was interrupted by Li Zhi before he finished speaking: "What are you meeting, Jing Chu, come over quickly and help me see what's wrong..."

"Uh……"

"Uh shit, come quickly." Li Zhi said impatiently.

Li Qinzai had no choice but to step forward and take a closer look at the table in front of Li Zhi, but saw a huge casserole on the table, and there were a few black sticks in the casserole, exuding an unpleasant smell.

Li Qinzai was startled, he stepped back two steps in fright, and said in astonishment: "Why is your Majesty playing shit? This is not a good habit, I must risk my life to remonstrate..."

Li Zhi was stunned: "Play, play...shit?"

Then he was furious: "I didn't play shit!"

Empress Wu finally couldn't help laughing, and quickly turned her head, shrugging her shoulders.

Li Qinzai pointed to the casserole in front of him and said, "What is this?"

Li Zhi's cheeks twitched violently, and he said sadly: "I said it's a pig's trotter, do you believe it?"

"Your Majesty, don't joke, how could the pig's trotters be made like this? The dog in the minister's family is better at cooking than him," Li Qinzai smiled, and then asked: "By the way, Your Majesty, who made this thing? I think this person has the heart to murder His Majesty, so I must question him and have a good trial."

Empress Wu's shoulders shrugged more violently, and Li Zhi remained silent for a long while with a gloomy face.

Li Qinzai saw the weird expressions of the two of them, and after a moment of stunned, he seemed to understand something, and immediately changed his words: "Uh, in fact, the pig's trotters are not too well done...Well, from the outside, it is still quite a bit Food charm."

"High-end ingredients often only need the simplest cooking method. Master Li who has been busy all day... Cough, Your Majesty, the highest state of food is 'burnt on the outside and tender on the inside'. This pig's trotter is quite the highest state of food in my view." .”

Li Zhi said sadly: "The outer burnt is true, but the inner tenderness...is really not there."

Li Qinzai couldn't make it up any more, so he could only say awkwardly: "This pig's trotter was made by His Majesty himself?"

Li Zhi said decisively: "No, I haven't done any pig's trotters. I was just playing with shit just now. Jing Chu said that this habit is not good. I will quit in the future."

Empress Wu, who couldn't help laughing, panted and called the eunuchs, and asked them to take away the unsightly casserole in front of them.

It wasn't until the pig's trotters in the casserole were out of sight that Li Zhi and Li Qinzai's tangled expressions returned to normal.

"If your majesty wants to eat pig's trotters, I will write down the secret cooking recipe. If your majesty is free to cook in person, you can cook according to the secret recipe. I promise that the taste will not be bad." Li Qinzai said wittily.

Li Zhi's smile brightened immediately: "Jing Chu understands me!"

Empress Wu glanced at Li Qinzai, then smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that you must avoid meat and oil, and pig's trotters are too fat, so you should not eat more. Your Majesty must take care of your body."

Li Zhi waved his hand: "I know, I just taste it once in a while, and I won't eat too much."

Li Qinzai said again: "Your Majesty, you can eat some red meat in moderation. It just so happened that my Zhuangzi injured a cow again yesterday, and I will send some beef to the palace tomorrow. I will write a secret recipe for cooking beef for Your Majesty. Your Majesty." And accept it with a smile."

Li Zhi was overjoyed, and said with a smile: "Jing Chu is the most considerate, I might as well keep an eye on the cows on your farm, maybe you will hurt a few more, then you can send more beef."

"Yes, I guarantee that the cattle on Zhuangzi must have frequent accidents."

Seeing the monarch and his ministers singing together, Empress Wu couldn't help rolling her eyes.

After the monarch and ministers finished chatting, Li Zhicai asked, "Why did Jingchu suddenly enter the palace today? Is there something wrong?"

Li Qinzai said sternly: "The minister came here for the scientific research. If you have advice, please accept your advice."

Li Zhi also sat up straight, and the expression of Empress Wu beside him also became serious.

After pondering for a moment, Li Zhi was planning to ask Sheren to enter the palace to record the performance of the monarch and his ministers, but was stopped by Li Qinzai in time.

"Your Majesty, I just made a small suggestion, it doesn't need to be too formal."

Li Zhi nodded: "Okay, you said, I'm listening."

Li Qinzai thought for a while, and said: "Your Majesty, the scientific examination is related to the fate of the country and the imperial power, so don't be careless. First of all, you must understand that the imperial examination system conflicts with the interests of today's aristocratic families."

"Since the fall of Changsun Wuji, His Majesty has implemented the imperial examination system. There are many opponents in the current aristocratic families. They are very hostile to the scientific examinations that His Majesty is promoting."

Li Zhi nodded: "That's right, but the more hostile the family is, the more correct the imperial examination system is, and the more I want to carry it out."

Li Qinzai continued: "Because of the hostility of the aristocratic families, the implementation of these imperial examination systems was not smooth. The aristocratic families took advantage of their power and reputation among the people to take advantage of the loopholes in the imperial examination system."

"Has Your Majesty made any statistics, how many of the Jinshi who have been admitted to official positions through the imperial examination these years are from real poor families, and how many of them are actually from aristocratic families?"

Li Zhi's expression became serious, and he said slowly: "Last year, the Ministry of Rites gave me a list, and they counted the list of first-ranked scholars in the four scientific examinations in the past 12 years. The remaining [-]% are the children of the master's family who are moderately well-to-do."

Li Qinzai was silent for a moment, and said: "That is to say, with the imperial examination system that His Majesty is vigorously promoting, most of the final candidates of the imperial court are still descendants of aristocratic families."

"Your Majesty's original intention was to give the children of poor families a chance to succeed, and at the same time curb the expansion of the family's power. However, the result of the imperial examination system has become the back garden of the family's elite."

Li Zhi's face was gloomy, and Empress Wu beside him also frowned and remained silent.

Empress Wu murmured: "Most scholars in the world come from aristocratic families. Perhaps this is something that can't be helped. After all, only those from wealthy families can afford to support scholars. Is this the reason why most of the Jinshi are from aristocratic families?"

Li Qinzai cupped his hands and said, "I have something to say, it's not nice to say it, but I have to say it."

Empress Wu also corrected her attitude and said: "It's a major matter for the country, but it's okay to say it. Your Majesty and this palace are not people who can't listen to bad advice."

Li Qinzai hesitated for a moment, and said: "I think that there are not as few scholars in the world as your majesty and queen imagined."

"In fact, the average middle-class family can afford at least one scholar, and in order to leapfrog the middle class, all wealthy families will definitely support their children to study."

"Even if it is a child from a poor family, as long as there is a slight opportunity, such as a teacher in the village, such as a smart and studious child, the poor family will grit their teeth and support one. This is an opportunity to change the fate of the family, and no one will not cherish it."

(End of this chapter)