Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 631: Chapter 314 Zhao Yao’s Proposal

Zhao Yao described in detail the process of organizing the imperial examination to the Emperor and Prime Minister He. Of course, this included the content of the imperial examination.

After listening, both the Emperor and Prime Minister He were deeply shocked, showing expressions of immense surprise.

After Zhao Yao finished speaking, he saw the Emperor and Prime Minister He staring blankly at him, without any reaction for quite a while, so he tentatively asked, "Father Emperor, Prime Minister He, what do you think of the imperial examination?"

This question brought the Emperor and Prime Minister He back from their state of disbelief. Their eyes were filled with incredulity as they looked at him.

"Good! Very good!" When the Emperor spoke, his tone was slightly trembling.

Prime Minister He also snapped back to reality, and in his excitement, his speech became stammered, "This... this... this..." He stammered for a while, unable to complete a sentence.

The Emperor’s face was flushed red from excitement as he looked at Zhao Yao with fiery eyes. He was exerting great effort to control his emotions so as not to lose composure in front of his youngest son.

"Tell me again about the contents of the imperial examination." Just now, Zhao Yao had said too much, and due to his agitated mood, the Emperor did not remember all of it.

"Wait." Prime Minister He suddenly exclaimed, then stood up and saluted the Emperor, "Your Majesty, please grant pen and paper, I wish to write down what His Highness has said."

Hearing this, the Emperor immediately handed the pen and paper from the table to Prime Minister He.

Prime Minister He first thanked the Emperor, then reached out to take the pen and paper. He then saluted Zhao Yao with a tone full of respect, "Your Highness, could I ask you to start over from the beginning?"

Zhao Yao readily agreed, "Sure, I’ll say it again." He started telling them from the provincial examination once more. This time, he spoke slowly to make it easier for Prime Minister He to take notes.

In the first explanation, Zhao Yao did not elaborate on what was tested from the beginning of the provincial examination. This time, he explained in detail what each test should cover. He did not completely copy the historical content of the imperial examination from the dream world of another Zhao Yao. He thought that if it only tested the Four Books and Five Classics, without testing practical matters, most of the officials produced would just be bookish.

While speaking to the Emperor and Prime Minister He, he suggested that practical matters be included in the imperial examination, so candidates would understand the people’s conditions. Only by understanding the people’s conditions could officials solve livelihood issues in the future.

The Emperor listened very attentively, not interrupting Zhao Yao. Meanwhile, Prime Minister He carefully wrote down what Zhao Yao said.

After speaking for a while, Zhao Yao felt a bit thirsty, and the Emperor personally poured him tea. After drinking the tea, he continued to speak, finishing only by noon.

The Emperor directly invited Zhao Yao and Prime Minister He to have lunch together.

During lunch, the Emperor did not ask Zhao Yao any questions, but Prime Minister He kept asking Zhao Yao questions, completely forgetting formalities. Nevertheless, the Emperor did not blame him.

After lunch, Zhao Yao was kept by the Emperor and Prime Minister He. Although Zhao Yao had clearly explained the imperial examination before, the Emperor and Prime Minister He still had many questions to ask.

They spent another afternoon clarifying everything about the imperial examination.

Zhao Yao spoke for the entire day, his throat turned hoarse. Moreover, he felt as if his lips were about to wear out from speaking.

It was getting late, and Prime Minister He could no longer stay in the palace. Before leaving, he gave Zhao Yao a deep bow, thanking him for proposing the imperial examination. He understood that the imperial examination would not only change the fate of scholars but also the fate of the Great Zhou, and might even alter history.

After Prime Minister He left, the Emperor could no longer restrain himself and pulled his youngest son into his embrace, showering him with kisses and praises.

It was the first time Zhao Yao had heard the Emperor praise him so much, making him feel over the moon. He felt a bit guilty about the Emperor’s praise, as the idea of the imperial examination was not his own, but something from the world of the dream Zhao Yao, which he merely introduced.

After the Emperor’s excitement subsided, he finally regained his composure.

Zhao Yao grabbed a piece of the Emperor’s clothing to wipe the saliva off his face. Just now, he had been kissed all over his face by the Emperor.

Seeing his youngest son’s actions, the Emperor was both amused and annoyed, pulling him back into his embrace and kissing him again until his face was full of saliva.

Zhao Yao was annoyed and decided to return the favor. He hugged the Emperor’s face and kissed him until the Emperor’s face was covered in saliva.

The Emperor, having been kissed like this, was not angry but instead laughed very happily.