dognovel Chapter 498 Scholars from all nations can take the exam 2
Chapter 498 Scholars from all nations can take the exam 2
Before the words were finished, a eunuch stumbled in, the bamboo slips in his hand still stained with mud: "Your Majesty! Disaster! Thirty scholars from the Jixia Academy... have already left Linzi through the west gate with their books, claiming... they are going to Xianyang to take the exam!"
Upon hearing the news, Tian Jian abruptly stood up, his body swaying slightly. The news struck him like a hammer blow, leaving him in disbelief. He suddenly recalled his father, King Xiang of Qi's, dying words: "Qi possesses the advantages of mountains and seas; by closing its borders and guarding itself, it can ensure a hundred years of peace."
But now, Qin's giant ships are sailing outside Langya Terrace, and Qin's civil service examinations are undermining Qi's foundation—the dangers of mountains and seas may deter enemy ships, but how can they imprison people's hearts? When the scholars of Linzi began to envy Qin's fertile land and generous salaries, and when Qi's officials were still debating whether "commoners should become officials," that bottomless chasm had already silently cracked open on the land of Qi and Lu.
As the bronze bell in the Chu royal palace rang for the fifth time, King Fuchu of Chu was still staring at the map before him. His fingertip traced the location of Yan City on the map, which was marked with cinnabar, but it was not a war marker. Since Princess Jiayang of Qin, Ying Wuyou, proposed the joint construction of an economic zone two years ago, and Chu and Qin signed a ceasefire agreement, this land that had suffered so much had been peaceful for two years.
"The Qin state's civil service examination regulations are more worrying than their massive ships," King Fuchu of Chu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying beyond the hall and seemingly dispelling some of the summer heat. Two documents lay side-by-side on the table: one a list of taxes levied on the Chu-Qin border trade, and the other a copy of Qin's proclamation announcing the resumption of the civil service examinations.
Ling Yin Zhaoju stroked his beard, pushing the proclamation further away as if the thin hemp paper were burning his hand: "Your Majesty is overthinking it. It's nothing more than a farce by some poor scholars. Which of our Chu officials hasn't been officials for generations? When our ancestors assisted King Wu in expanding the territory, Qin was still just herding horses in Longxi. For them to set up an 'agricultural technology department' and even offer official positions to farmers—such self-degrading behavior will never amount to anything."
"Can't amount to anything?" Prime Minister Xiang Yan's voice was cold and hard, like metal. He had just returned from an inspection tour of Qianzhong County, and his armor was still stained with mud from the southwestern mountains. "Does the Prime Minister know that last year, the minor official from Chu sent by Qin to Nanjun was originally a fisherman from Yunmengze? Just because he was familiar with the water and knew about water conservancy, he actually built three sluice gates in Jiangling County. Now, the farmland in that area no longer suffers from floods during the flood season. The local people all say that Qin officials don't care about background, they only care about whether they can get things done."
Zhao Ju sneered, his sleeve sweeping across the candied dates on the table, a few rolling to the ground: "What do the common people know? Officials should know poetry, books, rites, and music, how can they associate with fishermen? Prime Minister, you should worry more about military affairs. Don't forget that although Chu and Qin have stopped fighting, the border trade taxes still largely depend on our Zhao family's caravans."
Before the words were finished, a eunuch stumbled in, his hair disheveled, and the bamboo slips in his hand still covered in mud, clearly having run all the way: "Your Majesty! Disaster! We just received an urgent report from the border that over a hundred of our Chu scholars... have gone to Wuguan with their book chests! They say... that if you pass the Qin imperial examinations, you can not only become an official, but also receive Qin's 'mutual trade vouchers,' which allow you to do business on the Chu-Qin border with taxes that are 30% lower than those of our local merchants!"
King Fu Chu of Chu abruptly rose from his throne, the jade pendant at his waist striking the dragon-patterned pillar with a dull thud. He recalled the banquet held last month, where the Qin envoy had jokingly remarked, "Princess Jiayang said that in economic zones, the flow of talent should be like a river—it's better to guide than to block." At the time, he had taken it as mere politeness, but now he was shocked to realize that Qin's so-called "guidance" was actually using the imperial examinations as bait to lure away the pillars of Chu!
"Outrageous!" King Fu Chu's voice was filled with anger, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Issue my order: seal off Wuguan Pass! Anyone carrying books and intending to go to Qin, arrest them all! Investigate further: who is behind this instigation of scholars to defect?"
Xiang Yan looked at him and suddenly sighed: "Your Majesty, it can't be stopped. I have a soldier under my command named Zhongli Mo, who is skilled in archery and horsemanship and can read a few words, but because he is of commoner origin, he has been serving in the Chu army for ten years and is still only a squad leader. The other day he secretly told me that he wants to go to Xianyang to take the exam—not for an official position, but to pass the exam and get that trade certificate so that his elder brother can go to the border to do business and no longer be exploited by the local powerful families."
A hush fell over the hall, broken only by the soft rustling of a single leaf falling onto the stone steps. King Fu Chu of Chu gazed at the tax list of the Chu-Qin trade on the table. The figures increased month by month, and the people on the border were indeed benefiting. But on the other side of this benefit was Qin's gradual erosion of Chu's morale through the imperial examination system and trade vouchers—those poor scholars and small business owners who saw no hope in the old system were flowing downhill towards Qin like water.
Zhao Ju's face turned ashen, and he slammed his fist on the table: "This is outrageous! If any scholars dare to desert, strip them of their clan status! If any merchants dare to use Qin's trade certificates, confiscate their warehouses! My Chu is a vast and resource-rich land; do we think we can't function without these people?"
“Perhaps it will work without them.” Xiang Yan’s gaze swept across the outside of the palace, where under the locust tree, several eunuchs were whispering among themselves, discussing the questions for the Qin imperial examinations. “But once people’s hearts are scattered, it’s hard to reunite them. The Prime Minister’s caravans were able to monopolize the trade market because Chu and Qin had ceased hostilities; but if one day… Qin uses those Chu scholars as guides and those trade opportunities as bait, can we still hold our borders?”
King Fuchu of Chu slowly sat back on his throne, a chill creeping up his backside as if the turquoise armrests had suddenly become unusually cold. He couldn't help but shiver; the chill came not only from the warmth of the armrests but also from the unease in his heart.
His thoughts drifted away, and the image of the Qin's massive ships appeared in his mind, silently anchored outside the Yunmeng Marsh, without firing a single arrow. These giant ships were like sleeping beasts; though seemingly calm, no one knew when they would suddenly awaken and reveal their ferocious fangs.
At the same time, King Fuchu of Chu recalled the Qin state's imperial examination system. This system, held in Xianyang, was sharper than an arrow, piercing far into Yingdu. Those who passed the examinations were like shining stars, attracting countless Chu students. They yearned to change their fate as much as they yearned for the spring sunshine.
The bitterness in King Fuchu's heart began to spread like a tide. He knew that no matter how he sealed off Wuguan Pass, those hearts yearning to change their fate were like fallen osmanthus seeds; even if crushed into the soil, they would always sprout new buds elsewhere the following spring. And what Qin was doing was merely giving those new buds a chance to grow upwards.
King Fu Chu of Chu sighed deeply, feeling as if he were trapped in an inescapable predicament. The silent struggle between Chu and Qin seemed to have already reached its inevitable end.