From cute to empress

Chapter 103 Spring Breeze Turns into Rain

In the Golden Throne Hall, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Lin Jijiu in shock, as if he had said something outrageous. I motioned for silence and told him to continue.

"As everyone knows, the enemy nation has been at war for years, its people suffering and its treasury empty. Now that they're actively seeking peace, it's certainly a sincere gesture. Moreover..." Lin Jijiu paused, his eyes sweeping over the indignant ministers, "We've nurtured so many outstanding talents. Shouldn't we give them a chance to realize their ambitions and defend our country?"

His words were resounding, echoing throughout the hall. I noticed that the ministers, who had been excited, now had a pensive look on their faces.

"Lord Lin, you're right," I said slowly. "Peace is never achieved through compromise or concessions, but through strength! We must show our enemy our resolve, and even more importantly, our strength!"

I cast my gaze upon Zhen Youcai, who immediately understood. He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I suggest that we take this opportunity to send envoys to the enemy country. This would allow us to investigate their strength and also showcase our nation's wealth of talent and strength!"

"Alright!" I nodded approvingly. "Let's do as General Zhen wishes! Lin Jijiu, this mission to the enemy country is of great importance. You will be the chief envoy. You must demonstrate our national prestige to the enemy!"

"I obey your order!" Lin Jijiu looked stern and bowed to accept the order.

After the court was dismissed, I kept Zhen Youcai to discuss the next steps in education reform.

"Talented people, how do you think we should evaluate these talents so that we can truly select the best ones to serve the country?" I asked.

Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, the traditional imperial examination places too much emphasis on book knowledge and neglects students' practical ability and overall quality. I think we can add some practical assessment content, such as..."

I listened carefully to his suggestions, nodding and offering my own ideas. We both agreed that education reform must go beyond superficiality and focus on the well-rounded development of students, cultivating their innovative spirit and practical skills.

After some discussion, we finally developed a brand-new education assessment system, which not only retained the traditional classics and poetry, but also added subjects such as policy essays, arithmetic, riding and archery, and set up a special practical assessment link, aiming to select truly talented people with both moral integrity and ability.

The new education reform plan immediately caused a huge response across the country. Wang Fuzi, Sun Xiucai and other knowledgeable people responded to the call for reform and adopted various innovative teaching methods to stimulate students' learning interest and creativity.

I watched all this with gratification, my heart filled with hope. I believe that under the new education system, more outstanding talents like Zhao Xuezi and Zhou Junzhu will emerge. They will become the pillars of our country and lead our country to an even more glorious future...

"Your Majesty, look!" Lin Jijiu pointed ahead, his face filled with unconcealed surprise, "That's..."

The golden sunlight streamed down, illuminating the entire Imperial College. My incognito tour, looking at this flourishing scene before me, filled me with joy.

"Your Majesty, look, that's Mr. Zhao. He is debating with Princess Zhou!" Lin Jijiu's voice was full of pride.

Following his gaze, I saw Zhao Xuezi, dressed in a turquoise shirt, beaming with energy. He was eloquently expounding on his views, citing classics and citing a wealth of sources. Princess Zhou, not to be outdone, was dressed in a light yellow dress, looking dignified and elegant. She refuted Zhao Xuezi's views with clear logic, and the two of them exchanged sharp words, creating a lively atmosphere.

The students around him listened with rapt attention, nodding, pondering, whispering, and discussing in low voices. This lively learning atmosphere formed a sharp contrast with the previously dull classroom.

"Over the past two years, both Mr. Zhao and Princess Zhou have made rapid progress. Under the new educational model, their talents have been fully demonstrated," said Lin Jijiu with admiration. "Mr. Zhao, in particular, is not only knowledgeable but also possesses exceptional leadership skills, holding a high reputation among the students."

I nodded with approval in my eyes.

At this moment, a melodious bell rang out, officially marking the start of the Imperial College's annual academic exchange conference. Scholars and students from across the country gathered to discuss academic issues and exchange learning experiences.

I walked into the venue and saw that the entire venue was arranged in an orderly manner. The booths of various disciplines were surrounded by students eager to learn. Some of them were listening carefully to the scholars' explanations, some were reading books carefully, and some were discussing academic issues with classmates enthusiastically.

"Your Majesty, look, that is our newly developed loom model. It can greatly improve weaving efficiency..." A young student enthusiastically introduced their research results to me, with confidence shining in his eyes.

I nodded with satisfaction. These young students are full of energy and courage to innovate. Their future is full of infinite possibilities. I believe that with their efforts, our country's future will be even brighter.

However, just as I was immersed in this joyful atmosphere, Lin Jijiu's expression suddenly changed. He quickly walked to my side and whispered, "Your Majesty, something has happened..."

He handed me a letter. I opened it, and my expression suddenly darkened. Lin Jijiu's face was pale, his lips trembling slightly, and he practically crushed the letter. My heart tightened, a sense of foreboding washed over me. Unfolding the letter, the beautiful handwriting caught my eye, yet each word stung like a needle, piercing my eyes. The letter exposed the allegations that a highly respected Jijiu of the Imperial College had plagiarized academic achievements for years and even abused his position to suppress dissent.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil within me. This anonymous letter was too strange, and its contents were too detailed, for me to ignore it. If it were true, it wouldn't just be a question of one official's conduct; it would seriously undermine the fairness and authority of education reform!

"This matter is of great importance, Priest Lin, you must keep this information secret and do not let it leak out." I handed the letter to Zhen Youcai, and his expression became serious. "Youcai, immediately send someone to investigate secretly. Remember, you must be cautious and do not alert the enemy."

"I obey your order." Zhen Youcai took the letter, looked determined, and turned away.

My gaze swept across the bustling conference hall once again, but a shadow cast a shadow over my heart. The once thriving scene now filled me with an inexplicable sense of unease. Academic fraud is an unforgivable crime in any era, let alone today, when we are vigorously promoting educational reform!

The next few days were a whirlwind. On the one hand, I forced myself to remain calm and handle daily government affairs, while on the other hand, I kept a close eye on the progress of Zhen Youcai's investigation. However, things seemed to be more complicated than we had imagined.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent..." A few days later, Zhen Youcai knelt before me with a heavy face, "The people I sent to investigate were all secretly obstructed, and two of them were even... murdered."

My heart sank, a chill running through me. It seemed this was even deeper than we imagined. Someone was secretly manipulating everything, trying to stop us from uncovering the truth!

"Your Majesty, I believe this was not your doing. I beg you to investigate!" Lin Jijiu suddenly knelt down, his tone excited. "I implore your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and clear the name of the Imperial College!"

I helped Lin Jijiu up and said with a firm look in my eyes, "Don't worry, Lin Jijiu, I will definitely find out the truth and give everyone an explanation!"

"Come here, call Master Wang, Scholar Zhao, and Scholar Sun..." I said in a deep voice, my eyes as sharp as a knife, "Some things have finally come to light..."

Inside the Imperial Study, Master Wang, Scholar Zhao, and Scholar Sun stood with varying expressions, the atmosphere almost frozen with tension. They were all key figures in the anonymous letter incident. Master Wang was a student of the highly respected Master Jijiu, Scholar Zhao had publicly questioned Jijiu's academic achievements, and Scholar Sun was the talented scholar who had been suppressed by Jijiu and ultimately depressed.

I dismissed my attendants and personally poured them tea. My tone was gentle but pointed: "Three of you, I asked you to come here today because I want to learn something about the Imperial College."

Master Wang, over fifty years old and a cautious man, was the first to kneel down. "Your Majesty, our teacher...he has always been an upright man. He would never do such a thing!"

Zhao Xuezi, young and full of energy, couldn't help but retort, "Master Wang, you're being too absolute. I simply raised a few questions about the Master's writing, and he accused me of 'great disrespect.' If he truly had a clear conscience, why would he be so afraid of what others would say?"

Sun Xiucai remained silent, his head bowed, his hands tightly clutching the corners of his clothes, his knuckles white. I noticed a glint of resentment in his eyes, but when he met my gaze, he quickly lowered his head.

"Mr. Sun, what about you? Do you have anything to say?" I gently placed a cup of tea in front of him.

Sun Xiucai shuddered, but did not look up. His voice was low and hoarse: "I...I have nothing to say."

"No, you do," I said firmly. "You know the truth better than anyone, don't you?"

Sun Xiucai suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of struggle and fear. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but seemed to be hesitant about something, and in the end he said nothing.

Just then, Zhen Youcai hurried in and whispered something in my ear. My face changed and I stood up suddenly.

"It seems that someone is more anxious to cover up the truth than us..." I snorted coldly, sweeping my eyes over everyone present, "Come here, take Mr. Sun away and protect him well! No one is allowed to approach without my order!"

My gaze finally fell on Zhen Youcai, and I said in a deep voice, "Let's go and meet the man behind the scenes!"