Returning to Chang'an City was not a sudden decision. Li Qinzai did have an important meeting with Li Zhi.
In his position, he seeks his own government.
Since you have accepted the errand of setting the questions for the scientific examination, you must do the job well. If you do it perfunctorily, why should you agree to others?
Entering the Anren Hall, Li Qinzai took off his shoes and walked in. He stood in the hall and was about to salute when he saw Li Zhi and Empress Wu sitting side by side. Empress Wu covered her mouth and suppressed a smile, while Li Zhi stared at the table in front of him with a sad face.
Li Qinzai straightened his clothes, bowed his head and said, "I pay my respects..."
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Li Zhi: "What are you saying? Jingchu, come here quickly and help me find out what went wrong..."
"Well……"
"Uh-huh, come on." 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. He saw a huge casserole on the table. There were several black strips in the casserole, exuding an unpleasant smell.
Li Qinzai was startled and took two steps back. He said in shock: "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 got angry: "I'm not playing shit!"
Empress Wu finally couldn't help laughing, quickly turned her head and shrugged her shoulders.
Li Qinzai pointed to the casserole in front of him and said, "What is this?"
Li Zhi's cheek twitched fiercely, and he said sadly: "I said it is a pig's trotter, do you believe it?"
"Your Majesty, don't be ridiculous. How could a pig's trotters be made like this? Even the dogs in my family are better at cooking than it is." Li Qinzai smiled and then asked: "By the way, Your Majesty, who made this thing?" I think this person has the intention to harm His Majesty, so I must question him and give him a good trial."
Empress Wu's shoulders shrugged even more violently, and Li Zhi remained sullen and silent for a while.
Li Qinzai saw the strange expressions of the two of them. After being stunned for a moment, he seemed to understand something, and immediately changed his words: "Well, actually, these pig's trotters are not too well made... well, from the appearance, they are quite... The food is charming.”
"High-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods. Master Li has been busy for a day... Ahem, Your Majesty, the highest state of gourmet food is 'scorched on the outside and tender on the inside'. I look at this pig's trotters, which is already the highest state of gourmet food. .”
Li Zhi said with a sad expression: "The outer burnt is true, but the inner tenderness...is really not there."
Li Qinzai couldn't make up any more, so he could only say: "Did your Majesty make these pig's trotters yourself?"
Li Zhi said flatly: "No, I haven't made any pig trotters. I just played with shit. Jing Chu said that this habit is not good. I will quit it in the future."
Empress Wu, who couldn't stop laughing, gasped and called the eunuchs, asking them to take away the unsightly casserole in front of them.
It wasn't until the pig's trotters in the casserole left their 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 recipe. If your majesty is free to cook it yourself, you can make it according to the secret recipe. I guarantee that the taste will be the same." Li Qinzai said knowingly.
Li Zhi's smile suddenly brightened: "Jing Chu understands me!"
Empress Wu glanced at Li Qinzai and then said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the imperial doctor said that you should avoid meat and oil. Pig's trotters are too fat and should not be eaten in large quantities. Your Majesty should take care of yourself."
Li Zhi waved his hand: "I know, I just taste it occasionally, I won't eat more."
Li Qinzai added: "Your Majesty, you can eat some red meat appropriately. It happened that Zhuangzi, your Majesty, fell and injured another cow yesterday. I will send some beef to the palace tomorrow. I will write a secret recipe for making beef to 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. You might as well keep an eye on the cattle on your farm. Maybe a few more will be injured. Then you can send more beef."
"Yes, I guarantee that the cattle on Zhuangzi will often have accidents."
Seeing the monarch and his ministers singing in harmony, Empress Wu couldn't help but roll her eyes.
After the monarch and his ministers finished chatting, Li Zhicai asked: "Why did Jingchu suddenly enter the palace today? Is there something wrong?"
Li Qinzai said seriously: "I am here for a scientific examination. If you have any suggestions, please accept your advice."
Li Zhi also sat up straight, and the expression of Empress Wu next to him also became serious.
After pondering for a moment, Li Zhizheng was about to ask the minister to enter the palace to record the performance of the emperor and his ministers, but was stopped by Li Qinzai at the right time.
"Your Majesty, I just want to make a small suggestion. It doesn't need to be too formal."
Li Zhi nodded: "Okay, I'll listen."
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 we must not be cautious. First of all, we must understand that the imperial examination system is in conflict with the interests of today's aristocratic families."
"Since the fall of Changsun Wuji, His Majesty has implemented the imperial examination system. Today, there are many opponents in the aristocratic families. They are very hostile to the imperial examinations promoted by His Majesty."
Li Zhi nodded: "Yes, but the more hostile the family is, the more correct the imperial examination system is, and the more I want to implement it."
Li Qinzai continued: "Due to the hostility of the aristocratic families, the implementation of these imperial examination systems was actually not smooth. The aristocratic families used their power and reputation among the people to take advantage of the loopholes of the imperial examination system."
"Has your Majesty made statistics on how many of the Jinshi who have entered official positions through the imperial examination in recent years are truly from poor families, and how many of them actually come from aristocratic families?"
Li Zhi's expression became serious and he said slowly: "Last year, the Ministry of Rites gave me a list. They compiled the list of first-class scholars who took the four scientific examinations in the past twelve years. Among them, no less than 70% were from various aristocratic families. , the remaining 30% are the children of moderately well-to-do masters."
Li Qinzai was silent for a moment and said: "In other words, under the imperial examination system promoted by His Majesty, most of the final candidates for the imperial court are still children of aristocratic families."
"His Majesty's original intention was to give the children of poor families a chance to get ahead, and at the same time to curb the expansion of the power of the aristocratic families. However, the result of the imperial examination system has still become the back garden of the aristocratic families."
Li Zhi's face was gloomy, and Empress Wu beside him also frowned and said nothing.
Empress Wu pondered: "Most of the scholars in the world come from aristocratic families. Maybe there is nothing we can do about it. After all, only those from wealthy families can afford to support scholars. Is this the reason why most of the scholars from aristocratic families are Jinshi?"
Li Qinzai cupped his hands and said, "I have some things to say that don't sound good, but I have to say them."
Empress Wu also corrected her attitude and said: "It's a big matter for the country, but it doesn't matter. Your Majesty and I are not people who can't listen to unfavorable advice."
Li Qinzai hesitated for a moment and said, "I thought that there were not as few scholars in the world as your Majesty and the Queen imagined."
"In fact, the average middle-class family can afford at least one scholar, and in order to cross the middle class, those from a wealthy family will definitely support their children to study."
"Even if a child from a poor family has a slight chance, for example, if there is a teacher in the village, or if the child is smart and studious, the poor family will bite the bullet and support one. This is an opportunity to change the fate of the family, and no one will cherish it."
(End of chapter)
