The emperor was extremely curious. "Oh? Lord Cang, do you mean to reopen the imperial examination to select talents?"
"Not exactly." Cang Xuan smiled and explained this selection method to the emperor in detail.
"…For these two examinations, five chief examiners shall be appointed. These five examiners should have the same official rank so that they can restrain and supervise each other."
"Both the high - ranking nobles and ordinary commoners can sign up for the examinations. After the examinations are over, the results shall be posted on the notice board for a month. During this month, anyone can report the misconduct of the examinees to the imperial examination institute. If the Ministry of Justice verifies and the evidence is conclusive, the examinee's qualification for appointment shall be cancelled, and the one with the next - highest score will take their place."
After listening, the emperor's eyes shone brightly. "This method is excellent!"
But he still found a loophole in it. "What if someone deliberately frames and wrongs an examinee and then destroys the evidence?"
"The examinee can submit a petition to the local government to state their grievances. If more than a hundred commoners press their fingerprints on the petition to testify and guarantee for them, they shall be pardoned."
In fact, this method seems similar to the court officials who knelt in front of the imperial study to plead for Yan Huan. However, the officials pleaded for Yan Huan for "self - interest", while the commoners plead for the examinees out of "sympathy". The essences of the two are different.
The emperor pondered for a moment and then agreed to Cang Xuan's proposal.
"As expected of Lord Cang. We shall implement this method as you suggested! In this way, I can save a lot of trouble."
The emperor thought deeper and farther. This method might bring some changes to the court of the Great Chu and was also the hope to purify the stagnant water in Shengjing City.
His gaze fell on Cang Xuan's extremely handsome face, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
Of course, there was still a little shortcoming.
"Lord Cang, it's not that I'm being critical, but look at the heir of the Duke of Yong next door. He's already married. Shouldn't you also consider your own marriage?"
Cang Xuan didn't know why the emperor suddenly brought up this matter again. He couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. "Your servant…"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, interrupting Cang Xuan's words. Tian Shu's voice came from outside. "My lord, the Duke of Yong and his wife are here with gifts. They wish to meet the master of this mansion."
The Duke of Yong?! Su Qing?!
Cang Xuan and the emperor glanced at each other and stood up simultaneously. The emperor straightened his clothes and hair and asked Cang Xuan, "Friend Yun, does there look anything wrong with me?"
The next moment, he pointed at Cang Xuan urgently. "Lord Cang, your face…"
…
Outside the mansion, Su Qing and Lady Mo stood side by side. Although they looked extremely leisurely, their hearts were tense, and they were full of vigilance towards the half - open door in front of them.
When they arrived at the villa yesterday, they learned from Steward Tian in advance that the mansion next door was unoccupied.
However, unexpectedly, when the children went out to pick up the ball last night, they accidentally found that there were lights on in this mansion, indicating that someone had also come to this mansion after they went up the mountain.
They left the city to avoid the possible schemes of the Yan family. During such a sensitive period, someone following them up the mountain immediately after them made them have to be on guard.
After discussing with Lady Mo, after breakfast, they brought some fresh fruits and pastries and planned to come here to find out the truth.
The person who answered the door was an ordinary - looking servant. After learning their identities and intentions, he only left a sentence "I'll go and ask the master. Please wait a moment, esteemed guests" and then closed the door and went into the house.
Su Qing and Lady Mo waited outside for a long time. They even thought they had been played with when they finally heard footsteps from inside.
The half - open door was pulled open, and an old man and a young man walked out.
The older one seemed to be around fifty years old. He was a bit overweight, but his every gesture carried an indescribable air of nobility.
The young man behind also had an outstanding temperament, which was quite eye - catching. However, when they saw his face, their good impression of him was slightly discounted.
Because that face… was indeed a bit too ordinary, not even as good - looking as the stable boy in their mansion.
When the older one saw them, a smile immediately appeared on his face. "We only came here for a short stay in the mountains and didn't want to disturb our noble neighbors. Yet you've come with gifts. Please forgive our rudeness."
The other party greeted them with a smiling face and was very friendly. Su Qing also hooked the corners of his lips and bowed his hands.
"My name is Su Qing, and this is my wife, Lady Mo. We brought our family here to the mountain villa for a short stay yesterday. We heard that there was someone living here, so we came to pay a visit. These are the gifts we prepared. We hope our noble neighbors will accept them."
The servant stepped forward and took the gifts from Su Qing and Lady Mo. The emperor said leisurely with a smile,
"Oh, Brother Su, you're too kind. It should have been us who brought gifts to visit you. But we were too tired from the journey yesterday and went to rest right after we arrived. Instead, you got ahead of us. I'm really ashamed."
Cang Xuan, who was standing behind the emperor, couldn't help but glance at him.
He was a bit worried that the emperor might accidentally reveal his identity, but unexpectedly, this old man was not only comfortable playing someone else but also handled it with ease. Look at how smoothly he was talking.
Su Qing really didn't notice anything wrong. Although he thought that these two people's looks and bearing were not ordinary, they didn't show any hostility. He glanced at Lady Mo, and they both felt relieved.
"May I ask how we should address our noble neighbors?" Su Qing said.
The emperor said, "My surname is Shu. I'm from Shuzhou. This is my nephew, named Yun Jian."
Surname Shu? Su Qing frowned slightly. Before coming to Shengjing City, he had someone inquire about the situation in the city, and there didn't seem to be any wealthy families with the surname Shu.
With a bit of doubt, Su Qing bowed his hands to the two of them and said, "So it's Brother Shu and Friend Yun. Judging from your accents, it seems that you've been living in Shengjing for a long time?"
The emperor knew that Su Qing was a very meticulous person and had already suspected something. He said, "Yes and no. We often travel between Shuzhou and Shengjing to do some cloth business, so we've naturally picked up the Shengjing accent. This mansion is our lodging place in Shengjing City. We don't come here often. Meeting Brother Su this time shows that we're really destined."
Merchants? If they were wealthy merchants from Shuzhou, it was reasonable for them to have such bearing.
The emperor then said with a beaming smile, "Speaking of which, judging from your accent, Brother Su, it seems that you're from Mobei?"
"Exactly. That's why they say that people thousands of miles apart are still brought together by fate. If Brother Shu and Friend Yun don't mind, why don't you come to our place as guests? We can sit together, have some wine, and talk about the differences between Mobei and Shuzhou. Wouldn't that be great?"
Su Qing invited with a smiling face, but only he knew how much sincerity there was in that smile.
"Oh, of course, if it's inconvenient for Brother Shu and Friend Yun, that's okay. After all, you two have important matters to attend to, and I don't want to bother you too much. In that case, my wife and I will…"
"That would be great."
Su Qing had already prepared to be rejected and then go home with Lady Mo. But unexpectedly, he heard the emperor say happily, "Since Brother Su has extended such a kind invitation, Brother Shu and my nephew won't decline."