RPAGF Chapter 303 Aren't you afraid of grinding an iron rod into a needle?
Chapter 303 Aren't you afraid of grinding an iron rod into a needle?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan was struck dumb, then overjoyed!
Not only did Brother Zheng not blame me, he was even going to help me cover it up!
"Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty is truly a wise ruler unlike any other in history, mighty and brave, with a heart as vast as the four seas. My admiration for Your Majesty is like a surging river, never-ending..."
In his excitement, Zhang Fan blurted out all the modern sycophantic terms.
Upon hearing this extremely exaggerated flattery, Ying Zheng on the high platform instantly darkened his face, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Get out!" Ying Zheng snapped angrily.
"Yes! I'll leave right now! I'll leave right now!"
Seeing that he had the upper hand, Zhang Fan quickly got up from the ground, bowed, and left Zhangtai Palace.
It wasn't until he stepped over the high threshold of the main hall and was hit by the cold wind outside that Zhang Fan realized his back was already soaked in cold sweat.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, breathed a sigh of relief, and glanced back at Zhangtai Palace.
"I never imagined that this, a capital offense of treason and collusion with the enemy, would be so easily overlooked..."
Zhang Fan patted his chest, secretly relieved.
After Zhang Fan disappeared outside the main hall!
A figure slowly emerged from behind a screen deep within the main hall.
It was none other than Li Si, the Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty.
Li Si frowned, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Ying Zheng on the high platform, his eyes full of doubt:
"Your Majesty, this old minister truly does not understand. The Immortal Master's unauthorized sale of government coal, even implicating remnants of the Chu Kingdom, is a grave crime. Even if it is not thoroughly investigated, it should at least be severely punished. Why... why was this matter so easily dismissed?"
In Li Si's view, the laws of the Qin Dynasty were strict!
Zhang Fan's actions have crossed the line into treason; for anyone else, even nine heads wouldn't be enough to warrant execution.
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng put down his vermilion brush and smiled faintly.
"Trying to fool me? Does he think his little bit of cleverness can fool my eyes?"
Ying Zheng slowly stood up, his gaze sharp as he looked outside the hall. "Li Si," he said, "the Black Ice Guard uncovered some clues about the Xiang clan of Jiangdong several days ago. These remnants of Chu think they're hiding well, but they're already in my trap. They can't escape!"
"As for the owner of Ji Honglou..."
Ying Zheng paused, his tone somewhat nonchalant, "She's just a descendant of the Mi clan of Chu. A mere woman can't cause any real trouble. The reason I won't pursue the matter is because I see that this rascal has indeed changed and become much more composed after his trip to Shangdang County!"
Ying Zheng turned to Li Si and said, "It's fine to entrust the descendants of the Mi clan to his personal care; consider it a whetstone for him!"
Upon hearing Ying Zheng's words, Li Si shook his head helplessly in his heart.
Whetstone?
Aren't you afraid of grinding an iron rod into a needle?
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are far too biased towards that brat Zhang Fan!
This is practically treating the serious crime of treason like child's play, just giving someone a few lashes and calling it a day.
However, since His Majesty had spoken, Li Si naturally dared not say anything more.
"These are all minor details right now."
Ying Zheng changed the subject, his expression solemn, and stared at Li Si, saying, "The foundation of Qin's lasting prosperity lies in its talent. The most important thing right now is Qin's first imperial examination!"
"Li Si, the paper at the paper mill is already being laid out. How are your plans coming along?"
When the conversation turned to business, Li Si immediately composed himself and respectfully replied:
"Your Majesty, this old minister and several senior officials have been discussing day and night and have roughly determined the ranks for the imperial examinations."
"This imperial examination will be divided into three levels. The first level is the 'County Examination,' held in each county to select students from the grassroots; the second level is the 'Prefectural Examination,' jointly supervised by the prefectural governors and specially appointed examiners from the imperial court to select the outstanding candidates; the third level is the 'Palace Examination,' in which Your Majesty will personally set the questions and conduct the examination in Xianyang Palace to determine the pillars of the nation!"
After listening, Ying Zheng nodded slightly: "County examination, prefectural examination, palace examination, each step progressively—this method is excellent! Now that the rules are set, why do you look troubled?"
Li Si gave a bitter smile and sighed:
"Your Majesty is wise. Although the regulations have been established, there is one major problem that makes this old minister hesitate."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Exam questions!"
Li Si frowned and explained helplessly, "In the past, the Qin Dynasty selected officials mainly through recommendations and military merits. Now we are pioneering this imperial examination system!"
This old minister truly does not know what level of questions should be asked for the county examination, prefectural examination, and palace examination, and what emphasis should be placed on the examination.
If the questions are too difficult, I fear that not a single student from a poor family in the world will be able to pass them.
If it were too easy, I fear we wouldn't be able to select truly capable rulers. Therefore, this old minister has yet to make a decision.
After listening to Li Si's complaints, Ying Zheng remained silent for a moment.
Then, the image of Zhang Fan making a hasty escape suddenly flashed into his mind, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"hehe……"
Ying Zheng burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the imperial desk. "What's so difficult about that!"
"Since this lad has just returned to the capital, feels he's fooled me and is now free of burdens, then let Zhang Fan handle this difficult imperial examination problem!"
"By imperial decree, I hereby appoint Zhang Fan, the Great Qin Immortal Master, to be fully responsible for drafting the three levels of examination questions for the first Great Qin Imperial Examination, effective immediately! If there are any errors, I will punish him for all his crimes, both new and old!"
……
Meanwhile, Zhang Fan, who had just left the palace, was unaware that a huge black pot was about to be thrown at him.
Overjoyed at escaping death, he hummed an unknown tune and strolled with an air of nonchalance towards the mansion where Mi Yueyao was imprisoned.
"Hehe, now that the matter in Shangdang County is over, it's time to interrogate that audacious female rebel!"
Zhang Fan felt secretly pleased with himself, pushed open the gate of the mansion, and swaggered inside.
However, the moment he stepped through the moon gate into the backyard, the scene before him instantly froze the smile on his face, leaving him standing there dumbfounded as if struck by lightning.
What the hell is going on here?
In the center of the spacious and quiet courtyard, Mi Yueyao, who had been tied up with hemp rope by herself, was now wearing a light and comfortable silk dress and lying lazily on a rocking chair.
The warm early autumn sun shone on her beautiful face. She closed her eyes slightly and held a steaming cup of tea in her hand. She looked so content!
And in the corner of the courtyard...
The guards responsible for watching over the mansion, as well as several Mohist disciples, were all tied up and thrown on the ground like wrapped rice dumplings!
Each person had a large wad of rag stuffed in their mouth, and could only stare wide-eyed, making "woo woo woo" cries for help at Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his scalp tingled.
"What...what do you want to do?"