such as Yue Linyuan

After Chu Yuezhi spoke, Wu Yonglian was unable to answer for a while.

It wasn't until the two young eunuchs moved the chair for Wu Yonglian into the Nuan Pavilion according to Chu Yuezhi's intention, that Chu Yuezhi looked at Wu Yonglian who was still hanging his hands and looked a little embarrassed and said, "Why, Wu Shangshu doesn't agree with my proposal. Decide?"

Although the chair had been moved to the side, and Si Yuanting, who was also a courtier, was also sitting, Wu Yonglian still stood upright on the spot and did not sit down.

He hesitated again and again, until the two young eunuchs went out quietly again, and finally replied: "Your Majesty, forgive me, this decision of Your Majesty may cause public resentment."

Nearly half a year after the completion of the township examination, the general examination is coming soon. At this time, it is suddenly cancelled. How can the candidates not complain?

I thought Chu Yuezhi would be unhappy when he heard this, but unexpectedly Chu Yuezhi smiled after hearing this, and said, "I just want to arouse public grievances."

Wu Yonglian was stunned, speechless at the moment, really didn't know how to reply.

Chu Yuezhi held the hand stove in one hand, and the belly of the other finger slowly rubbed against the intricate carvings on the cover of the hand stove. Lowering his eyes, Chu Yuezhi suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth, and asked in a deep voice: "Wu Shangshu, what are you doing?" Do you think that if the imperial examinations are held as usual, can we select the available talents for the imperial court that satisfy me?"

Although it is not clear what Chu Yuezhi meant, but facing Chu Yuezhi's sharp question, Wu Yonglian still answered truthfully: "According to the level of the number one scholar, the second place and the third prize selected in the past few years, even if the imperial examination is held as usual, I'm afraid it will be difficult to select the talented person His Majesty wants."

"If that's the case, why do I still waste time, manpower and material resources to hold the imperial examination?" Although Chu Yuezhi was asking a question, he no longer needed Wu Yonglian's answer. Although his brows were full of heroic spirit, he couldn't hide his exhaustion, but he also showed a dignified and dignified look. Leng Yi, "Imperial examinations are for the selection of talented people who can be used by me, not for the selection of a bunch of elm heads who only know how to cling to the powerful, corrupt and corrupt, and have no people and no country in their hearts. Give the money that should be spent on the people to those court moths who don't do anything."

When he was a general and commander in chief, he was well versed in the principle of raising soldiers for a thousand days and using them for a short time. He trained his soldiers every day, and he never slack off.Now that he is the emperor, his views have not changed. What's more, the court has never employed people for a while, otherwise why would he go to court early every day, and how could he pile up memorials from all over the world before his case every day?

Wu Yonglian understood Chu Yuezhi's words, but he was still worried, and said, "But Your Majesty, you suddenly canceled the upcoming imperial examination, and the next one will have to wait for three years. I am only worried that the public grievances will not be subsided. Injury to His Majesty's reputation."

Chu Yuezhi snorted, disapproving of the so-called holy reputation Wu Yonglian mentioned.

He has never been a person who cares about false fame. Over the years, his reputation has also risen and fallen. He has been praised by the people and scolded by the people, but neither praise nor scolding has affected him in the slightest. He only does what he thinks is right. As for how the people talked about him, it never mattered.

"Wu Shangshu, in the past few years, have you ever heard people dare to publicly criticize the emperor?" Si Yuanting asked him suddenly, because Wu Yonglian had never sat down, so he stood up from his chair when he spoke Standing up to show respect, "Wu Shangshu should still remember how many bans were issued during the reign of Emperor Min Mourning. The people resisted at the beginning, then dared not speak out, and finally even reached the point of insensitivity."

"It's not insensitive." Wu Yonglian said very lightly. He seemed to have remembered something, and there was a flash of pain in his expression. You can get rewards for reporting to the government. There was a long period of time when neighbors, friends and even relatives reported to each other based on hearsay or rumors. As a result, countless unjust, false and wrong cases were born. Dare to say no The scariest thing, the scariest thing, is that there is only one voice left, and there is no room for different opinions.”

The absolute power exercised by Chu Yuelei is actually tyranny. He does not allow the people to discuss him, does not allow the people to oppose him, and does not allow anyone to say that he is wrong. He is the emperor, and all comments related to him must be positive The common people even want to sing praises of his new dynasty after he ascended the throne, otherwise it would be disrespectful, and once known, it would be a serious crime of beheading.

Although Wu Yonglian is only in his 50s, just looking at his appearance can easily make people think that he is already over [-].Si Yuanting looked at him, although there was little communication in private, the past events that happened were always engraved in the hearts of the two of them.

Wu Yonglian was a student of Si Chongde back then. After the disaster of the Si family, the official career of Wu Yonglian, who had already entered the officialdom, was gloomy, and he was suppressed for several years. However, this was not the most painful thing, it made Wu Yonglian feel the most painful. A few years ago, when he was drunk, he told his own son that he felt sad and angry for the Zhongliang family of the Si family, and his son who wanted to cling to the powerful reported it to Fang Benhe, the Minister of Rites at that time. If it hadn't been for Si Yuanting, who was already the eunuch of palm printing at that time, to suppress the matter after learning about it, Wu Yonglian would have died in prison before he could survive this early day.

On the night Wu Yonglian was denounced and imprisoned by his own son, he aged over ten years overnight. After he was released from prison, he walked to the Dugong’s Mansion in the heavy snow, and thanked Si Yuanting for saving his life outside the gate of the Dugong’s Mansion. .At that time, Si Yuanting had no kindness in his heart. Although he rescued Wu Yonglian from prison, when Wu Yonglian kowtowed outside the Dugong's mansion, he ordered someone to wrap the already deformed body of Wu Yonglian's son in a broken mat Towed back to Wu Mansion.

Si Yuanting saved Wu Yonglian and also killed Wu Yonglian's only son. Less than half a year later, Wu Yonglian's mother and wife died of illness one after another. Wu Yonglian remained silent for a long time after that, and was not promoted by Si Yuanting as Minister of Rites until last year.

Perhaps it is because this past has dealt too much blow to Wu Yonglian, Wu Yonglian has never continued, and he is still alone.

This is true for officials with integrity, let alone ordinary people.

"Wu Shangshu, it's not that I don't know many things, but I have the will and powerlessness." Si Yuanting said, he seldom defended himself, and he would never say such a sentence in the past.When he said this at this moment, he didn't want to defend himself in the past, but just to lead to more important things in the future.

Looking directly at Wu Yonglian's old face, Si Yuanting said: "The people of Daheng Kingdom have been blinded for a long time. Your Majesty has agreed with me that after the opening of the dynasty, all the prohibitions issued by Emperor Min Mourning in the past seven years will be abolished. .”

There was good charcoal burning in the warm pavilion, which produced heat but no smoke, but for some reason, Wu Yonglian felt as if his eyes had been smoked into his eyes, and the eye sockets were sore. After a while, his eyes were blurred. He still couldn't believe it. To be able to wait for the day when the emperor, the sage, and the ministers are virtuous, this is the expectation he had given up long ago. Even if Chu Yuezhi rehabilitated the Si family and the Huangfu family before, and asked him to make the first plan for the reform of the official school system, he failed. He truly believed that Chu Yuezhi would be the Mingjun whom he secretly hoped to meet when he entered the officialdom.

Chu Yuezhi turned the hand stove in his palm again and again, but he still felt it was too hot, so he put the hand stove on the low table and said, "I am not afraid of being discussed by the people. What I am really afraid of is that the people still dare not speak out after the ban is abolished." Wu Shangshu, you have been a person who has been muffled for many years, and there are many people like you in Daheng. I don’t need a elm head, but only the reform of the official school is not enough. Before the reform of the official school , I hope to smash the high wall that blocks thoughts."

He is not afraid of being scolded, what he is afraid of is that the people dare not scold him.

After abolishing the ban, he issued a notice to cancel the scientific examination. He didn't want to waste time, energy and money to organize a scientific examination that could not select talents. Let the people scold, let them scold, and let them understand that the new dynasty will be different from the past. They no longer have to worry about misfortunes coming out of their mouths, and they don’t have to worry that they will face prison or even lose their lives because of a slight slip of the tongue. .

Only when the people dare to speak out, can he hear the real voice of the people; only when the old rules and regulations are broken, can new rules be established.

He doesn't want to be a lone king who can't hear the voice of the people, so he wants the people of Daheng Kingdom to dare to be angry, speak up, and dare to think, so that the reform of government schools and other series of new regulations that he will implement down the road will be justified. Significant.

"Wu Shangshu, Mencius has a saying, and I deeply believe it." Chu Yuezhi said, he raised his eyes to look at the words hanging on the wall of the Nuan Pavilion, which was written by him after he ascended the throne to remind himself of the king's way that he must never forget. "The people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least."

He has always believed that only the people are the most important, the country is second, and the monarch is the lightest of the three.He wants to promote benevolent government, so that all people will no longer live under the fear of power and tyranny.

Wu Yonglian lowered his head and wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeves. He already understood the deep meaning behind Chu Yuezhi's decision to cancel the scientific examination.The minister of Zhongzheng, who had been depressed for many years, knelt down tremblingly to Chu Yuezhi. Wu Yonglian kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is the people's good fortune to have a monarch like you in Daheng Kingdom, and it is even more so for our ministers." Fortunately!"

Chu Yuezhi sighed, got down from the couch, leaned over to Wu Yonglian to help him up, and said, "Wu Shangshu, I am very happy to have such a good minister as you, and from now on, don't be so sloppy with me. Kneel down, here with me, the way of a monarch and his ministers is to respect each other, not me blindly oppressing with the status of the emperor and the imperial power."

Wu Yonglian lowered his head. He is a scholar who reads the books of sages and sages and abides by etiquette. Even if Chu Yuezhi said so, he still did not dare to break the long-standing principle of monarch and minister. , the cancellation of the scientific examination, I will definitely handle it well, so as not to disappoint His Majesty."

Nodding his head, Chu Yuezhi withdrew his hand and said, "Okay, Wu Shangshu, please step back, I have other matters to discuss with Master Si."

Wu Yonglian took a step back, bowed to Chu Yuezhi and bowed again, and then took his leave.

After Wu Yonglian came out of the Nuan Pavilion, Chu Yuezhi, who had no energy to say more, leaned in Si Yuanting's arms for a long time, and finally gave up fighting with his masculinity that could not stand up in front of Si Yuanting, and hugged Si Yuanting. Yuan Ting's neck asked him to carry him back to Xiefang Hall to rest.